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 Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 10:07 am
The World's Largest Backpacking Group Part IX
Joshua's instructions were crystal clear. He then gave the signal, and away they went. All of them. Following his orders. Obeying the instructions. Well . . . not exactly. There was this one guy. And there's always one in every crowd, isn't there?
His name was Acorn. (Well, almost. People probably called him that when they made fun of him. His real name was Achan. Not much better, huh?)
Acorn went into a condo, cleaned it out completely, and just happened to notice a bathrobe. (True story. I promise. Read it for yourself in the seventh chapter of Joshua.) And even though he remembered Josh specifically saying no one could keep anything, he thought to himself, Hey, it's just a bathrobe. It's not like it's valuable or anything. And besides . . . no one was watching. I'm so tired of these old gym shorts. I deserve a new bathrobe. So he took the garment, folded it, wrapped his tunic around it and went to the next home.
Again, he cleaned it out completely, but his eyes fell on a small gold bar-maybe three inches long. And even though he could hear Joshua's words echoing in his mind, he couldn't help but think, It's so small. What's one gold bar? So he took the gold bar, stuck it in his pocket and went to a nearby apartment.
He did a great job cleaning it out, but as he did, he couldn't help but see a small silver coin-about the size of two quarters. And yes, he remembered the words of his leader, but different thoughts ran through Acorn's mind: It's just a silver coin. It's been 40 years since I've had an allowance. I deserve this little bit of money. I'm working hard, here! It's not like our group needs this small coin, he thought. And true, it really wouldn't be missed, because people were hauling huge sections of golden walls and massive pieces of solid silver, turquoise and other metals. One small coin really wouldn't be missed in the grand scheme of things.
So he took the silver coin and went back to his personal tent, dug a hole in the ground and placed the coins in the pocket of the bathrobe, folded the robe, buried it, placed his cot on top of the dirt and probably put his CD player on top of that.
It was smooth. No one nearby. Nothing would be missed.
Know It!
People can rationalize anything. Many dating couples rationalize that since they're in love-and will eventually marry each other anyway-having sex outside of marriage is permissible in their case. Other Christians rationalize pornographic fantasies thinking, Hey, it's just in my mind. It's not hurting anyone. If you want to rationalize drinking, taking drugs or even Satanism, you can find a “church” willing to endorse those very things. But remember-rationalizing with people is never the same as rationalizing with God. It just won't work. Ever.
Read It!
Psalm 119:43-48; Psalm 119:55-64; Psalm 119:128- 133; Psalm 119:165.
Pray It!
Ask the Lord to help you fall in love with His will even though you may not always understand it.
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Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 12:07 pm
Sunday September 16th
Vain Promises of a Foolish Life
Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Matthew 28:20
Given the aches and pains of old age, a person may ask, “Who wants to live to be a hundred?” The answer: someone who is ninety-nine. Lifestyle changes and new medical procedures promise good health and long lives. In light of this, what are we to make of today’s reading, which says the day of death is better than the day of birth (v. 1)?
The day of birth is the beginning of our troubles, trials, and temptations. The day of our death marks their end. Even so, the trials of this life are far more desirable than the vanity of a fool’s life—a life lived only for laughter, mirth, and songs.
A person without faith despairs over life’s trials and tribulations. He feels that life is hopeless. But God gave us faith at our Baptism, and by this faith we believe and hold fast to God’s promises. He promises to care for us always, no matter where we are or what is happening to us. He is with us in mourning and in feasting. He is with us at the beginning of life and in old age. He gives us strength to endure our trials and tribulations, our pain and sorrows. With Jesus beside us, giving us comfort and strength, life is not hopeless. Life is filled with hope and His abiding love.
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your enduring love and faithfulness. Amen.
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Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 2:48 pm
The World's Largest Backpacking Group Part XI
As soon as Joshua heard those words, he knew someone had rationalized his instructions. Someone had taken something that didn't belong to him.
