Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour "The Faithful and Effective Word" for Sunday, July 16, 2017
Isaiah 55:10-11 - (The Lord said) "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My Word be that goes out from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it."
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 Sunday 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
In this world, there are few guarantees.
However, if you are visiting Panama, you can almost be sure you will see rain. This results in some of the most lush and beautiful flora and vegetation in the entire world. After a rain, you can practically see Isaiah's words coming to fruition as new life comes forth.
What comfort the prophet Isaiah's words must have been to the people living during the Babylonian captivity.
In a land of strange customs, different food, and hostility, God's people had little to hold onto except the Word of God. The promise that, as they saw the rain and snow fall to earth and do something, so His Word would also do the same.
In truth, God's Word never returns empty.
The exiles received a more complete understanding of God's faithfulness when they were set free by Cyrus, the king of Persia. Their liberation was just one more proof of God's ongoing care for them -- a caring that stretched from the promise the Lord first made to Abraham to the fulfillment of that promise in the Person of the Redeemer.
Although I cannot say how it is around the world, I do know for children in Panama, school can be a place of strange customs, different experiences, and hostility.
Lutheran Hour Ministries-Panama responds to those pains, problems, and possibilities with a program called Project JOEL. Project JOEL is a ministry where the Lutheran Hour staff visits schools, bringing to the students the Word of God and the love of Jesus. This they do through songs and dramas.
I wish you could see how in the faces of these children we see the fulfillment of God's promise given to Isaiah. I wish you could be there and watch how the story and sacrifice of God's Son touches souls and accomplishes God's plan of salvation.
Where there was once sin, brokenness, and death, Jesus brings forgiveness, healing, and life. Moreover, into the baptismal font, Jesus pours life-giving water, not for sprouts and seeds, but for faith.
As surely as the rain brings new life in Panama, the Holy Spirit is using the Word shared by the Lutheran Hour staff to bring new life into the children of Panama's schools.
THE PRAYER: Almighty God, You are ever faithful to Your promises. You fulfill them in Your time, according to Your will. Thank You for sending Your Son into this world to bring forgiveness, life, and salvation. By the power of the Holy Spirit, help faith spring up wherever and whenever Your Word is heard. May this happen so souls may be saved and Your church may grow. This I ask through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Biography of Author: Today's international devotion was written by the Rev. Brian Gauthier, who is an LCMS missionary to Panama working in the area of theological education. In Panama, Lutheran Hour Ministries is called Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Our ministry shares the Savior through radio programs, TV spots, newspaper ads, Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC), visitation teams, Project JOEL, and Equipping the Saints (ETS) workshops.
With its ministry center in Panama City since 1995, Lutheran Hour Ministries-Panama makes Gospel connections with others through printed materials, live events, mass media and the internet, holistic outreach, and other means. Using BCCs, individuals are instructed in the basic tenets of the Christian faith and how to put them into operation in their lives. Through ETS workshops, laypeople are instructed in sharing their faith with others, in order to build bridges via the Gospel. Helping young people make healthy lifestyle choices is the role of Project JOEL, a program teaching faith-based values that has been successfully integrated into the curricula of public schools, giving teachers a valuable resource to help them foster and promote positive values. Ministry center volunteers play an important part in LHM-Panama's outreach efforts as well, supporting ministry staff and telling others about Jesus in this Central American country of nearly four million people.
Be sure to check out LHM's International Ministries' blog page. You can find it by clicking 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: 2 Kings 15-16; Galatians 3
2 Kings 15:1 It was in the twenty-seventh year of Yarov‘am king of Isra’el that ‘Azaryah the son of Amatzyah, king of Y’hudah, began his reign. 2 He was sixteen years old when he began to rule, and he ruled for fifty-two years in Yerushalayim. His mother’s name was Y’kholyahu, from Yerushalayim. 3 He did what was right from Adonai’s perspective, following the example of everything his father Amatzyah had done. 4 However, the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and offered on the high places.
