I Will Tell You What It Means – June 14, 2019

“Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
Acts 2:9-12

I Will Tell You What It Means


Daily Devotion – June 14, 2019

Devotion based on Acts 2:9-12

See series: Devotions

I’ve heard the pastor read these Bible verses during worship more than once on a Sunday morning, and I’m always glad that he is a trained public speaker. There are a lot of place names here that are difficult to pronounce. Why is this list here in the Bible? What does it mean?

On Pentecost, the people listening to the pastors preaching all heard words in their own language even though they weren’t sure that those preachers, Jesus’ disciples, could actually speak that language. That would be have been both amazing and perplexing. What did it mean?

I’ll tell you what it meant. God had a very important message to get out as quickly as possible, and he did not want a language barrier to prevent it. This message was so important that God wanted it to spread geographically as quickly as possible, so he brought people from all over the world to hear it right when it was preached, shortly after Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven.

And I’ll tell you what that list of country names means today. It means that no one is left out. Christianity is not just for certain people in certain countries. The forgiveness of sins won by Jesus is for every person in every land. It’s for immigrants as well as natives, visitors as well as residents. Even if other people can’t pronounce the place that people are from, the wonders of God are for them.

In the sermon that follows these words, Peter explains that Jesus is the Savior of all people. He calls his hearers then and today to repentance and faith in Jesus. I’ll tell you what that means: Life and salvation.

Prayer:
Lord God, heavenly Father, I praise you for the wonderful things you have done for me through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Oh That is Why – June 13, 2019

[Jesus said] “And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.”
John 15:27

Oh That is Why


Daily Devotion – June 13, 2019

Devotion based on John 15:27

See series: Devotions

I don’t always know why God allows certain things to happen in my life. I have had some real bad times and some real good times.

When Jesus spoke the words from the Bible we are thinking about today, he was talking to his disciples. They had been through a few bad times, but there were some major bad times coming soon. That night, Jesus was arrested and killed. Why would God let the disciples go through all that? Jesus explained it even before it happened. He was preparing his disciples to testify.

They would talk about what they had seen early in Jesus’ ministry, since they had been there. And when they saw how it ended, in death and resurrection, they would be able to talk about how it all made sense in the end. Oh, that’s why God let that happen to them, and to his Son. He wanted to save them.

During the bad times, I wonder why God is letting the bad things happen. I pray for relief, and I wonder why God takes his time answering my prayer. If I learn anything from this Bible verse, I realize that God is letting the story play out, even in some bad ways, so that I can testify. I can testify to the goodness of God, to the eventual relief that he always gives, to his love.

During the good times, I learn to testify to God’s mercy and grace, since I don’t deserve them. I think about the longer arc of my life, and I realize how God has made all things work for my good. The bad times don’t look so bad when I view them like that. Oh, that’s why God gives me many seasons in my life, both good and bad. He wants me to testify.

In fact, I must testify, because I have witnessed so many lives turn from bad to good because of the forgiveness that Jesus won for them. I am compelled to say that Jesus is my Savior. He’s yours as well.

Prayer:
Lord, lead me to tell the story of your love throughout my life no matter what happens. Amen.

DailyCreative Commons License Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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This Is What Is Happening – June 12, 2019

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.” . . . This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.”
Acts 2:14,16,17a

This Is What Is Happening


Daily Devotion – June 12, 2019

Devotion based on Acts 2:14,16,17a

See series: Devotions

“What is happening?” Have you ever been in a situation where you looked around and could not figure out what was going on? People around you were paying attention, and they seemed to be following something, but you could not for the life of you figure out what was happening.

That must have been the situation for many people on Pentecost. Here were men with what seemed to be tongues of fire dancing on their heads. They were speaking in a multitude of different languages. It was nine in the morning, and nothing was happening that normally happened at nine in the morning.

Then Peter stood up, raised his voice, and explained. The prophet Joel had predicted this, Peter explained. The Holy Spirit was being poured out. The last days had begun.

For hundreds of years, the Holy Spirit had brought mostly Jewish people to faith in the Savior who was to come. Now there would be thousands, then millions, then billions of people coming to faith in Jesus as their Savior. The Spirit was being poured out on all people. Men and women, young people and old people—all were included. No one was excluded. Everyone was welcome.

And the last days had begun. Jesus had died, risen, and ascended into heaven. The only thing left for him to do was to return for Judgment Day. Now all of the prophecies about the last days would be fulfilled. The gospel of forgiveness of sins through faith in Jesus would be preached to all people.

Now you know what is happening. We are in the last days. The Spirit is being poured out on you, and you are being brought to a closer relationship with Jesus. Your life is blessed.

Prayer:
Come Holy Spirit, God and Lord! May all your graces be outpoured. Amen.

