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 Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 2:26 pm
Heaven-Bound 103
“Wait up, Chelsea!” Luke called across the school parking lot.
Chelsea turned to see her friend sprinting between parked cars.
“Whoa! I heard you prayed with Hannah and Tawni last night.”
“Yeah! Luke, it was really cool. They became Christians before the evening even started. They both wanna come back tonight, too!”
“That’s great, Chels! I’ve invited some of the guys from the basketball team. I’m hoping at least a couple will show up.”
“Pastor Steve said we could be pushing close to 450 tonight. Everyone’s been inviting friends like crazy.”
“Well, ya gotta admit — nothing’s more important than making sure our friends know Christ.”
“You can say that again! What’s Pastor Steve talking about tonight?”
“I think he’s still on how to know for sure if you’ll end up in heaven,” Luke said.
“Good. I need that. Even though I know I’m forgiven, I still have a few doubts. I’ll see you there, Luke.”
* * *
“Many of you have asked me if it’s possible to know beyond doubt that you’ll go to heaven after you die,” Pastor Steve said. Luke smiled. He was proud of his youth pastor. Steve came to all his basketball games and often showed up at school just to have lunch with the students from his youth group.
Pastor Steve held his Bible in the air. “Jesus gives us a surefire strategy for knowing if we’re ready to meet Him. It’s sort of a three-part game play, and it’s found in Matthew 25.”
Luke flipped open his Bible and winked at Chelsea a few rows over as she reached to share her New Testament with Hannah and Tawni.
“We find three incredible stories in this chapter of Matthew,” Pastor Steve said. “The first story is about 10 bridesmaids waiting for the bridegroom. Jesus tells this story to illustrate the Kingdom of Heaven,” he continued.
“Each of the 10 bridesmaids had a lamp — more like a lantern — which ran on oil. Five of the bridesmaids filled their lamps with oil, and the other five put it off.
“When they heard the shout that the bridegroom was arriving, the five without oil had to leave and fill their lamps. The five who were prepared, met the bridegroom and went inside to celebrate with him.
“The other five returned with oil in their lamps only to find the door locked. They banged on the door and begged to be let inside, but the bridegroom said they were too late. They weren’t permitted inside.”
Know It!
Throughout the Bible, oil symbolizes life. It’s reflective of the Holy Spirit shining and living within us. It means we have an active, growing relationship with the bridegroom — Jesus Christ.
Read It!
Matthew 25:1-13; Luke 3:7-8.
Pray It!
Dear Lord, help me keep my relationship with You active and growing. I don’t want to let it get stale. Renew my thirst for You.
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Posted: Fri Apr 20, 2007 2:57 pm
April 20th
Protected by the Power of the Gospel
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair. 2 Corinthians 4:8
Life has its burdens. Some of them afflict us from the outside, while others afflict us from within. Often our burdens afflict us both ways at once. We face the inner conflict that comes with the message that a loved one is dead or that we face serious surgery or that our job is being phased out. Some people are crushed by these burdens; for them, life is an empty, endless battle.
Though life has its burdens, it also has its blessings. St. Paul faced many problems and battles as he proclaimed Christ. But Paul was able to say in today’s reading, “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; . . . always carrying in the body the death of Jesus” (2 Corinthians 4:8, 10). The power of the Gospel protected him from despair.
Like Paul, we have a Savior who loves us, a Savior who died for all our sins. He protects by the power of the Gospel. By His Word and Sacraments, He draws us into His grace, defends us in every evil, and keeps us confident that, regardless of life’s burdens, His love surrounds us and His peace protects us. We belong to Him.
Heavenly Father, like Paul we are often perplexed, but we thank You for the peace of the Gospel. Amen.
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Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 5:21 am
April 21st
The Promise of the Lord’s Presence
And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Matthew 28:20
Saturday—a day to enjoy respite and relaxation from the rigors of daily life. What kind of week did you have? For some, it was great—bringing a promotion at work, a new child or grandchild, or a new car. For others, it was tough—bringing stress at work, struggles with ill health, or mountains of bills. Nevertheless, we have good news for all seasons. Jesus shares our joys with us, and Jesus walks with us when the road we travel is rough and rugged.
