Yes, God Loves All and wants ALL to be Saved!

Dear Fellow Children of God,

 

Last Sunday night, April 24, four men from St. John helped lead worship at the Palmer Correctional Center near Sutton.  St. John has been leading worship at PCC once a month since October 1991.  As we led worship last week we sang and then we had a Bible Study on Jesus as the Good Shepherd.  And as we moved into confessing our faith with the Apostles’ Creed I asked about the religious background of the 11 or 12 men in attendance at that time.  Some of the men came from traditional denominational churches.  Some had attended non-denominational churches.  One or two had not been regularly worshiping before they entered the prison system.  But one man proudly said, when asked his religious background, “Atheist!  I had to enter prison to find Jesus.”  The other inmates had known this truth, but this man’s confession brought chills to me, and impressed the other three men who had helped lead worship that night.  What a wonderful blessing that this man had learned of Jesus through the ministry of many in our local prison.

 

Just recently I was listening to Christian radio, to the program entitled, “Through The Bible.”  There was a testimony shared on the program from a listener in a foreign land who had lost faith because he had to work in a non-Christian environment.  This man heard the radio program and, through that program, was brought back to faith in Jesus and to a committed Christian life.  In fact, he wrote to the ministry and asked that the radio programs last longer.  (I have seldom had people ask for my sermons to be longer.  Hah!) The testimony of this man touched my heart!  He had made the journey from doubt and unbelief to faith in Jesus. 

 

This Sunday is Alaska Mission for Christ Sunday at St. John.  A number of years ago one of the AMC volunteer teams returned to the village where they had led Vacation Bible School the previous year.  When one of the volunteers saw a little girl they met the year before they greeted her.  Apart from the Vacation Bible School this girl didn’t have much contact with the church or with our loving God.  The volunteer asked the girl if she remembered what she had learned from the Bible.  The girl remembered the volunteer, and she remembered something else.  She told the volunteer, “I don’t know the Bible, but I do know (and she put her index fingers into the form of a cross) that Jesus died for me.”  Wow!  Someone who had not known about Jesus was learning about His dying, His sacrificial, love, and His resurrection.  What a blessing!

 

In recent years at St. John there are quite a number of people who have gone from telling others they were not believers, or who had been separated from the church for decades, but who now have come to faith.  These people have come to a point of sharing their faith in Jesus with others, to the point of attending worship, and even receiving the Lord’s Supper.  It is an amazing, humbling, blessing to be part of God’s working in someone’s life to bring them to faith in the love of God through Jesus His Son.

 

St. Paul writes to young pastor Timothy and reminds him about the reason God called him.  Paul reminds Timothy about God and His wishes for the church.  Paul again teaches Timothy about, “God our Savior, 4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”  (1 Timothy 2:3b – 4) God doesn’t just love those born into faith in Him.  God wants all people to know His love in Jesus, to believe, and to live for Him in this world.  God wants all to ultimately have everlasting life in heaven.

 

When we have good news in our lives we often have trouble keeping that good news to ourselves.  Instead we want to share it with those we know so they too can rejoice with us.  The fact that Jesus knows our rebellion and sin against God, yet Jesus also loves us enough to die for us, is good news beyond comprehension.  Jesus’ sacrificial, saving, love is so wonderful that we want to share it with others. And, as Paul taught Timothy, saving all people is God’s will too.

 

Sometimes people may wonder, we may wonder, “Does God really want all to be saved?  All?”  I know that I am a sinner.  I have not always put God at the head of my life.  I have not always been loving to others.  So, I take comfort when Scripture says, “God our Savior, 4 . . . wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”  That even means God loves me and wants me to be saved.  That’s why Jesus came.  And if God loves me, yes, He loves everyone, including those in prison, like the man on Sunday night.