DailyCreative Commons License Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Get the Message Out – June 11, 2019

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them . . . When [people] heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language?”
Acts 2:4,6-8

Get the Message Out


Daily Devotion – June 11, 2019

Devotion based on Acts 2:4,6-8

See series: Devotions

Imagine being able to speak a foreign language without studying it. You are standing in front of a person who does not speak your language. You know what you want to say, and you open your mouth, and words come out that mean precisely what you want to say, but it’s in the other person’s language, not your own. Wouldn’t that be amazing? That’s the gift of speaking in tongues.

God gave that gift to his disciples on Pentecost. It was a special gift from the Holy Spirit. It was not to impress people. It was not to make those disciples proud of how special they were. It was for one purpose: to get the message out.

Jesus had risen from the dead and ascended into heaven. His disciples were to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins to everyone they met. But what if those people spoke a different language? The disciples were all from the same people group, and they spoke the same languages. Did they each have to take time to learn a new language in order to take the gospel to the ends of the earth?

Instead of taking that time, the disciples received the gift of speaking in tongues. After the gospel was passed on to many people speaking many languages, the Spirit did not give that gift any more.

You might wish you had that gift today. But God knows precisely what he is doing. He has given you other gifts. One gift is your knowledge and faith that Jesus is your Savior. Another gift is your penitent heart. A further gift is your desire to get that message about Jesus out there. God bless that desire.

Prayer:
Holy Spirit, give me the will and the opportunity to speak about Jesus to everyone I meet. Amen.

DailyCreative Commons License Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Crystal Clear – June 10, 2019

[Jesus said] “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.”
John 15:26

Crystal Clear


Daily Devotion – June 10, 2019

Devotion based on John 15:26

See series: Devotions

I love a clear phone call. When I see all of the bars on my phone lit up, I know that I will be able to understand everything the other person is saying. The texts will go right through, and the internet will respond quickly when I ask a question.

I hate a garbled phone call. It doesn’t matter how loudly or slowly the other person speaks. It’s like that telephone game, where something is hindering your hearing, and you know you are not getting the real message. In the end, you wonder if anything you heard is what was actually said.

Jesus’ disciples were supposed to pass on what he said. But they had to wonder if they would get it right. They knew they couldn’t even say it back correctly when they were with him. How were they supposed to get it right after he was gone?

In our Bible verse for today, Jesus reassured his disciples that he would send someone to prompt their memories and get everything right. He called that person the Advocate, because that person would stick up for him. That person turned out to be the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth. He never lies. His line to the Father and the Son is always clear. His testimony is always spot on.

When the Holy Spirit arrived in such a dramatic and visible way on Pentecost (see Acts 2), it was to assure the disciples and everyone who heard them that they would say the right thing about Jesus. The disciples were human beings with human failings, but when it came to talking about Jesus, they would play no game of telephone.

The message of the disciples, recorded for you without error in the Bible, is clear. Jesus rose from the dead. He is your Savior. When he says you are forgiven, there are no strings attached. You are hearing it correctly. Believe it.

Prayer:
Holy Spirit, teach me to listen carefully to your clear words of truth. Amen.

DailyCreative Commons License Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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More than Marketing – June 9, 2019

When the day of Pentecost came, [the disciples] were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Acts 2:1-4

More than Marketing


Daily Devotion – June 9, 2019

Devotion based on Acts 2:1-4

See series: Devotions

You’re starting up a new restaurant. How do you get business? You let your community know that they have a need (they get hungry); there is a solution (food) and you have the best solution in town (your barbeque beats everyone else’s). Perhaps you hand out free samples at the fair, entice people with coupons or specials, and you hope that word of mouth drives hungry customers your way.

God was starting his New Testament Church. Jesus had died, risen, and ascended to heaven. Now what? How would God gather people into his Church? Through his disciples, he let the people of Jerusalem know that they had a need (for God to forgive their sins) and that there was a solution (Jesus had died for their sins). This was not just a slick ad campaign. Free forgiveness, peace with God, and eternal life through Jesus beat any other deal in the world.

Have you ever marveled that God has delivered this same message to you? You have a need (for God to forgive your sins against him) and there is a solution (Jesus has died for your sins). The same Holy Spirit who filled the first disciples works through the message of forgiveness to give and grow your faith. God continues to build his Church just as he did all those years ago—by the power of his Spirit working through his word.

Prayer:
Holy Spirit, my sin means I have the greatest need—I need a Savior from sin; I need Jesus. Work powerfully through your Word to bring me to daily repentance and free forgiveness. Move my heart and my tongue to thank and honor God with all that I do and say. Amen.

