Dear Fellow Children of God,
Last Sunday, June 1, the assigned Gospel reading was from
Jesus’ High Priestly prayer in John 17.
The specific Scripture assigned was John 17:20-26. I pointed out to the people of Our Redeemer
Lutheran Church in Chugiak that God’s will, reflected in Jesus’ prayer, can at
times seem impossible for US to accomplish.
Jesus prayed, “22 The glory that you have given me I have
given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them
and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know
that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” (John 17:22-23) Do
you understand what Jesus is praying? He
is praying that the whole world may know the saving love of God, in
Jesus. And Jesus is praying that the
oneness, or unity, of His church will be a means to sharing God’s salvation in
Jesus. That is quite a prayer, quite a
mission!
As I said on Sunday, reaching the whole world with the
Gospel is a large job. It is bigger than
any one Christian can accomplish. That
is one reason Jesus established His church so that His disciples “. . . will
be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of
the earth." (Acts 1:8) I recently read from a Christian news source
that one Bible Translating society still counts 300 people groups without the
Scriptures in their native language. The
calling of Jesus’ prayer for the world to know God’s love in Jesus can seem impossible.
Nevertheless, perhaps even more astounding, is the method
Jesus prays for His disciples to use in reaching the world: their oneness, or
unity. All we have to do is look at the
New Testament to see disagreements in the early church. There were
disagreements between the Jewish believers and Greek believers (Acts 6),
disagreements about whether new Christians needed to first become Jewish in
order to be Christian (Acts 15). Paul and his fellow evangelist, Barnabas, had
a bitter dispute about their mission work.
(Acts 15:37-41) There were disagreements between Peter and Paul
(Galatians 2:11-13). Paul even writes
about hard feelings between some lead women in the church of Philippi (Philippians
4:1-3) And, there are many more instance which show disagreements and division,
not oneness, in Christ’s followers. Now,
think of the differences in Jesus’ church today! So, what do you think? Jesus prays for the oneness of His followers
to lead the world to “ . . . know that you sent me and loved them even as
you loved me.” Does that sound
improbable, or impossible even?
Sometimes when we face the impossible, or the seeming
impossible, we are overwhelmed and just give up. It might seem easy for Jesus’ church, or
individual Christian congregations to lower their expectations, or to even give
up trying to spread the Gospel. However,
this reaction to the huge mission which Jesus gives His church can be a lesson
to some problems faced by Jesus’ people. We can learn more about a Biblical,
Christ-centered way to look at Jesus’ mission for His Church.
First, and most importantly, when Jesus prays that that
they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and
loved them even as you loved me.” the weight of this task does not fall
primarily on us. Remember who it is that
actually saved the world – JESUS! “For
God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that
the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:17) We aren’t the ones who
died and rose. God sent Jesus to accomplish that saving work!
In addition, and this is one reason I write this devotion
today, we will learn about the events of Pentecost Day this coming Sunday, June
8. As we listen to God’s Word in Acts 2,
as Peter explains how this miraculous and spectacular sending of the Holy
Spirit is a fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel 2, we read these words. 17 "'And in the last days
it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, . . .
21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the
name of the Lord shall be saved.' (Acts 2:17, 21) It is the Holy Spirit who
prepares people to hear God’s word about Jesus, and Who leads them to
faith. In Joel, our Lord teaches that He
‘pours out His Spirit on all people!”
The Spirit prepares their hearts to hear about God’s love in
Jesus. The Spirit works by God’s
Word and Sacraments to bring people to faith.
We aren’t the ones who create faith. That is the work of the Holy
Spirit!
The bottom line for us Christians today is that the call
of God may seem too big or impossible to us.
Yet it is not us winning people for eternity. Jesus has forgiven and saved people by His
life and death and resurrection. The
Holy Spirit is poured out on all people and prepares them to hear about God’s
love. The Spirit works faith in their
minds and hearts. God simply calls us to
faithfully plant and spread the seed of the good news. It is God who produces the fruit and brings the
growth.
That doesn’t let us off.
Jesus died and rose for us so that we live for Him. (2 Corinthians 5:15) We are called to share
that good news. And, as people saved by grace through faith, we WANT to spread
the gospel. But, the mission and the
results belong to God. It is our Lord
who accomplishes the impossible. Yet, amazingly
and wonderfully, He even works through us!
A Child of God, Rejoicing that GOD Accomplishes the
Impossible – Through Us!
Pastor Rockey
P.S. I am now
serving Our Redeemer Lutheran in Chugiak, AK, as part-time Vacancy Pastor.
· VBS
will be held at Our Redeemer from Monday, June 9 through Friday, June 14 from
9:30 a.m. till noon each day. Bring your
kids, your grandkids, and your neighbor kids!