So he gathered his search party and told them to go into every person's tent, dig through everyone's belongings and find the stolen property.
They did. And they came up empty-handed. Acorn didn't even bat an eye. Why should he? No one had seen him, and he'd buried his stolen treasures underneath his cot. No one would ever think to just start digging a hole in the floor of his tent!
But Joshua wouldn't give up. (He never buckled under pressure, remember?) So the search party went back again. And again they came up empty-handed.
But Joshua still didn't quit. He sent his men back again. They came to Acorn's tent. Searched it inside and out. No one found a thing. They left.
Except for one man. He stopped in the doorway of the tent, spun around and folded his arms. His eyes darted from side to side. What is it? he thought. What's this eerie feeling I have? Ahh, I don't know. I'm just so tired of searching everything and coming up empty-handed.
He wandered back inside the tent and threw everything off the walls. Then he kicked the cot out the door and took the pillow and smashed it against his knees until the feathers flew out. Then, standing where the cot had been, he folded his arms again and began kicking the dirt underneath his feet while scanning the tent.
And you guessed it. As he stood and kicked, you know what he saw. The corner of a brightly-colored bathrobe. And as he leaned over to pick it up, a silver coin and a gold bar fell out of the pocket.
Acorn was brought to the center of the camp and burned alive.
Wow. What started as a fun story about an exciting youth group, has suddenly turned into a nightmare. All because one guy compromised.
You see, there are some things that change. The weather. The price of a hamburger. History. Fashion. And then there are things you change: your mind, your socks (hopefully), your feelings, your grades.
But there are some things that NEVER change. And those things are God's laws. They don't rotate, altar, shift or evolve. They're constant. Solid. Concrete. They will always be that way.
When we compromise God's standards, we're sinning. The world says, “It's not sin, it's just doing your own thing.” But when God says “no,” and you say “yes,” it's sin.
Know It!
There's no way to get around God's laws. When we choose to break them, there are always consequences.
Read It!
Psalm 51:4; Ecclesiastes 9:18; 2 Peter 2:4; 1 John 1:10.
Pray It!
Ask God for a growing desire to do His will and obey His commands.
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Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 3:12 pm
Monday Sept 17th
Extremes
Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Ephesians 5:17
Extremes are everywhere: education, government, sports, ethics, even moral living. It seems that, good or bad, anything goes today. The Preacher warns us not to be taken in by extremes and cautions against two of them: trying to become righteous through our own wisdom, and the foolishness of wicked living.
The foolishness of wicked living distances us from God by despising God. The opposite extreme, trying to obtain righteousness by obeying the laws of God or man, also distances us from God, but by despising the work of Christ. True righteousness before God is His gift to us through faith in Christ.
Abraham’s faith was counted as righteousness; so also the faith God works in us by Baptism and His Word imparts His righteousness to us. We cannot generate our own righteousness before God, not even by following God’s rules. “If righ-teousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (Galatians 2:21 NIV). True righteousness and true wisdom God gives us freely through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Heavenly Father, Your great love for us is beyond understanding. Forgive our wanderings from one extreme to the other. Bring us back to You that we may have the life You intended for us. Amen.
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Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 4:22 am
Tuesday Septemer 18th
It’s the Law
God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6
As legislators pass laws, sometimes we question their wis-
dom. Sometimes we wish different laws had been passed. And sometimes we think new laws are unnecessary. Still, as citizens, we respect the law, knowing that government is ordained by God.
As Solomon reminds us, even when we are ruled by tyrants, our lawmakers’ powers are limited. God is still in charge. Our times remain in His hands.
Though our faces sometimes reflect concern about our government, God’s promises of His faithful love and protection change our countenances. Moses’ face shone when he came down from Mount Sinai after his encounter with God. Later, Jesus’ entire body shone while on the mountain with His disciples. Our faces reflect the same joy from the presence of the Lord as He makes us wise unto salvation.