In today’s reading, Jesus gives us the promise of His presence, “Behold, I am with you always.” In good times and in bad, His promise gives us hope. In the Gospel, Jesus shows that His promises are trustworthy and certain.
Jesus went to the cross for us. He hung on a splintered cross; He was wounded for us. There Jesus suffered and died for the sin of the world, carrying all our sorrow, grief, and burdens. There He won forgiveness and life for us. No depth is deeper than where He has gone. He rose from the dead to give us the gift of eternal salvation. No joy is greater than the gladness He gives us in Him. Wherever we go, He has gone before us and remains forever beside us.
Our heavenly Father, thank You for the promises of Your Word and the hope it works in our busy lives. Amen.
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Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 12:18 pm
Heaven-Bound 104
“So the first thing you need to do to make sure you’re ready to meet Jesus,” Pastor Steve continued, “is to make sure you have an active, growing relationship with Him. That’s the first key to the entrance of heaven.
“Some of you have recently accepted Christ as your personal Lord and Savior.”
Chelsea grinned at Hannah and Tawni and noticed they were listening carefully to Pastor Steve’s message.
“And that’s the first step. And you can know beyond doubt that you’ll spend eternity in heaven with Christ,” he continued.
“But Jesus is calling our attention to a three-phase game plan in Matthew 25. So let’s continue to go through the plan. You’ll notice in this particular chapter, Jesus is describing the Kingdom of Heaven. The second way He describes it is in a parable of a wealthy man with three servants. The man decided to go on an international trip and called his servants in for last- minute instructions. He entrusted $5,000 of his estate to his head servant and told him to make wise investments during his absence.
“To another servant, he entrusted $2,000 and to the last servant, he entrusted $1,000. The estate owner left on his trip, and his head servant immediately began buying and selling for his master in order to increase the $5,000. He had soon doubled it to $10,000 and knew his master would be pleased.
“The second servant also went right to work and doubled the $2,000 for his master. But the third servant simply set the $1,000 aside and waited for the master’s return.
Luke underlined the story Pastor Steve was talking about. He wanted to read it again later. Chelsea glanced at Hannah and Tawni and was glad they were still tuned in to the message.
“When the master returned,” Pastor Steve continued, “he called his servants together. His head servant proudly handed over $10,000 — double what he had been entrusted with. The master affirmed him and smiled as the second servant also handed over what he had doubled. But when the third servant simply gave the master what he started with — the $1,000 — the master became angry because he was lazy and had hoarded the money. He then took the $1,000 away from him and gave it to the head servant. The lazy servant was cast into darkness.”
Know It!
Jesus has blessed each one of us with specific gifts, abilities and talents. He expects us to use those gifts to bring glory to Him, the Giver. Ever wonder why some Christians seem to ooze with talent? It’s because they’re using what they have for God’s glory, and He continues to multiply and bless it. But when we don’t use what we’ve been given, we’re insulting our heavenly Father.
Read It!
Matthew 25:14-30; 1 Corinthians 12.
Pray It!
Jesus, help me to use the gifts You’ve given me to bring glory to You. Sometimes I get lazy and don’t activate the abilities You’ve blessed me with. Will You forgive me, Jesus?
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Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 8:07 pm
Hey barbiedoll, I just wanted to tell you that I really like reading your devotions. THANKS SO MUCH for sharing them.
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Posted: Sun Apr 22, 2007 5:30 am
April 22
Wait for the Lord
Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD! Psalm 27:14
My family knows that I hate to wait. I get very impatient waiting in line. My daughter-in-law gave me a gas station speed pass. She knows I do not like to pull out my wallet, fiddle with the credit card, put it in the slot, then return it to my wallet. The speed pass is on my key chain. I wave it over the logo, pump my gas, and go merrily on my way.
