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TITLE: Standing
DATE: October 31, 2019 – Reformation Day Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed! TEXT: Phil 1: 27-30 – ESV - 27 Only let your manner of life be worthy[h] of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. 29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have. I used to love Reformation Day. It always occurred during Halloween week and it was the one day out of the year when we Lutheran kids could dust off Martin Luther, point with pride and say to every Catholic kid in the neighborhood, "Ha, ha, I can eat a hamburger on Friday and you can't because Martin Luther was right and the pope was wrong. " So much for my early theological convictions. Since then my respect for Luther has deepened. I’m not alone. Some time ago, the cable TV series "Biography" aired the one hundred most influential people of the last 1,000 years,. Topping the Biography list of the top 100 was the 15th century German printer who was the first European to use moveable type, Gutenberg’s breakthrough launched the information revolution that is still transforming the world today. Coming in second was Sir Isaac Newton, the greatest scientist of all time, His contributions to physics and mathematics opened the human mind and spirit to explore the far reaches of the universe. In the number three slot was good old Martin Luther. Neither scientist nor technologist, he never led an army, ruled a country, composed a symphony or painted a masterpiece. Not bad! What he did do was this… On October 31, 1517 Luther posted his famous 95 theses on the Wittenberg church door. He was outraged over the practices of a man named Johann Tetzel-who offered forgiveness of sins to the people for money. Historians of the day recorded his sales pitch, "Once the coin into the coffer clings, a soul from purgatory heavenward springs!" Luther was outraged! As a teacher of the church, Luther saw it as his sacred duty to guard the faith of the apostles, and as a guardian of that faith, at the risk of his life and against incredible opposition, Luther stood up for the truth. What a heritage of faith to be proud of! And what a responsibility we have as Lutheran Christians to continue this heritage—to speak the truth of God in love to those in our day.
The truth of Jesus Christ found in the Scriptures still has the power to set people free, but not unless we too stand up and say with Luther, "Here we stand. We can do no other. God help us!" THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, in a world of compromise and no commitment, help me take stand for my Savior and the salvation He has won. In His 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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TITLE: Truth vs Fiction
DATE: October 30, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: 9 Luke 20: 10-13 – ESV -And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while. 10 When the time came, he sent a servant[b] to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out. 13 Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ 14 But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ 15 And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. It really amazes me when I see football players banging their helmeted heads against each other. Now I know the official position is that they are psyching themselves up for the game and maybe it works. But it doesn't seem like a sensible thing to do.
Cariouso, broke his nose and lost the fight which had to be cancelled. The text up above tells of how the vineyard’s son was murdered. The plan to carry that action out was extremely self-destructive. When the Master finds out what they have done, they will lose not only their jobs, but their futures as well. Their action makes as much sense as a prizefighter breaking his own nose. Still, Satan, whom Scripture calls the’ Father of Lies’, has convinced countless people to be spiritually self-destructive. Thinking they can escape any judgment, they kill off the One Person Who could save them, who could make a difference in their eternity. In Jesus’ day they put the Savior on the cross. In our time skeptics, cynics and unbelievers do their best to stuff the Savior back into His tomb. They try to explain away His miracles, misinterpret His teaching and refuse to acknowledge the truth that He lived, suffered, died and rose so that sins might be forgiven and they might be saved. . By the Savior’s power we have been brought to faith. We know the Savior's cross is the only thing that can call humanity out of self-destructive darkness into God's preserving light. Now we are entrusted with the privilege of sharing the Christ before too late day comes.. THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, on judgment day everyone will see that You are the true Ruler and Redeemer of this world. They will be forced to acknowledge You are the world’s only hope. Grant that they may acknowledge that truth before4 it is too late. 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 CAUTION: READING THIS DEVOTION BEFORE MEALS
MAY BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR APPETITE. TITLE: Not My Problem DATE: October 29, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: John 18: - ESV -28 Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor's headquarters. [f] It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor's headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” A few years ago, when I was in Turkey, my guide told me the story of an Arab who woke up hungry in the middle of the night. The man lit a candle and searched for food. Eventually he found some old dates. He broke one open and was shocked to see it was filled with worms. Tossing the date away, he broke open a second one, only to make the same discovery. As dates were the only food in the house, the man thought about what he should do. Eventually, he made his decision. He blew out the candle, broke the third date open, and without inspection, consumed it. The Jews who took our Savior to Pilate's palace would never have done such a thing. They spent a great deal of time and money worrying about how little things looked. They were not especially concerned about things like justice, lying witnesses, and trumped up charges. The devil had told them that they were within their rights to ignore the fact they were sending an innocent Man to death. Instead of worrying about whether Jesus truly was God’s Son and the Messiah, they were preoccupied with and worried about whether they might be spiritually contaminated by entering into in the gentile Governor's palace. What an extraordinarily bad set of priorities! The Devil has given similar such priorities to our country.
