Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour in Saint Louis, Missouri, United States "Ready or Not?" for Friday, October 30, 2015

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour in Saint Louis, Missouri, United States "Ready or Not?" for Friday, October 30, 2015

(Jesus said) "And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'"[Matthew 25:8]
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
The story of the ten girls is quite familiar to us.
The main question their story asks is what will really happen when Christ arrives to judge the world?
The ten girls represent everyone who claims some connection with Christianity. Theoretically, all of us should be church-goers, good Christians, Jesus' friends, who are doing all they can to be prepared for the unknown hour when they will meet Him. But there is a division in this big group. Among all of these so-called Christians, some are wise and others are foolish. By that I mean, while all of these Christians have lamps, only some of those lamps are ready for action.
Unbelievably, it's true.
There are those who have empty lamps. These people look good. To everyone they meet, they seem prepared and ready for the Bridegroom's coming. Indeed, it is possible they may even have fooled themselves. No matter how many have been fooled, their empty lamps are not ready, nor are they ready for the Lord's return.
This is an alarming situation: five people have unready lamps -- lamps that will be going out. That is up to 50 percent of the total number of Christians. Little wonder Jesus said many are called but only a few will be accepted.
Remember, the main problem is not the lamp but the lack of oil in the lamp.
Oil represents a Holy Spirit-given faith, which has a desire to be ready for and near to the Savior. The wise watchers in this story were those who were prepared to meet the groom now, tomorrow or anytime. The foolish watchers were those who were only going through the outward motions.
Theirs is a dangerous and untenable position.
As Jesus once said, a time is coming when "no man can work" (see John 9:4). It was a lesson the foolish should have learned. When word came that the groom was going to be there soon, they said, "Let us have some of your oil."
We cannot share our oil with someone else! No one has an extra grace or faith that he can offer to others. Faith is a personal thing and salvation is individually bestowed through the Savior's sacrifice. My faith will save me and me alone, not other members of my family.
The entry to the eternal wedding festival of heaven reminds us of the flood story at the time of Noah. Scripture says that when those people of faith were all in the boat, the Lord shut the door (see Genesis 7:16). And those without faith ... for them there was no second chance; there was no time to reverse their position, no time to go and get some faith.
They were ready or they were not.
This is why, in this parable the Lord is saying, "Always be ready!" You don't know the day or the time when Jesus will return (see Matthew 25:13).
THE PRAYER: Almighty God, keep us in faith in Jesus, who allowed Himself to be crucified for our cleansing. Pour into us the oil for the flame of faith and love. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Biography of Author: Today's international devotion was written by the Rev. William David Zoulder. A graduate of the Lomonossov State University in Moscow; The Malagasy Lutheran Church appointed him as a French lecturer at their Graduate School of Theology. Pastor Zoulder graduated from the School of Theology in Natal, South Africa. Since then he has served his Lord as a parish pastor. His language skills have been of great value in our Madagascar office's Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC) and our radio programs. Pastor Zoulder is married and has three children.
Known in-country as the Voice of the Gospel, Lutheran Hour Ministries-Madagascar established an office in Antananarivo in 1993. Connecting with communities through rallies and film showings, hundreds are reached, including high school youth and young offenders in detention centers. Radio, however, is the most effective medium in reaching the greatest number of people. To that end, this ministry center broadcasts a 30-minute FM program each week that addresses spiritual, emotional and cultural topics from a Christian perspective. Additionally, Bible Correspondence Courses, which are used by more than 5,000 participants, and Equipping the Saints (ETS) workshops, which provide tools for personal evangelism, are two valuable programs touching many lives in this African island nation of more than 22 million people.
Check out the story and pictures of how LHM-Madagascar is graduating individuals through its Bible Correspondence Course program by clicking here to read its ministry center 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:
Jeremiah 27:1 At the beginning of the reign of Y’hoyakim the son of Yoshiyahu, king of Y’hudah, this word came to Yirmeyahu from Adonai: 2 “Adonai says this to me: ‘Make yourself a yoke of straps and crossbars, and put it on your neck. 3 Send [similar yokes] to the kings of Edom, of Mo’av, of the people of ‘Amon, of Tzor, and of Tzidon by means of the envoys they send to Yerushalayim, and to Tzidkiyahu king of Y’hudah. 4 Give them this message for their masters by telling their envoys that Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Isra’el, says for them to tell their masters:

