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TITLE: Really, Truly Dead
DATE: November 30, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: Hebrews 9: 27-28 – ESV - And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. Ever since I got out in the ministry, and even before, I’ve seen all kinds of definition of death. Now in literature death can be:
Now this is important because ... Benjamin Schreiber, a first-degree murderer who was sentenced to life in jail says he ought to be set free. He holds that opinion because in May 2015 he had septic poisoning, was rushed to the hospital and “died.” His heart was restarted five times. He maintains he has finished his sentence and completed his lifetime’s debt to society. One Judge, Judge Amanda Potterfield has reviewedhis case and, tongue-in-cheek, observed: "Schreiber is either still alive, in which case he must remain in prison, or he is actually dead, in which case this appeal is moot.” The day is going to come to Mr. Schreiber as it comes to each of us, when all the Doctors at all the hospitals won’t be able to jumpstart his heart. On that day he will find out a number of things. First, he will know the feeling of helplessness and second, he will know salvation or damnation. That pathway will he determined by one thing and one thing only: did he believe on the Christ as his personal Savior from sin, or did he not. I pray he acknowledges the Christ Who can do what nobody else can. He can create in His people a new heart.” THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, when death really and truly comes, humankind is helpless. I rejoice that when man is weak Your power has no limitations. In Jesus’ holy 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/282821/he-was-serving-a-life-sentence-then-he-died.html and the article written by Jenn Gidman . 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: No Cheating
DATE: November 29, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT Luke 23: 40-43 – ESV -: 0 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” 78-year-old Ron Lafferty is dead. Now it is possible you never have heard of Ron Lafferty. If so, let me remedy that circumstance.
But that’s not all Ron is known for.
That’s because Ron Lafferty died of natural causes at the State prison in Salt Lake City, Utah. Ron managed to cheat the firing squad, but he hadn’t managed to cheat death. The grim reaper came for him just as he comes for almost all of us. On that day there will be no appeal there will be no clemency. On that day we will appear before our Divine Judge for immediate sentencing... and the execution of that sentence will not be postponed. Oh, there’s one other “On that day” statement which is important. On that day the only thing of tremendous significance is this: Was Jesus our Lord and Savior from sin? Did we, with a repentant heart, pray, “Lord be merciful to me a sinner”,..,. and then did we rejoice because our loving Lord has shown His mercy and grace in Bethlehem, on Golgotha and at a borrowed tomb. God is just that: merciful. THE PRAYER: Lord God, Heavenly Father. I, too am a sinner and worthy of temporal and eternal condemnation. I give thanks that the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel and brought me into the light of the Lord. May I invite others to join us in Your Gift. In Jesus’ holy 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/282923/death-row-inmate-featured-in-jon-krakauer-book-has-died.html and the article written by Newser Editors and Wire Services . 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 Medical Misadventure
DATE: November 28, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: 1 John 1:7-9 – ESV - 7 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. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Right now my local grocery store is giving out “FREE FLU SHOTS.” My daughter who is a teacher, as well as my other daughter who is in the health-care field have-employers who are strongly urging their people to get their flu shot. Along similar lines I can’t watch TV for any length of time before I find myself being encouraged to get the pneumonia shot. ‘After all”, I’m told, “When you’re over 70, any contact with the illness can have catastrophic results.” Inoculations. There is no question that inoculations have saved many of us from disastrous illnesses and even death. Still, with inoculations being recommended for chickenpox, diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis; Hepatitis A as well as Hepatitis B, the human papillomavirus, measles, mumps, and rubella, polio and rotavirus it’s not surprising our children can often feel like human pincushions. That being said most of us take our shots because the good of them usually outweighs any bad. USUALLY I say that because a few weeks ago, eight residents and two workers at Oklahoma City’s Jacquelyn House went to get their flu vaccination. Unfortunately something went wrong. EMTs were called to assist an “unresponsive person.”When they got to the home, which is a care center for folks who have intellectual difficulties, they found a lot of unresponsive people. All these people were symptomatic, lying on the ground, needing help, but unable to share what help they needed. As a result all were hospitalized and an investigation began to discover what had happened. At this point, as near as anyone can guess, instead of receiving a Flu shot, they all were accidentally given an inoculation of insulin. Everyone has survived and been released from the hospital. Now, looking back there is a common agreement that “things could have been worse...much worse.” The same thing can be said in regard to our spiritual health and well-being. Scripture clearly says,” the blood of Jesus (God’s) Son cleanses us from all sin.” Indeed, the blood of Christ is the only medicine which forgives our sins, heals our souls, and opens the doors to heaven. To try and substitute any other medicine, such as faith in another deity or trust in ourselves is both dangerous and deadly. Far better to trust Christ’s blood, the only medicine in this world which is 100% effective 100% of the time. THE PRAYER: Lord I give thanks for the spiritual healing which has taken place because Jesus, my Savior came into this world and took my place under the law. May others learn of His sacrifice which saves. In His 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/282833/they-were-meant-to-get-flu-shots-instead-a-medical-misadventure.html and the article written by Jenn Gidman . 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: It’s Not Natural
DATE: November 27, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: Colossians 3:17 – ESV - And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Thanklessness has always been a part of humankind’s heart.
Of course, you could reply, “How about those Pilgrim fathers and mothers? They were thankful." True, the early pilgrims who celebrated a good harvest in 1621 did acknowledge God's help. Those Christians had a thanksgiving day. But did you know that the Indians who gave the Pilgrims grain to grow in their rocky soil; who brought food to the feast; those heathen Indians already had a heathen tradition of Thanksgiving? It's true. The Christian Pilgrims we’re so proud of setting aside one day for thanks. The Indians had six special days in which they showed their gratitude to their god. Were the Pilgrims thankful? Yes they were, that year. Unfortunately, their thanksgiving didn't last. When the Pilgrim children grew up, they forgot their Indian friends, forgot their goodwill and goaded by greed, shot the life out of the Massasoit Indians. People in every generation feel they have nothing for which to be thankful. And I suppose our generation is no different. Publicly our nation, the most blessed nation on earth has written God out of history and is doing its best to convince ourselves that we have done all this on our own. We haven’t. We didn’t put the rich natural resources on and under our land. We didn’t create the fertile soil or the clean rivers. In war, where the outcome could be measured in seconds, or by the narrowest of margins, we have often, almost always been given the advantage. And why has God done this. He has done it for the reason He always blesses a nation: so that they in, ‘whatever they do, in word or deed, everything will be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as we continuously give thanks to God the Father through him.’ THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, it’s not normal for people to give thanks to You. May we, in our homes, in our land, in our lives give thanks to You Who are the Giver of every good gift. In Your holy Name I pray 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: Coming Back
DATE: November 26, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: Luke 2: 25-28 – ESV - Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God I love the story of old Simeon in the temple. I can still vividly recall the painting which was reproduced in my “101 Bible Stories book. *I could almost see Simeon’s long white beard move as he pronounced his blessing on the Baby Jesus. I could understand how, having seen his Savior, that old soul was truly ready to “depart in peace.” Now... let me tell you a secret: nowhere in the Bible does it say Simeon was old. People just naturally assume he was old... probably because he was ready to die.... and everybody knows it’s only old people who are ready to die... the young aren’t ready to shuffle off this mortal coil because they’ve got too much living to do. Sound silly? Well, not as silly as you might think. Now we’ve all heard that the number of people who have been walking away from God is increasing., And so it is. But a recent Gallup poll has concluded, “Predictions of the forthcoming demise of religion as we know it may be premature.” That’s because even though the percentage of the population which claims no religious affiliation is growing, this anti-religion perspective is one which is being embraced mainly by the young... and that, as they get older, they will probably change their mind and come back to church. And that reversal begins to be seen as early as people enter their 30’s. Here’s the numbers....
