Because our Gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. ....[1 Thessalonians 1:5a]
Do you remember how in grade school you were picked on?
Maybe somebody called you a name. Maybe classmates avoided you. Maybe you felt you had no friends, or you felt stupid, or weren't a good athlete and always got picked last to be on a team. Maybe you didn't get invited to a party, or someone told you what the other kids were saying about you.
It doesn't make any difference what the problem was, as long as you remember it.
What did you do with that problem? Most of us went home with it. We shuffled into the house. We hid in our bedroom and cried, or plotted some righteous and really painful revenge upon our persecutors. Eventually, mom or dad would notice something was not quite right.
"What's wrong, honey?" they asked.
"Nuthin."
"Are you feeling all right?"
"I'm fine."
"Want me to take your temperature?"
"No, I'm fine."
By now, they knew you weren't fine. They knew something was very wrong, and they wanted to help.
But you didn't tell them about your problem. Why not? Because you knew, deep down, no matter how much they loved you, they couldn't help. They didn't have the power. What were they going to do? Go to your teacher and complain? Mom and dad loved you, but they didn't have the power to help you. The kids in the class had the power to help you, but they didn't love you. For the problem to be solved, power and love had to come together.
Okay, let's move forward on your life's timeline a bit. Let's move forward to right now.
How are things going? Is everything perfect in your life? Are there money problems, family problems, housing problems, work problems? Is it possible you have a guilty conscience? You know, it's a rare person whose life is perfect all the time. Assuming you're not that rare person, and believing you have difficulties, trials, temptations and sins, let me ask, what are you going to do?
The answer is simple: take it to the Lord.
He who brought the universe into being with a Word has the ability to take care of anything causing difficulty for you. Now only does He have the power to help you, He has also shown the desire to do so.
That He has shown in the sending of His Son, our Savior.
Jesus came to this world to carry our sins, to take our place under the Law, and to die the death we deserved. Now, with His mission completed, He says, "Call on Me." Call upon Me, knowing I will hear. Call upon Me, knowing that I care. Call upon Me, and be assured the Holy Spirit will help you.
Of course, to all that, you might reply, "I've done that and I still have problems."
That may well be true, but I can assure you, God will change your problem, eliminate your problem, or make it so you can deal with that problem. All are options used by our Lord who has the power and the love to change us and our lives for the better.
THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, in Jesus, Your love for lost humankind and the power to do something about us came together. Grant that I may trust Your ongoing care and compassion to me and all of sinful humanity. This I ask in Jesus' Name. Amen.
Do you remember how in grade school you were picked on?
Maybe somebody called you a name. Maybe classmates avoided you. Maybe you felt you had no friends, or you felt stupid, or weren't a good athlete and always got picked last to be on a team. Maybe you didn't get invited to a party, or someone told you what the other kids were saying about you.
It doesn't make any difference what the problem was, as long as you remember it.
What did you do with that problem? Most of us went home with it. We shuffled into the house. We hid in our bedroom and cried, or plotted some righteous and really painful revenge upon our persecutors. Eventually, mom or dad would notice something was not quite right.
"What's wrong, honey?" they asked.
"Nuthin."
"Are you feeling all right?"
"I'm fine."
"Want me to take your temperature?"
"No, I'm fine."
By now, they knew you weren't fine. They knew something was very wrong, and they wanted to help.
But you didn't tell them about your problem. Why not? Because you knew, deep down, no matter how much they loved you, they couldn't help. They didn't have the power. What were they going to do? Go to your teacher and complain? Mom and dad loved you, but they didn't have the power to help you. The kids in the class had the power to help you, but they didn't love you. For the problem to be solved, power and love had to come together.
Okay, let's move forward on your life's timeline a bit. Let's move forward to right now.
How are things going? Is everything perfect in your life? Are there money problems, family problems, housing problems, work problems? Is it possible you have a guilty conscience? You know, it's a rare person whose life is perfect all the time. Assuming you're not that rare person, and believing you have difficulties, trials, temptations and sins, let me ask, what are you going to do?
The answer is simple: take it to the Lord.
He who brought the universe into being with a Word has the ability to take care of anything causing difficulty for you. Now only does He have the power to help you, He has also shown the desire to do so.
That He has shown in the sending of His Son, our Savior.
Jesus came to this world to carry our sins, to take our place under the Law, and to die the death we deserved. Now, with His mission completed, He says, "Call on Me." Call upon Me, knowing I will hear. Call upon Me, knowing that I care. Call upon Me, and be assured the Holy Spirit will help you.
Of course, to all that, you might reply, "I've done that and I still have problems."
That may well be true, but I can assure you, God will change your problem, eliminate your problem, or make it so you can deal with that problem. All are options used by our Lord who has the power and the love to change us and our lives for the better.
THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, in Jesus, Your love for lost humankind and the power to do something about us came together. Grant that I may trust Your ongoing care and compassion to me and all of sinful humanity. This I ask in Jesus' Name. Amen.
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 147:1 Halleluyah!
