MY PEOPLE

“If you lend money to one of my people among you who i
s needy, do not treat it like a business deal; charge no
interest.” — Exodus 22:25

A wealthy person may have every material and physical
thing, but there is more to be had in the spiritual realm.
The poor help the wealthy by giving them the opportunity
to serve the Lord and earn great rewards from above. As
it says in Proverbs, “The generous will themselves be
blessed, for they share their food with the poor” (22:9).

So next time someone asks you for help, or you spot
someone in need, remember they represent precious,
holy souls. God calls them “My people.” If they are His
people, surely they should be “our people” as well, and
we should treat them with dignity, respect, compassion,
and love.

With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein

(excerpts taken from Holy Land Moments)

A RELIABLE MESSENGER

An unreliable messenger stumbles into trouble, but
a reliable messenger brings healing.
Proverbs 13:17 NLT

A credible message needs a credible messenger
because charisma without character is catastrophe.
Peter Kuzmic

Letters from God

A U.S. ambassador resides in a foreign country and
yet lives on U.S.-owned property. Though the laws of
that land may differ from ours, the ambassador is still
responsible to uphold the laws and rules of his own
government. His words and actions can never be
wholly his for he does not act in his own capacity.
When he speaks, he is a messenger for his
government. When he acts, his deeds reflect on the
country he represents. We are Christ's ambassadors
and therefore his messengers. Too often we think that
the message we preach reflects our faith. However,
on a much deeper level it is the message of our
everyday words and actions that are influential. We
are the letter from God that people read. We become
unreliable messengers when we speak crudely, gossip a
bout a neighbor, or act dishonestly.

Our words and actions reflect God, who lives inside us,
to people who never open a Bible or enter a church.
Never forget that you are an ambassador for Christ
and a messenger of hope. Ask his Spirit to empower
you to deliver the Good News with your life and words.

LORD, thank you for allowing me to be your ambassador.
Let my message be honest and true. Help me to
encourage others and to go out of my way to speak a
kind word. Forgive me for times when I have spoken
without thinking. Let me live in such a way that my
words and actions represent you so that my message
may be one of love and hope.

Adapted from The One Year® Book of Praying through
the Bible by Cheri Fuller, Tyndale House Publishers
(2003), entry for April 21.

DON'T "STAND YOUR GROUND"

Last year, Trayvon Martin was stalked and killed.
Last week, a jury in Florida decided there would be
no consequences for the man who shot him. Why?
The jury was instructed to consider the implications
of Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law, which
encourages gun owners to use deadly force when
they feel threatened rather than removing themselves
from harm’s way.

At least one juror has said the law was decisive in
determining that George Zimmerman was “not guilty”
of murdering Trayvon Martin.

Following Jesus’ call to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9),
we must stand OUR ground against laws that legitimize
violence and enable the taking of lives without fear of
consequence.

More than 20 states have enacted “Stand Your Ground”
laws that threaten the safety of our communities and
neighbors by increasing the likelihood of violence. In a
culture where racism still runs deep and states have
enacted concealed carry laws, the results can be deadly.

“Blessed are the peacemakers” is a core tenet of our
faith. Help bring peace to our communities by calling
on state governors to overturn these dangerous laws.

“Stand Your Ground” laws ignore the biblical call to
peacemaking, encouraging us to harm others when
nonviolent alternatives exist. While nothing can undo
the tragedy of Trayvon Martin’s killing, we can prevent
future injustices by repealing “Stand Your Ground” laws.

In faith,
Lisa, Beau, Janelle, and the rest of the Sojourners team

WHAT DO YOUNG LONG FOR?

"Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you
more than anything on earth."
Psalm 73:25 NLT

Heart's Desire

"In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe when
the Beavers inform the children that Aslan is on
the move, the children feel a strange stirring in
their hearts. Peter in particular says he's "longing"
to meet this Aslan.…he doesn't say he's curious;
he says he's longing, and that carries a very
different meaning….

To long for something means you've had it in your
mind for a while, the way you fix your heart on
getting that iPod for Christmas…. Longing carries
with it the concept of desire.

