Church guide

Weekly Devotion Followers of Jesus Christ, Some of you might remember Pastor Immanuel Frey. He served for many years as our Arizona-California District President and also as the pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran and Zion Lutheran congregations in Phoenix. He was a very dedicated pastor with much wisdom and insight. I remember much about him – but here is a little side item. He loved to mow his lawn. He said when he mowed the lawn, he could see instant progress. You could tell where you had cut and what remained to be cut. And then it was all done. He mentioned that often in church work you could not see instant progress and results. It wasn’t that there were no results but often it seemed to be slow. Pentecost Sunday had ‘instant results’ for following the sermon of Peter and the words of the Apostles, 3000 were baptized. But often enough we do not see immediate results as we tell others the word of God. The Holy Spirit who brings people to faith in Jesus might not always do it instantly. What the Holy Spirit bids us to do is to witness. Telling others the Word is compared to planting seeds. The seeds usually do not sprout overnight. In fact, certain seeds might not sprout until the weather and soil conditions are just right. This past spring the desert was alive with flowers and grass for there was just the right amount of moisture from rains that fell at just the right time – and the seeds which had been lying there perhaps for years sprouted. I grew up on a dairy farm in which one of our important crops was oats. Every year we planted oat seeds – usually in this area about 30 miles southeast of Green Bay planting time was in April. One year due to early spring weather the oats was planted in late March. Then along came a snowstorm. My parents were concerned whether the seeds would sprout and grow. In fact, my Mom would dig through the snow to see how the seeds were doing. But she could not make them sprout. They did sprout and grow. In fact, the added moisture from the snow aided their growth. Our responsibility is to sow the seed. We cannot make it sprout. That is the work of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes it ‘sprouts’ soon; other times it might sprout years later. And yes, there are times when according to Christ’s Parable of the Sower and the Seed, the seed is rejected. The purpose of this email article is to encourage you to keep on planting God’s Word…even when we might not see visible results. The devil wants you to stop planting seeds. But continue. We of ourselves don’t have the ability to convert another person. The Holy Spirit does through the Gospel in Word and Sacrament. God makes this comment and promise about His Word that is spoken to people, “It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11) Our planting field is the people about us and then also the whole world. People need to know about sin, about repentance, and about Jesus Christ, the Savior. We want them to believe in Jesus and go to heaven. The Holy Spirit blessed the ministry of Pastor Frey as he faithfully sowed the seed. The Holy Spirit brought people to faith through that seed. The Holy Spirit strengthened people’s faith and led them to live their faith. God's Word is our great heritage And shall be ours forever; To spread its light from age to age Shall be our chief endeavor. Through life it guides our way, In death it is our stay. Lord, grant, while worlds endure, We keep its teachings pure Throughout all generations.

Weekly Devotion Do you just need a vacation? Maybe you’ve already gone or are about to go on vacation this summer. (As I type this, my bags are packed and I’m ready to head out of town!) By this time of year many are ready for a little vacation to escape the summer heat. Maybe your plans take you across country to visit friends and family. Perhaps your dream vacation to some place new and exciting has come true. Or maybe all you need this summer is a stay-cation. Whatever the case may be, hopefully you find something this summer to beat the heat or to experience some much needed R and R (rest and relaxation). That’s what summer vacation is all about. You’re supposed to return well-rested, recharged, and ready to keep on going with whatever task lies ahead. But that’s not always case, is it? Sometimes we return from vacation needing a vacation from vacation because it wasn’t as relaxing as we’d hoped. Or maybe it was too relaxing and the first Monday back to work is a rude awakening. Why is that? Because like anything else in this world even the best things that bring us relief or pleasure don’t last forever. New cars become old cars. A dream home soon needs unexpected repairs. The most exotic vacations get uploaded into your photo folder and get lost in the cloud. As you return from your summer travels and settle back into your routine continue to bask the kind of R and R that a summer vacation does not offer. Rest in the promise of God’s forgiveness through his Son Jesus Christ. There was a time that King David enjoyed physical rest from battle and all the comforts of his royal palace. That didn’t give him much rest. He fell into the temptation of adultery with his neighbor’s wife. Adultery morphed into murder. There was no place in his kingdom where David could vacation and get away from his sin. There was only one thing he could do: admit all that he had done wrong and fall before the throne of God’s grace. And so he prayed, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:1,2,10). In the peace of forgiveness worked by the Spirit, David found renewal. He found R and R for his soul. He was forgiven. If you’ve returned from vacation and some of the same problems are still there, and I’m sure they still are, rest in God’s promises. If you carry the same guilt as before, approach God’s throne of grace and receive the peace of forgiveness that is yours through Christ. God gives you exactly what you need. His Son invites you to enjoy R & R for your soul, all expenses paid by his precious blood. “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). The rest he promises is found in one place and one place only: in the quiet waters his Word. Do you still feel like you need a little rest even after vacation? You know where to really find it.

