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TITLE: Destined to Die
DATE: March 31, 2019 TEXT: Matthew 26:1-2 - (ESV) - When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.” It was in the early years of World War II that a Japanese diplomat was trying to explain the almost complete success of his nation's soldiers. He said, "In most countries, there is nothing which can compare with the way we feel about our Emperor. We not only worship our emperor; we love him completely.” He continued with his explanation by using this example. He said,” I have just been informed of a commander at Port Arthur who called for volunteers to cut the barbed wire which was stretched out before his troops. He said to his men, 'You will never come back. You will not be allowed to carry a gun. You will take only a pair of wire-cutters, run to the barricade, and, if you are lucky, cut one or two wires before you are shot dead. Another will take your place and cut one or two wires more. But you will know that upon your dead bodies the armies of your emperor will march to victory.'" The diplomat continued, "Total regiments volunteered for these 'sure death' groups. These men were marked by love for their emperor. Nothing, not even death stood in their way of accomplishing their commander's mission.” I've thought about it. There aren't many causes or people for which I would be willing to lay down my life. You probably feel the same. That's why our greatest joy should be that we know a Savior Who left the glories of heaven, came to earth and throughout His entire life was dedicated to the cause which could end up in only one spot… with Him crucified between two criminals on a Roman cross outside the city walls of Jerusalem. Even before His Bethlehem birth, it was decreed. “You will never escape death, You will carry no tools into the battle. You will be alone as you confront sin, death and devil. You will be alone in life and in death. But upon Your dead body,Your resurrected body an army of sinners’ souls will be forgiven and saved.” That is why…
Understand, if He failed, there would be no one who could take His place and cut the wires of damnation that separated humanity from heaven. There was no one who could take His place because He is the only One Who could lay own Hs life and take it up again. THE PRAYER - Lord Jesus, there aren't that many things in this world for which I would be willing to die. Usually I am willing to sacrifice for the people who are nice and kind and supportive of me. You came into this world to offer Your life for those who would hate you, despise, reject and betray You. Grant I may appreciate the sacrifice You made to save me. In Your Name. Amen. The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html
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TITLE: Look and then Leap
DATE: March 30, 2019 TEXT: Philippians 2:8 – ESV - And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Not so long ago I read of a 3rd grade school teacher who invested her life-savings in a project which was too good to be true. Only later did she find out the reason the deal was too good to be true, was because it was too good to be true. The fellow who sold her the bill of goods was a smooth talking conman and before she knew it, he had stopped returning her calls, his office was closed up and he was nowhere to be found. Only after her investment had disappeared and her beautiful dream of a wealthy future had been shattered, did she become convinced she had been had by a smooth-talking swindler. Armed with this newfound knowledge she made two visits.
When she finished telling the Bureau her tale of woe, they were shocked at how badly she had been swindled. "Why on earth," they asked, "didn't you come to us first? Didn't you know about the Better Business Bureau?"We would have been more than willing to help. We would have been glad to investigate this fellow.” "Oh, yes," said the teacher sadly, "I've always known about you. But I didn't come because I was afraid you'd tell me not to make the investment." As strange as the true story sounds, almost all of us are forced to confess that we have done the same when it comes to the will of God.
But Jesus was different. Jesus didn't think that He knew better than His Father. He didn't put His will first. Like the Passover lamb, He would be taken to slaughter without complaint. Even though it meant He would end up dying for the people who hated Him, Jesus always consulted the will of His Father; what His Father had instructed Him to do. Thank God that He did. Because the Christ followed His Father's wishes and died on the cross of Calvary, the plan of salvation is completed,. His third-day resurrection from the dead is the Father’s acceptance and assurance the Savior’s sacrifices are complete and all those who believe in Him are saved. THE PRAYER - Lord Jesus, I often act and then ask. Help me get my priorities right. Accept my prayers of thanks that the Savior obeyed when I do not or choose not. Grant I will follow Jesus in glorifying You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen. The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: Little Things
DATE: March 29, 2019 TEXT: Acts 4:11-12 - (ESV) - This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved Last year, the evening news told the story of a man who had hitchhiked from coast to coast. Naturally, when the rides were scarce, he ended up walking many miles in the journey. After his adventure was complete there were many interviewers who wanted to visit with him. In almost every one of the interviews he was asked what was the most difficult thing he had to endure? What was the hardest part of your journey? ” Now honestly I thought he would say that his greatest difficulty was crossing the mountains or dealing with the hot sun. Those things weren’t the greatest difficulty. There were some interviewers who felt the greatest problem would have been the heat of the desert or torrential rains. Those things weren’t the most insurmountable problems. So, what was it that bothered him most? What was his biggest difficulty he had to endure? In the words of the traveler, "It was the very small stones in my shoe." I could understand that. Small things can make life bitter. Ask any Sunday School child, "What did Jesus do for you?", that child will almost always reply: "Jesus died on the cross to take away my sins." It is a perfectly proper answer. Jesus entire life lead up to those six hours on the cross. But if we could go to Jesus and ask, "What was the worst thing about Your suffering?", I wonder what He would reply? Would He talk about the nails that pierced hands and feet, or the whip that ripped His back? Maybe Jesus would say the nails hurt, but that was a pain which was short and quickly over. Perhaps His greater suffering was "the small stones in His shoes." Possibly Jesus would say His greatest burden was the fact throughout His life He ate the bitter herbs of being despised, and rejected. If we were to ask Jesus "what is the greatest thing You suffer today?", what would He say? Would He talk about the quickly-passing persecutions of His people by non-Christian leaders who are here today and gone tomorrow? Or would he talk about His people who, week after week and month after month, forget to give thanks for all the things He has done on their behalf? Would He talk about the people who forget all of His blessings and complain as if the meal of their lives was composed only of bitter herbs? I wonder what Jesus would say? I pray that I am not His greatest sadness and sorrow By God’s grace and the Holy Spirit’s power may I be granted a thankful heart and serve Him with dedication, THE PRAYER: - Lord Jesus, with the Spirit's help I believe I can often fight the big fights of life. It's the small ones that I often lose. Keep me faithful in things both big and small. In Your Name. Amen. The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: Plain to Read
