LHM Daily Devotion - April 15, 2017 "Burial Arrangements"

As Jesus was dying He entrusted His spirit into His Father's hands.

Lenten Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"Burial Arrangements"

April 15, 2017

This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. (Luke 23:52, ESV)

Read Luke 23:50-56

As Jesus was dying He entrusted His spirit into His Father's hands. But what would become of His lifeless body? The faithful believers and women stood at a distance to see what the soldiers would do. But unknown to them, God the Father was already making arrangements. He had chosen a man, Joseph, to be Jesus' earthly father, to find a shelter and a manger at His birth. Now He provides another Joseph to arrange for Jesus' proper burial.

Luke describes Joseph as a prominent member of the Jewish high court; he had not consented to its decision to destroy Jesus. Joseph trusted God's promise to send His Son, and he had secretly come to believe Jesus was that Messiah. Now he boldly secures Pilate's permission to take charge of Jesus' lifeless body.

He takes Jesus' body down, wraps it in linen, and lays it in a tomb as yet untouched by death's decay and corruption. Then Joseph rolls a large stone-a flat, circular, upright slab-down in a groove in front of the entrance to the tomb.

Since the Sabbath is beginning, only the women follow Joseph to the tomb. They carefully note its location; they see how Jesus' body was laid in it. In the few minutes left before the Sabbath, the women will buy spices and myrrh in preparation for the work they will do when the Sabbath is over. Early Sunday morning they will return to anoint His body for a proper burial.

THE PRAYER: Almighty God, You raised up Joseph to care for Your Son's dead body. Thank You that You take note of all my needs-especially my need for forgiveness through Jesus my Savior. Amen

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Devociones de Cuaresma - La custodia del seplucro

Devociones de Cuaresma  2017

La custodia del seplucro

15 de Abril de 2017

Sábado de Gloria

Ellos fueron y aseguraron el sepulcro, sellando la piedra y poniendo la guardia. Mateo 27:66, RVC (62-66)

Me causa gracia la actitud de los principales sacerdotes y de los fariseos. ¡Estaban asustados de un muerto! Jesús no estuvo vivo en la tierra por un día, y los líderes religiosos se encargaron de "cuidar la fe", buscando ayuda en el gobernador y custodiando al muerto con piedra y soldados. ¡Qué poca visión! ¡Cuánta incredulidad y cuánta arrogancia!

Intentar detener el torrente de vida de Dios es como querer detener el flujo de agua de las cataratas del Niágara con las manos, o intentar detener la salida del sol cada mañana. El curso de la historia dirigida por Dios no puede ser detenido ni por nuestros miedos, ni por nuestra falta de visión, ni por nuestra falta de fe. El sepulcro fue parte del plan de Dios. La tumba donde Jesús fue sepultado es la evidencia de nuestro pecado y de nuestra propia mortalidad. No hay otra forma de seguir adelante en la historia. Todos moriremos, como murieron nuestros antepasados. Lo importante es nuestra actitud ante nuestra propia muerte: ¿Falta de fe? ¿Desesperanza? ¿Miedo? ¿Dolor?

El Jesús de la tumba santifica nuestra propia sepultura para llamarnos a la realidad y darnos esperanza: morimos a causa de nuestro pecado, pero seremos levantados en gloria para compartir con nuestro Salvador la vida eterna en el cielo. La tumba de Jesús no lo retuvo para siempre, a pesar de la pesada piedra y de la guardia de soldados. Tampoco nosotros seremos retenidos para siempre en el sepulcro, porque la sangre de Jesús nos infunde vida nueva, santa y eterna. Jesús esperó para ser resucitado. Nosotros esperamos lo mismo.

Gracias, Padre, porque Jesús santificó nuestro sepulcro para llevarnos, a través de la muerte, al cielo eterno. Amén

© Copyright 2017 Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones. ¡U tilice estas devociones en sus boletines! Usado con permiso. Todos los derechos reservados por la Int'l LLL.

Our Daily Bread - The Price of Love

Read: Isaiah 53:9–12 | Bible in a Year: 1 Samuel 27–29; Luke 13:1–22

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He poured out his life unto death. Isaiah 53:12

Our daughter burst into tears as we waved goodbye to my parents. After visiting us in England, they were starting their long journey back to their home in the US. “I don’t want them to go,” she said. As I comforted her, my husband remarked, “I’m afraid that’s the price of love.”

We might feel the pain of being separated from loved ones, but Jesus felt the ultimate separation when He paid the price of love on the cross. He, who was both human and God, fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy 700 years after Isaiah gave it when He “bore the sin of many” (Isa. 53:12). In this chapter we see rich pointers to Jesus being the suffering Servant, such as when He was “pierced for our transgressions” (v. 5), which happened when He was nailed to the cross and when one of the soldiers pierced His side (John 19:34), and that “by his wounds we are healed” (Isa. 53:5).

Because of love, Jesus came to earth and was born a baby. Because of love, He received the abuse of the teachers of the law, the crowds, and the soldiers. Because of love, He suffered and died to be the perfect sacrifice, standing in our place before the Father. We live because of love.

Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away our sins, have mercy on us, and help us to extend mercy and love to others. Show us how we might share Your love with others today.

Jesus was the perfect sacrifice who died to give us life.

