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The Unseen Church

DEVOTION – THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH

“The hand is quicker than the eye” is a very familiar adage. This saying was demonstrated to me quite thoroughly just last year. Our town had a festival at which a street magician was performing. Time and again this man astounded the gathered crowd with his sleight of hand. One trick in particular had me flummoxed, because I knew the trick. I had seen videos on the preparation and deception, and yet I couldn’t see this man’s execution. I saw the result, as we all did, but how did he get there?The Unseen Church

“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS September 2018

TLH = The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941; WS = Worship Supplement 2000; LSB = Lutheran Service Book, 2006

Date Verse Reading Comments

Sept 1TLH 141 John 11:45-53Caiaphas was right that one man needed to die for the people, but not in the way he thought. Jesus needed to die for the sins of all people.

Sept 3 TLH 502/LSB 830; 2 Timothy 1:8-14 Even if it brings us suffering and trouble, we need not be ashamed to testify about our Lord.  The Spirit will help us in this.

Sept 4TLH 488 Numbers 12:1-15Miriam and Aaron should have thought twice before speaking rashly against God’s called servant. We should respect our called servants, too.

Sept 5 TLH 633/LSB 610; 1 Chronicles 22:2-16 David (who made his reputation by fighting) was not to build the temple because it was  supposed to remind the people of the peace and rest God gives.“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS September 2018

Labor Day Thanksgiving

DEVOTION – THE BLESSINGS OF LABOR

“Here is what I have seen:
It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good
of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage. As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God.” 

(Ecclesiastes 5:18-19).

Labor Day—what does it mean to you?

The last big weekend of summer and the beginning of the school year are perhaps the two most common answers. But it also has to do with recognizing those who labor, and what they contribute to our society. Many feel that working men and women are the fabric of our society. They make, build, sell, or service many of those things that we take for granted as part of our daily lives. At the same time, they are working to support their families so that their dependents have a roof over their heads, food on the table, and clothes on their bodies. Perhaps it’s a good thing to have a special day on which those who labor are recognized for the blessings they bring to others around them. Labor Day Thanksgiving

“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS August 2018

TLH = The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941; WS = Worship Supplement 2000; LSB = Lutheran Service Book, 2006

Date Verse Reading Comments

Aug 1 TLH 24 Psalm 92 The Lord is victorious over His (and our) enemies.

Aug 2 TLH 47 Proverbs 15:1-9 Wise people guard their tongues, speaking gently for the benefit of others.

Aug 3 TLH 136 Ezekiel 43:1-10 Ezekiel’s vision of the perfect temple reminded the people that God would come among them. This took place when Immanuel (“God with us”) came.

Aug 4 TLH 80 John 1:1-14 Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, came to dwell with us.

Aug 6 TLH 56/LSB 697; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-24 As you wait for the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, be joyful and live in love!

Aug 7 TLH 28 Psalm 93 The world the Lord has created will remain by His mighty power until He chooses to end it.

Aug 8 TLH 1 Psalm 95 Do not harden your hearts, but come joyfully before the Lord Who cares for you.“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS August 2018

The Gospel God’s Grace Comes to Us

DEVOTION – THE MEANS OF GRACE

Ah, summer vacation! Time to get away from the city and enjoy nature around us. There are national and state parks to visit, tents to be pitched, campfires to sit around, and lakes to “get away” to. This time of year it’s not unusual to hear the comment, “I feel closer to God in nature than I do in church.”This doesn’t surprise us too much; after all, nature is God’s handiwork. He is the builder of everything we see around us. It all bears His divine “thumb-print,” if you will. His power is seen in the mighty redwoods of California, the majestic peaks of the Rocky Mountains, and the crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean. On a cloudless night, hints of God’s divine nature can be seen in the belt of the Milky Way and all the starry host. While nature’s grandeur may tell us of the Creator’s great power, wisdom, and eternal nature, it does not bring us His grace or announce His forgiveness. Hiking through the woods will not comfort the troubled conscience with the assurance of sins forgiven. Summiting a mountain will not tell you how to reach that even higher peak, heaven.The Gospel God’s Grace Comes to Us

“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS July 2018

TLH = The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941; WS = Worship Supplement 2000; LSB = Lutheran Service Book, 2006

Date Verse Reading Comments

Jul 2 TLH 392 Psalm 32 King David contrasts the torment of unrepented sin with the blessed sweetness of forgiveness in Christ.

Jul 3 TLH 4 Leviticus 11:29-30, 41-47 God put these food laws in place for Israel to teach them about being holy before Him and to prepare them for Christ Who gave them His holiness.

Jul 4 TLH 577/LSB 965; 2 Kings 2:1-14 The Lord will continue to provide faithful ministers of the Gospel until He comes again.

Jul 5 TLH 310/LSB 713; Psalm 80 When we fall into sin and see the sad result of our failure, we call upon the Lord to restore us and revive us again.

Jul 6 TLH 366 Proverbs 8:1-21 Want to be wise? Respect God and trust in Him. That is true wisdom.

Jul 7 TLH 605/LSB 513; Luke 17:22-30 When Christ comes again, His return will be quick and without warning, interrupting the daily routine of life on earth.“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS July 2018

Citizens by Birth—and Rebirth

DEVOTION – CHURCH AND STATE

The screaming crowd was ready to riot when the object of their fury was taken into custody by the Roman commander. The commander ordered his centurion to bind the prisoner and stretch him out for a lashing with the Roman scourge, as a quick and dirty means of interrogation. But Paul, who had been testifying of Christ to the people of Jerusalem, still had a significant card to play. He asked, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and uncondemned?”  (Acts 22:25)

The officer was skeptical at first, saying “With a large sum I obtained this citizenship.” Paul, who came from the Roman colony of Tarsus, answered him by saying “But I was born a citizen.”  At this revelation the Romans were alarmed and released him, for citizens of the empire had protections and privileges that others did not have, including the right to a trial before being convicted and punished.Citizens by Birth—and Rebirth