Month: August 2017

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PWTE Daily Devotion

All Things New

by Rev Donald Schatz

Encouragement.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”  Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 
Revelation 21:5, New International Version

The old porch was rebuilt, except for the steps.  Some scraping and sanding, and all will be ready for the painters.  That’s a good thing, because they started caulking the house today!

The vision of John, in his Revelation, is a book of encouragement as far as I am concerned.  The whole message of the book can be summed up in two words:  GOD WINS!  That summary can be amended, of course, for accuracy:  GOD ALREADY WON!  An addendum may also be added:  YOU IN CHRIST HAVE ALREADY WON!

“Write this down!  These words are trustworthy and true!  God is making everything new!”  I have had the privilege of journeying with many over the years through seasons of life when it was oh-so-easy to trust these words from Scripture, and through seasons when faith alone clung to these promises.  We believed, though we did not always see.  We did it together.  It is such an encouraging reality that the Lord gathers us into His Church to journey together, to live as the One Body of Christ.

In the end our front porch wasn’t that big of a deal, but it’s often the small things that can cause me anxiety.  Perhaps the same is occasionally true for you.  The sight of the new porch tells me it is now built right, from that which is unseen to that which is visible.

Just so, God makes us new from the unseen resources of His Spirit’s work on the inside of us making us children of the heavenly Father. We are all unique new creations from the inside out.  On the outside, it shows by His Grace.  We follow Jesus in the world, living as he would live if he were living in our bodies, and he is!

Look in the mirror today.  You are God’s wonderful, new, creation.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, CO

Categories
PWTE Daily Devotion

You’ve Got Mail

Receiving encouragement from God. Giving encouragement to others.

  • Written by Desiree Bustamante
You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link

I love getting cards or letters in the mail. It happens so seldom in this computer driven world. While physical cards are my favorite, even an email greeting card or note can really make my day. It means someone is thinking about me, wanting to encourage me, or praying for me. It means God has said something to me through them.

Sometimes we wish God would send us a physical card in the mail, or in our email inbox, giving us a special message intended only for us. Maybe you need a solution to a problem, and wish He would slip a note to you telling you exactly what to do.

Yet I know God does that in many ways. We only need to seek Him,  and be open and prepared for His communication to us. I know I’ve asked God to show me what He wants me to know, or help me with a decision, and often within a short time I get direction in Bible study, a sermon, or through a conversation with a friend. God is faithful to answer prayer and lead His people in the way He desires. We need to be open to hearing Him however He chooses to communicate with us. God used a letter from Peter to encourage His people who were facing difficulties:

“I have written and sent this short letter to you with the help of Silas, whom I commend to you as a faithful brother. My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace.”
1 Peter 5:12 New Living Translation

“When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.”
Romans 1:12 New Living Translation

As God graciously answers us, we should respond to His love and be open to be a messenger for Him—to send encouraging words, uplifting thoughts, Scripture that touched us—the very words we wish to hear, or need, at various times in our lives. So I challenge you today to be that voice of God to others. Send a special card, note, email, or text to someone God lays on your heart this week. Reach out and encourage someone. Show love, kindness, and Christ’s words of wisdom and concern. Be a messenger of love and encouragement, just as Christ has encouraged you.

“So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.”
1 Thessalonians 5:11 New Living Translation

 

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, CO

Categories
PWTE Daily Devotion

More Than a One Time Shot

God is making all things new for you.

Written by Rev. Douglas Brauner

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
Revelation 21:5 English Standard Version

This picture is of the sun in total eclipse. This is not what I expected as I sat with a group of people to watch this amazing event a few miles north of Pinedale, Wyoming.

I set up my camera to take a picture every three seconds so that I could make a time-lapse of the August 21, 2017 solar eclipse. I had thought about this moment for many days. I didn’t have a solar filter for my camera, so I knew that I’d have to take a wide-angle shot. I closed down my aperture to create a sun flare, and tried to capture as much of the land as possible while still taking a picture of the sun as it crossed paths with the moon.

Solar Eclipse Totality

This is the result when the eclipse reached totality. Rather disappointing. Ugh!!!

Though I might be disappointed in this shot, I have not given up on photography. In fact, I’m making plans for the April 8, 2024 eclipse that will run from Mexico to Nova Scotia.

Our failures, even moral failures, can cripple us as we believe that we’ve crushed God’s heart. How can God still love me when I’ve failed him? How can he still bless me when my behavior has cursed him? Maybe that’s the way you feel today.

God has given us a promise through the Apostle John that he makes all things new. The context of the above verse is the moment when Christ returns and brings his bride home. At that moment the one who died for us, that we might be forgiven, and who rose for us, to give us the promise of eternal life, will truly make all things new. No more sin. No more pain. No more death.

However, there is also a present reality to these words. Today, God is making all things new. Renewal begins at the cross where we pour out failures and sins, and receive the gift of starting over. God is indeed making all things new for you. Trust his promise.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado