What Happens in Vegas, Should Definitely Not Stay In Vegas

Genesis 2:16-17 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Please do not get me wrong about Las Vegas. It is a wonderful place to go. It might even be a great place to live, for some people. I am just not one of those people. I have good friends who live in Vegas. They enjoy their lives, and in some cases serve the Lord in a very impactful way. Vegas is experiencing a change that with help from all of us, along with prayer, can fundamentally change the lives of those who live and visit “Sin City”. My story below illustrates how bold steps are being taken.

Please forgive me for repeating part of another devotional, but it is a message worth repeating and a story worth sharing again and again. Last Saturday evening, after having a really nice dinner at one of Las Vegas’ many restaurants, my wife Pam along with four of our friends and myself, decided to take a drive down Las Vegas Boulevard. We had thus far in our trip avoided the sights offered by the resorts, casinos, and visitors to the “Strip” at night. We passed by Caesars Palace, New York New York, and were negotiating through traffic headed south when we reached the Bellagio. The fountain show was just beginning, and crowds were gathering. And there at the south end of the sidewalk in front of the fountain overlook stood three people. Two of them held signs on poles for all to see the message “Jesus Saves”! In the midst of all that is Las Vegas there they stood like a beacon on a hill. One person was passing out informational tracts to those passing by. The light of Christ was shining brightly against the glow of the neon lights. Now that was a refreshing sight. They were holding up signs on poles so that the message could be seen above the crowds.  They stood in stark contrast to the message offered by the glitz of the luxurious resorts near-by.  I saw the same situation on Fremont Street this past May. Three brave men boldly sharing the message of the Gospel with another crowd in Sin City. In a few short months the efforts have at least doubled.  And these banner carriers were not holding up signs in church.  They were following the example of their Savior.  From Matthew 9 11-13 we know Jesus came to call the sinners, not the righteous. That is the behavior we all need to model. We all need to, in our own way with the gifts we are given by God through His Holy Spirit, call to the sinners. We all can be part of the process that reaches out in love. We are the hands and feet of Christ and we need to be reaching out to the masses here in Pocatello and all around the world. We all can make a difference for Christ. It is what we are told to do in the great commission from Matthew 28:16-20. Your specific calling may not be to stand on Las Vegas Boulevard holding up a “Jesus Saves” sign. What you can do can make just as big of an impact as those brave people in Las Vegas. Take some time, pray about it, think about it, and then pray some more. What can you do to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

PRAYER: Lord, the harvest is great and the workers are few. Help us to realize our full potential in ministry. Guide our efforts so that your will would be done. Teach us Your ways and point out to us the opportunities to share Your love with the lost and down trodden. These things we ask in Jesus’ name Amen.

Knowledge of Good and Evil

Genesis 2:9 And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Going to Las Vegas is always an interesting experience for me. I go primarily to enjoy a NASCAR race. It is a great time to get away for a few days and have fun with friends who share a common interest. The excitement of the race, the people watching, and the food in Las Vegas all make for a great time. This is all starkly contrasted against the other side of Las Vegas, the ever present evil side of Las Vegas.