5 “‘“I made the earth, humankind, and the animals on the earth by my great power and my outstretched arm; and I give it to whom it seems right to me. 6 For now, I have given over all these lands to my servant N’vukhadnetzar the king of Bavel; I have also given him the wild animals to serve him. 7 All the nations will serve him, his son and his grandson, until his own country gets its turn — at which time many nations and great kings will make him their slave. 8 The nation and kingdom that refuses to serve this N’vukhadnetzar king of Bavel, that will not put their necks under the yoke of the king of Bavel, I will punish,” says Adonai “with sword, famine and plague, until I have put an end to them through him.

9 “‘“You, therefore, don’t listen to your prophets, diviners, dreamers, magicians or sorcerers, when they tell you that you won’t be subject to the king of Bavel; 10 for they are prophesying lies to you that will result in your being removed far from your land, with my driving you out, so that you perish. 11 But the nation that puts its neck under the yoke of the king of Bavel and serves him, that nation I will allow to remain on their own soil,” says Adonai. “They will farm it and live there.”’”

12 Then I spoke to Tzidkiyahu king of Y’hudah in just the same way: “Put your necks under the yoke of the king of Bavel, serve him and his people, and you will live. 13 Why would you want to die, you and your people, by sword, famine and plague — which is what Adonai has decreed for the nation that will not serve the king of Bavel? 14 Don’t listen to the words of the prophets who say to you, ‘You will not serve the king of Bavel’; because they are prophesying lies to you. 15 ‘For I have not sent them,’ says Adonai, ‘and they are prophesying falsely in my name, with the result that I will drive you out, and you will perish — you and the prophets prophesying to you.’”

16 I also spoke to the cohanim and to all this people; I said, “This is what Adonai says: ‘Don’t listen to the words of the prophets prophesying to you that the articles from Adonai’s house will soon be returned from Bavel; because they are prophesying lies to you. 17 Don’t listen to them. Serve the king of Bavel, and stay alive; why should this city become a ruin?’ 18 But if they are in fact prophets, and if the word of Adonai is with them, then let them now intercede with Adonai-Tzva’ot that the articles still remaining in the house of Adonai and in the palace of the king of Y’hudah will not go off to Bavel. 19 For this is what Adonai-Tzva’ot says concerning the columns, the Sea, the bases and the rest of the articles still here in this city, 20 that N’vukhadnetzar, king of Bavel did not seize when he carried off captive Y’khanyahu the son of Y’hoyakim, king of Y’hudah, from Yerushalayim to Bavel, along with all the leading men of Y’hudah and Yerushalayim — 21 yes, this is what Adonai Shaddai, the God of Isra’el, says about the things remaining in the house of Adonai, in the palace of the king of Y’hudah and in Yerushalayim: 22 ‘They will be carried to Bavel; and there they will stay until the day I remember them, bring them back and restore them to this place,’ says Adonai.”

28:1 That same year, at the beginning of the reign of Tzidkiyahu king of Y’hudah, in the fifth month of the fourth year, Hananyah the son of ‘Azur the prophet, from Giv‘on, spoke to me in Adonai’s house in front of the cohanim and all the people, saying, 2 “This is what Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Isra’el, says: ‘I have broken the yoke of the king of Bavel. 3 Within two years I will restore to this place all the articles from Adonai’s house that N’vukhadnetzar king of Bavel removed from this place and carried to Bavel. 4 Also I will bring back here Y’khanyah the son of Y’hoyakim, king of Y’hudah, along with all those from Y’hudah who were taken captive to Bavel,’ says Adonai, ‘for I will break the yoke of the king of Bavel.’”

