Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour of Saint Louis, Missouri, United States "Faith: a Gift from God" for Friday, 26 June 2015

Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour of Saint Louis, Missouri, United States "Faith: a Gift from God" for Friday, 26 June 2015

... the tested genuineness of your faith -- more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire -- may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.[1 Peter 1:7-8]
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
The salvation story of Jesus Christ reaches around the world. So that the readers of our Daily Devotion may see the power of the Savior on a global scale, we have asked the volunteers of our International Ministry Centers to write our Friday devotions. We pray that the Spirit may touch your day through their words.
In Christ, I remain, His servant and yours,
Kenneth R. Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour
Faith is an essential part of the human condition.
It is faith which makes us believe in the labels affixed to the products we buy. It is faith in the author and the publisher that makes us believe the information recorded in our textbooks. It is faith which has us accept the things our teachers say to us.
Understandably, some of this information can be verified. For example, we can examine the chemical makeup of the ingredients, which are listed on the label of a food product. Sometimes we can check the material presented in a textbook against other credible observers. Yes, we can check, but in most cases, such comprehensive examination is done only in very special circumstances.
That's because most people are more ready to believe what they hear, read, and are told than they are to doubt. That is why we believe the television and radio ads, which bombard us. We believe the wisdom of our doctors and follow the prescriptions, which they give us. We believe in the predictions of our weather forecasters, even though they have often shown themselves to be repeatedly wrong.
Yes, we are believers ... and sometimes that can be a mistake.
Believing is a mistake when something we have just always accepted is proven to be questionable or downright wrong. Not far from my house is a store that sells all kinds of things made of gold. The store has salesmen out on the sidewalk encouraging people to come in and buy something, anything.
Sometimes that's not too hard a sell. Gold has always been a symbol of prosperity, well-being and, to some extent, safety. A person who has a large pile of gold believes himself to be secure. In contrast to conventional truth, the Bible tells us it is useless to store up treasures on earth, where thieves can break in and steal, and where moth and rust can destroy it, and gold will lose its value. (See Matthew 6:19-21.)
The apostle Peter adds that our faith is more precious than gold.
So where shall we put our faith? To help people find an answer, Lutheran Hour Ministries in Russia has created a website: www.gtgold.ru. Please feel free to visit the site. Do a right-mouse-button click, and you can have the site translated, so you can read it.
The name of the website comes from the phrase in 1 Peter 1:7 -- Greater Than Gold -- which we have abbreviated. Truly our faith is greater, and more valuable, than gold! By God's grace it does great things: through Jesus' life, death and resurrection, it gives salvation and hope of eternal life. That is why our website on the www.gtgold.ru is focused on the video course called Basics of Christian Faith.
Faith in the right thing is important. Faith in the only Savior is paramount. That kind of faith is reflected in our closing prayer. The words are found in the songbook of the Lutheran Church of Ingria.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, "How great and wonderful, O God, is the world created by You, But there is nothing in the whole Universe more valuable than You, Lord. Unworthy, I bow down before the mystery of faith, And in hope I rely on Your immeasurable love." In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Biography of Author: Today's international devotion was authored by Igor Savich. Dr. Savich was born in Kazakhstan in 1950. He graduated from Kazakh State University in 1972 and received his doctorate from the Bach Institute of Biochemistry in 1992. In that same year he became a Christian. In 2007 he moved with his family to St. Petersburg, where he worked as vice rector of St. Petersburg Christian University. In 2008 he joined Lutheran Hour Ministries and is director of the Concordia Foundation, which is the official name of Lutheran Hour Ministries in Russia.
In this vast country, LHM-Russia makes good use of the Internet and social media vehicles to broadcast spiritual content. It also uses radio and television programming, print media, music, and drama and puppet performances to get the Word out. Staff and volunteers also focus on youth and prison ministry opportunities. Since the beginning of March, three well-attended Equipping the Saints (ETS) workshops were held in partnership with area churches. Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC) are popular across the board too, with a high rate of graduation among people of all ages. Recently, a Russian social network, Vkontakte, was employed to invite non-believers and the unchurched to take advantage of the Bible course, Conversations about the Christian Faith. In addition to online invites, some 32,000 flyers were distributed by hand to subway commuters and passersby in May!
You can read about LHM-Russia's street side efforts to invite people to its Bible course by clicking here and reading its blog.
To learn more about our International Ministries, click here or visit www.lhm.org/international.

