Jail Break

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 ESV

Though the maximum security, Altiplano jail was constructed with high walls, plenty of razor ribbon and a high tech security system, in 2015, Mexican Drug Lord Joaquin Guzman, made headlines by breaking out. When the astonishing details were revealed, we learned that he had escaped through a tunnel his associates had dug, complete with lights, ventilation and a rail system that led to a building project, almost a mile away.

But Jesus offers us a freedom that is far better than the one which Joaquin Guzman experienced (After all he was captured just 5 months later). The freedom that Jesus gives is one for which He paid a price far higher than Guzman had paid his workers to build the tunnel. Jesus suffered and died a terrible death on the cross, paying for our escape with His own blood. But sadly, there are times when we Christians sometimes dig a tunnel with our bare hands, that leads straight back to the maximum security prison of sin. We speed along the rail system of selfish choices that ends in the small dark cell block of separation from God. But today’s verse tells us that does not need to be the end of our story. All hope is not lost, because if we will simply turn to Jesus, confess our sins and ask forgiveness, He is faithful and just to forgive us again and again, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and restore us to the freedom of heaven where we will live with Him forever!

Photo by Aaron Burden on Pexels.com

On Tip-Toe

Today I am making available the 2018 Christmas devotional “Mary I Have News” both in a Kindle edition and in paperback. The concept for the theme this year began with a song I wrote last year for our young people to sing for a Christmas program. So often we think of Christmas on that Silent Night when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. But the birth announcement by the angel to Mary marked the moment when God came and entered the world secretly while angels stood on tip-toe to see what God would do next!

The whole creation is on tiptoe to see the wonderful sight of the sons of God coming into their own. Romans 8: 19 Phillips version

Does it seem that Christmas has become tedious or even a bit boring? I recently learned a lesson from our grandson Alex as we walked to the nearby fire station one morning. Along the way he picked up every seed and stick stopping every few feet for new discoveries. When we got to the fire station, he peered through the windows at the fire trucks and even opened their letter box to see their mail!…

Excerpt from Day 1: Mary I Have News: 30 Christmas Reflections (Kindle Locations 27-32). Kindle Edition.

Mary I Have News

Mary I Have News!

Lenten Translation Project / Devocionais Para A Quaresma

For those who have followed my blog for sometime you know that I do translation from Portuguese to English at our church. I am not able to professionally translate but having become comfortable with live translation in church I decided to try my hand at translating my Lenten Devotional into Portuguese this year. I am truly thankful for my Pastor, Dr Joliam Sampaio for correcting and rewriting large portions of my first attempt.

The result has been a new adventure for me. If you know of anyone who would enjoy a simple daily reading in the mother language it is available in both E-book and softcover. The soft cover version brings with it the advantage of receiving the E-book version free and free lending is enabled for this.

Para aqueles que seguiram meu blog por algum tempo, você sabe que eu faço tradução do português para o inglês na nossa igreja. Não consigo traduzir profissionalmente, mas decidi tentar minha mão em traduzir o meu Devocionais para a Quaresma em português este ano. Estou realmente agradecido pelo meu Pastor, o Dr. Joliam Sampaio, por corrigir  grandes partes da minha primeira tentativa. Esperou que o resultado seria uma benção em suas vidas

Quando o cirurgião veio ao meu encontro quando eu estava deitado na mesa de operação, eu estava calmo. Embora já tivéssemos falado brevemente quando eu fui examinado em seu consultório na semana anterior, eu confiei nele. Quanto mais devemos confiar em Deus durante os tempos de mudança em nossas vidas? Quando começamos a Quaresma, por que não começar confiar mais em Deus em todas as circunstâncias de nossas vidas?

edição kindle e-book – clique aqui

Reflexões Sobre a Páscoa

livro de capa macia – clique aqui

Reflexões Sobre a Páscoa

Reflections Portuguese