Jealous of the disciples? A little . . .

walking in the truth on transfiguration sunday (2/26)

Today's Truth from Scripture

"After six days Jesus took with Him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountainy themselves. There He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus . . . While He was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, 'This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him!.'" Matt. 17:1-3, 5

Today's devotional thoughts

Your word for today is "theophany:  A manifestation or appearance of God or a god to a person." [dictionary.com] When a voice spoke from the cloud on the Mount of Transfiguration, that was a theophany.

Have you ever been just a little jealous of the disciples? Well, I'm not too proud to admit that I have been a little jealous. Peter, James, & John literally had a mountain-top experience that probably rivals or exceeds any mountain-top experience you or I have ever had. It was a theophany that included not only the Son of God but also the voice of God the Father.

And for three years all of the disciples & many others witnessed the theophany of Jesus walking among them, teaching, performing miracles . . . 

. . . and ultimately dying on the cross . . . 

. . . but also risen from the dead! [Do you think there was such a thing as PTSD in those days? If there was, seeing Jesus alive, listening to Him talk, touching his spear-scarred side & spike-ravaged wrists probably would have cured it, don't you think? But I digress.]

Here's the deal. We also have our own theophany every time we worship together. Jesus Christ IS present among us, too. 

• We hear the Living Word, as it is read to us & preached to us from the pulpit; as we read it responsively; also as we sing it in some fantastic hymnody. [Yes, even in some fantastic contemporary hymnody.]
• We know that Christ is present in the Water of Life, poured out on babies, young people, & even old codgers [No offense, I hope.], as they are baptized.
• We eat & drink the body & blood of Christ in, with & under the bread & wine of Holy Communion.
• "While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, 'Take and eat; this is my body.' Then He took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. This is My blood . . . '" (Matt. 26:26-28a) That's right--The Lord's Supper is so much more than just a memorial rite.

Some of the disciples got to see the first Transfiguration, but make no mistake. As believers touched by the grace of God, we, too, have had our lives transfigured by Christ, as well!

Today's prayer thoughts

Give thanks that your life has been touched by the grace of God, & it continues to be transfigured by Word & Sacrament. Alleluia? Alleluia!

Missionary News

It's been awhile since I posted news about the missionaries we adopted, Stu & Deb Freese.  The Freeses will be serving in Burkina Faso, West Africa. They are currently undergoing intensive French language training in Montreal. Pr. Freese will serve as Church Planter/Pastoral Trainer in West Africa. Deb will serve as Communications Director in West Africa. This excerpt is from their Jan & Feb 2017 newsletter.
      "In our French class we have a young woman from Argentina, one from Bolivia, one from Columbia, & one from India. We also have a young man from China, & a middle-aged man from Indonesia. How do we communicate w/each other! Do we all speak Spanish, Hindi, Chinese, Bahasa, English or French? No! How can we possibly communicate!
      "This is where faith & trust in the Lord come in. Without the abilities God gives us, we would not be able to learn other languages. If we try to take things into our own hands, like the people of the Tower of Babel, God will confuse our plans.
      "God has called us to serve the people of West Africa, many of whom speak French. God is also the One who will give us the ability to speak the languages that we will need to share the good news of salvation."

Prayer Needs:

• For support of our mission work in W. Africa
• That we are able to learn the French language
• For the West African missionaries who are moving to new countries to spread the Gospel
• For the people of Burkina Faso so they are willing to hear & share God's Word

Contact/Follow Us

• FACEBOOK:  www.facebook.com/FreesesInAfrica/ OR www.facebook.com/LCMSWestAfrica/
• FINANCIAL SUPPORT ONLINE:  http://www.lcms.org/freese
• MAIL TO:  Mission Central, 40718 Hwy E16, Mapleton IA  51034 OR                   LCMS, P.O. Box 66861, St. Louis, MO  63166

CCM *

       Matt Maher is probably my favorite contemporary Christian recording musician at this time.. I've been listening to his "All the People Said Amen" live album ad infinitum, especially since Lois & I saw him in concert at FishFest in Ralston, NE, last summer. He's Catholic, yet one of my favorite songs on this album is Mighty Fortress.
      Here are some sample lyrics:  "You are the Rock of Salvation, My only Foundation, Lord of All. You are our Hope never failing, a Mighty Fortress is our God." Take this one lyric out of this song, & you would be tempted to think that this guy could be a Lutheran!

* Christian Contemporary Music