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:
1 Kings 8:1 Then Shlomo assembled all the leaders of Isra’el, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the paternal clans of the people of Isra’el, to King Shlomo in Yerushalayim, to bring the ark for the covenant of Adonai out of the City of David, also known as Tziyon. 2 All the men of Isra’el assembled before King Shlomo at the festival in the month of Etanim, the seventh month. 3 All the leaders of Isra’el came. The cohanim took the ark 4 and brought up the ark of Adonai, the tent of meeting and all the holy utensils that were in the tent; these are what the cohanim and L’vi’im brought up. 5 King Shlomo and the whole community of Isra’el assembled in his presence were with him in front of the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen in numbers beyond counting or recording.

6 The cohanim brought the ark for the covenant of Adonai in to its place inside the sanctuary of the house, to the Especially Holy Place, under the wings of the k’ruvim. 7 For the k’ruvim spread out their wings over the place for the ark, covering the ark and its poles from above. 8 The poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the Holy Place in front of the sanctuary, but they could not be seen from outside; they are there to this day. 9 There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moshe put there at Horev, when Adonai made the covenant with the people of Isra’el at the time of their leaving the land of Egypt.

10 When the cohanim came out of the Holy Place, the cloud filled the house of Adonai, 11 so that, because of the cloud, the cohanim could not stand up to perform their service; for the glory of Adonai filled the house of Adonai.

12 Shlomo said, “Adonai said he would live in thick darkness. 13 But I have built you a magnificent house, a place where you can live forever.”

14 Then the king turned around and blessed the whole community of Isra’el. The whole community of Isra’el stood 15 as he said: “Blessed be Adonai, the God of Isra’el, who spoke to my father David with his mouth and fulfilled his promise with his hand. He said, 16 ‘Since the day I brought my people Isra’el out of Egypt, I chose no city from any of the tribes of Isra’el in which to build a house, so that my name might be there; but I did choose David to be over my people Isra’el.’ 17 Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of Adonai the God of Isra’el; 18 but Adonai said to David my father, ‘Although it was in your heart to build a house for my name, and you did well that it was in your heart, 19 nevertheless you will not build the house. Rather, you will father a son, and it will be he who will build the house for my name.’ 20 Now Adonai has fulfilled this spoken word of his; for I have succeeded my father and sit on the throne of Isra’el, as Adonai promised; and I have built the house for the name of Adonai the God of Isra’el. 21 And there I have made a place for the ark containing the covenant of Adonai, which he made with our ancestors when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.”

22 Then Shlomo stood before the altar of Adonai in the presence of the whole community of Isra’el, spread out his hands toward heaven, 23 and said, “Adonai, God of Isra’el, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below. You keep covenant with your servants and show them grace, provided they live in your presence with all their heart. 24 You have kept your promise to your servant David, my father; you spoke with your mouth and fulfilled it with your hand; so it is today. 25 Now therefore, Adonai, God of Isra’el, keep what you promised to your servant David, my father, when you said, ‘You will never lack a man in my presence to sit on the throne of Isra’el, if only your children are careful about what they do, so that they live in my presence, just as you have lived in my presence.’ 26 Now therefore, God of Isra’el, please let your word, which you spoke to your servant David, my father, be confirmed.

