Jesus is Better than Santa

Santa lives at the North Pole.

JESUS is everywhere.

Santa rides in a sleigh

JESUS rides on the wind and walks on the water.

Santa comes but once a year

JESUS is an ever present help.

Santa fills your stockings with goodies

JESUS supplies all your needs.

Santa comes down your chimney uninvited

JESUS stands at your door and knocks.. and then enters your heart.

You have to stand in line to see Santa

JESUS is as close as the mention of His name.

Santa lets you sit on his lap

JESUS lets you rest in His arms.

Santa knows our name and address and writes our name on his naughty or nice list.

JESUS knew our name before we did. He knows our history and future and He even knows how many hairs are on our heads. And JESUS writes our names in the Book of Life.

Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly

JESUS has a heart full of love.

All Santa can offer is HO HO HO

JESUS offers health, help and hope.

Santa says "You better not cry"

JESUS says "Cast all your cares on me for I care for you.

Santa's little helpers make toys

JESUS makes new life, mends wounded hearts, repairs broken homes and builds mansions.

Santa may make you chuckle but

JESUS gives you joy that is your strength.

While Santa puts gifts under your tree

JESUS became our gift and died on the tree.

It's obvious there is really no comparison.

We need to remember WHO Christmas is all about.

We need to put Christ back in Christmas.

Jesus is still the reason for the season.

Submitted by Gloria Lewis

Because of Him

The one who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” (Rev. 21:5)

When I drive in to work, I have to cross over a hill to get to the freeway. As I crested the hill this morning, I was greeted with the sight of the local mountains covered in snow. Even the foothills had a light dusting. The sky, which was grey and rainy all day yesterday, has given way to clear blue and sunshine. The air is cold and crisp – the kind of day you see on a picture postcard.

Such a beautiful scene can’t help but feel like a new beginning. Reflecting on the meaning of Christmas causes one to think about new beginnings too. And isn’t that precisely why Christ was born – to give us a new beginning?

2008 has been a unique year, I think. So many events have happened that will impact our lives for years, and even decades to come. For many people, it’s been a very difficult year. But something amazing has come out of it all. People can be heard talking about how grateful they are for what they have, even if things are tight. They say things like “Yes, things are tough now, but there are a lot of folks out there in much worse circumstances.”

In his audience in Rome yesterday, Pope Benedict made a comment that one positive coming out of the economic crisis is that it can help people to rediscover "the warmth, simplicity, friendship and solidarity" contained in authentic Christmas values. I think he's absolutely right and believe with all my heart that this is a case of burdens being turned into blessings, and an opportunity to understand more clearly who we are by understanding who we are not. We are not our own beginning or end, though some scientists would like us to think otherwise.

It’s hard to understand sometimes why we as a society are so fixated on controlling our own destiny. The Bible tells us in no uncertain terms that admitting our limitations is nothing to be ashamed of because He has been victorious, and He has claimed us as His own. Do not be afraid. I am the first and the last, the One who lives. Once I was dead, but now I am alive forever and ever. I hold the keys to death and the netherworld (Rev. 1:17-18).

So as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, and as we begin a new year, let us rejoice, secure in the knowledge of Whose we are. Jesus said, I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand (Jn. 10:28-29). Hallelujah!

Prayer Request: For all those seeking a new beginning

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank you for this year of life that You have given us, with all its burdens and blessings. As we celebrate the birth of Your Son, grant us the grace to learn to love simplicity, and to root ourselves deeply in the love of the child born in a manger. We make this prayer through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

The History of St. Nicholas

As we prepare for Christmas and New Year’s, I thought I would do some blogs regarding the history and little known facts regarding familiar traditions many of us hold to during the holidays.

Truth be told, I was inspired by my pastor who has been sharing these findings with the congregation this month. The below account has been edited by me due to space.

Source: http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=38

The true story of Santa Claus begins with Nicholas, who was born during the third century in the village of Patara. At the time the area was Greek and is now on the southern coast of Turkey. His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God Myra while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to the those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships.

