posted Jan 3, 2012 8:12 AM by Linda Dickinson
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updated Jan 3, 2012 8:16 AM
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Dear Elmwood Family and Friends,
I pray you have all had a wonderful season of celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Kai and I want to say thank you to everyone who sent cards, goodies and gifts. We certainly appreciate your prayers, kind wishes and gifts of love.
Now we turn our attention to the New Year before us. It reminds me so much of stepping outside after a fresh snowfall and being the first to leave foot prints in the sea of white before me. There is something about the beginning of a new year that is invigorating. There really isn’t any difference between December 31 and January 1, but in our hearts and minds it is a fresh start. As the Apostle Paul declares, “the old has gone (passed away) and the new is here (has come).” Specifically Paul is talking about when a person becomes a disciple of Christ, a believer, the old sinful nature passes away, it is washed away by the blood of Jesus, and we are born again by the Spirit into a new life in Christ. That is what he means when he says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come.” He is not talking about the new creation that is coming at the second coming of Christ. Amazingly, he is talking about what takes place deep inside of us when the light and love of Christ comes into the core of our being. We are transformed from darkness to light, from eternal death to eternal life. All of this has tremendous bearing on how we live our lives, how we walk into the newness of a day or of a year. Do we go into it with regret and sorrow, dragging the chains of our sin and brokenness along with us, or do we look to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith? As the hymn writer challenges us to do, do we “turn our eyes upon Jesus and look full in His wonderful face”? Do we quickly go to the cross and confess our sin, pour out our failures, our hopelessness, sorrow and discouragement there before our Savior and receive the washing and forgiveness that comes from the power of His victorious and holy blood?
Yes, beloved, the old actually does pass away and we can walk into the uncharted New Year with confidence and boldness because we are not alone, that the Lord Jesus actually goes with us and is a light onto our footsteps.
I am excited about the New Year that is before us. I expect to see good things, wonderful things, and amazing things happen in the lives of the Elmwood people, because we are by His grace in Christ and therefore the new creation has come.
It’s time to head out into the adventure that waits before us.
Together with you, in Christ Jesus our Lord,
Pastor Fred
PS Don’t forget to stop and have some fun along the way. Remember what it is like to make snow angels and look at the beauty of God’s creation around you. Or look at a snowflake (yes, they will come again J ) and marvel at the creative glory of God. |
posted Oct 1, 2011 10:35 AM by Linda Dickinson
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updated Oct 1, 2011 10:36 AM
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Dear Friends in Christ,
As you will see throughout this month’s newsletter we are highlighting many of the opportunities for prayer that we have here at Elmwood. In the past weeks the Lord has been impressing upon me once again of how vital prayer is to the health and well-being of our congregation. There is a line in the classic hymn, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” that declares, “What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer”. Sadly, even though this amazing privilege has been provided for us at the ultimate cost, the death of our Lord and Savior Jesus, we so often do not take advantage of this free gift. In fact, we are actually subtly rejecting this precious treasure by our lives of haphazard prayer and out-right prayerlessness. Once again we need to hear our gracious Lord calling to us to continuously ”ask, seek, and knock”. Below is a devotional by one of the great author’s on prayer,
O. Hallesby. I pray that as you read it you will feel the flame of prayer fanned by the Holy Spirit deep in your spirit and that you will joyfully come often to the throne of grace in prayer.
Together let us take it to the Lord in prayer,
Pastor Fred
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find;
knock, and it shall be opened unto you!” LUKE 11:9
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When I read what Jesus and His disciples said about prayer, then I understand how little most of us have learned to pray.
Jesus expects us to come to Him and to tell Him what we need. The oftener we come, the more He likes it.
When I err during the day, He expects me to come to Him at once and ask forgiveness. He longs to impart it to me.
As I day by day feel the power of sin in my life, He expects me to tell Him about it in order that He may impart to me from on high the power which I need in order to combat my super-powerful foes.
