READIED FOR TIMES LIKE THESE!

Word from the Center
Written By Dr. Gregory Seltz

Welcome to “Word from The Center” MONDAY, a devotional word from the Center of our faith, Jesus Christ, with reflections on His Word. I’m Gregory Seltz. Today’s verses are 1st Corinthians 1:26-31, where St. Paul writes:

“For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

READIED FOR TIMES LIKE THESE!

Those who attend churches that follow a commonly used series of Sunday readings probably heard 1st Corinthians 1:3-9 in worship yesterday. Today I jumped ahead a bit. Why? Because the end of the 1st chapter of Paul’s letter to the people living in Corinth long ago applies especially well to our present day. Paul reminded those people who they had been without God, who they now were in Christ, and then what they were to do in this life AS GOD’S PEOPLE until the day they would see their Creator and Redeemer face to face for all eternity. I thought that was worth jumping forward to, especially because of the uncertain times in which we live. What’s my point? When life reduces you to virtually nothing, whether physically, emotionally, and/or spiritually, and yet you have Jesus as your Lord and Savior by faith, then He is all you need for an abundant, useful, and eternal life, both now and forever. He gives you power to face whatever comes your way each and every day.
Today’s passage from 1st Corinthians calls us to “boast in the Lord” alone. This reminded me of the story of a Vietnamese man named Hien Pham. Christian evangelist Ravi Zacharias got to know him while working in Vietnam in 1971. Of Hien, Zacharias said,

 

One of my interpreters was Hien Pham, an energetic young Christian. He had worked as a translator with the American forces, and was of immense help both to them and to missionaries such as myself...We did not know if our paths would ever cross again. Seventeen years later, I received a telephone call. “Brother Ravi?” the man asked. Immediately I recognized Hien’s voice, and he soon told me his story.
Shortly after Vietnam fell, Hien was imprisoned on accusations of helping the Americans. His jailers tried to indoctrinate him against democratic ideals and the Christian faith. He was restricted to communist propaganda in French or Vietnamese, and the daily deluge of Marx and Engels began to take its toll. “Maybe,” he thought, “I have been lied to. Maybe God does not exist. Maybe the West has deceived me.” So Hien determined that when he awakened the next day, he would not pray anymore or think of his faith.

 

The next morning, he was assigned the dreaded chore of cleaning the prison latrines. As he cleaned out a tin can overflowing with toilet paper, his eye caught what seemed to be English printed on one piece of paper. He hurriedly grabbed it, washed it, and after his roommates had retired that night, he retrieved the paper and read the words, “Romans, Chapter 8.” Trembling, he began to read, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him...for I am convinced that NOTHING shall be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Hien wept. He knew His Bible, and knew that there was not a more relevant passage for one on the verge of surrender. He cried out to God, asking forgiveness, for this was to have been the first day that he would not pray...After finding the Scripture, Hien asked the commander if he could clean the latrines regularly, because he discovered that some official was using a Bible as toilet paper. Each day Hien picked up a portion of Scripture, cleaned it off, and added it to his collection of nightly reading...What his tormentors were using for refuse — the Scriptures — could not be more treasured to Hien.[1]
 Lutherans are constantly reminding ourselves and others of Paul’s words from Romans 1:16 which declare that the Gospel “is the power of God for salvation.” So, in spite of our unworthiness, we are bold about speaking God’s Law and God’s Gospel. When you are reduced to having only that Gospel message in your life, you begin to see and understand more clearly what a precious jewel it really is. Hien Pham was finally released from prison and fled to Thailand. Today he is a businessperson in the United States, but, more importantly, he is a Christian whose only boast in life is Christ. God prepared him to be a living testimony to the transforming power of God’s Word. That’s what our Lord does for you too as you put your faith in Him alone so that you can, in all circumstances, love others as God in Christ loves you.

PRAYER – Dear Lord Jesus, let our bold boasting in You alone prepare us to be useful in Your hands, especially for times such as these. AMEN.


[1] https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon-illustrations/11926/ravi-zacharias-tells-the-amazing-story-of-a-by-rodney-buchanan

Other Devotions
ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE?
ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE?

