Lent - Day 18 - Look! He's the One

Lent Devotions from Concordia University 2025
**********************************************************

When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities. Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’ Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.” Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.” At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Matthew 11:1-30

“Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk …the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.” These words don’t simply say Jesus is Lord because of these great and powerful acts. These are the very events Isaiah prophesied would take place in order to draw attention and proclaim to everyone, “Hey! Look here! This is the Messiah!” It was not random that Christ performed the miracles he performed. Each miracle declared, “I am the Messiah.” 

When we struggle in our faith, Jesus responds by saying, “Hey, look at what was heard and seen. Look at what the eyewitnesses are reporting to you. Look not only at their reports of the miracles I performed, but also at their reports of the cross, the empty tomb, and my ascension. Do not be discouraged. Instead let me encourage you in your faith.”

Prayer:

Holy Spirit, 

                You spoke through the prophets about the Messiah. You spoke through the disciples, so we would know what they witnessed about Jesus. Speak to us through reading Your written Word and hearing Your Word preached, that our faith would be encouraged. Amen.

Lent - Day Twelve - Witnesses to the Truth

 Lent Devotions from Concordia University 2024

But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me.
John 5:36-37a NKJV

John 5 clearly establishes who Jesus claimed to be... Claims always need to be evaluated for truth to hold any value, and truth needs evidence. One example is in the courtroom. Claims must be substantiated by evidence. Often the most powerful evidence is testimony that has been evaluated for its integrity and reliability.

This was also true during Jesus’ earthly ministry. For that reason, Jesus calls his witnesses to the stand: John the Baptist, God the Father, his own works, the Scriptures, and Moses. Jesus maintains that they all bear witness about him and confirm his own witness. Jesus points out that the naysayers are willing to receive others based on their self-testimony, but despite his list of witnesses, they reject him.

While faith is defined in Hebrews as “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” this does not mean it is without evidence. Our belief is anchored in a great deal of evidence, including trustworthy testimony. These witnesses reveal God’s love in Christ to the entire world. By the Holy Spirit, this testimony bears fruit in us by producing faith.

Prayer: 

Father, 

           Thank You for the testimony You have given me about Your Son, Jesus Christ, through these many witnesses. Strengthen me to confess my faith without wavering that I may add my voice in giving witness to Christ, my Savior. Amen.

Reading Further - John 5:31-47

31 If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true. 32 There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. 33 You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 34 Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. 35 He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. 36 But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, 38 and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. 39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. 41 I do not receive glory from people. 42 But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. 43 I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. 44 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

Friend's Favorite - Generations to Come

O God, you have taught me from my earliest childhood, and I constantly tell others about the wonderful things you do. Now that I am old and gray, do not abandon me, O God. Let me proclaim your power to this new generation, your mighty miracles to all who come after me.
Psalm 71:17-18 NLT

There are days I love going out to YouTube and listening to the music from years ago. Oh, how I remember and love those old songs of four-part harmony! Definitely NOT something my Toby Mac-loving grandkids would appreciate; however, it is part of my responsibility to make sure they know the One we're singing about - no matter who is doing the singing.

Here's something to think about. What do the people around us learn or know of Jesus after they have interacted with us? Have we been someone they can trust? Have we exhibited God's love to them? Are we someone they want to spend more time with - or someone they have to spend time with and suffer through? Do they want to hear what we are speaking to them?

The generations coming after us are learning things every day. There is no end to the world's input into their lives. If we don't teach them - if we don't proclaim the power of God to this generation - tell them of His mighty miracles - how He's brought us through...saved us, sustained us, set us apart to serve Him and to serve others and how He'll do the same for them, what will they learn? And from whom? They need to know - we have to tell them! It's our story. It's history. It's HIS story in us and for them.

Prayer:

Father,
          Thank You for the generations coming after us. Thank you that we can impart wisdom to them in so many different ways. Help us to form deeply, divinely-inspired love roads into the paths of their lives so that the signs to direct them to keep their lives going forward and the warning signs posted at the wrong turns can be clearly seen and followed. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

A Favorite - I needed the reminder...

 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Acts 1:8 NLT

The last recorded words of Jesus while on this Earth - and you will be My witnesses... And they did exactly that - in the order He declared. They started their witness in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Pretty amazing when you think about it and all the limits to their methods of communication and modes of travel. And much of their travel was unplanned. It was because of the persecution of the early church that they traveled to other areas and to the ends of the earth. I'm not sure we can even wrap our minds around the many trials they faced in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

However, do you realize that we know about Jesus because the Holy Spirit empowered them to be witnesses? They were hiding in a room until the Holy Spirit lit on them like tongues of fire. 

Where do we hide? Are we quiet out of fear of what someone might think? Do we run from persecution? satan will always try to stop our witness. How did we get where we are today? I believe with all my heart that God has used the circumstances in our lives to bring us to the place we are today to be a witness for Him. 

