Author: Kerry

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[Jesus said] “Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.”
Luke 6:22-23

Worth It

Think of all the things in your life that make you rejoice and leap for joy. A clean bill of health. The birth of a healthy child. A good grade on a project or paper that you spent a lot of time on. Making the team or the cast. Watching your team win the championship.

In today’s verse, Jesus adds to that list being insulted, excluded, rejected, and hated. But who would rejoice over things like that? And then, when Jesus says that we suffer like this “because of the Son of Man,” because of Jesus himself, that makes it sound even worse. It sounds like Jesus wants us to be insulted, hated, and excluded.

But that’s not what Jesus means. He means that we experience those things because our identity and trust are in him.

Our world doesn’t want a God like Jesus. A God who says our daily failures make it impossible to earn his love and a home in heaven. He expects too much of us!

On the other hand, our world also hates the idea of a God that gives us his love unconditionally without expecting anything from us, a God who rewards us with heaven because he himself met the expectations of his law for us. That’s nonsense, according to the world.

For revealing such impossible demands and showing such impossible love, Jesus himself was insulted, hated, excluded, rejected, and killed. And we can expect the same treatment because we trust in him. But Jesus promises, “great is your reward in heaven.” When we know and believe God’s forgiving love in Jesus, we are saints in God’s eyes and have a place in heaven with our name on it.

Now we can rejoice in our suffering as saints in this world we can see it as a blessing that reminds us of a God’s love and leads us to look forward to the great reward he has prepared for us.

Prayer:

Jesus, help me to rejoice when I suffer because of you, knowing that you have won a great reward for me in heaven. Amen.

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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.

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I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
Revelation 21:2

A Beautiful Bride

Many women will not look more beautiful in their life than they do on their wedding day. They chose just the right dress. They carefully do their hair and their makeup. They want the man with whom they will promise to spend the rest of their life to have his breath taken away by what he sees when she walks down the aisle.

The Bible regularly describes the Church—believers in Jesus—as the bride of Christ. As we stand before Christ, we are clothed in the most beautiful dress. But it’s not because we spent so much time and effort making ourselves look good for him. We can’t afford anything more than filthy rags. Compared to the life that God’s commandments expect of us, that’s what our lives are—filthy rags. We can’t stand before the altar looking like that.

But Christ himself provides the dress for us, his bride. That dress is dazzling white because it is washed clean with the pure and holy blood of Christ himself. He lived a flawless life in our place. There was not a single stain of lust or lies, of hatred or greed in his life. Jesus Christ took his flawless, holy life, and he offered it in death as the sacrifice for our sins. Because God accepted his perfect sacrifice, his blood covers all who see him as their Savior. It cleanses us of our lust and lies, our hatred and greed, and every other impurity that stains our lives. And now, cleansed and covered by the holy life of Jesus, we stand before him beautiful, radiant, stunning.

That’s how Jesus sees all who see him as their Savior. He delights in us the way a groom beams at the sight of his beautiful bride on their wedding day. And that smile will never fade from our Savior’s face. Every day, you are forgiven and made clean to stand before him. And one day, he will come back to welcome you home, where you will dwell with him in perfect joy forever.

Prayer:

Dearest Jesus, you chose me to be your bride and dress me in your perfect righteousness. Encourage me with that truth every day until I see you face-to-face. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.

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Who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection.
Hebrews 11:33-35

The Hero of the Story

The Bible is full of amazing stories. Stories of the weak overcoming the strong. Stories of people escaping from impossible situations. Stories of battles won and enemies defeated – even death itself. Stories that amaze and excite and inspire.

Those true stories are our stories too. We can relate to the weak and the wounded, the grieving and the hurting, those just trying to navigate through life and make it out alive. And the God in the middle of those stories is in the middle of ours, too.

He made promises to those people long ago, and they held onto those promises. When flames, foes, or even death were overcome for them, it was because God promised they would be. That gave them the strength and stamina to endure.

They didn’t always come out on top in this world. Innocent people were tortured and killed. But they endured it because God promised something more. He promised a Savior, Jesus, who would be tortured and killed, too. He willingly endured it to gain more than this world could ever offer. When Jesus died and rose again, he gained for them and for us rescue from death itself. He won for us a place in the family of God as forgiven saints and heirs of eternal life. He secured for us a home in heaven where no enemy can ever touch us again.

Those people in the Bible are sometimes called heroes of faith, but the real hero was the God and Savior who keeps every promise and gives us the final victory. Read the Bible. See their stories and yours. Hear and believe God’s promises to you. And know that Jesus, your hero, guarantees that your story will have a great ending!

Prayer:

Jesus, thank you for being the hero of my story. Help me to live in view of the better life you have won for me. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.

