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Devotions

About Our Father’s Work

CONVENTION PREVIEW

God’s plans are not always our plans. The Church of the Lutheran Confession’s planned 2020 Convention was not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, the called workers and delegates will meet this year on June 24-27 at Immanuel Lutheran College in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

In Acts 15 the Holy Spirit records a controversy that struck the early Christian church. “And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.’ Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question.” (Acts 15:1-2)Read More »About Our Father’s Work

Bread of Life May 2021

“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS MAY 2021

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

Date Hymns Reading Comments

May 1 TLH 633 1 Chronicles King David prepared his son Solomon for the building of the Lord’s temple. God’s house
28:1-10, 20-21 was important then and it still is today.

May 3 TLH 478 Zechariah 2:1-13 The Lord’s believers (His “Jerusalem”) enjoy His presence and His protection.

May 4 TLH 220; LSB 564 Zechariah 3:1-10 Although Satan tries to accuse us of sin, Jesus defends us by covering our sins with His righteousness, just as Joshua was given a change of clothes in Zechariah’s vision.

May 5 TLH 214 John 14:27-31 Jesus has gone to His Father, but He has not left us alone or without comfort. We are
comforted by the peace of Jesus’ forgiveness every day.

May 6 TLH 342 (LSB 611) John 15:1-17 Those who are connected to Jesus bring forth the “fruit” of good works in their lives. We especially know Christ’s people by their love for others.Read More »Bread of Life May 2021

With Talent on Loan from God

DEVOTION—DIVERSITY OF GIFTS

Love him or hate him, larger-than-life radio personality Rush Limbaugh had some interesting catch phrases, one of which forms the title of this article. It is more correct than most people might think. We have all been given talents and abilities from God. He does expect us to use them to His credit and His glory. He will demand an accounting from everyone when He returns. Although we all have various talents and abilities, they are often abused and misunderstood. May the Holy Spirit guide us, as He is a giver of most wonderful gifts (Galatians 5:22-23).

Keep jealousy in check. It is easy to fall into the trap of seeing another’s abilities and wondering, “Why can’t I . . . (fill in the blank).” It is also easy to consider someone else’s talent as more important or prominent than the talent we possess and then to belittle or under-appreciate our own. What a horrid world this would be if we all possessed the same abilities! Everyone would be scrambling for the same positions and leaving who knows how many unfulfilled. Rather, let us thank God for the talents of others, as well as our own.

His will, not ours. The norm today is to perpetually promote the lie to our children that they can be whatever they want to be. A quick inventory of our own desires versus abilities will show the fallacy of this statement. You may have wanted to be a professional athlete, but reality shows that only 1% of the top 1% have the ability to do so. Another may wish to be an architect; however, no one will trust an engineer or designer if he happens to be terrible at math. TV personality Mike Rowe, of Dirty Jobs fame, encourages young people not to follow their passion when pursuing a career. Rather, he suggests, find something you are good at and bring your passion with you.Read More »With Talent on Loan from God

“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS APRIL 2021

“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS APRIL 2021

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

Date Hymns Reading Comments

Apr 1 TLH 164 John 9:34-41 Spiritual blindness is worse than physical blindness, and spiritual sight (faith) is greater
than physical sight.

Apr 2 TLH 178 (LSB 429) John 10:1-21 The Good Shepherd lays down His life but also has the authority to take it up again!
Apr 3TLH 592John 10:22-30The Good Shepherd gives eternal life to us, His sheep!

Apr 5TLH 200 (LSB 461)John 11:1-44Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life.”Read More »“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS APRIL 2021

Following the Risen Lord with Confidence

DEVOTION—RESURRECTION LIVING

The story was told by one of my former teachers of a time when the lower grade classroom of Messiah Lutheran School in Hales Corners was working on an art project. I was in second grade at the time, and my classmate, Gretchen, already having finished her project, walked up to my desk and asked if I wanted help finishing mine. Apparently, my response was, “Let me see yours first.” Isn’t that a typical response? Even from childhood, most of us just don’t like getting ourselves into commitments before we know exactly what we can expect.

That wasn’t the response of another young Samuel, however. When the great prophet was still just a child serving in the tabernacle, the Lord called out to him by night. “Samuel!” Three times he ran to Eli the priest and responded, “Here I am!” (1 Samuel 3:1-10 ESV) Finally, he recognized the Lord’s voice and answered Him, “Speak, for your servant hears.” Notice the readiness in all of Samuel’s replies. “Here I am . . . Speak, for your servant hears.” With the confident trust of a child, it’s as if he’s saying, “I don’t know what is coming or what you will require of me; but whatever it is, I will listen to and follow you.” Read More »Following the Risen Lord with Confidence

“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS MARCH 2021

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

Date Hymns Reading Comments

Mar 1 TLH 333 Nahum 1:1-11 Ninevah was the capital of the Assyrian kingdom. Assyria had brought an end to the northern kingdom of Israel. Judah was in trouble too, but Assyria’s end was coming.

