Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.[Philippians 2:3]
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 Sunday 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
Life should have been exceptional for the young man.
* He had recently graduated from college and received a degree in business administration.
* Then he had landed a position in a prestigious international company.
Everything seemed to be going well, except for the fact he was feeling more alone every day. This was unusual since there were many people who worked next to him in the same department.
The problem was this: even though this young man was doing his job well, he was taking advantage of others. He used unfair practices and fostered rivalries for the sole purpose of looking good to his supervisor.
His attitude and lack of humility were the reasons why he was being isolated.
Thank God one day a person approached him and gave him a small Christian tract that told about the importance of having a moment with the Triune God.
This information was the starting point and did much to help him reflect on his relationship with God. By the Holy Spirit's power, this young man soon came to know and believe in the Savior. His newfound faith gave him a Savior whose love and humility was a wonderful example to follow.
More than that he was given a Savior who forgave His sins and gave him a peace that permeated everything he did.
This faith caused a dramatic change in the young man. Soon the young man understood and began to have compassion, humility, and special love toward others (see Matthew 5:7-8).
The young man's attitude was changed. Each day was marked by an appreciation of his relationship with God and with his colleagues. Soon they began to see him as a member of the team. His skills and theirs allowed their team to be respected and honored.
In short, the young man realized that if he continued to be motivated by envy, selfishness and a lack of humility, his life here and hereafter would be messed up. But with Jesus things would be changed for the better.
THE PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your infinite love and Jesus' example of kindness and humility, which have taught us to respect and encourage our neighbors. Cleanse our hearts and keep us in the faith of Your Son, our Redeemer. This I pray in His Name. Amen.
Biography of Author: Today's international devotion was written by Ricardo Arguello. He has been the Lutheran Hour Ministries director in Nicaragua since 2000. He is married, has three children, and was born in Managua, Nicaragua. He graduated from the University of Diplomats School in Moscow, Russia. He speaks Russian, English, French and Spanish. He worked in the diplomatic field for many years.
Lutheran Hour Ministries-Nicaragua is known in-country as "Christ for All Nations" or Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones in Spanish. Launching its ministry outreach efforts in Chinandega in 1999, LHM-Nicaragua offersProject JOEL, an educational program helping children and young people make healthy lifestyle choices. High school and university students benefit from this program as well. Offering Equipping the Saints (ETS) evangelism workshops to facilitate Gospel conversations and Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC) to build up and edify students of Scripture, inroads are being made into people's lives with the Good News of salvation in Jesus Christ. Based today in Leon, this ministry center produces a weekly radio broadcast and 30-second on-air announcements. These are augmented with "Radio Cristo Nica," an Internet and radio program dedicated to sharing the Gospel and helping others in this Central American country of more than six million people.
Check this out! Nearly 800 kids, young people, and adults finished a round of Bible study lessons in the different districts LHM-Nicaragua serves. We thank God for His merciful work in this Central American country. You can check out this and other stories by clicking here and visiting this country's 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 Sunday 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
Life should have been exceptional for the young man.
* He had recently graduated from college and received a degree in business administration.
* Then he had landed a position in a prestigious international company.
Everything seemed to be going well, except for the fact he was feeling more alone every day. This was unusual since there were many people who worked next to him in the same department.
The problem was this: even though this young man was doing his job well, he was taking advantage of others. He used unfair practices and fostered rivalries for the sole purpose of looking good to his supervisor.
His attitude and lack of humility were the reasons why he was being isolated.
Thank God one day a person approached him and gave him a small Christian tract that told about the importance of having a moment with the Triune God.
This information was the starting point and did much to help him reflect on his relationship with God. By the Holy Spirit's power, this young man soon came to know and believe in the Savior. His newfound faith gave him a Savior whose love and humility was a wonderful example to follow.
More than that he was given a Savior who forgave His sins and gave him a peace that permeated everything he did.
