Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour of Saint Louis, Missouri, United States "What Are You Seeking?" for Friday, 29 May 2015
Jesus said to them, "I am the Bread of Life; whoever comes to Me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never cast out."[John 6:35-37]
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
Thanks be to God!
This past Christmas we had a chance to present our ministry programs in Da Nang, a city located in the central part of Vietnam.
On the night of December 13th, we hired a bus to take us to various localities around the city. In the time between our presentations we took advantage of the time and shared the Gospel with our driver.
As you will see, later on that night, the Holy Spirit changed his life.
We started our conversation by telling him the truth about our modern age. He agreed when we spoke of life being absolutely hectic with people doing all they can to make sure their physical needs and wants are being met. He didn't argue when we observed most people do not really think about how they will be in the future and where they will go after they die. That means people are neglecting the spiritual part of themselves.
Even some Christians have managed to get caught up in the search for things.
That's why many Vietnamese people follow Jesus or other religions. They want the Lord to bless them with earthly gifts. They believe the Lord will give them every delicacy to eat; He will give them an abundance of food, and He will guarantee they never get sick.
But I'm not done yet. Many come to the faith because they think the Lord is obligated to make them rich.
Now they are not entirely wrong in that assumption, are they?
You and I know we have a great many riches when we are given faith in the Redeemer. But those riches are not always the kind we can take to the bank. True, the Lord does provide many earthly blessings to most of us, but He does not want these things to be the ultimate aim and purpose of our faith.
Jesus wants us to see Him as the Bread of Life who nourishes our spiritual hunger. The Holy Spirit wants us to know that when we are brought to the Bread of Life we will never be spiritually hungry again. Because of the Savior's sacrifice we rejoice that our sins are forgiven, and we are made part of the Lord's family of faith.
Of course, this devotion is not just about the folks in Vietnam, is it? I wonder what are you seeking God for. Is it to satisfy your physical life or to enjoy the spiritual purpose with Him in Heaven? Whatever your purpose is, His will is to have you trust in Him completely because He is the One who nurtures your spiritual life and satisfies your earthly needs too.
When you come to God and receive what He wishes to give -- what His Son's life, death and resurrection made possible -- your life will be blessed.
Yes, that was the message we shared last Christmas with our bus driver. At the end of our conversation, the driver was touched by God's Spirit, and we invited him to attend a church. We invited him, and he came.
Today, I am proud to say the driver is a Christian.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, we sometimes seek You with the wrong purpose. Please help us recognize Your grace and gifts. Let us follow Jesus so we might walk on Your God-pleasing path. This I ask in the Savior's Name. Amen.
Biography of Author: Because of the political climate and government regulations, we can only share that today's international devotion was authored by someone who works at the Lutheran Hour Ministries office in Vietnam. Since radio is not available for LHM-Vietnam to use in outreach, the center uses its website to broadcast radio-style programming. In addition, the center continues to use more traditional activities such as print media, musical performances, puppet and film shows, drama and rallies to share the Christian message. Those who respond to the center's outreach activities are invited to enroll in LHM's Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC). Lutheran Hour Ministries-Vietnam also provides Equipping the Saints (ETS) workshops to train lay Christian volunteers in personal witnessing.
Known in-country as Globalinks, LHM-Vietnam's ministry center's holistic outreach includes conducting eyeglass clinics and children's nutritional programs in an effort to build community relationships. Soccer tournaments are used as a model to demonstrate Christian values to youth. To check out what's going on at the Globalinks blog, click here.
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 27:(0) By David:
(1) Adonai is my light and salvation;
whom do I need to fear?
Adonai is the stronghold of my life;
of whom should I be afraid?
2 When evildoers assailed me
to devour my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
they stumbled and fell.
3 If an army encamps against me,
my heart will not fear;
if war breaks out against me,
even then I will keep trusting.
4 Just one thing have I asked of Adonai;
only this will I seek:
to live in the house of Adonai
all the days of my life,
to see the beauty of Adonai
and visit in his temple.
5 For he will conceal me in his shelter
on the day of trouble,
he will hide me in the folds of his tent,
he will set me high on a rock.
6 Then my head will be lifted up
above my surrounding foes,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing, sing praises to Adonai.
7 Listen, Adonai, to my voice when I cry;
show favor to me; and answer me.
8 “My heart said of you, ‘Seek my face.’”
Your face, Adonai, I will seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me,
don’t turn your servant away in anger.
You are my help; don’t abandon me;
don’t leave me, God my savior.
10 Even though my father and mother have left me,
Adonai will care for me.
