No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Luke 16:13a
Although I don't have any solid statistics to substantiate my statement, I'm pretty sure there are very few car thieves reading the Daily Devotions.
Since you are not a car thief you may not know what car is the most stolen automobile in the United States. Would you care to take a guess? Cadillac? Mercedes? Corvette? Mustang? GTO?
It's none of those. The car that most often disappears from where the owner has placed it is the 1994 Honda Accord.
According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, last year more than 55,000 Accords were stolen.
Since you're not a car thief you might be curious as to why older Accords are disappearing with such frequency. According to those who know, the answers are pretty simple:
1. Older Accords don't have any anti-theft deterrent technology.
2. Older Accords have a lot of stuff that can be sold easily on the black market.
3. Owners of older Accords don't think anybody would steal them, so they don't lock them
and frequently they leave the keys inside.
This all adds up to one thing: older Accords are stolen more often because they're easier to steal.
If you think about that for a second you might conclude, as I have, that the devil works a lot like a car thief. He tries to steal the souls easiest to take.
And how does a soul become easy to steal? That's simple: don't search the Scriptures; don't go to the Lord in prayer; don't receive the Sacraments; don't make confession of your sin; don't receive the Lord's absolution; don't worship with others; don't use any of God's gifts, which are designed to keep His people from being taken to Satan's chop shop.
Our text for today is clear: somebody is going to own you. It is either going to be God or it is not.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, You are right; we cannot serve two masters. Please, send Your Holy Spirit so I may always belong to and serve You. Grant me the grace to be faithful -- faithful unto death so the crown of life might be mine. 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
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:17-19
Just a few days ago, True Compass, a book written by the late Senator Ted Kennedy, was published.
No matter how you may feel about the track record or politics of the senator, you may be interested to know what he said about his actions concerning the drowning death of Mary Jo Kopechne.
Describing his conduct in the 1969 accident as being "inexcusable," the senator confessed to being afraid, overwhelmed, and having made some "terrible decisions."
The part of the book that captured my attention was this poignant line: "Atonement is a process that never ends."
It is my prayer that you may know that line is wrong.
As Christians, we have the joy of knowing -- beyond any doubt -- that in Jesus there is absolute, complete, and total forgiveness of sin.
When the Savior knelt in the Garden of Gethsemane the weight of the world's transgressions were placed upon Him. When He breathed His last upon Calvary's cross, the penalty price for every one of those sins was paid.
By God's grace, believers are given repentant hearts and a powerful faith in the power of Jesus' holy, precious blood, His innocent suffering and death. Because of Jesus' sacrifice, believers are reconciled with their Lord. They know Jesus has done what they could not do: He has reunited them with the Father.
That was what St. Paul was saying when he, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote, "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation."
St. Paul had been involved with the murder -- the martyrdom of Stephen -- a pillar of the Jerusalem church. He knew if Jesus could reconcile a murderer and give him peace, He could and would do the same thing for others.
It's a sad thing Senator Kennedy didn't know that; it is a happy thing you do.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, for the sins You have forgiven, for the peace You bestow, for the atonement You have begun, completed, and given to me -- I am most grateful. May I, Your new creation, share that joy with others. In Your Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
And he (Elijah) looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. 1 Kings 19:6
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
Jezebel was threatening the prophet Elijah. He had performed many miracles and had prophesied on several occasions. When Jezebel sent him a warning, he escaped to seek refuge in the desert. Once there, he wished to die, but God sent an angel to care for him and feed him. He regained enough energy and was sustained throughout his 40-day ordeal.
When Elijah thought all was gone and his situation was hopeless, it was then that God intervened to rescue him. Even in our lives today, God steps into our problems when we feel all is lost. Upon God's intervention, we can be like Elijah-completely transformed after he had eaten the heavenly bread.
Elijah's situation can be of great inspiration to Christians today in times of trial, sickness, poverty, economic recession, business failure, or even prison detention. If we remain confident in the Lord God and call upon Him for help, He is faithful and will transform us, leading us through any situation completely renewed.
Our response is that of perseverance and turning our lives over to God, who loves us so much He sent His Son, Jesus, to be our Redeemer and save us from all our situations, even from death.
THE PRAYER: Thank You, Heavenly Father, for loving us and caring for our every need. Amen.
Biography of Author:
The author of today's devotion from Cameroon is Tifor Ephraim, a high school teacher who has himself experienced detention at the Yaoundé Central Prison. Operating in Yaoundé since 2001, LHM-Cameroon and its volunteer corps is active in prison ministry, door-to-door evangelism, drama and music presentations, and outreach to the hospitalized and children living on the streets.