The only problem is... you have to be around to age. This past year I spoke at my class’s 50th Anniversary. I was amazed at how many of them had died. Now I’m reasonably sure that none of them were “Nones”, but that is not true for everyone. Which is why I encourage you to regularly lift up those in your family and circle of friends who think they don’t need the Savior. Ask that they be brought into the light... and pray they be given the time to see and believe what the life, suffering, death and resurrection of Christ has done for them. THE PRAYER: Lord, whether the time before us be long or short, keep us so we are ready to ”depart in peace” and in the love of the Lord. In Your holy 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.christianheadlines.com/contributors/michael-foust/gallup-religion-isn-t-dying-people-return-to-church-as-they-age.html and 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 Greatest Gift
DATE: November 25, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: John 15:12-13 – ESV - “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. "We thought we hit the jackpot." Looking back on the events of last month, that’s how one member of Stephone Ritchie Sr.'s family reacted to the surf after they had made the drive from the Orlando area to Cocoa Beach during their Florida vacation. But, the jackpot was soon to go bust. It was October. 24 and they had only been at their destination for about a quarter-hour when their fun was short-lived. Barely 15 minutes after arriving at their destination beach, 38-year-old Ritchie realized his three boys were far out in the water. They were too far out. Understand, the boys weren’t trying to prove themselves, nor had they broken the family rules. They had been caught in a rip current which was taking them out to sea. Dad ventured out into the water to herd the boys back in. Dad managed to get them in but he had difficulties doing the same for himself. His 19-year-old son asked if he needed help and Dad said, “Yes.” But accomplishing the helping of Dad took a bit. During that time the waves kept coming and pounding the father. Eventually he was brought ashore. Dad was alive, but barely. Paramedics tried to resuscitate him, but they failed. The Christian father was gone. Surveying the day, Ritchie’s own father, the grandfather of the family observed: “You lay your life down for your kids. You know, that's what he did." Now all of us who read a story like that wish that it might have ended up differently. Still, there are times when someone has to die so someone else might live. When He first laid out the plan for the redemption of disobedient humanity, the Lord knew that was what had to happen. His Son had to live and die so that we might be rescued. To save us is why Jesus was born in Bethlehem. It is why He spent His lifetime being hated and hunted, misunderstood and misinterpreted. Looking back on His life Jesus could see how the sick had been healed; the hungry fed; the dead raised up and restored. He forgave sinners, preached repentance and pronounced forgiveness. And for a life dedicated to helping, Jesus was betrayed by a supposed friend; renounced by another disciple and had leaders of church and state betray Him. Justice was denied Him and, according to prophesy, He was crucified. From start to finish it seemed like He had lost...but His 3rd day resurrection reminds us God is in control and there will be a reunion for all who fall asleep in the Lord. Which means the day will come with the Ritchie family will be reunited, never to be torn apart again. THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, for the sacrifices You made; for the hatred You endured and the sins You carried, I give thanks. May I proclaim the wonders of Your love In Your holy 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: http://newser.com/s282513 and the article written by Jenn Gidman . 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: Excuses
DATE: November 24, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: 1 Timothy 2:5-6 – ESV - 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man[a] Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. Excuses, excuses, excuses. The Bible is filled with them. If you think I am exaggerating take a look at the beginning chapters of Scripture. God had created and given a perfect Garden home to Adam and Eve. It took only a few verses before they proved themselves to be unworthy of the gift and disobedient to the Giver. When the time of reckoning came the Lord talked to Adam and basically asked “What did you do?” Knowing he is cornered, Adam shows his creativity by inventing the very first excuse. Without missing a heat he throws his wife under the bus. “I didn’t wanna Lord, but You know how it is. The woman You gave me.. she’s the one who is responsible.” You may have noticed that Adam’s excuse also points to the Lord as being partly to blame for sin entering the world. The Lord turns to Eve and asks for an explanation. Being the quick learner that she is, Eve copies her husband and throes the snake under the bus. Soon all of them are punished and condemned for their nefarious workings. Read just a little bit further and you will see Cain will murder his little brother. When the Lord comes around asking about Able, the little brother, Cain’s excuse and attitude are truly defiant? “Able? Able? How would I know where my brother is? Do I look like I’m his keeper?” Yup, the Bible is filled with excuses. Of course excuses don’t stop when the last verses of Revelation were penned. 52-year-old Belinda Foindren is proof of that. Belinda worked as an enterprising and creative clerk at a Physician’s office. Quite possibly she was too creative and enterprising. You see Belinda was selling Physician’s excuses to High School students. For $20.00, Belinda would get you out of a class; out of a test, out of any part of the academic life you disliked or were not prepared for. Belinda would have gotten away with the con if it hadn’t been for two teens who used a physician’s excuse on fourteen different occasion That big number caused the school to call up the doctor and ask. He said, he didn’t write the excuses and he didn’t treat the students. And Belinda got arrested. Now there is a lesson to be learned here. Whether it be in Bible times or in our times, a bad excuse is worthless. When it comes to our salvation and forgiveness, none of our excuses are going to hold any water. God will brush them aside. That’s because He is looking for justice and not excuses. What the Divine Judge needs to hear is that our sins have been washed from our repentant hearts by our Lord and Savior. Jesus’ sacrifice, not our well-rehearsed excuses is what He wants THE PRAYER: Lord, I give thanks that Jesus has done all which was necessary for my salvation. I give thanks that today You accept my praise and not my excuses. This I ask in the Savior’s 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.huffpost.com/entry/belinda-gail-fondren-fake-notes_n_5dbcb759e4b0fffdb0f6db0d?ncid=engmodushpmg00000006 and the article written by the Associated Press . 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 Smart or Savvy Enough
DATE: November 23, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: Acts 4: 12 – ESV - And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men[c] by which we must be saved. I come from the Windy City. Because that is so, I really don’t have a lot of use for those folks in the Big Apple who think the country begins and ends with the five boroughs of New York, New York. Now don’t get me wrong, I truly appreciate listening to a legitimate New York accent and I applaud the kind of moxie which allows a city to look at the terror attacks of 9.11 and rebuild without hardly breaking stride or breaking into a sweat. Which is a long preface to a Big Apple “scam” which was played on “two, sharp, savvy NYers.” Yes, that really is what Alex Baldwin and his wife called themselves: “two, sharp, savvy NYers.” Well, Mr. Baldwin reports that he intended to take his wife, Hilaria, and their four children on a boat ride around the Statue of Liberty. It had every earmark of being a great and educational family outing. Unfortunately, those “two, sharp, savvy NYers” ended up getting on a shuttle bus and driving to New Jersey. No boat, no tour, no Statue of Liberty. All of which may indicate that they are not as sharp and savvy as they think they are. Now Mr. and Mrs. Ballwin are going to get over their little fiasco. They made a mistake and were brave enough to come forward and warn others. Many people wouldn’t have done that. But there are other people who aren’t going to get off as well. *I’m thinking of the folks who...
