Sunday, October 29, 2017

LHM Daily Devotion - October 30, 2017 "Reformation? Why Remember?"

As far back as I can remember, I have celebrated Martin Luther and...
Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

By Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour



"Reformation? Why Remember?"

October 30, 2017

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.

As far back as I can remember, I have celebrated Martin Luther and Reformation Day.

When I was a little Lutheran, I grew up in an Irish Catholic neighborhood. That means, every Friday, I said to the Catholic kids: "You have to have stinky, smelly, bony fish, while I'm having a burger for supper. I can have a burger because of Luther and the Reformation."

Back then I could run fairly fast.

On Ash Wednesday, all the Catholic kids had a cross of ashes prominently placed on their foreheads. That's why on Ash Wednesday we Lutheran lads would say to our Catholic counterparts, "What's that on your forehead? It looks like a target. I don't think I'd like the priest to put a target on my head. We don't have targets on our heads because of Martin Luther and the Reformation."

Yup, back then I could run fairly fast. But times have changed, haven't they? In Catholic homes, Friday fish is an option, and in Lutheran churches the imposition of ashes is no longer a heresy.

All of which explains why many people don't celebrate Reformation Day.

Think about it: how many Reformation Day presents have you received? The newspapers haven't reminded us of how many shopping days were left until Reformation Day. The TV stations haven't told us where we can go to see the houses with the best Reformation Day lights, and my community doesn't have a Reformation Day parade or Reformation Day fireworks.

I wonder how many of you are having a special Reformation Day meal today. There's no such thing as a Reformation Day turkey, and you don't hunt brightly-colored Reformation Day eggs, and Martin Luther doesn't come down your chimney to leave gifts.

That's why Reformation Day has become a custom which is pretty much reserved for, and remembered by, a diehard group of pastors and laypeople who are perceived as having nothing better to do with their afternoons on the last Sunday in October.

You see, we are living in an age which still needs a Reformation. In Luther's day the Church was making up laws and saying, "These have come from God." Today, many churches are taking God's laws and saying, "These no longer are in effect." In Luther's time the Church said, "You need to buy indulgences to be forgiven of your sin." Today, more than one church says, "Sin? What is sin?"

Truly, our battles are not the same as Luther's because the pendulum of heresy has swung. That being said, in an age when political correctness has usurped the authority of the Word, the need for faithful preachers and committed Christians remains as strong as ever. The Savior still stands, His nail-pierced hands extended in welcome to all who are called to faith by the Holy Spirit. It is right that we point clearly and unerringly to the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

Ours is a time when God's people need to join with Luther and say, "Here I stand."

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, for the Reformers of the past, we give thanks. Grant that we, in our own age, may stand fast to the Scripture, and the Savior -- whose life was given so we might have forgiveness and eternal life. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin!  Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).

The Daily Readings for SUNDAY, October 29, 2017 - 21st Sunday after Pentecost


Daily Readings for
SUNDAY, October 29, 2017

Our “Virtual Sunday Church” this week takes us to King’s Chapel at Cambridge. This anthem from the Tudor Masses is so quiet, you might want to play it while you pray.

The Tudor's Masses
Choir of King's College, Cambridge

Opening Sentence
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen
~ Phillipians 1:2

Confession and Forgiveness

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.
God is light; in him there in no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him, yet walk in the darkness, we lie and son not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
~ John 1:5b-8

Most holy and merciful Father, We confess to you and to one another, that we have sinned against you by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart and mind and strength. We have not fully loved our neighbors as ourselves. We have not always had in us the mind of Christ. You alone know how often we have grieved you by wasting your gifts, by wandering from your ways. Forgive us, we pray you, most merciful Father; And free us from our sin. Renew in us the grace and strength of your Holy Spirit, for the sake of Jesus Christ your Son our Savior. Amen

Sunday Morning Prayer
God, as you gave us the sun to lighten our days, so you have given us your Word to lighten our minds and our souls. I pray that you will pour out on me your Spirit as I pray today, that my heart and mind may be opened to your Word, and that I may learn and accept your will for my life.

Shine within my heart, loving God, the pure light of your divine knowledge; open the eyes of my mind and the ears of my heart to receive your Word, this day and always, Amen

The Lessons

Leviticus 19:1-2, 19:15-18
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy. You shall not render an unjust judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbor. You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not profit by the blood of your neighbor: I am the LORD. You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbor, or you will incur guilt yourself. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.

