Saint Louis, Missouri, United States - Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour "The Worth of Things" Tuesday, 17 June 2014

Saint Louis, Missouri, United States - Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries by Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour "The Worth of Things" Tuesday, 17 June 2014 
(Jesus said) "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?"(Matthew 16:26)
Measuring about an inch across, it's the kind of thing a person 
throws away every day. 
Even so, according to the experts, pound for pound, the British Guiana One-Cent Magenta stamp is probably the most valuable thing on earth.
Issued in 1856, the stamp, which is a one of a kind, was saved from loss when, in 1873, 12-year-old Louis Vernon Vaughan soaked the stamp off of an envelope he had found among his uncle's papers. The slightly dingy, heavily cancelled, undistinguished-looking stamp was placed in an album. There it stayed for a lengthy period of time.
Still, when the stamp came to light, its value soared. After World War I, France claimed the stamp as part of the compensation which needed to be paid by Germany. In 1980 John du Pont set a record when he paid $935,000 for the miniscule stamp.
When the stamp goes for sale today at Sotheby's, it is expected the British Guiana One-Cent Magenta may be sold for as much as $20,000,000. Yup, that's a 20 with six zeros behind it.
That's the news story you will hear reported on your evening news.
Still, I would like to point out the experts are not quite right in some of what they've said. Pound for pound this stamp is not the most valuable thing in the world, and $20,000,000 is not a record payment price.
No, the most valuable thing in this world is your immortal soul. Although Scripture is silent as to the weight of that soul, I don't think it can weigh heavily if it were to be placed on someone's scale.
Even so, the Heavenly Father felt your soul was so valuable He was willing to sacrifice the life of His only Son to save you. Motivated by a grace which is far beyond anything we can imagine or comprehend, reaching out in mercy to rescue something which should have ended up on the eternal garbage dump of hell, God gave up His Son so you might be saved.
It was an incredibly high price to pay. If you think the stamp pictured above is dingy, you should have seen the condition of your sin-saturated soul. Anyone else might have thought your soul worthless and hardly worth the bother of trying to purchase, but the Triune God is not just Anyone.
Our Lord is incredible and His actions are -- from a human point of view -- unbelievable. Even as you would not sacrifice a child to win a stamp, the Lord should not have sacrificed His Son to save your soul.
It shouldn't have happened, but it did. Now, through Jesus' life, death and resurrection, and by Holy Spirit-given faith, we will belong to the Lord forever.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, the most valuable Person in the universe was sacrificed to save my soul. May I be humbled by Your love and His willingness to die so I might live. In Jesus' I ask it. Amen.
The Savior asked His followers to share Him. Sadly, doing so can be frightening and intimidating. If you would like to learn how to be more comfortable in fulfilling the Lord's request, Lutheran Hour Ministries is holding a SENT Outreach Conference in Detroit, covering the dates of July 24-27. For more information see www.lhm.org/conference.
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 19:1 Better is the poor who walks in his integrity
    than he who is perverse in his lips and is a fool.
2 It isn’t good to have zeal without knowledge;
    nor being hasty with one’s feet and missing the way.
3 The foolishness of man subverts his way;
    his heart rages against Yahweh.
4 Wealth adds many friends,
    but the poor is separated from his friend.
5 A false witness shall not be unpunished.
    He who pours out lies shall not go free.
6 Many will entreat the favor of a ruler,
    and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts.
7 All the relatives of the poor shun him:
    how much more do his friends avoid him!
    He pursues them with pleas, but they are gone.
8 He who gets wisdom loves his own soul.
    He who keeps understanding shall find good.
9 A false witness shall not be unpunished.
    He who utters lies shall perish.
10 Delicate living is not appropriate for a fool,
    much less for a servant to have rule over princes.
11 The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger.
    It is his glory to overlook an offense.
12 The king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion,
    but his favor is like dew on the grass.
13 A foolish son is the calamity of his father.
    A wife’s quarrels are a continual dripping.
14 House and riches are an inheritance from fathers,
    but a prudent wife is from Yahweh.
15 Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep.