Of course none of those perspectives are true or right. You can be smart and you can be savvy, but no amount of smartness or savvy-ness is going to make something true which is wrong. The Lord is very clear when He says there is salvation found in nobody other than the Christ. Yes, the world has many wise men and more than a few brilliant thinkers, but they are all sinners who are not only unable to save you, they are unable to save themselves They must, like everyone else, be brought in repentance to the cross. There they will be given the blood of Christ which washes every sin from their befouled soul. There they will be brought up, forgiven, restored and redeemed, ready to live a life of thanksgiving in praise of the risen Redeemer. THE PRAYER: Lord, I give thanks that I don’t have to rely on my wisdom or smartness to be granted the gift of heaven. Let me be always grateful for what my Savior has done to save me. In His 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/281452/alec-baldwin-expected-a-boat-tour-he-got-a-bus-to-jersey.html and the article written by Jenn Gidman . 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: Wrong Guess Wrong Answer
DATE: November 22, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: Luke 23: 39-43 - ESV - One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him,[c] saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” I can’t speak for all pastors, but I can tell you I often was surprised by the young of the church. No matter how hard I planned or how well I thought I had anticipated we seldom ended up where I expected ( or wanted.)
Later on, thinking the Easter Bunny had been forgotten, I asked one more question: "When the women came to Jesus' tomb, the stone was rolled away. Who rolled it away?" You know the answer I got. It took a good five minutes to get the congregation (and myself) to stop laughing. On the other hand, from that point on I tried to make sure that the Savior and not Peter Cottontail was the center of my Resurrection Sunday messages. As an aside. And just for the record, in case you’ve never noticed, I seldom use the word Easter. Referring to the high point of the church year, I call it Resurrection Sunday .At any rate, it’s time to get back to the devotion. The thief on the cross, like most crucified individuals, hoped he would be saved. But, if you were to have gone up to the foot of the crosses and asked, “Who do you think would be able to perform such a lifesaving rescue, he probably would have made obvious suggestions such as: Pontius Pilate or King Herod. Then the list, very quickly would have gone downhill. Maybe he would have suggested...his cronies or the guys in his Gang. The next suggestions would be even stranger...like the Jerusalem mob. They could turn and call for his release. It wasn’t likely, but it theoretically could have happened. Like the boy in my children's sermon, the thief was looking in the all wrong places for the Deliverer. The thief, like the rest of dying humanity, must look to Jesus. The thief, like so many others at Golgotha that day, certainly never thought the dying Jesus would or could deliver anyone from death. How wrong they were. We who have been washed in the blood of the Lamb know that Jesus was doing what nobody else could ever do. Which is why we join with the thief in calling out, 'Jesus, save Yourself and us.' But, unlike the thief who was mocking, we rejoice that Jesus has done just that. THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I give thanks that You have saved Yourself and us. 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: Gettin’ Smart
DATE :November 21, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: Matthew 27: 41-43 – ESV - 41 So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, 42 “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” Worldly people like to laugh at Jesus and His followers. They always have, I imagine they always will. Of course there are those times when God’s people have turned the table. During World War One, a Salvation Army worker was on duty at the Kansas City railroad station. She was assisting the service men, many of whom were away from home for the first time. Most appreciated her care. Most, but not all. For example there was the “know-it-all-wise-guy” who had originally hailed from a big city on the East Coast. He told his buddies, ‘Watch me have some fun.’ With some bravado he sauntered over to the Salvation Army lady and said, “Will you pray for me?” The tone of his voce told the Worker that the lad was having a tough time not laughing at the embarrassment he was going to cause her. Knowing it was the private’s intention to make fun of her, her prayer, and, indirectly, her Lord and Savior, she solemnly folded her hands and spoke loudly enough so that all of his grinning friends would be able to hear her, she prayed.... “Lord, be with this young man in his travels and bring him home safely to those who love him, and between now and then, please do Your best to make this young man’s heart as soft as his head.” You know, it’s kind of nice when Christians manage to turn the table on the world. The Jewish priests didn’t know it, but even as He was dying Jesus was turning the tables on them. Even as they mocked Him, Jesus was saving them, you and me. He was turning the table on Satan and death who had said that ‘the grave is the final end of all of us.’ How red-faced Satan must have been as Jesus victoriously rebuilt the bridge between God and man. This is a covenant of forgiveness and hope. As we see humanity making fun of a dying man, of our dying Redeemer. What had He done to deserve such abuse? He had healed the sick, raised the dead, fed the hungry, called sinners to repentance and shared how a lost soul can be saved. The cruel reaction to Jesus’ bounty points out how very much the world needs the gift which Jesus was winning. It is a gift which is so great we ought to fall to our knees before His cross and say, “Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving us at the cost of Your own life.” As Jesus looks down on us we arise, redeemed, restored, recycled. THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, by Your death You showed the truth of Your words: “Greater love has no man than this, than he give up his life for another.” I give thanks that I am one of those people that You have saved. Please let me do what I can so others may be called by the Spirit into Your marvelous light. This we ask in Your holy Name. Amen. The devotion for today was inspired by various recent news articles 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: Ignorance
DATE: November 20, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT -Matthew 6: 19-21 – ESV - 19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust[a] destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. I hate to be ignorant, but this week a story appeared in the news which showed me just how much I don’t know. It was the story of a valuable painting and its auction. The amount of things I didn't know was just astounding. FACT #1 – THE PAINTER The painter was a 13th century master by the name of Cimabue. (Never heard of him.) FACT #2 – THE PAINTER’S REAL NAME – A lost 13th-century masterpiece has sold for almost 24.2 Cimabue is not the painter’s legitimate name. His real name is Cenni de Pepo who was born in Florence around 1240. (Didn’t know any of that either.) FACT #3 – CLAIM TO FAME – The article said Cenni is a “father of painting.,” thought that meant he had done enough work that he influenced everyone. Not so, we only have 11 of his paintings. The one which was auctioned off really wasn’t known. (Good. I certainly didn’t know it,.) FACT #4 – DID THE PREVIOUS OWNER KNOW WHAT SHE HAD? Nope, she was as ignorant as I am. She thought it was a Greek icon of Jesus being mocked. (Good guess. I would have thought so, too,) She hung the painting in her kitchen... over the hot plate on which she did her cooking. FACT #5 – DID I KNOW WHAT IT WOULD SELL FOR? I didn’t. Nobody else did either. The Company which appraised this panting guessed it would go for about 7-million. (It went for almost four times their appraisal.). Like I said, “I hate being ignorant. Especially that ignorant.” I hate being ignorant, because, who knows, I might have an 8 x 10 inch painting in my kitchen drawn together by some guy that I’ve never heard of. Now I’m not going to tell you that having an extra 25-million saved for a rainy day doesn't appeal to me. It do es. The idea of being financially prepared for almost any emergency seems like an extraordinarily good idea. But the bottom line is this: knowing Jesus as my Savior and Lord covers situations that 25-million bucks can’t touch.
