Daily Email: Wednesday, February 8, 2017

DEVOTION: Matthew 5:38-48 English Standard Version (ESV)

Retaliation

³⁸ "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' ³⁹ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. ⁴⁰ And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic,^[a] let him have your cloak as well. ⁴¹ And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. ⁴² Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

Love Your Enemies

⁴³ "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' ⁴⁴ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. ⁴⁶ For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your brothers,^[b] what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? ⁴⁸ You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

 

These are difficult passages to handle, simply because it is not in our human nature to do them.  It is not our nature to love our enemies.  It is not our nature to be passive.  We want to resist.  We want to fight back. 

 

I can just see all the people sitting there listening to him and one by one looking down at the ground with grief on their faces as he convicts them of their sins of selfishness, wrath, unforgiveness, and so much more.  

 

This is why, at the end of all this, Jesus says "You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly father is perfect.  We will never be perfect at any of this.  We will always fall short. 

 

At the same time, he wants us to be this way, not to point to ourselves or our own piety or goodness, but in many and different ways, to point to Christ and his perfect piety and goodness. 

 

Let me put it another way.  What do you think is the best way to defeat your enemy without casualties?  It is to make them your friends.  And how do you make them your friends but by caring for their needs, going the extra mile with them, and not fighting back but forgiving instead.  This works in every argument and every broken relationship as long as the other person is willing to accept you. 

 

This is what Jesus has done for you.  He has made you, his one time enemy, to become his "friend" or child.  Instead of fighting back and destroying you, he came down to earth, became submissive even to death on a cross, and took the place you deserved. 

 

Now, because you have been made alive in Christ, and because the Holy Spirit lives in you, you have the heart of Christ.  So, more and more, though never completely or perfectly, you can follow the example of Christ.  You can turn the other cheek.  You can go the extra mile.  You can give away your tunic.  You can pray for and with your enemies.  You can LOVE YOUR ENEMY, because you want what Christ wants for him, to be forgiven and have eternal life.  Why?  Because that's what Christ has done for you! 

 

Remember that you will never do this perfectly or completely, but the more that your human heart is filled with the love of Christ, the more you will realize your shortcoming and how much that "while we were still sinners (enemies), Christ died for us."    Then you will realize that everyone else is in the same boat as you and you can love them like Christ does. 

 

Prayer: Lord, help me to love my enemies to the point that I want them to be forgiven and have eternal life just like I do.  Amen.

 

____________________________________________________________________________________

CALENDAR

Wed-Choir 7

Thurs- Lutheranism 101 6:30pm

Sat-  Worship 5pm
Sun- Worship 8:30 and 11; Sunday school and Adult Bible class 9:45; Elders meeting noon

__________________________________________________________________________________________
WORSHIP WORKERS FOR THIS COMING WEEKEND:  
Acolyte-  8:30- Nova Luebke 11- Kalene Masters

Ushers-  Larry Schulze, Scott Schulze, Gary Scott, Dave Winter

Altar- Set up- Don Hance; Clean up- Joann Hachtel

Elders-  Sat- Randy Fischer; 8:30- Jason Cluver; 11- Jim Rahn
 
Greeters-  8:30- Paul and Cindy Klover; 11- Dan and Lisa Rausch

Lay Readers- Sat- Sandra Perricone; 8:30- Steve McDowell; 11- Jim Rahn

Piano-  Kathy Barrow

Organist- Rachel Fisher

Projectionists: Sat- Perricone; 8:30- Yoder???; 11- Masters
________________________________________________________________

YESTERDAY'S QUIZ: Who was Hobab son of Reuel?  Hobab was the brother-in-law of Moses (Thanks Don!)

_________________________________________________________________

TODAY'S QUIZ:  What were the names of the twelve spies who went into the Promised Land?  Who were the two who gave a good report and suggested that they follow the commands of the Lord and take it?

_______________________________________________________________________

NEWS!!!! 

THANK YOU FOR BRINGING BACK THOSE BABY BOTTLES! 

If you forgot to bring it yesterday, you weren't here for worship, or you would still like to donate you can bring it by anytime this week or this coming weekend. 

____________________________________________________________________

STEPHEN MINISTRY IS LOOKING FOR SOME NEW STEPHEN LEADERS

If you love caring for others and consider yourself a leader, this is the perfect way for you to serve the Lord and your church family!

