LHM Daily Devotion - "Where Can He Be?"

 March 1, 2017

... the Boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it (Luke 2:43b).

Read Luke 2:41-52

If you were a 12-year-old, left alone in a huge capital city, where would you go?

Mary and Joseph spent three frantic days trying to answer that question, as they searched for 12- year-old Jesus. Would they find Him roaming though the market place, staring up at one of Herod the Great's three spectacular towers, or would He be gazing at his opulent palace in the north end of town? Was He watching the Roman soldiers practicing their military formations and running their drills in the Antonia Fortress? Would He be cheering along with the chariot races in the Jerusalem hippodrome-that same horse track featured in the movie Ben Hur?

The truth is none of these places held the biggest attraction for Jesus. He was in the last place most of us would ever expect a pre-teen to be. On the third day they found Him in the temple courts, asking questions of the religious leaders. His greatest thrill was to be at His Father's house fulfilling His great mission.

When His mother asked why He had treated them that way, Jesus' answer confused both Mary and Joseph, "Did you not know that I must be in My Father's house?" Jesus had important work to do, and He knew it. Everything was riding on it: His great mission and our eternal future. To open heaven to us He had to live a perfect life, with absolute obedience and perfection. He had to learn, understand and memorize God's Word; He had to know it inside and out. He was a single-minded Savior on a single-minded mission.

THE PRAYER:  Lord Jesus, thank You for Your single-minded dedication to our salvation. Give me a similar hunger for Your Word too. Amen.

Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM). The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Devociones de Cuaresma - Habrá un día de juicio

1 de Marzo - Miércoles de Ceniza

El día del Señor viene, y ya se acerca. Joel 2:1 (2:1-11)

La frase del profeta Joel me hace pensar en algunos políticos que toman resoluciones que van abiertamente en contra de la fe cristiana: la legalización del aborto y del matrimonio homosexual, la tenencia y el uso de drogas ilegales, etc. ¡Como si nunca fuéramos a ser juzgados! Muchas personas viven así porque piensan que nunca nadie los va a juzgar. Muchos juegan con la impunidad de una sociedad corrupta y creen que pueden hacer lo que quieren sin tener que rendirle cuentas a nadie. Y ahora ya no estoy pensando sólo en algunos políticos, sino en todos nosotros; porque aun los cristianos abusamos de la libertad que Cristo nos consiguió.

Es tiempo que reconsideremos la afirmación del profeta Joel: un día nos llegará el juicio final. Ese día, todas nuestras obras, nuestras palabras y nuestros pensamientos pasarán por el fuego de Dios. ¿Qué quedará? Si no fuera por Cristo, no quedaría nada. Pero gracias a él, que con su sangre purificó nuestros corazones, podemos enfrentar sin miedo el día del juicio final.

Para quienes vivimos en Cristo, la afirmación: "El Señor viene", nos produce alegría. El saber que el Señor vendrá a mí me produce una ansiedad sana, porque mi casa está limpia. Y no porque yo la haya limpiado, sino porque el perdón de Jesús fue suficiente para dejar toda mi vida limpia y en orden para que, cuando él venga a buscarme, el encuentro sea de alegría.

El anuncio de Joel me anima a no abusarme de la gracia con que Dios me trata, sino a honrarla con una vida de consagración a los valores cristianos, para que el nombre de Dios sea glorificado.

Gracias, Padre, porque por la obediencia perfecta de tu Hijo Jesús nos preparas para cuando regreses a juzgar a los vivos y a los muertos. Amén.

© Copyright 2017 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones.Reina Valera Contemporánea (RVC) Copyright © 2009, 2011 by Sociedades Bíblicas Unidas.

Our Daily Bread - All of Me

Read: Matthew 27:45–54 | Bible in a Year: Numbers 23–25; Mark 7:14–37

Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Romans 12:1

Young Isaac Watts found the music in his church sadly lacking, and his father challenged him to create something better. Isaac did. His hymn “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” has been called the greatest in the English language and has been translated into many other languages.

Watts’s worshipful third verse ushers us into the presence of Christ at the crucifixion.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,

Sorrow and love flow mingled down.

Did e’er such love and sorrow meet

Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

The crucifixion Watts describes so elegantly stands as history’s most awful moment. We do well to pause and stand with those around the cross. The Son of God strains for breath, held by crude spikes driven through His flesh. After tortured hours, a supernatural darkness descends. Finally, mercifully, the Lord of the universe dismisses His anguished spirit. An earthquake rattles the landscape. Back in the city the thick temple curtain rips in half. Graves open, and dead bodies resurrect, walking about the city (Matt. 27:51–53). These events compel the centurion who crucified Jesus to say, “Surely he was the Son of God!” (v. 54).

“The Cross reorders all values and cancels all vanities,” says the Poetry Foundation in commenting on Watts’s poem. The song could only conclude: “Love so amazing, so divine demands my soul, my life, my all.”

It is our privilege to give everything we have to the One who gave us everything on the cross.

By Tim Gustafson

© 2017 Our Daily Bread Ministries

Lời Sống Hằng Ngày - Trọn Thân Tôi

Đọc: Ma-thi-ơ 27:45-54 | Đọc Kinh Thánh suốt năm: Dân số ký 23-25; Mác 7:14-37

Vậy thưa anh em, bởi sự thương xót của Đức Chúa Trời, tôi nài xin anh em dâng thân thể mình làm sinh tế sống, thánh khiết và đẹp lòng Đức Chúa Trời, đó là sự thờ phượng phải lẽ của anh em. (Rô-ma 12:1)

Thời trẻ, Isaac Watts nhận thấy âm nhạc trong hội thánh của ông thật thiếu thốn, và bố ông đã thách thức ông sáng tác những tác phẩm hay hơn. Bài thánh ca “Giờ Được Chiêm Ngưỡng Thập Giá” của ông được gọi là bài thánh ca xuất sắc nhất trong Anh ngữ và được dịch sang nhiều ngôn ngữ khác.

