Day by Day

[Soldier4Christ]

Mark 15:1-5

THE PROCURATOR AND THE KING

In this passage we come upon another messianic title, “King of the Jews.”  The Jewish leaders realized that this title would be more inflammatory to the Roman governor than Messiah or Son of Man, because it sounded more political. For Mark, the term would also have been apt in the light of his references to David (2:25-26; 10:46-48), the greatest of the Jewish kings who was linked to Jesus by the messianic title “Son of David.”

Pilate, whose residence was normally in Caesarea, was probably in Jerusalem to keep an eye on the crowds during the Passover feast; therefore, Jesus was sent to him.  Contemporary history was less kind to him than are the Gospels, and he was described by Agrippa I as “inflexible, merciless and obstinate.”  But Mark was doubtless concerned to put as benign a face on the Roman government as possible, for Christians needed the favor of Rome merely to exist.  Thus Mark pictured Pilate as unusually respectful of Jesus in this interview.  Pilate is even said to be amazed or to wonder at him—a word that in Greek had very religious undertones.

The cause of Pilate’s wonder was apparently Jesus’ silence before his accusers.  The early Christians would have understood and appreciated this in the light of Isaiah 53:7:

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,

yet he did not open his mouth;

like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,

and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,

so he did not open his mouth.

[Soldier4Christ]

Mark 15:6-15

TWO SONS OF THE FATHER

Barabbas is an Aramaic name meaning “son of the father.”  In usual usage, it was a surname.  In some early manuscripts of Matthew’s Gospel, Barabbas’s full name is shown as “Jesus Barabbas” (Matt. 27:16).  Jesus was not an uncommon name, and it is entirely possible that it was Barabbas’s given name.  If that was the case, subsequent Christian scribes may have piously deleted the name of their Lord when they found it attached to the insurrectionist who was released in the Messiah’s place.

How ironic it would have been.  Two Jesuses, two sons of the father.  Did Pilate see the irony?  Was it a clever act on his part to put the two before the Jewish crowd and offer to release whichever one they asked for?  Jesus the murderer, or Jesus the Messiah.  Which would they free?

The chief priests did their work among the crowd.  Mark could imagine them moving in and out like weasels, like creatures of evil, persuading the people to ask for Barabbas.

“And the King of the Jews? asks Pilate, “What shall I do with him?”

“Crucify him!” they shout.

So one Jesus is turned loose in the world as a murderer, while the other, innocent of all crimes, is tied to a post and scourged.  Then he is delivered up to be crucified.

[Soldier4Christ]

Mark 15:16-20

THE MOCKERY

Sir James Frazer’s The Golden Bough describes ancient rites in which a fool or a prisoner was dressed as a king, given a scepter, and made the center of a mock court.  Perhaps such pagan practices lay behind the soldiers’ behavior in this passage.

The entire battalion—two to six hundred men—witnessed the spectacle.  Some may have felt sympathetic toward the poor figure being abused.  Most probably took up the game with delight.  A purple soldier’s cloak was thrown over Jesus’ bleeding back, a crown of thorns pressed on his head.  In mock gravity, the soldiers saluted as if greeting Caesar.  “Hail, King of the Jews,” they shouted.

They struck him, spat upon him, and fell at his feet, pretending to pay homage.  Then, their brutal hunger either sated or transmuted into a blood thirstiness that could be quenched by nothing less than the victim’s death, they reclaimed the purple cloak, draped Jesus’ own robe about him, and led him away to crucify him.

Through it all, apparently, he uttered no sound, but suffered in the same silence that had brought even the callous heart of Pilate to wonder at him.

[Soldier4Christ]

Perfect in Weakness

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
- 2 Corinthians 12:9

"Perfect in weakness? Who ever heard of such a thing? Is it really true that this God in whom I place my faith has enough power to shine through my weaknesses?" As humans, we all face these questions at least once in our lives.

