Day 44 - (Today’s Bible readings: Genesis 31:25-55; Psalm 41; Matthew 20:17-34)
But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:25-28 ESV)
One of the best tools the devil uses to divide people and set them at odds with one another is the sin of pride. Would you rather be a waiter or be waited on? Would you rather make breakfast for your family, or have your spouse bring you breakfast in bed?
Jesus is clearly teaching us in this section that we are called to serve and not to be served. The picture gets at the heart of our problem. We think that it is all about us!
However, “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Jesus lived what He is talking about. Actually He died what He is talking about. How can you and I presume to have it any better than Jesus? In fact, what Jesus is teaching us is the secret to real joy and purpose in our lives on this earth. We GET to serve Jesus by serving the needs of others. May the Lord bless you as you joyfully find ways to lend someone else a helping hand in Jesus’ name.
Lord Jesus, as I remember Your death for me on Calvary’s cross, may I be led to remember that life is not about me and my comfort. Instead, grant me the joy of serving You by serving others. In Your merciful and saving name, O Lord. Amen.
“See” you in church tomorrow (Ash Wednesday... 10:30 am and 7 pm at St. Paul’s).
Pastor David Paape
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105 ), is the theme for this three-year journey through the entire Old Testament once (the Psalms - twice yearly), and the New Testament twice. There will be daily readings form the O.T., Psalms and the N.T. Special days on the church calendar will be highlighted with appropriate readings. This calendar has been compiled by representatives of the Lutheran Church of Canada, the North American Lutheran Church and the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. Please click this link for the daily reading calendar:
https://blogs.lcms.org/2017/lcms-lcc-and-nalc-compile-three-year-schedule-of-daily-bible-readings
Then scroll down to 2018 Bible Reading Calendar and download it if you so wish. The “assigned” daily readings will appear on a daily basis in this blog. May the Lord bless you meditation upon His precious life-giving Word!
Day 43 - (Today’s Bible readings: Genesis 31:1-24; Psalm 40; Matthew 20:1-16)
Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ So the last will be first, and the first last.” (Matthew 20:10-16 ESV)
1) Billy got a bigger piece of pie than I did. IT’S NOT FAIR.
2) The new guy got the promotion. IT’S NOT FAIR.
3) Supposedly he was converted to Christ just before he died. IT’S NOT FAIR.
A lot of things in life are not fair. That is just a reality of life. As for the third example, it is right. It is not fair that a person could be saved just before they die.
We need to remember that God is not fair with ANY OF US. Yes, God’s not fair, and that’s a good thing. If He dealt fairly with us, we would all be heading for hell. Instead, all believers in Christ have received what we do NOT deserve, the forgiveness of our many sins and the totally undeserved promise of heaven.
♬ By grace I'm saved, grace free and boundless;
My soul, believe and doubt it not.
Why stagger at this word of promise?
Hath Scripture ever falsehood taught?
No! Then this word must true remain;
By grace you too will life obtain.
(The Lutheran Service Book, Concordia Publishing House, 2006 hymn #566, stanza 1)
Heavenly Father, thank You for not being fair to me and giving me what I deserve. I praise You for sending Jesus to suffer the torments of hell for sinners like me. Help me every day to remember, celebrate and share Your free and boundless grace. In Jesus’ saving name. Amen.
“See” you in church on Ash Wednesday.
Pastor David Paape
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105 ), is the theme for this three-year journey through the entire Old Testament once (the Psalms - twice yearly), and the New Testament twice. There will be daily readings form the O.T., Psalms and the N.T. Special days on the church calendar will be highlighted with appropriate readings. This calendar has been compiled by representatives of the Lutheran Church of Canada, the North American Lutheran Church and the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. Please click this link for the daily reading calendar:
https://blogs.lcms.org/2017/lcms-lcc-and-nalc-compile-three-year-schedule-of-daily-bible-readings
Then scroll down to 2018 Bible Reading Calendar and download it if you so wish. The “assigned” daily readings will appear on a daily basis in this blog. May the Lord bless you meditation upon His precious life-giving Word!
Day 42 - (Today’s Bible readings: Exodus 34:29-35; Psalm 50; 1 Corinthians 3:12-4:5; Mark 9:2-9)
2 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. 4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5 And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 7 And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” 8 And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only. (Mark 9:2-8 ESV)
There are many “voices” competing for your attention, many distractions from the voice of God. We hear God the Father’s voice clearly calling us to listen to Jesus:
7 And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud. It may say “a voice,” but it truly is “THE” voice, the voice of the Creator of all things, almighty God Himself. And what does He have to say? “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”
And what does Jesus have to say to you?
