Nothing Can Seperate Us From God's Love|06.22.25|Go.Make.Baptize pt.1
Well, today I have the honor of introducing to you someone that you know, hopefully very well. I'm going to invite him up. Mr. Tom Slothour is going to be our guest speaker today, bringing to us encouragement from the word. Can we give him a welcome, please?
(...) Thank you.
(...)
Oh, the mic is on. Thank you.
(...)
Good morning. It's a wonderful day. I wanted to speak to you for many years, and finally I was given this opportunity.
(...)
I'm on the leadership team at our church,(...) and we have been members here, Phyllis and I, since 2010 when the church started.
(...)
And I am overjoyed to be with you this morning. I accepted Jesus Christ when I was 19 in the Air Force in Cheyenne, Wyoming. There was a little church chapel that I thought was kind of pretty. I was out walking about Cheyenne, so I went in and dedicated my life to Jesus Christ. And before that, I wasn't just too serious about the faith, but I always kind of practiced the faith.
(...)
I want to tell you something you already know.
(...)
Nothing can separate us from God's love.(...) Oh, I've heard that, Tom. I don't want to hear that. No. I have more information about that.
(...)
You and I have been chosen by God before we were born.
(...)
I love that. Just think of that. You and I were chosen by God before we were born.
(...)
Neither death nor life nor principalities or angels or powers or anything else can separate us from God's love. That's my key verse for today.(...) I love Romans 8.28.
(...)
And here's what Paul writes as we continue in Romans.
(...)
What can we say about such a wonderful thing as this? If God be for us, who can be against us?
(...)
Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen?
(...)
Would we ever want to separate ourselves from God's love?(...) I do. Once in a while when things go bad, I get angry at God and I say, "Why does this happen to me?" I go to church.
(...)
I give money.
(...)
Unfortunately, that's not correct.(...) One of the reasons that bad things happen to you and to me is a word spelled S-A-T-A-N, Satan.
(...)
He prowls about the earth.
(...)
He prowls about the earth seeking whom he may devour.
(...)
Satan is truly behind many of the bad things that happen to us.
(...)
Eventually, thanks to my father and the church and other things, I get back to normal.
(...)
I remember my biblical teachings I've memorized and God's wonderful, long-suffering grace putting up with me for 92 years.(...) And other church teachings all remind me, "No matter what happened,
(...)
eventually something good will come out of it." Romans chapter 8 is my most favorite Bible verse.
(...)
Something happens for good for those who love the Lord and are called by Him.
(...)
There's a book written by Samuel Bringle, and Bringle says, "In bad times hold on to your faith."
(...)
Bringle continues, "God's wisdom and ability to make all things together for our good are
(...)
not to be measured by our understandings." That's an important sentence, measured by our understandings, but to be firmly held with our faith.(...) The fact that I'm standing here is proof that Christ has lifted me up time and time again.
(...)
St. Paul writes more in Romans,
(...)
"Who shall separate us from God's love?(...) Shall tribulation? No. Shall distress? No. Shall persecution?
(...)
No. Shall famine, nakedness, peril, or sword? No." Paul continues, "Despite all these things, victory is ours through Christ's love."
(...)
Listen, our fears and worries about tomorrow and even the powers of Satan can't lock out God's love.
(...)
In the words of an unknown author, "Fear not tomorrow. God is already there."
(...)
There was a statistician who had a hobby of keeping facts with mathematics, and he'd study and write and keep a Bible and read all this stuff. So one day he decided to add it all up and see what happened. Well, there were several things that had happened to him, and he was just thinking that, oh, something awful is going on. He found out, listen to this, he found out 92% of what he thought was going to hurt him never did.
(...)
Only 8% were the things that he had worried about, and he took care of those himself with our Father's love.
(...)
In Deuteronomy, I love this one, Deuteronomy chapter 31 verse 8 says, "Don't be afraid,
(...)
for the Lord goes before you. He will be with you. He will never," listen to this, "he will never fail or forsake you or me."(...) And he never has. If we know all this, we know all this, we're all confident and happy, why shouldn't we be?
(...)
