The Daily Readings for SUNDAY, January 7, 2018 - First Sunday after the Epiphany (Baptism of our Lord)

Baptism of our Lord
Mark 1:4-11

Sunday Readings

(Revised Common Lectionary Year B)

Opening Sentence

Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.

~ Isaiah 60:3

This is the first Sunday of the year. This is a good time of year for us to reflect in our hymns and prayers on the start of a New Year, our hopes and fears and dreams and longings. It is a chance for us to wonder where we will be going personally, as a church and as a nation. The story of the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus with his baptism and temptation reminds us that Jesus grew up and that He came for a purpose. It also reminds us of the importance of “getting ready”. The Christian faith offers not a new start to life but a new life to start, and that makes all the difference.

Prayer of the Day (Collect)

Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

Confession and Forgiveness

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

God is light; in him there in no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him, yet walk in the darkness, we lie and son not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

~ John 1:5b-8

Most holy and merciful Father, We confess to you and to one another, that we have sinned against you by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart and mind and strength. We have not fully loved our neighbors as ourselves. We have not always had in us the mind of Christ. You alone know how often we have grieved you by wasting your gifts, by wandering from your ways. Forgive us, we pray you, most merciful Father; And free us from our sin. Renew in us the grace and strength of your Holy Spirit, for the sake of Jesus Christ your Son our Savior. Amen

The Lessons

First Lesson: Genesis 1:1-5

In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light" and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

Psalm: Psalm 29 Afferte Domino

1   Ascribe to the LORD, you gods,

ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

2   Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his Name;

worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

3   The voice of the LORD is upon the waters; the God of glory thunders;

the LORD is upon the mighty waters.

4   The voice of the LORD is a powerful voice;

the voice of the LORD is a voice of splendor.

5   The voice of the LORD breaks the cedar trees;

the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon;

6   He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,

and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox.

7   The voice of the LORD splits the flames of fire; the voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness;

the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

8   The voice of the LORD makes the oak trees writhe

and strips the forests bare.

9   And in the temple of the LORD

all are crying, "Glory!"

10   The LORD sits enthroned above the flood;

the LORD sits enthroned as King for evermore.

11   The LORD shall give strength to his people;

the LORD shall give his people the blessing of peace.

Second Lesson: Acts 19:1-7

While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the interior regions and came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples. He said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?" They replied, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." Then he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They answered, "Into John's baptism." Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied-- altogether there were about twelve of them.

Gospel: Mark 1:4-11

John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, "The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."

Here ends the Lessons

Click HERE to read today's Holy Gospel Lesson message

The Apostle's 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

Closing Prayer

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.

~ Numbers 6:22-27

Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia!

Thanks be to God! Alleluia!

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. The Collects, Psalms and Canticles are from the Book of Common Prayer, 1979.

"Baptism Of Our Lord" Sermon for SUNDAY, January 7, 2018 - First Sunday after the Epiphany (Baptism of our Lord)

John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, "The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."

~ Mark 1:4-11

"Baptism Of Our Lord"

Grace be unto you and peace, from God our Father and from our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen

Baptism… Today we celebrate the baptism of Jesus as well as our own. Down through the ages, the teachings and practices of baptism have been quite diverse—unfortunately causing divisions and misunderstandings among Christians and non-Christians. It kind of reminds me of the following encounter between a mother and her young son.

Probably everybody has heard the story of the little boy who came home one day and asked his mother where he came from. She gulped hard and proceeded to explain to him the facts of life. When she had told him everything there was to tell, she stopped to see how he was handling all this. He said, “No, Mommy, that’s not what I mean. Jimmy says he came from Scranton. Where did I come from?”

In our dialogues with each other concerning baptism, we have still not reached a consensus on our teachings and practices. It seems, like this story, we are misunderstanding each other. In the story, both mother and son are correct, yet the meaning and approach to the boy’s question is understood quite differently. Is it the same for Christians as well as non-Christians in regards to baptism? Do we really hear each other out correctly or does our communication break down because we turn a dialogue into an argument and try to forcefully convince “the other” that they are wrong and we are right?

In both our second lesson and gospel today, we learn of Christ’s baptism by John in the river Jordan, and of two different practices and teachings of baptism in the early church at Ephesus.

Luke provides a rather interesting account of the situation concerning baptism in the early church at Ephesus. As I read, studied and pondered this account in Acts; there were at least four things that struck me as rather unique here.

