Author: Kerry

… from [the patriarchs] is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all.
Romans 9:5

The Rescue

Daily Devotion – August 11, 2018

Devotion based on Romans 9:5

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During World War II, an American soldier by the name of Bert Frizen was on the front lines in Europe. One day, his patrol reached the edge of a wooded area with an open field before them. But unknown to the Americans, a unit of Germans waited in trenches about 200 yards across that field.

Bert was one of two scouts who moved out into the clearing. Once he was halfway across the field, the remainder of his battalion followed. Suddenly the Germans opened fire. Bullets ripped into both of Bert’s legs. The Americans immediately withdrew into the woods for protection. A rapid exchange of fire continued, but Bert lay helpless where he had fallen.

Then things got worse. Bert noticed that a German soldier was crawling towards him. He closed his eyes and waited for his enemy to arrive and put him to death. Time passed. Finally, he dared to look. There was the German soldier kneeling at his side. Then Bert noticed something else. The shooting had stopped. The shooting had stopped because every man on both sides wanted to see what this mysterious German soldier was going to do next.

And this is what he did. In the middle of that field, the German picked up Bert in his arms and carried him to the safety of the American side. Then, without speaking a word, he turned and walked back across the field to his own troops. Moments later the fighting resumed, but not before all those present had witnessed how one man had risked everything for his enemy.

By nature, you and I were God’s enemies. Our sinfulness had infected us so much that our very minds were hostile toward God. But God did the unthinkable. He became one of us. He became one of us in the person of Jesus Christ. On our behalf he lived the holy life we had refused to live. Then, for our sin he suffered and died the death we had deserved to die. Then he rose from death to assure us that we were enemies no more.

And now we are rescued, you and I—rescued and forgiven through faith in the One who refused to stand by and watch us die. That is what we have in our God. That is what we have in our Savior.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, at a time when every fiber of my being was your sworn enemy, you chose to rescue me. And now you are my dearest friend. Thank you, Lord. Thank you. Amen.

This devotion was selected from the Daily Devotion archive.

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 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
Revelation 1:5b-6

Priests to Serve

Daily Devotion – August 10, 2018

Devotion based on Revelation 1:5b-6

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Today when we hear the word “priest,” we may picture someone wearing a black shirt with that one-of-a-kind clerical collar. We may think of someone being addressed as “Father.” Yet in these verses from the book of Revelation, the title “priest” does not strictly apply to Roman Catholic clergy. It applies to every believer.

Permit a little history to complete the picture. For Old Testament Israel, God had established an order of priests. Their role was to serve as the intermediaries between God and his people. Why? God is holy. His people are not. Holiness and sin do not mix. So, if the people were to offer to God the gifts, offerings, prayers, and sacrifices he commanded, they would do so through the priest. They could not offer God anything on their own. They needed a priest.

Jesus has changed all that. We do not need priests to go between us and God anymore, because Jesus loves us to such an extent that he offered his holy life as the payment for our sins. We are neither slaves nor prisoners to our sin any longer. We are free. When God looks at his people, he doesn’t see their sin. He sees the holiness of his Son, Jesus.

As a result of that, all believers are not just “members” of the Holy Christian Church, Jesus has made us all priests. We get to offer gifts to God ourselves. We do so not just in giving money to church or charity. We do this when we, ourselves, go to God in prayer, when we help those who need it, when we provide for those under our care, when we treat others with love and respect. He transforms our lives so that every day in what we do, we serve him. He has made us priests to serve.

Prayer:(Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal – 469)
Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to thee. Take my moments and my days, let them flow in ceaseless praise.

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 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
Ephesians 5:25-27

The Beauty of the Church

Daily Devotion – August 9, 2018

Devotion based on Ephesians 5:25-27

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I am a fan of the tradition that on the wedding day the groom should not see his bride before she comes down the aisle. I think it came from superstitious notions, which I do not believe in, but the upshot is that the expression on the groom’s face is often one of the best pictures of the day. What he sees is a breathtakingly beautiful bride. She is the woman of his dreams. She is radiant, and in that moment, she is without blemish. It is a beautiful moment.

