Faith Lutheran News

Greetings children of God.

Mark 13:24-37 – But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory. Then he will send out the angels and gather the elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert, for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake, for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening or at midnight or at cockcrow or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.

What would you do if the world were to end tomorrow? Reconcile with a family member or friend? Tell your children, spouse, parents, or siblings you love them one last time? Try something you said you never would? Finally finish something you’ve been working on? When once asked what he would do if he believed the world would end tomorrow, Martin Luther is said to have responded by saying he would plant a tree today. That’s how sure and confident he was in God’s love and promises about the future, so much so that he would invest in the present. And we can do the same because we are assured of that same love and promises of God about our future. What would you do if the world were to end tomorrow? Whatever your answer is, you don’t have to wait, you can do those things now. Forgive those whom you would forgive, embrace those whom you would embrace, love those whom you would love, do the things you’ve always wanted to do, and share your faith in Jesus with those around you. God created this time before Jesus’ second coming so we who have come to faith in Jesus can call others to that same faith. So when the opportunity arises, take advantage of it, for we don’t know when the time will come.

The deadline for ordering poinsettias is Sunday December 3. Please submit your order and payment to the office or to Ginger Walker.

On Tuesday December 5^th, the Terra State Choral Society will be here again for a Christmas concert. There’s no charge to attend. There will be a freewill offering. Their show last year was fantastic. If you couldn’t make it last year, I highly recommend coming this year.

God’s blessings,

Pastor Tim

Greetings children of God,

This year, the NWOS is inviting everyone to join them in 2022, as we read the Poets and Prophets. You can click on the link below to get the daily reading guide. Spending time reading God’s Word daily is something we should all do, however, many times it feels daunting or more like a task, something we have to do instead of something we want to do, because we’re not sure how long we should read for or how much we should read. The daily reading guide for the Poets and Prophets resolves these issues as the readings are the equivalent of about a chapter a day, sometimes less, sometimes a little more. Reading a chapter a day takes about 3-5 minutes and after reading, I encourage you to spend some time reflecting on what you’ve read. You may just be surprised as to what you think, feel or experience. I look forward to this journey with you.

God’s blessings,

Pastor Tim

https://files.constantcontact.com/8f1c062f001/3c6eae47-693c-4c53-b78a-691c79b58c1a.pdf