Christian Reflection and Prayer

“Pharaoh’s officials said to him, ‘How long will this
man be a snare to us? Let the people go, so that
they may worship the LORD their God. Do you not
yet realize that Egypt is ruined?’” — Exodus 10:7

Like Pharaoh, sometimes even the smartest of us
aren’t able to think clearly. Maybe you’ve known a
friend who was so obviously in a hurtful relationship,
but he or she refused to get out of it. Your friend
couldn’t see the repeating pattern of hurt and
destruction. He or she was too close to the situation.
Or maybe you have experienced being unable to
make an important decision because you lost your
perspective on the situation. Sometimes, when we
are so close to a situation, we have difficulty seeing
it clearly and we don’t know what to do.

In those kinds of situations, we have to be wise
enough to do what Pharaoh didn’t: Listen to the advice
of others! Who are your trusted advisers? Keep them
close and turn to them in times of need. And don’t
forget to ask for guidance from the most trusted adviser
of all — God Almighty! He will help you connect the dots.

With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein

(excerpts from Holy Land Moments)

The only way to be better rather than bitter
is to extend the same grace to others that
God extended to us through Jesus Christ

"I tell you, there will be more rejoicing in heaven
over one repentant sinner than over ninety-nine
virtuous men who have no need of repentance"
(Luke 15:7).

During the Vietnam War, the legendary pacifist
Pastor A.J. Muste stood in front of the White House
night after night with a lit candle, in persistent and
peaceful protest. A reporter asked him, "Do you
really think that standing here with a candle can
change the world?" He answered, "I don't stand
here with my candle to change the world. I stand
here to keep the world from changing me."

Lacordaire is the name of a very famous French
preacher who has gone down in the history of the
Church as one of its greatest. In many seminaries,
students are required to study his style in their
homiletics courses. He preached thrilling sermons.
Thousands of people would come to hear him. There
is a story about him in which he is seen attending a
worship service in a small rural parish. The sermon
was preached by a little-known Curate. When
Lacordaire was asked why he, a great preacher,
would go to a little Church to hear an unknown
preacher, he replied, "When I preach, people swarm
into the Church, and it becomes so crowded they
even climb atop the confession boxes in order to see
me. But when this humble man preaches, the people
go into the confession boxes -- and that is what the
world needs!"

REPENTANCE IS WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS----
REPENTANCE IS THE VERY FIRST STEP
INTO THE FULLNESS OF OUR HUMANITY.

(Excerpts from Sunday Sermons Online)