This joy comes from God’s glory, which fills His gifts of Word and Sacrament that give us Christ. His glory flows from them and shines out through us, from the light of Christ, whom God has given us.
Heavenly Father, give our civil servants wisdom as they formulate and administer our laws. Cause us to remember that You protect and guide us now and forever. Amen.
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Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 3:05 pm
Victory Over Compromise
Instead of praying that God won't help you get caught cheating, or that someone won't know you lied, pray about these things instead:
• Wisdom to know the difference. Maybe you're not sure if this specific thing will compromise your relationship with God or not. Seek His wisdom. He's more than ready to give you solid direction when you ask.
• Discernment. Discernment is honed wisdom. It allows you to be more than just “generally wise.” Discernment helps you assess specific situations and know from the inside out whether or not it's right.
• Knowledge. If you are rationalizing something and it's not right in God's eyes, you want to know about it! So pray for that knowledge. That's why daily time spent with God in prayer and Bible reading are so important-it gives you a chance to ask God if there's anything in your life that's not right. Then it's His responsibility to help you know what it is. And when He brings it to your mind-when you have knowledge of it-seek His forgiveness and commit it to Him. So go ahead. Let Him look underneath your cot and inside your closet. Give Him your locker and your diary. Surrender your relationships and your heart. Commit to Him your will and your desires.
Know It!
God wants your happiness even more than you do! He doesn't place rules in your life to frustrate you or to rob you of a good time. He gives you boundaries to protect you and help you live life to the fullest in His glory.
Read It!
Proverbs 3:13-26; Isaiah 8:17; Isaiah 12:2; Isaiah 26:4.
Pray It!
Consider praying the following:
Lord, sometimes I move so fast, I forget to stop and think about if what I'm doing is really okay in Your sight. I hurry to keep up with my friends, . . . when I should be hurrying to keep myself saturated in Your Word.
I don't want to compromise, Father. My desire is to live a life that's pleasing to You. I need Your discernment, Your wisdom and Your strength. Help me to discipline myself daily to establishing those attributes in my life. Help me to work at them-practice them-until they become part of my lifestyle. I want to live with integrity, never compromising. Never rationalizing.
Help me to be like Joshua-standing strong with the pressure rises. I don't want to buckle when I feel the tension. But “as for me and my house . . . I WILL serve the Lord.” Amen.
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Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 7:20 am
Wednesday September 19th
Fit for Life
As far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:12
Be fit and add years to your life.” Magazines, Web sites, and television ads all bombard us with encouragement to live a healthy lifestyle. Despite our efforts for healthier, longer lives, in the end, we all face death. Solomon explains that it doesn’t matter how a wicked man has tried to prolong his life or for what great things he has been praised during his lifetime—if he does not fear God, his life has been lived in vain.
Perhaps we do not recognize ourselves as the wicked man of whom Solomon speaks, yet we are all sinners (Romans 3:23) and “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). We deserve eternal separation from God, but God provides us with an escape. No, we will not escape physical death, nor will we find an eternal fountain of youth. Instead, Christ’s sacrifice on the cross brings eternal life to all who believe in Him. Jesus paid the price for our wickedness. He cleanses us, washes us in His blood, and rescues us from the devil. Through our Baptism, He removes our sins “as far as the east is from the west,” and we receive not necessarily a long life here on earth, but most surely eternal salvation, life forever with God.
Thank You, Lord Jesus, for making us fit to spend eternity with You. Amen.
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Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 2:44 pm
Can You Spot The Mistake?
Though people mean well, what often comes out of our mouths is just a little . . . off. Check out the following misstatements.
• “My best friend is a chronological liar.”
• “He suffers from an insecuriority complex.”
• “Members of the Grovetown Woman's Club gave the speaker a standing ovulation.”
• “He really gets my dandruff up.”
• “He's so rich! He wears a Rolodex watch.”
• “All their meals include 8 percent tax and 17 percent gratitudes.”
