February
12, 2017
(Jesus
said) "For if
you forgive others
their trespasses,
your Heavenly
Father will also
forgive you, but
if you do not
forgive others
their trespasses,
neither will your
Father forgive
your trespasses."
-
Matthew 6:14-15, ESV
Dear
Brothers and Sisters
in Christ: The salvation story of Jesus Christ reaches around the world. So that the readers of our Daily Devotion may see the power of the Savior on a global scale, we have asked the volunteers of our international ministry centers to write our Sunday devotions. We pray that the Spirit may touch your day through their words.
In Christ, I remain, His servant and yours,
Kenneth R. Klaus
Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour
People who have been harmed often have difficulty forgiving others.
Truly, forgiving can be difficult, but it is not impossible. Not so long ago our office received a response letter from one of our listeners. She had tuned into the Lutheran Hour Ministries-Indonesia radio program: Excellent Generation . It is a program aimed at a young, teenage audience.
The letter explained how our listener had a life-changing experience, after she realized forgiveness was a faith-action that came when an individual was motivated by the Holy Spirit to show thanks for the Savior's gift of salvation. It is love of the Savior which gives an individual a courageous and sincere heart to forgive as we have been forgiven.
The listener who sent the letter is 18 years old. She lives in the small town of South Kalimantan in South Borneo. She was born into a Muslim family in this province that is dominated by 97 percent Muslim people. South Kalimantan is also known as a city which has a santri, a boarding school for Islamic students. In South Kalimantan, most people are quite fanatical about their religion.
Our listener, Siti is her name, became connected with "Jangkar Kehidupan" (LHM- Indonesia) after she tuned into our radio program whose name, when translated, means "excellent generation." The theme for our broadcast that day was having a relationship in accordance with the will of God .
At the time of our broadcast, the young lady really needed an opportunity to pour out her feelings and problems.
Sadly, Siti knew she didn't dare tell her problems to her parents, and she wasn't sure about anyone else. She needed a friend whom she could trust and who would listen to her. Her problem was this: she had been devastated when her boyfriend had broken up with her after they had disagreed over morality issues. Having no one else to turn to, Siti came to us in a telephone text message. We responded and told her that we are Christians, followers of the Savior, Jesus.
Until that time, she had never had a Christian friend!
Through this text-message ministry, we shared a lot of Scripture-based advice that raised her spirits and changed her life. One of those changes came when she, now a Christian who had been forgiven by the Savior, ended up forgiving her boyfriend. It took time, but eventually she could not help but reflect the love she had received to those around her.
Now, Siti is a believer. Still, she lives in a place where being a Christian can be dangerous, which is why we encourage you to join us in asking the Lord to give her the courage to be a faithful follower of the Redeemer.
THE PRAYER - Lord, because of the Savior's sacrifice I ask that You will have mercy on me, a sinner. I'm sorry for all my sins. Forgive my past and help me forgive others. Lord, accept my gratitude for Your love and my blood-bought forgiveness. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen. (This is a prayer recently shared with Siti.)
Biography of Author : Today's international devotion was written by Imelda Aritonang. She has served as director of LHM-Indonesia since December 2011. She earned a bachelor of literature degree from Gadjah Mada University and a master of management degree in marketing from the College of Management in Jakarta. She is a member of a children's ministry networking organization. She is an active member of Huria Kristen Batak Lutheran Church. She lives in North Jakarta with her husband Gerhard and three children.
Lutheran Hour Ministries-Indonesia uses radio and television, mobile device messaging, print resources, and evangelism training to share the Gospel throughout Indonesia. In cooperation with local Lutheran churches, the ministry reaches out to people to share the Gospel message, especially to Muslims in neighboring communities.
Indonesia is an archipelago in Southeast Asia made up of more than 13,400 islands; it is home to 250 million people. The ministry center of LHM-Indonesia, known locally as Anchor of Life, is located in Jakarta.
Using staff and trained volunteers in making connections to Indonesian communities, it puts on puppet shows, works with Sunday school teacher training, holds local sporting events, and offers topical school programs -- all as a means to move the Gospel forward. Bible Correspondence Courses ( BCC ) and Equipping the Saints ( ETS ) workshops educate Indonesians on the Scriptures and train them to share the Good News of God's grace and love, as found in Jesus Christ, with their family and friends.
To read more about what's going on in Indonesia, you can click here to visit its blog.
To learn more about our International Ministries, visit www.lhm.org/international .
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.
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