For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the Day of Judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. Matthew 12:34a-37

Keith Lund, who has worked for decades in Lutheran Outdoors Ministry, is one of my oldest friends.

When he came to me with an article and said, "I think you ought to read this." I did. The article was produced by a small magazine that dealt with communication solutions. In a full-page article, it gave instructions on how a company executive could have solid, meaningful staff meetings.

The first rule it gave was this: "Senior leaders should introduce themselves." The second thought said, "Pick a volunteer in the audience to keep the speech on track." The third encouragement -- the one Keith had noted -- said, "Mix in a couple of mild swear words." The author said, "You won't believe the effect it will have on the audience." (Italics are his.)

The more I thought about that idea, the more disturbed I became.

I know it is impossible to turn on the TV or go to a movie without being confronted with a barrage of foul language. I know offensive talk has become a right of passage for teenage boys, and some women take pride in using language that would make an old sailor blush. (They tell me it's a way of gaining equality.)

Even so, it's not what the Lord expects of His people. He who gave His life so we could have life and who spoke as a person of authority, didn't pepper His powerful pronouncements with profanity.

And there's one other thing. The strongest speech I ever heard was spoken without the uttering of a single word. One time, when I had let my father down, he didn't say a thing. He just gave me a look -- a look that I remember still -- a look that said, "Ken, I'm disappointed in you."

From that moment on, that look from a respected and honorable man, not foul and filthy words, has always defined for me what a real man can say.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, You spoke as no man had ever spoken. In Your words we hear of the Father's love and the strength that comes from our Savior. Now may I, in the things I say, and the way I live, give a powerful witness to You. In Your Name, I ask it. Amen.

October 28, 2008

"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

In the course of my parish ministry, I have seen suicides.

Those who took their lives were of different ages, genders, and situations. Even so, there were things those deaths had in common. They were all terrible; they were all tragic, and they didn't solve any problems. They only shifted those problems from the deceased to those who were left behind trying to deal with a multitude of unanswered questions.

Maybe that's why, last week when Reuters reported a change in America's suicide statistics, I took special note.

The changes reported were shocking. From 1999 to 2005, our national suicide rate rose .7 percent. During that same period, suicides of middle-aged Caucasian men rose 2.7 percent and middle-aged white women soared 3.9 percent.

Many explanations are being put forth to explain the dramatic increase.

Economic downturns, unhappy families, frustration, discouragement, and personal depression are all listed as candidates causing the escalation.

There are a lot of reasons that might motivate someone to take his or her own life. Some of those reasons may be familiar to you or someone close to you.

This is why, without trying to oversimplify the situation, I want to say that no matter what state of affairs you find yourself in, Jesus and His representatives can help. You may think your future holds only darkness. Jesus is the Light and He has counselors, congregations, pastors, and people around you who will be glad to reflect that light. You may be brought down with doubt and depression, but the Savior wishes to give help -- sometimes personal, sometimes medical, sometimes spiritual -- to lift you up.

The risen Savior can bring you up...

... as He did Saint Paul who had committed murder

... as He did St. Peter who had denied and deserted Him

... as He did Thomas who spoke out in doubt

... as He wished to do for Judas who betrayed Him.

By the Savior's sacrifice, by the Holy Spirit's power, you can be born again -- both spiritually and mentally.

This is the risen Savior's message for the select few of you who are toying with the idea of suicide -- and for many of you who are close to someone who is having a very hard time with life.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, over the centuries, You have transformed lives. Now, I pray that You will bring happiness and hope to those who are in darkness. And, if I can be of help, use me to Your purpose. In Your Name. Amen.

October 29, 2008

"A Bad Deal"

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his life? Matthew 16:26

Some things in life are a bad deal.

That's what Jesus was saying in the text for today's Daily Devotion. He wanted His followers to know that if you mange to accumulate all the goods of this earth but lose your soul in the process, you've made a bad deal.

That's the thought that occurred to me when, last week, I read the CNN article about the epidemic of copper thievery in the U.S. The story told of how someone had stolen copper wire worth $100 from a children's athletic field in Gwinnett, Georgia.

Their theft will cost $8,500 to repair. It also caused all of Gwinnett's nighttime soccer games to be temporarily played in nearby Tucker, Georgia.

That worked fairly well until someone, perhaps the same someone, stole the copper wire from Tucker's soccer fields.

An isolated incident? Not hardly. Recent copper thefts made it impossible for cancer patients to receive radiation treatment in a clinic in Vista, California, and only a few weeks ago, copper crooks left an entire neighborhood in Ohio without power.

Police say most of the thefts are drug related. Jesus said, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his life?"

The answer to Jesus' question is obvious: such a person gains nothing and loses everything. He's gotten himself involved in "a bad deal."

Even so, the news is filled with people who are sacrificing their souls for their involvement in bad deals. Drugs, gambling, pornography, power, greed, and an assortment of other passing pleasures all promise much.

They promise much, but they fail to deliver. They are bad deals.

In contrast to the world's bad deals, Jesus' people have been given the blessed task of sharing the Savior's story of salvation with a sinful and dying world.

Understand, we're not talking about a good deal here; we're talking about God's gracious gift who comes to us in a Bethlehem manger, on a Jerusalem cross, and from a borrowed-and-empty tomb.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, for Your gift of forgiveness, peace, and heaven, I give thanks. May I and all Your redeemed call people away from the bad deals of life to Your blood-bought salvation. In Your Name I ask it. Amen.