• “Well, at least she's getting it out of her cistern.”
• “I have a photogenic memory.”
• “If you take this subject, you may be able to enroll in Harvard, Yale or Prison.”
• “The loaf of bread had no adjectives and no preservatives.”
• “We use vanilla envelopes for bulky letters.”
• “I was scared stiffless.”
• “I love academia nuts.”
• “When the temperature is below zero, it may feel even colder because of the windshield factor.”
• “My ancestors were pheasants who came over from France.”
Though it's fun to laugh at the mistakes of others, God wants you to focus more clearly on what they do right, rather than how many times they mess up. How often in the past two days have you laughed at someone? How often in the past two days have to made time to point out someone's good qualities?
A little encouragement and consistent affirmation go a long way in helping someone feel better about himself. You have the power to make or break someone's day just by how you treat him. People who are always waiting for someone to mess up, are usually people who are very insecure. By pointing out someone else's mistakes, it somehow makes them feel better about themselves.
Mistakes and sin are two different things. Yes, God wants you to be bold in speaking out against sin. Jesus never hesitated to call sin, sin. But He never laughed at another person's expense. A sin is deliberately doing something against the known will of God. A mistake is forgetting the correct word to use. There's a huge difference.
Know It!
It's your choice. Would you rather be known as an encourager whom people love to be around? Or do you want the reputation of being the sarcastic person always looking for a laugh at someone else's expense? Let Jesus be your example.
Read It!
Philippians 2:1; Colossians 3:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:11; 1 Timothy 4:12.
Pray It!
Ask God to show you specific ways to encourage three different people this week.
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Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2007 3:36 pm
Thursday September 20th
The Final Answer
But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him”— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 1 Corinthians 2:9–10
In some circles today it is fashionable to learn how to live by reading the daily horoscope or consulting a life coach or even by seeking a guru as a spiritual advisor. Solomon warns that this kind of searching will not bring any dependable answers. We do not receive satisfactory answers to life’s questions in these ways. To find life’s answers, we must go to the source of life—God Himself.
The true answer comes from God’s Word. The Holy Spirit reveals God’s answer to us as we read God’s Word, participate in the liturgy, and sing hymns.
Jesus Himself is the Word (John 1:1–5). Unlike the false tenets of man, God’s Word is life-giving, because God’s Word gives us Christ Himself. When Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well, He explained that He could give her “living water,” life-sustaining water that wells up to eternal life (John 4:10, 13–14). The life-giving Word of God sustains us and brings us to Christ Jesus, who is our wisdom from God, our life, and our salvation. He’s the final answer.
Lord, thank You for Your Word and truth. Amen.
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Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2007 4:09 pm
Sometimes Love Takes its Time
Dr. Hans Richter, a famous musical conductor lived in the late 1800s and was a close friend of famous composer Richard Wagner. Mr. and Mrs. Wagner often dined with Dr. Richter and shared many memories. Toward the end of year in 1870, Mrs. Wagner complained to her husband that it had been a long time since they had seen Dr. Richter. She wondered why he hadn't been out and about. Why wasn't he doing anything important? Why hadn't they heard from him?
Her birthday fell on Christmas Eve, and she was surprised by her husband and Dr. Richter playing a musical selection for her that they had spent the last year composing. Dr. Richter and Mr. Wagner has been rehearsing her surprise for weeks when she was wondering why he supposedly wasn't doing anything at all.
Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, probably wondered why Jesus wasn't doing more when their brother died. They had sent word to their Lord. Where was He? Why didn't He seem in a hurry to arrive and offer His help?
Sometimes love takes a little time. Often times what appears as a delay from God is an act full of love and designed with rich blessing. Mary and Martha didn't know that though Jesus arrived when they felt it was too late, He was actually right on time to perform the miracle of raising their dead brother to life. And sometimes when God waits to answer your prayer, He's actually waiting for His perfect timing to give you an even greater blessing that what you previously expected.
