Dear
Fellow Children of God,
The Holy Spirit spoke to my heart numerous times this past
week about the GRACE of God. First,
Kathy and I traveled last weekend to Portland, OR. We walked through airports
in Tampa, FL, Seattle, WA, and Portland, OR.
If there is any place where a person might observe the diversity in our
culture today, it is in an airport. The
voice inside my heart said to me that, “God loves all these people. No matter the dress, or age, or messages
displayed. All were created by our
Heavenly Father. Jesus died FOR ALL.” (2 Corinthians 5:15) That is God’s grace.
I heard that voice again in worship on Sunday morning. The assigned Gospel lesson in liturgical
Christian churches last Sunday was John 3:1-17.
This reading contains the most famous verse in Scripture, John 3:16. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever
believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” But Jesus spoke this
word of grace in response to a visit from Nicodemus. As a Pharisee and religious leader of the
Jews, Nicodemus should have understood Jesus better. In contrast, one might consider Nicodemus
“clueless” because of the questions he asked.
Unfortunately, the confusion of religious leaders like Nicodemus only
added to the troubles of God’s people. They were in as bad a situation as they
had ever been. Judea was occupied by
Rome. The nation was divided into various religious factions. Religious leaders lived lives full of pride
and self-righteousness rather than love and mercy. Israel was not living in a manner which would
invite the presence of the Lord.
Nevertheless, in spite of the deplorable condition of God’s
people, the Son of God left heaven and came to earth. Jesus did not come because people earned His
visit, but because they needed His presence and grace. Instead of trusting the power of the sword,
or of politics, Jesus came trusting the power of God’s word and His righteousness.
Jesus defeated the powers of hell through His righteous life of service and
obedience, through His sacrificial death.
Jesus defeated death and evil by rising again. If we had a plan to reach lost people
it might be through power, through politics, through force. But, in John 3 with Nicodemus, and in our world,
instead of acting as we would, our Lord acted in grace and mercy.
God spoke to me again about His grace as I was reading my
devotions the last few days from the book of Judges. There are some books of scripture which I do
not perhaps enjoy as much as others. Judges
is not my favorite book. But, this book of
Scripture is still the word of God. The
accounts of idolatry and depravity from God’s chosen nation which we read in
Judges 17-21 make me cringe that even people of God are capable of such
evil. Yet, while our Lord did
discipline, He did NOT abandon. Our
Heavenly Father prepared Israel as the cradle for our Messiah and Savior. That God would act for sinners such as those we
read about in Judges, that He would send Jesus for sinners such as us, honestly,
that is GRACE!
We might define religion as ‘how we are to act.” Christian faith, in contrast calls us to
trust our Lord’s saving love in Jesus. So
many times we live in our ‘religion’ and end up trusting ourselves. Yet time and again our Lord calls us to trust
that He has loved and forgiven and saved us in Jesus. That is Grace!
I am currently teaching a class on the book of Acts and
this week we are in chapter 16. The jailer
of Philppi asks the ultimate ‘religious question.’ “ . . . what must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:30) Please notice who is supposed to act
according to this question. “What must I
do?” The jailer asks a law question. He wants to know what HE was required to
do. Paul responds , "Believe in
the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved . . . “ (Acts 16:31) Do not trust
yourself or your actions. Trust Jesus
and His saving love. Paul responds to this law question with a grace answer. Believe in Jesus!
Finally,
the Holy Spirit pointed me to God’s grace in a recent shut in call. An elderly saint confessed to me, “I don’t
trust the church. I trust Jesus.” In truth, when the Christian Church acts as
God calls it to do, the Church points to Jesus, to the unexpected and
undeserved love which God gives through faith in His Son. God’s church points to His grace. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith.
And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a
result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9) Thank goodness I am saved by
grace, as a gift of God, through faith, not by my works. God’s grace brings peace and joy!
A
Child of God, Surprised AGAIN by the Grace of God, By His Undeserved Love in
Jesus!
Pastor
Jonathan
P.S. Kathy and I traveled to Portland, OR, this
past weekend for some church festivities.
Friend, President Paul Linnemann, was retiring. Friend, Pastor Mike Von Behren, was installed
as Northwest District President. While
in Porland we saw many good, long-time friends. Here are some pictures of our
visits with friends last week.
· On Friday night we ate at Gustav’s German restaurant. But, we ate Mexican food with family, Marty
and Colleen Gulseth, on Saturday night. https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZgYraDmYPucNwLVe9
· We worshiped on Sunday morning at Christ the Vine Lutheran Church in
Damascus, OR. Here is a picture with
friend, Pastor Ted Werfelmann, in front of the sign. https://photos.app.goo.gl/mjLymugBZfanD61b7
· Julie Bedard helped Amazing Grace Lutheran in Oxford, FL, start their
preschool. (My brother James was pastor
at Amazing Grace.) We with Julie visited
at the installation of Pastor Mike Von Behren as Northwest District President
on May 26, 2024. https://photos.app.goo.gl/nzYPHJV8Kn2Q4ehY7
· Linda Borecki is a good friend of many years. After the retirement of Pastor Paul
Linnemann, and the installation of President Mike Von Behren, we shared some
refreshment on Sunday evening. https://photos.app.goo.gl/Ny8Wru7bm69sTEEg8
· President Mike Gibson (Pacific Southwest District) and his wife, Kathy,
spent time with us asking about the health of sister-in-law, Martha
Rockey. Mike serves with brother, James,
Martha's husband, on the LCMS Council of Presidents. https://photos.app.goo.gl/wUqPnM3QsxDposu38
· We visited with MANY OTHER FRIENDS in Portland, but did not take pictures
of all.
P.P.S. NEWS AND MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES AT
First Lutheran Church – Gainesville!
CALL
COMMITTEE NEWS – We
received a list of names from the FL-GA District Office on Friday, May 17. Now we begin the process of preparing to ask
God’s guidance as to whom He is calling to be pastor at First Lutheran. The call committee will meet on Thursday
evening, May 30. Please keep the process
in prayer.
HYEJIN
PARK,
former music director at First Lutheran will visit on Sunday, June 2. Hyejin
and Stephanie Smith, current music director, will work together for music for
worship on this Sunday.
WE
CONTINUE TO STUDY THE BOOK OF ACTS on Sunday mornings at 8:45 a.m. in the
Besalski Fellowship Hall. We will study Acts chapter 16 this week, and
consider mission work in pagan Philippi.
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. On May 29 we
finish reading the book of Judges. We
will start the book of Ruth on May 31.
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 did not fish this
past week because of busy-ness and travel to Portland. Perhaps I’ll have fishing pictures next
week.
*******
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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