"No MISTAKE"

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Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries By Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin!  Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).  "No MISTAKE" July 29, 2013 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. Colossians 2:13-14 In the world of finances there are mistakes, and there are MISTAKES. When your checkbook is 15 cents off, that is a mistake. When you find you've overpaid on your taxes, that is a mistake. When you are two days late on your house payment, that is a mistake. What happened to Chris Reynolds was a MISTAKE. In the month of June, Reynolds opened up his e-mail statement, which had come to him from PayPal. In case you don't know, PayPal is the service many people use to pay for things when they make a purchase on the Internet. At any rate, Reynolds opened his statement and discovered he was in the black. Actually, the notice said that he was $92,233,720,368,547,800 in the black. To put that number into perspective, that amount made him a million times richer than the next richest man in the world. When asked what he would do with the money, Reynolds said he would pay off the national debt. It would have been a noble gesture on Reynolds' part. Sadly, the $92 quadrillion was a MISTAKE. It took but a few minutes before PayPal realized its error, contacted Reynolds, apologized, and straightened out everything. So much for being the richest man in the world. Of course, I could rightly share that those who have the Savior are far richer than was Reynolds. No, our wealth is nothing we can take to the bank, and it's not cash we can use to purchase Christmas presents. Still, with Jesus we are rich beyond measure. When we have Jesus as our Savior, the debt for our sin is completely wiped out. That's something that doesn't happen even if you have $92 quadrillion. When Jesus is your Redeemer, you are given a place in the ultra-selective neighborhood of heaven. Indeed, heaven is such a special place that $92 quadrillion won't even rent a loft apartment. When the risen Lord of life lives within your heart, no longer need you be afraid of death and grave. That, my friends, is good news! It is good news because death can't be bribed to stay away, even if you offer him $92 quadrillion in cash. But the very best news of all is this: those who have been rescued by Jesus need not be afraid that their salvation is a MISTAKE. Jesus' life, suffering and death are real, reliable and eternal. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, I give thanks You really came to earth and paid for our many sins and MISTAKES. Now may I show my appreciation for my salvation by living a life of thankfulness and praise. In Your Name I ask it. Amen.