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"Care For Your Body"
October 2, 2009
Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
The salvation story of Jesus Christ reaches around the world. So that the readers of our Daily Devotion may see the power of the Savior on a global scale, we have asked the volunteers of our International Ministry Centers to write our Friday devotions. We pray that the Spirit may touch your day through their words.
In Christ, I remain, His servant and yours,
Kenneth R. Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour
According to a popular story, a pilgrim decided to find the "Country of Truth." When the day of departure arrived, he slung his backpack over his shoulder and started out. How long some of the days felt! However, what great expectations filled his heart! Some of the days were wonderful: the landscape, the road and, above all, his travelling companions made for a great trip. Whenever he needed to renew his strength, he would stop by the roadside with his companions.
These breaks were absolutely essential in order to rest and eat, but he knew he could not take too many or he would never reach his goal. And so, day after day, month after month, rest after rest, the pilgrim continued until he reached his destination.
He was happy in the Country of Truth and every year he would undertake a fresh journey towards new destinations. In preparation, he had to train his body in order to reach his goal.
To be physically fit is certainly an emphasis in the world we live. Participating in sports, going to the gym, walking, being mindful of diet -- all these things help establish a fit body. Our body, however, is not our exclusive property, but belongs to God, who gave it to us. Above all, it is His body because He has bought it at a very high price: the blood of His Son, Jesus. This body we have is no longer ours, but God's, who inhabits it, as Paul writes in Corinthians: "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?"
To destroy our body is to destroy something sacred God gives us. Therefore, let us not just care for its physical appearance, but let us also take every precaution to prevent harming it. Let us protect it from accidents and fights, excess drinking, cigarettes and drugs, excess food or exaggerated diets.
Let the fact of being a child of God, purchased by Christ, and being the temple of the living God in this world, be a challenge and lead you to care for your body and your health every day.
THE PRAYER: Beloved Father, keep us in Your care that we may always be able to serve You and love You with our body, soul, mind, and spirit, living and giving with joy. Amen.
Biography of Author:
This devotion was written by Guillermo Herigert, a Lutheran pastor in Uruguay. As a Lutheran Hour Ministries' volunteer, he works with LHM-Uruguay, a ministry established in 1999 serving this country of more than three million from its office in Montevideo. Programs like Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC), Project JOEL, and Equipping the Saints (ETS) help spread the Gospel in this South American country.
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial. . . . James 1:12a
It doesn't make much difference how old you are, temptation can always be a problem.
Temptation was the problem for the ten-year-old boy whose parents told him not to go to a movie. You need not be a rocket scientist to guess that movie was the place where mom and dad found their son the following Saturday.
As they drove home, the mother took the role of parental spokesperson. With her voice showing an appropriate mixture of sadness and icy coldness, she said, "Young man, I want, I mean we want an answer. We told you not to go to that movie. Whatever possessed you to disobey us and do that?"
She didn't wait for his reply. She was on a roll and continued, "You knew we wouldn't be happy. You knew we would have to punish you. Why? Why would you break your mother's heart?"
Eventually, mom ran out of steam and that pause gave the boy an opportunity to share his well-rehearsed explanation.
He said, "Mom, it's not my fault. I just couldn't help myself. I was out on the street when I first smelled that popcorn. I wanted to smell it better. That's why I walked up to the ticket booth. I wasn't going to go in. I wouldn't disobey you. But the outside entrance of the theater was so slick from all the buttered popcorn spilt over the years, I just slid inside.
Then, trying to change the subject, the boy asked, "I think that's dangerous for older people, don't you? We ought to put up a sign or go and tell somebody. Who should we tell?"
Like the boy, people from mankind's first days have been sliding inside to temptation and doing all manner of things they shouldn't. Understand, your temptation may not be mine, and ours may not do anything for the person next door. Even so, we all have sins into which we slide.
This really takes us to the point of this devotion. If you have a personal temptation that has been hard to shake -- a propensity to sin you've not been able to conquer on your own -- help is available.
The Lord Jesus wishes, through His sinless sacrifice and His ongoing presence, to change you.
