Author: Kerry

After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them.
Mark 9:2

Remember Who Our God Really Is

Daily Devotion – February 18, 2021

Devotion based on Mark 9:2

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Do you wonder why Jesus chose to bring his disciples to that mountain and briefly reveal his true glory to them? We find a clue in the first three words of today’s verse: “After six days.” As we look at this event, God wants us to keep in mind what had happened six days earlier. And what was that?

Six days earlier, Jesus told his disciples that he was soon going to die by crucifixion. At this point, Jesus is nine months away from his death, and he knew his disciples were going to see it happen. He knew they were going to see some very difficult things that were going to challenge their faith and make them wonder if following Jesus was worth it. So Jesus showed them a glimpse of his true glory. He gave them a reminder of how different and beautiful our God really is.

Based on what they were going to see, that was an important reminder for them, just as it is for us. We also have times in life when it doesn’t seem like anything good is happening, when our faith is challenged, and when the troubles of this world make us wonder if we have the right to expect anything glorious from the God who promises us so many good things.

The day of Jesus’ transfiguration is a reminder that we do. Just as Jesus bolstered the fragile faith of his disciples with a brief reminder of his glory, he invites us to find strength for our journey by remembering, moment-to-moment, who our God really is. He invites you to look past the human skin and see the glorious identity of our Savior, always eager to love, always ready to forgive, always ready to sacrifice whatever is necessary to be there for you when you cry out to him.

Prayer:
Father in heaven, help me to remember everything Jesus is and everything Jesus did so that I will never forget that I am your own child through him. 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.

After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.
Mark 9:2,3

Jesus Gave Up His Glory

Daily Devotion – February 17, 2021

Devotion based on Mark 9:2,3

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Today is the first day of the season of Lent. During this season you might hear some people say what they will be “giving up for Lent.” Some give up eating dessert, drinking alcohol, watching television, or checking social media during the 40 days of Lent. Why do they do this? Willingly giving up the use of something meaningful to them helps them better appreciate what Jesus was willing to give up during his time on earth. And what was Jesus willing to give up?

He gave up his use of the glory he revealed to his disciples on, what is named, the mountain of transfiguration. The dazzling whiteness that was brighter than anything the disciples ever could have imagined was something they had never seen when they looked at Jesus for as long as they had known him. Indeed, when Jesus called these men to be his disciples, when he walked with them from town to town, when he sat with them and taught them the truths of God’s Word, in every moment, Jesus looked very … normal. He looked just like them. But he wasn’t just like them. The Bible is clear that Jesus has always been “the radiance of God’s glory” (Hebrews 1:3).

Yet Jesus willingly gave up the use of that glory, not just for 40 days, but from the moment he entered the womb of a virgin as a fragile human until the moment his crucified body was placed into the grave in which he was buried. Why?

Because God wanted to give you a human friend who is “not unable to sympathize with our weaknesses” (Hebrews 4:15) who is also, as this glimpse of glory reminded the disciples, able to offer God a better sacrifice than any you or I could give him.

Jesus willingly gave up his glory so that we would never have to give up holding on to the certainty that we are forgiven of our sins through his sacrifice and eternal members of God’s own family.

Prayer:
Father in heaven, thank you for the glorious sacrifice of my Savior, Jesus. 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.

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
2 Corinthians 4:3,4

The Gospel Is Veiled

Daily Devotion – February 16, 2021

Devotion based on 2 Corinthians 4:3,4

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A man recently bought a home in Chicago. The house was a fixer-upper and in need of extensive rehabilitation. As the man began tearing into walls and removing floorboards, he discovered something he wasn’t expecting. Cash. Lots of cash. In various places throughout the house, behind walls and underneath the flooring, the man discovered multiple envelopes, each filled with money. Altogether, the cash totaled more than $10,000.

He didn’t know the cash was in that house when he bought it. Yet it was. The money was real, and it was there, even if he wasn’t aware of it.

The Bible reminds us that we already possess something far more valuable than $10,000 in cash. We possess the gospel. The gospel is the good news that God has already found you and, through the life and death of Jesus, has placed into your future the eternal wealth of heaven.

