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PASTOR'S MESSAGE
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Acts 1:8
Dear Friends In Christ,
This TLO Disciple focuses on the power that God has given you through the Holy Spirit.
Jesus promised you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit did indeed come upon the disciples and they received power. They received the power to understand, believe and proclaim the risen and ascended Christ with great might and through the Word many came to faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior.
The same Spirit has been poured out on you in your baptism. You are baptized. You have been made new by the powerful love of Jesus and forgiven by His grace. You have been given power to believe the Gospel.
With Christ living in you, you now have power to teach your children of the love of Jesus, to train your children in the way they should go, to follow Jesus in faith. Talk about Jesus when you get up, when you go along the way, when you lie down.
With Christ living in you, you now have power to love your neighbor as Christ first loved you. You have power to forgive sin; power to overcome evil with good; power to resist Satan and all his works and all his ways. This is not of your own strength; it is the Holy Spirit to give you faith through the Means of Grace, His Word and Sacraments.
Jesus does not give faith and the gift of the Holy Spirit to keep to yourself. God has given the Holy Spirit so that His Gospel will be proclaimed to the ends of the earth! On Pentecost, 50 days after the resurrection and 10 days after the Ascension, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Church. You are God's Church.
Together God has called His Church to witness to the work Christ accomplished for us on the cross. As God's people, let us cast aside the distractions that hinder our witness, our personal sins, envy, strife; and our corporate sins: divisions, factions, gossip. Let us pray for one another and forgive one another as God is Christ has forgiven us. Love and forgiveness and unity of the Church is a witness to the love, forgiveness and unity that is in Christ.
You are baptized. You are a child of God. You are a witness for Jesus. So get involved. Be the witness that God has called you to be, by the power of the Holy Spirit working in you.
Pastor James L Kroonblawd
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YOU SHALL BE MY WITNESSES
All of us have friends, neighbors and relatives who need to hear the Gospel of Christ. Those people near us and who are like us is our Jerusalem.
Witnessing to Judea and Samaria means that we are called to bring the love of Jesus to the people who live near us but have a different culture. Immigrants, international students, homeless, the poor, the rich, the deaf, the handicapped, are all our neighbors.
Lest you think that our community does not have homeless, TLO recently helped a Mom and son who have been homeless for more than a year. We provided two nights lodging at a local hotel when they lost their temporary housing and could not access their county funds because the county offices were closed for the weekend.
Here are two Judea and Samaria that are occurring as we speak: Within the past two years there has been significant home development near the church. In 2018 the Vikings will move their headquarters and training facilities to just north of the Church. How will our congregation witness to the people who are moving into our neighborhood?
Our witness does not stop at the door of our church or with our neighbors and friends. God is calling our church to witness to even beyond our Judea and Samaria. He calls us to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. What are you waiting for?
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GET INVOLVED WITH THE LUTHERAN HOUR MINISTRIES
Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM) is a trusted expert in global media that equips and engages a vibrant volunteer base to passionately proclaim the Gospel to more than 56 million people worldwide each week. Through its North American headquarters and 34 ministry centers on six continents, LHM reaches into more than 50 countries, often bringing Christ to places where no other Christian evangelistic organizations are present. LHM's flagship ministry, The Lutheran Hour®, airs weekly on more than 1,700 radio stations and the American Forces Network. Learn more
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FROM THE BIBLE
"And Peter said to them, 'Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'"
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Acts
2:38
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HOW TO READ ACTS 1
This video, created by The Bible Project, tells the story of the first half of the book of Acts. Discover how Jesus continued to work among His followers after his resurrection and ascension. He created a new community, the Church, which spread His message to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. Click to view this entertaining and informative video.
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PENTECOST SUNDAY IS JUNE 4
Wear the color
RED on June 4!
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FROM THE BIBLE
"And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory."
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1 Peter 5:4
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WITNESS OPPORTUNITIES AT TLO THIS SUMMER
Seeking to share the Gospel with many people from all age groups, TLO is hosting these events!
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LOVE, LAUGHTER, AND LULLABIES: SIPPY CUPS
In the Word:
"This Jesus God raised up, and of that we are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing" (ActS 2:32-33)
Of the Word:
My daughter frequently begged to drink from my water glass. When I gave it to her, a little of the water found its way into her mouth, but most of it landed on her shirt. I learned quickly why moms give their babies sippy cups: they help regulate the flow of liquid a baby receives when drinking.
When God gave His apostles His Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, He did not use a sippy cup. Nor did He sprinkle, trickle, drip, or dribble parts of the Spirit on them. There was no regulating the flow. God poured the Spirit out on the apostles!
As believers, we also have been drenched with this out-pouring of the Spirit. We are dripping with salvation and regeneration along with many other gifts listed in Scripture. Like the apostles on Pentecost, we have received the Holy Spirit in order to deliver the Good News to all who will listen. The Good News is that God wants all people everywhere to receive the outpouring of His good and gracious gifts through believing in His saving Son Jesus Christ.
Walking with my Lord:
God, I am ever thankful for the gifts of the Holy Spirit, life, and salvation You have poured out on me. May I be bold in sharing the Gospel with others. In Jesus' saving name. Amen.
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THE WITTENBERG PROJECT ENDS...AND BEGINS
With the completion of the funding campaign, ministry begins in Wittenberg, Germany.
Thanks be to God! The Wittenberg Project, a campaign that set out to renovate the Old Latin School in Wittenberg, Germany, has officially come to a joyful completion. With the renovations behind it, now the work of the project begins. Read all about it.
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HELPFUL LINKS!
by Rev. Paul Gregory Alms
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FREE STUDY GUIDE TACKLES DESPAIR OF '13 REASONS WHY'
In the free LCMS study guide, "Faith, Hope and Love: A Threefold Response to 13 Reasons Why," author Rev. Dr. Lucas Woodford cautions teens and young adults about watching the popular and controversial Netflix series that focuses on a high-school student's suicide and the tape-recorded messages she leaves behind telling 13 people it was their fault. Read full article.
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FROM RIGHT NOW MEDIA
Working for the Man Upstairs
Is it work you're looking for or a chance to serve God? Can they be one and the same?
Check out this Bible study from the Men's NetWork, Working for the Man Upstairs. See how your job-no matter what it might be-is a conduit through which God's work is done in this world.
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Go Against the Flow
by Dan Lietha on May 19, 2017
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EDITOR'S NOTE
TLO Disciple, with a topical study in each issue, is distributed primarily via email on the first of every month. Print copies are available by contacting the TLO Church office at
651-454-7235 or the
Church Office via email.
Calendars, volunteer information, serving groups and the like will accompany the TLO Together, on the last Wednesday of the month. Click here to subscribe to TLO Together . This publication is also mailed upon request.
Soli Deo gloria
2950 Highway 55
Eagan MN 55121
p:651-454-7235 f:651-454-0109
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