DATE: March 28, 2019 TEXTS: John 3:16 -ESV - 16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Ephesians 2:8-9 - (ESV) - 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. There is a travel insurance company in Georgia operating under the unlikely name of Squaremouth. Recently Squaremouth Insurance did something absolutely unique. They conducted a contest….a secret contest. And just what is a Secret Contest?”A secret Contest is a Contest where they don’t tell anyone the rules, the prize, how to play until some person has won…and most importantly, they don’t tell anyone the contest is being held. I think I had better explain. When Squaremouth sends out one of their travel insurance policies, there is a lot of fine print. There is a lot of fine print which the folks at Squaremouth are pretty sure nobody reads. In an attempt to find out the truth Squaremouth got creative. What Squaremouth did was this: deep in the small print of their policies they inserted a paragraph…a paragraph describing their contest. The prize was $10,000 to be given to the first person who sent an email to a specific address Well, Squaremouth was wrong…somebody did read the fine print. 23-hours after the contest began, Donelan Andrews, a Georgia High School Teacher, claimed the prize. Squaremouth took the rewards a few steps further. Not only did they give the Teacher $10,000, they also gave $5,000 to the two schools where Donelan had been teaching and finally $10,000 to a charity for Children’s Literacy It all goes to prove there are times it pays to reads the fine print. Of course there are also times when there is no fine print. Look at the two Bible Passages at the head of today’s devotion. There is no fine print; there is no mumbo jumbo; there is no party of the first part and there certainly can be no accusation that the Lord is less than clear. Although it is maybe going a bit far, you could probably take away the rest of the Bible, but in these two verses you are told how you can be rescued from sin, death and hell. Not only do we find out we are doomed and damned, we are also told the Lord wants to save us. To that purpose, on His own, He put forth a plan, the only effective plan which can alter our eternal destinies. Most of all, we are told it is only through faith in God’ perfect Son who has taken our place under the law, that we are forgiven and adopted into the family of faith. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, when it comes to our dealings with our fellow human beings it is a wise thing to “read the fine print.” We need to protect ourselves from those who would mislead and betray us. On the other hand, when it comes to the salvation provided by the Triune God, there is no fine print, no misleading language. Which is why I rejoice that I am saved through my Savior, God’s perfect Son, Jesus Christ. In His Name I pray. Amen. Today’s devotion was inspired by various articles, amongst which is the one written .by Newser editor on March 213, 2017. Those who wish may check out this link which was, at the time of writing, fully active: http://www.newser.com/story/272223/she-read-the-fine-print-and-got-an-easy-10k.html The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: Father Does Right
DATE: March 27, 2019 TEXT: Romans 8:32–ESV – 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? A Greek gentleman named Antonis Mavropoulos was angry. The reason for his upset is he had missed his plane by two minutes. Two minutes was how long the door to the aircraft had been shut. Mr. Mavropoulos went over in his mind all the people who might have helped him make his flight; all the people who could have made up those two minutes… who could have, but didn’t. That explains why he was furious. Years ago the Clark family from Scotland had a similar upset. For a long time they had saved for the purpose of immigrating to the United States. Eventually they had enough and reservations were made. They didn’t make the trip. With the trip less than a week away their youngest son was bitten by a dog. The bite wasn’t severe but the threat from rabies was. The doctor quarantined the family for two weeks. During those two weeks their boat left. Like Mr. Mavropoulos, Mr. Clark was furious that his plans had been frustrated. Truth is, their anger was short-lived. Mr. Clark had to wait a number of days before his mood was changed. It took that long for reports that their ship, the Titanic, had gone down with 1,500 lives. At that moment, the dog’s bite became a blessing. It was the way the Lord saved his family. Mr. Mavropoulos didn’t have as long a wait. The plane he was traveling on from Addis Ababa to Nairobi, Kenya was airborne for a total of six minutes before it plunged back to earth killing all 157 people on board. At that moment, for Mr. Mavropoulos all those frustrating inconveniences became blessings. You know, the truth is the same kind of thing has happened to all of us. Maybe our story is not as dramatic as these two men, but it is no less real. How many times have we been upset with the Lord, because we felt He had let us down?.Rather than letting us down, the Lord was guiding and protecting us. Looking back we see His guiding hand and His loving heart most clearly. You know, that sort of thing has happened so often you would think that we should know that the Lord can bring good out of any bad situation. “God has brought good out of your bad intentions”, that’s what Joseph said to his brothers. It’s what Paul wrote to the church at Rome. The Lord can bring good out of bad. It’s what we should know will happen. After all, if God took care of us by sacrificing His Son, won’t He continue to do so in other, smaller matters? Of course He will. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I believe, help my unbelief. Help me know and believe that You are in control and as a loving Father You will, ultimately do what is best for us. Please grant me the Holy Spirit so I may accept without always understanding. This I ask in the Name of my Savior. Amen. Today’s devotion was inspired by various articles, amongst which is the one written by the editors of Newser on March 11, 019 . Those who wish may check out this link which was, at the time of writing, fully active: http://www.newser.com/story/272420/2-big-us-airlines-fly-boeing-model-involved-in-2-crashes.html?utm_source=share&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=def%20http://www.newser.com/story/272420/2-big-us-airlines-fly-boeing-model-involved-in-2-crashes.html?utm_source=share&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=def The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: Giving of Yourself
DATE: March 26, 2019 TEXT: Philippians 2:6-8 - ESV - Who, though he (Jesus) was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Brandon Quills and Tanner Wilson are friends. Have been friends for years. In that they are like many other kids in High School. There is nothing to distinguish them, or make them unusual….except… ….if you saw them in the corridor of their Arkansas High School, Brandon would be the one in the wheelchair. Brandon would be the one running the obstacles and the crowds as he attempted to move from class to class. Most importantly, Brandon is the one whose arms grew exhausted at the end of the day. “My arms grow tired.” That is the Brandon’s complaint which stuck with Tanner. It was a complaint Tanner decided to remedy. That’s how it was he started to set money aside from his part-time job at an auto-repair shop. For weeks Tanner saved. The weeks turned into months and the months turned into two years. For two years Tanner put money aside… until he had enough. Tanner bought the chair and presented to his friend while they were in school. Brandon described the event, “My face just blew up. "I was just crying everywhere. I was like, 'Wow I can't believe he did that for me.'" Tanner's mother said her son’s gesture is not unusual. "He's always been about everybody else and not himself." I expect Mary, the mother of our Lord, might have expressed the same sentiment concerning her Son, Jesus. Truly, He was always about the business of healing folk, teaching people and saving souls which were condemned by sin. Now I commend Tanner for saving up for two years, but Jesus dedicated His entire life to rescuing and redeeming souls.
He finally gave His life on the cross so our lives might be transformed; so that we might be forgiven of our transgression, so we might be reconciled with the Father and so heaven could be our home. And in response we, like Brandon ought to say, “'Wow I can't believe He did that for me.'" THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I can’t believe You would send Your Son into the world to do all which was necessary to save me. May my heart remain always grateful for Your love and mercy. In Jesus’ Name. Amen. Today’s devotion was inspired by various articles, amongst which is the one written Bob Cronin for Newser on March 5, 2019 . Those who wish may check out this link which was, at the time of writing, fully active: http://www.newser.com/story/272162/teen-saves-for-2-years-buys-friend-an-electric-wheelchair.html The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He with his extended family have a great witness. This song comes from the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: The Plan
DATE: March 25, 2019 TEXT ESV - Matthew 20:28 - (ESV) - 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” When Franklin Delano Roosevelt was President, he kept, as his personal assistant, a frail, sickly man. The fellow’s name was Harry Hopkins. To the dismay of many, Harry was accorded great privileges, including that of being able to see the President without an appointment, at anytime he wished. Eventually FDR was asked why he kept the man so close to him. Roosevelt's reply is worth noting. "Through the door of my office flows an incessant stream of men and women who almost invariably want something from me. Harry Hopkins wants only to serve me. That's why he's near me." Serving Roosevelt was the singular mission of Harry Hopkins. When Jesus talked about His mission, He shared that His singular purpose in coming to this world was to serve. He would serve the Father by performing the work of reconciliation. He would serve humanity by being One of us. As One of us, He fulfilled the law, He avoided temptation and He carried our sins to the cross where He died for us. Jesus served us. What an unusual thought. I can't think of anybody else with the same motivation. We live in a world that is filled with people who are in the business of taking and asking. But Jesus is different. Jesus came to serve me and to give everything that I need to be forgiven. Throughout His life Jesus never quit giving.
