Devotional thought from the messages of Adrian Rogers
BIBLE MEDITATION:
1 Peter 1:23 - “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, which live and abides for ever.”
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
A little girl was supposed to take her birth certificate to school. Her mother had solemnly warned her not to lose it because of its tremendous importance, but lose it she did. Later she was sitting on the steps of the school, crying. The janitor asked her what was wrong. She replied, “I lost my excuse for being born.” Now, that’s a funny story, but it has a sobering analogy. You don’t need an excuse for being born again. You have a Savior, and He’s calling your name.
ACTION POINT:
Have you been born again? Have you experienced the cleansing power of Jesus’ blood that washes all your sin away? If not, I invite you to come to Him in repentance and faith. Discover Jesus today.
In The News:
India: Five Women Missionaries Beaten Publicly for Sharing Gospel
Five women were beaten by a man in the Andhra Pradesh region of India while sharing about the love of Jesus in a public marketplace, Charisma News reports. Amazingly spared, they retreated to safety, thanking God for the honor of suffering for His sake. The women, all leaders in the Gospel for Asia-sponsored Women's Fellowship ministry, had been sharing with store owners and shoppers when one man demanded to know what they were doing. The assault began with a powerful slap to the face of one woman and continued to the others, one of whom was isolated and surrounded by five men. The women -- Bansari, Jaladhi, Kuyil, Sunita and Viveka -- were beaten on their faces, ears and heads. All reported that no bystanders came to their defense during the ordeal but they miraculously escaped from their multiple attackers and were delivered from further harm. "Jesus promised persecuting and hardships," said Daniel Punnose, vice president of GFA. "These young ladies see it worth facing the beatings in order to share the love of Christ. ... When we see young women publicly beaten for the faith, it tells us what the future holds in regards to persecution. Things will get worse, but the Lord is faithful in all things."
Church in Syria Threatened for Relief Distribution
One of the churches in war-torn Syria that partners with Open Doors USA to distribute relief items to needy and displaced people has been threatened by extremists because of its "missionary" activities. The church distributes food and other supplies to Christians, Muslims and others in need, as well as telling the people about the love of Jesus and offering them a New Testament if they ask. Many Muslims are interested in listening and some even ask for a New Testament. This hasn't gone unnoticed with the extremists, who threatened to attack the church. Open Doors writes: "Pray that the Lord will protect the church and its members so relief supplies and the Gospel can go out to people in the area. Also pray for peace in a country where an estimated 100,000 people have been killed and millions displaced in continuing civil war violence."
Minnesota, Rhode Island Celebrate Gay Marriage
At 12 a.m. Thursday, Minnesota and Rhode Island officially became the latest among 13 states -- plus the District of Columbia -- to allow same-sex marriage, CNN reports. Both states passed applicable laws in May. At midnight, Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak presided over the unions of 42 same-sex couples at city hall. The couples were scheduled to be at the altar early, so Rybak could move the ceremony along in time for the first wedding vows to be over right when the clock struck 12. In Rhode Island, the first marriages were planned for Thursday morning. The sponsor of the state's same-sex marriage law, Sen. Donna Nesselbush, planned to be at Pawtucket City Hall to greet them, she said. "As the only openly gay senator and as the prime sponsor of the bill in the Senate, [Thursday] is a day that I wish to remember both professionally and personally," she said.
Vietnam: Recent Convert Tortured and Imprisoned
A new Christian, "Bao," is being pressured by village authorities to recant his faith, according to Voice of the Martyrs. After Bao and his family converted to Christianity four months ago, authorities told Bao he could not live in the village and could not use or purchase any products like food, clothing or candles from the village as long as he continued in his beliefs. They repeated their threat three times. After Bao was baptized on July 16, his brother beat him and had him arrested. Bao was jailed for two days and was beaten and shocked in his eye with electric wires. Police fined Bao $250, which had to be paid before he could be released. His wife was unable to go and find someone to loan them the money because she is blind. Instead, Bao was released on the condition that he return in two days with the full payment. VOM is providing Bao with money to pay the fine.
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