Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour - Saint Louis, Missouri, United States "Just Our Secret" for Wednesday, 21 January 2015

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour - Saint Louis, Missouri, United States "Just Our Secret" for Wednesday, 21 January 2015

... We who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a Forerunner on our behalf ....[Hebrews 6:18b-20a]

Having received threats that promised a long, legal battle, the City Council in Grand Haven, Michigan, has voted to take the 48-foot cross, which stands on a hill overlooking their city, and convert it to an anchor.
The reactions to the decision are mixed:
* Some are upset to see this symbol of the Savior being removed and reduced.
* Others are rejoicing that one more "illegal" Christian image has been disposed of.
It's that second group, the ones who think they've won a victory by turning the cross into an anchor; those are the ones who are making me smile. I'm smiling because they haven't won a victory at all. All they have done is substituted one Christian symbol for another.
Let me explain. If you examine the graves of the first Christian martyrs you will find many are decorated with a symbol.
That symbol is not the cross; it is an anchor.
In those early days of persecution, using passages like the one from above, Christians let other believers know their faith was anchored in the Lord Jesus Christ. On their graves they made a very quiet, albeitpublic proclamation, that in all the storms which had swirled around them, the anchor of faith had kept them confident in Jesus, who had won their salvation.
I guess it's not so very different today.
We also are living in a time when Christians are being persecuted. The world still hates Jesus. It detests His sacrifice and despises the victory He has won for us. To keep the story of salvation from spreading, they are banning our symbols, banning the sharing of Scripture, and doing their best to push Jesus back into His empty tomb.
Folks, after watching what happened in Grand Haven, you have to admit, these guys who want the cross taken down are pretty good at what they do.
That being said, we also have to acknowledge they may be good at taking the cross down, but the Holy Spirit is even better at making sure God's people can clearly see their crucified and risen Redeemer. Take down the cross, the Lord will put up an anchor. Cross or anchor makes no difference to us, they both point with pride to our living Lord Jesus.
So, as the anti-Christian-crosses-in-public-places people are congratulating themselves in their victory at Grand Haven, Michigan, I hope the Christians of that community will also rejoice and say to everyone who drives through their beautiful town, "See that anchor up on the hill? It says our faith is anchored in Jesus, who gives us hope and salvation."
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, I give thanks the Holy Spirit confuses and confounds the proud people of this world. Grant that I may always be a person of faith, a person who is anchored in Jesus Christ, my Savior and Redeemer. Amen.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour^®
Lutheran Hour Ministries