On the contrary, rather than giving up, Jesus continued on. He lived for us and He died for us. While writing this devotion, I thought, wouldn't it be wonderful if Jesus would say the same thing about me and you that FDR said about his friend: "Ken only wants to serve me. YOUR NAME only wants to serve Me. That's why he's near Me." It could happen , you know. Sure, it would take a lot of changing on our parts to have Jesus speak that way about us. We would have to turn around our whole approach to life. We would have to stop taking and learn how to give. We would have to learn how to serve. But it could happen. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, You never called it quits in fulfilling the plan of reconciliation. Grant that we may never quit trying to serve the Savior Who gave His life so we might live. In Jesus’ Name. Amen. The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He with his extended family have a great witness. This song comes from the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: Seeing Clearly DATE: March 24, 2019 TEXT: Matthew 26:39 – (ESV) - 39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” Some of us know people who are blind, or whose eyes are failing. Many who read this devotion do so with difficulty, or with a magnifying glass. Even so, most of us can do little more than sympathize with Rose Crawford who had been blind since birth. Now, before I go any farther I want to tell you Rose’s story ends happily-ever after. I am pleased to report that after delicate eye surgery she can see. When the bandages were removed Rose wept at the beautiful colors which greeted her. How could she not?. The words people had used to describe colors to her were always so… so colorless. What I want to say is Rose’s story is very much like anyone who unexpectedly receives the Lord’s wonderful gift of sight. But there is something unusual about Rose’s story. The unusual part is that 20 years, two whole decades of her blindness had been unnecessary. When she was younger she had thoroughly investigated the possibility of surgery. Back then they said, “nothing could be done.” Rose took the Doctor’s word as the gospel truth and stopped asking questions. She felt it was just too difficult to put up with the sorrow of being told the situation was hopeless. What Rose didn’t realize is surgical techniques changed, advanced, moved light years ahead. If Rose had followed the news, much of her life could have been different. As Jesus knelt in the Garden of Gethsemane, He knew that in a short time He would be arrested and condemned to death. Unlike Rose who accepted her blindness as inevitable, Jesus prayed that His future might be different. It was His hope that the Heavenly Father would find a different ending to His life than becoming the Passover sacrifice for humanity. But there was no new technique to save humanity from eternal damnation. There was no doctor who could make His life different. Jesus was destined to die on the cross where He offered up His life so the world could be forgiven and saved. There would be no miraculous happy ending in His life. So that the lives of all sinners might be happy, Jesus was sacrificed. To this, Jesus said, "Thy will be done." As I read the story about Rose Crawford, I am amazed that no one told her about the wonderful advances in eye surgery which had taken place. But I am even more amazed at the millions of people in this world who are spiritually blind - who don't know that faith in Jesus can bring them out of darkness and take them into the marvelous light of salvation. Most amazing of all is the fact that so many Christians are not sharing the news that Jesus can make the lives and the eternities of unbelievers different. When the Holy Spirit leads souls from darkness into the Savior’s marvelous light, we see there is at the cross and the empty tomb a cure for spiritual blindness. THE PRAYER:- Lord Jesus, I give thanks that I have seen You. I have seen how You accepted the Father's will as the only way I could be saved. Make me glad at such a sight. In Your Name Amen The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He with his extended family have a great witness. This song comes from the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: Doing the Job Right
DATE: March 23, 2019 TEXT: John 13:5 - (ESV) -5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. Here's a news flash: Did you ever think that when the Statue of Liberty was designed, there were no airplanes, or helicopters? That doesn't come as a big surprise to most of us who know our history. But here's something you may never have thought about. Since there were no helicopters or airplanes, once the statue was up, nobody would ever see the top. If nobody would see the top, why did the designer of the Statue bother? Why did he put the same kind of detail and care and painstaking craftsmanship on the unseen top of Lady Liberty's head as he did with her feet which would be viewed by everybody? It's true. Her hair, her crown, her eyes are all perfectly done. Why did he do it? The only answer I can think of is because he wanted to do the job right. Which takes me to the next question: "Why did Jesus wash the disciples' feet?" He had shown that He loved the world when He was born in Bethlehem. He would show it when He was nailed to the cross. Nobody would have criticized Jesus if He hadn't washed their feet. So, why did He do it? The only answer I can think of is because Jesus wanted to do the job right. He had told the disciples to serve as He served. But words were not enough. Time was running out. The disciples hadn't gotten the message. They were still arguing about who would be greatest in the kingdom, Which is why Jesus had to show them exactly how far they could go in serving. That's why He washed their feet. He was telling them that there's no job too small or menial for His followers to perform in love. Jesus did the job right. Every Christian agrees with that in principle. It's when things get practical that problems arise. When is the last time you heard the pastor of your church say, "Thank you all, but we don't need any more VBS Teachers. More have come forward than we needed." When is the last time you said at home, "The grass needs raking." and you had more volunteers then you had rakes? It hardly ever happens because we haven't caught on that Jesus was serious. He wants us to serve one another. THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, nobody would have noticed if You hadn't washed the disciples' feet. But You did it because You wanted us to understand You were serious about serving. Help us to understand - and then let us serve in love. In Your Name. Amen. The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He with his extended family have a great witness. This song comes from the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html This devotion may be inappropriate for children. It may be inappropriate for me. Please review before you share with a youngster. Pastor K
TITLE: Who’s In Charge DATE: March 22, 2019 TEXT :Acts 5:27b-29- ESV –“ the high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us.” 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men” The actor Chris Pratt is among the A-list of leading men in movies. Which explains why, as far as Hollywood is concerned, he is supposed to set a “good example” for the rest of the world. Now when I say “good example” that doesn't mean:
NOTE; If you are like me, you may not know what LGBTQ stands for. I knew some of the initials but the last couple of letters threw me for a loop. So I looked it up. It stands for: lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning. I still don’t know what is questioning. I guess they don’t either.