When my dear ones, or I myself, are in difficulty and distress, Jesus expects me to come and tell Him what the trouble is. He longs to help His poor friends, this rich Friend of ours! |
When it is a question of God’s cause, with its many tasks, both new and old, its opposition from the world and the indifference of so many believers, then Jesus expects us to come to Him and tell Him what our feelings in the matter are, to ask Him what it is necessary to do in each particular case.
He has never intended that His cause should be furthered without our coming to Him each day and availing ourselves of the power which He will supply and which no opposition can withstand – the holy power of prayer, which moves both heaven and earth.
Jesus expects that we who have received His own permission to pray for whatever we desire should go our way through this world’s barren desert like streams of refreshing water. |
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Taken from God’s Word for Today, by O. Hallesby. Augsburg Fortress, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 1994. | |
posted Sep 2, 2011 12:01 PM by Linda Dickinson
Greetings!
Wow, summer is nearly over. Here it is State Fair and Back to School time. The summer of 2011 has been quite memorable. We have had blistering heat and gushing downpours. Now, as fall is upon us, we have hurricanes and even an earthquake out east. The political-economic situation world wide and locally has been so chaotic. There is certainly a great shaking going on world wide.
Now is not a time to be anxious or fearful, but to look to Jesus, the true light of the world. Psalm 27:13 & 14 comes to mind,
“I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness
of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and let your
heart take courage; yes, wait for the LORD.”
This is the perfect time to think about the goodness of the LORD. In the midst of all that is going on around us, He gives us the goodness of His perfect peace. I sense that it is very important for us to praise God for His continual goodness to us as His children. Again we read in Psalm 31:19 where God’s Word declares,
“How great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast stored up for those who fear Thee,
which Thou hast wrought for those who take refuge in Thee.”
I praise God for His goodness made known to us in our Lord Jesus. I praise God for His goodness in sending the Holy Spirit to us. I praise God for His goodness in calling us to be light and salt in this generation. I praise God for His goodness in giving us daily bread. I praise God for His goodness in giving us the privilege of being citizens of this great country. I praise God for His goodness in calling us to pray for the leaders of our land. I praise God for His goodness to the family of God at Elmwood. I praise God for His goodness in giving me my beloved wife, Kai, for thirty years and the precious gift of our son, daughter and son-in-law.
What aspect of God’s goodness are you thankful for in your life? Have you thanked Him for His great goodness today?
Rejoicing with you in His Goodness, Pastor Fred |
posted Aug 17, 2011 1:41 PM by Linda Dickinson
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Challenged by Change
A Devotion based on Ecclesiastes 3:1-11
by Rev. Robert Walter, Leadership Team, Alliance of Renewal Churches
EXPONENTIAL CHANGE
Rise of information:
"Information is doubling faster all the time. It took from the time of Jesus to the time of Leonardo da Vinci for one doubling of knowledge. The next doubling of knowledge was completed before the American Revolution, the next one by 1900, the next one by 1950, the next one by 1960. You see how it keeps moving faster? Now knowledge is doubling every eighteen months."
~ Robert Anton Wilson
Ninety per cent of all the items in the supermarket today did not exist ten years ago.
It is estimated that fifty per cent of college graduates are going into jobs which did not exist when they were born.
It is also estimated that ninety per cent of the businesses in the United States today were started in the last twenty-five years.
Travel has changed:
When the railroads were first introduced to the U.S., some folks feared that they’d be the downfall of the nation! Here’s an excerpt from a letter to then-President Andrew Jackson dated January 31, 1829:
As you may know, Mr. President, ’railroad’ carriages are pulled at the enormous speed of 15 miles per hour by ’engines’ which, in addition to endangering life and limb of passengers, roar and snort their way through the countryside, setting fire to crops, scaring the livestock and frightening women and children. The Almighty certainly never intended that people should travel at such breakneck speed. ~ Martin Van Buren, Governor of New York
Today astronauts can enter a space shuttle and travel at twenty-five thousand miles per hour. At that speed you could fly from New York City to San Francisco in eight minutes.
Student Discipline:
In the fifties the major discipline problems in our public schools were: cigarette smoking, skipping class, running in the halls, spit balls, chewing gum, and whispering in class.