DailyCreative Commons License Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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BULLETIN, June 9, 2019 – A Service for Pentecost

Come, Holy Spirit:

A Service for Pentecost

June 9, 2019

8 a.m. Emmanuel

10 a.m.  St. John’s

St. John’s  Ev. Lutheran Church 313 East Montello St. Montello, WI 53949 Emmanuel  Ev. Lutheran Church W1568 Evergreen Lane Montello, WI 53949    
XW E L C O M E    T O    O U R    C H U R C H X We extend a warm welcome to everyone today, especially our visitors.  In the bulletin you’ll find an outline of today’s service, a calendar of events and other bits of information.  In the red hymn book you’ll find the songs we sing and the order of service that we follow. If you would like a large print hymnal or bulletin please ask one of our ushers and they will gladly assist you.  Restrooms and nursery area are located in the parish hall at Emmanuel and in the lower level and link-way at St. John’s.  It’s nice to have you visit today. “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another–and all the more, as you see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25). Welcome to God’s house!  May God bless our worship together.  
  Pastor Peter Zietlow  
  Pastor Peter Zietlow  
XG O D ’ S     W O R D    F O R     T O D A Y X Jesus Pours Out His Holy Spirit – Once God made people speak many languages because of their disobedience. When the Spirit came on the great day of Pentecost in Jerusalem, God filled people with the ability to speak languages to spread the amazing good news of Jesus’ resurrection.
608.297.2866 www.stjohnsmontello.org Like us on Facebook

 

608.297.2866 www.stjohnsmontello.org Like us on Facebook

 

Pastor’s Greeting

Opening Hymn CW 179  “Hail Thee, Festival Day,”  v. 1-4

P:  This is the day that the Lord has made.

C:  Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

P:  This is the day of which Jesus declared:  “You will receive the power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.

C:  And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 

Psalm 118:24; Acts 1:8

Confession of Sin

P:  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  1John 1:8-9

Let us therefore humbly confess our sin to God and seek forgiveness through Jesus Christ our Savior.

C:  Have mercy on us, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out our transgressions.  Wash away all our iniquities, and cleanse us from our sin.  Create in us clean hearts, O God, and renew a right spirit within us.  Do not cast us away from your presence, or take your Holy Spirit from us.  Restore to us the joy of your salvation, and grant us a willing spirit to sustain us. Psalm 51: 1,2;10-12

P:  God, our Heavenly Father, has been merciful to us and has given his only Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.  Therefore, as a called servant of Christ and by his authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C:  Amen.

P:  Let us pray:  God, we offer to you praise for the gift of your Spirit.  When we are lonely, the Spirit comes to be our friend.  When we are filled with doubt and lack faith, the Spirit speaks the word of truth.  When we are filled with hatred, the Spirit brings to us the gift of love.  For your Spirit we praise you, O God, our redeemer.   Amen                  

P:  This Day of Pentecost is witness and celebration to the pouring out of God’s Spirit upon those who believe in Christ.  It is celebrated as the birthday of the Christian church.  Pentecost, Greek for “the fiftieth,”  is celebrated on the fiftieth day after Easter.  It is a reminder that we, too, have the gift of the Spirit that was poured out upon the first century church on the Day of Pentecost.  It is a reminder that we are co-heirs with Christ, to suffer with Him that we may also be glorified with him; that the manifestation of the Spirit was given for the common good; that we are all baptized by one Spirit into one body; and that the Spirit which raised Jesus from the dead lives inside believers.  This gift of the Holy Spirit that was promised and given to all believers on the first Pentecost is promised for you and your children and for all whom the Lord will call.

Verse of the Day:

P:  Alleluia.  Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful people, and kindle in them the fire of your love.  Alleluia

Congregation Hymn:  CW177, verse 1

            Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest,

            And make our hearts your place of rest;

            Come with your grace and heav’nly aid,

            And fill the hearts which you have made.

P:  The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. There are many references made to the Spirit’s attributes and  work in both the Old and New Testaments.  The very first reference is “in the beginning“–in Genesis.

Reader 1:  Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.  (Genesis 1:2)

In this verse we learn that the Holy Spirit was hovering above the waters.  The word “hovering” suggests a bird tenderly protecting her helpless young in the nest.

Although much is shrouded in mystery, we may be sure of this:  God’s Spirit was there in the beginning, taking the formless mass, moving through the darkness, filling the emptiness, preparing the way for God to speak the creative word and bring light into the world.

We can be encouraged that God’s Holy Spirit still hovers over the darkness today.  Though we may not see or feel him, yet he is there.  He still moves through the emptiness of life, preparing the way for God to bring us out of the darkness and into the light once again.

Reader 2:  And the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being.  (Genesis 2:7)

The Hebrew word ruah can be translated “breath” or “spirit.”  The phrase “breath of life,” therefore, refers to more than simply the air that Adam

breathes.  It is the animating life force that comes only from God’s Spirit.  By itself, the body is simply “the dust of the ground”–a collection of chemical elements bound together as water and protein.  But life comes only from the inbreathing of God’s Spirit.

All that we are and have we owe to God who has brought us to life by his Spirit.  Material things do not last forever; they return to dust eventually.

Life comes only from God–both physically and spiritually.  Just as we owe our physical life to the Spirit of God, we also owe our spiritual life to him as well.  For without the “inbreathing” of God’s Spirit in the work of regeneration, we could not be born again.

