Author: Kerry

For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
1 Corinthians 15:22

The Resurrection

Daily Devotion – June 8, 2021

Devotion based on 1 Corinthians 15:22

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Did you know that the goal of Christianity is not just for a person’s soul to go to heaven when they die? Yes, when Christians die, their souls are with Christ. But that is not the final goal. The Bible promises that one day, their bodies will be raised back to life to be reunited with their souls.

Maybe that is new information for you. Maybe you have never heard about the resurrection of your body. And maybe you struggle to see the importance of the resurrection of our bodies. If you feel that way, you are not alone. There were some Christians in the first century who didn’t believe in the resurrection of the body or at least didn’t see its importance.

So the apostle Paul wrote to these Christians explaining the connection between Jesus’ resurrection on Easter and our final resurrection when Jesus returns. He said, “But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? . . . For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:12,16-17).

Paul is stringing together a few powerful ideas. If dead bodies cannot be raised back to life, then Jesus didn’t rise from the dead. And if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, then we are still stuck in our sins because it is Jesus’ resurrection that proves he paid for our sins.

If this is new information for you, I want to encourage you to expand your understanding and belief in God’s great rescue plan. Jesus died and rose again. And what happened to Jesus will happen to all of his followers. One day they will be raised from the dead. They will have transformed bodies and will dwell in a transformed world. That means death is not the end. For followers of Jesus, their best days are yet to come!

Prayer:
Open my eyes to believe in your great rescue mission. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

“Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
John 20:25

Stop Doubting and Believe

Daily Devotion – June 7, 2021

Devotion based on John 20:25

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One of the most remarkable characteristics of the Bible is that it tells even the embarrassing stories of its heroes. For example, one of Jesus’ closest followers, named Thomas, doubted that Jesus rose from the dead. Thomas told the other disciples, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe” (John 20:25).

I appreciate that John recorded Thomas’s moment of doubt because I have been there myself. I have doubted that Christianity was true, that Jesus rose from the dead, and that God cares about me now and in the life to come.

How about you? Have you ever found yourself demanding more evidence? Have you ever thought, Unless God does something special to prove that he really exists and cares for me, I will not believe?

Surprisingly, Jesus responded to Thomas’s doubt by visiting him in person. Jesus told him, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe” (John 20:27).

And he did. Thomas stopped doubting and believed that Jesus was his living Lord. Thomas said to Jesus, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28).

Now maybe you are thinking, Well, that’s great for Thomas. He overcame his doubts because he got to see Jesus. But how am I supposed to overcome my doubts?

The writer John tells us. He said that “these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31). In other words, we overcome our doubts as we read the words of the Bible. Through the Word of God, Jesus shows up in our lives in a similar way that he showed up for Thomas. The words in the Bible are not just simple letters on a page, they are living words coming from our living Savior.

Put your finger in your Bible. See it. Reach out your hand, turn its pages and meditate on God’s story for you. Stop doubting and believe.

Prayer:
Lord, I do believe. Help me overcome my unbelief. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”
Matthew 13:45,46

Our Precious Pearl

Daily Devotion – June 6, 2021

Devotion based on Matthew 13:45,46

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At the time in which Jesus lived, pearls were considered extremely precious. Incredible amounts of wealth were offered for rare, perfectly shaped, and colored naturally produced pearls. The merchant in Jesus’ parable was an expert on pearl quality. He searched long and hard to find the perfect pearl. How many he discarded in his search, we are not told, but finally, he came upon one of pure excellence. That one precious pearl, he recognized, was worth more to him than the sum of all of his possessions.

That’s the point of Jesus’ story. The kingdom of God is worth more than anything and everything we have and hold in our life. Our earthly possessions are temporal; heavenly possessions are eternal. Our earthly wealth is fleeting; heavenly wealth is enduring. Temporal belongings deteriorate; God’s spiritual blessings continue to benefit. Life can be burdensome; in Christ, the burden of sin is lifted. Now things can get confusing and unsettling; Jesus gives us the peace that the world cannot give.

Remember this the next time you are tempted to allow the things of this world to become more important to you than your relationship with Jesus. Remember what is truly valuable!

Prayer:
Jesus, precious Savior, Teach me to value most highly the eternal blessings that you won for me by your life and death. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

You did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.
Romans 8:15

Confrontation

Daily Devotion – June 5, 2021

Devotion based on Romans 8:15

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For the past two years, Rebekah Gregory has had nightmares. She has had good reasons to have them.

In 2013, Rebekah was standing near the finish line at the Boston Marathon. A man with a heavy backpack was standing close to her. At one point the backpack even brushed up against her. It was the backpack that contained a homemade bomb.

Minutes later, the bomb went off. The blast threw Rebekah backwards. Her body was in tatters. She remembers an emergency responder telling her she was going to be okay and then yelling, “We have an amputee.”

Rebekah went to the sentencing phase for the surviving Boston bomber. She entered the courtroom. As she took the stand to tell her account, she was also, for the first time, looking into the eyes of the man who had brought so much horror into her life.

