Daily Encounter: A Week-day Devotional by a staff of ACTS International.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.â€�¹

In the October 2000 issue of Decision magazine, an anonymous young man wrote in with the story of how he came to Christ. Many years ago, this young man was caught in a downward spiral of drugs and alcohol abuse. His older brother, Terry, had once participated in this lifestyle, too, but Terry had recently become a Christian. It had caused an immediate change in his life. He shared his faith with anyone he came across. 

A few months after Terry's conversion, the supermarket where he worked was robbed. One of the robbers shot Terry in the back. As Terry hung between life and death in the hospital, the younger brother finally turned to God and began to pray. He finally gave his life to Christ. He was able to tell Terry of his decision to receive Jesus Christ as His Savior just a few days before Terry's death. 

A few months later, this young man got a job at the same supermarket where Terry had been shot. He began telling a colleague about his faith in Christ. The young man remarked that Terry had done the same thing. Then he added, "Your brother said that he would give his life if you could come to know the Lord Jesus."²

Suggested prayer, “Gracious God, how can I ever thank you enough for the gift of your Son, Jesus, who came to earth as a babe at the first Christmas some 2,000 years ago, so He could give his life on the cross in my place to pay the just penaly for all my sins, so that I could have all my sins forgiven and spend forever in Heaven with you. And Jesus, because you gave your life fully for me, please help me to live my life fully for You and for Your Kingdom. Gratefully in your name. Amen.�

Note: If you have never accepted God's forgiveness for all your sins and His gift of eternal life, I encourage you to do this today. For help, read the article, "How to Be Sure You're a Real Christianâ€"Without Having to Be Religious" at: www.actsweb.org/christian.

1. Romans 5:6-8 (NIV).
2. "My Brother's Love," Decision, October, 2000, p. 30.

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