by Pastor Tim Klein
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And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them (Matthew 4:21).
Read Matthew 4:18–25
Old Mr Nowotny would regularly greet me after church in Northam when I was a young man: ‘When will you be a pastor like your father?’ I would smile and brush off the comment … until one day, married and with our first two children, I had a strong sense of a call to ministry. My wife confirmed that call, saying she had a similar feeling. Less than 12 months later, we had sold our little cottage home, packed up our goods and chattels, and followed that call to Adelaide, where I studied and prepared for pastoral ministry. That call took place just over 40 years ago.
Even though I am retiring from full-time ministry in January (as you read this, I’m already retired), the call remains. I hope to respond and share the good news well into whatever years the Lord gives me. One day, I will lay back in the arms of the Lord: Lord, into your hands, I commit myself!
God’s call is for all of us. He calls all of us to follow – in whatever capacity he gives.
We might not know where answering the call will take us – place, situations and people. But we do know the destination. In a way, those early followers stepped into the kingdom of God when they stepped into the company of Jesus. With that understanding, our destination is already happening.
You might like to reflect on what it has meant for you to be a follower of Jesus. Where has that taken you? Who have been some of the characters you have met along the way? Who have you served with? What have been your experiences? What blessings have you been able to bring to others? What blessings have you received? I’m sure you have other things to reflect on.
Maybe the Lord is calling you right now to follow him into something new.
We do not travel alone. Jesus’ words ring in my ears from time to time, especially during the tough times: ‘I am with you always, even to the end of the age!’
Lord, thank you for your call at work in our lives. Open our ears, eyes and hearts to hear your call. Give us willing hands and feet to follow and serve. We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Tim has served as a pastor for more than 30 years in Australia and New Zealand. Not retired but repurposed on 12 January, this husband of wife Joy, father of three and grandfather of 10 intends to spend more time in the garden, write some songs that have long lingered in his mind and heart and keep up with the activities of his grandchildren and friends. He also has several active beehives that need managing, with some still to be constructed and populated. Tim will continue his voluntary service as a chaplain with SA Police.
by Pastor Tim Klein
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’ (Matthew 4:17).
Read Matthew 4:12–17
After my ordination – in July 1991 – I was sent to serve in the mid-north parish of Clare-Blyth-Burra.
It was a bit like Jesus’ sending: ‘Tim, go and preach – “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”’ I recall my trepidation at the time and my strong sense to be faithful to the Lord’s call on my life. I’ve now been preaching the kingdom for more than 30 years.
The message is still needed, not just for the listener, but also for me and you.
Repentance doesn’t sit easy. Who really wants to confess their sin – both the obvious and the hidden? But we need repentance every day. God wants us all to be safe and saved. You might say: ‘But I’m a faithful baptised person – I don’t need to repent.’ You might even say, ‘I’ve really got nothing to confess’.
But listen to what the Lord in Hebrews 4:12: ‘For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart.’ Listen and know that he knows what we need to confess!
Martin Luther’s Evening Prayer has this word of confession: ‘And I pray that you would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong.’ Building this daily prayer into our lives is a good thing.
Jesus, John the Baptist, and all the prophets before us each called people back to the Lord. Ordained pastors everywhere continue to proclaim the presence of God’s kingdom. And the same call is on you and me. This is a simple task, really – to speak the truth we know and believe and testify to the presence of the Lord. God knows we miss many opportunities, and we can complicate it with our doubts and uncertainties. But he remains faithful to us, and his Spirit will always be ready to give us the words and actions we need to call people back to the Lord.
Don’t give up on your family, neighbours and friends. They need the assurance of salvation, and you are the one God has placed right there to bring his truth.
Dear Lord, when we struggle to find words and actions to proclaim your call to repentance and the presence of your kingdom, bless us with a calm and sure assurance so that we can faithfully serve you, our families, our neighbours and our friends with your truth. Amen.
Tim has served as a pastor for more than 30 years in Australia and New Zealand. Not retired but repurposed on 12 January, this husband of wife Joy, father of three and grandfather of 10 intends to spend more time in the garden, write some songs that have long lingered in his mind and heart and keep up with the activities of his grandchildren and friends. He also has several active beehives that need managing, with some still to be constructed and populated. Tim will continue his voluntary service as a chaplain with SA Police.
by Pastor Tim Klein
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve (Matthew 4:10b).
Read Matthew 4:1–11
How good are you at resisting temptation?
I confess that in some things, I really struggle. For example, put me in a bakery where there are fresh cream honey-logs or Kitchener buns, and it is highly unlikely that I will leave the place empty-handed.
What are the things that tempt you most? You know yours as well as I know mine.