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15)
And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” (Matthew 9:2)
Listen carefully to Jesus as He speaks to you this morning in worship, and you will see that His words are truly what you need to hear.
Heavenly Father, I want to obey You and listen to Jesus. Lord Jesus, thank You for Your words of forgiveness and comfort. Holy Spirit, bless my hearing of the Word when I attend church this morning. Amen.
“See” you at the Communion table this morning!
Pastor David Paape
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105 ), is the theme for this three-year journey through the entire Old Testament once (the Psalms - twice yearly), and the New Testament twice. There will be daily readings form the O.T., Psalms and the N.T. Special days on the church calendar will be highlighted with appropriate readings. This calendar has been compiled by representatives of the Lutheran Church of Canada, the North American Lutheran Church and the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. Please click this link for the daily reading calendar:
https://blogs.lcms.org/2017/lcms-lcc-and-nalc-compile-three-year-schedule-of-daily-bible-readings
Then scroll down to 2018 Bible Reading Calendar and download it if you so wish. The “assigned” daily readings will appear on a daily basis in this blog. May the Lord bless you meditation upon His precious life-giving Word!
Day 41 - (Today’s Bible readings: Genesis 30:25-43; Psalm 39; Matthew 19:16-30)
And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. (Matthew 19:16-22 ESV)
The normal sound on your television is replaced with the sound of an annoying buzzer and a note crawling across the bottom of the screen informing that this is test of the emergency broadcast system. THIS IS A TEST, IT IS ONLY A TEST.
A test is exactly what the Lord was giving on this day. Sadly, the rich young man failed the test. He refused to let go of his stuff and trust Jesus.
While Job had no say in the loss of his possessions and loved ones, he still passed the test. After putting God first, God blessed him.
Solomon was tested when the Lord offered him a “blank check.” He chose wisdom instead of wealth and power. After he put God first, God blessed him.
The disciples were tested and responded by leaving everything and following Jesus. After they put God first, God blessed them.
The ultimate test is whether or not you are perfect. Since we are all sinners and therefore imperfect, we need some help. The answer is to rely only on Jesus and not on anything we have or anything we have done.
So let’s look to “Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross.” (Hebrews 12:2 ESV)
We look to Jesus who passed the test for us and purchased the forgiveness of our sins.
Lord Jesus, thank You for passing the perfection test for me on Mt. Calvary. Help me to put my complete trust in You and not in the things of this life. Amen.
“See” you in church tomorrow!
Pastor David Paape
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105 ), is the theme for this three-year journey through the entire Old Testament once (the Psalms - twice yearly), and the New Testament twice. There will be daily readings form the O.T., Psalms and the N.T. Special days on the church calendar will be highlighted with appropriate readings. This calendar has been compiled by representatives of the Lutheran Church of Canada, the North American Lutheran Church and the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. Please click this link for the daily reading calendar:
https://blogs.lcms.org/2017/lcms-lcc-and-nalc-compile-three-year-schedule-of-daily-bible-readings
Then scroll down to 2018 Bible Reading Calendar and download it if you so wish. The “assigned” daily readings will appear on a daily basis in this blog. May the Lord bless you meditation upon His precious life-giving Word!
Day 39 - (Today’s Bible readings: Genesis 30:1-24; Psalm 38; Matthew 19:1-15)
13 Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, 14 but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” 15 And he laid his hands on them and went away. (Matthew 19:13-15 ESV)
For the past twenty-five years I have had the privilege of serving in a ministry that helps expectant mothers in need give birth to their children.
● What a joy it is when those little ones are born!
● What a joy it is when they are born again through the water and Word of Holy Baptism and come to Jesus!
● And what a joy it is to see how God’s people have supported A Place of Refuge for the past 25 years!
The hymn writer focuses on children coming to Jesus with the words of this children’s song:
1. Let me learn of Jesus, He is kind to me;
Once He died to save me, Nailed upon a tree.
2. When I go to Jesus, He will hear me pray,
Make me pure and holy, Take my sin away.
3. Let me think of Jesus, He is full of love,
Looking down upon me, From His throne above.