By Amy Boucher Pye

© 2017 Our Daily Bread Ministries

Lời Sống Hằng Ngày - Cái Giá Của Tình Yêu

Đọc: Ê–sai 53:9-12 | Đọc Kinh Thánh suốt năm: 1 Sa-mu-ên 27-29; Lu-ca 13:1-22

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Người đã đổ mạng sống mình cho đến chết. Ê-sai 53:12

Con gái tôi òa khóc khi chúng tôi vẫy tay chào tạm biệt bố mẹ tôi. Sau khi đến nước Anh thăm chúng tôi, ông bà bắt đầu chuyến đi dài trở về Mỹ. Con bé nói: “Con không muốn ông bà đi về đâu. Khi tôi dỗ dành cháu, chồng tôi nói: “Anh e rằng đó là cái giá của tình yêu.”

Có thể chúng ta thấy đau buồn khi phải xa cách người thân yêu, nhưng Chúa Jêsus đã cảm nhận sự phân cách tột cùng khi Ngài trả cái giá của tình yêu trên cây thập tự. Đấng vừa là người vừa là Đức Chúa Trời đã làm trọn lời tiên tri của Ê-sai 700 năm trước rằng Ngài sẽ “mang lấy tội lỗi nhiều người” (Ê-sai 53:12). Trong chương này, chúng ta thấy nhiều lời ám chỉ Chúa Jêsus là Người Đầy Tớ chịu khổ, như “Ngài vì tội lỗi chúng ta mà bị vết” (c.5), là điều xảy ra khi Ngài bị đóng đinh trên thập giá và khi một tên lính đâm xuyên hông Ngài (Giăng 19:34), và “bởi rằn roi Người mang, chúng ta được lành bệnh” (Ê-sai 53:5).

Vì yêu, Chúa Jêsus đã xuống trần và được sinh ra làm một em bé. Vì yêu, Ngài đã chịu sự sỉ nhục của những thầy dạy luật, của đám đông và của những tên lính. Vì yêu, Ngài chịu khổ và chết để làm sinh tế toàn hảo, thế chỗ cho chúng ta trước mặt Đức Chúa Cha. Chúng ta được sống nhờ tình yêu.

Lạy Chúa Jêsus Christ, Chiên Con của Đức Chúa Trời, Đấng cất tội lỗi của chúng con đi, xin thương xót chúng con, và giúp chúng con bày tỏ lòng thương xót và tình yêu thương với người khác. Xin chỉ cho chúng con biết cách chia sẻ tình yêu của Ngài với người khác trong hôm nay.

Chúa Jêsus là sinh tế toàn hảo, là Đấng đã chết để ban cho chúng ta sự sống.

bởi Amy Boucher Pye

© 2017 Lời Sống Hằng Ngày

Nuestro Pan Diario - El precio del amor

Leer: Isaías 53:9-12 | La Biblia en un año: 1 Samuel 27–29; Lucas 13:1-22

… por cuanto derramó su vida hasta la muerte… (v. 12).

Mientras nos despedíamos de mis padres, mi hija rompió en llanto. Después de visitarnos en Inglaterra, ellos regresaban a Estados Unidos. «No quiero que se vayan», dijo ella. Comencé a consolarla, y mi esposo señaló: «Me temo que ese es el precio del amor».

Quizá sintamos dolor al separarnos de nuestros seres queridos, pero Jesús sintió la separación suprema cuando pagó el precio del amor en la cruz. Él, que era tanto humano como Dios, cumplió la profecía que Isaías había pronunciado 700 años antes, cuando llevó «el pecado de muchos» (Isaías 53:12). En este capítulo, vemos profundos indicadores que señalan a Jesús como el Siervo sufriente. Por ejemplo, cuando dice que él «herido fue por nuestras rebeliones» (v. 5) —lo cual se cumplió cuando lo clavaron en la cruz y cuando un soldado le abrió el costado (Juan 19:34)— y al declarar que «por su llaga fuimos nosotros curados» (Isaías 53:5).

Por amor, Jesús vino a la Tierra como un bebé. Por amor, soportó el maltrato de los maestros de la ley, las multitudes y los soldados. Por amor, sufrió y murió para ser el sacrificio perfecto, al ocupar nuestro lugar ante el Padre. Vivimos gracias al amor.

Señor Jesús, ten misericordia de nosotros, y ayúdanos a ser misericordiosos con los demás. Muéstranos cómo podemos compartir tu amor con otros hoy.

Jesús fue el sacrificio perfecto que murió para darnos vida.