Those who are turned to Him in faith find He has the ability not only to forgive sins of the past, but the desire to fix your future as well.
For such a transformation, for victory over temptation we pray the words below:
From a devotion originally written for "By the Way"
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, the devil has had a lot of practice at tempting souls. Sadly, he has a lot of success in getting us to sin. This is why I need Your help, Your forgiveness, and the presence of the Holy Spirit. Strengthen me so I may resist sin and Satan and bear witness to the transforming power of Your love. In Your Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran HourŪ
Lutheran Hour Ministries
"Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. Isaiah 1:18
People will do a great deal to cover their sins and shortcomings.
Not so long ago a lady who is director of adult education at a community college shared the sad story of a man who had came to her and confessed he couldn't read.
It wasn't the man's inability to read that surprised her.
What was amazing is the man's wife of eleven years didn't know her husband couldn't read.
How had he kept her in the dark? That's easy. Every night after dinner the man went into the living room, held a newspaper in front of his face and, for an hour, pretended to read.
Finally, when the man couldn't stand his cover-up any longer, he decided to do something. He decided to learn how to read.
In his actions that man could easily be the poster boy for humanity. Most of us, like that man, try to cover up our shortcomings. We all want to maximize our good and minimize our bad.
Sadly, when it comes to sin, covering up is just about all we can do. We are completely and utterly helpless to do anything more than masquerading, camouflaging, and smoke-screening our transgressions.
It is only the Lord who has the power to erase our sins. Only through the substitution of the heaven-sent Savior can our scarlet sins be made white as snow.
So, if you have a sinful shortcoming that doesn't seem to go away, try giving it to the Lord. Because of Jesus' life, death, resurrection, and ongoing presence, forgiveness has been given to millions.
Forgiveness can also be given to one more -- you.
From a devotion originally written for "By the Way"
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, a long procession of sinners has stood before You. I give thanks that You have, in the Person of Your Son, offered forgiveness to them all. Now, may I rejoice in that blood-bought gift of grace that has changed my life and my eternity. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran HourŪ
Lutheran Hour Ministries
The wise men shall be put to shame; they shall be dismayed and taken; behold, they have rejected the Word of the LORD, so what wisdom is in them? Jeremiah 8:9
NOTE: PASTOR KLAUS IS ON JURY DUTY THIS WEEK, SO THESE DEVOTIONS WERE WRITTEN BEFORE HIS TIME OF SERVICE. PLEASE EXCUSE THE FACT THAT THEY MAY NOT BE BASED ON CURRENT OR NEWSWORTHY EVENTS.
Scripture's evaluation is clear: God isn't all that impressed with the wisdom of humankind.
That's what Jeremiah was saying when the Holy Spirit inspired him to write that the wise who reject the Word of the Lord will be put to shame.
In truth, we're not as smart as we think we are. As evidence of that, I refer to a story about the great detective Sherlock Holmes and his colleague Dr. Watson.
The story begins with them going on a camping trip, setting up their tent, building a campfire, and turning in for the night.
Hours later, Holmes wakes his friend and says, "Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what you see." Watson replies, "I see millions of stars." Sherlock says: "What does that tell you?" Watson thinks for a moment. "Astronomically speaking, it tells me there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. The positions of the stars tell me it is roughly four-thirty. Meteorologically, it indicates we will have a beautiful day tomorrow." Then Watson asks, "So, Holmes, what does it tell you?"
Holmes was silent for a moment and then he said, "It tells me, dear Watson, that someone has stolen our tent."
While all of us benefit from and rejoice in God's gifts that come to us through advances in technology and medicine, we also must admit that the world, like Dr. Watson, sometimes misses the obvious.
Here are some obvious examples:
· We often miss the fact that we are, by nature, helpless sinners.
· We often forget that if we are to be forgiven and saved it will only be through faith in the crucified and risen Savior.
· We often fail to remember that although medicine can often provide help and healing, death still comes to us all. We forget that advancements in technology may make life easier, but eternal life is only going to come through faith in Jesus.
So then, what is true wisdom and where is it to be found?
The book of Job provides the answer when it says, " ... Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil, is understanding" (Job 28:28b).
