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TITLE: Gratitude DATE: August 31, 2019 TEXT: Phil 4: 6-7 – ESV - Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. For years one of the great friends and supporters of the Daily Devos has been Michael Burger. He has consistently submitted various materials for direct use or consideration. His ideas have been consistently good... even though I must admit, I have struggled with his most recent sharing. Not because it lacked in quality,. No, it was excellent. The problem was my tongue does not readily pronounce names from India. Still, I have practiced, and so I am going to give it a try. We begin by saying... The day was very much the same as any day in the city of Yamunangar, located in the northern state of Haryana.. That was until someone noticed what appeared to be a brand new, 3 Series BMW floating down the river. By the time the police were called, the car had come to rest, and was sinking in the western Yamina Canal. Just to make sure nobody was trapped inside the police used an earthmover and rescued the BM-er from its would-be watery grave. But how had the car come to be floating down the river in the first place? An investigation proved most interesting. It appears the luxury BMW was a Birthday present from his parents to their 22-year-old son, a fellow by the name of Akash. Now to many people a BMW is a fine present, but not to Akash. You see Akash had been hoping his parents would give him an even more expensive Jaguar. Scratch the words hoping for and substitute the word, demanding. Now, I wouldn’t like to say the boy was disappointed with the BMW, but he had been disappointed. So much so that when he realized he had been shortchanged for his birthday, he deliberately and in anger, pushed the BMW into the river.... and he filmed it... so he could send a copy of the film to his parents. He wanted Mom and Dad to understand: that when he asks to get a Jaguar for his birthday, he expects to get a Jaguar for his birthday. Now if you are like me, you are outraged at the ingratitude of the young man. You probably think that if he felt Akash had to say anything about the gift, it should have been a simple, “Thank you.” Well, most Christians would agree. Sadly, we don’t always practice what we preach. Having spent 25 years of my life leading my church in prayer I found there were a lot of requests submitted to God, but mighty few prayers of thanks. That; a shame. We who have been forgiven of our sin by the Savior’s sacrifice; we who have a loving Lord listening to our prayers; we who are given all we need for the living of each day - ought to make it a practice to say, “thank You.” THE PRAYER: Dear Lord for all the blessings and gifts You give; for the things I recognize and the many I do not; accept my thanks. Most of all, receive my gratitude for Jesus Whose life has given me life; and Whose resurrection assures me I will never die. In Jesus’ Name. I pray. Amen. to go to this address: https://www.newsweek.com/man-pushes-bmw-river-1453835 and the article written by K Thor Jensen The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with 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: Anticipation
DATE: August 30, 2019 TEXT:. 1 Corinthians 15:51-55 – ESV -. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” It was January of 1967 when Bryan Knight saw his father depart Dallas Love Field Airport for Vietnam. Bryan was 5 years old. For the next four months Col. Roy Knight flew almost daily combat missions into Vietnam. Then, on May 19, 1967, the 36-year-old aviator was shot down. Witnesses reported that Colonel Knight ejected from his aircraft, but no parachute was seen deployed. Searches made afterword proved to be fruitless. There was a military funeral, and a flag was presented to the Pilot’s widow and son with the thanks of a grateful country. And then, everybody did their best to carry on and lead normal lives. So it was that more than 50 years passed. Then, one day, Bryan Knight, now commercial pilot for Southwest Airlines touched down in Love Field in Dallas to a big reception. No the reception was not for Bryan, it was for his father. Earlier this year, the crash location and the remains of Colonel Knight had been found near Laos. The body was flown to Hawaii and then to Oakland, California. It was there, in Oakland, Bryan Knight was asked to bring his father home to Dallas, Love Field. As the jet, carrying the two Knights taxied to its gate, the Public Address system told the story I am telling you. A reporter who just come from covering the shooting in El Paso, and accidentally happened to be at the airport said, “We all watched silently as the flag-draped casket was unloaded... It was peaceful, it was beautiful, and it was a privilege to watch." And what was the reaction of the no-longer-so young Bryan? He said, “I really didn't think it would ever happen.” The idea of a reunion, of someone returning to where he belongs, of a family being reunited after a long time is heart-warming. That is, in part, because it feels “right.” The only problem with a story like this is death still spoils the re-gathering of the family. That, my friends, is not going to be the case on Judgment Day when the Savior returns to reunite His blood--bought family of believers. Scripture is clear, death will be destroyed, and those who are gone will come back. There will be no 50-year searches for our loved ones... they will be there. More than that, we will all be healthy and whole. The ravages of time and illness will be wiped from our faces. Fears, worries, sorrow and sadness will be set aside and joy in Jesus will reign supreme. How could it be otherwise, for He has done it all and made it all possible. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, may I be prepared for the unknown hour when Jesus returns. May my mood be one of joyful anticipation for our unending reunion. This I ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen. The devotion for today was inspired by various recent news articles. For further reading you may wish to go to this address: https://www.newser.com/story/278920/he-saw-dad-off-to-war-then-carried-him-home.html and the article written by Arden Dier. The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: Big Bad Bears
DATE: August 29, 2019 TEXT:. Eph. 6:17 – ESV -Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, It was July 29th and Colin Dowler was on his mountain bike exploring a special mountain located about 200 miles north of Vancouver. The mountain, known as Mount Doogie Dowler, was named after his grandfather. Even though he had a special relationship with the mountain, that did not immediately presume that he was on a first name basis with the male grizzly he encountered on the path. Gambling that this particular griz may not have read all the books about the breed’s temperament, Colin decided to try a bit of negotiation. He began, “I know this is your territory, I'm just passing through—we don't have to do this." At first Colin thought he had been successful. It appeared the bear was just going to amble by. Then the bear turned and took a few swats at Colin’s bike. The bike soon disappeared and the bear bit him below the ribs and hoisted him off the ground. Looking back, Colin assesses the situation: "It was so much pain and weirdness, I'm being rag-dolled, suspended by my flank by a bear carrying me." The bear soon let go but only so he could get a better hold on its supper. Colin tried to gouge out its eyes, but that just seemed to irritate the bear even more... if such a thing is possible. Finally, as a last resort, Colin took out his new pocket knife and jabbed the two-inch blade into the bear’s neck. The beast let him go and Colin made a tourniquet out of his shirt sleeve. He rode his bike five miles to a logging camp where they got him help. In the book of Ephesians Paul speaks about the armament a Christian has at his disposal. There’s just about everything you might need to keep an individual safe from the attack of an enemy or a grizzly bear. Of course there are times when it feels like we are going up against our enemy with a mountain bike as our shield and a pocket knife as our prime weapon for offense. In other words it seems hopeless. Indeed, it would be hopeless if it were not for the presence of the Lord. I didn’t tell you... when the bear dropped Colin, it watched the whole time he fashioned his tourniquet, gathered up his bike and began to pedal down the road. It was almost a Daniel in the lion’s den scenario. The Lord shut the bear’s mouth. Well, my friends, God’s intervention and handiwork is not reserved for Old Testament Prophets, and men who are mountain biking 200-miles north of Vancouver. God’s power is there....just as it always has been; just as it always will be. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, given my druthers I would just as soon not meet a hungry grizzly. Given my preferences I would prefer to avoid any and every encounter with the devil and all his temptations and tricks. Still when I do meet an enemy, and I am way out of my league, especially then step in and defend me. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen. The devotion for today was inspired by various recent news articles. For further reading you may wish to go to this address: https://www.newser.com/story/278927/as-grizzly-attacked-he-remembered-dads-gift.html and the article written by Arden Dier. The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: The Complete Cure
DATE: August 28, 2019 TEXT:. 1 John 1:7-9 – ESV - But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. When we last heard from the Ebola folks the disuse had managed to make it to a major city with an airport. Since that time the world has waited for the “other shoe to drop” and hear there have been numerous outbreaks in the world’s concentrated populations. That hasn’t happened. What has happened is the health crews in the Congo began trying two new medicines.