Under the Roman Emperor Diocletian, who ruthlessly persecuted Christians, Bishop Nicholas suffered for his faith, was exiled and imprisoned. The prisons were so full of bishops, priests, and deacons, there was no room for the real criminals—murderers, thieves and robbers. He died December 6, AD 343 in Myra and was buried in his cathedral church.

Through the centuries many stories and legends have been told of St. Nicholas' life and deeds. These accounts help us understand his extraordinary character and why he is so beloved and revered as protector and helper of those in need.

One story tells of a poor man with three daughters. In those days a young woman's father had to offer prospective husbands something of value—a dowry. The larger the dowry, the better the chance that a young woman would find a good husband. Without a dowry, a woman was unlikely to marry. This poor man's daughters, without dowries, were therefore destined to be sold into slavery. Mysteriously, on three different occasions, a bag of gold appeared in their home-providing the needed dowries. The bags of gold, tossed through an open window, are said to have landed in stockings or shoes left before the fire to dry. This led to the custom of children hanging stockings or putting out shoes, eagerly awaiting gifts from Saint Nicholas.

One of the oldest stories showing St. Nicholas as a protector of children takes place long after his death. The townspeople of Myra were celebrating on the eve of his feast day when a band of Arab pirates from Crete came into the district. They stole treasures from the Church of Saint Nicholas to take away as booty. As they were leaving town, they snatched a young boy, Basilios, to make into a slave. The emir, or ruler, selected Basilios to be his personal cupbearer, as not knowing the language, Basilios would not understand what the king said to those around him. So, for the next year Basilios waited on the king, bringing his wine in a beautiful golden cup. For Basilios' parents, devastated at the loss of their only child, the year passed slowly, filled with grief. As the next St. Nicholas' feast day approached, Basilios' mother would not join in the festivity, as it was now a day of tragedy. However, she was persuaded to have a simple observance at home—with quiet prayers for Basilios' safekeeping. Meanwhile, as Basilios was fulfilling his tasks serving the emir, he was suddenly whisked up and away. St. Nicholas appeared to the terrified boy, blessed him, and set him down at his home back in Myra. Imagine the joy and wonderment when Basilios amazingly appeared before his parents, still holding the king's golden cup. This is the first story told of St. Nicholas protecting children—which became his primary role in the West.

Through the centuries St. Nicholas has continued to be venerated by Catholics and Orthodox and honored by Protestants. By his example of generosity to those in need, especially children, St. Nicholas continues to be a model for the compassionate life.

Widely celebrated in Europe, St. Nicholas' feast day, December 6th, kept alive the stories of his goodness and generosity. In Germany and Poland, boys dressed as bishops begged alms for the poor—and sometimes for themselves! In the Netherlands and Belgium, St. Nicholas arrived on a steamship from Spain to ride a white horse on his gift-giving rounds. December 6th is still the main day for gift giving and merrymaking in much of Europe. For example, in the Netherlands St. Nicholas is celebrated on the 5th, the eve of the day, by sharing candies (thrown in the door), chocolate initial letters, small gifts, and riddles. Dutch children leave carrots and hay in their shoes for the saint's horse, hoping St. Nicholas will exchange them for small gifts. Simple gift-giving Advent helps preserve a Christmas Day focus on the Christ Child.

There are so many more stories at the above listed link, and I encourage you to read through them when you have time. You will be amazed!

But it is always awe-inspiring to take a moment to stop in the middle of gift buying, gift wrapping, baking cookies, and filling out your Christmas cards – to reflect on the reason we are celebrating Christmas. A very special time when God chose to send his Son to us to be our Savior.

Prayer: Lord, help us all to remember the Reason for the Season. Help us to remember it's CHRIST's birth we are all celebrating, and we should all be in awe about that awesome day. Thank You, Father, for sending us the Messiah to save us all!!

Prayer request: For everyone to have safe travels during the holidays, for broken relationships to be mended, for this to be a time of healing and celebration of the Christ Child.