First, Luke does not mention at all in this account whether baptism in the Ephesian church involved sprinkling, pouring, immersing, or any other method of applying the water. Is the omission here by Luke intentional or accidental? We shall likely never really know for certain. Yet, perhaps it is an instructive omission. Luke may not mention whether sprinkling, pouring, immersing, or some other method of applying the water because it was not an issue for him personally or the church at Ephesus. Is it not a rather sad state of affairs that some Christian churches insist on only one method of applying the water in baptism, otherwise the baptism is not a valid one? I personally do not believe our God is going to condemn someone forever because of the method by which the water was applied on them when they were baptized. It is quite probable that Luke left this detail out because it was not an issue; or/and there were a variety of methods utilized by the Ephesian church—all of which were valid.

Second, the conversation between Paul and the Ephesian disciples is rather unusual in that it begins with a question I would likely never ask anyone: “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” Such a question I would likely take for granted, and answer, “Of course, we received the Holy Spirit!” But, it turns out that Paul’s question was a good one, because they answer in the negative: “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” Now how could they not have heard of the Holy Spirit? After all, Apollos was their leader and teacher and in Acts 18:24 we are told that Apollos was a Jew who has come to Ephesus from Alexandria, Egypt and: “He was an eloquent man, well-versed in the scriptures.” If that was true, most certainly Apollos would have known of the Spirit of God mentioned several places in the scriptures. It seems rather strange that Apollos had not taught these Ephesian disciples anything about the Holy Spirit.

Whatever the case, we learn from Luke that Paul then asks them yet another question, which reveals that they had been baptized into John’s baptism of repentance and forgiveness. Then Paul teaches the Ephesian disciples that John’s baptism led up to and prepared for a new era, telling the people to believe in Jesus who came after John. Luke then begins verse 5 with three very telling words: “On hearing this.” It was then through the words, the teaching and preaching of Paul that the Ephesian disciples responded by being “baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” The power of God’s word is at work here in the hearts and minds and lives of Paul and these Ephesian disciples.

So it has been throughout the ages: God spoke, and formed the creation out of watery chaos; at Jesus’ baptism the heavenly voice spoke and said: “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased;” so too God’s word speaks to us, calls and blesses us, makes us children of God when we too are baptized. God’s word continues to work wonders and create a new thing in each of us every day—as we grow and mature in our faith and practice of following Jesus. God’s word remains ever active—fulfilling promise upon promise. God’s word continues to be free—embracing everyone, everywhere. We are called to share that word too.

The key word for evangelism is INVITE. The minister was lamenting that the average person in his denomination invited someone to church once every 18 years. A sigh of relief was heard from the back row when one older member said to a neighbor, “Whew, I don’t have to do that for another three years!”

Take your baptism seriously. Be an Epiphany. (A revealing light). Make known the presence of God by the witness of your life.

The third thing that struck me about our passage from Acts is that Paul baptized the Ephesians “in the name of the Lord Jesus.” If this is the case, then obviously at the time Paul baptized these Ephesians and Luke wrote down this account, neither of them knew of Matthew’s last chapter (28:16-20)—where the risen Christ gives his disciples “the Great Commission” to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” If Paul and Luke knew Jesus’ words as recorded here in Matthew’s Gospel, surely they would have followed this baptismal teaching and practice, wouldn’t they? Well, maybe, but then again, maybe not, if this particular teaching and practice of baptizing in the name of Jesus was more familiar to them and widespread in the Gentile churches. This may also mean ironically, that Paul and Luke in an attempt to show the incompleteness of John’s baptism may themselves have taught and practiced an incomplete baptism until such time as they learned of Matthew’s “Great Commission,” instructing the church to baptize in the name of the Triune God. When that happened we cannot be certain. But we do know that Matthew’s account eventually became the most widely accepted teaching and practice in the life of the Christian church—which remains the universal teaching and practice among mainline Christians to this very day.

Fourth, Luke tells us that after the baptism and “Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.” It is interesting here that Luke mentions the gifts of the Holy Spirit given in this incident were those of tongues and prophecy, NOT the three greatest gifts of faith, hope and love, which Paul speaks of in his first letter to the Corinthians. Now tongues and prophecy are gifts, but they are least among those mentioned in Paul’s letters. In fact, he says of tongues that when Christians gather to worship “in church I would rather speak five words with my mind, in order to instruct others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.” (I Corinthians 14:19) Words spoken without people understanding them really do not accomplish much for the edification and well being and growth of others. Such words can place barriers between people and hurt rather than help good communication. Therefore, faith, hope and love are the greatest gifts of the Holy Spirit, since they are put into action—making a difference for others, influencing people’s lives for the better way more than incomprehensible, mumbo-jumbo speech ever could!

