Dear
Fellow Children of God,
My
head is still spinning! After
counseling and a funeral in Florida on Saturday, July 27, AND after Bible
Class, worship, and a meeting to call a new pastor in Florida on Sunday, July
28, I hopped on a plane Sunday night at 7:00 p.m. and I am now back home in Alaska. You know, there’s a 4 hour time difference
from Florida to Alaska. So, when I rose at
6:00 a.m. on Sunday morning Florida time, it was 2:00 a.m. Alaska time. When I finally laid down to bed at 4:30 a.m.
Monday morning Alaska time, it was really 8:30a.m. Florida time. Actually, Alaskans know this ‘head-spinning’ experience. Those who travel know this as well. It’s called “jet lag.” I am told it takes a
day for each time zone to sort of regain one’s equilibrium. So, you understand why my head is spinning .
. .again.
However,
to my credit or shame, I am a person who wants to keep busy. I desire to make a difference for good in my life
and activities. I don’t shy away from opportunities. Instead, I attempt to balance my life. And, when a person travels from one place to
another, there are a whole new group of activities, or responsibilities, or
tasks. While I’m hoping to visit with
family, and to fish, I am also helping to plan the Palmer Kiwanis Golf
Tournament this Friday. I have 4 doctor’s
appointments in the next few weeks. This
sort of sounds like my devotion from last week about rest.
In
all honesty, my experiences bring minimal disruption compared to real trials. Travel and activity are opportunities. But, what happens when natural disasters, or
death, or a medical diagnosis, or a national catastrophe, or a child leaving
home, or the loss of a job affect our lives?
Then our heads really spin! When life
causes a person’s head to spin,’ how does a child of God balance these challenges
or opportunities? How does a a person
actually keep going?
Personally,
I find that I can face the challenges of life by knowing who I am, and whose I
am. I am a child of God, created by Him,
forgiven and redeemed in Jesus, saved for eternal life in spite of the sin and
death of this world. What really helps
me to face these times is one of the names of God. He is “The Rock!” He is My Rock! When I stand on the Lord, I can face the
challenges of life. Please consider some
of the verses from God’s word which call Him by this holy name.
The
first verse I found in Scripture naming God as The Rock” is in Jacob’s
blessings to his sons while on his death bed.
In prophesying about Joseph in Genesis 49, God moved Jacob to declare. “But
his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber, because of the hand of
the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,” God is The Rock on which Joseph would
build.
The
Psalms declare of God, “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my
deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and
the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”
(Psalm 18 2) God is a place
of refuge, of strength, of protection in the difficulties of life which spin
our heads.
I
appreciate the last verse of Psalm 19. I
pray this prayer each time I preach the word of God. Yes, for the challenge of speaking words of
truth for the lives of God’s people, HE is THE Rock and Redeemer. “May the
words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O
LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” (Psalm
19 14)
Isaiah
adds to these verses about God’s strength for our feeble and shifting
lives. . “Trust in the LORD forever,
for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal. (Isaiah 30 4)
In
the New Testament we are similarly told that Jesus is our “anchor” (Hebrews
6:17-20), and our “foundation.” God teaches
in 1 Corinthians 3:11, “For no one can lay any foundation other than
the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
How
does a child of God face life, face this world, when our head spins? We stand on The Rock. We know Who we are: children of God, created
in love and wisdom, redeemed by the blood of God’s son, Jesus, assured of
everlasting life through faith in our Savior.
When the world spins our Rock and Foundation are sure, stable, and
eternal.
Jet
lag is a real thing. But, I have been in
Alaska two days now. Nevertheless, there
are tasks to be faced AS I seek to live as my Lord’s child and to make a
difference in His name. When my head
spins, I hold on to the Rock, onto the foundation which is Jesus.
How
do you face the “head spinning” times of life?
A
Child of God, Holding Onto THE Rock, My Redeemer, My Lord and Savior-Jesus!
Pastor
Rockey
P.S. I am listing SOME of the “Rock” verses below.
P.P.S. NEWS AND MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES AT
First Lutheran Church – Gainesville!
