St. Johns News

[Jesus said] “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.”
Luke 12:49-51

Peace on Earth

Daily Devotion – August 14, 2022

Devotion based on Luke 12:49-51

See series: Devotions

Didn’t Jesus come to earth to bring peace? Yes! To win that peace, Jesus marched into war against sin, death, and hell. In the verses for our devotion today, he describes the distressing mission to win our eternal deliverance. Jesus looked ahead to the torment and death that he alone would undergo for us. He willingly poured out his lifeblood on the cross to win eternal peace for guilty sinners.

Through Jesus’ perfect life and selfless suffering and death, believers have the peace of God. They are filled with a faith kindled by the Holy Spirit. Their transformed hearts burn within them because of the gospel’s joyful news of peace with God. However, not everyone enjoys the peace Jesus freely won for them. Unbelievers search in vain for worldly peace, dousing the flame of faith extended to them through the gospel. They live as enemies of Jesus, despising the cross and the comfort Christ brings.

Because of humanity’s sin, Jesus’ beautiful gospel message of eternal peace will cause division in this world. Believers will face rejection and ridicule by neighbors, friends, and even family. It is a temptation for believers to attempt to maintain peace in their relationships at all costs. Yet peace maintained at any price is not the purpose of Christ. In love, Jesus reminds his followers that loyalty to him counts more than all else.

Jesus has graciously given us a mission. Filled with Christ’s peace, we hear his call to proclaim his eternal gospel to others. When it appears that the message falls on deaf ears, do not be discouraged. Jesus encourages us, “He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me” (Luke 10:16).

Our ultimate goal in sharing the gospel is that others may know of the peace Jesus won for them so that they may enjoy eternal peace with Jesus in heaven.

Prayer:
Dearest Jesus, thank you for giving me your everlasting peace. Give me confidence to proclaim your message of peace to others. Amen.

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

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

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

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2

Fix Your Eyes on Jesus

Daily Devotion – August 13, 2022

Devotion based on Hebrews 12:2

See series: Devotions

What do you see happening…in your own life…in your world? No doubt, you witness joyful sights—the birth of a healthy child, a sports victory, a marriage anniversary trip, a graduation ceremony, a retirement party. But there are also plenty of troubling sights that you see with your eyes and that dwell in your mind—a terrorist attack, vicious activity on the campaign trail, a loved one laid to rest, job termination papers, divorce decrees, defeat, signs of mortality—sin in general.

We can easily become fixated on things good and bad in this life. But it’s important for us to deal with all of life’s experiences with the perspective of faith in Jesus as our Savior. The Bible passage today, gives this encouragement: “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus…” It is an encouragement that God gives to us when the things we see and experience in this life get us down.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, who is the object and the source of our faith and hope. Who strengthens the faith he gives through his gospel promises. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, who now sits at God’s right hand in a position of all power and authority, ruling over the events of this world for the sake of his followers.

Jesus is the unchanging, unshifting, solid, and steady rock on which to base our faith and build our lives. By fixing eyes of faith on him, he gives us perspective, steadiness, and strength through all events of life, good and bad. He gives our life real meaning, joy during earthly sorrow, and the sure hope of glorious life with God forever. No matter what we see in this world with our eyes, let’s fix our eyes, the eyes of faith, on Jesus.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, there are so many things, good and bad, that I see in this world that threaten to divert my gaze from you. Help me to always focus on you and your forgiving grace, my Savior, brother, and friend. In your name I pray. 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.

Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Luke 12:33,34

Set Your Heart on Heavenly Treasure

Daily Devotion – August 12, 2022

Devotion based on Luke 12:33,34

See series: Devotions

“Their heart just wasn’t in it.” When have you heard or said that phrase?

Maybe it was a dramatic or musical performance that, even though it lacked mistakes, felt flat, and lacked passion. Maybe it was a player in an athletic contest who seemed distracted and didn’t perform up to their usual ability. Maybe it was someone who decided to switch paths—to change schools or careers—when they didn’t find joy in the path they were on.

You can often tell when someone’s heart is in something and when it’s not. And we set our hearts on the things most important to us, on the things we treasure.

When we set our hearts on things that don’t last, we will eventually be disappointed. Human achievements, worldly wealth, even health and family don’t last forever. Setting our hearts on such things can leave us feeling uneasy, and rightly so. When those blessings are taken away from us, our hearts are left empty. And that uneasiness or emptiness can show in how we live our lives.

But Jesus reminds us that we have more to live for. We have treasure that cannot be taken away from us. It is the treasure of life without disappointment, failure, or loss. It is the treasure of life in God’s perfect, loving presence.

Jesus bought that treasure for us with his holy life and his innocent death. Watching Jesus’ life, as his story is told in the Bible, no one would ever say his heart wasn’t in it! He was all in for you! He paid the ultimate price to buy for you and me the treasure of eternal life with him because he treasured us above his own life.

Heavenly treasure is yours! Priceless treasure without cost or condition and that nothing can destroy! Ponder and celebrate that treasure. Live for it. Live each day with your heart in it—focused on your true treasure.