We search for meaning and purpose in life, and often our efforts are in vain. We wonder, “What’s the point?” Jesus Christ reveals a life that is not in vain. Join us this Easter! Follow the link for service times and directions: http://www.elctempe.org/site/cpage.asp?cpage_id=180118323&sec_id=180021800

Weekly Devotion Dear Followers of Jesus, The Great Physician There are many incidents of the Lord Jesus miraculously healing people. Blind received their sight, some who had been crippled for years were healed, lepers were restored to health, deaf were made to hear. Even some who were dead were restored to life by Jesus. These healings took place immediately after Jesus spoke the Word. Nobody contested the actualities of these healings. They knew that the healings were real and not some kind of illusion nor were they incomplete. They came about through the Lord Jesus. The Lord still heals today. He can do it directly or through medical means and medical people. It seems to me that as we and our friends and family members get older, we hear a lot more about surgeries and sicknesses. We experience them too. Perhaps you or a family member has recently had surgery. I stand in amazement at some of the kinds of surgeries that are happening in recent times. This past week I have been aware of four surgeries to correct some serious problems. Two men in our congregation had spinal surgeries. One had lightweight titanium spacers placed between vertebrae; another had metal rods placed in his back which because of the nature of his problem is prolonging his life. A close relative in Wisconsin had part of his lung removed; another close relative in California had a successful carotid artery aneurysm procedure. It would be easy to give all the credit to modern medicine and the physicians and technicians and modern diagnostic equipment. But behind all these is the Lord. He uses doctors and medicines to help us today. He can still heal miraculously if and when he so chooses. But it is the Lord who has given knowledge and skills to the medical world. Just as the Lord could miraculously supply food and other necessities of life but rather expects us to be willing to work for these things, so the Lord could miraculously heal us but he does these things through what is called natural means. Thank God for your health, thank God for successful surgeries, thank God for doctors. Yes, and also do thank doctors and nurses and those in the medical field. I consider the human body to be a wondrous creation of God. I marvel at all of its systems. A highly educated and respected physician who was teaching a class of doctors as they continued to advance their medical education stated, “Ladies and Gentlemen, Of all the people in the world we ought to be among the most religious because we are working with a most wondrous miracle of God, the human body.” Do you know that the writer of 52 chapters in the New Testament was a doctor? Luke was his name. He wrote the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts. He was with Paul on some of the missionary journeys and was a faithful force in the early Christian church. The human bodies that God made for Adam and Eve were intended to last forever. That was to be true also for their descendents. But because of the fall into sin death came into this world and to all of mankind. That is why we get sick, that is why there are diseases and bodily maladies; that is why there is aging; that is why there is death. But the Lord Jesus with his body suffered and died for us to redeem not only our souls but also our bodies. There will be a resurrection of the body and it will be like Christ’s glorified body. There will be no more sin, no more pain, no more death. Our bodies will be perfect. I look forward to seeing in heaven all believers including those who were handicapped during their years on earth. Above all, I look forward to seeing Jesus, the Great Physician of body and soul.