After she gave her testimony, a powerful thing happened. As she later wrote, she realized she “wasn’t afraid anymore.” For Rebekah, her confrontation with the bomber was just what she needed for her fear to go away.

Because of our sin, we live in a world soaked in fear. In such an environment, fear can easily become our master. Painful episodes from our past can haunt us in the present. Anxiety over what others think of us can dominate our thoughts. Uncertainties about everything from finances and family to our job and health can poison our minds with dread.

And that’s why Jesus came. When our Champion arrived on this earth, however, he did not just look at the source of our fear in the face. He crushed it by taking the entire toxic mess upon himself and paying for it in full at the cross.

It comes as no surprise that the phrase, “Don’t be afraid,” is a repeated directive from our God throughout the Bible. He’s trying to tell us that because Jesus has already confronted and crushed the source of our fears, you and I don’t have to be afraid anymore.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, the ultimate source of my fear is sin. Through your death and resurrection, the source of my fear is now gone. By your Spirit, move me to remember this. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. (CSB)
John 3:16

Evidence of Love

Daily Devotion – June 4, 2021

Devotion based on John 3:16

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How can you tell if someone truly loves you? Is it enough if that person simply says, “I love you?” Or would you like to see more evidence of their love than just those words? No one can deny the importance of hearing someone say, “I love you.” But far more powerful and meaningful are actions that demonstrate the love that the person says they have for you.

Part of the reason that actions demonstrate love much better than words is that it’s harder to fake sincerity through actions. People often say things they do not mean. How many politicians’ promises do you really trust they will keep? And a person’s actions can easily contradict the words that they say. But if someone willingly sacrifices themself to serve you, you have more powerful evidence of their love than mere words could ever give.

The triune God tells us repeatedly in the Bible that he loves you. And, since God cannot lie, those words truly would have been enough to convince us of his love, even if he had done nothing else. But God wasn’t content just to tell us that he loves us. He also demonstrated his love for us in the most powerful way possible.

Here is how God demonstrated his love for us: He gave his one and only Son. He sent his Son, Jesus, to live a perfect life in our place. On the cross, he punished his Son, Jesus, instead of punishing you, me, and every other sinner who has ever lived. He willingly sacrificed his Son as the perfect payment for the sins of the world. And he did all this so that everyone who believes in his Son will live with him forever.

God’s giving of his Son provides us with clear and incontrovertible evidence of his incredible love for us. The triune God truly does love you. Both his words and his actions prove it.

Prayer:
O triune God, thank you for demonstrating your love for me through the giving of your Son. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.”
John 3:3-5

New Birth

Daily Devotion – June 3, 2021

Devotion based on John 3:3-5

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What role did you play in your own birth? Did you give birth to yourself? Did you push yourself out of your mother’s womb? Did you contribute anything to your birth other than just being there? Your mother would be very offended if you took any credit for your own birth. She was the one who carried you in her womb and went through labor. She is the one who, humanly speaking, deserves all the credit for you being born.

Jesus told the Jewish religious teacher Nicodemus that if he wanted to see the kingdom of God, he needed to be born again. Nicodemus didn’t understand what Jesus was talking about. To him, it made no sense for someone who already was grown to climb back into his mother’s womb to be born again. Certainly, no human mother would allow that to happen, even if it were possible!

But Jesus wasn’t talking about being born physically a second time. He was talking about being born spiritually. Jesus described this second, spiritual birth as being “born of water and the Spirit.” The water he was talking about is the water of baptism. In baptism, God the Holy Spirit gave the person being baptized new birth. He brings them to spiritual life. And just as was the case with our first, physical birth, so it was with our second, spiritual birth. We can contribute nothing to it. Our second, spiritual birth through holy baptism is entirely the work of God the Holy Spirit. He (not we) brings our spiritually dead hearts to life by leading us to trust in Jesus as our Savior. He (not we) takes us who are completely separated from God and makes us God”s own children. The triune God gives us new birth—a new life to be lived with him here and in eternity.

Prayer:
O triune God, all praise to you for the miracle of holy baptism. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.
Romans 8:15-17

Adopted

Daily Devotion – June 2, 2021

Devotion based on Romans 8:15-17

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Zinnia is adopted. Her parents did not give birth to her. But legally, they are her parents, and she is their daughter. In fact, she is as much her parents’ daughter as any of her parents’ other children are. And even though she shares no genes with any of the other children in her family, she is their sister, and they are her siblings. Legally, there is no difference between Zinnia and any of her siblings. She has the same rights as any of her parents’ other children. Her parents love her the same as they love all their other children. And when her parents die, she will be just as much an heir as any of her siblings will be.

Zinnia’s adoption beautifully illustrates the relationship that all who believe in Jesus have with their triune God. When we were born, we were not God’s children. Instead, we were children of the devil. That meant we were outside of God’s family. We were separated from all the blessings that come from being a member of God’s family. And on our own, we had no hope of ever becoming members of God’s family.