Today the major problems are: deadly weapons - kids carrying guns, knifes, and even assault weapons. This is followed by arson, drugs, vandalism, and drunkenness.
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Religious Practice:
The recently released American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) indicates that faith is going down across the board. The number of people who identify themselves as Christian has decreased by 11 percent in a generation. The single fastest-growing category when it comes to religious affiliation is "None," which grew from 8 percent to 15 percent since 1990.
The "Nones" are the single biggest group in the state of Vermont, at 34 percent of the state's population. And "None" was the only religious category to grow in all 50 states. http://www.outofur.com/archives/culture/
Change is Constant:
From birth to death change is our constant companion. Mankind noticed the ever presence of change centuries ago. From the changes we ourselves initiate to those we don't have anything to do with, to changes that occur without a moment’s notice, change is perpetual, natural and frequently a sign of life. Change can also leave us feeling lost, out of control, and uptight.
REPONSE TO CHANGE
What we do:
a. DENIAL. When things change, especially unexpectedly, our first and very normal reaction is to deny it; denial is a coping mechanism. We approach change with the attitude that if we ignore change and wait long enough it will go away and things will get back to normal.
b. BARGAINING & NEGOTIATING. Even when we perceive that the situation -- change -- won't go away, we still firmly believe that things worked better before the change. So we try to bargain for reinstating the old system. We campaign for a return to the "good old days".
c. ANGER. However, no matter what we do, reality steps in and we realize that change is here to stay. Faced with the inescapable fact, and that we can do nothing about it, we get angry. Anger comes in many forms and can be directed at those responsible for the change, at those closest to us, and even at ourselves. There is no logic to our anger. We're just angry --angry at the world for making us do something we don't want to do.
d. CYNICISM. Like Solomon in Ecclesiastes. Solomon packed more experience into one lifetime than most people dream of. He built the great temple in Jerusalem and numerous other projects. He studied and taught about many aspects of nature: animals, birds, reptiles, fish and plant life (1 Kings 4:32-34). He had 700 wives and 300 concubines. He wrote songs and spoke proverbs, many of which are preserved in the book of Proverbs. Toward the end of his life, Solomon looked back on what he had learned. He recorded his observations in what is now known as the book of Ecclesiastes.
"I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind" Eccl. 1:14
Solomon used the word "vanity" (“meaningless”) 38 times in Ecclesiastes as he wrote about life "under the sun." The word means "emptiness," "futility," "vapor"; "that which vanishes quickly and leaves nothing behind." From the human point of view, life ("under the sun") does often appear futile; and it is easy for us to get pessimistic.
It is easy for us to get cynical – disillusioned about life. Job loss, church loss, health loss. Solomon’s perspective was limited. He saw only what was “under the sun”. Ours is limited in the same way. But from God’s perspective things are very different.
What to do:
a. ACCEPT - The cold hard truth is that change is a constant, an ongoing process, and is here to stay.
b. COMMUNICATE - Don't be afraid to share your feelings. Talk to your friends and family.
c. SURRENDER YOUR PLANS and live under the SON – Jesus Christ
GOD NEVER CHANGES
We Must Remember that God Is Still In Charge And That God Never Changes!
The Scriptures speak of our changeless God in this changing world. "For I am the Lord, I change not." Malachi 3:6
Our world is in the grip of the infinite, all-powerful God of the universe. He controls the seasons.
He is in control.
He never loses track of what’s going on.
He never gets confused.
He always knows what He will do even before the circumstances arise.
God has a grip on the reins of the world and His purposes will be carried out.
God is a God of new ideas, of innovation. God is a God who initiates change and uses change.
God told Isaiah in Isaiah 43:18-19: "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.”
We live in a time when God is shaking everything that can be shaken. He does so to shake us lose from building our lives on things that are passing away. To turn us back to the One who is constant and unchanging.
Top 5 things you won't have to worry about changing in the coming years.
· The Bible is still the word of God.
· God still hears our prayers.
· The Holy Spirit will still move.