Câu thứ 3 trong bài Thánh ca đưa chúng ta vào sự hiện diện của Đấng Christ khi chịu thập hình.

Nhìn đầu, tay, chân Chúa quá đau đớn!

Yêu thương bi đát chung hòa giọt rơi;

Từ nghìn xưa chẳng chi sánh cảnh ấy

Có thấy mão miện bằng gai khác đời?

Thập hình mà Watts mô tả thật tinh tế là thời khắc khủng khiếp nhất trong lịch sử. Chúng ta như dừng lại và cùng đứng chung với mọi người bên cây thập tự. Con Đức Chúa Trời gắng từng hơi thở, thân thể bị giữ chặt bởi những chiếc đinh thô nhám xuyên qua thân thể Ngài. Sau nhiều giờ đau đớn, sự tối tăm bao trùm khắp đất. Cuối cùng, Chúa hoàn vũ đã trút linh hồn thống khổ của mình. Trận động đất làm chấn động khắp xứ. Bức màn dày trong đền thờ bị xé ra làm hai. Mồ mả mở ra và các thây người chết sống lại, đi vào thành (Mat. 27:51-53). Những sự kiện này khiến viên đội trưởng là người đóng đinh Chúa Jêsus phải thốt lên: “Thật, Người nầy là Con Đức Chúa Trời” (c.54).

Hội Thơ Ca bình luận về thơ của Watts rằng: “Thập Tự Giá lập lại mọi giá trị và hủy bỏ mọi điều hư ảo”. Bài ca chỉ có thể kết thúc bằng câu: “Kỳ diệu thay ái tình Chúa tươi mới, khiến tôi vui dâng hồn, thân thể này.”

Nguyền Jêsus giúp tôi chẳng khoe khoang, duy khoe ơn Chúa bỏ mình vì tôi. Mọi vật hư ảo xưa mãi mê man, nay đem dâng nơi thập tự giá này.

Isaac Watts

Chúng ta được ban đặc ân để dâng mọi điều mình có cho Đấng đã ban mọi điều cho chúng ta trên thập tự giá.

bởi Tim Gustafson

© 2017 Lời Sống Hằng Ngày

Nuestro Pan Diario - Todo de mí

Leer: Mateo 27:45-54 | La Biblia en un año: Marcos 7:14-37

… que presentéis vuestros cuerpos en sacrificio vivo, santo, agradable a Dios, que es vuestro culto racional (Romanos 12:1).

Al joven Isaac Watts no lo satisfacía la música de la iglesia; entonces, su padre lo desafió a escribir algo. Y lo hizo. Su himno La cruz sangrienta al contemplar es unos de los himnos evangélicos más conocidos, traducido a muchos idiomas.

Las palabras de adoración de la tercera estrofa nos llevan a ver a Cristo crucificado:

Sus manos, su costado y pies,

De sangre manaderos son;

Y las espinas de su sien,

Mi aleve culpa las clavó.

La crucifixión que describe Watts de forma tan poética refleja el momento más terrible de la historia. El Hijo de Dios se esfuerza por respirar, sostenido por agudos clavos que le atraviesan la carne. Después de horas de tortura, el Señor del universo entrega su espíritu. Un terremoto sacude la escena, y el grueso velo del templo se rasga por la mitad. Los sepulcros se abren, y cuerpos resucitados caminan por la ciudad (Mateo 27:51-53). Ante semejantes sucesos, el centurión exclamó: «Verdaderamente éste era Hijo de Dios» (v. 54).

Respecto al poema de Watts, la Fundación Poetry afirma: «La cruz reordena todos los valores y anula todas las vanidades». La única manera en que podía concluir este himno es: «Y qué podré yo darte a ti / A cambio de tan grande don. / Es todo pobre, todo ruin / Toma, oh Señor, mi corazón».

Señor, te entrego hoy mi vida entera.

Es nuestro privilegio darle todo lo que tenemos a Aquel que nos dio todo en la cruz.

Por Tim Gustafson

© 2017 Ministerios Nuestro Pan Diario

Unser Täglich Brot - Mein ganzes Leben

Lesen: Matthäus 27,45-54 | Die Bibel In Einem Jahr: 4.Mose 23–25; Markus 7,14-37

[Gebt] eure Leiber hin als ein Opfer, das lebendig, heilig und Gott wohlgefällig ist. Das sei euer vernünftiger Gottesdienst. Römer 12,1

Dem jungen Isaac Watts gefiel die Musik in seiner Gemeinde nicht. Sein Vater forderte ihn auf, doch etwas Besseres zu schaffen. Isaac tat es. Sein Lied „Schau ich zu deinem Kreuze hin“ gilt als der bekannteste englische Choral und wurde in viele andere Sprachen übersetzt.

In seiner dritten Strophe führt er uns direkt hin zu Christus am Kreuz.

Sieh an sein dorngekröntes Haupt,

aus seinen Wunden quillt sein Blut,

und wer an solche Liebe glaubt,

dem kommt sein Kreuzesschmerz zugut.

Die Kreuzigung, die Watts so gekonnt beschreibt, war der schrecklichste Augenblick der Weltgeschichte. Gottes Sohn ringt nach Atem. Nägel, die durch sein Fleisch getrieben wurden, halten ihn fest. Nach Stunden der Qual wird es plötzlich finster. Schließlich haucht der Herr der Welt sein Leben aus. Ein Erdbeben erschüttert die Gegend. Im Tempel in der Stadt reißt der dicke Vorhang. Gräber öffnen sich und Tote stehen auf und laufen durch die Stadt (Matth. 27,51-53). Die Ereignisse entringen dem Hauptmann, der Jesus kreuzigte, die Worte: „Wahrlich, dieser ist Gottes Sohn gewesen!“ (V.54).