Well-known writer Robert Louis Stevenson was known as a kind man with a huge heart. A story is told about an experience he had while living in Samoa. One day when his cook was away, he told the other servant not to bother with lunch, just to bring a little bread and cheese instead. Stevenson didn't want to bother the servant or make him feel obligated to do what the cook usually did.
The servant took a little longer than Stevenson expected. The writer wondered what was holding him up but was pleasantly surprised when the servant entered his room carrying a tray with an incredible lunch of an omelet, salad and great coffee. When Stevenson asked him who prepared such a fine lunch, the servant replied it was him. Stevenson then complimented him on having great wisdom. Apparently, he had brought one of the writer's favorite meals to him.
But the servant responded, “No; not great is my wisdom. Great is my love!”
Know It!
Be willing to put aside your impatience and completely trust God for His best plans for your life.
Read It!
Isaiah 55: 10-11; Jeremiah 32:26-27; Habakkuk 2:3; John 11:1-12;
Pray It!
Pray for patience and understanding regarding God's timetable and your desires.
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 4:25 am
Friday September 21st
A Feast of Joy
Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. Isaiah 1:18
Shortly after Jesus called Matthew to be His disciple, Matthew invited his friends and gave a feast for Jesus. As He ate with these sinners, Jesus explained to His critics that He came not “to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32). As a repentant sinner, Matthew truly ate and drank with joy. He wore the white garment of righteousness in Christ, not the old garment stained by his sin. He was no longer troubled by his past sins, because Christ had set him free.
Jesus also calls us to repentance, that is, to contrition and faith. Like Matthew, we no longer wear the garments of our sin, but the pure white wool of Christ’s innocence and holiness. Having washed us in Holy Baptism, Christ has made our scarlet sins “white as snow.” The merry heart He gives us comes from His forgiveness of our sins, which He won for us through His sacrifice on the cross. And He invites us to a feast of forgiveness and joy—to feast on His body and blood in Holy Communion. Christ is with us always, giving us new life in Him.
Lord Jesus, in Your mercy, Your garment of righ-teousness covers our sins, and You have invited us to partake of Your feast of joy. Amen.
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Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 4:52 pm
You Don't Have to Be on Drugs or Sleep Around to Have a Testimony
If you have a growing relationship with Jesus Christ, you're actually personal friends with the Creator of the universe! Pretty exciting, huh! Naturally, you want to share your faith with those around you. But maybe you're not sure how. You need a tool. Some equipment. You need a testimony. (And before you start thinking, I've never done drugs, I don't have a testimony! think about this: There are rewards of living the “straight life.” You're not haunted by memories you're dying to forget. You have no regrets with your language, your dating life or your friendships. You can actually feel proud of your past!)
So please know right up front: You don't have to be on drugs or sleep around to have a testimony! God rewards those who place Him first and keep Him first. And you're already aware of the fact that it's only because of His Holy Spirit living within you that you're able to say no to the things in which He doesn't want you involved. By not having a “testimony,” you actually do have a testimony-an extremely powerful one!
Sometimes people get tired of hearing about all the bad. Though it's motivating to hear a testimony full of color and with a wild side to it, it's extremely refreshing to hear someone say, “I haven't done any of that. And it's not because I'm strong or cool or have my act together. It's because God gives me the strength to withstand.”
(And before you start thinking, Oh, great! I've already blown it! Guess my testimony isn't as valuable. you need to realize that God can use your past filled with drugs, drinking and sleeping around to show the incredible difference He has made in your life since you've given everything to Him. God has the power to make beautiful things out of devastating situations.)
Bottom line: Every Christian has a testimony! Yours may be filled with stuff you'd rather forget . . . or you may think your testimony is quite boring. But every Christian has a testimony, and the fact that God forgave you, a sinner, and granted you salvation is certainly worth sharing!