 

The Stephen Leader training is April 23-29 at the Renaissance Hotel by the airport this year and the cost of the training is covered by the church.  If you choose to stay at the hotel you will have to pay for that yourself.  It's only a 35 minute commute to the training from Warrenton.

_________________________________________________________________________

TRAVELING FELLOWSHIP GROUP IS GOING TO FULTON ON SATURDAY, APRIL 8!

The group will be boarding a charter bus at 7:45am that day, first heading to the Auto World Museum, secondly to The Copper Mine Restaurant for lunch, and finally to the Churchill Museum before heading home.  They will arrive home around 5:30 that evening.  The cost will be around $65 including lunch, but the more people that go, the cheaper it will be. 

YOUTH STEAK DINNER AND AUCTION WILL BE MARCH 25!

OUR YOUTH STEAK DINNER AND AUCTION HAS BEEN MOVED BACK A MONTH AND IS TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY, MARCH 25!  Also, THANK YOU LETTERS to those church members who donated last year are in your church mailboxes!!

OPERATION BACKPACK ITEMS COLLECTED FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY ARE CANNED FRUIT AND VEGETABLES!

Any size can, and any kind of fruit or vegetable is appreciated.    Place them in the receptacle marked "Backpack Blessings" in the narthex.

__________________________________________________________________________________

AGAPE DONATIONS ALWAYS ACCEPTED!!

Any nonperishable food items, diapers, toiletries, etc.!!

 

Perishable food items can be taken directly to Agape at 713 Powell St. in Warrenton.  Call 456-4645 to find out when they're open or for more info.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

YOUR KROGER CARD CAN EARN MONEY FOR LITTLE LAMBS

Go to www.kroger.com/communityawards and register your card today!!

__________________________________________________________________________________________GENERAL PRAYER

For the FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF PASTOR MICHAEL PIPER, (pastor at St. Paul's, New Melle) as they mourn his loss.

 

For ROSE DEPEW, mother of Randy Sweet, who has been moved to the DePaul Rehab facility and is improving. She began to speak a few intelligible words yesterday  . 

 

For PETE FRENZIA who is recovering from back surgery at University Hospital in Columbia. .

 

For CAROL BRAZEE who is recovering from a lung infection at home

 

For MARIANNE LINKE, who is dealing with severe back pain and issues with her medication.  She is at Warrenton Manor.

 

For Mim Dunn's nephew DAVID HAHN who is dealing with severe throat cancer.

 

For BARB PERRICONE who is home on hospice care.

 

For LOIS BOEGER'S MOM, EVELYN TOEDEBUSCH,  who has been on hospice care for the last few months and slows down a little more every day, but is doing well.

 

 

Prayer request for family and friends of Pastor Michael Piper

Pastor Michael Piper passed from death to eternal life this morning due to complications after a severe stroke.

Visitation and funeral details to follow.  

Sent via the Samsung Galaxy S®6 active, an AT&T 4G LTE smartphone

Daily Email: Tuesday, February 7, 2017

DEVOTION: Deuteronomy 30:15-20English Standard Version (ESV)

¹⁵ "See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. ¹⁶ If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God^[a] that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules,^[b] then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. ¹⁷ But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, ¹⁸ I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. ¹⁹ I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live,²⁰ loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them."

 

Choose life….. How many choices did you make yesterday?  How many of them were according to God's will?  History, especially the history that we find in the Bible, tells us that we have not chosen life.  Since we are Adam and Eve's descendants, and since they chose death by eating of the tree of which God forbade them to eat, we have that burden of sin on us until Jesus comes again.

 

Therefore, God had to choose us, and choose to send His one and only Son to earth so that His perfect, sinless Son could make the right choice and die in our place. 

 

Because of this perfect choice the Holy Spirit has entered us and breathed new life into us.  In this new life, by the power of that same Holy Spirit, we are able to choose life.  We can walk in His ways.  We can hold fast to Him.  We can love the Lord.  We will dwell in the land of the Lord forever when Christ returns and restores everything to the way it should be!

