Is God In My Plans January 31, 2017

Matthew 28:20 (NIV)

20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

The salvation story of Jesus Christ reaches around the world. So that the readers of our Daily Devotion may see the power of the Savior on a global scale, we have asked the volunteers of our international ministry centers to write our Sunday devotions. We pray that the Spirit may touch your day through their words.

In Christ, I remain, His servant and yours,
Kenneth R. Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour

God. You may be blessed to have heard people talking about God since you were small.

Maybe God was one of the first words you had learned.

That is all fine and well, but the big question is this: "Is God part of your life?" By that I mean when you make plans or come to a decision, has the Lord been consulted and was He an important part of that process? Or is it possible that you, like so many other people, only think of and come to the Lord in times of danger and suffering?

As long as we are asking questions, maybe I ought to add is your Bible a nice, fine-looking volume, which is confined to a position of honor on your bookshelf? Is it a book you have intended to read, but never have gotten around to it? Or did you take a stab at it many years ago and then put it aside because you didn't understand anything and concluded the Scriptures were too complicated for the likes of someone like you?

It is my prayer that you know the Bible is the Word of God.

If that is the case, why not take advantage of this time to open the Bible and find out how it can be of service to you? Remember, it is through the Bible that God, our Creator, wishes to speak to our hearts. In the Bible we are told what price the Heavenly Father was willing to pay so we might be forgiven of our sins and be given eternal life.

It is in Scripture we hear of the Savior's life, suffering, death and resurrection. That the Savior was willing to leave heaven and suffer all the injustice and inequity this world could produce shows the depth of the Lord's love.

But that love does not end at the borrowed and empty tomb. In the Bible we also hear God's promise: "Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me" (Psalm 50:15).

Again and again, God's Word tells us God wants to be involved in our lives. He wants to help.

When we feel pain, loss and suffering, our whole life is affected. Fear comes in those moments. Are you lost? Is there a solution? Yes, there is!

The answer to overcoming fear is hold on to Jesus. At such times we need to hear the Bible which says "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it" (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Trust in the promise of God, for He is faithful and remains prepared to help and to save you.

Thought for today: Do I acknowledge God in my plans before I start planning?

It Is Not Applicable January 30, 2017

1 John 3:1-2 (NIV)

3 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

At the close of a battle in the days of World War I, a young man was found dying on the battlefield.

A fellow soldier stopped to render him some help. In gratitude, the dying infantryman said, "My father is a man of wealth. If I have the strength, I will write him a note, and he will repay you for this kindness."

This was the letter he wrote: "Dear father, the bearer of this letter made my last moments easier and helped me to die. Receive him and help him for your son's sake."

The war ended, and the soldier found it difficult to find employment.

Eventually, in tattered clothes, he showed up at the rich man's home in Detroit. The father, seeing such an unkempt ruffian at his door, refused admission to the ex-soldier. Before the door was shut, the soldier said, "I have a note for you in which, I believe, you will be interested, sir." He handed the dead soldier's father the little, soiled piece of paper.

The father quickly recognized his son's handwriting. His eyes softened as he read his boy's last message.

In a second, the father's attitude changed. He threw his arms around the ex-soldier and held him tightly. He invited the lad into his home as an honored guest. Anything he could do for his son's friend was done.

That, my friends, is a beautiful story.

But it's a poor story compared to what the Heavenly Father has done for us. In the story that man's son died on a battlefield. If the lad had been given his choice, he would have returned home, healthy and whole. But God's Son, our Savior, gave up His life, willingly, completely, totally.

Indeed, Jesus entered this world for the express purpose of living, dying and rising for us.

Now, because of what Jesus has done for us, the Holy Spirit brings us to the Lord. Now, because of what Jesus has done, the Heavenly Father cleans us up by forgiving our sins and then He adopts us as His very own children.

That, my friends, is also a wonderful example, isn't it?

Unfortunately, the comparison I have made here doesn't hold up.

It doesn't hold up because the soldier in the story was the one who initiated the brief, battlefield relationship. In our case, it was the Lord who reached out to those who didn't want Him and felt no need of Him.

The story doesn't hold up because the rich Detroit tycoon invited the ex-soldier into his house because that man had been kind to his dying son. In contrast the Lord invites into His home those who had once been enemies of His Son; He invites into His home those repentant souls whose sins had placed Jesus on the cross.

No earthly father would ever do such a thing, but our Lord is not an earthly father, is He?

Thought for today: Do I acknowledge the power of the cross?

Really Good News January 29, 2017

2 Corinthians 5:17-19 (NIV)

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

To the best of my knowledge, none of the Daily Devotion readers have won the $1.6 billion Powerball lottery.

Now just because Pam and I didn't win those mega-dollars, that doesn't mean we didn't receive a lot of enjoyment from the lottery. After Christmas, as we drove back from Minnesota to Texas, we passed some of those miles by talking about what we would do if we were ever to receive such a fortune.

