NEWSLETTER July 2016
Peace Talk
House of Prayer on Parker and Main Don’t Miss the Show on July 16th at 6pm
LAUGH, DANCE, AND BE AMAZED BY THE
JUGGLING AND MAGIC TRICKS. ALL THAT PLUS A SIMPLE AND CLEAR BIBLICAL MESSAGE.
From the pastor’s heart: May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. - Colossians 1:11-13
The Sky is Blue, the Trees are Green, and the Lord Still Loves to Forgive
The Kingdom of God that is NOT of this world. The answer to you your particular troubling situation in life is… yes… Jesus! No matter your sin or trouble, God is most definitely strong to overcome it!
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, It is good to be on vacation for a couple more days here as I am writing this from the very green fields and beautiful blue skies of Minnesota. It has been a blessing indeed to have our Parish Administrator Amy Betts and the rest of you “hold the fort” without me in Scranton for a couple weeks so I can get some relaxation in and tend to family business.
I DO implore all who call on the name of the Lord: Rise up and take hold of the joy that has been won for you on that cross so long ago. Let us together raise up the Flag of Salvation - for heaven’s sake and for the sake of all this dying world. This month there is a LOT going on in our church. The youth will be attending the LCMS National Youth Gathering in New Orleans, our Vacation Bible School will be sharing Jesus Christ with so many children and
But even as I try to “get away” from it all, the reality of the devil’s
families, Church of All Nations worship at the LMC Sunday evening
work continues to invade and attempt to dishearten my life. There
restarts July 24, and we are having Ben Christensen visit us to
are so MANY issues in the world and our nation today that
encourage us with amazing circus acts and Gospel message. As well,
continue to confuse and obscure the fact that there actually IS
we will be encouraged in NEPA with two new pastors taking
Truth, Love, and Hope - and they reside in our Triune God. I have a
residence at Immanuel and St. Stephens Lutheran churches. These
hard time personally keeping up and assessing all our contemporary
new pastors will be of great encouragement to all of us in our faith.
issues from a spiritual and biblical perspective - and that is my
Pray for them and our sister churches. They will all need OUR
JOB! The 21st century is not being kind to us.
encouragement as well. We are all in this together as fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
But if we are tempted to throw in the towel, our Lord bids us differently. He bids us to throw in our hats instead! He bids us
Remember: Even as the Sky is Blue and the Trees are Green, the
throw our hats into the notion that is born in the gift of Christian
Lord Still Loves to Forgive! Throw in your hat with Jesus and have
baptism and faith, that in fact the sky is still blue, the trees are
the blessed Peace that passes all understanding!
green, and the Lord STILL loves to forgive - you and all the world. The answer to the fear of terrorism? The power of God’s love in Jesus Christ. The answer to the foolishness of our nations politics?
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Bjornstad