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, truly every good gift, including wisdom and technology, comes from You. May I be grateful for these things and for the gift of salvation that is mine through the risen Savior's suffering and sacrifice. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran HourŪ
Lutheran Hour Ministries
He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. . . . Luke 1:32a
NOTE: PASTOR KLAUS IS ON JURY DUTY THIS WEEK, SO THESE DEVOTIONS WERE WRITTEN BEFORE HIS TIME OF SERVICE. PLEASE EXCUSE THE FACT THAT THEY MAY NOT BE BASED ON CURRENT OR NEWSWORTHY EVENTS.
By now most of you have heard of the 19-pound, 2-ounce baby who was born in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Although his size didn't establish a world record, he was, at birth, quite a handful.
· The doctor who officiated said the baby's size made the caesarean delivery difficult.
· One of the people ministering to the baby said: "He's got a strong appetite; it's almost non-stop feeding."
· Another person commented, "This baby boy is extraordinary; the way he's crying is not like a usual baby. It's really loud."
Radio and TV talk shows, comedians, Internet commentators, and Web blogs have all had a field day with this child. When hosts from NBC's Today Show began making jokes about the oversized baby, Ann Curry went the opposite direction. She noted the oversized child might be a special gift to his mother.
Listening to the variety of comments about this baby reminded me of the diversity of opinions which were voiced when Jesus was born. The angel Gabriel said Jesus would be "great" and Mary knew He would change the world. The night Jesus was born, the shepherds went to see the Savior and, later, the Magi looked for the King of the Jews. But when Herod thought of Jesus, he could only see some kingly competition for his throne.
Looking at Jesus, Simeon, by the Holy Spirit's power, rightly commented the newborn Child was the Lord's salvation that God had "prepared in the presence of all peoples" (Luke 2:31b).
Two thousand years later, things haven't changed. People still have differing opinions about who Jesus was, about what He did, and as to what His importance is. It will be that way until the end.
As for me and my house, we will continue to look into the Bethlehem manger, stand before Calvary's cross, and run to the empty tomb. Then, having seen, we will know and share this truth: Jesus is God's crucified and risen Son; He is humanity's substitute and Savior.
No matter what the opinions of others, that is who Jesus was; that is who Jesus is for all who see Him with eyes of faith.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, I will never understand the grace that brought You into this world. Even without understanding, I give thanks for the forgiveness -- and the salvation You have given to me. Now, may others be granted the ability to see You with eyes of faith. In Your Name. Amen.
Lutheran Hour Ministries and the Lutheran Women's Missionary League are conducting two women's ministry surveys, one for pastors and one for women. To take one of the surveys--click here!
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran HourŪ
Lutheran Hour Ministries
The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty One who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love. Zephaniah 3:17
NOTE: PASTOR KLAUS IS ON JURY DUTY THIS WEEK, SO THESE DEVOTIONS WERE WRITTEN BEFORE HIS TIME OF SERVICE. PLEASE EXCUSE THE FACT THAT THEY MAY NOT BE BASED ON CURRENT OR NEWSWORTHY EVENTS.
The following is a totally made-up story that some may find amusing. I do.
According to this totally made-up story, Sam was having a tough time of it. His business was failing; his wife was leaving him; he couldn't meet his mortgage payments.
As if that were not enough, on his way to work Sam was involved in an accident. The accident wasn't his fault, but that doesn't change the fact that Sam's car was totaled. As he sat on the curb waiting for the wrecker to tow his vehicle, Sam was informed that the other fellow -- the fellow who caused the accident -- had allowed his insurance to lapse.
That's when Sam looked up to heaven and asked, "Lord, why me?" In reply, a big voice boomed out of the sky saying: "Well, Sam, the truth is, I just don't like you very much."
Now the reason that story makes me smile is because it is so totally, absolutely, completely impossible. It could never happen. It couldn't happen because the Lord loves the sinners of this world.
I know that fact should be obvious, but the truth is there are times when most of us feel we are living the life of Sam. Minor difficulties and major problems seem to stalk us from the moment we get up until the time we go to bed to endure a sleepless night.