Yearning Desire. It's a theme that weaves
throughout the life and works of C. S. Lewis. In
Surprised by Joy, he introduces the concept of
longing as the signature quest of his childhood
and young adulthood.

It wasn't until Lewis converted to Christianity that
he eventually realized what he'd been longing for:
God. Not the Norse gods of the pagan world, not
even the gods or spirits of fantasy worlds, but the
God of the Bible—a real, living Being in whom we
can have life forever.

With our own friends, part of our role is to help
them understand that their longing comes from an
inborn desire to know the King of the universe. And,
like the Beavers with Peter, we are to tell our friends
about the King—that his return is imminent, that he
is on the move even now.

We're all longing to meet the true King. Will you
recognize his name when you hear it? Will you help
others do the same?

adapted from Walking Through the Wardrobe by
Sarah Arthur (Tyndale) pp 77-83

FAILURE

Scripture:

“But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you
did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight
of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the
land I give them.’” — Numbers 20:12

This is an example of how heroes in the Hebrew Bible were
not some other-worldly, perfect human beings. Rather, they
were flesh and blood, human and fallible, just like you and
me. It’s encouraging to realize that even the greatest people
of all time messed up at one point or another. Moses may
have failed, but he certainly was no failure. We don’t have
to be perfect to be great – we just need to keep trying.

King Solomon tells us in Proverbs 24:16, “though the
righteous fall seven times, they rise again.” The wicked,
however, fall only once. What’s the difference between the
righteous and the wicked? Both fall down, but the righteous
person gets up. A righteous person will never give up. He
keeps trying.

Friends, whether we are trying to reach a lofty goal, or just
trying to become a better person, we must remember this
wise advice: We don’t become failures when we fail. We
only become failures when we stop trying. So next time
you fall, get right back up and carry on.

With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein

(excerpts taken from Holy Land Moments)

WHOLE LOVE

Scripture:

Jesus replied, "The most important commandment
is this: 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one
and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God
with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and
all your strength.' The second is equally important:
'Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other
commandment is greater than these.
Mark 12:29-31 NLT

God commanded us to love. It would have been easier
if God had just said, "Run a mile a day," or given us
some other physical task. Then we wouldn't have to
think about it. We would create a routine of basic action.
But God speaks of love as an action that requires our
whole selves.

Why must we love God? In the divine plan for those
creatures called human, loving God is as essential
as breathing is to our physical life. We must breathe.
We can make ourselves unable to breathe, or we can
refuse to breathe — but not without consequences.
We must love God because the alternative, though
possible, is unthinkable and unbearable. How tragic
that many choose to give "lip service" rather than
"lung service" to this basic law of spiritual life. Take
a deep breath and ask yourself what specific
opportunities you will have today to demonstrate
your love for God.

WISE WAYS  Think of some specific ways you
could demonstrate your love for God in your
neighborhood.

Quote:

Love is a fabric that never fades, no matter how often
it is washed in the waters of adversity and grief.
AUTHOR UNKNOWN

Prayer:

Today, Lord, teach me to love you with my whole
being and share this love with others.

Adapted from The One Year® Book of Proverbs by Neil
S. Wilson, Tyndale House Publishers (2002),

SOMEONE TO COUNT ON

Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed
God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for
a thousand generations and constantly loves those who
love him and obey his commands.
Deuteronomy 7:9 NLT

The love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear
him. His salvation extends to the children's children of
those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who
obey his commandments.
Psalm 103:17-18 NLT

The Lord is faithful; he will make you strong and guard
you from the evil one.
2 Thessalonians 3:3 NLT

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Hebrews 13:8 NLT

"You can count on me — I will never let you down."
That is faithfulness. Husbands and wives vow on their
wedding day to be faithful to one another, devoted and
committed to one another in all area of marriage. It is a
vow to be with one's mate, to stay with one's mate, and
to build up one's mate. Again and again throughout the
Bible, God holds faithfulness up as one of his
foundational qualities and a foundation quality he
expects from his people. There is nothing like the
faithfulness of a mate, friends and family, and God to
build our sense of security.

