The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: "God, I thank You that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get." But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!"[Luke 18:11-13]
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
The salvation story of Jesus Christ reaches around the world. So that the readers of our Daily Devotion may see the power of the Savior on a global scale, we have asked the volunteers of our International Ministry Centers to write our Friday devotions. We pray that the Spirit may touch your day through their words.
In Christ, I remain, His servant and yours,
Kenneth R. Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour
There are two common things which can be said about these two persons in Jesus' parable:
1. They are in the temple.
2. They are praying to their God.
That being said, we also note that the content of their prayer is totally different. One is bragging about himself, his righteousness, his tithes, and his fasting because he thinks he is a perfect man. He wants to prove himself to God that when he is compared with robbers, evildoers, adulterers and with tax collector, he is a righteous fellow.
The man is very confident of his own righteousness.
If we look at the tax collector, he is the complete opposite. He knows he has nothing to boast about and for that reason he admits and feels sorry for what he has done.
He asks for God's mercy on him, a sinner.
No explanation is necessary: these are two distinct ways of coming to the Lord. The tax collector confesses and admits he is a sinner and he can do nothing to justify himself. He implores God to help himself become right. He has the right attitude.
How about the Pharisee? Obviously, he is arrogant, self-righteous, and too self-confident. He judges and criticizes other people. He thinks he is good enough to enter the kingdom of God. All of Scripture points out that anyone who has such a point of view is totally wrong. The fact is none of us is good enough to get into heaven.
Our sinful nature loves the idea of using a substandard human standard to measure our self-righteousness. That is true even for Christian pastors and church leaders who may be tempted to think they are better than other people. We trust our good deeds. We rely on our so-called good practices. When that happens, we show we are just as arrogant as the Pharisee who did not practice what he preached.
We are hypocrites and fail to meet the standard for the righteousness that God demands.
We deserve God's judgment as a consequence for being so wicked. We can never enter the kingdom of God and should be cast into the lake of eternal fire.
This is what we all deserve, but Scripture also tells us that God is merciful. To rescue us, the Lord sent His only Son to die for us, and through Jesus' life, death and resurrection all who are brought to faith are made righteous.
Jesus has put His righteousness on us.
As righteous children of God, He wants us to go out to proclaim His power of salvation to other people around the world. He wants us to tell the lost about the salvation He has given.
THE PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank You for Your righteousness, which has made us Your children. For this and other blessings, I give thanks. In Your Name. Amen.
Biography of Author: Today's international devotion was authored by the Reverend Phan Narit (Jesse): He is the executive director of Angel Dormitory Project. An ordained minister, he previously served as a pastor at a church in Sihanoukville area in Cambodia, and later served for seven years as logistic coordinator for The Lutheran Church -- Missouri Synod (LCMS) in Cambodia.
Since its establishment in 2000, the ministry center staff and volunteers at LHM-Cambodia have used programs like Equipping the Saints (ETS) and Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC) to communicate the message of God's eternal love to the country's 15-plus million Cambodians. The center also cooperates with churches in reaching the lost through puppet shows, music events, and youth programs.
In-country, LHM-Cambodia is known as Cambodia Christian Media Center, with its headquarters in Phnom Penh City. In addition to utilizing BCC and ETS workshops, this ministry center is active in evangelism training and educating this county's citizens in Christian teachings. Using a values-education program, young people are taught the benefit of making healthy lifestyle choices. The ministry center also provides clothing and other materials to school-age children.
Check out LHM-Cambodia's blog and read about two puppet shows the ministry team there recently put on. You can find it by clicking here to visit its blog.
To learn more about our International Ministries, click here or visit www.lhm.org/international.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
The salvation story of Jesus Christ reaches around the world. So that the readers of our Daily Devotion may see the power of the Savior on a global scale, we have asked the volunteers of our International Ministry Centers to write our Friday devotions. We pray that the Spirit may touch your day through their words.
In Christ, I remain, His servant and yours,
Kenneth R. Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour
There are two common things which can be said about these two persons in Jesus' parable:
1. They are in the temple.
2. They are praying to their God.
That being said, we also note that the content of their prayer is totally different. One is bragging about himself, his righteousness, his tithes, and his fasting because he thinks he is a perfect man. He wants to prove himself to God that when he is compared with robbers, evildoers, adulterers and with tax collector, he is a righteous fellow.
The man is very confident of his own righteousness.
If we look at the tax collector, he is the complete opposite. He knows he has nothing to boast about and for that reason he admits and feels sorry for what he has done.