Weekly Devotion Brothers and Sisters in Faith, But It Is Not Fair, God. Have there been times when you thought that God was not being fair with you? Have you said with a bit of anger or self-pity, “Why me, God? Why me?’ Perhaps you have had a heavy load to bear. Maybe it is a sickness or a family problem not of your making. It could be that no matter how thrifty you are, there still remain financial problems. It might be resentment toward God that others are more talented or more popular or better looking than you. You might have to study hard to get passing grades while some other students study little and get high grades. It’s not fair,” we say. We Christians might be especially tempted to think that God is not fair when we notice that many an unbeliever seems to be prospering and almost trouble free while at the same time the believer has to struggle with difficulties. “Why me, Lord, why me?” The thoughts and accusations that God is not fair have been around as long as there has been sin. The Thursday morning Bible Class that meets at Denny’s is looking at the Book of Malachi where people accused God of being unjust. (Malachi 2:17) The writer of Psalm 73 after groaning in Verses 2-11 about the prosperity of the wicked and their defiance of God concludes this section of the Psalm with the words in verses 12-14, “This is what the wicked are like— always carefree, they increase in wealth. Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. All day long I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning.” It’s not fair, God. But then the Psalmist had to look at the big picture which showed the eternal plight of those who mock God and whose gods are money and pleasure. He realized that he indeed was blessed even if he did not have all the wealth and health that many an unbeliever acquired – and often by stealth and evil. He wrote these words in Verses 23-26: “Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Here are a few things to keep in mind when you feel that God is not fair and you ask “Why me?” -Maybe instead of asking “Why me?” you should ask “Why not me?” Are you so special that God should spare you from all difficulties? -Do you really want God to be fair and just with you? Don’t we confess that because of our sins we deserve both temporal and eternal punishment? Do we not ask for mercy? -Would you be so foolish as to tell God on Judgment Day to be fair with and give you what you have earned and deserved? Would you not ask for mercy and grace? -Was God being fair to you when he punished his own innocent Son, Jesus Christ, for your sins? -Has not God in love given us forgiveness, peace, and salvation? -God does not owe us a trouble free earthly life but he has promised us strength to endure. -Has not God blessed you with many earthly blessings? -Troubles in our life often are gifts from God to help us and keep us on the right path. -Often by experiencing troubles we can provide Christian help to those who are going through similar struggles. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) -Do not covet other people or things. Be content with the blessings God has given you and with the talents bestowed upon you. -It is easy to concentrate on all of our troubles (and even magnify them) but overlook the mountains of blessings that we have from our Lord. Count those blessings. Psalm 73 concludes with these words, “Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.” Strangely enough, I do not want God to treat me fairly according to my human standards. I want God to continue to treat me with mercy and grace. And he does!

Weekly Devotion Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The words ‘forever’, ‘forevermore’, ‘eternal’, and ‘everlasting’ are mentioned often in the Bible along with many hymns. We believers have a ‘forever, fantastic, future’ in heaven and we also have the promise that God will be with us throughout our days on earth and then forevermore. Below is a list of some Bible passages, hymns, and other Christian statements that use some of the ‘forever’ words. -Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23:6) -The LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. (Psalm 121:8) -For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. (Psalm 100:5) -But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD'S love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children— with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts. (Psalm 103:17-18) -His love endures forever. (These exact words appear over 40 times in the Bible – See especially Psalm 136) -O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, and His love endures forever. (Psalm 106:1 and also used very often at our mealtimes.) -For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16) -After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. (1 Thessalonians 4:17 – this passage refers to the resurrection and the life in heaven) -Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) -For the kingdom and the power and the glory are yours now and forever. (The Lord’s Prayer) (I believe in) the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. There are many hymns which contain the wonderful truth of an eternal future of being with the Lord. Here are two from Christian Worship. Hymn 426 Stanzas 1 and 5 Yours forever, God of love! Hear us from your throne above; Yours forever may we be Here and in eternity! Yours forever! You our guide, All our needs by you supplied, All our sins by you forgiv'n, Lead us, Lord, from earth to heav'n. Hymn 213 Stanzas 1-2, 5-6 Forever with the Lord! Amen, so let it be! Life from the dead is in that word, My immortality. While time on earth is spent, Absent from Him I roam, Yet nightly pitch my moving tent A day’s march nearer home. So when my dying breath Shall rend the veil in two, By death I shall escape from death To endless life with you. I’l know as I am known; How shall I love that word And oft repeat before the throne, “Forever with the Lord!” Our existence on earth is but a miniscule fraction (in fact, it cannot be measured) in comparison with the gift of everlasting life by the grace of Jesus.

Weekly Devotion "Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes...Put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand" (Ephesians 6:10-11,13). Why would you promote Christian instruction? Let's start a list of what ideas will confront a baptized child of God in 2019. It is okay, even commendable, to terminate a human being on the other side of birth from you. Gender is determined by your self-definition of it rather than by the One who gave it. Your skin color is better than that person's skin color. This world would be an environmentally better place if you were not in it. It's your prerogative whom you sleep with and when you sleep with him / her / them. Violence is your entertainment. God did not make you since there is no god. The devil is a figment of the human imagination, as are the rest of religious fairy tales. You are basically a good person. If your conscience bothers you, blame other people for making it feel that way. It's okay that you take other people's money as long as you're doing it for the common good. You can worship however you want in private, but don't talk about it in public. Baptism does not save you. You are saved by surrendering to Jesus and being the best person you can be. The Bible is out-of-date. Science is better for you. All religions, including yours, really worship the same god. Sports is life. The rest is just details. Killing animals is murder. Letting human beings kill themselves is compassion. Everyone who dies is at peace and goes to a better place. Why wouldn't you promote Christian instruction? It's the only instruction that promotes Christ.

