Cross and Crown Ministries

Cross and Crown Ministries Our Lutheran Heritage is bible-based, and serves as the foundation that builds and supports who we are. Our prayer is that you see and feel how great God’s

10/28/2024

Well, I voted. We have an amazing time to make national decisions. We can actually compare two administrations - both candidates say they stand by their record, so - the old question can be asked - are you better off today than 4 years ago? That might change from person to person. Or you could ask the broader question - is our country better off domestically and internationally than it was 4 years ago? The key concept in politics to listen to is: don’t listen to what they say, look at what they do. It is not personalities we are voting for. It’s policies and plans. God bless the United States of America!

Here is my August-September newsletter.  I hope you enjoy it! -- Pastor Randy        1      I lift up my eyes to the hil...
09/04/2024

Here is my August-September newsletter. I hope you enjoy it! -- Pastor Randy
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore. (Psalm 121)
I am putting together this Courier during the last week of August. It is getting to the end of summer and after an abundance of rain, flowers are amazing. I am featuring pictures of flowers around Cross and Crown. Several years ago I planted 6 black-eyed Susies (from my own back yard) near the outdoor shed where nothing would grow. Well, they took off and took over, and somehow without any additional help from me, they spread everywhere until today they are all around the entire church.
What is also interesting is other flowers came with them from my backyard: phlox, dark purple asters, light purple wild asters (they bloom later in the fall), cat mint and Russian sage. There are also milkweed, which did not come from my backyard, but I let them grow because they are the main food for Monarch butterflies. On the farm (did I mention that I grew up on a farm near Bode, Iowa?) we pulled milkweeds when we “walked the beans,” but back then Monarchs were not an endangered species. All this to say: the closest I can get to “farming” these days is to take care of flowers at home and the church. I always enjoyed gardening—I took care of Mom’s huge vegetable garden plus all the flowers around the house. I even began my college at Iowa State as a Biology/Horticulture major, but God had other plans!
I have on the desktop of my computer a video of an old Super 8 movie my oldest brother, Roger made for me. I have had some fun showing it to people because it happens to be WAY back from when I was graduating from high school! There is a segment of the party Mom and Dad had for me with all the relatives there (Roger was a retired Navy Chief, and he loved having pictures and movies of all these relatives he missed while deployed on ships). My favorite part of the movie, however, is a little segment a couple of days later with me laying on the ground outside on what looks like a beautiful warm day. I’m teasing the cats with a stick while my collie-shepherd dog, Rex, I’m using for a pillow. (he loved the attention) It is a classic “dog days of summer” picture! (Brother Roger is now at rest with the Lord)
I looked up the history of “Dog Days.” The term goes all the way back to ancient people, including the Greeks and Romans. In ancient Rome (and still today in Europe) the “Dog Days” were said to be from July 24—August 24. Dog Days are associated with the hot days of August (our temperatures at the beginning of this week were 98 degrees and muggy!) because of the rise of Sirius, the “Dog Star” (so named because it is the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major (“Large Dog”) - and it is the brightest star in the heavens (not counting our sun, of course).
So we are in the “Dog Days” of summer. We are hot and irritable, our energy can be low, we drag ourselves around, we can get lazy—sound familiar? Maybe that is why many people traditionally take a vacation in August!
It really isn’t a problem to have “Dog Days” in the physical realm—they pass and we get back to normal. Having “Dog Days” in the spiritual realm can be another issue, and they can happen any time of the year. Are you in them now? Have you experienced them in the past? There is really only one antidote—Psalm 121! Read it again!
P.S.: I could go on about such things as storms in life—and we did have a violent wind storm two nights ago that blew down several very large tree limbs and we will have to have our roof checked for possible damage—but every farmer knows—and every Christian can understand—that we can trust God in any storm and He will sustain us. And no matter what, we can keep planting spiritual seeds of God’s Word in others and they WILL bring forth a spiritual harvest that will glorify our great God in all of the seasons of life! God bless! In Him, Pastor Randy

05/18/2024

Here is my article from my May newsletter. I hope you enjoy if.