Por Amy Boucher Pye

© 2017 Ministerios Nuestro Pan Diario

Unser Täglich Brot - Der Preis der Liebe

Lesen: Jesaja 53,9-12 | Die Bibel In Einem Jahr: 1.Samuel 27–29; Lukas 13,1-22

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Er [hat] sein Leben in den Tod gegeben. Jesaja 53,12

Unsere Tochter brach in Tränen aus, als wir meinen Eltern zum Abschied nachwinkten. Sie hatten uns in England besucht und traten nun die lange Heimreise nach Amerika an. „Ich will nicht, dass sie gehen“, sagte sie. Während ich sie zu trösten versuchte, meinte mein Mann: „Ich fürchte, das ist der Preis der Liebe.“

Es tut uns weh, wenn liebe Menschen uns verlassen. Aber Jesus erlebte den ultimativen Trennungsschmerz, als er am Kreuz den Preis der Liebe zahlte. Er, der ebenso Mensch wie Gott war, erfüllte die Verheißung, die Jesaja siebenhundert Jahre früher verkündet hatte, als er „die Sünde der Vielen getragen hat“ (Jes. 53,12). In diesem Kapitel finden wir viele Hinweise auf Jesus als den leidenden Gottesknecht. Etwa dass er „um unserer Missetat willen verwundet“ ist (V.5), was geschah, als er ans Kreuz genagelt wurde und als die Soldaten mit dem Speer in seine Seite stießen (Joh. 19,34). Und „durch seine Wunden sind wir geheilt“ (Jes. 53,5).

Aus Liebe kam Jesus auf die Erde und wurde als Kind geboren. Aus Liebe ließ er sich von den Schriftgelehrten, der Menge und den Soldaten beschimpfen. Aus Liebe litt und starb er, um als vollkommenes Opfer an unserer Stelle vor den Vater zu treten. Wir leben aus Liebe.

Herr Jesus Christus, du Lamm Gottes, der du unsere Sünde getragen hast, erbarme dich unser und hilf uns, dass wir uns anderer erbarmen und sie lieben. Zeige uns, wie wir heute deine Liebe bezeugen können.

Jesus war das vollkommene Opfer, das starb, damit wir leben.

Von Amy Boucher Pye

© 2017 Unser Täglich Brot

Notre Pain Quotidien - Le prix de l’amour

Lisez : Ésaïe 53.9‑12 | La Bible en un an : 1 SAMUEL 27 – 29 et LUC 13.1‑22

Il s'est livré lui-même à la mort. V.12

Notre fille a éclaté en sanglots tandis que nous disions au revoir de la main à mes parents. Après être venus nous rendre visite en Angleterre, ils amorçaient maintenant leur long retour à la maison en sol américain. Elle nous a alors dit : « Je ne veux pas qu’ils s’en aillent. » Or, pendant que je la consolais, mon mari lui a fait remarquer : « J’ai bien peur que ce soit le prix de l’amour. »

Il se peut que nous souffrions d’être séparés de nos êtres chers, mais Jésus a subi l’ultime séparation en payant le prix de l’amour sur la croix. Lui qui était à la fois homme et Dieu, il a accompli la prophétie qu’Ésaïe avait annoncée sept cents ans auparavant en « [portant] les péchés de beaucoup d’hommes » (ÉS 53.12). Dans ce chapitre de la Bible, nous voyons d’excellents indices montrant que Jésus est le Serviteur qui a souffert jusqu’à être « blessé pour nos péchés » (V. 5), ce qui s’est produit lorsqu’on l’a cloué à la croix et que l’un des soldats lui a percé le côté (JN 19.34), si bien que « par ses meurtrissures […] nous sommes guéris » (ÉS 53.5).

Par amour, Jésus est venu sur la terre sous la forme d’un nouveau‑né. Par amour, il s’est fait maltraiter par les chefs religieux, les foules et les soldats. Par amour, il a souffert et est mort en tant que sacrifice parfait pour se substituer à nous devant le Père afin de nous éviter la mort. Si nous avons la vie, c’est donc grâce à son amour.

Jésus, le sacrifice parfait, est mort pour nous donner la vie.

par Amy Boucher Pye

© 2017 Ministères NPQ

Хліб Наш Насущній - Ціна любові

Читати: Ісаї 53:9-12 | Біблія за рік: 1 Самуїлова 27−29 ; Луки 13:1-22

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На смерть віддав душу Свою. — Ісаї 53:12

Коли ми прощалися з моїми батьками, махаючи їм руками, наша донька залилась слізьми. Батьки відвідали Англію. Побували у нас в гостях. І тепер вирушали у далеку путь додому в США. “Я не хочу, щоб вони від’їжджали”, – казала, плачучи, наша донька. Ми втішали її, а мій чоловік зазначив: “Думаю, що це – ціна за любов”.

Ми можемо відчувати біль, розлучаючись з дорогими нам людьми. Але Ісус сплатив найбільшу ціну любові, пізнавши найбільше відчуження на хресті. Він – одночасно Бог і Людина – здійснив те пророцтво, що ще за сімсот років записав пророк Ісая, кажучи: “Гріх багатьох Сам носив” (Іс. 53:12). В цьому розділі (Іс. 53) ми знаходимо багато моментів, що вказують на Ісуса як на великого Страждальця, Хто “за наші провини мучений був” (Іс. 53:5). Ці слова здійснились, коли Христа прибили до хреста, і коли один із воїнів пробив Його бік списом (Ів. 19:34). “Його ж ранами нас уздоровлено!” (Іс. 53:5).

Любов привела Ісуса на землю, де Він народився немовлятком. Любов була причиною того, що Він терпів знущання від релігійних вчителів, натовпу і воїнів. Саме любов була причиною того, що Він страждав і вмер, щоб стати довершеною, святою жертвою і тепер заступатись за нас перед Отцем. Саме Його любов’ю ми існуємо, живемо.

