Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour "Think Again" for Wednesday, 25 July 2018
2 Corinthians 5:10 - For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.The world is filled with all kinds of people who make decisions that don't make sense.
For example, there are those who are willing to risk everything and do anything to advance themselves in this world but ignore the day when they will appear before Jesus the Judge.
When that moment comes, they will not be able to fake it, nor will they be able to point with pride to their many earthly accomplishments. On that day they will either make the cut or they will not. They will either have Jesus as their Savior or they will not.
On that day their fate will be placed in His nail-pierced hands.
Now, there are a number of ways people respond to the idea of appearing before Jesus the Judge.
Some gamble there is no God. To them I say, "Go out to the country on a moonless night. Look at the mathematically precise dance of the stars. Christians believe God created those stars, put them there, and keeps them running." Without God in your life, you have to believe that somehow, someway matter created itself and through a series of coincidences and catastrophes, set itself in motion.
Without God, you must hold to the theory we are the product of accidents and happenstance.
At a 1981 symposium, Sir Fred Hoyle said, "The chance that higher life forms might have emerged in this way (i.e. through evolutionary processes) is comparable with the chance that a tornado sweeping through a junkyard might assemble a Boeing 747 from the materials therein."
If we are being honest, we know a hand more powerful than ours, directed by a mind more brilliant than ours, has formed these wonders.
In short, there is a God, and He loves us.
You can, of course, deny Him, but that will not make Him less real. You can reject Him, but that will not make the judgment at which you must appear, less valid. The time is coming when we will appear before the Savior.
Will you be ready? Do not be numbered with those who maintain that "God is great, God is good, and He is too kind to judge anyone. And, if He does judge anyone, I'm okay, because I lead a pretty good life."
Well, my friends, you can hold that position, but it's not one that comes from Scripture. When you face Jesus, the only position which is satisfactory is to have Him as your Judge and your Savior.
And the most wonderful thing is this: that is what God wants, too. It is for that reason Jesus lived, died, and rose. And it was done for you, so your day of judgment will be worry and condemnation free.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, for a Savior who made the sacrifice to transform my day of judgment into a Day of Thanksgiving, I rejoice. May others know and acknowledge this great gift of grace. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Today's Bible in a Year Reading: Psalms 93-95; Philippians 4
Psalm 93:1 Adonai is king, robed in majesty;
Adonai is robed, girded with strength;
The world is well established;
it cannot be moved.
2 Your throne was established long ago;
you have existed forever.
3 Adonai, the deep is raising up,
the deep is raising up its voice,
the deep is raising its crashing waves.
4 More than the sound of rushing waters
or the mighty breakers of the sea,
Adonai on high is mighty.
5 Your instructions are very sure;
holiness befits your house,
Adonai, for all time to come.
94:1 God of vengeance, Adonai!
God of vengeance, appear!
2 Assert yourself as judge of the earth!
Pay back the proud as they deserve!
3 How long are the wicked, Adonai,
how long are the wicked to triumph?
4 They pour out insolent words,
they go on bragging, all these evildoers.
5 They crush your people, Adonai,
they oppress your heritage.
6 They kill widows and strangers
and murder the fatherless.
7 They say, “Yah isn’t looking;
the God of Ya‘akov won’t notice.”
8 Take notice, yourselves, you boors among the people!
You fools, when will you understand?
9 Will the one who planted the ear not hear?
Will the one who formed the eye not see?
10 Will the one who disciplines nations not correct them?
Will the teacher of humanity not know?
11 Adonai understands that people’s thoughts
are merely a puff of wind.
12 How happy the man whom you correct, Yah,
whom you teach from your Torah,
13 giving him respite from days of trouble,
till a pit is dug for the wicked!
14 For Adonai will not desert his people,
he will not abandon his heritage.
15 Justice will once again become righteous,
and all the upright in heart will follow it.
16 Who will champion my cause against the wicked?
Who will stand up for me against evildoers?
17 If Adonai hadn’t helped me,
I would soon have dwelt in the land of silence.
18 When I said, “My foot is slipping!”
your grace, Adonai, supported me.
19 When my cares within me are many,
your comforts cheer me up.
20 Can unjust judges be allied with you,
those producing wrong in the name of law?
21 They band together against the righteous
and condemn the innocent to death.
22 But Adonai has become my stronghold,
my God is my rock of refuge.
23 But he repays them as their guilt deserves;
he will cut them off with their own evil;
Adonai our God will cut them off.
95:1 Come, let’s sing to Adonai!
Let’s shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation!
2 Let’s come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let’s shout for joy to him with songs of praise.
3 For Adonai is a great God,
a great king greater than all gods.
4 He holds the depths of the earth in his hands;
the mountain peaks too belong to him.
5 The sea is his — he made it —
and his hands shaped the dry land.
6 Come, let’s bow down and worship;
let’s kneel before Adonai who made us.
7 For he is our God, and we are the people
in his pasture, the sheep in his care.
If only today you would listen to his voice:
8 “Don’t harden your hearts, as you did at M’rivah,
as you did on that day at Massah in the desert,
9 when your fathers put me to the test;
they challenged me, even though they saw my work.
10 For forty years I loathed that generation;
I said, ‘This is a people whose hearts go astray,
they don’t understand how I do things.’
11 Therefore I swore in my anger
that they would not enter my rest.”
Philippians 4:1 So, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and my crown, my dear friends, keep standing firm in union with the Lord.
2 I beg Evodia and I beg Syntyche to agree with each other in union with the Lord. 3 I also request you, loyal Syzygus, to help these women; for they have worked hard proclaiming the Good News with me, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow-workers whose names are in the Book of Life.
4 Rejoice in union with the Lord always! I will say it again: rejoice! 5 Let everyone see how reasonable and gentle you are. The Lord is near! 6 Don’t worry about anything; on the contrary, make your requests known to God by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving. 7 Then God’s shalom, passing all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with the Messiah Yeshua. 8 In conclusion, brothers, focus your thoughts on what is true, noble, righteous, pure, lovable or admirable, on some virtue or on something praiseworthy. 9 Keep doing what you have learned and received from me, what you have heard and seen me doing; then the God who gives shalom will be with you.
10 In union with the Lord I greatly rejoice that now, after this long time, you have let your concern for me express itself again. Of course, you were concerned for me all along, but you had no opportunity to express it. 11 Not that I am saying this to call attention to any need of mine; since, as far as I am concerned, I have learned to be content regardless of circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in want, and I know what it is to have more than enough — in everything and in every way I have learned the secret of being full and being hungry, of having abundance and being in need. 13 I can do all things through him who gives me power.
14 Nevertheless, it was good of you to share in my trouble. 15 And you Philippians yourselves know that in the early days of my work spreading the Good News, when I left Macedonia, not a single congregation shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving — only you. 16 Indeed, in Thessalonica when I needed it, you sent me aid twice. 17 I am not seeking the gift; rather, I am looking for what will increase the credit balance of your account. 18 I have been more than paid in full: I have been filled, since I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent — they are a fragrant aroma [Philippians 4:18 Genesis 8:21; Exodus 29:18]an acceptable sacrifice, one that pleases God well. 19 Moreover, my God will fill every need of yours according to his glorious wealth, in union with the Messiah Yeshua. 20 And to God our Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
21 Greet each of God’s people in the Messiah Yeshua. The brothers with me send their greetings to you. 22 All God’s people send greetings, but especially those in the Emperor’s household.
23 The grace of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah be with your spirit. (Complete Jewish Bible).
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23 The grace of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah be with your spirit. (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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