The Gift on Christmas

Scriptures: But after had had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name of Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. "(Matthew 1:20-21)

The Sunday before Thanksgiving, after the service and the pot-luck, a few brothers and sisters were talking about going to some huge sales event. They encouraged each other to bring enough clothing so they can stay warm through the night. When I heard this, out of my ignorance, I asked why they had to prepare for the night. They laughed at me and told me that people would line up, even days before the sales began, so they could get in the store early enough to get what they wanted. This is amazing, especially when you take into account the problems we are having in our economy. Yet, that’s part of the reality we live in.

Everyone loves gifts and this season of Christmas has been said to be a season of gifts. That is true to the extent that Jesus was a gift from God to us. Just about every gift we received, either for birthday or anniversary or other reasons, was for our own personal use. But this gift called Jesus is definitely different. He is a special gift that came with a mission and with glorious revelation.

The angel told Joseph that this son he was going to have should be named “Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21) Jesus wasn’t just one of the gifts. He wasn’t just any gifts that you can find in a store. He was THE GIFT that God sent us for a purpose. That purpose was to save us from our sins.

For this purpose, He was made lowly and poor. For this purpose, He endured sufferings and injustices. For this purpose, He was listed among the criminals. For this purpose, He was nailed to the cross. His birth had everything to do with His death and resurrection. I wonder how often we missed the tie between Christmas and Easter when we celebrate Christmas.

If we can see the hope beyond the cross and the grave on the Easter, what can we see beyond the nativity and the gifts on Christmas? Now, if “though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich,” (II Corinthians 8:9) then what should we learn from this act of divine giving from God?

This divine gift of God was a life, this man called Jesus. More than that, Jesus was a life through whom God saved and transformed lives. Jesus accomplished the mission entrusted to Him. Now this mission has been entrusted to His Church who has been the only people in the world willing to acknowledge the receipt of this divine and eternal gift.

I sincerely pray and hope that, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus and ponder on the meaning of this historical event, we do not lose sight of the significance and purpose of His coming then. More than that, I pray that we will all be fired up again by His humility and faithfulness in carrying out His mission and be willing to respond to the calling He has for each one of us in like manner. I am convinced that the best gift anyone can give any time is the gift of an eternally reconciled relationship with God in His glory!

Prayer Request:
For Christmas gift shoppers

Prayers:
Gracious Father, thank You for willing to give us Your Son Jesus for our salvation. Help us to go beyond the act of giving and truly learn and remember the heart and the purpose You had behind this divine giving. May You bless our acts of giving this Christmas so they can be used by the Holy Spirit to touch and transform others in Jesus’ name, as was intended in Your giving. We humbly ask in the glorious name of our Lord Jesus, Amen!

When it is Your Time.