So, as we celebrate the baptism of our Lord today, may remember too the blessings of our own baptism: that our sins are forgiven by dying to sin, death and evil; we are adopted as God’s children into his family the church; we are given the gifts of the Holy Spirit to make our lives count in the church and in the world; and, one day, we shall be resurrected to eternal life. Amen.

Seeking God?

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

relationship with Jesus Christ

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. Sermon contributed by Rev. Garth Wehrfritz- Hanson, Grace Lutheran Church, Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada.

Prayer of the Day for SUNDAY, January 7, 2018 - First Sunday after the Epiphany (Baptism of our Lord)

Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting.

Amen

Verse of the Day for SUNDAY, January 7, 2018

Ephesians 5:1-2 (NIV) Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Read all of Ephesians 5

Listen to Ephesians 5

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

Un Dia a la Vez - Siempre aprendemos del pasado

Siempre aprendemos del pasado

Señor, hazme conocer tus caminos [...] olvida los pecados y transgresiones que cometí en mi juventud. Acuérdate de mí según tu gran amor, porque tú, Señor, eres bueno.

~ Salmo 25:4, 7 (NVI)

Cuando me pongo a pensar en mi vida antes de Cristo, reflexiono en lo mismo: ¡Qué lástima que no lo conocí antes! ¡De cuántas cosas me hubiera guardado! Sobre todo, analizo mi juventud. A pesar de que fui una chica sana y de que nunca tuve experiencias con las drogas, Dios me guardó de no cometer muchas locuras. Sin embargo, fui muy inquieta en lo emocional y terminé casándome sin estar enamorada siquiera.

A los veintiún años, ya tenía entre mis brazos a mi primera princesa, Naty. Aunque fue una bendición, cambió mi vida por completo. Dejé muchas cosas de mi juventud sin concluir y estudios sin terminar. De una manera drástica, empecé una vida llena de responsabilidades. Todos estos ajustes coincidieron con mi llegada a los Estados Unidos con una bebé de cuatro meses, un país extraño y sin saber el idioma. Con todo, aprendí mucho y, lo más importante, maduré.

Quizá tú estás leyendo esta pequeña historia y recuerdas lo que vives hoy. Quiero que sepas que Dios te permite vivir cada experiencia para enseñarte muchas cosas y para que aprendamos a verlo en cada circunstancia de nuestra vida. Recuerda que Dios te ayuda en todo momento… ¡si tú se lo permites!

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón

Standing Strong Through the Storm - CAN YOU SLEEP WHILE THE WIND BLOWS?

CAN YOU SLEEP WHILE THE WIND BLOWS?

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

~ Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

During a recent hurricane storm, the following story circulated on the Internet:

A farmer on the Atlantic seacoast constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic because of the awful storms that wreaked havoc on the buildings and crops. One applicant for the job was a short, thin man, well past middle age.

“Are you a good farm hand?” the farmer asked him. “Well, I can sleep when the wind blows,” answered the little man.

Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well and kept busy from dawn to dusk. The farmer felt satisfied with the man’s work.

Then one night the wind howled loudly from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed to the hired hand’s sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, “Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!”

The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, “No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows.”

Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. He hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

When you’re prepared for storms, spiritually, mentally, and practically, you have nothing to fear. Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life? The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm.

We secure ourselves against the storms of life by soaking ourselves with the Word of God, being obedient to it and then placing our faith and trust in God’s goodness. We don’t need to understand, we just need to hold His hand to have peace in the midst of our storms.

RESPONSE: Today I will prepare myself practically, mentally and spiritually so that I can sleep when the storms blow in my life.

PRAYER: Thank You, Lord, for the peace only You can give when the strong winds try and wreak havoc in my life and daily situations.

LHM Advent Devotion - January 7, 2018 "A Greater Body, Our Savior"

Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries

"A Greater Body, Our Savior"

January 7, 2018

And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to Him (Jesus). He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

~ Luke 4:17-19 (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

On the day that Jesus read that text from Isaiah, the Pharisees and Sadducees were claiming that their way to the Lord was the right and only way. Their position was in direct opposition to the Savior who faithfully and rightly proclaimed, "I have come to preach the gospel to the poor."

One of the best known emperors of Ethiopia was a man named Tewodros. He was the prominent emperor who officially proclaimed Ethiopia to be a Christian country. He was also known as a fierce fighter who had captured and kept his throne through force. What follows is his story.