„Das Kreuz ordnet alle Werte neu und vernichtet alle Eitelkeiten“ heißt es in einem Kommentar zum Gedicht von Watts. Das Lied kann gar nicht anders schließen als mit den Worten: „Der Dank für diese Liebe hier kann nur mein eignes Leben sein.“

Das Kreuz zerstört den falschen Ruhm, durch deinen Tod bin ich befreit, gebunden als dein Eigentum, an dich allein für alle Zeit. Isaac Watts

Wir dürfen alles, was wir haben, dem Einen geben, der am Kreuz alles für uns gab.

Von Tim Gustafson

© 2017 Unser Täglich Brot

Notre Pain Quotidien - Toute ma personne

Lisez : Matthieu 27.45‑54 | La Bible en un an : Nombres 23 – 25 et Marc 7.14-37

Je vous exhorte […] à offrir vos corps comme un sacrifice vivant, saint, agréable à Dieu, ce qui sera de votre part un culte raisonnable. (Romains 12.1)

Jeune, Isaac Watts regrettait que la musique laisse à désirer dans son Église. Son père l’a alors mis au défi de faire mieux, et c’est précisément ce qu’Isaac a fait. Son cantique intitulé « When I survey the Wondrous Cross » (Je vois ta croix, ô mon Sauveur) est ainsi considéré comme le meilleur en langue anglaise et a été traduit en plusieurs langues.

Son troisième vers empreint d’adoration nous fait entrer en présence de Christ à la croix : « Voyez de son saint corps blessé, pour moi son sang pur a coulé. Où trouverais-je un tel amour, qui s’offre à moi jour après jour ? »

La crucifixion que Watts décrit avec une telle élégance marque un tournant dans l’Histoire. Nous aurions donc intérêt à nous arrêter au pied de la croix. Le Fils de Dieu est à bout de souffle et retenu au bois par d’horribles clous plantés dans sa chair. Torturé pendant des heures, il amorce sa descente surnaturelle dans les ténèbres. Puis le Seigneur de l’univers relâche enfin son esprit angoissé. Un tremblement de terre ébranle le paysage. En ville, l’épais rideau du Temple se déchire en deux. Des tombeaux s’ouvrent et des morts ressuscitent, marchant dans les rues (MT 27.51‑53). Ces événements poussent le centenier qui a crucifié Jésus à déclarer : « Assurément, cet homme était Fils de Dieu » (V. 54).

« La croix réordonne toutes les valeurs et annule toutes les vanités », selon la Poetry Foundation, et Watts ne pouvait mieux finir que par : « Toi qui pendis à cette croix, tu veux qu’entier je sois à toi. »

Tout ce qui est vain et me charme, je le sacrifie à ton sang.
ISAAC WATTS

par Tim Gustafson

© 2017 Ministères NPQ

Хліб Наш Насущній - Всього себе віддаю!

Читати: Матвія 27:45-54 | Біблія за рік: Числа 23–25 ; Марка 7:14-37

Повіддавайте ваші тіла на жертву живу, святу, приємну Богові, як розумну службу вашу. — Римлян 12:1

Молодий Ісак Уоттс прийшов до висновку, що в його церкві дуже мало якісної музики. Батько Ісака закликав сина написати хороший твір – і юнак зробив. Гімн “Коли підводжу очі я на хрест” вважається найвеличнішим в англійській літературі. Він перекладений багатьма мовами світу. Автор уявляє, що він стоїть у підніжжя хреста.

Поглянь, з обличчя, рук і ніг Христових

Тече краплинами свята, невинна кров;

Там поєднались в колючках тернових

Безмірна мука і свята любов.

В цьому вірші сцена розп’яття постає як найбільш жахливий і водночас величний момент в історії людства. Ви добре вчините, якщо зупинитесь і подивитесь на Страждальця. Ось Син Божий, руки Якого пробиті цвяхами, докладає великих зусиль, щоб вдихнути повітря… Нарешті Господь Всесвіту являє Свою милість до Нього – забирає Його стомлений дух. Відразу земля починає тремтіти від землетрусу, а у храмі навпіл розривається товста завіса. Відкриваються могили, тіла спочилих святих воскресають і прямують до міста (Мт. 27:51-53). Всі ці події змусили центуріона визнати: “Він був справді Син Божий!” (Мт. 27:54).

“Хрест впорядковує всі цінності й скасовує всю марноту”, – було написано в одному коментарі на гімн Уоттса. Тому він і завершується словами: “Божа дивна любов потребує моєї душі, мого життя, мене всього”.

Заборони все те, чим я хвалюсь; Врятуй Ісуса смертю – я молюсь; І все земне, що для душі спокуса, Я віддаю за кров Христа Ісуса. — Ісак Уоттс

Наш привілей – віддати все Тому, Хто віддав Себе Самого на хрест.

Автор Тім Густавсон

© 2017 Хліб Наш Насущній

Хлеб наш насущный - Все, что есть

Читать сейчас: Матфея 27:45-54 | Библия за год: Числа 23-25; Марка 7:14-37

Представьте тела ваши в жертву живую, святую, благоугодную Богу, для разумного служения вашего. — Римлянам 12:1

Молодой Исаак Уоттс решил, что уровень музыкального служения в их церкви печально низок. Отец предложил ему написать что-нибудь получше. Уоттс так и сделал. Его гимн «Когда взираю я на крест» называли величайшим из написанных на английском языке. Он был переведен на множество других языков. Автор представляет себя стоящим у подножия креста с распятым Спасителем.

Когда я поднимаю взор На крест, где Божий Сын страдал. Я сознаю греха позор, Стыжусь того, что почитал.