Mar 2 TLH 487 Nahum 1:12-15 God would bring about Assyria’s destruction because of its wickedness, but also in order to preserve Judah for the eventual arrival of Jesus Christ.

Mar 3 TLH 659 (LSB 774) John 6:1-15 By the sign of the loaves and fish, the people recognized Jesus as someone great, but they didn’t catch on that He was there to feed their souls, not just their stomachs.Read More »“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS MARCH 2021

Union in Communion

DEVOTION—LORD’S SUPPER

A “Why is this night different from all others?” If you had grown up in a Jewish household, you would probably know the significance of this question. Each year, at each Passover, one of the children at the table would have asked this question of the head of the Passover meal.

On the night of His betrayal (Maundy Thursday), as the Lord Jesus celebrated the last Passover with His disciples, that question would take on a new and more important meaning. Sitting at the table with the disciples that night was the Passover Lamb of God. Soon His blood would be shed as He was punished for the sins of the world. Because of His shed blood, God passes over our sins and spares us from the eternal plague of hell that we deserved.Read More »Union in Communion

“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS February 2021

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

Date Hymns Reading Comments
Feb 1 TLH 494 Micah 4:1-5 These prophecies have come to pass, for Jesus has come and His Word has gone
out to all lands, the Word of peace and forgiveness.
Feb 2 TLH 383 (LSB 557) Micah 4:6-13 “In that day” is our day now, the day of the New Testament Church. The Lord Jesusrules over us in love and has redeemed us from the hands of our enemies.
Feb 3 TLH 105 (LSB 389) John 3:16-21 We are saved by faith in the Son of God, therefore let us live in the light!
Feb 4 TLH 348; LSB 534 John 3:22-36 Jesus was sent from God and was greater than all the prophets. Still today He speaksthe Words of God to us.
Feb 5 TLH 559 (LSB 882) 2 Kings 10:17-31 The Lord used King Jehu of Israel to bring final judgment on the family of King Ahab and to put down the worship of Baal. Without such interventions, would there have
been any faith left in Israel?Read More »“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS February 2021

The Ashes of Repentance

COVER STORY – ASH WEDNESDAY

The custom of observing a time of fasting, prayer, and repentance leading up to the celebration of Christ’s resurrection began very early in the Christian church, but practices and customs varied among congregations in different areas. The First Council of Nicea (A.D. 325) unified the Christian church in observing Lent as a period of forty days of fasting and prayer.
In A.D. 601, Gregory the Great decreed that there should be no fasting on Sunday, which was considered a day of celebration of Christ’s resurrection. So in order to maintain the forty days of fasting, he changed the beginning of Lent to Wednesday. Some sources suggest that he was also the one who initiated the practice of smearing ashes on the forehead of worshipers, saying, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (see Genesis 3:19). Thus the first day of Lent became known as Ash Wednesday.
From the most ancient of times in the Bible, ashes have been used to express sorrow and grief. Ashes were used in times of grief over some injustice or loss (2 Samuel 13:19, Esther 4:1), or as a way of humbling oneself before God in prayer (Daniel 9:3, Genesis 18:27), and—perhaps most of all—to express sorrow for sins (Job 42:3–6, Jeremiah 6:26, Matthew 11:21). For these reasons people would sit in ashes, roll in them, or sprinkle them over their head.
The use of ashes can be a vivid reminder that we ourselves are nothing but dust and ashes. They remind us of our sin, one consequence of which is the inevitable prospect of being reduced to dust and ashes again. Fasting can be a very concrete reminder of our repentance over sin. If you remember that your fasting is a sign of repentance, the relentless hunger pains can help keep you mindful of repentance throughout the day.
However, God also warns about the human propensity to corrupt these signs of repentance. On the one hand, we might feel superior and holier for fasting or displaying the ashes on our forehead. On the other hand, it can simply become an empty action that has no corresponding repentance in the heart.Read More »The Ashes of Repentance

Where You Go, I Go

DEVOTION—LENT

At the beginning of the book of Ruth, we’re introduced to three widows: Ruth, Orpah, and their mother-in-law, Naomi. Naomi bids her daughters-in-law to go and find new husbands. Orpah does, “But Ruth said: ‘Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God.’ ” (Ruth 1:16) Ruth swore an oath that she would stay with Naomi. Ruth didn’t choose to stay because of a legal requirement, but because of her love for her mother-in-law and for her God. She showed trust that Naomi would not lead her to destruction and that God would keep them both in His loving-kindness. Ruth went with Naomi and found another husband, Boaz, and Ruth and Boaz were the great-grandparents of King David. Read More »Where You Go, I Go