(Jesus said) "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to." Luke 13:24
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
For the Christian, living in this world means grappling with negative enticements on every front. We are under bombardment by subtle and overt suggestions, a constant blitz of electronic messages, and a host of other influences that can easily sideline us from living the devoted and disciplined life our Savior calls us to as His followers.
Even a blind man would know much of what passes for popular entertainment these days is loaded with questionable moral content, promoting lifestyles where anything goes and, often, everything does. It's not easy sidestepping these influences when they are so pervasive throughout our society. On the other hand, it's not impossible either.
As children of God, we are called to obedience, and obedience sometimes requires passage through a very narrow door. As our Savior, Jesus took our lives -- stained by sin and bound for hell -- to the cross and bore the weight of our just penalty in His body. Instead of condemnation, through faith we are offered salvation -- and that is eternal. Through Jesus Christ's death and resurrection, God grants us forgiveness and the gift of enjoying eternal life with Him in His Kingdom.
THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, help us to turn away from temptations and bad influences as we partake in Your Kingdom and rejoice in the forgiveness Christ has brought us. Amen.
Biography of Author: This devotion is based on a text from Citia Karina, a volunteer with Lutheran Hour Ministries-Nicaragua. As an elementary schoolteacher, she is active in teaching young children about the Bible. In Nicaragua, LHM is known locally as Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones (Christ for All Nations) and works with Project JOEL, operates a radio ministry, utilizes Equipping the Saints (ETS) for outreach, and offers Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC) in this country of nearly six million people.
To learn more about our International Ministries, click here or visit www.lhmint.org.
Today's Bible Readings: 1 Samuel 1-3 Luke 17:20-37
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