Newsletter from Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and School

July 2020

A Gift to Enjoy This month’s favorite Bible verse is Romans 6:23

“The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

My first paycheck. $100! A ONE with two zeroes behind it! It didn’t matter that I spent a week pulling weeds with thistles in a 45-acre field. It didn’t matter that I sweltered under a hot July sun. It didn’t matter that I earned minimum wage. It had my name on it. I earned it.

There is another paycheck that I’m not so excited about. It comes in the form of guilt pricking my conscience far deeper than a thistle could ever penetrate my skin. Sometimes I see it when my temper flares hotter than the summer sun. I feel it when I know I should be more considerate, more caring, more loving toward others around me. So I work harder to do what’s right and try harder to do better than before, but still, it never seems to be enough. And it isn’t enough, be-cause the Bible tells me the wages of my sin is death—and it’s your paycheck, too.

But, thank the Lord, the Bible also tells us that God is not going to give us what we have earned with our sins. Instead, he gives us something we

have not earned—eternal life. It’s a gift that has been bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus and earned by his death on the cross.

That takes all the pressure off, doesn’t it? Instead of the failures of our past, we can look to Jesus’ perfect life of love. Instead of the pressures of tomorrow, we can look to the promise of eternal life that is already won for us by Jesus’ dying and rising from the dead. As a result, life is not a bur-den, but a gift to enjoy always.

8) Mike and Amanda Irwin (14)

11) Laird and Caryl Schalla (56)

Jim and Bobbette Timmermann (34)

15) Pastor T and Donna Tullberg (42)

20) Drew and Maddy Mangler (7)

23) Brad and Shena Davis (4)

24) Sally and Randy Smith (38)

4) Roger Deglow

Margie Hogan

5) Emily Erwin

9) Marcus Chronister

Matthew Grant

10) Parker Eberlein

11) Sue Atwood

12) Tom Follett

Allan Rozelle

13) Amelia Shirshac

Pastor T Tullberg

14) Kyle Mallek

Laird Schalla

16) Austin Irwin

19) Bonnie Haag

David Seidler

21) Lori Bonsack

24) Sue Roe

25) Rod Dashner

26) Jane Gilbert

Cardel Kubat-Harper

27) Alivia Przybylski

29) Sally Smith

30) Elaine Craig

Caryl Schalla

31) Dwight Gilbert

Karen McGarry

Rose & Tom Adams

Erik & Leah Alair

Ron & Diane Bannerman

Family of Sharon Bauer

Dale Brahmsteadt

Roger Beyer

Julie Bunt

Pauline Cattanach

Mary Cline

Elaine Craig

Dave & Jill

Mandy Ehlke

John Estlund

Pastor Robert Hartman

Karen Heiman

Scott & Debbie Heiman Family

Connie Heitl

Ben Holberg

Sean Jenkins in TN

Katie & Lily

Baby Oliver Kisewski

Elmer Loechler

Donna Marks, Jerry’s wife

Jonathan Mittelsteadt

Dr. Roger Newman

Becky & Sam Piper

Violet Powell

Elliot Przybylski

Rodney & mother, Ruth

Cassie Ross (Malawi)

Pat & Alan Rozelle

Family of Duane Ryan

Jackie Ryun

Ryan, Betty H’s grandson

David Seidler

Family of Eugene Sigmund

Lorna Skicki

Loren Tullberg

Pastor Mike Wolff

Elton Zuege

ONLINE REQUESTS

Sarah Allerding’s Grandmother

Dyde in France

Forrest & Elizabeth in CA

Pat Hunziker in IN

Janet in CA

Junita in Hong Kong

Family of Jennifer Koniar

Kristin in US

Rev Dr Karl & Karen Kuenzel, Ecuador and niece

Dr. Cheli & DeeDee Marichal & Family

Markka, Joanne Farrington’s daughter

Melissa in England

Dan Raney in IL

Robert in Ecuador

Pastor Nathan Schulte in Ecuador

Sonia in India

Pastor Philip & Kathryn Strackbein in Ecuador

Dr. Shannon Straszewski

Syed Gul in Pakistan

Gloria Walters in NY

I have never been diagnosed with clinical depression, but I know people who have

that diagnosis. Most of us know someone with depression. You may be wondering “how

can I be a supportive friend?” Here are some ideas.

Create a safe space - A person with depression needs a safe place to vent their emo-

tions. Your friend or family member may try to hide behind a smile or an “I’m okay.”

Allow them to feel accepted and able to share their true self.

Be willing to listen – God gave us two ears and one mouth, so listen compassionately,

while avoiding giving advice. You don’t have to try to “fix” the person. People don’t

like to be told what to do. Ask clarifying questions instead of assuming you under-

stand what they are saying. You could try, “Are you saying…….” Acknowledge what

they are expressing instead of saying they should not feel that way. You could try,

“That sounds very difficult. I am sorry you are experiencing that.” If they are not in-

terested in talking, don’t push them to do so.

Encourage them to continue treatment – They could be having a bad day and say

they don’t have the energy to leave the house. Encourage them to stick with it and go

to therapy. Point out the good things they have experiencesd from a therapy session.