Yet, it’s not always easy to live as though that good news really exists. The Bible tells us why: “The god of this age has blinded” many eyes from seeing it. The good news of the gospel is often veiled behind the ongoing work of Satan, behind the abundance of his temptations, and even behind the eagerness of our own hearts to give in to them. Based on the darkness we see, either in the world or in our hearts, we can wonder if the gospel is real or if it applies to someone like me.

But just because the gospel is sometimes hard to see doesn’t mean it isn’t real or doesn’t apply to someone like you. Even Jesus knows this dark world will always make it difficult to see good things. It’s why he came. Jesus came to give us a light that would keep shining no matter what this dark world did to him; so that anyone who has trouble seeing good news would always be able to find it.

Prayer:
Father in heaven, open my eyes each day to the reality of the gospel so that I follow the one true Light through this world’s deep darkness. 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 what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:5,6

A Love Worth Preaching

Daily Devotion – February 15, 2021

Devotion based on 2 Corinthians 4:5,6

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John Wooden was one of the most successful college basketball coaches in history, and he kissed only one woman throughout his entire life. When John was 14, he gave his first kiss to a girl named Nellie, who later became his wife. He never kissed another woman.

John and Nellie were married for 53 years. Nellie died on March 21, 1985. Exactly one month after Nellie died, on the 21st of April, John wrote a love letter to his deceased wife. A month later, on the 21st of May, he did the same thing. On the 21st day of every month after that until the day he died, John wrote another love letter to Nellie. He never showed them to anyone. Not even their children were allowed to read them. When John was asked why he continued to write love letters to someone who could now never love him back, he said, “I love her, and I’m keeping my promise.” That’s a very special love.

Yet we find an even greater love on the pages of the Bible—a love for you that doesn’t end even at death. That’s what we find as we read of Jesus hanging on a cross, continuing to love a world that far too often acts like it’s dead in its desire to follow him. That’s what we find when we read of Jesus not spilling some ink on a paper once a month but spilling his innocent blood on a cross to forgive us of our sins and earn our place in heaven where we will be loved for eternity in perfection.

This is why the apostle Paul preached “Jesus Christ as Lord” and declared himself to be his willing servant. What greater love could you ever find? What greater love could you ever show the world than that which we find in Jesus?

Prayer:
Father in heaven, help me to see the greatness of Jesus’ love for me so that I will serve both him and all others with love more eagerly. 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.

After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”
Mark 9:2-7

Preparation of the Transfiguration

Daily Devotion – February 14, 2021

Devotion based on Mark 9:2-7

See series: Devotions

Last week, millions of people watched one of the greatest sporting events of the year—the Super Bowl. For people like us, who merely watched the game, the event lasted a few hours. But for the players and coaches who participated, the event was the culmination of days of preparation. Practices were held, the game film was watched and meetings were attended—all to be prepared for the biggest game of the year.

On the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus prepares us for an even greater challenge than the Super Bowl. He prepares us to face life in this sin-filled world. In this world, Jesus’ glory will not always appear as clearly as it did on the mountain that day. There will be trials and temptations and times when we will wonder where our Jesus is.

When facing these difficult days, glance back at the Mount of Transfiguration. See your Jesus and the glory that is his alone. Remember that he is the Almighty and was willing to go back down that mountain so he could be crucified on another. There on the hill called Calvary, Jesus’ glory shone most brightly. Beneath the blood and sweat and horror, you see the glory of his love for you—a love that paid for your sins so that one day you can experience the glory of the transfiguration forever.

May this reality prepare you for the valleys you will walk through in this world. May it make you all the more eager to view his glory in heaven where he is preparing a place for all his believers.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for using your transfiguration to prepare me for the valleys of this life. When I am tempted to doubt your power and glory, turn my eyes back to that mountain and renew my strength. 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.

I do all this for the sake of the gospel.
1 Corinthians 9:23

For the Sake of the Truth

Daily Devotion – February 13, 2021

Devotion based on 1 Corinthians 9:23

See series: Devotions

His name was William Charles Macready. He’s not a household name now, but back in the 1800s, William Macready was one of the most respected actors in Great Britain and the United States. In each of his stage performances, Macready poured his heart and soul into the character he was portraying. People loved him for it. They packed the theaters to see him at work.