We might not stand in a public square like Peter and witness to thousands of people who become believers in one day... but we might. It could happen. Do you know that according to Scripture the combined missionary trips of Paul by land and sea equal more than 13,000 air miles - before there was any such thing as air miles? We might not ever travel more than a few hundred miles in our lifetime, but we might witness to someone who will be a world traveler.

In today's world, I can sit here in my home, share my thoughts and what I've learned of Christ according to His written Word in my life, and with the click of a button I can publish it. Then by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, people a half a world away will find it and read it. People I will never meet until Jesus calls us Home. How'd we get here? ...you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Prayer:

Father,

           Give us Your wisdom, O God. We need Your precious Holy Spirit so that we can accomplish the work You have for us to do. Pour out Your power to give us the courage and the ability to walk out Your purpose in our lives. Open our eyes, Father, to see You. Open our hearts to love as You love. Open our mouths to witness to others. Let Your light so shine through us that others will see our good works and glorify You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

I'd Walk a Mile for...

[About Paul] And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
Acts 19: 8-10 ESV

Paul was a very learned man. His education and training gave him the authority to teach in the synagogues wherever he went, but invariably those who were steeped in religion fought him at every turn. It was the Jewish people that followed him into the towns and created chaos and trouble. And here, his greatest strategy for spreading the Gospel sets the standard we can follow.

For 3 months, he taught in the synagogue until he caught a lot of flak from the so-called church folks. So rather than get into it with them, he just took his disciples and went elsewhere. No arguments, etc. Down to the Hall of Tyrannus. It was a lecture hall, not a church. It was a place for thinkers - open to all. He didn't have the written Scrolls of Law like he would have had available in the synagogue. He didn't have a Bible (and I'm sure he didn't know he was writing it). He testified...period. He spread the Good News of Jesus and what He had done in Paul's life and what He would do for everyonee. So that ALL the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord - Jews and Greeks, believers and unbelievers, over a period of two years. History estimates about two million people in all.

In the 30-some years of his ministry, Paul documented over 10,000 MILES of travel. Mostly by foot - walking and talking and telling the world about Jesus. And that only accounts for those trips he mentions. (I don't think he mentioned all of them - the side roads, etc.) Without a Bible, without a phone, without a computer and Internet or email. We have all of those things, so we have to ask ourselves, what are we doing to witness?

Prayer:

Father,
           Forgive us for being complacent. Baptize us anew with the fire of the Holy Spirit. Blow on the embers of our soul until we are ablaze to testify of Your great love. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Friends' Favorites - I Believe I'll Testify

I love you, Lord; you are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.
Psalm 18:1-2 NLT

I was sitting here tonight, thinking of my beloved father-in-law who went to be with the Lord in February of 2012. I can't believe it's been seven years. I miss him. As I reminisced, I was reminded of the miraculous protection of God on one of the many visits I made to San Antonio to see Lee.

It was always good to see him. We would talk and talk, and then go out for lunch. In the latter years of his life, Lee always wanted to eat Chinese food. Although he was in a nursing home, he wanted to go OUT to eat… Others tried to convince him that we could just get take-out and bring it back to eat with him at the nursing home.

But you see, when it came to going to the restaurant of choice, Lee and I had been cohorts since the beginning of our relationship, and this particular time, he looked me right in the eye and said, “I want to go to Panda.” I looked him right back in the eye and said, “I’ll pick you up at 11.” And so the next morning, by the grace of God, I got my little father-in-law into the car and we took in all the beautiful scenery - crepe myrtles and lovely oaks - on the way to the restaurant. Once there, I watched him eat Chinese food to his heart’s content. It was a precious time. He was tired when we got him back to his room, but he trusted me to get him back into his bed and settled, and he was one happy camper.

About an hour later, I was on the road heading back home… Now, you know those white signs on the side of the road with numbers on them? In Texas, they’re considered to be more of a suggestion, so we try it and if we don’t like it, we do it faster. And we were all doing it faster… I was about 150 miles outside of San Antonio, and had been traveling with the same 6 or 8 vehicles for the last 50 miles or so. One was a large pickup, hauling an RV trailer, and he and I seemed to do cat-and-mouse the whole time at the back of the pack, when all of a sudden, all the tire warning lights came on in my car! My left rear tire showed no pressure at all and my dashboard was lit up like a bookie’s scoreboard!

I was right at an exit when it happened, so I was able to get off the road immediately (that’s SO God…). I got down to the intersection and pulled into the gas station, and then all the warning lights reset themselves. All the tires were fine – exactly at the pressure they were supposed to be. Go figure… the gauges all reset by themselves. Nothing wrong. I was tempted to be a little frustrated, but I thought, “No, whatever that was about, Father, thank You. I’m sure You have a reason for it.”