11 Teach me your way, Adonai;
lead me on a level path
because of my enemies —
12 don’t give me up to the whims of my foes;
for false witnesses have risen against me,
also those who are breathing violence.
13 If I hadn’t believed that I would see
Adonai’s goodness in the land of the living, . . .
14 Put your hope in Adonai, be strong,
and let your heart take courage!
Yes, put your hope in Adonai!
28:(0) By David:
(1) Adonai, I am calling to you;
my Rock, don’t be deaf to my cry.
For if you answer me with silence,
I will be like those who fall in a pit.
2 Hear the sound of my prayers
when I cry to you,
when I lift my hands
toward your holy sanctuary.
3 Don’t drag me off with the wicked,
with those whose deeds are evil;
they speak words of peace to their fellowmen,
but evil is in their hearts.
4 Pay them back for their deeds,
as befits their evil acts;
repay them for what they have done,
give them what they deserve.
5 For they don’t understand the deeds of Adonai
or what he has done.
He will break them down;
he will not build them up.
6 Blessed be Adonai,
for he heard my voice as I prayed for mercy.
7 Adonai is my strength and shield;
in him my heart trusted, and I have been helped.
Therefore my heart is filled with joy,
and I will sing praises to him.
8 Adonai is strength for [his people],
a stronghold of salvation to his anointed.
9 Save your people! Bless your heritage!
Shepherd them, and carry them forever!
29:(0) A psalm of David:
(1) Give Adonai his due, you who are godly;
give Adonai his due of glory and strength;
2 give Adonai the glory due his name;
worship Adonai in holy splendor.
3 The voice of Adonai is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
Adonai over rushing waters,
4 the voice of Adonai in power,
the voice of Adonai in splendor.
5 The voice of Adonai cracks the cedars;
Adonai splinters the cedars of the L’vanon
6 and makes the L’vanon skip like a calf,
Siryon like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of Adonai flashes fiery flames;
8 the voice of Adonai rocks the desert,
Adonai convulses the Kadesh Desert.
9 The voice of Adonai causes deer to give birth
and strips the forests bare —
while in his temple, all cry, “Glory!”
10 Adonai sits enthroned above the flood!
Adonai sits enthroned as king forever!
11 May Adonai give strength to his people!
May Adonai bless his people with shalom!
John 11:1 There was a man who had fallen sick. His name was El‘azar, and he came from Beit-Anyah, the village where Miryam and her sister Marta lived. 2 (This Miryam, whose brother El‘azar had become sick, is the one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) 3 So the sisters sent a message to Yeshua, “Lord, the man you love is sick.” 4 On hearing it, he said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may receive glory through it.”
5 Yeshua loved Marta and her sister and El‘azar; 6 so when he heard he was sick, first he stayed where he was two more days; 7 then, after this, he said to the talmidim, “Let’s go back to Y’hudah.” 8 The talmidim replied, “Rabbi! Just a short while ago the Judeans were out to stone you — and you want to go back there?” 9 Yeshua answered, “Aren’t there twelve hours of daylight? If a person walks during daylight, he doesn’t stumble; because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if a person walks at night, he does stumble; because he has no light with him.”
11 Yeshua said these things, and afterwards he said to the talmidim, “Our friend El‘azar has gone to sleep; but I am going in order to wake him up.” 12 The talmidim said to him, “Lord, if he has gone to sleep, he will get better.” 13 Now Yeshua had used the phrase to speak about El‘azar’s death, but they thought he had been talking literally about sleep. 14 So Yeshua told them in plain language, “El‘azar has died. 15 And for your sakes, I am glad that I wasn’t there, so that you may come to trust. But let’s go to him.” 16 Then T’oma (the name means “twin”) said to his fellow talmidim, “Yes, we should go, so that we can die with him!”
17 On arrival, Yeshua found that El‘azar had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Now Beit-Anyah was about two miles from Yerushalayim, 19 and many of the Judeans had come to Marta and Miryam in order to comfort them at the loss of their brother. 20 So when Marta heard that Yeshua was coming, she went out to meet him; but Miryam continued sitting shiv‘ah in the house.
21 Marta said to Yeshua, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 Even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” 23 Yeshua said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Marta said, “I know that he will rise again at the Resurrection on the Last Day.” 25 Yeshua said to her, “I AM the Resurrection and the Life! Whoever puts his trust in me will live, even if he dies; 26 and everyone living and trusting in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”
28 After saying this, she went off and secretly called Miryam, her sister: “The Rabbi is here and is calling for you.” 29 When she heard this, she jumped up and went to him.
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