Распятие Христа, столь живописно переданное Уоттсом, стало жутчайшим событием в истории. Давайте замедлим ход и подойдем ко кресту. Божий Сын тянется за глотком воздуха, прибитый толстыми гвоздями к страшному дереву. После нескольких мучительных часов на землю спустилась сверхъестественная тьма. Наконец Господь вселенной испустил истомившийся дух. Землетрясение поколебало гору. Толстая завеса в храме разодралась посередине. Могилы открылись, и мертвые воскресли, войдя затем в город (Мф. 27:51-53). Эти события побудили сотника, руководившего распятием, сказать: «Воистину Он был Сын Божий» (Мф. 27:54).

«Крест смещает все ценности и упраздняет суету», – говорится в комментарии к стихам Уоттса. Такой гимн мог закончиться лишь следующим образом: «За эту милость и любовь отдам без слова все, что есть».

Господь, храни меня, чтоб я Здесь в мире славы не искал. Чтоб подвиг Твой, чтоб смерть Твоя Была венцом моих похвал. — Исаак Уоттс

Наивысшая честь – отдать все Тому, Кто отдал Себя на крест.

автор: Тим Густафсон

© 2017 Хлеб Наш Насущный

The Daily Readings for TUESDAY, February 28, 2017 - Mardi Gras

 The Old Testament Lesson

The Old Testament Lesson for today is taken from Deuteronomy 6:16-25

Do not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah. You must diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his decrees, and his statutes that he has commanded you. Do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, so that it may go well with you, and so that you may go in and occupy the good land that the LORD swore to your ancestors to give you, thrusting out all your enemies from before you, as the LORD has promised. When your children ask you in time to come, "What is the meaning of the decrees and the statutes and the ordinances that the LORD our God has commanded you?" then you shall say to your children, "We were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt, but the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. The LORD displayed before our eyes great and awesome signs and wonders against Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his household. He brought us out from there in order to bring us in, to give us the land that he promised on oath to our ancestors. Then the LORD commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our lasting good, so as to keep us alive, as is now the case. If we diligently observe this entire commandment before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us, we will be in the right."

This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God

The Epistle Lesson

The Epistle Lesson for today is taken from Hebrews 2:1-10

Therefore we must pay greater attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. For if the message declared through angels was valid, and every transgression or disobedience received a just penalty, how can we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? It was declared at first through the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard him, while God added his testimony by signs and wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, distributed according to his will. Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels. But someone has testified somewhere, "What are human beings that you are mindful of them, or mortals, that you care for them? You have made them for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned them with glory and honor, subjecting all things under their feet." Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them, but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God

The Holy Gospel Lesson

The Holy Gospel is written in John 1:19-28
Glory be to Thee, O Lord

This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, "I am not the Messiah." And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the prophet?" He answered, "No." Then they said to him, "Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" He said, "I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,'" as the prophet Isaiah said. Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, "Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?" John answered them, "I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal." This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.

Here ends the Gospel lesson for today.
Glory be to Thee ,O Christ!

Morning Psalms

Psalm 26 Judica me, Domine
1   Give judgment for me, O LORD, for I have lived with integrity; I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered.
2   Test me, O LORD, and try me; examine my heart and my mind.
3   For your love is before my eyes; I have walked faithfully with you.
4   I have not sat with the worthless, nor do I consort with the deceitful.
5   I have hated the company of evildoers; I will not sit down with the wicked.
6   I will wash my hands in innocence, O LORD, that I may go in procession round your altar,
7   Singing aloud a song of thanksgiving and recounting all your wonderful deeds.
8   LORD, I love the house in which you dwell and the place where your glory abides.
9   Do not sweep me away with sinners, nor my life with those who thirst for blood,
10   Whose hands are full of evil plots, and their right hand full of bribes.
11   As for me, I will live with integrity; redeem me, O LORD, and have pity on me.
12   My foot stands on level ground; in the full assembly I will bless the LORD.

Psalm 28 Ad te, Domine
1   O LORD, I call to you; my Rock, do not be deaf to my cry; lest, if you do not hear me, I become like those who go down to the Pit.
2   Hear the voice of my prayer when I cry out to you, when I lift up my hands to your holy of holies.
3   Do not snatch me away with the wicked or with the evildoers, who speak peaceably with their neighbors, while strife is in their hearts.
4   Repay them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their actions.
5   According to the work of their hands repay them, and give them their just deserts.
6   They have no understanding of the LORD'S doings, nor of the works of his hands; therefore he will break them down and not build them up.
7   Blessed is the LORD! for he has heard the voice of my prayer.
8   The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I have been helped;
9   Therefore my heart dances for joy, and in my song will I praise him.
10   The LORD is the strength of his people, a safe refuge for his anointed.
11   Save your people and bless your inheritance; shepherd them and carry them for ever.

Evening Psalms

Psalm 36 Dixit injustus
1   There is a voice of rebellion deep in the heart of the wicked; there is no fear of God before his eyes.
2   He flatters himself in his own eyes that his hateful sin will not be found out.
3   The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful; he has left off acting wisely and doing good.
4   He thinks up wickedness upon his bed and has set himself in no good way; he does not abhor that which is evil.
5   Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, and your faithfulness to the clouds.
6   Your righteousness is like the strong mountains, your justice like the great deep; you save both man and beast, O LORD.
7   How priceless is your love, O God! your people take refuge under the shadow of your wings.
8   They feast upon the abundance of your house; you give them drink from the river of your delights.
9   For with you is the well of life, and in your light we see light.
10   Continue your loving-kindness to those who know you, and your favor to those who are true of heart.
11   Let not the foot of the proud come near me, nor the hand of the wicked push me aside.
12   See how they are fallen, those who work wickedness! they are cast down and shall not be able to rise.

