Dear Fellow Children of God,
Kathy and I recently received a surprise from a purchase
she made at a local second-hand resale shop.
Kathy worked 45 years as a registered nurse. One of the books she spent money to purchase a
number of times over the years was The Physician’s Desk Reference. This is a book which lists drugs used in
medical practices and hospitals. It gave information about what these drugs
treated, how they helped, and also shared warnings about dangers related to the
drugs. Not only did Kathy buy a number
of editions of this book to keep at home, but she told me that there was also always
a copy of the Physician’s Desk Reference available for staff on the floors of
the hospitals where she worked.
The other day as she was walking through a local second-hand
resale shop, Kathy saw something that looked familiar. It was the same navy blue color. The book had the same lettering and a
similar, if not quite the same, title to the book which she had used all these
years. So for $.50 Kathy purchased and
brought home the Physicians’ LIFE Reference.
On the inside pages of this book was a Table of
Contents. Some of the listed chapter topics
were “Questions of the Ages,” “The Body”, “Business and Career”, “Emotions,”
and many more. When we turn to each section
we find, Bible references for Scripture verses on that topic. And then that major portion of this book was The
New King James Version of the Bible. The
Physician’s LIFE Reference was the Bible! Maybe we should have expected
that surprise. On the outside cover it
says, “Authored by The World’s Greatest Physician.”
According to a letter on the inside page of The Physicians
Life Reference, the company which published this book, Clint Pharmaceuticals from
Nashville, TN, is willing to donate copies to doctor’s offices for patients or
staff and waiting rooms. In fact, if any
patient wants their own copy, Clint Pharmaceuticals will donate it through
their doctor, or the book can be ordered at clintpharmaceuticals.com. I looked at their web site and the title on
the page with this offer reads, “When Treating Pain just isn’t enough.” Needless to say, this is not what Kathy
expected when she picked up the book at the second-hand store. It was not what I expected when she showed me
the book. We were both surprised.
I do believe the book points to a great truth: God’s Word
gives direction and gives life, through God’s love in Jesus.
Psalm 119:105 teaches “Your
word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” God’s Word is a guide for our life.
In
2 Timothy 3:14-17 St. Paul teaches, “14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and
have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how
from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are
able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof,
for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man
of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” God’s word teaches, corrects, and trains in righteousness. More
importantly, God’s word makes us “wise for salvation through faith in Christ
Jesus. (See also Romans 10:17, 1 Peter 1:23, and Hebrews 4:12.)
Of
course, THE Word of God, God’s ultimate communication, is Jesus. Consider
John 1. “1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things
were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. .
. . 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have
seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and
truth.” In Jesus, THE
Word, our Lord best teaches us who He is.
In Jesus, THE Word, God share His love, His salvation, eternal life.
I find it interesting that as we have again begun reading
Scripture, this time with many friends and church members around the country,
that at this time Kathy found this gem, “The Physicians Life Reference,” in
that store.
Are you following the guidance, are you living in the love
of God’s Word for your life?
A Child of God, Thankful for Guidance and Life Found in The
Word of God!
Pastor Jonathan
P.S. NEWS CONCERNING FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH - Gainesville.
·
Call process – PLEASE TURN IN YOUR
PASTORAL ATTRIBUTES SURVEY IF YOU HAVE NOT YET DONE SO. You can turn in the hard copy, or e-mail or
text a copy to Leeann or Mark Hoyer. We hope to compile this congregational
survey by February 11.
·
NEW MEMBER CLASSS –A new membership class
will begin THIS SUNDAY, February 11th, after worship in the Besalski Fellowship
Hall. This is a good way to learn what the Bible says about Christian faith and
life. 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 at 8:45 a.m. in the Besalski
Fellowship Hall. We are finishing Acts 9
on February 11.
· As
you heard above, WE CONTINUE TO READ THROUGH THE SCRIPTURE IN 2024 and 2025!
–THIS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, we will have a Zoom meeting
for people to ask questions and discuss what we have read so far. Here is the link to that meeting. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81565120503?pwd=R1FsS0dMVDRvcHMwRkI1YnJGUnhHZz09
·
SUNDAY SCHOOL IS HELD EACH SUNDAY DURING
WORSHIP. Bring your children and
grandchildren!
P.P.S. PICTURES
– AND OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST
· I
did go FISHING once this past week. On Friday, February 2, I went fishing with
Thomas Dudeck on Orange Lake. Even after
dropping my boat on my left foot, we went fishing. AND, after a number of hours of no bites, or
few bites, we came home with 9 bass!
Here are some pictures of the fishing!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/nQMx8DjfhaNjK3pT7
Here are some foot pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/KGdmGaKqnWe4LPjy6
*******
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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