happy 175 csl

Travel Itinerary

Here is our travel itinerary for the Trip to Israel ...

Oct. 21 - Tel Aviv
Oct. 22 - Tiberias, Sea of Galilee, Mt. of Beatitudes, Mt. Hermon, Golan Heights, Jordan River
Oct. 23 - Mt. Tabor, Deboriya, Nain, Megiddo, Jezreel
Oct. 24 - Meet Pastor Nabil Nour's family and visit his hometown of Haifa
Oct. 25 - Nazareth, Cana, Amman (Jordan)
Oct. 26 - Petra (Jordan)
Oct. 27 - Jericho, Mt. Nebo, Jordan Valley, Inn of Good Samaritan, Mt. of Temptation
Oct. 28 - Bethlehem, Nativity Church, Shepherd's Field, Field of Boaz and Ruth
Oct. 29 - Masada, Dead Sea, Qumran, Cave of Dead Sea Scrolls
Oct. 30 - Jerusalem, Bethany, Mt. of Olives, Garden of Gethsemane, Mt. Zion, Tomb of David
Oct. 31 - Wailing Wall, Mt. Moriah, Dome of the Rock, Via Dolorosa, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Golgotha, and Garden Tomb

Thank you for all your support and for keeping us in your prayers. Shalom!

+++

Israel 2014

Today is Sept. 20th. That means that in just one month I will be leaving on my trip to Israel.

I can't really put into words what I'm feeling right now. Nervous, jittery, excited, concerned ... a little bit of everything, I guess. I've tried not to think about the trip much so as to temper my enthusiasm, but now with only a month to go, I just can't help myself. I am FREAKING out. I guess it was going to happen sooner or later.

A few people have asked me, "Why would you want to go to Israel?" My response is, "Why would you NOT want to?!"  The Holy Land encapsulates everything I hold dear - God, Jesus, the Gospel, the Bible, history, geography, archaeology, etc ...  it has been "numero uno" on my bucket list for as long as I can remember. I'm not saying everyone needs to go in order to be a good Christian or to have a full and complete life. I'm just saying that I need to go.

So, my plan is to update my blog as often as possible while in Israel. Originally I was planning on blogging every day, but after looking at our packed itinerary, let's just say that I'll be blogging on a "regular basis".

Before we leave, I will post our travel itinerary so that you can follow along with us and have sort of a virtual tour of the Holy Land on your own.

That's all for now. Much more to come. Did I mention my dad gets to go too?  ;-)

Shalom,
Pastor Pete

+++

scary times

I don't have to tell you that we are living in some very scary times. Throughout the world, it seems as if anarchy reigns and boundaries mean nothing. Innocent victims in Israel and Gaza are not safe from enemy attack. Islamist radicals are establishing terror states in Iraq and Syria and other parts of the Middle East, killing as many Christians as they can along the way. Basic human civil concern for the dead is being ignored. Vladimir Putin is at it again and Russians have been deluded into a nationalistic fervor. Our own southern border has its own problems, and all we get is partisan paralysis from Capitol Hill. And of course there are all the goings on in Ferguson, Missouri ....

So ... are we sliding into the end times that Jesus talked about in Mark 13? "Nation will rise up against nation and kingdom against kingdom ... these are but the beginnings of birth pains. You will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them.  And you will be hated by all for my name's sake."

The truth is that all of these things have been taking place ever since the time of the apostles until now. Jesus' death and resurrection marked the beginning of the end times. Maybe we are a little closer now to the Last Day, but still no one knows. Except God of course. And He's the only one that matters.

So have faith. Live in hope. Trust and believe. For just as Paul says in Romans 8 - "the sufferings of this present age are not worth comparing to the glory of the age to come."

We don't know what the future holds, but we do know Who holds the future. We don't know when the end will come, but we do know how it will end.

"Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life."  - Rev. 2:10

(ht - meyer minute)

+++

WW1

Last week, the world began a centennial commemoration of World War One. Articles have appeared in newspapers and in magazines, and historical documentaries have been broadcast on television. We are reminded of the terrible slaughter that took place one hundred years ago, especially in the trench warfare of Europe. It is a grave and sober reminder of those dark days from the years 1914-1918.

