Monday, September 18, 2017

The Lutheran Hour Ministries of Saint Louis, Missouri, United States - Daily Devotion by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour - Tuesday, September 19, 2017 "God Uses Sinners"

The Lutheran Hour Ministries of Saint Louis, Missouri, United States - Daily Devotion by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour - Tuesday, September 19, 2017 "God Uses Sinners"

 
Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour "God Uses Sinners" for Tuesday, September 19, 2017
1 Timothy 1:15-16 - The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display His perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in Him for eternal life.
You may have noticed it's a bad time to be a statue.
In the U.S. of A., schools are covering them; municipalities are thinking about moving them. But the statue situation is not confined to our country. In England they are debating about what to do with the likeness of Admiral Horatio Nelson, the brilliant naval hero who came out a winner when he went head-to-head against Napoleon. In Australia, some have called for a removal of any likeness to Captain James Cook: the British sailor-fellow who was the first European to bump into Australia.
In all the statue stories I've read, I've noticed two statues which seem to be forgotten. The first is Michelangelo's likeness of young David: the marble statue, which is housed in the Galleria dell'Accademia of Florence, Italy. It stands 17 feet tall and is a must see if you are ever there.
The second statue is the bronze likeness of St. Peter. It is hundreds of years old and is located in the Vatican.
Now the reason I call these to your attention is that they are an artist's rendition of two fairly important sinners.
You recall how David had multiple wives, was guilty of adultery and murder, and did a pretty poor job of keeping his children disciplined and in line.
Then there is Peter. Peter walked on water and then he sank; he promised to remain loyal and then fell asleep when Jesus asked him to pray. Peter fought with his sword in the Garden, and then he ran away. He was bold enough to follow Jesus to the high priest's house, but then he denied ever having known his Savior.
What reason would any artist have for memorializing these fellows in marble or bronze? Now that I think about it, most of the Bible's heroes of faith have a few flaws. Noah was known to enjoy his wine a bit too much; Abraham was willing to give away his wife to save his hide. Moses disobeyed God's command to speak to a rock to provide water, and Jonah ignored God's direction and went his own way.
Now, please understand, we're just skipping the stone across the surface of Scripture's pages here. If we had time to look deeper, we would find every person has flaws and failings, sins and shortcomings. In short, they all had feet of clay.
So, why does the Bible tell their stories?
Simple. They are there because the Lord wants us to see that He loves sinners, that He saves sinners, and He can use forgiven sinners to accomplish His purposes. These folks were all sinners, but they were transformed sinners who were used by God, and He can use us the same way.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, for my sins I offer my confession -- for Your forgiveness, my thanks, and a request that the Holy Spirit use me to accomplish Your wishes. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Today's Bible in a Year Reading: Isaiah 23-25; Ephesians 5:17-23
Isaiah 23:1 A prophecy about Tzor:
Howl, you “Tarshish” ships,
because the harbor is destroyed!
On returning from Kittim,
they discover they cannot enter it.
2 Silence, you who live on the coast,
you who have been enriched
by the merchants of Tzidon crossing the sea.
3 By the great water the grain of Shichor,
the harvest of the Nile, brought you profits.
She was marketplace for the nations.
4 Shame, Tzidon, for the sea speaks;
the fortress of the sea says,
“I no longer have labor pains or bear children,
yet I have raised neither boys nor girls.”
5 When the report reaches Egypt,
they will be in anguish at the fate of Tzor.
6 Cross over to Tarshish!
Howl, you who live on the coast!
7 Is this your boisterous city,
whose feet long ago in antiquity
carried her off to found distant colonies?
8 Who planned this against Tzor,
the city that once bestowed crowns,
whose merchants are princes,
whose traders are honored throughout the earth?
9 Adonai-Tzva’ot planned it
to break the pride of all the arrogant,
to humiliate all those who are honored
everywhere on earth.
10 People of Tarshish!
Nothing restricts you now.
You can flow freely over your land
just like the Nile River.
11 He has stretched out his hand against the sea,
he has shaken kingdoms;
Adonai has ordered that Kena‘an’s
fortresses be destroyed.
12 He has said, “Exult no more,
oppressed virgin daughter of Tzidon.
Arise, cross to Kittim;
even there you will find no rest.”
13 Look at the land of the Kasdim!
This was the people who did not exist
when Ashur destined it for desert creatures.
They erected their siege towers
and tore down her palaces,
so that it has been made a ruin.
14 Howl, you “Tarshish” ships,
because your fortress is destroyed.
15 When that day comes, Tzor will be forgotten for seventy years, the lifetime of a king. After seventy years, its fate will be the same as that of the prostitute in this song:
16 “Take a lyre, walk the city,
you poor, forgotten whore!
Play sweetly, sing all your songs,
so that they will remember you!”
