Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries
By Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour
Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
"Accept No Substitutes"
August 27, 2013
(Jesus said) "If anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There He is!' do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect." Matthew 24:23-24
This past month officials at People's Park Zoo in the Chinese province of Henan put a lion on display.
That's his picture.
Most folks thought it was a strange-looking lion, but they didn't argue the point. They figured people look different ... so maybe lions look different. That's the way things remained until the moment the lion began to bark. Instantly, a woman and her young son said, "That's not a lion! That's a dog!" They were right. It was a dog: a great, giant-sized breed called a Tibetan Mastiff.
The officials came clean and said when the occasion demanded, they often substituted animals. In this particular case, the mastiff was put up for display when the real lion had been loaned out for mating purposes. Other times they had charged the zoo's visitors to see a white fox in a leopard's den and a regular, old dog in the pen reserved for their wolf. They're not the first or the last.
According to what Jesus says, such substitutions happen in the spiritual realm too.
In our Scripture the Lord warns us that rapscallions will tell God's redeemed people that "Jesus is here" or "He is there." The only difference between these ne'er-do-wells and the folks running the zoo in China is this: the fake messiahs are going to look almost like the real thing.
These savior-substitutes will do signs like Jesus did; they will perform wonders like Jesus did. In fact, our Savior tells us these fakes are going to be so good, that if it were not for God's intervention, even the elect might be misled.
So, the question needs to be asked, how can we tell a fake messiah from the real thing?
Jesus tells us, "Easy. If you can go out to the wilderness to see this 'new' savior, if you can visit him in some super-secret inner-sanctum, if you have the time to make a pilgrimage to where he is supposedly doing ministry, that individual is a fake." Jesus continued, "You will know these guys are fakes because the next time I come back you won't have time to come visit Me. My arrival is going to be as fast as a bolt of lightning. Everything will be normal and then, boom! I'll be there."
And if that sounds pretty shocking, pretty surprising, it will be.
And the only way to be ready for Jesus' return, the only way to be truly prepared is to be ready all the time. That means ready right now. Today is the day for all of us to make sure our spiritual ducks are in a row. Now is the moment to make sure all impediments to a warm-hearted welcoming of our Redeemer are removed.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, I give thanks You have given me ample warning of what to expect on the Day of Judgment. May I be ready to welcome You who gave Your life so I might have life. This I ask in Your Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
_____________________________________________________________
MONDAY'S QUIZ: How long did Babylon lay siege against Tyre? 13 years ( A very hard one that I had to look up elsewhere.) Good try Dianne and Pam
___________________________________________________________________________________
TUESDAY'S QUIZ: What message/request did King Zedekiah send, by way of Jehucal, to Jeremiah?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
CALENDAR
Tues- Quilters 9-2; Bible Study 11:30-12:15
Wed- Pictures -9pm
Thurs- Pics 2-9pm
Fri- Pics 2-9pm
Sat- Sat noon-5pm; worship 5pm
Sun- worship 8:30 and 11; Sunday school 9:45
______________________________________________________________________________________________
ADULT CHOIR STARTS TOMORROW, AUGUST 28 at 7pm!!!
If you are an adult (High school age and older) and you love to sing. We have the perfect opportunity for you to serve the Lord and use your talents!! Call Barb Dreyer at 359-1906 to tell her you want to sing and to get more info! Practice begins Wednesday, August 28 at 7pm in the balcony. _____________________________________________________
PICTURES THIS WEDNESDAY-SATURDAY!!
Make sure you keep your appointments and if you haven't made an appointment call the church office IMMEDIATELY to make one.
_____________________________________________________________
FLOAT TRIP IS LABOR DAY!!!
NEW YEAR OF SUNDAY SCHOOL BEGINS SEPTEMBER 8!!
Come and experience Rally Day and hear all about God and His love for you! If you haven't been to Sunday school in a while this is your perfect chance to get back into it.
________________________________________________________________
SUPPORT OUR MISSIONARY DENISE SCHLESSELMANN
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By Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour
Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
"Accept No Substitutes"
August 27, 2013
(Jesus said) "If anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There He is!' do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect." Matthew 24:23-24This past month officials at People's Park Zoo in the Chinese province of Henan put a lion on display.
That's his picture.
Most folks thought it was a strange-looking lion, but they didn't argue the point. They figured people look different ... so maybe lions look different. That's the way things remained until the moment the lion began to bark. Instantly, a woman and her young son said, "That's not a lion! That's a dog!" They were right. It was a dog: a great, giant-sized breed called a Tibetan Mastiff.