27 “But can God actually live on the earth? Why, heaven itself, even the heaven of heavens, cannot contain you; so how much less this house I have built? 28 Even so, Adonai my God, pay attention to your servant’s prayer and plea, listen to the cry and prayer that your servant is praying before you today, 29 that your eyes will be open toward this house night and day — toward the place concerning which you said, ‘My name will be there’ — to listen to the prayer your servant will pray toward this place. 30 Yes, listen to the plea of your servant, and also that of your people Isra’el when they pray toward this place. Hear in heaven where you live; and when you hear, forgive!

31 “If a person sins against a fellow member of the community, and he is made to swear under oath, and he comes and swears before your altar in this house; 32 then hear in heaven, act, and judge your servants, condemning the wicked, so that his way of life devolves on his own head, and vindicating the one who is right, giving him what his righteousness deserves.

33 “When your people Isra’el sin against you and in consequence are defeated by an enemy; then if they turn back to you, acknowledge your name, and pray and make their plea to you in this house; 34 hear in heaven, forgive the sin of your people Isra’el, and bring them back to the land you gave to their ancestors.

35 “When they sin against you, and in consequence the sky is shut, so that there is no rain; then, if they pray toward this place, acknowledge your name and turn from their sin when you have brought them low; 36 hear in heaven, forgive the sin of your servants and of your people Isra’el — since you keep teaching them the good way by which they should live — and send down rain on your land, which you have given your people as their inheritance.

37 “If there is famine in the land, or blight, windstorm, mildew, locusts or shearer-worms; or if their enemy comes to the land and besieges them in any of their cities — no matter what kind of plague or sickness it is; 38 then, regardless of what prayer or plea anyone among all your people Isra’el makes — for each individual will know what is plagueing his own conscience — and the person spreads out his hands toward this house; 39 hear in heaven where you live, and forgive, and act, and, since you know what is in each one’s heart, give each person what his conduct deserves (because you, and only you, know all human hearts), 40 so that they will fear you throughout the time they live in the land you gave our ancestors.

41 “Also the foreigner who does not belong to your people Isra’el — when he comes from a distant country because of your reputation 42 (for they will hear of your great reputation, your mighty hand and your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this house; 43 then hear in heaven where you live, and act in accordance with everything about which the foreigner is calling to you; so that all the peoples of the earth will know your name and fear you, as does your people Isra’el, and so that they will know that this house which I have built bears your name.

44 “If your people go out to fight against their enemy, no matter by which way you send them, and they pray to Adonai toward the city you chose, toward the house I built for your name; 45 then, in heaven, hear their prayer and plea, and uphold their cause.

46 “If they sin against you — for there is no one who doesn’t sin — and you are angry with them and hand them over to the enemy, so that they carry them off captive to the land of their enemy, whether far away or nearby; 47 then, if they come to their senses in the land where they have been carried away captive, turn back and make their plea to you in the land of those who carried them off captive, saying, ‘We sinned, we acted wrongly, we behaved wickedly,’ 48 if, in the land of their enemies who carried them off captive, they return to you with all their heart and being and pray to you toward their own land, which you gave to their ancestors, toward the city you chose and toward the house I have built for your name; 49 then, in heaven where you live, hear their prayer and plea, uphold their cause, 50 and forgive your people who have sinned against you — forgive their transgressions which they have committed against you, and give them compassion in the sight of their captors, so that they will show compassion toward them; 51 for they are your people, your inheritance, whom you brought out of Egypt, out of the flames of the iron furnace.

52 “May your eyes be open to the plea of your servant and to the plea of your people Isra’el, so that you will hear them whenever they cry out to you. 53 For you made a distinction between them and all the peoples of the earth by making them your inheritance, as you said through Moshe your servant when you brought our ancestors out of Egypt, Adonai Elohim.”

