On the big day at St. Stephen Lutheran, many of Pastor Kesterson’s extended family were present (see photo below). The same day the congregation celebrated the anniversary of its sanctuary (it had belonged to a funeral home and was permanently moved to the site 25 years ago). Don Drews narrated a slide show that depicted the move, the construction of a foundation, and the reassembly of the building. Before this the congregation had met in rented facilities.
June 14-16, 2011
Immanuel Lutheran College — Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Agenda:
When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear and understand: Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.” Then His disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch. Then Peter answered and said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.” So Jesus said, “Are you also still without understanding? Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.
The devil in the cloak of the serpent posed the question that ensnared Adam and Eve. God said, “…but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat…” (Genesis 2:17). Satan asked, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?’” (Genesis 3:1)
God had declared the consequence of disobedience. If Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, they would “surely die” (Genesis 2:17). Flatly contradicting God, Satan said, “You will not surely die” (Genesis 3:4).
No, this writing is not intended to be a promotion for a bedding or mattress company! Rather, it has to do with Jesus and the comfort He sends from heaven where He reigns as our King.Actually, though, the gospel allows us to go to bed and sleep in peace and comfort (Psalm 4:8)!
The word “comfort” occurs frequently in the Bible as well as in worldly writings. Take Shakespeare, for example. In The Tragedy of King Richard II we find the Queen and others troubled, woeful, and sad (Act II, Scene ii). The Duke of York walks in, and she asks him to “speak comfortable words.” His answer contains a memorable line: “Comfort’s in heaven; and we are on the earth, where nothing lives but crosses, pain, and grief.”
It is a grim line, but it makes one think of heaven and the comfort there.
Yet this comfort is not just a “thing” or a “commodity.” It is a Person! Our Comfort in heaven is Christ Himself. And His Ascension and Session (being seated) provide us with much comfort down here, before we get to heaven.
When I was a young child, I recall feeling somewhat disappointed when I heard this Bible verse. It was building up to a grand conclusion, “If you then, being evil know how to give good gifts….” Then I expected, “How much more will your heavenly Father give even greater gifts to those who ask!”
Again, as a child I thought about all the greater things God could give. When the passage continued, it somehow wasn’t quite what I had in mind: “How much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.”
I soon realized that there is no greater gift than the Holy Spirit!
Earthly fathers can give us only earthly gifts: food, clothing, a home, and other things to enjoy in this life, but all such things are temporary. Through the Holy Spirit, however, our heavenly Father can give gifts that last forever!
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)
According to our time-honored custom, we Christians celebrate three main festivals each year during the course of the Christian church year.
At CHRISTMAS we remember how God sent His Son Jesus to our world as a tiny child at Bethlehem that He might serve as our Redeemer from death, hell, and sin. With hearts brimming with joy we commemorate the birth of Christ.
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine dresser.Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away;and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
Only a fool will challenge the Almighty, and the Emperor of Egypt had to learn the hard way that God never loses a contest. While we shudder as God ravaged Egypt’s economic, civil, and religious life, it does our heart good that God’s will gets done on Earth as well as in heaven. We want to be on God’s side in the winners’ circle.
Let’s watch as Jehovah’s mighty hand won the contest against a foolish mortal who thought he ruled Egypt-land. The EofE (Emperor of Egypt) was a tough fellow, over-confident that he had divine status, and he did not intend to roll over and play dead before a God he did not recognize:
30 Numbers 6:22-27– THL 50 Both His blessing and our prayer. 31 Luke 11:1-13– THL 454 God’s business first; our welfare second. 1 John 16:24-33– THL 21 No good reason to be a stranger…