November 5, 2008

"Rescue From Evil"

The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. 2 Timothy 4:18

The auction of a home in a mortgage foreclosure is a sad thing.

A foreclosure is the end of someone's dreams -- the final chapter in a sad story of shattered hopes. According to a CNN article last week, that's the way it was for Tracy Orr in Pottsboro, Texas.

Tracy watched helplessly as her home was being auctioned off to the highest bidder.

Through tear-filled eyes she watched the bidding, trying to tune out the person behind her determinedly asking about her home and if it was "worth it?"

Tracy's home was sold for $30,000.

It was sold to that annoying person who had been standing near her. Tracy's home was sold to a lady who, after the auction said, "I did this for you." The stranger, without knowing Tracy's name, or her financial condition, bought her house and is giving it back.

Well, she's not actually giving it back, but close enough.

When asked why the generosity, the Good Samaritan stranger said, "If it was you, you'd want somebody to stop and help you."

Actually, Tracy's story is mine, and it is yours, too. You see -- we once had a home in paradise. These were homes that we, because of our sin, managed to lose. Seeing our lost condition, a stranger, the best of Samaritans -- the Son of God -- stepped in to save us.

That's right. Jesus bought back our home in heaven. There are two differences between our Lord and the kind person in Tracy's story: Jesus didn't make His purchase with gold, or silver. No, the cost was far higher than that. The Savior redeemed us and our home in heaven with His holy precious blood and through His innocent suffering and death.

The second difference is also considerable; the benefactor in Tracy's story is not giving her back her home, she is selling it back in a way Tracy can afford. Our Savior, knowing we would never be able to pay the price demanded by a home in heaven, is giving us that eternal piece of property free and clear.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, when humanity lost its home in the Garden of Eden, You had pity and did everything necessary to bring us home. Through Your life, suffering, death, and resurrection, You have graciously given us an eternal home in heaven. For this blood-bought gift may I thank and praise, serve and obey You. In Your Name. Amen.

November 6, 2008

"Not Too Smart"

And David said to God, 'I have sinned greatly in that I have done this thing. But now, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have acted very foolishly.' 1 Chronicles 21:8

If the world was looking for a poster boy for foolish ideas, Tatsuhiko Kawata might well be in the running.

Allow me to explain: thirty-nine-year-old Tatsuhiko is a resident of Tokyo, Japan. His story begins with him being married.

Getting married was not the beginning of his foolish thinking. Having a girlfriend while he was married was... the beginning of foolishness, that is.

Mr. Kawata's foolish idea was made even more foolish when he told his girlfriend he would marry her. It became worse when he, without having procured a divorce from his wife, continued to make detailed plans for his second marriage.

As the day to get hitched drew near, Mr. Kawata began to feel trapped. In a desperate move to get out of the wedding, which was scheduled to take place before 80 guests, he decided to do the only thing a foolish man could do. He set fire to the resort hotel where the wedding was scheduled.

Mr. Kawata explained his foolishness to the police by saying, "I thought if I set a fire, I wouldn't have to go through with the wedding."

King David would have understood. In the course of his life, David, like you and me, also did many foolish things. What separates David from so many is the fact that he eventually responded to the Lord's call to repentance. Our text from 1 Chronicles reports, "David said to God, "I have sinned greatly in that I have done this thing. But now, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have acted very foolishly."

Amazingly, that is what the Lord does. Because of our Savior's perfect sacrifice, the Lord removes our sin and assures forgiveness to all who come to Him with a repentant heart.

Now, I can't say what foolishness you have been involved in, and I'm not inclined to tell you mine, but I will say this: "The Lord is merciful to all who call upon Him in truth" (Psalm 145:18).

Coming to the Lord with a repentant heart: that may be the most unfoolish thing we will ever do.

THE PRAYER: Dear Father, for my many foolish and disobedient deeds, I am truly sorry. May I, by the Spirit's motivation, come to You with a contrite heart. Further, having heard Your words of forgiveness, may I live my life wisely, well, and in thanks to Jesus, my Savior. In His Name, I ask this. Amen.

November 7, 2008

"A Father's Love"

It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found. Luke 15:32

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

The salvation story of Jesus Christ reaches around the world. So that the readers of our Daily Devotion may see the power of the Savior on a global scale, we have asked the volunteers of our International Ministry Centers to write our Friday devotions. We pray that the Spirit may touch your day through their words.

In Christ, I remain, His servant and yours, Kenneth R. Klaus Speaker of The Lutheran Hour

There are many young adults today who no longer want to live in their parents' home or follow their rules. They want their own freedom without commitment or responsibility. They don't value the warmth of a home or the affection of their parents until they have thrown it all away. Many forfeit true happiness by looking for moments of pleasure.

This is like the parable of the prodigal son. He left his home to seek the freedoms this world has to offer. With money in his pocket, but no commitments or responsibilities, the son splurged it all on temporary pleasure. But there soon came a time when the money ran out and, then, so did the pleasure. At his lowest point, he was sharing food with pigs.

It was then, the son decided to return to his father where he knew there was still security and love.

Through His Word, God reaches out to bring us back to Him, too. He loves us so much that He paid for our rescue with the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus.

Like the father in the story Jesus told, God the Father is waiting with open arms for us to return as well.

THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us so much and calling us back to You when we stray. Amen.