DAILY DEVOTIONS ~ August
 

"Giving"

August 1, 2009



There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. Acts 4:34-35



Some of the happiest years of my life were spent in small towns.

Pam and I truly enjoyed many of the pleasant differences, which come from living in a place where like the television sitcom, Cheers, "everybody knows your name."

Of course, some things stay the same no matter where you live.

I remember once, it was early on a Monday morning, the community's only bank called us. They said they were making a request of all the local churches.

And what was the request? Simple, they said, "Could you bring in Sunday's collection as soon as possible? We're out of one-dollar bills."

Now I want you to think about that a bit. Why did they come to the churches for one dollar bills? They made that request because they knew that quite a few people begin -- and end -- their charitable activities with a single dollar bill placed into the collection plate.

Now, at times that $1 represents a great deal of money to some church contributors. On the other hand, it's tough to see a person give a regular series of one dollar bills when they go out every Saturday night and drop a bundle on partying.

I give thanks to the Lord He isn't so miserly in giving to us.

Understand these thoughts aren't confined to the area of church contributions. I'm referring to how poorly we sometimes respond to the needs of others -- others who may be having physical, mental, and spiritual difficulties.

If God's people are always trying to do the least they can do, they are hardly paying proper respect to the Savior who did everything necessary to win their salvation.

On the other hand, when the Holy Spirit challenges us to do great things in honor of our gracious God, everyone benefits. We are filled with a peace in knowing we did what we could; others are blessed by our work and, more importantly, the Name of Jesus is recognized as being a blessed motivation for good.

This is why I'd like to say that in the Name of Jesus, do all you can, whenever you can, and for whomever you can. You won't regret it!


From a devotion originally written for "By the Way"



THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank You for all the good things You have done for us. Most of all I acknowledge my salvation which is undeserved and unearned. In the Name of my Redeemer help me remember those whose needs are greater than my own. This I ask in the Name of Jesus, who gave His all for my redemption. Amen.



In Christ I remain His servant and yours,



Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries

That was awesome!!!!

Ags

Yes it was Aggie!

"True Happiness"

August 2, 2009



For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. Psalm 84:10



Years ago, a retired member of the ministry told me about how things were during the Great Depression.

In spite of terribly tough times, he shared a special and precious memory. The pastor spoke of how he had met a fellow who had, through no fault of his own, become a hobo. This hobo had come to him offering to trade a day's work for a hot meal.

It was a good arrangement and the man perfectly performed everything he was asked to do. He even did his work with a smile and some happy humming.

As they sat down to dinner, the pastor asked him, "Don't you think you would be happier if you were rich?" The man said, "No, sir, the rich men I've worked for never seem to do any laughing."

Now, the point of this story is not to encourage people to yearn for poverty. Having too little money can be just as bad as having too much.

No, I would rather have you consider the idea that money doesn't always bring happiness. The truth is money is simply a commodity -- a commodity that can either be used or abused.

True happiness, the happiness that remains no matter what our outward situation, only comes from the Savior. I'm pleased to share that a great many, a great majority, of Christians are firmly convinced the presence of the loving Lord Jesus has totally changed their outlook and their perspective on life.

How could it be otherwise? Before Jesus they were lost, doomed, and damned. With Jesus as their Savior, they are forgiven, they have been blessed with ongoing peace, and are promised an eternity free of pain or problems.

Indeed, some of those Christians would go so far as to say this: Jesus has given their lives true riches. Those true riches that come from the Savior, lead to true joy and, yes, true smiles.


From a devotion originally written for "By the Way"



THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for the reminder that Your love and presence in my life are far more valuable than money or things material. Draw me closer to You, dear Lord, and let me rejoice in that closeness. In Your Name. Amen.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Long Term Love"

August 3, 2009



The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness." Jeremiah 31:3 -



In some places, divorces are far more common than marriages.

With the love of many spouses turning cold, it's little wonder many young people seem to be unimpressed with the idea of getting married.

It's not surprising they prefer to enter into short-term, non-legal relationships. Their reasoning for doing this is simple. They maintain that nothing lasts forever, especially love.

Try telling that to Roland McKitrick of Arlington Heights, Ill. A little over a week ago Roland asked Lorraine Beatty to marry him. Depending on how you look at it, their courtship was incredibly long, or incredibly short.

Let me explain. Roland is 93 years old and Lorraine is 92. They have re-known each other for only three weeks.

Re-known?

That's the only way I can describe it. You see, some 80-plus years ago, Lorraine and Roland were in third grade and they were sweethearts. That was way back in 1921. In 1921 they knew each other and hit it off.

They hit it off so well that for decades Roland carried Lorraine's picture in his wallet -- the picture that had been taken when they were very, very young. As Roland said, "The snapshot stayed in my wallet and her face stayed in my memory."