5 Adonai struck the king, so that he had tzara‘at until his dying day, so that he lived in a separate house, while Yotam the king’s son ran the king’s household and was regent over the people of the land.
6 Other activities of ‘Azaryah and all his accomplishments are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Y’hudah. 7 So ‘Azaryah slept with his ancestors the kings of Isra’el, and they buried him with his ancestors in the City of David. Then Yotam his son took his place as king.
8 It was in the thirty-eighth year of ‘Azaryah king of Y’hudah that Z’kharyah the son of Yarov‘am began his reign over Isra’el in Shomron; he ruled for six months. 9 He did what was evil from Adonai’s perspective, just as his ancestors had done; he did not turn from all the sins of Yarov‘am the son of N’vat, who made Isra’el sin.
10 Shalum the son of Yavesh formed a conspiracy against him. He struck him in the presence of the people and killed him; then he took his place as king.
11 Other activities of Z’kharyah are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra’el. 12 The word of Adonai which he had spoken to Yehu was, “Your descendants down to the fourth generation will sit on the throne of Isra’el”; and that is exactly what happened.
13 Shalum the son of Yavesh began his reign in the thirty-ninth year of ‘Uziyah king of Y’hudah; he ruled in Shomron for only a month. 14 Menachem the son of Gadi went up from Tirtzah, came to Shomron, struck Shalum the son of Yavesh in Shomron and killed him. Then he took his place as king.
15 Other activities of Shalum and the conspiracy he formed are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra’el
16 From Tirtzah Menachem attacked Tifsach, all the people in it and its territory, because they had not opened their gates to him. So he sacked the city and ripped apart all its pregnant women.
17 It was in the thirty-ninth year of ‘Azaryah king of Y’hudah that Menachem the son of Gadi began his reign over Isra’el; he ruled ten years in Shomron. 18 He did what was evil from Adonai’s perspective; throughout his life he did not turn from the sins of Yarov‘am the son of N’vat, who made Isra’el sin.
19 Pul the king of Ashur invaded the land. Menachem gave Pul thirty-three tons of silver, so that he would confirm Menachem’s hold on the kingdom. 20 He did this by taxing the wealthy men in Isra’el; from each he required one-and-a-quarter pounds of silver to give to the king of Ashur. Then the king of Ashur turned around and left the land.
21 Other activities of Menachem and all his accomplishments are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra’el. 22 Menachem slept with his ancestors, and P’kachyah his son took his place as king.
23 It was in the fiftieth year of ‘Azaryah king of Y’hudah that P’kachyah the son of Menachem began his reign over Isra’el in Shomron; he ruled for two years. 24 He did what was evil from Adonai’s perspective; he did not turn from the sins of Yarov‘am the son of N’vat, who made Isra’el sin.
25 Pekach the son of Remalyahu, one of his commanders, conspired against him. With Argov, Aryeh and fifty men from Gil‘ad, he assassinated him in the palace stronghold in Shomron. After killing him, he took his place as king.
26 Other activities of P’kachyah and all his accomplishments are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra’el.
27 It was in the fifty-second year of ‘Azaryah king of Y’hudah that Pekach the son of Remalyah began to reign over Isra’el in Shomron; his reign lasted twenty years. 28 He did what was evil from Adonai’s perspective; he did not turn from the sins of Yarov‘am the son of N’vat, who made Isra’el sin.
29 During the time of Pekach king of Isra’el, Tiglat-Pil’eser king of Ashur came and conquered ‘Iyon, Avel-Beit-Ma‘akhah, Yanoach, Kedesh, Hatzor, Gil‘ad, and the Galil — all the land of Naftali — and took them captive to Ashur.
30 Hoshea the son of Elah conspired against Pekach the son of Remalyah, struck him, killed him and took his place as king in the twentieth year of Yotam the son of ‘Uziyah.
31 Other activities of Pekach and all his accomplishments are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Isra’el.