 

Don't despair of your own inability to do what is right.  Instead, trust in the Lord, hold fast to Him, surrender to His will, rest in His grace.  Then you will truly experience that peace that the world doesn't comprehend.  Then you will know where true peace and joy can be found.  Live in Christ, and let Christ live in you. 

 

Let us Pray:  Lord, as I continue to choose death even though You have given me life, make me to continually turn away from that sin and hold fast to You that I may live forever with You. Amen.

 

 

____________________________________________________________________________________

CALENDAR

Tues- Quilting 9-2

Wed-Choir 7

Thurs- Lutheranism 101 6:30pm

Sat-  Worship 5pm
Sun- Worship 8:30 and 11; Sunday school and Adult Bible class 9:45; Elders meeting noon

__________________________________________________________________________________________
WORSHIP WORKERS FOR THIS COMING WEEKEND:  
Acolyte-  8:30- Nova Luebke 11- Kalene Masters

Ushers-  Larry Schulze, Scott Schulze, Gary Scott, Dave Winter

Altar- Set up- Don Hance; Clean up- Joann Hachtel

Elders-  Sat- Randy Fischer; 8:30- Jason Cluver; 11- Jim Rahn
 
Greeters-  8:30- Paul and Cindy Klover; 11- Dan and Lisa Rausch

Lay Readers- Sat- Sandra Perricone; 8:30- Steve McDowell; 11- Jim Rahn

Piano-  Kathy Barrow

Organist- Rachel Fisher

Projectionists: Sat- Perricone; 8:30- Yoder???; 11- Masters
________________________________________________________________

YESTERDAY'S QUIZ:  

To what tribe belonged the families of Gershon, Kohath, and Merari? Levi

___________________________________________________________________

TODAY'S QUIZ: Who was Hobab son of Reuel?

_________________________________________________________________

NEWS!!!! 

THANK YOU FOR BRINGING BACK THOSE BABY BOTTLES! 

If you forgot to bring it yesterday, you weren't here for worship, or you would still like to donate you can bring it by anytime this week or this coming weekend. 

____________________________________________________________________

STEPHEN MINISTRY IS LOOKING FOR SOME NEW STEPHEN LEADERS

If you love caring for others and consider yourself a leader, this is the perfect way for you to serve the Lord and your church family!

 

The Stephen Leader training is April 23-29 at the Renaissance Hotel by the airport this year and the cost of the training is covered by the church.  If you choose to stay at the hotel you will have to pay for that yourself.  It's only a 35 minute commute to the training from Warrenton.

_________________________________________________________________________

TRAVELING FELLOWSHIP GROUP IS GOING TO FULTON ON SATURDAY, APRIL 8!

The group will be boarding a charter bus at 7:45am that day, first heading to the Auto World Museum, secondly to The Copper Mine Restaurant for lunch, and finally to the Churchill Museum before heading home.  They will arrive home around 5:30 that evening.  The cost will be around $65 including lunch, but the more people that go, the cheaper it will be. 

YOUTH STEAK DINNER AND AUCTION WILL BE MARCH 25!

OUR YOUTH STEAK DINNER AND AUCTION HAS BEEN MOVED BACK A MONTH AND IS TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY, MARCH 25!  Also, THANK YOU LETTERS to those church members who donated last year are in your church mailboxes!!

OPERATION BACKPACK ITEMS COLLECTED FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY ARE CANNED FRUIT AND VEGETABLES!

Any size can, and any kind of fruit or vegetable is appreciated.    Place them in the receptacle marked "Backpack Blessings" in the narthex.

__________________________________________________________________________________

AGAPE DONATIONS ALWAYS ACCEPTED!!

Any nonperishable food items, diapers, toiletries, etc.!!

 

Perishable food items can be taken directly to Agape at 713 Powell St. in Warrenton.  Call 456-4645 to find out when they're open or for more info.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

YOUR KROGER CARD CAN EARN MONEY FOR LITTLE LAMBS

Go to www.kroger.com/communityawards and register your card today!!

__________________________________________________________________________________________GENERAL PRAYER

For PASTOR MICHAEL PIPER, (pastor at St. Paul's, New Melle) who went into cardiac arrest yesterday and is near death.

 

For ROSE DEPEW, mother of Randy Sweet, who has been moved to the DePaul Rehab facility. 