Give thanks to Jesus that His priorities were always right. From cradle to cross Jesus kept the priority is Father had given Him. He was to live every moment of every day of His life for the purpose of saving lost and condemned sinners. The fact that He has been successful in this is evident from His victorious cry from the cross, “It is finished.” Today we thank God we can cling to the cross of Christ which makes and keeps sinners clean. THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, help me be concerned about the important things of life. Let the fights I am concerned about be worthwhile. Let my priorities be Your priorities; 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 My Problem
DATE: October 28, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: Matthew 27:3-7 - ESV - When Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus[a] was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, 4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” 5 And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. 6 But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.” 7 So they took counsel and bought with them the potter's field as a burial place for strangers. Sometimes people don't seem to care. In the year 1807, there lived a mathematician by the name of Johann Karl Friedrich Gauss. He was a brilliant scientist, but not always a caring man. As Gauss dealt with a problem in math, his wife was sick in an upstairs bedroom. When the doctor came down and told him his wife was dying, Gauss waved the doctor away. Never bothering to look up from his problem, the great scientist muttered, "Tell her to wait a moment till I'm through." The priests reply to Judas' pain had a similar uncaring tone. The disciple's soul was dying because of his sin of betrayal. These priests, who knew the Scripture, could have provided comfort. Their reply to Judas, inspired by Satan, bears witness to just how hard their hearts have become. Truly these men speak for many of the world religions in which man is totally responsible for rectifying his past errors and getting rid of sins. Jesus, our Savior, would never have spoken in such a way to one of the Lord’s wandering souls Throughout His life and ministry we are shown how His job was to bring peace, forgiveness and hope to a dark, dying and damned world. To fully accomplish that job, it was necessary for Him to be consistently faithful as He made the unbroken trip to the cross Finally, when the only prophecies except those concerning His suffering, death and resurrection have been completed does Jesus allow Himself to be brought into the presence of His accusers His judges, the men who are going to bring down the final curtain in God’s plan to rescue us. His suffering, death and resurrection are designed to forgive the sins of a lost world... even the sins of a disciple who betrayed Him with a kiss; the sins of a disciple who desperately needed, but could not find forgiveness. Which leads me to ask, “Is your soul sad? Is there a sin that has bothered for a long time? If so, please go to the Lord. Forgiveness is a gift which is freely given by our Savior Who gave His life so you might be given that peace which transcends all human understanding. THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You died to be my Savior. May I live as Your faithful disciple, drinking from the sweet or bitter cup that is given to me. Lord Jesus, when I have come to You, with a troubled heart You have never told me, 'What is that to Me?" You have listened and given what I need. Please receive my thanks. 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: Say It Loud And Its True
DATE: October 27, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: Matthew 26:63-66 - ESV- And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” 65 Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. 66 What is your judgment?” They answered, “He deserves death.” Businesses have discovered if you say something in a powerful way, people will often listen and respond in a positive way. If you’d like a few examples of what I mean, I could refer you to:
The fact that people listen when you say something in a powerful way did not escaped the high priest at Jesus' trial. After all, he needed something to work for him. He was fully aware the trial was illegal and the witnesses were all liars. He needed something to work for him and that something was Jesus’ admission He was God’s Son. It was time to push the drama of the point. That’s why, the High Priest got dramatic. He tore his clothes to show his rage; he proclaimed Jesus' words to be blasphemous and he dismissed the false accusers. Then he told the jury what verdict they should bring in. It really was quite a performance, and the devil is the director of the play. The Sanhedrin listened to the dramatic "facts" back then, and people are still listening today. People still desert the Truth of Scripture to follow powerful personalities. Many people applaud the school textbooks which reduce Jesus to the role of teacher. No matter what way it comes out, we need to remember that the Father of Lies is still doing the talking. No matter how well criticism against Jesus is said, we need to remember Jesus is Truth. That is fact. Everything else is well choreographed fiction. THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You died to be my Savior. , You are Truth. The rest is fiction. Help people to understand the distinction. Help me share Your truth with those who might believe otherwise. May I live as Your faithful disciple, drinking from the sweet or bitter cup that is given to me. 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: Repentance? You Really Should
DATE: October 26, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: Luke 13:1-3 – ESV - There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? 3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others …. People often believe lies. That certainly was true of the Spanish soldiers in Francisco Pizarro's expedition to Peru. It was the year 1532 when they found, actually when they stole emeralds as large as pigeon eggs. The stones were so big how could you be sure they were emeralds and not just colored glass? Thankfully, were was a way. Scientists in Europe had found out that real emeralds can't be broken. The Spanish soldiers believed that and were disappointed that the emeralds shattered when they were struck with hammers. There is only one problem. The soldiers believed wrong and the scientists believed wrong. And they lost a fortune because they believed wrong. They aren’t the only people who have lost because they believed wrongly. The text above comes from Scripture where some folks had come to the conclusion they were better than others. They believed wrongly. THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE SO GOOD THEY DIDN’T NEED TO REPENT OF THEIR SINS.
As Christians we know the Truth. By the Holy Spirit's power, we know that in Jesus we have a Treasure. more precious than emeralds. We have Jesus. We dare not put His love to the test. We dare not hammer away at Him as if He needs to prove His love. The nails through His hands and feet are proof enough. Jesus came to save sinners, of whom I am chief. THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, what a treasure You have given us. Some may try to test You. Others may try to deny You. Help me always to be appreciative of Your Truth and Love which I never deserved. Help me to be thankful always. You died to be my Savior. May I live as Your faithful disciple, drinking from the sweet or bitter cup that is given to me. 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: Judging A Book By Its Cover