Through the Bible in a Year
Today Read:
Job 32: Elihu Is Upset with Job’s Friends
1 Finally, these three men stopped arguing with Job, because he refused to admit that he was guilty.
2 Elihu from Buz[a] was there, and he had become upset with Job for blaming God instead of himself. 3 He was also angry with Job’s three friends for not being able to prove that Job was wrong. 4 Elihu was younger than these three, and he let them speak first. 5 But he became irritated when they could not answer Job, 6 and he said to them:
I am much younger than you,
so I have shown respect
    by keeping silent.
7 I once believed age
    was the source of wisdom;
8 now I truly realize
    wisdom comes from God.
9 Age is no guarantee of wisdom
    and understanding.
10 That’s why I ask you
    to listen to me.
I Eagerly Listened
11 I eagerly listened
    to each of your arguments,
12 but not one of you proved
    Job to be wrong.
13 You shouldn’t say,
“We know what’s right!
    Let God punish him.”
14 Job hasn’t spoken against me,
and so I won’t answer him
    with your arguments.
15 All of you are shocked;
    you don’t know what to say.
16 But am I to remain silent,
just because you
    have stopped speaking?
17 No! I will give my opinion,
18 because I have so much to say,
    that I can’t keep quiet.
19 I am like a swollen wineskin,
and I will burst[b]
20     if I don’t speak.
21 I don’t know how to be unfair
    or to flatter anyone—
22 if I did, my Creator
    would quickly destroy me!
Elihu Speaks
Job, Listen to Me!
33:1 Job, listen to me!
    Pay close attention.
2 Everything I will say
3     is true and sincere,
4 just as surely as the Spirit
of God All-Powerful[c]
    gave me the breath of life.
5 Now line up your arguments
    and prepare to face me.
6 We each were made from clay,
    and God has no favorites,
7 so don’t be afraid of me
    or what I might do.
I Have Heard You Argue
8 I have heard you argue
9 that you are innocent,
    guilty of nothing.
10 You claim that God
    has made you his enemy,
11 that he has bound your feet
    and blocked your path.
12 But, Job, you’re wrong—
God is greater
    than any human.
13 So why do you challenge God
    to answer you?[d]
14 God speaks in different ways,
and we don’t always
    recognize his voice.
15 Sometimes in the night,
he uses terrifying dreams
16     to give us warnings.
17 God does this to make us turn
    from sin and pride
18 and to protect us
from being swept away
    to the world of the dead.
19 Sometimes we are punished
with a serious illness
    and aching joints.
20 Merely the thought
of our favorite food
    makes our stomachs sick,
21 and we become so skinny
    that our bones stick out.
22 We feel death and the grave
    taking us in their grip.
23 One of a thousand angels
then comes to our rescue
    by saying we are innocent.
24 The angel shows kindness,
commanding death to release us,
    because the price was paid.
25 Our health is restored,
we feel young again,
26     and we ask God to accept us.
Then we joyfully worship God,
and we are rewarded
    because we are innocent.
27 When that happens,
    we tell everyone,
“I sinned and did wrong,
    but God forgave me
28 and rescued me from death!
    Now I will see the light.”
29 God gives each of us
    chance after chance
30 to be saved from death
and brought into the light
    that gives life.
31 So, Job, pay attention
    and don’t interrupt,
32 though I would gladly listen
to anything you say
    that proves you are right.
33 Otherwise, listen in silence
    to my wisdom.[Footnotes:
32.2 Elihu from Buz: The Hebrew text has “Elihu son of Barachel from Buz of the family of Ram.” Buz may have been somewhere in the territory of Edom; in Jeremiah 25.23 it is mentioned along with Dedan and Tema (see 6.19).
32.19 swollen wineskin. . . burst: While the juice from grapes was becoming wine, it would swell and stretch the skins in which it had been stored; sometimes the swelling would burst the wineskins.
33.4 the Spirit of God All-Powerful: Or “God All-Powerful.”
33.13 answer you: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 13.]
Matthew 14: The Death of John the Baptist
1 About this time Herod the ruler[a] heard the news about Jesus 2 and told his officials, “This is John the Baptist! He has come back from death, and that’s why he has the power to work these miracles.”
3-4 Herod had earlier arrested John and had him chained and put in prison. He did this because John had told him, “It isn’t right for you to take Herodias, the wife of your brother Philip.” 5 Herod wanted to kill John. But the people thought John was a prophet, and Herod was afraid of what they might do.
6 When Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests. She pleased Herod 7 so much that he swore to give her whatever she wanted. 8 But the girl’s mother told her to say, “Here on a platter I want the head of John the Baptist!”
9 The king was sorry for what he had said. But he did not want to break the promise he had made in front of his guests. So he ordered a guard 10 to go to the prison and cut off John’s head. 11 It was taken on a platter to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. 12 John’s followers took his body and buried it. Then they told Jesus what had happened.
Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
13 After Jesus heard about John, he crossed Lake Galilee[b] to go to some place where he could be alone. But the crowds found out and followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus got out of the boat, he saw the large crowd. He felt sorry for them and healed everyone who was sick.
15 That evening the disciples came to Jesus and said, “This place is like a desert, and it is already late. Let the crowds leave, so they can go to the villages and buy some food.”
16 Jesus replied, “They don’t have to leave. Why don’t you give them something to eat?”
17 But they said, “We have only five small loaves of bread[c] and two fish.” 18 Jesus asked his disciples to bring the food to him, 19 and he told the crowd to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish. He looked up toward heaven and blessed the food. Then he broke the bread and handed it to his disciples, and they gave it to the people.
20 After everyone had eaten all they wanted, Jesus' disciples picked up twelve large baskets of leftovers.
21 There were about five thousand men who ate, not counting the women and children.[Footnotes:
14.1 Herod the ruler: Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great (see 2.1).
14.13 crossed Lake Galilee: To the east side.
14.17 small loaves of bread: These would have been flat and round or in the shape of a bun.]
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St. Louis, Missouri 63141 United States
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