 

For PETE FRENZIA who is recovering from back surgery at University Hospital in Columbia. .

 

For CAROL BRAZEE who is recovering from a lung infection at home

 

For MARIANNE LINKE, who is dealing with severe back pain and issues with her medication.  She is at Warrenton Manor.

 

For Mim Dunn's nephew DAVID HAHN who is dealing with severe throat cancer.

 

For BARB PERRICONE who is home on hospice care.

 

For LOIS BOEGER'S MOM, EVELYN TOEDEBUSCH,  who has been on hospice care for the last few months and slows down a little more every day, but is doing well.

 

 

 

Daily Email: Monday, February 6, 2017

DEVOTION:   Psalm 119:1-8  English Standard Version (ESV)

119 ^[a] Blessed are those whose way is blameless,
    who walk in the law of the Lord!
² Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,
    who seek him with their whole heart,
³ who also do no wrong,
    but walk in his ways!
⁴ You have commanded your precepts
    to be kept diligently.
⁵ Oh that my ways may be steadfast
    in keeping your statutes!
⁶ Then I shall not be put to shame,
    having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
⁷ I will praise you with an upright heart,
    when I learn your righteous rules.^[b]
8 I will keep your statutes;
    do not utterly forsake me!

 

I'm not sure that I like this passage very much.  Why?  Because I haven't kept all of God's statutes, I have not always sought Him with my whole heart, and I have most certainly done wrong.  So, at first sight this passage is a deafening reminder of what I have not done. 

 

Taking a little longer look, and knowing what I know, this passage is full of goodness.  King David is simply praising the Lord, and shows his willingness to serve Him.  He is praising God for the good things He has commanded. 

 

A lot of times we look at God as some cosmic killjoy.  We want to have fun and feel good, and we think that all those things that God, by His commands, is keeping us from having any fun.  We also want to be our own God and have control over our own lives, and when God commands us to live a certain way, it is as if He is taking our control away. 

 

This couldn't be further from the case.  Just like a mother will tell a child to stay off the parking lot, because she knows it's dangerous and not because she just wants to keep us from having fun, so God, commands us to live a certain way and to keep from certain things, it's not because He wants to keep us from experiencing joy and having fun, but He loves us so much that He doesn't want us to experience the pain, suffering, and guilt that going against His will most certainly will bring. 

 

Therefore, when we as forgiven Christians, and children who know we are loved like this, hear and see God's commands, we want to keep them because we know they are good for us.  We want to keep God's commands to honor Him and to have joy in our journey as His children here on earth. 

 

Praise God for giving you commands that He knows will benefit you and keep you from heartache, pain and guilt!  Praise God for His good will, and have in your mind and heart to do His will so that you may live the way He wants you to live. 

 

Prayer: Lord, I praise you for your good and gracious will.  Thank you for giving me your law so that I may see my sin, see what is just and right, and see your love for me.  Help me to live in that law, especially your command to come to You when I am weary and burdened so that I may have rest for my soul.  Amen.

 

 

____________________________________________________________________________________

CALENDAR

Mon- Confirmation 5:15-6:30

Tues- Quilting 9-2

Wed-Choir 7

Thurs- Lutheranism 101 6:30pm

Sat-  Worship 5pm
Sun- Worship 8:30 and 11; Sunday school and Adult Bible class 9:45; Elders meeting noon

__________________________________________________________________________________________
WORSHIP WORKERS FOR THIS COMING WEEKEND:  
Acolyte-  8:30- Nova Luebke 11- Kalene Masters

Ushers-  Larry Schulze, Scott Schulze, Gary Scott, Dave Winter

Altar- Set up- Don Hance; Clean up- Joann Hachtel

Elders-  Sat- Randy Fischer; 8:30- Jason Cluver; 11- Jim Rahn
 
Greeters-  8:30- Paul and Cindy Klover; 11- Dan and Lisa Rausch

Lay Readers- Sat- Sandra Perricone; 8:30- Steve McDowell; 11- Jim Rahn

Piano-  Kathy Barrow

Organist- Rachel Fisher

Projectionists: Sat- Perricone; 8:30- Yoder???; 11- Masters
________________________________________________________________

YESTERDAY'S QUIZ:  

What was the breastpiece of the High Priest for?  It was for judgement. Placed into the breastplate were Urim and Thummim  two sacred lots used by the high priest to receive answers from the Lord

___________________________________________________________________________

TODAY'S QUIZ:  To what tribe belonged the families of Gershon, Kohath, and Merari?