Psalm 39 Dixi, Custodiam
1   I said, "I will keep watch upon my ways, so that I do not offend with my tongue.
2   I will put a muzzle on my mouth while the wicked are in my presence."
3   So I held my tongue and said nothing; I refrained from rash words; but my pain became unbearable.
4   My heart was hot within me; while I pondered, the fire burst into flame; I spoke out with my tongue:
5   LORD, let me know my end and the number of my days, so that I may know how short my life is.
6   You have given me a mere handful of days, and my lifetime is as nothing in your sight; truly, even those who stand erect are but a puff of wind.
7   We walk about like a shadow, and in vain we are in turmoil; we heap up riches and cannot tell who will gather them.
8   And now, what is my hope? O Lord, my hope is in you.
9   Deliver me from all my transgressions and do not make me the taunt of the fool.
10   I fell silent and did not open my mouth, for surely it was you that did it.
11   Take your affliction from me; I am worn down by the blows of your hand.
12   With rebukes for sin you punish us; like a moth you eat away all that is dear to us; truly, everyone is but a puff of wind.
13   Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry; hold not your peace at my tears.
14   For I am but a sojourner with you, a wayfarer, as all my forebears were.
15   Turn your gaze from me, that I may be glad again, before I go my way and am no more.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The New Revised Standard Version Bible may be quoted and/or reprinted up to and inclusive of five hundred (500) verses without express written permission of the publisher, provided the verses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible or account for fifty percent (50%) of the total work in which they are quoted.

Mardi Gras

Today the church celebrates Mardi Gras.

Mardi Gras, also called Shrove Tuesday, or Fat Tuesday, in English, refers to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany (Three Kings Day) and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday", reflecting the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season.

Related popular practices are associated with Shrovetide celebrations before the fasting and religious obligations associated with the penitential season of Lent. In countries such as England, Mardi Gras is also known as Shrove Tuesday, which is derived from the word shrive, meaning "confess".

In many areas, the term "Mardi Gras" has come to mean the whole period of activity related to the celebratory events, beyond just the single day. In some American cities, it is now called "Mardi Gras Day".

The festival season varies from city to city, as some traditions, such as the one in New Orleans, Louisiana, consider Mardi Gras to stretch the entire period from Twelfth Night (the last night of Christmas which begins Epiphany) to Ash Wednesday. Others treat the final three-day period before Ash Wednesday as the Mardi Gras. In Mobile, Alabama, Mardi Gras-associated social events begin in November, followed by mystic society balls on Thanksgiving, then New Year's Eve, followed by parades and balls in January and February, celebrating up to midnight before Ash Wednesday. In earlier times, parades were held on New Year's Day. Other cities famous for Mardi Gras celebrations include Rio de Janeiro; Barranquilla, Colombia; George Town, Cayman Islands; Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago; Quebec City, Quebec, Canada; and Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico.

Carnival is an important celebration in Anglican and Catholic European nations. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the week before Ash Wednesday is called "Shrovetide", ending on Shrove Tuesday. It has its popular celebratory aspects, as well. Pancakes are a traditional food. Pancakes and related fried breads or pastries made with sugar, fat, and eggs are also traditionally consumed at this time in many parts of Latin America and the Caribbean.

While not observed nationally throughout the United States, a number of traditionally ethnic French cities and regions in the country have notable celebrations. Mardi Gras arrived in North America as a French Catholic tradition with the Le Moyne brothers, Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville and Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, in the late 17th century, when King Louis XIV sent the pair to defend France's claim on the territory of Louisiane, which included what are now the U.S. states of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and part of eastern Texas.

The expedition, led by Iberville, entered the mouth of the Mississippi River on the evening of March 2, 1699 (new style), Lundi Gras. They did not yet know it was the river explored and claimed for France by René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle in 1683. The party proceeded upstream to a place on the east bank about 60 miles downriver from where New Orleans is today, and made camp. This was on March 3, 1699, Mardi Gras, so in honour of this holiday, Iberville named the spot Point du Mardi Gras (French: "Mardi Gras Point") and called the nearby tributary Bayou Mardi Gras. Bienville went on to found the settlement of Mobile, Alabama in 1702 as the first capital of French Louisiana. In 1703 French settlers in Mobile established the first organised Mardi Gras celebration tradition in what was to become the United States. The first informal mystic society, or krewe, was formed in Mobile in 1711, the Boeuf Gras Society. By 1720, Biloxi had been made capital of Louisiana. The French Mardi Gras customs had accompanied the colonists who settled there.

In 1723, the capital of Louisiana was moved to New Orleans, founded in 1718. The first Mardi Gras parade held in New Orleans is recorded to have taken place in 1837. The tradition in New Orleans expanded to the point that it became synonymous with the city in popular perception, and embraced by residents of New Orleans beyond those of French or Catholic heritage. Mardi Gras celebrations are part of the basis of the slogan, Laissez les bons temps rouler, (Let the good times roll). On Mardi Gras Day, the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, the last parades of the season wrap up and the celebrations come to a close with the Meeting of the Courts (a.k.a. locally as the Rex Ball). Other cities along the Gulf Coast with early French colonial heritage, from Pensacola, Florida; Galveston, Texas; to Lake Charles and Lafayette, Louisiana; and north to Natchez, Mississippi, have active Mardi Gras celebrations. In the rural Acadiana area, many Cajuns celebrate with the Courir de Mardi Gras, a tradition that dates to medieval celebrations in France.

Verse of the Day - February 28, 2017

2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV) For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

Read all of 2 Timothy 1

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Morning Devotions with Cap'n Kenny - "A Hindrance to Prayer"

But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear. —Isaiah 59:2 (NKJV)

The promise of answered prayer isn’t given to every human being. Rather, it is a unique promise for those who have a relationship with God.

In fact, the very reason that Jesus Christ came to this earth and died on the cross is so that we might come into a relationship and a friendship with our Creator. But we all have a disease called sin that we can’t get rid of. Thus, when Christ died on the cross, He took our sins upon Himself.