Why shouldn't we run around and be so happy and let nothing bother us? Well, if we know all this, why aren't we just overjoyed, easy to say, and hard to do. Does Satan have anything to do with it, really?
(...)
Well, I was passed over for promotion to be a school principal not once, but three times.
(...)
That ought to tell you something about me.
(...)
On my first rejection, I came storming home to my wife, and I'd said, "Phil, it's the third time those people have let me down, and that other guy they hired isn't this guy?" So I went down to the basement and got my trombone out.(...) I loved to play trombone and sing, and after a while I felt good, so I went back upstairs and I said, "Well, Phyllis,(...) here we go again." They let me down the third time. I said, "What are you doing at the piano?
(...)
I'm playing and singing." I said, "How can you play and sing when they just bounced me a third time?"
(...)
She said, "You know, Tom, I can get all upset and all nervous and yell and scream, or I can sit here and play the piano."
(...)
And she did.
(...)
Phyllis has such a good faith in Christ Jesus.
(...)
When you start to get down,
(...)
when you start to get down, beat up by something that's not pleasant. Remember, it's probably from Satan.
(...)
Fight Satan.
(...)
Fight Satan by repeating these words.
(...)
"Get behind me, Satan.
(...)
The blood of Jesus Christ has been shed for me. Satan, get away from me. Greater is he who is in me than he who is in the world. Jesus lives within me. You have no power over me. Get out of here, Satan.(...) Go out. Get away."
(...)
I actually do that. When I feel something's going on, I yell that out.(...) I've done that for years. The book of James says,
(...)
"Resist the devil and he'll flee from you."
(...)
I like to sing a song now. Just I'm going to sing one verse, so don't worry.
(...)
"Great is thy faithfulness.
(...)
Great is thy faithfulness.(...) O God, my Father,
(...)
there is no shadow or turning with thee. Thou changest not thy compassion.
(...)
They fail not.
(...)
As thou hast been, thou forever will be."
(...) Abraham Lincoln is one of my idols.
(...)
When I die and go to heaven, and I'm going to make it, believe it or not,
(...)
I am.
(...)
Abraham Lincoln in 1866 loved that particular song.
(...)
The war ended in 1865, and Lincoln would be assassinated.
(...)
But before that, he and a friend went to a local church in Washington, and the friend said, "Lincoln, you've got to come with me. This preacher is so good, you come and..." So Lincoln went with the friend, and they attended the church.
(...)
After the service, walking out of the church door, the friend says, "Wow, would you think of that sermon? Lincoln, wasn't that great?"
(...)
Now I'm going to use a high voice, because Lincoln had a really high voice, so don't laugh too hard.
(...)
After walking out of the church, the friend says, "Lincoln, wow!" and Lincoln said,
(...)
"That sermon wasn't any good, because that preacher didn't give anyone in that church a challenge to go out and do something,
(...)
knowing that Bible's mighty promises will help us all through our lives.(...) Here's Ephesians, chapter 6, "Be strong, be strong with the Lord's mighty power. Put on all of God's arrows so you can stand firm against the forces of the devil."
(...)
We're not fighting against people. Did you know that?
(...)
Sometimes we are.
(...)
We are fighting against evil rulers and evil authorities in the unseen world, against those whose mighty powers of darkness rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms. That's curious.
(...)
There's a challenge Lincoln would have liked. Be strong. Be strong with the Lord's mighty power.
(...)
Sometimes I wonder.
(...)
I wonder if God sends us down to earth to suffer,(...) to suffer to see if we have what it takes to last through it all. I don't know. To see how we handle the bad stuff.(...) Listen, listen to this to help us through our trials and tribulations. God gives us earthly gifts. Churches, parents, friends, teachers, Christian television, brothers and sisters, friends, families, and nature itself.
(...)
And God also gives 200 promises.(...) And there are more in the Bible.
(...)
God always has his loving wings around you and around me.
(...)
He does.
(...)
In 1994, my dear wife got cancer,
(...)
stage four.
(...)