Now men, put yourself on the other end of the aisle. You are walking down the aisle to meet the church’s groom, Jesus, who loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy. The Church—all believers in Christ, collectively—is the bride and she is beautiful.

I can think of many things about Christian people and me that I know are not beautiful. It is a stain and wrinkle on my record when I think how I do not love my wife as Christ loved the church. And yet, here we are, walking down the aisle to stand by Jesus. His sacrificial death makes us holy. The washing of baptism cleanses us, and Jesus in his beautiful love for us presents us to himself as a radiant church.

Prayer:
Jesus, your great love for us and the remarkable transformation from stained and blemished sinner to radiant bride is marvelous to ponder. Lead us in gratitude to love each other as you have loved us. 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 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the LORD‘s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” Then the LORD said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you…. When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread the LORD has given you to eat.
Exodus 16: 2-4,15

Bread from Heaven

Daily Devotion – August 8, 2018

Devotion based on Exodus 16: 2-4,15

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The future—what lies ahead—is totally unknown to us and often wildly unpredictable. But that doesn’t stop us from having feelings about the future. How do you feel about your future?

In his book Enlightenment Now, cognitive scientist Steven Pinker finds that majorities in fourteen leading countries believe the world is getting worse rather than better. Pinker goes on to say, “This bleak assessment of the state of the world is wrong.” Using statistical insights, Pinker shows that people are living longer, healthier, and happier lives.

So why aren’t we more optimistic? Just because things are getting better, doesn’t mean they are good enough. Just because we have made improvements and advancements doesn’t mean we have achieved perfection.

For the Israelites, life was getting better than it had been. However, you would not know that from today’s Bible verses. Just one month earlier they were all slaves in Egypt. They seemed to think they spent their days in Egypt gorging themselves. They even went so far as to suggest it would have been better if they had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! But their recollection of those days was incorrect.

Selfishness is always easier to spot in someone else. Our own reactions to the troubles and frustrations of life are all too often just as selfish and sinful as the Israelites in these verses. The sinful nature of all mankind can be most ungrateful.

Certainly, God could shower us with blessings that make life in this world more pleasant. And he does! Our lives are already filled with comforts and conveniences that previous generations would never have imagined. But these can never truly satisfy us. We need something better. We long for the perfect life. Whether we realize it or not, we desire someone divine.

In John chapter 6, Jesus told people that the Bread of Life is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. His listeners longed for this bread. Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life.… Whoever comes to me will never go hungry and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. Whoever believes in me will have eternal life.”

Your life might not be everything you think it should be, but it is probably better than you realize. Give thanks to God for all the blessings from his hand. The Lord who loves you gave his one and only Son so that you might have life to the full. You can confidently say that the best is yet to come.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, you know how quick I am to gripe and complain. Help me to see how you have opened your hand and given me many good things. Fill my heart with gratitude and appreciation for your many blessings, especially your Son Jesus Christ who lived, died, and rose again so that I might have eternal life. 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 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, … to be made new in the attitude of your minds.
Ephesians 4:22-23

The Ride Home

Daily Devotion – August 7, 2018

Devotion based on Ephesians 4:22-23

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Dale Hammock is 65. He is bald with a gray mustache. He is wearing shorts and a white T-shirt. He steps into a Denny’s restaurant for a bite to eat. The hostess walks him over to a booth where he sits down. Around him are the usual sights and sounds—the muffled drone of a dozen conversations, the crying child, the shouts of food orders to the kitchen, the burst of laughter, the clack of plates. And Dale Hammock is afraid.

He keeps looking around. He feels vulnerable. He is terrified of letting his guard down. Then the server comes with questions he’s not sure how to answer. And the knives and forks—so many knives and forks.

For the past 21 years, Dale Hammock has lived within the walls of a prison. Today is his first day of freedom. It’s the first day of his new life. But to discard the old mindset from prison is going to be a monumental task. “This is going to take a minute,” he quietly says with a grand understatement. “This is going to take a minute.”