He asks for God's mercy on him, a sinner.
No explanation is necessary: these are two distinct ways of coming to the Lord. The tax collector confesses and admits he is a sinner and he can do nothing to justify himself. He implores God to help himself become right. He has the right attitude.
How about the Pharisee? Obviously, he is arrogant, self-righteous, and too self-confident. He judges and criticizes other people. He thinks he is good enough to enter the kingdom of God. All of Scripture points out that anyone who has such a point of view is totally wrong. The fact is none of us is good enough to get into heaven.
Our sinful nature loves the idea of using a substandard human standard to measure our self-righteousness. That is true even for Christian pastors and church leaders who may be tempted to think they are better than other people. We trust our good deeds. We rely on our so-called good practices. When that happens, we show we are just as arrogant as the Pharisee who did not practice what he preached.
We are hypocrites and fail to meet the standard for the righteousness that God demands.
We deserve God's judgment as a consequence for being so wicked. We can never enter the kingdom of God and should be cast into the lake of eternal fire.
This is what we all deserve, but Scripture also tells us that God is merciful. To rescue us, the Lord sent His only Son to die for us, and through Jesus' life, death and resurrection all who are brought to faith are made righteous.
Jesus has put His righteousness on us.
As righteous children of God, He wants us to go out to proclaim His power of salvation to other people around the world. He wants us to tell the lost about the salvation He has given.
THE PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank You for Your righteousness, which has made us Your children. For this and other blessings, I give thanks. In Your Name. Amen.
Biography of Author: Today's international devotion was authored by the Reverend Phan Narit (Jesse): He is the executive director of Angel Dormitory Project. An ordained minister, he previously served as a pastor at a church in Sihanoukville area in Cambodia, and later served for seven years as logistic coordinator for The Lutheran Church -- Missouri Synod (LCMS) in Cambodia.
Since its establishment in 2000, the ministry center staff and volunteers at LHM-Cambodia have used programs like Equipping the Saints (ETS) and Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC) to communicate the message of God's eternal love to the country's 15-plus million Cambodians. The center also cooperates with churches in reaching the lost through puppet shows, music events, and youth programs.
In-country, LHM-Cambodia is known as Cambodia Christian Media Center, with its headquarters in Phnom Penh City. In addition to utilizing BCC and ETS workshops, this ministry center is active in evangelism training and educating this county's citizens in Christian teachings. Using a values-education program, young people are taught the benefit of making healthy lifestyle choices. The ministry center also provides clothing and other materials to school-age children.
Check out LHM-Cambodia's blog and read about two puppet shows the ministry team there recently put on. You can find it by clicking here to visit its blog.
To learn more about our International Ministries, click here or visit www.lhm.org/international.
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:
1 Chronicles 10:1 Now the P’lishtim pressed their attack on Isra’el; and the men of Isra’el fled before the P’lishtim, leaving their dead on Mount Gilboa. 2 The P’lishtim pursued Sha’ul; overtook him and his sons; and the P’lishtim killed Y’honatan, Avinadav and Malkishua, the sons of Sha’ul. 3 The fighting went hard against Sha’ul; then the archers overtook and wounded him, so that he was in agony. 4 Sha’ul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through with it. Otherwise, these uncircumcised men will come and make sport of me.” But his armor-bearer refused; he was too frightened. So Sha’ul took his sword and fell on it. 5 When his armor-bearer saw that Sha’ul was dead, he too fell on his own sword and died. 6 Thus Sha’ul, his three sons and all his household died together.
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Through the Bible in a Year
Today Read:
1 Chronicles 10:1 Now the P’lishtim pressed their attack on Isra’el; and the men of Isra’el fled before the P’lishtim, leaving their dead on Mount Gilboa. 2 The P’lishtim pursued Sha’ul; overtook him and his sons; and the P’lishtim killed Y’honatan, Avinadav and Malkishua, the sons of Sha’ul. 3 The fighting went hard against Sha’ul; then the archers overtook and wounded him, so that he was in agony. 4 Sha’ul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through with it. Otherwise, these uncircumcised men will come and make sport of me.” But his armor-bearer refused; he was too frightened. So Sha’ul took his sword and fell on it. 5 When his armor-bearer saw that Sha’ul was dead, he too fell on his own sword and died. 6 Thus Sha’ul, his three sons and all his household died together.
7 When all the men of Isra’el who were in the valley saw them fleeing and that Sha’ul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled; then the P’lishtim came and lived in them.