DATE: October 25, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: Matthew 26: 65-68 - ESV _ Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. 66 What is your judgment?” They answered, “He deserves death.” 67 Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him, 68 saying, “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?” It's easy for us to judge a book by its cover. It’s been a good many years ago that one of my church members picked up a small bouquet of flowers for his wife. It wasn’t a special occasion like a birthday or anniversary, he just wanted to give his wife a pleasant surprise. That’s how he happened to show up at the front door. He rang the bell, and when his wife showed up with the baby on her hip, she was greeted by her husband who was holding a bunch of posies in his hand and was sporting a big sheepish grin on his face stretching from ear to ear. The husband had a little speech he had memorized to top off the occasion. He never got to give that speech. According to him... and I’m sure some things have been exaggerated for effect, before he could get the first word out of his mouth, she began like a machine gun..... She said “Listen, hubbie, the baby has a touchy stomach; the washing machine broke, and your son got into a fight at school. Now you’ve really made my day by coming home drunk." Looking at the cover, the wife misread the book. The soldiers who were beating Jesus did the same thing! Under the influence of the devil, they assumed Jesus is a very weak Man. They beat Him as if He were a coward. They shouted at Him as if He were unable to defend Himself. They simply could not believe that Jesus is the most powerful Person Who has ever lived. It was His powerful love, not human weakness, which allowed Him to receive their taunts. As Christians, who have read the Scriptures, we know that Jesus was neither enemy, or weakling. Jesus was the suffering Son of God Who was on a Divinely designed mission to save us. If He had to take spit and mockery to save our souls, so be it. He would not be turned from the way of sorrows which was leading Him to death on the cross. Today, give thanks for our Savior Whose intentions are still misunderstood by a world which remains blinded by our old, evil foe, THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, open my eyes to see, appreciate, and share Your Divine intentions to save the souls of sinful humanity. Keep me and mine from any activity which would tarnish Your Name. This prayer I offer in that precious 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: Upping The Verbal Commitment
DATE: October 24, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: Matthew 26: 69-74 – ESV - Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” 70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” 71 And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72 And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.” 73 After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.” 74 Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” Do you spend more time worrying about how you look on the outside or the inside? During World War II, it was customary to save just about everything for the war effort. With the national interests in mind, a junk man asked a very wealthy lady, "Do you have any glass for me? Pickle bottles, beer bottles,......?" He got no farther, as she shot bolt upright and exclaimed, "Sir, do I look as though I drank beer?" He thought a moment and then changed his question. He asked, "Lady, do you have any vinegar bottles for me today?" In the high priest's courtyard, Peter worried more about his outside than his inside. He worried more about what might happen to his body if he fell into the hands of Jesus’ enemies, than he did about what might happen to his soul if he denied His Redeemer. You know the story: Peter has been identified as a Galilean, and a probable follower of Jesus. It was time for Peter to decide where he wanted to plant himself. Sadly, Satan’s temptations to deny Jesus prove to be most effective. That means when Peter was put in a hotspot, the disciple quickly decided to deny knowing Jesus or anyone like Him When he kept getting accused , Peter increased the intensity of his denial, As Jesus moves closer to the cross; Peter moves farther away from Jesus. It is a story we have all seen played out time and again. Centuries, circumstances and situations might change but one thing does not: we can’t serve two masters; we can follow the Christ or we can bail. Now there is one last thing which needs to be shared: if you, like Peter end up making the wrong choice, you should know Jesus lived, died and rose so you can be forgiven. Forgiven from a three-time denial punctuated by oaths? Yes. Forgiven for a false kiss and a facetious greeting? That too. THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You died to be my Savior. May I live as Your faithful disciple, drinking from the sweet or bitter cup that is given to me. Be with those who are driven away from You by their fears. Open their eyes so they may see clearly the need to reject the Father of Lies and proclaim You, "Lord of their life." 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: Given A Lot
DATE: October 23, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: Luke 12:7-48 – ESV - that servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. 48 But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.” A story from the early years of the church tells of a heavenly debate as to who had received the most forgiveness. Everyone related their story with special attention` to the outstanding sins from which Christ had forgiven him. After everyone had finished the telling of their tale it was common consensus that the fellow who was most forgiven was a fellow whose story was terribly tragic and just filled--to-the-brim with all manner of sins both large and small. The capstone to his narrative when he shared how he Savior had come on his deathbed and saved him. That last part had more than a few of the folks withdraw their name from the competition and those who stayed n were pretty sure they were going to lose. Then, just before the vote was taken, another man came forward and asked to tell his story which was short, concise and sadly sorrowful . He said: "I have known Jesus my entire life, but never once did I share Him with anyone else.” When the vote was taken, it was not the thief, or murderer who won. The winner was the man who knew Jesus, but never shared Him. On the night Jesus was arrested, as the rooster crowed, it is possible that Peter may have remembered the words of Jesus: 'to the person who has been given much, much will be expected.' (Luke 12: 46) Peter had heard Jesus' sermons of love, seen His miracles, been fished out of the Sea of Galilee. Like the man in our story, Peter had been given much. Unlike the man who remained silent, Peter motivated by the devil had loudly denied Jesus three times. We dare not follow in his footsteps.
THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You died to be my Savior. May I live as Your faithful disciple, drinking from the sweet or bitter cup that is given to me. When it comes to You, keep me from denial and . keep me from silence. As You have given much to me, allow me to thank You much. 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: Keeping Up With Nobody
