Christian Reflection and Prayer

How do you respond to those
who seek to hurt you?

"Love your enemies! Do good
to them! Lend to them! And
don't be concerned that they
might not repay. Then your
reward from heaven will be
very great, and you will truly
be acting as children of the
Most High, for he is kind to
the unthankful and to those
who are wicked! You must
be compassionate, just as
the Father is compassionate."
Luke 6:35-36 NLT

The sign of a loving heart

"Our enemies are out to hurt
us. They want to steal from
us, cheat us, and do evil
against us. Yet Jesus says
we are to be kind to them.
What is his point? We
reflect—or should reflect—
God to the world, and God
is kind—even to the unkind,
the ungrateful, and those
whom we consider to be
"hopeless" cases. Kindness
is based on the love we have
for others, not the love others
deserve.

Kindness is the sign of a
loving heart, one of the
greatest of all virtues. A kind
person is pleasant, good,
gracious—always appreciated.
There's a lot of talk these days
about "random acts of kindness.
" Maybe this is because we live
in a society starved for good
deeds. God is our model for
kindness. The kindest act ever
committed was God's sending
his own Son, Jesus, to die for
our sins so that we might live
forever in heaven. God also
showers us with kindness each
day, sending sunshine and rain,
food and friends, comfort and
encouragement, boundless
love and wisdom.

from the TouchPoint Bible
commentaries by Ron Beers
and Gilbert Beers (Tyndale)
pp 889, 1221-22

Scripture:

"Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to
obey everything I have commanded you."
Matthew 28:19-20


A Wisconsin man who claims to have
eaten more than 20,000 Big Mac sandwiches
wrote a book about his habit. He attracted a
lot of attention for simply consuming one Big
Mac every day from May 17, 1972 until now.
But all the time the man has devoted to his
efforts hasn't helped anyone but himself. If
he had used the passion and dedication he
spent on eating hamburgers to serve others
instead, he'd have much more to show for it
than a full stomach and a pile of old receipts.

You don't have to consume thousands of
burgers to be known.  Everyone is known for
something in their lives.  The question is, what
will you be known for?  Will it be for what you
consume, or what you contribute?

God has a mission for you, and it's a much
better use of your time than just eating or
shopping. The mission?  Spreading the Gospel
message, as the resurrected Jesus called
His disciples to do in Matthew 28:19-20: "...
Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to
obey everything I have commanded you." 
This mission, which has come to be called
the Great Commission, is the greatest cause
to which you can devote yourself, because it's
the only one that will ultimately matter.

ARE YOU DOING GOD'S MISSION ?

Discovering the Heart, Mind, and Soul
of Worship
by James MacDonald

Scripture:

"You shall love the Lord your God with
all your heart and with all your soul
and with all your mind."
Mark 12:30

Reflection:

On every page of the Bible is the idea
of worshiping God - that we are created
and saved to the praise of His glory.
But so much of what passes for worship
today misses that mark. WORSHIP IS NOT
ABOUT ME AND WHAT GOD DOES FOR
ME. WORSHIP IS ALL ABOUT HIM-
recognizing that I am for Him. I breathe
for Him. I live for Him. I spend my life
for Him. The essence of worship is
proclaiming God's rightful worth and
position. It's one of the reasons why
we come to church: to sweep the stuff
off the table of our hearts and minds
that have crowded out the central place
where He belongs.

In Mark 12:28, Jesus was asked,
"Which commandment is the most
important of all?" He answered:

"Love the Lord your God . . .
with all your mind." God wants us to
think great thoughts about Him. You'll
expand your capacity to worship God by
studying His Word. An element of testimony
is fine, but worship is singing to God about
God, and the place to begin learning about
God is in His Word.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart
and with all your soul." When feelings are
dead, so is our worship. How would it fly if
I said to my wife, "Well, honey, this is
always the time to tell you I love you. So,
I love you. See you next week." Would you
agree that's not going to work with her?

IT'S NOT WORKING WITH GOD EITHER!

IS IT WORKING WITH YOU?

Prayer:

Oh Lord, I come to sing to You and make
a joyful noise to the rock of my salvation!
I come into Your presence with thanksgiving
and make a joyful noise to You with songs
of praise! For You are my great God. . . .
I kneel before You, my Maker! You are my
God, and i am the person of Your pasture
and the lamb of Your hand. (based on Psalm 95).