In All’s Well that Ends Well, William Shakespeare wrote, “Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.” The Beatles remind us of the same idea in their song, “All You Need Is Love.” But is it really that easy? If love is all we need, if love alone matters, and if love works, then what’s the problem? Why are we as a country at each other’s throats? Why are divorce rates so high? Why are so many people not even getting married at all? Why are children growing up in increasingly broken homes? Why aren’t people loving each other if that is all we need to do? Good question

THE FRUIT-PRODUCING POWER OF FAITH IN CHRIST FOR LIFE!
THE FRUIT-PRODUCING POWER OF FAITH IN CHRIST FOR LIFE!

Many people come to Washington, D.C., because they want to make a difference. They want their lives to matter, to mean something. Who doesn’t? Unfortunately, politics tends to promise what it can’t deliver. In fact, a truly meaningful life is more than politics, more than the accumulation of wealth or influence, and more than one’s vocational skills and abilities can produce. Ironically, the key to a purposeful life isn’t primarily about your works at all. It’s not about “who” you are or what you do, but about “whose” you are. Jesus reminds us that He is the Vine, the source for real, lasting life. We are like branches.

SO WHAT MAKES A LIFE WORTH LIVING?
SO WHAT MAKES A LIFE WORTH LIVING?

The following saying is often wrongly attributed to G.K. Chesterton: “When people stop believing in God, they don’t believe in nothing — they believe in anything.” He actually said that if we stop believing in God we lose our common sense.1 For many, that’s that same thing. When you deny the one who is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6), and who calls Himself the “Good Shepherd” (John 10:11), you don’t replace Him with nothing. Instead, you tend to replace Him with the most absurd “other things.”

WHAT FIRES BURN IN YOUR HEART TODAY?
WHAT FIRES BURN IN YOUR HEART TODAY?

What a Bible study it must have been that day! On the road to Emmaus, Jesus ROOTED those disciples in the firm promises of the Bible that had come to fruition in Him. Even more, Jesus set their hearts on fire by anchoring their faith in Him in all things (verse 32). That’s a fire which comes from God’s love and grace through faith in the Son of God.

BELIEVING IS TRULY SEEING!
BELIEVING IS TRULY SEEING!

Is seeing believing? Or are there things that are very real, even very true, that we cannot see with our eyes? Our garage doors open by unseen forces at the touch of a button. We put our food and drinks into little rectangular devices and hit the button believing that, absent a heating element or a flame of any sort, microwaves will make our food or beverages piping hot. Even the most empirical of scientists has things which he/she believes long before they are tested or visible to human eyes.

CHRIST’S RESURRECTION – REAL HOPE FOR YOUR LIFE!
CHRIST’S RESURRECTION – REAL HOPE FOR YOUR LIFE!

Jesus is risen; He is risen indeed! But there’s even more good news for those who believe in Him. He clearly says, “Because I live, you will live also” (John 14:19). Wow! What a statement. In the midst of wars, rumors of wars, fears, violence, and the growing cultural pressures to jettison biblical truth for public acceptance, in the midst of it all, the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus call all people to an everlasting life of repentance and faith that the world can never take away. It calls believers to a confident hope that comes from knowing that even death itself has been conquered by the One who created and redeemed us.

WHAT A MINDSET, WHAT A MISSION
WHAT A MINDSET, WHAT A MISSION

Mindsets matter. I remember back in my playing days how important my “frame of mind” was on the day before a big race or a big game. If I was confident in my training, confident in the game plan, and physically and emotionally focused, my mindset often gave me an edge when the contest began. Search the internet and you’ll find all kinds of “mindset” programs and seminars that will help prepare you for the big game, as well as for the big presentation, investment, or promotion. Mindsets matter.

LEADERSHIP IN GOD’S KINGDOM IS DIFFERENT THAN IN THE WORLD
LEADERSHIP IN GOD’S KINGDOM IS DIFFERENT THAN IN THE WORLD

There is no such thing as “generic” servant leadership. Or is there? Whenever I read this passage of Scripture, all the servant leadership programs in our world today immediately come to my mind. And it’s not just Christian colleges or businesses who espouse such things. Evidently, there’s an eastern and a western philosophical view of servant leadership. They both call for leaders to be empathetic and active listeners who serve their employees rather than just boss them around.

