St. Johns News

“All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.”
Matthew 10:22

Trust Me

Jesus knew what his disciples were going to endure. This is why he urged them, “Trust me.” He wanted his followers to understand that the world was going to hate them just as it hated him. Jesus’ words which invited their trust were not empty. The disciples did experience the same rejection, animosity and hatred Jesus did.

Jesus pleads with me too: “Trust me, the world will hate you because of me.” My experience testifies to the truth of Jesus’ warning about the world. Daily, people ridicule the way I live. Daily, people attack what I believe. Daily, people seek to silence my witness about Jesus. Why should I be surprised by this kind of treatment? My life as a faithful disciple of Jesus will always be challenging. At the same time, my Savior also reminds me of the rescue he has prepared.

Jesus assures me of my salvation. My Lord and my Savior does not want me to become disheartened, discouraged, or fall way. The words he offers are full of love and encouragement: “He who stands firm to the end will be saved.”

Certainly, I recognize my weakness and my readiness to give up, but Jesus directs me away from myself and leads me to trust him, to stand firm on what he has done for me. And amazing is the only way to describe what he has done.

Jesus became my Savior with an amazing act of love. He humbled himself and became obedient to death on the cross. With his humiliation and crucifixion, he secured the victory and confidence I need. The burden of sin is removed. The power of the devil is defeated. Even my fear of the world is overcome.

It is because of Jesus’ complete and overwhelming victory I know I will stand firm. Absolutely nothing will separate me from his love, or the heaven he has prepared for me. Safe in Jesus’ loving arms and protected by his all-surpassing strength I can do exactly what he says, “Trust me!”

Prayer:
O loving and faithful Savior, I rejoice that you have called me to be your disciple. I recognize your great strength to support me. I also rely on your invitation to put my trust in you. Amen.

“The time is coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant … I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
Jeremiah 31:31,34

God’s Unconditional Love

Apple, Samsung, Nokia—someone is continually advertising their newest smart phone, tablet, or another device. Do we really need the newest? It may have a few more features, but the changes are only incremental.

What about the Lord’s new covenant? Do we really need it?

Consider our situation without it. How would we gain life with God? Our conscience tells us that we must obey his law. That’s the condition. What does his law say? If you do not murder or steal, you will live. Doesn’t sound too hard. But the conditions don’t stop there.

If you never dream of revenge, if you never feel lust except toward your spouse, if you never feel greed, never gossip, never covet, then you will live. Does it still sound possible? But there’s more.

If you always love your neighbors, helping them in need and speaking well of them, and if you always give the proper respect and honor to those in authority, then you will live. But the law’s not done yet.

If you love God above all, cherishing him more than your stuff, your family, your pride, if you trust him above all, if you hold his commands in highest regard, if you never misuse his name but continually call on him in prayer, if you never slight his word but always gladly hear and learn it.

Need I go on? How miserably we fail! How much we need something new!

Is the new covenant an incremental improvement, modifying the conditions? Not at all! We’d still fail. The new covenant is not incremental, but revolutionary. It has no conditions. That’s right, no conditions at all! Rather the Lord God declares: “I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Do you see any “ifs,” any conditions?

The blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, put this new covenant into effect. His resurrection is God’s signature. You are forgiven. God remembers your sins no more. Jesus erased your record of wrongs.

This unconditional Good News makes our hearts new, so that we believe this promise and desire to do what God commands.

Prayer:
How great my sin! How much greater your forgiveness, O my Lord! Amen.

This devotion was selected from the Daily Devotion archive.

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8:31-32

Freedom from the Truth

The English language can be confusing. Take the words: freedom from the truth. They can be understood in two completely different ways. One is the freedom which presumably comes because absolute truths are rejected. The other understanding is the freedom which comes because truths are accepted. Today, many people have adopted the first understanding. They feel they are free because their lives are not limited by someone else’s idea of the truth.

When I examine what Jesus said to those who were gathered to listen to him, I begin to see what is really true. When I reject the truth, I am no longer free. In fact, I have enslaved myself to lies, half-truths and deceptions. This is why Jesus’ words are so precious: “If you hold to my teaching, you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Jesus couldn’t make it any clearer. Knowing the truth he offers and putting one’s complete confidence in it is liberating.