 

May God work through His people and His church to reach others with the saving love of Jesus so they too may “be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”

 

A Child of God, Seeking to Share the Unbelievable Love of Jesus,

Pastor Jonathan

 

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ABOUT ‘THOUGHTS FROM THE PASTOR’ -   I am sending these e-mail messages, hopefully weekly, to all St. John members and friends whose e-mails I have.  (I am regularly adding new names of friends and members – in case you are just receiving this e-mail for the first time.)  However, if you don’t want to receive this e-mail, please let me know, and I’ll gladly leave your name off my list for this message.

 

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Continuing to Live in Jesus' Easter Victory

Dear Fellow Children of God,

 

Easter Blessings to you!

 

Now, some of you may be wondering, “Why would Pastor Rockey wish ‘Easter Blessings’ in late April, when Easter Sunday was in late March?  Easter has long since passed.”

 

Admittedly, in our fast-paced society the events of one month’s time can cause us to forget what happened just 4 short weeks ago.  But, if you worship in a congregation that follows the church calendar, you know that there are seven weeks of Easter each year.  The blessings of Easter are so life-changing that we want to take time to receive and enjoy the Easter blessings of Jesus’ victory over sin and death.  We want to take time to grow in the assurance of God’s love for our lives.  We want to make sure we grow in faith and strength and courage for living our lives for the Lord in this world. 

 

So, if you worship with us this Sunday, four weeks after Easter Sunday, you will join us in the ancient Easter victory response.  “He is Risen!  He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!!”  In fact, we share that celebratory greeting this year through May 8, through the whole season of Easter!

 

Actually, there are some ways that Christians celebrate Jesus’ resurrection every Sunday they worship.  I have read that Sunday worship began and continues as a celebration of the day Jesus rose.  I’ve also read, therefore, that every Sunday is a “little Easter.”

 

But, I have another reason for sharing with you right now that Jesus’ rising from the dead has continuing power.  This week there have been a number of losses for family and friends of our church family.  A tragic accident in our area took four lives and touched church members.  Also, the unexpected death of a young adult across the country grieves the life of my own family.  These losses have saddened and affected our people.  We need the assurance of Jesus’ Easter victory for our lives today. 

 

This week the assigned Epistle Lesson, read in churches around the world, is Revelation 21:1-7.  Verses 3 and 4 of this reading give us one of my favorite Biblical pictures of heaven.  John writes, “3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’” 

 

What a beautiful description of the eternal life we will receive!  Because Jesus died to forgive our sins and rose on Easter to overcome the power of sin and death, those who believe in Him do have eternal life in heaven.  In heaven God comes to His people and lives with them fully, even more fully than He is with us now.  In heaven we are in the presence of the power and glory and love of our Creator and Savior.  And, in heaven God wipes away every tear, and takes away all pain and death.  This description of heaven gives me comfort.

 

God instructed the apostle John to write the vision of the book of Revelation because the people of John’s time were being persecuted and suffering.  So Christians of John’s day had questions.  “If Jesus rose, and sin and death are defeated, why are we still being persecuted and suffering?”  John wrote to strengthen the faith of the people of his day who were asking these questions.  John wrote to encourage the church toward faithfulness and courage in facing the death and tears and pain of everyday life.  What God told the people through John was, “Yes, there are still pain and suffering and death in this life.   But Jesus’ victory is real, and the gift of heaven is waiting for all who remain faithful and believe.” 

 

Our life in this world is full of pain and loss and death.  Life is fragile, and we never know what tragedy lurks around the corner.  We know that there is death, and mourning, and crying and pain in our lives, because we are sinful people living in a sinful world.

 

But, thankfully, we are told that in heaven the trials of this life are gone.  4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."     After the death and tears and pain of this life, God is bringing us home where we are with Him, and all suffering is gone!  That sort of sounds like Easter, doesn’t it? 

 

The truth is, the blessings of Easter are a gift from God for us in this life of struggle.  So, in worship we share the Easter greeting for seven weeks.  In all honesty, this Easter victory declaration is appropriate any day in the life of a Christian.

 

He is Risen!  He is Risen indeed!  Alleluia!!