This faith caused a dramatic change in the young man. Soon the young man understood and began to have compassion, humility, and special love toward others (see Matthew 5:7-8).
The young man's attitude was changed. Each day was marked by an appreciation of his relationship with God and with his colleagues. Soon they began to see him as a member of the team. His skills and theirs allowed their team to be respected and honored.
In short, the young man realized that if he continued to be motivated by envy, selfishness and a lack of humility, his life here and hereafter would be messed up. But with Jesus things would be changed for the better.
THE PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your infinite love and Jesus' example of kindness and humility, which have taught us to respect and encourage our neighbors. Cleanse our hearts and keep us in the faith of Your Son, our Redeemer. This I pray in His Name. Amen.
Biography of Author: Today's international devotion was written by Ricardo Arguello. He has been the Lutheran Hour Ministries director in Nicaragua since 2000. He is married, has three children, and was born in Managua, Nicaragua. He graduated from the University of Diplomats School in Moscow, Russia. He speaks Russian, English, French and Spanish. He worked in the diplomatic field for many years.
Lutheran Hour Ministries-Nicaragua is known in-country as "Christ for All Nations" or Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones in Spanish. Launching its ministry outreach efforts in Chinandega in 1999, LHM-Nicaragua offersProject JOEL, an educational program helping children and young people make healthy lifestyle choices. High school and university students benefit from this program as well. Offering Equipping the Saints (ETS) evangelism workshops to facilitate Gospel conversations and Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC) to build up and edify students of Scripture, inroads are being made into people's lives with the Good News of salvation in Jesus Christ. Based today in Leon, this ministry center produces a weekly radio broadcast and 30-second on-air announcements. These are augmented with "Radio Cristo Nica," an Internet and radio program dedicated to sharing the Gospel and helping others in this Central American country of more than six million people.
Check this out! Nearly 800 kids, young people, and adults finished a round of Bible study lessons in the different districts LHM-Nicaragua serves. We thank God for His merciful work in this Central American country. You can check out this and other stories by clicking here and visiting this country's 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: Psalms 7-8; John 7:28-53
Psalms 7:1 (0) A shiggayon of David, which he sang to Adonai because of Kush the Ben-Y’mini:
St. Louis, Missouri 63141, United States
1-800-876-9880
www.lhm.org
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Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Through the Bible in a Year
Today Read: Psalms 7-8; John 7:28-53
Psalms 7:1 (0) A shiggayon of David, which he sang to Adonai because of Kush the Ben-Y’mini:
2 (1) Adonai my God, in you I take refuge.
Save me from all my pursuers, and rescue me;
3 (2) otherwise, they will maul me like a lion
and tear me apart, with no rescuer present.
4 (3) Adonai my God, if I have caused this,
if there is guilt on my hands,
5 (4) if I paid back evil to him who was at peace with me,
when I even spared those who opposed me without cause;
6 (5) then let the enemy pursue me
until he overtakes me
and tramples my life down into the earth;
yes, let him lay my honor in the dust. (Selah)
7 (6) Rise up, Adonai, in your anger!
Arouse yourself against the fury of my foes.
Wake up for me; you commanded justice.
8 (7) May the assembly of the peoples surround you;
may you return to rule over them from on high.
9 (8) Adonai, who dispenses judgment to the peoples,
judge me, Adonai, according to my righteousness
and as my integrity deserves.
10 (9) Let the evil of the wicked come to an end,
and establish the righteous;
since you, righteous God,
test hearts and minds.
11 (10) My shield is God,
who saves the upright in heart.
12 (11) God is a righteous judge,
a God whose anger is present every day.
13 (12) If a person will not repent,
he sharpens his sword.
He has bent his bow, made it ready;
14 (13) he has also prepared for him
weapons of death, his arrows,
which he has made into burning shafts.
15 (14) Look how the wicked is pregnant with evil;
he conceives trouble, gives birth to lies.
16 (15) He makes a pit, digs it deep,
and falls into the hole he made.