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:7-9)
MAY FLOWERS
Dear friends,
I love flowers—more than that, I love planting them, caring for them, looking at them. May flowers are great! Tulips come into their own in May. Right now Virginia bluebells have bloomed, violets and forget-me-nots are doing their thing everywhere, the periwinkle ground cover does most of its blooming now, and even the Persian onions are out. The flowering trees made their debut early because of our unusually warm spring, especially my favorites—cherry trees and rosebuds. Lilacs are already here!. (Taking care of the flower garden is the closest I can get to my farming roots, both at home and at the church. Incidentally, I took care of Mom’s flowers AND huge vegetable garden—in those years I thought I would end up a biology teacher or horticulturalist, but God had other plans!)
In April we sing about April Showers. Who wants them, except we can’t do without them. We would be deprived of tremendous beauty that is the result, namely May flowers. “Showers” can often be a metaphor for pain, suffering, discomfort, discontent. And of course the “flowers” represent the blessings that will come our way.
So what are those blessings? How do we get them? The passage above from Galatians says that whatever we sow is what we will reap. (That’s farmer talk for the kind of seeds you spread out—are we living in a way that is “all about me?” Or are we living our lives with Holy Spirit values?) This is not some sort of eastern spiritualism like “karma”—what goes around comes around. Neither is it a spiritual bribe—IF I do good, THEN God will bless me (sometimes the expectation of a material blessing is part of this idea). No. We are talking grace here, so the blessing is not “earned.”
As Christians we know that sin has consequences, so of course there will be pain in its wake. But choosing the ways of God also have “consequences”—good ones. Philippians 4:7 tell us that when we put our trust in God, the peace of God will be on us. Galatians 5:22-23 tell us we will exhibit the fruit of the Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-control. I like the sound of these! I also know that God produces these in the crucible of my life—under circumstances that test me—when I am under discomfort or pain. Do I like these “tests?” Not necessarily. Do I like being blest? Absolutely.
How about you? It is like Moses’ question he posed to the people of Israel before he died: “I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.” And in case we still miss the point, he goes on to say, “Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him. For the Lord is your life.” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20)
Time to smell some May flowers! God bless. With love, Pastor Randy

Here is my March newsletter.  Hope you enjoy it.  Happy Spring!  Happy Easter!Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord ...
03/11/2024

Here is my March newsletter. Hope you enjoy it. Happy Spring! Happy Easter!

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Peter 1:3-5)

Dear friends,
March has GOT to be a favorite month for everyone! The first day of Spring is in March, and we ALL waited ALL winter for that to come! (Warmer weather is already here! Today as I write this (February 27) it is sunny and 75 degrees! But tomorrow it will plunge to 31 for a high, reminding us it is NOT spring yet. But the temps will rise again Thursday. Plus, the first Spring flowers show up—and show off. (The crocuses on my lawn have been blooming for a week!) The grass is already growing, and I can often tell before anyone else because it looks bright orange to me. (I’m colorblind and don’t see green at all, but don’t worry. Someone always helps me coordinate my clothes!). There is even a fun little green holiday in the middle of the month, called St. Patrick’s Day!
For some reason, we were often at the end of the bus route after school when I was growing up, and I remember just staring out the window at the ditch flying by to look for signs of spring. I still look forward to gardening, but I am more interested these days in a “spiritual spring” when new growth comes into people’s lives. I believe all spiritual growth and change and insight come entirely because of Jesus—His life, death and resurrection. He is in the life of every believer, so He is close to us to guide us and keep changing us to conform to His nature and glory. And how interesting is it that we observe Lent the entire month, and the translation of Lent is “Spring!”
This change is good news for me, because I feel far from being a finished work—much like my garden in the spring. A lot of potential, but a need for cultivation and growth. Maybe that is part of the design of living in this North American clime—there is a rhythm of life that keeps bringing us back to spring. I love it that we celebrate the Resurrection of Our Lord in spring, and this year it is even in March—on the 31st!
The verses at the beginning of my article also remind us that there is yet a Day coming because Jesus rose from the dead. It is a Day when ALL the promises of God will come to complete fulfillment and I will receive the full inheritance, the forever inheritance, promised to me and to all who believe! I can’t wait!
Until then, I will keep looking for signs of spring—seasonal and spiritual. God bless. With love, Pastor Randy

Today is Mom’s birthday. I am including a few pictures - we all wanted to be in a photo with her. And we all loved playi...
03/08/2024

Today is Mom’s birthday. I am including a few pictures - we all wanted to be in a photo with her. And we all loved playing cards with her. And she is one of my main role models for serving our Lord for an entire lifetime - one of these pictures is Mom leading a Bible study for the women of the church, something she did regularly - she has a microphone in front of her and on the table are props she used for illustrations (Margie served as “Vanna” to display each one). A regular feature of my newsletters and my Ministry of Hope Bible studies is reading from Mom’s book of wisdom - quotes she collected over the years, mostly handwritten. Mom is a happy soul, and more so now since she went to Heaven at the age of 99 and she is with all of her loved ones, including Dad and my brother Roger, and she is in the presence of her Savior who she loves dearly. ❤️✝️

02/05/2024

In just his 2nd year, Brock Purdy has led the 49ers to the Super Bowl. "God, You've taken me here, and win or lose I'm going to glorify You."