660 Mason Ridge Center Drive
St. Louis, Missouri 63141 United States
1-800-876-9880
www.lhm.org
____________________________
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Through the Bible in a Year
Today Read:
Psalms 147:1 Halleluyah!
How good it is to sing praises to our God!
How sweet, how fitting to praise him!
2 Adonai is rebuilding Yerushalayim,
gathering the dispersed of Isra’el.
3 He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
4 He determines how many stars there are
and calls them all by name.
5 Our Lord is great, his power is vast,
his wisdom beyond all telling.
6 Adonai sustains the humble
but brings the wicked down to the ground.
7 Sing to Adonai with thanks,
sing praises on the lyre to our God.
8 He veils the sky with clouds;
he provides the earth with rain;
he makes grass grow on the hills;
9 he gives food to the animals,
even to the young ravens when they cry.
10 He takes no delight in the strength of a horse,
no pleasure in a runner’s speed.
11 Adonai takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who wait for his grace.
12 Glorify Adonai, Yerushalayim!
Praise your God, Tziyon!
13 For he strengthens the bars of your gates,
he blesses your children within you,
14 he brings peace within your borders,
he gives you your fill of the finest wheat.
15 He sends his word out over the earth,
his command runs swiftly.
16 Thus he gives snow like wool,
scatters hoarfrost like ashes,
17 sends crystals of ice like crumbs of bread —
who can withstand such cold?
18 Then he sends his word out and melts them;
he makes the winds blow, and the water flows.
19 He reveals his words to Ya‘akov,
his laws and rulings to Isra’el.
20 He has not done this for other nations;
they do not know his rulings.
Halleluyah!
148:1 Halleluyah!
Praise Adonai from the heavens!
Praise him in the heights!
2 Praise him, all his angels!
Praise him, all his armies!
3 Praise him, sun and moon!
Praise him, all shining stars!
4 Praise him, highest heaven,
and waters above the heavens!
5 Let them praise the name of Adonai;
for he commanded, and they were created.
6 He established them forever and ever;
he has given a law to which they must conform.
7 Praise Adonai from the earth,
sea monsters and watery depths,
8 fire and hail, snow and mist,
storm-winds that obey his word,
9 mountains and every hill,
fruit trees and all cedars,
10 wild animals and all livestock,
creeping reptiles, flying birds,
11 kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers on earth,
12 young men and women alike,
old men and children.
13 Let them praise the name of Adonai,
for his name alone is exalted;
his glory is above both earth and heaven.
14 He has increased the power of his people,
granted praise to all his faithful,
to the descendants of Isra’el,
a people close to him.
Halleluyah!
1 Corinthians 4:1 So, you should regard us as the Messiah’s servants, as trustees of God’s secret truths. 2 Now the one thing that is asked of a trustee is that he be found trustworthy. 3 And it matters very little to me how I am evaluated by you or by any human court; in fact, I don’t even evaluate myself. 4 I am not aware of anything against me, but this does not make me innocent. The one who is evaluating me is the Lord. 5 So don’t pronounce judgment prematurely, before the Lord comes; for he will bring to light what is now hidden in darkness; he will expose the motives of people’s hearts; and then each will receive from God whatever praise he deserves.
6 Now in what I have said here, brothers, I have used myself and Apollos as examples to teach you not to go beyond what the Tanakh says, proudly taking the side of one leader against another. 7 After all, what makes you so special? What do you have that you didn’t receive as a gift? And if in fact it was a gift, why do you boast as if it weren’t? 8 You are glutted already? You are rich already? You have become kings, even though we are not? Well, I wish you really were kings, so that we might share the kingship with you! 9 For I think God has been placing us emissaries on display at the tail of the parade, like men condemned to die in the public arena: we have become a spectacle before the whole universe, angels as well as men. 10 For the Messiah’s sake we are fools, but united with the Messiah you are wise! We are weak, but you are strong; you are honored, but we are dishonored. 11 Till this very moment we go hungry and thirsty, we are dressed in rags, we are treated roughly, we wander from place to place, 12 we exhaust ourselves working with our own hands for our living. When we are cursed, we keep on blessing; when we are persecuted, we go on putting up with it; 13 when we are slandered, we continue making our appeal. We are the world’s garbage, the scum of the earth — yes, to this moment!
14 I am not writing you this to make you feel ashamed, but, as my dear children, to confront you and get you to change. 15 For even if you have ten thousand trainers in connection with the Messiah, you do not have many fathers; for in connection with the Messiah Yeshua it was I who became your father by means of the Good News. 16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17 This is why I have sent you Timothy, my beloved and trustworthy child in the Lord. He will remind you of the way of life I follow in union with the Messiah Yeshua and teach everywhere in every congregation.
18 When I didn’t come to visit you, some of you became arrogant. 19 But I am coming to you soon, if the Lord wills; and I will take cognizance not of the talk of these arrogant people but of their power. 20 For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of words but of power. 21 Which do you prefer — should I come to you with a stick? or with love in a spirit of gentleness?
____________________________
The Lutheran Hour660 Mason Ridge Center Drive
St. Louis, Missouri 63141 United States
1-800-876-9880
www.lhm.org
____________________________
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