There are times when many of us feel God doesn't like us very much.
When that happens, we need to remember the Lord's love is constant. Because the Lord loved the proto-sinners, Adam and Eve, He promised to send His Son to be their Savior.
Because He loved the man who was going to betray Him, Jesus kept reaching out to Judas.
And the Lord loves each of us.
No matter what today's circumstances might seem to indicate, no matter how difficult things may be, you can be confident the Lord wishes to do what is right and best for you. The manger, the cross, and the empty tomb tell humanity that God wishes to forgive, to save, to help, to restore, and to provide hope.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, grant me the faith to believe it is the world's sinfulness, not Your disfavor, which causes the pains of life. Send Your Holy Spirit so my faith might confidently trust You and the faithfulness of Your love. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran HourŪ
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He (Jesus) gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then He gave them to His disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. Mark 6:41
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
The salvation story of Jesus Christ reaches around the world. So that the readers of our Daily Devotion may see the power of the Savior on a global scale, we have asked the volunteers of our International Ministry Centers to write our Friday devotions. We pray that the Spirit may touch your day through their words.
In Christ, I remain, His servant and yours,
Kenneth R. Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour
People around the world are concerned about their countries' economies. They are worried about employment loss and having sufficient income to keep their homes or to purchase the necessities of life. Unfortunately, we can concentrate on these problems so much we forget Jesus' promise that God will not give us burdens heavier than we can handle. God tells us to pray without ceasing. In His kindness, our Heavenly Father allows us to come to Him with our problems through prayer, but we do not always communicate with Him as we should.
The Lord tells us to imitate the birds of the air. They neither worry about the cares of tomorrow or where their food will come from. Yet, the Lord provides for them. And He has promised to take even better care of us.
As we go to Him in faith and trust in Him to care for us, He calms our fears and helps us face our problems and concerns with the assurance that, with God, nothing is impossible. If God did not spare His only Son but offered Him as a sacrifice to win our eternal redemption, surely He will generously provide for our every need here on earth.
THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, be our guide in this difficult time. We leave our problems in Your hands and trust that the afflictions of this present age are nothing compared with the glory of paradise You have promised us. We glorify Your Name through Your dear Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Biography of Author:
Citia Karina, a volunteer with Lutheran Hour Ministries-Nicaragua, wrote this devotion. As an elementary school teacher, she is active in teaching the Bible to children and young people. In Nicaragua, LHM works with Project JOEL, radio ministry outreach, Equipping the Saints (ETS), and Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC).
To learn more about our International Ministries, click here or visit www.lhmint.org.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran HourŪ
Lutheran Hour Ministries
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12: 9a
There are times when a person just doesn't want help.
That's the way it was for Signor Dorando, the champion Italian long distance runner who participated in the 1908 Olympics.
With 30 yards to go, Dorando was two laps ahead of everyone else.
That's when Dorando collapsed.
If he had crawled, Dorando might have won the race; but Dorando didn't crawl.
The friendly crowd urged him on after the champion had staggered back to his feet.
A well-wishing supporter put his hand on Dorando's back to steady him. The fan didn't shove or push, he just steadied. The action was enough.
The judges disqualified Dorando because he had been helped.
Dorando can tell you: there are times when we don't want help. But there are more times when we need the help of an expert.
When a student is stumped on a problem; he needs help. When we have a flat tire in a rainstorm, we welcome assistance. At such times it's good to have someone stop and say, "Can I be of service?"
That is exactly what God has done for us. Seeing our helpless condition, the Lord sent His Son to "be of service'. It was a gracious, Godly act which cost the Savior His life. Still, because of what Jesus has done, all who believe on Him are forgiven and blessed with the gift of eternal life.
Which makes this devotion a reminder: there are times when we don't want to be helped, but sometimes, like when it comes to being saved, we need all the help we can get.
THE PRAYER: Dear Savior, when it came to saving myself, I was weak and helpless. That I have been rescued from sin, death, and devil is due to Your great sacrifice. Now, may I, with a thankful spirit, give You honor and glory. In Your Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran HourŪ
Lutheran Hour Ministries
By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? 18Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. 1 John 3: 16-18
Most of you would agree, 'Life is filled with all kinds of nasty nuisances.'