01/16/2024

Here is my January article for my church newsletter. I hope you enjoy it!

Dear friends,
January. Cold. Snow. Winter. SAD*. More snow! The car I drive sits outside, so many cold mornings I have to scrape off the white stuff just to get underway. (As I write this, the first real snowstorm is supposed to come tonight!) One might think that after a few decades of this stuff I would be used to it, but I’m not. 35 years ago I spent one winter in the tropics, but God didn’t seem to take into account how much I enjoyed that experience when He brought me in to fulltime ministry in the upper Midwest.
I miss my neighbors. In the winter we all drive into our garages or quickly exit the car and hurry towards the warmth of the house. We’ll introduce ourselves to each other again in the spring, but now the interaction we usually enjoy with our good and long-time neighbors is at a minimum.
OK. Enough complaining! “A true mid-westerner loves the change of seasons.” Yeah, yeah. Got it.
The truth is: snow is a blessing. Winter is a time of rest for the earth and for all manner of living things. A snowstorm is an invitation to cease from work and bundle up at home with a good book. Hot chocolate is delicious in wintertime. How often over the years I have walked in the quiet sun making trails in the new snow and experiencing the peace.
Best of all blessings, I think, is the reminder from scripture that snow is a picture of forgiveness: “’Come now, let us reason together,’ says the Lord. ’Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow.’” Isaiah 1:18)
The deadness and debris on the ground is covered by a glorious white, just as the deadness and debris of my life is covered by forgiveness—“they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb” (Revelation 7:14b). “If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).
Have you noticed that a few days after a snowfall the snow on the ground starts looking dirty? Then more snow falls! Our lives undergo the same degeneration, but more forgiveness falls and we are “white as snow.”
When you see new snow this winter, think forgiveness. And remember that God is always ready to make us white as snow—every day. God bless. Stay warm! With love, Pastor Randy
P.S.: Since moving to Illinois 35 years ago and learning about a phenomenon called “lake effect snow,” I am thankful I don’t live in NW Indiana where snow is measured in feet, not inches!

*SAD stands for “Seasonal Affective Disorder.”

12/23/2023

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.” (Isaiah 60:1-3)
Dear friends,
Have you noticed how short the days are? Of course you have. The shock was especially severe when we switched from Daylight Savings Time to Standard Time. Now it seems that the sun (when we get to see it) struggles to gain any height at all in the sky and by 5:00 pm it is getting dark! After living on this planet for 7 decades, I know I am affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), that slight depression that sets in because we have less sunlight available. (For those who know me, I think the depression sets in the day I have to change my wardrobe, and leaves the day I can change back!) I’m told Norwegians are particularly vulnerable to SAD (did they choose this acronym on purpose to mimic the symptoms?). Needless to say, therapists prescribe light treatment—sitting in front of special very bright lights—to relieve the disorder. As we enter into the Advent and Christmas season, how I appreciate the tradition of putting up lights inside and outside of homes. Just the brightness and beauty of those lights bring a smile to my face.
Christmas lights were not invented to help with SAD symptoms, however. They symbolize the arrival of a very bright light into a world darkened by sin and its aftermath. Darkness will never come to terms with this light: “In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.” (John 1:4-9)
We celebrate light in the world because of what Jesus said about Himself: “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” (John 8:12) His light not only shines in the darkness of this world, but into the darkness of our own lives as well: “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:5-7) We have light in us in exchange for darkness because we have received forgiveness in Jesus’ name! So now we not only have the light of Christ within us, we ARE the light of Christ: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9) Or as Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)
But I gotta tell ya, I am looking forward to that day when I will no longer be SAD anymore! There is coming a Day when I will be with the Light of the world in the New Jerusalem: “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.” (Revelation 21:23) What a great time that will be! I hope to see you all there!
Merry Christmas from my family to yours! God bless. --Pastor Randy

Here is my November newsletter article.  I hope you enjoy it.Dear friends, this summer I made a trip back to Riverside B...
11/18/2023