· God is still on his throne.
· Jesus still saves. (and He will come again) | |
posted Jul 8, 2011 11:31 AM by Linda Dickinson
Dear Elmwood Family & Friends,
Over the last few weeks we have been looking at the manifestation gifts of the Holy Spirit during our Sunday morning services. The article below is a wonderful experience I had a few years ago that relates to our series on the gifts. May it be an encouragement and blessing to you.
Come Holy Spirit in a fresh and new way to Elmwood!
All for Jesus,
Pastor Fred
The following article was written for the September/October 1995 issue of “Lutheran Renewal,” the newsletter of the International Lutheran Renewal Center.
“If I Speak in the Tongues of Men….”
By Fred Thoni
Year after year we hear of how God touches lives in special ways at the Holy Spirit conference. It is always exciting and encouraging to hear of the personal ways the Lord reveals his love for his people. As Word Gift Coordinator for the conference, I would like to share with you and “inside” view of how God moved in one woman’s life at this year’s conference.
On Wednesday evening the Holy Spirit was moving in a powerful way in the opening worship. Prophecies were coming rapidly to our Word Gift group. The group is made up of men and women who have a recognized gifting in prophecy, tongues and interpretation of tongues, words of knowledge and wisdom, and visions. During each session we seek to be God’s instruments for speaking to the conference. As we do this we try to jot down on paper what is coming to us so that we can share what is on God’s heart and to have a clear sense of what he is doing in that session of the conference.
On this particular evening the presence of God was strong as we worshipped. I sensed I was to bring a message in tongues to the conference. As I prayed about it, the anointing increased and I also sensed that one of the words a brother from our group had just received and handed to me on a paper was the interpretation. Now this was a bit unusual. Normally a message is given in tongues and we wait for the interpretation to come. However, this time the Holy Spirit was indicating that John’s written-down word was to be the interpretation. “OK, Lord, you know what’s going on,” I said, and then gave my message in tongues and John read his message immediately following my word. It was a word of hope, freedom, healing and love from our God who is the great I Am. The service flowed on with Francis and Judith MacNutt confirming the word as the Lord ministered through them the healing power of Jesus in a tremendous way.
The next day a group of people came up to me and shared what had happened to one of the women of their group the evening before. Cheryl had recently returned from the mission field in Chile where she had been doing language training in the Mapuche Indian language. To her amazement, she had heard me speaking in the Mapuche language during the Wednesday evening service. At first she thought I was from Chile, but then she realized this was a prophetic word in tongues. Recognizing certain words, she said to herself, “If this is real, the words I know will appear in the interpretation in the right places.” When John gave his “prerecorded” interpretation, it contained the correct English words in the proper context. The Holy Spirit inspired both the Mapuche tongue and the correct translation! She was overwhelmed by this personal encounter with the Holy Spirit. Truly He had hear her prayer as she came home on furlough that this would be a special year of getting to know the Holy Spirit better.
Yes, Lord, you are the great I am, and you are raising up a banner of truth for the nations. We pray for Cheryl, anoint her with your Holy Spirit, bless her ministry, and bring your truth to the Mapuche people of Chile. All glory to you, Lord Jesus. Amen.
The following is the interpretation of the prophecy mentioned above: Know that I am the God of hope where there is no hope, of faith where there is no faith. I AM! And I am your faith, I am your hope, and I am your healing. Only believe and know that it is – it truly is – my will to heal. I long to bless you – I desire to bless you! Turn away, then, from your doubts and fears and look to My Son! Look to the Resurrection! Look to His glory and power and love! Take your rightful place of authority in My Kingdom! Be set free and set My people free! |
posted May 27, 2011 2:30 PM by Linda Dickinson
Dear Elmwood Family and Friends,
Solomon once said, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (Eccl 3:1). I would like to thank all of you at Elmwood for the love, encouragement, and support you have shown me during this season in my life. It has been a time of growth, stretching, and refining—and you all played a significant part in it. Back when I first started at The Master’s Institute and Elmwood, I can remember one Sunday in particular where I felt I was in way over my head. Yet that morning the Lord brought several of you across my path with just the words I needed to hear. You provided a safe environment with many opportunities to help me develop skills for future ministry.