We spoke of paying off mortgages for our children, setting up trust funds for our grandchildren, and whether we would need bodyguards to keep us safe. We spoke of serious things and those which were more frivolous. We talked of lake cottages and trips we have not yet taken. We chatted about the cars we might like ('57 Chevy convertible) and how we would respond to all the folks who would show up on our doorstep asking us to invest in "get-rich" schemes.

But, as I said, you didn't win, and we didn't either.

On the other hand, John and Lisa Robinson from Tennessee did win and are receiving one-third of the prize. After they came forward, the Robinsons went to New York and allowed themselves to be interviewed on morning TV. Two of the questions they fielded were "How will your life be changed?" and "What are you going to do which is different?"

I was shocked to hear the Robinsons are going to continue to live in their modest home and, although they no longer need to, they will keep their current jobs. They said on the following Monday they intended to show up at work, as if nothing had happened.

I was surprised by their responses. On the one hand, I admired them for keeping their values and standards when many other people would have gone nutso. But I was also shocked. It occurred to me that life-changing good news should make a profound difference in their lives and the way they approached things.

The same ought to be said for those who have been given the great news of forgiveness and salvation that has been won for them by the Savior. We have been given the best news possible, and our lives and hearts should reflect that change in wonderful and powerful ways.

As St. Paul wrote, "if anyone is in Christ He is a new creature. The old has passed away and the new has come." It is a transformation which is more sweeping and should cause greater excitement than winning a temporary and, dare I say it, a paltry $1.6 billion.

Thought for today: Do I understand what it means to be in Christ?

Independence January 28, 2017

Proverbs 2:6-8 (NIV)

6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, 8 for He guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.

The young man decided to take his car out for a spin on Highway 19 near Crystal River in Florida.

He was pretty excited. What young man wouldn't be? It was the first time he would be taking his car out on the open road all by himself. Sure, he had been on the highway plenty of times before, but on those trips dad had always been with him. This time things would be different. He was going to be independent and take control. That's why he didn't tell dad or ask for permission.

Although he thought he was completely ready and mature enough for such an excursion, he wasn't.

It didn't take too long before 911 calls were being made to the police. Squad cars were dispatched and they soon found the boy. He was surrounded by caring and compassionate onlookers ... people who were shocked at what they were seeing.

And just what were these folks seeing that shocked them?

Well ... they were seeing a three-year-old boy who had, while his father was in the bathroom, managed to climb on a chair, undo the door locks, get behind the wheel of his electric truck, and make a break for freedom. They were looking at a three-year-old who, clothed in diaper and T-shirt, had braved the 52-degree temperatures and gone for a drive. They were looking at a three-year-old who had managed to escape his father's detection and driven 500 yards to the highway, where he managed to get to the median, before someone stopped him.

They were looking at a three-year-old who had been saved by God's grace and some overworked guardian angels.

Oh, they were also looking at a three-year-old boy who is a fine example of the human race.

It's true, you know. We, like that boy, think we are mature and ready to be independent. We think we are prepared to tackle any problem that might come our way. Because we feel that way, we show our independence and disregard our Father's will and wishes. Feeling we know better than the Lord, we take the wheel of our lives and head out.

It is a disastrous choice. No matter how wise or mature we think we are, we ought to know the Heavenly Father knows best. When we are with Him and listen to Him, we are safe. If we choose to disregard and disobey Him -- if we ignore the Savior's sacrifice and salvation -- we are, like that little boy in Florida, on a collision path with disaster.

Far better to trust the Lord, listen to His Words, and put ourselves in His hands. When that happens, as the author of Proverbs said, the Lord will watch "over the ways of His saints."

Thought for today:  Do I commit fully to God?

Respect January 27, 2017

Revelation 7:11-12 (NIV)

11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying:

“Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!”

Respect, that's a word and a concept, which has fallen out of favor.

Respect. Watch the evening news and keep tabs on what you see. Almost always the reports will begin with a lack of respect. There's the video footage of a mangled car where someone decided to disrespect the railroad crossing's flashing lights, ringing bells, and descending crossbuck barriers. There is also the story of the latest terrorist bombing where some religious fanatic has decided that his point of view is so important that he has a mandate to disrespect and destroy the lives of innocent men, women and children.

Those tragedies have one thing in common. They are all accounts that show no respect.

Most of our Daily Devotions folk will not argue when I suggest that today respect is in serious and short supply. Most of us remember President Franklin Delano Roosevelt who was crippled by polio. No matter what you think of him as a leader, it must be conceded that he waged a heroic fight against that disease.

The media of his day respected that battle.

Although Roosevelt served as president longer than any other man, and was unable to walk, unaided during that entire time, there are only two known pictures of him in a wheelchair. Today, let a leader fall, become sick, or stumble in a speech, and a disrespectful press will gleefully gloat and splash the story across its front pages. It will suggest we judge that entire individual on the basis of that slip or stumble.

I imagine it's not the first time in history that respect hasn't, well, been respected. Here's what an observer of society once said: "... our youths love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority -- they show disrespect for their elders and love to chatter in places of exercise .... Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households."

