Christian Reflection and Prayer

Scripture:

Psalm 119:89
"forever, O Lord, your word is settled in heaven."

As I look around the world with the Bible in my hand
I come to the realization that I do not worship
an absentee God. He is standing in the shadows
of history, still working to bring His plans to
completion.

No matter how disturbing the pictures of violence,
Chaos, bloodshed, and war that fill
my television screen every day and that I read
in our newspapers. I know that these disturbances
are the consequences of humanities evil and sin,
which are really caused by our rebellion against
God. Every headline in the newspaper, every
news report on TV confirms this verse:
"the heart is deceitful above all things, and
desperately wicked; who can know it?"
Jeremiah 17:9.

But there is one very important thing I need
to remember, and that is God is going to have the
last word. It is so very obvious to me that the
Scriptures are being fulfilled because every day
the world moves closer to the time when Jesus Christ
will return. Satan and his evil will finally be
defeated, the war will be won, and God's perfect
plan will be fulfilled.

No matter how bad the future gets, I as a
Christian, knows the end of the story –
and I know that ending is glorious!!
Christ will return in victory! DON'T LOSE HEART!
You know what, THE BEST IS YET TO BE!

Prayer:

Almighty God, give me the strength to always
keep in my heart my mind, and my spirit, to remember
no matter how hard it gets in my life, no matter how
disturbed the world may appear, I know that You
are with me completing your plan. Thank you
that I know the end of the story, and that story
will end soon, with your glorious victory!
I pray that I am prepared, and I am not worried.
For You Are With Me!
As always in your holy and blessed name
in the name of Jesus Christ  AMEN.

Prayer is the key

Scripture:

One day Jesus told his disciples a story to illustrate
their need for constant prayer and to show them they
must never give up…
Luke 18:1 NLT

Saved by a Stamp

God's answers to prayers can affect generations to come.
In fact, if not for his gracious answers to a prayer offered
many years ago, my children, grandchildren, and great-
grandchildren would not know his blessing today.

The story is simple. My cousin Mirea and I wanted to
visit friends in America. Sensing that we would not
abandon our grand idea, my father sent us on our way
with heartfelt prayers for our safety.

Our trip across Europe took several days. Finally we
arrived on the western shores of England. But as we
prepared to set sail for America, we were told there
was a problem with our papers. Officials at the
immigration office said Mirea was missing a stamp
on a paper that would allow her to leave the country.
We would have to stay in England for another week
until Mirea's papers could be corrected, they said.

Mirea and I went to the steamship office to ask if
we could exchange our tickets for a ship leaving
later in the month. The man at the window was
glad to make the exchange. He was sure he could
resell our berths. People were eager to sail on the
maiden voyage of the Titanic.
As we wandered back to the hotel, Mirea and I
were disappointed that we had to stay in England.
But, when the news reached us a few days later
of the sinking of the Titanic, we both began to cry,
in sadness for our lost shipmates, but also in relief,
realizing how close we had come to death ourselves.
God, in his mercy, had answered by father's father's
prayer for our safety with something as small as a
missing stamp. How good is God!
Elsa Sturit Kint

Adapted from The Prayer Bible Jean E. Syswerda,
general editor, Tyndale House Publishers (2003),
p 1495.

(God's Daily Promises)

You say you will never forget where you were
when you heard the news, Sept. 11, 2001.
Neither will I.

I was on the 110th floor in a smoke filled room
with a man who called his wife to say
"Good-bye." I held his fingers steady as he
dialed. I gave him the peace to say, "Honey,
I am not going to make it, but it is OK ...
I am ready to go." I was with his wife when
he called as she fed breakfast to their children.
I held her up as she tried to understand his
words and as she realized he wasn't coming
home that night.

I was in the stairwell of the 23rd floor when a
woman cried out to me for help. "I have been
knocking on the door of your heart for
50 years!" I said. "Of course I will show you
the way home-only believe on Me now."

I was at the base of the building with the
Priest ministering to the injured and
devastated souls. I took him home to tend to
his Flock in Heaven. He heard my voice and
answered.

I was on all four of those planes, in every
seat, with every prayer. I was with the crew
as they were overtaken. I was in the very
hearts of the believers there. Comforting and
assuring them that their Faith has saved them.

I was in Texas, Kansas, London. I was
standing next to you when you heard the
terrible news. Did you sense Me?

I want you to know that I saw every face.
I knew every name - though they did NOT all
know Me. Some met me for the first time on
the 100th floor. Some sought me out in their
last breath. Some couldn't hear me calling to
them through the smoke and flames, "Come
to Me ... this way ... take my hand." Sadly,
some chose, for the final time, to ignore Me.
But, I was there.

I did not place you in the Tower that day -
However, if you were there in that explosive
moment in time, would you have reached for
Me? September 11, 2001 was not the end of
the journey for you. But someday your journey
will end. And I will be there for you as well.
Seek Me now while I may be found. Then, at
any moment, you know you are "ready to go.
" I will be in the stairwell of your final moments.

Love, God

(GodVine)