Folks, it makes no difference who says it: the High Priest, Jim Jones, the LGBTQ folk or the party parliament in Beijing, the answer is always the same: We must obey God rather than men” Christianity teaches Jesus is the Savior from sin; it doesn't pretend your favorite sin doesn't exist. You may not like it; you may not appreciate it and you certainly may not applaud it, but that is the way it is. Jesus saves sinful souls. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, the hymn writer prayed it, 1. Jesus sinners doth receive; Oh, may all this saying ponder Who in sin's delusions live And from God and heaven wander! Here is hope for all who grieve-- Jesus sinners doth receive. Amen TLH #324 Today’s devotion was inspired by various articles, amongst which is the one written Michael Foust for Christian Headlines on February 22, 2019 . Those who wish may check out this link which was, at the time of writing, fully active: https://www.christianheadlines.com/contributors/michael-foust/chris-pratt-hollywood-christians-under-fire-for-attending-bible-believing-churches.html The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He with his extended family have a great witness. This song comes from the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: Unquenchable Fire
DATE: March 21, 2019 TEXT: Mark 9: 47-48 - 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell,‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched Arkansas is a beautiful state…for the most part. For a long time, that sentence would have described Bella Vista, a community of 28,500 people, some 170 miles north of Little Rock Then something happened. That something was people smelled smoke. The smoke was coming from a garbage dump outside of town. An illegal dump site outside of town. A site which had operated for years and was the receptacle to things like car batteries and swimming pool liners. It has been seven months since people noticed the smoke from the fire which is coming from a location more than 70 feet underground. Day after day, hour after hour, week after week, month after month the smoke swirls through town, seeping into basements, causing illnesses, disrupting what should have been a good quality of life. Chris Nelson, his wife and son live in a home about one-fifth of a mile away from the burning dump. He says, his family continuously coughs, his wife has been diagnosed with bronchitis and his son is on round-after-round of antibiotics. Chris says he is a veteran and has seen much of the seamier parts of life. But he maintain, ”this is probably one of the worst, most stressful situations to live in." He concludes, “It's been hell." Well, no Chris, not exactly like hell.
Oh, there is one other thing which is different about the real hell. Jesus has made it so nobody else will ever have to go to hell. The truth is, without God’s Son our Savior, the eternal fires of hell would have been one of the most populous places in eternity. It would have been home for people who renounced the Savior; denied the Savior, rejected the Savior and felt as how they could get along just fine without Him. Well, they couldn’t do any of those things. Which is why the Lord sent His Son to carry our sins, wash our souls and make it so when people of faith stand before the Lord’s judgment seat they will be declared innocent of wrongdoing. They will escape hell and be welcomed into heaven. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I rejoice that because of Jesus, heaven is my home. In the Savior’s Name. Amen. Today’s devotion was inspired by various articles, amongst which is the one written by the editors of Newser on March 4, 2019. Those who wish may check out this link which was, at the time of writing, fully active: http://www.newser.com/story/272068/illegal-arkansas-dump-has-been-burning-for-7-months.html The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He with his extended family have a great witness. This song comes from the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: Pretty Good
DATE: March 20, 2019 TEXT: Romans 3: 22b- 35- (RSV) - :For there is no distinction for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. Mark Woudwyk is the area regional manager for Food Basics grocery stores. There are two things that I would like you to remember about his job:
Both those factors were active and online when he was told that police had been called to the Kingston store after they were informed there were shoppers inside the store, and no staff to fill their orders or take their money. Mr. Woodwyk reflects on his feelings after the information was processed in his brain. He says, “My first thought was ‘Oh no!” Well it was true. The Food Basics grocery store was supposed to be closed for the Canada’s National Holiday, Family Day, on February 18th. Somehow the doors to the Kingston, Ontario store was left unlocked and tentative shoppers soon discovered the oversight. They made their way into the store; found what they needed, and without anyone to pay, they left the store with their necessities. Oh, I forgot one thing. They all left cash or IOU notes for the things taken. In case you missed that…THEY ALL left cash or IOU notes. You remember Mark Woudwyk the store’s District Manager. He said he was relieved he did not have to report any goods as stolen during the mishap. Once again… NO GOODS STOLEN. A spokesman for the police, Constable Ash Gutheinz said that he was proud of the community’s citizens for being so unique. He added, “We’re pretty impressed with our citizens that they would be so honorable, honest, so as to leave a bunch of money for the groceries that they were taking.” I have to admit, I’m pretty impressed. Now the question is, “Are the people of Kingston, Ontario different than the rest of the world. Are they better; are they more honest, have they mastered their sinful nature? Maybe, in this instance they have… or maybe they felt the security cameras were on; or maybe they thought a neighbor would tell on them; or maybe they felt it was an episode of Candid Camera. The truth is the residents of Kingston are like the rest of us. They are sinners and they are in need of a Savior. They need the Christ Who gave His life to win forgiveness and eternal life for all who are called to faith. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I give thanks for this community which have set such a wonderful example. Truly many neighborhoods could learn much from their honesty. At the same time, I ask that the people of Kingston may acknowledge their dependence on the Savior Who has died to win forgiveness for their sins. May all of us be brought to repentance and receive the Lord’s forgiveness. In His Name. Amen. Today’s devotion was inspired by various articles, amongst which is the one written Anna Hopkins Fox News Today on March 6, 2019. Those who wish may check out this link which was, at the time of writing, fully active: https://www.foxnews.com/world/canadian-shoppers-leave-cash-iou-notes-for-food-at-unlocked-grocery-store The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He with his extended family have a great witness. This song comes from the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: TRANSIENT
DATE: March 19, 2019[ TEXT: Philippians 3:8-9 – ESV - 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith-- There was a time when I remember sitting down with my parents and watching the Academy Awards. It was spectacular, There were famous individuals who were dressed spectacularly. They were featured in films which entertained, which instructed, which had a moral and usually the good guy won and the bad guy was punished. Those were the days when the Lone Ranger (Clayton Moore) Hopalong Cassidy (William Boyd), Roy Rogers and Gene Autry felt that since they influenced so many boys and girls they ought to live a circunspect life off screen as well as on screen. Well, a few weeks ago they had the Academy Awards. Can you remember the winners….Did you ever know the winners. What was the Best Picture: GREEN BOOK, BLACK PANTHER, BLACKKKLANSMAN, BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY THE FAVOURITE, ROMA, A STAR IS BORN, VICE Who won Best Actor RAMI MALEK, CHRISTIAN BALE, BRADLEY COOPER, WILLEM DAFOE, VIGGO MORTENSEN Who won Best Actress OLIVIA COLMAN, YALITZA APARICIO, GLENN CLOSE, LADY GAGA, MELISSA MCCARTHY Folks, if you don’t know the answers, don’t feel badly. I got none of them.. Now don’t get me wrong., I’m not longing for the good old days when everything was better; I’m just yearning for the good old days when some things were. And if you want to know what was better about those days I could trot out a lot of qualities: honor, integrity, hope, responsibility, and respect. But the real change, the ongoing change is that ,since those days many individuals have written God out of their lives. They live as if there is no sin, no judgment and no need for a Savior. Sadly, they will find out when the Redeemer comes to judge the living and the dead. Even sadder is so many of these are influential people and they are pulling other souls into hell along with them. Which is why we need to point to the Savior. Not to bring back the good old days… but to help souls be prepared for eternity. St. Paul had it right: “I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ” THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, grant that I might see things clearly. Help me differentiate between the transient and the eternal; the temporary and the permanent; the earthly heroes and the heavenly Redeemer, Then, when I have seen clearly, help me share Jesus with others. In His Name. Amen. Today’s devotion was inspired by various articles, amongst which is the one written by Jim Denison for Christian Headlines on February 25, 2919. Those who wish may check out this link which was, at the time of writing, fully active: https://www.christianheadlines.com/columnists/denison-forum/what-the-oscars-teach-us-about-significance.html The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He with his extended family have a great witness. This song comes from the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: Win Some, Lose Some