4. Oh, how good is Jesus, May He hold my hand
And at last receive me To a better land.
(“Let Me Learn of Jesus,” All God’s People Sing, CPH #156)
Heavenly Father, thank You for blessing A Place of Refuge for these past 25 years. Thank You for reaching children and their families with the precious Gospel. Many we all learn of Jesus, follow Jesus and share Jesus. In His saving name. Amen.
Pastor David Paape
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105 ), is the theme for this three-year journey through the entire Old Testament once (the Psalms - twice yearly), and the New Testament twice. There will be daily readings form the O.T., Psalms and the N.T. Special days on the church calendar will be highlighted with appropriate readings. This calendar has been compiled by representatives of the Lutheran Church of Canada, the North American Lutheran Church and the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. Please click this link for the daily reading calendar:
https://blogs.lcms.org/2017/lcms-lcc-and-nalc-compile-three-year-schedule-of-daily-bible-readings
Then scroll down to 2018 Bible Reading Calendar and download it if you so wish. The “assigned” daily readings will appear on a daily basis in this blog. May the Lord bless you meditation upon His precious life-giving Word!
Day 39 - (Today’s Bible readings: Genesis 29:14-29; Psalm 37; Matthew 18:21-35)
21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.
..... 32 ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart. (Matthew 18:21-35 ESV)
The parable of the unforgiving servant teaches us that God expects us to forgive one another just as He has forgiven us. Here a couple of key thoughts:
● How great is the debt of sin that you owe to God?
● How do your sins of thought, word and deed compare with whatever someone else has done to you?
● Isn’t it true that the parable accurately describes how we tend to minimize our sin and maximize the sins of others?
So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.
● Where do we find the power to forgive when someone “sins” against us?
And you, who were dead in your trespasses ..., God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. (Colossians 2:13-14 ESV)
● Because of what Jesus did for us on the cross, paying for all of our sins, we can now forgive others.
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your unending forgiveness granted to this penitent sinner. Help me to forgive others just as You have forgiven me. In Your saving name, O Lord. Amen.
Pastor David Paape
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105 ), is the theme for this three-year journey through the entire Old Testament once (the Psalms - twice yearly), and the New Testament twice. There will be daily readings form the O.T., Psalms and the N.T. Special days on the church calendar will be highlighted with appropriate readings. This calendar has been compiled by representatives of the Lutheran Church of Canada, the North American Lutheran Church and the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. Please click this link for the daily reading calendar:
https://blogs.lcms.org/2017/lcms-lcc-and-nalc-compile-three-year-schedule-of-daily-bible-readings
Then scroll down to 2018 Bible Reading Calendar and download it if you so wish. The “assigned” daily readings will appear on a daily basis in this blog. May the Lord bless you meditation upon His precious life-giving Word!
Day 38 - (Today’s Bible readings: Genesis 28:10-29:14; Psalm 36; Matthew 18:7-20)
“7 “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! 8 And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.” (Matthew 18:7-9 ESV)
“One need look no further than these words of Jesus to see how much the holy God hates sin. Here, the Law strike us with all its fury. Who of us can say that our hand or foot or eye has not caused us to sin? We all deserve to be thrown into the hell of fire. Thank God that Jesus’ hands and feet were pierced for our iniquities that His eyes beheld our sin in order to turn the Father’s face from it. By His wounds and precious death, we enter life.” (The Lutheran Study Bible, CPH 2009, page 1621)
My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to His cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
(“When Peace, Like a River,” LSB 762 stanza 3)
Our Father who art in heaven... lead us not into temptation. I do repent of the times that I have given into temptation and sinned against You and Your holy will. Please have mercy on me and grant me forgiveness, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
Pastor David Paape
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105 ), is the theme for this three-year journey through the entire Old Testament once (the Psalms - twice yearly), and the New Testament twice. There will be daily readings form the O.T., Psalms and the N.T. Special days on the church calendar will be highlighted with appropriate readings. This calendar has been compiled by representatives of the Lutheran Church of Canada, the North American Lutheran Church and the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. Please click this link for the daily reading calendar:
https://blogs.lcms.org/2017/lcms-lcc-and-nalc-compile-three-year-schedule-of-daily-bible-readings
Then scroll down to 2018 Bible Reading Calendar and download it if you so wish. The “assigned” daily readings will appear on a daily basis in this blog. May the Lord bless you meditation upon His precious life-giving Word!