Prayer:
Jesus, you set your heart on saving me. Move me to set my heart on the priceless treasure of life with 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.

Do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it . . . your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
Luke 12:29-31

Heavenly Treasure

Daily Devotion – August 11, 2022

Devotion based on Luke 12:29-31

See series: Devotions

She’s lost everything. Left to raise her three children on her own, she often doesn’t know how she will be able to afford even basic things like food and clothes. Chronic medical conditions and unexpected emergencies left her in debt with little or no money to pay the rent.

Maybe you’ve been in her position. Maybe, even with far more, you worry. You worry about the rising cost of food, clothes, housing, and gas. You worry about paying your bills and preserving your savings.

She used to worry like that, but now she sees things differently. Three years ago, she was in a homeless shelter, and someone told her about Jesus. She learned that he left heaven to live in her place, to walk in her shoes, to fight against the temptation to worry and every other temptation she faced, and to overcome. She learned that even his closest friends and his heavenly Father abandoned him when he needed them most. For her, for you and for me, he died, giving up everything to give us everything. And then he came back to life to assure her that her worry, lack of trust in God, fears, and failures were all forgiven. He came back to life to promise that this life is not the end. Those who trust in him will live with him forever in heaven, where there is nothing to fear and no temptation to worry.

That news changed her life. She still works hard to meet the challenges she faces every day. But now, she knows that she has an eternal home waiting for her. She has a loving God caring for her. She doesn’t need to worry. Whether things are tough or life is good, she has learned to focus on God’s Word, God’s promises, and the treasure God won for her in heaven. Her focus on heavenly treasure drives out worry.

Prayer:
Father, forgive me for worrying. Focus my heart on the heavenly treasure your Son Jesus won for me. Help me to trust you to meet all my needs. 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.

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
Hebrews 11:1

Gift of Faith

Daily Devotion – August 10, 2022

Devotion based on Hebrews 11:1

See series: Devotions

You have to see it to believe it. Maybe you’ve been on vacation and seen something like that. An ocean sunset or mountain sunrise. A majestic animal or awe-inspiring display of athletic or artistic skill. The descriptions, pictures, or videos just don’t do justice. Those we tell must take our word for it.

The Bible tells us some amazing and awe-inspiring things. It describes a God who transcends space and time, who came in time as a human being to rescue those who rebelled against him. It describes a love without limit, forgiveness without condition, and an eternal reward freely given to those who could never earn it.

I wasn’t there to witness Jesus’ birth or to watch his death. I didn’t see the empty tomb when he rose from the dead or stand on the mountain when he ascended into heaven. God hasn’t given me the visions of heaven that he gave the apostle John in the book of Revelation. And even if I had seen all those things, I wouldn’t have seen the full truth. I wouldn’t have understood the full significance.

But we don’t live based on what we see. Instead, God asks us to take him at his word. God made the universe and then put a plan in motion to save humanity from the death and destruction we brought on ourselves. God prepared for humanity a heavenly city for us to dwell in his presence. God promises that we enter that city through his Son, Jesus, who came to save us.

God reveals all of that to us in the Bible. And as we hear it and read it, the same God leads us to believe it is true. That’s faith. It is confidence about things I don’t see.

I don’t have to see it. I don’t have to fully understand it. God says it. I believe it. Someday, I’ll see it with my own eyes. Until then, I thank God for the confidence he gives me through his gift of faith.

Prayer:
Lord, through your Word, give me confidence in what I hope for and assurance about what I do not yet see. 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.

Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
Genesis 15:6

Value the Treasure of Righteousness

Daily Devotion – August 9, 2022

Devotion based on Genesis 15:6

See series: Devotions

The reward is what often makes the cost worth it. A diet and exercise regimen is rewarded with better health. Years of study and tens of thousands of dollars spent on education are rewarded with a satisfying and well-paying career. The struggle to bring young children to worship or have devotions at home is rewarded when those children show their childlike faith in Jesus in their words and actions.

Abram paid a high price to follow the Lord. He left home and traveled to an unknown land when God told him to. He lived in tents, never having a permanent home of his own. When God promised that he would have a son in his old age and that the Savior of the world would be one of his descendants, he set aside his reason, and he believed.

For the price he paid, he got nothing, at least from a human perspective. But there was a treasure that no one could see. “Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.”

Righteousness is being right with God. It is a life that is in line with what God says is right. Without righteousness, we can’t go to heaven. We can’t even approach God because we aren’t right with him.

God credited Abram with righteousness. He gave it to him. He deposited righteousness—perfection—into Abram’s spiritual account. Not because he left his home and family behind. Not because he was willing to live in tents. But because God put faith in his heart to believe his promises—to believe that he would have a son, to believe that God would send a Savior through his descendants. Through faith Abram was counted as right with God.

Because God credited Abram with righteousness, Abram could see beyond what he was lacking in this life and live in hope of the heaven.