We're imperfect, and we ourselves cannot get past this. We all have different weaknesses, but we also have one in common; sin. Sin is a very powerful weakness that only God can break through. Like this verse says, God's grace is enough to wipe away all of our sins and His power is enough to make us strong, despite the fact that we are truly weak. If we allow Him, He can shine through us. He can become even more powerful through our weaknesses.

Salvation is only for the weak, for those who have realized the difference between God and man. He is holy and perfect, and He wants to know us. Though we are lowly and wretched, He still calls us. But He doesn't call the equipped. He equips the called.

[Soldier4Christ]

Cnidophobia

The other day, I was laying on my bed when I noticed a wasp flying around my room. Later on, I noticed a second wasp. I am not a fan of wasps, but I didn't want to kill them either (I guess I'm kind of a nature lover like that). And I didn't want them to just stay in my room till they starve to death and die. I had to save the wasps! (Oh yeah, I'm a dork!) So I decided to open my window beside my bed, and hope that they would fly out. But as I lay there and watched these wasps fly around, waiting for them to notice my open window and fly to freedom, I realized that if they ever do fly out my window, they would have to fly right over me, since I was laying next to the window. I always heard that wasps (and spiders and snakes, etc.) are more afraid of me than I am of them. Whoever said that was a moron. I HATE WASPS! But in spite of my fear that a wasp might land on me and decide to sting me, I laid there on my bed and kept the blinds and the window wide open so the wasps could fly right out, no matter how close they may come to me.

Laying there, waiting for the wasps to pass over me and fly out my window, I began to think that evangelism is a lot like this. We see people every day, living in their own little worlds, making themselves at home in this world, blind to the reality that there is only death and destruction waiting for them in this life, and in also in a hellish eternity. If you have any passion for God, then you probably have the God-given desire to show people God's plan for eternal salvation. But we are afraid that if we share our faith with others, we might come up against persecution. Just like trying to help a wasp fly out a window, we are afraid that we might get stung in the process.

It's natural to feel this kind of fear. Even the Apostle Paul felt that fear when he was preaching the gospel to the Corinthians: "I came to you with much fear and trembling." (1 Corinthians 2:3) It is not uncommon to be afraid to tell the gospel to people that need to hear it because we are afraid they may make fun of us, reject us, or make a mockery out of our faith. After all, our faith is unreasonable... in the worlds eyes. "The gospel is foolishness to those that are not saved." (1 Corinthians 2:18) What can we do? Look at what Peter had to say about fear, when he and the other apostles were brought under persecution. "The high priest questioned [the apostles], saying, "Didn't we strictly charge you not to teach in this name? Behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man's blood on us.' But Peter and the apostles answered, 'We must obey God rather than men.'" (Acts 5:27-29) Was Peter afraid of what the high priest might do to him? No doubt, he knew that they could kill him just the same way they killed Jesus. I'm sure he was afraid. But Peter had his priorities straight. He said "We ought to obey God rather than men." Another way of saying that is to say that "We ought to fear God rather than men." In other words, we ought to have more of a passion and determination to do the will of God in doing the work of the gospel, and put aside our passion and determination to keep ourselves alive and safe from any kind of harm. Hard to do? You bet! Is it easy to be a Christian like that? Of course not. But don't be discouraged. If you really desire for God's will to be done in your life, and if you really want to be a tool to help lead people to Christ, pray that God will help you over come your fears. Then lift up Christ with your life and with your words. Persecution doesn't last long. But for the people in your life that don't know Christ and will one day experience an eternity in hell, remember that eternity is forever. So go ahead. Get stung. You'll be rewarded for it in the end.

[Soldier4Christ]

Luk 11:3  Give us day by day our daily bread.


Are you getting your daily bread? All of us must eat in order to live, to grow, to be healthy. It is a fact of live here on earth. These physical bodies of ours need food.

There is another food that Jesus speaks of. ( John 6 : 26 - 37) He tells us that some people sought after Him because of the miracle of the loaves, that they ate and were full. He also tells us that that there is a more important food that we should seek after. It is "that meat which endureth unto everlasting life", our daily bread. It is important for us to eat to take care of our physical body but we must also eat to take care of our soul. We do this through constant prayer and partaking (reading and studying) of God's word, to grow in Christ, to remain spiritually healthy.