DATE: October 22, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: John 18: 29 – 32 – ESV- 29 vSo Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” 30 They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.” 31 Pilate said to them, w“Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.” 32 xThis was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken yto show by what kind of death he was going to die. June 11, 1770 is an important day in history. On that day Australia's Great Barrier Reef was discovered and its facts concerning its fascinating existence were added to the knowledge base of western civilization. For the purpose of this devotion it is important that you know that the Great Barrier Reef was discovered by the British seaman, Captain James Cook. You should also know the good Captain discovered the Great Barrier Reef when he hit it with his ship, the ENDEAVOR.... which almost sank. For his discovery of the Barrier Reef and a few other things, Captain Cook has gone down in history as a 'great navigator and seaman'. Not surprisingly, the next person to hit the Great Barrier Reef with his ship was not afforded the same accolades. In all probability rather than being called a ‘great explorer’, his crew probably referred to him as a ‘fool.’ As Jesus' stood before Pilate, His life hanging in the balance, the governor has decided that he would not follow the lead of the priests. As the man entrusted with the administration of Roman justice, he was not going to condemn a Man to the cross just because the Jews say he should. “Because we say He is guilty”, is not sufficient proof or cause to sacrifice someone’s life and send Him to the cross.” It was Pilate’s shining moment in Jesus’ trials. If the Governor had kept that position history would have remembered him differently. Sadly, political expediency saw him reverse his position and go along with the crowd. How wonderful it would be if Christians refused to follow the crowd. Sadly, going along with the bad choices of others can be pretty compelling. Social pressure can be pretty compelling. For example, have you ever noticed church singing? Having had the opportunity of worshipping in a cross section of congregations I have seen congregations which sing and those which don’t. Not surprisingly, many of those congregations don’t pray very loudly and the statement of the Creed, a bold and powerful part of worship seems to be an embarrassment to them. Oh, I forgot to mention, most of the times those congregations aren’t very welcoming, either. Do you know what happened? My guess is in a desire not to stand out, they have turned down their volume in singing, they mumble their prayer and exchange a greeting of peace only with their family members. Not wanting to stand out they refuse to be officers, leaders or teachers. That's the kind of following that sinks Roman Governors and Christian congregations. Far better for us to follow Jesus. We can never follow Him in His great sacrifice of the cross, or in the unbelievable depth of His love. But we can let Him lead us in living a life of bold witness to our Redeemer. THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, help me, as an individual, to witness to You. Help me, as an individual, to follow You, the best way I can. 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: Easy Way
DATE: October 21, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: John 18: 10 14 – ESV - 0 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) 11 Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” 12 Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him 13 and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. 14 Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jewish leaders that it would be good if one man died for the people. Most people try to escape making hard decisions. That's the way it was in the year 1209. During the 1100’s a heresy took hold in Southern France. The members of this sect believed a bad god had written the Old Testament and created the material world and a good god had replied with the New Testament and the spiritual world. To get rid of the heresy Pope Innocent the 3rd called for a Crusade. During that Crusade against the Albigenses, a French army took the town of Beziers. Before they crashed the walls, the soldiers wondered, 'How can we tell the bad heretics from good Christians?' One of the French leaders, Simon IV de Montfort came up with an easy solution to the problem. He said, "Kill them all, for the Lord will know his own." Because of that unbelievably cruel statement, tens of thousands of men, women and children were murdered. There were no hard decisions which had to be made... the Crusaders decided to take the easy way out. The night Jesus was betrayed, the disciples avoided the hard decisions When Jesus asked them to stay awake with Him and pray, they chase the easy way out and fell asleep. When the soldiers moved in to arrest the Savior the disciples promptly forgot Jesus’ words of prophecy about what would happen in Jerusalem. They forget about what He said concerning turning the other cheek.. They avoid making the hard decisions and start fighting. About the only one there that night Who was making hard decisions was the Savior. It would have been easy for the Savior to escape; it would have been simple for Him to summon the legions of angels at His disposal. Instead, Jesus chose to make the tough decision which would lead Him to unfair trials and a tragic misuse of justice. Jesus difficult decision took Him to the cross to die and win forgiveness and salvation doe sinful humankind. Christians must admit that Satan holds out similar temptations to them. He regularly says, "Take the easy way out. Let somebody else give; let someone else witness." But when we stand at the cross and see Jesus' willing sacrifice we soon realize that the easy way out is not the best way. Not even for the Son of God. In His love and by the Spirit's power, we can say, "Not as I will, but as Thou wilt." THE PRAYER:: Lord Jesus, You died to be my Savior. May I live as Your faithful disciple, drinking from the sweet or bitter cup that is given to me. 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: The Call Back
DATE: October 20, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: Matt 26: 21-25 – ESV - And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” 22 They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?” 23 Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” 5 Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?” Jesus answered, “You have said so.” Parents are almost always proud of their children. Knowing that, the young, and inexperienced missionary said, "What a beautiful baby!" to the child’s mother. In almost every culture that mixture of flattery and observation would have been an appropriate thing to say. Not in this one. The Chinese mother gave him a look-that-could-kill, a look signaling the missionary had made a major mistake. It was only late, when he was in the company of some older and more experienced pastors that he heard of the Chinese superstition which says children should never be complimented. To compliment a child makes the evil spirits envious and encourages them to play havoc with the child’s life. To fool those not-overly bright spirits, the missionary would have been better off saying something like, “What an ugly little child. There is no question in my mind that this is the plainest child who has been born in this province during the last century.” Please do not try this unless you live in rural China 120 years ago, Judas had no such kindly motivation when he lied to Jesus at the Last Supper. Sitting in the presence of Jesus, Judas boldly denied he had any plans to betray the Savior. Ignoring Jesus, Who is trying to call Him back, Judas proclaims his innocence and hereby shows what a fine job the devil had done in the corruption of his heart. The devil does a pretty good job on contemporary hearts as well. I cannot give you an honest estimate of the number of parents who have promised to bring their newly-baptized child to church....when the weeks and months which followed revealed they had no intention of keeping their promise. I would hate to place a number on the number of Confirmands who promised to be faithful until death, when they couldn’t even be faithful in attendance the following week. Jesus must be just as pained by their betrayal as He was at Judas'. Now it is too late for anything to be done for the lost disciple, but there still is time to bring back those who have compromised their promises to the Lord. Pray that the true love of Jesus may touch these folks and the Holy Spirit may call them back to their Savior and Redeemer. THE PRAYER: - Lord Jesus, You tried to call back the denying disciple, Judas. Please call back those in our church who have wandered from Your grace; who have forgotten the truth of Your cross. In Your Name Amen. he 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: Honest Adoration
