(Jesus said) "... When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?"[John 8:44b-46]
There are times when people just don't get what they've paid for.
Last summer Pam bought some breakfast cereal for some of the grandchildren who were visiting with us. I don't remember if it wasChoco-Chumps or Purple-Popped Oats. I do remember when I opened the box, it was only about half full. Over the years the box has stayed the same, but the cereal inside has shrunk.
Last Halloween we had a whole herd of trick-or-treaters show up at our door. Dutifully, we gave them candy: you know, those bite-sized pieces of sugar overload. When I went to put the treats into the plastic pumpkins of the children, I was amazed that the candy was almost weightless. That's because that candy was almost not there at all. Over the years the candy has shrunk.
Finally, there's toilet paper. Do you feel like you're changing those rolls more often?
You probably are. National Public Radio shares that a double roll of paper today is just about what a single roll of paper was ten years ago. Last year Consumer Reports noted that some manufacturers have made the sheets smaller in size and fewer in number, but to keep the rolls looking the same size to consumers, the cardboard tubes at the center have become larger. The Wall Street Journal calls the process "desheeting."
Slowly and subtly, the companies have been giving less product for an ever-increasing price.
Of course, toilet paper companies are hardly the first to market one thing and deliver something less. If you want to take a look at the first time people were tricked that way, turn to Genesis 3.
Standing before the tree with its forbidden fruit, the devil has a unique sales strategy. "Look at this fruit" he says. "It's fine to both touch and taste and when you eat it, you will, like God, understand the difference between good and evil. Besides which, you will be really, really smart."
Well, Adam and Eve ate and they became smart, smart enough to know they had been tricked. Just like every generation of people get bamboozled. Using the same tricks and the same temptations, promising more and delivering less, the devil is still getting people to commit the same kinds of sins.
He is still desheeting us.
This is why we need the love of the Lord as found in the Savior Jesus.
God, who is totally honest and does exactly as He promises, tells us we need to believe on Jesus Christ as our Savior. When we do, our sins are forgiven, we are reunited with the family of faith, and we have a new home in heaven. It is a promise which can be trusted; it is God's truth which will never disappoint.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, the devil can be very patient as he spins his lies to us. Help us realize that he simply can't be trusted and that salvation is only come through trust and faith in the Son of God, our Savior. In His Name we pray. Amen.
There are times when people just don't get what they've paid for.
Last summer Pam bought some breakfast cereal for some of the grandchildren who were visiting with us. I don't remember if it wasChoco-Chumps or Purple-Popped Oats. I do remember when I opened the box, it was only about half full. Over the years the box has stayed the same, but the cereal inside has shrunk.
Last Halloween we had a whole herd of trick-or-treaters show up at our door. Dutifully, we gave them candy: you know, those bite-sized pieces of sugar overload. When I went to put the treats into the plastic pumpkins of the children, I was amazed that the candy was almost weightless. That's because that candy was almost not there at all. Over the years the candy has shrunk.
Finally, there's toilet paper. Do you feel like you're changing those rolls more often?
You probably are. National Public Radio shares that a double roll of paper today is just about what a single roll of paper was ten years ago. Last year Consumer Reports noted that some manufacturers have made the sheets smaller in size and fewer in number, but to keep the rolls looking the same size to consumers, the cardboard tubes at the center have become larger. The Wall Street Journal calls the process "desheeting."
Slowly and subtly, the companies have been giving less product for an ever-increasing price.
Of course, toilet paper companies are hardly the first to market one thing and deliver something less. If you want to take a look at the first time people were tricked that way, turn to Genesis 3.
Standing before the tree with its forbidden fruit, the devil has a unique sales strategy. "Look at this fruit" he says. "It's fine to both touch and taste and when you eat it, you will, like God, understand the difference between good and evil. Besides which, you will be really, really smart."
Well, Adam and Eve ate and they became smart, smart enough to know they had been tricked. Just like every generation of people get bamboozled. Using the same tricks and the same temptations, promising more and delivering less, the devil is still getting people to commit the same kinds of sins.
He is still desheeting us.
This is why we need the love of the Lord as found in the Savior Jesus.
God, who is totally honest and does exactly as He promises, tells us we need to believe on Jesus Christ as our Savior. When we do, our sins are forgiven, we are reunited with the family of faith, and we have a new home in heaven. It is a promise which can be trusted; it is God's truth which will never disappoint.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, the devil can be very patient as he spins his lies to us. Help us realize that he simply can't be trusted and that salvation is only come through trust and faith in the Son of God, our Savior. In His Name we pray. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Through the Bible in a Year
Today Read:
Exodus 7:1 The Lord said to Moses, “See, I’ve made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. 2 You will say everything that I command you, and your brother Aaron will tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites out of his land. 3 But I’ll make Pharaoh stubborn, and I’ll perform many of my signs and amazing acts in the land of Egypt. 4 When Pharaoh refuses to listen to you, then I’ll act against Egypt and I’ll bring my people the Israelites out of the land of Egypt in military formation by momentous events of justice. 5 The Egyptians will come to know that I am the Lord, when I act against Egypt and bring the Israelites out from among them.” 6 Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded them. 7 Moses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83 when they spoke to Pharaoh.