Both drugs are antibodies which work by blocking the virus. Dr. Anthony Fauci of the U.S. National Institutes of Health says, early results have produced "some very good news,.” He continued, “With these drugs, we may be able to improve the survival of people with Ebola." Now I don’t know Dr .Fauci, nor am I acquainted with the National Institutes of Health, but unless I miss my guess, he was talking in the understated language of the Scientist. Where he said we have ‘some very good news’ he meant to say, ”Yippee!” or if He happens to be a religious man, “Praise the Lord, “Hallelujah.” So, just how good was the news? I don’t know. Nobody seems to be coming up with exact numbers or sharing any of the statistics from the study. What I can tell you is this: the news is so good that they have shut down the test. No longer are they going to divide them into groups and use placebos. No, they’re going to give just about anybody who has the illness the shot.. Will it cure everybody. I doubt it. You’ve got to have a pretty good medicine to cure everybody. There may indeed be such a medicine, but I have never heard of it. Perhaps some of my Physician friends can enlighten me. Oh wait, I was wrong. I do know of such a medicine. You won’t find it at Walgreens or CVS. It isn’t marketed on TV with a lengthy and lethal list of complications. The introduction to this medicine comes from some unlikely sources: there’s the Old Testament prophet, Isaiah, who says we are healed by Jesus’ stripes; then there is the man crying in the wilderness. Dressed in camel skin, John proudly points to the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world. Then there is another John; the beloved disciple John who says: Jesus blood cleanses us from all sin. Not just some sin; not most sin; not the majority of sin, but all sin. 100% of the time; for every sinner who is called to repentance and faith by the Holy Spirit. Which make Jesus blood a most extraordinary medicine indeed. ‘ THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I certainly did not earn this medicine, and I could never pay for it. Even so I thank You for granting me the only cure from sin; the only hope for sinful humankind. In Jesus Name, I pray it. Amen. The devotion for today was inspired by various recent news articles. For further reading you may wish to go to this address: https://www.newser.com/story/279067/study-results-are-very-good-news-for-ebola-patients.html land the article written by Newser Editors. The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: A New Name
DATE: August 27, 2019 TEXT: 1 Peter 2: 24-25- ESV - He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. Being a drug addict, amongst other things had caused Justin Riley Brafford to spend some time in the hoosegow. When he was released he got on an airplane to travel to Dallas where he was going to live with his aunt. Having been without female companionship, he probably misjudged how much the lady seated next to him was interested in him. On a 1-to-10 scale she was interested 0 and he thought it was about a 7 or an 8. He touched her... multiple times... she asked to be seated in another location... he followed her to the new location and approached her there. One of the male flight attendants told Brafford to “leave it alone.” Mr. Brafford felt the flight attendant was over-reacting to the situation. In fact, he felt quite put upon. That’s why Brafford started shouting profanities at the crew members. Apparently his time behind bars had been educational, because, in the closed plane, Mr. Brafford managed to direct his stentorian foul language against the flight crew for longer than ½ hour. After the lengthy tirade, Brafford sat down. He did so just in time for the plane to make an emergency landing and have Brafford arrested by the FBI who promptly charged him with a felony. More specifically he is charged with interfering with a flight crew. It is a crime which, if he is convicted can put him behind bars for 20 years. Brafford says, he is being unfairly punished for merely acting “rudely.” His lawyer follows that tack and says his client had merely deviated “from the socially acceptable norms of airline travel."Mr. Brafford is scheduled to go to trial any day now. I don’t know what the verdict will be... I do know that a lot of people try to minimize their wrongdoing by giving their crimes against the Lord a gentler name. Folks have sugar coated sin to make it appear acceptable. Lying has become "stretching the truth". Cheating is bending the rules. Lusting is healthy admiration. Hatred becomes "dislike." Gossiping is only 'harmless talk." Envying is appreciating what "others have." Murder is a big mistake. Drug abuse is "an unfortunate misdirection of life." Gluttony is "lack of will power. A violent individual is "temperamental." Children who are disobedient to parents, bless their hearts, are "strong willed." The list goes on. America is following a stranger and not the Savior. The bottom line is a rose is a rose and a sin is a sin. What we need is not to give our transgressions a new name; we need to give them to our Savior. With a repentant attitude and a desire to do better in the future, we honor the Lord Who carried our sins to the cross. We honor and thank Him for what He has done to forgive us and save our lives. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, we ask the ability to recognize our sins, repent of them, and leave them in our past. May we do this to glorify our Lord, Whose life was given to take those sins away. In Jesus’ Name. Amen. The devotion for today was inspired by various recent news articles. For further reading you may wish to go to this address: https://www.newser.com/story/278746/man-says-in-flight-tantrum-not-criminal-just-rude.html the article written by Evann Gestaldo The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: Truth, Lies and Fiction
DATE: August 26, 2019 TEXT: .John 18: 37b-38 – ESV - I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” 38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him. Jesus always tells the truth. That’s just one of many things that makes Jesus different than everybody else. Even when they’re trying to tell the truth, people are often guilty of conveying falsehoods that are born out of ignorance. Even so, you are still expected to accept what they say as being “the Gospel truth.” As evidence, allow me to share some statements taken from official documents, newspapers and magazines that were widely read, and believed, during their day.
Pilate’s mistake is one that we must avoid. It would be easy to follow in the footsteps of his skepticism, Easy because we, too are surrounded by politicians with broken promises, by friends who are false, and contacts which can be broken. Like Pilate we can become great doubters. Which is precisely why we need to listen to the Lord Jesus. His words are guaranteed by His life. And His promises are empowered by His precious blood. When He says, “I am with you”, we know He is there. When He says, “Call upon Me”; we know that He will listen. When Jesus says, “Cast all your care upon Me”, we know He will carry those troubles. Most importantly, when Jesus says, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life”; we know it is so. Jesus, through His death upon the cross, by His resurrection on the third day, gives us God’s truth that we can cling to – every time, in every way. When Jesus says to us, “Everyone on the side of truth listens to Me,” I know I’m glad to listen. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, let me see just how different You are. Let Your truth fill my heart with gratitude and trust. Send Your Spirit so the world may see “What is truth.” In Your Name. Amen. The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: Readiness.