That is why Jesus spends no little time speaking about making sure your treasure and your heart is in the right place and has the right focus. And in case there is any question.... the answer to both is the Savior. THE PRAYER: Lord, there are times when total financial independence seems like paradise. Help us remember that it is only in You that we can find true, peace, protection and happiness. This I ask in the Savior’s 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://ktla.com/2019/10/28/medieval-masterpiece-found-in-french-kitchen-sells-for-over-26-million/ and the article written by CNN Wire . 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: Great Love – Laying Down Your Candy For Another.
DATE: November 19, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: John 15: 13-14 – ESV - This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. The story is an old one and it comes out of India. It begins with a Prince who was coming to visit one of his poor villages for the first time. Nobody was more pleased with that news than the town beggar who was the poorest of the poor. When the Pence arrived the beggar extended his bowl. This, the Prince ignored. Instead the Monarch asked the beggar if he had any rice. The beggar did. His rice is what he called “lunch.” The beggar was a poor man but not so poor that he couldn’t be insulted. He was shocked. Rather than helping him the Prince was trying to take from him. That’s why, rather than turning over his whole bowl of rice, the beggar just gave the Prince 3 grains of rice. Immediately the Prince called for a bag of gold and placed three grains of gold into the beggar’s hand. The Prince left, never to return. And the beggar spent the rest of his life wondering what might have happened if he had given the Prince all the rice from his cup. Some people do end up living their lives with regrets I’m pleased to report that an 8-year-old-boy from Maryland, Jackson Champagne is his name, shouldn’t be one of them. If you’ve heard Jackson’s story it is only because of the wonders of modern technology... specifically a video doorbell which records everything which happens near the front door of Leslie Hodges. Set up to catch evil-doers, this time she captured the video of a pretty cool kid. Let me explain.... Leslie had put out candy for the trick-or-treaters in a big bowl. Unfortunately (but quite predictably,) some of her visitors emptied the bowl. That was the condition of things when Jackson got there. When he saw the famine conditions on the front porch he was disappointed Big time. He jumped around and shook his fist.... and it looked like he was going to leave. But he came back. He came back because he had thought about how the other kids, the smaller and younger kids would feel about going away empty handed. Yes, Jackson considered their disappointment and sadness and he did something unique: He took some of his candy and put into the big bowl on the porch. We would know none of this except for the fact that Leslie’s doorbell camera caught the whole thing. In a few days more than 9-million people had watched a beautiful act of kindness. You know, our Savior said, “The greatest love a human can show is to give up his life for another. Certainly the Lord knows. After all, He sacrificed his entire, perfect life to buy back our sinful souls and return them to His Father. Jesus made the sacrifice because of Who He is; not because of who we are. No, Jesus has shown this world what true love is... and, although Scripture doesn’t say it or imply it, I’m inclined to think, when you are 8, the second greatest love is giving away your Halloween candy for another. THE PRAYER: Lord, we humans sometimes make sacrifices for each other...but nothing we do can compare with the loving life of our Savior. May I remain grateful. This I ask in the Savior’s 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.romper.com/p/boy-put-his-halloween-candy-in-strangers-empty-bowl-yes-im-weeping-19290567 and the article written by Casey Suglia . 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 Magnificent Mind
DATE: November 18, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT Psalm 90: 12 – 14 – ESV - 12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. 13 Return, O Lord! How long? Have pity on your servants! 14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. During the course of my life I have met some very smart fellows. There was a confirmation student with the photographic memory; There was a classmate who could read book which would then be stored in his memory. There was the Lutheran Hour Speaker who recalled information on tens-of--thousands of people., There was a mechanic who could break down, fix, and put back together just about anything. Although I don’t possess their gifts, I admire these folks, and so many others, who have been gifted with a phenomenal brain. Truly there doesn’t seem to be too much our brains can’t grasp, evaluate or explore. At least that’s the way I used to look at the brain as being ready to tackle any and all subjects. Then, this week, I was informed differently. Researchers at Israel’s Bar Ilan University have found something the brain desperately tries to avoid. Can you guess? Maybe you might be able to figure it out. The one thing the brain tries to avoid is its own death. It does real good considering the death of someone else... something that happens to the other guy.. but something which won't happen to me .Oh, the researchers admit we all know, in a theoretical way that the day will come when we will breathe our last. It’s just that, down deep, we don’t want to have to consider it. Now to figure this out the scientists did an experiment. They took a series of photos and put on some of those photos words like death and burial. Then they wired up the participants in the study and had them look at the photos. They did. But when they came to pictures of themselves and those death words, the part of the brain which considers the future just shut down. It looked at those words when it was on other people’s pictures. JUST NOT ON THEIRS .They didn’t want to admit their end is coming. Well, our end is coming. When, I don’t know. I just know it’s coming. Which is why it’s good to listen to SCRIPTURE. What does it say: “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.... that we may rejoice and be glad all our days”. Truly, our days, all of them can be gladdened when we know we are in the hands of our loving Lord. Jesus told us that He had come so we might have life and have it to the full. (John 10:10) This happens when we recognize that in Jesus:
THE PRAYER: Lord even though my mind may not like it, my end is coming. May I give thanks that that day has lost its terror because of the Savior Who has conquered death. In Jesus, 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/282017/youre-going-to-die-good-luck-telling-your-brain.html and 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: White Castle