Господи Ісусе Христе, Агнцю Божий, Хто взяв на Себе наші гріхи, будь милостивий до нас. Допоможи являти іншим милість і любов. Покажи, як можемо сьогодні поділитись з іншими Твоєю любов’ю.

Ісус став довершеною жертвою, щоб Своєю смертю дарувати нам життя.

Автор Емі Бушер Пай

© 2017 Хліб Наш Насущній

Хлеб наш насущный - Цена любви

Читать сейчас: Исаия 53:9-12 | Библия за год: 1 Царств 27-29; Луки 13:1-22

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[Он] предал душу Свою на смерть. — Исаия 53:12

Наша дочь расплакалась, когда мы, прощаясь, махали руками моим родителям. Погостив у нас в Англии, они отправлялись в далекое путешествие домой в Соединенные Штаты. «Я не хочу, чтобы они уезжали», – всхлипнула девочка. Я принялась ее утешать, а муж заметил: «Боюсь, такова цена любви».

Нам не хочется расставаться с теми, кто дорог сердцу, но нас все равно связывают невидимые ниточки близких отношений. А Иисус Христос испытал полное разделение с Отцом, когда платил цену любви на кресте. Он, Который был человеком и Богом, исполнил пророчество Исаии, изреченное за семьсот лет до этого, и «понес на Себе грех многих» (Ис. 53:12). В этой главе мы видим множество указаний на Христа, страдающего Раба, изъязвленного за грехи наши (Ис. 53:5). Это произошло, когда его пригвоздили ко кресту и когда один из воинов пронзил копьем Его бок (Ин. 19:34). Этими «ранами Его мы исцелились» (Ис. 53:5).

Движимый любовью, Иисус пришел на землю и родился в Вифлееме. Из любви Он смиренно принял оскорбления первосвященников, народа и воинов. Из любви Он пострадал и умер, чтобы стать совершенной жертвой перед Отцом. Мы живем благодаря Его любви.

Господь Иисус Христос, Агнец Божий, взявший на Себя наш грех, будь милостив к нам и помоги нам быть милостивыми к другим. Покажи, как мы можем явить Твою любовь окружающим.

Иисус Христос умер, чтобы дать нам жизнь.

автор: Эми Бушер Пай

© 2017 Хлеб Наш Насущный

Good Friday

John 19:30 Then Jesus bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

It is tempting to look away from the cross today. It is tempting to skip the painful Passion story and go from Maundy Thursday right on to the radiant joy of Easter. But that won’t do. Today the whole world stops as we re-enter the sacred mystery of Good Friday. The whole creation wept when Jesus died.

The cross is the inevitable result of the collision between God’s perfect love and our perfected fear. Here heaven and earth meet in a gruesome instrument of torture and death. And, yet, Jesus bore this willingly. I will confess that the transactional language of paying for my sins isn’t always helpful. But what is always helpful is the knowledge that God’s love for me knows no limits, that God enters even into death for my sake. There is no part of my life that God cannot redeem, nothing that is removed from God.

Good Friday does not, as some say, expose a cruel, distant God. Rather, in Jesus’ free choice and willingness to die, we have proof that God could not love us more, for God is willing to do anything for our sake, for our souls. To receive this gift, we must gaze at the awful reality of the cross.

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The Daily Readings for FRIDAY, April 14, 2017 - Good Friday

The Crucifixion, 16th century, by Theophanes the Cretan

Morning Prayer

O God:
Give me strength to live another day;
Let me not turn coward before its difficulties or prove recreant to its duties;
Let me not lose faith in other people;
Keep me sweet and sound of heart, in spite of ingratitude, treachery, or meanness;
Preserve me from minding little stings or giving them;
Help me to keep my heart clean, and to live so honestly and fearlessly that no outward failure can dishearten me or take away the joy of conscious integrity;
Open wide the eyes of my soul that I may see good in all things;
Grant me this day some new vision of thy truth;
Inspire me with the spirit of joy and gladness;
and make me the cup of strength to suffering souls;
in the name of the strong Deliverer, our only Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen

The Introit

Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow which was brought upon me, whom the Lord hath afflicted. (Lamentations 1:12)

The Old Testament Lesson

The Old Testament Lesson for today is taken from Isaiah 52:13-53:12

See, my servant shall prosper; he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high. Just as there were many who were astonished at him-- so marred was his appearance, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of mortals-- so he shall startle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which had not been told them they shall see, and that which they had not heard they shall contemplate. Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity; and as one from whom others hide their faces he was despised, and we held him of no account. Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By a perversion of justice he was taken away. Who could have imagined his future? For he was cut off from the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people. They made his grave with the wicked and his tomb with the rich, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him with pain. When you make his life an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, and shall prolong his days; through him the will of the LORD shall prosper. Out of his anguish he shall see light; he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge. The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will allot him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Psalms