DATE: August 25, 2019 TEXT: Matthew 24: 43-44 – ESV - But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Going back to school can be a traumatic experience. That is true for the students, most certainly....but it’s also a reality for some of the instructors. Take for example the case of Lorie Ann Hill who was a new hire in the special education department of Oklahoma’s Wagoner Public School system. No the day started well enough and Lorie is to be commended for doing many things right. For example, when the 9:00 bell rang, she was in her classroom. Fellow teachers who saw her there said she seemed to be a little bit disconcerted, but that isn’t all that unusual for someone who is beginning her first day as a teacher. Everything would have been fine if Lorie had just started to get her room ready for the arrival of students who were coming in a few days. That would have been ideal, but that’s not the way things went down. At least that’s what the Administration felt when they called the police. You see, somewhere along the line Lorie decided she was warm, or she felt too constricted, or she was afraid of getting dirty. Whatever her reason, she decided to take off her pants... which did not fit the School District’s dress code for teachers. By the time the police arrived Lorie was wearing some gym shorts and confessing to have polished off more than a modicum of vodka. Sure enough, the officers found a cup in her car, but since nobody saw her drinking, or driving, or drinking and driving those charges could not be filed against her. Which means Lorie spent the night in the hoosegow for public intoxication rather than getting her room ready for the arrival of her young students. Now I might judge Lorie a bit more harshly than I have, if I had not, on numerous occasions, walked in her shoes. It’s true. I can’t recall all the times I was supposed to be working on “Project A” and I got distracted by “Project B.” That distraction, of course, meant that I did not accomplish that which was more important, that is “Project A.” When the Savior talked to His people about “Project A” , He always told them to stay prepared for the unknown hour when He is going to return. In teaching, in parable, the Lord told His redeemed children to be ready. And how should we be ready? Simple, don’t get distracted by things of lesser importance; don’t let the world trip you up; don’t let Satan seduce you. The Savior paid a tremendous price for our forgiveness. Don’t lose that blood-bought redemption. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, grant that I may stay on task and not have my interest and attention turned to the trivial. This I ask I Jesus’ Name. Amen. The devotion for today was inspired by various recent news articles. For further reading you may wish to go to this address: https://www.newser.com/story/192116/teacher-shows-up-drunk-on-first-day-without-pants.html and the article written by Kate Seamons . The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: Illegal, Immoral or Fattening
DATE: August 24, 2019 TEXT: Matthew 26:41 - Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” To tell the truth, I had never heard of the Center for Science in the Public Interest before I read their article on food. The Center started out by saying that two out of three American adults and one out of three children and teens are overweight or obese. Then they asked if restaurants are reducing the calorie count of their offerings. The answer to that was an obvious “no.” And the rest of the article shared the 2019 winners of unhealthy restaurant food. Most importantly the Center didn’t just define food by calories, cholesterol and sodium. No each disastrous dish presented also came with an equivalent substitution meal. Here’s an sample... Sonic’s Oreo Peanut Butter Master Shake is “real ice cream mixed with rich peanut butter and Oreos into a thick and creamy shake, finished with whipped topping and a cherry. The shake tops it at 1,720 calories which is like eating 15 Oreos blended with half a cup of lard. Cracker Barrel’s Country Big Boy Breakfast features three eggs, fried apples, hashbrown casserole, grits, sirloin steak, two pork chops or country ham, biscuits, gravy, butter, and jam. Equivalent meal: 3 McDonald’s Egg McMuffins plus 4 hash browns. The Cheesecake Factory Cinnamon Roll Pancakes which is 3 pancakes tipping the scale at 2,040 calories. Is that a lot? It’s like eating 11 Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Doughnuts. I could continue and mention Dave & Buster’s Chicken and Waffle Sliders. That’s 2,340 calories’ of fried chicken, bacon, mini Belgian waffles, maple syrup, and tater tots. Which is what you would get if you ate 8 Eggo waffles, 8 Jimmy Dean sausage patties soaked in ½ cup of maple syrup. Now you may rightly gather that none of these concoctions are especially good for you. The fat, caloric content, the amount of salt and the sheer size of those meals ought to have them be delivered to you with some kind of government warning sticker. Nor could you also rightly assume that nobody will eat those meals when they go out? No, you could not do that. You could not do that because many people will order those meals because they taste good. They shouldn’t but they will. Which is usually the way temptations are presented to us. They are something bad which have been made up to look like something good, or tasty, or fun, or exciting, or something which is going to override our common sense. Which, my friends, explains why we need to keep the Holy Spirit with us. He is the One Who gives the discernment to tell good from bad, to know what will build up from that which will tear down; and then give us the strength to glorify the Savior by making right decisions in regard to those temptations and, finally, sticking with those right choices. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, Alexander Wolcott was not far off when he said, “All the things I really like to do are either immoral, illegal or fattening.” Sadly, and all too often, that is the human condition. Help us distinguish and avoid the evil and embrace the good. To that end we pray the presence of the Holy Spirit so our lives may glorify the Redeemer Who sacrificed Himself for our forgiveness and eternal life. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen. The devotion for today was inspired by various recent news articles. For further reading you may wish to go to this address: https://cspinet.org/xtreme-eating-2019 and the article written by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: More Questions
DATE: August 23, 2019 TEXT:. Ephesians 5:2 – ESV - And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Two more mass murders. Every situation seems to generate more questions and not so many solid answers. One side says since we can’t control the guns, let’s ban the guns. I found myself agreeing with that tack until I went to Switzerland where all the young men have a rifle, a pistol and ammunition in their homes. The one thing they don’t have is mass murdering. In Israel the young people stand on the street corners with automatic rifles. They, too know how to use them, but there are no gun-produced mass murders in Israel. Why here and not there? Is it because the vast majority of these boys come from broken homes and had no biological father to help shape him? Is it because we have worked so hard at removing the Lord and there is no longer anything which is worthy of our respect, let alone or worship.? Every situation seems to generate more questions and not so many answers. After the shooting down here in El Paso one of those questions came home to roost. The first part of that question was framed by Jordan Anchondo, a mother who died shielding her two-month old from the bullets. True the child had some broken fingers from where his dying mother fell on him, but the boy lived. I was proud of a mother who was willing to give herself that way. Almost every Christian mother I know would do the same without hesitation. But what is most interesting is this: Jordan’s husband, Andre, also was murdered as he tried to shield his wife and child. Understand, he wasn’t trying to lead them to safety; he wasn’t trying to attack the gunman. All he was doing was hoping his body mass would be enough to render a high-powered bullet inoperational. He partly succeeded. 