I wish I always had the same splanxa (guts or intestinal fortitude) as Jesus to recognise temptation and confront it head-on. Do you recall the time when Jesus explained to his disciples what he was about to go through concerning his torture and death? Peter talks up and says never – this should never happen to you. Now, Jesus could have thought, ‘Ahh, here at last is somebody on my side, someone who doesn’t want to see me go through the pain’. Instead, he recognises this as a temptation to tempt him away from his God-given mission. So, he responds to Peter: ‘Get behind me, Satan.’ (There’s that cream bun attracting my attention again: Get behind me, Satan!)
Jesus is no stranger to temptation. This famous reading from Matthew chapter 4 is the classic go-to passage when considering temptation.
This is not about froth and bubbles – things without any eternal consequence. Temptation is about taking our eyes off the Lord, relying on ourselves or relaxing our hope and trust in Jesus. This temptation of Jesus has eternal consequences, not just for him but also for you and me. (Actually, when I think about it, perhaps not resisting the temptation to consume cream buns does have some consequences for me and my family in the long run, but certainly not the same level of eternal consequence as Jesus faced.)
We could unpack each of these temptations Jesus faced, but it’s enough to focus on how he dealt with them.
How did he do it? He focused on the Lord. He pointed Satan, the tempter, back to the Lord – to his Heavenly Father – to the living Word of God. He focused the bringer of death onto the giver of life.
We pray: Dear Lord, you know how we people struggle with temptation of all kinds. Please strengthen us in our faith and trust in you and your word so that we can turn away from temptation to you – in every circumstance of temptation we face. Amen.
Tim has served as a pastor for more than 30 years in Australia and New Zealand. Not retired but repurposed on 12 January, this husband of wife Joy, father of three and grandfather of 10 intends to spend more time in the garden, write some songs that have long lingered in his mind and heart and keep up with the activities of his grandchildren and friends. He also has several active beehives that need managing, with some still to be constructed and populated. Tim will continue his voluntary service as a chaplain with SA Police.
by Pastor Tim Klein
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptised by him (Matthew 3:13).
Read Matthew 3:13–17
Have you ever been asked to do something by someone you believe is so much more qualified than you? It can be daunting, can’t it?
I recall a time early on in my relationship with my wife and her parents. My father-in-law (Ron) was a regular fisherman. He would go out fishing off Glenelg with his cousin Doug. I happened to be there once on a fishing day and he invited me along. Once we were out on the water, he asked me to steer the boat. ‘Who, me?’ I was a pretty dab hand at driving my HR 186S, but I had never driven a boat before – and this was quite a powerful boat. ‘Yes, you.’ Why not? So, I took the helm and skippered that boat out to the fishing ground, where we successfully bagged out.
Needless to say, I was chuffed. These two men trusted me with charge of the boat.
Back to John and Jesus. Jesus asks John: ‘Will you baptise me?’ John responds: ‘Who me? It should be the other way round’ (paraphrasing the event). Jesus entrusted himself to John to be baptised by him. It should be no surprise. John was known as ‘John the Baptiser’.
As I reflect, I recall numerous times when people have deferred (or attempted) to me as ‘the pastor’. Yes. Sometimes, it may be appropriate. However, there are plenty of other instances where a layperson is more than able to serve the things of God. For example, I remember being waist-deep alongside a father in a chilled Kiwi Mountain creek while he baptised his daughter in God’s name.
This is a bit like yesterday’s devotion. When are we really ready to serve? I suggest, when the need is right there before us or in front of our minds. Do we trust that the Lord will work in and through us? He trusted his own baptism to John. Will he trust you and me to the constant opportunities to seek, save and serve the lost?
Just like Jesus entrusted himself to John for his baptism, Jesus trusts us to be his agents of loving kindness wherever we are.
Lord of all: Open our eyes and ears, our hearts and our hands to the needs of others. Use us to bring your blessing into the world wherever we are. Amen.
Tim has served as a pastor for more than 30 years in Australia and New Zealand. Not retired but repurposed on 12 January, this husband of wife Joy, father of three and grandfather of 10 intends to spend more time in the garden, write some songs that have long lingered in his mind and heart and keep up with the activities of his grandchildren and friends. He also has several active beehives that need managing, with some still to be constructed and populated. Tim will continue his voluntary service as a chaplain with SA Police.
by Pastor Tim Klein
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come’ (John 2:4).
Read John 2:1–11
How human is that? ‘My hour has not yet come.’
‘Not yet, Mother!’ said Jesus. We do it, too: ‘I am not ready yet. It’s too soon. I’m not prepared to go. Try me again later’, and so on.
But, for Jesus, this is a case of saying one thing and doing another. He might not have been ready in himself as a human being to reveal who he was, yet he did! He served their need – with great blessing.