But all that changes when God the Holy Spirit brings a person to faith in Jesus. When the Holy Spirit leads someone to trust in Jesus as their Savior, God adopts that person into his family. Through faith in Jesus, they become God’s children, and God becomes their Father. As God’s children, they now have Jesus as their brother. And as Jesus’ siblings, they are now just as much heirs of God as Jesus himself is.

What a wonderful promise the Bible makes. Rejoice and take comfort in it this day.

Prayer:
O triune God, help me always appreciate your willingness to adopt sinful children like myself into your family. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

“Woe to me!” [Isaiah] cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”
Isaiah 6:5-7

Overwhelmed

Daily Devotion – June 1, 2021

Devotion based on Isaiah 6:5-7

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Isaiah was completely overwhelmed when he saw the holy God. But it wasn’t just God’s all-surpassing greatness that overwhelmed him. He also was overwhelmed by the greatness of his own sin.

In the bright light of God’s transcendent holiness, the extent of Isaiah’s sinfulness was painfully apparent. There was no hiding it. There was no excusing it. Isaiah knew what he deserved from the holy God because of his sins. He knew that he deserved to die and fully expected that he would.

But then one of the angels went to the altar, the place of sacrifice in the temple, and took from it a live coal. He flew to Isaiah, touched his mouth with the coal, and said to him, “Your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” Sinful Isaiah could not remove his sins from himself. However, the holy God could. And he did. He bridged the gap between himself and Isaiah and removed from Isaiah all his sins.

In the bright light of God’s transcendent holiness, the extent of our sinfulness is also unavoidably obvious. There is no way we can hide it. There is no way we can excuse it. Like Isaiah, we deserve to die, not just physically but eternally in the hell God has prepared for those whose sins separate them from him.

But God sent his own Son, Jesus Christ, to the altar of the cross to sacrifice himself for all our sins. The blood Jesus shed on the cross has now touched not only our lips but our heads and hands and feet and souls. Our guilt has been taken away. Our sin has been paid for. In Jesus, the holy God has bridged the gap between himself and sinful us. In Jesus, the triune God has removed from us all our sins.

Prayer:
O triune God, I praise you that in Jesus you have removed from me all my sins. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
Isaiah 6:1-4

The Triune God Is Holy

Daily Devotion – May 31, 2021

Devotion based on Isaiah 6:1-4

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Entering a church is meant to be a comforting experience. But imagine that one Sunday, you approach a church and see that the entire building seems to be shaking as if it were experiencing an earthquake. Hesitantly you open the front door and are immediately enveloped in clouds of smoke. At the front of the church, you see God himself seated on a lofty throne. The train of his robe fills the entire sanctuary. Around him fly six-winged angels, who themselves are so overcome by God’s greatness that they’re using one pair of wings to cover their faces and another to cover their feet. And in your ears resounds this chorus from the angels: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

How would you feel if you experienced something like this? When the prophet Isaiah had this experience, he felt completely overwhelmed. He was overwhelmed by God’s holiness.

To be holy means to be completely set apart. It means to be transcendent. As we witness God’s revelation of himself to Isaiah, we can’t help but see his holiness. God is on a level all his own in every possible way. No one comes close to matching his power. No one can ever begin to approach his glory. Everything about him is perfect. Even the angels, as glorious as they are, reverently avert their eyes when confronted with the holy God.

All this leads us to approach our holy God with similar reverence. We may not see our holy God with our physical eyes each time we enter a church. But he still is seated on his high and lofty throne. He still is transcendent and set apart. The angels in heaven still are shouting his praises. And we join our voices to theirs, exalting our holy God.

Prayer:
O holy triune God, I praise you for your greatness. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
John 15:12,13

A Heroic Deed

Daily Devotion – May 30, 2021

Devotion based on John 15:12,13

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Battlefield bravery—a soldier gives up his life to save the lives of his fellow soldiers. We hear of medals being awarded for such behavior. The soldier is part of a team, bonded by common goals and motivated by respect and love for his comrades. Such acts are rare events in our world.

The soldiers whose lives were saved remember the heroic deed the rest of their lives. Wouldn’t we do the same?

Someone did die to save our lives—someone by the name of Jesus Christ! In our case, though, there were two significant differences that take the sacrifice far beyond anything else that has taken place here on earth. Jesus died for all the people who ever lived on earth. Everyone was a sinner; all had broken God’s commands. Each of us by our nature was not a friend of Jesus. We were the enemy. What kind of love is it that would have Jesus die for his enemies?

And what about the effect of Jesus’ death for us? He did not die to lengthen our life here on earth. By his death, Jesus gave us eternal life. He turned us from enemies into friends. Jesus took our sins on himself so that we can spend eternity with him in heaven. To that end, we look forward. For here and now, we hear his command: Love each other as I have loved you.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, help me this day to be willing to selflessly love the people in my life the way you selflessly loved me when you paid for my sins on the cross. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.