DATE: October 19, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: Matthew 26: 31-35 (excerpts from ESV) - 31 Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, ....33 Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” 34 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” 35 But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same. At one of my first Pastor's conferences, I heard some retired ministers swapping "war stories." One of them remembered a time when he had seen a group of boys sitting in a circle with a dog in the middle. Nothing seemed to be wrong, but he thought he'd check things out. He asked them what they were doing with the dog. One said, "We ain't doin' nuthin' to the dog; we're just tellin' lies. The one of us that tells the biggest lie gets to keep him." The minister feeling the weight of his clerical collar and knowing he had a responsibility to help reclaim this band of burgeoning sinners, recounted how he did his duty to share with the boys that when he was young, he never would tell a lie. The young boy who was holding the dog looked around the circle and having assessed everyone’s opinion,, said, "Fella, we lose, give HIM the dog." I don't know if that story is true, but I do know that when Peter said he wouldn't leave Jesus, the other disciples felt some pressure to compete. They probably didn’t think they were in a lying contest, but they knew they had to keep up with Peter. They had to keep up not because they wanted to suffer, but because they were in a ridiculous and unbecoming competition. They found it was easy to say the words. They probably realized it would be harder to live up to them. Now I would not have you think the disciples felt they were telling a lie. Their intentions were, in all probability, very good. But the truth is, they were keeping up with each other rather than striving to serve the Lord. Little wonder Jesus became frustrated because the disciples weren’t able to understand His work or purpose of His coming Little wonder they never understood how to please Him. Most of us know that the Satan has it made when God's people stop living Christ, and start bragging about themselves and their accomplishments. Pastors get caught up in attendance figures.... parishioners compete with the church down the road. For that sin, we need the forgiveness which cones from the Savior. We need forgiveness and the power to live a life of honest thankfulness to our Redeemer. THE PRAYER: -Lord Jesus, keep me and my church from trying to keep up with others. Help us be content to follow You and the direction Your Spirit leads. In Your Name I pray it. Amen. he 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: Silence Was Better
DATE: October 18, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: Luke 22: 31 – 34 ESV - 31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” 33 But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” 34 Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me. The court of Louis XIV, of France, was Christian. By that I mean that had, at least verbally confessed Jesus as Savior. Sadly, the confession made by their lives was something quite different. One Sunday, when Louis and his royal party arrived at church, no one was there except Archbishop Fenelon, the court preacher. Surprised to see the vacant pews, the King asked, "Why isn't anyone else at worship this morning?" The Archbishop answered, "The fault for the poor attendance is mine, your Majesty. I let it quietly be known that You would not be with us today. I wanted you to see who was coming to the service just to flatter you, and who had come to worship God." When Peter confessed his willingness to follow Jesus, he said the right thing. His actions, would show the confession of his life was different. That is the work of Satan and his own sinful flesh. The devil is fully aware that bold talk costs almost nothing. He is glad when people mumble the Creed. And he is probably doing cartwheels when Christians pray for the conversion of souls, but refuse to give a dollar more to make it happen and keep their mouths zipped tight when they personally have a chance to evangelize. Thankfully, Jesus, continues to forgive us for our weakness. As He did for Peter, the Lord Jesus stands ready to help us change. After all, He has come to give His life as a ransom for many, As He was being lead to the cross, Jesus did not boast; He didn’t put on a bold defense, or even call for a few legions of angels to help Him out. No, none of that happened. Jesus kept His peace, His defense and His counsel. Not even a Roman cross, was able to stop Him from fulfilling His mission which will make you His saved brothers and sisters... Brothers and sisters whose words bear witness to their forgiveness Jesus has won.. THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, we sing, "take my life and let it be, consecrated Lord to Thee." Forgive my words when they have been hollow. We sing, "take my silver and my gold, not a mite would I withhold", and then I keep a great deal. Grant me strength to proclaim Your truth not just with words, but with actions. In Your Name I ask it. 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: Sleeping
DATE: October 17, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. READING: Mat 26 40 – ESV -Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” 40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. 41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Every once in a while (well, more often than I care to admit, actually), someone falls asleep during a sermon. I wouldn’t have shared that information with you but the truth is I am not the only preacher whose sermons inspire a cat nap, Most of us hope it's because that person is very tired, not because their sermon's weak. The truth might be found in the story about Carl Sandburg, The great poet-author had been asked to attend the dress rehearsal of a very serious play written by a very serious author. His presence was requested so he might give a hopefully favorable opinion which might then be used by the play for advertising purposes. Mr. Sandburg slept through most of the performance. The offended author was outraged and felt he was within his rights to give his critic a tongue-lashing. Chewing out Mr. Sandberg he demanded an explanation. He wanted to know: "How could you sleep through my play when you knew I wanted your opinion?" "Young man," Sandburg reminded him, "sleep is an opinion." Scripture tells us that the disciples, in spite of Jesus' encouragement, fell asleep because they were filled with sorrow. (Luke 22: 45) No doubt, Satan told them that if they curled up and took a nap, everything would be fine when they woke up. It was a lie which Satan has successfully used many times since that day. Some parents close their eyes to misbehaving children; wives refuse to see an abusive husband; churches carry delinquents on their books rather than seeing lost souls. Satan's lies tell us that if we ignore things long enough the problem will disappear. They don't. We, who are undeserving recipients of the love of Jesus, need to be the Spirit's tools in awakening those whose fears keep them spiritually asleep. THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, forgive me when I have tried to close my eyes to sin and the problems around me. Send Your Spirit so that I may, in prayer, do what is right. In Jesus’ 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: Judging A Book By Its Cover DATE: October 25, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: Matthew 26: 65-68 - ESV _ Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. 66 What is your judgment?” They answered, “He deserves death.” 