From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” Matthew 16:21-23
Do you struggle with procrastination? Is there something really important that you know you should do, but you have been putting it off? Maybe you delay doing those things that are difficult or where the outcome is uncertain.
Productivity gurus will often tell their clients that motivation is the key to getting things done. Very often the reason we procrastinate on a task is that we lose sight of the project’s purpose. When you find yourself dragging your feet and putting off an important task, a consultant might advise you to ask yourself: What do I hope to accomplish? What will the outcome be if I carry through with my assignment?
God’s Son, Jesus Christ, never needed to attend a productivity seminar. He came into this world fully aware of his priorities and was completely dedicated to accomplishing his goal. The Bible tells us that, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). That goal of our salvation was only possible by sacrificing himself. So, Jesus told his disciples that he must suffer, he must die, and he must rise to live again. There was no alternative. This was God’s plan from eternity. This is the way he would cancel the debt of your sins and win the gifts of forgiveness and eternal life for you. Nothing would distract or delay him from accomplishing that blessed goal!
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for loving me so much that nothing could keep you from going to Jerusalem to save me from my sins. Amen.
Learn About St. John’s Befriended Missionary Paul Nitz
Hello St. John’s Members:
During September, we’d like to introduce you to the 4 WELS missionaries our church supports through the Befriend A Mission program. Everyone wants friends. Everyone can be a friend. Jesus is our ultimate Friend, “who sticks closer than a brother,” (Proverbs 18:24b), and we Christians, no matter our age or circumstance, should take our cues for interacting with others from Him.
A friend shows interest in us & prays for us: We hope you will read about Missionary Paul Nitz and his family. The Nitz Family recently returned to the United States after 27 years in Malawi. Pastor Nitz has accepted a new call stateside to serve as a world mission counselor. An article that appears in the September issue of Forward in Christ is attached. Here’s a prayer to use:
God and Father of All Nations:
Lord, you have called Missionary Paul and Susan Nitz and Family back to service in the United States. After 27 years serving in Malawi, Africa, it makes their homeland almost a foreign country to them. Aid their re-assimilation into the life and culture here in our country. Make Pastor Nitz a blessing as he serves and supports WELS world missions worldwide in his new call as a missionary counselor. Shower the Nitz family with grace in their own lives and the continued privilege and opportunity of seeing how powerful and effective God’s Word is in the lives of people around the world. In Jesus’ name, we ask. Amen.
A friend encourages us: We hope you will take a few minutes this week to write a note, send a card or email, draw a picture (Children can befriend also!) and send it as an encouragement to the Nitz Family: Address:
A friend shares with us: Presently a fall mission offering is being collected at St. John’s by the Lutheran Women’s Missionary Society (LWMS) to support our WELS home and world missions. Everyone with a heart for missions is invited to share a special gift! A collection container is located in the entrance of church where you pick up your bulletin or contact Linda Wachholz, LWMS Reporter, 608-369-2635.
For St. John’s LWMS,
Reporter Linda Wachholz
St. John’s Lutheran Church Montello & Emmanuel Lutheran Church Mecan
Updated Response to Worship Concerns Created by COVID-19
July 30, 2020
When will we worship? An outdoor Saturday service is being added to help members worship in a safe environment. This service will replace the Wednesday evening service.
Saturdays @ 4:30 pm (Any St. John’s or Emmanuel members)-Beginning Saturday, August 15
Sunday @ 8:00 am Emmanuel (Emmanuel members)
Sunday @ 10:00 am St. John’s (St. John’s members 55 and older)
Online worship services continue found at stjohnsmontello.org
Where will we worship? Groups should be 50 or less indoors. To provide safe worship experiences, the new Saturday worship service will be held outdoors when weather permits.
Saturday @ 4:30 pm will be an outdoor service on the lawn behind the parking lot of St. John’s. In case of inclement weather, we will move to the sanctuary.
Sunday @ 8:00 am at Emmanuel in the sanctuary
Sunday @ 10:00 am at St. John’s in the sanctuary
How will we worship? Providing a safe worship experience is a high priority for the leaders in our congregations. Because the virus continues to spread, and because of the science regarding singing and speaking, the following policies will be continued and new ones enacted immediately:
Please use the hand sanitizer upon arrival at the worship service.
Masks will currently be optional at all services (see below**) Masks will be available.
Designated seating will be provided indoors to provide for social distancing.
Please bring lawn chairs for the outdoor service. Some seating and a canopy may be available.
The congregation is asked to not sing for the time being.
Services will be shortened to a length of approximately 40 minutes.
A soloist will sing the hymns and any liturgical responses.
Continuous communion will be practiced on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month. The Saturday before the 2nd and 4th Sundays will also include communion. Family units are encouraged to commune together.
The congregations should exit the sanctuary from the back at the end of the service, taking all belongings including the bulletin along with them.
The sanctuary will be cleaned and sanitized between services.