17 After seventy years are over Adonai will remember Tzor. She will receive her wages again and prostitute herself to all the world’s kingdoms on the face of the earth. 18 But her merchandise and profits will be dedicated to Adonai; they will not be stored up or hoarded, because her profits will be for those living in Adonai’s presence, so that they can eat their fill and wear fine clothing.
24:1 Look! Adonai is stripping
and destroying the land,
turning it upside down
and scattering its inhabitants —
2 cohen and commoner, slave and master,
maid and mistress, buyer and seller,
lender and borrower, creditor and debtor.
3 The land will be completely stripped,
completely plundered,
for Adonai has spoken this word.
4 The land fades and withers,
the world wilts and withers,
the exalted of the land languish.
5 The land lies defiled under its inhabitants;
because they have transgressed the teachings,
changed the law
and broken the everlasting covenant.
6 Therefore a curse is devouring the land,
and its inhabitants are punished for their guilt.
It is why those living there waste away,
and the people left are few.
7 The new wine fails, the vines wilt,
all the revelers sigh,
8 the happy sound of tambourines ceases,
the shouts of merrymakers are stilled,
the joy of the lyre ends.
9 They no longer sing as they drink their wine,
strong liquor tastes bitter to those drinking it.
10 The city of chaos is shattered,
every house closed up; no one can enter.
11 In the streets they are crying over the wine;
all joy has faded, cheer has left the land.
12 In the city, only desolation,
its gates are battered beyond repair.
13 Around the earth, among the peoples,
it will be as when beating an olive tree,
as when gleaning the grapes at the end of the harvest.
14 They lift their voices, singing for joy,
shouting from the west to honor Adonai.
15 So in the east, honor Adonai ;
in the coastlands, honor the name of Adonai,
the God of Isra’el.
16 From the farthest part of the earth
we have heard them sing,
“Glory to the Righteous One!”
But, I say, I’m wasting away,
I am wasting away!
Woe to me! Traitors betray!
Oh, how the traitors betray and betray!
17 Terror, pit and trap are upon you,
you who are living on earth.
18 He who flees at the sound of terror
will fall into the pit.
He who climbs up out of the pit
will be caught in the trap.
For the windows above have been opened,
and the earth’s foundations shake.
19 The earth cracks and breaks open,
the earth crumbles to pieces,
the earth trembles and totters.
20 The earth staggers to and fro like a drunk,
sways back and forth like a watchman’s shelter;
its transgression weighs heavy upon it;
it will fall and not rise again.
21 When that day comes, Adonai will punish
the armies of the high heaven on high,
and the kings of the earth here on earth.
22 They will be assembled like prisoners in a dungeon
and shut up in prison to be punished many years.
23 Then the moon will be confused and the sun ashamed,
for Adonai-Tzva’ot will rule on Mount Tziyon
and in Yerushalayim,
with his glory manifest to the rulers of his people.
25:1 Adonai, you are my God.
I exalt you, I praise your name.
For you have accomplished marvels,
[fulfilled] ancient plans faithfully and truly.
2 For you have made a city a heap of stones,
turned a fortified city into rubble,
made the foreigners’ fortress
a city that will never be rebuilt.
3 Therefore mighty peoples glorify you,
the city of ruthless nations fears you.
4 For you have been a refuge for the poor,
a refuge for the needy in distress,
shelter from the storm,
shade from the heat —
for the blast from the ruthless
was like a storm that could destroy a wall.
5 Like desert heat, you subdue
the foreigners’ uproar;
like heat subdued by a cloud’s shadow,
the song of the ruthless dies away.
6 On this mountain Adonai-Tzva’ot
will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food and superb wines,
delicious, rich food and superb, elegant wines.
7 On this mountain he will destroy
the veil which covers the face of all peoples,
the veil enshrouding all the nations.
8 He will swallow up death forever.
Adonai Elohim will wipe away
the tears from every face,
and he will remove from all the earth
the disgrace his people suffer.
For Adonai has spoken.
9 On that day they will say,
“See! This is our God!
We waited for him to save us.
This is Adonai ; we put our hope in him.
We are full of joy, so glad he saved us!”
10 For on this mountain
the hand of Adonai will rest.
But Mo’av will be trampled down where they are,
like straw trampled into a pile of manure.
11 They will spread out their hands in Mo’av,
like a swimmer using his hands to tread water;
but their pride will be humbled and sunk,
no matter how clever the strokes of their hands.
12 Your high, fortified walls he will level,
strike to the ground, lay in the dust.
Ephesians 5:17 So don’t be foolish, but try to understand what the will of the Lord is.
18 Don’t get drunk with wine, because it makes you lose control. Instead, keep on being filled with the Spirit — 19 sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs to each other; sing to the Lord and make music in your heart to him; 20 always give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.
21 Submit to one another in fear of the Messiah. 22 Wives should submit to their husbands as they do to the Lord; 23 because the husband is head of the wife, just as the Messiah, as head of the Messianic Community, is himself the one who keeps the body safe.
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Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
CHANGE THEIR WORLD. CHANGE YOURS.
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING.

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