In our high-tech society, we want instant action. We have instant cereal, instant coffee, and instant pain relievers. In our spiritual life, we want instant answers to our perplexing problems. But it doesn’t work that way.
The psalmist reminds us, “Wait for the LORD.” We wait for God to complete His good work in us. We wait for Him to come again in glory. We wait for our Savior to answer our prayers. We pray that we might “be strong, and let [our] heart take courage.”
To sustain us in our waiting, Christ feeds us Himself, serving us from the menu of His Word and Sacrament. Jesus takes care of our greatest problem: the sickness of sin. This Lord’s Day, He gives us the Good News: Jesus poured out His life for us on the cross.
“From Your house when I return, May my heart within me burn, And at evening let me say, ‘I have walked with God today’ ” (LW 207:7). Amen.
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Posted: Sun Apr 22, 2007 10:55 am
Heaven-Bound 105
“So let’s do a quick recap,” Pastor Steve said. “In Matthew 25, Jesus gives us three ways to make sure we’re ready to meet Him.” Tawni grabbed her pen as Pastor Steve’s Power Point flashed behind him.
#1: Make sure you have an active, growing relationship with Jesus Christ. “This doesn’t mean simply knowing about God,” Pastor Steve said. “It means just what it says — having a real, growing, active relationship with the Creator of the universe.”
Hannah nudged Chelsea for another sheet of paper.
#2: Make sure you’re wisely using what He has given you. “God blesses you with gifts and abilities for a reason,” Steve continued. “It’s so you can bring glory to His name. If you’re not using what He’s given you, something’s wrong in your relationship with Christ. The disciple who has an active, growing relationship with Jesus is consistently using his God-given gifts with excitement.”
Chelsea glanced at Luke. He had invited several friends to Explosion, and one had come. Luke was sharing His Bible with Taylor, and Taylor seemed genuinely interested.
“But there’s a third section to this chapter,” Pastor Steve said. “Let’s take a look at it. So far, Jesus has been talking about the Kingdom of Heaven, and He continues to do that through the rest of the chapter. He describes the thousands who will approach the gates of heaven. He compares them to sheep and goats. He welcomes the sheep into heaven and turns away the goats. When those who are turned away ask why they are denied entrance, Jesus explains it’s because they never reached out. They never offered water to Him, never clothed Him, never fed Him.
“They’re confused. They argue they never saw Him needing help, being thirsty, naked or hungry. And Jesus tells them whenever they refused to help someone in need, they in essence, refused to help Him.”
Know It!
Since Jesus is no longer walking the earth in His flesh, He expects you to be His hands and feet to those in need. Anytime you help someone holding a sign by the roadside advertising, “Work wanted. Homeless,” you’re actually helping Jesus. Whenever you go out of your way to sit with someone who’s known as an outcast on your campus, you’re actually sitting with Jesus. Anytime you go the extra mile, you’re walking for Christ.
Read It!
Matthew 25:31-46; Luke 10:30-37.
Pray It!
Lord, it’s not very often that I truly go out of my way to help someone. I admit, I’ve become comfortable in my own little world. Give me the desire to reach out, to leave my comfort zone and to get my hands dirty for You.
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Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2007 4:28 am
Monday April 23rd
Do It with All Your Heart
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might. Ecclesiastes 9:10
Monday. Back to work. Back to school. Fighting rush-hour traffic. Dashing to the bus stop. Rushing to catch the commuter train. Chores to do around the house. Chores to do on the farm. Punching in at the shop or factory. Blue Monday.
Some begin the week by sighing, “I have to go to work,” or, “I have to go to school,” or, “I have to volunteer at the nursing home,” as though we were sentenced to sheer drudgery. Rather, these are God-given offices that permit us to serve our neighbor.
Wise King Solomon tells us, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might.” As Christians, you and I do the very best possible job, strengthened by the Gospel of Jesus. Jesus gave us His very best—He did not give just eight hours a day from Monday to Friday. He gave every second of every day for us. On the cross, He suffered and died, sacrificing His life for us. He restored us to a right relation to God, to our neighbor, and to our daily work, which are all His good gifts to us. So, we serve in joy and thanksgiving.