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living
Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing
House

FULL FAITH IN US

 “If you believe you can damage, then believe you can fix.”
Sometimes, we get so bogged down by our mistakes, that
we lose faith in ourselves. But God never does. God has full
faith in us. Shouldn’t we, too?

CARRY ME

by Josh Wilson

I try to catch my breath
It hasn't happened yet
I'm wide awake in the middle of the night scared to death
So I prayed God, would You make this stop
Father please hold on to me, You're all I've got

Carry me, carry me, carry me now
From my sinking sand to Your solid ground
The only way I'm ever gonna make it out
Is if You carry me, carry me, carry me now
God carry me, carry me, carry me now

Jesus calm my heart
Come near me please
Lord don't let these worries get the best of me
Oh I believe, that You're still here with me
Cause You meant what You said when You said You'd never leave

Carry me, carry me, carry me now
From my sinking sand to Your solid ground
The only way I'm ever gonna make it out
Is if You carry me, carry me, carry me now
God carry me, carry me, carry me now

Carry me
God carry me
Carry me
God carry me

I'm at the end of myself
I know I've got nothing left
Feels like I'm stuck in the valley of the shadow of death
And I've been down here so long
I just can't find my way out
Oh God I don't stand a chance
Unless You carry me now
God carry me now

Carry me, carry me, carry me now
From my sinking sand to Your solid ground
The only way I'm ever gonna make it out
Is if You carry me, carry me, carry me now
God carry me, carry me, carry me now

Carry me now
Carry me now
Carry me now
Carry me now

AWAITING OUR DAY

Scripture:

"…we who are still alive and remain on earth will be
caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air
and remain with him forever."
1 Thessalonians 4:17 NLT

"The story is told of an old missionary couple
returning to the States after many years of thankless
service in Africa. They happened to be on the same
ship to New York as President Theodore Roosevelt,
who was returning from a big game hunt in Africa. As
the ship pulled past the Statue of Liberty and into the
dock, huge crowds were gathered to welcome him
home. The press was out in full force, and thousands
of people had come to get a glimpse of the president.

In the middle of the chaos, the aged missionary
couple fought their way through the crowds with their
large suitcases in tow. Silently they hailed a cab and
made their way to a cheap hotel. The missionary sat
on the bed and said to his wife, "It just doesn't seem
right. We gave our lives to Christ to win souls for the
Kingdom in Africa, and when we arrive home there is
no one here to meet us. The president shoots a few
animals and receives a royal welcome."

His wife sat beside him on the bed and said softly,
"That's because we're not home yet, dear."

It may seem at times as if our work for Christ is going
unnoticed. Faith doesn't bring a lot of praise on this
earth. But that's only because our trip is not yet over.

Our day will come, you can be sure. And when it does,
the ceremony will last for an eternity.

INABILITY TO CHANGE

Imagine someone is a compulsive gambler. It’s hard to
overcome any addiction, and this person tries
unsuccessfully to break out of the gambling cycle.
Then one day, he hits rock bottom. He is deeply in debt
and his wife leaves him. The man feels incredible pain
and regret. He feels it so intensely that he resolves, like
never before, to break his habit once and for all. Every
time he is tempted to revert to his old ways, he thinks
of the pain he once knew. He beats his habit, rebuilds
his life, and finds himself stronger than ever before.
What brought him down leads to his pathway up.

Instead of being upset at our inability to change, let’s
use our frustration as the reason to change. The very
shovel that dug our ditch can become the very tool that
helps us dig our way out.

With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein

(excerpts taken from Holy Land Moments)

FEELING EMPATHY

God will wipe away sorrow forever

God feels empathy for our hardships

Scripture:

Then Jesus wept. The people who were standing nearby
said, "See how much he loved him ."
John 11:35-36 NLT

But as they came closer to Jerusalem and Jesus saw the
city ahead, he began to cry.