But how? Let's take the next few days to chat about how to develop your own personal testimony.
Know It!
God has not only given you a testimony, He wants to teach you how to use it to bring glory to His name.
Read It!
2 Corinthians 1:1-5; Galatians 1:-2; Philippians 1:1; James 1:1.
Pray It!
Ask God to help you develop your own personal testimony to share with those who don't know Him.
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Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 6:30 am
Saturday September 22nd
A Living Hope
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3
Some television programs falsely proclaim that if we just follow the pattern of living they endorse, we can be victorious. Some books claim that we can avoid poverty, illness, or poor relationships simply by adhering to their teachings. If we buy into these claims, we discover that their prescriptions do not work. We end up feeling defeated. We founder, deep in guilt.
At first glance, today’s reading appears to tell us that it makes no difference what lifestyle we follow—the same things will happen to everyone. So, does it matter what we do? Yes, but our deeds do not influence God; they simply serve our neighbor.
But our reading offers more: “He who is joined with all the living has hope” (Ecclesiastes 9:4). Christ is the living. Our Baptism joins us to the living Christ. He nourishes us through Holy Communion. He won victory for us through His death on the cross and freely gives us salvation and eternal life. This living hope does not depend on our lifestyle and good deeds; it comes to us from God’s mercy.
Our Father, thank You for the living hope of eternal life, given to us because of Your love. Amen.
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Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 2:04 pm
Sometimes I Hate My Job
By: Brooke Macri
Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men... Ephesians 6:7
I'm a server at a local restaurant. Its an okay job i supposed, just like any other job, good points and some bad points. But I can honestly say that sometimes i hate my job with such a passion, i feel like just quitting. You have to serve all kinds of people, on a daily basis. Old people, teenagers, nice people, and people who are not so nice. More than often you get the people who are not as nice as others.
I walk up to certain tables, and greet them (always with a smile) most of the time people wil just ignore my greeting and tell me what they want to drink without even looking up from their menu. When i come back to take their orders, i usually get talked to with disrespect and sarcasm. I get treated like I'm a servant, and that I'm beneath people sometimes. And in the end, when it comes down to pay, the tip is barely even worth writing down. IT AGGRAVATES me people! I just don't understand how one person can treat other complete strangers with disrespect and lack of caring.
One thing that I need to keep in mind on a daily basis, and that is to remember that when i work , i need to work for the Lord. When Jesus found his disciples, He humbled himself to wash their feet. Think about that, the Savior of the world washing the feet of average men. When we choose to follow Christ, we are called to serve others. Serving in every way. The Bible tells us that everything we do we should to as if doing it for the Lord. Something i need to keep in mind. To treat everyone i wait on at my job, as if i was serving the Lord Himself. IF i do that, then my job and everything else in life wouldn't be so horrible. Serving the Lord means serving others.
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Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2007 8:43 am
Sunday September 23rd
Enjoy Yourself!
There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God. Ecclesiastes 2:24
When I was a young girl, my parents belonged to the local Grange. At one evening of family entertainment, a group performed a silly skit and sang, “Enjoy yourself—it’s later than you think!” I remember that song when I read Solomon’s exhortation to have “a merry heart” and to “enjoy life” (Ecclesiastes 9:7, 9). Furthermore, he says to wear white and use ointments (banquet customs of the day). What a different picture from the dour-faced pew sitters some of us have become!
Solomon is not referring to excessive partying, but as Luther says, “this exhortation applies to the godly,” who should not be torturing themselves with worry. Luther continues: “This is the height of spiritual wisdom, to know that one has a gracious God, who approves our works and actions” (LW 15:14 cool .
Furthermore, God’s people may enjoy their work and labor. Paul explains: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (Colossians 3:23). We, too, can have this joyful spirit. Christ forgives our sins and releases us from our burden of guilt. He frees us to live with a merry heart.
Heavenly Father, we rejoice that You gave us new life and work to enjoy. Amen.
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