Psalm 1 Beatus vir qui non abiit
1   Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of the wicked, nor lingered in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seats of the scornful!
2   Their delight is in the law of the LORD, and they meditate on his law day and night.
3   They are like trees planted by streams of water, bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither; everything they do shall prosper.
4   It is not so with the wicked; they are like chaff which the wind blows away.
5   Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when judgment comes, nor the sinner in the council of the righteous.
6   For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked is doomed.

1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our coming to you was not in vain, but though we had already suffered and been shamefully mistreated at Philippi, as you know, we had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. For our appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts. As you know and as God is our witness, we never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; nor did we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.

Matthew 22:34-46
When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: "What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?" They said to him, "The son of David." He said to them, "How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying, 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet" '? If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?" No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

Here ends the Readings.


Click HERE to read today's Holy Gospel Lesson message

The Apostle's Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen

Prayer of the Day
Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain what you promise, make us love what you command; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen


Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia!
Thanks be to God! Alleluia!

Closing Prayer
May the Passion of Christ be ever in my heart. May your law and your goodness guide my every thought, O Lord. And may the power of your Holy Spirit flow through my words and my actions today, and always. Amen

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen
~ 2 Corinthians 13:14

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The New Revised Standard Version Bible may be quoted and/or reprinted up to and inclusive of five hundred (500) verses without express written permission of the publisher, provided the verses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible or account for fifty percent (50%) of the total work in which they are quoted.

"Passion" - The Sermon for SUNDAY, October 29, 2017


When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: "What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?" They said to him, "The son of David." He said to them, "How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying, 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet" '? If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?" No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.
~ Matthew 22:34-46

"Passion"
by Pastor Robert Dovenmuehle
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church (LCMS)
Statesville, North Carolina

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Amen

When asked what the greatest commandment in the Law is, Jesus replied “Love the Lord you God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” He wasn’t giving a new commandment, it’s from Deuteronomy 6. Jesus was repeating what Moses had taught the Israelites as they prepared to cross the river Jordan into the Land that God had promised to them when He brought them out of bondage in Egypt. It perfectly encapsulates the first three of the Ten Commandments that God had given to Moses on Mount Sinai.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. Love the Lord with every ounce of your being. Love the Lord with passion. He wants a relationship with you, a passionate heart-felt love, a love that is based on the knowledge of His character and His promises, a love that saves you, body and soul. Do you love the Lord? Your presence here this morning in God’s house indicates that your answer is ‘Yes’. But do you love Him with passion? Do you love everything about Him? Do you know Him well enough to love God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind?

Our relationship with God is like a good marriage. After years of marriage, a man and a woman can know each other backwards and forwards. They know each other’s likes and dislikes. They know what makes their mate happy and what makes them unhappy. They know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. They know each other so well that they can finish each other’s sentences. But this kind of marriage doesn’t just happen on the wedding day. It takes an intentional effort to share with each other everything about themselves, to know each other with the mind and to love each other from the bottom of the heart.

That’s how God wants us to know Him. When He created Adam and Eve, He walked with them in the garden of paradise. He spoke with them. He knew them perfectly and they knew Him and loved Him. But when sin came into the world, Adam and Eve’s relationship with God was broken and no longer did men and women love the Lord their God with all their heart, with all their souls, and with all their mind. Because of sin, our relationship with God has been tarnished but God is constantly seeking you out, wanting to restore you to a passionate love of Him because He is passionate towards you.

A relationship between a man and a woman begins with an introduction. I met my wife at the grocery store we both worked at. She says that when she first saw me stocking the shelves as she was being trained that she knew that I would be her husband. But it required an introduction before the two of us could begin to know each other and allow a love to blossom. And our relationship with God also requires an introduction. Someone who knows God and the love He demonstrated for us in Jesus Christ must tell us about Him. Every passionate love for God begins with a believer introducing an unbeliever to Jesus. And when our own love for God is a passion of the heart, soul, and mind, that introduction is just like introducing someone to your best friend.