God gives us health, strength, and stamina to serve others. We get to go to work. We get to go to school. We get to volunteer. We get to be channels of His love.
“Take my life and let it be Consecrated, Lord, to Thee” (LSB 783:1). Amen.
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Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2007 2:34 pm
Heaven-Bound 106
“There you have it,” Pastor Steve said. “Three essential check points to evaluate your relationship with Christ. Are you ready to meet Jesus? Again, let’s do a quick recap.”
Chelsea loved the animation on Pastor Steve’s power point presentation and was glad it held the attention of the crowded room of teens.
#1: Do you have an active, growing relationship with Jesus Christ? “If you don’t,” Steve continued, “you’re not ready to meet Jesus. If you don’t have an actual relationship with the King of Kings, you won’t spend eternity in heaven with Him. Your only other choice for eternity is hell.”
#2: Are you consistently and wisely using what He’s blessed you with to bring glory to Him? “If you are, you’re living OUT the active, growing relationship you have with Christ. Your lifestyle proves you know Him,” Pastor Steve said. “If you’re not using your gifts to honor Him, then I question your relationship with Him. You see, someone who’s deeply in love with Jesus, excitedly shares what Jesus has given him because he wants to bring glory to the Father.”
#3: Are you involved in a ministry? “A vibrant ministry is reflective of an active, growing relationship with Christ. If you’re not ministering, I question your relationship with Christ. If you’re ministering to those around you, you’re not ready to meet Him. And don’t think ministry is just becoming a missionary. Hey, if that’s the direction God is leading you, great! But your ministry may simply offering free babysitting for the single parent down the street. Or buying a school lunch for the kid who’s on food coupons. Your ministry might be sending note cards to encourage those who are discouraged. Or organizing a Bible club at your school. All you need to do is ask God to give you a ministry, and He will.
“And guess what! If you have an active, growing relationship with Christ, if you’re consistently using what He’s given you, and if you’re intentionally reaching out with the love of God to those around you, you’re ready to meet Jesus! There should be no doubt in your mind where you’ll spend eternity.”
Know It!
If you’ve met the game plan outlined in Matthew 25, you should be confident in your relationship with Christ. If you do have doubts, ask God to identify the source of doubt. If He pinpoints one of these three areas, ask Him to help you correct and strengthen that area. If He doesn’t, know the doubts are from Satan.
Read It!
Isaiah 55; Matthew 25.
Pray It!
Jesus, I want to activate those three areas in my relationship with You that You outlined in Matthew 25. Help me to guard my walk with You and make sure it’s active and growing. Teach me how to use the gifts You’ve blessed me with, and give me specific ways to minister to those around me.
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Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2007 4:25 am
Tuesday April 24th
It Is a Miracle
By grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:5
I have been privileged to serve one wonderful church for my entire ministry. When I celebrated my fortieth anniversary with them, they gave me some very loving gifts. Among them was a set of Ping golf clubs. They are awesome! To better enjoy the clubs and to improve my game, I decided to take some golf lessons from a professional. After several sessions, the pro said, “Pastor, with all due respect, it will take a miracle to improve your game.”
Our eternal salvation is a miracle. We are saved neither by our wisdom nor by our strength nor by our skill. Our salvation is a miracle of God’s mercy: “By grace you have been saved.” God has saved us, not by our merit, but by the mercy of Christ, who died on the cross for us and rose so we may live.
Except for Christianity, all religions say you must do something to earn your salvation. Only the Christian faith says, “It is finished.” Jesus did it all for us.
So we joyfully sing, “Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee. . . . Nothing in my hand I bring; Simply to Thy cross I cling” (LSB 761:1, 3).
That’s it. That’s the miracle of God’s love.
Our heavenly Father, thank You for the miracle of the Gospel and for the miracle of Your love for us, which gave us Your beloved Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
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Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2007 2:30 pm
Quiz Time
• Being a CHRISTIAN
a. means I read the Bible every now and then.
b. is knowing a lot about God.
c. is having a personal, growing relationship with Christ.