And I was completely destroyed by that. I just couldn't handle it at all. I was so messed up, I had to go to a psychiatrist who prescribed Paxil. It's an antidepressant.(...) And it made me worse.(...) So I was walking through the little town of Emerson and I was crying and I was praying to God,
(...)
and you won't believe this. God spoke to me. Not like you and I are talking, but in my head. He says, "Tom,
(...)
your mother and your grandma are watching you."
(...)
"Throw away the pills.
(...)
Hide yourself under my wings." And that's a true story.
(...)
I've never forgotten that.
(...)
Well,
(...)
God's grace became strong enough to help Phyllis through and me through.
(...)
And Phyllis has such a strong Christian faith, she doesn't get really upset over much, especially me getting fired.
(...)
And Dr. Interoni was a superb physician and he saved her life.
(...)
If we listen to this, if we remain faithful through bad times,
(...)
we're promised a welcome home to be with God and Christ Jesus.
(...)
And I want to add my hope of seeing Jesus and my friends and relatives and loved ones in heaven. Won't that be wonderful?
(...)
I heard the other day that when you die and go to heaven,
(...)
that many, many people that you never knew who are friends or relatives are there to welcome you.
(...)
I read once where when we die and go to heaven, everybody rejoices and says, "Here comes Tommy. Here comes Bill. Here comes Judy."(...) Think about that. That's pretty neat.
(...)
Well, I mentioned the bad things that happened to me. There were nine.
(...)
First of all, my mother died when I was three and for seven years I was bounced from home to home to anybody that would care for me. And finally, my Lutheran grandmother in Sterling, Mary Schultz,
(...)
raised me.
(...)
All my relatives and friends have died.
(...)
I flunked out of the University of Illinois.
(...)
I was fired from a good job with an insurance company,
(...)
expense account,(...) new car every year.
(...)
I was fired from WSDR radio.(...) I was passed over for promotion. I told you that enough.(...) I watched my dear wife deal with cancer.
(...)
I suffered when a family member had a horrible divorce.
(...)
And Phyllis and I finally had to sell everything and moved from Emerson to assisted living because of three years of health issues.
(...)
But you know what?
(...)
Friends 828 came true because we are happier now than we've ever been in assisted living. We are better off than we were before, and that's true.(...) Now it only took three years for that to happen. Maybe it'll take longer. Like Samuel Brangel said in his book earlier, you've got to really wait and be patient and hang on to your faith because it might take more than three years.
(...)
God listens.
(...)
Things happen for good for those who love the Lord.(...) And if I may digress, I just love Psalm 23, and I just wanted to read, mention a little bit to you, not all. I hope you will read Psalm 23. I was tempted to ask you to read along with me, but time constraints.(...) So I love this Psalm. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,(...) I fear no evil, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
(...)
Just such a beautiful Psalm. I hope you read it when you get time.
(...)
I love the part in the Bible which promises—remember there are two hundred—when you no longer have strength. God will provide you with the strength you need to make it through tomorrow.
(...)
No one is ever to be tempted beyond their ability to handle temptation.
(...)
Some of you, I'm sorry, have suffered more than we have, and we haven't suffered that much.
(...)
You are still standing faithfully,
(...)
even though you've lost a spouse or a child or a family member or friend—whatever this place is handed out to you.
(...)
Your example of continuing on day after day speaks so loudly—it's so hard—and gives
(...)
hope to so many people,
(...)
you are faithfully witnessing.
(...)
David Thoreau, one of America's finest poets, wrote this, "I will not doubt forever,(...) nor will I falter from fragile faith,(...) for though the system be all turned over,(...) God takes not back His word.
(...)
I will not doubt the love untold which not my worth,(...) nor my wants, have bought.
(...)
I was young,
(...)
and now I'm old, and to this day God has brought me through." Henry David Thoreau's poem.
(...)
Abraham Lincoln would probably want me to close with some kind of a challenge, and it's a simple challenge.
(...)
In Lincoln's voice—and don't laugh, Ken, if you want to—take time to build a closer relationship with Jesus and with Bible reading and prayer.
(...)
And now I want to close with a wonderful Lutheran benediction. I love this.
(...)
The Lord bless you all and keep you.
(...)
The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
(...)
Amen.