Psalm 22 Deus, Deus meu
1   My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? and are so far from my cry and from the words of my distress?
2   O my God, I cry in the daytime, but you do not answer; by night as well, but I find no rest.
3   Yet you are the Holy One, enthroned upon the praises of Israel.
4   Our forefathers put their trust in you; they trusted, and you delivered them.
5   They cried out to you and were delivered; they trusted in you and were not put to shame.
6   But as for me, I am a worm and no man, scorned by all and despised by the people.
7   All who see me laugh me to scorn; they curl their lips and wag their heads, saying,
8   He trusted in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, if he delights in him.
9   Yet you are he who took me out of the womb, and kept me safe upon my mother's breast.
10   I have been entrusted to you ever since I was born; you were my God when I was still in my mother's womb.
11   Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help.
12   Many young bulls encircle me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me.
13   They open wide their jaws at me, like a ravening and a roaring lion.
14   I am poured out like water; all my bones are out of joint; my heart within my breast is melting wax.
15   My mouth is dried out like a pot-sherd; my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; and you have laid me in the dust of the grave.
16   Packs of dogs close me in, and gangs of evildoers circle around me; they pierce my hands and my feet; I can count all my bones.
17   They stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them; they cast lots for my clothing.
18   Be not far away, O LORD; you are my strength; hasten to help me.
19   Save me from the sword, my life from the power of the dog.
20   Save me from the lion's mouth, my wretched body from the horns of wild bulls.
21   I will declare your Name to my brethren; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.
22   Praise the LORD, you that fear him; stand in awe of him, O offspring of Israel; all you of Jacob's line, give glory.
23   For he does not despise nor abhor the poor in their poverty; neither does he hide his face from them; but when they cry to him he hears them.
24   My praise is of him in the great assembly; I will perform my vows in the presence of those who worship him.
25   The poor shall eat and be satisfied, and those who seek the LORD shall praise him: "May your heart live for ever!"
26   All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations bow before him.
27   For kingship belongs to the LORD; he rules over the nations.
28   To him alone all who sleep in the earth bow down in worship; all who go down to the dust fall before him.
29   My soul shall live for him; my descendants shall serve him; they shall be known as the LORD'S for ever.
30   They shall come and make known to a people yet unborn the saving deeds that he has done.

The Epistle Lesson

The Epistle Lesson for today is taken from Hebrews 10:16-25

"This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds," he also adds, "I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more." Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin. Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

The Holy Gospel Lesson

The Holy Gospel is written in John 18:1-19:42

After Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley to a place where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, because Jesus often met there with his disciples. So Judas brought a detachment of soldiers together with police from the chief priests and the Pharisees, and they came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. Then Jesus, knowing all that was to happen to him, came forward and asked them, "Whom are you looking for?" They answered, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus replied, "I am he." Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. When Jesus said to them, "I am he," they stepped back and fell to the ground. Again he asked them, "Whom are you looking for?" And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus answered, "I told you that I am he. So if you are looking for me, let these men go." This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken, "I did not lose a single one of those whom you gave me." Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest's slave, and cut off his right ear. The slave's name was Malchus. Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword back into its sheath. Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?" So the soldiers, their officer, and the Jewish police arrested Jesus and bound him. First they took him to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was better to have one person die for the people. Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, but Peter was standing outside at the gate. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out, spoke to the woman who guarded the gate, and brought Peter in. The woman said to Peter, "You are not also one of this man's disciples, are you?" He said, "I am not." Now the slaves and the police had made a charcoal fire because it was cold, and they were standing around it and warming themselves. Peter also was standing with them and warming himself. Then the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching. Jesus answered, "I have spoken openly to the world; I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. Why do you ask me? Ask those who heard what I said to them; they know what I said." When he had said this, one of the police standing nearby struck Jesus on the face, saying, "Is that how you answer the high priest?" Jesus answered, "If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong. But if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?" Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They asked him, "You are not also one of his disciples, are you?" He denied it and said, "I am not." One of the slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, "Did I not see you in the garden with him?" Again Peter denied it, and at that moment the cock crowed. Then they took Jesus from Caiaphas to Pilate's headquarters. It was early in the morning. They themselves did not enter the headquarters, so as to avoid ritual defilement and to be able to eat the Passover. So Pilate went out to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this man?" They answered, "If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you." Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law." The Jews replied, "We are not permitted to put anyone to death." (This was to fulfill what Jesus had said when he indicated the kind of death he was to die.) Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus answered, "Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?" Pilate replied, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?" Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here." Pilate asked him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice." Pilate asked him, "What is truth?" After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, "I find no case against him. But you have a custom that I release someone for you at the Passover. Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?" They shouted in reply, "Not this man, but Barabbas!" Now Barabbas was a bandit. Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they dressed him in a purple robe. They kept coming up to him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" and striking him on the face. Pilate went out again and said to them, "Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no case against him." So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, "Here is the man!" When the chief priests and the police saw him, they shouted, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and crucify him; I find no case against him." The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has claimed to be the Son of God." Now when Pilate heard this, he was more afraid than ever. He entered his headquarters again and asked Jesus, "Where are you from?" But Jesus gave him no answer. Pilate therefore said to him, "Do you refuse to speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?" Jesus answered him, "You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above; therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin." From then on Pilate tried to release him, but the Jews cried out, "If you release this man, you are no friend of the emperor. Everyone who claims to be a king sets himself against the emperor." When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside and sat on the judge's bench at a place called The Stone Pavement, or in Hebrew Gabbatha. Now it was the day of Preparation for the Passover; and it was about noon. He said to the Jews, "Here is your King!" They cried out, "Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!" Pilate asked them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but the emperor." Then he handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus; and carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called The Place of the Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, with Jesus between them. Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross. It read, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." Many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek. Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews,' but, 'This man said, I am King of the Jews.'" Pilate answered, "What I have written I have written." When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one for each soldier. They also took his tunic; now the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from the top. So they said to one another, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see who will get it." This was to fulfill what the scripture says, "They divided my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots." And that is what the soldiers did. Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, "Woman, here is your son." Then he said to the disciple, "Here is your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. After this, when Jesus knew that all was now finished, he said (in order to fulfill the scripture), "I am thirsty." A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the wine, he said, "It is finished." Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. Since it was the day of Preparation, the Jews did not want the bodies left on the cross during the sabbath, especially because that sabbath was a day of great solemnity. So they asked Pilate to have the legs of the crucified men broken and the bodies removed. Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out. (He who saw this has testified so that you also may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth.) These things occurred so that the scripture might be fulfilled, "None of his bones shall be broken." And again another passage of scripture says, "They will look on the one whom they have pierced." After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and removed his body. Nicodemus, who had at first come to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, weighing about a hundred pounds. They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths, according to the burial custom of the Jews. Now there was a garden in the place where he was crucified, and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid. And so, because it was the Jewish day of Preparation, and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

