Dear Fellow Children of God,
On Friday,
October 1, long time friends, Rick and Kristi Armstrong, flew to Alaska and are
staying and visiting with Kathy and with me.
In August 1971 Rick and Kristi started school with me at Concordia
Lutheran College in Austin, Texas. Pastor Tony Schultz from Anchorage Lutheran Church
was also part of that class. So we have
now known each other for over 50 years! Rick
and Tony and I graduated from Concordia Seminary in May 1979. Kristi and Kathy graduated from Lutheran
School of Nursing in May 1977.
Rick and
Kristi introduced Kathy and me during our time of attending school in St. Louis. When Kathy and I were married in Memphis, TN,
in 1977, Rick was my best man and Kristi was a bridesmaid, who made our wedding
cake. I served as a groomsman or best
man in both Rick and Tony’s weddings.
And they were both asked to serve in Kathy’s and my wedding. Tony and Rick and I have served as pastors
and in the Lord’s church for over 40 years, and we have visited each other in the
various places we lived and served
around the country. What I am saying is
this: I have some really good friends!
God inspired
Solomon to write about friends in Proverbs 18: 24, “A man of many
companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” The older I grow the more
thankful I become that I have friends, friends who stick close, friends who
listen, who encourage, and who help. I
am also thankful for a close, loving family.
Many people I know do not have loving family, nor close friends. God has
blessed me with both family and friends.
Thank you, Lord! In fact, even though Pastor Schultz and Pastor
Armstrong and I have known each other for over 50 years, longer than I have
known my wife, I also have made other really good friends in Alaska, and other
places in God’s church. What a blessing
God has given!
However, our best friend really is Jesus. Listen to Jesus’ words in John 15:15-17. “15 I no longer call you servants, because
a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned
from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose
you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-- fruit that will last. Then the
Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17 This is my command: Love
each other.” If my earthly friends
listen, I can go to Jesus in prayer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You have heard, “You can’t pick your family,
but you CAN choose your friends.” Jesus chose us! If other friends encourage, correct, and
strengthen us, I can trust my Lord to be even more faithful and helpful in His
friendship. Also, my friend, Jesus,
calls me to be a friend.
But please
consider, a real friend does even more. A true friend will sacrifice and give
of themselves to help you. Jesus
teaches, “Greater love has no one than
this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15: 13) Therefore, Jesus is our greatest friend. Our Lord did lay down His life for us, suffering and dying on the cross to
pay the debt for our sins. Jesus died so
that we might have eternal life by God’s grace, through faith that Jesus died
and rose for us. Jesus is my best friend!
My really good
earthly friends and my family know Jesus.
That does not mean that a person who does not know Jesus can’t have
friends, or be a friend. But, when we
know the one who lived for us, who died for us, and who rose for us, we can be
better friends to one another. We have a
guide as we help, correct, and encourage each other. We have one who has sacrificed for us, enabling
us to give ourselves for those we care about.
Do you have
friends? Do you know Jesus? Are you a friend?
A Child of God, Thankful for God’s Gift of Friends, For
my Best Friend, Jesus!
Pastor Jonathan
P.S. Here are two pictures of Rev. Dr. Rick Armstrong, Pastor Tony
Schultz, and myself at the LCMS Fall Pastor’s Conference, October 4-6 in
Whittier. Next week I will share a
picture that includes our wives! J https://photos.app.goo.gl/dL8JWD9LGTPSvmFB6
P.P.S. Here is some St. John News.
- On Saturday,
October 9th, the Alaska
Celtic Pipes & Drums will hold their Fall concert at St. John at 7:00 p.m. Admission is free, but
donations are greatly appreciated, and will benefit ACPD’s Education Fund,
and the St. John Youth Group trip to NYG in July 2022. Come out for an evening of entertainment
and support our Youth Group’s NGY Trip in July 2022.
·
“Choose
to Be Different” Banquet – Sunday, October 24 at 5:00 p.m. – A celebration
Banquet will be held as part of our Choose to Be Different campaign. The meal will be held at the Palmer Senior
Center and catered by St. John member, Rebecca Kopperud. ALL are asked to attend and celebrate God’s
goodness in our midst.
P.P.P.S. I did
not go fishing, but here are some Fall pictures.
·
Here is a map from a hike along the Matanuska
River on Saturday, October 2. https://photos.app.goo.gl/NYnUwRDrSip2U8Fv7
·
Here are some pictures from a trip to Hatcher
Pass on October 4. Friend, President
Paul Linnemann, was also with us. https://photos.app.goo.gl/rL91QK9N3SNhbFAQ6
·
Here are some fall pictures from Whittier and
the Pastors’ Conference, October 4-6. https://photos.app.goo.gl/mah4xsLP9ua7Ftcy9
*****
ABOUT
THIS DEVOTION - I retired at the end of August 2019 from serving as 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. (Though I am now serving
again part-time at St. John as assistant to the pastor.)
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
Pastor Emeritus, St. John Lutheran Church
E-Mail: jonrock53@mtaonline.net
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