67 Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him, 68 saying, “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?” It's easy for us to judge a book by its cover. It’s been a good many years ago that one of my church members picked up a small bouquet of flowers for his wife. It wasn’t a special occasion like a birthday or anniversary, he just wanted to give his wife a pleasant surprise. That’s how he happened to show up at the front door. He rang the bell, and when his wife showed up with the baby on her hip, she was greeted by her husband who was holding a bunch of posies in his hand and was sporting a big sheepish grin on his face stretching from ear to ear. The husband had a little speech he had memorized to top off the occasion. He never got to give that speech. According to him... and I’m sure some things have been exaggerated for effect, before he could get the first word out of his mouth, she began like a machine gun..... She said “Listen, hubbie, the baby has a touchy stomach; the washing machine broke, and your son got into a fight at school. Now you’ve really made my day by coming home drunk." Looking at the cover, the wife misread the book. The soldiers who were beating Jesus did the same thing! Under the influence of the devil, they assumed Jesus is a very weak Man. They beat Him as if He were a coward. They shouted at Him as if He were unable to defend Himself. They simply could not believe that Jesus is the most powerful Person Who has ever lived. It was His powerful love, not human weakness, which allowed Him to receive their taunts. As Christians, who have read the Scriptures, we know that Jesus was neither enemy, or weakling. Jesus was the suffering Son of God Who was on a Divinely designed mission to save us. If He had to take spit and mockery to save our souls, so be it. He would not be turned from the way of sorrows which was leading Him to death on the cross. Today, give thanks for our Savior Whose intentions are still misunderstood by a world which remains blinded by our old, evil foe, THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, open my eyes to see, appreciate, and share Your Divine intentions to save the souls of sinful humanity. Keep me and mine from any activity which would tarnish Your Name. This prayer I offer in that precious 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: Good Deeds
DATE: October 16, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed, TEXT: Mat 26: 47- 50 – ESV - While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people. 48 Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.” 49 Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him. 50 Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend.”[d] At my first church in Edgemont, South Dakota, an Elder shared a sad expression with me. It is an expression which the years have shown me have a certain degree of truth. What he said to me almost half a century ago was this: “Pastor you will do well to remember: no good deed ever goes unpunished." That was the case when Walter Monckton retired from 20 years as a faithful, unpaid, servant of the Duke of Windsor (formerly King Edward VIII of England). Now you may wonder what kind of gift a Duke might give to an individual who has dedicated his entire life to your comfort, security and well-being? In what way can he show how touched he has been by this assistant’s tireless efforts. Never in 100 years could you guess. Well. Maybe you could. Did you guess an engraved cigarette case? Well, maybe you could guess that... ....but I’ll bet you didn’t guess the Duke misspelled the servant’s name! Monckton's insult is nothing compared to the one given to Jesus by His betrayer. For His caring, His preaching, His devotion, His sacrifice, Judas betrayed Him with a kiss! Understand, this is not a kiss of admiration or respect, it is one of betrayal. It is a kiss which will take Jesus to His cross where He will win salvation for humankind Judas might have pointed Jesus out with a hand gesture, or yelled, "That's the Man!" He could have done that, but that would have been too simple for the Father of Lies. As my elder said, “No good deed ever goes unpunished.” Of course that has never been a revelation for Jesus. We have never betrayed Jesus with anything as dramatic as a kiss. Nevertheless, Satan is enthusiastic in telling us to betray our Lord. In large ways and small, he would have us demean the work of our Lord and devalue the sacrifice He has made. To his encouragement to betraall, we must, with Holy Spirit given faith say "No." By God’s grace, each day we should recommit ourselves to the Christ Who has saved us with His life’s blood as the price. We must be sure His love for us on the cross will never be punished. by our betrayal. THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, help me touch lives for You as I say 'thanks' in every way possible for Your action of salvation. In my life, may there never be a kiss of betrayal - to You or anyone around me. This I ask in Your Name. Amen. he 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: Too Good
DATE: October 15, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: John 13: 5-8 – ESV -he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” The Holy Spirit has given us gifts so that we can glorify Jesus. That is the way it is supposed to work but there are many times when the devil inserts himself and the thought that we ourselves are the ones who should be glorified. The end result is that our ego goes amuck. There are some who would say that is what happened to Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria. When he went to a great occasion, and important occasion it was has custom to have himself sewn into his uniform. That was his way of making sure that there would not be a single crease to mar his appearance. The Archduke was wearing one of these "sewn-on uniforms" when he was shot in Sarajevo, on June 28, 1914. Those trying to help him, found that they couldn't unbutton his uniform. By the time a scissors was procured, it was too late. The Archduke had bled to death and World War I had begun. In the text above you can see that Peter, like the Archduke, was worried about appearances. He was fully aware that Jesus, His Teacher, was doing a task which was assigned to the lowest of a household’s slaves Now you will notice that while Peter objects to Jesus washing his feet, he doesn’t volunteer to take up towel and basin and do some feet washing of his own. Although there might be many reasons brought forth to explain away Peter’s refusal and reluctance, I have to believe Peter felt he was too prestigious to perform such a humble act for others. Now this is not the one and only time I have seen someone refuse to do something because it is below his pay-grade. I have seen parents ask their children to pick something up, and the reply is “Why do have to I didn’t make the mess”. When I was Pastor of a church there were far too many times I saw simple jobs and thankless positions left unfilled because so many folks believed they were above being a Sunday School Teacher or work for a few days with Vacation Bible School. And if you really wanted to see people scurry ask them to lead the Congregation’s Every Member Visit and Pledge Sunday. Would it not be better for us to set aside our vanity and become humble servant as the Savior was? Washing feet, touching a leper, dying on a cross, it was all part of the plan which showed us God’s grace., offered us forgiveness and a place in heaven. THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You showed us how to serve when You gave Yourself for humanity. No job was too small to be left undone. Help me follow You and humbly serve others. 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: One Opinion
DATE: October 14, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: Mark 14:49 - (ESV) - 49 Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.” The brilliant young pianist was performing on a national stage for the first time. Those who had come to hear him were spellbound as beautiful music flowed from his disciplined fingers. As the last note faded, the audience burst into applause which came in waves. Everyone was standing -- glad that they had heard the launching of a new talent. All stood, except one old man up front. The pianist walked off the stage and declined the praise of the stage manager. The pianist said, "I was no good, the night is a failure." The manager replied, "Look out there, all applaud, except one old man!" "Yes," said the youth dejectedly, "but I please no one if I don't please that one old man who is my teacher." That is exactly the way it was for Jesus.