The Apostles' Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen

Prayer of the Day

Almighty God, we pray you graciously to behold this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

A Prayer for Fridays

Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

A Prayer for Mission

Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God!

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen

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.

What’s So Good about Good Friday?

by Justin Holcomb

What is Good Friday and why do we call Good Friday “good,” when it is such a dark and bleak event commemorating a day of suffering and death for Jesus?

For Christians, Good Friday is a crucial day of the year because it celebrates what we believe to be the most momentous weekend in the history of the world. Ever since Jesus died and was raised, Christians have proclaimed the cross and resurrection of Jesus to be the decisive turning point for all creation. Paul considered it to be “of first importance” that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and was raised to life on the third day, all in accordance with what God had promised all along in the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3).

On Good Friday we remember the day Jesus willingly suffered and died by crucifixion as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins (1 John 1:10). It is followed by Easter, the glorious celebration of the day Jesus was raised from the dead, heralding his victory over sin and death and pointing ahead to a future resurrection for all who are united to him by faith (Romans 6:5).

Still, why call the day of Jesus’ death “Good Friday” instead of “Bad Friday” or something similar? Some Christian traditions do take this approach: in German, for example, the day is called Karfreitag, or “Sorrowful Friday.” In English, in fact, the origin of the term “Good” is debated: some believe it developed from an older name, “God’s Friday.” Regardless of the origin, the name Good Friday is entirely appropriate because the suffering and death of Jesus, as terrible as it was, marked the dramatic culmination of God’s plan to save his people from their sins.

In order for the good news of the gospel to have meaning for us, we first have to understand the bad news of our condition as sinful people under condemnation. The good news of deliverance only makes sense once we see how we are enslaved. Another way of saying this is that it is important to understand and distinguish between law and gospel in Scripture. We need the law first to show us how hopeless our condition is; then the gospel of Jesus’ grace comes and brings us relief and salvation.

In the same way, Good Friday is “good” because as terrible as that day was, it had to happen for us to receive the joy of Easter. The wrath of God against sin had to be poured out on Jesus, the perfect sacrificial substitute, in order for forgiveness and salvation to be poured out to the nations. Without that awful day of suffering, sorrow, and shed blood at the cross, God could not be both “just and the justifier” of those who trust in Jesus (Romans 3:26). Paradoxically, the day that seemed to be the greatest triumph of evil was actually the deathblow in God’s gloriously good plan to redeem the world from bondage.

The cross is where we see the convergence of great suffering and God’s forgiveness. Psalms 85:10 sings of a day when “righteousness and peace” will “kiss each other.” The cross of Jesus is where that occurred, where God’s demands, his righteousness, coincided with his mercy. We receive divine forgiveness, mercy, and peace because Jesus willingly took our divine punishment, the result of God’s righteousness against sin. “For the joy set before him” (Hebrews 12:2) Jesus endured the cross on Good Friday, knowing it led to his resurrection, our salvation, and the beginning of God’s reign of righteousness and peace.

Good Friday marks the day when wrath and mercy met at the cross. That’s why Good Friday is so dark and so Good.

In Jesus,
Cap'n Kenny

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Verse of the Day - April 14, 2017

1 Corinthians 15:1 (NIV) [The Resurrection of Christ] Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.

Read all of 1 Corinthians 15

Listen to 1 Corinthians 15

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 - "Finished!"

When Jesus had tasted it, he said, "It is finished!" Then he bowed his head and released his spirit.

—John 19:30 (NLT)

The cross was the goal of Jesus from the very beginning. His birth was so there would be His death. The incarnation was for our atonement. He was born to die so that we might live. And when He had accomplished the purpose He had come to fulfill, He summed it up with a single word: finished.

In the original Greek, it was a common word. Jesus probably used it after He finished a project that He and Joseph might have been working on together in the carpentry shop. Jesus might have turned to Joseph and said, “Finished. Now let’s go have lunch.” It is finished. Mission accomplished. It is done. It is made an end of.