Weekly Devotion Fellow Christians, Why Am I Still Living Here? Although this email article might be appreciated more by those of us who have been around for awhile and are referred to as senior citizens, yet it certainly has application for all age groups. Maybe you have asked yourself, “Why am I still here?” “Why does God permit me to continue living on earth? I would rather be enjoying the happiness of heaven.” When we enter a new year as we did but a few days ago, thoughts, especially for us older people, might float through our minds whether this will be our last year (and that ought not to be a frightening or alarming thought for the child of God.) Also, it might be the case for some of us that many or all of the previous family generations are no longer here. Our parents have died, our aunts and uncles are gone, and maybe our spouse or some of our siblings have been taken. Perhaps some of our classmates and contemporaries have also passed away along with people younger than we are. Yet you and I are still here. It isn’t that we are fearful of death for we know that through Jesus we will be in heaven. We know too that our times are in the Lord’s hand and that even before we were born He had established how long we remain on earth. Psalm 139:16 has this wonderful truth, “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” But it might be puzzling to us as to why so many of our acquaintances are no longer living on earth but nevertheless we are. “Why am I here?” we ask.“What does God have in mind for me? What is my purpose? Is there something special I am to be doing before I depart and go to heaven?” While we do not have all the answers, we do know this that as long as God gives us life, we are to serve Him. “Jesus died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” (2 Corinthians 5:15) Our purpose is to continue to serve God in all we do, say, and think. If we are working, be a good worker to God’s glory. Use and make opportunities to be Christlike to family members (spouse, children, grandchildren). Maybe you have many miles left in your tank and you can be very active in various ways. Maybe there is a person whom you need to encourage, a person with whom you need to make peace, a special offering to make for the Lord’s work, a person to whom you again need to bring God’s Word, a friend or family member you ought to contact. Use email and texts to keep in touch with others. Maybe you in your last years need to do more praying. There might be special ways you can serve the congregation, the school, our high school. Pastors and teachers can give suggestions. No matter what your age, let your light shine. Be a good example. Don’t be like those unsold Christmas trees in the lots where trees were sold. They were specially grown; they were transported here; they might be very beautiful. But they served no purpose. You have been saved by Jesus not only so that in the future you will go to heaven but also so that as long as you live here on earth you serve the Lord. What a wonderful purpose and privilege you have! If there is some super-special way that God wants you to serve, He will somehow or other make it known to you. But continue to do daily all those little things to God’s glory. Oh, let me cheerfully fufill The task your wisdom has assigned And do your good and perfect will – In all my works your presence find! For you I joyously employ Whatever you in grace have giv’n I run my daily course with joy And closely walk with you to heav’n. (Stanzas 2 & 5 - Hymn 456 in Christian Worship)

Weekly Devotion Dear Followers of Jesus, “I Am a Horse” It was at the end of the sixth day. God had finished creating everything. The Bible says in Genesis 1:31, “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” Everything was good, very good. From the plant life that was made on the third day, the sun and moon on the fourth day, the birds and the fish on the fifth day, to the animals on the sixth day – all was very good. That included the making of Adam from the dust of the ground to the making of Eve from a rib taken from Adam. It included gender. Genesis 1:27 tells us, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” God created two genders, male and female. That was good, very good. But some people, either disregarding God or thinking they know better than God, are now in essence saying there is a third gender. And by so doing, they also are contradicting the reason and common sense that God has given us humans. Perhaps you have heard that as of the first of this new year, 2019, residents of New York City have a new option for denoting gender on their birth certificates: male, female, and gender "X." This law allowing the choice of "X'' took effect Tuesday. It allows people to change their birth certificates to "X'' by attesting that it reflects their "true gender identity." Parents also can choose "X'' for newborns. New York City is joining California, Oregon and Washington State in allowing an undesignated gender option on birth certificates. A similar provision takes effect in New Jersey in February. What’s next? Maybe someone does not feel that he/she is a human being but rather instead a horse or a dachshund dog. Can that person claim a different identity than human by changing a birth certificate? Can there be a place on the birth certificate that will allow one to claim to be a horse? “That is foolish,” we would say. But is it any more foolish than denying the gender that God has made you? Many of those who push this matter about Gender “X” may consider themselves enlightened and wise, but are not their minds depraved? Does not Romans 1:22 apply also to the situation about gender “X”: “Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools”? Be satisfied with the gender God made you. If he made you as a male, be satisfied and live as a male. If God has made you as a female, be satisfied and live as a female. God calls upon us to be children of light. He asks us to walk in his ways. He tells us not to be deceived by the unbelieving world. Above all he wants us to rejoice in the forgiveness of our sins through Jesus and to live our lives to his glory.