"I wish that even today you would find the way of peace.
But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from you.
Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your
walls and encircle you and close in on you. They will crush
you to the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies
will not leave a single stone in lace, because you have
rejected the opportunity God offered you."
Luke 19: 41-44 NLT

Jesus' example

The story of Lazarus's death and resurrection (John 11:1-44)
contains a profound teaching about sorrow. When Jesus
arrived and was taken to the graveside, he wept openly.
Onlookers were impressed with the power of his grief and
immediately recognized it as an indication of his great love:
"See how much he loved him," they said.

The tears Jesus shed that day forever validate the experience
of human sorrow and grief. Even though we have the hope of
resurrection and we know that for the believer physical death
is not the final word, our tears and sorrow are appropriate and
good. How comforting to know that God himself is willing to
walk the way of sorrow with us! Is there any sorrow that you
have been unable to express fully? You can share it with the
Lord, for he understands your grief fully.

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation
and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House

FEEL MY PAIN

God will wipe away sorrow forever

Is God concerned about our pain?

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those
who are crushed in spirit. The righteous face many
troubles, but the Lord rescues them from each and every
one.
Psalm 34:18-19 NLT

He was despised and rejected — a man of sorrows,
acquainted with bitterest grief. We turned our backs on
him and looked the other way when he went by. He was
despised, and we did not care.

Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows
that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were
a punishment from God for his own sins! But he was
wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we
might have peace. He was whipped, and we were healed!
All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God's
paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the guilt
and sins of us all.   Isaiah 53:3-6 NLT

Crying ones

Through the pain and sorrow of Christ's experiences on
earth, God has experienced the depths of human grief.
You that are called born of God, and Christians, if you be
not criers, there is no spiritual life in you; if you be born of
God, you are crying ones; as soon as He raised you out
of the dark dungeon of sin, you cannot but cry to God.
John Bunyan

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living
Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing
House

THE FOCUS OF OUR LIVES

A man was driving down the street frantically looking
for a parking space. He had an important meeting and
was running late. Not a space was in sight. In
desperation, the man turned toward heaven and prayed:
“God, if you find me a parking space, I promise to go to
church every Sunday and give up swearing for the rest
of my life!” Suddenly, the parking space in front of him
opened up. The man looked back up and said, “Never
mind, God, I found one!”

This story drives home two points. First, it
demonstrates our tendency to turn to God only in
times of trouble and crisis. Secondly, this story points
out that although we may make all kinds of changes
and commitments to God during our time of need, we
often forget about our promises when we no longer
“need” God’s assistance.

We can choose to remember God in good times as
well as in difficult times. We can choose to honor the
commitments we make when life gets tough, or even
better, we can dedicate ourselves to becoming better
people before we are in crisis.

Our God is good and faithful; He has done so much
kindness for us in the past. The best kind of gratitude
is to make Him the focus of our lives in the present

With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein.

(excerpts taken from Holy Land Moments)

REPAY HURT WITH KINDNESS

"In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a
man of prayer." — Psalm 109:4

I really believe that God delivers to us exactly what we
need at that moment. Whatever happens as a result of
the enemies in my life was bound to happen to me one
way or another. This clarity allows me to let go of my
need to hate back or repay the hurt. It allows me to
choose love instead.

If you are like the rest of us, there are probably people
in your life who have hurt you at one time or another.
There are probably also people that you don't know –
even in other countries – who say and do things that
are hateful toward you. But remember – everything is
as it should be and they, too, are part of God's plan.
Lose the hate and choose to love.

Don't put your enemies in their place; instead place
them in your prayers.
"In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a
man of prayer." — Psalm 109:4

I really believe that God delivers to us exactly what we
need at that moment. Whatever happens as a result of
the enemies in my life was bound to happen to me one
way or another. This clarity allows me to let go of my
need to hate back or repay the hurt. It allows me to
choose love instead.

If you are like the rest of us, there are probably people
in your life who have hurt you at one time or another.
There are probably also people that you don't know –
even in other countries – who say and do things that
are hateful toward you. But remember – everything is
as it should be and they, too, are part of God's plan.
Lose the hate and choose to love.

Don't put your enemies in their place; instead place
them in your prayers.

