Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour of Saint Louis, Missouri, United States "A New Value" for Saturday, 13 June 2015

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour of Saint Louis, Missouri, United States "A New Value" for Saturday, 13 June 2015 

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God ....[2 Corinthians 5:16-18a]
Many of you enjoy watching the PBS program, The Antiques Road Show.
For me, the best part of the show is not the antiques; it's the people. You know how the program works: people bring in their family bric-a-brac and some national expert will study that bric-a-brac, ask the person a few questions about the bric-a-brac, and then share what the bric-a-brac is worth.
I like to watch the faces of the folks when the expert says, "This bric-a-brac is not some garbage your crazy Uncle Charlie picked up shortly before he died. No, there are only two of these bric-a-bracs in the entire world, and yours is worth a gazillion, billion dollars." At that moment the bric-a-brac is transformed and has become valuable.
No, that's not right. The bric-a-brac was no different. It had always been valuable. The people were the ones who were changed.
I saw that happen once in real life.
Some friends of mine received some ugly glasses as a wedding present. The glasses were so ugly the couple wondered if they had unknowingly offended the givers. "Why else," they asked, "would they have presented us with something this ugly?" Rather than re-gifting the ugly glasses because they were so ugly, the couple used them for everyday dining. They taught their children to drink using these ugly glasses. Why not? They didn't care if those ugly glasses got broken.
That all changed the day a friend told the couple he was pretty sure their ugly glasses had some value.
The friend did some checking and, sure enough, those glasses were part of a fairly rare collector's set. Their value: slightly less than $1,000. From that moment on, the ugly glasses were handled differently, and they were put on a shelf far from the children's fumbling fingers. Remember, the glasses weren't changed; they had always been valuable. It was the couple who was changed.
A moment ago I said I had once seen that kind of transformation in real life. That's not true. I've seen it happen hundreds, maybe thousands, of times.
It has happened every time the Holy Spirit brings someone to faith in Jesus Christ as his or her Lord and Savior.
As unbelievers, those people may have known about Jesus. But for them the Christ had been nobody special. To them, Jesus was an historical figure, someone whom other people worshipped and venerated. To some unbelievers Jesus was a joke, a story, a crutch for the weak of mind, soul and spirit.
But then, one day, the Holy Spirit broke through, and they were led to acknowledge Jesus as Savior and Lord. The old was gone, the new had come. And for the ex-unbeliever, Jesus had been transformed.
That's the way they see it, but it's not true. Jesus had always been the Savior, but now they had been transformed, and they could see Jesus was their Savior.
By God's grace may everyone in this sinful world see Jesus not as a piece of bric-a-brac, but as the most valuable Person and the only Savior they will ever know or need.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, use me, my words, and my example to help the doubting, disbelieving world see Jesus as the Savior. This I ask in my Redeemer's Name. 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:
Proverbs 8:1 Wisdom is calling!

Understanding is raising her voice!

2 On the heights along the road,

where the paths meet, she is standing;

3 by the gates leading into the city,

at the entrances, she cries aloud:

4 “People, I am calling you,

raising my voice to all mankind.

5 You who don’t direct your lives,

understand caution;

as for you, you fools,

get some common sense!

6 “Listen! I will say worthwhile things;

when I speak, my words are right.

7 My mouth says what is true,

because my lips detest evil.

8 All the words from my mouth are righteous;

nothing false or crooked is in them.

9 They are all clear to those who understand

and straightforward to those who gain knowledge.

10 Receive my instruction, rather than silver;

knowledge, rather than the finest gold.

11 For wisdom is better than pearls;

nothing you want can compare with her.

12 “I, wisdom, live together with caution;

I attain knowledge and discretion.

13 The fear of Adonai is hatred of evil.

I hate pride and arrogance,

evil ways and duplicitous speech.

14 Good advice is mine, and common sense;

I am insight, power is mine.

15 By me kings reign,

and princes make just laws.

16 By me princes govern,

nobles too, and all the earth’s rulers.

17 I love those who love me;

and those who seek me will find me.

18 Riches and honor are with me,

lasting wealth and righteousness.

19 My fruit is better than gold, fine gold,

my produce better than the finest silver.

20 I follow the course of righteousness

along the paths of justice,

21 to endow with wealth those who love me

and fill their treasuries.

22 “Adonai made me as the beginning of his way,

the first of his ancient works.

23 I was appointed before the world,

before the start, before the earth’s beginnings.

24 When I was brought forth, there were no ocean depths,

no springs brimming with water.

25 I was brought forth before the hills,

before the mountains had settled in place;

26 he had not yet made the earth, the fields,

or even the earth’s first grains of dust.

27 When he established the heavens, I was there.

When he drew the horizon’s circle on the deep,

28 when he set the skies above in place,

when the fountains of the deep poured forth,

29 when he prescribed boundaries for the sea,

so that its water would not transgress his command,

when he marked out the foundations of the earth,

30 I was with him as someone he could trust.

For me, every day was pure delight,

as I played in his presence all the time,.