After the introduction of a man and a woman, if they are each interested in the other, they may become infatuated with each other. Infatuation can feel like real love, but it’s a passion of the heart without a passion of the mind. Infatuation is based on appearances and perceptions and not the reality of the other. It’s a passion that comes before the fullness of a true loving relationship, before a couple begins to know the depths of each other’s character. When you light a campfire with some dried grass and some twigs, the fire can leap high and burn brightly and then fizzle out because the logs never catch. Infatuation is like that. A relationship between a man and woman can quickly ignite into a blaze of heart-passion and fade just as quickly because the passion of the mind and soul doesn’t follow. The passion of the heart may not extend to a passion of the mind. A new believer’s passion for God may be like an infatuation and quickly fade if he doesn’t nurture the flame. When someone comes to faith in God and hears the wonders of God’s grace and mercy in the forgiveness of our sins through the blood of Jesus Christ, a new believer can ignite in a blazing fire of passion for the Lord. But if that believer doesn’t dig deeper into the mysteries and the character of God, his passion and his faith may turn to ashes.

Relationship requires more than a passion of the heart, it requires a passion of the mind as well. Knowing the character of someone brings a relationship to life, gives it passion and ignites the fire that continues to burn. In a good marriage, a man and a woman continue to build on the passion of the heart by learning more and more about each other as the months and years go by. They grow closer with each passing year. By experiencing life together, holding each other up and providing comfort when difficulties come, when one provides strength when the other is weak, the bonds of their relationship become tight. They trust each other and know that the other will always be there for them. They can’t imagine being without the other. The passion of the heart that the relationship began with remains and a passion of the mind is added to it.

Our relationship with God is like that as well. The beauty of the Gospel message of forgiveness and reconciliation with God our Creator that ignites a passion for God in the heart of the believer is built up by spending time with God and learning of His character. We read and study His Word, we gather to worship Him and receive the body and blood of Christ, we enjoy fellowship with His followers and by doing so, we come into a deeper relationship with Him. We begin to learn of His faithfulness to us His creatures. We revel in the accounts of His steadfastness and His loving-kindness. As we continue to draw closer to Him, the Lord pulls us in and we trust in Him fully because then we know that He is worthy of our trust and our praise. Over time, we can’t imagine what our life would be like without Him. We are transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit to have a heart, soul, and mind that is more like Christ’s. Our thoughts become His thoughts, our actions begin to conform to His will.

But if a marriage is neglected, if husband and wife develop completely separate lives, not spending time together, neglecting to nourish their partnership, the passion fades over time. If the troubles and travails of life are not faced together, the passion can grow cold. A relationship can die if the flames of passion are not continually stoked. And to renew a relationship that has been battered by the storms of life requires a rededication to the one you love, a commitment to love when the fiery emotion of love seems to be dying. My wife and I knew that we needed to rekindle our passion for each other after dealing with difficult teenagers. We had drifted apart due to the conflict and needed to come back together. So we took a couple months to travel and hike together in God’s great Creation, enjoying the sunsets and the waterfalls while also enjoying each other, renewing the bonds between us.

Our love for God can also fade with neglect of our relationship with Him. In that favorite hymn, Amazing Grace, we hear “How precious did that grace appear, the hour I first believed.” His grace and mercy are so precious, but when we neglect coming together to worship Him, when we fill our days with meaningless pursuits instead of cherishing the Word of God in study and meditation, we lose the sense of God’s presence with us and we begin to think that He has abandoned us. His grace no longer seems precious, but distant. The emotion of our hearts is fickle. We can love one day and hate the next. But God’s love for us never fades. In 2 Timothy, Paul writes “if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” God’s faithfulness is a part of His unchanging character. We may break a promise, but God always keeps His promises.

If the passion of your love for God has faded, if the trials of life have beaten you down, now is the time to renew that passion. Now is the time to rekindle the passion through spending time with the Lord God your Savior. In your baptism and through your faith, God made a promise to you that He would be with you throughout your life and beyond. He keeps that promise and He continues to seek to renew and restore your relationship with Him. God has a passion for you. He loves you with all His heart, with all His soul and with all His mind. He loves you with so much passion that He cannot leave you alone. His passion for you is so intense that He became one of us in Jesus Christ, who died on the cross to win the victory over sin and death for you. Through faith, your sins are forgiven and you are a child of God. That is His passion, for you to know the fullness of His mercy, grace, and love.