 

A Child of God, Continuing to Live in Jesus’ Easter Victory,

Pastor Jonathan

 

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ABOUT ‘THOUGHTS FROM THE PASTOR’ -   I am sending these e-mail messages, hopefully weekly, to all St. John members and friends whose e-mails I have.  (I am regularly adding new names of friends and members – in case you are just receiving this e-mail for the first time.)  However, if you don’t want to receive this e-mail, please let me know, and I’ll gladly leave your name off my list for this message.

 

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Be Still and Know That I Am God

Dear Fellow Children of God,

 

On Friday evening, April 1, our 8^th grade confirmation students attended the annual confirmation banquet.  The Elders of the congregation and the parents, grandparents, and other family of those students being confirmed, gathered to celebrate.  There was a pot luck meal which, like most pot lucks, had an abundance of tasty food.  And then the students were examined.  In front of the Elders and their families they were asked questions about the lessons from the past year, and they were asked to recite Bible verses, the 10 commandments, the Apostles’ Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer from memory.  You can understand that the students were a little nervous.  Actually, if most adults were asked those questions, today’s adults might be nervous too.

 

After the examination, however, we gave those in attendance an opportunity to speak personally to these students.  After three years of studying about our Lord and the Bible, these young people would be publicly sharing with others that they believe in Jesus.  They would also be promising to serve Him with their lives.  As they faced this rite of passage, what might the parents and church leaders have to share?

 

I have heard a lot of moving personal advice over the years, but this year one parent shared with the students her experience as a Christian in a way that I haven’t heard in previous times of examination.  This parent simply quoted a Bible verse, and then explained.  She quoted Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.”  Her personal experience shared with the students is that there are times that life is crazy and overwhelming.  But, God is still God.  It is worth taking time to be still, to be alone, and to focus on God and His love instead of obsessing about the trials we face.

 

Wow!  Actually, I personally know that verse and have believed that truth.  But shared in that moment with those young students who have their whole life in front of them, I was touched by the faith, and the experience, and the wisdom of this advice from a loving Christian mom.

 

The truth of this verse is important for all children of God.  “Be still and know that I am God.”  The Lord is indeed God.  He is Creator, Ruler, Shepherd, Redeemer, Comforter, and Counselor.  God is all powerful, all wise, all knowing.  He is righteous and holy, while being gracious and merciful and compassionate. 

 

When the trials in our life are crazy and overwhelming we can be filled with doubt and fear.  But, the One who created us loves us.  The One who is our Heavenly Father, sent His only begotten Son from Heaven.  Jesus defeated the sin of this world with a life of love and obedience, and by His death on the cross to pay for the sins of all people.  Jesus defeated our enemy, death, by rising from death.  We are told that God is with us always, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Whether we face personal sin or failure, or trials brought by the world around us, God is still God.  And because He IS God, then we can be still.  We don’t have to lose hope.  We know that the Lord of the universe and our Savior is ruling over all, and is in our lives.  So, we can trust our Lord and find peace in His presence.

 

I think mom had been talking with her daughter.  The verse the daughter used to share her faith with our congregation on Confirmation Day was from 1 Corinthians 14:33, “For God is not a God of disorder, but a God of peace.”  That sounds sort of familiar, doesn’t it?  

 

Yes, there are times that life is crazy and overwhelming.  But, God is still God.  So the advice of Psalm 46, and the advice of this mother, is helpful and wise.  God tells us, “Be still and know that I am God.” 

 

A Child of God, Finding Peace the our Lord is in Charge,

Pastor Jonathan

 

 

P.S.  On Monday I went on the last ice fishing trip of the year.  That was quite a challenge, because the ice is out on the lakes in the valley already, the earliest I have ever seen.  But, Cody and Heather Sherman were hosting Heather’s Aunt and Grandmother from the Carolinas.  Their visitors wanted to try ice fishing.  So we went north along the Glenn Highway, and after a little work got on one of the lakes up there.  Once we were on the ice was still 40” thick. And. . . EVERYBODY caught fish.  Here are some pictures.

https://picasaweb.google.com/114993745799525883148/IceFishingWinter20152016#6272533120292091154

 

https://picasaweb.google.com/114993745799525883148/IceFishingWinter20152016#6272573270303101106

 

https://picasaweb.google.com/114993745799525883148/IceFishingWinter20152016#6273916014847016562

 

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ABOUT ‘THOUGHTS FROM THE PASTOR’ -   I am sending these e-mail messages, hopefully weekly, to all St. John members and friends whose e-mails I have.  (I am regularly adding new names of friends and members – in case you are just receiving this e-mail for the first time.)  However, if you don’t want to receive this e-mail, please let me know, and I’ll gladly leave your name off my list for this message.