After living what I felt was a "decent" life, my time on earth came to the end.
The first thing I remember is sitting on a bench in the waitingroom of what I thought to be a court house.
The doors opened and I was instructed to come in and have a seatby the defense table.
As I looked around I saw the "prosecutor."
He was a villainous looking gent who snarled as he stared at me.
He definitely was the most evil person I have ever seen.
I sat down and looked to my left and there sat My Attorney,a kind and gentle looking man whose appearance seemed so familiar to me, I felt I knew Him.
The corner door flew open and there appeared the Judge in fullflowing robes.
He commanded an awesome presence as He moved across the room Icouldn't take my eyes off of Him.
As He took His seat behind the bench, He said, "Let us begin."
The prosecutor rose and said,
"My name is Satan and I am here to show you why this woman belongs in hell."
He proceeded to tell of lies that I told, things that I stole,and In the past when I cheated others Satan told of other horrible Perversions that were once in my life and the more he spoke, thefurtherdown in my seat I sank.
I was so embarrassed that I couldn't look at anyone, even my ownAttorney, as the Devil told of sins that even I had completelyforgottenabout.
As upset as I was at Satan for telling all these things aboutme, I was equally upset at My Attorney who sat there silently not Offering any form of defense at all.
I know I had been guilty of those things, but I had done somegood in my life - couldn't that at least equal out part of the harm I'ddone?
Satan finished with a fury and said, "This woman belongs in hell,she is guilty of all that I have charged and there is not a person whocan prove otherwise."
When it was His turn, My Attorney first asked if He mightapproach the bench.
The Judge allowed this over the strong objection of Satan,and beckoned Him to come forward.
As He got up and started walking, I was able to see Him inHis full splendor and majesty.
I realized why He seemed so familiar; this was Jesusrepresenting me, my Lord and my Savior.
He stopped at the bench and softly said to the Judge, "Hi,Dad," and then He turned to address the court.
"Satan was correct in saying that this woman had sinned,I won't deny any of these allegations.
And, yes, the wage of sin is death, and this woman deserves to bepunished."
Jesus took a deep breath and turned to His Father with outstretched arms and proclaimed, "However, I died on the cross sothatthis person might have eternal life and she has accepted Me as herSavior, so she is Mine."
My Lord continued with, "Her name is written in the Book of Life,and no one can snatch her from Me.
Satan still does not understand yet.This woman is not to be given justice, but rather mercy."
As Jesus sat down,
He quietly paused, looked at His Father and said,"There is nothing else that needs to be done."
"I've done it all."
The Judge lifted His mighty hand and slammed the gavel down.The following words bellowed from His lips..
"This woman is free."
The penalty for her has already been paid in full.
"Case dismissed."
As my Lord led me away, I could hear Satan ranting and raving,"I won't give up, I will win the next one." I asked Jesus as He gavememy instructions where to go next, "Have you ever lost a case?"
Christ lovingly smiled and said,
"Everyone that has come to Me and asked Me to represent themhas received the same verdict as you,
~Paid In Full~
If you do not pass this along to 15 people immediately,absolutely nothing will happen.
Passing this on to anyone you consider a friend,(as I have done here), will bless you both.
"Stop telling God how big your storm is. Instead, tell the storm how big your God is!"

submitted by Gloria Lewis

O Tidings of Comfort & Joy

Comfort, give comfort to My people, says your God (Is. 40:1)

Thus begins the section of Isaiah known as “The Book of Consolation.” I can remember sitting in the gas station lines back in the 70s when gas was being rationed. (Remember those even and odd days?). I remember a 13-month period toward the end of my high school years when my dad was unemployed and money was tight. My mom was able to make a dollar stretch to proportions seemingly outdone only by the miracle of the loaves and fishes, and as far as the three of us kids were concerned, everything was normal. We never felt deprived of anything.

Those burdens can turn into blessings, though. My dad’s unemployment situation translated into a full scholarship when I went off to a private university, something there is no way we could have afforded on our own, even if Dad had not been out of work.

When the Lord says, “Give comfort to My people,” He doesn’t expect us to solve the economic crisis or rescue someone’s mortgage, although I did read a story recently of a person buying a house at an auction and then turning around and giving it to the original owner who’d suffered the foreclosure. One of the recent issues of Reader’s Digest carried a story about someone who did an experiment and determined to wave and/or smile at a number of people each day. The author indicated that you could see people’s stress levels go down in their body language, faces would brighten, and both parties felt better as a result. All this from such a small gesture.

Jesus promised that we would do His work and even greater ones than these (Jn. 14:12), if only we believe in Him and in the power we have through His Holy Spirit living in us. Most of you know that I am a huge fan of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. One of her best loved sayings is that God doesn’t expect us to do great things, only small things with great love. Neither does He ask for success, but rather for our fidelity. Sometimes it takes an enormous act of faith to believe that a seemingly small thing can have a huge impact on another person. But as the angel Gabriel said to Mary, nothing is impossible with God (Lk. 1:37).

Small kindnesses done to others have a way of spreading like wild fire. The Lord ardently desires that we spread this fire in our time. I have come to set the world on fire, and how I wish it were already ablaze (Lk 12:49). As we approach the glory of Christmas, let us each in our own small ways help to keep that fire burning to welcome the Light of the World who is our King and Prince of Peace.

Prayer Request: That we would all find small ways to bring comfort to God's people during these stressful times.