8 The following day, when the P’lishtim came to strip the dead, they found Sha’ul and his sons lying dead on Mount Gilboa. 9 They stripped him, then took his head and his armor and sent them all over the territory of the P’lishtim to carry the news to their idols and to the people. 10 They put his armor in the temple of their gods and fastened his skull to the temple of Dagon. 11 When everyone in Yavesh-Gil‘ad heard all that the P’lishtim had done to Sha’ul, 12 all their warriors set out, took away the body of Sha’ul and the bodies of his sons, brought them to Yavesh, buried their bones under the pistachio tree in Yavesh and fasted seven days.
13 So Sha’ul died for the transgression he committed against Adonai, because of the word of Adonai that he did not keep and because he sought the counsel of a spirit 14 instead of consulting Adonai. Therefore Adonai put him to death and turned the rulership over to David the son of Yishai.
11:1 Then all Isra’el gathered themselves to David in Hevron and said, “Here, we are your own flesh and bone. 2 In the past, even when Sha’ul was king, it was you who led Isra’el’s military campaigns; and Adonai your God said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Isra’el, and you will be chief over my people Isra’el.’” 3 So all the leaders of Isra’el came to the king in Hevron; and David made a covenant with them in Hevron in the presence of Adonai. Then they anointed David king over Isra’el, as Adonai had said through Sh’mu’el.
4 David and all Isra’el went to Yerushalayim, also known as Y’vus; and the Y’vusi, the inhabitants of that region, were there. 5 The inhabitants of Y’vus taunted David by saying, “You won’t get in here!” Nevertheless, David captured the stronghold of Tziyon, also known now as the City of David. 6 David said, “Whoever attacks the Y’vusi first will be commander-in-chief.” Yo’av the son of Tz’ruyah attacked first and was made commander.
7 David lived in the stronghold; therefore they called it the City of David. 8 David built up the city around it, starting at the Millo [earth rampart] and going on around; while Yo’av repaired the rest of the city. 9 David grew greater and greater, because Adonai-Tzva’ot was with him.
10 These are David’s chief warriors, who, under his rulership, joined forces with him and with all Isra’el to make him king, as Adonai had said concerning Isra’el; 11 here is the list of David’s warrior-heroes:
Yashov‘am son of a Hakhmoni, the chief officer; he is the one who raised his spear against 300 men and killed them in a single encounter.
12 After him was El‘azar the son of Dodo the Achochi, one of the three warriors. 13 He was with David at Pas-Damim, where the P’lishtim had assembled for battle. There was a plot of ground full of barley; and when the people fled from the P’lishtim, 14 they stood in the middle of the plot and defended it, killing the P’lishtim; and Adonai saved them with a great victory.
15 Three of the thirty leaders went down to the rock and came to David during harvest season at the cave of ‘Adulam when the army of the P’lishtim had set up camp in the Refa’im Valley. 16 At that time David was in the fortress, and the garrison of the P’lishtim was in Beit-Lechem. 17 David had a craving and said, “I wish someone could give me water to drink from the well by the gate of Beit-Lechem!” 18 The three broke through the army of the P’lishtim, drew water from the well by the gate of Beit-Lechem, took it and brought it to David. But David would not drink it; instead, he poured it out to Adonai 19 and said, “My God forbid that I should do such a thing! Am I to drink the blood of these men who went and put their lives in jeopardy? They risked their lives to bring it!” — and he would not consent to drink it. These are the things the three warrior-heroes did.
20 Avishai the brother of Yo’av was chief of these three. He raised his spear against 300 men and killed them; thus he had a reputation even among the three. 21 Of the three in the second rank he had the most honor and was therefore made their leader; however, he did not achieve the status of the first three.
22 B’nayah the son of Y’hoyada, the son of a valiant man of Kavtze’el, was a man of many exploits. He struck down two lion-hearted men of Mo’av. One day when it was snowing, he went down into a pit and killed a lion. 23 Here is how he killed an Egyptian, a man who was very tall, seven-and-a-half feet: the Egyptian had a spear in his hand the size of a weaver’s beam; he went down to him with only a stick, seized the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 24 These are things that B’nayah the son of Y’hoyada did that earned him a name among the three warrior-heroes. 25 He had more honor than the thirty, but he did not achieve the status of the first three. David put him in command of his personal guard.