Congregation Hymn:  CW177, verses 2,3

To you, the Counselor, we cry,

            To you, the gift of God most high;

The fount of life, the fire of love,

            The soul’s anointing from above.

            Your light to ev’ry thought impart,

            And shed your love in ev’ry heart;

            The weakness of our mortal state

            With deathless might invigorate.

P:  The Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ is a foundational doctrine of the Christian church.  Both Matthew and Luke plainly ascribe the conception of Jesus Christ to the action of the Holy Spirit.    Luke adds an intriguing phrase when he reports the angel Gabriel’s words to Mary:  “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.”  (Luke 1:35) . The verb for “overshadow” speaks of the direct, personal presence of God.  The same verb is used in all three accounts of the Transfiguration to describe the cloud that enveloped Jesus, Moses, and Elijah (and Peter, James and John) on the mountain.  From that cloud came a voice saying, “This is my Son,” even as Gabriel told Mary, “The holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”

Since Jesus was born of Mary, we know that he was truly human.  Since he was conceived through the Holy Spirit, we know that he was more than a man.   He was fully God and yet fully man at the same time.  Deity and humanity joined  together.   The Holy Spirit is not the main focus, yet he is there, acting as the “agent” of the Father’s will.  He is the one who creates the human life of the Son of God.

Reader 3:  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.  (John 14:16)

Among all the names of the Holy Spirit, none is so well known as the name “Counselor.”  Many Christians also know the Greek word that it translates–parakletos.  The King James Version translates it as “Comforter.”  The word itself means “one who is called alongside to help.”  It speaks of helping  someone who cannot help himself.

Jesus spoke these words just a few hours before his crucifixion.  He was comforting his disciples before the fact.  But, no doubt, remembering those words after his death, resurrection and ascension  meant a great deal more.  Only after his departure from them did they realize what a great gift Christ had given them.

P:  The Holy Spirit could not come until Jesus left the earth.  Jesus said in John 16:7, “But I tell you the truth:  It is for your good that I am going away.  Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.”  Jesus goes on in the following verses to explain the Spirit’s purpose:  “When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.”

Congregation Hymn:  CW supplement 723  “Holy Spirit, the Dove Sent from Heaven,”  verse 1

Holy Spirit, the dove sent from heaven,

Ever one with the One who is three,

From the Father you came,

Words of peace to proclaim,

Come and comfort us, speak tenderly.

You, the fragrance of life we are seeking,

Fill your temple, your altar make clean.

Joyous shelter of love,

Gracious friend from above,

In your care we are resting, serene.

Reader 4:  At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him.  (Matthew 3:16)

At Christ’s baptism, the Holy Spirit descended upon him “like a dove.”  The dove is a particularly appropriate symbol because it is a beautiful, graceful bird.  The word also implies honesty.  The Holy Spirit is pure, open and honest and produces the same qualities in the people he touches.  As the dove descended from heaven, so does the Holy Spirit come down to bless the people of the earth.  A dove is also a symbol of peace.  The Holy Spirit brings peace to those who believe.  The fact that the dove came directly to Christ shows also the personal relationship the Holy Spirit has with each believer. 

This symbol of the Spirit has a great deal to say to us about the effect of the Holy Spirit on our lives.  1.  He brings peace to our souls.  2.  He comes quietly, without fanfare.  3.  He establishes a personal relationship with us.  4.  He produces gentleness within, not a harsh and critical spirit.  5.  He leads us toward purity and honesty.  6.  He brings God’s divine approval that we are indeed his children.  7.  He leads us toward a grace-filled Christian life.

Congregation Hymn:  CW supplement 723  “Holy Spirit, the Dove Sent from Heaven,”  verse 2

Holy Spirit, the fire celestial,

Who on Pentecost came as foretold

To descend from on high,

And the Church occupy

As the cloud filled the temple of old;

All the baptized you seal with your promise,

All believers your gift there receive,

So that all the elect–

All in Christ–may expect

To enjoy what by grace they believe.

Reader 5:  They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.  (Acts 2:3)

Fire is one of the most frequent biblical images for God’s presence with his people.  There is Moses and the burning bush, the pillar of fire, the fire from the Lord consuming the burnt offering, all from Exodus and Leviticus.  In Matthew 3:11, John the Baptist says, “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”

God sent the “tongues of fire” on the day of Pentecost as a sign that he was about to pour out the Holy Spirit in a new and powerful way.  Just as the fiery pillar represented God’s personal presence with his people, the Holy spirit takes up residence in all believers.  But now God’s presence will be personal and individual–thus the “tongues of fire” rested on each person individually.  Where once God worked primarily in and through a nation, now he works in and through individuals.

Fire, as a symbol of the Holy Spirit, represents God’s presence, his protection, his cleansing and purifying of his people, his enabling that allows us to let our light shine brightly for Jesus Christ.

Congregation Hymn:  CW supplement 723  “Holy Spirit, the Dove Sent from Heaven,”  verse 3

Holy Spirit, the unction of blessing,

Sacred oil of the green olive tree,

Giving heat, giving light,

as the tent lamps ignite

And as Aaron praised God joyfully.