Do you agree? Well, that was said by Socrates, the Athenian philosopher. He said those words almost 2,500 years ago. You see, lack of respect is nothing new. In fact, if you think about it, when Adam and Eve decided they knew better than God and ate the forbidden fruit, that choice was motivated by a lack of respect.

In contrast to those who elevate themselves, Christians should be different.

Because of the Savior's sacrifice, because we have been moved from darkness to light, because we have been forgiven, restored and redeemed, we should always show respect to the Lord. We ought to join our voices with those who stand before the heavenly throne and say, "Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen."

Thought for today: Do I speak of the things of God with reverence?

Deadbeats January 26, 2017

Psalm 103:9-11 (NIV)

9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;

A "deadbeat dad" is not a deceased father who used to play the drums. In modern lingo a deadbeat dad is a parent who has failed to make court-ordered child support payments.

As of right now, the State of Arizona has recognized 421 deadbeat parents. These are mostly men who, over the last five years, have run up sizable amounts which they owe for the raising of their children.

The question Arizona has been asking is what to do with these negligent parents?

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey thinks he may have an answer. He says Arizona is going to publicly embarrass these "losers" (his words, not mine). That's right. Arizona is going to use a Twitter account to publish the photos and the names of these parents. In a public statement the governor gave notice, saying, "For too long, you've been able to remain anonymous, able to skirt your financial and legal responsibilities with no shame. If you don't want your embarrassing, unlawful, and irresponsible behavior going viral: man up and pay up."

Officials report that two dads have already responded: one of whom owes his family more than $170,000.

Now I don't know if such a course of action is wise, or fair, or if it is even legal. I do know I am glad the Lord doesn't treat His people that way. Think of how it would be if the Lord went on Twitter or Facebook and said something like

* "Last year I gave John Q. Christian a salary of $100,000. During that same time period he showed his appreciation by giving $5 to his church."

* "For the last decade I have, with the exception of a single bout with the flu and two colds, given John Christian good health. He complained about the sickness, but he never thanked me for his good health."

* "John was confirmed 30 years ago. Since that time his church has offered Communion over 1,200 times. During that same time period John has received the Sacrament 23 times, and none of those times has been in the last six years."

No, the Lord doesn't work that way. Instead, our God's steadfast love waits for His people to respond to the great gift of salvation Jesus made in His life, suffering, death and resurrection. Although God will not wait forever, He knows that those who have truly seen His redemption are going to have appreciative hearts.

He knows His people will never respond to Jesus by being deadbeat believers.

Thought for today: Do I honor God’s sacrifice in my actions?

Set The Captives Free January 25, 2016

Luke 4:18-19 (NIV)

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,  19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

In The Lutheran Hour sermon this past weekend, I spoke about the way Jesus delivers us from spiritual poverty, captivity, blindness and oppression. And I told the story of an immigrant to the United States who was confined to an institution following a nervous breakdown in 1929. For more than 40 years she lived as a prisoner in that institution, unable to understand a word spoken to her in English, and finding no one who could communicate in her language. No one knew where she came from; the fact is, no one even knew her name.

Thankfully, few of us will ever face such lonely, oppressive captivity but, then again, you can have 25,000 followers on Twitter, and still find yourself all alone when struggling with illness, pain, broken relationships, or financial struggles.

But Jesus speaks of an even greater captivity that has a hold of every one of us: it is a prison house which is more inescapable than Alcatraz prison. It is our sin and guilt that imprisons us, leaves us destitute before God, blinds us to our desperate situation, and oppresses us with guilt and shame. In our broken position we are as powerless as that nameless immigrant to break free on our own. We can certainly try, but all our wits, money and effort can't take away God's fearsome wrath.

That is why Jesus came for you. "The Lord has anointed Me to proclaim Good News to the poor." The perfectly free Son of God became human to make Himself a slave in your place. The Lamb of God took away the sin of the world -- yours and mine -- by taking it upon Himself, and paying its fearful price on the cross in our place. He was bound, blind-folded, beaten, whipped and finally nailed to that tree. He suffered the overpowering wrath of God in your place: that you might live in peace, hope and perfect freedom.

Though we don't often feel the chains of our sins, they remain nevertheless, until Jesus comes and shatters them.

That's what happened to our immigrant woman. In 1972, fully 43 years after that nervous breakdown, she was assigned a new caseworker. He sat down with her and was able to talk to her; he actually understood her language. He learned her name, Mary Peischl, and finally in 1977 she was freed from that institution and given back her life: she was even reunited with her five children.

Jesus Christ came to set you free from sin, from guilt, from grief, from the power of Satan, from the flames of hell itself. By His death and resurrection He has won for you your complete freedom. Each time we experience recovery from an illness, relief from pain, or the easing of a financial strain, we get a glimpse into the true, eternal freedom which Jesus Christ has won for each of us -- and freely offers us in the Gospel. A freedom we will know forever when Jesus returns to take us home.

Thought for today: Am I living “institutionalized”?