Here is my November newsletter article. I hope you enjoy it.
Dear friends, this summer I made a trip back to Riverside Bible Camp in central Iowa for a reunion of staff who served in the ’70’s. Back then when I was a counselor a film was shown about the ministry of a man named Bob Pierce. "Let my heart be broken with the things that break the heart of God." Bob Pierce wrote these famous words in his Bible after visiting suffering children on the Korean island of Koje-do. This impassioned prayer is what guided him as he founded and led the ministry of Samaritan's Purse in 1970. It made an impact on me, especially since I was preparing to leave after the summer with my singing group (Cross Fire ‘75) to spend a year in West Africa where I would see much of this in person.
Bob Pierce's mission when he founded Samaritan’s Purse "to meet emergency needs in crisis areas through existing evangelical mission agencies and national churches." In the summer of 1973, Bob Pierce met his eventual successor, an adventurous young student named Franklin Graham with a growing heart for world missions. Intrigued by his many stories from the field, Franklin began to spend more and more time with the seasoned Christian statesman. In 1975, he accompanied Bob on a life-changing tour of some of the world's neediest mission fields. Franklin saw the poverty and utter despair of the people. Of course, the rest is history!
Bob Pierce was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and he also founded World Vision (so he launched 2 of the largest ministry/charity organizations in the world!). He died of leukemia in 1978, and a little over a year later, Franklin Graham became the President and Chairman of the Board of Samaritan's Purse. "Go and do likewise," Christ commanded after explaining the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10.
I've been thinking lately about the parallels (on a much smaller scale) of what we do at the Ministry of Hope here at Cross and Crown and what Samaritan's Purse does. We have the privilege and burden and delight to reach out and help people at a vulnerable time. Some of you may have been there before yourself. I sometimes hear comments from you that such and such a situation "breaks your heart." Well, I am here to remind you that you are in good company. God's heart breaks, too, but He knew what to do! He sent you into the fray to be an encouragement and support to others!
All this to say: thank you for being Jesus' hands and feet in this place, and everywhere you go. You are His smile and His mouth that speaks encouragement and love. When you are doing these things, I know God smiles on you.
Let me close with 2 more quotes: "How we walk with the broken speaks louder than how we sit with the great." (Bill Bennot); and "We count success one individual or family at a time." (Pastor Randy Thompson)
So thank you so much, and God bless! -- Pastor Randy

On this Veterans Day, I want to express my gratitude to all those who serve and have served in our armed forces. I have ...
11/11/2023

On this Veterans Day, I want to express my gratitude to all those who serve and have served in our armed forces. I have the privilege of living in a free land with all the rights afforded to us in the Constitution BECAUSE people have been willing to defend us against all enemies. Although Memorial Day is designated to honor those heroes who lost their lives while defending us, those in our military are willing to risk everything for us!
In our family, we are proud of our Veterans. On Carol’s side we have her two brothers-in-law, Bob Trenner (Army, now deployed in Heaven) and Mike Gordon (career Navy, now deployed in Heaven). We also have two of her nephews, Marc Rudolf (career Air Force/Marines) and his brother, Craig Rudolf (He would have been career Navy, but he was lost at sea in January, 1987 during the military “dust up” with Libya during the Reagan years. We especially commemorate his service on Memorial Day, and we know he is also in Heaven).
On my side, we have my younger brother, Rod Thompson (career Navy) and my oldest brother, Roger Thompson (career Navy, now deployed in Heaven) and Roger’s daughter - my niece, Cheryl Thompson (career Navy).
One of the best civic Veterans’ memorials I have ever seen in in my home town of Bode, Iowa (pop 200). Pictures are below. There are three pillars in the center. The middle one has at the top, “Freedom Is Not Free.” Then on either side are two pillars listing all the veterans who served listed by which war era they served in. Roger is listed under “Vietnam War,” and Rod is listed under “The War on Terror.”
What is also impressive is the HUGE list of those who served in WW2. Let me tell you, little towns in Iowa went to war for all of us! Sometimes we say they went to war to protect our country, but I think they went first for their love of family - if they didn’t risk their lives, their loved ones might have to live under overlords who speak German or Japanese! I think second they fought for their friends/buddies who fought with them onboard a ship or in foxholes, and then for love of country.
I try to thank every person I meet in uniform for serving, and i include police and fire fighters who also risk themselves for our safety.
Thank you, Lord, for raising up these individuals who stand between us and the malevolent powers and harm in this world!

On this Veterans Day, I want to express my gratitude to all those who serve and have served in our armed forces. I have ...
11/11/2023

