Wednesday, May 22, 2024

Blessed by God with Friends, Blessed by our Greatest Friend - Jesus!

 

Dear Fellow Children of God,

 

Kathy and I took a planned break last week.  After a busy morning on Thursday, May 16, we drove 4 1/2 hours from Gainesville, FL, to Destin.  You see, this past January we had learned that the Maid of Honor at our wedding, Marlene Sieben, would be visiting our area with her husband, David, from their home in Illinois.  Marlene had been Kathy’s first year roommate at Lutheran School of Nursing in St. Louis, and they keep in touch. So, we booked a hotel room, drove to Destin, and met them for dinner at a restaurant on the beach Thursday night.  It has been many years, decades, since the four of us had gotten together.  Yet, we just picked up where we had left off.  Since it had been a long time, we had a lot to share.  In addition to being friends, we share the connection of Christian faith.  We sat at the table in the restaurant for quite a while even after we finished eating. Then we walked on the beach and talked some more.  Kathy and I have been blessed by the Lord in MANY ways.  But, among our most cherished blessings are our friends.

 

The next day we visited with a younger set of friends.  JC Forrester was a classmate of our daughter, Mary, throughout school in Palmer, AK.  They were confirmed together with 18 other friends in 2002 at St John Lutheran Church in Palmer.  They graduated together from Palmer High School in 2006. Mary attended college in Valparaiso, Indiana, after high school.  JC went to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO, and continues to serve our country.  In fact, JC is now MAJOR Forrester!  I also had the privilege of performing the wedding of JC and his wife, Rachel, in Albuqueque, NM, in 2016.  So JC and Rachel have been part of our lives for a long time.  We all met for lunch on Friday, May 17.  Again Kathy and I sat and visited, enjoying the company and news from JC and Rachel.  We could have continued, but JC had to return to work.  Kathy and I have been blessed by the Lord in MANY ways.  But, among our most cherished blessings are our friends!

 

God’s word is full of teaching about friends and friendship.  For example, God inspirited Solomon to write in Proverbs 17:17, 17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” In addition, Proverbs 27 teaches, 9 Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel. 10 Do not forsake your friend and your father's friend . . .” (Proverbs 27:9-10) God teaches that friends are a blessing, especially in times of trouble.  Friends are a blessing to be cherished.

 

Our Lord Jesus also teaches us the amazingly good news that He counts us as His friends.  13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:13-15) In our time of need and trouble, Jesus, our friend, lays down His life for us!  That is a true friend!

 

Jesus also speaks in perhaps a surprising way about His friends when He quotes an accusation by the Jewish religious leaders concerning Himself. 34 The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'’ (Luke 7:34)  The religious leaders saw that Jesus was also friendly toward the ‘undesirable’ people of His time.

 

The old hymn is right.  “What a Friend we have in Jesus!”  And our other Christian friends are also blessings to be cherished.  We want to care for our friends, and nurture our friendships.

 

Last week Kathy and I had the joy of spending time with some long-time friends, people with whom we share many life experiences, and with whom we share the blessing of Jesus’ saving love. In a world that is falling apart, our Lord blesses us with people with whom we can share both the joys and the trials of life.  God gives us friends! 

 

Who do you count as the friends with which our Lord has blessed you?

 

A Child of God, Blessed by God with Friends, Blessed by our Greatest Friend - Jesus!

Pastor Jonathan

 

P.S.  Here are some pictures of our visits with friends last week.

  • On Thursday evening, May 16, Kathy and I visited over dinner with Kathy’s first year nursing school roommate and her husband, Marlene and David Sieben.  Here are some pictures.  https://photos.app.goo.gl/o741fWEMVNLEuxZN7

 

 

P.P.S.  NEWS AND MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES AT First Lutheran Church – Gainesville!

 

KENNON AND RYLAND BROWN were confirmed at First Lutheran on Sunday, May 19, at First Lutheran.  https://photos.app.goo.gl/NTAYxuWRXinsPdccA  Congratulations, Kennon and Ryland!

 

CALL COMMITTEE NEWS – Members turned in names of potential people to consider as the new pastor for First Lutheran.  On Monday, April 22, President, Mark Hoyer, sent 8 names to the FL-GA District Office.  District will check the availability of these men to receive a call, and return a list of potential pastors to us to consider as the next pastor at First Lutheran.  We are expecting to hear back from District THIS WEEK.  Please keep this process in prayer.

 

WE CONTINUE TO STUDY THE BOOK OF ACTS on Sunday mornings at 8:45 a.m. in the Besalski Fellowship Hall.  We will finish Acts chapter 15 this week, discussing the topic of disagreement in God’s church, and whether our Lord even uses disagreement for good, at times.  Come and join us in studying about the history of the early Christian Church!

 

WE CONTINUE TO READ THROUGH THE SCRIPTURE IN 2024 and 2025 using the Today’s Light Devotional Bible.  We are now reading in the book of Judges, and read about Deborah in Judges 4 and 5 on Tuesday, May 21, and we read about Gideon on Wednesday.

Feel free to contact Pastor Rockey if you have any questions at 907-841-4066, or at jonrock53@mtaonline.net

 

SUNDAY SCHOOL IS FINISHED FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR.  However, Keep the dates of JULY 22-26 OPEN FOR VBS!

 

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

 

OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST –  I went fishing twice since my last devotion. 

 

    • On Sunday, May 19, I looked for a place to fish a little closer to home.  I fished in a lake where I caught fish in high school, Watermelon Pond. However, I have not even had a bite there in recent years.  I did have one bite on Sunday, but the wind was blowing and it was difficult to fish.  So, no fish, and no pictures. 

 

 

*******

 

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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