 

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Growing by Giving

Dear Fellow Children of God,

 

What would you do if you were hit by illness and could no longer work?  Or what if you experienced an accident which caused you to lose income and support?  What if life troubles came crashing down on you and you ended up being unable to afford a place to live, at least for a period of time?  For many this situation is hard to comprehend.  But, there are those among us who have faced severe financial trials and know this possibility and this pain.

 

For Americans who are so self-sufficient, and for many Christians who value personal responsibility, losing income and losing a place to live can seem like a horrible personal failure.   But, who chooses to become ill?  Who chooses to have an accident?  Accidents by definition are unexpected!  Life is always a struggle and those struggles often hit in ways that we did not plan and did not want. The loss of even housing can and does happen. 

 

This past week St. John hosted families without housing through the ministry of Family Promise Mat-Su.  A total of 5 families and 14 people ate and slept at St. John as they received Christian help toward a more secure financial standing and toward permanent housing from Family Promise.  Between 15 and 20 people from St. John cooked, or spent time, or spent the night so that we could host these families.  I personally spent Monday night at St. John and facilitated helping these fellow children of God.

 

It is one thing to talk generally about the needs of homeless people in the Mat-Su Valley.  It is another thing to meet moms and dads and children and see the faces and hear the stories of those who don’t have current housing.

 

I personally am thankful that St. John has stepped up to help those in need.  I am thankful for Family Promise who deals with the logistics of finding those in need and making it possible for churches to safely help those who are homeless.  And, please know that it can be extremely difficult to admit need and accept help from others.   So, I am also truly thankful that those in need were willing to let us give our feeble and hopeful efforts to help. 

 

In His last week of life, Jesus taught His disciples that we have a calling and responsibility to help others in need.  Jesus teaches, 34 . . . 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' (Matthew 25:34 b – 36) This is not a new teaching, but Jesus continues the directions of God in the Old Testament. 

 

But, please notice that helping others is not only a responsibility, but even more, helping others is a blessing.  Jesus begins this dialogue with the words, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father . . .” We are blessed, first, because when we were in need of help with the ravages of our sin God sent His Son who gave His own life for us.  We deserved punishment, and the Father gives Jesus and offers forgiveness and life.  All of us are recipients of the grace and help of God.

 

But, we are blessed by the Father in another way.  As I talked to the folks who did the organizing, or cooked the meals, or spent time visiting, or stayed the night, they were all thankful for the opportunity to help and serve.  You see, God’s math doesn’t make sense.  But, by the working of God, in giving of ourselves we actually gain and grow.  We grow in our relationship with Jesus and that is the grace of God.

 

We should not be shocked that we live in these surprising blessings.  The Lord brought eternal life out of the crucifixion of Jesus, and then His resurrection.  God can and does bring blessings through the trials of life.  May God bless each of us with growth as we share with others the grace given to us through our Lord, Jesus!

 

A Child of God, Growing through Giving,

Pastor Jonathan

 

 

P.S.  The team of Kirsten Nelson and Melanie Kopperud heads our St. John Family Promise efforts.  During this week of serving Melanie was visiting family in Iowa so Kirsten took the majority of leadership responsibilities.  THANK YOU, Kirsten and Melanie, and all who served!

