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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
God, share Your blessings and grace with all of us; the blessing of family, the blessing of forgiveness of sins, the blessing of mercy and hope in times of sorrow and grief, and a whole lot more. Lead us to live out the life more fully that You gave to us. Lead us to trust in Your more and more. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, Your Son and our Savior, who lives with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever, amen! We are preparing for and anticipating the arrival of Jesus. We are celebrating the life that God gave to us. We are celebrating a new year, one that started on December 1st and we will celebrate the year that will start on January 1st. We have a lot of activities packed into a small 31 day window. We have Advent midweek services and meals. We have school Christmas programs. We have a church Christmas program. We have a tour of homes. We have “Journey through Bethlehem.” We are collecting Christmas socks for one group in our community and beans and soup for another. Our ladies are providing seasonal greeting cards for the members and guests. We are worshiping. We are gathering. We are studying. We are serving. At the same time, there is one event that tops all of the others. There is one event that ushered in an era of celebrations. There is one event that has been lived in and told for two thousand years. And It all started in a small house in a small town called Nazareth. After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people. In the sixth month [of Elizabeth’s pregnancy] the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born5 will be called holy the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant6 of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:24-38) It all started when Gabriel told the message from God to Mary. The salvation of the world was going to be born and Mary was going to be the “Mother of God.” From this momentous announcement came the everything that we hold dear. God gave to the human race the ultimate gift; the gift of His Son “conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary…” Because of that announcement we, who sinners by means of conception, receive our salvation and forgiveness of our sins. Because of that announcement, we live by grace through faith. So, as we celebrate all that is happening here at Faith, at home, and with family and friends, remember why we celebrate along with the fact that it all started with an announcement. See in all of our celebrations, Pastor Robert
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There is a lot going on in November.
This Sunday is All Saints Sunday. It is the celebration of life “For All the Saints, who from their labor rest.” It is a celebration of the lives of those who have gone before us from the Church Militant to the Church Triumphant. It is also a celebration of all the Saints who are still in the fight for the lives of people throughout the world. It is for you and me, who continue to strive against the devil’s schemes and lies with the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are also helping the world in its’ struggle against hunger in our own little corner of it. We have our food distribution coming up on the 9th, starting at 10:00am. This is part of the mission of God’s Church, taking care of the “widows and orphans.” We will begin the “countdown” to the end of the Church Year next. Our focus will be on preparing for the “end of time.” Jesus will return. And when He does, He will bring this creation to its’ end and the eternal creation to its’ beginning. Our celebration of thanksgiving is next in our Thanksgiving Eve service on Wednesday, November 27, 2024, starting at 6:30pm. The point of November is this; time is short, preparation is necessary, and thanksgiving and celebration are a given reality for us. Time is Short: Every day that passes leads us closer to the day of Jesus’ return. Every day gives us the opportunity to tell the world about the Kingdom of God in Jesus. Every day is the great gift that God gives to share His life and light with the world around us. Preparation is Necessary: “People get ready for the train is coming.” It is a time to prepare ourselves for the beginning of eternity. It is a time to prepare the world for the same thing. We are ready for eternity with Jesus. They are not. They need, now more than ever, to hear the message of life, death, resurrection, and ascension. The world needs to hear, repent, and believe the Good News. The Kingdom of God is at hand. It is here now AND it is coming. Thanksgiving and Celebration: We are thankful for all of God’s blessings that He gave to us. We are thankful for hurts and joys, struggles and salvation, pains, and healings. We celebrate life and grace that comes to us by means of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and ascension. We celebrate to beauty that is God and His life for us. Come let us join together, with all the saints and angels, around the great and wonderful life that is Jesus, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Spirit, one God, now and forever, AMEN! For everything there is a season, and la time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. What gain has the worker from his toil? I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man. Ecclesiastes 3:1-13. One thing that never changes, one thing that we will never be able to avoid, and one thing that could be our worst enemy, is time. Time marches on. Everyone gets older. It is not stopping for anyone. We find ourselves fighting against it. Time is never our friend. The passing of time always reminds us of one thing; the end. At the same “time,” time is not our enemy. Time is to be embraced and relished because time is the gift that God gives for us to live our lives for Him and with Him. We are reminded that time marches on. And let us use the time to march to the beat of God’s ministry drum. Yes, we get older. And, yes, we also get wiser and full of God’s truth so that, even as older believers, we serve God and live in His life in the time we have left. Let us never stop talking, learning, receiving, worshiping, and accepting what God has for us. Even though time never stops, let us be actively embrace the time we have to live and grow as God’s disciples. And let us live in time not fearing the end. Let us live in time knowing, believing, and trusting that God will take us through the end of time into eternity with Him. However we use time, let us use it that will further the Kingdom of Jesus along and to be a part of the ministry that we have from God here at Faith. While we have the time, God, guide all of Your people to actively involved in living the life and ministry that you gave us to live. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.  It is back to school time. It is time to get ready for the classroom. It is time to get ready for a new year of “reading, writing, and arithmetic.”