• Going to HEAVEN
a. is something I can hope for but can’t be sure of.
b. is something I can know for sure.
c. can only be attained by saints.
• Jesus gives us a THREE-PART CHECK SYSTEM when describing the Kingdom of Heaven in
a. Matthew 25.
b. Hezekiah 99
c. Sunday school.
• The first key to ENTRANCE through Heaven’s gates is
a. having a wallet full of money.
b. having the right words to say at the right time.
c. having an active, growing relationship with Christ.
• The second part of the STRATEGY Christ gives us is
a. using people.
b. using the gifts He’s given us to glorify Him.
c. using our credit cards wisely.
• The THIRD of this strategy is
a. wearing the right clothes to church.
b. going on lots of mission trips.
c. being involved in a ministry.
• Having a MINISTRY means
a. going to China to build an underground church.
b. reaching out to those around you as God directs.
c. getting your own radio show.
• Throughout the Bible, OIL is used to symbolize
a. life.
b. food.
c. bad hair.
• In the parable of the 10 BRIDESMAIDS, how many actually got to meet the bridegroom?
a. 7
b. We don’t know for sure.
c. 5
• Why didn’t ALL 10 bridesmaids get to MEET the bridegroom?
a. All 10 weren’t dressed properly.
b. All 10 didn’t have oil for their lamps.
c. All 10 weren’t well.
• The BRIDEGROOM in this parable symbolizes
a. Jesus Christ.
b. Satan.
c. John the Baptist.
• Jesus compares SHEEP to
a. the Roman guards.
b. those who know Him personally and obey Him.
c. the angels.
• Jesus compares GOATS to
a. those who refuse to pay taxes.
b. the magicians.
c. those who claim to know Him but don’t really have a personal relationship with Him.
Know It!
The person you would least expect to come to church may be the person who’s simply waiting for you to ask. Dare to reach out and invite your friends to church. They need to hear the message of God’s love and forgiveness.
Read It!
Proverbs 4; Matthew 25.
Pray It!
Jesus, it gives me confidence that I can know for sure that I’ll get to spend eternity with You. Help me to continue to grow closer to you every single day.
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Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2007 8:41 pm
my answers..
• Being a CHRISTIAN
c. is having a personal, growing relationship with Christ.
• Going to HEAVEN
b. is something I can know for sure.
• Jesus gives us a THREE-PART CHECK SYSTEM when describing the Kingdom of Heaven in
a. Matthew 25. ?
• The first key to ENTRANCE through Heaven’s gates is
c. having an active, growing relationship with Christ.
• The second part of the STRATEGY Christ gives us is
b. using the gifts He’s given us to glorify Him.
• The THIRD of this strategy is
c. being involved in a ministry.
• Having a MINISTRY means
b. reaching out to those around you as God directs.
• Throughout the Bible, OIL is used to symbolize
a. life. ?
• In the parable of the 10 BRIDESMAIDS, how many actually got to meet the bridegroom?
c. 5 ?
• Why didn’t ALL 10 bridesmaids get to MEET the bridegroom?
b. All 10 didn’t have oil for their lamps.
• The BRIDEGROOM in this parable symbolizes
a. Jesus Christ.
• Jesus compares SHEEP to
b. those who know Him personally and obey Him.
• Jesus compares GOATS to
c. those who claim to know Him but don’t really have a personal relationship with Him.
sCORE mE??
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Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 6:12 am
Wednesday April 25th
Freely Forgiven
A young man followed [Jesus], with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him, but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked. Mark 14:51–52
A woman was cut off in traffic. Angry, she pulled beside the erring driver, honked her horn, swore at him, and stuck out her tongue. A policeman pulled her over. He asked for her driver’s license and automobile identification. The woman asked, “Officer, what is the problem?” Noting that her papers were in order, the officer replied, “Ma’am, I saw what you did. When I read your bumper stickers, ‘Honk if you love Jesus,’ ‘Love your neighbor,’ and ‘See you in church,’ I thought this car was stolen!”