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7
Life can get complex.
Years ago a new soap was being marketed and the product needed an advertising program. A PR think tank came together and explored the possibilities. Nothing -- not the weirdest or wildest of suggestions -- was considered off limits.
To show you how far they wandered, one of the slogan suggestions was this:
"The alkaline elements and vegetable fats in this product are blended in such a way as to secure the highest quality of saponification alone, with a specific gravity that keeps it on the surface of the water, relieving the bather of the trouble and annoyance of fishing around for it in the bottom during his ablutions."
The advertising manager struck it all out and substituted two words: "It floats."
That manager understood there are two ways of looking at life.
There is the complex way and there is the simple way.
The complex way is to see things on our own, deal with things on our own, and to struggle against things on our own.
The simple way is to take all these things -- the things that are bothersome and complex -- and share them with someone else. Some people believe it is best to share those things with a counselor, a friend, or a family member.
St. Peter, in today's text says it is better to go the Lord's way. How did Peter say it? It is better to cast "all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you."
The Heavenly Father has shown the depth and scope of His caring when He sent His Son into this sinful world to save us. Here, Jesus endured the contempt and disrespect of humankind so we might be accepted. He died, so we might live.
Knowing the Lord cares for us changes everything. It can give us an almost euphoric feeling. You might almost say, "we float."
From a devotion originally written for "By the Way"
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord of Life, I rejoice that no matter how complicated our lives may appear to be, You have the answer, the direction, and can give the guidance. May this day be lived with a heart that gives thanks that You care for me. In Jesus' Name, I give thanks. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
(Jesus said) "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20
It's true: many of us want more than we need.
That kind of longing for excess is part of our human condition. Because we want enough and more than enough, we don't desire daily bread as much as we want a bakery running 24/7.
And this kind of attitude doesn't begin and end with a desire for a lot to eat; such a desire can touch any aspect of our lives.
You know people who are not content to get a good night's sleep, or have a sound roof over their heads. What they're looking for is an ironclad guarantee the hurts and pains of this life will be kept at bay and the good and pleasant joys will always remain in their possession.
This may be why we would do well to learn a lesson from the glowworm.
Yes, a glowworm. In case you've forgotten your high school science class, the glowworm is a small insect, an insect that generates light to illuminate its path.
Understand, the glowworm doesn't light up the entire pathway or brighten the total road. What the glowworm does is this: as it takes its very small steps, as it moves across the fields, it produces enough light to illuminate the next step.
In short, the glowworm doesn't generate a lot of light -- just the light necessary to move forward.
As I said, some people can learn a valuable lesson from the glowworm. Rather than worrying about things situated far beyond their visible horizon, they should trust the Lord.
Why? Jesus' perfect life, His terrible death, and His glorious resurrection from the dead say He is a Man of His Word. If He says, as our text records, that He is with us always, then we ought to believe Him.
His presence is enough to take us safely through the unknown future to our blessed eternity.
From a devotion originally written for "By the Way"
THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You are the light in my darkness. Help me to remember that when You direct my paths, I have all I need. In Your Name, I pray it. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. Matthew 6:13b (KJV)
This devotion is about power.
And it's not just about any kind of power, mind you. This devotion is about mini-power -- Volkswagen-generated mini-power.
In an effort to decentralize the nation's electrical dependency from its major power plants, Germany has come up with an idea. That country has decided it wants to put up to 100,000 natural-gas-powered Volkswagen Rabbit engines into people's basements.
Why would the German government want to do such a thing?
That's simple: these engines, with minor modifications, would become generators. These basement generators would have the ability to offset the need for two nuclear power plants.
Along with that, the decentralization would make it more difficult for terrorists to disrupt the grid. At the same time, it would allow for quicker recovery if a portion of the system ever went down.
On paper the arrangement seems to be quite attractive.
If it works, it won't be too long before others will copy Germany's success. I can see it now: Hyundai-powered homes and Corvette condominiums.
Of course, when it comes to our salvation, there is no alternative plan that can save us. Jesus remains the only Redeemer, the only rescuer, the only restorer of this sad, sinful world.
It is the Savior's sacrifice -- His life, His suffering, death, and resurrection that forgives sins and moves believers from **** to heaven.
Jesus is a unique plan; He is a gracious plan; He is God's all-powerful plan.
And because He is so very special, the saints of Revelation say, "Now the salvation and the power and the Kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come" (Revelation 12:10b).
