|
Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour
|
|
|
"The One and Only"
Tuesday, June 13, 2017
1 Timothy 2:5 - For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
Most people think that I write a devotion and then, the next day, they read that devotion.
They would be surprised to find there are numerous individuals between the writing and the reading. There are the folks who translate the devotion and those who prepare it for its appearance on the web and in your e-mail. There are those who make large-print editions and put it into Braille.
And then, of course, we have two folks who are mediators between you and me. One is the doctrinal reviewer who makes sure I'm not sharing any heresies, and the other is a fellow who proofs and fact checks every devotion.
A little over a week ago, this second mediator e-mailed me about a concern he had with the devotion that addressed the bombing in Manchester, England. My devotion said,
"Manchester citizens flocked to blood donation centers to help attack victims."
That's a very strange sentence. If you read it with a wrong emphasis on the word "attack," it can be confusing and downright wrong.
My editor suggested this might be a better and a less-confusing way to say the same thing. He suggested,
"Manchester citizens flocked to blood donation centers to help the attack victims."
The mediator's addition of that three-letter word fixed everything. No longer would anybody believe the people of Manchester were tracking down and abusing those poor unfortunates who had already survived one cataclysmic event.
In other words, the mediator did what he was supposed to do: he fixed a bad situation.
Two-thousand years ago, Jesus of Nazareth, the Mediator between God and man, did the same thing: He fixed a disastrous -- a damning situation. By taking our place under the Law, Jesus lived a perfect life and resisted every temptation, which was thrown at Him.
Then when His work on earth was drawing to a close, He carried our sins to the cross and, when He died our death, He also destroyed sin's curse for all who would be brought to faith in Him as their Savior and Lord.
His third-day resurrection from the dead is proof positive of Jesus' success. He has done what no other individual could do: He fixed an impossible situation and rescued us.
Which is why St. Paul could confidently write to Timothy, "There is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
Thank the Lord for that One.THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, all too often we act like little children who have taken apart grandpa's watch. We think we can put it back together, but any such restoration is totally beyond us. This is why we give thanks for Jesus. In His life, suffering, death, and resurrection, He has fixed an impossible situation and rescued us. In His Name we offer up this prayer. Amen.
The above devotion was inspired by a number of sources, including one written by Asif Aqeel for World Watch Monitor on June 6, 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,
|
|
|
Proverbs 8:1 Wisdom is calling!Understanding is raising her voice!
2 On the heights along the road,
where the paths meet, she is standing;
3 by the gates leading into the city,
at the entrances, she cries aloud:
4 “People, I am calling you,
raising my voice to all mankind.
5 You who don’t direct your lives,
understand caution;
as for you, you fools,
get some common sense!
6 “Listen! I will say worthwhile things;
when I speak, my words are right.
7 My mouth says what is true,
because my lips detest evil.
8 All the words from my mouth are righteous;
nothing false or crooked is in them.
9 They are all clear to those who understand
and straightforward to those who gain knowledge.
10 Receive my instruction, rather than silver;
knowledge, rather than the finest gold.
11 For wisdom is better than pearls;
nothing you want can compare with her.
12 “I, wisdom, live together with caution;
I attain knowledge and discretion.
13 The fear of Adonai is hatred of evil.
I hate pride and arrogance,
evil ways and duplicitous speech.
14 Good advice is mine, and common sense;
I am insight, power is mine.
15 By me kings reign,
and princes make just laws.
16 By me princes govern,
nobles too, and all the earth’s rulers.
17 I love those who love me;
and those who seek me will find me.
18 Riches and honor are with me,
lasting wealth and righteousness.
19 My fruit is better than gold, fine gold,
my produce better than the finest silver.
20 I follow the course of righteousness
along the paths of justice,
21 to endow with wealth those who love me
and fill their treasuries.
22 “Adonai made me as the beginning of his way,
the first of his ancient works.
23 I was appointed before the world,
before the start, before the earth’s beginnings.