54 When Shlomo had finished praying all this prayer and plea to Adonai, he got up from in front of the altar of Adonai, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven, 55 stood up, and raised his voice to bless the whole community of Isra’el. He said, 56 “Blessed be Adonai, who has given rest to his people Isra’el, in accordance with everything he promised. Not one word has failed of his good promise, which he made through Moshe his servant. 57 May Adonai our God be with us, as he was with our ancestors. May he never leave us or abandon us. 58 In this way he will incline our hearts toward him, so that we will live according to his ways and observe his mitzvot, laws and rulings which he ordered our fathers to obey. 59 May these words of mine, which I have used in my plea before Adonai, be present with Adonai our God day and night, so that he will uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Isra’el day by day. 60 Then all the peoples of the earth will know that Adonai is God; there is no other. 61 So be wholehearted with Adonai our God, living by his laws and observing his mitzvot, as you are doing today.”

62 Then the king, together with all Isra’el, offered sacrifices before Adonai. 63 For the sacrifice of peace offerings which Shlomo offered to Adonai, he offered 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. Thus the king and all the people of Isra’el dedicated the house of Adonai.

64 The same day, the king consecrated the center of the courtyard in front of the house of Adonai, because he had to offer the burnt offering, the grain offering and the fat of the peace offerings there. For the bronze altar before Adonai was too small to receive the burnt offering, the grain offering and the fat of the peace offerings.

65 So Shlomo celebrated the festival at that time. All Isra’el, a huge gathering [that had come all the way] from the entrance of Hamat to the Vadi [of Egypt], celebrated with him before Adonai our God for seven days and then for seven more days — fourteen days in all. 66 On the eighth day he sent the people away. They blessed the king and returned to their tents full of joy and glad of heart for all the goodness Adonai had shown to David his servant and to Isra’el his people.

9:1 After Shlomo had finished building the house of Adonai, the royal palace and everything else he wanted to build for himself, 2 Adonai appeared to Shlomo a second time, as he had appeared to him in Giv‘on. 3 Adonai said to him, “I have heard your prayer and your plea that you made before me: I am consecrating this house which you built and placing my name there forever; my eyes and heart will always be there. 4 As for you, if you will live in my presence, as did David your father, in pureness of heart and uprightness, doing everything I have ordered you to do, and observing my laws and rulings; 5 then I will establish the throne of your rulership over Isra’el forever, just as I promised David your father when I said, ‘You will never lack a man on the throne of Isra’el.’ 6 But if you turn away from following me, you or your children, and do not observe my mitzvot and regulations which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods, worshipping them; 7 then I will cut off Isra’el from the land I have given them. This house, which I consecrated for my name, I will eject from my sight; and Isra’el will become an example to avoid and an object of scorn among all peoples. 8 This house, now so exalted — everyone passing by will gasp in shock at the sight of it and will ask, ‘Why has Adonai done this to this land and to this house?’ 9 But the answer will be, ‘It’s because they abandoned Adonai their God, who brought their ancestors out of the land of Egypt, and took hold of other gods, worshipping and serving them; this is why Adonai brought all these calamities on them.’”

10 At the end of twenty years, during which time Shlomo had built the two buildings, the house of Adonai and the royal palace, 11 King Shlomo gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of the Galil (recall that Hiram the king of Tzor had supplied Shlomo with cedar and cypress logs and with all the gold Shlomo wanted). 12 Hiram came over from Tzor to see the cities Shlomo had given him, but he was not satisfied with them. 13 He said, “What kind of cities are these which you have given me, my brother?” So they have been called the land of Kabul [good for nothing] till this day. 14 (Hiram had sent the king four tons of gold.)

15 Following is the account of the forced labor levied by King Shlomo for building the house of Adonai, his own palace, the Millo, the wall of Yerushalayim, and the cities of Hatzor, Megiddo and Gezer. 16 Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up, taken Gezer, burned it to the ground and killed the Kena‘ani living in the city; then he had given it as a dowry for his daughter, Shlomo’s wife. 17 So Shlomo rebuilt Gezer; he also built Lower Beit-Horon, 18 Ba‘alat, Tadmor in the desert, in the land, 19 as well as all the cities that Shlomo had for storing supplies, the cities for his chariots, the cities for his horsemen, and the other buildings Shlomo wanted to build for himself in Yerushalayim, in the L’vanon and throughout the land he ruled. 20 All the people still left from the Emori, Hitti, P’rizi, Hivi, and Y’vusi, who were not part of the people of Isra’el, 21 that is, their descendants remaining after them in the land, whom the people of Isra’el were not able to destroy completely — from them Shlomo levied his forced laborers; as it is to this day. 22 But Shlomo did not raise any of his forced labor from the people of Isra’el; rather, they were the soldiers, his servants, administrators and commanders, and the officials in charge of his chariots and horsemen. 23 There were 550 chief officers over Shlomo’s work, in charge of the workers.

24 Pharaoh’s daughter came up from the City of David to her house, which Shlomo had built for her. After that he built the Millo.

25 Three times a year Shlomo offered burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar which he had built for Adonai, offering incense with them on the altar before Adonai. So he finished the house.

26 King Shlomo built a fleet of ships in ‘Etzyon-Gever, by Elot on the shore of the Sea of Suf in the land of Edom. 27 Hiram sent some of his own servants, experienced sailors who understood the sea, to serve with Shlomo’s servants. 28 They went to Ofir and took from there gold, fourteen tons of it, which they brought back to King Shlomo.

Acts 8:1 and Sha’ul gave his approval to his murder.

Starting with that day, there arose intense persecution against the Messianic Community in Yerushalayim; all but the emissaries were scattered throughout the regions of Y’hudah and Shomron. 2 Some godly men buried Stephen and mourned him deeply. 3 But Sha’ul set out to destroy the Messianic Community — entering house after house, he dragged off both men and women and handed them over to be put in prison. 4 However, those who were scattered announced the Good News of the Word wherever they went.

5 Now Philip went down to a city in Shomron and was proclaiming the Messiah to them; 6 and the crowds were paying close attention to what Philip said, as they heard and saw the miraculous signs he was doing. 7 For many people were having unclean spirits driven out of them, shrieking; also many paralytics and crippled persons were being healed; 8 so that there was great joy in that city.

9 But there was a man named Shim‘on in the city who for some time had been practicing magic and astonishing the nation of Shomron, claiming to be somebody great. 10 Everyone gave heed to him, from the lowest to the highest, saying, “This man is the power of God called ‘The Great Power’.” 11 They followed him because for a considerable time he had amazed them with his magic.

12 But when they came to believe Philip, as he announced the Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Yeshua the Messiah, they were immersed, both men and women. 13 Moreover, Shim‘on himself came to believe; and after being immersed, he attached himself closely to Philip; and he was amazed as he saw the miraculous signs and great works of power that kept taking place.

14 When the emissaries in Yerushalayim heard that Shomron had received the Word of God, they sent them Kefa and Yochanan, 15 who came down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Ruach HaKodesh. 16 For until then he had not come upon any of them; they had only been immersed into the name of the Lord Yeshua. 17 Then, as Kefa and Yochanan placed their hands on them, they received the Ruach HaKodesh.

18 Shim‘on saw that the Spirit was given when the emissaries placed their hands on them, and he offered them money. 19 “Give this power to me, too,” he said, “so that whoever I place my hands on will receive the Ruach HaKodesh.” 20 But Kefa said to him, “Your silver go to ruin — and you with it, for thinking the free gift of God can be bought! 21 You have no part at all in this matter; because in the eyes of God, your heart is crooked. 22 So repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord. Perhaps you will yet be forgiven for holding such a thought in your heart. 23 For I see that you are extremely bitter and completely under the control of sin!” 24 Shim‘on answered, “Pray to the Lord for me, so that none of the things you have spoken about will happen to me.”

25 Then, after giving a thorough witness and speaking the Word of the Lord, Kefa and Yochanan started back to Yerushalayim, announcing the Good News to many villages in Shomron.

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