    The idle soul shall suffer hunger.
16 He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul,
    but he who is contemptuous in his ways shall die.
17 He who has pity on the poor lends to Yahweh;
    he will reward him.
18 Discipline your son, for there is hope;
    don’t be a willing party to his death.
19 A hot-tempered man must pay the penalty,
    for if you rescue him, you must do it again.
20 Listen to counsel and receive instruction,
    that you may be wise in your latter end.
21 There are many plans in a man’s heart,
    but Yahweh’s counsel will prevail.
22 That which makes a man to be desired is his kindness.
    A poor man is better than a liar.
23 The fear of Yahweh leads to life, then contentment;
    he rests and will not be touched by trouble.
24 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
    he will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.
25 Flog a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence;
    rebuke one who has understanding, and he will gain knowledge.
26 He who robs his father and drives away his mother,
    is a son who causes shame and brings reproach.
27 If you stop listening to instruction, my son,
    you will stray from the words of knowledge.
28 A corrupt witness mocks justice,
    and the mouth of the wicked gulps down iniquity.
29 Penalties are prepared for scoffers,
    and beatings for the backs of fools.
20:1 Wine is a mocker, and beer is a brawler.
    Whoever is led astray by them is not wise.
2 The terror of a king is like the roaring of a lion.
    He who provokes him to anger forfeits his own life.
3 It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife;
    but every fool will be quarreling.
4 The sluggard will not plow by reason of the winter;
    therefore he shall beg in harvest, and have nothing.
5 Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water;
    but a man of understanding will draw it out.
6 Many men claim to be men of unfailing love,
    but who can find a faithful man?
7 A righteous man walks in integrity.
    Blessed are his children after him.
8 A king who sits on the throne of judgment
    scatters away all evil with his eyes.
9 Who can say, “I have made my heart pure.
    I am clean and without sin?”
10 Differing weights and differing measures,
    both of them alike are an abomination to Yahweh.
11 Even a child makes himself known by his doings,
    whether his work is pure, and whether it is right.
12 The hearing ear, and the seeing eye,
    Yahweh has made even both of them.
13 Don’t love sleep, lest you come to poverty.
    Open your eyes, and you shall be satisfied with bread.
14 “It’s no good, it’s no good,” says the buyer;
    but when he is gone his way, then he boasts.
15 There is gold and abundance of rubies;
    but the lips of knowledge are a rare jewel.
16 Take the garment of one who puts up collateral for a stranger;
    and hold him in pledge for a wayward woman.
17 Fraudulent food is sweet to a man,
    but afterwards his mouth is filled with gravel.
18 Plans are established by advice;
    by wise guidance you wage war!
19 He who goes about as a tale-bearer reveals secrets;
    therefore don’t keep company with him who opens wide his lips.
20 Whoever curses his father or his mother,
    his lamp shall be put out in blackness of darkness.
21 An inheritance quickly gained at the beginning,
    won’t be blessed in the end.
22 Don’t say, “I will pay back evil.”
    Wait for Yahweh, and he will save you.
23 Yahweh detests differing weights,
    and dishonest scales are not pleasing.
24 A man’s steps are from Yahweh;
    how then can man understand his way?
25 It is a snare to a man to make a rash dedication,
    then later to consider his vows.
26 A wise king winnows out the wicked,
    and drives the threshing wheel over them.
27 The spirit of man is Yahweh’s lamp,
    searching all his innermost parts.
28 Love and faithfulness keep the king safe.
    His throne is sustained by love.
29 The glory of young men is their strength.
    The splendor of old men is their gray hair.
30 Wounding blows cleanse away evil,
    and beatings purge the innermost parts.
21:1 The king’s heart is in Yahweh’s hand like the watercourses.
    He turns it wherever he desires.
2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes,
    but Yahweh weighs the hearts.
3 To do righteousness and justice
    is more acceptable to Yahweh than sacrifice.
4 A high look, and a proud heart,
    the lamp of the wicked, is sin.
5 The plans of the diligent surely lead to profit;
    and everyone who is hasty surely rushes to poverty.