As God moves your heart to believe his promises—in particular the promise of forgiveness and eternal life through Jesus—he credits you with righteousness too. He sees you as perfect and worthy of heaven. Now that’s a treasure, no matter what the cost!

Prayer:
God, strengthen my faith to believe your promises and receive and treasure your righteousness. 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.

“Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” But Abram said, “Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless?”
Genesis 15:1,2

A Heavenly Treasure

Daily Devotion – August 8, 2022

Devotion based on Genesis 15:1,2

See series: Devotions

What is it for you? What is that one thing you just have to have? That one thing that would make your life complete? That one thing that, if you only had it, would prove that God loves you?

Four thousand years ago, a man named Abram wanted nothing more than to have a son. He recognized that children are a blessing from the Lord. He may have felt forgotten by the Lord and shamed by society because he and his wife had no children. Worse than that, the Lord had promised Abram that the Savior of the world would be one of his descendants, but he still didn’t have any. And now he was over seventy-five years old.

So, when God came to Abram and promised to bless him, he had a hard time seeing past what was missing in his life. “What can you give me since I remain childless?” he said. “That’s all I want. Nothing else you give me will be enough.”

That day, God repeated his promise that Abram would have a son. God said his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. But he gave him an even better gift. He said, “I am your shield, your very great reward.”

Even if Abram’s hopes and dreams for life in this world were never realized, he still had the Lord. The Lord was with Abram to bless him and protect him. The Lord was with Abram to hear and answer his prayers. The Lord was with Abram to bring him safely through his life on earth to the life he had prepared for him in heaven. And that was proof of the Lord’s love for him.

The Lord is your shield and your reward too. You may never have that one thing you think you can’t live without. But you have a God who loves, protects, and hears you. And he sent his Son to win for you the ultimate gift—life with him in heaven where nothing good is missing.

Prayer:
Lord, you are my shield and my great reward. May this promise make me content. 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.

“Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?” declares the LORD. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the LORD.
Jeremiah 23:24

The Presence of God

Daily Devotion – August 7, 2022

Devotion based on Jeremiah 23:24

See series: Devotions

When people do what they shouldn’t, they are careful not to get caught. Sneaky teenagers take note of when their parents will be away on business, believing the house will be free for them to throw a party they know mom and dad would disapprove of. A dishonest employee waits for the boss and everyone else to leave before taking company property and going home. Addicts feed their addiction in a dark room where they believe no one else will know their dark secret.

The sinful desires of our self-centered hearts blind us to the fact that the God who created the heavens and the earth fills his entire creation. We are so overwhelmed with feeding our sinful appetites that we fool ourselves into thinking that somehow God is too busy elsewhere in the world to take notice of us. But the one true God is omnipresent—is present everywhere. We can’t get away with murder, but we can’t get away with shoplifting a pack of gum either. The almighty God is present and watchful not only where major crimes take place, but also knows our inner thoughts as we plot our sins against others.

By our shameful thoughts, words, and actions we have forfeited our right to be in God’s glorious presence. By all rights we should be cut off from his blessings forever. But the One who fills all things came to be present with us in a special way. In the man Jesus Christ, the fullness of God’s presence came to live among us sinners. He not only occupied our space, but also took our place under God’s law. Jesus fulfilled God’s righteous demands of perfect love and laid down his life as payment for our disobedience. Through faith in Jesus, our guilt has been removed. After his resurrection, Jesus promised to be with his followers always and keep us close to him. And at the end, he will take us to live in his glorious presence for all eternity.

Prayer:
Lord, when I am anxious or afraid, comfort me with the knowledge that you are with me. Amen.

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

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

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

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
Colossians 2:8

Do Not Surrender to a Deception

Daily Devotion – August 6, 2022

Devotion based on Colossians 2:8

See series: Devotions

During the Civil War, Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest encountered a fort under Union command. When the Union regiment refused to surrender, Forrest asked for a meeting with the Union commander. General Forrest took the Union commander on a tour of his Confederate troops. As they methodically made their way from one Confederate camp to the next, the Union commander counted the men he saw and finally concluded that his regiment could never hold out against such a large number of troops. He surrendered his fort without a fight.

But here’s what the Union commander didn’t know: Every time he and General Forrest had left a Confederate camp, the men in that camp had quickly packed up and raced to another position before he and Forrest arrived. The Union commander had been seeing the same men many times over. He had surrendered to a deception.

As you and I eat and sleep and work in this fallen world, the devil is constantly trying to get us to surrender. He wants us to give in to despair. He wants us to give in to temptations. He wants us to give in to our sinful pride. He wants us to conclude that Jesus and his promises are no match for the difficulties and dark pleasures of life.

What the devil hopes you won’t notice is that it’s all a deception. The reality is that nothing can match Jesus and his promises. Jesus’ blood has washed you clean and made you his own. He will carry you through this life and take you home. The best the devil can do is put up some fake scenery and hope you’ll fall for it.

Don’t surrender to a deception. Trust your Savior instead.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, the devil works very hard to discourage me. Remind me that he is the deceiver, and you are the truth. Move me never to surrender. 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.