660 Mason Ridge Center Dr.
St. Louis, Missouri 63141 United States
1-800-876-9880
____________________________
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Through the Bible in a Year
Today Read:
Exodus 7:1 The Lord said to Moses, “See, I’ve made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. 2 You will say everything that I command you, and your brother Aaron will tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites out of his land. 3 But I’ll make Pharaoh stubborn, and I’ll perform many of my signs and amazing acts in the land of Egypt. 4 When Pharaoh refuses to listen to you, then I’ll act against Egypt and I’ll bring my people the Israelites out of the land of Egypt in military formation by momentous events of justice. 5 The Egyptians will come to know that I am the Lord, when I act against Egypt and bring the Israelites out from among them.” 6 Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded them. 7 Moses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83 when they spoke to Pharaoh.
Turning rods into snakes
8 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 9 “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Do one of your amazing acts,’ then say to Aaron, ‘Take your shepherd’s rod and throw it down in front of Pharaoh, and it will turn into a cobra.’”[a]
10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron threw down his shepherd’s rod in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it turned into a cobra. 11 Then Pharaoh called together his wise men and wizards, and Egypt’s religious experts[b] did the same thing by using their secret knowledge. 12 Each one threw down his rod, and they turned into cobras. But then Aaron’s rod swallowed up each of their rods. 13 However, Pharaoh remained stubborn. He wouldn’t listen to them, just as the Lord had said.
Water into blood
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh is stubborn. He still refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning. As he is going out to the water, make sure you stand at the bank of the Nile River so you will run into him. Bring along the shepherd’s rod that turned into a snake. 16 Say to him, The Lord, the Hebrews’ God, has sent me to you with this message: Let my people go so that they can worship me in the desert. Up to now you still haven’t listened. 17 This is what the Lord says: By this you will know that I am the Lord. I’m now going to hit the water of the Nile River with this rod in my hand, and it will turn into blood. 18 The fish in the Nile are going to die, the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians won’t be able to drink water from the Nile.” 19 The Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your shepherd’s rod and stretch out your hand over Egypt’s waters—over their rivers, their canals, their marshes, and all their bodies of water—so that they turn into blood. There will be blood all over the land of Egypt, even in wooden and stone containers.’”
20 Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded. He raised the shepherd’s rod and hit the water in the Nile in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and all the water in the Nile turned into blood. 21 The fish in the Nile died, and the Nile began to stink so that the Egyptians couldn’t drink water from the Nile. There was blood all over the land of Egypt. 22 But the Egyptian religious experts did the same thing with their secret knowledge. As a result, Pharaoh remained stubborn, and he wouldn’t listen to them, just as the Lord had said. 23 Pharaoh turned and went back to his palace. He wasn’t impressed even by this. 24 Meanwhile, all the Egyptians had to dig for drinking water along the banks of the Nile River, because they couldn’t drink the water of the Nile itself. 25 Seven days went by after the Lord had struck the Nile River.
Invasion of frogs
8:1 [c] Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him: This is what the Lord says: Let my people go so that they can worship me. 2 If you refuse to let them go, then I’ll send a plague of frogs over your whole country. 3 The Nile will overflow with frogs. They’ll get into your palace, into your bedroom and onto your bed, into your officials’ houses, and among all your people, and even into your ovens and bread pans. 4 The frogs will crawl up on you, your people, and all your officials.” 5 And[d] the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your shepherd’s rod over the rivers, the canals, and the marshes, and make the frogs crawl up all over the land of Egypt.’” 6 So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt. The frogs crawled up and covered the land of Egypt. 7 However, the Egyptian religious experts were able to do the same thing by their secret knowledge. They too made frogs crawl up onto the land of Egypt.
8 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, “If you pray to the Lord to get rid of the frogs from me and my people, then I’ll let the people go so that they can offer sacrifices to the Lord.”
9 Moses said to Pharaoh, “Have it your way. When should I pray for you and your officials and your people to remove the frogs from your houses, courtyards, and fields? They’ll stay only in the Nile.”
10 Pharaoh said, “Tomorrow!”
Moses said, “Just as you say! That way you will know that there is no one like the Lord our God. 11 The frogs will leave you, your houses, your officials, and your people. They’ll stay only in the Nile.” 12 After Moses and Aaron had left Pharaoh, Moses cried out to the Lord about the frogs that the Lord had brought on Pharaoh. 13 The Lord did as Moses asked. The frogs died inside the houses, out in the yards, and in the fields. 14 They gathered them together in big piles, and the land began to stink. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that the disaster was over, he became stubborn again and wouldn’t listen to them, just as the Lord had said.
Swarming lice
16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your shepherd’s rod and hit the land’s dirt so that lice[e] appear in the whole land of Egypt.’” 17 They did this. Aaron stretched out his hand with his shepherd’s rod, hit the land’s dirt, and lice appeared on both people and animals. All the land’s dirt turned into lice throughout the whole land of Egypt.