Apparently so. When family members managed to reunite Roland and Lorraine, they picked up their relationship right where they had left off.

Of course the love story of Roland and Lorraine, as wonderful as it is, can hardly hold a candle to the love of the Lord. As He said in the book of Jeremiah, He has loved us "with an everlasting love."

Get that -- not just a love that lasts eight and a half decades -- His love is everlasting.

It was the Father's faithful love that sent His Son into the world to take our place. It was the Savior's committed love that saw Him sacrificed upon Calvary's cross. It was the Lord's all-powerful love that conquered the grave and now promises a similar victory for all who believe.

So to all those who wonder if human love can last, I would say, "Look at Lorraine and Roland." And if you wonder if God's love is true: stay close to the ever-living Savior.

THE PRAYER: Dear heavenly Father, I thank You for Your love, which continues on faithful and strong. May I show You, and the world, how much that love means. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,


Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Unbelievable!"

August 4, 2009



And how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 3:15



On July 21st, the story, which was carried by the Associated Press, might as well have read, "When pigs fly."

It was simply that unbelievable.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced a pilot program in his country.

Are you ready for this? The president said pre-teen students in 12,000 schools will be given courses in religion or secular ethics. After seeing the catastrophe of the atheistic Soviet Union, the country has learned to appreciate religion and morality.

Students will be given a choice. They can study the official religion of Russia -- the Russian Orthodox faith, or they can take a class on Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, or secular ethics.

I never thought I would live to see the day when the Russians would officially be teaching religion.

Of course, I never thought I would see the day when so many Americans would work equally hard at keeping religion and ethics out of our classrooms.

It's all simply unbelievable. About the only thing that seems trustworthy and consistent is the grace of God, which comes to us through the merit and sacrifice of Jesus.

If a country is walking or running away from Him, the Lord waits with imploring arms, longing for them to return.

If a country is running toward Him, He reaches out to scoop them up so He might hold them close to His heart.

This is why I would invite you to join with me in praying for these two great countries.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, it would appear the age of miracles is not yet past. The Holy Spirit still travels the globe and accomplishes His purposes. Today I ask that You will bless Russia's Christian teachers, students, and educational materials. May these people be brought closer to the Savior. I also pray for our country where so many remain dedicated to silencing the Savior's story of salvation. Lord, enable Your Word to be proclaimed so the young may know the wonders of Your grace. In Jesus' Name. Amen.


In Christ I remain His servant and yours,


Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Something's Missing!"

August 5, 2009



And Jesus answered them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance." Luke 5:31-32



BOGO.

If you are a dedicated shopper, you know the acronym BOGO.

For those of you who are, at best, reluctant shoppers, let me explain. It's BOGO, or Buy One Get One. You buy one product, and the store will throw in another product of equal or lesser value.

It appears the Church of England is offering a BOGO, that is a two-for-one service.

If couples wish, they can get married and have their children baptized at the same service.

Yes, I know it's strange, but I have run into a couple of situations where that might serve a real purpose. For example, suppose a heathen couple were brought to faith. It would only be right for them to want to get married in a church, and have their children become baptized members, too.

Of course, there are those who might ask, "How often does that sort of thing happen in England?" I don't know, but I imagine it does. Still, the Church of England admits the service is primarily for their present members who just haven't been paying much attention to the sanctity of marriage.

It is for such folks that the service has been designed.

Now understand, it's not a bad thing for a couple to want to get married. On the contrary, it's a good thing. And it's not a bad thing to want to have your children meet their Savior who gave His life for their salvation.

But . . . you knew there had to be one of those, didn't you? But, whatever happened to repentance? You can't paint over a car's rusted fender and expect the paint to hold. You can't cover up a wall covered with black mold and expect things to be okay. Similarly, sin just doesn't go away. It calls for repentance.

And what is repentance? It's being given a contrite heart so the Lord can turn you from your old ways and bring you into harmony with His ways.

Repentance is a good thing, a godly thing, a Holy Ghost-motivated thing. And it's something, which is in short supply. This is why we pray for the folks getting married in Great Britain, and we pray for ourselves as well.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, "Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Your presence, and take not Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will return to You . . . O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise" (Psalm 51:10-13;15). In Jesus' Name. Amen.








In Christ I remain His servant and yours,



Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries

"We Have An Answer"

August 6, 2009



What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" Luke 11:11-13 -



The questions asked above by the Savior really shouldn't call for an answer.

After all, everyone knows no father would give his son a snake instead of a fish for his supper. Obviously, no dad would substitute a scorpion for a hard-boiled egg.

Obviously?

After reading a story carried by the Associated Press on July 22nd, I'm not sure the answers to Jesus' questions are all that evident.