DATE: March 18, 2019 TEXT: Matthew 10:16 – ESV - Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. The title of this devo is “Win Some, Lose Some.” First we deal with the “Lose Some.” Last year the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Manchester, New Hampshire put up a display honoring the nation’s POW’s and missing Vets. The display was called “The Missing Man.” If you had passed by the display you would have seen an empty chair placed at a kitchen table. On the table was a plate, a drinking glass, a candle, a flower, an American flag and a salt shaker. Oh, there was also a Bible on the table. Not just any Bible… but a Bible which was carried by a POW in World War II. But the Bible is gone now. There was a complaint… a complaint from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. The President of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation said “it is promoting.. one faith over another faith.” Of course, it could be that it is promoting the religion which many POW’s have said was a great blessing to them… and since most POW’s were Christian, it is only normal that the sacred book of those believers would be the Holy Scripture. Well, the Bible is gone now. As I said, “You lose some.” …..But you also win some. The hospital transferred the Bible from the Missing Man display to a glass case in the vestibule. The Military Religious Freedom Foundation says that still is a problem. Indeed, they say some 14 vets have lodged a complaint. On the other hand, the group which was responsible for putting the Bible on the display have countered. They say, they are not stuffing religion down someone’s throat. What they are doing is putting on display an important relic. The Bible was the way, “this guy held on to a lot of faith and hope, family and trust in this nation that they would do everything they possibly could to bring him home.” But the hospital says, “the Bible will remain where it is.” They said, they “consulted with appropriate legal counsel before placing this treasured WWII artifact, which happens to be a Bible, in the display. It is confident that this does not impinge on Constitutional protections.” You win some. So what does that prove? It proves that when we witness to the Savior, we will face opposition. When that happens we can throw up our hands and give up… or we can get smart. That is what Paul did when he used his Roman citizenship. It is what we can do, too. We will win some and we will lose some, but either way the Lord’s Story will be told. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I am a sheep in the midst of wolves. When I witness to You as Savior make me as wise as a serpent and as innocent as a dove. In the Savior’s Name I pray. Amen. Today’s devotion was inspired by various articles, amongst which is the one written by Michael Foust for Christian Headlines on March 1, 2918. Those who wish may check out this link which was, at the time of writing, fully active: https://www.christianheadlines.com/contributors/michael-foust/historic-wwii-bible-removed-from-veterans-hospital-display-after-complaint.html The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He with his extended family have a great witness. This song comes from the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: Remembering
DATE: March 17 2019 TEXT:" Matthew 26:31 - (ESV) - Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ The old soldier from Lexington, Kentucky stood before the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Washington, D.C . He stood there with tears running down his cheeks. He had made a special trip to pay his respects. His finger rested on the name of a fallen comrade. To his grandson whom he had brought along on the trip, he explained: "We were pinned down and I was hit in the leg. This dude laid over me, and they just shot him full of holes. He kept me alive at the cost of his own life. I guess he knew they was fixin' to kill me. He was the proverbial boy next door who everybody wanted his daughter to go out with." A similar, but vastly greater, act of giving took place almost 2,000 years ago. Jesus, the Son of God, knew that Satan was "fixin' to kill" us. He knew eternal death would never pass us over. He knew sin had wounded us so badly there was no way we would be able to save ourselves. That was when Jesus came to take our place. He knew, if we were to live, it was necessary for Him to die. No one, not even our story's Vietnam Veteran has ever seen a greater sacrifice. But what has been the world's reaction to Jesus' dedication and selfless act of love?
You know the answer to these questions. On the night Jesus was betrayed, His original eleven disciples went absent without leave. One of them turned traitor and betrayed Him with a kiss. One of them denied Him; swore he never knew His Friend, his Savior. Since then, many other individuals have run away. They have tried to write off Jesus' sacrifice as an event that took place long ago, a moment of history which has no effect upon them. To paraphrase our opening story, they forget Jesus “was shot full of holes for them; they seem unconcerned that the Savior won eternal life for them at the cost of His own life." THE PRAYER - Lord Jesus, it is easy for us to go absent without leave. When we close our eyes and refuse to see how the nails pierced Your hands and feet; when we forget about the Roman spear when we ignore the crown of thorns we minimize what You have done. Send Your Spirit upon us so that we might never forget that You have kept us alive at the cost of Your own life. This I ask in Your Name. Amen. The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann, one of my long-ago confirmands. He is singing with three brothers. This song comes from the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: He Gets It
DATE: March 16, 2019 TEXT: Matthew 15:8 - (ESV) - ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” David Holston from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho is only 18-years-old, but he’s got the savvy of someone who is decades older. Recently he was visiting his mother in Seattle. She was recovering from surgery and David wanted to provide some TLC. While he was there, he noticed the folks in Seattle seemed to be pretty upset about the weather they’ve been having. You see, Seattle has to go back 70 years to find a snowier February than 2019. There are places where they have actually had ten-inches of snow. Now this is the point where the Daily Devotioners in Wyoming, Colorado, Minnesota, Michigan and the Dakotas clutch their sides and roll on the floor, laughing. The weathermen in those states call 10 inches of snow, “a dusting.” Still, if you’re not prepared for snow, ten-inches can be a lot. Looking at the snow, David got to wondering whether he might make some money bringing his plow-truck back to Seattle. David tested the waters by taking out a Craigslist ad. He received an offer from someone who was willing to pay $1,000 to be plowed out. David got his truck. After spending some time with his mom, he went on the road plowing people out. He had jobs lined up until midnight. As he plowed, he answered his phone and added new customers for the next day. David plowed out driveways and parking lots at rates of $500 to $750. At the end of a three day weekend he had brought in $35,000. $35,000 is a lot of money. I wondered just how a teen-ager would spend that kind of cash which had been dumped into his lap. The article told me.
Impressed? I was, too. But David wasn’t done with his witness. To the newspeople in Seattle who interviewed him, he said, ‘his theme Bible verse for the trip was Luke 12:31: "But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well." To that he added this explanation "The Lord blessed me with the money for the sole purpose of advancing his kingdom. All of the glory goes to God!" Now I’ve shared David’s story because he gets it. More and more in recent years I hear Christians saying, “I don’t talk about my faith…I just live in a way that will have people asking, “What I believe.” Now that sounds good… but I live in a neighborhood which has a lot of Hindus, and some of them are leading pretty good lives, too. I think David’s got it right. He honors God with his lips… and his actions… and his heart. I pray I will do the same. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, let my words and actions reflect my heart which ought always be grateful for a Savior Who gave His life for my salvation. In Jesus’ Name. Amen. Today’s devotion was inspired by various articles, amongst which is the one written by Lauren Johnson for CNN on February 20, 2019 . Those who wish may check out this link which was, at the time of writing, fully active: https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/19/us/teen-makes-35k-plowing-snow-trnd/index.html The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann, one of my long-ago confirmands. He is singing with three brothers. This song comes from the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: I Forget
DATE: March 15 2019 TEXT: Psalm 22:28 - ESV - -For the kingdom is the LORD'S And He rules over the nations. It wasn’t so long ago that a person in the U.S. Congress said there were three branches of government. She then amplified and said those branches were the White House; The Senate and the House of Representatives. OOPS! I’m sure it was just a momentary blip on her brain and if she thought about it she would have correctly said the three divisions of our nation are the Executive (the Presidency), the Legislative (including both Houses of Congress) and the Judicial (the Supreme Court.) Unfortunately, at least according to the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation when they gave US Citizens a basic test on our nation and its history, in the highest ranking state only 53% were able to pass.