Blessed living and life-giving water,

Now preserve us from evil within;

For in Jesus, God’s Son,

All believers are one

In this washing that cleanses from sin.

Reader 6:  Jesus said, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water….Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.  Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”  (John 4:10,13)

Water is one of the most common symbols for the Holy Spirit in the Bible.  Since water is necessary for human life, the phrase “living water” is an excellent metaphor for the Spirit’s work in the human heart. 

Jesus promised the woman at the well that he would give her “living water” which would satisfy her thirst forever.  That “living water” becomes a “spring of water” within the heart of the believer, welling up to eternal life.  It is a picture of how the Spirit works in the human heart.  Through the indwelling Holy Spirit, the “living water” produces a new life that becomes evident to others. 

Water is also necessary for cleansing.  Ephesians 5:26 pictures this aspect of the Spirit’s work when it mentions the “washing with water through the Word.”  The Word is the cleansing agent; the Spirit is the cleansing power.  As the Spirit applies the Word to our lives, we are cleansed from the stain of sin and the filth of the world.

The Holy Spirit flows through believers like a mighty river of living water, bringing new life and providing deep, inner cleansing.  As we yield ourselves to Christ, the abundance of the “living water” flows out to those around us.

Congregation Hymn:  CW supplement 723  “Holy Spirit, the Dove Sent from Heaven,”  verse 4

Holy Spirit, the wind of great power,

Source of strength and of peace and of love,

Truest Comforter, plead

As you bring all our need

To the throne of God’s glory above.

Be the light that enlightens the Scriptures;

Keep our feet from each devilish snare;

Only you can make whole

All that troubles our soul;

By your chrism*, Christ’s triumph we share. (*baptismal robe)

Reader 7:  The wind blows where it pleases.  You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.  So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.  (John 3:8)

Wind serves as a particularly good symbol of the Holy Spirit.  As Jesus points out to Nicodemus, wind by its very nature is invisible and unpredictable.   It can blow from any direction, or not at all.  We feel its effect and hear it whistling through the leaves, but it is totally free from our control. 

In John 20:22, Jesus breathed on his disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”  On the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:2, the Holy Spirit came with a sound like “the blowing of a violent wind.”  Just as the wind filled the whole house, the disciples themselves were all filled with the Holy Spirit.

Peter uses the imagery of a driving wind to picture the writers of Scripture being carried along by the Holy Spirit in 2 Peter 1:21.  As the wind moves a ship’s sails, so the Holy Spirit moved the prophets so that what they said was exactly what God wanted.

The symbol of the Holy Spirit as God’s wind ought to greatly encourage us.  Only the Holy Spirit can wake us from our spiritual lethargy.  He alone can rid us of the toxic fumes of unbelief and worldliness.  He alone can bring the sweet aroma of heaven back into our lives.

P:  Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  (1Corinthians 6:19)

Why do some Christians think that it doesn’t matter how we live as long as we are saved?  Why do some people, who have been baptized as infants and confirmed, publicly declaring they are followers of Christ, go for years without following him?  How can a true Christian commit acts of hatred or immorality?  These issues are all addressed in 1Corinthians 6.  Paul used the image of the Old Testament temple to help us understand the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  During those days, the temple represented the presence of God with his people.  When the Israelites passed by the Temple Mount, they thought, God is in this place.  Even the pagans of other nations understood that the God of Israel dwelled with his people in the temple at Jerusalem.  The temple stood as a visible reminder that God was not far off in the heavens, but had chosen to live among his people.

Today there is no one building that Christians look to as the temple.  Even though church buildings are sometimes called “the house of God,” they aren’t temples in the Old Testament sense.  God now dwells in his people.  Every Christian is a temple of God.  Almighty God has come to live in us.   We carry with us, wherever we go, the name of God, the testimony of God, the Spirit of God, and the presence of God.

How then can any believer continue living in sin?  How can a Christian commit adultery?  It is simply unthinkable for those who understand the high calling of being God’s temple.  Remember, God’s Spirit goes with you wherever you go.  He is there when you rise, when you dress, when you eat, when you drink, when you speak on the phone or send an email, when you watch TV, when you drive your car.  Everywhere you go, God’s Spirit goes with you.  You cannot escape him for he lives within you.

Therefore, honor God with your body.  Don’t defile the Lord’s reputation by what you see, what you say, where you go, or what you do.  You are God’s temple.  It’s a high calling and an awesome responsibility that must not be taken lightly.

We can rely on the Holy Spirit to give us the strength necessary to follow and live for Jesus.  “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”  (2 Timothy 1:7). 

C:  “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.”  (Galatians 5:22-23;25)

P:  Let us pray:  Holy Spirit, you have made us your dwelling place.  Make us mindful of your presence in everything we do, and guide us so that we produce the fruits of your Spirit.  Amen

Offering (Greet your neighbors and sign the register.)