DATE: November 17, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: 2 Timothy 2: 14-15 ESV - Remind them of these things, and charge them before God[b] not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,[c] a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth I remember, when I used to teach Confirmation, every year, during the discussion on the Commandments, somebody would ask, “Pastor, do you think it is wrong if someone and they listed a specific example.” There were times when the answer to their question was easy, a clear cut black and white. More often than not the kids landed their question in the grey area of faith and conscience. The best I could do was tell them that they were, at all times, to live their Christian lives, in a way that didn’t bring shame to them or their Savior. Indiana’s Clark County Circuit Court Judges Andrew Adams and Bradley Jacobs and Crawford County Circuit Court Judge Sabrina Bell would understand... or they should. You see, they are bound by the Indiana Code of Judicial Conduct, which says they will... "act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the independence, integrity, and impartiality of the judiciary, and shall avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety." The problem is, at a conference not so long ago, they went bar hopping, tried to enter a closed “Gentlemen’s Club” and then to a White Castle. While the Judges were outside the White Castle two guys in a passing car shouted an insult at them. Judge Bell replied with a gesture which caused the men in the car to stop. Before long there was a brawl. Judge Adams ended up being shot in the stomach and Judge Jacobs was shot twice in the chest. They have since recovered from their wounds. While the guys with the gun are facing a whole bunch of charges.... Judges Bell, Adams and Jacob have been charged with multiple counts of misconduct. Now I don’t know what will happen to our Judges. I would imagine that their colleagues, communities and families have all weighed in on what their punishment should be. Me, I’ll simply observe that drunken fisticuffs and shootings outside a White Castle restaurant do not make people think better of the law and those who enforce those laws. I think all of my Confirmands would have been able to understand that even though there is no specific law about brawling in front of a White Castle, it is still not the wise thing to do, nor is it sensible or beneficial. Which answer, I think, might be of help to those Christians who are trying to live their lives. The Bible is a big Book, but it is not so big that it can lay down a ruling for every possible situation life can throw at a believer. Instead of doing that it prefers to have men like Paul give us warning and encouragement on how to live. Look at our passage from above.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, every day provides many opportunities where I can glorify the Savior, or I can embarrass Him. For when I do wrong, I ask forgiveness. Help me live as a workman who doesn’t need correction. 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: h https://blogs.findlaw.com/legally_weird/2019/10/3-indiana-judges-facing-ethics-charges-for-white-castle-brawl.html and the article written by Andrew Leonattti . 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: Fool Me Once
DATE: November 16, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: 2 Timothy 3: 1-6 – ESV - But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions My daddy had an expression which he frequently used. It went something like this: Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.” The point the expression is trying to make is this: There are times when I can be fooled, conned, bamboozled and tricked by someone. If they set out to take advantage of me, and they succeeded, the guilt for the misdeed rests on them. But suppose the same person who has taken advantage of me once tries to do the same kind of thing a second time... what then? Well, if they succeed, then, at least in part, the blame is on me. My father was not the only person who believed in that old adage. Georgia’s Butts County Sheriff Gary Long also believes it. Which is why, last year on Halloween, he put warning signs in the yards of convicted sex-offenders. He was going to do it again this year, but those fellows objected... said it was embarrassing.... and they took the sheriff to court. Well, the long and short of it was those fellows won their case. U.S. District Court Judge Marc Treadwell said:
The Judge felt it did violate the rights of those men and the Sheriff was going a step too far with his Halloween warnings to the public. These are tough times which call for tough decisions. If you look at the passage above, you will see Saint Paul had a pretty good idea of what the future would hold... and he did his best to warn young Timothy. He knew there would be tough times and tough decisions would need to be made. Consider especially the last line: “6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions.” That is part of the “times of difficulty” St. Paul was talking about in the passage. It was his intent, like Sheriff Long, to put up signs so God’s people might be warned. In so doing Paul hoped to:
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord it seems that there are those who wish to corrupt and destroy anything which is good. Help us avoid them and follow the Lord Jesus Who gave His life so we might have life. In His 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/282409/judge-to-sheriff-you-cant-put-signs-in-sex-offenders-yards.html and the article written by Jenn Gidman . 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 Game changer
DATE: November 15, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: Luke 4:40 – ESV - 40 Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. If one of your children brought home a test, and on that test the teacher had graded it at “50%”, how would you feel? Would you be disappointed of or saddened? What would you say to your child? Would you tell them, “That’s unacceptable” or would you encourage, “I think it’s time to buckle down on your studies.” Is it possible you would observe:, “If you don’t understand the subject it’s time for us to get you some help.” As parents most of us would say something because 50% on a test is not something to write home about. You should know there are other people, who look at “50%” and are overjoyed. High on the list of such people would be those who are fighting the world’s deadliest infectious disease, the disease which is responsible, each year for the deaths of 1.6 million people. These are the folks who are battling TB, tuberculosis. Recently those folks who have been struggling in an uphill battle have been saying things like: The new vaccine being tested by GlaxoSmithKline is providing a “watershed moment” And is a “game changer” And it will “revolutionize TB treatment. Everyone is impressed; everyone is hopeful, even though this miracle drug works only 50% of the time. That’s right... only 50% of the time. And why are they impressed? They are impressed with that 50% figure because it still means that millions of lives will be saved. Having heard about the latest in TB treatment, I would like you to take another look at the passage selected for this devotion: It reads: - 40 Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. Let’s answer a few questions: Who brought the sick to Jesus: Anybody; everybody Whist kind of diseases were brought to the Savior? Various diseases, a cross section. What did Jesus do? Laid His hands on them. Which person/illness did Jesus skip? He touched every one of them and healed them all. Jesus had a 100% cure rate on 100% of the patient who were brought to Him. Folks that’s mighty impressive, but it is almost child’s play when it is compared the fact that Jesus: Jesus’ blood can wash away every sin from every soul Jesus’ blood can offer peace of conscience to every individual who is turned to Him. Jesus’ blood can restore broken relationship between God and His fallen children. Jesus’ blood opens heaven to every believer who is brought to repentance and faith. This 100% healing of body, mind, soul and spirit is a gift only Christ can give... and it is a game changer for which we should give thanks. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, in this world, because of sin, we never see perfection, not 100% of the time. Which is why I rejoice that God’s perfect Son has come to save every soul which is brought to Him with a heart that is repentant. For this 100% victory I give thanks 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/282360/this-may-be-watershed-moment-in-tb-fight.html and 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: Balloon Poodles
