Missionary Renegade: The Lutheran Hour Ministries Daily Devotion in Saint Louis, Missouri, United States by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour

Wednesday, May 17, 2017

The Lutheran Hour Ministries Daily Devotion in Saint Louis, Missouri, United States by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour - May 18, 2017 "Not Even Ten Minutes"

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries in Saint Louis, Missouri, United States by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour

"Not Even Ten Minutes"

Thursday, May 18, 2017

Mark 13:32-33 - (Jesus said) "But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come."

Most parochial schools in the northern part of our country have a plan which is called upon if a blizzard hits the area. In that plan are things like who makes the decision if school is going to have a late start or is called off altogether; on what radio or TV station an announcement is going to be shared; and how the news is going to be shared among members of the staff. The list is a good thing and it usually works without any flaw or failing. Of course, most of the time the weather man gives days of warnings to make sure the plan is in good working order.
It might surprise you, but the nation of Japan also has a plan.
Sadly, Japan's plan is not about a snow storm. Japan's plan says how people are be notified if a country like North Korea should ever launch a missile attack against the nation.
Under the national warning system, the notifications would go out this way:
1. news of an impending missile strike would first be shared with officials through cell phone, satellite, and internet;
2. news would next be shared with the public through their phones, through the internet, and via emergency radio and television broadcasts.
It's a great plan, but there's a problem.
The problem is this: from the time a missile is launched from Korea until the time it explodes in Japan is around 10 minutes. That's right. Japan would have a total of 10 minutes to inform the entire country to take shelter. And if it didn't detect the missiles at the moment of launch, or if the folks in authority spent some time debating whether the missile launch was real or imagined, that ten minutes would be considerably shortened.
Little wonder that this month alone more than 2.5 million Japanese people have proactively visited the nation's website, which tells them what to do in case of attack.
I admire those folks who want to be ready. Of course, I admire even more all those folks who want to be ready for the return of the Savior.
They're showing some seriously good wisdom. The reality is that the people of Japan have ten minutes to get themselves to safety, but the world will have zero minutes to prepare for the Lord's Day of Judgment. On that day you will be ready, or you will not. On that day you will have acknowledged the Christ as your Lord and Savior, or you will not. On that day you will have been forgiven of your sins, or you will not.
Scripture is clear: Jesus is coming. About that fact there are no ifs, ands, or buts.
Jesus is coming and we need to make sure as many people as possible are prepared for that unknown hour. To tell the world to be prepared is why The Lutheran Hour exists. It's why your church and denomination do mission work. It is why your congregation reaches out into nearby neighborhoods. It is why you share Christ crucified and risen with family and friends.THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I am a sinner living in a sinful world. May I give thanks for the forgiveness Jesus has won for humanity. Now, while there is still time, may I share His Good News with everyone I can. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.

The above devotion was inspired by a number of sources, including one written for Newser on April 15, 2017. Those who wish to reference that article may do so at the following link, which was fully functional at the time this devotion was written. Please click here

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour
Lutheran Hour Ministries

Today's Bible in a Year Reading: Psalms 64; Psalms 70; John 6:1-21

Psalms 64:1(0) For the leader. A psalm of David:
2 (1) Hear my voice, God, as I plead:
preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
3 (2) Hide me from the secret intrigues of the wicked
and the open insurrection of evildoers.
4 (3) They sharpen their tongues like a sword;
they aim their arrows, poisoned words,
5 (4) in order to shoot from cover at the innocent,
shooting suddenly and fearing nothing.
6 (5) They support each other’s evil plans;
they talk of hiding snares
and ask, “Who would see them?”
7 (6) They search for ways to commit crimes,
bringing their diligent search to completion
when each of them has thought it through
in the depth of his heart.
8 (7) Suddenly God shoots them down with an arrow,
leaving them with wounds;
9 (8) their own tongues make them stumble.
All who see them shake their heads.
10 (9) Everyone is awestruck —
they acknowledge that it is God at work,
they understand what he has done.
11 (10) The righteous will rejoice in Adonai;
they will take refuge in him;
all the upright in heart will exult.
70:1 (0) For the leader. By David. As a reminder:
2 (1) God, rescue me!
Adonai, hurry and help me!
3 (2) May those who seek my life
be disgraced and humiliated.
May those who take pleasure in doing me harm
be turned back and put to confusion.
4 (3) May those who jeer, “Aha! Aha!”
withdraw because of their shame.
5 (4) But may all those who seek you
be glad and take joy in you.
May those who love your salvation say always,
“God is great and glorious!”
6 (5) But I am poor and needy;
God, hurry for me.
You are my helper and rescuer;
Adonai, don’t delay!

John 6:1 Some time later, Yeshua went over to the far side of Lake Kinneret (that is, Lake Tiberias), 2 and a large crowd followed him, because they had seen the miracles he had performed on the sick. 3 Yeshua went up into the hills and sat down there with his talmidim. 4 Now the Judean festival of Pesach was coming up; 5 so when Yeshua looked up and saw that a large crowd was approaching, he said to Philip, “Where will we be able to buy bread, so that these people can eat?” 6 (Now Yeshua said this to test Philip, for Yeshua himself knew what he was about to do.) 7 Philip answered, “Half a year’s wages wouldn’t buy enough bread for them — each one would get only a bite!” 8 One of the talmidim, Andrew the brother of Shim‘on Kefa, said to him, 9 “There’s a young fellow here who has five loaves of barley bread and two fish. But how far will they go among so many?”

10 Yeshua said, “Have the people sit down.” There was a lot of grass there, so they sat down. The number of men was about five thousand. 11 Then Yeshua took the loaves of bread, and, after making a b’rakhah, gave to all who were sitting there, and likewise with the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 After they had eaten their fill, he told his talmidim, “Gather the leftover pieces, so that nothing gets wasted.” 13 They gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten.
14 When the people saw the miracle he had performed, they said, “This has to be ‘the prophet’ who is supposed to come into the world.” 15 Yeshua knew that they were on the point of coming and seizing him, in order to make him king; so he went back to the hills again. This time he went by himself.
16 When evening came, his talmidim went down to the lake, 17 got into a boat and set out across the lake toward K’far-Nachum. By now it was dark, Yeshua had not yet joined them, 18 and the sea was getting rough, because a strong wind was blowing. 19 They had rowed three or four miles when they saw Yeshua approaching the boat, walking on the lake! They were terrified; 20 but he said to them, “Stop being afraid, it is I.” 21 Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and instantly the boat reached the land they were heading for.