And I join with those saints in giving thanks.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, only in Your innocent suffering and death, only through Your glorious and gracious resurrection do I see the power that can forgive sins and adopt transgressors into the family of faith. May my heart be filled with thanks for what You have done for the world in general and me in particular. In Your Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals. And they abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the LORD to anger. Judges 2:11-12
Ronald Cabrera is an engineer for The Long Island Rail Road.
Wait. Let's reword that: Ronald Cabrera was an engineer for The Long Island Rail Road.
According to the Associated Press, Cabrera lost his job because of a little, hard-to-be-noticed mistake.
That little slip-up was this: Cabrera let William Kutsch, a passenger, drive his train -- with 400 other riders aboard -- during rush hour -- at speeds up to 80 mph. Apparently, management took a dim view of Cabrera's ill-advised sharing.
As I read through Scripture, I've noticed the Lord also seems to take a rather dim view of His people allowing others to run their lives.
He didn't like it when Adam and Eve rejected His single Garden of Eden rule and accepted Satan's suggestion to sin. He didn't like it when the builders of Babel's tower decided they wanted to be masters of their fate, and He didn't like it when the Children of Israel indulged in what almost became their national sport: chasing after other gods.
The Bible in both the Old and New Testaments is clear: the Lord who has created, redeemed, and called us doesn't want some second-level substitute trying to pilot our lives.
That's what we're being told in the passage from Exodus that serves as the text for today's Daily Devotion.
By inspiration, Moses wrote those words so the Lord's children, in every age, might know how the Divinity gets angry when He's jilted for a cheap, nickel-plated Baal.
He gets provoked when He's discarded like an old shoe and He becomes annoyed when His people enshrine anything that removes Him from His rightly deserved number-one position.
Personally, I think the Lord's position is a reasonable one. He has a right to expect something from the hearts of those who know He has sent His Son to seek and save the lost. He has a right to expect something from us who have been redeemed by the Savior.
THE PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, I am often like Adam and Eve, preferring to listen to anybody's voice other than Yours. Forgive my flightiness and grant me the ability to be faithful to You who have done all for my salvation. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name. So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. Acts 4:17-18
Henry M. Jackson High School in Everett, Washington, believes in separation of church and state.
And the superintendent of that school really believes in the separation of church and state.
That's why, when some seniors asked to play "Ave Maria" at their 2006 graduation, the superintendent said, "No. Graduation should be a strictly secular service."
Separation of church and state, you know.
When the seniors said, "But this is not the Ave Maria everybody knows," they were still told, "No!"
When the seniors protested: "But there are no words being sung to this tune!" the answer remained a definite, "No!"
The case was taken to court, and the court also said "No."
One of the judges said the title of the song alone was enough to make him say, "No."
Other judges, more or less, agreed.
When I heard that verdict, three things occurred to me:
1. How far will the state go in its burning desire to erase religion from the lives of the young?
2. The seniors should have asked to play "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God." That way, when they went to court, they could have made a case they were only playing a beer-hall tune. (The story goes that Luther based the hymn on a familiar drinking tune.)
3. I'm going to have to pray a lot more for the younger generation. I'm going to have to pray they be given the courage to be faithful when the world says to them, as it did to the first disciples, do not "speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus," so they may they do the right thing.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, today I pray for a nation that feels it can, without repercussion or consequence, erase You from the lives of its citizenry. May these leaders see how much they really need Your grace. I also pray for the young of our country who will be paying the price for this anti-God attitude. Lord, grant courage, commitment, and faith to these our children and grandchildren. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
... certain Chaldeans came. . . . They declared to King Nebuchadnezzar. . . . "You, O king, have made a decree. . . . There are certain Jews (who). . . . pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up. Daniel 3:8ff (excerpts)
The good news is this: they're not just picking on Christians; the bad news is Christians are still being picked on.
Confused? If so, allow me to explain.
Recently, the Islamic community in Egypt finished celebrating the annual festival of Ramadan. Those weeks are marked by, among other things, daytime fasting by the faithful.
It's a personal duty that many members of that faith take seriously -- just as you take your faith seriously. But there is a difference. While Christians don't demand unbelievers follow their customs or make the sacrifices they do, the Egyptian government, at least in some places, has no such reservations.
Just a few weeks ago more than 150 people were arrested in that ancient country. The people were incarcerated because they had been seen eating, drinking, or smoking during the hours the fast was taking place.
Now here's the corker: in past years, the actions of those non-believers would have been acceptable and allowable. This year that was changed as Christians, foreigners, and non-Muslims who had ignored Ramadan found themselves sentenced to a month in jail or being forced to pay a fine of $350. All this was because they had violated the tenets of a religion in which they don't believe.