DATE: November 14, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: Ps 139:7-10 7 Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! 9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. Not so long ago Pam and I had a Garage Sale. You know... a garage sale is when you clean your house and divest yourselves of that which is: UNNEEDED, UGLY, UNNECESSARY BULKY, UNUSED, UNWANTED AND WORN. It is also when other people investigate what you’re selling and return to their homes overjoyed that they have, at long last managed to find their heart’s desire and acquire, at bargain-basement prices, all manner of beautiful treasures and nearly new ‘stuff.’ That’s what you do when you’ve got too much stuff. But what does a company do when they find they’ve got too many employees. Well, at least in New Zealand they have a redundancy meeting. Now they don’t always tell the employee that he has been invited to a redundancy meeting where he is going to get sacked. No, they just tell him he is needed at a meeting at a certain time and date. Well, that’s what happened to Joshua Jack. His superiors invited him to a “MEETING. They also said that he could bring a support person. Well not knowing what was going to go down, Jack did bring a support person: a $200 Support Clown. Jack figured if he got good news, a clown would fit in, and if the information forthcoming was bad, a clown might be entirely appropriate. Well, the news was bad. Jack was fired. When the bosses said that, the clown mimed that he was crying. Then he built a balloon unicorn and poodle to brighten the mood. At the end of the day Jack felt he had gotten his money worth from the clown and except for times when they had to tell he clown to be quiet, found he had “spiced up the meeting” and “helped us see the humorous side.” Now I’m not going to knock what Jack did here. The clown might have been most helpful. But I can imagine a whole host of situations where balloon animals, squeaky horns, red noses, floppy shoes and baggy pants can offer no help, no solace, no comfort, no inspiration. It is precisely at such moments and situations that Christians find the loving Trinity is indispensible. With wonderfully beautiful words the Psalmist reminds us, “If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.” We expect nothing else from the Lord Who sent His only Son into this world to be a sacrifice. We rejoice that we have a Savior Who has promised to be with us always. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, there are many philosophies and individuals who say they can help us deal with our problems. Some of them can be quite good. But none of them, O Lord can do what You have done for us in the past and what You promise to do in the future .For this we give thanks 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://nypost.com/2019/09/13/man-being-fired-brings-emotional-support-clown-to-meeting/amp/?fbclid=IwAR2MEoiQCa02gqe3akdNa9CpPXBbBbZRkK1F3pxoaLgK_YP5tDTgxNc5diI: and the article written by Emily Bowden . 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: An Amended Amendment
DATE: November 13, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: Matthew 10: 34-35 – ESV Everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but pwhoever denies me before men, qI also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. Recognize the words: “He’s making a list, and checking it twice, gonna find out who’s naughty and nice.”? Of course you know those words taken from “Santa Claus is coming to town.” You know they refer to Santa making sure the children are all good little boys and girls. ....................................................................... OR ....................................................................... It is just possible those words refer to the Appleton School District in Wisconsin which is censoring student speeches for any religious content. That’s right, they, too are making a list as they try to find out which students are naughty (have religious references) and those which are nice (having bowdlerized every mention to any deity.) The movement to distance themselves from the Lord apparently began last year after a Christian school board member invoked the Name of Jesus at a graduation. Now, any student who submits a speech which makes a reference to a Supreme Being is going to get their manuscript back with all the offending words blacked out. You know, just as they do when they are censoring super-secret UFO documents; or who assassinated JFK files or ... you get the idea. Now there are those who say that what the school is doing is a violation of the Constitution’s 1st Amendment. But some of those who support the policy say, “We don’t think so, take a look.” So we did. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution says: Amendment I Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or except for high school graduation speeches, abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. I was impressed. The school board was right. They were on solid ground. That’s when my proofer, wise reader that she is, said, “That’s not right. The 1st Amendment hasn’t been changed. It doesn’t make any exceptions for graduation ceremonies.” And what do you know? She was right. Now you may wonder what all this has to do with a Christian devotion? Actually a lot. Governments are set into place by the Lord, and we are right if we make use of the laws they set up for the common good. Jesus did that when he took the Roman coin and said “Render unto Caesar.” Paul did it when he appealed to the Emperor. And we can do it, too. As we live our Christian lives making our Christian witness, there are many who will try to stop us, to silence us; but by God’s grace and power we can acknowledge Jesus before men. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, at least for a while we have freedom of religion and freedom of speech. May we make use of those liberties to proclaim the Savoir who has set our souls free from sin’s condemnation. . 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://onenewsnow.com/education/2019/10/16/district-censoring-student-graduation-speech-unconstitutional and the article written by Bob Kellogg . 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: If You Cannot Preach Like Paul
DATE: November 12, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT :1 Timothy 4: 1-5 – ESV - I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound[a] teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry When Pastors are ordained it is usually customary for their brothers to bless them with a passage of Scripture. One of the most frequently used verses is the opening words of 1 Timothy 4. There are a number of emphasis to be considered. “Preach the word, in season and out of season.” With those words the beleaguered St. Paul was letting those who come after him that the path would not be easy. There would be times when the audience would be warm and receptive to the Savior, but there would also be times when hearts would be hard ands minds would be closed. Then of course there is the last line of the text: “As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” It is very short sentence, but there are four distinct commands found here. Be level-headed; tolerate suffering; share the Savior in all aspects of ministry. There is little doubt that many ministers, when they hear those words, think they are embroidered and embellished. Few think that they will be doing any real, actual, physical suffering as a pastor. Which is sad. The Lutheran Martyr, Dietrich Bonheoffer had it right when, in his book The Cost of Discipleship he wrote: ,“When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” John Chau believed that. His first year of College he felt the Lord was calling him to preach to the Sentinelese, one of the last untouched tribes in the world. It’s true, they are untouched... and they like it that way. They’ve killed visitors to their island, and the country of India has made it a crime for anyone to come within three miles of their home. None of that deterred John Chau. He spent four years preparing to preach to the Sentinelese. He read books; took language classes; bribed fishermen to smuggle him to the island. In all John made three short visits to the island. On the first visit he only got close before they drove him off. The