Fortunately for Dale, he is not alone. Carlos is with him. Carlos is part of what is called “The Ride Home Program.” Carlos has been where Dale now is, and so he knows exactly how Dale feels. Carlos has done this many times. He picks up a just-released prisoner outside the prison wall and spends that crucial first day with him. He shares his own story. He talks about the challenges. He listens. He gives a lot of encouragement. And he tells the ex-prisoner that he is not alone.

But Dale Hammock needs far more than just one day, and Carlos knows it. And so at the end of the day, Carlos introduces Dale to others—others who can encourage him, others who can be there for him, others who understand.

You and I were prisoners too, prisoners within the four walls of our own sin. But then Jesus came. His life and death on our behalf broke down the walls and, through faith in him, brought us into our new life. In our new life there is forgiveness, light, freedom, and joy.

But the old prison mindset is stubborn. The old fears and darkness can so easily return. That is why you and I have a Ride Home Program as well. It is the Church. It is our fellow ex-prisoners. They all know that discarding the old prison mindset is a monumental task. They are there to share their stories. They are there to talk about the challenges. They are there to listen and give encouragement. They are there to remind me that I am not alone.

And most importantly, Jesus is there too.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, you have washed me clean and set me free. Never stop refreshing my mind in this one beautiful 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 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.”
John 6:26-27

The Stomach or the Heart

Daily Devotion – August 6, 2018

Devotion based on John 6:26-27

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Crowds were always following Jesus. They became even larger and more determined after he fed them. For most leaders, they would welcome the crowds and their adulation. Jesus was not your typical leader, though. This became clear from his observation: “You are looking for me because you ate the loaves and had your fill.” His point was clear. The people were more interested in having him fill their stomachs than their hearts.

Jesus’ observation should make me seriously consider my motives when I come in prayer. Do I seek him only to fill my empty stomach, or do I want him to fill my empty heart? The answer is critical for my eternal well-being.

On a daily basis I urgently pray for the obvious needs of my stomach. Earthly problems are a concern. Earthly emergencies demand attention. Earthly conflicts need solutions. In contrast, I must confess the needs of my heart are not as pressing. Still, I need a stronger faith. I need the peace of forgiveness. I need greater strength to overcome temptation. My prayer life is a good indicator as to which is more important—my stomach or my heart.

What I find comforting is that Jesus always responds first and foremost to the needs of my heart. He gives me his Word to refresh me. He gives me his forgiveness to renew me. He gives me his Spirit to regenerate me. In the end, what more could I ever want for my heart’s desire?

Still, I struggle. My stomach is powerful. It controls my decisions, and it makes countless demands. Yet, my heart strengthened by the Lord is more powerful. It leads me to make God-pleasing decisions, and it helps me recognize what is most important.

How blessed I am to live with a heart filled with Jesus and his rich blessings.

Prayer:
O faithful Savior, teach me to recognize what I truly need. Guide me in every prayer. Fill my heart with your gracious presence. 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 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

As evening approached, the disciples came to [Jesus] and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Bring them here to me,” he said. And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Matthew 14:15-21

The Greatest Miracle

Daily Devotion – August 5, 2018

Devotion based on Matthew 14:15-21

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Life is not about “getting what you want, but about wanting what you get”. When Jesus fed more than 5,000 people, he drove home that point. In that remote place no one was in a position to complain about the menu. Five dinner rolls, two fish, and the all-powerful and compassionate Son of God would have to do. Apparently, the crowd was happy with what they got: “They all ate and were satisfied …” What they got was a miracle.

Sadly, the great crowd missed the true significance of the event. They followed after Jesus looking for more bread. Jesus said to them: “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill” (John 6:26). They wanted bread and a “bread King”. Jesus had so much more to offer. He said: “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35), and explained that through faith in him they would have the life that never ends.

Jesus came to be the Savior of the world, not the supervisor of the world’s largest soup kitchen. I wonder, however, if that is what people want Jesus to be. We want God to wipe out poverty and put everyone back to work.

Maybe we miss out on the greatest miracle of the all-powerful and compassionate Son of God: the forgiveness of sins, spiritual life, and a place at the banquet feast of heaven. What we get from Jesus is an answer to the deepest hunger of our soul.