Weekly Devotion Merry Christmas Brothers and Sisters in Faith, Likely, in your mail during these weeks before Christmas are Christmas cards and greetings. Some include pictures and updates of the past year. It is good not only to receive the greetings about the birth of Jesus but also the news that families and friends might include. Also, in our mail are many greetings from organizations asking for gifts. Included might be charitable organizations such as March of Dimes and Camp Tatiyee for the Handicapped. Also, there are many organizations affiliated with our synod that ask for special gifts at this time of the year. We have received mailings from schools such as Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Martin Luther College, Bethany Lutheran College, Luther Prep, and our nearby high school, Arizona Lutheran Academy. Others asking for special Christmas donations are Kingdom Workers, Wisconsin Lutheran Family Service, Friends of China, and various aspects of our World Mission outreach. All these are good things. We might be moved to give to some at this time of the year. Our Lutheran organizations base their appeal on God’s great gift of sending His Son to this world for the purpose of redeeming us. It is Christ-centered, Gospel motivated. In addition to all these appeals at Christmas time are the funding of the ongoing work of your congregation and also the funding of the Ministry Center that is to be built. The main point that I want to make in this email article is that when you bring offerings, you are giving to God. That was very clear to the wise men of old because the Child Jesus was right in front of them. Matthew 2:11 says, “On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.” Although only a few in the history of the world could directly bring offerings to the Lord, our gifts today, nevertheless, are given to the Lord. While your Sunday offerings and Building Fund offerings are directed to Emmanuel, yet they are given to God and His glory and for His work. The church is the channel for your gifts. A very ill woman in our congregation who is homebound and whom I visit at least once a month with communion asked me to transport her offering check. She wanted me to look at it to make sure that everything was correct for her handwriting was failing. It was correct. The check was made out to Emmanuel Lutheran Church but more that interesting was that she wrote something in the space on the bottom left corner of the check that says “For”. She wrote one word “God” – For God. It is a good thing to remember that our gifts and offerings are given to God. Most of us know by heart the words of this hymn. We give thee but thine own, whate'er the gift may be; All that we have is thine alone, a trust, O Lord, from thee. What a special honor and privilege it is that the Lord not only allows us to serve and honor Him through our offerings but also is pleased when they are given from our heart with faith and gratitude to Him. As with gladness men of old Did the guiding star behold; As with joy they hailed its light, Leading onward, beaming bright; So, most gracious Lord, may we Evermore your followers be. As they offered gifts most rare At your cradle rude and bare; So may we with holy joy, Pure, and free from sin’s alloy, All our costliest treasures bring, Christ, to You, our heav'nly King. (Hymn 83 Christian Worship)