Most of the time we can't or choose not to do anything about such inconveniences.
Of course... there is that man in New Jersey who lives by the side of a great national highway.
Recently, he was seen out in the middle of the thoroughfare. Keeping one eye on the traffic, he kept the other on a large hole which he was filling up.
He had to dump, and tamp down, the contents of four five-gallon pails before he managed to have that hole filled.
When a reporter asked him, "Why?" the man had a reply.
He said, "Filling the hole took me only a few minutes... but I probably saved motorists hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars in repair bills. It was a job which needed to be done, and I wasn't all that busy."
Impressed? Me, too. Are you more impressed if I tell you that man doesn't own a car?
In our text for today, John reminds Christians that they are to reflect the love and sacrifice of the Savior to those around them.
In short, we shouldn't just complain about, swear at, or leave untouched the potholes we come across.
Motivated by Jesus' gift of salvation and forgiveness we should do something to help smooth out the road for others. As John said, "let us not love in word or talk... but in deed and in truth."
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, for a Savior who has, through His life, suffering, death, and rising fixed the road which leads to heaven, may I be thankful. Further, may my thanks show itself in doing what can be done for others. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran HourŪ
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15
Do you know somebody who is a "Nones?"
In truth, I didn't know what a "Nones" was until I read the Dallas news story which spoke of Americans who don't identify with any religion. The "Nones" get that name because when they're asked about their religious affiliation they say, "None."
The rest of the article gave the explanations of experts as to why someone might be a "Nones."
One scholar said "In the news media "Christians" are routinely depicted as narrow-minded bigots bent on keeping out anyone who is the slightest bit different. They are defined by what they are against, not by what they stand for. Love is rarely talked about while judgment is always talked about.
Another said, Christianity has been used historically as an excuse for pogroms, wars, crusades, Inquisitions, and others terrible things.
Yet another suggested, 'over the last 50 years (is that) people are finding supportive communities in many forms, from book clubs to rugby clubs, and religion seems not only "outgrown" but unnecessary.'
One final expert (that I'm going to share) said, "Religion has done a poor job generally of answering the difficult questions about the mysteries of human existence and the meaning or purpose of life in the face of a world that has lost its imagination."
According to these experts, Christians haven't done much of anything right. And if they're right, that's a shame.
Maybe that's why St. Paul encouraged Timothy (and us) to do our best, to become, by the Holy Spirit's power, a worker who needs not be ashamed, rightly sharing God's Word of truth and eternal life.
St. Paul was right. All too often, and unfair as it may be, unbelievers judge the Savior by what we His servants do and say.
That's why, as we take seriously the job Jesus has entrusted to us, we need to be good mirrors for our Redeemer, doing our best to accurately reflect the gracious sacrifice of the Savior to those "Nones" who constantly are looking for reasons not to need or believe in Him.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, for the sacrifice You have made, I give thanks. Now may I, in word and action, show to the "Nones" the wonders of the salvation Your life, death, and resurrection have given. In Your Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran HourŪ
Lutheran Hour Ministries
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25
Walt Disney is trying to do a good thing.
Disney is giving a free day's admission to the first 1 million guests who spend a day doing volunteer work.
Of course there are those who look upon Disney's gesture with a skeptical eye.
For example, Duncan Dickson, an instructor in theme park management, a school of study which I didn't know existed, says the idea is a "smart marketing move."
He also says Disney is going to get a ton of free publicity. I can't argue with that since this Daily Devotion is already sharing the story with tens of thousands of people.
To top off his critique of the Disney offer, Dickson said, they'll make their money in other ways. After all, he commented, "You make a lot of money in popcorn and T-shirts and other things."
When the writer to the Hebrews wrote his epistle, he knew nothing of popcorn and T-shirts.
On the other hand he did know what Christians are supposed to do.
Christians are supposed to stir each other up so they might reflect the love of the Lord Jesus to others.
Christians are supposed to stir each other up to the doing of good deeds.
Christians are supposed to encourage each other, to support each other in fellowship and worship.