So what was finished? Finished and completed were the horrendous sufferings of Christ. Never again would He experience pain at the hand of wicked men. Never again would He have to bear the sins of the world. Never again would He, even for a moment, be forsaken of God. That was completed. That was taken care of.

Also finished was Satan’s stronghold on humanity. Jesus came to deal a decisive blow against the devil and his demons at the cross of Calvary. Hebrews 2:14 says, “That through death he might destroy him who had the power of death, that is the devil.” This means that you no longer have to be under the power of sin. Because of Jesus’ accomplishment at the cross, finished was the stronghold of Satan on humanity.

And lastly, finished was our salvation. It is completed. It is done. All of our sins were transferred to Jesus when He hung on the cross. His righteousness was transferred to our account.

So Jesus cried out the words, “It is finished!” It was God’s deliberate and well-thought-out plan. It is finished—so rejoice!

In Jesus,
Cap'n Kenny

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Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation®, NLT® copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Devotion by Greg Laurie © 2017 Harvest Christian Fellowship; all rights reserved.

Un Dia a la Vez - Lo mejor para mí

De este modo todos sabrán que son mis discípulos, si se aman los unos a los otros.
Juan 13:35, NVI

Dios a veces tiene que mover fichas para llamar nuestra atención.

En mi caso, aunque ya estaba segura que escribir este libro era una idea de papito Dios y se reconfirmaba con la Biblia en Jeremías 30:2, yo me negaba.

Hasta un día que llegó a mi vida una personita muy especial que Dios ha usado en serio para que le diera inicio a este proyecto. Se trata de Pedrito, como le digo cariñosamente. Pedrito Lancheros es un hombre inteligente, sencillo, preparado y con un lindo hogar. Además, forma parte del equipo de Conexión USA, la revista.

Hacía ya un tiempo que me venía escuchando por la radio, y cuando entró a trabajar en la revista, empezamos a tener algunas conversaciones. Entonces, un día, entra a mi oficina y me dice que sentía de Dios decirme que lo que hacía por los oyentes era excelente, que la oración de la mañana era muy poderosa y un tremendo testimonio. Acto seguido me preguntó si no pensaba escribir un libro. Cuando me dijo esas palabras, pensé: «¡Dios mío, otra persona que envías para que reaccione!». Tuvimos varias conversaciones serias en las cuales me dijo cosas que me hicieron reflexionar y sentir incómoda, pero todo para bien. Más tarde, me entregó un cronograma y el resultado hoy es que tú y yo estamos leyendo este motivador libro lleno de testimonios.

Gracias, Pedrito, por ser obediente a Dios y hablarme, y gracias por tu paciencia.

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - FAMINE CANNOT SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF CHRIST

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall…famine…?

Romans 8:35d, NIV

The question asked is a personal one. Not “what” can separate us but “who”? The inference is our enemy, Satan, who tries every tactic he can garner to make us think we can be separated from Christ’s love. Today we look at his tactic of “famine.”

Wilson Chen from Vietnam spent five years in one of those harsh and primitive re-education camps. He was forced to spend long hours of hard backbreaking work clearing jungles for farmland, cutting trees for lumber and farming the fields. He had looked forward to a successful secular career and also to marrying his lovely girlfriend. In his final year in camp, he received the crushing news that his girlfriend had given up hope, married another and escaped from Vietnam.

The camp food was barely enough to keep him alive. “The constant brutality attacked our minds and spirits; the malnutrition attacked our bodies,” he recalls. The constant hunger drove them to eat anything. He would search the ground with other prisoners for rats, toads, worms, snakes, insects and birds to supplement their diet and keep them alive and to simply ease the feeling of constant hunger.

Wilson remembers companions who went insane from the pressure of hunger. Others committed suicide. Many died from diseases caused by the malnutrition.

That very night they were subjected to mental torture and political indoctrinat. Always in their minds were thoughts of escape. But Wilson Chen says, “It was hope in the Lord Jesus that kept me alive. I fed this hope by secretly reading the Scriptures...” In that camp situation, Wilson promised the Lord that he would serve him if he ever received the opportunity. The Holy Spirit whispered to him, “You have opportunities right here!” Very soon three fellow-prisoners came to know the Lord.

Camp experiences helped him reflect on the significance of the sufferings of Jesus. In that context he found refreshment and exhilaration in his own weakness. And he says, “...Jesus gave me peace in the midst of tribulation.”

RESPONSE: I will live this day aware that famines can never separate me from Christ’s love.

PRAYER: Thank you Lord that You give peace in the midst of tribulations.

Men of the Bible - Boaz

His name may mean: "In Strength"

His work: He was a wealthy landowner.
His character: Boaz was a capable and upright man, so touched by the loyalty and generosity of a young widow named Ruth that he responded to her with extraordinary generosity, playing the role of kinsman-redeemer for her and her mother-in-law, Naomi.
His triumph: To find a well-suited wife who blessed him with a son.
Key Scriptures: Ruth 2-4

A Look at the Man

Boaz was a good man going about his everyday work when God brought an unexpected blessing into his life. Evidently, he was someone of standing in Bethlehem, a man who may have been content with life the way it was. Nothing in the legal tradition of the time required him to show the degree of kindness he displayed toward Ruth, the young widow from Moab. Boaz went out of his way to act as her protector and provider while she worked in his fields.