In case you didn't hear about the event, let me share the high points. Last week, some Goodwill workers in Denver went to a strip mall to collect the gifts that kind-hearted supporters had placed in a large donation box.

That's not unusual. What makes that day stand out was the rectangular, olive-green box which they came across. It was a small box imprinted with the words, "FRONT TOWARD ENEMY."

With their suspicions aroused, the workers called the police, and the police correctly identified the box as being an old Claymore land mine. That's the kind of weapon that can murder and maim a lot of innocent people. The mall was quickly evacuated and the bomb was diffused.

So, we have an answer to Jesus' question. What kind of man would give his son a scorpion? It's probably the same kind of person who would give a land mine to Goodwill.

Truly, there is a great deal of evil in the world.

This is why we need a great deal of love and grace. Thankfully, we are given both by our Savior who sacrificed His entire life so that all who believe on Him might be forgiven, granted eternity, and blessed with an abundant life right now.

When we look upon the manger, the cross, the empty tomb, we know that evil -- no matter how many weapons it has -- will never have the final victory.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, in a world where no act of terrorism seems unthinkable, I give thanks for Your goodness and grace. Through You I have been given the final victory over sin, death, and Satan. May I, wherever possible, reflect that love into the world's darkness. In Your Name. Amen.


In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Bad News, Then Good News"

August 7, 2009



All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:6



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



In the nineteenth century, Dr. James Simpson championed the use of chloroform anesthesia so people could be spared the pain of surgery. Can you imagine being under a surgeon's knife while you are still conscious? Some years after the discovery, a student asked Simpson, "What do you consider to be the most valuable discovery of your life?" His students were surprised when he replied, "My most valuable discovery was when I discovered that I was a sinner and that Jesus Christ was my Savior!"

Sometimes the greatest discoveries aren't what you would expect.

Do you realize you are a sinner? The Bible is clear about sin and tells us there is no one who is blameless -- either before God or men. "None is righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10b). Our daily life also aptly demonstrates we are sinners, and any newscast shows our complete corruption: wars, violence, murders, dishonesty, sleaze, lies, and on and on.

That is the bad news, but there is good news.

Jesus, the Son of God, came with a message: " . . . The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel" (Mark 1:15b). This is the good news for each of us today. "Repent and believe," the Lord commands us. The fruit of your faith will be a meaningful life here on earth and eternal life with Jesus Christ after death.

THE PRAYER: God almighty, I understand from Your Word I am a sinner. Through faith in the atoning work of Your Son, You accept me as Your beloved child. In You I can truly find love. Thank You for that boundless grace that seeks and saves the lost -- even a sinner like me. In the Name of Jesus, my Savior, I pray this. Amen.

Biography of Author:
Pastor Fernando Henrique Huf volunteers with LHM-Brazil. Known within Brazil as Cristo Para Todas Las Nações (CPTN), it has been headquartered in San Paolo since 1947. Through congregational and individual donations, The Lutheran Hour and "Five Minutes With Jesus," are broadcast to listeners countrywide on nearly 200 radio stations.


To learn more about our International Ministries, click here or visit www.lhmint.org.

Originally Posted by EZMONEY:
"True Happiness"
As they sat down to dinner, the pastor asked him, "Don't you think you would be happier if you were rich?" The man said, "No, sir, the rich men I've worked for never seem to do any laughing."

This devotional reminded me of the life verses of a close friend:

Proverbs 30:7-9
7 "Two things I ask of you, O LORD;
do not refuse me before I die:
8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.
9 Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you
and say, 'Who is the LORD ?'
Or I may become poor and steal,
and so dishonor the name of my God.

Thanks for posting it.

I am having computer issues this week-end. I am on Angie's now but I will not have access to it in the morning...it will wake her up!

Anyway if anyone wants to post some devotions during my downtime feel free to do so...not only now but ALWAYS!!!

My Lutheran ones are not the only ones out there TEAM!!

"The Lord Knows"

August 10, 2009



If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night," even the darkness is not dark to You; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with You. Psalm 139:9-12



For younger readers of the Daily Devotions, the name of Amelia Earhart may not have much meaning. For that reason, a word of explanation might be in order.

Amelia Earhart was a beautiful, young woman, who, in the 1930s, set a great many records in aviation. During an attempt to be the first woman to fly around the world, she, along with her navigator, vanished somewhere in the Pacific.

While stories about distress signals from Earhart have circulated since her disappearance, no positive trace of her has ever been found.

Now, researchers at The International Group For Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) say they think this year they will have DNA proof Earhart died on Nikumaroro Island in the Pacific.

A spokesman for the organization said, we have found "what's best described as personal effects of the castaway that died there." Personal effects of a woman . . . personal effects which have been dated to about the time Amelia disappeared."

If they do manage to come up with such evidence, it will end one of the great mysteries of the last century.