GRACE IS NOT A GOVERNMENT PROGRAM!
GRACE IS NOT A GOVERNMENT PROGRAM!

An ad for the U.S. Marines pictures a sword with these words beneath it: “Earned, not given.” If you want to become a Marine, you have to earn the right to be called a Marine through sacrifice, hardship, and training. If you get it, you deserve it. In this world, there are jobs that only Marines can handle. There are even efforts that demand special forces like the Navy Seals. When it comes to maintaining law and order in this world, there have to be people who say, “This far and no farther,” so that we can all live in relative peace. But here’s the problem.

WHEN DID GOD’S LAW BECOME MERE OPINION?
WHEN DID GOD’S LAW BECOME MERE OPINION?

When did greed, coveting, promiscuity, character assassination, violence, and even intimidation become our “cultural values?” When did things like these even become entertaining to some? When did “virtue” become such a dirty word? Indeed, it seems that all too often vices have become virtues and virtues have been turned into vices. Look, I realize that all of us are sinful and broken. I also know that it’s hard to have these conversations because the finger points back at each one of us. Furthermore, we must all admit that even our best efforts at living morally and virtuously fall short, often when we needed to be at our best.

WHEN CHRIST RAISES YOU UP!
WHEN CHRIST RAISES YOU UP!

What are your deepest hurts and your grandest hopes? Do you have worries and fears, or great dreams and expectations? What happens when an ugly reality seems to rear its head no matter your planning or provision? What then? Does answering any of these questions really matter in the end?

Yes! The great preacher Charles Spurgeon was right, "We have great needs, but we have a great Christ for our needs!" And the living Christ is here for you in His word to offer you His life and His salvation as a gift. There is one question that engulfs all other questions in this life. The question comes from Jesus himself, “Who do you say that I am?” Another question springs from it, “Who then are you IN HIM?”

NOW IS THE TIME OF GOD’S FAVOR!
NOW IS THE TIME OF GOD’S FAVOR!

Now is the time of God’s favor? Really? Now?

Sometimes larger circumstances can overcome the reality of a specific situation. In other words, the things that are happening all around us are better viewed in terms of other, more significant events with even more far-reaching consequences. That’s what it was like for some of the people fighting in World War II. The ceremonial surrender of the Japanese government and the “Victory over Japan” proclamation (VJ Day) did indeed mean that the second major, worldwide conflict of the 20th century was officially over. But that did not stop the fighting of many Japanese infantrymen against U.S. Marines in the South Pacific. Some fought for many months, even though their defeat was assured, inevitable, and even officially admitted. As the website “Military History Now” notes:

A GLIMPSE OF HEAVEN FOR THE DAYS AHEAD!
A GLIMPSE OF HEAVEN FOR THE DAYS AHEAD!

I’m becoming more and more convinced that all of our modern technologies are actually making us more ignorant, rather than more informed; they also make us more prone to be isolated, rather than connected with each other. Because of our sinful rebelliousness against the moral truths of God, human beings also seem to be more clueless than ever about how to live their lives in this world meaningfully and joyfully. That’s true even amidst all the advances of science and technology. As I get older, I see this more clearly than ever. Evil truly does exist in the world and evil exists in every human heart. Unfortunately, there is no easy religious, secular, or scientific fix for this DEADLY virus. The great scientist Albert Einstein said, “It is easier to denature plutonium than to denature the evil spirit of man.”

ALL -IN!
ALL -IN!

I’m not much of a poker player. When I was growing up, my family tended not to be card players (though the occasional, raucous game of “May I” could be cited as evidence to the contrary). But I do know the meaning of the phrase, “all-in.” How about you? In cards, and especially in the game Texas Hold-Em, “all-in” is when a player decides to put all of his chips on the table. At that moment, he/she bets all they have to either win or lose everything. Back in the days of the Wild West, they called it ''betting the ranch.'' This was not just putting all that you had that night into the pot but, risking everything you owned. That’s an “all-in” commitment in a game! What about an “all-in” commitment in life?

NOW IS THE TIME FOR REPENTANT FAITH!
NOW IS THE TIME FOR REPENTANT FAITH!