Now part of the reason people don’t know our history is because we no longer teach it. According to two experts who spent their time reviewing textbooks for content, America has dumbed down what we teach and minimized our expectations of our students. . Do you need an example or two? How about the textbook that spent 7 pages on Marilyn Monroe and 1 paragraph on George Washington. In the paragraph about Washington they made sure his uncomfortable false teeth were mentioned Karl Marx once said, “Take away a people’s roots, and they can easily be moved.” Well, it sounds like that is what is happening. And that is a sadness. Long gone are the years when students learned from the New England Primer. You know: “A, In Adam’s Fall, We Sinned All. B, Thy Life to Mend, the Bible Tend. C, Christ Crucif’ed, For Sinners Died,” and so on. But those days are long ago.
Far better we should remember who we really are.
And that, my friends is simply worth knowing, having and keeping. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, there are many times when I am going to forget things. Grant that I may always remember the Savior and love You have given to Me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen. Today’s devotion was inspired by various articles, amongst which is the one written Dr Jerry Newcombe Truth on Action Ministries, on January 21, 2019. Those who wish may check out this link which was, at the time of writing, fully active: https://www.christianheadlines.com/columnists/guest-commentary/america-s-historical-ignorance.html The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann, one of my long-ago confirmands. He is singing with three brothers. This song comes from the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: Nice Doggy
DATE: March 14 2019 TEXT: 1 Peter 5:8 - ESV - Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. When I was the speaker for The Lutheran Hour I was sent to many different places. One of the countries I never made it to was Estonia… the place for our Dally Devotion’s story today. Since I’ve never been to Estonia, you can easily draw some other conclusions. For example, I never took a boat on the Parnu River in the Southwestern past of the state. I’ve never seen the Sindi dam which has harnessed the Parnu River and, most importantly I’ve never met the principal players in today’s devotion: Rando Kartsepp, Robin Sillamae, and Erki Vali. These three men are what you might call ‘good-deed-doers’ and ‘lovers of animals.’ I know that because recently the three who were working at the Sindi dam spotted a dog trying to dodge the ice as he tried to swim the icy river They launched a small boat, were able to grab the dog and bring him to shore. Rather than turning him loose in his hypothermic condition, the three men put the dog in their car and drove him to the nearest shelter. It was at the shelter where they found out their cute little dog wasn’t so cute; he wasn’t so little and he wasn’t a dog. Nope, he was an exhausted, well-behaved, one-year-old male grey wolf. The shelter kept the wolf for a day and then released him into the wild… with a GPS collar around his neck. I like that story. I like it, at least in part because it turned out so well. The wolf was saved and the three men have a story to tell their grandchildren. Of course you know, and I know that giving a ride to a wild wolf isn’t always the safest thing a person can do. Now you may say, “Pastor, there’s not enough wolves in the wild for us to do such a thing. And to that I reply, “There’s probably a lot more cuddly-looking wolves out there than you might imagine.” For example, when Satan made his suggestions to Adam and Eve, they thought they were in control; they thought they could give that temptation a ride and nothing would happen. Every day a great many people give a wolf a ride when they convince themselves they are in control of their gambling habit; their thirst for alcohol, their enjoyment of illegal drugs and they can handle things. The bottom line to all this is simple:
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, temptation come. Grant that I may avoid temptation rather than trying to snuggle up to it. Give me the wisdom to see that those things which sometimes look innocent are not. This I pray in the Savior’s Name. Amen. Today’s devotion was inspired by various articles, amongst which is the one written here: http://www.newser.com/story/271727/they-pulled-a-dog-from-icy-river-it-wasnt-a-dog.html The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann, one of my long-ago confirmands. He is singing with three brothers. This song comes from the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: A Special Guy
DATE: March 13, 2019 TEXT: Isaiah 43:1-3a (ESV) - But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you, I have called you by name, you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. The Jeep Cherokee was stopped on Michigan Avenue in Ypsilanti, Michigan That was when another vehicle struck the Jeep from behind. It hammered the Jeep in such a way that it was flipped upside down and the driver was caught half-way in and half-way out of the window. To the credit of the good folk in Ypsilanti, it took but a few seconds before there were a couple of young helpers on the scene. They huffed and they puffed, but these would-be-Good-Samaritans couldn’t get that driver-fellow free. The truth is the Jeep Cherokee weighs in at two tons and that kind of poundage doesn’t lend itself to being easily moved or manhandled. It was right about this time that 29-year-old Ryan Belcher came on the scene. He had been at work when he heard the sound of the crash. Ryan looked out the window and, seeing the seriousness of the situation, called 911. They he raced to the accident where he found more people trying to help the trapped man get out of his vehicle. Ryan says, “I just kind of got tunnel vision…I grabbed the back, where the window was smashed out and lifted up and started pushing." Ryan guestimates he manhandled the vehicle and ended up moving it somewhere between 1 and 3 feet. He was still at it when the medics arrived and completed the work. Now if you’re thinking, ‘Amazing what a bit of adrenalin can do”, you would be partially correct. Adrenalin did have something to do with freeing the trapped man. But adrenalin is not the only component in the victim’s release. You see Jeff is a professional weightlifter. He goes to the gym five days a week and practices doing things like:
As for the man who was trapped in the wreckage of his jeep Cherokee, it means that the accident happened in close proximity to one of the few men in the world who was actually able to provide some practical assistance. When you’ve got a problem, it’s a good thing to have that problem near to someone who can help. For example, take a look at us.