On this Veterans Day, I want to express my gratitude to all those who serve and have served in our armed forces. I have the privilege of living in a free land with all the rights affordrd to us in the Constitution BECAUSE people have been willing to defend us against all enemies. Although Memorial Day is designated to honor those heroes who lost their lives while defending us, those in our military are willing to risk everything for us!
In our family, we are proud of our Veterans. On Carol’s side we have her two brothers-in-law, Bob Trenner (Army, now deployed in Heaven) and Mike Gordon (career Navy, now deployed in Heaven). We also have two of her nephews, Marc Rudolf (career Air Force/Marines) and his brother, Craig Rudolf (He would have been career Navy, but he was lost at sea in January, 1987 during the military “dust up” with Libya during the Reagan years. We especially commemorate his service on Memorial Day, and we know he is also in Heaven).
On my side, we have my younger brother, Rod Thompson (career Navy) and my oldest brother, Roger Thompson (career Navy, now deployed in Heaven) and Roger’s daughter - my niece, Cheryl Thompson (career Navy).
One of the best civic Veterans’ memorials I have ever seen in in my home town of Bode, Iowa (pop 200). Pictures are below. There are three pillars in the center. The middle one has at the top, “Freedom Is Not Free.” Then on either side are two pillars listing all the veterans who served listed by which war era they served in. Roger is listed under “Vietnam War,” and Rod is listed under “The War on Terror.”
What is also impressive is the HUGE list of those who served in WW2. Let me tell you, little towns in Iowa went to war for all of us! Sometimes we say they went to war to protect our country, but I think they went first for their love of family - if they didn’t risk their lives, their loved ones might have to live under overlords who speak German or Japanese! I think second they fought for their friends/buddies who fought with them onboard a ship or in foxholes, and then for love of country.
I try to thank every person I meet in uniform for serving, and i include police and fire fighters who also risk themselves for our safety.
Thank you, Lord, for raising up these individuals who stand between us and the malevolent powers and harm in this worl

Below is the article from my September/October newsletter.  I hope you enjoy it.God, being rich in mercy, because of the...
09/14/2023

Below is the article from my September/October newsletter. I hope you enjoy it.
God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:4-9)
Dear friends,
October 31 is the day to celebrate an important holiday of the year, and lest you are overcome by the unfortunate cultural observance of death and evil, I am not referring to that one! (When I was a kid—long time ago because I’m 70—Halloween was basically a fun holiday. Now it takes on dark and ugly overtones that go against what I believe). I am talking about the Reformation, an event I think is one of those linchpins of history where God intervened to set the world straight on truth. On this day in 1517 Martin Luther nailed a document on the church door in Wittenberg called, "Disputation of Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences," which came to be known as The 95 Theses. Luther was calling for a debate on the gospel, specifically that one cannot purchase salvation with money or works. If Luther wrote his document today, he would dispute the power and efficacy of any religious system that somehow would lead its followers to try to merit eternal life.
You see, I believe Christianity stands alone out of all other religions when it comes to salvation. Every other system is an attempt to reach this goal by some effort of our own. Some religions, such as eastern religions (like Buddhism), have a belief that somehow through religious practices we can ascend to a higher level of existence and soar ever closer to the deity. Some (such as Animism) require a sacrifice to “appease” the deity or spirits. Others are “law-based” (such as Islam) where one earns salvation by being “good enough” (hopefully) by keeping the rules/laws. The problem with all of these plans is that it is up to us, and humans are just not up to the task. In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus asked the Father if there was another way (“Father let this cup [of suffering] pass from Me”). But there was no other way—except the cross. Jesus response: “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” Jesus won salvation for us because we couldn’t.
The Good News of the Gospel (and of the Reformation) is that God knows this about us, that we can’t save ourselves, and He did something about it. The passage from Ephesians quoted at the beginning is one of many that convey to us the truth of God’s grace in Christ. Or as Dr. Luther put it in his explanation to the third article of the Apostles’ Creed: “I believe that I cannot by my own understanding or effort believe in Jesus Christ my Lord, or come to Him. But the Holy Spirit has called me through the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, and sanctified and kept me in true faith.” I can’t come to Him. But….He came to me!
We need the Reformation just as much today as in Luther’s time. Our culture is giving up more ground every day to ideas that there are many paths to Heaven, not just Christianity. But there was no other way—except the cross. No other way to take our sin away so that we can be in fellowship with God in Heaven. “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
This is the truth. What are you going to do with it? Luther could have kept his mouth shut, but he didn’t. He couldn’t, and he got in trouble because he believed the Word of God. May we be found worthy to be in trouble ourselves for this same truth today. Just as it ways in “The Five Solas” pictured below: Scripture Alone—the Bible is God’s truth, and there is no other way! God bless. With love (and truth), Pastor Randy (The attached pictures were inserted in the text in their proper place in the newsletter, but I don't know how to do that on Facebook)

Address

1122 W. Rand Road
Arlington Heights, IL
60004

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 2pm
Wednesday 8am - 2pm
Thursday 8am - 2pm
Friday 8am - 2pm
Saturday 8am - 2pm
Sunday 8am - 2pm

Telephone

(847) 394-0362

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Cross and Crown Ministries posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Share