Prayers

Spirit divine, hear our prayer and make our hearts your home.  Descend with all your gracious power.  Come, Holy Spirit, come.  Amen

The Lord’s Prayer

**Communion at St. John’s follows hymnal pages 21-24**

-The Sacrament-

Communion Hymns, CW 183 “Holy Spirit, Light Divine”

                       185 “O Holy Spirit, Grant Us Grace”

**Emmanuel continues below…**

Closing Hymn, CW 323, “Almighty Father, Bless the Word”

As you leave today’s service, please give your completed Friendship Register sheet to an usher or pastor.

XAnnouncements X

Activities for the week of June 9-June 15
Sun. 8:00 A.M. Emmanuel Worship
  10:00 A.M. St. John’s Worship with communion
  11:15 A.M. Bible Information Class at St. John’s
Mon.    
Tues.    
Wed. 6:30 P.M. St. John’s Worship
Thurs. 10:00 a.m. Montello Care Center Devotion
  6:00 P.M. St. John’s School Board meeting
Fri.    
Sat.    
Theme for Next Sunday June 16, 2019  Father’s Day: Trinity Sunday
8:00 A.M. Emmanuel Worship
10:00 A.M. St. John’s Worship
11:15 A.M. Bible Information Class at St. John’s

INTERCESSORY PRAYERS – For those hospitalized, ill, shut-in and facing trials: George Alexander, Ron Blada, Pat Bornick, Pastor Raymond Cox (Marjorie’s Fabian’s brother), Gene & Sharon Crook, Harley & Liola Crown & son Terry, Agnes Dassow, Jerre Duerr, Reinold Eckelberg, Elaine Emond (Mark’s mother), Earl Ewert, Marjorie Fabian, Harold Fandrey, Mike Farrell, Kellen Grucza (Judy Fandrey’s daughter), Dawn Hirn (Linda Krause’s niece), Xzander Jahr, Bob Klapper (Sandy’s husband), Arden “Bill” Klimke, Linda Krause, Jim Kunde (our former SJ member), Delvin Mittelsteadt, Jean Muhlenbeck (WELS member at Zion–Bristol, St. John’s visitor), Debbie Parrish, Arlene Prill, LuAnn Reber, Mark & Peggy Russell (Elsa’s son & daughter in-law), Carol Schumann, Dennis Schwanke (Mary Isberner’s friend), Amanda Stalker, Jennifer Strauss, Dennis & Ramona Wacholtz, Donny Weber (Betty’s son), Heidi Weishaar (Dennis & Sharon Kekow’s daughter), Karl Whitrock, Millie Wildt (John’s wife) – (added this week: Marjorie Fabian)

– For our high school and college graduates (see list of graduates, please give updates to Ciara)

– For those who serve in the military, including our St. John’s member, Dan Finger (see photo, pg. 16, 2nd from the left) stationed in the Middle East

– For our communicants at St. John’s

2019 GRADUATES Hunter Bagley, Hunter Kamenick, Miranda Kraus, Sara Oechsner, Brooke Postler, Lyla Roush, Parker Stelter, Quentin Swanke,  Drew Torres, Marshal Walker

Congratulations to Marshal Walker for being this year’s Montello High School Valedictorian and Parker Stelter for being this year’s Montello High School Salutatorian. Blessings to you all in your future! (If any 2019 graduates are missed, please let Ciara in the office know.)

MANY THANKS to those who helped at yesterday’s Work Day at St. John’s

THANK YOU Dear St. John’s School and Church friends,

Thank you so much for the outpouring of cards, gifts, well wishes, and prayers as I move on to a new adventure in my life. They are all greatly appreciated. I pray that the ministry here at St. John’s and Emmanuel will continue to grow and prosper. Thank you again and God’s blessings to all. Yours in Christ,  Karin Stellick

VBS This year’s Vacation Bible School will be June 24-28 at St. John’s. Camp Phillip will be hosting again! This year’s theme is “BigFootPrints to Follow”. We are accepting 3K-8th graders! 3K/4K will run from 8:00am-11:30am. Kindergarten-8th grade will run 8:00am-2:00pm. Stop in or call the office 297-2866 to register today!

VBS DONATIONS Donations needed for this year’s Vacation Bible School are as follows: 10-20 blindfolds, bubbles, rope or masking tape, prize items from the dollar store, sand, bubble bath solution, Elmer’s glitter glue, colored glitter, baking soda, contact lens solution containing boric acid and sodium borate, river rocks, colored tissue paper, contact paper, butter, sugar, cinnamon, fresh fruit (any), any yogurt, maple syrup, regular marshmallows, mini marshmallows, pretzel sticks, chocolate or vanilla pudding or strawberry yogurt, cake cones, apples, chocolate vanilla or banana pudding, popcorn, raisins, banana chips, goldfish, M&M’s, sunflower seeds, chocolate rice chex, bananas, graham crackers, Nutella. There is a drop box located in St. John’s link way or stop by the office. Any donation is appreciated! Thank you!

