And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, "This man was with Jesus of Nazareth." And again he denied it with an oath: "I do not know the man." Matthew 26:71-72
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 Friday 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 of The Lutheran Hour
Do you like sports? Are you a fan of a particular team? Perhaps this team is from the region where you born, or you just like the color of the uniforms. You don’t have to be a sport fanatic to know that most people cheer for their favorite team, not the other one.
Once, during a soccer game, a young man was cheering for both teams and enjoying the game immensely. People around him were confused. When the game ended, somebody asked him why he was supporting both teams. He answered, “I don’t like to lose, so I cheer both teams on. It’s not important who wins, only that they have a good time while playing.”
A lot of times, this is the same way we act. We act like Christians around other Christians, but we act differently around non-Christians. Are we brave disciples, showing our faith? Or are we concerned about being labeled as such? Even Peter experienced this problem. He told Jesus that he would offer his life for Him. Later, Peter disowned Him three times. And yet, Jesus did not disown Peter. Jesus endured the scorn and shame of the cross for Peter-and for us-and He graciously forgives us and then gives us the privilege of telling others this Good News.
THE PRAYER: Father, guide us and help us to be brave disciples, to show our convictions as the winners of this battle, and to live according to that truth. Amen.
Biography of Author: Edilberto Mendez Mora serves as the Director for LHM-Panama.
To learn more about our International Ministries, click here or visit www.lhmint.org.
Today's Bible Readings: Isaiah 1-2 2 Corinthians 11:16-33
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