😊
·
Bible Studies and Sunday School
o Adult
Bible Study continues on Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m. The class is studying “Basic Christian
Teachings.” On June 1 we studied about Creation. On June 8 we will finish studying about creation
and study about the fall into sin. Come and join us in the library.
o Summer
Sunday School - Children have an opportunity to study during the summer as
well. Leah Rollins is leading the
children in studying the book of Ruth.
At the end of this study they may put what they learned into expression
through legos. All Children are WELCOME!
😊
·
The Our Redeemer Call Committee has been
formed. It includes Elder and chairman,
Jerry Simpson, also Heidi Enlow, Ruth Keller, Theo Lee, Jacob Lewis, Scott
Roelfs, and Martha Wilkins. The first
step in the call process will be to begin a congregational self-study. The Northwest District has the study and
tools to help in this study. It is good
for a congregation to be patient in the call process.
o It
is good to take time to study how God is working in our midst to make us who He
has formed us to be as we seek a new pastor.
o It
is good to have time to grieve and work through the leaving of our beloved
pastor.
o It
is good to give our Lord the chance the bring the right man to Our Redeemer to
serve as shepherd. (Ask me about this
sometime.)
Please PRAY that as our
Lord leads this committee and Our Redeemer in this process, we will follow His
guidance.
·
Northwest District Convention – The Triennial
District Convention for LCMS Churches of the Northwest District will be held
June 19-21 in Spokane, WA. Geri Wacker
and Pastor Rockey will be attending for Our Redeemer. Please keep this convention in your prayers.
MANY CONTINUE TO READ THROUGH THE SCRIPTURE WITH ME IN
2024 and 2025 using the “Today’s Light Devotional Bible.” We are now
in the New Testament! On Wednesday, June
4, we read Matthew 5-7, the Sermon on the Mount.
Feel free to contact Pastor Rockey at 907-841-4066
if you have any questions about these readings. Or send an e-mail
question to jonrock53@mtaonline.net
I have recently received questions and comments. It is always good to
consider our Lord’s love and guidance. I will TRY to answer, but some things only
God knows!
P.P.S. Family Fun:
·
I spend much of last week at the Alaska Pastors’
Conference in Anchorage. However, I did
find time to buy myself some new golf clubs.
Here is a picture of the new clubs.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/S5DJzczcoNsXaw9d6
·
Grandson, Jacob, is playing in the state
baseball tournament for Palmer High School.
Last week some of the family went to Anchorage to watch a game. Here is Jacob’s cheering section. https://photos.app.goo.gl/4oeAfREC9Q9Ua2UX9
·
We kept our daughter, Mary’s, dogs on Friday
night, May 30. Here they are on Kathy’s
lap! https://photos.app.goo.gl/3NEg84bz6HAhGZma9
·
Eleven year old granddaughter, Annie, flew to
Japan on Sunday, June 1, as part of the sister school exchange of the Mat-Su
School District. Here she is an hour
before leaving. https://photos.app.goo.gl/GFsRn419JJANhNXv9
·
I did weeding and watering in the garden on May
31. I also weeded the strawberry
patch. But, there is a LOT more work to
go. Here is a picture of the
garden. https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZimaCXCSyaLaW8hV9
·
We had a new dusting of snow on the mountains
when we woke on June 4. Here are a
couple of pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/CeuRFXAZUzrfQiy7A
·
Because we were gone for about 2 years, I
started a big project . . . WITH HELP. I
hired Luke Stanley to help me re-work our front flower garden. Luke did gat some ‘take-over roses’
pulled. Pictures of that next week.
Fishing -
Again, no Fishing this week. I’m still
waiting on my boat. I did golf. 😊
*******
ABOUT THIS DEVOTION - I retired at the end of
August 2019 from serving as full-time senior pastor of St. John Lutheran Church
in Palmer, AK. I was writing a weekly devotion previously entitled,
"Thoughts from the Pastor." When I retired many asked me to
continue writing these devotions. So I have continued writing.
However, with life's changes I now call this weekly devotion "Journeys
Through Life as a Child of God." Since I am no longer senior pastor
at St. John, I felt it right to only send this message to those who asked to
receive it. (However, I am currently as Vacancy Pastor for Our Redeemer
Lutheran Church in Chugiak, AK.)
So, if you stopped receiving
these devotions and wondered why, now you understand. And, if you are now
receiving these devotions and do not wish to receive them, please let me know,
and I’ll gladly remove your name from my distribution list. My e-mail
address is jonrock53@mtaonline.net.
My prayer is that these
devotions help each of you in your daily walk with our Lord, Jesus.
*******
Jonathan Rockey
Child of God
Husband, Father, Son, Grandfather
Vacancy Pastor, Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Chugiak, AK
Pastor Emeritus, St. John Lutheran Church, Palmer, AK
How
great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called
children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1 a)
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