26 There were also these warrior-heroes:
‘Asah’el the brother of Yo’av,
Elchanan the son of Dodo, from Beit-Lechem,
27 Shammah the Harori,
Heletz the P’loni,
28 ‘Ira son of ‘Ikesh from T’koa,
Avi‘ezer from ‘Anatot,
29 Sibkhai the Hushati,
‘Ilai the Achochi,
30 Mahrai the N’tofati,
Heled the son of Ba‘anah the N’tofati,
31 Ittai the son of Rivai from Giv‘ah, from the descendants of Binyamin,
B’nayahu from Pir‘aton,
32 Hurai from the vadis of Ga‘ash,
Avi’el the ‘Arvati,
33 ‘Azmavet the Bacharumi
Elyachba the Sha‘alvoni,
34 the sons of Hashem the Gizoni,
Y’honatan the son of Shageh the Harari,
35 Achi’am the son of Sakhar the Harari,
Elifal the son of Ur,
36 Hefer the M’kherati,
Achiyah the P’loni,
37 Hetzro the Karmeli,
Na‘arai the son of Ezbai
38 Yo’el the brother of Natan,
Mivchar the son of Hagri,
39 Tzelek the ‘Amoni,
Nachrai the Be’eroti, armor-bearer of Yo’av the son of Tz’ruyah,
40 ‘Ira the Yitri,
Garev the Yitri,
41 Uriyah the Hitti,
Zavad the son of Achlai,
42 ‘Adina the son of Shiza the Re’uveni, a leader among the Re’uveni,
and thirty with him,
43 Hanan the son of Ma‘akhah,
Yoshafat the Mitni,
44 ‘Uziyah the ‘Asht’rati
Shama and Ye‘i’el the sons of Hotam the ‘Aro‘eri,
45 Y’dia‘el the son of Shimri,
Yocha his brother, the Titzi,
46 Eli’el from Machavim,
Yerivai and Yoshavyah the sons of Elna‘am,
Yitmah the Mo’avi,
47 Eli’el,
‘Oved,
and Ya‘asi’el from M’tzovayah.
12:1 Following are the men who joined David at Ziklag while he was still being kept away from Sha’ul the son of Kish; they were among the warriors who helped him fight his battles. 2 They were archers who could use either hand to sling stones or shoot arrows from a bow; they were Sha’ul’s kinsmen from Binyamin. 3 Their leader was Achi‘ezer, then Yo’ash, the sons of Sh’ma‘ah the Giv‘ati, Y’zi’el, Pelet, the sons of ‘Azmavet, B’rakhah, Yehu from ‘Anatot, 4 Yishma‘yah the Giv‘oni, one of the strongest of the thirty and commander of the thirty, 5 (4b) Yirmeyah, Yachzi’el, Yochanan, Yozavad from G’derah, 6 (5) El‘uzai, Yerimot, B‘alyah, Sh’maryah, Sh’fatyah the Harufi, 7 (6) Elkanah, Yishiyahu, ‘Azar’el, Yo‘ezer, Yashov‘am the Korchi, 8 (7) and Yo‘elah and Z’vadyah the sons of Yerocham from G’dor.
9 (8) From the Gadi a number of strong, brave, trained fighting men defected to David at the fortress in the desert. They could handle shield and spear, they were as fierce as lions, and they were as fast as deer on the hills: 10 (9) ‘Ezer was the leader, ‘Ovadyah was second, Eli’av third, 11 (10) Mishmanah fourth, Yirmeyah fifth, 12 (11) ‘Atai sixth, Eli’el seventh, 13 (12) Yochanan eighth, Elzavad ninth, 14 (13) Yirmeyah tenth, and Makhbanai eleventh. 15 (14) These descendants of Gad were army commanders; the least of them was worth a hundred, and the greatest worth a thousand. 16 (15) These are the men who crossed the Yarden during the first month, when it had overflowed all its banks, and drove out all those who lived in the valleys, both to the east and to the west.
17 (16) From the descendants of Binyamin and Y’hudah a number came to David at the fortress. 18 (17) When David went out to meet them, he said, “If you are coming to me in peace to help me, my heart will be bonded to yours. But if you are coming to betray me to my enemies, then, since I have done nothing wrong, may the God of our fathers see it and judge.” 19 (18) Then the Spirit covered ‘Amasai the chief commander, and he said:
“We are yours, David;
on your side, son of Yishai!
Peace, peace to you,
and peace to your helpers;
for your God helps you.”
David welcomed them and made them senior officers.