Do you get your daily bread?

[Soldier4Christ]

"The Courageous Coward"

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. Acts 4:13
   

The passing of 81-year-old Traudl Junge in February of 2002 went almost unnoticed. What little attention she received came because of her reminiscences about her old employer. Concerning that man she said, “He was a pleasant boss and a fatherly friend. I … enjoyed the time by his side almost until the bitter end. It wasn't what he said, but the way he said things and how he did things." Her boss sounds like a nice guy doesn’t he? Her kindly boss was Adolf Hitler.

It just goes to show, you can’t tell a book by its cover. We shouldn’t be surprised; the Bible has been telling us that for thousands of years. In the pages of Scripture, we see men and women as they really are. Even the heroes of faith are shown with all their sins and shortcomings. Adam started out perfect and then he sinned. Noah faithfully built the ark, but he was not above enjoying a bit too much wine. Moses took the people through the wilderness and then disobeyed God. David may have been a great king, but he was also an adulterer and murderer. In every person of Scripture you will see feet of clay. Every person, no matter how good they are, no matter how hard they try, still needs a Savior.

We’re like that, too, aren’t we? All of us have qualities of which we are neither proud nor pleased, parts of ourselves we try to keep hidden. We cannot escape our dark side, our sinful side, our evil side. Which is precisely why we need the Savior. When Jesus is your Savior, the sins that have blackened your soul are forgiven, and you are free. When Jesus is your Lord, every aspect of your life is reborn and recycled. Your actions, your talk, your habits are transformed.

Transformed men were what the High Priests saw the day Peter and John appeared before them. The spiritual leaders of Israel expected to see cowards; instead they found courage. They expected to meet with unschooled, ordinary men; instead, they came face-to-face with men of conviction. What had happened? In Jesus, the Holy Spirit had put a new cover on the book of those men’s lives. Over the centuries He has done the same for others. He wants to do the same for you.

Act 8:22  Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Are You Ready?"

What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away. 1 Corinthians 7:29-31
   

Years ago, a man who had always jeered at the idea of a Savior or salvation became ill. During the months of his disorder and decline, the neighborhood minister sent him small packages. Nothing big, just a few little things to let him know he had not been forgotten. As it became apparent that time was running out, the man sent for the minister. He began the conversation by saying, “I didn’t ask you here so you could regale me with religion. I did, however, want to thank you for your kindness.” Understanding the rules of the conversation, the minister inquired, “May I ask one question?” “Yes,” said the man, “one question, as long as it isn’t about religion.”

The minister spoke: “Okay, here goes. I’m preaching tomorrow. Quite a few people will be there to hear me. Some, like you, may soon be facing death. What shall I preach about?” There was a long silence. Then came the reply: “Pastor, preach Christ to them, preach Christ.”

Some people live their lives as if they’re going to live forever. They’re not. Indeed, with the mortality rate for humanity running pretty close to 100%, it is right for us to make some plans. Yes, some of us may live to see our one hundredth birthday, but it would not be a wise move to order the cake and hire a band for the big day. But assuming that the time will come when we will have to say our earthly farewells, it is only right that we ask, “Are you ready?” The Lord Jesus Christ, knowing that we and this present earth are going to pass away, spent His entire life so that you would be able to answer yes.

Those who have faith in the Savior know that nothing can separate them from the love of God which is theirs in Christ Jesus. So that they might, even in death, be safe in the hands of the Heavenly Father, Jesus came into this world. So that we might not have to be alone when we die, Jesus suffered and was crucified. So we might know that we can, by His precious blood, live forever, He rose from the dead. Yes, this world in its present form will pass away, but we won’t. Because of Jesus, we have life eternal.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Somebody You Don’t Know"

“I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” John 1:26-27
   

Years ago, I met a woman. And although not a member of my parish, she was a Christian woman. It was January and she told me about her husband who had just died. I imagine she was telling their story to just about everyone she met. When a special love ends, even if it existed for only a short time, it is pretty normal to want to talk about it. She shared with me how his illness had begun shortly before Thanksgiving and had lasted all the way past Christmas.

