December 2022 Update

John 1 says Jesus entered a world that did not know its creator and His own land to a people who largely rejected Him. The world is no better today, but our Savior came to a hopeless world to give a sure hope to believers. Have a blessed Christmas and a prosperous new year in the Lord.

Our latest newletter can be found at: December 2022 Lifeline Newsletter.

July 2022 Update

Greetings,

Last week, we passed the one-year mark in our Tennessee home. It is wonderful to be a half hour away from our son George and his wife Becky. Family is a gift from God.

Diane is doing well after surgeries for meniscus tears in both knees. We are both losing weight and doing well.

Last month Steve Mahoney joined us in driving to the GES conference in Texas. We brought 27,000 Living Waters (English, Spanish, and French). Conference attendees took about 21,500. We dropped off 4,000 for His Church (Pineville, LA), so we returned home with a little over 1,000. May the Lord use all of those Gospels of John to His glory.

John presented two papers on John’s Gospel at the GES conference. They were well received.

Now, for the news that many of you have anticipated. John has been researching and gathering notes for his commentary on John’s Gospel for several years. Last week he began actual writing. He anticipates that it will be 300-400 pages. It will be at least a two-year project, between writing, editing, and interacting with input from a select group of readers.

Pray that the Lord will enable a clear mind, good health, and focus for this marathon race. May He receive all the glory.

By His Grace, John and Diane Niemelä

Sermons Page Updates

As John writes the new commentary, he is teaching through a new series in the Gospel of John. This updated series can be found on the Gospel of John Series page: Gospel of John Sermons. The previous sermons are archived at: Gospel of John Sermons Archive.

Prior to this series, John taught through the Book of Romans. This new series can be found at: Book of Romans Sermons.

Also, the new reading plan for 2022 can be found at: 2022 Bible Reading Plan.

July 2021 Update

The Sermons Page has been updated. The latest sermons can be found at: Water of Life Sermons. The 2021 Bible Reading Plan can be found at: 2021 Bible Reading Plan.

December 2020 Update

Greetings,

We wish all of you a most prosperous year in the Lord.

Now that COVID vaccines are here, we are closer to the day that life and ministry will return to a more familiar pattern. Christians need to be vigilant—that our freedom to worship our Lord and to freely proclaim the message of life would be preserved. In this day of political correctness, we need to remember that eternal life matters! Jesus Christ left believers on planet earth so more people would receive eternal life from Him.

When we consider the opposition that the apostles faced, we must not cower in fear. Of course, we need to be wise about COVID, but surely the Lord does not want us to bury our talent in the ground. We have the message of life and need to share it.

2021 will be a year that Message of Life will dedicate great effort toward a commentary on the Fourth Gospel. It will help believers understand John’s Gospel better, so they can share the message of life from John.

We will keep you posted in regard to our move.

By His Grace, John and Diane

December 2020 Update

The website has been updated with the most recent sermons. The website will continue to see more updates and organization in the upcoming weeks. Earlier this month, a new edition of Lifeline was sent out. If you did not receive it, it can be found here. This has been a year of transitions for our ministry and 2021 promises to be more of same.

May 2020 Update

Greetings,

Many years ago, I read an account by a Jewish atheist of how he came to deny God's existence. He recalled his mother praying for Sandy Colfax to win his games for the Los Angeles Dodgers. She would tell her son, "God always answers my prayers." While at university, though, he questioned, "How could the God who supposedly answered Mom's prayers for Sandy Colfax have allowed six million Jews to die in the Holocaust?" He concluded that there is no God.

If I could speak with him, I would ask, "Is it a good thing that the Jewish people have a homeland, Israel?" He would undoubtedly agree. I would then ask, "If it were not for the horrors of the Holocaust, what would have led Britain to allow Israel to become a nation on land controlled by Britain?" It is hard to imagine anything short of the Holocaust persuading Britain to give up voluntarily that land. Without knowing it, the victims of the Holocaust were martyrs whose blood brought about (at the human level) statehood for Israel. Ezekiel predicted that a portion of the world's Jewish population would regather in the land of Israel in unbelief (see the Valley of Dry Bones) prior to God regathering the nation there in belief. Contrary to what the Jewish atheist asserted, God answered Israel's prayers for a homeland. Who knows? Maybe He even answered some prayers for Sandy Colfax.

All the many ramifications of COVID-19 are driving many to despair. We should be driven to our knees, instead. Our perspective is so finite, but God knows the end from the beginning. He works in history. Romans 8:28 has a concrete context. God promises, "And we know that all things work together for good [in context, the good equals God bringing about the Millennium] to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." Accomplishment of His plan involves some things unpleasant to people, but (as believers) we certainly can affirm that we want Him to accomplish His short- and long-term goals for planet earth. We need to pray for His protection and for opportunity to minister. We have everlasting life. Circumstances cannot take that away. We have every reason not to let our heart be troubled-despite the chaos that surrounds us.

By His Grace, John