**We will abide by any state or local mandates that may change any of these policies
As we hold firmly to the truths of scripture, we know that God continues to keep his promises to us. He has promised the wonderful spiritual blessings of forgiveness, life, and salvation. He has not, however, promised that things will always remain the same. In the words of our synod president, Mark Schroeder, “we recommit ourselves–as individuals, as congregations, and as a synod–to the mission that God has called us to carry out, trusting that he will bless us in that work.” Let us work together as we move forward as a congregation. Let us help, support, and encourage each other as we gather around God’s Word.
Question or Concerns? Contact your Elders or pastor
Emmanuel Elders: Darrell Buchholz (608) 215-7871, Wayne Stelter (608) 369-1790
St. John’s Elders: Jerre Duerr (608) 697-8706, Jay Eisermann (608) 297-8171, James Wachholz (608) 369-4006 – Pastor Pete Zietlow (608) 408-7830
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 4:32–5:2
When actors need to imitate someone in a skit or movie, they spend many hours preparing for their role by watching videos of the person they are going to imitate. This ingrains the subject’s mannerisms and speech patterns into the actor’s mind. When show time comes, the actor can then imitate the subject quite naturally.
God wants us to imitate him. It is a tall order, to say the least. It is actually impossible for sinful humans like us. Fortunately, Jesus did what we cannot do. He perfectly imitated God because Jesus is God. His perfect life is why we have been forgiven by God for our sins.
Although we will not be able to do what Jesus did, we still strive to imitate God every day as a way of thanking him for forgiving us. Just like an actor preparing for a part, we imitate God best by watching Jesus. Hour after hour, day after day, we read about Jesus in the Bible. This ingrains God’s mannerisms and ways of speaking into our minds. It leads us to be kind and compassionate, to forgive each other, and to live a life of love. Keep watching Jesus and become a better and better imitator of God.
Prayer:
Thank you Jesus, for doing what I could not do. Help me to do what you have done. Help me to imitate God today. Amen.
“But what about you?” [Jesus] asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. Matthew 16:15-17
The disciples of Jesus had lived with him for more than two years. They had seen him heal many, feed thousands, and even raise people from the dead. They knew the public opinions about Jesus: that he was a holy man, perhaps even a great prophet. But they had also been listening carefully to their Rabbi and knew who he really was. So when Jesus asked the big question, “Who do you say I am?” Peter was quick to respond with an amazing answer, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Peter was saying that Jesus was the long-promised Savior, our gracious God’s one and only Son, true God and true man who had lovingly come to rescue this world, which was totally broken, totally lost in guilt and sin and without hope. All history revolves around him. He’s the most important and most amazing person who ever walked on this earth. He brought heaven to earth and earth to heaven. God had revealed that truth to Peter. In the next year, Peter would learn much more about all this when he saw Jesus on the cross and then risen from the dead.
“Who do you say I am?” is also the biggest question we will ever face. Thank God that we have the same source of truth as Peter did in the Bible.
Thank God every day of your life if you can answer, “Jesus, you are my Savior and my hope for heaven!”
Prayer:
Thank you, Jesus, for revealing yourself to me! Thank you, Holy Spirit, for putting faith in my heart! Help me to grow in your grace so that I, too, can boldly confess with Peter that you are my Savior! Amen.
By the grace of God, Peter saw Jesus as the promised Savior of the world—the One and only! Peter knew that Jesus is the answer to sin—the only one God will provide. Peter knew that Jesus is the central figure in God’s plan of salvation and that no one can possibly be saved without him. Peter believed that Jesus is the only one who fulfills all the world’s needs.
It is not hard to see why so many people fail to recognize the significance of Jesus. Limited, sinful human minds simply cannot grasp such an amazing miracle. Why would God send Jesus to die for a world of sinners? Why would God save me? Why would God care at all what happens to us when we die? In a word: GRACE. “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” God’s loving plan to save us from sin, death, and hell is beyond anything we could have dreamed or imagined.
It is only by faith that we can confess Christ and believe what Peter claims about him. Jesus himself says: “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.” In a world clouded by unbelief, God had seen fit to bless Peter with faith, and Jesus wanted Peter to know what a priceless gift that is. Without Jesus, we are lost. In him, we have everything. May we confess him as clearly as Peter.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, grant me a strong faith, bold to confess you as the Savior this world needs. Amen.
There is no shortage of opinions on who Jesus is. Throughout history, there has been a wide range of opinions about him. But how about you? “Who do you say Jesus is?”
Before you answer the question, realize the answer is more than just words. What we say about Jesus affects the way we live our lives. If we believe the Bible when it says that Jesus is the one and only Savior of the world, then that changes everything. Let me put that another way. If Jesus is everything to us, why is it so hard for us to be in his house for worship on a regular basis? If Jesus is our greatest treasure, why do we go entire days without reading his Word or praying to him? If Jesus is the light of our world, why do we not invite everyone we know to come and see him so they can know him too?
Sadly, our lives do not often match our confession of who Jesus is. This is precisely why we need him so much. We need him to wash our sins away. We need him to love and save us and make us right before God. We need him to be who he says he is. Jesus said: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.” Jesus is the answer to sin and death. He is the one who has come to live and die in our place to make sure that we could be saved and live with him forever.