I want to first give a shout out to all of our members who are teachers and administrators in all the school districts in and around Huntsville. You guys do a great job in teaching and leading. God, bless you in your work. I want to also give a shout out to all of our schoolteachers, aides, and administrators of Faith Lutheran School. Welcome back to those who were with us last year. Welcome to our new teachers. I pray that your time with us is a wonderful time of teaching and learning. And I want to give a shout out to our NEW PRINCIPAL/DIRECTOR Cheryl Bailes. Welcome to Faith and God bless your career with us. With all that said, I would like to ask you a question. What is the purpose of education? Why do we teach? Why do we learn? What is the reason? There are a lot of reasons. We teach in order to train people for careers. We teach so that a young person grows up into an adult who will be able, through his or her career, provide for his/her family. We teach so that will have a “well rounded” education and foundation for their present and future lives. For us at Faith, we teach for a different reason. Yes, we teach to prepare. No, not for a career. Yes, we teach for people to be “well rounded.” And no, not for knowledge sake. We teach here at Faith as part of our greater mission and ministry. We teach so that we “build up and raise up present and future disciples.” We carry on conversations so that you are prepared to live your life as a follower of Jesus. We meet around tables, desks, and offices so that you more than “well rounded.” And you have the opportunity to be a part of many different conversations leading you to a stronger disciples’ life with Jesus. Go and check out our website, www.faithhuntsville.org, for a list and description of all the groups that we have on campus and off. My very big goal is for all of you to be a part of one discussion or another. For the more we are conversing and learning from God’s Word, the stronger disciples we become. And by doing so, we are one step closer to fulfilling our mission and ministry, building up and raising up present and future disciples. Your servant in Christ, Pastor Robert  Happy 248th birthday, United States of America. We live in a system of governance that “allows” us freedom to be disciples of Jesus. It “allows” us some autonomy to be disciples without threat of violence and death that the early Christians lived under those first centuries of Christianity. And you may be wondering why I put quotation marks around “allows?” Even though the government allows freedom to worship, express my faith in public and private, to serve God in the manner that I so choose, the government cannot keep Satan, sin, and the sinful human nature from attempting to thwart, sidetrack, disrupt, and dimmish my expression of faith and life with God. I am not free. We are not free from my sinfulness, my sins, and Satan’s influence upon me. The only way that me, you, and all people, will be free is to believe and trust God changed your life from sinner to saint. God did that when Jesus lived the perfect obedience of God’s Law. Jesus’ perfect obedience is not an example of how to live. It is the fulfillment of God’s Law because we cannot and do not follow God’s Law. Jesus did it for our benefit. Jesus’ obedience freed us from the constraints of God’s Law. Jesus went right to the cross. Jesus became the curse of sin and carried our consequence of our sin. Jesus died so that we are free to live. We are free from the punishment of God because Jesus was “punished” to free us. And Jesus rose so that we will rise to a brand life that is free both now and forever. So, what are you going to do with that freedom? Are you going to indulge your desires and wants? St. Paul asked that same question of the Roman congregation almost 2000 years ago. God writes through St. Paul: Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. Romans 5:18-6:4 We are free to follow God. We are free to follow Jesus right to heaven, trusting and believing in Jesus and what He did. We were freed from death into life. See you in worship and study, Pastor Robert  God’s Word for the Week:
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins. A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” A voice says, “Cry!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All flesh is grass, and all its beauty4 is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!” Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. (Isaiah 40:1-11) As our Christmas celebrations begin with Christ, we begin with the announcement. Isaiah prophecies about a proclaimer in the wilderness preparing the people for the coming Messiah, also known as the Christ. We know the proclaimer as John the Baptizer. John proclaimed that we are sinners. We are people who need the Savior, who need the Messiah. John also shared with us, “Behold the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world.” God declared after the baptism of Jesus, “This is my Son, whom I love. With Him I am well pleased.” Here is the Shepherd of the sheep. He is here. Will you come and worship Him? Join us for Divine Service, Bible study, and service to the needs of the community.  Oh Come to Jesus:
Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence—as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil—to make your name known to your adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at your presence! When you did awesome things that we did not look for, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him. You meet him who joyfully works righteousness, those who remember you in your ways. Behold, you were angry, and we sinned; in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved? We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities. But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. Be not so terribly angry, O LORD, and remember not iniquity forever. Behold, please look, we are all your people. (Isaiah 64:1-9) Christmas Begins with Christ: One of the aspects of our time with God this Advent and Christmas seasons is to highlight the theme, “Christmas Begins with Christ.” (See note below) This coming Sunday, we will focus on the topic of “O Come to Jesus.” Isaiah is letting us know about the time when God will come down and be amongst His people. And that scares us because we know who we are; sinners. And we know God. That knowledge scares us. And we, like Isaiah, cry out, “Be not so terribly angry, O LORD, and remember not iniquity forever.” Come, O Lord, and bring Your salvation to us. Bring Your life for us in Jesus. And that is what we celebrate this season. Open our hearts to Your life so that we will come to You and offer here Your worship and praise. Will you come and worship Him? Join us for Divine Service, Bible study, and service to the needs of the community.  You know, it is interesting how things in life continue to change. The more that we want it to stay the same, the more things change.
Think about Worship: We are so used to being in a Sanctuary with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Yet with this COVID-19 thing happening, we had to get use to online worship led by Pastors to empty houses. We have, and continue to use, www.twitch.tv/flchurch as our site for our online services. After we started to get used to online only, then things changed to partially open houses of God. It started out at 25 percent of capacity with all the physical distancing. We have to, and continue to, make sure the Sanctuary is sanitized. We could only have 68 people in the Sanctuary at a time. That was tough. We added a second service so that everyone who was worshiping in God's house could come back in. It didn't work out that way. Some came back. Most stayed with what they had gotten used to. Most of the people participated online still. And now... The restrictions for houses of God have relaxed again. We still have to maintain the six foot distancing between family units. We still can only use every other pew. We still have to sanitize everything. BUT now, we are open for more people to come together in person. So now we are back to one service that begins at 10:30am. And what will be the result? We don't know yet. We hope that members and guests that were coming before COVID-19 will start to return to the house of God. I understand that it will take a little while for things and attendance to rebound and turn the other way; turn to the way of ministry again. To turn toward a new normal and a new blending of ways that we minister to people of the world. And Maybe It's Time: For a new and bold way to minister to people. We live in a digital age. We live in an age where people can see and hear pastors and teachers from their homes, as well as the house of God. Maybe it's time to look past "the way we've always done it before" and begin to embrace being the people where the love of Christ lives. What Do you Think? Is it time to embrace a new method of being Church, the people of God? Is it time to look at new opportunities to equip the faith, encourage the hope, in order to engage with love? Let's talk about. Make a comment. Pastor Robert  Monday, May 6, 2020
My brothers and sisters in Christ, Hallelujah! Christ is risen. He is risen indeed! Hallelujah! Opening Up for Worship: I have some new information that needs to be shared with you as we prepare for Sunday’s worship services. I am looking forward to seeing you then. Christ's church, the people of God where the love of Christ lives, is essential. The space, Faith Lutheran Church, both online and in person, is essential. And as an agency of God in Christ Jesus, we are opening up. WITH THIS LIMITATION. 1. Only allowed 25% of room capacity We can only seat 63 total people in a worship service. This includes the people who need to be in attendance like musicians, sound booth people, Pastor James and myself. That means 53 people are allowed in at one time. That doesn’t allow all of us to be together. SO... 2. Need will have two services in order to allow for all to attend One at 8:00am and at 11:00am. BECAUSE OF THE LIMITED SPACE, YOU... 3. Need to “make a reservation” for a worship service Making sure that you have space for either worship service this Sunday, is easy. Go to https://dlwilliamsconsulting.eventsmart.com/events/may-10th-worship/ This link is on our website at www.faithhuntsville.org as well as our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/faithhuntsville There is a lot of necessary information for you to read prior to registering. Please read it all before registering. Then follow the instructions. You don’t think you can do that? Don’t be worried. Call the church office to help you out. 4. What Do We Need to Do? We will use the entrance by the church offices ONLY. There will be a Meeter by the doors outside making sure it is safe for you and others to enter. When you arrive, you will be asked questions about your health. The questions are.