We all do things that later embarrass us and make us ashamed. The good we want to do, we do not do; but the evil we would avoid is what we do (Romans 7:19).
Christian tradition tells us that Mark is the young man who ran away frightened and naked when Jesus was arrested. Yet God forgave him, fully and freely. Later, God called Mark to be a trusted witness to Christ and led him to set down Jesus’ words and deeds in the Gospel that bears his name.
The same God also forgives us freely, as Isaiah says, without money or price. Through Christ, the Lord our God has glorified us.
Heavenly Father, thank You for the forgiveness You give us freely through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
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Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 7:42 pm
Stuff To Think About
The Bible is full of stuff to think about. In fact, the book of Proverbs has an incredible amount to say about wisdom. If you truly want wisdom, you can have it. Wisdom begins with a strong foundation in Jesus Christ. It’s then nurtured through the reading of God’s Word, and then multiplied through the studying of His Word.
Wisdom without common sense isn’t worth much. And common sense minus wisdom won’t get you very far. It takes both wisdom and common sense working together to comprise a smart person.
Let’s check your wisdom and common sense, okay?
Sid E. Slicker had a well that was 63 feet deep. A squirrel fell inside. Each day the squirrel climbed seven feet up the well but fell down four feet each night.
Question: How many days did it take the squirrel to get out of the well?
Added information: Mr. Slicker gave the squirrel food and water each day so it wouldn’t die.
You may be thinking, The squirrel gained three feet each day, so it took 21 days to get out of the well. After all 63 divided by three equals 21. That’s the obvious answer.
Jesus said, “Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:14 NIV).
In a class of 30 students, two usually discover the correct answer to the squirrel problem. You, too, can discover the solution to life’s problems by turning to the Bible. The man who is truly wise, knows that the Word of God offers truth and guidance. It may take a little more time to study the Word and fervently seek God’s will, but once you’ve done that and have yielded to His leading, you’ll have the correct solution to life’s problems.
Back to our squirrel problem. If our friendly rodent gains three feet each day, where is he on the 19th day? It’s up the well at the point of 57 feet. On the 20th day, the squirrel goes up seven feet and is out. How? Because 57 feet plus the seven feet it goes up each day makes a total of 64 feet. Since the well is 63 feet deep, the squirrel is out on the 20th day without falling back that night.
Know It!
When faced with problems, it’s tempting to take the easy way out. Satan is working overtime to convince you the easy way out is the best way out. Don’t fall for his strategy. Seek God’s wisdom in all you do!
Read It!
Proverbs 1, 2, 3.
Pray It!
Dear Jesus, I admit, I’m often tempted to take short cuts to my problems. Help me to stop looking for the easy way and start seeking the right way through Your wisdom.
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Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2007 4:28 am
April 26th
I Will Be with You
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. Isaiah 43:2
After a torrential rainstorm, a ten-year-old girl fell into a flood-swollen drainage ditch near her Texas home. She was being swept away in the rain-swollen floodwaters toward certain death. Two teenagers heard her cries for help. They jumped into the raging waters, pulled her to safety, and saved her life. That is a picture of what Jesus did for us. We were being swept away by sin and shame, guilt and grief. Jesus jumped into the waters to rescue us by dying on Calvary’s old rugged cross.
Troubles are a reality in life. Some troubles suddenly sweep down upon us, like a hurricane. Other troubles seem to last forever. And other troubles seem unjust. After giving years of faithful service to your employer, your job is eliminated. You get sick. Then the transmission goes out on your car. We are prone to ask, “Does God know my trouble? Does He care?”
Isaiah gives us hope. God does not promise all sunshine and no storms. But God does promise to help us, walk with us, fight for us, and defend us. Jesus went to the cross carrying all our sin, grief, and sorrow. In Him, God gives us hope, help, and peace. He says, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you” (Isaiah 43:1).
Heavenly Father, thank You that You walk with us day by day. Amen.
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