There is a balance in our world between good and evil. Frequently we hear when evil is out of balance. Usually it comes in the form of news of a sensational crime splashed across the headlines, or blasting out on Twitter & Facebook. News travels fast regardless of the media or method.  Evil has two purposes.  It hurts immediately those who are directly involved, and it reaches out and tries to hurt those on the periphery. While you and I may not live in the immediate zone of influence of evil when an event occurs, we are nonetheless impacted by it.  Our lives are forever changed in some instances. A good example of this is the tragedy of 9/11.  The lives of thousands at Ground Zero and their families were immediately impacted.  And the lives of almost everyone on the planet Earth were impacted as a result of the actions taken on the part of a few who chose evil over good.  Evil held the day and continues to try to hold the day in the form of despair and fear.  Evil will continue to try to win out if we do not step back and take a fresh look at who is really in control. The knowledge of good and evil is one of if not the most important aspects of our lives. God has imprinted his laws on our heart (See Hebrews 8:10-11). We all know good from evil, and we all know how to escape temptation through prayer and study of the Word. But not everyone is willing to escape evil. There is a conscious decision made to embark on a path that takes a person away from the light of Christ. The action to commit a sin impacts not only those who initiate the action, but many innocent victims. The victims can be family, friends, coworkers, and many who are not even known to those who started down the path away from the light of Christ. Lives can be forever changed for those who sin, and those impacted by that sin.  The thought to sin is planted, the risk is minimized, and then it happens. That is why we learn that sin begins even before the thought occurs. We are sinful by nature. We sin against the Lord in our thoughts, our words, and our deeds by what we have done and by what we have left undone. That might sound familiar to a few of us Lutherans.  And that is why we need a Savior. We are error prone, likely to fail, and rely on the grace of God to bring us back to a right relationship with Him. It is a constant battle, the war between good and evil. There are millions of casualties on the field of battle. We all must stay close to God in prayer and study of His word. We must not let evil rule our day lest we too become casualties.

PRAYER: Father, Abba, we are sorely tempted every second of every minute of every day by sin. We are constantly being sought out by the evil one. By ourselves we are hopeless. Save us Father!  We cannot resist the efforts of Satan without You in our lives. Give us the knowledge, the strength, and the courage to resist the call of Satan to join his legions. This we ask in the strong name of Jesus Christ who was tempted by the devil and resisted, just as we too need to resist. Amen.  

And Out Of The Ground The Lord God Made To Spring Up…

Genesis 2:9 And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

                This first week of Lenten devotionals is the result of my having way too much time on my hands while driving to Las Vegas for a NASCAR race.  There was plenty of time to think and observe while on this journey. And it set me to thinking about how it all began.

                For every journey there is a first step, and for every story there is a beginning. If you wish to succeed, you must first plan. There are some folks in our world that would have you believe that the world we live in, that which we call the marvel of creation, was all because something happened accidentally. The earth, sky, universe, plants and animals were all some glorious accident. I gave this principle some deep thought.  It took place somewhere in southwestern Nevada where there is not much to see.  I think the phrase for that locale is “unremarkable terrain”.  And it was an interesting time of prayer and contemplation.  Christians believe that God created the universe and everything in it. We accept that as a keystone in our belief. And based on that principle, we know that the “everything in it” is all inclusive. There was a plan. I would guess if it were put to paper, it would be huge. A size beyond comprehension is my best guess. There had to be a plan.  How else could you explain the wonderful diversity? Diversity that ranges from microbes all the way to whales. Diversity that is graphically displayed in the size, shapes, colors, and features of humans.  There is no reasonable way to explain it beyond, God had a plan. He decided and spoke creation into being. I just do not buy the “it just happened” argument.  Can you imagine life without diversity?  Things that are the same everywhere you go. That would pretty much eliminate the need to go anywhere wouldn’t it? People would be the same no matter where you go. And that would be a bland existence.  And there is one very big difference in our existence. We would exist without hope. Yes, that is right, there would be no hope. As Christians we live everyday of our lives with the comfort of having hope because we have God.  No God, no hope is a pretty simple way to look at it.  And we have peace that surpasses all understanding because we have a loving God the Father, a risen Savior in Jesus Christ, and a comforting Holy Spirit. We have the hope of life everlasting that extends beyond our lives here on this planet. And that is why we Christians should have a much happier outlook on life than non-believers. We have God so we have hope.  I know that there is a God and He is the creator. I know that I am saved. I know that my Creator has a plan for my life. That is news worth sharing! That is the Gospel, and that is the truth.  And finally, that is why it is important for us to share that good news with others that harbor the misguided belief that creation was just an accident.

PRAYER: Lord and Giver of Life, You spoke creation into existence. You willed our lives into being. You guide us, protect us, and sustain us through our times of happiness and turmoil. We are blessed with a Savior who gave his life so that we may live a life eternal. We are humbled by Your love. For this we give thanks to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. One God now and forever. Amen