How precious does that grace appear, in the hour I first believed, and in every hour and every day following. And how precious will that grace appear when we stand before the throne of God and hear the words of Christ, “This one is mine. You are my child. Come into my arms and be loved.” Christ loves you with all His heart, with all His soul, and with all His mind. Love Him with passion, love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind.
May the peace of God that passes human understanding be with you now and forever. Amen


"Amazing Grace"
Celtic Woman


Seeking God?
Click HERE to find out more about how to have a personal
relationship with Jesus Christ.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The New Revised Standard Version Bible may be quoted and/or reprinted up to and inclusive of five hundred (500) verses without express written permission of the publisher, provided the verses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible or account for fifty percent (50%) of the total work in which they are quoted. Sermon shared by Robert Dovenmuehle on Jan 14, 2013.

Prayer of the Day for SUNDAY, October 29, 2017


Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain what you promise, make us love what you command; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen

Verse of the Day for SUNDAY, October 29, 2017


Romans 12:1 (NIV)[A Living Sacrifice] Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

Read all of Romans 12

Listen to Romans 12

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Exploring the Parables with Cap'n Kenny - The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree


The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree

Luke 13:6-9
6 Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. 7 So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ 8 “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”

THINK ABOUT IT
What is “good soil”? The various “soils” in the parable represent human hearts. Transformation of the inner life, rather than external conformity, seems to be an important theme in the story. Though Jesus explained what poor soil represented, he did not explain what good soil represented. This frustrating element of Jesus’ teaching method leads the reader to additional questions.

TALK ABOUT IT
What do you think “good soil” represents?

In Jesus,
Cap'n Kenny

Seeking God?
Click HERE to find out more about how to have a personal
relationship with Jesus Christ.

New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Un Dia a la Vez - El amor hacia los enemigos


El amor hacia los enemigos

Amen a sus enemigos, hagan bien a quienes los odian, bendigan a quienes los maldicen, oren por quienes los maltratan.
~ Lucas 6:27-28 (NVI)

El mandato de Dios de amar a los que nos han hecho daño y perdonar a los que nos ofenden, trae bendición a nuestra vida.

¿Te imaginas que aparte de perdonar debemos orar por ellos y bendecirlos? Ya sé lo que quizá estés pensando: «¿Pero cómo se le puede ocurrir a ella decir eso?». No te asombres, eso es lo que dejó estipulado el Señor Jesús. Así que, debes creerlo.

Cuando entramos en ese plan de obedecer a Dios, comienzas a recibir un cambio en tu ser, pues el odio y la falta de perdón crean raíces de amargura que hasta nos enferman. Es más, esto es lo que el rencor trae como resultado en el ser humano. Por eso Dios nos da la oportunidad de que conozcamos la verdad y luego nos hace libres.

Amar a los amigos es muy fácil, pero Dios quiere que apliquemos lo más difícil: Amar a los enemigos. De esta manera honraremos a Dios.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón

Standing Strong Through the Storm - THE WAY OF THE CROSS


THE WAY OF THE CROSS 

And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
~ Luke 14:27 (NIV)

Two days before the SSTS Seminar in a restricted Central Asia country, Pavel, a Christian leader discovered the garage he was using to store restricted (illegal) Christian literature in the tribal language was broken into by youths and over 2000 pieces of literature stolen. Ironically, police discovered the literature being distributed at a nearby school by the mischievous youths and traced the ownership of the literature to Pavel.

He was “invited” to come to the police station. There he discovered that the authorities were open to receiving a bribe of one month’s salary in exchange for having the remaining literature returned and the case closed. It was also suggested that because he was lacking the appropriate registration papers for being in this community, he should pay the money before the police “found some drugs in his home” and he be sent to jail for a longer period of time.

Pavel now had two choices: pay the bribe and redeem most of the stolen literature which had come into the country at great personal and emotional risk past many police checkpoints; or wait and see how God intervened to bring glory to His name even if it meant a fine or imprisonment. Pavel knew that to pay the bribe would open the door to a pattern of further blackmail, as the police would now own him as “their man.”

During the 3-day SSTS seminar, the group met with Pavel and his wife and prayed with them each morning before he went to the police station for further interrogation in the afternoons. Pavel had to make a decision by the third day. As he left for the police station he told the group, “This SSTS seminar has changed my entire thinking on this matter. I am not paying the bribe. I am choosing ‘the way of the cross.’”

Latest reports are that Pavel’s case was resolved without a bribe and he is still active in effective ministry in his country.

RESPONSE: Today I again choose to walk “the way of the cross” as I make my decisions and choices.

PRAYER: Lord, help me never to choose the easy way of the culture but to walk “the way of the cross!”