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Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20

Baptized Into God’s Family

Daily Devotion – June 6, 2023

Devotion based on Matthew 28:18-20

See series: Devotions

Have you ever felt like an outsider? I remember feeling like an outsider when I didn’t make the seventh-grade basketball team. I didn’t have the skills, size, or speed to contribute. I felt the same way when I didn’t get a delivery job because of my past failures behind the wheel.

Have you had a similar experience? Maybe you didn’t make the team, club, or company because of your lack of skills or experience. So, you remained an outsider. You just didn’t belong.

Thankfully, there is one team on which you can be sure you belong–God’s team. In fact, two thousand years ago, Jesus commanded his followers to tell people about God’s team and his desire for them to be on it.

You might wonder, “Am I really qualified to be on God’s team?” The truth is, you’re not. No one is. But Jesus’ life, death and resurrection qualify us to be on God’s team. That’s why Jesus told his followers to go to all nations. It doesn’t matter your race or ethnicity, whether you are young or old, rich or poor, male or female. God wants all people on his team, and Jesus has done everything necessary for them to be on God’s team. You don’t need to submit a resume, compete in a tryout, or submit your record. To get on this team, you don’t do anything. In fact, God does something for you. He told his followers to baptize people in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. The water combined with those words qualifies people to be on God’s team. What a wonderful gift!

Prayer:
Lord God, thank you for the waters of baptism that bring sinners like me into your family. Amen.

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

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

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

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him.
Matthew 28:16,17

Worship Jesus

Daily Devotion – June 5, 2023

Devotion based on Matthew 28:16,17

See series: Devotions

If someone asked you to describe who Jesus was, you might be tempted to say, “He was a great teacher.” But according to the well-known scholar, C.S. Lewis, that is the one thing we must not say. Although Jesus taught many important lessons about God, he also said, “I am the true God.”

According to Lewis, a person who says such a thing is either a liar who is willfully deceiving his listeners, a lunatic who has a delusional understanding of reality, or he is who he says he is: true God and also true man.

Jesus’ closest followers believed their leader fell into the third category. But it took them a while to come to this conclusion. Throughout Jesus’ ministry, the disciples would ask, “Who is this? He even commands the winds and the waves to obey him?” Over time, they concluded that Jesus was more than a mortal man, and he seemed to have divine influence. But then, their miraculous Messiah was crucified and died, and they were again confused and disillusioned. He saved other people, but he couldn’t seem to save himself.

But three days after his death, he appeared to them alive. He told them he had to die to pay for sins and rose back to life to conquer our last enemy, death itself. And so, when Jesus gathered this group of followers on a mountain before he left them, Matthew tells us, “They worshiped him.” Jesus was no mere teacher. This man standing before them was their God. All the praise they had offered to the Lord of Israel was now directed towards Jesus, their Savior.

Now it’s your turn to worship Jesus just as his disciples did. Because Jesus did more than just teach about God; he proved himself to be God. He lived a perfect life, died in your place, and rose again so you would never reduce him to the status of a mere mortal.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I worship and praise you, my Savior and my God. 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.

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish of the sea and the birds in the sky and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:26,27

A Meaningful Purpose

Daily Devotion – June 4, 2023

Devotion based on Genesis 1:26,27

See series: Devotions

Why am I here? More than one person has reached a certain point in life when they asked themselves that question. Perhaps the new job isn’t working out the way you wanted it to. School can be so challenging that the same question may come up. What about when you find yourself among a group of people with whom you really don’t have anything in common? “Why am I here?” you may silently ask yourself.

Throughout the generations, people have asked themselves the same question when it comes to not only where they live; but why they were born in the first place. Wonderings of this sort have led some people to believe in fate—that is all a matter of chance. But isn’t there something more certain than that?

The Bible tells us that we have been placed here by a perfect and loving God. He made us exactly what we are and gives us every good thing we receive in this life. This God is wise enough to create us, loving enough to rescue us from the punishment our misdeeds deserve. God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We are not creatures of fate tossed to and fro. God has a meaningful purpose for you—to praise him and live for him in thanks for all he has given and done for you. That is why you are here!

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, move my lips to praise you and my heart to trust in you all my days. 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.

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Acts 2:21

Loyalty

Daily Devotion – June 3, 2023

Devotion based on Acts 2:21

See series: Devotions

Say the name “Napoleon Bonaparte,” and many people today picture in their minds a short, cartoonish man wearing an old-fashioned military hat and an oversized ego. But Napoleon Bonaparte was no cartoon. Rather, he was one of the most prominent leaders the world has ever seen. In the opening decade of the 19th Century, Napoleon was the master of Europe. His victories were stunning and brilliant. And perhaps most striking of all, Napoleon had a way of nurturing within his army a loyalty to him that defies description. For Napoleon they would endure the searing heat of Egypt and the lethal cold of Russia. Many thought he could do anything. They, in turn, would endure anything for him.