There was a time when for a small infraction, one of Tewodros' generals ended up in prison. Sadly, during the man's imprisonment, his wife ran away with his servant. Outraged at the woman's faithlessness, Tewodros asked the general if he wanted the servant to be captured, brought back, and punished. The general replied that while he appreciated the emperor's concern such an action was not necessary. Tewodros was confused by the reply and asked for an explanation.

From prison, his general replied, "I don't seek revenge because I report to a greater body."

Tewodros was infuriated by the reply and he immediately demanded to know "In this country is there any one a higher body than me?"

The general replied, "The great body I am referring to is the Savior of the world. The almighty God will judge my wife and my servant in His own time."

Soon after, as the general's wife and his servant were relaxing together, a sudden lightning bolt struck and killed them both.

The news reached the emperor who immediately summoned his general to appear before him. Tewodros said to the commander, "You are a person of prayer and the Lord listens to you. I am afraid you might use your prayers against me, so from this moment on you are free."

Not long afterwards, Tewodros was brought to a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Savior. When he became a believer, it was not fear of lightning bolts, but thanks to the Christ which gave him hope and heaven, salvation and Savior. Since then, Ethiopia has acknowledged Jesus as the greater body; He is acknowledged as the Savior of the world.

Jesus said, "I came to preach the Good News to the poor." Knowing that man does not live by bread alone, Jesus first priority was not to feed the body, but offer spiritual nourishment and forgiveness to our sinful souls. His entire life, suffering, death, and resurrection was done to offer us that which we needed the most.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord and Savior of the world, Jesus Christ, we appreciate the mission You completed in this earth. You came to free the imprisoned and give sight to the blind. Most of all You came to preach the saving Gospel. Help us to see the future glory You have earned for us. At the same time, help us to cooperate with You in reaching the unsaved so the Holy Spirit might bring them into Your kingdom. In Your precious Name we pray. Amen.

About the Author: Today's international devotion comes from our Lutheran Hour Ministries office in Ethiopia. It was written by Berhanu Moges. He is LHM's director in Ethiopia and has attended Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska. There he took courses in personal issues, biblical studies, finance, and computer.

Established in Addis Ababa in 1996, Lutheran Hour Ministries-Ethiopia shares the Gospel in this country of more than 102 million people through evangelism rallies, Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC) and the Equipping the Saints (ETS) program, working in partnership with church congregations to organize these workshops. Rallies have proven effective in reaching people, drawing thousands, including non-Christians and Muslims. Here films, music and drama are offered -- all designed to share the Gospel message. Also, to reach young people, sporting events, Bible competitions, and other youth-related activities are offered to engage youth between the ages of 12 and 35.

Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
On the day that Jesus read that text from Isaiah, the Pharisees and Sadducees were...

Notre Pain Quotidien - Un nom

Un nom

Lisez : Philippiens 2.5-11

La Bible en un an : Genèse 18 – 19 ; Matthieu 6.1-18

[Afin] qu’au nom de Jésus tout genou fléchisse dans les cieux, sur la terre et sous la terre. (V. 10)

Cléopâtre, Galilée, Shakespeare, Elvis, Pelé. Ils sont si connus qu’il suffit d’un seul nom pour les reconnaître. Ils sont restés célèbres au fil de l’Histoire en raison de leur identité et de leurs actions. Il y a toutefois un autre nom qui les surpasse de beaucoup, les leurs et n’importe quel autre !

Avant la naissance du Fils de Dieu ici‑bas, l’ange a dit à Marie et à Joseph de le nommer Jésus parce qu’il allait « [sauver] son peuple de ses péchés » (MT 1.21) et qu’il « [serait] appelé Fils du Très‑Haut » (LU 1.32). Jésus n’est pas venu comme une célébrité, mais comme un serviteur qui s’est humilié jusqu’à mourir sur la croix afin que quiconque le recevrait soit pardonné et délivré du pouvoir du péché.

L’apôtre Paul a écrit : « Dieu l’a souverainement élevé, et lui a donné le nom qui est au‑dessus de tout nom, afin qu’au nom de Jésus tout genou fléchisse dans les cieux, sur la terre et sous la terre, et que toute langue confesse que Jésus‑Christ est Seigneur, à la gloire de Dieu le Père » (PH 2.9‑11).

Dans nos périodes de grande joie et celles de nos plus profonds besoins, c’est au nom de Jésus que nous nous accrochons. Il ne nous délaissera jamais, et son amour ne faillira jamais non plus.

Jésus-Christ doit être estimé au-dessus de tout. Augustin

par David C. McCasland

© 2018 Ministères NPQ
Cléopâtre, Galilée, Shakespeare, Elvis, Pelé.