Christian Reflection and Prayer

One day, a man went to visit a church. He arrived
early, parked his car, and got out. Another car
pulled up near him, and the driver told him, "I
always park there. You took my place!"

The visitor went inside for Sunday School, found
an empty seat, and sat down. A young lady from
the church approached him and stated, "That's
my seat! You took my place!"

The visitor was somewhat distressed by this rude
welcome, but said nothing. After Sunday School,
the visitor went into the church sanctuary and sat
down. Another member walked up to him and said,
"That's where I always sit. You took my place!"

The visitor was even more troubled by this
treatment, but still said nothing. Later, as the
congregation was praying for Christ to dwell among
them, the visitor stood, and his appearance began
to change. Horrible scars became visible on his
hands and on his sandaled feet.

Someone from the congregation noticed him and
called out, "What happened to you?" The visitor
replied, "I took your place."

"Christ himself carried our sins in His body to the
cross, so that we might die to sin and live for
righteousness. It is by His wounds that you have
been healed."

(GodVine)

HOW WILL YOU BE REMEMBERED?

"For Solomon has abandoned me…"
1 Kings 11:33 NLT

Final epitaphs

"How would you like to be remembered after your
death? Have you considered what the epitaph on
your gravestone might read?

One headstone in Ribbesford, England, marking
the grave of a woman named Anna Wallace,
reads: "The children of Israel wanted bread, and
the Lord sent them manna. Old clerk Wallace
wanted a wife, and the Devil sent him Anna."

Not the final words Anna expected, I'm sure.
But as always, those she left behind got the last
word.

You have to cringe and wonder when you see the
gravestone of a man from Plymouth, Massachusetts,
named John McMahon. It says: "He Was a Failure
As a Husband and Father." How would you like
that as your legacy?

But the saddest epitaph of all isn't found on a
tombstone; it's found is the pages of Scripture.
When faced with the task of memorializing the
wise king Solomon, God had some sobering words.
"Solomon has abandoned me and worshiped
Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians…He has
not followed my ways and done what is pleasing in
my sight. He had not obeyed my laws and regulations
as his father, David, did." Solomon was buried in the
city of David, and in spite of all the good things he did,
he will forever be remembered as the king who turned
his back on God.

We would all do well to ask ourselves a simple
question: If God were to write my obituary, what would
he record?"

(From Embracing Eternity by Tim LaHaye, Jerry B.
Jenkins and Frank M. Martin (Tyndale) p 309)

Scripture:

"You must love your neighbor as yourself"
(Mark 12:31).

A number of year ago at a "Special Olympics"
track and field event, held in Spokane
Washington, the contestants lined up for the
start of the hundred-yard-dash. When the
starter's gun was fired, all got off well, except
one boy who tripped over his own feet, tumbled
to the ground, scraped his arm and began to
cry. Hearing this, two of the athletes stopped,
turned around and went back to where the fallen
boy lay. One girl, afflicted with "Down's
Syndrome," bent down and kissed his injured
arm. "This will make it better," she said. With
the boy back on his feet, the three held hands
and crossed the finish line together.

A somewhat similar event took place in the
"Madrid Marathon" several years ago. Four
thousand runners answered the starter's gun.
Toward the end of the grueling race, two men
were far ahead of the pack. Near the finish line,
one of them was suddenly taken with severe
leg cramps and was unable to continue on his
own. Whereupon, the other leader stopped,
picked up the afflicted competitor and carried
him across the finish line.

Eric Hofer, San Francisco's famous
longshoreman/philosopher once wrote, "It is
easier to love humanity as a whole than to love
one's neighbor." It has been said also that
"If there is one person you cannot love then you
cannot love anyone." Yet, Jesus' command
persists: Love one another, as I have loved you.

Stop and think! Stop and reflect! Stop and search
deep within your soul until you can see the full
implications of what it means to love the Lord
your God. Stop, until your soul has grasped --
as a matter of Christian Faith -- that love of God
and love of neighbor are inseparable. Then God
will know you love Him, even before you tell Him.

(Exerpts from Sunday Sermons on Line)