It’s said that there once was a preacher who approached Macready with a simple question: “What is the reason for the difference between you and me? You are appearing before crowds night after night with fiction, and the crowds come wherever you go. I am preaching the essential and unchangeable truth, and I am not getting any crowd at all.”

Macready’s answer was, “I can tell you the difference between us. I present my fiction as though it were truth; you present your truth as though it were fiction.”

Ouch.

Don’t misunderstand. The Bible is clear that the power to bring hearts to faith in Jesus lies in the power of the gospel—the good news of what Jesus has done on our behalf. Nevertheless, how many times have Christians put a roadblock in front of the gospel by acting as if it’s fiction? In all candor, Christians must confess that they have been guilty of this.

The beauty is that, despite the lack of passion and bouts of apathy, the gospel remains the truest thing there is. After all, whenever the reality of our wrongs crushes us, and we cry out in repentance, the living, breathing Savior promises us that his blood has washed us clean, that we are his, and that he will never leave our side.

Macready did all he could for the sake of fiction. In Jesus, you and I can do all we can for the sake of the truth—the truth of sins forgiven in Christ.

Prayer:
Precious Savior, I confess all the times I have shared your good news so poorly. Forgive me. And empower me by your gospel to do all I can for the sake of the truth. 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.

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
Mark 1:35

Routine

Daily Devotion – February 12, 2021

Devotion based on Mark 1:35

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Consider this. You and I face an assault against our prayer life every day. That assault may begin the moment we awake. On goes the radio in the bedroom. On goes the TV in the kitchen. Now it’s time to check my social media. Now it’s time to scroll through my texts. From there it’s time to climb into my vehicle to listen to a podcast on the way to work. After work, I swing by the grocery store with soft rock pulsating from the store loudspeakers. I catch up on the news over dinner. I listen to my playlist as I go for a walk. I pull up something to watch on Netflix before I turn in. The next morning on goes the radio in the bedroom.

When you and I consider how Jesus starts his day in Mark chapter one, the difference is stunning. When Jesus gets up, the first thing he does is go off to a solitary place, a place free of distractions, free of interference, free of competing sounds and voices. He goes there to pray and raise his voice to heaven. He goes there to open up to his heavenly Father.

Let’s give ourselves a moment of candor. You and I must confess to our Lord and each other that there have been all kinds of ways by which we have often allowed the noises and bells and whistles of the day to swallow precious minutes—precious minutes we might otherwise have spent talking to our good and gracious God. This is to our shame. And for it, we deserve God’s eternal contempt.

But that is not how God has dealt with us. Instead, he sent Jesus. On our behalf, Jesus maintained his prayer life as a constant, perfect priority. And at the cross, Jesus bled and died for all of our wasted moments—every single one. Now, through faith in him, all is forgiven, all is restored, all is well.

All of which empowers us to look at tomorrow’s routine with a fresh set of eyes.

Prayer:
Lord God, in Jesus I am forgiven. Move me to seize moments to talk to you in prayer. 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.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28

Cliché

Daily Devotion – February 11, 2021

Devotion based on Romans 8:28

See series: Devotions

There are certain sayings that people share so much that they become cliché. The word cliché is from the French. It refers to a part on an old printing press that runs off a copy over and over again. Even in the word itself, you can hear the sound that the old printing press makes as it repeatedly runs off its copies.

Examples? A few years ago, a website came up with a list of common clichés. Coming in at number ten is “Better safe than sorry.” “There’s no time like the present” is number nine. Number six on the list is “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” Number five is “You cannot please everyone.” “You cannot judge a book by its cover” is number four. Claiming the number three spot is “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” “The grass is always greener on the other side” is number two. And coming in at number one for a top ten list of common clichés? “Actions speak louder than words.”

There’s a downside, however, for a saying that reaches the status of cliché. Constant repetition can diminish its impact. “That’s just an old cliché,” people begin to say.

