Christian Reflection and Prayer

Scripture:

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge
by his appearance or height, for I have
rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things
the way you see them. People judge by
outward appearance, but the Lord looks
at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7) NLT


Little Woman, Long Shadow

"Two weeks before Christmas, on
December 12, 1840, a baby girl was
born into an aristocratic plantation
family in Albemarle County, Virginia.
Her name was Charlotte Diggs Moon,
but everyone called her "Lottie."
She grew to just four feet three
inches, yet her intellect and force
of personality were enormous. Lottie
spoke six languages and earned a
master's degree in education in 1861.

Lottie came from a family of dedicated
Southern Baptists, but she became a
staunch skeptic. Yet, it would be her
intellect and skepticism that would
bring her to faith one sleepless night
in December 1858 as she pondered
a message by Dr. John Broadus.

At age thirty-three, Lottie heard a call
to missions "as clear as a bell." In
July 1873 the foreign mission board
of the Southern Baptist Convention
appointed her its first unmarried
missionary to China. She tirelessly
advocated for the needs of the people
of China. In 1888 she persuaded SBC
women to take an annual missions
offering on Christmas Eve. By 1912,
despite such gifts, thousands of people
were dying every day in famine-ravaged
Shantung Province.

At seventy-two, Lottie Moon was coming
home. But that same night, aboard a ship
off Japan, she died—of complications from
starvation. A few months before she had
written, "If I had a thousand lives, I would
give them all for the women of China.""
The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering continues
to this day. The 2005 goal was $150 million.

adapted from The One Year® Book of Christian
History by E. Michael and Sharon Rusten
(Tyndale) pp 694-95 "

FINDING PEACE

Scripture:

"But when the Father sends the Counselor
as my representative—and by the Counselor
I mean the Holy Spirit—he will teach you
everything and will remind you of everything
I myself have told you. I am leaving you a gift
peace of mind and heart.…"
(John 14:26-27 NLT)

"He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves,
"Quiet! (Peace) Be still!" Then the wind died down
and it was completely calm. (Mark 4:30)

Reflection:

On the stormy sea of Galilee, Jesus commanded
the winds and waves, "Peace, be still" (Mark 4:39),
and immediately there was calm. And later in the
upper room, as Jesus told His disciples that He
would leave them, He promised them the Holy
Spirit and peace. That promise of peace is
extended to both you and me. As a Christian
I know the peace of Christ and I am to extend
that peace to all. Let us start this new year
passing the peace of Jesus Christ on, as a
person, as a community, as a nation!

Prayer:

May the peace of Christ that passes all
understanding go with you all!

Scripture:

Luke 14:13-14 (New International Version)

13But when you give a banquet, invite
the poor, the crippled, the lame, the
blind, 14and you will be blessed.
Although they cannot repay you,
you will be repaid at the resurrection
of the righteous."

Luke 4:18-19 (New International Version)

18"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom
for the prisoners and recovery of
sight for the blind, to release the
oppressed,19to proclaim the year
of the Lord's favor."[a]

Reflection:

There is the story of 2 soul's meeting
each other between heaven and Hell.
The soul from hell started complaining,
"It is terrible in hell I'm so hungry. The
Devil said we could eat all the food we
want, but there was one condition. We
must use 3 foot long forks to eat our
food. We can't eat." The soul from
heaven said, "Oh we have the same
rule in heaven." The soul from hell
asked, "Then how do you eat" The
soul from heaven responded, "We
feed each other!"

Please keep this in mind for the
coming year. As the Creator and
Ruler of the universe has taught,
through His Holy Scripture and Holy
Spirit, take care of each other and
others who need our help. Pass on
the "Good News" to the poor, feed
them and take care of them. Proclaim
freedom to all those who are oppressed
and prisoners in life. Help those who are
lost and need help finding their way. And
release all who are oppressed by
depression, anger, and other problems
that weigh so heavily on them. In other
words be there for others! There are a
lot of people who need our help. In 2009
let's make a special effort to help others,
what better resolution is there!

Prayer:

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.
Where there is hatred . . . let me sow love
Where there is injury . . . pardon
Where there is doubt . . . faith
Where there is despair . . . hope
Where there is darkness . . . light
Where there is sadness . . . joy
O, Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled . . . as to console
To be understood . . . as to understand,
To be loved . . . as to love
For it is in giving . . . that we receive,
It is in pardoning, that we are pardoned,
It is in dying . . . that we are born to eternal life.