Prayer: O Lord, our God, what a wondrous work You did in sending Your only Son to redeem our fallen world and to bring us the comfort of salvation. In this time when so many are hurting - financially, emotionally and especially spiritually, help us to be attentive to their needs and to offer what comfort we can, in ways both great and small as Your Spirit leads us. We make this prayer through Him who is our Comfort and our Joy, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

GIVE THANKS DAILY

Scripture:
"There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger."
(Luke 17:18)

Relatively few people who receive the goodness of the Lord return to give Him thanks for what He has done. That does not keep the Lord from doing what is right for us. He healed all ten of these lepers according to their request - not just the one who was thankful. However, there was only one out of the ten that was made "whole."

The Lord desires that we prosper in spirit, soul, and body. He wants us to be whole - not just healed. Part of the reason God meets our physical needs is to prove to us His willingness and ability to meet our emotional and spiritual needs. The Lord is concerned about our temporal needs (Mt. 6:30), but He is even more concerned about our eternal needs. All of these lepers needed physical healing and the Lord was moved with compassion and met their need.

He was also desiring to meet their spiritual needs, but only one out of the ten came back for that.

Being unthankful is always a sign that self is exalting itself above God. A selfless person can be content with very little. A self-centered person cannot be satisfied. Thankfulness is a sign of humility and cultivating a life of thankfulness will help keep "self" in its proper place.

Thankfulness to the Lord for what He is and what He has done is a very important part of the Christian life. One of the many benefits of thanksgiving and praise is that they keep us from being "self" oriented.

Giving thanks is a totally unselfish action and is a key to relationship with the Father that makes us "whole" and not just "healed."

Prayer:
Thank you Lord. We need you. We surrender all to you during this Holiday season. Give us the eyes and the heart to see those who have needs and be generous to them. You have all the Glory Lord. We love you Jesus.


(http://www.awmi.net/devotion/jesus/aug_14)

Cleanup

Scriptures: "In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purpose, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work." (II Timothy 2:20-21)

The week of the Thanksgiving holiday was a blessing to me. I finally got to clean up my garage. Over the years, I don't know how I have accumulated so many things, some were still in the wrapping when we moved in and others were conveniently left on the rack without ever being touched again.

It actually took a couple of days just to go through everything in the garage and to identify what need to go. It took another day and half to move things around so I can have the space to put the unwanted things. then, we had to go through all unwanted things and put them in the proper category, oversize objects, hazadous materials, recyclable containers, etc. It's really a project on its own.

Because of the various Tahnksgiving events, we were not able to do all these things at once. Though we started early on Monday, we didn't get to ship them out to the dump site until the following Monday, three carloads of them. Afterwards, when I looked at the cleaned up and reorganized garage, I felt so good. Now I could set my ping-pong table again and play with my kids; I could move my cars back in the garage where they belong; I could find things I need so much easier. Not only does my garage look so much neater, it's actually a lot more useful to us and easier to work in there, too.

Then it hit me. Isn't our hearts just like this? Over time, we have allowed so many things, conciousely or unconciousely, to be stored up in our hearts. Some of them may look nice at first. But, as they are not really needed in life, after a while, we forgot about them. They just sat there, taking up some space of our hearts. Some were simply junks, things that were not good for us, like bitterness, hurts, disappointments, worries for our life and the world around us, and many others. For some reason, sometimes, it's really hard to let go of these things.

With our daily responsibilities, sometimes, finding time to reflect on our spiritual condition becomes a luxury. But the consequence is also costly. When our hearts are filled with these unneeded and destructive things, we constantly find ourselves battling against ourselves. It slows us down in our quest for deeper relationship with our Lord Jesus. It reduces the capacity we have for loving others. Sometimes, more often than we would like to admit, it made it difficult for us to study and understand the Word of God. These spiritual wastes and junks not only take up spaces in our hearts, they wear us down, too.

But, this Thanksgiving week, I am grateful that I am once again reminded to make sure there's enough room in my heart for things of God. The psalmist said, "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night." (Psalm 1:1-2)

Let's make room for God to work in our hearts so that His truth and grace can reside in us and empower us to bear witness to our Lord Jesus and His saving grace!