63-year old David Johnson, who was also at the Wal-Mart that day was more fortunate. Yes, he died, but when the bullets began to fly, he pointed the direction for his wife and granddaughter to run... and he made sure his body remained between them and the shooter. Both wife and child survived to tell of his unselfish act. Now I said there were questions... and so there are. My question is, “What would I do if I found myself in a similar circumstance. I know I wouldn’t have time to debate my options, or even think about them rationally. What would I do? Would I run for cover like so many did; or would I shield my loved ones? After a lot of thought, I know now, Of course, Jesus died shielding strangers, and enemies, and liars, and the people who placed Him on the cross; and me... and you, too. At any time He could have escaped. His prayer in the Garden says He personally preferred that His cup of suffering might pass by. But Jesus died, shielding us from sin, Satan, the world and death. In human history it has never happened before and it will never happen again. But it did happen, that once, and because it did, we are forgiven and saved. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, for this sacrifice which was a part of You from before Your birth, I stand in awe and admiration. May I worship You and, to the best of my ability emulate Your sacrifice for others. In Your Name, I pray. Amen. The devotion for today was inspired by various recent news articles. For further reading you may wish to go to this address: https://www.newser.com/story/278728/parents-died-shielding-their-baby-in-el-paso.htmland the article written by Evann Gastaldo. The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: The Question DATE: August 22, 2019 TEXT: Acts 2: 24 – ESV - God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. Is he there or is he not? The “He” I am talking about is Depression era robber by the name of John Dillinger. John is accused of holding up 24 banks... and if you can imagine, 4 police stations. Almost as amazing, in spite of all his crimes Dillinger was never convicted of a single murder. Being a Chicago born lad, I am well aware of how the robber met his end. Dillinger was in the company of a lady with a reputation of being overly friendly. He name was Ana Cumpanas and she had been threatened with deportation to Romania. To save herself she contacted the FBI, and for a pardon, said she was willing to betray Dillinger. They agreed, the pardon was given and she informed the FBI that on July 22, 1934, she and the robber were going to the Biograph theater. They went and when the couple exited the theater they were met by the FBI. Dillinger died in a hail of bullets. An autopsy was performed and Dillinger was buried. After a showman made the family an offer of $10,000 to borrow his body and put it on display, they made the grave as secure as they could. For many years John has rested in his grave covered with steel and concrete. Or has he? Recently a man and woman who claim they are Dillinger’s nephew and niece say they have proof he is not there. They refer to the coroner’s report which records the wrong eye color, ear shape and protrusion from the head; not-matching fingerprints, a heart-condition and a dental report which is not the same as the criminal’s. For that reason they want to know, “Is he there or is he not?” It is hardly the first time such a question has been asked about criminals. In our country historians and speculators have asked similar questions about Butch Cassidy, Jesse James, John Wilkes Booth and Billy the Kid. pinions were given and debates continued. In truth, it doesn't make much difference if they are buried in the traditional spot, or somewhere else. But that is not the case for Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus is different. He is different because while most men say they will escape from a man-made jail; Jesus alone said He would conquer death. It was a promise He fulfilled. Three days after a Roman execution squad pronounced Him dead; three days after a Roman spear had pierced His heart; three days after He had shouldered our sins and carried them to the cross, God’s Son and the world’s only Savior emerged from His borrowed tomb in victory. And, look as they would, Jesus’ enemies and Jesus’ friends, all had to conclude: “He no longer was there.” THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, there are those who would dearly love to see you put back in the grave. Try as they might, they never succeed. Grant that I may rejoice in the hope and salvation Your resurrection gives. In Jesus’ Name I ask it. Amen. The devotion for today was inspired by various recent news articles. For further reading you may wish to go to this address: https://www.newser.com/story/278597/why-john-dillinger-is-being-exhumed.htmland the article written by Neal Colgrass. The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: Laws Not For All
DATE: August 21, 2019 TEXT:. 2 Chronicles 7:14 - ESV - If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Bruce Hendricks is a U.S. District Judge in an area which embraces Greenville County Schools in South Carolina. Recently the Judge responded to a lawsuit which had been brought forth by the American Humanist Association (AHA). The AHA said they had brought forth the suit because they were representing those who were uncomfortable with the way things were being done in the school system. More specifically the objection was students did not wish to encounter government-sponsored religion at their own graduation ceremonies. Well, the Judge made his decision. Here are some of the highpoints(?) of his decision:
Obviously the Judge went to a great deal of work trying to make sure nobody ever did an end run around his ruling. Since the church began there have been others who have done the same thing. But are we truly ready, the next time we have a 9/11 terrorist attack, to stop Congress from singing, “God Bless America” on the steps of the Capital Building? And are we ready to stop the Supreme Court from beginning each session with an invocation? Or are those rules being written only for children, because twenty years from now, you will be able to accomplish your agenda? I can only imagine....and if that is the case, I have only one thing to say: We need the Triune God more than He needs us. If we walk away from Him, He will raise up another nation which will honor Him. He has done so in the past; He can do so in the future. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, forgive us for so quickly forgetting how instrumental You are in the lives of our nations and our families. Let us be called back so we may worship You in spirit and in truth. In the Name of our Savior, I pray it. Amen. The devotion for today was inspired by various recent news articles. For further reading you may wish to go to this address: https://www.christianheadlines.com/contributors/michael-foust/judge-bans-prayer-religious-music-at-graduations-following-atheist-suit.htmland the article written by Michael Foust . The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: The Devil Made Me Do It
DATE: August 20, 2019 TEXT: 1 John 1:9-10- ESV - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. When Satan slithered into the Garden of Eden it was his desire to drive a wedge between the Creator and His children. It was a job in which he was 100% successful and the result of his work is visible around the world today. Looking at those events, you would have to say if the tragedy of sin were not of such a grand scale, it would be laughable. You remember how it begins with the all-knowing God looking for His sinful children who think they can hide and who believe He won’t notice they are now clothed in the latest Paris fashion in leafs. God begins the questioning with Adam:”What did you do?”