 

P.P.S.   Here are pictures from Confirmation Day 2016, which was last Sunday, April 3.  https://picasaweb.google.com/114993745799525883148/ConirmationDay2016#

 

 

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ABOUT ‘THOUGHTS FROM THE PASTOR’ -   I am sending these e-mail messages, hopefully weekly, to all St. John members and friends whose e-mails I have.  (I am regularly adding new names of friends and members – in case you are just receiving this e-mail for the first time.)  However, if you don’t want to receive this e-mail, please let me know, and I’ll gladly leave your name off my list for this message.

 

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Convicted by Jesus' Rising from Death

Dear Fellow Children of God,

 

For Christians actively involved in their congregations, Easter is the ultimate celebration of God’s greatest victory.  The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the event that accomplishes and proclaims God’s victory over sin and death.  Jesus’ rising from death is the source of our forgiveness and eternal life!  No wonder Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 , “3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures . . . ”  The death and resurrection of Jesus are the center of history!

  

But, for Christians actively involved in their congregations, Holy Week and Easter can also be times of planned frenzy as we work to remember and observe all the important, life changing gifts of God that happened in the week before Jesus died and rose.

 

So after Easter people who looked forward to the celebration of that which wins our salvation often breathe a sigh of relief when the hyper-activity and frenzy are over.  We are through special Lenten services.  The Palm Sunday procession and celebration are behind us.  We have celebrated Passover and Maundy Thursday, and watched with tears on Good Friday. We have finished our Easter Egg Hunts and Easter breakfasts. The extra worship services on Easter Sunday are joyfully complete.

 

My goal every year is to truly enjoy and celebrate the meaning of Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection.  But, I confess, I am thankful when we have completed the festival and return to a more normal schedule.

 

One of my favorite devotions each day comes from Rev. Dr. Dale Meyer, president of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis.  Dale is also a friend.  On Thursday he wrote the devotion below.  I share this with you for a number of reasons.  I am thankful for all who give of their time and effort to make the most important celebration of the year special.  And, I appreciate what Dale has to say about the continuing meaning of the resurrection of Jesus for our lives.  Please read and consider.

 

Back to normal after Easter?

 

James Martin[wrote in the Wall Street Journal]: “If you believe that Jesus rose from the dead, however, everything changes. In that case, you cannot set aside any of his teachings. Because a person who rises from the grave, who demonstrates his power over death and who has definitively proven his divine authority needs to be listened to. What that person says demands a response” (“The Challenge of Easter,” Wall Street Journal, March 26-27, C 1—2)

 

Might conviction, even in the face of persecution, be a reason for the spectacular growth of the early church? “There was a group that was willing to go through horrendous suffering rather than deny that they saw Jesus alive again after he had been executed. If they fabricated the resurrection, why would they endure that? Something had to have happened that created such a deep-seated conviction” (Thomas Zelt, “The Lynch Pin: Seven Reasons to Believe Jesus Rose from the Dead, 14).

 

The time when the church had a comfortable, unchallenged place in American society is gone. Is that so bad? Might God be scraping the barnacles off His church?  James Martin again: “In short, the Resurrection makes a claim on you.”

 

“Faith shall cry as fails each sense: Jesus is my confidence!” (“Jesus Lives the Victory’s Won, verse 5) 

 

I pray that the worship of Holy Week and Easter allowed you to celebrate and claim God’s actions of "First Importance” for your life.  And, I pray that the risen Lord Jesus continues to give you faith and strength to live as His child with conviction.

 

A Child of God, Convicted by Jesus’ Rising from the Dead,

Pastor Jonathan

 

 

P.S.  THANK YOU again to all the musicians, cooks, volunteers, and other servants of God who made Holy Week special!

 

P.P.S.  For all who have asked, I am getting over my illness and spent the week at work again in the office.  However, I did not make calls so as not to share any germs.

 

 

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ABOUT ‘THOUGHTS FROM THE PASTOR’ -   I am sending these e-mail messages, hopefully weekly, to all St. John members and friends whose e-mails I have.  (I am regularly adding new names of friends and members – in case you are just receiving this e-mail for the first time.)  However, if you don’t want to receive this e-mail, please let me know, and I’ll gladly leave your name off my list for this message.

 

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