Looking back on my time here brings to mind many great memories. Here are just a few: hurtling down the hill on a sled, chatting by the campfire at Family Camp, playing with the worship team last summer, experiencing the Passover Meal, preaching on Easter, praying with and for the new Council this year, taking the youth to Acquire the Fire, and watching the “Paper Clips” video with the Seniors.
But in the end, you really outdid yourselves with the wedding shower for Emily and me. We were both completely surprised and overwhelmed by it. I thought it would be a Sunday School picnic, including getting pelted by a few water balloons—which would have been a fine way to end things. So it was quite a shock to a walk in and see you all there and find out it was for us. Emily and I would like to thank you all for being there and for your generosity to us. We will never forget it.
You are a special congregation brought together by the Lord. I look forward to hearing what Jesus will accomplish through you. Thank you again for the love you have shown me. My prayer for you echoes Jesus’ prayer for you, “that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” (John 17:23)
God bless you all!
Sincerely in Christ,
David P. Fritz |
posted Apr 29, 2011 1:06 PM by Linda Dickinson
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updated Apr 29, 2011 1:11 PM
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Greetings Servants of the Risen Savior!
In these days after Easter, as we bask in the glory of the resurrection of our victorious Lord, it is good for us to stop and consider the goodness of our God. Since childhood many of us have known the Bible verse recorded in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” The amazing events of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ are rooted and grounded in the love of a God who loves us so deeply that He is willing to lay it all down in order to be reconciled with His people who have gone terribly astray. The apostle Paul describes it this way in Romans 5: 7-8, “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Yes, it is true! Even though you were a sinner, an enemy of God, He loved you with an everlasting love to the point of freely, willingly laying down His life on your behalf.
As Alfred Ackley declares it in his well known Easter hymn, “Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian, lift up your voice and sing eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King! The Hope of all who seek Him, the Help of all who find, none other is so loving, so good and kind. He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today! He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way. He lives, He lives salvation to impart! You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.”
Yes, dear friends it is good for us to stop and bask in the glory and love of our God who loved us this much. I pray that you personally have received Jesus Christ into the core of your life; that you don’t just know about Him, but that He lives “within your heart.” This reality changes everything. Let’s live each day like it is Easter morning, because we truly do serve a Risen Savior. Hallelujah!
Basking with you in the glory, Pastor Fred |
posted Apr 1, 2011 1:36 PM by Linda Dickinson
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updated Apr 1, 2011 1:43 PM
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Dear Friends in Christ,
During the first half of March, I had the marvelous opportunity to travel to Denmark, Latvia, Finland, Norway, and Iceland on a ministry trip on behalf of Lutheran Renewal and the Alliance of Renewal Churches (ARC). My first stop was Denmark where I reconnected with our former Master’s Institute interns, Silas and Kathrine Serner. They have recently moved back to the city of Holbeck where they both grew up. Their daughter, Lucia, will soon be three years old and she is a bright and lovely little girl. While I was there, baby Jesva was born and I was delighted to hold him just 24 hours after his birth. Silas is currently working for a cell phone company and Kathrine has been teaching music in the local school. During my three days in Denmark, I was also able to see Silas’ parents, Jesper and Bess; brother Daniel, a former LMTC student; and brother David, also a former LMTC student, and his wife Elisabeth and their two children. Jesper expressed his deep appreciation for our prayers over the last months when he went through a double liver transplant. He is continually recovering his strength and doing much better now. He has retired from parish ministry and they have moved to an apartment in Copenhagen.