His illness had been marked with long nights of discomfort and distress. She had cared for him at home, so as much of the rest of the world prepared for Christmas—did shopping, sent out cards, hung lights, went to parties—she administered pain medication and spent sleepless nights by his side. Then she told me something extraordinary: Her neighbors had kept their Christmas lights burning 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It was their way of letting her know, “We’re thinking of you. We want you to see our lights and be reminded that Jesus, the Light of the World, is with you, too.” The lady, her voice husky with emotion, added, “It might seem a little thing, but those neighbors showed me the light that can punch holes in the darkest nights of the soul.”

Before Jesus began His ministry, John the Baptist called people to repentance. He wanted everyone to see the darkness of their lives. As the forerunner of the Savior, John knew that when people see they are in darkness, they can appreciate the light even more. For John, the light the people needed to see was Jesus, God’s Son, our Savior, who came to be the Light of the world.

Although the centuries have come and gone and we have seen great advances in technology, the human condition has not changed. All of humanity is still steeped in darkness. We are still shrouded by hatred, prejudice, greed, theft, adultery, and a disregard for God and His grace. And we all still need the light of the Lord Jesus Christ. We need Him who spent His life for us, died for us and, rose for us. By faith in Him we will be called out of darkness into God’s marvelous light of forgiveness. There is no one else who can do that for us. Only Jesus. He is somebody you ought to know.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Writing Him Off"

Luk 4:28  And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
Luk 4:29  And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.
Luk 4:30  But he passing through the midst of them went his way,

In the 1800s, there was a European violinist who, with his priceless Stradivarius violin, gave one impressive performance after another. The next day the critics would write: “This is something wonderful. We have heard the music from the Stradivarius.” It didn’t make any difference where he played: church, concert halls, or command performances before royalty—the comment was consistent: “This is something wonderful. We have heard the music from the Stradivarius.” It didn’t take all that long before the violinist got tired of having all the accolades go to his violin.

Frustrated, he went to a musical pawnshop and picked out an old, weathered, worn-out violin. That night he took the five-dollar fiddle, not his Stradivarius, to the sold-out concert. For two hours his fingers flew across the strings of the five-dollar fiddle. In his dressing room he waited impatiently, for the glowing reports that he knew his manager would bring. When the manager arrived he said, "Congratulations. All agree. 'This is something wonderful. We have heard the music from the Stradivarius. '"

If it was hard for the violinist to be written off, think how Jesus must have felt when He returned to His boyhood home in Nazareth. As a hometown hero, He should have received a banquet or a parade. That didn’t happen. After Jesus laid claim to being the Messiah, Jesus’ friends wrote Him off. They tried to write Him off permanently by trying to throw Him off the town cliff. They didn’t succeed and Jesus walked down the road and, as far as we know, out of the lives of His childhood companions forever.

That was not the last time Jesus was written off. Today, people are still trying to do their best to ignore Him. They should learn from the men and women of Nazareth: It is far better to acknowledge Jesus as Savior today rather than as your angry Judge later on. Do not ignore the Savior who has come to forgive you of your sins. Do not neglect Him, who by His blood gives believers a new life here and in eternity. Don’t ignore Jesus.

[Soldier4Christ]

"We’ve Found Jesus!"

Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. Matthew 24:23

In case you haven’t heard, the Discovery Channel aired a documentary this past Sunday evening in which the claim was made that archaeologists may have found the burial spot of Jesus and His family. If the story were true, the news that Jesus’ “body” has been found would undermine Christianity, which claims that the Savior rose from the dead, and there are no bones to be found.

The key words in the above statement are, “If the story were true”. Since the program aired, it seems people have been divided into two groups. These two groups are those who believe the Bible is inspired and inerrant and those who think the Scriptures lied about Jesus physical resurrection from the dead on the third day.