31 playing everywhere on his earth,

and delighting to be with humankind.

32 “Therefore, children, listen to me:

happy are those who keep my ways.

33 Hear instruction, and grow wise;

do not refuse it.

34 How happy the person who listens to me,

who watches daily at my gates

and waits outside my doors.

35 For he who finds me finds life

and obtains the favor of Adonai.

36 But he who misses me harms himself;

all who hate me love death.”

9:1 Wisdom has built herself a house;

she has carved her seven pillars.

2 She has prepared her food, spiced her wine,

and she has set her table.

3 She has sent out her young girls [with invitations];

she calls from the heights of the city,

4 “Whoever is unsure of himself, turn in here!”

To someone weak-willed she says,

5 “Come and eat my food!

Drink the wine I have mixed!

6 Don’t stay unsure of yourself, but live!

Walk in the way of understanding!”

7 “He who corrects a scoffer only gets insulted;

reproving a wicked man becomes his blemish.

8 If you reprove a scoffer, he will hate you;

if you reprove a wise man, he will love you.

9 Give to a wise man, and he grows still wiser;

teach a righteous man, and he will learn still more.

10 The fear of Adonai is the beginning of wisdom,

and knowledge of holy ones is understanding.

11 For with me, your days will be increased;

years will be added to your life.

12 If you are wise, your wisdom helps you;

but if you scoff, you bear the consequences alone.”

13 The foolish woman is coarse;

she doesn’t think, and she doesn’t know a thing.

14 She sits at the door of her house

or on a seat at the heights of the city,

15 calling to those who pass by,

to those going straight along their ways,

16 “Whoever is unsure of himself, turn in here!”

To someone weak-willed she says,

17 “Stolen water is sweet;

food eaten in secret is pleasant.”

18 But he doesn’t realize

that the dead are there,

and that those who accept her invitation

are in the depths of Sh’ol.

John 21:1 After this, Yeshua appeared again to the talmidim at Lake Tiberias. Here is how it happened: 2 Shim‘on Kefa and T’oma (his name means “twin”) were together with Natan’el from Kanah in the Galil, the sons of Zavdai, and two other talmidim. 3 Shim‘on Kefa said, “I’m going fishing.” They said to him, “We’re coming with you.” They went and got into the boat, but that night they didn’t catch anything. 4 However, just as day was breaking, Yeshua stood on shore, but the talmidim didn’t know it was he. 5 He said to them, “You don’t have any fish, do you?” “No,” they answered him. 6 He said to them, “Throw in your net to starboard and you will catch some.” So they threw in their net, and there were so many fish in it that they couldn’t haul it aboard. 7 The talmid Yeshua loved said to Kefa, “It’s the Lord!” On hearing it was the Lord, Shim‘on Kefa threw on his coat, because he was stripped for work, and plunged into the lake; 8 but the other talmidim followed in the boat, dragging the net full of fish; for they weren’t far from shore, only about a hundred yards. 9 When they stepped ashore, they saw a fire of burning coals with a fish on it, and some bread. 10 Yeshua said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” 11 Shim‘on Kefa went up and dragged the net ashore. It was full of fish, 153 of them; but even with so many, the net wasn’t torn. 12 Yeshua said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the talmidim dared to ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Yeshua came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Yeshua had appeared to the talmidim after being raised from the dead.

15 After breakfast, Yeshua said to Shim‘on Kefa, “Shim‘on Bar-Yochanan, do you love me more than these?” He replied, “Yes, Lord, you know I’m your friend.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 A second time he said to him, “Shim‘on Bar-Yochanan, do you love me?” He replied, “Yes, Lord, you know I’m your friend.” He said to him, “Shepherd my sheep.” 17 The third time he said to him, “Shim‘on Bar-Yochanan, are you my friend?” Shim‘on was hurt that he questioned him a third time: “Are you my friend?” So he replied, “Lord, you know everything! You know I’m your friend!” Yeshua said to him, “Feed my sheep! 18 Yes, indeed! I tell you, when you were younger, you put on your clothes and went where you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” 19 He said this to indicate the kind of death by which Kefa would bring glory to God. Then Yeshua said to him, “Follow me!”

20 Kefa turned and saw the talmid Yeshua especially loved following behind, the one who had leaned against him at the supper and had asked, “Who is the one who is betraying you?” 21 On seeing him, Kefa said to Yeshua, “Lord, what about him?” 22 Yeshua said to him, “If I want him to stay on until I come, what is it to you? You, follow me!” 23 Therefore the word spread among the brothers that that talmid would not die. However, Yeshua didn’t say he wouldn’t die, but simply, “If I want him to stay on until I come, what is it to you?”

24 This one is the talmid who is testifying about these things and who has recorded them.

And we know that his testimony is true.

25 But there are also many other things Yeshua did; and if they were all to be recorded, I don’t think the whole world could contain the books that would have to be written!

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