Tuesday, February 13, 2024

Observing Lent Because I Am Blessed by and I Am Responding to the Giving Love of Jesus!

 

Dear Fellow Children of God,

 

Valentine’s Day, a day dedicated to love, falls on February 14 in 2024, as it does every year.  What would you give up to show, or even to prove your love for your spouse, for your child, or for another loved one?

 

In many ways, I believe that Valentines Day is a product of Hollywood and its portrayal of ‘romantic love.’  According to Hollywood, love makes a person feel great.  If someone loves me so that I do feel good, this feeling in many ways is a selfish emotion.  According to this idea of love, I am counting on someone else, the person I love, to give me this wonderful feeling.  I am receiving FROM them, or even TAKING from them.

 

But love like God calls for does not take. Godly love GIVES.  Consider a few of the Lord’s words to us.

 

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) According to Scripture, God’s love is not selfish.  God’s love GIVES. 

 

“13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)  The Bible tells us that God’s love, LAYS DOWN ITS LIFE!

 

“4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends.  (1 Corinthians 13:4-8) When Scripture defines love we are told that God’s love is PATIENT AND KIND . . . ENDURING ALL THINGS. 

 

““10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (1 John 4:10-11)  God’s love pays for our sins!!  Godly love does not take.  God-like love GIVES..

 

Not only is February 14 Valentines Day, but in 2024, Ash Wednesday also falls on February 14. Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent.  The Lenten season precedes Easter and points to our sin, which led to the suffering and death of Jesus.  Lent, therefore, is a time of repentance, and often a time of fasting.  That is why we use ashes to begin the Lenten season, as an outward sign of sorrow for our sin.

 

Lent is also a time when we remember God’s sacrificial love for us in Jesus.  Lent has become a time when God’s people seek to grow in our Lord’s saving love through worship and even fasting, giving something up to remember our Lord’s giving love. The outward act of fasting by giving something up means nothing by itself.  But, when this act shows a heart sorry for sin, a heart wanting to grow in God’s love, then such an outward action can help us in our faith.

 

What would you give up to show, or even to prove your love for your spouse, for your child, or for another loved one?  How will you grow this Lent in understanding the gift of God’s Son, as the ultimate act of love?  I encourage you to remember the words of Jesus, “13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

 

A Child of God, Observing Lent Because I Am Blessed by and I Am Responding to the Giving Love of Jesus!

Pastor Jonathan

 

 

P.S.  NEWS CONCERNING FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH - Gainesville.

 

MID-WEEK LENTEN WORSHIP BEGINS Wednesday, February 14, with worship services at noon and 6:30 p.m. During these services there is an opportunity for the imposition of ashes on our foreheads. 

            These services are held at 6:30 for the next 5 Wednesday in Lent, until March 20. A Lenten meal is held each Wednesday evening at 5:00 p.m.

 

GOOD SHEPHERD LUTHERAN CHURCH IN CHIEFLAND, a daughter congregation of First Lutheran, will install Pastor Larry Griffin this Sunday, February 18, at 4:00 p.m.  Come and help them celebrate!

 

FIRST LUTHERAN MEMBERS

 

·       VISIT TO FIRST LUTHERAN MEMBER, Marlene Fast – Some First Lutheran Ladies (and a former First Lutheran member) visited Marlene Fast at Magnolia Ridge on Marlene's 91st birthday, 2-13-2024.  Here is a picture.  https://photos.app.goo.gl/UuhL1zweyJzD1ryx9

 

·       Pastor Rockey was surprised to meet Mary and Chuck Brabham at a C.S. Lewis play at UF, 2-12-2024.  Here is a picture - https://photos.app.goo.gl/L58M6fH5oKnCEH9d8

 

CALL PROCESS – Our self-study for the pastoral call is completed.  If you have not done so, PLEASE TURN IN YOUR PASTORAL ATTRIBUTES SURVEY.  You can turn in the hard copy, or e-mail or text a copy to Leeann or Mark Hoyer. Our goal was to complete this congregational survey by February 11.

 

BASIC TEACHINGS OF THE BIBLE / NEW MEMBER CLASSS –A new membership class began  February 11thafter worship in the Besalski Fellowship Hall. But, we have only just begun. There is still time to join the class.

It is also a good way to refresh you knowledge of God’s Word. 

PLEASE NOTE,   JUST BECAUSE A PERSON ATTENDS THE CLASS DOES NOT MEAN THEY ARE COMMITTED TO JOINING FIRST LUTHERAN.  If you are interested in learning and growing, we would love to have you join us.

 

A STUDY OF THE BOOK OF ACTS continues on Sunday mornings at 8:45 a.m. in the Besalski Fellowship Hall.  We are now studying Acts 10.

 

WE CONTINUE TO READ THROUGH THE SCRIPTURE IN 2024 and 2025 using the Today’s Light Devotional Bible.  –We held a zoom meeting last Wednesday, February 7, to discuss what we have been reading.  A total of 4 people, plus the pastor, participated.  We talked (or I did) for about an hour, reviewing readings through Genesis and into Exodus.  We may hold another such Zoom meeting. As of February 13 we had read through Exodus 15.

 

SUNDAY SCHOOL IS HELD EACH SUNDAY DURING WORSHIP.  PLEASE bring your children and grandchildren!

 

P.P.S.  PICTURES – AND OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST

 

Kathy and I spent a couple of day in St. Augustine with friends who introduced us 47 years ago, Pastor Rick and Kris Armstong.  (This year is our 47th anniversary.)  Here are some pictures of our time together last week.  https://photos.app.goo.gl/aW2V5L3aidnzKcZP9

 

I went FISHING once this past week.  On Superbowl Sunday afternoon, February 11, I went fishing in a local lake.  I stopped fishing at 5:00 p.m. so I could get home and not miss all the football game, and I still brought home 4 nice bass.  Here are some pictures.  https://photos.app.goo.gl/XgAPPVTw7NGq6ruE9

 

Garden – I have started a vegetable garden in FL – Here are some pictures.  https://photos.app.goo.gl/h45snNmUTbEDc8rGA

 

AK Boat – My boat on the Kenai needed some work.  It now has a new floor, and the motor which used to be on my Palmer boat.  Here are a couple of pictures.  https://photos.app.goo.gl/vJTwjPhawSZ1auFR6  

 

My Foot - For those who have asked, my foot is getting better after I dropped the boat trailer on it on February 2.

 

 

*******

 

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.  (Currently I am serving as Vacancy Pastor for First Lutheran Church in Gainesville, FL.)

        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, First Lutheran Church, Gainesville, FL

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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