Of course, even though we don't know what happened to Amelia Earhart, the Lord most certainly does. There was never a time when He lost track of her or when she disappeared off His radar.

For Christians that should be a reassuring thought. Times may be difficult. We may feel alone, lost, stranded, marooned, forgotten. In such times we have the reassurance the Lord's right hand shall hold us. In those darkest of times, He is there.

He is there with the light of our Savior. Truly, the Redeemer, who gave His life so we might have life, can bring brightness to our darkest moments and days.

In Him there is always life and hope and light.

THE PRAYER: Dear Jesus, in a world where loneliness and darkness seem to surround us, we need Your reassurance we are not alone. Let me see clearly Your sacrifice. Let me be given reassurance of Your presence. To that end, I pray an extra measure of the Holy Spirit be given to me and all who feel forgotten. In Your Name. Amen.

Click here to take a quick survey on the Daily Devotions!


In Christ I remain His servant and yours,


Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Into The Light Of The Lord"

August 11, 2009



Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105



Anna Williams is carrying a burden.

Her son is in jail. More specifically, the man is in the Rappahannock County Regional Jail in Virginia.

Understandably, Anna, who loves her son, is doing all she can to encourage him to mend his ways, to ask for the forgiveness that comes through the Savior, and be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The best way Anna knows of doing this is to send her son pertinent passages taken from the Bible.

It's a practice the authorities have been discouraging. They have derailed Anna's attempts by opening the man's letters and cutting out all her written references to Scripture. Anna's attorney says, "Some of the letters are full of Bible passages, so what her son is getting is absolutely at the end of the letter where she says goodbye, I love you. . . ."

The attorney adds that this is not an isolated situation. Other organizations trying to distribute Bibles to prisoners have also been encountering resistance. Authorities say such materials can be "dangerous."

This got me to wondering: Dangerous? How so?

Maybe if you gave a prisoner one of those great, centuries-old Bibles, the kind with the wooden covers that weigh about 30 pounds, it might be dangerous. A criminal might drop that Bible and if it landed right, break his toe.

Beyond that, I'm at a loss as to how Scripture is dangerous.

The transformation which comes to sinful hearts when they encounter the Savior's sacrifice, when the Holy Spirit gives them faith and forgiveness, is nothing short of a minor miracle.

Indeed, history books are full of sinful souls who have, through God's Holy Word, been moved from darkness to light.

This is just another way of saying the thief on the cross was not the last person to be saved by an encounter with the Savior.

THE PRAYER: Dear heavenly Father, how sad it is when authorities try to keep those who have lived in the darkness -- in that darkness. May the power of Your transforming Word, the sacrifice of the Christ, touch hearts everywhere, and especially in those places where the world's darkness is the deepest. In Jesus' Name I ask it. Amen.


In Christ I remain His servant and yours,


Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Don't Get Confused"

August 12, 2009



(Jesus said) "What woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.' Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents." Luke 15:8-10



The 82-year-old lady from Hildesheim, Germany, hadn't lost one of her coins.

Two years ago she lost her car, an Audi. Well, "lost" is really not the right word. Her Audi was stolen.

Two years ago she took her car in to be repaired. After doing the work, the mechanics took it back to her house and parked it in her garage.

The next day, after she had recovered her keys and papers from her mailbox, she went to the garage to collect her car and do some errands.

To her shock, the car was gone. She reported it stolen and that was that.

That was that until last week. That's when a neighbor went to clean up his garage -- the garage that he never uses. Sure enough, there, under about "a centimeter-deep coating of dust" was the lady's Audi.

According to the Associated Press story, "It didn't take police long to piece together that the mechanics had parked it in the wrong garage."

The lady was very happy.

It doesn't make any difference if the story is from 2,000 years ago or now; it doesn't make any difference if we're talking about a lost coin or a lost car; there is always rejoicing when something lost is found. Rejoicing -- that's what Jesus indicates happens in heaven when a sinner repents.

And so it should. Anytime the Savior's forgiveness becomes a reality to a sinful, human heart, is a time of gladness. Anytime a soul is moved from **** to heaven, from damnation to salvation, it is a blessed thing -- a blessed thing made possible by the blood of the Redeemer and by His glorious resurrection.

This is why I encourage you: "Today, make some angels happy; be a sinner who repents."

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, for the forgiveness You won for humanity through Your life, suffering, death, and resurrection, I give thanks. Now, I pray the Holy Spirit will let me reflect my gratitude by keeping me from sin, and granting me a repentant heart when I do sin. This I ask in Your Name. Amen.


In Christ I remain His servant and yours,


Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries

Thank You Gary, i been doing a-lot to make things right since I read James 4:17 .I have been so busy trying to get my life together and asking for forgiveness from Jesus for not doing what I know I need to do!