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These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
Hebrews 11:39-40

Big Plans

In a Peanuts movie animated by Charles Schulz, a boy named Linus misses out on trick-or-treating and a Halloween party with his friends because he’s waiting in the pumpkin patch for the Great Pumpkin to appear. The Great Pumpkin never comes, and Linus is crushed with disappointment.

We live in a world where it seems promises are made to be broken and plans so often fail. Is the same true of God’s plans?

Long ago, he made plans to put an end to pain and sorrow and death. When those who trusted those plans but only saw more pain, sorrow, and death, they were tempted to give up on God. But, by God’s power working through his promises, many didn’t. They trusted God, even when it seemed foolish. They believed that God’s plans never fail. And they died believing promises that they never saw come true in their lifetime.

Centuries after they died, God’s plans came together. At the right time, he sent his Son, Jesus, into the world. Jesus came knowing that God’s plans for us meant that he would face his own pain, sorrow, and death. But he loved us and carried out the plan to perfection.

When he rose from the dead, it was proof that the plan worked. Death was crushed. Pain and sorrow would not get the last word. Paradise was restored.

Those who died trusting in God’s plan and promises were not disappointed. Because Jesus kept God’s promises and carried out God’s plans, their deaths meant the end of death, sorrow, and pain for them. They woke up to a new life with their God.

Life in this world is hard. We don’t see paradise, only problems and pain. But like those people long ago, we can endure it, trusting that God has big plans for us. Because of Jesus, one day, our eyes will close on the pain of this world and will open to a life of perfect joy—better than we could ever imagine.

Prayer:

Lord, in the midst of life’s pain, help me trust your eternal plans for me, so that I receive what you have prepared. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.

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Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
Revelation 21:1-5

New Heaven and New Earth

The apostle John was given a vision of the future, after this world comes to its end, and God gives his people a new world in which to live.

In this new world, John was told there will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain. What a wonderful existence it will be! Some theologians believe that the saints in heaven will have all the marks of sin removed, including the deterioration of old age. The aches and pains, amputations, and all other defects will be corrected and made perfect in Jesus.

We can’t be sure this will be the case. But, whatever we look like, we know that our physical bodies in heaven will be perfect and sinless. Imagine—living with God himself without the possibility of falling into sin. We will have free choice in the purest sense, a choice that can do nothing but please God and praise him. That will be rest indeed.

Prayer:

Be with me, Lord Jesus, until I join you in the perfection of heaven. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.

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It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Galatians 5:1

Never Again

In the fall of 1990, millions of Americans sat down in front of their TV sets and encountered a part of their history in a way they never had before. The documentary was entitled “The Civil War.” Using superb production values and masterful storytelling, this documentary brought the American Civil War to life, making it seem immediate and real.

Of its many riveting scenes, one of the most powerful captured the horrors of slavery. With pictures of shackled and abused slaves flashing across the screen, you heard the scratchy recording of an actual former slave. The old man made it clear that the very thought of ever returning to slavery was too terrible for him to consider. “You see, when you’re a slave, you’re nothing but a dog,” the old man said. “You’re nothing but a dog.” His attitude towards his former way of life came down to two words: Never again.

What’s sad is that, when it comes to our walk with God as Christians, you and I often don’t have the same reaction to our former way of life. We were slaves by nature, shackled and chained by the guilt of our sin and our own evil desires. But when Jesus invaded our world of slavery, he took our place. He paid the price for our freedom with his own blood. He covered us with his holiness and gave us new lives.

But even now, our old slave owner, the devil, tries to sweet-talk us into coming back. He does this whenever he tells us that the answers to life are in us, and not in Christ. When he approaches you, run. Run as fast as you can to the One who has set you free. Be assured, you are forgiven by your Savior. Bask in the peace and joy that you have in him alone. And be renewed in your zeal, never again to return to slavery. Never again.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ, you have set me free from the slavery of sin. Move me to look back at my old way of life and say, “Never again.” Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.

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For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
Galatians 5:6

To God alone be the glory!

Sometimes people misunderstand when Christians say we are saved by God’s grace, and not our works. People wonder, doesn’t that lead to people not living for God? If you tell people they are not saved by what they do, but entirely by God, don’t you think that people will use that as an excuse to sin?

It certainly could be used as an excuse to sin. But not if a person truly understands who God is and what he has done. What if you discover that God was kind and generous? What if you discover that God sacrificed his life for you? What if someone you didn’t know, never met, died so that you could live? If you had the opportunity to speak to that person who died so that you could live, what would you say? I think you start with “thank you.”

And isn’t that our life of faith, and why we serve? Because we are set free from sin, because Jesus rescued us. We serve and live out of thanks to our God, not so that we might be saved, but because we have been saved. That is freedom, the freedom to serve our God.

Faith wants to be active. Faith wants to serve God. The apostle Paul wrote that, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Jesus has done everything perfectly and has set us free from trying to save ourselves. Faith exults in that. Faith “expressing itself” in the original Greek language is “energoumena.” It’s the same word from which we get “energized” and “energy.”

