Martini Lutheran Church

Pastor Teasdale's December Devotion: 

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Hi! Well, by now, you have said goodbye to me and me to you. I love you very much! You are so special and special to me it is with a deeply grateful heart I say thank you. For those of you able to attend worship the last Sunday in November, you know I am very thankful to you and God for letting me serve as your Pastor. 

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I am, at this moment thinking about the Apostle Paul who wrote the Corinthians, "Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Jesus Christ”, also wrote "If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord." My hope and prayer for you is that the Word of God I have taught and preached to you, you receive in faith. I am 100 percent confident I have made known to you God's love for you in Christ. 

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Will you believe me that God loves you in Christ. Will you act on this gracious truth by including more people in God's love for them in Christ? Some of your congregational leaders do not seem to believe God loves people in Christ. I hope this is not true and what seems to be reality to me is not in fact reality. I mention this possibility to you so you will not allow this possibility to shape your faith or the ministry of Martini. You want to say to yourself, God, and people at large you have taught and preached to them the truth of God. The truth is God acts on his love for people in Jesus Christ, who gave his life for our salvation, forgiving us all our guilt, making it righteous for his heavenly Father to accept us for Jesus' sake. 

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God's love for you expressed in Christ makes you very special. As I look at you, I see God's love for you, God forgives you, and God's acceptance of you, all in Christ. The sin that plagues you and me is this: we do not believe God's love for us is enough, we want, we need, we demand more. This sin is very evil and harmful. Evil in that Satan motivates our will and harmful in that we solidify our separation from God. I am not telling to save yourselves but I am telling you do not let this happen to you. Stay humble, being humble means, you recognize your need for Jesus met by God's Word. 

Thanks again for letting me be your Pastor, peace be with you.