Despite the awful carnage that took place, the "Great War" did not become the war to end all wars. Instead, the world became more divided and destructive. Within a generation, the planet succumbed to another six year world war which was fought all over the globe. Despite the outcome and the victory of the Allies, countries are still fighting localized wars today which are the result of the brokenness of World War One.

Africa, Asia, and the Middle East are still areas of great strife, contention, and violence. Bosnia and Serbia, where the First World War began, are still potentially hostile, unforgiving, and prone to the wickedness of "ethnic cleansing."

The unfortunate truth of the matter is that "peace on earth" will never be achieved until the Prince of Peace returns to make things right. And so, as Christians we continue to hope and to pray. We continue to strive for reconciliation and peace throughout the world. And we trust that somehow all things will work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.

Unfortunately, war and hostility are part of our sinful human nature. Because of that, we're all in need of a Savior and Redeemer to come and save us from ourselves, to reconcile us to one another, and restore us back to God.

+++

back to the bible

In Washington D.C. there is a building called the "National Institute of Standards and Technology." This facility is responsible for storing perfect samples of weights and measurements. They have there a prototype measuring rods for meters there called the “Meter Standard”, a reinforced bar of platinum alloy. When they want to know the exact measurement of a meter, they cool this bar down to 0 degrees Celsius at a sea level of 45 degrees latitude. Then they know they will have the exact tip to tip measurement of a meter.

As Christians we also have a measuring rod that never changes - the Holy Word of God.

As the Lutheran Confessions state so well, the Holy Scriptures are the only rule and norm for faith and life. The Latin expression used by the Reformers "sola scriptura" (scripture alone) refers to the authority of the Holy Scriptures to serve as the sole norm for all that is taught and confessed in the church. In numerous places the Scriptures claim this authority as the inspired Word of God. Paul writes in 2 Tim. 3:16 that "all scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness," and the apostle Peter also declares that "no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by the impulse of man, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God" (2 Pet. 1:20-21).

Acceptance of the Bible as the sole authority for teaching comes not from rational arguments or human traditions, but as a conviction produced by the Holy Spirit in the human heart. It is a matter of faith worked by the Holy Spirit through the Scriptures themselves.

As the Holy Spirit reveals this to us, our minds are renewed, our hearts are restored, and our lives are transformed as we read, hear, listen, and meditate on God's Holy Word.

It's time to get back to the Bible. With that in mind, why not ....

Read a Psalm in the morning at breakfast
Read the Bible at night before you go to bed
Read a chapter at lunch while you’re at work
Listen to it on tape or on the radio in the car
Use online resources from lcms.org or lhm.org
Read books about the Bible (ask Pastor for some ideas)
Have a daily devotion with your family (Portals of Prayer)
Hear the Word spoken and preached in Church this Sunday
Attend Bible Class on Sunday morning or a Bible Study during the week

"Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly!"

The Romans Road

1. Rom. 3:10 - "As it is written, ’There is none righteous, not even one."

People tend not to think of themselves sinners, but no one would be so foolish as to declare they are perfect. This puts everyone in the same predicament that they cannot make it into heaven unless they are perfectly righteous in the eyes of God.


2. Rom. 3:23 - "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."

Sin is anything that displeases God. Sin is anything that misses the mark of perfection in what we say, think or do. Without the forgiveness of sin, there can be no salvation for anyone.


3. Rom. 5:12 - "Just as through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin and so death spread to all men because all sinned."

All people inherit Adam’s sinful nature from their parents. No one can escape it or eliminate it. We all stand condemned - except for the one solution found in Jesus Christ - and His substitutionary death on the cross in our place for the forgiveness of sins.


4. Rom. 6:23 - "For the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Sin has eternal consequences for us that include death and hell unless we believe and embrace the free gift of eternal life provided by God through Jesus Christ our Lord. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, for He alone paid for our past, present, and future sins through His life, death, and resurrection.


5. Rom. 10:9  - "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

Admit you are a sinner and that you need forgiveness. Believe in your heart by trusting in Jesus' finished work on the cross for the forgiveness of your sins. Confess that Jesus is your Lord and Savior and you will be saved.

+++