What can be more important than knowing how God feels about us and what he has done for us? That’s what gives us energy to serve today. We are free from sin and guilt, and we are free to serve our God. To God alone be the glory!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, strengthen me through your Word that I may love and serve others and glorify your name. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.

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It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Galatians 5:1

Freedom Through Christ Alone

I visited a friend in a medium-security prison and was seated in a commons area. I was surprised at the relative freedom that seemed to exist. While I waited for my friend, several incarcerated individuals walked through, either going about their tasks or just talking with each other. When my friend arrived, I remarked on that freedom they seemed to enjoy. His response was, “Don’t be fooled. There’s no freedom here.”

We often think that only those who are locked up in a prison have no freedom. The world tends to view freedom as the ability to do whatever we want, when we want, with whomever we want. Freedom often means permission to indulge the sinful flesh.

That kind of freedom is nothing but the worst kind of prison. Because on a spiritual level, there is no freedom that we could ever have. One sin condemns. Each sin convicts. Every sin would leave us in spiritual shackles, doomed and condemned to an eternity away from the presence of God.

Only Jesus gives actual freedom. As the eternal Son of God, Jesus was truly free—unburdened by any sin. And how did he exercise his freedom? By allowing himself to be bound to a cross. With his sacrifice in our place, Jesus sprung the doors of the eternal prison that would have contained us.

And now, we are truly free. Free from sin. Free to serve. Free through the sacrifice of Christ alone.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, I thank you for setting me free from my spiritual prison. Grant me joy in living in the joyful freedom to praise you and serve others. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.

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You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope.
Galatians 5:4-5

Freedom Through Grace Alone

“How will I ever find a gracious God?”

That was the torment of a young man, a monk, by the name of Martin Luther.

He knew that God is righteous and holy. And he knew that God demanded righteousness from his people. And he was taught that the way to meet God’s demand of righteousness was to actually be righteous. So, Luther pursued it with full zeal. It was said that no one prayed more, worked harder, fasted longer, or deprived himself of more than he. In the world of monks, no one was more “monkish” than Luther.

But what Luther realized was that no matter how much he tried to cleanse himself of his sins, he still continued to sin. One quick moment of doubt would plunge him back into the gloom of his own guilt. So, his conscience tormented him. And if God demanded righteousness which was impossible to obtain, then God must be a monster.

As he dug further into the Bible, Luther began to realize what the church of his day had abandoned. God is righteous; this is absolutely true. But the same righteousness that God demands, he also gives!

In the days of the apostle Paul, some also felt that their righteousness was the answer. But Paul was clear. If we think we can save ourselves by our own deeds, our own righteousness, then we destroy God’s grace.

When we give up our own self-righteousness and abandon thoughts of deserving God’s grace, then we can embrace the wonderful truth. We are saved sola gratia, by God’s grace. Jesus was righteous for us, and Jesus paid for our sins.

When we look to Jesus, then we, like Luther and Paul, find a gracious God.

Prayer:

Lord God, thank you for giving me the righteousness that I could never earn. Help me to trust that I am saved through your grace alone. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.

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For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope.
Galatians 5:5

Freedom by Faith Alone

Have you ever seen videos where someone is building an intricate structure or path out of dominoes? And with one little mistake, one accidental brush of the hand, the whole structure comes crashing down.

That’s what happened in Galatia in the days of the apostle Paul. Paul rightly proclaimed that salvation has been won through the blood sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

But other teachers came along with their message that just a little bit more was needed. What Jesus did was good and fine, but more needed to be added. Males must be circumcised. Certain festivals and regulations had to be followed—not just as a good idea, but as a requirement for salvation. They were teaching essentially that Jesus + their deeds = salvation. Paul told them the truth. Jesus + their deeds = destruction.

We may be tempted to do the same at times. We might think there must be some reason that God loves me. There must be a reason why I am forgiven. And we think that the answer must be in something that we do. We are tempted to add just a little bit of our goodness, just a touch of our own deeds. And in trying to improve God’s salvation, we bring it all crashing down around us.

The wonderful truth is we can be sure of salvation not because of what we do, but rather because of what Jesus has done. Nothing more needs to be added. His works are perfect. Nothing can be improved. Jesus never let one careless word stray from his mouth, one uncharitable thought lingers in his mind, or one selfish moment deprive someone of the love they needed.

And that perfect life of Jesus, and his willing death, are now yours. How? Through faith in what Jesus did for you. Don’t try to add to it. That just spoils it. Rather, rejoice that God saves you through faith in the works and sacrifice of Jesus—now yours, through faith!

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank you for taking my place and being my Savior. Grant me joy today to serve you. Amen.

Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS.

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.