Weekly Devotion Dear Fellow Christians, I saw only a few short segments of the services for President George Bush (41) from the Washington Cathedral and from the cathedral in Houston. I also heard some of it on my car radio. Among the things that impressed me in a positive way were the hymns and music selections that were used. Obviously, one would anticipate some patriotic selections since George Bush was the president of our nation. But it was great and refreshing to hear Christian hymns, many of which have been sung by believers for many years. They have ‘survived the test of time.’ Some of them are in our hymnal such as “The King of Love My Savior Is”, “Amazing Grace”, “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty’, “Onward Christian Soldiers”, and “O God, Our Help in Ages Past.” The hymns for the funeral had already been selected years ago by President Bush. They serve as a testament to his faith in the Lord. Several weeks ago the article in this weekly church email urged us to thank God for our hymns, the hymn writers, and the musicians. Sound Christian hymns have a special way of conveying into our hearts and minds the truths and comforts of God’s Word. They also are used in our praise of God. Often in the Bible are encouragements to sing. Psalm 95:1-2 says, “Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.” As age creeps up and affects our memories, it often happens that the hymns are still wonderfully and dearly remembered. It is important that in our younger years the hymns be memorized. Impressing me in this past Wednesday Advent service was when my first-grade grandson was happily singing with me some of the stanzas of “Oh, Come, Oh, Come Emmanuel.” Many of the elderly homebound whom I visit know and appreciate the hymns they learned years ago. What hymns would you like to be used at your funeral service? Pick some out and make your choices known to family and to the church. Would you not want to use hymns that glorify Jesus along with hymns that bring comfort? Attending your funeral might be a mixture of people. Some might be solid followers of Jesus, others who are not. Usually, nobody at a funeral service falls asleep no matter what their spiritual life is. What an opportunity to spread the Word of God to them. You also might want to choose Bible Readings which you love and which proclaim the message of salvation. The following hymn is #248 from our hymnal, Christian Worship When in our music God is glorified, And adoration leaves no room for pride, it is as though the whole creation cried, Hallelujah! How oft in making music, we have found A new dimension in the world of sound, As worship moved us to a more profound Hallelujah! So has the church, in liturgy and song, In faith and love, through centuries of wrong, Borne witness to the truth in every tongue: Hallelujah! And did not Jesus sing a Psalm that night When utmost evil strove against the Light? Then let us sing, for whom he won the fight: Hallelujah! Let every instrument be tuned for praise! Let all rejoice who have a voice to raise! And may God give us faith to sing always: Hallelujah!

Weekly Devotion Dear Church Members, Most occupations, avocations, and hobbies have their own set of terminology, and in order to understand it fully, you have to know the terms or the lingo. For example, when you hear words or phrases such as a three pointer or double dribble, you know you are talking about basketball. When words or initials are used such as IV, bypass, transfusion, and CT Scan, you are in the field of medicine. It should not be considered unusual that the Bible and Christianity also have a set of terminology with which one must be familiar to understand it fully and appreciate it. Examples of that are salvation, sanctification, atonement, vicarious, real presence, and Trinity. There are times too when one word can have multiple meanings usually dependent on the context of things. “Jerusalem” is an example of that. Most of the time Jerusalem refers to the city where the temple was located. Other times Jerusalem refers to heaven such as in the words of a hymn we sing, “Jerusalem the Golden.” Jerusalem the golden With milk and honey blest – The sight of it refreshes The weary and oppressed. I know not, oh, I know not What joys await us there, What radiancy of glory, What bliss beyond compare. Another word that can have different meanings is Israel. The man Israel whose name had been Jacob The nation of Israel The physical descendants of Israel (Israelites) The spiritual ‘descendants’ of Israel (All those who have faith in Jesus) Another word that is used in at least four different ways is ‘church’. A building. The Christmas decorations in our church are once again beautiful. (By the way several families year after year have decorated the church – Thank you.) A congregation – “I belong to Emmanuel Lutheran Church.” The book of Revelation was written “To the seven churches (congregations) in the province of Asia.” (Revelation 1:4) A larger group of Christians consisting of a number of congregations.(A denomination) An example in a sentence is “I am a member of the Lutheran church.” The group of all true believers in history throughout the world regardless of denomination. It is of believers and believers only. Sometimes it is called the invisible church. We speak of this every time we say the Apostles and Nicene Creed. The Apostles Creed puts it this way that we believe in “the Holy Christian Church.” It is also referred to as “the communion of saints”. Often when Christian literature and hymns refer to this Church, the word is capitalized. We speak of a person being a member of the Church Triumphant which happens when the Christian dies; meanwhile we on earth are members of the Church Militant – militant refers to the fact that we are still fighting our sinful nature, the devil, and the sinful world. Here are a few stanzas of the Hymn “The Church’s One Foundation” (Christian Worship #538) This hymn is referring to the “Holy Christian Church” The Church’s one foundation Is Jesus Christ her Lord; She is His new creation By water and the Word: From heav'n He came and sought her To be His holy bride; With His own blood he bought her, And for her life He died. Elect from ev'ry nation, Yet one o'er all the earth, Her charter of salvation One Lord, one faith, one birth; One holy Name she blesses, Partakes one holy food. And to one hope she presses, With ev'ry grace endued. The Church shall never perish! Her dear Lord to defend, To guide, sustain and cherish Is with her to the end; Though there be those that hate her, And strive to see her fail, Against or foe or traitor She ever shall prevail. 'Mid toil and tribulation, And tumult of her war, She waits the consummation Of peace for evermore; Till with the vision glorious Her longing eyes are blest, And the great Church victorious Shall be the Church at rest.