Until you come into a relationship with God, you cannot really see your prayers answered. As Isaiah 59:2 says, “Your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.”

We have often heard it said that we are all the children of God, that we are all brothers and sisters. In reality, we aren’t all God’s children. The Bible says that we are God’s offspring, meaning that we are humans who were created in His image. (That isn’t true, of course, of the animal kingdom.) We were made in God’s image, but we are not automatically the children of God. That only takes place when we come to Him, turn from our sin, and ask Jesus Christ to be our Savior and Lord.

The Bible says, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12). God must adopt you. You cannot automatically be His child. There has to come a moment in your life when you ask Him for His forgiveness, and He will adopt you as His son or daughter. And because of what Jesus did, you can have access to the throne of God.

In Jesus,
Cap'n Kenny

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV® Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Devotion by Greg Laurie © 2016 Harvest Christian Fellowship; all rights reserved.

Un Dia a la Vez - Dios me hizo libre

Y conocerán la verdad, y la verdad los hará libres. Juan 8:32 (NVI)

Necesitamos conocer los pensamientos de Dios, así aprendemos muchas cosas.

Hace unos cuantos años, antes de entregar mi vida por completo a Jesús, sentía muchos vacíos y necesitaba la libertad de Dios. Cuando te hablo de libertad, me refiero a que mi mente estuvo cautiva por varios años con pensamientos tristes o con desánimos en algunas ocasiones.

Debido a que fui madre soltera casi toda mi vida, aprendí a ser independiente. Tanto fue así, que no contaba siquiera con Dios. De modo que tuve que experimentar muchas situaciones que me hicieron madurar, sobre todo en Cristo.

Durante mucho tiempo viví atada a mi pasado y a mis fracasos, y no le daba la oportunidad a Dios. Entonces, al fin comprendí un día que Él es el único que da la paz que nadie es capaz de dar desde el punto de vista humano. Empecé a experimentar que Él era el que me suplía para todas mis necesidades y, además, veía su fidelidad de una manera sorprendente. Así que decidí creerle. Decidí empezar a ver las promesas que hay en la Biblia para mi vida y fue cuando en verdad Dios me hizo libre.

Quedé libre de culpas, libre de soledad, libre de envidias, libre de celos y pude declarar que vivía absolutamente feliz sola con mis hijas.

Experiméntalo tú también y te sentirás libre hoy de toda amargura del pasado. Si estás solo con tus hijos o solo en este país, piensa que Dios está contigo en todo momento. Vive feliz con lo que tienes, con los que hasta ahora te ha tocado vivir. Deja de renegar y empieza a ser agradecido.

¡Se libre!

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón. La Santa Biblia, Nueva Versión Internacional® NVI® Copyright © 1986, 1999, 2015 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - SUFFERING BRINGS A GREATER HARVEST OF SOULS

On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria…Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 

Acts 8:1, 4 (NIV)

Again and again we see that in many countries, right before persecution comes, the church grows rapidly. This happened in northern Korea one hundred years ago just before the Japanese occupation and persecution.

It is helpful to remember this theme from the book of Acts: persecution does not necessarily cause church growth but church growth appears to cause persecution!

Church leaders among the many house church networks in China (the fastest growing church in the world) repeatedly share that suffering for Jesus often brings about a greater harvest of souls.

Sariman was a young student preparing himself to serve the Lord among the thirty million Sundanese of Indonesia, the largest unreached people group in the world. During a violent attack on the Bible school, Sariman was killed and many other students were wounded. Sariman bravely assisted his friends although he could have saved himself. Before his death he was tortured and other students testified how Sariman was slaughtered. He was hit with a bar of wood and iron, then hacked, stabbed and his mouth was cut from the left cheek to the right cheek.

Upon hearing yet another testimony of martyrdom, many questions arise. “Why this tragedy, Lord? How long will you allow this to continue? This is such a terrible loss for this wonderful ministry. What is the sense in all of this?”

Then the dean of the Bible school completes the testimony and indirectly answers our questions: “The victory in this tragedy is that only ten days after the murder of Sariman we had ten new applicants to study at the Bible school. Today, six months after the incident, we have ninety-eight new students who are willing to go where Sariman would have gone. The blood of the martyrs is indeed seed.”

Paul clearly warns the Church in Galatia (Galatians 5:1) to stand firm in the midst of freedom. Freedom is not a time to relax. Freedom often creates a new kind of slavery. There is a price tag attached to freedom and we need to count the cost. It is time to open our hearts to the valuable lessons that we can learn from those that follow Christ in restricted countries—even to their death.

RESPONSE: Today I will accept the biblical teaching and the many church growth examples that suffering often brings about a greater harvest of souls.

PRAYER: Lord, we pray today for Your fast-growing suffering churches around the world. May they be encouraged as they see many more souls added to Your kingdom.

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Girlfriends in God - You’re More Than a Cleaned-Up Version of Your Old Self

by Sharon Jaynes

Today’s Truth

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here (2 Corinthians 5:17, niv).

Friend to Friend

Most Christians see their conversion as a cleaned-up version of their old self, rather than as a brand new creation who did not exist before. The Bible says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here” (2 Corinthians 5:17). The old is gone, not just spiffied up.

After high school I went to college where I met and married an awesome Christian man whom I met at a friend’s Bible study. I saw him sitting on the floor with his back against the wall and his red flannel shirt rolled up his masculine arms. He had a worn Bible in his lap and an easy smile on his face. Before the year was up, I became his wife. About four years later, I became a mom.

Life was good, except for this termite-like gnawing in my gut that I just didn’t quite measure up to all the other church moms with their smiling faces. I went to Bible studies and even taught a few. However, I walked around with the fear that one day I would be found out—that one day folks would figure out that I wasn’t all that I was cracked up to be. I lived under an undefined self-imposed standard of approval.