Stephanie
Smith and Larry Hartley were confirmed and received into membership at First
Lutheran on July 28. Here is a picture.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/zBAxB71ogYNt4tZE6
FIRST
LUTHERAN VOTES TO CALL PASTOR JAY WINTERS –
On Sunday,, July 28, in a congregational
meeting after worship, First Lutheran Church voted unanimously to call Pastor
Jay Winters of University Lutheran Church in Tallahassee, FL, to be pastor at
First Lutheran. When a pastor considers
a call he deliberates and prays to determine the will of God. Should he take this new opportunity to
serve? Should he continue where he is
already serving? What bests serves the
Lord?
PLEASE
CONTINUE TO KEEP THIS PROCESS IN YOUR PRAYERS.
VBS
took place last week, July 22-26 at First Lutheran. I am told that a total of 18 children and
7 adults attended classes. THANK YOU to
all who helped organize, teach, and serve!
Here are some picture. https://photos.app.goo.gl/wyexMTa9NdepT6r67
WE
CONTINUE TO STUDY THE BOOK OF ACTS on Sunday mornings at 8:45 a.m. in the
Besalski Fellowship Hall. On Sunday,
July 28, we continued in Acts 19. 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 Tuesday, July
16, we finished reading 2 Samuel. We are
reading 2 Kings. On Wednesday, July 31 we finished reading 1 Kings and learned
the fate of Israel’s King Abab..
Feel free to contact Pastor Rockey at 907-841-4066 if
you have any questions about these readings.
Or send an e-mail question to jonrock53@mtaonline.net
FIRST
LUTHERAN HAS BEGUN A ROOF FUND, and an AIR CONDITIONER FUND. In an announcement
at the May 19 Voters’ Meeting we learned that to put a new roof on the
sanctuary, the office building, the fellowship hall, the preschool, and the
student housing will cost about $200,000.00
The roofs are still in good shape.
But we have had leaks, and it has been about 20 years since the roof was
last replaced. First Lutheran leaders
want to act before the roofs fail.
In addition, we learned at the June
Mission and Ministry Council meeting that our Air Conditioners are old and will
need replacing.
Please consider how God may lead you toward
these needs in the future.
P.P.S.
PICTURES – AND OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST
I WORKED ON MY BOAT FOR THE KENAI
PENINSULA. Gary Feaster of Greatland Welding put in a new floor, and
moved a newer motor to this boat. I
tried it out on July 30. Here are some
pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/9cREjyWdYx3CXcSJ6
Alaska Weather is understandably different from what we experienced in
FL. Here are some pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/QF4KjhpVvnweQMR47
I LEFT FOR 6 WEEKS OF VACATION, TO
SPEND TIME WITH FAMILY, TO FISH AND HUNT IN ALASKA, ON THE EVENING OF JULY 28,
AFTER WORSHIP.
BIBLE VERSES
ROCK
Genesis
49:24 But his bow remained steady, his strong arms stayed limber, because of
the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock
of Israel,” God is The Rock on
which Joseph would build.
Deuteronomy
32: 4 He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just.
A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.
Psalm
18:2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock,
in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my
stronghold.
Psalm
19 14
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your
sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Psalm
31:2-3 2 Turn your ear to me, come
quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save
me. 3 Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name
lead and guide me.
Psalm
62:2 He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will
never be shaken.
Psalm
78:35 They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was
their Redeemer.
Psalm
89:26 He will call out to me, 'You are my Father, my God, the Rock my
Savior.'
Psalm
94:22 But the LORD has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I
take refuge.
Psalm
95:1 Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock
of our salvation.
Isaiah
30:4 Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock
eternal.
ANCHOR
Hebrews
6:17-20 17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very
clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. 18 God
did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God
to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly
encouraged. 19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and
secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus, who
went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever,
in the order of Melchizedek.
FOUNDATION
Ephesians
2 19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens
with God's people and members of God's household, 20 built on the foundation
of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief
cornerstone.
1
Corinthians 3: 11
For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which
is Jesus Christ.
*******
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. (However,
I am currently 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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