Click the link below for Christmas Service times: http://www.elctempe.org/site/cpage.asp?sec_id=180021800&cpage_id=180117317

Weekly Devotion Dear Blessed Friends of Christ, Overlooked things for which to be thankful Thanksgiving is but a few days away. You may have made plans for what you are doing for Thanksgiving, where you will be, and what you will be eating. We Christians know we are to be thankful to God always throughout the entire year. Paul said to the Thessalonians, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) The greatest blessings from our gracious Lord are forgiveness, peace, salvation, and faith. But usually at Thanksgiving we concentrate on earthly blessings such as food and homes. Maybe this year as we make a list of things and people for which to be thankful, we should try to think of blessings from God we might be overlooking. I will start the list with an example of one in my life I could easily overlook- and then proceed to others. My old car that still works well (at least at the time of this writing) that has well over 200,000 miles on it. (It looks old but runs well) Maybe you have a car like mine. What a blessing Your Body. Speaking about miles - if you are a moderate walker, you in 60 years will have put on way over 100,000 miles. Think also of the heart that God has given you. It beats over 100,000 times per day, over 36 million times per year. It never takes a break. Think of all the other functions of the body such as the brain and the lungs. We have to say with the Psalmist, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:14) Hip and knee surgeries – many people in our congregation have had replacement surgeries. How wonderful that God has allowed the medical world to advance to a point where these types of surgeries are almost routine. Not too many years ago these surgeries were not done. I can recall my great-grandfather slipping on the ice and breaking a hip – he died because of it but a few weeks later. Then think of heart and brain surgeries that are done. No Accidents – Many of you drive our busy streets and freeways. In addition to the normal drivers who can make driving mistakes are those who drive like maniacs. Thank God everyday if you have been spared from accidents. Above all, thank God that you did not cause an accident. Angels - Another blessing closely related to being spared from accidents are God’s holy angels. They certainly are guardians used by God. But we thank God especially that the angels guard us from the many evils with which the devils would afflict us. We pray in both the Morning Prayer and the Evening Prayer of Luther, “Let your holy angel be with me, that the wicked foe may have no power over me.” A good night’s sleep. Need I comment on what a wonderful blessing that is? But it too can be an overlooked blessing. Thank God for a good night’s sleep. Email and texting – What a blessing it is (most of the time) that we can communicate today in many ways including email and texting. This article along with the weekly Emmanuel news is coming to you via email. We can be in touch with friends and relatives even many miles away through email and also through texting and, yes, face book. And by the way, it is good for us older ones to keep up with the ways our younger ones communicate. Thank God for who He is. Let’s remember to thank Him not only when we receive blessings from Him but also and especially for who He is. As necessary and right as it is to thank God for the blessings received, it would be insulting not to thank the ‘Blesser’ for His goodness and kindness. The words and thoughts of Exodus 34:6-7 are repeated throughout the Bible, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.” In these days preceding Thanksgiving think of the many blessings we have which, however, are often overlooked. Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below. Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Weekly Devotion Greetings to our Fellow Believers, The last weekend of October is a special time of rejoicing throughout our Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod but especially for us in Arizona and for our brothers and sisters on both the San Carlos Apache Reservation and the Fort Apache Reservation. It was 125 years ago in 1893 that our WELS sent several pastors to Arizona to begin the spreading of the Gospel to the Apache tribes. In one of the synod’s conventions (in 1876 I believe) a decision was made to seek an Indian tribe in the United States or territories (Arizona was not a state yet but a territory) among whom no other Christian church body was present. “This is the worst time to begin an Indian Mission,” said a veteran missionary to WELS in synod convention as they contemplated their first world mission effort. Seven days later, Native Americans defeated U.S. forces at the Battle of Little Big Horn which often is referred to as Custer’s Last Stand. It was found that the message of Jesus was not being preached among the Apaches in Arizona and it was decided that here was the place to begin our Synod’s first outreach (Beyond the Midwest states). So the missionaries came. I speculate that they knew the German language better than English, but that made no difference for the Apache understood neither. However, with the use of interpreters and with great patience the pastors spread the powerful Word of God. The Holy Spirit brought people to faith in Jesus and continued to do so. Congregations were established. The oldest Lutheran churches in Arizona of any synod are not in Phoenix or Tucson areas but on the Apache reservations such as at San Carlos and Peridot. It was following the outreach work on the reservations that in 1911 a Lutheran Church was established in Phoenix (Zion Lutheran on Van Buren just to the west of 7th Avenue – it no longer exists) and a Lutheran Church was established in Tucson, (Grace Lutheran Church near the U of A campus which is flourishing). Today there are over 3000 souls who are part of the congregations on the Apache reservations at places such as San Carlos, Peridot, Bylas, East Fork, Whiteriver, Canyon Day, Cibecue, Cedar Creek, and McNary. Lutheran Schools are in Peridot and East Fork. . In addition, there are Apache Christians in many congregations outside of the reservations such as here at Emmanuel. What a privilege it is to worship our Lord with them. Established has been the Apache Christian Training School (ACTS) for the training of adults with emphasis on taking leadership roles in the congregations and also for the training of men to become pastors. There are now two Apache pastors. Our Thursday morning Bible Class that meets at Denny’s contributes weekly to the ACTS program. ACTS will also play a key role in the training of workers to share the gospel with other Native American communities. There are 500 reservations in North America . It is said that 95% of Native Americans are not Christians and therefore do not have the comfort of salvation through Jesus. Let’s reach out to them with the Word. We pray that the Holy Spirit who brought us to faith will touch the hearts of msny Native Americans and bring them to faith. Go on line to find out more about our brothers and sisters in Apacheland and also to find out more about the celebration on October 27-28. Check out things also by using the following: https://www.facebook.com/NativeChristiansWELS/