Encourage them to take their medications. If they are experiencing unpleasant side

effects, they should talk with the prescriber. Maybe a different antidepressant will

work better for them and without side effects.

Offer assistance, but set limits – There may be things your friend or family member are

not able to do effectively. Ask what they need. Be specific about the tasks you can

do for them. Tell them how often you can complete a given task. Let them know they

can call you, but clarify it should be after a certain time. Perhaps after you get home

from work or not before 9 a.m.

Make plans together – Take time to hang out. Take a walk. Go to a movie. Ask them

to join you in an activity he or she previously enjoyed. Be present in their life.

Ask if they would like you to pray with them - Prayer is powerful. A relationship with

God and faith can be important to their recovery. Encourage them to continue their

religious practices.

Give positive reinforcement - People with depression may judge themselves harshly

and find fault with everything they do. Remind your friend about his or her positive

qualities and how much the person means to you and others.

Learn more - There are many good resources to learn more about depression. The bet-

ter you understand what causes depression, how it affects people and how it can be

treated, the better you'll be able to talk to and help the person you care about.

Remember depression is an illness. The person with depression can’t just snap

out of it or simply look for positives in life to get better. Being a friend can be help-

ful, but it can’t cure their illness. It is not your responsibility to make them better.

Still, that does not mean you should neglect being a good friend. Recall in Philip-

pians you are encouraged to “not merely look out for your own personal interests,

but also for the interests of others” (2:4). In Galatians we learn to “bear one an-

other’s burdens.” (6:2). Be that person who looks out for a friend dealing with an

illness.

May God bless you,

Kathy Lee, RN

WE DO NOT HAVE GOD’S PERSONAL DETAILED PLANNING CALENDAR

God urges us to stay alert and at the ready. We stay pre-

pared to give Jesus glory whenever the door opens. In these pan-

demic-times God is displaying how many opportunities we have

to glorify Jesus. Yes, sometimes we second-guess ourselves.

Am I prepared? What about my family? My church-family? My

next-door neighbor? I am not a dooms-day worrier, but I do

know the Last Day fast approaches. How do I stay alert?

I need to address real matters of the heart that go far be-

yond passing pandemics. The other day I shared a slice of his-

tory with our confirmation class. I wanted to affirm for our

young adults that God has them in His heart and in His care as

they walk through trials. Why read and study God’s Word? Why

gather with other Christians? Why get into godly habits? Why bless others? Why care?

Several years ago, Bible translators Bruce and Jan Benson and their 14-year-

old son were driving down a mountainside in the Peruvian Andes. As they came

around a switchback, they came bumper to bumper with a truckload of terror-

ist rebels known as The Shining Path. Those muslims jumped out of the

truck brandishing automatic rifles. They surrounded the Benson’s car.

They ordered them to get out. Jan thought, “This is it! This is the end of our lives.”

The terrorists took them to a nearby village. On the way, fearful and bewildered, Jan felt

the need to pray and then the idea was given to her to sing. She argued silently with herself for a

second. Then she remembered God’s Word that said, ‘The Lord inhabits the praises of His peo-

ple.’ Psalm 22:3 She began to sing, “You are my Hiding Place. You always fill my heart

with songs of deliverance. Whenever I am afraid I will trust in You .” Then she sang

more as the Lord brought them to mind. Suddenly, she felt as though she was the only

person alive on

earth, just her and

God. Jesus had

given her the con-

fidence that God

really was in con-

trol, no matter how

it looked or sound-

ed or felt. Nothing,

not even death,

could remove her

from His presence.

God, why am I in this place?

The terrorists? stole their car; stole their portable projection equipment; stole their

film reels of the “New Media Bible” from Luke. (This is the same material that makes up the

“Jesus” film. ) A great financial loss! A physical blow to the translating team! The Bensons

were bound and threatened. But that night, the rebels, without any warning, untied them

and released the whole Benson family.

A year later, the Bensons were living in the capital for safety. Jan unexpectedly re-

ceived a phone call. One of their captors had become a Christian. He wanted to meet with

them. When they met, he told them that he was an expert assassin. He shared that for most

of his life he had followed the false-god-allah and the spokesman-liar for allah known as

Mohammed. He and the other islamics had

planned to butcher the Bensons and their

teenager the same night they abducted

them. They had been very good at killing

people very easily and with torture.

But, for some reason that night none

of them could do it. They could not figure

out why. This balking bothered all of them.

So they released the Benson family. After

they were gone, these wicked men thought

they would take a look at the trophies

they had stolen.

The rebels set up the projector. The terrorists wanted to see for themselves

the propaganda that being sent into their country. They watched the film. Again.

And Again. Eventually he said they watched it many, many times, over many weeks.

The word got out. At one viewing, several hundred rebels were watching and listen-

ing to God’s Word in their own language.

Many were so moved that they wanted to lay down their weapons right there and

leave wicked ways they had been following. Standing before Jan now, as a fellow believer,

her former enemy-abductor said to her and her companions, “Please forgive me for my part

in what we did to you that day.” God’s peace and joy! Unexpected and overwhelming!