Why do we sometimes stall and backpedal from both responsibility and opportunity? Are we afraid – scared of what might happen? Are we concerned we might not really have what it takes? Do we find it easier to ‘allow someone else the privilege of serving’? Could it be that we are concerned that once that ability or service is ‘let out of the bag’, we might be saddled with it for the foreseeable future?
If you are a leader in any form, you are likely aware of how difficult it can be to engage volunteers in service. People are reluctant to commit. We are wary of other people having a call on our time and resources. I’m in the middle of seeking a new small team of people to do a 2025 monthly Saturday afternoon bread pickup. It’s not easy. But I’m living in hope. God will move some people to see the need and meet it.
I’m also encouraged by Jesus’ ultimate response to his mum when she simply overrides his reluctance. Next thing you know, her son has performed his first public miracle! She served the need at that time. I have hope and positively expect that there will be enough people to take up the bread run in my retirement next year.
I’m also hopeful more and more people will be willing to take up the call to follow Jesus as he goes about his mission of seeking out and saving lost people!
It’s sins that hold us back from serving. But even Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, despite pleading with his Father to take back the cup of sacrifice he was about to fill, ultimately served us with his life’s blood, and he offers us all this miracle of forgiveness.
He has given us a wonderful example of trusting in the Lord. The outcome is a great blessing. Can we follow his example?
Dear Father, give us the boldness to get out there to follow and serve in the opportunities you place before us. In the name of Christ. Amen.
Tim has served as a pastor for more than 30 years in Australia and New Zealand. Not retired but repurposed on 12 January, this husband of wife Joy, father of three and grandfather of 10 intends to spend more time in the garden, write some songs that have long lingered in his mind and heart and keep up with the activities of his grandchildren and friends. He also has several active beehives that need managing, with some still to be constructed and populated. Tim will continue his voluntary service as a chaplain with SA Police.
by Sal Huckel
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart (Psalm 36:10).
Read Psalm 36:5–10
Today’s beautiful psalm follows our devotion yesterday, where we looked a little at God’s law, particularly the First Commandment about having no other gods before the Lord. What better way to start our devotion today than a section of Psalm 36 praising God for his faithfulness, righteousness, priceless love, safety and being the fountain of life? If you ever find it hard to get in that place of worshipping God in this way in your own words, head to the Book of Psalms and use the wonderful Scriptures already recorded for this purpose!
This is our God, who must come first in our lives above all. Daily: moment by moment, hour by hour. It’s difficult – we are human! We fail – but he never does. We talk about loving God and loving others – we also have a reminder here to be ‘upright in heart’. We have grace, the forgiveness of sins – and the responsibility to respond with repentance and daily devotion to the Lord.
Thank you that your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep (Psalm 36). Help me to worship and revere your holy name daily, putting you first before all else. In Jesus’ holy name, I pray, Amen.
Sal is married to Pastor Matthew Huckel, and they live in Victoria with their six children, enjoying their ministry with Moorabbin–Dandenong Lutheran Church. Their two eldest children are excited to study at undergraduate and postgraduate levels during term time in Sydney. Theology, music, philosophy, literature and history are passions the family shares and explores together. Sal loves writing, speaking and walking to the beach at every opportunity.
by Sal Huckel
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Produce fruit in keeping with repentance (Matthew 3:8).
Read Matthew 3:1–12
Today’s passage invites us to the banks of the Jordan, where John the Baptist was preparing the way for Jesus’ ministry. His humble lifestyle and calls to repentance were already bringing the people to respond to their sins and be baptised by John in the river. Not surprisingly, also came the conflict with the Pharisees and Sadducees.
John’s reprimand and call to repentance is stark. We might feel that it was well deserved. After all, we do know much about the Pharisees and the Sadducees and their apparent hypocrisy. Paul himself was a Pharisee. While the Pharisees and Sadducees had doctrinal disagreements, they were united in their efforts against Jesus. Here, John’s warning is for them all.
What can we learn here today? We can study the baptism John was bringing, how Jesus’ baptism is the one we need and the meaning it has for us now to be baptised into Jesus’ baptism. We can also ponder what it means to ‘produce fruit in keeping with repentance’. How does that look? What do we need to repent of? We sometimes hear that Jesus simplified the Ten Commandments and that we don’t need to worry about all of those anymore; we are not ‘under the law’. However, Jesus said he did not come to destroy the law or the prophets but to fulfil them (Matthew 5:17).
Unless we understand God’s law, we cannot properly repent. We may feel the law is less prescriptive and onerous ‘since Jesus’, but if we begin to unpack the Ten Commandments and look at Martin Luther’s explanations – the Small Catechism is very helpful on this – we will see that they go further than we might expect. It’s a misleading idea that ‘Jesus replaced them’. Helpfully, rather like the ways in which it is best to teach children, Luther offers positive instruction to further expand on the negatives.
