25 Jan Acts 22:14-16 (Why Wait?) by Karla Lang
Welcome God now with this LIFE Group Devotion (FB), provided by LIFE Runners (FB). Upcoming Guest Authors.
“The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Just One and to hear a voice from his mouth; for you will be a witness of him to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name.” ~ Acts 22:14-16(full readings)
Karla’s Reflections: Before Paul heard our Lord speak to him he was persecuting Christians and breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord. Paul was living in the dark and acting as his elders had taught him; none of them teaching the truth or listening to the Lord’s disciples. After Paul hears our Lord, he is instructed by a devout follower of the Lord to be a witness before all men as to what he now knows to be the truth. Being a Christian means we must spread the truth and evangelize among all people, especially the hardened sinners. Many Christian people are pro-choice; they simply do not know the truth about abortion. As LIFE Runners we have chosen to evangelize and share that each soul God creates, no matter what the circumstance, is not a mistake and has a purpose in this life on earth. Just as Paul was instructed, we must not wait. We must speak up now. Every day spent in prayer or offering up a suffering, big or small, for the unborn, enables our Lord to reach others who are still in the dark concerning abortion. We are all called to be His “instruments.”
* Karla Langis the Mid-MO LIFE Runners Chapter leader. She has completed three marathons and an Ironman. Karla has organized youth group trips, attended a Theology of the Body workshop, and lives on a farm with her husband and three children. She is committed to speaking about the truth of abortion and the healing power of our Lord’s mercy for all the families affected by abortion.
Faith Challenge: May we all spend at least 10 minutes today asking ourselves, “Why am I waiting to speak to certain people about the truth of abortion?” Let us all rise, as Paul did, and accept the daily crosses of suffering in our lives with love, humility and patience…for the unborn…and ask Our Lord, “How can I be Your instrument today?” .
Counter-Culture News: LSN, LifeNews, Priests for Life, AFA, Vatican, Project Rachel.
Our Prayers: Prayer to end abortion. LIFE Runners Creed & Patron Saint. Add Prayers. Pray with meals, bedtime, wake up, etc. Consider mid-week Family Rosary (17 min). Let’s pray now.Feast Day: Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul.
Faith Quote: “Happy and blessed is he whom truth teaches and informs, not by symbols and deceitful voices, but as the truth is. Our opinion, our intelligence, and our understanding often deceive us, for we do not see the truth. Of what use is the knowledge of such things as will neither help us on the day of judgment if we know them, nor hurt us if we do not know them? It is, therefore, great folly to be negligent of such things as are profitable and necessary to us, and to labor for such things as are worthless and to be condemned. ” Excerpt taken from the Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis
Through Christ Our Lord,
Karla.
* Pray/Fast: Prayer connects us with God’s will and His miracles, changing us and helping others. Fast from things that take your eyes off Jesus. Those who pray together stay together, and close to God!
* Save Unborn (and family): Abortion reality…#1 death cause (22% pregnancies). Prov 24:11 and Jer 1:5. “A great poverty that a child must die that you might live as you wish.” Mother Teresa.
* Evangelize: Make room for unbelievers and re-evangelization of self, by way of prayer (relationship) and following Christ’s example of love (service/sacrifice/mercy). Mt 28:19.