32 It was in the second year of Pekach the son of Remalyah, king of Isra’el, that Yotam the son of ‘Uziyah king of Y’hudah began his reign. 33 He was twenty-five years old when he began his reign, and he ruled for sixteen years in Yerushalayim. His mother’s name was Yerusha the daughter of Tzadok. 34 He did what was right from Adonai’s perspective, following the example of everything his father ‘Uziyah had done. 35 However, the high places were not taken away; and the people still sacrificed and offered on the high places.
He built the Upper Gate of the house of Adonai.
36 Other activities of Yotam and all his accomplishments are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Y’hudah.
37 It was during this period that Adonai began sending against Y’hudah Retzin the king of Aram and Pekach the son of Remalyah.
38 Yotam slept with his ancestors and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David his ancestor. Then Achaz his son took his place as king.
16:1 It was in the seventeenth year of Pekach the son of Remalyah that Achaz the son of Yotam king of Y’hudah began his reign. 2 Achaz was twenty years old when he began to rule, and he reigned sixteen years in Yerushalayim. But he did not do what was right from the perspective of Adonai his God, as David his ancestor had done. 3 Rather, he lived in the manner of the kings of Isra’el; he even made his son pass through fire [as a sacrifice], in keeping with the abominable practices of the pagans, whom Adonai had thrown out ahead of the people of Isra’el. 4 He also sacrificed and offered on the high places, on the hills and under any green tree.
5 Then Retzin king of Aram and Pekach son of Remalyah, king of Isra’el, came up to fight against Yerushalayim. They put Achaz under siege, but they could not overcome him. 6 It was at that time that Retzin king of Aram recovered Eilat for Aram and drove the Judeans from Eilat; whereupon people from Edom came to Eilat to live, as they do to this day. 7 Then Achaz sent messengers to Tiglat-Pil’eser king of Ashur with this message: “I am your servant and your son. Come up, and save me from the king of Aram and the king of Isra’el, who are attacking me.” 8 Achaz took the silver and gold that was in the house of Adonai and in the treasuries of the royal palace and sent it as a present to the king of Ashur. 9 The king of Ashur heeded him — the king of Ashur attacked Dammesek and captured it; then he carried its people captive to Kir and killed Retzin.
10 When King Achaz went to Dammesek to meet Tiglat-Pil’eser king of Ashur and saw the altar that was in Dammesek, he sent a drawing and model of the altar to Uriyah the cohen, with details of its construction and decoration. 11 Then Uriyah the cohen built an altar exactly according to the design King Achaz had sent from Dammesek; Uriyah the cohen had it ready by the time King Achaz returned from Dammesek. 12 When the king arrived from Dammesek he saw the altar, and the king approached the altar and offered on it. 13 He offered his burnt offering and his grain offering, poured out his drink offering and splashed the blood of his peace offerings on the altar. 14 The bronze altar, which was before Adonai, he brought from in front of the house, from between his own altar and the house of Adonai, and put it on the north side of his own altar. 15 Then King Achaz instructed Uriyah the cohen as follows: “Henceforth, it is on the large altar that you are to offer the morning burnt offering, the evening grain offering, the king’s burnt offering and his grain offering, together with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, their grain offering and their drink offerings; and you are to splash all the blood of the burnt offering against it and all the blood of the sacrifice. As for the bronze altar, I will take care of that.” 16 Uriyah the cohen acted in accordance with everything King Achaz ordered. 17 King Achaz removed the panels of the trolleys and took the basins off them; he took the Sea off the bronze oxen supporting it and set it on the stone pavement; 18 and, because of the king of Ashur, he removed from the house of Adonai the colonnade used on Shabbat that had been built for it and the king’s entranceway outside it.
19 Other activities of Achaz and all his accomplishments are recorded in the Annals of the Kings of Y’hudah. 20 Achaz slept with his ancestors and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then Hizkiyahu his son took his place as king.
