Author: Kerry

[God] raised [Christ] from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church.
Ephesians 1:20-22

Exalted for You

Daily Devotion – May 18, 2018

Devotion based on Ephesians 1:20-22

See series: Devotions

The phrase “friends in high places” refers to having people in senior or powerful positions who are able and willing to use their influence on one’s behalf.

While we may not have friends in high places, God’s Word tells us that we do have a friend in the highest place: Jesus Christ. He sits on a throne, “far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given…” He wields absolute power not just in time, but in eternity; not just over material things, but over spiritual things as well. Christ is exalted above all.

The key question is “Why?” Christ is exalted “for the church.” Jesus wields all power, authority, and dominion with a singular focus and goal: the eternal benefit of his believers. Jesus rules over all things in this world for you. His active work on your behalf didn’t stop when he gave his life to pay for your sin. It didn’t stop when he rose to give you victory over death and the grave. No, it continues every day. The same power exerted to conquer our spiritual enemies is the very power Jesus still holds and uses for your eternal good.

Wickedness may run rampant in this world. People you relied on may have turned their backs or let you down. An accident or a sudden catastrophe may have changed your earthly life. Your earthly life may be drawing to a close. But Jesus is still exalted above all for your eternal good.

He carried your sin. He paid your debt. He gave his life on a cross for you. He rose to conquer your grave and trusting in him as your Savior, he will bring you into eternal glory.

For today and every day after that, know that Jesus is exalted for you.

Prayer:(Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal – 536:1)
Lord Jesus Christ, the Church’s head, you are her one foundation. In you she trusts, before you bows, and waits for your salvation. Built on this rock secure, your church shall endure, though all the world decay and all things pass away. Oh, hear us, 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 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

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[God’s Son], who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 1:4

Heroes

Daily Devotion – May 17, 2018

Devotion based on Romans 1:4

See series: Devotions

History is full of heroes. We’ve heard stories of men and women who have made great sacrifices to advance a good cause. We’re right to feel inspired by people like that.

Jesus counts as one of history’s heroes. He took on the greedy, selfish leaders of his day. He loved the poor and the outcasts of society. He was a skilled teacher and a faithful friend. He sacrificed himself not only for his loved ones, but also for his enemies. The story of what Jesus said and did has been an inspiration for people around the world for over two thousand years.

But Jesus did what no other hero could do. Jesus rose from the dead. Death could not hold on to Jesus, because Jesus is bigger than death. Jesus is the Son of God.

Since Jesus is God, the cause Jesus advanced is far greater than any other good cause this world has ever seen. His victory over sin doesn’t just inspire us, it counts for us. His victory over the tomb is our victory over the tomb too. Everyone who trusts in Jesus has God’s complete forgiveness for the debt of their sin. All believers in Jesus who die will one day exit their tombs, raised and glorified, just like Jesus did.

We can all find inspiration from the good example of others, but we need more than that. We need rescue from our sin. We need deliverance from death. Jesus is more than a hero. He is our Savior. He was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, you are the Son of God. You are the Savior I need. Take away my guilty fears and fill me with resurrection joy. 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.

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[Peter said,] “It is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.” … Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.
Acts 1:21-22,26

Witnesses of the Resurrection

Daily Devotion – May 16, 2018

Devotion based on Acts 1:21-22,26

See series: Devotions

The number twelve is significant in the Bible. That number is closely associated with God’s people. In the Old Testament there were twelve tribes of Israel. In the New Testament there were twelve apostles.

Well, there were twelve apostles. After he betrayed Jesus, Judas was seized with remorse and took his own life. Then there were only eleven apostles, and God does not leave things incomplete. So after Jesus ascended into heaven, Peter addressed the believers and told them that it was time to replace Judas.

The requirement for this new apostle was that he had to be with the other apostles together with Jesus from the beginning of Lord’s ministry to his ascension. Two men were proposed to fill the position: Joseph and Matthias. The believers prayed, cast lots, and Matthias was chosen.