But the heavenly Father knew about our sin and our situation and He knew the only Person Who could help us. And that’s how Jesus lived, died and rose for us; it’s why He sends His Holy Spirit to call and keep us in the faith. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I give thanks for Jesus Who has rescued me. May He be blessed for offering up Himself so I might be forgiven and saved. In His Name I praise You. Amen. Today’s devotion was inspired by various articles, amongst which is the one written Evann Gestaldo on February 18, 2019. Those who wish may check out this link which was, at the time of writing, fully active: http://www.newser.com/story/271481/weightlifter-moves-2-ton-suv-to-help-trapped-man.html The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann, one of my long-ago confirmands. He is singing with three brothers. This song comes from the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: For Others
DATE: March 12 2019 TEXT: Philippians 2:3-4 - (ESV) - Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. In the first quarter of the last century Norman Vincent Peale was asked to speak on Memorial Day at Prospect Park in Brooklyn. As he was only asked to give a short invocation, he was unconcerned. Of course, he spent considerable time writing out what he was going to say partly because he knew God was listening, but also because Teddy Roosevelt was going to be on the platform with him. Peale's confidence collapsed when he found out that he had planned poorly. The program said nothing about him giving an invocation. It said he was to be the chief speaker of the day. With nothing planned, in panic he turned to President Roosevelt and asked for help. Teddy pointed to the row of gold-star mothers in the front of the audience and said, "Every one of them has lost a son in the war. There must be something you can say that will be helpful to them. If you're scared, it's probably because you're thinking of yourself. Stop thinking of yourself and think of them instead." God did not need to give similar advice to His Son as Jesus' life was drawing to a conclusion. Although the Passover in Jewish homes was usually a joyous occasion, this year, for our Savor, that would not be so. For Jesus the coming Passover was not going to be a festive time. He had been born so He could suffer and die for humanity. Now that day of death was imminent. The time He had spent on this earth and with His disciples would soon be over. It shows the measure of Jesus' love that even though He knew death was coming, and even though he knew, this year, death would not {pass over) Him, He did not think of Himself. Instead of mourning His approaching death, He thought of His disciples.
It is difficult to think of others when your mind is preoccupied by what YOU are doing. Today, when you are busy, think of a loved one and give them a call telling them they are important. If you're really busy and know you can't get away - then really do it. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, Jesus is the sacrifice which calls me from darkness into light; from damnation to salvation. May I never grow so smart, so strong, so well-known so sure of myself that I think I don’t need a Savior. In Jesus’ Name. Amen. The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann, one of my long-ago confirmands. He is singing with three brothers. This song comes from the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: Bah, humbug, Children.
DATE: March 11 2019 TEXT: Proverbs 17:6 – ESV - Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers. The comedian, W.C. Fields made a livelihood out of being a Scrooge-like-curmudgeon. It was a part which fit his personality and even when the cameras stopped, he stayed in character. In one of his films, Tillie and Gus, he was asked, ‘Do you like children?” Fields reply was a simple: “I do, if they are properly cooked.” Recently CNBC ran a story which reflected the same spirit as that of Fields… except CNBC wasn’t being funny and the story wasn’t promoted as a joke. The program’s original title held this out as a teaser: “You can save half a million dollars if you don't have kids.” Eventually someone at the studio headquarters woke up and changed the program description to: “Here’s how much you save when you don’t have kids.” The story’s arguments reflected the headline. It said things like:
Finally the story got to the heart of their argument when it said: if you don’t have kids, in short, you’ll save a lot of money,” And if you’re wondering, “Did the story have anything positive to say about parenthood?”; the answer is, ‘yes.’ The story maintained if your kids took care of you and kept you out of the nursing home, they could be a blessing, because they would keep you from spending all your money. So there you have it. The family reduced to dollars; the happiness and sorrow of family translated into cents. I can tell you there were a lot of people who wrote in and complained about the tone of the program. One person wrote in and said, “I could save money by not giving to charity, not helping a friend in need, the list goes on and on. It’s not always about the money.” Another, tongue in cheek, wrote, “You can also save lots of money by being swallowed whole by a shark. Think of all of the expenditures you'll make in your life that you wouldn't make if you got swallowed whole by a shark.” I looked through most of the people who wrote in. I just wanted to see if the Lord had voiced an objection to the program. While I didn’t find anything from a heavenly desk, I’m pretty sure I know what He would say. He would talk about how He first established the family in the Garden of Eden. He would speak of humankind’s rebellion and how He promised His Son as the payment which would restore His family. Then He would make a heavy sigh and say, “If saving money is your first concern when you’re thinking about having children, then you’re probably right, you shouldn’t have kids. They’re simply too much fun, too much of a challenge and joy for someone as serious as you. THE PRAYER: Dear heavenly Father, I give thanks for Your Son Who has saved me. Grant that I may be a blessed member of Your family. In Jesus’ Name I ask it. Amen. Today’s devotion was inspired by various articles, amongst which is the one written Michael Foust on January 28, 2019 for Christian Headlines. Those who wish may check out this link which was, at the time of writing, fully active: https://www.christianheadlines.com/contributors/michael-foust/cnbc-s-children-cost-too-much-story-sparks-major-backlash.html The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann, one of my long-ago confirmands. He is singing with three brothers. This song comes from the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: Package Delivery
DATE: March 10, 2019 TEXT: Matthew 24: 23-24 – ESV -Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. I have to confess. I like Amazon.
Yes, I like Amazon… but I don’t love Amazon. I especially don’t love Amazon when they get into areas where they are just out of their element… they are actually whole galaxies out of their element. High on the list of really stupid stuff Amazon has created is the show “Bible Conspiracies” which was released in 2016. Using a sensation-voiced narrator, the film asks questions like, “What about this person, Jesus? Was he real? Was he created? Was he alien?” To the credit of the film makers they didn’t propose Jesus was an alien. What the film does propose is this:
The film is quite brazen as it says: “He (Apollonius) reportedly restored life to the dead and spoke of things beyond the human reach. And, unlike Jesus, there is evidence to prove that Apollonius actually existed….nobody can say with any conviction that Jesus was a real person.” (Emphasis, mine.) Really? Well, folks, Amazon is wrong. The real truth is I am hard pressed to think of anyone who can seriously say Jesus of Nazareth is a fictional character. The most vehement of Christ haters agree He was a legitimate living, breathing person. A tangible, resurrected Person named Jesus is the only way to explain the conversion and the change which swept over the ancient Roman world 2,000 years ago. Now I have to tell you the majority of people who have spoken in response to the film, have criticized it. As one reviewer said, “The writers of this film not only have NO actual Biblical knowledge, they quote many myths that have been not only been disproved, but are laughed at in theological circles. In this video, there are no experts, no theologians, only many rhetorical lies that are often spewed by evolutionist and atheist.” Which means, ‘Maybe Amazon ought to forget criticizing Christ and stick to delivering packages THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, many believe Jesus is made up and no such Person ever lived. I give thanks You have given me a faith which knows Jesus not only lived, I know He lived, died and rose to save me. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen. Todas devotion was inspired by various articles, amongst which is the one written on February 12, 2019 t the time of writing, fully active: https://www.christianheadlines.com/blog/jesus-is-actually-a-greek-philosopher-new-amazon-documentary-theorizes.html The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann, one of my long-ago confirmands. He is singing with three brothers. This song comes from the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: Miracles