In truth, it's hard to play by the rules when the rules keep changing. It's hard to keep your balance when somebody keeps yanking the rug out from under you.
That's why Pharaoh kept changing the rules on the enslaved Children of Israel. It's why Nebuchadnezzar changed the rules on Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. It's why the devil changes the rules on you.
The devil wants God's people to become discouraged, oppressed, and despondent.
This is why The Lutheran Hour preaches a changeless Christ to a changing world. We take seriously our duty to encourage all those who are, in spite of the world's changing rules, trying to remain faithful. As the hymn says, "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand."
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus for relative stability in my life, I give thanks. For those who are confused by the world's every-changing rules, my prayers. May they be given the wisdom to stand fast in their faith and glorify You. In Your Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; He seats them with princes, with the princes of their people. Psalm 113:7-8
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
Once upon a time, a skillful craftsman was walking down the street when he came upon a chair that had been thrown away. Its owner apparently considered it unworthy of serving the purpose for which it had been made and rejected it.
This man saw the chair with the eyes of an artist and became very interested in it. He removed it from the pile of trash and carried it to his workshop. He took the necessary time to clean and repair it. His interest in it was so great that he registered each step of the process with his camera. His original idea was to transform it into a beautiful chair that would be worthy of possession by an important executive. It was wonderful for him to picture the finished piece beyond its present condition.
The Lord wants to do the same with each one of us. "He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap," the Psalmist writes. God washes our souls with His mercy as it has been poured out upon us through the atoning work of His Son Jesus Christ. By His grace, He pulls us from the dumpster and makes something beautiful out of us-something worthwhile according to His divine purpose.
Even when we forget our mission in this world, we must always remember that, when the Lord raises us out of the dust, it is to seat us "with princes, with the princes of (our) people."
THE PRAYER: Lord remind us of the work You are doing in us each and every day. You are shaping us into a people useful for Your purposes. Amen.
Biography of Author:
Today's devotion was written by Wendy Pérez, who does public relations work with LHM-Panama, known in country as Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones (Christ for all Nations or CPTLN). Established in 1986 in Panama City, programs such as Equipping the Saints (ETS), Project JOEL, Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC), and print and electronic media vehicles are used to spread the Gospel in this country of more than 3 million people.
... He has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." So we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?" Hebrews 13:5b-6
Most of us have heard the expression: "Into each life some rain must fall." From what people tell me, that expression, "Into each life some rain must fall," is a great understatement.
In truth, sometimes it seems like the rain falling in our lives is a never-ending monsoon. All too often it seems as if our resources to cope and survive are being pushed to their limits.
If you've ever felt that way, you might want to remember the true story of a besieged Scottish castle. For months the enemy had camped outside the castle's walls. For months the inhabitants inside had been virtual prisoners.
The invaders concluded the castle's inhabitants must be nearing the point of starvation. Confidently, they sent in some messengers to demand the immediate and total surrender of the fortress. In reply, the people of the castle threw a great string of fresh fish over their wall.
A subterranean passage to the sea had been enabling them to obtain an endless supply of food.
And how does that apply to you and me?
It applies this way: if you feel surrounded by problems and hassles, it is my prayer you also realize Jesus is your source of support. Yes, it's a good thing to rely on friends and family. They can be excellent in providing support. Sadly, they have a tendency to move away or pass away.
The same kind of weakness applies to any one or any thing in which you may look for help.
The only real, ongoing, support this life can offer is the Savior. He has promised never to leave us or forsake us. He has offered to hear our prayers, to walk by our side, and to help carry our burdens.
Now, I don't know who is going to besiege me today. You don't know either. But I do know there is no force this world can marshal which can starve me out. I have a source of support who will be there to help me through -- guaranteed.
From a devotion originally written for "By the Way"
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, there is no question the world is dedicated to wearing me down. I am thankful that You will give me the courage to get past my enemies, and by Jesus' grace, bring me to the final victory. Now, while my race is being run, give me that which I need to be faithful to You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:56-57
Human beings taking care of each other is the right thing to do.
Of course, because we are sinners, sometimes our motives are not as pure as they ought to be. That was certainly the case when a little boy returned from school and announced his class was going to be holding a food drive to help the community's poor.
His job, with parental support, was to go around his block and ask people for canned goods, peanut butter, and other non-perishables. Wisely, the boy practiced his skills on his mother. He asked if she had anything to give to those who were hungry.