What Jesus offers is freedom from the devil’s domination and deception. He also offers freedom from the guilt and shame which accompany my sinful disobedience. He even offers freedom from death and the grave with his promise of life in heaven.

What makes Jesus’ truth reliable is his ministry dedicated to validating this truth. His life, his death, his resurrection all provide the guarantee I need to be certain his truth is valid. It is also liberating. Because of what Jesus has done, I am free to live knowing I am at peace with God. I am also free to live knowing what love and joy are mine through faith.

Today, it is easy to be confused by the appeal of a truth of one’s own making. Where will it lead? What confidence can it offer? The only result of this kind of truth is disappointment and despair when I stand before the Judgment Throne of God. This is why I need to hold on to the truth Jesus went to great lengths to establish and offer me through faith. It is also why I want to make every effort to know and experience the freedom which comes from believing Jesus’ truth.

Prayer:
O blessed Savior, I thank you for establishing the truth which sets me free. Through your Holy Spirit help me grow in my knowledge of that truth, and my confidence in it. In the end, let me enjoy the true and lasting freedom you alone can offer in this life and in the life to come. Amen.

This devotion was selected from the Daily Devotion archive.

The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23

Funerals Simplify Things

I always appreciate funerals. I have been at the funerals of poor people and well-to-do people, of old people and young people, of people I knew well and people I never met. And they all helped me. How?

Every funeral helps me, because funerals simplify things. When I stand at a funeral, I am reminded that I am a mortal human being, and the reason I am mortal is because I am a sinful human being. “The wages of sin is death.”

In my day-to-day life, I can think of all sorts of problems that I think are oh-so-important and pressing. The car needs to be repaired, or is on its last legs. The bank account isn’t where I would like it to be. My career doesn’t seem to be moving the way I want. My kids are sick. My parents are struggling. My team isn’t doing as well as I would like. I have so much work to do, and on and on. And then I stand at a funeral and I am reminded that none of those things are my biggest problem. My biggest problem is that I am a sinner, who will die, and even worse, I am a sinner who deserves to go to hell. That’s my biggest problem! And if that one problem doesn’t get solved, nothing else really matters. That’s really simple. Funerals remind me of that.

But then I am reminded of another truth, that Jesus stepped into my place, taking the punishment which I deserved. The wage which I deserved—death—he took. And what’s left for me?

What’s left for me isn’t a wage, but a gift! And oh, what a gift! God gifts to me life eternal! God gifts to me eternity in heaven with him! By forgiving my sins, God gifts to me eternal joy, eternal peace, eternal glory!

And again, life gets simplified! I have eternal life, because God has given it to me! Does that mean all my other problems go away? Not at all! But it does put them into perspective! I am going to heaven! And so I can handle … the sickness, the stress, the change, the heartache, the money issues, and on and on. Since God has given me eternal life, certainly he will guide me through these other issues, because they are just things of this earth. Simple.

And funerals help me to remember that.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, keep simplifying everything for me by focusing me on what really matters. Amen.

Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
Romans 6:11-14

Dead and Alive

Christians are walking oxymorons. That may sound like an insult to Christians, but connected to God by his grace through faith in Jesus, this is an accurate description. An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two terms, which seem to contradict each other, appear together. For example, “jumbo shrimp,” “civil war,” and “crash landing” are oxymorons. Yes, Christians are walking oxymorons. God’s word recorded in Romans chapter 6 tells Christians to consider themselves dead and alive at the same time. How can we be dead and alive at the same time? Either we are one or the other, not both.

The key is to what or to whom we are dead or alive. Once we were dead to God. The Bible tells that without Jesus we are “dead in our transgressions and sins.” (Ephesians 2:1) We were spiritually dead, not caring about God or his will, and doomed to hell. But Jesus changed all that. He gave his life on the cross to forgive our sins and save us from death and hell.

Once we were dead to God and living in sin, but God in his grace has turned that entirely around. By giving us faith in Jesus, he changed us. We are now dead to sin and alive to God. As such, Romans 6 urges us to have nothing to do with sin. If we are dead to sin, why let our hands or mouths be tools of wickedness? Our Savior, Jesus, who gave himself for us, is our master now. We live under his grace. Our hands and mouths can be his instruments, showing and telling his saving love in what we say and do.

