Be Like-Minded September 5, 2014 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:1-4 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 Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour Flumo is an unskilled laborer who works on a construction site. Flumo is also a man who had saved 50 percent of his income for the past six months. At the beginning of their two months of summer vacation, Flumo gave each of his sons, Lomeni and Fahn, $5,000 Liberian dollars (about $59American). Each of the boys was to use the money to trade. The profits they raised were to be dedicated to paying for their next school term. That was the fathers idea. The boys had ideas of their own. Whenever they returned from trading, they took their profit and used it for their own comforts. Eventually, they lost both their profit and their fathers principal. When reporting time came, the father found out about the loss and was deeply disappointed in his boys. They had destroyed his plan to educate his children and give them a life in which they would not have to work at an unskilled job. It was obvious he and the two boys had not been reading from the same page. I am able to tell you this story because, at the time, Lutheran Hour Ministries volunteers were conducting a door-to-door canvass in Flumos neighborhood. They happened to come by his house, even as he was chewing out his boys. Our volunteers listened to the fathers complaints and the boys who defended themselves by saying, You never told us about your dreams for us. To help bring about peace, the volunteers turned to Philippians 2. In that passage, Paul tells Christs people they should be like-minded. The apostle knew that two people cant work well together unless they agree. For Gods people to accomplish the Lords task, harmony is a great help. Deeply moved, Flumo realized Gods Word is true for our souls and for our families. Truly, if the Lord is to succeed and make things happen, it is beneficial if His people work together. We need to work together with the Lord and understand His plan and purpose for our lives. Then, directed by His Holy Word, we can pray that He will allow us to work together in reaching those who are lost and in need of the Savior. THE PRAYER: My dear Heavenly Father, please help me to walk in harmony with You, Your Word, and Your plan to call those who are in darkness into the marvelous light of their Savior. Grant me the courage to effectively communicate Your ideas and dreams with the people around me. This I ask in Jesus Name. Amen. Biography of Author: Todays international devotion was written by Abraham Shape. He came to serve as a volunteer for the Lutheran Hour Ministries after he had completed and been moved by our Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC). Shape works with the BCC supervisor to distribute our booklets to students who live in Gardnerville, Liberia. Concerning Lutheran Hours ministry center in Liberia, Our Liberia radio program reaches out to millions of people throughout the nation. The ministry center recognizes the value of this method of sharing the Savior with the lost since bad road conditions limit the number of people with whom we can visit face to face. In this West African nation of more than four million people, Lutheran Hour Ministries-Liberia was established in Monrovia in 2013. Working in partnership with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Liberia, this ministry center uses an interactive radio program to share the Gospel and invite listeners to sign up for BCC courses. Additional work with congregations includes film presentations, outdoor concerts, and dramatic performances. Equipping the Saints (ETS) workshops train volunteers to witness to their families and in the communities where they live. At present this ministry center is also assisting local communities impacted by the spread of the Ebola virus. To learn more about whats going on in Liberia, you can visit its blog at lhmliberia.wordpress. To learn more about our International Ministries, click here or visit lhmint.org. In Christ I remain His servant and yours, Pastor Ken Klaus Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour® Lutheran Hour Ministries
Posted on: Fri, 05 Sep 2014 10:27:04 +0000