20 (19) From M’nasheh some defected to David when he was about to go with the P’lishtim to fight against Sha’ul; but they ended up not helping them; because the rulers of the P’lishtim, after consultation, sent David away, saying, “He will defect to his master Sha’ul at the cost of our heads.” 21 (20) As he was on his way to Ziklag, those who defected to him from M’nasheh included ‘Adnach, Yozavad, Y’dia‘el, Mikha’el, Yozavad, Elihu and Tziltai, commanders of thousands from M’nasheh. 22 (21) They helped David against the raiding band, for they were all strong, brave men who were commanders in the army.
23 (22) Indeed, reinforcements to assist David reached him daily, until there was a great army, like the army of God. 24 (23) Following are the numbers of those who came armed for war to David in Hevron, in order to transfer to him the kingdom of Sha’ul, according to what Adonai had said.
25 (24) The descendants of Y’hudah bearing shields and spears numbered 6,800, armed for war.
26 (25) Of the descendants of Shim‘on, strong, brave men for war, there were 7,100.
27 (26) Of the descendants of Levi, there were 4,600. 28 (27) Y’hoyada was the leader of the house of Aharon, and with him were 3,700; 29 (28) also Tzadok, a young man, strong and brave, with twenty-two commanders from his father’s family.
30 (29) Of the descendants of Binyamin the kinsmen of Sha’ul, there were 3,000; for up until then, the majority of them had remained loyal to the house of Sha’ul.
31 (30) Of the descendants of Efrayim, there were 20,800 strong, brave men, well known in their fathers’ families.
32 (31) Of the half-tribe of M’nasheh, 18,000 were designated by name to come and make David king.
33 (32) Of the descendants of Yissakhar, men who understood the times and knew what Isra’el ought to do, there were 200 leaders, and all their kinsmen were under their command.
34 (33) Of Z’vulun, 50,000 men were fit for military service, experienced in war and able to use all kinds of weapons; they were brave, and none was doubleminded.
35 (34) Of Naftali, there were 1,000 officers, and with them 37,000 troops having shields and spears.
36 (35) Of Dan, 28,600 were experienced in war.
37 (36) Of Asher, 40,000 men were fit for military service and experienced in war.
38 (37) On the other side of the Yarden, from the Re’uveni, the Gadi and the half-tribe of M’nasheh, there were 120,000 with all kinds of weapons for battle.
39 (38) All these soldiers who were experienced in war came to Hevron wholeheartedly to make David king over all Isra’el, and all the rest from Isra’el were single-hearted in wanting to make David king. 40 (39) They remained there with David for three days, eating and drinking, for their kinsmen had prepared for them. 41 (40) Moreover, those who were near them — and even those as far as Yissakhar, Z’vulun and Naftali — brought food on donkeys, camels, mules and oxen: baked goods, fig cakes, clusters of raisins, wine, oil, and oxen and sheep in abundance; for there was joy in Isra’el.
1 Corinthians 8:1 Now about food sacrificed to idols: we know that, as you say, “We all have knowledge.” Yes, that is so, but “knowledge” puffs a person up with pride; whereas love builds up. 2 The person who thinks he “knows” something doesn’t yet know in the way he ought to know. 3 However, if someone loves God, God knows him.
4 So, as for eating food sacrificed to idols, we “know” that, as you say, “An idol has no real existence in the world, and there is only one God.” 5 For even if there are so-called “gods,” either in heaven or on earth — as in fact there are “gods” and “lords” galore — 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom all things come and for whom we exist; and one Lord, Yeshua the Messiah, through whom were created all things and through whom we have our being.
7 But not everyone has this knowledge. Moreover, some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat food which has been sacrificed to them, they think of it as really affected by the idol; and their consciences, being weak, are thus defiled. 8 Now food will not improve our relationship with God — we will be neither poorer if we abstain nor richer if we eat. 9 However watch out that your mastery of the situation does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 You have this “knowledge”; but suppose someone with a weak conscience sees you sitting, eating a meal in the temple of an idol. Won’t he be built up wrongly to eat this food which has been sacrificed to idols? 11 Thus by your “knowledge” this weak person is destroyed, this brother for whom the Messiah died; 12 and so, when you sin against the brothers by wounding their conscience when it is weak, you are sinning against the Messiah!
13 To sum up, if food will be a snare for my brother, I will never eat meat again, lest I cause my brother to sin.
______________________________
The Lutheran Hour
660 Mason Ridge Center Drive
St. Louis, Missouri 63141 United States
1-800-876-9880
www.lhm.org
____________________________
660 Mason Ridge Center Drive
St. Louis, Missouri 63141 United States
1-800-876-9880
www.lhm.org
____________________________
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