Why? Because the world's clock and our individual timepiece is ticking away. The Lord Jesus who gave Himself for our salvation is coming back. He who suffered, died, and rose so we might be saved has entrusted us to share His story with others.
It's a job. We're glad to do. After all, we want people to be ready for that unknown day and hour. We want them to be in heaven with us.
After all, given a choice between having my family and friends spend a day at Disney or an eternity in paradise... well, that's just not much of a choice.
After all, Disney can only advertise itself as being the happiest place on earth...
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord let my actions show to others the importance of the Savior's salvation. Before the Day of Judgment comes, may I witness to those around me the love and grace He gives. This I ask in Jesus' Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran HourŪ
Lutheran Hour Ministries
You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. Deuteronomy 6:7
In March 2009, President Obama said longer school days and shorter summer vacations might be the key to helping America improve our standing among the world's educated nations.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan agrees with the President.
Recently Duncan said, since America is no longer agrarian the children are no longer needed on family farms. He also noted "poor children, whose parents cannot afford private summer school or tutors, tend to forget what they learned in the previous school year over the summer break."
There may well be some truth in what they say.
On the other hand, anyone who has ever been in school for any length of time has had the opportunity of learning under great teachers and those who were less motivating.
I don't know if spending more time with a mediocre teacher who is teaching a mediocre curriculum is going to elevate America's standings in the global arena.
Although it may sound foolish in its simplicity, an excellent education is the result of excellent teachers enthusiastically imparting superior subject matter to students who have been motivated at home.
Which is exactly the point of our text from Deuteronomy. The all-knowing Lord told His people to educate their children on the really important things of life. From break until end of day they were to share the story of God's love.
The Lord knew that while our children may learn many other things, they will never learn anything more important than the tale of God's sacrifice.
This is a command from God which still has not changed.
If our children learn nothing else from us, they need to know that the Father has sent His Son to seek and save the lost sinners of this world.
There is no lesson which will ever be as needed, as important, as long lasting as the one which says, "For God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (KJV)
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord for giving me a teacher, a parent, someone who imparted the story of salvation to me, my thanks. Now, in my time, may I pass the message of salvation to those who come after me. In Jesus' name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran HourŪ
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Romans 12: 17-18
Readers of the Daily Devotion will note that I haven't mentioned the Islamic rally which took place on Capital Hill.
It was hard not to address the subject as my mailbox has been filled with correspondence of Christians who feared the gathering. While promoters of the event hoped for 50,000 participants, only three-to-five-thousand showed up.
Now there is a reason why I haven't spoken about the event until now. In the United States every religion has a right to peacefully assemble when and where they wish.
And there is also a reason why the subject of that rally is being addressed now. No. it's not because of violence, or because of what was said. The truth is, as far as I have been told, there was no violence and there were many nice speeches made at the event.
But there was one thing which wasn't said at that event: nobody condemned the worldwide violence of radical Islam. Yes, it's true; most followers of the prophet are nice, peaceful people.
But it's also true that as long as the silent majority of Islam remains silent, the radicals will dictate and determine the future.
It has always been that way.
To verify that fact we need only look at the terrible hurt of Germany in the 1930s and the world in the 1940s. When good people are silent, the devil wins.
Which is why Christians have a responsibility to say that which is right and good. That's the Lord's wisdom St. Paul was passing on to the Roman church and us.
As far as it depends on us, we who have been redeemed by the Lamb's suffering and sacrifice should do what is honorable in the sight of all.
As far as it depends on us, the representatives of the Savior should live peaceably with all.
After all, the cross and the empty tomb are enough to offend the world. We don't need to add anything more on our own to make them hate us.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord let any offense I give to others be a witness to the suffering, the sacrifice the Savior has done for me. May all who meet me also see the wonderful love You have shown in the Redeemer's resurrection. In His Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran HourŪ
Lutheran Hour Ministries
For the Word of God is living and active . . . . Hebrews 4:12a
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
The salvation story of Jesus Christ reaches around the world. So that the readers of our Daily Devotion may see the power of the Savior on a global scale, we have asked the volunteers of our International Ministry Centers to write our Friday devotions. We pray that the Spirit may touch your day through their words.