Well, passing the buck didn’t work so good back then and it doesn't do so good today. Case in point. Indianapolis Police Officer with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. He was outraged to find a McDonald’s employee had taken a few nibbles out of his McChicken sandwich. Knowing the desecration must have been perpetrated by a cop-hating McDonald’s employee, the officer went and complained to McDonald’s and to his Superiors at the station. Both took the crime seriously and both immediately began an investigation. It was the Sheriff’s office which found the answer. The officer had picked up the sandwich at the beginning of his shift and put it in the refrigerator until later. Before he did so, he took a couple of nibbles...a fact he completely had forgotten seven hours later when he got time to eat. And result ends up with the very embarrassed and forgetful officer apologizing to McDonalds. Now a case can be made that the actions of Adam and Eve were different than that of the police officer. People who hold this opinion say Adam and Eve acted deliberately, while the Police officer was ignorant of the unfair accusation he was making. Now I agree that there is a different level of guilt, but I still maintain in all cases the guilt was being shifted... just like it is in many of our lives. If you doubt what I’m saying, watch any of the “Judge Shows” which are on television. If you doubt it, watch the children throw each other under the bus when you ask “Whose turn is it to let out the dog?” If you doubt it, stand with any policeman when he tries to break up a domestic fight. Which is why we ought to listen to the Lord. He died to take away our sins. We dare not insult Him and pretend these transgressions aren’t there. Those sins are there... which is why we need the Savior. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, be merciful to me a sinner. In Jesus’ Name I ask it. Amen. The devotion for today was inspired by various recent news articles. For further reading you may wish to go to this address: https://www.newser.com/story/278433/who-messed-with-cops-sandwich-a-surprise-culprit.htmland the article written by John Johnson. The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: Temptation
DATE: August 19, 2019 TEXT: James 1:12 – ESV- Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. When was the last time you were tempted? Understand, I’m not talking about being tempted here. I’m speaking about being TEMPTED. I’m not referring to a mild inclination to do the wrong thing, a yearning or a gentle longing to maybe do a little misbehavin’. No, I’m referring to the kind of temptation experienced by the two-year old boy in Minnesota. The nameless lad lives in Rush City, just a block away from the County Fair. Now he has been to the fair with his family and they had an outstanding time. The animals, the food, the games, the rides left a lasting impression on him. His folks may have taken him home, but his heart was still at the fair... and he knew he had to go back. Goodness he could see the sights, he could hear the music, and if the wind was right he could smell all the wonderful things being deep-friend. But the hardest temptation of all was the intermittent, repetitious tune of his favorite ride, the Tilt-A-Whirl. As I said, this boy was being subjected to TEMPTATIONS which were designed specifically for him. Sometime later his parents called the police to report a missing two-year-old. To make a long story short, that boy gave into his temptation;. He hopped on his battery-powered John Deere tractor and drove down the sidewalk to the back entrance of the Fair. When one of the Sheriff’s Deputy’s spotted him, he was standing near the Tilt-a-whirl. Now this story turns out all right. Father and son were reunited and life continued on as before except dad grounded the lad by removing the battery from his tractor. My friends, what do you think of that story? Do you think it is highly unlikely that temptation could exert such an over-powering influence... ... or do you understand everything that two-year-old was feeling because you, yourself have felt all the feelings the two-year-old felt.? No, a County Fair and a Tilt-a-whirl might not be the temptation that the world and Satan use on you. You have probably moved beyond much things. No your temptation is probably a bit more sophisticated. Truth is, you can be sure that the devil who has spent a lot of centuries perfecting his craft has set aside a very special temptation which has your name on it...and you’ve got about as much chance of resisting that temptation as did Adam and Eve did theirs. Which is why we need to come to the Lord in prayer...to ask for forgiveness when our feet have slipped and to ask for wisdom and strength to stand and resist temptation in the future. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, we come to You today in weakness asking You to help us resist temptation and to forgive us when we stumble and fall. This we ask in the Name of our perfect Savior. Amen. The devotion for today was inspired by various recent news articles. For further reading you may wish to go to this address: https://www.newser.com/story/278088/missing-toddler-found-at-county-fair-drove-there-himself.html and the article written by Robb Quinn. The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: Truth, Lies and Fiction
DATE: August 26, 2019 TEXT: .John 18: 37b-38 – ESV - I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” 38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him. Jesus always tells the truth. That’s just one of many things that makes Jesus different than everybody else. Even when they’re trying to tell the truth, people are often guilty of conveying falsehoods that are born out of ignorance. Even so, you are still expected to accept what they say as being “the Gospel truth.” As evidence, allow me to share some statements taken from official documents, newspapers and magazines that were widely read, and believed, during their day.
In a world filled with lies, Pilate was quite right in asking his skeptical question, “What is truth.” He was quite wrong in assuming that, in this world filled with lies, it was impossible for anything resembling the Truth to exist. Which is most unfortunate, because on the most important day of his life, Pilate heard the Truth. Pilate’s mistake is one that we must avoid. It would be easy to follow in the footsteps of his skepticism, Easy because we, too are surrounded by politicians with broken promises, by friends who are false, and contacts which can be broken. Like Pilate we can become great doubters. Which is precisely why we need to listen to the Lord Jesus. His words are guaranteed by His life. And His promises are empowered by His precious blood. When He says, “I am with you”, we know He is there. When He says, “Call upon Me”; we know that He will listen. When Jesus says, “Cast all your care upon Me”, we know He will carry those troubles. Most importantly, when Jesus says, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life”; we know it is so. Jesus, through His death upon the cross, by His resurrection on the third day, gives us God’s truth that we can cling to – every time, in every way. When Jesus says to us, “Everyone on the side of truth listens to Me,” I know I’m glad to listen. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, let me see just how different You are. Let Your truth fill my heart with gratitude and trust. Send Your Spirit so the world may see “What is truth.” In Your Name. Amen. The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: Not Forgotten
