As ambassadors of the kingdom of God on this earth, God always tells us...
Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries
By Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour
"With God I Can Do Many Things"
September 3, 2017
Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
~ Psalm 139:23-24 (ESV)
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 Sunday 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 Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour
As ambassadors of the kingdom of God on this earth, God always tells us to do works of servanthood wherever we are placed. That is the point Paul eloquently made in Ephesians 2:10: "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
Often we feel inadequate to that task and desire to give up.
In so doing, we forget that when the Lord commands, He has already equipped us with everything to accomplish His purpose. Indeed, God's people have the Holy Spirit who empowers them to the tasks they have been given.
At LHM-Indonesia we have seen many blessed and powerful examples of the power of the Lord to transform and strengthen hearts. We have seen the Lord's frightened people became courageous ambassadors of the kingdom of God.
I remember a woman by the name of Tien. She is a wife and mother of two children. She and her husband have a clothing business in Banjarmasin, South Borneo. Until 2016 they served in their church as mentors of youth. It was their passion to see young people grow in faith and have a closer relationship with God. Faithfully, they fought against the decline of morality in our nation's youth.
Even as she worked with the youth, Tien realized she had a deep passion to reach out to help people know Jesus. Her great problem was this: she doubted she was capable of reaching out to Muslims.
There was a reason for her hesitation.
Tien knew she was different. Being of Chinese descent, she was in a minority. Moreover, she had different skin color, flat eyes, and a different rhythm in the way she spoke to people. Her husband was even more worried about such things than she was.
Tien became connected to LHM-Indonesia when she heard about our Equipping the Saints (ETS) program. She became very excited when she heard that we were going to conduct a seminar on "How Ordinary Christian Church Members Can Reach Out to Muslims."
She told herself she must go and attend the two-day seminar.
During the training, the team asked the participants to practice what they would say when they reached out to people. Tien did as she was asked. She started by visiting the hospital, rehab, and other places. Soon Tien had established a nice line of communication with her charges, the majority of whom were Muslim.
It was so amazing and awesome for her! It felt like a burden had been lifted.
No longer was she controlled by fear and worries alone. With her call to the Lord, she rejoiced at the seminar which had opened her eyes and taught her to really trust in the Savior whose life had been given to forgive, transform, and save the world.
Today the Holy Spirit has given Tien confidence in her witness to the Redeemer.
In spite of her imperfections, she knows the Lord can work through her and help her point to the Savior who wants to call people out of darkness into the light of salvation.
THE PRAYER: Our Father in Heaven, make us stay motivated in serving You, even though we may not see the results or the impact of our work. Help us remember we are workers that You sent forth to serve. Make us servants who are pleasing to You. I pray that I will do Your will with all my heart, so the lost may see their Redeemer. Thank You, Father, in the Name of Thy only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Biography of Author: Today's international devotion was written by Imelda Aritonang who has served as director of LHM-Indonesia since December 2011. In this position, she oversees the programs, administration, and staff of the ministry; establishes relationships with church and government leaders; and promotes the ministry throughout the country. She is an active member of Huria Kristen Batak Protestant (HKBP-Lutheran) and lives in northern Jakarta with her husband Gerhard Siahaan and their three children.
Lutheran Hour Ministries-Indonesia reopened in 2011 and uses radio and television broadcasting, mobile-device messaging, print and puppet resources, along with evangelism training to share the Gospel throughout Indonesia. In cooperation with local Lutheran churches, the ministry also reaches out to people to share the Gospel, especially to Muslims.
Indonesia is an archipelago in Southeast Asia made up of more than 13,400 islands; it is home to 250 million people. The ministry center of LHM-Indonesia, known locally as Anchor of Life, is located in Jakarta. Using staff and trained volunteers in making connections to Indonesian communities, it works with Sunday school teacher training, holds local sporting events, and offers topical school programs -- all as a means to move the Gospel forward. Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC) and ETS workshops educate Indonesians on the Scriptures and train them to share the Good News of God's grace and love, as found in Jesus Christ, with their family and friends.
Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
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