Start today with commandment number one: ‘You shall have no other gods before me.’ We don’t have to look very far to see the things that compete for our attention, love and trust. How can you fear, love and trust God above all things today? To produce fruit in keeping with repentance, we need to follow through with this.
Father God, help me to more fully understand the law written in our hearts (Romans 2:15) and produce fruit in keeping with repentance. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Sal is married to Pastor Matthew Huckel, and they live in Victoria with their six children, enjoying their ministry with Moorabbin–Dandenong Lutheran Church. Their two eldest children are excited to study at undergraduate and postgraduate levels during term time in Sydney. Theology, music, philosophy, literature and history are passions the family shares and explores together. Sal loves writing, speaking and walking to the beach at every opportunity.
by Sal Huckel
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream (Matthew 2:13a).
Read Matthew 2:13–23
I smiled when I read this passage and saw that Joseph had two more dreams instructing him where he should take his family. We usually think of Jacob’s son Joseph as ‘the dreamer’, yet Mary’s husband Joseph seems to come a close second! Jacob’s son Joseph’s own life was saved through his dreams and ability to discern the dreams of others. Mary’s husband Joseph’s dreams saved the life of Jesus, Son of God!
We might wish we had dreams like this to make our decisions easy or give us a ‘hotline’ to God’s plans. However, we must accept that we have all we need in Scripture, and we have the prayers that Jesus taught us to seek the Lord and his will for our lives. We have the promises of Scripture and new life in Christ through our baptism.
Yet still, the Scripture reading for today is full of tragedy and grief with the slaughter of the innocents. Jesus was saved so that we might all be saved – but many children were killed through the orders of Herod. Again, we are reminded of the sin in the world that Jesus came to redeem us from. Ever since the Fall, death and murder have never been very far away. When we are devastated by the news that we read about and think that we must be in End Times, we have much to look over in Scripture to show that people are still doing the evil things they were doing centuries and centuries ago. We have Jesus’ promise of a new heaven and a new earth to look forward to – and today’s reading and faithfulness of one man protecting his family and following the Lord’s instruction is one part of that story.
Lord, thank you for coming into the world to save sinners. Help me to trust you and throw off the sinful nature daily, putting on my baptism clothes and walking in the freedom I have through your death and resurrection. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Sal is married to Pastor Matthew Huckel, and they live in Victoria with their six children, enjoying their ministry with Moorabbin–Dandenong Lutheran Church. Their two eldest children are excited to study at undergraduate and postgraduate levels during term time in Sydney. Theology, music, philosophy, literature and history are passions the family shares and explores together. Sal loves writing, speaking and walking to the beach at every opportunity.
by Sal Huckel
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route (Matthew 2:12).
Read Matthew 2:1–12
As birth stories go, the story of the birth of Jesus (as told by Matthew) has less about Mary and Jesus and the familiar aspects of the Nativity and more about the other people involved in the fulfilment of Scripture.
Today, we read about Herod, the wise men and the prophecy that has Herod worried enough to seek out Jesus and kill him. Interestingly, the wise men were Gentiles, likely practising astrology and magic that did not honour the Lord. Nevertheless, they play a part in the fulfilment of Scripture, protecting Jesus from Herod’s plans.
While nothing in Herod’s words would have indicated to the wise men that he had very different plans for going to worship Jesus, they had no problem with being receptive to – and following – the instructions received in a dream to travel a different way.
It is sometimes comforting to think about how the Lord orders our steps – even the steps of others – to ‘work his purpose out’ in our lives. The wise men followed the instructions given to them in their dream, discerning that this was the necessary course of action, ignoring Herod. Through this obedience, Jesus was saved. We know this is not going to be the only brush with Herod’s plans for Jesus’ death. It is not the last time an angel of the Lord will intervene to save him – again, through human obedience to God’s will.
Sometimes, we may find that we have no idea about what God wants us to do – or not do. Particularly where our choices do not clash with Scripture, we can find we have an open choice that perhaps doesn’t matter one way or another. Yet, other times, we find that our instinct is not to listen to a certain person’s advice or take a certain path. However we end up making our decisions, we know that God has a plan and purpose for our lives, and nothing can snatch us out of his hand (John 10:28).
Lord, thank you for the lessons we learn in Scripture. We read of the faith of those who have gone before us and followed your commands. We learn how you include those who do not even know you in your plans. We learn about your faithfulness. May we be encouraged to trust you and not lean on our own understanding. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Sal is married to Pastor Matthew Huckel, and they live in Victoria with their six children, enjoying their ministry with Moorabbin–Dandenong Lutheran Church. Their two eldest children are excited to study at undergraduate and postgraduate levels during term time in Sydney. Theology, music, philosophy, literature and history are passions the family shares and explores together. Sal loves writing, speaking and walking to the beach at every opportunity.