That’s not surprising since the world has always been divided into two groups—believers and doubters. The believers are those who know Jesus is the world’s living Savior, and the doubters are those who want to push Christ back into His tomb and say, “Look, here is the Christ.”

You may wonder if there is any Christian response to what Dr. Paul Maier calls, “the latest in the long-running media attack on the historical Jesus.” The answer is, “yes.” The Reverend Doctor Paul Maier, Professor of Archaeology and a Vice-President of the LCMS, has raised some good points. For example, why would a poor family like that of Jesus have a very expensive burial site in the same city where He was crucified? Why is there no Christian, Jewish or secular tradition which says Jesus, or some of His family were buried in Jerusalem? The Jewish archaeologist who first investigated the site says, "It makes a great story for a TV film, but it's completely impossible."

If time allowed, Dr. Maier, along with myself, a host of respected historians, and archaeologists could continue this discussion. Let me instead point you to the Savior’s warning given to those who would come after Him, "If anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ! Do not believe it.'"

[Soldier4Christ]

"Woe Is Me"

"Woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.” Luke 6:24-26
   

According to the ancient legends, Valentine was a young Christian priest who lived in ancient Rome. His was an age when young Roman men were not overly eager to leave home and hearth to fight in the emperor's unpopular and seemingly unceasing wars. According to the story, the emperor placed a ban on marriage for all of Rome’s young men, for men without a love connection to wife and family would more readily march away to distant lands.

Valentine felt sorry for the unhappy Christian men and their sweethearts, so he secretly and illegally performed a large number of Christian marriages. Eventually his compassion placed him in prison. Outside Valentine’s cell window was a cluster of violets. Valentine picked some of the heart-shaped leaves and painstakingly spelled, "Remember, your Valentine loves you." Then he would drop those leaves carrying the reflected message of Jesus’ love to the streets below. Eventually, Valentine was put to death because of his faith in the Savior.

Valentine died knowing that in the Bethlehem manger, God, in the person of His Son, our Savior, had sent humanity—and him—a message saying, “I love you.” On the cross of Calvary, as His Son carried our sins, God sent a message which said, “I love you.” In the open and empty tomb, the Lord gives us the promise that His love cannot be confined to our days on earth, but continues on from this world even into heaven.

Sadly, still today there are many who, in spite of the Savior’s life of sacrifice, feel unloved, unappreciated, uncared for, lost, or lonely. If you are among those who believe you are forlorn and friendless, know that God’s gracious love is there for all who have faith in Jesus. With Jesus as your ever-living Savior, you are given a wonderful, lasting friend who will never forget you. And if you are already part of Jesus’ family of faith, hold fast to Him, who is proof of God's care. Believe that no matter how others may treat you, in Jesus you have God’s unending, all- encompassing love.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Fake Fur"

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. Matthew 7:15
   

We live in an imitation world where $40,000 cars are lined with imitation wood, and supermarkets sell imitation margarine. The United States Humane Society announced they discovered a “real thing” being passed off as an imitation fur.

This calls for an explanation you might not like. The Humane Society announced they went to several upscale stores and purchased designer label coats trimmed with “fake fur.” After scientific testing, the organization found out the fake fur originated from the fur of domestic and wild dogs and wolves.

The reaction of the coat sellers varied. Some denied the charges, and others were shocked. Some pulled all the coats off their shelves. Nordstrom called their customers and offered them a return policy. The reaction of most distributors was proper and expedient, since intentionally importing or selling cat or dog fur is punishable by a $10,000 fine.

You should know I debated on whether I ought to build a devotion around this news item. The point is that it’s sad so many folks get outraged with anyone who abuses cats and dogs to make an unfair profit, while few folks are concerned when false prophets exploit Jesus. Jesus warned us to beware of those wolves dressed in sheepskins.

So, how can you beware of a “false prophet”? Answering these simple questions might help you. For example, does the person talk more about Jesus or himself? Do they speak of forgiveness through the Savior or manipulation of God’s grace? Do they preach more about heaven or your target your bank account? Such preachers may look good, sound good, and be accepted by millions, but wolves in sheep’s clothing look good, too.

