Saturday, August 4, 2018

The Lutheran Hour MinistriesDaily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour Daily Devotion - August 5, 2018 "The Big Leagues"

The Lutheran Hour MinistriesDaily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour Daily Devotion - August 5, 2018 "The Big Leagues"
Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour "The Big Leagues" for Sunday, August 5, 2018
Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
"He's made it to the big leagues."
That baseball expression says someone has beaten the odds and is now numbered as being among the best.
And if you are wondering what kind of odds we are talking about, some research turns up:
* If you are a high school senior playing interscholastic baseball, the chances of you someday being drafted by a Major League Baseball team is .5 percent.
* If you are a senior playing on a National Collegiate Athletic Association team, the odds on you being drafted by a major league team is 5.6 percent.
* If you have been drafted into a minor league team, the chances you will play a game in the Big Leagues is 10 percent.
"He's made it to the big leagues" is an expression which has actually outgrown its baseball origins and now is applied to other facets of life where an individual has conquered great odds to achieve a level of excellence. When you've made it to the big leagues, you are among the best.
Dakota Hudson is a pitcher for the AAA-farm team, the Memphis Redbirds. Recently, he was pitching a game against the Salt Lake Bees. His first inning had been a good one: three batters up and three batters down. The second inning wasn't going as well for the right-hander. He walked the first batter and allowed a single to the second.
It wasn't a disastrous situation, and Hudson was fully prepared to pitch his way out of trouble.
Just before the third batter stepped into the box, Hudson saw his manager, Stubby Clapp, walking out to him. A visit by your manager is never a good thing. You can be pretty sure he is either going to give you a word of wisdom and encouragement or he is going to pull you out of the game and bring in someone else to take your place.
This time Manager Clapp did neither of those two things.
Instead of chewing out his pitcher, Clapp told Hudson he had been called up and he had "made it to the big leagues." Hudson broke into a grin that went ear to ear, and his teammates applauded, clapped him on the back, and offered their congratulations.
As I watched the entire team jump around in joy because a teammate had achieved a dream that all of them shared, I began to think of how that entire scenario might apply to sinful human beings who want to be called up to heaven.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized there is no comparison.
The truth is a person can try to lead a good life and win God's approval, but that individual is never going to be good enough to get into heaven on his own. In short, the odds of a sinner making it into heaven on his own merit is zero percent.
Heaven only becomes a reality when we have Jesus Christ as our Savior. It is He who lived a perfect life; it is He who resisted every temptation to sin, and He who carried our sins to the cross. Because of what He has done in His life and His resurrection, all who believe on Him as Savior are granted forgiveness and eternal life. Because of Jesus, believers will make it to the big leagues.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I give thanks for the Savior whose sacrifice has saved my soul and changed my eternal destiny. May others be given a faith which knows they are rescued only by the Redeemer. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.
The above devotion was inspired by a number of sources, including one written by Alex Butler for the UPI on July 30, 2018. 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: https://www.upi.com/Sports_News/MLB/2018/07/30/St-Louis-Cardinals-Minor-League-pitcher-gets-MLB-call-up-during-game/7241533001573/?ls=5

