Don't Be a "Chocolate Only" Christian! (1 John 3:21-24)
Dear Members of the Our Savior Lutheran Church Email Prayer Chain,

Don't Be a "Chocolate Only" Christian!

Through Jesus you can also experience genuine peace within yourself. Internal peace is a sense of wholeness, contentment, tranquility, order, rest, and security. Although nearly everyone longs for this kind of peace, it eludes most people. Genuine internal peace cannot be directly obtained through our own efforts; it is a gift that God gives only to those who believe in his Son and obey his commands. (1 John 3:21-24).

In other words, internal peace is a by-product of righteousness. This truth is revealed throughout Scripture:

"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you" (Isa. 26:3).

"The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever" (Isa. 32:17; cf. Pss. 85:10; 119:165).

"If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea" (Isa. 48:18).

These passages show why it is impossible to experience internal peace if you fail to pursue peace with God and peace with others. Internal peace comes only from being reconciled to God through his Son, receiving his righteousness and the power to resist sin, and then obeying what God commands. "And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us" (1 John 3:23). By God's design, the three dimensions of peace are inseparably joined. As one author expressed it, "Peace with God, peace with each other and peace with ourselves come in the same package."

Taken from  The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict
by Ken Sande, Updated Edition (Grand Rapids, Baker Books, 2003) p. 46-47

Food for Thought

Authentic biblical peace is like Neapolitan ice cream. Peace with God is like the chocolate. Peace with others is like the vanilla. And peace with ourselves is like the strawberry. Some folks, when presented with a carton of Neapolitan ice cream, eat only their favorite flavor (usually the chocolate, right?) before putting the 1/3-empty package back in the freezer. When subsequent snackers drop by, they become crestfallen: Neapolitan without one of the flavors just isn't Neapolitan! Much of modern Christendom is like this. "Christian" is too often understood only to mean "at peace with God." Rarely are Christians encouraged to dig their spoons into the vanilla and strawberry dimensions of the faith: making peace with others and experiencing peace within. Sure, the chocolate is important--you might even say it's the "best part", but Chocolate-only Christians will never change the world. Blessed are the true Neapolitan peacemakers, for they will not be confined to the freezer for long!

PRAYER REQUESTS -- Week of October 25, 2009

FOR THOSE WHO LOOK TO THE LORD FOR HEALING:

Barbara Roberston         [Mother of Debbie Novak] hospitalized due to advancing lung cancer
Pauline Rye                     [Mother of Noble Rye] She suffered a stroke on Tuesday and is need of healing
Mrs. Omohundro,            [Mother of Tina Davidson (friend of Kim Rye)] who has suffered a stroke,
Lt. Daniel Berschinski    [25 year old fellow soldier and friend of Matt Kuecker] He is fighting at Walter Reed to stop the infection spread that may require additional portions of both of his legs to be removed from the injuries he sustained in and IED explosion.

Special Petitions

A church family is struggle with some concerns and would like prayers for peace and resolution to the concerns.
Britany & Trent Graviss, friends of Kim Rye who are looking for God to bless them with their first child.
For the congregational meeting on Wednesday, October 25, 2009.  

A SPECIAL REQUEST FROM OUR TREASURER

Through September 30, we continued to see a decrease in giving from last year and versus our adopted budget.  We are also about 4% below our giving levels of two years ago.  While giving is down, we continue to hold our spending on discretionary expenses.  Our reduced spending is in line with the reduced giving so far.  However, in early October, we did incur a rather large bill to fix some heating and cooling issues in our school building.  As our building continues to age and we spend on maintenance at minimum levels, we will have some surprises now and then.  Please continue to pray for God’s continued blessings on our ministry and resources to carry out that ministry.

Show us your unfailing love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation. I will listen to what God the LORD will say; he promises peace to his people, his saints— but let them not return to folly. Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.  -- Psalm 85:7-9

In Christ,
Paul E. Nickel
Director of Christian Education
Our Savior Lutheran Church
 

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