If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8-9 "For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you. Isaiah 54:10

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

Irene is a young Kazakh woman from Mongolia.

When she was young, she heard the Good News about Jesus and believed. She began attending a Christian church in her village and continued to grow in her faith. When it came time for her to attend the university, she moved to the capital city of Ulaanbaatar. This she did because that location offered more opportunities for her to work and study.

Now you and I know every big city, not just Ulaanbaatar, is full of all kinds of evil.

In all of her years Irene had never experienced much of what she now saw happening all around her. This "forbidden fruit" looked very good to her, and she wanted to taste it. As she began to sink into sin, she withdrew further and further from her church, from God's Word, and from her Lord.

She didn't want to meet with her believing friends.

"I have no time," she always told them as she pushed them out. Eventually, she fell into sexual sin, which resulted in an unplanned pregnancy. Irene was embarrassed to tell anyone of her condition. She knew she had sinned, but she didn't want to sin further by aborting the baby.

Her conscience pained her badly. It was hard to be alone with her guilt.

Finally, Irene decided to talk to a missionary pastor, as well as some other Christian friends. She confessed her sin to them, and prayed for forgiveness from the Lord. She was reminded that even though we try to push God away, God never forgets about us.

He will never turn his face away from us, no matter what we have done.

The missionary pastor and her Christian friends continued to remind Irene about these things. Today, I am pleased to report she has received freedom and forgiveness from her sin. God's hand in her life has lifted the weight of a guilty conscience.

She and her boyfriend are now married, and their baby boy will soon enter the world, being born into a home with loving, Christian parents.

THE PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, we pray for the young Christians who can easily be seduced by the world's temptations. We pray they would stand strong in their faith and stay true to you, God. We also pray for those Christians who have sinned and don't believe that God's forgiveness is big enough for them. We pray they would be reminded of Jesus' death on the cross is the complete payment for their sins. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.

Biography of Author: Today's international devotion was written by the staff at the Lutheran Hour office in Mongolia. In partnership with Lutheran pastors and missionaries, Lutheran Hour Ministries-Mongolia is using Kazakh-language radio programming to proclaim the Gospel and give basic Christian teaching. Listeners who respond to broadcasts will be invited to study the Bible with us. The center publishes other Kazakh-language resources to supplement its radio programming and Bible courses.

Situated between Russia and China, this country of less than 3 million people has as many as 100,000 Christians today, up from next to none in the late 1980s. Known in-country as "Voice of the Nation," LHM-Mongolia established its ministry center there in 2014, in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar. Listeners responding to radio broadcasts are invited to study and learn more about Jesus and the Christian faith by participating in Bible listening groups that use the Who Is Jesus? Bible study.

You can check out the LHM-Mongolia blog by clicking here.


To learn more about our International Ministries, click here or visit www.lhm.org/international.

In Christ I remain His servant and yours,

Today's Bible Readings: 1 Chronicles 17-19    1 Corinthians 13

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