17 (16) His mischief will return onto his own head,
his violence will recoil onto his own skull.
18 (17) I thank Adonai for his righteousness
and sing praise to the name of Adonai ‘Elyon.
8:1 (0) For the leader. On the gittit. A psalm of David:
2 (1) Adonai! Our Lord! How glorious
is your name throughout the earth!
The fame of your majesty
spreads even above the heavens!
3 (2) From the mouths of babies and infants at the breast
you established strength because of your foes,
in order that you might silence
the enemy and the avenger.
4 (3) When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and stars that you set in place —
5 (4) what are mere mortals, that you concern yourself with them;
humans, that you watch over them with such care?
6 (5) You made him but little lower than the angels,
you crowned him with glory and honor,
7 (6) you had him rule what your hands made,
you put everything under his feet —
8 (7) sheep and oxen, all of them,
also the animals in the wilds,
9 (8) the birds in the air, the fish in the sea,
whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
10 (9) Adonai! Our Lord! How glorious
is your name throughout the earth!
John 7:28 Whereupon Yeshua, continuing to teach in the Temple courts, cried out, “Indeed you do know me! And you know where I’m from! And I have not come on my own! The One who sent me is real. But him you don’t know! 29 I do know him, because I am with him, and he sent me!”
30 At this, they tried to arrest him; but no one laid a hand on him; because his time had not yet come. 31 However, many in the crowd put their trust in him and said, “When the Messiah comes, will he do more miracles than this man has done?”
32 The P’rushim heard the crowd whispering these things about Yeshua; so the head cohanim and the P’rushim sent some of the Temple guards to arrest him. 33 Yeshua said, “I will be with you only a little while longer; then I will go away to the One who sent me. 34 You will look for me and not find me; indeed, where I am, you cannot come.” 35 The Judeans said to themselves, “Where is this man about to go, that we won’t find him? Does he intend to go to the Greek Diaspora and teach the Greek-speaking Jews? 36 And when he says, ‘You will look for me and not find me; indeed, where I am, you cannot come’ — what does he mean?”
37 Now on the last day of the festival, Hoshana Rabbah, Yeshua stood and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him keep coming to me and drinking! 38 Whoever puts his trust in me, as the Scripture says, rivers of living water will flow from his inmost being!” 39 (Now he said this about the Spirit, whom those who trusted in him were to receive later — the Spirit had not yet been given, because Yeshua had not yet been glorified.)
40 On hearing his words, some people in the crowd said, “Surely this man is ‘the prophet’”; 41 others said, “This is the Messiah.” But others said, “How can the Messiah come from the Galil? 42 Doesn’t the Tanakh say that the Messiah is from the seed of David[John 7:42 2 Samuel 7:12] and comes from Beit-Lechem,[John 7:42 Micah 5:1(2)] the village where David lived?” 43 So the people were divided because of him. 44 Some wanted to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him.
45 The guards came back to the head cohanim and the P’rushim, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?” 46 The guards replied, “No one ever spoke the way this man speaks!” 47 “You mean you’ve been taken in as well?” the P’rushim retorted. 48 “Has any of the authorities trusted him? Or any of the P’rushim? No! 49 True, these ‘am-ha’aretz do, but they know nothing about the Torah, they are under a curse!”
50 Nakdimon, the man who had gone to Yeshua before and was one of them, said to them, 51 “Our Torah doesn’t condemn a man — does it? — until after hearing from him and finding out what he’s doing.” 52 They replied, “You aren’t from the Galil too, are you? Study the Tanakh, and see for yourself that no prophet comes from the Galil!” [John 7:52 Most scholars believe that 7:53–8:11 is not from the pen of Yochanan. Many are of the opinion that it is a true story about Yeshua written by another of his talmidim.] 53 Then they all left, each one to his own home.
660 Mason Ridge Center DriveSt. Louis, Missouri 63141, United States
1-800-876-9880
www.lhm.org
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