From the Pastor
David Nehrenz

Dear Fellow Redeemed,

This month we conclude the season of Epiphany and begin the 40-day Season of Lent. We will see the journey our Lord had to make for us and for our salvation.

We will journey from the Mount of Transfiguration in (Luke 9:28-36) on Feb.14th into Ash Wednesday (Matthew  6:1-21)  on Feb. 17th, and then proceed to the First Sunday in Lent (Luke 4:1-13) on Feb. 21st when Jesus is tempted by the devil over a 40 day period in the wilderness.

God’s Beloved Son who shines and is transfigured in glory on the high mountain, is also the true Man, who would battle the temptations of the devil in the wilderness while he was hungry, tired and living among the wild animals. From the mountain to the plain, from glory to suffering- this was our Lord’s sacrificial work for us.

As we again enter the 40 Days of Lent, may we devote ourselves to prayer and repentance in 2010, as we continually prepare for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in glory on the clouds of heaven. Plan to attend the Wednesday Ash Wednesday Lenten Services this month.

God’s love is this: Jesus bore our curse in his body on the cross, God forgives our sin and declares us righteous in His Son’s sacrifice. He gives us eternal life now and takes us to heaven by grace through faith. Jesus does this out of his love for us!  We joyfully follow Him, even unto death!

This year we will again use the Lutheran Hour Ministries Lenten Meditations for 2010. These will be distributed on Sundays Feb. 14th and also on Wed. Feb. 17th. These devotions will help us ponder the words of our Lord as he walked to the cross for us and for our salvation. The theme is: "From The Mount of Transfiguration to Mount Calvary – A Lenten Journey"

Yours in our Lord The Savior who speaks to us through the Cross,

Pastor Nehrenz

From the Vicar
Evan Goeglein

A Christian Response to the Earthquake in Haiti:

After hearing all the terrible news from Haiti and seeing some of the horrific pictures of devastation, one is left scratching his or her head wondering what is going on. Matthew 24:7 says, “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.” Is the Haiti earthquake a sign of the end? Jesus says of these signs, “...all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs” (24:8). 
 
Are we living in the end times? Many people in the early church expected Jesus to return within their lifetimes. Hebrews 1:1-2 says, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, but now in these last days He has spoken to us in His Son.” The answer is: yes, we are in the last days—as we have been for nearly 2,000 years. For thousands of years God spoke to His people through the prophets foretelling of the Messiah. But now, God reveals Himself in the person of Jesus, and He does so for the forgiveness of our sins. When we look to the cross, we see all of the world’s sins having their way with one person: Jesus Christ, God in human flesh. We know what sin does: it kills. Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin for us and died on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21). But sin did not have the final say with Jesus. Christ was raised from the dead, showing that Jesus made atonement for all sin and Christ’s victory over sin, death, and the devil. Therefore, we can say with St. Paul, “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55). (Continued...)

“O dearest Jesus, what law hast Thou broken
That such sharp sentence, should on Thee be spoken?
Of what great crime hast Thou to make confession,
What dark transgression?”
-LSB 429