Weekly Devotion Dear Children of God, Your beliefs about the origin of human beings play an important role in your life. What a person believes about where he came from will affect his beliefs about where he is going which in turn affects his beliefs about his purpose in the here and now. Putting it in different words – what you believe about your past affects your beliefs about your future which in turn shapes your beliefs about the present and your purpose in life. Take the example of an atheist. He rejects the idea that there is a divine maker but instead he likely believes that human beings are the product of chance through the process of evolution. It then is logical for him to believe that when he dies, it ends everything for him. Such beliefs will have an effect upon him concerning the years of his earthly life. He might have a hopeless kind of life or he might seek to pack as much adventure, pleasure, and achievement as possible in these few years of life ‘because you only go around once.’ He does not believe in an afterlife and has nothing positive to look forward to. He does not believe that there are commands and laws from God which are to govern his life, but that humans are free to make up their own laws of life. He certainly is not seeking to serve a ‘higher being.’ The person who follows the Bible knows about the past, about the future, and about what life is about in this present time. He knows that the origin of the human race (and everything) is from God. We are descendents of Adam and Eve whom God created and to whom God gave the ability to reproduce. Psalm 95:6-7 declares, “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for He is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.” We say in the first part of the Nicene Creed, “We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all that is, seen and unseen.” We believers know that we have a fantastic future ahead of us. Our Lord Jesus has redeemed us from our sins by living the perfect life in our behalf and atoning for us through His sufferings and death and by rising again. Well-known John 3:16 says that “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Death is not the end of our existence. It is the gate that leads to eternal life in heaven. These Biblical beliefs about our past (origin) and our future (destination) have a profound effect upon our present life. God to whom we owe our very existence has given His Word that He will take care of us and even make all things work together for the good of them that love Him. Our lofty purpose and function is to serve the Lord. Since our life comes from God, it is to be used to His glory. We know that our Maker has every right to tell us how to conduct life and has given us commandments that are to govern our thoughts and attitudes, our words and actions. Note too that all the commandments are given by our loving God and are intended to bless, guide, and protect us. We are not just drifting through a meaningless life and then pass out of existence. We are here for a purpose as we travel on our way to heaven. The devil seeks to put people on the wrong track about the future and the present with glaringly wrong teachings about the past such as godless evolution. Textbooks and teachers already in elementary levels present godless ideas as truth and as intellectual fact. Sometimes Christians are ridiculed for believing the Scriptures which teach that God created this world in six days. But do not be misled by lies. Listen to Him who was there when the world was made. In fact, He is the Maker. You know the past, you have a glorious future, you have a life full of meaning in the present. Hymn 260 in Christian Worship puts it this way: Let all things now living A song of thanksgiving To God the Creator triumphantly raise, Who fashioned and made us, Protected and stayed us, Who still guides us on to the end of our days.