DATE: August 18, 2019 TEXT: John 6:34-35 - A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” There are times when some things which seemed inconsequential are truly important. Case in point: Alexander H. Stephens. Alexander H. Stephens had been Vice President of the Confederacy. He died shortly after becoming the governor of Georgia. After the doctors told him they could do nothing to prolong his life, a great many people crowded into his bedroom. Each of them brought his own agenda, and each asked Stephens to sign important documents. Stephens waved them away and asked his private secretary to retrieve an old, faded paper from his desk. The secretary found the letter. It was the petition of an old, woman who lived back in the hills. She was asking for the pardon of her son who was locked up in the penitentiary. The state officials by Stephens bedside asked him to put aside such a trivial thing and spend his energy on items of more importance. Stephens replied: "No. I am going to sign this. The man who comes after me will take care of the great matters of state.” Then, propped up on his pillow, Governor Stephens took the yellow, faded appeal of the heart-broken mother. Dipping his pen into the ink, across the appeal, the governor wrote the word: "P-A-R-D-O-N-E-D." Underneath the single word, he scrawled his name, "Alexander H. Stephens, Governor." Then he dropped back upon his pillow-dead. The governor knew some things were important. He might well have taken a lesson from our Savior. Throughout His ministry Jesus had always shown compassion to the individual. He had stopped for a centurion’s sick servant; shown resurrection kindness to a widow who was burying her son; offered forgiveness to a Samaritan adulteress who was drawing water from the town well. All of these people, and many more, experienced Jesus’ unique, personal touch. But at Golgotha Jesus had been deserted by friends, railroaded by the law and unfairly nailed to the cross. No one could blame Him if He had become embittered against all of humankind. Nobody could hold it against Him, if His all caring attitude shut down before the pain He was enduring in His quest to save humanity. But that was not Jesus’ style. For Jesus, even on the cross, some things were more important than others. That is why He turned to the repentant thief and promised salvation before day’s end. What a wonderful picture He showed. He was carrying every sin that I, you, and the world, has committed. He was dying for the sins of all humanity. Yet it is the soul of one, single, dying thief that got His attention. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for caring for the world. Thank You for saving me. In Your Name. Amen. The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: The Rest Of The Story
DATE: August 17, 2019 TEXT: Isaiah 53: 4-5 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. Oh, there are times when I wish Paul Harvey were still around. Those are the times when I want him to say, “And now, the rest of the story.” You see, I try, and I just can’t do it. The first part of the story began last week when the Wyoming Valley West School District in Pennsylvania looked at the parents who owed money to the school meal plan and sent them a letter. The logic of the letter was:
Now those Children’s Agencies said, “That’s not what we do. Keep us out of that.” Various County Officials said, “This isn’t right. The School District needs to apologize and tell people they are speaking for nobody but themselves.” Well, folks, here comes the rest of the story. Todd Carmichael is the CEO of La Colombe coffee. When he was in school he had to rely on food stamps and a free lunch. Remembering those days he was moved to pay the accumulated lunch bill total for all the students: $22,467.76. He instructed one of his people to make it happen. The man did as he was instructed. He called the school district’s attorney and had to leave a message. Then he contacted the superintendent of the school system. Once again he had to leave a message. After a respectable period of time, he concluded he wasn’t going to be called back. That’s when Mr. Carmichael’s representative tried one more place. He called the School Board President...AND THIS TIME HE MADE A CONNECTION. This time the representative was able to explain Mr. Carmichael’s desire to even up the score for everybody’s meals. And MR .CARMICHAEL’S REPRESENTATIVE WAS TOLD, are you ready for this? He was told ”It ain’t a- gonna happen.” At the end of the week the kids were in the same place they had been; the school system was in the same place. The only person who wasn’t was Mr. Carmichael. I have no word what he said when he got the news. As you listened to the story, did it occur to you that there was also a time when you had a debt... an unpayable debt for sin. You were sunk and you were headed to a place where nobody wants to go. When it seemed there was going to be no future, the heavenly Father sent His Son into this would o take care of your debt. It was not a small bill amounting to a few tens-of-thousands of dollars. It was a bill so big that for it to be paid, God’s Son had to take our place. He had to live a perfect life, resist all temptation, and then die for us while He was carrying our sins. Three days after dying, He had to defeat death. Now because of what Jesus has done, all who believe in Him as Savior are redeemed. And that’s the rest of the story. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I give thanks You have saved me. May others also be brought to believe in Your grace. In Jesus’ Name. Amen. The devotion for today was inspired by various recent news articles. For further reading you may wish to go to this address: https://www.newser.com/story/278208/ceo-tries-to-pay-kids-lunch-debt-is-refused.htmland the article written by Kate Seamons. The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: Caring Less
DATE: August 16, 2019 TEXT: 1 Samuel 16:7 - ESV - But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” My father and I were on Chicago’s Skid Row. It was 6:30 AM and men were staggering from one bar to the next. My father accurately read the disdain in my attitude. He didn’t’ correct me. He just started to explain. That fellow by the lamppost, he was a successful Doctor. The fellow in the brown suit was an artist. When I asked, ‘WHY ARE THEY HERE”. He said “Most are good men, it was that their life wasn’t. It was too hard, and this is where they ended up. In short my father had looked and come to know the heart of those men. To look into and transform hearts. That’s what God does. A few years ago two men were on a business trip. They had committed just about every sin they could think of. As they went to the airport, they drove by a church. Seeing they had some extra time, one man challenged: “I’ll bet you $100, you won’t go into that church and confess everything you did last night to the Pastor.” The second fellow said, “Easy money.” Entering the Church, he found the minister. In graphic detail, he related the previous night’s escapades. The perceptive pastor, discerning the man’s insincerity, said, “You are confessing to the wrong person. Go to the front of the church, kneel before the statue of Jesus, look into the Savior’s suffering face and say, ‘Jesus, all this you did for me, and I could care less.’” The man went to the altar, stood in front of the crucifix, and flippantly began, “Jesus all this you did for me and I…..” He stopped. Sermons and teachings about Jesus Who had died for him, came flooding over him. Still, he had a bet to win, so he cleared his throat and began again, “Lord Jesus, all this you did for me….”, and then he burst into tears and the Spirit rekindled a living faith within his heart. Repentance and forgiveness had been successfully preached. Jesus’ death and resurrection, shows God places value on lives that we might consider worthless. The Lord looks beyond the wreckage produced by sin, and sees in the most hopeless transgressor, a person of great worth. As you read Scripture, you cannot help but be amazed at the number of places and the variety of circumstances wherein the Holy Spirit successfully called people to repentance in the crucified and risen Lord. The Lord saved the demoniac who lived among the tombs; the sinful woman at the well; the Ethiopian eunuch in his chariot; Saul on a journey to arrest and persecute, thousands who gathered at the sound of a rushing wind on Pentecost, as well as a suicidal jailer in Philippi. The reason I share this is because, in all probability you know someone who needs to hear about the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. If you get the opportunity, try to share the story. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, all this You have done for me, and I am most thankful. Grant me grace to share your story with others. This I ask in Your Name. Amen. The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: Sorry
DATE: August 15, 2019 TEXT: 1 John 1: 9-10 - ESV - 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. Repentance often is a commodity in short supply. Being proud people, and confidant of the decisions we have made, we often prefer to hold fast to the past and cling to our choices, even when it becomes increasingly obvious that we have blundered and made a mistake. Of course, there are exceptions to that paragraph. Allow me to introduce you to a Palestinian man by the name of Sayyaf Sharif Daoud. Sayyaf was discontent with his life in the Palestinian State which, in many ways, he feels lived under the shadow of Israel. It was for that reason he left his home and became a soldier for the Islamic State. Not so long ago he was captured. As a POW he has shown a repentant spirit and has expressed his desire to return home. He lists a number of reasons for his change in heart. Amongst them are:
