Mark 1:4-11
The reading for today is about repentance and the remission of sins.
Repentance is the activity of reviewing one’s actions and feeling contrition or regret for the past wrongs, accompanied by commitment to actual actions that show the turning away from self-serving activities and turning to follow God’s will. John preached the forgiveness of sins, which is the great gospel privilege. He addressed repentance to the Jews, that there must be a renewal of their heart and reformations of their lives.
John the Baptist is trying to flourish the great Good News to all, inviting them to confess and repent completely for their sins. John the Baptist is preparing the people that they may flourish, rooting their spiritual life in Christ. Repentance offers the way to have unity with Christ in order to have a new, peace-filled life.
This powerful message really touched the people. They came from all over the land of Judea and from Jerusalem, and found him in the Jordan River. They confessed their sins and were baptised. John’s powerful message enabled the reforming and reshaping of the sinner’s way of living, according to the will of God. These hearers experienced the great promise Christ makes in his gospels to those who have repented. They experienced forgiveness of sins and so they were baptised with the Holy Spirit and enrolled as His disciples.
‘Repent – reform – believe’ is as important as we are in the era of COVID-19. We ask for Jesus’ Spirit to flourish our lives, societies and churches with good attitudes, stop discrimination, stop violence, be good stewards, be good disciples and continue loving one another as the new commandment that was given by Jesus.
Have a strong faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, for his love gives us strength for the COVID-19 pandemic!
– Malisi Honolulu Pine, Ekalesia Kelisiano Tuvalu
Prayer
Lord God, we pray to make all Christians become true followers of Jesus so they may flourish and disperse the grain of Jesus’ gospels in all places to have a fullness of life we find in Jesus Christ.
We pray for those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Guide and protect them carefully.
Prayer Points from Guyana Congregational Union (GCU)
- Change and transformation in the hearts and lives of members across the congregations as the Union seeks to move away from the maintenance mode of ministry towards adopting a missional approach.
- The successful implementation of our MSP-2, 3 and 4 programmes.
- Revival across various ministries of the congregations which are currently being affected by the impact of COVID-19 – women, youth, sunday school and men.
- God’s guidance and leadership in the political, social, cultural and economic domains as the country responds.
- That the people of Guyana adopt a more disciplined and responsible attitude in the observing of the health protocols as prescribed by health officials in the fight against the spread of this global pandemic.