DATE: March 9, 2019 TEXT: Matthew 7:21-23 – NIV - “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ You’ve got to hand it to him… he puts on a pretty good show. The “him” and “he” in that paragraph is Pastor Alph Lukau who has a church, Alleluia Ministries International, outside Johannesburg, South Africa. And “the good show” to which I was referring was the raising of a man from the dead.” No, really. The church put out a video of a “dead man” lying n a casket. Pastor Lukau stands near the casket and shouts at the man, telling him to “rise up.” Well, wouldn’t you know, the man sits upright and all the spectators cheer at the wondrous miracle they have just seen.” New before I go any farther, you should know I believe that the Lord can bring people back from the dead. He has done it in the past and He can do it now or any time in the future that He chooses. On the other hand, I am extremely skeptical that the Lord has entrusted this power to Pastor Lukau. Why? There are any number of reasons, but the most important is the fact that after the Pastor and the miracle drew some public criticism, they changed their tune about what had happened. Now the church says that the “dead man” was already alive when he was brought to the Pastor. Now they’re saying, Pastor Lukau "completed a miracle that God had already started.” Which means, if the man was alive when he came to the good Pastor, there was no miracle and there certainly was no miracle of resurrection. After all, you can’t bring a person back from the dead when that person is still alive. As I said, it was a “pretty good show.” But there is a second part to the show. That part came when people and organizations started to criticize Pastor Lukau. South Africa’s Commission for the Promotion and Protection of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL Rights Commission) went on record as saying, “There are no such things as miracles. They are made up to try to get money from the hopelessness of our people." “No such thing as miracles?” Wow, that’s pretty strong. And I happen to know the Commission is wrong. Now Pastor Lukau may be a conman and a charlatan but I have seen miracles. I know folks who were supposed to die and didn’t. The best MD’s in the world gave them weeks to live and, today, twenty years later, they’re still around. I’ve seen people emerge unscathed from disastrous car accidents. I’ve seen… well, I’ve seen a lot of miracles…including the saving of my sinful soul. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I give thanks for the Savior Whose sacrifice was a miracle that has forgiven my sins. I rejoice in the Holy Spirit Whose work has called and keeps me in the saving faith. I give thanks for the miracle of the heavenly Father’s grace which saves my soul. All these miracles come from the hand of a loving Lord and I give thanks for them in Jesus’ Name. Amen. Today’s devotion was inspired by various articles, amongst which is the one published by the BBC on February 26,. 2019 . Those who wish may check out this link which was, at the time of writing, fully active: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-47370398The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann, one of my long-ago confirmands. He is singing with three brothers. This song comes from the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: Pass or Fail
DATE: March 8, 2019 TEXT: Matthew 7:21-23 - (ESV) - “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. What follows is a test. No one will know how you did. But, please, don’t skip over the questions.
If you are wondering where the questions come from, I can tell you they are part of the test the Swedish Migration Board gives to people who claim to be Christian and are fleeing from countries where they are being persecuted. The test is supposed to tell the Board whether the individual is really a Christian believer. Now the test may prove some things, but having a Christian faith isn’t one of them. . I don’t know about that. I do know it doesn’t answer the question “Is this person a believer.” And St. Peter is not standing before heaven’s pearly gates and asking heavenly applicants for answers to these questions. I can also tell you that when the test was published in Sweden more than 100,000 people, including clergy, took it. Of that number only 300 managed to get a passing grade (above 60%.) But it gets worse. The test has caused some serious problems for genuine believers who have been turned away.
One critic has summed up his perspective on the problem with the words: “This is a full-blown catastrophe…Genuine Christians are being deported to countries where Christians are persecuted simply because Swedish government officials are incompetent and hostile towards Christianity.” Now I imagine some of you are asking, “If the Swedish government’s test stinks, who can write a better one? Could you do a better job, Pastor Klaus? Well, truth is, I could… and so could the vast majority of Daily Devotioners. But I’m not going to do it. Don’t have to. The list has already been made up by Dr. Martin Luther. It’s called: “The Small Catechism.” And if that is still too long, I would point you to the Reformer’s: Christian Questions With Their Answers. (See: http://catechism.cph.org/en/questions-answers.html) Now before I close… you should know the Lord’s criteria for heavenly admission is not the Catechism or the Christian Questions. The Good-Thief-On-The-Cross knew neither of those two things. But he did know he was a lost and condemned sinner and that perfect Jesus was dying for him so he might live forever. He knew Jesus was His Savior…and that was enough. THE PRAYER: (Taken from De. Luther’s Meaning to the 3rd Article.) Dear Lord, I know that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him. That is why I give thanks the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. I rejoice that, in the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. Further, I am thankful that He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. Because of this I am confident that, on the Last Day, He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ. In Jesus Name I give thanks; this is most certainly true. Amen. Today’s devotion was inspired by various articles, amongst which is the one written by Amanda Casanova on February 12, 2019 for Christian Headlines. Those who wish may check out this link which was, at the time of writing, fully active: https://www.christianheadlines.com/blog/swedish-government-tests-asylum-seekers-to-see-if-they-are-real-christians.html The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann, one of my long-ago confirmands. He is singing with three brothers. This song comes from the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: Who Is Right
DATE: March 7, 2019 TEXT: Romans 14: 1 – ESV- As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. Generally speaking, tornadoes are bad. That was certainly the case for the twister which swept down on Wetumpka, Alabama on January 19th. Thankfully there was no loss of life, and only one individual suffered a minor injury. Sadly, there were many places in downtown Wetumpka which were damaged or destroyed. Three places which suffered major damage were the local police department and two churches: First Presbyterian Church and First Baptist Church. The Pastor at First Presbyterian said the congregation would have no problem rebuilding since they were over insured, That was not the case for First Baptist which had to fix the congregation’s chapel and their two—story multipurpose building. After such a calamity, it is not unusual for all kinds of individuals and organizations to come forward personally or financially, and help put things back in order. It was no different in Wetumpka. One of the major contributors to the rebuilding effort was Wind Creek Casinos. The week after the tornado, the gambling establishment offered $100,000 toward reconstruction.
The generosity of the Casinos was met by three, very different responses.
There are those who will say “First Baptist is right. A Church should never use dirty money.” To them I would reply, “The Lord Jesus expressed no objection which the newly-converted publican Zacchaeus said, “Behold, Lord,… if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” Rather than condemning the use of bad money, Jesus said, “Today salvation has come to this house To those who maintain, “Money is never dirty, and as Christians all things are free for us”, I would point them to 1 Corinthians 8 where Paul (who was speaking about eating meat sacrificed to idols said “But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak…. Therefore, if food (or money which has been won by gambling) makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat (or spend a dollar) , lest I make my brother stumble.” (Inserts are mine) So which church and which pastor was right? My answer would be: without a direct command from Scripture, such as, “avoid money won by gambling”, the whole question falls into the area of adiaphora, that is things neither commanded nor forbidden. In such areas the Lord generally lets us make our own decision. At the risk of oversimplifying, I would say, “Since both pastors and both parishes were trying to help their neighbor and honor the Lord, neither was wrong.” THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, in difficult times and when difficult decisions must be made, may I accept Your Word for guidance. And when Your Word is silent, let my desire be to please You and bless my neighbor. This I ask in the Redeemer’s Name. Amen. Today’s devotion was inspired by various articles, amongst which is the one written by Michael Foust for Christian Headlines on February 19, 2019 . Those who wish may check out this link which was, at the time of writing, fully active: https://www.christianheadlines.com/contributors/michael-foust/church-returns-25-000-check-to-casino-we-can-t-keep-this.html The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann, one of my long-ago confirmands. He is singing with three brothers. This song comes from the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html |
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