As of this writing Sayyaf does not know what the future will hold for him. He admits he was wrong to join the Islamic State and having learned his lesson, he is hoping that he can return to his family in Palestine. He doesn’t know whether that is something Israel will allow to happen. The argument against his return will be a simple one:
But I am not a decision maker for Israel. Like you I am a Christian. That means we blunder, we make mistakes and we sin. If we are sincere in our belief when we blunder, make mistakes and sin, the Holy Spirit calls us to repentance and redirection. Then, because of the Savior’s life and sacrifice we can rejoice in the forgiveness which the Lord has bestowed. And, if we are blessed, we will be surrounded by other believers, who will rejoice in our forgiveness, even as I am thankful for theirs. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, for Your grace and forgiving love, I am most thankful. Truly, without You and Your Son’s sacrifice my life would be a tragedy filled with loneliness. In Jesus’ Name I give thanks. Amen. The devotion for today was inspired by various recent news articles. For further reading you may wish to go to this address: https://www.christianheadlines.com/blog/former-isis-solider-leaves-terrorist-group-wants-to-return-to-israel.html and the article written by Amanda Cassanova . The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: Another Law
DATE: August 14, 2019 TEXT: Colossians 1: 21-23a - ESV - And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation[g] under heaven We all know “Murphy’s Laws.” You remember things like:
Today’s Devotion deals with another one of those laws: “The day you need an item will be the day after you threw it away because you never needed it.” Case in point. When Apollo 11 landed on the moon, the moving pictures were transmitted to Australia’s Parkes Observatory. They recorded the historic films and sent them on to NASA. NASA they distributed the now famous lunar activities to the world. Of course, with each transmission the quality became a bit poorer. So what to do? Go back to the original, obviously. Sadly, Australia said, “We didn’t know you would want those videos. They’re gone. We’ve taped over them.” NASA said, ”We didn’t know anyone would want those tapes, so we sold them at a government auction of surplus goods in 1976.” It’s true, Gary George a NASA intern bought the “earliest, sharpest, and most accurate surviving video images of man's first steps on the moon: for $217.77. Sotheby’s sold those tapes last week for $1.82 million dollars. You know, that’s what a lot of people do with their faith and their relationship with the Savior. They say to themselves, ”I really haven’t used it that much” or “All it does is slow me down when I’m out partying with friends” or “It really doesn't have any purpose in a modern world”... and they get rid of it. Some deliberately throw it in the trash as unwanted and unneeded. Others just sort of put it up on the shelf where it’s out of the sight and mind. Either way, the day is going to come when they are going to need that faith. As the Lord has promised, there is an unknown day and an unknown hour when the Savior and all the angels in heaven are going to show up. In a second, in a moment, in the blink of an eye Jesus will be here and all humanity will be divided into saved and lost. There will be no time to retrieve that faith from the shelf or search around the dump for wherever your discarded faith had been deposited. Which is why, like Paul, we pray THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, help us to continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that we heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation[g] under heaven. This we ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen. The devotion for today was inspired by various recent news articles. For further reading you may wish to go to this address: https://www.newser.com/story/278182/his-217-auction-find-sells-for-18m.html and the article written by Arden Dier . The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: How Hot?
DATE: August 13, 2019 TEXT: Luke 16: 27-30 – ESV - 27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house— 28 for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent. Well, down in Texas we’ve reached that time of year which the locals like to call, “Hot.” The rest of us? Well, the rest of us are practicing our comedy routine of “How hot is it?” jokes. You know...It’s so hot...
How hot is it? The officers continued on Facebook saying, It’s so hot “anyone thinking of doing criminal activity to hold off until Monday," as it's "straight up hot as soccer balls out there." How hot is it? The Police Department gave some helpful advice. They said it’s so hot potential criminals should "Stay home, blast the AC, binge Stranger Things season 3, play with the face app, practice karate in your basement." So far their post has more than 124,000 likes and 16,000 shares. So how hot is it? It’s so hot, Jesus told a parable which has a rich man in hell petitioning to have a resurrected soul return to earth and scare his brothers out of going to hell. I can almost hear you saying, “While Jesus’ parable is really entertaining, and it is the kind of story which keeps people’s attention, I have to confess, “It’s not very funny.” You’re absolutely right. It isn’t funny. It was never meant to be funny. In His parable Jesus was giving a serious warning.
There, at the tomb, we will find the Triune God’s notice that the gate to hell is not the only destination for sinners. Jesus Christ, true God and true Man has done that which was necessary to rescue all those who would be brought to heartfelt repentance and saving faith by the power of the Holy Spirit. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I give thanks that You, in Your grace have seen the fires of hell and had mercy upon sinful humanity. May all the world be glad that they don’t have to spend eternity in the one place they truly don’t want to go. In Jesus’ Name I give thanks. Amen. The devotion for today was inspired by various recent news articles. For further reading you may wish to go to this address: https://www.newser.com/story/278090/cops-its-too-hot-to-commit-crime.html and the article written by Polly Davis Doig . The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: Is He There or Is He Ain’t
DATE: August 12, 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. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. There are those who believe the white linen burial shroud, stored in Turin, Italy, was wrapped around the dead body of the Savior. There are those who think the shroud is a wondrous clever hoax done by some medieval artistic genius. Now, while it will never be able for science to prove the Shroud did belong to the Christ; it could be possible to completely disprove its validity. Indeed, in 1988 experts from the University of Arizona, Oxford and Switzerland’s Federal Institute of Technology, thought they had managed to do just that when they did radiocarbon testing on minute segments of the cloth. When they were done the experts had decided the material in the Shroud was made somewhere between the years 1260 and 1390. They didn’t try to fully explain where the man’s image comes from in the Shroud. For them there was no point in pursuing that discussion since the cloth’s creation date precluded any miraculous event or Divine intervention. This is the point in the story where somebody is supposed to say, “Here endeth the reading.” Indeed, that was the prevailing sentiment in ’88. t stayed the prevailing sentiment until 2017, when, under a freedom of information request, some have decided the decision was flawed, because the sample provided to the research team was flawed. They said the file was tainted by repair work which had been done by some nuns after part of the Shroud’s perimeter had been burned in a fire. They propose a new and a more complete study be made of the Shroud....something the Vatican is not likely to allow. “You see”, the Vatican explains, “If we honor all those scientific requests to perform this test or that, pretty soon there wouldn’t be any Shroud left.” And so the debate continues. Now you might wonder if I have any opinions. The answer is, ”Yes, I have two of them.”
