Our home number: 949-305-6195

Traci’s cell number: 281-627-2646

Dear St. Paul’s Members:

As we head into the Lenten season, I’d like to ask you to prayerfully consider a way in which you may use your gifts to God’s glory. Under the blessing of Pastor and the Parish Council, I am organizing a choir to assist in worship services during Holy Week. Choir will meet for a one-hour rehearsal after each Wednesday Lenten Vespers services. We will be preparing music to complement the Divine Service for Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Prior choral experience is wonderful, but not required. All ages are welcome. If you have questions about choir, please feel free to contact me either after service on Sunday, by email (klystrup@yahoo.com) or on my cell at (714) 420-0291.

In Christ’s Service,

Karissa Lystrup

I hope to see you in God’s house tomorrow morning!

Pastor

Here is an excerpt from tomorrow’s sermon:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. In today’s Gospel Jesus uses one word three different times. It is the word in the original language epitimao, and it means to rebuke, denounce, express strong disapproval (the idea includes having authority to do all of this; and when that authority is expressed, it is done in the form of a command that metes out that authority and puts everything in its proper place, or to mete out in due measure; things can only go so far under the authority of the one who has the power and the right to establish the boundaries). It is a very important word that is immensely appropriate for the epiphany theme. When Jesus speaks this way, He speaks as only God can speak. And in using the word the way He does in our Gospel, Jesus shows that His authority extends both to the spiritual and physical realms.

 

1. In Luke 4:35 and Luke 4:41, Jesus rebukes demons. That is Jesus has the power and authority to mete out and control the boundaries of demons, and the good angels for that matter.
2. In Luke 4:39 Jesus rebukes (remember same word) the fever of Peter’s mother-in-law (that’s right the first “pope” was married, had a wife; in fact church tradition records that they had children, but this is another sermon); the point here is that Jesus rebukes and controls what happens here on earth, even things like fevers.

 

And I would like to make our list even more thorough by reminding you of what Luke 8:24 says when Jesus and the apostles were in a boat and the boat started to be overcome by water. The panicking disciples woke Jesus up and the Word of God records: “[He] rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was calm.” Once again, the same word is used.

 

The Lord Jesus Christ proves in the Word of God that He controls the spiritual realm (all angels and demons must bow before Him); and He controls the physical realm, not only the wind and the waves, hurricanes, tropical storms, tsunami’s, tornado’s, earthquakes, but He also controls the physical aspects of our body (good health, cancers, cataracts, fevers, lupus, diabetes, celiac, ms, Alzheimer’s, all of it). Be sure you maintain an enormously vital biblical distinction: these things Jesus does not cause. No, we can thank those fallen angels and human beings (like us) who rebel against God for that. It is not God’s fault that we rebel, it is ours. God does not cause these things, but once these things are released, make no mistake about it, the Lord Jesus Christ is in complete control of all of it. Jesus says in Matthew 28:18: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

 

In Your Service and To Christ’s Glory,

 

Pastor Espinosa