When we leave our house in a crabby mood with harsh words spoken to our children and spouse, our greatest concern is not what we will eat for lunch. Deep inside, we don’t want a sandwich; we want forgiveness. We care about our soul and then we want what we get from Jesus. We get the Bread of life. We get the One who did not have a crabby day. We get the One who died for all of us who have. We get the One who performed great miracles on earth so that we see him as the almighty God he really is and live with him who is our Savior both here on earth and in heaven.

Prayer:
Lord, lead us to see in Jesus the One who gives himself to be the bread that gives eternal life. Create a hunger in us for his forgiveness and great thankfulness for his abundant spiritual provision. Amen.

This devotion was selected from the Daily Devotion archive.

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 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live.
Isaiah 55:1-3

A Free Gift

Daily Devotion – August 4, 2018

Devotion based on Isaiah 55:1-3

See series: Devotions

Have you ever heard the axioms: “There’s no such thing as a free lunch,” or “You get what you pay for?” We would have to agree that usually those sayings are true. Everything comes with a cost. When someone offers us something for “free,” we’re automatically skeptical, aren’t we? We’ve been burned one too many times before. So we think to ourselves, “What’s the hidden cost? It must not be that valuable if someone is willing to give it away for free.”

Is that your initial reaction to God’s invitation to you in our verses for today? Wine and milk are not inexpensive. The richest of fare can’t come without cost. God is offering a deal that sounds too good to be true, isn’t he? It goes against all of our natural sensibilities. We have to do something to get something. We’re going to end up paying for it in the end, right? That’s just how the world works!

If you feel like this offer sounds too good to be true, you’re right! We don’t deserve anything that God offers here. Even if we had all the money in the world, we could never pay enough to buy what God offers us. Only one person could pay the price, only one person could do what was required and that person is Jesus. Jesus earned the salvation of the world by his perfect life on earth and then he paid the cost for the sins of the world with his innocent death. God offers all the benefits of Jesus’ work to you as a free gift. He gives you life for your soul!

Everyone in this world is spiritually bankrupt. Everyone is thirsting for salvation. There are all sorts of earthly, sugary solutions that will not satisfy. But God offers the good food of salvation in the good news about Jesus. You get what Jesus paid for! It’s the richest of fare. It will always satisfy. And unlike your lunch, it really is yours for free!

Prayer:
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. Amen.

This devotion was selected from the Daily Devotion archive.

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 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours.
1 Corinthians 1:2

The Holy Christian Church

Daily Devotion – August 3, 2018

Devotion based on 1 Corinthians 1:2

See series: Devotions

What is the church? Is it a building of brick and mortar that Christians meet in? Is it a group of Christians who own that building? Or is it something else?

We usually use the word church to refer to buildings or Christian denominations, but the Bible uses the word church differently. In Scripture the word church either refers to a group of people who believe in Jesus or the grand total of all believers in every time and place. Today’s verse makes this point in an interesting way.

Paul greets the church in Corinth as those who are “sanctified in Christ Jesus.” That means they have been made holy, a word that means pure or sinless. Their sins made them impure and sinful, but they were sanctified when the Holy Spirit gave them faith in Christ. That is why they are also “called to be holy”—not because they never sin, but because by faith their sins are forgiven, and they are covered with Jesus’ holiness.

The church of God in Corinth, then, is a group of people who believe in Jesus. But Paul also makes it clear that the church is not limited to them. It includes “all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

There are people everywhere who believe in Christ and pray to him. He is Lord of them all, and you are included! Like the Corinthians, you are holy, even though your life does not always look like it. The way you treat others, the way you talk, or what you do when no one is looking—all these things look the opposite of holy.

But God doesn’t call you holy because of how you look. He calls you holy because of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection for you. In Christ you are called holy, blameless, sinless, perfect. You are as much a part of Christ’s church as the Corinthians because the holy Christian Church is all those everywhere who believe in Jesus as their Savior.

Prayer:
Thank you, Lord, for giving me faith in Christ and calling me into the holy Christian Church. 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 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.