NEW MEMBERSHIP CLASS began on 4/28 11:15am at St. John’s. Join us in the link-way conference room for an hour or so after the 10am SJ worship service.

UNCLAIMED DISHES IN CHURCH KITCHEN Please check the accumulation of unclaimed dishes in the St. John’s kitchen.  Items unclaimed by the end of June will be disposed of.

MEDITATIONS “Meditations” WELS daily devotional booklets began on 6/2 and are available in the church entry (many thanks to our generous members for covering the $2K/yr cost) 

PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL of your fellow worshipers preparing their hearts for worship. If you are visiting with others, please keep your voices down.  Thank you!

USHER AND GREETER SCHEDULE If you are signed up to be a St. John’s usher and/or greeter, please pick up your hard copy of April-May and June-July in St. John’s Information Room. Schedules will be available for pick up every 2 months.

LITTLE LAMBS PRE REGISTRATION NOW OPEN Pick up your 3K/4K registration form in the office today! Please help spread the word!

CHECK OUT OUR UPDATED INFORMATION ROOM This room is located at the top of St. John’s link way stairs and the church entry way. Here you will find bulletin boards labeled “Home Missions” and “LWMS”. Home Missions will provide information on what’s going on at St. John’s church and school, events, educational and youth group updates. You will also find informational brochures and magazines, usher and greeter schedules, the church newsletter, children’s coloring sheets and crayons and other miscellaneous information related to our church and school. Please help yourself!

CHRISTIAN ONE-LINERS (from a WELS pastor): “People are funny; they want the front of the bus, the middle of the road, and back of the church..”

ACH What is ACH? Automated Clearing House is an electronic payments network use by individuals, businesses, financial institutions and government organizations. The network functions as an efficient, electronic alternative to paper checks. It allows funds to be electronically debited or credited to a checking account, savings account, financial institution general ledger account or credited to a loan account. Please pick your form up in the Information Room or the office today.

EMMANUEL OFFERING OPTIONS In addition to the traditional offering envelope option for our weekly offerings, Emmanuel is inviting any members to consider direct payment (weekly or monthly) from your bank’s checking or savings account to the church’s account. If you are interested in this option, please phone or e-mail Monika Waisbrot (608-286-3937 mwaisbrot@myfirstnational.com), branch manager at Fortifi Bank–Montello, who can help you make it happen. (business cards are available on the Meditations shelf)

OUR KIDS GAME $931.11 TO MISSIONS THIS YEAR The mission projects of our day school, Little Lambs, and Sunday School kids have been completed for 2018-2019. Kids C.A.R.E. mission gift given by our day school and Little Lambs students totaled $594.07 for the home mission project: Kids Summer Bible Camps. This amount will be pooled with gifts from kids all over the U.S. and presented at the Lutheran Women’s Missionary Society Convention, June 27-30, in Des Moines, Iowa. St. John’s Sunday School students’ mission gift totaled $337.04 for our WELS Camp Phillip in Wautoma.

MEMBER Dan Finger (top left) who is currently serving in the Middle East. Thank you to all who serve!

OFFICE HOURS I will be in the office Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays 8:00am-4:00pm and Thursdays 8:00am-2:00pm. Thanks! –Ciara Neuhauser

TASTE OF MISSIONS—An Event Meant for the Whole Family!  Join us on July 13, 2019, at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in Mequon, Wis., for the first annual Taste of Missions event! Starting at 12:00 P.M., sample ethnic cuisine from some of our mission fields while enjoying fellowship and presentations from home and world missionaries alike. Meet former missionaries and committee members who have served WELS Missions and hear stories of God’s magnificent grace in action at home and abroad. View displays, participate in family-friendly activities coordinated by our missionaries, and ask questions about the ups and downs of mission work during a panel discussion. We will conclude the event at 4:00 P.M. with a special worship service celebrating the blessings the Lord has showered on WELS Missions. Registration is $5 per person, with children under the age of five attending for free.  Register by June 30 at wels.net/tasteofmissions2019

Attendance Emmanuel St. John’s
6-2                                    6-4 85                                        105                                         ?
St. John’s Altar Committee June  2019 Diane Eisermann & Delores Cotte
●●● Welcome To Our Visitors! Please Sign Our Guest Register Find & Like us on Facebook Visit our website link:  www.stjohnsmontello.org Pastor Peter Zietlow: (608) 408-7830 E-mail: zietlowPL6@hotmail.com Little Lambs Director & Teacher Sara Borck: (858) 731-7919 K & 1st Grade Teacher Cassie Doering: (920) 723-8986 2nd-4th Grade Teacher Karin Stellick: (920) 342-3689 Lead & 5th-8th Grade Teacher Rachel Naumann: (847) 913-2135 Church & School Secretary Ciara Neuhauser: (608) 297-2866 Altar Ladies: Elaine Kelm: (920) 344-0025 & Carolyn Rosenthal: 589-5036 Church & School Mail: 313 E Montello St, Montello, WI 53949  Church & School E-mail: scsecretary@stjohnsmontello.org   ●●●

Clean – June 8, 2019

“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may . . . go through the gates into the city.”
Revelation 22:14

Clean


Daily Devotion – June 8, 2019

Devotion based on Revelation 22:14

See series: Devotions

If you ask people who have traveled around the world, “What is the cleanest city you have ever seen?” many of them will answer, “Singapore.” If you go there, however, you’d better understand that the governing authorities take their city’s cleanliness seriously—very seriously.