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 127-129; Acts 18
Psalms 127:
1 (0) A song of ascents. By Shlomo:
(1) Unless Adonai builds the house,
its builders work in vain.
Unless Adonai guards the city,
the guard keeps watch in vain.
2 In vain do you get up early
and put off going to bed,
working hard to earn a living;
for he provides for his beloved,
even when they sleep.
3 Children too are a gift from Adonai;
the fruit of the womb is a reward.
4 The children born when one is young.
are like arrows in the hand of a warrior.
5 How blessed is the man
who has filled his quiver with them;
he will not have to be embarrassed
when contending with foes at the city gate.
128:1 (0) A song of ascents:
(1) How happy is everyone who fears Adonai,
who lives by his ways.
2 You will eat what your hands have produced;
you will be happy and prosperous.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
in the inner parts of your house.
Your children around the table will be
like shoots from an olive tree.
4 This is the kind of blessing that will fall
on him who fears Adonai.
5 May Adonai bless you from Tziyon!
May you see Yerushalayim prosper
all the days of your life,
6 and may you live to see your children’s children!
Shalom on Isra’el.
129:1 (0) A song of ascents:
(1) Since I was young they have often attacked me —
let Isra’el repeat it —
2 since I was young they have often attacked me,
but they haven’t overcome me.
3 The plowmen plowed on my back;
wounding me with long furrows.
4 But Adonai is righteous;
he cuts me free from the yoke of the wicked.
5 Let all who hate Tziyon
be thrown back in confusion.
6 Let them be like grass on the roof,
which dries out before it grows up
7 and never fills the reaper’s hands
or the arms of the one who binds sheaves,
8 so that no passer-by says,
“Adonai’s blessing on you!
We bless you in the name of Adonai!”
Acts 18:1 After this, Sha’ul left Athens and went to Corinth, 2 where he met a Jewish man named Aquila, originally from Pontus but having recently come with his wife Priscilla from Italy, because Claudius had issued a decree expelling all the Jews from Rome. Sha’ul went to see them; 3 and because he had the same trade as they, making tents, he stayed on with them; and they worked together.
4 Sha’ul also began carrying on discussions every Shabbat in the synagogue, where he tried to convince both Jews and Greeks. 5 But after Sila and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Sha’ul felt pressed by the urgency of the message and testified in depth to the Jews that Yeshua is the Messiah. 6 However when they set themselves against him and began hurling insults, he shook out his clothes and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! For my part, I am clean; from now on, I will go to the Goyim!”
7 So he left them and went into the home of a “God-fearer” named Titius Justus, whose house was right next door to the synagogue. 8 Crispus, the president of the synagogue, came to trust in the Lord, along with his whole household; also many of the Corinthians who heard trusted and were immersed.
9 One night, in a vision, the Lord said to Sha’ul, “Don’t be afraid, but speak right up, and don’t stop, 10 because I am with you. No one will succeed in harming you, for I have many people in this city.” 11 So Sha’ul stayed there for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.
12 But when Gallio became the Roman governor of Achaia, the unbelieving Jews made a concerted attack on Sha’ul and took him to court, 13 saying, “This man is trying to persuade people to worship God in ways that violate the Torah.” 14 Sha’ul was just about to open his mouth, when Gallio said to the Jews, “Listen, you Jews, if this were a case of inflicted injury or a serious crime, I could reasonably be expected to hear you out patiently. 15 But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law, then you must deal with it yourselves. I flatly refuse to judge such matters.” 16 And he had them ejected from the court. 17 They all grabbed Sosthenes, the president of the synagogue, and gave him a beating in full view of the bench; but Gallio showed no concern whatever.
18 Sha’ul remained for some time, then said good-bye to the brothers and sailed off to Syria, after having his hair cut short in Cenchrea, because he had taken a vow; with him were Priscilla and Aquila.
19 They came to Ephesus, and he left them there; but he himself went into the synagogue and held dialogue with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to stay with them longer, he declined; 21 however, in his farewell he said, “God willing, I will come back to you.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.
22 After landing at Caesarea, he went up to Yerushalayim and greeted the Messianic community. Then he came down to Antioch, 23 spent some time there, and afterwards set out and passed systematically through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the talmidim.
24 Meanwhile, a Jewish man named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent speaker with a thorough knowledge of the Tanakh. 25 This man had been informed about the Way of the Lord, and with great spiritual fervor he spoke and taught accurately the facts about Yeshua, but he knew only the immersion of Yochanan. 26 He began to speak out boldly in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the Way of God in fuller detail. 27 When he made plans to cross over into Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote the talmidimthere to welcome him. On arrival, he greatly helped those who through grace had come to trust; 28 for he powerfully and conclusively refuted the unbelieving Jews in public, demonstrating by the Tanakh that Yeshua is the Messiah. (Complete Jewish Bible).
Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
CHANGE THEIR WORLD. CHANGE YOURS. 
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING.
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