I headed back onto the freeway…only to discover that in the time it took for me to get off the road, the RV that I had been cat-and-mousing with had come off the hitch of the pickup and rolled completely across the highway. Had I not pulled off at the exit because of the flashing warning signs, I would have either been smashed by the RV or I would have hit it…going at a high rate of speed. I had to pull over again, but this time it was because I was crying tears of gratitude for God’s protection over my life. Had it not been for His grace and mercy, I would have been killed or severely maimed.

Can I get a witness to the loving protection of God, our Father? I had to testify…

Prayer:

Father,
           I love you, Lord; You are my strength. You, Lord, are my Rock, my Fortress, and my Savior; in whom I find protection. You are my Shield, the Power that saves me, and my place of safety. On behalf of my children and grandchildren, and the rest of my family, I thank You, Father, for sparing my life. You never cease to amaze me. Help us to walk worthy of the life You give us every day. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

Except You Come as a Child

He will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob.
Psalm 24:5-6 ESV

My youngest granddaughter (5 years old) spent the night at my house last night. It's always a great time. She likes to go to Chick-Fil-A because they have a small play area there, so we went. Typically, she will eat some and play a little while and then repeat until she is finished eating and finally "played out". 

During Round Two of playing, there were other children in the play area, and I noticed my granddaughter talking earnestly with a little girl whose grandparents were sitting on the other side of the playroom. As she finished using her fingers to count off whatever points she was making, she asked, "Where's your mom and dad?", then walked to the glass where the other grandmother sat, who motioned that she couldn't hear and for the grandfather to go see what was going on. He opened the door to the playroom and without preamble, my granddaughter asked, "Why doesn't she know about God and Jesus?" I was ready to jump in if needed, but the grandfather replied, "She does know about God and Jesus." He assured her, "We go to church, too." As he stepped back out of the playroom, he turned to me and remarked, "You've got an evangelist there, eh?" 

The Chick-Fil-A employee standing next to me remarked, "We should all be so bold with our witness."

Prayer:

Father,
          Give us the boldness to witness to those You place within our sphere of influence! Holy Spirit, fire up our hearts and pour out a fresh anointing of courage and commitment to spread the Gospel wherever we find ourselves. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

How'd We Get Here?

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Acts 1:8 NLT

The last recorded words of Jesus while on this Earth - and you will be My witnesses... And they did exactly that - in the order He declared. They started their witness in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Pretty amazing when you think about it and all the limits to their methods of communication and modes of travel. And much of their travel was unplanned. It was because of the persecution of the early church that they traveled to other areas and to the ends of the earth. I'm not sure we can even wrap our minds around the many trials they faced in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

However, do you realize that we know about Jesus because the Holy Spirit empowered them to be witnesses? They were hiding in a room until the Holy Spirit lit on them like tongues of fire. Where do we hide? Are we quiet out of fear of what someone might think? Do we run from persecution? satan will always try to stop our witness. How did we get where we are today? I believe with all my heart that God has used the circumstances in our lives to bring us to the place we are today to be a witness for Him. 

We might not stand in a public square like Peter and witness to thousands of people who become believers in one day... but we might. It could happen. Do you know that according to Scripture the combined missionary trips of Paul by land and sea equal more than 13,000 air miles - before there was any such thing as air miles? We might not ever travel more than a few hundred miles in our lifetime, but we might witness to someone who will be a world traveler.

In today's world, I can sit here in my home, share my thoughts and what I've learned of Christ according to His written Word in my life, and with the click of a button I can publish it. Then by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, people a half a world away will find it and read it. People I will never meet until Jesus calls us Home. How'd we get here? ...you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Prayer:

Father,

           Give us Your wisdom, O God. We need Your precious Holy Spirit so that we can accomplish the work You have for us to do. Pour out Your power to give us courage and ability to walk out Your purpose in our lives. Open our eyes, Father, to see You. Open our hearts to love as You love. Open our mouths to witness to others. Let Your light so shine through us that others will see our good works and glorify You. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Can I Get a Witness? +

He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere - in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!” 

Acts 1:7-11 NLT

Where are we in the Story? Jesus had been crucified, buried, risen from the dead, and walked on Earth. He's standing there with the apostles who kept asking Him, "Now? Now are You going to free Israel? Now are You going to restore the Kingdom?" And He basically tells them it's none of their business. 

WE would think that would be important, but here's what Christ thought was more important. In fact, SO important that it was the last thing He said to them on Earth, ...you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses...

Then He left and immediately, two messengers came to ask why they were still standing there and to let them know, He is coming back.

He IS coming back. Are we witnessing? WHAT are we witnessing? Are our lives witnessing His life story in ours? 

If not, it's never too late to start.

Prayer:

Father,

            Oh, that our lives would be a continual GOOD witness for You!! Help us, O God, in Jesus' Name we pray. Amen