It made little difference to Jesus if the entire world had fallen at His feet. If He had not earned the approval of His Father, His life would have been a failure. It was His Father Who had originated the plan to rescue sinful, rebellious and condemned humankind. It was His Father Who had inspired centuries of prophets to share information which would identify Him and allow the success of His work to be measured With single-minded purpose, doing what no other human being could do, Jesus finished His work of being our Intermediary, Substitute and Redeemer. After His death and resurrection, the Father says He is well pleased in the work of His Son. (2 Peter 1: 17) And because of Jesus successful completion of that work, all who believe on Him are saved. And now the risen Redeemer asks, “For whom do you play the music of your life? Is it for the applause of business, or the respect of community? Do you work merely to make money? Happiness is not based on such things. No, it is in pleasing Jesus that the success of our lives will be measured. At the end, the elect will say, "It makes no difference if the world applauds me unless I have the approval of my Savior." THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I give thanks that You were not seduced by the cheers of the crowd, or the praise of people. Because You did all Your Father had asked, I am saved. For this I give thanks. 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: Cheek Turning
DATE: October 13, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: Matthew 16:21 -ESV -21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. Part of Jesus' radical teaching has been His desire for His followers to turn the other cheek. It sounds great in principle, but anyone who has given it a try or two has found it's mighty hard to do in practice. The Englishman, Sir Walter Scott had as much difficulty implementing the idea as the rest of us do. That was true until the day came when Jesus' words took on special meaning. The story begins with Scott being pestered by a stray dog. Having felt he had patiently exhausted all other means to get rid of the mongrel, Scott picked up a rock to throw at the dog with the hope of chasing it away. His aim was straighter and his delivery stronger than he intended. With William Tell like accuracy, Scott’s stone hit the animal and broke its leg. Instead of running off, the persistent dog hobbled over to him and licked his hand. Sir Walter never forgot that touching response. He said, "That dog preached the Sermon on the Mount to me as few ministers have ever presented it." Maybe that's because Scott had never really looked at Jesus. Jesus was no dumb animal that never saw the stones coming. Jesus was God’s Son the Lamb Whose blood would create a new relationship between God and man. Jesus knew that He was going to die. Long before He ever went to that last Passover the Christ was fully aware of what was in store for Him. With Divine omniscience He shared with His disciples that He MUST suffer much and that He would be killed. Now, everybody knows that people's greatest motivation is survival. We will do just about ANYTHING within our power to make sure we survive. The problem is none of us have the ability or strength to hold off the arrival of the grim reaper. Unlike the rest of us who must eventually go along with life’s flow, Jesus had the limitless power of God. It was within His power to go through those days untouched by humankind’s hatred and unharmed by our murderous attempts on His life. Incredibly, even though Jesus knew His future fate, even though He had the might to escape that fate and rewrite the history books, He still went to Jerusalem to die for us. Understand, Jesus didn't "turn the other cheek for you", He died for you! Which leads me to ask: in gratitude and thanksgiving will you not live your life for Him? THE PRAYER: - Lord Jesus, I have met very few people who, when they were hit, would turn the other cheek. I give thanks that You practiced what You preached. If You hadn't, I would have been lost. Thank You! Now, please teach me to practice what I say I believe. Amen. he 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 Truth
DATE: October 12, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: Matt 26:33 – ESV - 33 Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” During the Gold Rush days in California, Charlie Parkhurst was a stagecoach driver. Charlie showed great skill and bravery in taking passengers and gold shipments along the dangerous roads. Not the least of Charlie's accomplishments was the killing of not one, but two highwayman. Charlie smoked cigars, chewed tobacco, played cards and drank. Charlie eventually retired and went into the cattle business around Santa Cruz, California. On December 31, 1879, some neighbors found old Charlie dead at home. It was only when they got around to dressing the body for burial, they discovered that Charlie Parkhurst was a woman. It's not my intention to go into the unfair stereotypes that women had to unfairly follow. It is my intention to say that Charlie wasn't what she seemed. Nor was Peter when the Devil helped him boast he 'would never fall away, even if everybody else did.' Now remember, Peter's track record of faithfulness wasn't all that good. True, Peter had walked on the water, but Peter had also sunk. He had declined to have Jesus wash his feet and then he asked the Lord to ‘wash all of him.’ He would, figuratively speaking, sink again. His boast of faithfulness, which had sounded so good at the supper table, would become hollow later on that evening It would be hollow when he went to the high priest’s courtyard and three times denied ever having known his Savior. Peter, like many of us who think we're self-sufficient, wasn't what he seemed. Scripture is right when it says, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Give thanks that we have a Savior Who never forgot Who He was.
He meant it, even if it meant dying a terrible and painful death on the cross to save a lying world. No, the only One Who could ever say: "Even if all fall away....I never will,." is Jesus. He says those words to us today, and He means them. THE PRAYER:: Lord Jesus, people make all kinds of promises about what they will do. Some they keep, many they don't. I give thanks that Your promises are sure. Help me make my promises to You just as sure. 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: Redirected
DATE: October 11, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: Mark 14:56 - ESV - 56 For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree. The funeral service had gone longer than expected and Barbara, a distant friend of the deceased, decided to skip the final rites at the cemetery. As she turned out of the church parking lot, the policeman, who was supervising the funeral procession, slapped a sticker on her car, asked her to turn on her lights and ordered, "Get into line please!" She did as she had been asked and half a hundred cars fell into line after her. Barbara could only think about getting out of that line. That's why, when the giant Walmart parking lot came into view, she decided this was her chance to escape. As they passed the entrance, she quickly turned her car out of the line and into the parking lot. She breathed a sigh of relief.... until she looked into her rearview mirror and discovered that she had about ½ the funeral procession still behind her. The Priests had much the same problem at Jesus’ trial. Now here is the situation They, along with all of their friends, knew that Jesus needed to die... that Jesus was going to die. The only problem was finding a reason, a charge which would stick. It should have been an easy thing to accomplish. It should have been... but Jesus’ death verdict seemed to be taking longer than anyone had expected. The priests had to find some charge that would stick to Jesus and make Him worthy of death. That's why they brought in their false witnesses. All of those witnesses had tried to come up with evidence which would take Jesus straight to the cemetery. Unfortunately, that is unfortunately from the high-priests' point of view, the perjurers kept taking detours. One after another they turned off and sent the trial in the wrong direction. What an impressive thing to say about our Lord! His enemies could find nothing wrong with Him. His enemies couldn't even tell a lie that would stick. Although Jesus was betrayed by His church, the truth of Who He was, and the value of His mission remained unchanged. He was God's Son, Who had been entrusted with the redemption of God’s fallen children. Now it’s true there are still some today who, like the Priests of the Jews, tell lies about the Savior. There are those who still try to explain away His miracles; tell us He was misquoted by His disciples; and say He never died on the cross. There are still those who try to reroute believers away from the truth of Scripture. But those who see the Lord with eyes of faith know, Jesus gave His life and continued directly to the cemetery until the angels proclaimed He had risen. THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, there are many voices raised against You. Use my voice to proclaim the victory You have won on my behalf. Mark me as a witness that remains faithful and true. 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: Disbelief