second visit he was met with derision and amusement. A boy shot a metal-tipped arrow into John’s Bible he was holding in front of him. The third trip the fishermen ended when the fishermen saw John’s body was left on the shore. When he began John wrote: "The eternal lives of this tribe is at hand and I think it's worthwhile to declare Jesus to these people. Please do not be angry at them or at God if I get killed .Don't retrieve my body.” Jesus doesn’t ask us to follow John... but He does want us to witness to Him Who has saved us at the cost of His life’s blood. To do so, as John would tell us, is an honor and a privilege. THE PRAYER: Lord, the hymnist said it best, “Hark, the voice of Jesus calling, "Who will go and work today? Fields are white and harvests waiting, Who will bear the sheaves away?" Loud and long the master calls you; Rich reward he offers free. Who will answer, gladly saying, "Here am I. Send me, send me"? If you cannot speak like angels, If you cannot preach like Paul, You can tell the love of Jesus; You can say he died for all. If you cannot rouse the wicked With the judgment’s dread alarms, You can lead the little children To the Savior’s waiting arms. In Your Name. I pray it may be so. 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/279669/he-spent-years-prepping-to-visit-the-tribe-that-killed-him.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: Call of the Crowd
DATE: November 11 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: Luke 23: 22-2 – ESV -A third time he said to them, “Why? What evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him.” 23 But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. If this story is true ,which it isn’t, it seems to suggest Satan does not confine his work to people. Our tale begins with a spider who kept his web clean in hopes that the attractive conditions would tempt the flies to visit. One day the spider invited in a fairly-smart fly who, having considered the invitation replied, "As I don't see any other flies in your attractive web, I believe I will take a rain check.” The fly went about his business. He really was quite content until the fairly-smart fly saw a lot of flies on a piece of brown paper. He was sure it was safe because lots of flies were there. “After all”, he reasoned, “So many flies can’t possibly be wrong.” He soon joined the others and, sad story that it is, he died with the others. He passed away, stuck to the brown fly-paper. Of course, the story isn't true. We know the Father of Lies works on people... ...like the ones who called for the crucifixion of our Savior. Their logic was like that of the fairly-smart fly. They thought, 'So many priests can't be wrong. So many people can't be mistaken." Then they joined in with those who were shouting for Jesus' death. But Pilate, should have been different. He was learned; he had political connections; he had advanced himself. Certainly he should have had the insight and wisdom to not go along with the crowd. You would think. But Scripture is clear... even Pilate was successfully blackmailed to go along with the masses. And because he did Jesus was sent to Golgotha where He died fulfilling His Father’s plan to save us from our sins. We Christians, who rely on God and His holy Bible for direction in our lives, know that crowds are still shouting. They are still following Satan’s suggestion and demanding Jesus be disposed of. Amazingly there are many wise and influential people who, like Pilate, do the politically “correct” thing and try to remove Jesus from any position of influence. These modern crowds are no smarter than our fly, or the mob which called for Jesus' death. You would think that they would eventually wake up and find that true wisdom is saying, "Lord be merciful to me a sinner." True knowledge is calling out, "Jesus is my loving Lord!" Look inside Jesus empty tomb and realize He has:
The only Person Who could do such a thing is God’s Son, our Savior, Who deserves our thanks and praise. THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I am saved. Not because of my wisdom. Not because of the crowd. I am saved because You died and rose to set me free. For that great gift of grace, You shall have my unending 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: Guilty of What
DATE: November 10 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT :Luke 23: 1-3 – ESV - Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.” 3 And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Nothing in life is certain...other than death and taxes. Well, that’s not completely correct. To that short list you probably could add...”and if there is a need, somebody will do something, build something, invent something , to take care of that need.” One of the best examples I have ever seen of that truth is the “Disposable Guilt Bag." No, really, the Disposable Guilt Bag is a real product. They appeared on the store shelves a number of years ago. The Disposable Guilt Bag was nothing more than a paper bag on which these instructions had been printed: Place the bag securely over your mouth, Take a deep breath and blow all your guilt out, Then dispose of the bag immediately." Silly? Of course it is silly. Even so, thousands of kits sold at $2.50. Which means the bag’s inventors may have understood that many people have need for such a bag. Or maybe he just understood all of us are guilty of having done something wrong. Except Jesus. Oh, it’s true. Jesus was guilty of having done many things. For example: He was guilty of loving us. He was guilty of loving us enough to die. He was guilty of trying to save our souls from damnation. But Jesus was not guilty of the accusations against Him made by the Devil whom Scripture calls ‘the Father of Lies’. For example, He was guilty of offering Himself to win our forgiveness and salvation, but He most certainly was innocent of the things for which He was charged in the trial before Pilate. There was no time he had encouraged the withholding of taxes to Rome. Jesus never tried to raise an army to overthrow Roman oppression. Why would He do such a thing? His kingdom was not of this world. It never had been shaped on earth. No, His loyalty was to His Father and the mission of love which would reconcile God and man. Yes, Jesus might have been guilty of many things, but not the charges brought against Him. Just for the record, Jesus has warned us that His followers will also be found guilty. Yes, they will be found guilty because they are sinners. But they are sinners who will be be forgiven by Jesus' blood, and not by blowing into a paper bag. Yes we will be found guilty... but hopefully we will never be found guilt of not living our life I n thanksgiving to the Savior. THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank You for standing there when they made false charges against You. May I always be found 'guilty' of being Your child and doing that which glorifies You. 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: Surprise
DATE: November 9, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: John 18: 37-38 ESV - Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose 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?” Most of us, who have been around for a while think that we've pretty much heard and seen it all. We’re smart enough to know if something seems too good to be true, it usually is just that. Well, if you think you’ve heard it all, here's a new one Do you remember the movie Singin in the Rain? Remember the graceful tap-dance of Gene Kelly who manages to slosh and slog his way down a rain- drenched city street? I bet you didn’t know that after those scenes were filmed, the director found that the sounds of Mr. Kelly's splashing feet hadn't come through on the sound track. What was the Director’s solution? He had two young ladies put on their tap shoes and prance around in buckets of water. Their feet produced the sounds that you hear on the screen. Surprised? In the story of Jesus’ passion, there are a lot of surprises going around.
