Christian Reflection and Prayer

How well are you doing at following Jesus' final instructions?

Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere.
Mark 16:15 NLT

"'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
Matthew 22:37-38 NLT

The real work

On October 20, 1968, a dramatic moment took place at the Mexico City Olympics. A few thousand spectators remained in the almost-dark Olympic Stadium awaiting one last runner.

Finally the wail of police sirens ripped the air. As all eyes turned to the gate, a lone runner wearing the colors of Tanzania staggered into the stadium. John Stephen Akhwari was the last contestant to finish the 26-mile contest. He had injured his leg in a fall and entered the track bloodied and crudely bandaged. While he hobbled the final, lonely lap, spectators rose and applauded him as if he had won.

After the race, someone asked him why he had refused to quit. "My country did not send me 7,000 miles to start the race," he replied simply. "They sent me 7,000 miles to finish it."

To help us achieve a strong finish in our race of faith, Jesus Christ promised that "Whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man will also confess before the angels of God."

You too can finish the race well by eagerly confessing Christ before others.

Adapted from Breakfast with Jesus by Greg Laurie (Tyndale House), pp 257-59

Scripture:

"He has done marvelous things; His
right hand and His holy arm have gained
Him the victory".  Psalm 98: 1

Reflection:

A. T. Pierson writes in his book, " Vital
Union With Christ", A veteran of Waterloo
used to tell how the trained soldiers of the
Duke of Willington, the night before that
decisive battle that turned the destinies of
Europe, took the new recruits and told them
of the skill, the capacity. and courage of
their great commander.  They so inspired
them with confidence in the Iron Duke that
however the battle might seem to waver, the
ultimate issue might be confidently expected
to be victory.  These raw recruits went into
battle expecting to win."
In your every day battles do you expect
to win?  You know we really need to understand
that we serve the one who is greater than all, and
we need, no we must, be confident in victory.  By
serving Jesus Christ there is no other outcome!
Sometimes the evil in this world seems to be
winning, and this can make us feel defeated.
But this we must remember that we
serve a savior who triumphed over sin and death
and has already secured our victory! 
WE ARE ON THE WINNING SIDE!

Scripture:

"Blessed is he whose transgression is
forgiven, whose sin is covered."
(Psalm 32:1)

Reflection:

When I was a little boy, I had an
amazing ability to get in trouble,
especially with my mother.  I have
always been very close to my mother,
but when I was a boy, I found myself
often in trouble with her. 
I remember, when I was about 8 years
old, I made the classic little boy mistake.
My mother had been on me not to play
in the livingroom, especially with my new
baseball.  Well of course, while my
mother was in the back yard hanging
laundry, I began throwing the ball up
in the air and catching it, accept once,
and that's all it took just missing the ball
once. I broke a small figurine of Jesus
as the good shepherd.  I felt terrible and
I was filled with fear and guilt.  I quickly
placed the broken pieces in my secret
spot in my room, hoping she wouldn't
notice. 
That evening, when it was time for my
bedtime prayers, with my loving mother
sitting on my bed, I knelt down to pray.
With tears in my eyes and guilt in my
heart I asked my mother to leave so
I could pray alone. 
Mother, sensing there was something
wrong, asked me if there was something
I wanted to tell her.  I replied, " No mom,
you would be mad at me, but God will
forgive me and forget about it.
Even at 8 years old, I knew one of the
greatest salvation benefits of all, the
reality of sins forgiven.
"We who received the Lord Jesus Christ
as Savior enjoy freedom from the eternal
condemnation of our sins." (Romans 8:1)
"and we can also have daily forgiveness
and cleansing" (1 John 1:9).
When we acknowledge our guilt with true
repentance, God stands ready to forgive
because of what His Son Jesus did on the
cross.
IT'S UP TO US TO ACCEPT IT! 

Prayer:

Original text in Greek

Πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς·
ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου·
ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου·
γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου,·
ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς·
τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιούσιον δὸς ἡμῖν σήμερον·
καὶ ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα ἡμῶν,
ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀφίεμεν τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν·
καὶ μὴ εἰσενέγκῃς ἡμᾶς εἰς πειρασμόν,
ἀλλὰ ῥῦσαι ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ.
[Ὅτι σοῦ ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία καὶ ἡ δύναμις καὶ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. ἀμήν.]

Our Father, which art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done,
in earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
[For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.]
Amen.