Who do you say Jesus is? Your answer to that question has eternal implications. Jesus is your salvation. He is everything you need. Put your faith in him.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, help me to never forget who you are. You are my Savior, my all. Lead me to love you and serve you always. Amen.
We live in a crazy, chaotic world. ‘What is God doing?’ Perhaps you have heard that question asked a few times. Maybe you are wondering: ‘If God really cared about us, wouldn’t he stop this pandemic? Wouldn’t he bring an end to all this inequality? Wouldn’t he stop the violence?’
It certainly can be difficult to understand what God is doing. The Bible often reminds us that God’s thoughts and ways are so much higher than our own. We do not always see the big picture of things. This can lead to frustration and anger when we do not understand why God allows certain things to happen. This, in turn, leads us to blame God or turn away from God.
“Who has known the mind of the Lord?” God may be tough to figure out at times, but just because we do not understand his plan does not mean that we can assume he does not love us. Quite the opposite, actually. When God sent Jesus into this world to die on the cross to pay for our sins, nobody understood that either. Even Jesus’ closest followers tried to stop it or to talk Jesus out of it. Yet, even though they could not understand what God was planning, it ended up being a huge blessing for them and the whole world. In sending Jesus to die on the cross, God made sure that there was a way for us all to be saved. Through faith in Jesus, we are forgiven, and on the way to heaven.
We cannot always understand God’s plan or know the mind of the Lord. But as we see his plan for saving us through Jesus, we can be assured of his love for us and his intent to bless us. This means we can trust him. As events around us seem to spin out of control, trust that God has a plan. He loves you and has saved you and will continue to carry out his will with you in mind.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, thank you for salvation in Jesus. While I do not always understand your plan, help me to trust you and your love for me. Help me to know that you will always take care of me. Amen.
Monuments have been the center of attention lately as a debate rages over which historical figures deserve a monument in their names. What are some reasons for having a monument in the first place? Above all else, a monument is designed to help people remember a certain person or event.
God instructed Joshua to construct a memorial on the bank of the Jordan River. The Lord had miraculously stopped the river from flowing and allowed the entire nation to cross over into the Promised Land—a land he was now going to give to them. This was truly a momentous event in the history of Israel, and the Lord wanted his people to always remember how he was there for them and had blessed them. So, Joshua instructed the people to set up a monument of stones to serve as a reminder of God’s goodness.
We have those too. As you think about your own life, what monuments to God’s goodness can you find? Perhaps you can review the clean bill of health from your doctor and rejoice in God’s goodness. Maybe you can look at the family picture on the wall and count all the children and grandchildren and thank God for the blessings that he has brought into your family. We all have different reminders of God’s blessings in our lives.
But there is one memorial we share: the cross of Jesus. The empty cross stands as a reminder that Jesus has taken our sins away and won for us the free gift of heaven. Throughout history, there will always be people who speak against the cross and tell us to take it down, but it is a visible reminder of the price Jesus paid to set us free from sin and death. It is a symbol of God’s love for all of mankind. Look to the cross today and every day and be reminded of God’s love for you.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, thank you for sending Jesus to be my Savior. In the cross, help me to see your love and forgiveness for me and the whole world. Help me to always remember that I am saved in Jesus. Amen.
“I promise.” Those are words that should give us comfort. Those are words that should take away our worries. Those are words that should give us hope. But, when we hear the words, “I promise,” we often roll our eyes. We have grown accustomed to unkept promises.
It starts from little on. A young boy hears dad promise that he will play catch after work. But dad doesn’t get home from work until after the boy is in bed—far too late to play catch. An employee hears his boss promise that the promotion will be his, only to find out a week later that the job went to someone else. A bride hears her groom say, “I do”—and finds out later that he did not keep his promise to be faithful.
We are surrounded by unfaithfulness and also have been unfaithful in keeping promises. Because of this, we are often skeptical that anyone will keep a promise to us.
God is different from everyone else. He keeps his promises. In Exodus chapter six, verses 2-8, the Lord says, “I,” seventeen times. It jumps off the page. God says: “I am the Lord… I appeared to Abraham… I also established my covenant. I…I…I”—17 times! This reminds us that the Lord is unquestionably in charge. God lets us know that he has not forgotten us. He has heard our pleas. He WILL keep his Word.
And if you still doubt that, God points to his own track record. He proved his faithfulness once and for all on Good Friday. If there was ever a time for him to back out of a promise, this was it. There, hanging from a cross, was his own Son. Jesus did not deserve to die. He did not deserve to suffer. But, true to his Word, God kept his promise. God sent his Son to be the sacrifice for our sins. God sent his Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. That promise is kept, and that promise is yours—forever. You are forgiven!
Prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, thank you for keeping your promise and sending Jesus to be my Savior. Help me to know that in him I am forgiven. Help me to trust your Word always. Amen.
Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