So be the walking oxymoron God in his grace has made you to be. You are dead to sin, AND alive to God through faith in Jesus. Live like it!

Prayer:
Dear Savior, thank you for bringing me from death to life in your death and resurrection. Help me to use my life and all I have to live to you and for you! Amen.

On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine—the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever.
Isaiah 25:6-8

The Feast

Celebrations and food go hand in hand. Weddings have receptions, birthdays have cake, and the holidays always have their own unique treats.

Why is that? Why does feasting always seem to accompany celebration and joy? Because it’s a blessing that God has intended. He gives us food to help us celebrate.

In the beginning, the LORD gave Adam and Eve a home in Eden that was full of food for them to feast on. They were free to eat from any tree in the garden—except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But they broke God’s command, and their rebellion trapped them and all their descendants in a shroud.

What is this shroud that enfolds all peoples, this sheet that covers all nations? It is death. Because of sin, life ends in death for all individuals, peoples, and nations.

Now, every birthday eventually leads to a funeral, marriages are ended by death, and the holidays are occupied by memories of departed loved ones. The shroud of death overshadows our celebrations and makes life seem pointless.

So thank God that he destroyed the shroud when he sent his Son into our death-covered world! By his death on the cross, Jesus took away every sin that separates us from God, and by his resurrection he swallowed up death forever. The shroud of death is lifted. Jesus lives, and in him, you live too.

Now God has prepared the feast for you, a banquet of life eternal. The celebrations of this world last only a moment, but the heavenly feast will never end. This is a feast of rich meats and the finest of wines—a feast like no other. This is a never-ending celebration where death has been swallowed up forever and all tears have been wiped away. Rejoice and be glad in God’s salvation!

Prayer:
LORD Almighty, thank you for swallowing up death forever and for preparing the heavenly feast for us. Amen.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice!

You are saved by grace alone. That means salvation is a gift, won by Jesus when he died and rose again. Even the faith you need to believe this glorious message is something God freely gives. Salvation is secure because it is the work of Christ, and since it is his work, then it cannot fail. On this, the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation, be sure to give thanks to God for that glorious truth. As the apostle Paul wrote: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”

On this special day, as you thank God for salvation by grace, spend time reflecting on how your life has changed because of Jesus’ work. Don’t forget that Jesus has washed away your sin and guilt. As you look to him in faith, you can rejoice—just as Paul says—because the Lord is with you and heaven is your home. There’s no need to be sour, harsh, angry or anxious because you have a Savior who hears and answers all your prayers. And remember: the peace we have through faith in Christ is something no worldly woes can disturb.

But the devil will try. The old, evil foe seeks to obscure those Reformation blessings. “Worry!” he demands. “You should! Just look at all the horrible things happening in the world! And how about all the dreadful things you’ve experienced? Get angry! Get mad! Look at all the world’s wretchedness in the headlines! Abandon hope! Forget about joy!”

Take to heart Paul’s encouragement: “…whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:8-9).

If you spend time focused on the ugly results of sin, the devil will get his way. So check your thoughts. Guard your heart. Set your mind on Christ and his salvation. As you do, you’ll discover new courage and peace, more reasons to rejoice and an extra measure of joy for the day.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, help me to focus on Jesus this Reformation Day and fill my heart with the peace you alone can give. Amen.

Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’ But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless. Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are invited, but few are chosen.”
Matthew 22:1-14

Truth about God

Have you ever said, “I think God is like…” Then you went on to describe your own version of God. We might be tempted to say, “I know the Bible says that I shouldn’t have sex before marriage, but I think God would want me to be happy.” Or “I know my friend doesn’t believe in Jesus, but I don’t think God would ever really send anyone to hell.” It can be tempting to invent our own truth about God. But we can’t invent God. God must tell us the truth about himself.

Jesus wants us to know the truth about God. So he tells us a story. He says that God is like a king who throws a wedding banquet. The party was going to be incredible! The best of meats and the finest of wines. But those he invited made excuses and didn’t want to come.

Stop. Do you see what Jesus is showing you about what God is really like? Your heavenly Father is not trying to rob you of your fun. He is a generous king who is inviting everyone to come to his eternal celebration.