24 When I was brought forth, there were no ocean depths,
no springs brimming with water.
25 I was brought forth before the hills,
before the mountains had settled in place;
26 he had not yet made the earth, the fields,
or even the earth’s first grains of dust.
27 When he established the heavens, I was there.
When he drew the horizon’s circle on the deep,
28 when he set the skies above in place,
when the fountains of the deep poured forth,
29 when he prescribed boundaries for the sea,
so that its water would not transgress his command,
when he marked out the foundations of the earth,
30 I was with him as someone he could trust.
For me, every day was pure delight,
as I played in his presence all the time,.
31 playing everywhere on his earth,
and delighting to be with humankind.
32 “Therefore, children, listen to me:
happy are those who keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction, and grow wise;
do not refuse it.
34 How happy the person who listens to me,
who watches daily at my gates
and waits outside my doors.
35 For he who finds me finds life
and obtains the favor of Adonai.
36 But he who misses me harms himself;
all who hate me love death.”
9:1 Wisdom has built herself a house;
she has carved her seven pillars.
2 She has prepared her food, spiced her wine,
and she has set her table.
3 She has sent out her young girls [with invitations];
she calls from the heights of the city,
4 “Whoever is unsure of himself, turn in here!”
To someone weak-willed she says,
5 “Come and eat my food!
Drink the wine I have mixed!
6 Don’t stay unsure of yourself, but live!
Walk in the way of understanding!”
7 “He who corrects a scoffer only gets insulted;
reproving a wicked man becomes his blemish.
8 If you reprove a scoffer, he will hate you;
if you reprove a wise man, he will love you.
9 Give to a wise man, and he grows still wiser;
teach a righteous man, and he will learn still more.
10 The fear of Adonai is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of holy ones is understanding.
11 For with me, your days will be increased;
years will be added to your life.
12 If you are wise, your wisdom helps you;
but if you scoff, you bear the consequences alone.”
13 The foolish woman is coarse;
she doesn’t think, and she doesn’t know a thing.
14 She sits at the door of her house
or on a seat at the heights of the city,
15 calling to those who pass by,
to those going straight along their ways,
16 “Whoever is unsure of himself, turn in here!”
To someone weak-willed she says,
17 “Stolen water is sweet;
food eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18 But he doesn’t realize
that the dead are there,
and that those who accept her invitation
are in the depths of Sh’ol.
15 After breakfast, Yeshua said to Shim‘on Kefa, “Shim‘on Bar-Yochanan, do you love me more than these?” He replied, “Yes, Lord, you know I’m your friend.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 A second time he said to him, “Shim‘on Bar-Yochanan, do you love me?” He replied, “Yes, Lord, you know I’m your friend.” He said to him, “Shepherd my sheep.” 17 The third time he said to him, “Shim‘on Bar-Yochanan, are you my friend?” Shim‘on was hurt that he questioned him a third time: “Are you my friend?” So he replied, “Lord, you know everything! You know I’m your friend!” Yeshua said to him, “Feed my sheep! 18 Yes, indeed! I tell you, when you were younger, you put on your clothes and went where you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” 19 He said this to indicate the kind of death by which Kefa would bring glory to God. Then Yeshua said to him, “Follow me!”
20 Kefa turned and saw the talmid Yeshua especially loved following behind, the one who had leaned against him at the supper and had asked, “Who is the one who is betraying you?” 21 On seeing him, Kefa said to Yeshua, “Lord, what about him?” 22 Yeshua said to him, “If I want him to stay on until I come, what is it to you? You, follow me!” 23 Therefore the word spread among the brothers that that talmid would not die. However, Yeshua didn’t say he wouldn’t die, but simply, “If I want him to stay on until I come, what is it to you?”
24 This one is the talmid who is testifying about these things and who has recorded them.
And we know that his testimony is true.
25 But there are also many other things Yeshua did; and if they were all to be recorded, I don’t think the whole world could contain the books that would have to be written!
|
-------
Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
|
|
|
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment