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Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour "In LIfe and in Death" for Saturday, May 20, 2017
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2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
On April 27 the state of Arkansas executed Kenneth Williams.
The crimes which brought Williams to that point in time were these:
1. He had been serving a life sentence for killing a cheerleader.
2. He escaped prison, and was involved in the traffic death of Michael Greenwood.
3. While he was still at large Williams murdered Cecil Boren.
The purpose of this devotion is not to debate the pros and cons of capital punishment. Instead, I wish to share two pieces of information believers might wish to take to heart.
ITEM 1 - Williams had a 21-year-old daughter whom he had not seen since she was a little girl. He also had a granddaughter whom he had never met. When the family of Michael Greenwood (the fellow who had been killed in that auto accident) heard about Williams' daughter and granddaughter, they bought the two some plane tickets.
The Greenwood family forgave Williams enough to fly his family in from the state of Washington. That forgiveness provided a tear-filled reunion the day before he was executed. I wonder if I had been that family would I have done the same?
ITEM 2 - Before he died, Kenneth Williams gave an interview. In that interview he spoke of his present mindset. You should hear part of what he said:
"I have been stabilized and sustained by the inner peace and forgiveness I've received through a relationship with Jesus Christ ... God has transformed me, and even the worst of us can be reformed and renewed. Revealing these truths meant more to me than being granted clemency. I'm still going to eventually die someday, but to stand up for God in front of man, that's my victory."
You know, I believe it is a wondrous thing -- a beautiful thing -- that the Michael Greenwood family forgave Williams and gave him a chance to say an earthly farewell to his family.
But it is a miraculous thing to see that our perfect Lord can forgive us. Think about it.
When Jesus hung on the cross, He was carrying the sins of an Arkansas murderer who would not be born for another 19 centuries. When Jesus died, he erased the curse of these murders, which had not yet been committed.
Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus made it possible for the Holy Spirit to call to repentance and salvation a criminal living his last days on death row.
Through Jesus' sacrifice, and the Holy Spirit's handiwork, God transformed and saved Williams. That is why when Williams breathed his last the Lord took that saved soul home -- just as He will do for other once-condemned sinners like you and me.THE PRAYER: "Chief of sinners though I be, Jesus shed His blood for me; Died that I might live on high, Lived that I might never die, As the branch is to the vine, I am His, and He is mine. O my Savior, help afford By Thy Spirit and Thy Word! When my wayward heart would stray, Keep me in the narrow way; Grace in time of need supply While I live and when I die." In Jesus' Name. Amen. (The Lutheran Hymnal 342, verses 1, 5)
The story upon which this Daily Devotion is based was written by Jim Denison for the Denison forum on April 28, 2017. The website where the parent article can be found is here
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In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
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2 Samuel 23:1 Here are David’s last words:
“This is the speech of David the son of Yishai,
the speech of the man who has been raised up,
the one anointed by the God of Ya‘akov,
the sweet singer of Isra’el.
2 “The Spirit of Adonai spoke through me,
his word was on my tongue.
3 The God of Isra’el spoke;
the Rock of Isra’el said to me,
‘A ruler over people must be upright,
ruling in the fear of God;
4 like the morning light at sunrise
on a cloudless day
that makes the grass on the earth
sparkle after a rain.’
5 “For my house stands firm with God —
he made an everlasting covenant with me.
It is in order, fully assured,
that he will bring to full growth
all my salvation and every desire.
6 “But the ungodly are like thorn bushes
to be pushed aside, every one of them.
They cannot be taken in one’s hand;
7 To touch them one uses pitchfork or spear-shaft,
and then only to burn them where they lie.”
8 Following are the names of David’s warrior-heroes:
Yoshev-Bashevet the Tach’kmoni, chief of the three, also known as ‘Adino the ‘Etzni; he is the one who came against 800 men, whom he killed in a single encounter.
9 After him was El‘azar the son of Dodo the son of Achochi, one of the three warriors with David when they put their lives in jeopardy against the P’lishtim who were there assembled for battle, while the men of Isra’el had gone away. 10 He stood firm and attacked the P’lishtim until his hand went into spasm, so that he couldn’t let go of his sword. Adonai accomplished a great victory that day; but the people didn’t return until he had finished, and then only to plunder the bodies of the dead.
11 After him was Shammah the son of Age the Harari. The P’lishtim had assembled at Lechi, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the P’lishtim. 12 But he stood in the middle of the plot and defended it, killing the P’lishtim; and Adonai brought about a great victory.
13 During harvest season three of the thirty leaders went down and came to David at the cave of ‘Adulam when a company of P’lishtim had set up camp in the Refa’im Valley. 14 At that time David was in the fortress, and the garrison of the P’lishtim was in Beit-Lechem. 15 David had a craving and said, “I wish someone could give me water to drink from the well by the gate of Beit-Lechem!” 16 The three warrior-heroes broke through the army of the P’lishtim, drew water from the well by the gate of Beit-Lechem, took it and brought it to David. But he wouldn’t drink it. Instead, he poured it out to Adonai 17 and said, “Adonai! Heaven forbid that I should do such a thing! Am I to drink the blood of men who went and put their lives in jeopardy?”— and he would not consent to drink it. These are the things the three warrior-heroes did. 18 Avishai the brother of Yo’av, the son of Tz’ruyah, was chief of these three. He raised his spear against 300 men and killed them; thus he had a reputation even among the three. 19 He had the most honor of these three and was therefore made their leader; however, he did not achieve the status of the first three.
20 B’nayah the son of Y’hoyada, the son of a valiant man of Kavtze’el, was a man of many exploits. He struck down two lion-hearted men of Mo’av. One day when it was snowing, he went down into a pit and killed a lion. 21 Here is how he killed an Egyptian, a man of intimidating appearance: the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, and he went down to him with only a stick, seized the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. 22 These are things that B’nayah the son of Y’hoyada did that earned him a name among the three warrior-heroes. 23 He had more honor than the thirty, but he did not achieve the status of the first three. David put him in command of his personal guard.
24 ‘Asah’el the brother of Yo’av was one of the thirty,
Elchanan the son of Dodo of Beit-Lechem,
25 Shammah the Harodi,
Elika the Harodi,
26 Heletz the Palti,
‘Ira son of ‘Ikesh from T’koa,
27 Avi‘ezer from ‘Anatot,
M’vunai the Hushati,
28 Tzalmon the Achochi,
Mahrai the N’tofati,
29 Helev the son of Ba‘anah the N’tofati,
Ittai the son of Rivai from Giv‘ah, of the people of Binyamin,
30 B’nayahu from Pir‘aton,
Hiddai from the vadis of Ga‘ash,
31 Avi-‘Alvon the ‘Arvati,
‘Azmavet the Barchumi,
32 Elyachba the Sha‘alvoni, of the sons of Yashen,
Y’honatan,
33 Shammah the Harari,
Achi’am the son of Sharar the Arari,
34 Elifelet the son of Achasbai the son of the Ma‘akhati,
Eli‘am the son of Achitofel from Giloh,
35 Hetzrai from Karmel,
Pa‘arai the Arbi,
36 Yig’al the son of Natan of Tzovah,
Bani the Gadi,
37 Tzelek the ‘Amoni,
Nachrai the Be’eroti, armor-bearer for Yo’av the son of Tz’ruyah,
38 ‘Ira the Yitri,
Garev the Yitri, and
39 Uriyah the Hitti —
thirty-seven in all.
24:1 The anger of Adonai blazed up against Isra’el, so he moved David to act against them by saying, “Go, take a census of Isra’el and Y’hudah.” 2 The king said to Yo’av the commander of the army, who was with him, “Go systematically through all the tribes of Isra’el, from Dan to Be’er-Sheva; and take a census of the population; so that I can know how many people there are.” 3 Yo’av said to the king, “May Adonai your God add to the people a hundredfold, no matter how many there are; and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king take pleasure in doing this?” 4 However, the king’s word prevailed against Yo’av and the army officers. So Yo’av and the army officers went out from the king’s presence to take a census of the people of Isra’el.
5 They crossed the Yarden and pitched camp in ‘Aro‘er, to the south of the city in the Vadi of Gad; went on to Ya‘zer; 6 came to Gil‘ad and continued to the land of Tachtim-Hodshi. Then they arrived at Dan-Ya‘an, went around to Tzidon 7 and came to the stronghold of Tzor. They went on to the cities of the Hivi and of the Kena‘ani, and finished in the south of Y’hudah, at Be’er-Sheva. 8 When they were done going through all the land, they came back to Yerushalayim; it had taken nine months and twenty days. 9 Yo’av reported the results of the census to the king: there were in Isra’el 800,000 valiant men who could handle a sword, while the men of Y’hudah numbered 500,000.
10 But after he had taken the census, David was conscience-stricken. David said to Adonai, “I have greatly sinned in what I have done. But now, Adonai, please! Put aside your servant’s sin, for I have done a very foolish thing.” 11 When David got up in the morning, this word of Adonai came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer: 12 “Go and say to David that this is what Adonai says: ‘I am giving you a choice of three punishments. Choose one of them, and I will execute it against you.” 13 Gad came to David and told him; he said: “Do you want seven years of famine in your land? or do you want to flee before your enemies for three months while they pursue you? or do you want three days of plague in your land? Think about it, and tell me what to answer the one who sent me.”
14 David said to Gad, “This is very hard for me. Let us fall into the hand of Adonai, because his mercies are great, rather than have me fall into the hand of man.” 15 So Adonai sent a plague on Isra’el from that morning until the end of the specified time; 70,000 of the people died between Dan and Be’er-Sheva. 16 But when the angel stretched out his hand toward Yerushalayim to destroy it, Adonai changed his mind about causing such distress and said to the angel destroying the people, “Enough! Now withdraw your hand.” The angel of Adonai was at the threshing-floor of Aravnah the Y’vusi.
17 David spoke to Adonai when he saw the angel striking the people; he said, “Here, I have sinned, I have done wrong. But these sheep, what have they done? Please! Let your hand be against me and against my father’s family!”
18 Gad came to David that day and said to him, “Go, set up an altar to Adonai on the threshing-floor of Aravnah the Y’vusi.” 19 David went up and did what Gad had said, as Adonai had ordered. 20 Aravnah looked out and saw the king and his servants coming toward him. Aravnah went out and prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground. 21 Then Aravnah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” David said, “To buy your threshing-floor, in order to build an altar to Adonai, so that the plague will be lifted from the people.” 22 Aravnah said to David, “Let my lord the king take and offer up anything that seems good to him. Here are the oxen for the burnt offering; you can use the threshing-sledges and the yokes for the oxen as firewood. 23 All this, O king, Aravnah gives to the king.” Then Aravnah said to the king, “May Adonai your God accept you.”
24 But the king said to Aravnah, “No; I insist on buying it from you at a price. I refuse to offer to Adonai my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing-floor and the oxen for one-and-a-quarter pounds of silver shekels. 25 Then David built an altar to Adonai there and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. After this, Adonai took pity on the land and lifted the plague from Isra’el.
John 6:41 At this the Judeans began grumbling about him because he said, “I am the bread which has come down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Isn’t this Yeshua Ben-Yosef? We know his father and mother! How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43 Yeshua answered them, “Stop grumbling to each other! 44 No one can come to me unless the Father — the One who sent me — draws him. And I will raise him up on the Last Day. 45 It is written in the Prophets, ‘They will all be taught by Adonai.’[John 6:45 Isaiah 54:13] Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. 46 Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God — he has seen the Father. 47 Yes, indeed! I tell you, whoever trusts has eternal life: 48 I am the bread which is life. 49 Your fathers ate the man in the desert; they died. 50 But the bread that comes down from heaven is such that a person may eat it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that has come down from heaven; if anyone eats this bread, he will live forever. Furthermore, the bread that I will give is my own flesh; and I will give it for the life of the world.”
52 At this, the Judeans disputed with one another, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 Then Yeshua said to them, “Yes, indeed! I tell you that unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life in yourselves. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life — that is, I will raise him up on the Last Day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me, and I live in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live through the Father, so also whoever eats me will live through me. 58 So this is the bread that has come down from heaven — it is not like the bread the fathers ate; they’re dead, but whoever eats this bread will live forever!” 59 He said these things as he was teaching in a synagogue in K’far-Nachum.
60 On hearing it, many of his talmidim said, “This is a hard word — who can bear to listen to it?” 61 But Yeshua, aware that his talmidim were grumbling about this, said to them, “This is a trap for you? 62 Suppose you were to see the Son of Man going back up to where he was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life, the flesh is no help. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life, 64 yet some among you do not trust.” (For Yeshua knew from the outset which ones would not trust him, also which one would betray him.) 65 “This,” he said, “is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has made it possible for him.”
66 From this time on, many of his talmidim turned back and no longer traveled around with him. 67 So Yeshua said to the Twelve, “Don’t you want to leave too?” 68 Shim‘on Kefa answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the word of eternal life. 69 We have trusted, and we know that you are the Holy One of God.” 70 Yeshua answered them, “Didn’t I choose you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is an adversary.” 71 (He was speaking of Y’hudah Ben-Shim‘on, from K’riot; for this man — one of the Twelve! — was soon to betray him.)-------
Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
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