Galatians 3:1 You stupid Galatians! Who has put you under a spell? Before your very eyes Yeshua the Messiah was clearly portrayed as having been put to death as a criminal! 2 I want to know from you just this one thing: did you receive the Spirit by legalistic observance of Torah commands or by trusting in what you heard and being faithful to it? 3 Are you that stupid? Having begun with the Spirit’s power, do you think you can reach the goal under your own power? 4 Have you suffered so much for nothing? If that’s the way you think, your suffering certainly will have been for nothing! 5 What about God, who supplies you with the Spirit and works miracles among you — does he do it because of your legalistic observance of Torah commands or because you trust in what you heard and are faithful to it?
6 It was the same with Avraham: “He trusted in God and was faithful to him, and that was credited to his account as righteousness.”[Galatians 3:6 Genesis 15:6] 7 Be assured, then, that it is those who live by trusting and being faithful who are really children of Avraham. 8 Also the Tanakh, foreseeing that God would consider the Gentiles righteous when they live by trusting and being faithful, told the Good News to Avraham in advance by saying, “In connection with you, all the Goyim will be blessed.”[Galatians 3:8 Genesis 12:3] 9 So then, those who rely on trusting and being faithful are blessed along with Avraham, who trusted and was faithful.
10 For everyone who depends on legalistic observance of Torah commands lives under a curse, since it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not keep on doing everything written in the Scroll of the Torah.”[Galatians 3:10 Deuteronomy 27:26] 11 Now it is evident that no one comes to be declared righteous by God through legalism, since “The person who is righteous will attain life by trusting and being faithful.”[Galatians 3:11 Habakkuk 2:4] 12 Furthermore, legalism is not based on trusting and being faithful, but on [a misuse of] the text that says, “Anyone who does these things will attain life through them.”[Galatians 3:12 Leviticus 18:5] 13 The Messiah redeemed us from the curse pronounced in the Torah by becoming cursed on our behalf; for the Tanakh says, “Everyone who hangs from a stake comes under a curse.”[Galatians 3:13 Deuteronomy 21:22–23] 14 Yeshua the Messiah did this so that in union with him the Gentiles might receive the blessing announced to Avraham, so that through trusting and being faithful, we might receive what was promised, namely, the Spirit.
15 Brothers, let me make an analogy from everyday life: when someone swears an oath, no one else can set it aside or add to it. 16 Now the promises were made to Avraham and to his seed. It doesn’t say, “and to seeds,” as if to many; on the contrary, it speaks of one — “and to your seed”[Galatians 3:16 Genesis 12:7; 13:15; 17:7; 24:7] — and this “one” is the Messiah. 17 Here is what I am saying: the legal part of the Torah, which came into being 430 years later, does not nullify an oath sworn by God, so as to abolish the promise. 18 For if the inheritance comes from the legal part of the Torah, it no longer comes from a promise. But God gave it to Avraham through a promise.
19 So then, why the legal part of the Torah? It was added in order to create transgressions, until the coming of the seed about whom the promise had been made. Moreover, it was handed down through angels and a mediator. 20 Now a mediator implies more than one, but God is one.
21 Does this mean that the legal part of the Torah stands in opposition to God’s promises? Heaven forbid! For if the legal part of the Torah which God gave had had in itself the power to give life, then righteousness really would have come by legalistically following such a Torah. 22 But instead, the Tanakh shuts up everything under sin; so that what had been promised might be given, on the basis of Yeshua the Messiah’s trusting faithfulness, to those who continue to be trustingly faithful.
23 Now before the time for this trusting faithfulness came, we were imprisoned in subjection to the system which results from perverting the Torah into legalism, kept under guard until this yet-to-come trusting faithfulness would be revealed. 24 Accordingly, the Torah functioned as a custodian until the Messiah came, so that we might be declared righteous on the ground of trusting and being faithful. 25 But now that the time for this trusting faithfulness has come, we are no longer under a custodian.
26 For in union with the Messiah, you are all children of God through this trusting faithfulness; 27 because as many of you as were immersed into the Messiah have clothed yourselves with the Messiah, in whom 28 there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor freeman, neither male nor female; for in union with the Messiah Yeshua, you are all one. 29 Also, if you belong to the Messiah, you are seed of Avraham and heirs according to the promise.
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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