But as ingenious and capable as he was, Napoleon was just a man. That reality hit home one day after a battle. One of his officers lay mortally wounded. He called for his general. Napoleon appeared. In the man’s haze of agony and fear, he asked Napoleon to save him. All Napoleon could do was shake his head sadly and turn away. Later, as the moment of death approached, the man cried out, “Save me, Napoleon. Save me!” But his fierce loyalty to Napoleon made no difference when it came to this. The man soon died.

As we work our way through life, you and I develop all kinds of loyalties, and rightfully so. There is loyalty to family, loyalty to friends, loyalty to mentors and employers, co-workers, and colleagues. But if our loyalty to human beings begins to take the place of our Savior from sin, then we have drifted into a place where our Lord does not want us to be.

Consider where your loyalties lie. Give them some serious thought. Repent of those loyalties that have clouded your focus on Jesus. Be washed in his blood. And with fresh clarity, fix your eyes on the only Lord of life and death there is. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Prayer:
Forgive me, Lord Jesus, for the misguided loyalties that have distracted me from you. Fill me with your Spirit. Renew the zeal of my loyalty to you. Amen.

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

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

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

Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.”
John 7:37

Thirst

Daily Devotion – June 2, 2023

Devotion based on John 7:37

See series: Devotions

The more we learn about the human body, the more we see the sophistication of this wondrous machine God has created. Take the simple act of quenching your thirst with a glass of water. Even after years of research, scientists are not certain how it all works. So far, their best guess goes something like this. In your brain is a small area called the lamina terminalis. The lamina terminalis has the ability to monitor when your body needs more fluids. When it does, the lamina terminalis sends you a signal by making you feel thirsty.

But here is where it gets even more interesting. Let’s say you feel thirsty. You fill up a glass with cool, crisp, clean water, and you begin to drink it down. Although it takes quite a while for a glass of water to have a real effect on your body, your lamina terminalis will give you an instant dose of a feel-good transmitter called dopamine. It’s your body’s way of telling you up-front that it’s receiving what it needs.

Each of us, by nature, carries the burden of a deep, desperate thirst. But it does not come from a lack of fluids in the body. Rather, it’s a spiritual thirst. And what causes this thirst is sin—your sin and mine. On our own, we have tried to quench this thirst. We’ve tried money, power, pleasure, entertainment, and success. We may even have tried mind-altering drugs, politics, or better behavior. But nothing works. Nothing satisfies. Nothing quenches the thirst.

Enter God the Holy Spirit. Through the words of the Bible, he speaks to us. As he does, he identifies the one thing that quenches our thirst. What quenches our thirst is forgiveness—forgiveness that God the Son purchased for you and me through his suffering and death on the cross.

“Come to me and drink,” Jesus says. Through the work of his Holy Spirit and by the power of his gospel, be refreshed. Be filled. Be forgiven in Jesus Christ.

Prayer:
Holy Spirit, by your gospel, quench my thirst in Jesus alone. 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.

No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:3

Miracles

Daily Devotion – June 1, 2023

Devotion based on 1 Corinthians 12:3

See series: Devotions

Miracles are taking place all around us. True miracles. It’s just a matter of knowing where to look.

Iran: The man had been a member of the Taliban. His role had been an executioner—putting to death those who did not agree with his religion. But then came the sleepless nights. He was troubled and restless. Then he heard about Jesus. Over time, he came to trust in Christ as his Savior. The sleepless nights are gone.

Afghanistan: In growing numbers, the young wish to learn more about Jesus. For example, a phone call came into a Christian broadcast center. It was from an apartment where 25 young men had secretly gathered because they wanted to learn more about the gospel.

China: Even after decades of persecution, house churches of Christians are multiplying. According to one estimate, there are now one hundred times more Christians in China than in 1949.

South America: In some of the darkest, most remote regions of the Amazon rainforest, souls are coming to faith in Jesus as their Savior. They are finding their peace in Christ, turning their backs on the old superstitions.

United States: Even in a country where secularism seems to be the trend, souls from New York to LA are still leaving behind their old lives centered on materialism and self-gratification. Burned out by living for status and money, people are still discovering true purpose and meaning and joy in Jesus Christ and the sure promises of his Word.

The apostle Paul points to the source of these miracles. No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. It is God the Holy Spirit alone who is responsible for bringing lost souls to faith. And Paul should know. As a former persecutor of Christians, Paul knew he had come to faith in Jesus solely through the work of the Holy Spirit.

And the miracles continue—person by person, soul by soul. God the Holy Spirit uses his gospel message to draw individuals to Christ, to trust in Jesus as the One who died for their sins and arose from death. And on it will go, until the Lord calls us home.

Prayer:
Holy Spirit, thank you for working miracles through your Word and sacrament. Thank you. 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.

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Acts 2:21

The Name

Daily Devotion – May 31, 2023

Devotion based on Acts 2:21

See series: Devotions

Consider the curious power of a name. On the one hand, a name is simply a sequence of selected vowels and consonants. But when you see or hear the name of someone you know, that name is an instant trigger. It immediately delivers to the front of your mind everything you know about that person. It delivers to you the person’s appearance. It delivers to you the sound of the person’s voice. It delivers to you that person’s personality, likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses. It can also deliver to you all the good and bad experiences you’ve had with that person.

