Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour
Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of the Lutheran Hour - "The
Water of Life" - Wednesday, 4 December 2013
(The Spirit and the Bride say) ...
"And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the
water of life without price."(Revelation 22:17b)
Typhoon Haiyan was a thief.
Haiyan stole the homes, the food and,
most frightening of all, drinkable water from hundreds of thousands of people.
The lack of usable water was a double disaster. Not having fresh water not only
brought about dehydration, it also created a situation where diseases like
cholera and typhoid could quickly become an out-of-control epidemic.
With multitudes desperate and in
immediate need of water, many suggestions were made and a multitude of
solutions were proposed. Just a few of those ideas were
1. bring in drinking water by tanker
truck. Trucks were a good idea, but their success was dependent upon passable
roads and an adequate fuel supply. Trucks were useless in areas that had been
most affected and remained cut off.
2. use water from the U.S. aircraft
carrier, the USS George Washington. The distillation plant on the ship can
produce 400,000 gallons of fresh water daily. That's a lot of H20, but delivery
was problematic. Helicopters could take water anywhere, but they remain limited
as to how much they can carry.
3. distribute water purification bottles.
Developed after the great Asian tsunami, these inexpensive bottles filter out
parasites, bacteria and other dangerous substances. These bottles can make
almost any water drinkable and are a great help, but those bottles aren't any
help if those who are suffering, don't have access to them.
In short, typhoon Haiyan put many people
in a desperate situation where water became life. It is a situation which many
of us find difficult to understand.
Even so, in this story there is a lesson
for God's people to remember. Because of Jesus' sacrifice, suffering, death and
resurrection this world has a bountiful supply of the water of life. It is
there and it is free. Even more, the Lord encourages all humanity to come and
drink deeply from this soul-saving water.
But we believers also know the Day of
Judgment is coming.
That day, like a typhoon, will steal away
the opportunity for people to drink and be saved. If they aren't prepared
beforehand, destruction will be certain and inescapable.
So that all might be prepared for that
day is why your church, your Synod, and Lutheran Hour Ministries do their very
best to bring Christ to the nations. Our message has always been and always
will be a sharing of the Lord's wonderfully simple invitation: "Let the
one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without
price."
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I give thanks that
by the Holy Spirit's power, I have drunk from the water of life. Now may I do
all I can so others may, while there is still time, drink deeply and be
prepared for the Day of Judgment. This I ask in the Savior's Name. Amen
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In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
660 Mason Ridge Center Dr.
St. Louis, MO 63141
1-800-876-9880
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Lutheran Hour Ministries Advent Devotions
2013 Word Became Flesh and Dwelt Among Us by Reverend Wayne Palmer - Wednesday,
4 December 2013 "Hand-Made"
Read Colossians 1: 11 May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his
glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience,
while joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled[a] you[b] to
share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has rescued us from
the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son,
14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.[c]
The Supremacy of Christ
15 He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation; 16 for in[d] him all things in heaven and on
earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions
or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He
himself is before all things, and in[e] him all things hold together. 18 He is
the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the
dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19 For in him
all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him God was
pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by
making peace through the blood of his cross.
Footnotes:
Colossians 1:12 Other ancient authorities
read called
Colossians 1:12 Other ancient authorities
read us
Colossians 1:14 Other ancient authorities
add through his blood
Colossians 1:16 Or by
Colossians 1:17 Or by(NRSV). All things
were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made
(John 1:3).
Do you want to give a really special,
memorable gift this Christmas? Don't buy something from the store; make it
yourself. Your time, care and attention will show how important you consider
that person. Of course, it helps if you have some skill or talent in making
things.
John's Christmas account carries us back
to the very beginning of Genesis, to a formless and empty earth. Over the next
six days God goes to work carefully arranging it. He establishes the regular
cycle of night and day; He separates the dry land from the waters; He sets the
sun, moon and stars in place; He produces trees and vegetation; He creates all
kinds of living creatures to fill the skies, waters and land. And finally He
forms mankind from the dust of the earth.
And where is the Son of God in all of
this? John tells us He is at the Father's side, making all things through His
powerful Word. Read through Genesis 1 again and see how many times Moses wrote,
"And God said ...." This is the Word, the Second Person of the
Trinity. John tells us, "All things were made through Him." To
eliminate any misconception he adds, "and without Him was not anything
made that was made."
Everything you can see bears His
fingerprint, including your own body, mind and spirit. Each person, each
creature, each blade of grass owes its existence to the Word. It was He who
humbled Himself on that first Christmas to become part of His creation and be
laid in a manger-a feeding trough for the animals He had created long before.
THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, truly I am
fearfully and wonderfully made. Thank You for providing my needs and watching
over my life. Draw me closer to You in the weeks leading up to this Christmas.
In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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660 Mason Ridge Center Dr.
St. Louis, MO 63141
1-800-876-9880
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