Prayer Requests:
For dump site workers

Prayers:
Dear Aba Father, thank You for the grace and provision You have for us. Help us to learn from our Lord Jesus and empty ourselves of all earthly concerns and burdens so we can completely filled with Your heavenly will and guidance in response to Your glorious grace. Help us to be wise and vigilant in making our hearts available to You and You alone always as we pray in the precious name of our Lord and Redeemer, Jesus, Amen!

The month before Christmas

'Twas the month before Christmas when all through our land,
Not a Christian was praying nor taking a stand.
Why the PC Police had taken away,
The reason for Christmas - no one could say.

The children were told by their schools not to sing,
About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.
It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say
December 25th is just a ' Holiday '.
Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit
Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!
CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod
Something was changing, something quite odd!

Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa
In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.
As Targets are hanging their trees upside down
At Lowe's the word Christmas - was no where to be found.

At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears
You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.
Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-is-ty
Are words that were used to intimidate me.

Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen
On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton and Obama !
At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter
To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.

And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith
Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace
The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded
The reason for the season, stopped before it started.

So as you celebrate 'Winter Break' under your 'DreamTree'
Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.
Choose your words carefully, choose what you say
Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS, not Happy Holiday !

submitted by Gloria Lewis

An All Too Familiar Song

Remember the word that I said to you, `A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all this they will do to you on My account, because they do not know Him who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin (Jn. 15:20-22).

The efforts of some people to completely do away with any expressions of the Christian principles on which this country was founded are becoming less veiled these days. It’s only necessary for one person declare his being offended by some public display of anything religious (as though the alleged offense was deliberately perpetrated upon that individual), and the courts shift into high gear to eradicate the “problem.”

Take this week’s furor in in Kentucky. Ten residents and the national American Atheists Inc. are suing to overturn legislation linking the state's security to reliance on God. At issue are two clauses that were inserted in a floor amendment and approved by state lawmakers. One says that the "safety and security of the Commonwealth cannot be achieved apart from reliance upon Almighty God" and cites statements to that effect by Presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy. A permanent plaque quoting that text is posted at the state's Emergency Operations Center, as required by the clause. The other clause, listing the executive director's duties, begins with a requirement to publicize "the dependence on Almighty God as being vital to the security of the Commonwealth."

The plaintiffs are also seeking financial compensation claiming they have suffered emotional distress "from the belief that the existence of these unconstitutional laws suggest that their very safety as residents of Kentucky may be in the hands of fanatics, traitors, or fools." With all due respect to these folks, GIVE ME A BREAK! Why is it that people can claim freedom of speech when they want to express whatever sort of vitriol they wish to heap on society, and yet if that same speech hints at anything even vaguely religious – despite the fact that we allegedly have freedom of religion in this country – that speech is viewed as a violation against the separation of church and state at best or, at worst, as some horrendous threat to the well being of the country?

I can’t help but wonder if any of these offended Kentucky residents was in church in the aftermath of September 11th. Why is it that the American Atheists were not making noise back then when government representatives were invoking God’s name all over the place in those first few weeks following the terrorist attacks? Sounds like a double standard, doesn’t it?

As I’ve read the news headlines over the past few weeks, I can’t help but hear an echo of my college studies of the French Revolution. One of the best books I’ve read on the subject is one by William Bush, professor emeritus of French literature at the University of Western Ontario in Canada. He writes:

Meanwhile, king and beggar alike were beheaded with no distinction, and with egalitarian efficiency as the new order’s goal of supplanting Christianity with a less fanatical religion was ardently pursued. Outdated superstitious nonsense about Jesus Christ, that Jew whom Christians believed to be the virgin-born Son of God, and who rose from the dead, were things to be relegated to France’s pre-Enlightenment past. Indeed, what could prove more inimical to progress and the modernity of the new philosophical thought than Judeo-Christian superstitions rooted in seven-day weeks, sacrificial lambs, scapegoats, victims of holocaust, or a God who counts every bird that falls (Mt. 10:29)? (To Quell the Terror, pp. 124-125)

Just as was true in late 18th century France, faithful Christians are being summarily subjected to more and more persecution and attacks on our beliefs. The Freedom of Choice Act that president-elect Obama has committed to signing into law has horrendous potential ramifications to Christian consciences with respect to health care, abortion, adoption and numerous other areas where limits have been placed to, in many ways, save us from ourselves.