6 Getting treasures by a lying tongue
    is a fleeting vapor for those who seek death.
7 The violence of the wicked will drive them away,
    because they refuse to do what is right.
8 The way of the guilty is devious,
    but the conduct of the innocent is upright.
9 It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop,
    than to share a house with a contentious woman.
10 The soul of the wicked desires evil;
    his neighbor finds no mercy in his eyes.
11 When the mocker is punished, the simple gains wisdom.
    When the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge.
12 The Righteous One considers the house of the wicked,
    and brings the wicked to ruin.
13 Whoever stops his ears at the cry of the poor,
    he will also cry out, but shall not be heard.
14 A gift in secret pacifies anger;
    and a bribe in the cloak, strong wrath.
15 It is joy to the righteous to do justice;
    but it is a destruction to the workers of iniquity.
16 The man who wanders out of the way of understanding
    shall rest in the assembly of the departed spirits.
17 He who loves pleasure shall be a poor man.
    He who loves wine and oil shall not be rich.
18 The wicked is a ransom for the righteous;
    the treacherous for the upright.
19 It is better to dwell in a desert land,
    than with a contentious and fretful woman.
20 There is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise;
    but a foolish man swallows it up.
21 He who follows after righteousness and kindness
    finds life, righteousness, and honor.
22 A wise man scales the city of the mighty,
    and brings down the strength of its confidence.
23 Whoever guards his mouth and his tongue
    keeps his soul from troubles.
24 The proud and haughty man, “scoffer” is his name;
    he works in the arrogance of pride.
25 The desire of the sluggard kills him,
    for his hands refuse to labor.
26 There are those who covet greedily all day long;
    but the righteous give and don’t withhold.
27 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination:
    how much more, when he brings it with a wicked mind!
28 A false witness will perish,
    and a man who listens speaks to eternity.
29 A wicked man hardens his face;
    but as for the upright, he establishes his ways.
30 There is no wisdom nor understanding
    nor counsel against Yahweh.
31 The horse is prepared for the day of battle;
    but victory is with Yahweh.
Acts 3:1 Peter and John were going up into the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.[a] 2 A certain man who was lame from his mother’s womb was being carried, whom they laid daily at the door of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask gifts for the needy of those who entered into the temple. 3 Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive gifts for the needy. 4 Peter, fastening his eyes on him, with John, said, “Look at us.” 5 He listened to them, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, “Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” 7 He took him by the right hand, and raised him up. Immediately his feet and his ankle bones received strength. 8 Leaping up, he stood, and began to walk. He entered with them into the temple, walking, leaping, and praising God. 9 All the people saw him walking and praising God. 10 They recognized him, that it was he who used to sit begging for gifts for the needy at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. They were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. 11 As the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering.
12 When Peter saw it, he responded to the people, “You men of Israel, why do you marvel at this man? Why do you fasten your eyes on us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made him walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up, and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had determined to release him. 14 But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, to which we are witnesses. 16 By faith in his name, his name has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which is through him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
17 “Now, brothers,[b] I know that you did this in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18 But the things which God announced by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled.
19 “Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, so that there may come times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord, 20 and that he may send Christ Jesus, who was ordained for you before, 21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God spoke long ago by the mouth of his holy prophets. 22 For Moses indeed said to the fathers, ‘The Lord God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brothers, like me. You shall listen to him in all things whatever he says to you. 23 It will be that every soul that will not listen to that prophet will be utterly destroyed from among the people.’[c] 24 Yes, and all the prophets from Samuel and those who followed after, as many as have spoken, they also told of these days. 25 You are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘In your offspring[d] will all the families of the earth be blessed.’[e] 26 God, having raised up his servant Jesus, sent him to you first to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your wickedness.”
Footnotes:
a. Acts 3:1 3:00 PM
b. Acts 3:17 The word for “brothers” here may be also correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.”
c. Acts 3:23 Deuteronomy 18:15,18-19
d. Acts 3:25 or, seed
e. Acts 3:25 Genesis 22:18; 26:4
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