Tanque cheio Posted: 06 Nov 2014 02:00 PM PST Você começa a viajar e, no meio do caminho, seu carro para na estrada. E, só então, você nota que esqueceu de colocar combustível! Segundo o Código de Trânsito Brasileiro essa situação é passível de multa e uma viagem tranquila pode se tornar decepcionante. Jesus quer evitar que algo parecido aconteça em nossa vida com ele. Um dia ele retornará, e quer que todos sejam salvos. Se faltar “combustível” podemos ficar no meio do caminho e não entrar na festa da vida eterna. Por isso é importante que, enquanto estamos aqui, sejamos abastecidos com sua palavra, tendo a fé fortalecida e uma fé viva, que nos faz continuar na “estrada”, no Caminho: “Fiquem vigiando porque vocês não sabem qual será o dia e a hora” (Mt 25.13). Não deixe faltar combustível: seja abastecido diariamente pela graça de Deus, de graça!
Oração: Senhor Jesus, não deixes que eu me afaste de ti, fonte da graça e vida. Que eu esteja preparado para o fim da vida aqui, e para a tua volta, a qualquer momento. Amém.
Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries
"Who Are the Saints?"November 7, 2014  And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-12
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 Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour
In Nicaragua we offer a training program which we call, Equipping the Saints.
Equipping the Saints is an interesting program that makes a witness to those who are lost while, at the same time, it teaches those who are already saved how to share the salvation story with others. Equipping the Saints is a wonderful program that touches new Christians, old Christians, and non-Christians.
At an Equipping the Saints meeting, when we meet with people who don't know much about the Savior, the first question which we ask is "Who do you think is a saint?" Naturally, almost everyone immediately thinks of famous people of the past: Saint Luke, Saint Paul, Saint Matthew, and others who followed our Lord Jesus.
To that common answer, we respond, "It's true. These folks were and are saints." And then we share, "But every person who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ is also a saint." In Galatians 3:26, Saint Paul tells us, "For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith." Now if we are "sons of God," we are also saints.
Sometimes at our presentations we notice that people misunderstand. That is because they have heard or been taught to believe they can pray to the saints for a miracle or for health or wealth.
When we see such misunderstanding, we go out of our way to tell them the only way we can be given salvation and everlasting life is through our Lord Jesus, the Son of God.
It is He -- and not the saints -- who has lived for us, died for us, and risen for us. Now He pleads to the Father for our faith and well-being. It is to Jesus, and not to the saints, that we ought to pray. When they understand the key and central position of the Savior, we are able to move forward.
From then on we can remind them, "Do not forget that you are also saints!"
We can offer them the encouragement to be ready as Christians, as God's children, as saints ... to be ready to share the Savior with those who have not yet heard about the everlasting life Jesus Christ offers to all of us.
It is, of course, the saintly thing to do.
THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for allowing me to be Your child. Most of all thank You for sending Your Son Jesus Christ who has, without any merit or worthiness in us, paid for our sins and given us eternal life. This I pray in Jesus' Name. Amen. |