18 The religious experts[f] tried to produce lice by their secret knowledge, but they weren’t able to do it. There were lice on people and animals. 19 The religious experts said to Pharaoh, “This is something only God could do!” But Pharaoh was stubborn, and he wouldn’t listen to them, just as the Lord had said.
Insects fill Egypt
20 The Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh as he goes out to the water. Say to him, This is what the Lord says: Let my people go so that they can worship me. 21 If you refuse to let my people go, I’ll send swarms of insects[g] on you, your officials, your people, and your houses. All Egyptian houses will be filled with swarms of insects and also the ground that they cover. 22 But on that day I’ll set apart the land of Goshen, where my people live. No swarms of insects will come there so you will know that I, the Lord, am in this land. 23 I’ll put a barrier between my people and your people. This sign will happen tomorrow.” 24 The Lord did this. Great swarms of insects came into the houses of Pharaoh and his officials and into the whole land of Egypt. The land was ruined by the insects.
25 Then Pharaoh called in Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, offer sacrifices to your God within the land.”
26 Moses replied, “It wouldn’t be right to do that, because the sacrifices that we offer to the Lord our God will offend Egyptians. If we openly offer sacrifices that offend Egyptians, won’t they stone us to death? 27 We need to go for a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God as he has ordered us.”
28 So Pharaoh said, “I’ll let you go to offer sacrifices to the Lord your God in the desert, provided you don’t go too far away and you pray for me.”
29 Moses said, “I’ll leave you now, and I’ll pray to the Lord. Tomorrow the swarms of insects will leave Pharaoh, his officials, and his people. Just don’t let Pharaoh lie to us again and not let the people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord.”
30 So Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord. 31 The Lord did as Moses asked and removed the swarms of insects from Pharaoh, from his officials, and from his people. Not one insect remained. 32 But Pharaoh was stubborn once again, and he wouldn’t let the people go.[Footnotes:
Exodus 7:9 Or serpent
Exodus 7:11 Or magicians
Exodus 8:1 7:26 in Heb
Exodus 8:5 8:1 in Heb
Exodus 8:16 Heb uncertain
Exodus 8:18 Or magicians
Exodus 8:21 Heb uncertain
Matthew 25: Parable of the ten young bridesmaids
1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten young bridesmaids who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and the other five were foolish. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but didn’t bring oil for them. 4 But the wise ones took their lamps and also brought containers of oil.
5 “When the groom was late in coming, they all became drowsy and went to sleep. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Look, the groom! Come out to meet him.’
7 “Then all those bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. 8 But the foolish bridesmaids said to the wise ones, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps have gone out.’
9 “But the wise bridesmaids replied, ‘No, because if we share with you, there won’t be enough for our lamps and yours. We have a better idea. You go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 But while they were gone to buy oil, the groom came. Those who were ready went with him into the wedding. Then the door was shut.
11 “Later the other bridesmaids came and said, ‘Lord, lord, open the door for us.’
12 “But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’
13 “Therefore, keep alert, because you don’t know the day or the hour.
Parable of the valuable coins
14 “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who was leaving on a trip. He called his servants and handed his possessions over to them. 15 To one he gave five valuable coins,[a] and to another he gave two, and to another he gave one. He gave to each servant according to that servant’s ability. Then he left on his journey.
16 “After the man left, the servant who had five valuable coins took them and went to work doing business with them. He gained five more. 17 In the same way, the one who had two valuable coins gained two more. 18 But the servant who had received the one valuable coin dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money.
19 “Now after a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The one who had received five valuable coins came forward with five additional coins. He said, ‘Master, you gave me five valuable coins. Look, I’ve gained five more.’
21 “His master replied, ‘Excellent! You are a good and faithful servant! You’ve been faithful over a little. I’ll put you in charge of much. Come, celebrate with me.’
22 “The second servant also came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two valuable coins. Look, I’ve gained two more.’
23 “His master replied, ‘Well done! You are a good and faithful servant. You’ve been faithful over a little. I’ll put you in charge of much. Come, celebrate with me.’
24 “Now the one who had received one valuable coin came and said, ‘Master, I knew that you are a hard man. You harvest grain where you haven’t sown. You gather crops where you haven’t spread seed. 25 So I was afraid. And I hid my valuable coin in the ground. Here, you have what’s yours.’
26 “His master replied, ‘You evil and lazy servant! You knew that I harvest grain where I haven’t sown and that I gather crops where I haven’t spread seed? 27 In that case, you should have turned my money over to the bankers so that when I returned, you could give me what belonged to me with interest. 28 Therefore, take from him the valuable coin and give it to the one who has ten coins. 29 Those who have much will receive more, and they will have more than they need. But as for those who don’t have much, even the little bit they have will be taken away from them. 30 Now take the worthless servant and throw him outside into the darkness.’
“People there will be weeping and grinding their teeth.[Footnotes:
Matthew 25:15 Or talantas (talents)]
The Lutheran Hour660 Mason Ridge Center Dr.
St. Louis, Missouri 63141 United States
1-800-876-9880
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