Over the years, many Christians have spoken the words of today’s Bible passage. Often they have made a shorthand reference to the passage by simply saying, “In all things God works for the good.” Usually, the souls who hear these words are hurting in some way. The circumstances might be anything—serious illness, family crisis, financial setback, job loss, natural disaster, death.

The next time it’s our turn to hear these words, the temptation will be strong to dismiss them; to say, “That’s just an old cliché.” When that temptation comes, stop, and listen. Let this Word of God penetrate your mind and heart. It’s a living, breathing promise, sealed in the same blood of Jesus that has washed your every sin away. His Word is not an empty cliché. His Word is truth.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, in my moments of pain, breathe into me your promise that you work in all things for my good. 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.

I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
1 Corinthians 9:23

Mileage

Daily Devotion – February 10, 2021

Devotion based on 1 Corinthians 9:23

See series: Devotions

In the classic adventure film, “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” there’s a scene where Indiana Jones is feeling all his aches and pains from his countless escapades. At that moment, he groans, “It’s not the years. It’s the mileage.”

The apostle Paul could have said something similar. If you had met him near the end of his life, what would you have seen? Perhaps a limp from some broken bone that never healed properly. Or scars on his skin from the beatings he endured. Or callouses on his hands from his work of tentmaking to make ends meet. And if you looked carefully, perhaps you would notice Paul sighing some heavy sighs and wiping away a tear as the desperate needs of souls weighed on his mind.

Was it all worth it, Paul? Was it worth the years? Worth the hardships? Worth the hostility? Worth the heartaches? Worth the mileage, callouses, and scars?

Throughout the New Testament, the Holy Spirit empowered Paul to answer such a question many times. In 1 Corinthians chapter 9, Paul simply said this: “I do all this for the sake of the gospel.”

Through all the mileage and wear-and-tear, Paul never forgot what the gospel has done for him. He never forgot that, even though he, Paul, had been living a life in dark opposition to God’s truth, nevertheless God the Son came for him in the person of Jesus Christ. In place of Paul’s life of sinful arrogance, Jesus lived a life of perfect, humble service. Then he carried every last one of Paul’s sinful failures to the cross, washing them all away.

Through faith in his living Savior, Paul never forgot this. He lived to share the gospel with others. That’s how valuable the good news about Jesus is. Whenever and wherever you can learn more about it so that, like Paul, you can share in its blessings.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, grant me opportunities to learn more about what you have done for me and continue to do for me. 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.

Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone to win as many as possible.
1 Corinthians 9:19

Slave

Daily Devotion – February 9, 2021

Devotion based on 1 Corinthians 9:19

See series: Devotions

It is the First Century A.D., and you are a slave. How you became a slave may have been in any number of ways. Perhaps you’re a prisoner of war, or a sailor captured and sold by pirates, or your desperate family sold you into slavery when you were a child.

As a slave, you might find yourself working anywhere. You might work in a household, in a mine, in a factory, or on a farm. What dominates your life, however, is the reality that you are the property of your owner. Your owner can rent you out or sell you at any time. Your owner also has the right to put you to death at any moment, for any reason. You are a slave. Your life is not your own.

This picture of a slave is what the apostle Paul had in mind when he wrote to his fellow Christians in Corinth. Although he was a free man, Paul was willing to make himself a slave in the way he lived for those around him.

What drove him to do this? Did he suffer from low self-esteem? Was he trying to make up for past failures? Was he subservient by nature? Any fair reading of Paul will soon tell you that those were not the reasons. Instead, Paul said this: “I make myself a slave to everyone to win as many as possible.”

For Paul, it came down to Jesus. The Son of God came to this earth, made himself a servant on our behalf, and lived a holy life in our place. He allowed himself to endure torment and death as our Substitute. All this he did to serve us and to wash our sinful stains away.

In Paul’s mind, if he could bring the Good News to more people by living for them and not for himself, he would do it. He was simply following his Savior’s lead. Forgiven in Jesus, you and I have reason to do the same.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, you gave up your life to wash me clean. Give me that same spirit as I live for others. 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.