___________________________________________________________________

NEWS!!!! 

THANK YOU FOR BRINGING BACK THOSE BABY BOTTLES! 

If you forgot to bring it yesterday, you weren't here for worship, or you would still like to donate you can bring it by anytime this week or this coming weekend. 

____________________________________________________________________

STEPHEN MINISTRY IS LOOKING FOR SOME NEW STEPHEN LEADERS

If you love caring for others and consider yourself a leader, this is the perfect way for you to serve the Lord and your church family!

 

The Stephen Leader training is April 23-29 at the Renaissance Hotel by the airport this year and the cost of the training is covered by the church.  If you choose to stay at the hotel you will have to pay for that yourself.  It's only a 35 minute commute to the training from Warrenton.

_________________________________________________________________________

TRAVELING FELLOWSHIP GROUP IS GOING TO FULTON ON SATURDAY, APRIL 8!

The group will be boarding a charter bus at 7:45am that day, first heading to the Auto World Museum, secondly to The Copper Mine Restaurant for lunch, and finally to the Churchill Museum before heading home.  They will arrive home around 5:30 that evening.  The cost will be around $65 including lunch, but the more people that go, the cheaper it will be. 

YOUTH STEAK DINNER AND AUCTION WILL BE MARCH 25!

OUR YOUTH STEAK DINNER AND AUCTION HAS BEEN MOVED BACK A MONTH AND IS TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY, MARCH 25!  Also, THANK YOU LETTERS to those church members who donated last year are in your church mailboxes!!

OPERATION BACKPACK ITEMS COLLECTED FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY ARE CANNED FRUIT AND VEGETABLES!

Any size can, and any kind of fruit or vegetable is appreciated.    Place them in the receptacle marked "Backpack Blessings" in the narthex.

__________________________________________________________________________________

AGAPE DONATIONS ALWAYS ACCEPTED!!

Any nonperishable food items, diapers, toiletries, etc.!!

 

Perishable food items can be taken directly to Agape at 713 Powell St. in Warrenton.  Call 456-4645 to find out when they're open or for more info.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

YOUR KROGER CARD CAN EARN MONEY FOR LITTLE LAMBS

Go to www.kroger.com/communityawards and register your card today!!

__________________________________________________________________________________________GENERAL PRAYER

For PASTOR MICHAEL PIPER, (pastor at St. Paul's, New Melle) who is doing very poorly and is in ICU at DePaul.

 

For ROSE DEPEW, mother of Randy Sweet, who is still undergoing tests to identify what caused her seizures.  It may not even be a stroke.

 

For PETE FRENZIA who is recovering from back surgery at University Hospital in Columbia. .

 

For CAROL BRAZEE who is recovering from a lung infection at home

 

For MARIANNE LINKE, who is dealing with severe back pain and issues with her medication.  She is at Warrenton Manor.

 

For Mim Dunn's nephew DAVID HAHN who is dealing with severe throat cancer.

 

For BARB PERRICONE who is home on hospice care.

 

For LOIS BOEGER'S MOM, EVELYN TOEDEBUSCH,  who has been on hospice care for the last few months and slows down a little more every day, but is doing well.

 

 

 

FW: Rabe Family January Newsletter

 

 

Greetings from the Rabe Family! The Rabe Newsletter is here, There have been many things happening in Ethiopia and we are glad to share them with you! Please read and share our newsletter with others! Thank you so much for your prayers and support!  Your partners in the Gospel, Mark, Stefanie, Noah, Gabriella, Julianna and Matthias Rabe   Click for Newsletter Share Forward Copyright © 2017, The Rabes, All rights reserved. Rabes in Ethiopia Newsletter Our mailing address is: 8037 Oak Grove Plantation Road Tallahassee, Florida 32312-6825 unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences

This email was sent to revklaus@hotmail.com why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences Missionary to Ethiopia Lutheran Church Missouri-Synod · 164 McDonald Ct · Leesburg, GA 31763 · USA