The Savior Jesus Christ enabled the Bensons to return. They went back, invited, wel-

comed into that village. While there they finished the translation of the New Testament into

that language. God’s witnesses may be imprisoned, but His Word cannot be imprisoned.

The gospel “is the power of God to for salvation to everyone who believes ” Romans 1:16.

To cross God’s Finish Line, hold firm to the faith, in whatever difficulties may come.

Remember Jesus Christ: RISEN from the dead. Remember God’s POWERFUL Word .

Remember God’s PURPOSE prevails in saving His chosen ones. Remember God’s

PROMISES are trustworthy. From my family to you and yours, happy remembering!

Alive in Jesus!

Pastor Tullberg

The pledge of allegiance was first spoken in a classroom in 1894. We recite these

words together with millions of Americans to pledge our loyalty to the United States

Constitution and those who, under the Constitution, rule over us. The phrase “under

God” was not added until 1954. This important little phrase mirrors what God says

to us in His Word about power and authority: Everyone must submit to the governing

authorities. For no authority exists except by God, and the authorities that do exist

have been established by God (Romans 13:1).

In different parts of the world, rulers govern in a wide range of different styles. Some

are harsher than others. Sometimes a country’s government is dominated by corrup-

tion and injustice. Yet, they all have one thing in common. They all have been estab-

lished by God. God has given those governments their power and authority to rule

the people living in that land.

When we obey our government, we are really obeying God. Governments are part of

the “others in authority” Martin Luther spoke of in his explanation to the Fourth

Commandment. God wants us to honor our government with obedience to its laws.

By serving and obeying our government, we are showing love to our God.

What if our world had no rules? You could drive the car as fast as you wanted. There

wouldn’t be any laws to prohibit your pet from driving the car either. All stoplights

would disappear. You could take whatever you wanted from a store without paying

for it. If someone tried to stop you, you could shoot that person. You couldn’t be ar-

rested, prosecuted, tried, convicted, or sent to prison; murder would be legal.

Our lives would be very different. We would live in fear. We would be afraid to

leave our houses. Maybe you wouldn’t even have a house to live in. Someone else

could have taken your house away because they were bigger and stronger than you.

Our God is a God of order. In spite of all the havoc sin can bring on us, God refuses to

allow our lives to become filled with chaos. He has established governments to main-

tain law and order. He has given us officials to make the laws. In our country, these

officials are elected by the people. God gives us courts and police officers to enforce

the law where we live. They protect the people and punish those who break the laws.

One reason God establishes the government is to “punish those who do what is

wrong and to praise those who do what is right” (1 Peter 2:14). Sin can do terrible

things to people’s lives. Lawlessness has horrible consequences. The devil works

hard to disrupt the order of life by overturning the laws of the land. By giving the

government its authority, God keeps sin in check. Local, state, and national laws help

curb the rampant spread of sin’s terrible earthly consequences. Human justice is not

perfect, but God uses it to bring about good for His people.

Without a country’s authority to enforce the rules, our world would be a place of cha-

os and lawlessness. What a blessing we have in government and the laws it enforces

on wrongdoers. Through governments God keeps order and justice in our world.

A document called the Bill of Rights made in 1791 gave certain freedoms to citizens of

the United States. Freedom to speak freely, assemble together, and worship were all

part of this document. Many people have made possible the freedoms we enjoy to-

day. Quite a few even died in wars or while they were enforcing America’s laws to

preserve those freedoms for American citizens.

The same was true in the time of King David. “Be strong. We must show ourselves

to be strong for our people and for the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is

good in His eyes” (2 Samuel 10:12). These are the words of the commander of King

David’s army, Joab. Joab was fighting to preserve the freedom Israel had as a nation.

He knew that God was with them in all their battles.

Sometimes we forget what a blessing our freedom is. God has given our country over

2 centuries of freedom. People today continue to “be strong and … fight bravely” for

our freedom.

We can thank God for the freedoms guaranteed to us in the Bill of Rights, especially

the freedom to worship God whenever and wherever we please. We can also pray for

those who continue to serve in our armed forces. They are willing to give up every-

thing to protect our freedoms. Finally, we can be comforted in knowing that God

does “what is good in His eyes” for the welfare of His family of believers. Truly, God

blesses our native land.

Because He Lives!

Pastor John

View us live at 1goodshepherd.org

On cable tv: Wednesdays at 4pm & Sundays at 2pm on Spectrum channel 985 and Solarus channel 3

Coffee with Christ at From the Ground Up Mondays from 11-12. Bring your cup of coffee and latest

issue of the Forward in Christ.

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Come and See! Go and Tell!

Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church

and School—WELS

10611 Highway 13 South, Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494

Phone: 715-325-3355

www.1goodshepherd.org

Educator/Principal: Donna L. Tullberg

Pastor Paul A. Tullberg | Pastor John T. Melke

NON-PROF ORG

U.S. POSTAGE PAID

PERMIT NO.7

WIS RAPIDS, WI

Or Current Resident

July Romans 6:23

“The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”