I then flew to Latvia to meet up with Paul Anderson, the director of Lutheran Renewal, and Clint Wolcyn, one of the young leaders of Communitas, a young adult group that Paul oversees. Latvia is in an extremely difficult economic situation, having quite recently come out from under communist (Russian) rule and now been devastated by the 2008 economic collapse. There is much hopelessness and discouragement in this dear country. People with education are leaving for other countries where they can make more money. Corruption abounds. Our team held two pastors’ conferences in Latvia, one in Saldus and the other in the capital city, Riga. These included much special care and ministry to the pastors. It was very encouraging to see how the Lord poured out His great love and mercy on these Christian leaders who were all so hungry for more of God. On Sunday morning we had the privilege of participating in the worship service at Daugavgrivas Balta Evangelical Lutheran Church in Riga, where the Holy Spirit moved powerfully among the people. This was in spite of the fact that the church cannot afford fuel for heat and it was 37 degrees Fahrenheit in the sanctuary that morning!
After Latvia, we headed to Finland to be with the brothers and sisters who are part of the Nokia Revival in the Tampere-Nokia region. We spoke at the large Sunday night gathering which is held in a local sports arena. Monday was an amazing day with the leadership of the revival at a one day seminar. Through out the trip I experienced God stretching me in the area of the prophetic, which was marked by receiving personal prophecy for individuals and nations.
Our team then went on to Oslo, Norway, where we held two pastors’ conferences. It was wonderful to be back in Oslo where I had visited many years ago while in seminary. The weather was cold and snowy but the pastors were warm and friendly. From there we flew to Bergen. It was fantastic to see the mountains and fjords of Norway from the air. In Bergen we taught and ministered at the discipleship school “Veien.” We also held a special luncheon meeting with the leaders of our sister network in Norway, Doulos Netverk, and other pastors and leaders from the area. We ministered to the youth at a Friday night event and had a dinner meeting with the leaders of Kristkirken i Bergen (where reindeer stroganoff was served). On Sunday morning, Paul and Clint spoke at a community worship service at Kristkirken.
I left early Sunday morning for Reykjavik, Iceland, where I spoke that evening at Islenska Kristkirkjan, one of our ARC churches. A financial burden tied to loans is weighing heavily on the church and its leadership since the collapse of the Icelandic economy in 2008. There was much discouragement here also. I shared a message entitled “Remove the Stone,” based on the account of Jesus at the tomb of Lazarus; a word of encouragement of what Jesus can do even in the face of seeming hopelessness and death; a message of Christ’s resurrection power. The congregation responded wholeheartedly to the altar call and much prayer ministry followed the message. My friend and former MI student, Ágúst Olafsson, was my translator. Monday evening was spent with ARC Pastor Fridrik Schram and his wife, Villa. Tuesday night I met with the IKK church council and we discussed the issue of “succession” as Pastor Schram is nearing the time of stepping down as IKK lead pastor.
I want to thank the Elmwood family for their amazing support in this time of ministry by sending me as an ambassador to these far off lands that are in desperate need of transformation and revival. Your faithful prayers and encouragement helped provide great health, physical strength and anointing for Paul, Clint and me to be about the kingdom work of our God in these days. God bless you all.
In His Resurrection Joy,
Pastor Fred |
posted Mar 11, 2011 8:38 AM by Linda Dickinson
On his recent visit to Finland, Pastor Fred Thoni shared with the Finnish people a Word he received from God:
(don't worry, the introduction is in Finnish, but Pastor Fred gives the Word in English!) |
posted Mar 8, 2011 7:35 AM by Linda Dickinson
Greetings to all!
It is Saturday evening in Riga, Latvia. We just concluded our second pastor's and leader's conference here in Latvia. Both went very well. Praise God. Thank you to all who have been praying. We minister in the morning
at a Lutheran service in Riga and then head for the airport so that we can be in Tampere, Finland by tomorrow evening for the Sunday night service at the Nokia Revival. Paul Anderson will preach.
I had a wonderful time in Denmark. Silas and Kathrine had there baby on Monday [2/28] and I got to spend a day with them and Josva [Joshua] was only 24 hours old. Both Kathrine and the baby are doing very well. It is cold and winter time here in Latvia. But the people are fantastic and the Lord moved powerfully in our meetings. I am at the pastor's home for the night and have access to internet. Greetings to all. My prayers are with you.
All praise to Jesus,
Pastor Fred |
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