ASLC Devotions - Thursday

Psalm 26:1 Vindicate me, O Lord,    for I have walked in my integrity,    and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.  Do you think you could say this? Could you say that you've trusted in the Lord without wavering? OK, now try being honest with yourself: could you say that you've trusted in the Lord without wavering? I know I haven't. And I don't believe that anyone ever has. Our faith wavers. Our faith falters. It doesn't make us faithless followers, it makes us human followers. But a faith and trust in the Lord that doesn't waver IS the goal. And it's a worthwhile goal. It's one of those goals (like all the best goals, in my opinion) that are never going to be reached. But in the striving, in the trying, in the reaching, your life is changed. In Christ, Pastor Seth   Join us for worship this weekend - Saturday at 5 pm or Sunday at 9 am. This is the final weekend of our summer worship schedule. Visit us at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org

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ASLC Devotions - Wednesday

Isaiah 28:17  And I will make justice the line,    and righteousness the plummet; hail will sweep away the refuge of lies,    and waters will overwhelm the shelter.  What's the old line? You can fool some of the people all of the time and you can fool all of the people some of the time? I think the above verse is God speaking a different kind of line through the prophet Isaiah: You can fool God none of the time. So why are you even trying? God's got justice and righteousness to measure us by - and a good eye for seeing the measurement. To be fair to us, maybe it's not the case that we're trying to fool God. Maybe we're instead trying to fool ourselves. We can fool ourselves a lot of the time, about our own motives and about our own plans. I'll call that person tomorrow. I'll make prayer a daily habit starting next week. I'll volunteer at PADS eventually. You can fool yourself, but God isn't fooled. But check this out: God is much more forgiving than you are. God forgives you. Doesn't mean God doesn't want more for you, but you don't have to fool God because your'e already forgiven. In Christ, Pastor Seth   Join us for worship this weekend - Saturday at 5 pm or Sunday at 9 am. This is the final weekend of our summer worship schedule. Visit us at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org

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ASLC Devotions - Friday

2 Corinthians 10:17 'Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.' Boasting is what our world is built on. Job interviews, promotion, auditions, tryouts. All these things are essentially about boasting - telling how wonderful you are and what you can do. There's a place for that - according to the rules of our society and the way we've designed the world to work. But there's another path. There is another way to be. Paul tells us that if we absolutely have to boast, we should boast in the Lord. So when someone says "You've done such a great job" - think about responding with "With God's help." It's not false modesty trying to get more praise. It's recognizing reality. Pro tip: you probably won't get a job or promotion this way. But... it's real. In Christ, Pastor Seth   Join us for worship this weekend - Saturday at 5 pm or Sunday at 9 am. We'll be blessing backpacks at both services as students and teachers prepare to return to school. Bring your backpacks! Visit us at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org

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ASLC Devotions - Thursday

As some of you have noticed, we are using a new email service for these devotionals. There are more things planned for the future, but I'm playing with and learning a new system at the moment. I understand from some feedback the font size needs to be increased. Will try that today. Let me know if it's better.   1 Corinthians 6:11 But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. You have been justified in the name of Jesus Christ. So what are you so worried about? I know you might be saying - I'm not worried. Why does Pastor Seth think I'm worried? Because I've talked to you. I've listened to you. And because I'm worried. I'm worried that I'm not a good enough father or husband. I'm worried that I'm not a good enough citizen or neighbor or friend. I'm worried that I'm not a good enough pastor. And I'm not the only one with these worries. I think most of us walk through our lives worried that we're not enough. So... you have been justified in the name of Jesus Christ. Stop worrying. In Christ, Pastor Seth Join us for worship this weekend - Saturday at 5 pm or Sunday at 9 am. We'll be blessing backpacks at both services as students and teachers prepare to return to school. Bring your backpacks! Visit us at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org

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ASLC Devotions - Wednesday

Mattthew 8:1-3 When Jesus had come down from the mountain, great crowds followed him; and there was a leper who came to him and knelt before him, saying, 'Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.' He stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, 'I do choose. Be made clean!' Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.  Of all the healing stories in the gospels, this one has always struck me as particularly interesting. I think it's because of the way that the leper asks the question - IF you choose, you can make me clean. I don't know if it's just politeness or what, but it strikes me that he makes it about Jesus' choice - I know you can, but you can heal me IF you choose. Tied closely to that is Jesus' response: I DO CHOOSE. I choose to heal you. I choose to make you clean. I choose to be in a relationship of life and wholeness with you. I choose you. Hear those words spoken to you today - Jesus says "I DO CHOOSE." In Christ, Pastor Seth Join us for worship this weekend - Saturday at 5 pm or Sunday at 9 am. We'll be blessing backpacks at both services as students and teachers prepare to return to school. Bring your backpacks! Visit us at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org   unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences

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ASLC Devotions - Tuesday

Romans 11:26 And so all Israel will be saved; as it is written, 'Out of Zion will come the Deliverer;    he will banish ungodliness from Jacob.'  Yesterday we read a little bit about the debate about whether Gentiles could be saved in this new religion called Christianity which grew out of the even-then ancient religion of Judaism. Paul, the writer of Romans, was the primary missionary to the Gentiles and spread the Gospel throughout the world at the time. So for him a slightly different question emerged: could Jews be saved? His response in Romans is pretty clear - yes. Because God promised it. People may be unfaithful, people may be fickle, people may change their minds. But God is faithful. God said the Jews would be saved and so they will be. God said in your baptism that YOU would be saved, and so you will be. It's really as simple as that. In Christ, Pastor Seth Join us for worship this weekend - Saturday at 5 pm or Sunday at 9 am. We'll be blessing backpacks at both services as students and teachers prepare to return to school. Bring your backpacks! Visit us at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org   unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences

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ASLC Devotions - Monday

Acts 15:19 Therefore I have reached the decision that we should not trouble those Gentiles who are turning to God There was a huge debate in the early church about just how inclusive God wanted the church to be. Specifically, the debate revolved around the Gentiles. When non-Jewish people came to believe that Jesus was the Messiah and they wanted to become part of the church, what was to be done with them? Should they become Jewish first - which meant circumcision and kosher eating, etc? Should they be treated the same as Jewish Christians or as some kind of second-class Christians? So a major meeting took place in Jerusalem to decide these questions. And this is the voice of James, the leader of the church in Jerusalem. With the Spirit's wisdom, he made a decision that changed the course of the church and opened the path to all. Great leaders who change the course of history come along and humans debate what makes a great leader. In the example of James we see one key quality - listening to God's voice. In Christ, Pastor Seth Join us for worship this weekend - Saturday at 5 pm or Sunday at 9 am. We'll be blessing backpacks at both services as students and teachers prepare to return to school. Bring your backpacks! Visit us at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org   unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences

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ASLC Devotions - Friday

Acts 14:23 And after they had appointed elders for them in each church, with prayer and fasting they entrusted them to the Lord in whom they had come to believe.

Paul's journeys continue. He led a strange life after his conversion and during his missionary days. He never stayed in one place long. There were always new people who needed to hear the amazing and awesome good news about Jesus Christ that he had to share. He rarely went back to the same place twice - this happened a few times, but it was rare. Mostly, he just kept moving on to new places.

But of course, every time he moved to share the gospel with new people, he had to leave others behind. He had to leave people who had experienced wondrous things with him and didn't want to see him go. He had to leave people who missed him. He had to leave people, and I'm sure it hurt him every time. But each time, as this passage says explicitly, he "entrusted them to the Lord in whom they had come to believe." The relationships were important, but Paul knew that God would carry the people through. And he entrusted God's people to God.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

This ministry is provided by All Saints Lutheran Church. Respond via email to be removed or added to the distribution list. Visit http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for a full calendar of upcoming events and plan to join us for worship at 5 pm on Saturday or 9 am on Sunday.

ASLC Devotions - Thursday

Revelation 15:4 Lord, who will not fear
   and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
   All nations will come
   and worship before you,
for your judgements have been revealed.’ 

This is a part of the victory song sung by those who conquered the Enemy in the book of Revelation. The heavenly host who have participated in God's final victory over death and darkness sing God's praise. And they sing in the faith we share: the faith that one day all nations and all peoples will come to know the power of God and will worship before God's throne.

In a time when we hear daily of nations battling and killing one another where differences of religion play at least a part in those conflict, this prayer seems all the more needed. We pray for the day when all people will come to see that God is One and when we worship together instead of proving we're right and shooting those who disagree. One day, O Lord. One day.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

This ministry is provided by All Saints Lutheran Church. Respond via email to be removed or added to the distribution list. Visit http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for a full calendar of upcoming events and plan to join us for worship at 5 pm on Saturday or 9 am on Sunday.