Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour
"Heads Up!" for Thursday, July 26, 2018
Matthew 28:19-20 - (Jesus said) "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."Around 1900 when the world was a little less pseudo-sophisticated, groups of teenage boys from Chicago liked to play tricks on the folks who were seeing the big city for the first time. If there was a group of these visitors, the Chicago boys would suddenly stop, tilt their heads back, and stare at the top of a skyscraper. The visitors would do the same.
Even though they didn't know what everybody was looking at, none of the visitors was willing to ask or admit they weren't seeing anything. The spell was broken only when some stouthearted individual would naively or honestly venture: "What's so interesting up there, anyway?"
You know I think the disciples must have felt like those long-ago Chicago tourists. At Jesus' ascension the disciples stood, heads tilted back, staring up into the heavens at, well, they really didn't know what they were staring at. But they did know, since this was Jesus, it had to be pretty interesting.
Three years of following Jesus had shown them that Jesus, almost always, was interesting. Those years had given those 12 men ringside seats to see things that had boggled their brains and strained their capacity to comprehend.
* They had seen Jesus turn water into wine at Cana. Unbelievable? No, very believable and tasty (see John 2:1-11).
* They were stumped when Jesus challenged them to feed thousands of people on the spur of the moment. "It can't be done!" they said. Then they watched Jesus do what couldn't be done. They saw Him feed thousands of people with a few loaves of bread and a few fish (see Matthew 14:15-21). They didn't know how He did it. All they could do is say, "It had been done."
* They wondered after they had seen Him speak to a storm and muzzle its force (see Mark 4:37-41). They watched as Jesus walked across the surface of an unsettled sea to calm their concerns (see Matthew 14:23-28).
The disciples had seen many spectacular things. But in the spring of their third year with Him, the disciples saw things take a turn for the worse. In spite of Jesus' words of love, His actions of concern, His message of repentance and salvation, there had always been groups which had detested Him and tried to short-circuit His work (see Mark 12:13).
Years before, when Jesus had called him, John thought he would see many things, but he never thought he would see Jesus die. The cross should have been the end of Jesus' life and love, but it wasn't. A living Lord Jesus came to His disciples and the world and told them, "I live."
It was a moment which changed everything -- as things were changed when Jesus ascended.
It changes everything because Jesus told us to share what we had seen and heard. He has asked us to tell a world that we have seen God's love and plan of salvation is real and alive.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, grant that when it comes to bearing witness, I don't just hang around looking. Having seen Jesus' birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension, may I do my best to tell others of all He has done to forgive and save them. This I ask in Jesus' Name. Amen.
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Today's Bible in a Year Reading: Psalms 96-98; Acts 17:1-15
Psalm 96:1 Sing to Adonai a new song!
Sing to Adonai, all the earth!
2 Sing to Adonai, bless his name!
Proclaim his victory day after day!
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
his wonders among all peoples!
4 For Adonai is great, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be feared more than all gods.
5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
but Adonai made the heavens.
6 In his presence are honor and majesty;
in his sanctuary, strength and splendor.
7 Give Adonai his due, you families from the peoples;
give Adonai his due of glory and strength;
8 give Adonai the glory due to his name;
bring an offering, and enter his courtyards.
9 Worship Adonai in holy splendor;
tremble before him, all the earth!
10 Say among the nations, “Adonai is king!”
The world is firmly established, immovable.
He will judge the peoples fairly.
11 Let the heavens rejoice; let the earth be glad;
let the sea roar, and everything in it;
12 let the fields exult and all that is in them.
Then all the trees in the forest will sing
13 before Adonai, because he has come,
he has come to judge the earth;
he will judge the world rightly
and the peoples with his faithfulness.
97:1 Adonai is king, let the earth rejoice,
let the many coasts and islands be glad.
2 Clouds and thick darkness surround him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3 Fire goes before him,
setting ablaze his foes on every side.
4 His flashes of lightning light up the world;
the earth sees it and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax at the presence of Adonai,
at the presence of the Lord of all the earth.
6 The heavens declare his righteousness,
and all the peoples see his glory.
7 All who worship images will be put to shame,
those who make their boast in worthless idols.
Bow down to him, all you gods!
8 Tziyon hears and is glad, Adonai;
the daughters of Y’hudah rejoice at your rulings.
9 For you, Adonai, most high over all the earth,
you are exalted far above all gods.
10 You who love Adonai, hate evil!
He keeps his faithful servants safe.
He rescues them from the power of the wicked.
11 Light is sown for the righteous
and joy for the upright in heart.
12 Rejoice in Adonai, you righteous;
and give thanks on recalling his holiness.
98:1 (0) A psalm:
(1) Sing a new song to Adonai,
because he has done wonders.
His right hand, his holy arm
have won him victory.
2 Adonai has made known his victory;
revealed his vindication in full view of the nations,
3 remembered his grace and faithfulness
to the house of Isra’el.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the victory of our God.
4 Shout for joy to Adonai, all the earth!
Break forth, sing for joy, sing praises!
5 Sing praises to Adonai with the lyre,
with the lyre and melodious music!
6 With trumpets and the sound of the shofar,
shout for joy before the king, Adonai!
7 Let the sea roar, and everything in it;
the world, and those living in it.
8 Let the floods clap their hands;
let the mountains sing together for joy
9 before Adonai, for he has come to judge the earth;
he will judge the world rightly and the peoples fairly.
Acts 17:1 After passing through Amphipolis and Apollonia, Sha’ul and Sila came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue. 2 According to his usual practice, Sha’ul went in; and on three Shabbats he gave them drashes from the Tanakh, 3 explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and that “this Yeshua whom I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah.” 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and threw in their lot with Sha’ul and Sila, as did a great many of the Greek men who were “God-fearers,” and not a few of the leading women.
5 But the unbelieving Jews grew jealous; so they got together some vicious men from the riffraff hanging around in the market square, collected a crowd and started a riot in the city. They attacked Jason’s house, hoping to bring Sha’ul and Sila out to the mob. 6 But when they didn’t find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city authorities and shouted, “These men who have turned the whole world upside down have come here too! 7 And Jason has let them stay in his home! All of them are defying the decrees of the Emperor; because they assert that there is another king, Yeshua!” 8 Their words threw the crowd and the authorities into a turmoil, 9 so that only after Jason and the others had posted bond did they let them go. 10 But as soon as night fell, the brothers sent Sha’ul and Sila off to Berea.
As soon as they arrived, they went to the synagogue. 11 Now the people here were of nobler character than the ones in Thessalonica; they eagerly welcomed the message, checking the Tanakh every day to see if the things Sha’ul was saying were true. 12 Many of them came to trust, as did a number of prominent Greek women and not a few Greek men.
13 But when the unbelieving Jews of Thessalonica learned that the word of God had been proclaimed by Sha’ul in Berea as well, they went there too to make trouble and agitate the crowds. 14 The brothers sent Sha’ul away at once to go down to the seacoast, while Sila and Timothy stayed behind. 15 Sha’ul’s escort went with him as far as Athens, then left with instructions for Sila and Timothy to come as quickly as they could. (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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