5 Then the prophet Yirmeyahu said to the prophet Hananyah in front of the cohanim and all the people standing in Adonai’s house — 6 the prophet Yirmeyahu said, “Amen! May Adonai do it! May Adonai fulfill the words you have prophesied and bring back from Bavel to this place the articles from Adonai’s house and all the people who were carried away captive! 7 Nevertheless, listen now to this word that I am speaking for you to hear and for all the people to hear. 8 The prophets who were here before me and before you prophesied in times past against many countries and against great kingdoms about war, disaster and plagues. 9 As for a prophet who prophesies peace — when the word of that prophet is fulfilled, it will be evident concerning that prophet that Adonai indeed did send him.”

10 At this point Hananyah the prophet took the crossbar off the prophet Yirmeyahu’s neck and broke it. 11 Then Hananyah, in front of all the people, said, “Thus says Adonai: ‘In just this way will I break off the yoke of N’vukhadnetzar king of Bavel from the necks of all the nations within two years.’”

The prophet Yirmeyahu left them; 12 but then this word of Adonai came to Yirmeyahu, after Hananyah the prophet had broken off the crossbar from the neck of the prophet Yirmeyahu: 13 “Go and tell Hananyah that Adonai:says, ‘You have broken the crossbars of wood, but you will make in their place crossbars of iron. 14 For here is what Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Isra’el, says: “I have put a yoke of iron on the necks of all these nations, so that they can serve N’vukhadnetzar king of Bavel; and they will serve him; and I have given him the wild animals too.”’”

15 Then the prophet Yirmeyahu said to Hananyah the prophet, “Listen here, Hananyah! Adonai has not sent you! You are making these people trust in a lie! 16 Therefore, here is what Adonai says: ‘I am about to send you away from the face of the earth — this year you will die, because you have preached rebellion against Adonai.’” 17 Hananyah the prophet died that same year, in the seventh month.

29:1 Following is the text of the letter Yirmeyahu the prophet sent from Yerushalayim to the leaders remaining in exile, as well as to the cohanim, the prophets and all the people N’vukhadnetzar had carried off captive from Yerushalayim to Bavel. 2 This was after Y’khanyah the king, the queen mother, the officers, the leaders of Y’hudah and Yerushalayim, and the artisans and skilled workers had left Yerushalayim. 3 The letter was entrusted to El‘asah the son of Shafan and G’maryah the son of Hilkiyah; Tzidkiyah king of Y’hudah sent them to Bavel, to N’vukhadnetzar king of Bavel. The letter said:

4 “Here is what Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Isra’el, says to all those in exile, whom I have caused to be carried off captive from Yerushalayim to Bavel: 5 ‘Build yourselves houses, and live in them. Plant gardens, and eat what they produce. 6 Choose women to marry, and have sons and daughters. Choose wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage to men, so that they can have sons and daughters — increase your numbers there, don’t decrease. 7 Seek the welfare of the city to which I have caused you to go in exile, and pray to Adonai on its behalf; for your welfare is bound up in its welfare.’ 8 For this is what Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Isra’el, says: ‘Don’t let your prophets who are living among you and your diviners deceive you, and don’t pay attention to the dreams you urge them to dream. 9 For they are prophesying falsely in my name; I have not sent them,’ says Adonai.

10 “For here is what Adonai says: ‘After Bavel’s seventy years are over, I will remember you and fulfill my good promise to you by bringing you back to this place. 11 For I know what plans I have in mind for you,’ says Adonai,‘plans for well-being, not for bad things; so that you can have hope and a future. 12 When you call to me and pray to me, I will listen to you. 13 When you seek me, you will find me, provided you seek for me wholeheartedly; 14 and I will let you find me,’ says Adonai. ‘Then I will reverse your exile. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have driven you,’ says Adonai, ‘and bring you back to the place from which I exiled you.’