We do not know what happened to Matthias after this. He is never mentioned again. So why does the Bible make such a big deal of his selection? Because the big deal is not Matthias, it is what Matthias was called to do.

Peter said that Matthias “must become a witness with us of his [Jesus’] resurrection.” The big deal about Matthias is that he was an eyewitness. He could tell people, “This is not made up! I was there. I walked and talked with Jesus before he was crucified, and I saw him alive again three days after he died.”

Here is the truth about Christianity. It is not made up. We did not see Jesus’ death and resurrection or hear his teaching with our own ears. But Matthias and the other apostles did, and their eyewitness testimony is recorded in the Bible.

In other words, Scripture tells the facts of our salvation: Jesus saved us by giving his perfect life and dying the death that we deserve. But now Christ is risen. It’s true; we can count on it for eternal life!

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for providing us with witnesses of your resurrection and for preserving their testimony in the Bible. Most of all, thank you for giving us eternal life in the risen Christ. 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.

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We love because he first loved us.
1 John 4:19

Lord, how can I possibly love THAT person?

Daily Devotion – May 15, 2018

Devotion based on 1 John 4:19

See series: Devotions

Perhaps it is that co-worker whose mission in life seems to be to make your job as difficult and unpleasant as possible. Perhaps it is a family member whose addiction has not only torn apart their own life but has left your life and emotions in tatters as well. Perhaps it is your neighbor, who continues to hold loud late-night parties even after you’ve asked them repeatedly to be more considerate. Or perhaps it is that fellow church member, who always seems to find something wrong with what you’ve done no matter how hard you try to do it in “the right way.”

We all have people in our lives who are hard to love. Yet, the fact that we find them hard to love does not excuse us from loving them. Jesus’ command to us is clear: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31). And he has made it very clear who our neighbor is—all our fellow human beings. That includes our troublesome co-worker, our addicted family member, our loud next-door neighbor, our nit-picky fellow church member, and anyone else that we may find hard to love.

But how can we possibly love someone when they make it so hard for us to love them? Does God just want us to fake it? Does he just want us to put on a happy face and pretend that everything that bothers us about them doesn’t really matter?

The apostle John gives us the answer to all these questions in today’s Bible passage. He tells us, “We love because he [that is, God] first loved us.” Think about the way in which God has loved you. Did he love you because you always were so kind and pleasant toward him? Did he love you because you had so much to offer him? Did he love you because on your own you were so lovable? No, God loved you in spite of the fact that you were by nature his enemy. He loved you in spite of the fact that you had nothing but your sins to offer him. He loved you in spite of the fact that on your own you were not lovable at all. And his love for you wasn’t just him putting on a smiling face and pretending that the things that made you unlovable didn’t really bother him. No, his love for you was so real and sincere that he willingly sacrificed his Son Jesus on the cross so that everything that made you unlovable in yourself was washed away by Jesus’ precious blood.

Talk about loving someone who was hard to love! God’s love shows us what it means to love everyone, regardless of how lovable they are in themselves. God’s love demonstrates that true love doesn’t depend on how much the person being loved deserves that love. True love depends on a truly loving God who loved us unlovable sinners so much that he sacrificed his own Son for us. As God’s love surrounds and fills our hearts, we have all we need to love even those people that are hard to love. And we will be able to love all our neighbors—even THOSE neighbors—just as God loves each of us.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, so fill my heart with your love for me in Jesus my Savior that I may love all my neighbors just as you have loved 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 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

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“They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.”
John 17:16

Not of This World

Daily Devotion – May 14, 2018

Devotion based on John 17:16

See series: Devotions

Sarah felt out of place. While she always enjoyed the company of her friends, she noticed something had changed. Initially she just ignored her feelings, but as time went on she felt more and more uncomfortable.

One day she went to her father and wanted to know what he thought. She explained, every time I get together with my friends all they talk about is parties, drinking, their latest escapades with guys, and criticizing other people. Sarah confessed she liked her friends, but she didn’t appreciate their decisions. Her father thought for a moment. Then he asked his daughter, “Do you remember Jesus’ prayer for his disciples?”

What Sarah needed to remember is what I need to understand. As a faithful follower of my Savior, I am unique. Jesus has not only forgiven my sin and purified me from guilt and shame, he has also set me apart for his holy purposes. My life belongs to my Savior. I am not of this world.

The direct result is, that while I live in this world, I do not consider myself a part of it. I have been set free from the selfishness, the self-centeredness, and self-indulgence which defines the world. I have also been set free to serve my Savior and others unselfishly, selflessly, and sacrificially.

Although this is what my Savior has made me, I realize that it will always be a struggle. My sinful, worldly flesh will always seek to gain control. The devil will also tirelessly work to lead me away from my Savior and his will for my life. My strength, my confidence, and my only hope for victory is through Jesus. As my Savior, he provides me with the motivation and the ability to live completely for him. He also assures me, when I do fall, he will be there to forgive me and restore me through his precious love.

How blessed I am to be united to my Savior. How blessed I am to be his faithful disciple. How blessed I am to be “not of this world.”

Prayer:
O dearest Jesus, you have set me apart from this world. Keep me safe. Keep me strong. Keep me yours forever. 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.

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Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6

Jesus is the Trail

Daily Devotion – May

Devotion based on John 14:6

See series: Devotions

The scenery whizzed by along Interstate 94. Fields and rivers, forest and prairie. Who first blazed these trails? Before bulldozers, there were horses and wagons. Before them, French fur traders and explorers. Before them, Ojibwe and Sioux.

I could not have traveled that road back then. Such a trip would’ve left me lost, suffering from exposure, and starvation. It would’ve ended in tragedy. I needed those who have gone before.

Jesus blazed the trail that no one else could. Who could’ve opened the path to the Father’s house? God’s holiness is a consuming fire; I am a guilty sinner. What is the guilt that nags your conscience? Even the smallest sin excludes you and me. Even one failure to keep God’s commands is like a roaring river or an impassable mountain cutting off our way to the Father. If you and I do our best to get around our sin and find our own path, it will end in tragedy.

Jesus came from the Father. He came sent by the Father. He came on the mission to bring you and me to the Father. He didn’t blaze a trail for us to follow by our own power. How lost that would have left us!

Rather, Jesus is the trail. He is the way. He alone brings us to the Father. For he alone has come from the Father and returned to the Father to prepare a place for us.

He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. For only his death brings us life with the Father. Only his death atoned for all guilt—yours, mine, and everyone’s. Only his death reconciled the world to God. Only his death has removed sin, which ought to have blocked us from our Father’s house forever. His death truly did all this, for he has risen. He lives. That is the truth. Believe it.

Yes, believe that Jesus is the one and only way to the Father. Believe that he is your way.

Prayer:
Without you, dear Jesus, I am lost and damned. You alone bring me to the Father. Keep me from pursuing my own self-sought ways. Draw me closer to you until I dwell in your Father’s house 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.

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“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even though he dies.”
John 11:25

Death

Daily Devotion – March 12, 2018

Devotion based on John 11:25

See series: Devotions

Alfred Nobel woke up to a grim and unexpected notice one morning. In the local paper he read his own obituary! You see, the local reporter had mistaken the death of Alfred’s brother for his own. But the appearance of Alfred’s obituary did not alarm him as much as what he read in that obituary. It read, “The Dynamite King has died!” Alfred was described as the man who had made a great fortune from his invention of dynamite. Sadly, he would be remembered by the world as someone who profited from bringing disaster; a merchant of death and destruction.

Many of us may wonder how we will be remembered after we die. Maybe more than once the question asked so jokingly in the commercial, “What do you want on your tombstone?” has occupied our minds.

Someone once said, “Death is the ultimate statistic.” It’s a hardened reality that is completely inescapable. Death can fill us with a feeling of defenselessness. Most of us do not get the opportunity to reflect on our own death like Alfred did. So, when these thoughts creep into our minds, we find ourselves with a lot more questions than answers. When? … Where? … WHY?

Our God desires a different statistic for all people. Our Savior Jesus Christ says, “I have come that they may have life and have it to the full” (1 Timothy 2:4). This life that Jesus offers each of us extends beyond the grave. It is life in its fullest; it is life with God forever!

Jesus does not want us to have a heart full of worry and questions about death. Instead he wants us to be confident of his power over death. Jesus declares, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even though he dies.” Even though death will make its unwanted visit, Jesus breaks through the gloom of death with the assurance that he will raise all the dead and give eternal life in heaven to those who believe in him.

It’s not so important how people remember us after we die. What is important is that we know Jesus before we die. When questions about death plague our minds, Jesus teaches us to be confident that through faith in him we will live forever!

Prayer:
Jesus, fill my mind with the knowledge that you defeated the power of death by your resurrection from the dead. Teach my heart to trust in your promise that you will raise me from the grave and give me eternal life. 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.

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In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
John 14:2-3

Going to Prepare a Place

Daily Devotion – May 11, 2018

Devotion based on John 14:2-3

See series: Devotions

Imagine that you are planning on going camping with some friends, when they call a couple of days before the trip and say, “Hey, we got off work a day early, so we will go and get a couple of good sites. If you want to bring your tent by, we will set it up for you, start a fire, and have dinner waiting for you when you get there.” They would never do such a thing, if they didn’t think you were coming to join them.

When Jesus promised that he was going to prepare a place for his disciples, he knew what lay ahead of them. He knew their faith would be severely tested, because soon he would be taken from them. Judas would leave only to come back with a detachment of soldiers to arrest him in the garden. Then Jesus would be detained and put on trial where he was mocked, spit upon, and beaten. After being crucified and buried, it would seem like Jesus had left them forever. But then, after three days he rose from the dead and appeared to them on many occasions. He was back! Until…forty days later he visibly ascended into heaven.

Sometimes we feel so alone, don’t we? Sure, we might have friends and family all around, but what about Jesus? He doesn’t always seem so close as we struggle to understand all the hate and violence in the world around us. He doesn’t always seem so near when we find ourselves falling into the same temptations that so easily lead us astray. Where has he gone?

He has gone to prepare a place for those who repent and trust in him. And this isn’t just some wishy-washy-pie-in-the-sky promise. Jesus is doing something for you right now. He left his disciples the first time to give himself as the once and for all sacrifice for sin. Now he has left to prepare a place for you in heaven. Why would he ever do such a thing, if he didn’t think that you were coming to join him?

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, when we feel all alone, help us to listen to your promises and be assured that one day we will go to be with you in the place you have prepared for 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.

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After the Lord Jesus had spoken to [the disciples], he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God.
Mark 16:19

Look Up

Daily Devotion – May 10, 2018

Devotion based on Mark 16:19

See series: Devotions

I am left-handed. That puts me in the minority. That also connects me to the Latin root word for left, which is sinister. Furthermore, if that were not bad enough, what about Judgment Day where the goats on the left are told to depart from Christ and enter hell?

Before you start feeling sorry for left-handers, please stop to consider that we are all sinister goats in some way or the other. Every new day is a day of “impending evil.” My sinful nature does not take a day off or release its grip from me so that I have the occasional, blissful, sin-free day. No, each day I am aroused to new selfish desires that lead to lust, greed, envy, and the like. Each day a sinful world offers fields of garbage upon which goats may graze.

So, what is a goat to do? Look up! Look up and see the risen, victorious Christ ascend to heaven to sit at the right hand of God. The right hand—a special place of blessing and honor; not to mention power, glory, and might. From this exalted place, Jesus looks down on the world in which he lived as the perfect shepherd of the sheep. He looks with loving forgiveness. He looks on us as the divine mediator of the new covenant of peace.

Jesus sees all that is sinister and still extends mercy and forgiveness over the whole world. He still shepherds his sheep with power from on high. The Lord is my shepherd … not my executioner. Surely, I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, by your mercy you call us into your eternal flock where we live as sheep who safely graze now and forever. We thank and praise you our Good Shepherd and God’s right-hand man. 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.

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