If so, we may have to ask you to not attend worship for at least two weeks. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, please do not attend and check in with your doctor. If you need to use the restroom, we will have a restroom host to open restrooms to one person at a time. Once you are in the Narthex, we ask you to respect the physical distancing by staying between eight to ten feet apart. There are places where to stand marked on the floor. While you’re waiting to be seated, turn and talk to your “neighbor” and say, “Hi, It’s good to see you again.” An Usher will be standing by the center doors waiting for your arrival. From there you will be lead to a location in the Sanctuary for you to sit. 5. Wear a Mask challenge: For added safety for you and others, we are asking you to wear a mask to worship until further notice. It doesn’t have to be a specialized mask or hospital type mask. It can be made out of cloth. For example, I have one that is a former t-shirt. So, let’s make this a fun challenge. Let’s see how many who are wearing a mask with a Christian theme on the front of it. It can be purchased or homemade. Let’s have some fun. 6. Will continue to livestream services It is fine IF YOU DO NOT feel comfortable joining your brothers and sisters in the same space. We do not want to put any undo pressure on you nor put you at risk, to share the same space. If you in the “at risk” category, we want to tell you, “STAY HOME.” Just because we can meet together, doesn’t make it the right thing to do for you. We will ALWAYS offer the service of God online through www.twitch.tv/flchurch or use the app on your smart device. And when you’re ready, please join us. 7. Communication It is our goal to be clear as crystal with you about everything. So if you have a question about any of the above information, call me at 214-681-8765 or at the church office, text me at the previous number, or send me an email at [email protected]. I am looking forward to hearing from you and seeing you very soon. Thank you for your patience and love. God be with you, always, Pastor Robert  1st Peter 1:3-4:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,... Born Again: Here is this phrase again. Jesus spoke it to Nicodemus as recorded in John 3:3. What does it mean? Nicodemus was confused by the phrase. He thought that he had to be physically reborn; like to become a baby and start over. Both Jesus and Peter do not refer to a physical rebirth. A physical rebirth will leave all of us in the same condition in which we started. And what condition is that? Sinful, that's what. Flesh gives birth to flesh. Flesh is sin. It is the condition that every human being is in. And the sinful condition leads to death and separation from God. I don't want to be separated from God. And that is why is it SO IMPORTANT for you and me to realize this rebirth of which Peter and Jesus speak has nothing to do with me and you. I has everything to do with God. Look again at what Peter says, "According to His great mercy, He HAS CAUSED US to be born again." (Emphasis mine) This rebirth is not from ourselves. It is a gift from God. It is a living hope. It is something that is beyond ourselves. It is something that COMES FROM GOD. And this living hope came to us by means of and through Jesus' resurrection. Because He lives, we will live also with Him. New Life that We Have: When we believe in what Jesus did for us, we have a new life. This means the old was crucified. It is dead and buried. It was buried with Jesus. And there the old human sinful life stays. From that a new person, man and woman, boy and girl, arises from the grave. We arise from the grave forgiven and reborn. No longer does the sinful human nature and its' traps and will and schemes hold us. No longer does the devil influence us. He is DEAD AND BURIED along with our sinful nature. Jesus crushed that snake's head. New Life we Will Have: And this rebirth and new that we have is an inheritance that God gives to His children. To you and I who believe, this new life, this forever life, is kept for us in heaven. It is perfect, eternal, unspoiled, and it continues to shine brightly. We, by means of faith, lay claim to it. And we wait for it. And we wait for it when we serve God. We don't sit on our hands waiting for Jesus to come back. We wait for it by living with the living hope of life. We have great opportunities to show and share this life with those who do not yet realize it. Your Challenge...: Is to discern how to live in this born again life, especially in the time and challenges we face now. And let's dialogue on what and how we live in this new life today. Will you join me in conversation? |
AuthorPastor Robert Hemsath joined Faith Lutheran Church and School as the Senior Pastor in January 2017. Pastor Hemsath comes to FLC from Christ the King Lutheran Church in Waxahachie, TX. He has also served congregations in Aberdeen, ID and Pocatello, ID. He has been a Lutheran pastor for the past 20 years. Archives
November 2024
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