For instance, Orchard Road is the most famous shopping street in Singapore. Tens of thousands mingle there every day. However, hidden in the crowd are some 400 plainclothes officers. Their sole job is to catch people doing something that may threaten their city’s cleanliness. If they spot you dropping a piece of paper, they can fine you hundreds of dollars. If you are a repeat offender, it can cost you thousands. In addition, they may also sentence you to several hours of community service and require you to attend lectures on littering. In short, if you find yourself in Singapore, enjoy the wonderful sights, friendly people, and cleanliness. But if you make a mistake and litter, your stay may come at a cost.

Life in heaven comes at a cost as well. But the cost is not money or a lecture on littering. The cost is the precious blood of the Son of God. The Lord’s desire for us to be with him was so intense that he himself was willing to pay the price to make it so. And now it is his blood that has washed our sins away and made all things right. It is his blood that has given us the privilege to go through the gates into the city of heaven.

But in that city, there is not just an absence of the rubbish of sin. Rather, there is complete life, light, goodness, and joy. All because Jesus is there. All because he has made us clean.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, you have washed my robes and made me clean. Through faith in you, heaven awaits. Oh, how I look forward to that day! Amen.

DailyCreative Commons License Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Payday – June 7, 2019

[Jesus said] “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me.”
Revelation 22:12

Payday


Daily Devotion – June 7, 2019

Devotion based on Revelation 22:12

See series: Devotions

Imagine for a minute that you have to do a terrible job for a year. Maybe the work is hard. Maybe it’s high-stress. Maybe the work is far from rewarding. Now imagine you are told you will be paid just fifteen thousand dollars for this year of work. How do you suppose you will do your job? Will you be excited? Will you be motivated to do your best? Probably not. You will be tempted to show up late and give it little effort. You may not even make it through the entire year before quitting.

Now imagine you are facing the same job, but this time you know you will be paid fifteen million dollars. Now, how will you do your job? Your attitude will likely be very different. You will show up on time, be excited, and even brag about how great this job is that pays so well.

Like a terrible job, our life in this world is often difficult. But Jesus promises that when this world ends, he will return and bring with him a reward far greater than fifteen million dollars. He promises to bring us to the mansions of heaven and an eternity without a single care or concern. Remarkably, he promises to give us this as a reward even though it is a reward, he won for us. Think of how comforting this is! It means we don’t have to worry whether we will be good enough to earn his reward. It means we don’t have to wonder whether we will receive his reward. He promises to give us the reward he has earned.

Let this be your encouragement during difficult days. Let it move you to serve your Lord with joy and excitement. Let it keep you from ever quitting. After all, a remarkable reward is on the way!

Prayer:
With everything that is happening in our busy world keep me focused on your return and the reward you will bring. Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen.

DailyCreative Commons License Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Jesus is Coming Soon – June 6, 2019

He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”
Revelation 22:20

Jesus is Coming Soon


Daily Devotion – June 6, 2019

Devotion based on Revelation 22:20

See series: Devotions

“Did he forget?” I had this thought a few times as a child as I waited for my dad to pick me up from school. Most days dad was there when school got out and although I had to wait for his turn to pull up to the curb, I was sure I was getting picked up. However, on rare occasions dad wasn’t there right away. I watched as the number of kids standing at the curb dwindled. I wondered what could have happened. Had my father forgotten and would he ever show up?

Fortunately, without fail, he always showed up, usually just a few minutes after all the other parents had picked up their children, I would crawl into the backseat of his car and with exasperation ask, “What were you doing?” My dad would always respond, “Coming to get you.”

It has been just shy of two thousand years since Jesus said, “I am coming soon.” It is easy to wonder if Jesus has forgotten his promise and to ask what is taking him so long.

But, much like time is different to an anxious child than to an adult, time is different for us than it is for God. The Bible tells us that, for God, a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day. The God who lives without beginning or end has a longer and better view of time than we do.

We also know that when God makes a promise, he keeps it. He does not forget. He does not change his mind.

So, we can know for certain that Jesus will come soon. He promised it. He will come soon to take us from this life to our eternal home and the life we were meant to live. Even now we know at this very hour, he is coming to take us to be with him.

Prayer:
Help me to wait patiently on your good timing, and give me the sure confidence that you will return soon. Amen.

DailyCreative Commons License Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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