You know, if you go to Jerusalem the guides can show you three places where Jesus is said to have been buried. Which is right? Nobody knows Jesus isn’t there. Similarly, is this the Shroud of our Savior, no one will ever know. What can be known is this: to save our souls, Jesus carried our sins to the cross, and having lived a perfect life He died. His glorious third-day resurrection from the dead is the foundation and capstone of our faith. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I don’t know if You were ever in Turin’s Shroud but I do know You live in Holy Scripture. Help me meet and grow better acquainted with You there. In Your Name I pray. Amen. The devotion for today was inspired by various recent news articles. For further reading you may wish to go to this address: https://www.newser.com/story/278239/theres-new-hope-for-believers-in-holy-shroud.html and the article written by Arden Dier. The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: Sink Your Ship
DATE: August 11, 2019 TEXT: Matthew 6:14-15 - (ESV) - 14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Yesterday’s devo spoke about forgiveness. Now, I would like to know, are you ready, REALLY ready to forgive others?. Jesus says, “It’s really important that you forgive others as I have forgiven you." Then when I really get serious about listening to Him, I remember those faces over the years against whom I have held a grudge. The number of those faces is surprising. What is even more surprising is the realization that in holding a grudge, I have hurt me more than I did them. It kind of reminds me of an event from World War II. The U. S. submarine Tang had had a successful run. They could hardly believe their good luck when they came, at night, upon a large Japanese convoy off the coast of China. As it was night, they surfaced, and prepared to fire the eight torpedoes they had left. The first seven shots were right on target; but when the eighth was launched, something malfunctioned. The torpedo suddenly veered off course, turned and headed right back at their own ship. The captain rang the emergency submerge call, but it was too late. Within a matter of seconds, the Tang received a direct hit and sank. The point is: I wonder how many torpedo-like grudges I have fired at others during the course of my life? I wonder how many times I have sunk my own ship. esus would say that it happens every time. Whenever I fire at those who have done me a real, or imagined fault, I am cheapening the forgiveness that Jesus has won for me at such a high price on Golgotha's summit. I am saying that I expect God to forgive the myriad number of sins I have committed against Him, even as I refuse to forgive the few and feeble sins that others have committed against me. Truly, anyone who feels that way needs to spend some time at the foot of Christ’s cross. They need to see the Savior destroy the sins of every man, woman and child who have ever lived. They need to see it is a painful passion which Jesus undertakes to free us. The price is nothing less than His precious blood. From the cross I hear Jesus say, "Father, forgive them", and I know that I cannot keep firing the torpedoes that sink my relationship with the Lord. That is why, when the Savior says to me, "Are you REALLY ready to forgive?", I cannot help but reply, “By Your grace, dear Lord." THE PRAYER: Dear Jesus, You have forgiven my sins, both large and small. Now, send Your Holy Spirit upon me and create a new heart within me,. By Your grace and power may I forgive others so they may see a small reflection of Your love in my dealings with others. In Your Name I pray. Amen. The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: Playing Darts
DATE: August 10, 2019 TEXT: Matthew 25:40 – ESV - And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,[f] you did it to me.’ The great humorist Will Rogers said, *I never met a man I didn’t like.”From what I understand Rogers was so likeable, so down-to earth, he may have actually meant those words. If so, without trying to be hyper-pessimistic, I would have to say Will would be one of the very few people in this world who could say those words with a totally straight face. The truth is, no matter what we may publicly profess, most of us have locked away a mental photo of one or more individuals who have ticked us off; or freaked us out. We’re supposed to love everybody, but the truth is, most of us don’t really like everybody. That was a lesson, the ramifications of which one of my professors dealt with a long time ago. One day we walked into class and there was a target hung on the wall. On his desk were some darts. His first instruction was to draw a picture of an individual whom we disliked. He explained we were going to have some fun and fling some darts at our pictures. When some of the nice guys protested, he told them do dig a little deeper in their memory banks. They did, and sure enough, every person in the class was able to produce one or more of their very own personal bad guys. One had a girlfriend who had cheated on him; another had a friend who shared confidential secrets, a third remembered a 4th grade school bully. Everybody had somebody... and those somebodys were, one-by-one placed, up on the big target. The spirit of the experiment caught on and some of those darts were lucky they didn’t go through the wall and into the next classroom. When it was over, there was a general good feeling. It may only have been symbolic, but we had gotten back and evened out some old scores. The teacher took down the last picture, and the big target. Underneath them all was a picture of Jesus. Holes and jagged marks covered His face and His eyes were ripped out.
But, as time goes by, I remember that lesson from the classroom. As I see the face of my Savior; that Savior Who was beaten for me; crowned with thorns for me; nailed to a cross for me, I cannot let my darts fly at someone whom He loves so much. As He has forgiven me in my ignorance, stupidity and foolishness, so I must forgive those who have committed minor infractions against me. Not to do so would be to let a dart fly at Him; and that I am not willing to do. I want Him to say about me, ‘Father forgive him, for his sins come from ignorance, not intention.’ THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I truly repent of any and all darts that I have thrown at others. In trying to hurt them, I have hurt You. Let my life be lived, dart free and forgiveness filled. In Your Name. Amen. The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with three of his brothers perform on the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html TITLE: That’s Some Serious Lovin’
DATE: August 9, 2019 TEXT: John 13:34-35 - ESV – John 13: 34-35 - A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” n that text Jesus told us to love others by following the example of how much He has loved us. It’s a powerful command and a great idea, but…. My reply to the Savior begins with the story of a North Carolina farmer who drove his wagon into town with two high-spirited horses. He hitched them up in front of the General Store and was about to enter when his horses were frightened by a strange sound. They ripped away from the hitching post and started to run. Moving quickly he managed to get in front of the pair and grab the reins. Maddened by the shouts of the spectators, the horses dashed down the street with the farmer still clinging to the bridles. They ran until a Good Samaritan tried to flag them down. Frenzied, the horses rose on their haunches and then came crashing down… upon the farmer. By the time the townsfolk managed to free him from the horses’ hooves, the farmer was dying. A friend tenderly asked him, “Why didn’t you let them go? The wagon wasn’t worth all this.” The farmer was able to gasp out, "Go check the wagon.” They did, and there, still asleep on the wagon’s wooden bed lay the farmer’s four-year-old son. There lay the son who was so loved, his father was prepared to die for him. I believe most of us would have copied his noble act if our children were in danger…. But would the farmer, or any of us, have made a similar sacrifice for the child of somebody else? Possibly… I suppose some of us might possibly go so far. Indeed, I’ve known one or two other Christians who might honestly have sacrificed themselves for a total stranger. But would that farmer, or even the best of believers, have hung on if a mortal, and long-term , enemy had been in the bed of that wagon? Would we have hung on if that wagon contained someone who had beaten us, spit in our face, tried to stone us, told all manner of lies about us, and was bent on killing us? That is what Jesus did during His lifetime. That is what Jesus endured, as He hung on to completing the Father’s plan during which He was sacrificed so we might be reconciled with the heavenly Father. Jesus hung on, and died, so that we, His self-proclaimed enemies, might be saved. He hung on, when we would not. You see, on their own, human beings do not have the capacity to love others with the intensity and integrity shown by our Savior. But when the Spirit reveals how the Savior has given Himself for us; we can be transformed. That’s why, when the Lord says to me, “Love as I have loved,” I can reply, “Dear Lord, my love cannot equal Yours, but may it resemble Yours. My love may not be as strong as Yours, but let it be the same kind as Yours. WSE PRAY: Dear Lord Jesus, You continued to love me, even though I had given You no cause to do so. Now, let me reflect, in the best way I can, that love to others around me. Especially let me love those whom I have found, up to this point in time, to be unlovable. In Your Name. Amen. The music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann. He along with 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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