The officials came clean and said when the occasion demanded, they often substituted animals. In this particular case, the mastiff was put up for display when the real lion had been loaned out for mating purposes. Other times they had charged the zoo's visitors to see a white fox in a leopard's den and a regular, old dog in the pen reserved for their wolf. They're not the first or the last.
According to what Jesus says, such substitutions happen in the spiritual realm too.
In our Scripture the Lord warns us that rapscallions will tell God's redeemed people that "Jesus is here" or "He is there." The only difference between these ne'er-do-wells and the folks running the zoo in China is this: the fake messiahs are going to look almost like the real thing.
These savior-substitutes will do signs like Jesus did; they will perform wonders like Jesus did. In fact, our Savior tells us these fakes are going to be so good, that if it were not for God's intervention, even the elect might be misled.
So, the question needs to be asked, how can we tell a fake messiah from the real thing?
Jesus tells us, "Easy. If you can go out to the wilderness to see this 'new' savior, if you can visit him in some super-secret inner-sanctum, if you have the time to make a pilgrimage to where he is supposedly doing ministry, that individual is a fake." Jesus continued, "You will know these guys are fakes because the next time I come back you won't have time to come visit Me. My arrival is going to be as fast as a bolt of lightning. Everything will be normal and then, boom! I'll be there."
And if that sounds pretty shocking, pretty surprising, it will be.
And the only way to be ready for Jesus' return, the only way to be truly prepared is to be ready all the time. That means ready right now. Today is the day for all of us to make sure our spiritual ducks are in a row. Now is the moment to make sure all impediments to a warm-hearted welcoming of our Redeemer are removed.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, I give thanks You have given me ample warning of what to expect on the Day of Judgment. May I be ready to welcome You who gave Your life so I might have life. This I ask in Your Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours, Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
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MONDAY'S QUIZ: How long did Babylon lay siege against Tyre? 13 years ( A very hard one that I had to look up elsewhere.) Good try Dianne and Pam
___________________________________________________________________________________
TUESDAY'S QUIZ: What message/request did King Zedekiah send, by way of Jehucal, to Jeremiah?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
CALENDAR
Tues- Quilters 9-2; Bible Study 11:30-12:15
Wed- Pictures -9pm
Thurs- Pics 2-9pm
Fri- Pics 2-9pm
Sat- Sat noon-5pm; worship 5pm
Sun- worship 8:30 and 11; Sunday school 9:45
______________________________________________________________________________________________
ADULT CHOIR STARTS TOMORROW, AUGUST 28 at 7pm!!!
If you are an adult (High school age and older) and you love to sing. We have the perfect opportunity for you to serve the Lord and use your talents!! Call Barb Dreyer at 359-1906 to tell her you want to sing and to get more info! Practice begins Wednesday, August 28 at 7pm in the balcony. _____________________________________________________
PICTURES THIS WEDNESDAY-SATURDAY!!
Make sure you keep your appointments and if you haven't made an appointment call the church office IMMEDIATELY to make one.
_____________________________________________________________
FLOAT TRIP IS LABOR DAY!!!
What better way to celebrate Labor Day than with a 4 mile float down the river! We will meet at the river at 10am! The trip will be through Ozark Outdoors. Please contact Teresa Scott to sign up. tscott@usmo.com, cell 359-5041 or at Schraer H & C at 456-5041. Remember, it is a float not a race.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
CHURCH PICNIC SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8!!
Come out to Mim Dunn's house, 17488 Hickory Lick Rd, for a wonderful time of food, fellowship, and fun! There are hiking trails, a picturesque lake for fishing and canoeing, and much more!
We need help with hauling tables and chairs out there Saturday morning, Sept. 7 and home again Sunday afternoon Sept 8 after the party, and we need a few more pop up canopies for shade and protection from the elements. Call or text me at 359-1061 if you can help!
______________________________________________________________________NEW YEAR OF SUNDAY SCHOOL BEGINS SEPTEMBER 8!!
Come and experience Rally Day and hear all about God and His love for you! If you haven't been to Sunday school in a while this is your perfect chance to get back into it.
________________________________________________________________
SUPPORT OUR MISSIONARY DENISE SCHLESSELMANN
She is still in need of about $8,000 (pledged or given) to be able to go!!! Think of how you can support her today and DO IT!!!
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
PRAYER REQUESTS:
For STEVE ROBNE as he recovers from his injuries after his bike accident.
For MARVIN HENDERSHOT as he goes through tests and treatments to get his blood sugar under control.
For WILMA WEIGLE as she is having surgery to open her carotid arteries today.
For DAVE CALLIES as he is having knee replacement surgery on Sept 17.
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