Only Jesus, the suffering Lamb of God, dying for our salvation, remains unsurprised. He knows the Truth. He knows that He is destined to die on a Roman cross. No, Jesus wasn’t surprised; He was prepared to be the sacrifice which would bring about forgiveness and salvation to all who are called to faith. Which takes us to us. It is my hope that you will not be surprised to hear that the Savior’s resurrection did not put an end to Satan’s lies. We still see his work in our courts, in our schools, in the media and the entertainment industry. There are even times when his lies seem to have permeated entire church bodies. Which is why I encourage you to look to Scripture where, by inspiration Isaiah(5:20-24) tells us: Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight! 2 Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink, 23 who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right! Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root will be as rottenness, and their blossom go up like dust; for they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts, and have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel..” So, my friends, I have no doubt you will encounter many surprises in your life... but I pray you will never be surprised by the audacity of Satan’s lies and the wonder of the Savior’s truth. THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I give thanks there are no unknowns to those who follow You. I give thanks my faith is built on nothing less than Your blood and righteousness. 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: God Is Dead
DATE: November 8, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: Luke 23:27 -1 - ESV - And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. 28 But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ 31 For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?” During the Civil War's bombardment of Vicksburg in 1863, the residents of the town were forced underground. Everyone took refuge in cellars and caves. One Vicksburg family, who had the fitting name of "Lords", found themselves huddling in a dugout cave, as mortar shells blasted craters all around. Their terrified four-year-old daughter began to sob. Her mother comforted her by saying, "Don't cry, my darling, God will protect us." The fearful reply of the child touches our hearts: "But Mama, I'm so afraid God's killed, too!'
Should we cry for Him? And His pitiful condition? Satan would say that we should indeed pity Him. The Father of Lies says 'Look at that sorry sight, Jesus has been defeated." Should we feel sorry for Jesus? Our Lord, in spite of His pain, says, Do not weep for me.”.' Jesus knew, in spite of all appearances, the things which were happening to Him were all part of the heavenly Father’s plan of salvation...they needed to be completed before He successfully could announce, “It is finished.” Even now, He was fulfilling the Old Testament prophecies made about His life and His death His death was not a defeat. No, it was His victory over the Father of Lies; it was His conquest of death and grave which changes our world. No longer did the evil forces of the universe have the final say. Because of Jesus' blood-bought victory forgiveness and eternal life are bestowed upon all who are brought to faith in the risen Redeemer. So then, is there any person who deserves our tears? There is such an individual. We should feel sorry for those who do not know the Savior and Lord. THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I know there will be tears in my life. But I give thanks they need never be shed for You or for me. Because Your work is done, I know where I will he spending eternity. For this I give thanks 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: Facades
DATE: December 8, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: Luke 2: 13-14 – ESV - Suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased! What is Christmas? In answer to that question someone wrote what is intended to be a humorous paraphrase of Luke 2. This is what it said: . "And there were in the same country children keeping watch over their stockings by the fireplace. And, lo, Santa Claus came upon them; and they were sore afraid. And Santa said unto them: "Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people who can afford them. For unto you will be given great feasts of turkey, dressing and cake; and many presents. And this shall be a sign unto you, ye shall find the presents wrapped in bright paper, lying beneath a tree adorned with tinsel, colored balls and lights. And suddenly there will be with you, a multitude of relatives and friends praising you and saying, "Thank you so much, it was just what I wanted." And it shall come to pass as the friends and relatives have gone away into their own homes, the parents shall say one to another, "I’m tired. Let's go to bed and pick it up tomorrow.' Thank goodness Christmas only comes once a year! And they go with haste to their cold bed and find their rest." As I said, it was intended to be humorous. Unfortunately, there is too much truth in those lines to be a parody. Far too many people may see big parts of their holiday festivities in those paragraphs. Too many folks may read those lines, shake their heads and say, “I don’t get it. What’s supposed to be so funny?” Truth is, I really don’t have many problems with those paragraphs. They do address many of the outward trappings of an American Christmas. In and of themselves there is nothing wrong with them. The difficulty comes about when the externals are the beginning and ending of the family’s festivities. What needs to be present not just in our Christmases, but also In our hearts and lives is the Savior. There is truth to the old adage, “Jesus is the reason for the season.” Praise God that He sent His Son. If He had not there would be no presents, only pain. There would be no tree, only terror. There would be no tinsel, only trash. There would be no cross or comfort, only depression, doubt and despair from cradle to grave. For those who mourn there would be no message of peace and the Bible would end with Malachi. Praise God that He sent His Son. That is what Christmas is. It is simple. But in the rush of the holidays, it is necessary for us to hear it. To paraphrase Matthew, this is why Jesus Christ was born. That is what Christmas is. THE PRAYER: Lord , every night on TV I get news. I give thanks that in this season of the year Your angels remind us that Jesus is the good news of great joy. May I share this Christ with all those whose holidays are made up of externals. In Your holy Name I pray 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: A Wrong Number
DATE: November 7, 2019 Christ is risen. He is risen, indeed. TEXT: Luke 23:8-9 - ESV - 8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him. 9 So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer. Before I really get into this devotion, I have to tell you the story is not mine. I cannot vouch for the authenticity of the tale. So, we begin with a Lutheran minister whose phone rang late on a Saturday night. He recognized the voice on the line as being, a member, albeit a not-very-good-member, of his church. The man instructed, "I want you to send us four cases of Coors beer." Then he gave his address. Laughingly, the pastor said, "Don't you know who this is? This is your pastor! I don't have four extra cases of beer, and I don't do deliveries" The man, not realizing he had dialed the wrong number, got in the final word., He said, "Pastor! Why are you answering the phone in a liquor store?" The man had made a mistake. It was hardly the first time in history that a mistake had been made. For example, when Jesus stood before King Herod, the devil encouraged the monarch to make a mistake. Well actually, Herod made a lot of mistakes.
No, Herod took a look at Jesus and thought the Savior’s presence would provide a bit of entertainment. Herod doesn't want forgiveness or salvation, he wants entertainment. Like the phone caller above, Herod remained blissfully ignorant of his mistake He never realized Jesus was His Redeemer, not Someone to provide him with a few moment’s amusement. Figuratively speaking, Herod didn’t realize he had dialed the wrong number. He could easily be the poster boy for the millions of others who have dialed spiritually wrong numbers in their lives. I dare not guess the number of people who, when given a choice between a late-night party on Saturday night and Church on Sunday morning will choose the former. Consider how many folks have dialed wrong numbers in their lives. Rather than looking for Jesus, in Word and Sacrament, they pursue entertainment and amusement. Now I’m not promoting a sour-grape view of life where Christians are supposed to avoid smiles, laughter and fun. I’m just saying our first priority ought to be following Jesus Who is good news of great joy. THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, when I see You, may I never jump to wrong conclusions. Let me always see my Savior and seek Him first. This I pray in Your holy 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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