In Christ, I remain, His servant and yours,
Kenneth R. Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour
Before each of my English classes I write a short Bible verse at the top of the white board. Because it's in the direct line of sight of the students, they can't miss it. Even those students who aren't interested in hearing about Christianity can't help but read it. I'm sure some students read it more than once during the class.
In the middle of one of my classes I was teaching about past tense. After a few examples and some practice, I asked if anyone had any questions. One student raised his hand. "I'm wondering about the meaning of what you wrote at the top of the white board," he said.
"Could you please explain it to me?" Of course he was referring to the Bible verse. On that particular day the Bible verse was "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" (1 Timothy 1:15b).
To explain the verse I spoke about how all people are sinners and how we are unable to save ourselves from the punishment we deserve for our sins. I told him Jesus was the Son of God, and that God loves us so much He sent Jesus to die on the cross to suffer the judgment we all deserve. In the midst of teaching past tense, I was given an opportunity to share the Gospel with the whole class.
The Word of God is indeed living and powerful. The Holy Spirit used it to touch the mind of one student. It stimulated his curiosity and prompted him to ask about its meaning. As a result, every student in the class heard the Gospel.
In the book of Isaiah God says, "So is My Word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." God's Word is powerful. God sends out His Word to do His work and it succeeds. When my students read God's Word on the white board, God's power works within them.
God's Word is not only beneficial in teaching and strengthening us as we study it, but it is also an effective tool for us to use in reaching out to people who don't know Jesus as their Savior. Sometimes we want to witness to someone, but we don't know what to say. Our words are often weak and stumbling. But God's word is sure and strong.
THE PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for giving us Your Word. Teach us how to use Your powerful Word as we reach out to the unbelievers around us. Amen.
Biography of Author: Dennis Denow is a missionary with LCMS World Mission and the husband of Monta Ekwanit Denow, director for Journey Into Light, the ministry center for Lutheran Hour Ministries located in Bangkok, Thailand. There, LHM ministers through community radio, Equipping the Saints (ETS), Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC), print, Internet and Gospel text messaging. The staff also conducts numerous children's activities and makes presentations in government schools.
For nothing will be impossible with God. Luke 1:37
Not so long ago I heard of a teacher who was asking her class this traditional, adult question: "What do you want to be when you grow up?"
Most of the class gave the traditional answers. One wanted to be president; another wanted to be a fireman; another wanted to be a police officer.
One by one they answered until it was Seth's turn to say what he was going to be when he was older.
Seth didn't respond as quickly as was his normal habit. Finally, the teacher asked him, "And Seth, what do you want to be when you grow up?"
Seth replied in one word: "Possible."
"Possible"? asked the teacher.
"Yes, I want to be possible." Seth said again. "My mom is always telling me I'm impossible. When I grow up I want to become possible."
Are there things in your life that seem impossible? There are in mine. My eyes say I will never fly a commercial jetliner. Bodily aches and pains tell me my chance to be an Olympic medalist is over. There are a lot of impossibles in my life . . . and maybe some in yours as well.
I know one "impossible" which brings all of humanity together.
We cannot save ourselves. Yes, I know all the other religions of the world say you have to try; you have to strive; you have to work; you have to struggle to obtain forgiveness and heaven. But the truth is, it can't be done. Earning forgiveness, earning heaven is an impossibility, even for the best of us.
This is why -- if we are to be saved -- it will only be by the grace, the mercy, and the love of God that is shown in the Savior's sacrifice.
In that sacrifice the impossible becomes reality. Prostitutes and publicans, sinners and semi-saints are saved by the commitment of the Christ -- saved by grace, through faith. It is a cause to rejoice!
From a devotion originally written for "By the Way"
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, by the Holy Spirit, I have been given faith in Jesus. May my life reflect the joy that comes in knowing Christ has changed my impossible situation. Because of the Redeemer's sacrifice I am saved. Thank you, dear Lord. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran HourŪ
Lutheran Hour Ministries
OCTOBER ~ Daily Devotion