St Paul warned us that the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching (2 Tim. 4:3); those days are here. It seems the time is not too far off when being a Christian will be illegal. Thankfully, the remedy has also been provided to us: Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Eph. 6:11-12).

The powers of darkness seem to have the upper hand these days. But at the same time, I believe that God is at work raising up another “faithful remnant” mentioned numerous times in Scripture. He is calling us to be the holy nation, a people set apart (1Pt 2:9). Let us pray for the grace to answer that call.

The Wisdom of God

Note: I was sent the below email just the other day and thought I would share it with you all. ~Jen~

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5-6)

I recently read an article called "178 Seconds to Live." It was about twenty pilots who were capable pilots in clear weather but who had never taken instrument training. Each was put in a flight simulator and instructed to do whatever he could to keep the airplane under control as he flew into thick, dark clouds and stormy weather. The article stated that all twenty pilots "crashed" and "killed themselves" within an average of 178 seconds. It took these seasoned pilots with skilled intuition less than three minutes to destroy themselves once they lost their visual reference points! …

When the writer of this proverb tells us not to lean on our own understanding, he is making the point that no matter how smart we are or how many life experiences we have under our belts, we still need to realize that human judgment is always limited and sometimes wrong. Sometimes our best notions about what ought to be said or done are ill-advised, dangerous, even destructive. When it comes to the key decisions in our lives, we almost always need deeper insights and a broader perspective than mere human wisdom can offer us.

What we desperately need is God's mind on the serious matters of life. He offers it to us through the teaching of His Word and the inner guidance of His Spirit. Our job is not to question it or to assume that we know better, like an overconfident pilot second-guessing the instructions of his instruments, but to trust that God does know better how to make our lives work. A helpful spiritual rule of thumb might be "When in doubt, always, always, always, trust the wisdom of God."

-- Bill Hybels in Making Life Work: Putting God's Wisdom into Action


Prayer: Father, we often have trouble listening to Your "still, small voice" that guides us in our many decisions we make throughout the day. We often have trouble making contact with You between tv shows, phone calls, errands, family business, household chores and all the things that get between You and us. Help us to slow down and tilt an ear up to what You have to say to us. Help us each to find a little time in the middle of the day to be with You, and listen uninterrupted. Just for a moment. Amen

GOD'S WORD: USE AS DIRECTED

Scripture:
"Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God." (Luke 8:11)

This parable illustrates the importance of the Word of God. God's Word contains total power, but it has to be planted in our hearts and allowed to germinate before it releases that power.

The seed is God's Word, and the types of ground are the four major categories of men's hearts. The Word was the same in each situation, but there were different results in each case because of the condition of men's hearts - not because of the Word. The Word doesn't work for everyone because not everyone will allow the Word to work. The variable in this parable is the condition of these hearts. God's Word is always the same. It has the same potential in every heart.

Good ground doesn't just happen; it must be cultivated. This is the reason why only one out of four persons in Jesus' parable brought forth fruit. It takes a lot of time, effort, and diligence to be a fruitful Christian. The Christian life is not like a hundred-yard dash but rather a 26.2 mile marathon. It's quicker and easier to raise weeds than it is to raise tomatoes or corn.

In this whole parable, it was the Word that produced the fruit. The ground simply gave it a place to grow. If we will simply put God's Word in our hearts, protect it, and give it priority in our lives, the Word will produce fruit of itself. Satan has deceived many people into thinking that they don't have the talents or abilities to be fruitful Christians, but they are not the ones who bring forth fruit; it's God's Word. When we protect the Word sown in our hearts, it will do the rest.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, help us cultivate our hearts so that we can receive the seed of the Word of God in our lives and bring fruit that will glorify your name. Amen

(http://www.awmi.net/devotion/jesus/apr_08)