DATE: October 10, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: John 6:64 - ESV - 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) In any language, there are few words more abhorrent than that of traitor. For nearly 30 years, Larry Chin, 63, a naturalized American citizen, lived a double life. While working as a translator and analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency, he passed classified documents to the People's Republic of China. When caught, Chin insisted that he was only trying to improve relations between his homeland and his adopted country, the United States. Nevertheless, Chin was convicted of spying, and was sentenced to life in prison. He showed no emotion when the verdict was handed down. But that too, was just a false front. Larry Chin committed suicide. He appeared fine when guards brought him breakfast. Later in the morning, they found Chin dead with a plastic bag around his head. When people look at Judas they think that his greatest offense was the kiss that betrayed his Rabbi in the Garden of Gethsemane or visiting Jesus’ enemies in the first place. If you were to ask Jesus to list His disciple's worst misdeed, I believe He would say, "It was not the kiss, or the 30 silver coins. Judas' worst offense was that he wasn't a believer. Jesus would continue: “I called him, I loved him, but he never responded He could have been forgiven, as Peter was forgiven; but unlike Peter Judas never had a faith which brought him to repentance." Truly, Judas had the opportunity to see Jesus' miracles, hear Jesus preach; watch Jesus love all of humanity. In spite of all these opportunities, Judas' heart was never won over and he betrayed His Savior for the price of a slave. As you hear the news today you will be amazed at the great sins and hatred that people have. You may believe that those wrongdoings are committed because of poverty or greed or 1,000 different motivations. Today remember that these sins stem from another cause: the sin of Judas. A lack of faith which refuses to repent They don't believe that Jesus is their Savior, They don't believe that Jesus came for them, lived for them, died for them and wishes to forgive them. Most certainly they don’t believe that He rose from the grave to rescue them. If is the sin of disbelief and a refusal to repent which becomes the worst of all. THE PRAYER - Lord Jesus, I do many things wrong every day. So much of that wrong stems from what is in my heart. Help me begin and end every day with a solid faith in You as Savior and Friend. 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: Two Places For Help
DATE: October 9, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: Matthew 26:38 ESV - 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch[a] with me.” Can’t tell you if this story is true or not. Either way, it’s a good story: It begins with a woman who had recently gone to the plastic surgeon for a facelift. She was quite pleased with the results....until her last consultation with the surgeon. As her doctor dismissed her, he gave this advice: "My dear, in all modesty, I have to confess that I have done an extraordinary job on your face. You have looked in the mirror and you have inspected my work. You agree with me. To do this work I have charged you a great deal of money and you were happy to pay it. Now I would like to give you some free advice. After you leave here, find a group of people who love God and who will love you enough to help you deal with all the negative feelings that you have inside of you. If you don't follow this advice, you'll be back in my office in a very short time with your face in a far sadder, lined and wrinkled state than it was before." The plastic surgeon was telling it like it is. Our faces often reflect what is going on inside us. If we are constantly in turmoil, down and depressed, it will show up in the way we walk, the way we sit and stand, the way our faces age. How often have we not looked at a person and said in sympathy, "He looks like he's had a hard life." Jesus had had a bitter life, as well. From before birth He had been designated as the Offering Who would rescue sinful humanity. Between birth and death He had had a hard life. In the past he had been discouraged by the way His message had been ignored. Now, in the Garden of Gethsemane, He receives the sins of all humanity. Truly He is the Passover Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world. Who carries every sin of every person in every age. No wonder He was overwhelmed, sorrowful unto death. As He suffered, there were only two places He could turn for support: His heavenly Father in prayer, and to the disciples. His Father listened and strengthened Him with the sending of an angel, but the disciples ignored Jesus' request and fell asleep. Now, I don't know where you turn for help when you are downcast, but may I suggest that there are still only two places to go: Jesus and to those around you like friends, family or government. Now you can be sure Jesus will help you. Concerning your friends, I don't know. If they fall asleep while you hurt, they're not much good. But, if they support you with the love of God in your suffering, they can be a great assistance and it will show in your face and faith. THE PRAYER - Lord Jesus, no one listens to me like You. Because you carried my sins, You understand. Thank you, dear Lord, for being there. 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 Merry Go Round
DATE: October 8, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: Matthew 17:12 – NIV - 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” It was in the 1800’s that an old couple walked to town to see the carnival. Each of them had a dime to spend. Most of the time they just spent walking around and looking at the sights and sounds of the carnival and the other people who had come. When it was just about time to go home, the husband suggested that they should spend their money. She said, "You spend your dime, I'm going to keep mine." And so he spent his dime on the merry-go-round. The music began and around he went. When he got off, his wife criticized, "Well, there you are. I certainly hope you are satisfied. The way I see it, you managed to get off just about where you got on. You ain't been nowhere, and worst of all, now you're broke." As Jesus thought about death of His cousin John (referred to in our text as "Elijah"); as He thought of the centuries of prophets who had been rejected before Him; He couldn’t help realizing that He had come to earth to be the most recent Servant of the Lord trying to share the Lord’s story of salvation. But He was doing far more than telling the story of life....He was sacrificing Himself to make forgiveness, salvation and reconciliation a reality. In short He had cone to earth to die. He could easily have become discouraged. You see, God's plan of salvation and all His attempts to help His people always seemed to accomplish nothing. Things went round and round but nobody ever seemed to get anywhere. Nobody ever learned. God kept sending prophets to help the chosen race and the chosen race kept rejecting the prophets. The Baptizer had come, done a good job, but eventually he was beheaded. Now it was Jesus' turn. He would do His job flawlessly, perfectly. He would be beaten. He would be spit upon, whipped, crowned with thorns and made fun of. He could endure these things. He would have nails pounded into His feet and hands. He could bear all of these sufferings without complaint. But when all was said and done would there be any change in the lives and hearts of men? There should be a change, but is there? Which is why the ultimate question of life is, “Has Jesus' suffering, death and resurrection made a difference in your life? Of course it has! But how about for the unbelievers you know? Have you shared Jesus with them? Please don't let their lives end at the same place they began - broke, without hope and without a Savior. Help them get off the merry-go-round. THE PRAYER: - Lord Jesus, I give thanks that Your suffering has helped me get off the merry-go-round of life. Because of You, I know where I'm going. When I get to heaven, because of you, I won't be broke, I will be richer than I could ever have imagined. Thank You. 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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