Childhood echoes of “you’re so ugly” and “what’s wrong with you?” and “you did a terrible job” left me feeling congenitally flawed. I sat in Bible study groups like someone in a hospital waiting room: hoping for the best but expecting the worst. My greatest fear was that I’d be no closer to being free of the insecurity than I was before the study began.

When I was in my mid-thirties, I sat under the teaching of an older woman in my church, Mary Marshal Young. She opened my eyes to the truths in Scripture about who I was, what I had, and where I was (my position) as a child of God. I had read those verses scattered throughout Scripture before, but when she encouraged me to cluster them altogether into one list, God began a new work in my heart.

You are a saint.

You are chosen and dearly loved.

You are holy.

These truths were right there on the pages of my Bible in black and white and a few in red. I knew it was the infallible Word of God, but I felt rather squeamish hearing them, reading them, believing them.

They didn’t feel right.

They didn’t sound right.

They made me downright uncomfortable.

At the same time I was studying about my true identity, the devil taunted me with lies. Who do you think you are? A saint? Are you kidding? This stuff might be true for some people, but it certainly is not true about you.

One day God asked me an important question—one that He is asking you right now. Who are you going to believe?

That’s what I’m asking you today. Who are you going to believe?

When I decided to believe God…that changed everything. I believe it will do the same for you.

Let’s Pray

Heavenly Father, thank You for choosing me! Help me to believe that I am who You say I am, even when I don’t feel like it. I am standing on the truth of Your Word with shaky legs, but I’m standing all the same.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

Do you have echoes of the past that taunt you? Lies from the enemy that tease you?

Here’s the plan for changing the way you think:

1. Recognize the lie.
2. Reject the lie.
3. Replace the lie with truth.

Think of one lie that you believe about yourself, and then write down the verse about how God sees you to replace that lie.

More From the Girlfriends

To learn more about how to recognize the lies, reject the lies, and replace the lies with truth, check out my book, I’m Not Good Enough and Other Lies Women Tell Themselves. It will transform your stinkin thinkin into confident joy! It also includes a Bible Study guide, which is perfect for group studies. And for a quick reference guide of Your True Identity in Christ, see my laminated card that fits snuggly in your Bible.

Seeking God?

Click HERE to find out more about how to have a personal

relationship with Jesus Christ.

LHM Daily Devotion - "Showing Respect"

February 28, 2017

And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen."  - Revelation 7:11-12 (ESV)

Respect, that's a word and a concept, which has fallen out of favor.

Respect. Watch the evening news and keep tabs on what you see. Almost always the reports will begin with a lack of respect. There's the video footage of a mangled car where someone decided to disrespect the railroad crossing's flashing lights, ringing bells, and descending crossbuck barriers. There is also the story of the latest terrorist bombing where some religious fanatic has decided that his point of view is so important that he has a mandate to disrespect and destroy the lives of innocent men, women and children.

Those tragedies have one thing in common. They are all accounts that show no respect.

Most of our Daily Devotions folk will not argue when I suggest that today respect is in serious and short supply. Most of us remember President Franklin Delano Roosevelt who was crippled by polio. No matter what you think of him as a leader, it must be conceded that he waged a heroic fight against that disease.

The media of his day respected that battle.

Although Roosevelt served as president longer than any other man, and was unable to walk, unaided during that entire time, there are only two known pictures of him in a wheelchair. Today, let a leader fall, become sick, or stumble in a speech, and a disrespectful press will gleefully gloat and splash the story across its front pages. It will suggest we judge that entire individual on the basis of that slip or stumble.

I imagine it's not the first time in history that respect hasn't, well, been respected. Here's what an observer of society once said: "... our youths love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority -- they show disrespect for their elders and love to chatter in places of exercise .... Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households."

Do you agree? Well, that was said by Socrates, the Athenian philosopher. He said those words almost 2,500 years ago. You see, lack of respect is nothing new. In fact, if you think about it, when Adam and Eve decided they knew better than God and ate the forbidden fruit, that choice was motivated by a lack of respect.

In contrast to those who elevate themselves, Christians should be different.

Because of the Savior's sacrifice, because we have been moved from darkness to light, because we have been forgiven, restored and redeemed, we should always show respect to the Lord. We ought to join our voices with those who stand before the heavenly throne and say, "Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen."

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord when I speak Your Name, may it be done with honor and respect. May all around me know the gratitude I have for all You have done for me. This I ask in my Redeemer's Name. Amen.

Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin!  Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM). The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

CPTLN Devocional - Comprendo

28 de Febrero 2017

¡Alabado sea Dios en su templo! ¡Alabado sea en la majestad del firmamento!... ¡Alabado sea el Señor al son de trompetas! ¡Alabado sea el Señor con salterio y arpa! ¡Alabado sea al ritmo del pandero! ¡Alabado sea con flautas e instrumentos de cuerda! ¡Alabado sea con campanillas sonoras! ¡Alabado sea con campanillas jubilosas! ¡Que todo lo que respira alabe al Señor! ¡Aleluya! Salmo 150:1,3-6 (RVC)

He asistido a muchas recepciones de bodas y he escuchado toda clase de bandas. Desde las más populares hasta las más sofisticadas; bandas de rock, bandas de polca, grandes bandas como en los viejos tiempos, mini-orquestas, e incluso una banda escocesa con gaitas.

Algunas fueron realmente buenas; otras, casi una tortura. Sin embargo, por más malas que fueran, no las trataría como recientemente fue tratada una en una boda en Afganistán.

Con el transcurrir de los años, el Talibán ha demostrado no sentirse cómodo con los oficiales del gobierno, la policía, las tropas extranjeras y las escuelas para niñas. Y luego también agregaron a su lista a las bandas que tocan en las bodas.

Esta vez no mataron a los miembros de la banda, pero sí destruyeron sus instrumentos musicales, golpearon a cinco músicos, los ataron a árboles, les afeitaron la cabeza y les hicieron prometer públicamente nunca más cantar o tocar música en ninguna boda.