In a Charlie Brown cartoon, little brother Linus is looking very forlorn. He asks big sister Lucy, “Why are you always so anxious to criticize me?” Lucy, looking very self-righteous, replies, “I just think I have a knack for seeing other people’s faults.” Linus turns indignant. “What about your own faults?” he asks. “I have a knack for overlooking them,” says Lucy.

COME AND SEE!
COME AND SEE!

Someone said that the medicine of modern life is the “joy of not knowing where you’re going, the confidence of not knowing how to get there so that you can have the peace of not worrying about when you’ll arrive.” Well, the God who became man in the Babe laid in the manger seeks to shake us from such doldrums and give us the gift of forgiveness, life, and salvation on His terms alone.

A SAVIOR WITH HIS HANDS IN THE DIRT!
A SAVIOR WITH HIS HANDS IN THE DIRT!

The baptism of Jesus is one of those events in the Bible that will help you come to grips with who Jesus is, who you are without him, and who you are by grace through faith in Him alone. Baptisms, as a rule, are for people who are dirty and need to get clean. Yet religious washings tend to be about more than outward personal hygiene.

Are You Ready for the Party that Matters?
Are You Ready for the Party that Matters?

New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are a time when our culture looks back and then looks forward. It’s a time when we try to come to grips with the failures and successes of the year that is passing away so as to be ready to face the challenges and opportunities of the year to come.

“GOD WITH US” – DON’T SETTLE FOR ANYTHING ELSE!
“GOD WITH US” – DON’T SETTLE FOR ANYTHING ELSE!

Who could refuse this offer: “Peace that lasts, forgiveness that holds, and life abundant now and forever because God is with us.” Well, many do. Why? Because as sinful, rebellious people by nature, we tend to settle for counterfeits instead of the real thing.

A BATTLE OF WILLS!
A BATTLE OF WILLS!

The amazing proclamation of the Bible is that the person and work of Jesus in history stands as the concrete expression of the will of God the Father for all people. Out of His love for us, He sent His Son into this sinful world to save it.

REPENTANCE, ANYONE?
REPENTANCE, ANYONE?

That is a prayer of repentance to God for His gracious forgiveness. It sounds like something that John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus, might call us to say. Repentance, the God-induced sorrow for our sins in response to His Law, also causes us to fall at the feet of Jesus seeking the forgiveness for our sins that only He can grant.

READIED FOR TIMES LIKE THESE!
READIED FOR TIMES LIKE THESE!

Those who attend churches that follow a commonly used series of Sunday readings probably heard 1st Corinthians 1:3-9 in worship yesterday.

CONCERNED CITIZENS OR CONCERNED DISCIPLES?
CONCERNED CITIZENS OR CONCERNED DISCIPLES?

The last few years have witnessed incredible Novembers, haven’t they? Even when it was Thanksgiving, it seemed like we were always under siege, whether it was the virus, our jobs, the economy, or chaos in our cities.

PREPARATION FOR THE FINAL ELECTION
PREPARATION FOR THE FINAL ELECTION

Morale soared that day. It was a day of failure, but it was a day when those who were rotting in one of the worst prisons in Vietnam suddenly realized that they had not been forgotten.

IN CHRIST, GOD IS FOR YOU, NOT AGAINST YOU!
IN CHRIST, GOD IS FOR YOU, NOT AGAINST YOU!

“We’re not exactly sure what was troubling the Thessalonian Christians. But one thing is clear. They were confused about the Second Coming of Chris.”

THE REAL PICTURE…GET THE PICTURE?
THE REAL PICTURE…GET THE PICTURE?

“It’s November in America and this is the month people focus on politics and elections, even when they are still a year away. “

SET FREE TO LIVE FREELY!
SET FREE TO LIVE FREELY!

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

TWO KINGDOMS TRUTH? IT’S GOOD NEWS AND GREAT NEWS!
TWO KINGDOMS TRUTH? IT’S GOOD NEWS AND GREAT NEWS!

22:18-21, where the Bible says,

But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius,

The Joy-Filled, Joyful Journey!
The Joy-Filled, Joyful Journey!

The Joy-Filled, Joyful Journey!

The Power of Persevering Faith!
The Power of Persevering Faith!

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.

Dr. Gregory Seltz
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