Jesus went on to say that the king sent out more messengers and compelled as many people as he could to come to the feast. You see, God wants everyone in heaven! When the banquet finally arrived, a man entered who was not wearing wedding clothes. He was asked about his attire, but he remained speechless. Eventually the King threw him out into the darkness.

Stop again. Do you see what Jesus is trying to teach you about God, now? You are invited to come to the eternal celebration of heaven. But you can’t come on your own terms. Only those who have repented and have clothed themselves with Christ by faith will enter. If you reject the robe of Jesus’ righteousness, he will also reject you.

Many people make up their own ideas about what God is like. But God is real, a personal God. We can’t invent who he is. The good news is he is more loving and compassionate than we could have ever imagined.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, open my eyes to see what God is really like. Lead me to repent of my sin. Robe me in your righteousness by trusting in you as my Savior. Finally bring me to the great celebration of eternal joy in heaven. Amen.

Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?”
Luke 17:11-18

Thanksgiving Leads to Thanksliving

After Jesus cleansed the ten lepers, only one returned to thank him. His question was poignant. “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?” It appeared the nine were so excited about their new found health they forgot to thank the one who healed them.

How unfortunate! What is equally unfortunate is how I occasionally forget to respond to the Lord’s goodness and compassion. I pray for his intervention. I depend on his invitation to help. I even trust he will give me an answer. When he does answer my heartfelt request, what follows?

It is easy to be amazed and overwhelmed by the Lord’s answer to my prayer, but should it become a reason to forget to thank the one who came to my aid?

Luke does not record what happened with the other nine. No doubt they went to the priest, were declared clean, and returned to their families. Their new found health gave them a new life. The tenth leper probably did the same things. There was one exception. He stopped and returned to fall at Jesus’ feet. He began his new life by giving thanks to the Lord and praising him for his undeserved love.

It is a response I need to include in my life, and certainly, the Lord deserves my endless thanks. Richly and daily his undeserved blessings flow into my life, and these lead me to a life of thanksgiving. This life of thanksgiving could also be called “thanksliving.” It is how I live daily remembering and rejoicing in the Lord’s goodness and mercy.

Thanksliving can only begin when I recognize how blessed I am. Not a day goes by when the Lord does not support, strengthen or sustain me. Not a day goes by when he does not forgive, encourage or reassure me. This is why not a day goes by when I will not fall at my Savior’s feet and let my thanksgiving lead me to thanksliving.

Prayer:
O gracious Lord, words cannot begin to express my thankfulness for your rich blessing. Give me a thankful heart that not only proclaims my gratitude, but also reflects it in the way I live to your glory and praise. Amen.

This devotion was selected from the Daily Devotion archive.

If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.
2 Timothy 2:13

God’s Faithfulness Doesn’t Change

“That’s just the way he is. He’s never going to change,” Jack explained to his younger cousin who had asked why grandpa had gone to bed at 6:30 pm.

“That’s just the way she is. She’s never going to change,” Sarah said, as she excused the absence of her sister who was over an hour late.

“That’s just the way he is. He’s never going to change,” Bob told the stranded motorist who was shaking his head in awe while Bob’s father, dressed in his Sunday best, wrestled the flat tire off the car so he could replace it with a properly inflated one.

“That’s just the way he is. He’s never going to change.” These words are most true when spoken about God.

People may have certain characteristics that define who they are and dictate their actions, but people do change. God never does. He is faithful. It’s not just what he does, it’s who he is.

God never goes back on a promise. He never fails to follow through on what he has said he would do. When you read a promise of God, you know that it is as good as done because God is faithful, and he never changes.

Your faithfulness or lack thereof does not influence God’s faithfulness one way or another. He has promised that he will always be with you even though there have been times when you have turned your back on him. God has promised that he will always love you even though you have not always loved him with your entire heart and soul and mind.

Most importantly, he has promised that the price for all the sins of the world, including yours, has been paid. Jesus’ blood was shed for you.

“That’s just the way I am. I’m never going to change,” your heavenly Father explains about his love for you and his faithfulness that never changes.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for loving me even when I don’t love you in return. Thank you for your faithfulness that never changes in spite of my failures to be faithful. Help me to live a faithful life to you as the forgiven child you have made me. Amen.

This devotion was selected from the Daily Devotion archive.