Some names have the power to make you smile and laugh and bathe you in warm memories. Other names may have the power to make you wince and grow silent. That is how potent a name can be.

Which brings us to the most powerful name there is. When you and I take even a moment to meditate on the name of our Lord, his truth and beauty arise. There is his goodness, his justice, his mercy, his faithfulness, his power, his wisdom, his eternity, his glory. And there is his grace, his undeserved love for you and me in Jesus Christ.

And that’s why the name of our Lord is something more. The name of our Lord is not simply a trigger that delivers to my mind all the profound truths his Word has revealed. The name of the Lord is the name that saves my soul. As the apostle Peter says elsewhere, “There is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

When God the Holy Spirit, through his gospel, creates within me the miracle of faith in my Savior; and when, in faith, I call on the name of the Lord, forgiveness is mine, God’s promises are mine, eternal life is mine. All mine through faith in the name of the One who lived a perfect life in my place, suffered and died for my sin, and rose from the grave. That is the power of the name of the Lord.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, by your Spirit move me to call on your name every single day. 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.

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “. . . These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning!”
Acts 2:14,15

Misunderstood

Daily Devotion – May 30, 2023

Devotion based on Acts 2:14,15

See series: Devotions

Ten days after the risen Christ had ascended into heaven, he sent his promised Holy Spirit. As he did, the Holy Spirit empowered Jesus’ apostles to speak God’s Word in all kinds of different languages. A large crowd quickly gathered around the apostles to find out what was happening. But while many were delighted to hear the message of Jesus in their own native language, others misunderstood. They dismissed the apostles as drunken babblers because they could not understand what they were saying.

It was not the first time believers in Christ were misunderstood, and it would not be the last.

You and I live in a world broken and twisted in sin. You and I also live in a world where Satan and his demons will seize every opportunity to nurture misunderstanding and misperception. We ourselves have fallen for it at times. Thank God that his Son has come. Thank God that Christ Jesus has lived a life of perfect truth on our behalf, and God has taken our every lie and deception and paid for them all at the cross on Golgotha. And thank God that his Son has risen from the dead.

Now it’s our privilege and joy to live for him—to declare Jesus in our words and actions. As we do, some will misunderstand, and some will draw wrong conclusions. Some will assume the worst. They will accuse us of many things—from toxic hypocrisy to dark, hidden agendas.

If they do, that’s okay. They misunderstood Jesus, too. Sometimes, on purpose. But Jesus kept right at it—teaching, serving, demonstrating love, showing kindness, proclaiming the truth, calling souls to repentance, announcing the good news of full forgiveness in him.

As souls washed clean in Jesus’ blood, you and I can do the same.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, there were those who chose to misunderstand you. There were those who chose to misunderstand your followers. In the face of misunderstanding, give me courage. Give me patience. Move me to keep right on living for you. 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.

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd.
Acts 2:14

Finding Your Voice

Daily Devotion – May 29, 2023

Devotion based on Acts 2:14

See series: Devotions

On December 5, 1955, 26-year-old Martin Luther King, Jr. received a shock. He and others had gathered to prepare for a first-of-its-kind mass meeting. The meeting was to address the overt racism that existed in their city’s policies. Dr. King had no interest in serving as a leader in this effort. He just wanted to attend. But less than an hour before the meeting began, the group, to his dismay, chose him to make a speech.

He had 20 minutes to prepare. He later said he wasted five of those twenty minutes having a panic attack. Then he had to fight traffic. Then he had to struggle through the crowd of thousands. Finally, at 7:30 P.M., with only a few notes, Martin Luther King, Jr. began to speak. The packed hall listened. The rest is history. Martin Luther King, Jr. had found his voice.

Ten days after Jesus’ ascension into heaven, the apostle Peter stood up to address a crowd in Jerusalem. Up to this point, Peter’s reputation for courage under pressure was sketchy at best. But things had happened—extraordinary things. For one, the promised Holy Spirit had filled Peter with courage through the power of the gospel. For another, Peter’s crucified and buried Lord had risen from the dead. So when Peter stood up to speak, he spoke with real bravery. Thanks to the resurrection of Jesus and the sending of the Holy Spirit, Peter had found his voice.

In our sinful weaknesses, you and I can often wince and cower at the thought of speaking to someone else about Jesus. But things have happened—extraordinary things. For one, the promised Holy Spirit has come to fill us with courage through the power of the gospel. And for another, our crucified and buried Lord has risen from the dead.

You and I may never be a Martin Luther King, Jr., speaking to thousands in a single speech. You and I may never be a Peter, speaking boldly to people who had called for Jesus’ crucifixion. But the Lord can move you to speak to another soul about Jesus. In him, you can find your voice.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, you’ve washed me clean. You’ve risen from death. Empower me to find my voice. 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.