Esto no se debió a la mala aptitud de los músicos, sino que el Talibán cree que la música no es islámica.

Qué contraste con las palabras de ánimo del Salmista. En lugar de censurar la música, el Dios Trino la recibe alegremente.

¡Alabado sea el Señor con trompetas! ¡Alabado sea el Señor con arpa, pandero, flautas, con campanillas sonoras y jubilosas!

Y para dejar por seguro que todos están incluidos, el Salmo como que dice: 'Si puedes respirar, más te vale alabar al Señor'.

Lo que diferencia a los cristianos de los seguidores de otras religiones, es la convicción de que no hay necesidad de hacer buenas obras para ser salvos. Nosotros, que hemos sido redimidos gracias a la obra del Salvador; que hemos sido aceptados en la familia de fe; que hemos sido salvados del infierno y llevados al cielo, tenemos una muy buena razón para alabar al Señor.

ORACIÓN: Amado Padre celestial, gracias por enviar a tu Hijo en mi lugar para salvarme, y gracias también por la obra del Espíritu Santo, quien me ha dado la fe y me mantiene firme en ella. Ayúdame a que siempre te esté agradecido por tu continua misericordia. En nombre de Jesús. Amén.

© Copyright 2017 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. Reina Valera Contemporánea (RVC) Copyright © 2009, 2011 by Sociedades Bíblicas Unidas.

Our Daily Bread - A Chuckle in the Darkness

Read: John 11:17–27 | Bible in a Year: Numbers 20–22; Mark 7:1–13

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

In a Washington Post article titled “Tech Titans’ Latest Project: Defy Death,” Ariana Cha wrote about the efforts of Peter Thiele and other tech moguls to extend human life indefinitely. They’re prepared to spend billions on the project.

They are a little late. Death has already been defeated! Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (John 11:25–26). Jesus assures us that those who put their trust in Him will never, ever, under any circumstances whatever, die.

To be clear, our bodies will die—and there is nothing anyone can do to change that. But the thinking, reasoning, remembering, loving, adventuring part of us that we call “me, myself, and I” will never, ever die.

And here’s the best part: It’s a gift! All you have to do is receive the salvation Jesus offers. C. S. Lewis, musing on this notion, describes it as something like “a chuckle in the darkness”—the sense that something that simple is the answer.

Some say, “It’s too simple.” Well, I say, if God loved you even before you were born and wants you to live with Him forever, why would He make it hard?

Dear Jesus, I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I want to accept You as my Lord and Savior and follow You. Please forgive my sins and help me, from this moment on, to live a life that is pleasing to You.

Christ has replaced the dark door of death with the shining gate of life.

By David Roper

© 2017 Our Daily Bread Ministries

Lời Sống Hằng Ngày - Tiếng Cười Thầm Trong Bóng Đêm

Đọc: Giăng 11:17-27 | Đọc Kinh Thánh suốt năm: Dân số ký 20-22; Mác 7:1-13

Vì Đức Chúa Trời yêu thương thế gian đến nỗi đã ban Con Một của Ngài, hầu cho hễ ai tin Con ấy không bị hư mất mà được sự sống đời đời. (Giăng 3:16)

Trong bài báo “Dự án Mới nhất của Những Gã Khổng Lồ Công Nghệ: Thách Thức Cái Chết” của tờ Washington Post, Ariana Cha viết về những nỗ lực giúp con người trường thọ của Peter Thiele và những gã khổng lồ công nghệ khác. Họ chuẩn bị bỏ hàng tỉ đô-la vào dự án này.

Nhưng họ làm hơi trễ một chút vì sự chết đã bị đánh bại rồi! Chúa Jêsus nói: “Ta là sự sống lại và sự sống. Người nào tin Ta thì sẽ sống, mặc dù đã chết rồi. Còn ai sống mà tin Ta thì sẽ không bao giờ chết” (Giăng 11:25-26). Chúa Jêsus đảm bảo với chúng ta rằng những ai đặt lòng tin nơi Ngài sẽ không bao giờ và không hề chết dưới bất cứ hoàn cảnh nào.

Nói rõ hơn là, thân thể của chúng ta rồi sẽ chết đi – và không ai có thể thay đổi sự thật này. Nhưng phần suy nghĩ, lập luận, nhớ thương và phiêu lưu mà chúng ta gọi là “tôi, chính tôi” thì sẽ không bao giờ và không hề chết đi.

Và đây là tin tốt lành nhất: Đó là một tặng phẩm! Tất cả những gì chúng ta cần làm là tiếp nhận ơn cứu chuộc Chúa Jêsus ban cho. Suy ngẫm về ý niệm này, C. S. Lewis đã mô tả nó như thể một “tiếng cười thầm trong đêm” – ý muốn nói một điều gì đó hết sức giản đơn nhưng lại chính là lời giải đáp.

Một số người nói rằng: “Sao đơn giản thế!” Tôi nói, nếu Đức Chúa Trời yêu bạn ngay từ trước khi bạn sinh ra và muốn bạn sống với Ngài mãi mãi, thì tại sao Chúa lại phải làm cho nó trở nên khó khăn và phức tạp?

Lạy Chúa Jêsus yêu quý, con tin Ngài đã chết vì tội lỗi của con và đã sống lại từ kẻ chết. Con muốn tiếp nhận Ngài làm chủ và làm Đấng Cứu Chuộc con và con xin đi theo Ngài. Xin tha tội cho con và giúp con, từ giờ phút này trở đi, sống cuộc đời làm vui lòng Ngài.

Đấng Christ đã thay cánh cửa tối tăm của sự chết bằng cổng sự sống ngập tràn ánh sáng.

bởi David Roper

© 2017 Lời Sống Hằng Ngày