There is one other point to this devotion. If you are a member of a church where Jesus the Savior is preached,eternal salvation is the subject of your pastor's every message, and the saving of souls is the most important thing your congregation does, thank God. You don’t have a pretend pastor and congregation, you have the real thing.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Not Willing"

How often have I longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Matthew 23:37 and Luke 13:34
   

In the year 1014, Emperor Basil II of Constantinople wanted to have peace. He decided it was time to end a war that had been raging for 40 years. In the interest of getting peace, Basil brought together all 15,000 of the Bulgarian prisoners he held captive. Then Basil blinded all 15,000. Well, that’s not accurate; he spared 150 of them. Those he only blinded in one eye. That was so those 150 could lead the others home to the Bulgarian capital of Ohrid. When Bulgaria's ruler, a man by the name of Samuel, heard his army was coming home he rushed out in gladness to greet them. Confronted by thousands of sightless soldiers, Samuel suffered a stroke and died two days later.

A terrible story? Indeed! But it is a story that has been repeated again and again throughout humankind’s history. The world says it wants peace; people, leaders, and nations all cry out for peace; but peace never seems to come. Hatred and human horrors seem to be just as commonplace today as they were in centuries past. A quick look at our neighbors, our family members, our co-workers, shows us that peace, as least as the world defines it, is somehow always out of reach.

Which is precisely why we would do well to look to God, and not humankind, if we would find peace for this world and the next. So that we might have peace, Jesus was born. His desire to provide peace is what caused Him to seek out the lost and the lonely, the sick and the sinner, the possessed and those who were in pain. To all of them He said, "Come to Me. Forgiveness and peace is here for all who believe." Little wonder that when the people of ancient Jerusalem turned down His offer of peace, tears flowed from the Lord’s loving eyes. He knew, as we should, that without Him and His blood-bought forgiveness, peace would always be impossible.

I imagine He still cries for those who continue to search in vain for the peace of God, which passes human understanding. Is it possible that Jesus may be crying for you? You may not have noticed because your own eyes are clouded with the tears that come from a soul which cannot rest, a heart that is always troubled. If so, believe in Jesus. Let Him wipe away your tears and give you His wonderful peace.

[Soldier4Christ]

"An Unpleasant Message"

“See, I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to His temple; the messenger of the covenant whom you desire will come,” says the Lord Almighty. But who can endure the day of His coming? Who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Malachi 3:1-3
   

I have a Christmas story for you: It begins in the intensive care waiting room of a Minneapolis hospital. Outside, people were cold; inside, people were captured in the crucible of suffering. Tragedy had brought them there—a burned child, a heart attack, a stroke. People rummaged through old magazines, sent out news bulletins on their cell phones, said silent prayers.

Then one woman spoke up: “Why don’t we sing? It’s January, but I’m not tired of singing Christmas carols!” She began, “From heaven above to earth I come, To bear good news to every home; Glad tidings of great joy I bring, Whereof I now will say and sing: To you this night is born a child of Mary, chosen virgin mild; This little child, of lowly birth, Shall be the joy of all the earth.” Soon the room was filled with joy.

Today it is fashionable for ministers to preach that if you know Jesus you will have a perfect, problem-free life. If having Jesus as your Savior guaranteed that you would be freed from the crucible of life’s sufferings, everyone would soon be a Christian. But Jesus was not born to make life easy. He came to change you … to save you … to refine you.

Each of us—sooner or later, longer or shorter—end up in life’s crucible. Possibly, right now you or someone you love is suffering. Do you find yourself not knowing which way to go, what to do, in whom to believe, or how to change? You are not alone. Being a sinful human being means you will be thrown into the cauldron. It is part of the human condition. Especially during such moments, the Lord wants to remove the slag from your life and transform you with the message of salvation that comes through faith in His Son.

Is darkness all around you? Jesus wishes to bring light. The angels said it: “Good news. Great joy. Unto you is born a Savior, Christ the Lord.” With Jesus as Savior you will emerge from the crucible transformed.