15 “You say that Adonai has raised up prophets for you in Bavel. 16 But here is what Adonai says about the king occupying David’s throne and about all the people living in this city, your kinsmen who did not go into exile with you — 17 thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot: ‘I will attack them with sword, famine and plague; I will make them like bad figs, so bad they are inedible. 18 I will pursue them with sword, famine and plague and make them an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth; and they will bring on themselves cursing, astonishment, ridicule and reproach among all the nations where I have driven them; 19 because they have not paid attention to my words,’ says Adonai, ‘which I sent to them through my servants the prophets. I sent them frequently, but you refused to listen,’ says Adonai.

20 “So pay attention now to the word of Adonai, all of you in exile, whom I sent away from Yerushalayim to Bavel. 21 Here is what Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Isra’el, says about Ach’av the son of Kolayah and Tzidkiyahu the son of Ma‘aseiyah, who prophesy lies to you in my name: ‘I will hand them over to N’vukhadretzar king of Bavel, and he will put them to death before your eyes. 22 In fact, all those exiled from Y’hudah who are in Bavel will take up this formula for cursing: “May Adonai make you like Tzidkiyahu and Ach’av, whom the king of Bavel roasted in the fire!” 23 because they have done vile things in Isra’el, committing adultery with their neighbors’ wives and speaking words in my name, falsely, which I did not order them to say. For I am he who knows; I am witness to this,’ says Adonai.

24 “To Sh’ma‘yah the Nechelami you are to communicate this message: 25 ‘This is a word from Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Isra’el, because of the letters you sent in your own name to all the people in Yerushalayim, including Tz’fanyah the son of Ma‘aseiyah the cohen and all the cohanim. 26 Your letter said, “Adonai has made you cohen in place of Y’hoyada the cohen, in order to have officials in Adonai’s house who will arrest any crazy person who makes himself out to be a prophet, so that you can restrain him in stocks and collar. 27 So why haven’t you rebuked Yirmeyahu of ‘Anatot, who makes himself out to be a prophet for you? 28 He even sends word to us in Bavel saying that the exile will last a long time; so build houses and live in them, plant gardens and eat what they produce.” 29 Tz’fanyah the cohen read this letter to Yirmeyahu the prophet, and afterwards 30 the word of Adonai came to Yirmeyahu, 31 instructing him to send to all those in exile this message: “Here is what Adonai says about Sh’ma‘yah the Nechelami: ‘This Sh’ma‘yah has prophesied to you, even though I did not send him, and has caused you to put your trust in a lie. 32 Because of this,’ Adonai says, ‘I will punish Sh’ma‘yah the Nechelami and his offspring. He will not have a man to live among this people, and he will not see the good I am planning to do for my people,’ says Adonai, ‘because he has preached rebellion against Adonai.’”’”

Hebrews 5:1 For every cohen gadol taken from among men is appointed to act on people’s behalf with regard to things concerning God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He can deal gently with the ignorant and with those who go astray, since he too is subject to weakness. 3 Also, because of this weakness, he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as those of the people. 4 And no one takes this honor upon himself, rather, he is called by God, just as Aharon was.

5 So neither did the Messiah glorify himself to become cohen gadol; rather, it was the One who said to him,

“You are my Son;

today I have become your Father.”[Hebrews 5:5 Psalm 2:7]

6 Also, as he says in another place,

“You are a cohen forever,

to be compared with Malki-Tzedek.”[Hebrews 5:6 Psalm 110:4]

7 During Yeshua’s life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions, crying aloud and shedding tears, to the One who had the power to deliver him from death; and he was heard because of his godliness. 8 Even though he was the Son, he learned obedience through his sufferings. 9 And after he had been brought to the goal, he became the source of eternal deliverance to all who obey him, 10 since he had been proclaimed by God as a cohen gadol to be compared with Malki-Tzedek.

11 We have much to say about this subject, but it is hard to explain, because you have become sluggish in understanding. 12 For although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the very first principles of God’s Word all over again! You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who has to drink milk is still a baby, without experience in applying the Word about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those whose faculties have been trained by continuous exercise to distinguish good from evil.

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The Lutheran Hour

660 Mason Ridge Center Drive
St. Louis, Missouri 63141 United States
1-800-876-9880
www.lhm.org
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