But marrying this foreign-born woman was something altogether different, a commitment that would entitle her to a lifetime of his protection and provision. What's more, a firstborn son would not be considered his offspring but that of her first husband's. But when confronted with Ruth's request for marriage, Boaz responded in a way entirely consistent with his character, acting as though she were doing him the favor rather than the other way around.

As a result, Boaz was blessed with a wife who must have been a pleasure to live with and a son who would become the grandfather of King David. Boaz was the living embodiment of the person who heeds the counsel of Philippians 4:8-9: "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things…. And the God of peace will be with you."

The man who sought to be a blessing to a young woman in need is memorialized not only in the book of Ruth but also in the list of ancestors included in the genealogy of Jesus Christ contained in Matthew's gospel.

Reflect On: Ruth 2:12–19
Praise God: For rewarding the goodness of those who belong to him.
Offer Thanks: That God has given you the means by which to bless others.
Confess: Any selfishness in the way you approach your belongings.
Ask God: To increase your kindness and sensitivity toward others.

Today's reading is a brief excerpt from Men of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Men in Scripture by Ann Spangler and Robert Wolgemuth (Zondervan). © 2010 by Ann Spangler. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Enjoy the complete book by purchasing your own copy at the Bible Gateway Store. The book's title must be included when sharing the above content on social media. Coming this fall: watch for Wicked Women of the Bible by Ann Spangler.

Girlfriends in God - Once and For All

by Gwen Smith

Today’s Truth

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5, NIV)

Friend to Friend

All who pause for reflection and allow their hearts to wander in wonder down the Way of Suffering feel the darkness of this day in history. Good Friday was anything but good – yet, because of God’s unsearchable love for you and me, it was the pathway to our hope, to our forgiveness… and to eternal life.

Injustice took center stage that day as Pilate turned Jesus over to a rowdy mob though he had found no fault in him. Roman soldiers rendered Him wounded and weak as they flogged an innocent man – the perfectly innocent Son of man – with 39 excruciating lashes.

A twisted crown of thorns was placed on his head and a purple robe draped over his shoulders as the crowd struck Him in the face and mocked God’s Son. (John 19:1-3)

“He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7)

Forced, then, to carry the weight of a heavy, wooden cross through streets full of accusations and curses, Jesus, the Messiah, was led toward the hill of death to the place of the skull: Golgotha.

He was poked, prodded and provoked by angry voices that cried for his torture. For his death.

Crucify! Crucify!

“He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.” (Isaiah 53:3)

Nails to flesh.

Agony.

“Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.” (Isaiah 53:4)

On that pivotal day, darkness hurled hatred at the Light of the World. The sun stopped shining and the sky grew black as night as the beloved Son of God drew His final breath and declared, “It is finished.”

It. Is. Finished.

Death.

A spear to His side. (John 19:34)

The tomb. Myrrh. Aloe. Burial. Heaven’s sorrow.

All for you. All for me. This sacred substitution.

Radical love.

To fulfill the wrath of a holy God who cannot accept imperfection into His presence, the Bible tells us that “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) and that the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf brought a new and living way of redemption to all who would call on His name. Once for all. (Hebrews 9 and 10)

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)

His punishment. Our peace.

By His wounds we are healed.

Read that again: by His wounds we are healed. Made whole. Forgiven. Saved. Redeemed. Set free. Healed.

The condemnation of our failings no longer bind us to hopelessness.

It is finished because though darkness shook the earth with death that Friday long ago, the grave could not hold Jesus and death could not defeat Him! {TWEET this!}

Friday brought death, but Sunday brought life!

He is risen, friend! He is risen, indeed!

Respond with me today in worship and thanksgiving in light of the life we have in Christ alone!

Let’s Pray

Holy Father, My heart is swollen with the weight of Your love. That You would give Your only Son to make a way for me to know You – to be made right with You – to be made righteous in Jesus – is more than I could ever, ever thank You for.
All glory and honor and praise be to Your name, Jesus!
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

Today I want to share a SONG with you called Once And For All. Turn up your speakers and prepare your heart for a response of worship. CLICK HERE to listen.

This sacrifice is personal, friend. And so is salvation. Have you ever responded on a heart level to this good news? Have you confessed your mistakes and failures to God? Have you placed your faith in Jesus Christ – trusting that what He did on the cross was for the forgiveness of your sins? If you are ready, let today be the day of your salvation by doing just this. Pray. Get right with God. Turn to Jesus. {If you pray to accept Jesus as your Savior today – or recommit your heart to Him, please CLICK HERE to go to my blog. Let me know in the comments section. We will pray for you and give you a few action points to help direct you toward what to do next!}

More from the Girlfriends

FREE EBOOK: Gwen Smith is a speaker, worship leader, songwriter, and author of I Want I ALL, which includes a Bible Study section right in the back of the book; no extra purchase required. I WANT IT ALL is easy to read yet contains compelling and challenging content. You'll connect with the stories, probably dust off a few heart dreams, think bigger thoughts of God, laugh and smile a lot, search your soul, and even cry a little ... because each page lovingly directs you to the personal grace and truth of JESUS. (CLICK HERE to get a FREE Downloadable “7 Day I WANT IT ALL” Devotional Ebook.)

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