Magnitude 8.8 quake hits Chile
“A powerful magnitude-6.1aftershock hit offshore central Chile early Saturday (27 February) in the wake of a powerful magnitude-8.8 earthquake, leaving 78 people dead.
Following the magnitude-8.8 quake, which shook the capital of Santiago for 90 seconds and triggered tsunami from Chile to Ecuador, more than a dozen aftershocks were also reported in the region — including two measuring magnitude-6.2 and -6.9.
The quake destroyed buildings, houses, telephone lines and power grids in Santiago and knocked out a major bridge connecting the northern and southern sections of the country.
Emergency officials said buildings in the historic quarters of two southern cities had been badly damaged.”
More are expected to be affected as warnings of tsunami waves likely to hit Asian, Australian and New Zealand shores within 24 hours of the earthquake.
Please join us in prayer for those whose lives are affected.
Share with us your personal requests for people you know who are affected, so that we can be bringing these prayer requests to our God together.
In my distress I called to the LORD;
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came before him, into his ears.
Psalm 18:6
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading ...ODJ: patched up
Tell them everything God has done for you (v.39).
READ: Luke 8:35-39
A couple of years ago an oral surgeon yanked out my wisdom teeth. The bottom two chompers were positioned directly on nerves, and the post-surgery pain was intense. A few weeks later, an infection brought the soreness back. After that, the doctor operated again to remove scar tissue from my jawbone. At that point, I was wondering, “How long, O Lord, until you restore me?” (See Psalm 6:2-3).
It took a long time, but Jesus ultimately patched me up. He did His part, but I didn’t think much about how to respond to His healing work in my life.
I should have taken a lesson from the guy in the New Testament who was indwelt by a bunch of evil spirits. After Jesus healed him and was about to leave town, “The man who had been freed from the demons begged to go with Him” (Luke 8:38).
When I read that, it spoke to my heart. I pictured the man pleading to stay with Jesus, and I realized that healing should inspire a new longing for closeness with Him. Our hearts should echo the words of the psalmist, “My soul thirsts for You; my whole body longs for You. . . . I cling to You” (Psalm 63:1,8).
Although the demon-possessed man wanted to hang on to his Healer, Jesus gave Him a different assignment. He said, “Go back to your family, and tell them everything God has done for you” (Luke 8:39). We too need to proclaim how Jesus has patched us up. It glorifies God and comforts family or friends who might have similar challenges.
Maybe Jesus has stitched up your psyche, bandaged your broken heart, or even taken care of your teeth! If so, consider your response. His healing touch can help us draw close to Him again, and sharing our stories will encourage others to do the same. —Jennifer Benson Schuldt
How have you responded to Jesus’ healing power in the past? How might you encourage others with your story of Christ’s restoring power?
(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODB: the country of old age
February 28, 2010
READ: Mark 7:1-13
If anyone does not provide for his own, . . . [he] is worse than an unbeliever. —1 Timothy 5:8
In the book Another Country, author Mary Pipher met with people in their seventies, eighties, and nineties who were confronting many different life situations.
“I wanted . . . to understand the country of old age,” Pipher writes. “We are not organized in a way that makes aging easy.” The root problem, she observed, is that young and old have become segregated, to the detriment of both groups.
This social trend is not necessarily intentional. But many people do ignore and shirk their responsibilities for the elderly. In Jesus’ day, the Pharisees found creative ways to avoid their family duties. In Mark 7:9-13, Jesus rebuked their common practice of dedicating their material possessions to God (declaring them as Corban) rather than using their assets to provide for their parents. Their tradition had violated the commandment to honor their father and their mother.
Our children, work, and church activities can pull us in many directions. But that doesn’t excuse us from honoring our aging parents by making provision for their needs, as much as we are able (1 Tim. 5:8). When the time comes for us to enter the country of old age, let’s hope we’ve set the right example for our own children to follow. — Dennis Fisher
Honoring our parents is learned by example.
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...What We Take For Granted
By Julian Abraham Chua, 20, Singapore
Ever threw your tantrum before? Ever felt dissatisfied with your life? Ever battled with lust, selfishness, jealousy or greed?
Perhaps, that is because we often take life and the privileges we have for granted. For instance, having good health, being able-bodied, having our five senses intact, having close friends and family whom we can turn to for help—these are some privileges we took for granted.
Imagine waking up from a car crash only to find that you will never walk again. Imagine contracting HIV or cancer knowing your time here will be shortened, or losing a loved one. What if you went blind, deaf or even end up in a vegetable-state one day, how will you face these? Because we get too familiar with things, we subconsciously assume that they will always remain as they are.
As Christians, we have to live our lives seeing beyond the surface of things and appreciating what we have as much as we can. It’s good to remember that anything can happen and we are vulnerable to all sorts of dangers despite advance technology that enhances the safety of individuals. The most recent earthquake in Haiti is an example of how unpredictable life can really be. It left hundreds of thousands of Haitians dead and millions more needing aid.
Putting it across simply, the best solution against discontentment is to cherish each day, to appreciate people, and ultimately to embrace God’s Word.
(3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...
Latest Comments