His mother scanned her pantry shelves and finally said, "You can take this can of sardines. I don't know why I bought them. Nobody in the family likes sardines."
The boy's face clouded over with a mixture of skepticism and discouragement.
Finally, he voiced what was on his heart. He said, "But Mama, that means the poor people are helping us!" Mama had to agree.
That's a story, but, even so, it happens all the time. Too many public officials ask for our vote because they say they're "our friends." Then, after they're put into office; they develop amnesia and forget us.
Salespeople can be respectful, reliable, and almost reverential when they're making a sale. But, there are times when you try to return a product that is faulty or doesn't fit your needs, and you'll see their true colors.
It's a rare day when we find someone - anyone -- whose motives are directed completely to our betterment. If you've been hoping to meet such a person, I know one.
Look into Jesus' Bethlehem manger; see Him on Calvary's cross; kneel before Him risen as did Thomas. If you do that, you will see Jesus who gave Himself completely and totally to the winning of our salvation. Jesus came to give us grace, not to see what He could get.
From a devotion originally written for "By the Way"
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, in a world of takers, help us see Jesus for who He is: the ultimate and gracious Giver. Having received His gifts, may I reflect them to others. 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
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to Me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst." John 6:35
Those who worry about things are worried about global warming.
When I was growing up, people were worried about mass starvation.
The handwriting was on the wall. The world had too many people that could never be fed. Those nations too impoverished to buy or grow their own food would suffer terribly.
It never happened. Yes, there is starvation and there is hunger, but the mass starvation of hundreds of millions never happened.
Once reason it didn't happen is because the Lord sent us Norman Borlaug.
Born in Iowa, Borlaug was a scientist and a humanitarian. He was also the fellow who really had success with the "green revolution." His studies created grain that grew better and produced more in harsher conditions. It produced a lot more.
There are two reasons why I bring up Norm Borlaug. The first is because, at the age of 95, Borlaug has died. Since Borlaug is responsible for the saving of millions of lives, I thought you ought to know.
The second reason I bring up Borlaug is because I've heard a lot of news people say, "Borlaug has saved more people than anyone else in the history of the world."
Well, them's fighting words to a preacher. Borlaug did do wonderful things for this dying planet, but Borlaug's still small potatoes compared to Jesus.
If you want to talk about lives that have been saved, you have to look to the Son of God -- the Savior of the world. If you want to learn about someone who has changed countless lives, you need to hear of Jesus of Nazareth. You need to hear and believe that Jesus came into this world and gave His life for your life. He died -- so you might live.
And while Borlaug gave us the capacity to make numerous loaves of bread, Jesus was the bread of life, the water of life who forgives, and makes it so believers will never hunger or thirst again.
Jesus didn't give us a green revolution. His is a redemption revolution.
THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, for sending us people like Norm Borlaug, we are grateful. Their genius is a blessing. Still, our greatest blessing is Your Son, our Savior. Jesus has done what no inventor, and no humanitarian can do: He has given us Himself. He has given us salvation. For this, we give You our thanks. In His Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:10-11
It's one of those good news-bad news stories.
The good news is there are signs the recession is coming to an end. The bad news is unemployment remains near 10 percent and home foreclosures continue to rise.
The good news is retail sales rose faster than they have in three and a half years. The bad news is retailers are thinking Christmas this year isn't going to be so good.
So there you have it folks. It's still September and you've just started reading the first Christmas devotion.
Understand that talking about Christmas this early wasn't my idea. I just do devotions about what I read in the papers and I can tell you, the sellers of stuff are already talking about how bad Christmas is going to be this year.
Maybe you feel that way, too. It's possible this bad news stuff has got you down.
If that's the case, I would like to share this simple thought: the angel's announcement is still solid and Jesus is God's good news who has come for everybody.
And unlike the storekeepers whose good news is directly related to the frequency of a cash register's jingle and the swiping of a consumer's credit card, God's good news is, well, it's just plain good.
It's not dependent on the economy, or on the state of world affairs. God's good news is good. Period. This Christmas we will be remembering the Son of God who was born to save us from ourselves, from our sins, from Satan, and from a world which had known only bad news.
That He was successful is good news, great news!
In fact, Jesus is such good news you don't even have to wait until December 25th to appreciate Him. The ever-living Savior is good news to you right now. He is by your side, you know, strengthening, listening, helping, and encouraging.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, I imagine there will be a lot of bad news before December 25th arrives. In spite of that bad news, I give thanks. You have saved me and nothing -- not the worst of news -- can change that. For being my good news of great joy, I thank You. In Your Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