TRUE WEALTH

Psalm 49:16-17

16 Do not be overawed when others grow rich,
    when the splendor of their houses increases;
17 for they will take nothing with them when they die,
    their splendor will not descend with them. (NIV)

There is a powerful story told about a member of the
famous wealthy Rothschild family. Someone asked
him, “Exactly how much wealth do you have?” In
response, Lord Rothschild answered, “Let me show
you.” He led the man to a room and showed him
many documents. They were receipts from charities
that he had supported. “These,” said Lord Rothschild,
“are my only true possessions. Only the money that
I have given away will accompany me to the grave.”

In the end, all possessions are meaningless; only our
good deeds will be with us forever. So let us convert
our wealth into charity and use our possessions to do
kindness. Then we will have something of true value
that will be with us forever.

With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein

(excerpts taken from Holy Land Moments)

THREADS

A poem entitled "One Thread,"-3 describes various aspects
of our lives as threads which we hold at one end in our hand...

One is the thread of mortality. Always there is the lurking fear
that the line will snap. We hold it tenderly. We must not let it
go.

Another thread represents our dreams and vision of getting
more out of life. The poet describes this thread as being
attached to a "high-flying kite" that flutters with the mighty
pull of our shifting hopes and dreams.

A third thread represents our fragile relationships with one
another. We're hardly aware of the moment when the tight
line slackens and there is nothing at all on the other end.

A fourth thread is but a "tangled mess" that won't come right:
mistakes, false starts, lost battles, angry words." (We just
can't seem to keep this line from tangling.)

Finally, there is a strange and mysterious thread. "It is my
steadying hand," the poet says. "When I am lost, I pull it
hard and find my way. When I am saddened, I tighten my
grip and gladness glides along its quivering path. This thread
becomes a channel of newness of life for it is God's hand that
is anchored on the other end."

ACTS OF DEDICATION

Humble acts of dedication are what God values most,
even more than dramatic demonstrations of bravery
and heroics. Teachers, public servants, dedicated
parents – they are the true heroes, and we can be
those heroes, too. We don’t need to do anything
extraordinary – just be extraordinarily dedicated
to all we do.

PRIORITIES

Scripture:

"Your duty is to go and spread the news of the Kingdom of
God" (Luke 9:60)

In recent years, various forms of meditation have been
accepted as beneficial, therapeutic approaches for dealing
with stress, anxiety, sleep disorders and other common
problems. Most of us instinctively know when we need a
few minutes alone to decompress -- a few minutes of solitude
at the end of a hectic day -- but we rarely take the time
necessary to be alone. It seems the majority of us are still
hurried, harried and “too busy” for self-reflection. Actually, the
problem is not lack of time, because we all have 24 hours a
day. It is really a matter of priorities. The things at the top of
our list get done; the things at the bottom are neglected. So
if the need for self-reflection becomes a high priority, we won't
have to “find time” for it, we will “make time” for it and let
something else go.

We, who call ourselves Christians, should ask ourselves,
"What is our Priority Number One? -- What is the one most
important thing in our lives, above all else?" -- the correct
answer of course is to live in harmony with God's Will -- to
invest our lives in doing God's Will. And if we are not living
up to the call to live in harmony with God's Will, the problem
is surely not a lack of time. It is a matter of priorities.

The renowned poet, Rudyard Kipling, once addressed the
graduating class of Magill University in Montreal. Speaking
on the theme of priorities “he said, "If a person's scale of
values is based primarily on material wealth, that person will
be in difficulty all his or her life. Do not pay much attention to
fame, power and money. Some day you will meet a person
who cares for none of these, and then you will know how poor
you are.”"

Make your fondest wish here and now -- your life's number
one priority -- that you might spend all of your time in complete
openness to the Rule of God in your life. And, in so doing, you
will discover that your heart and soul will be filled to overflowing
with God's infinite Love for you. So much so that you will not
be able to contain it. And you will find it spilling over into your
Christian Ministry of loving service to other persons who come
into your life

(excerpts from The Staff and editors of Sunday Sermons Online)