CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS – Do You See What I See?

In most homes the Christmas tree seems to take center stage and is covered in symbols that remind me of who and what we are celebrating.  Everything seems to reflect something about this Christ Child that was born. 

The lights reminded me of what Jesus said in 

John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

The garland around the tree reminds me that we are all united in one body.

Romans 12:5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

The Christmas balls remind me of the world and how much God really loves the world. 

John 3:16, 17 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 

The icicles remind me of the coldness of the hearts of those that don’t know Jesus.

Matthew 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

The candy canes can hold so much symbolism if one only looks.  Turned upside down it is the letter ‘J’ for Jesus - the Good Shepherd.  The red stripes remind me of the blood He shed for me.

John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

Right side up the candy cane is shaped like a shepherd’s hook and reminds me of

Luke 2:8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  

The angels on the tree remind me of

Luke 2:9-11 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.  And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

On the top of the tree is usually a star that reminds me of the wise men from the east following the star to see the new born babe who would some day proclaim

Revelation 22:16 … I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

The wreath is a reminder of the crown of thorns that was placed on Jesus’ head.

Mark 15:17 And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head,

When He returns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, He will be wearing the victor’s crown, a crown of gold.

Revelation 14:14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.

 

The presents under the tree remind me of the gifts the wise men brought to the young child.

Matthew 2:11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

But most of all, I am reminded of the Gift that God has given us through His Son Jesus.  It truly is the Greatest Gift of all.

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Under the tree is the manger scene and I am reminded of how the tree overshadowed the tiny babe lying in the manger.  He grew and walked in the shadow of that tree throughout His life and ministry.  We rejoice at His coming but the greatest victory took place on the tree at Calvary.  

HE CAME TO DIE. 

That was His whole purpose in coming. 

As I stand back and look at the whole scene I am saddened. 

Isn’t it funny how Christmas has become the biggest celebration of the year and Easter is given a much smaller role. 

Shouldn’t the celebrating of His death and resurrection be the Major focal point for all Christians?

Merry Christmas one and all.

ARE YOU B-U-S-Y THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON?

The Holiday Season is upon us and everyone is busy trying to get everything done in time for Christmas. We have shopping to do, concerts to go to, presents to wrap, food to prepare and people to see.  We barely get a break for ourselves.  

I thought this would be a good time to share this little story (author unknown).  I hope it will remind us to slow down during this busy season and to stop and think for a little while. 

(Read it, even if you're busy, especially if you're too busy) 

Satan called a worldwide convention of demons. In his opening address he said, 

"We can't keep Christians from going to church. We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We can't even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their Saviour.  Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken. So let them go to their churches; let them have their covered Dish dinners,  but Steal their Time, so they don't have time to develop a real relationship with Jesus Christ." 

"This is what I want you to do", said the devil. "Distract them from gaining hold of their Saviour and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!" 

"How shall we do this?" his demons shouted. 

"Keep them busy in the non essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds," he answered:

• Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow. 
• Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles.
•  Keep them from spending time with their children. As their families fragment, soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of the world! 
• Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that 'still, small voice.' 
• Entice them to play the radio or tape player whenever they drive...to keep the TV, VCR, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ. 
• Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. 
• Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day. 
• Invade their driving moments with billboards. 
• Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogues, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes.
• Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines and TV so their husbands will believe that outward beauty is what's important, and they'll become dissatisfied with their wives. 
• Keep the wives too tired to love their husbands at night.   Give them headaches too!   If they don't give their husbands the love they need, they will begin to look elsewhere. That will fragment their families quickly!
• Give them Santa Claus to distract them from teaching their children the real meaning of Christmas. 
• Give them an Easter bunny so they won't talk about his resurrection and power over sin and death. 
• Even in their recreation, let them be excessive...have them return from their recreation exhausted. 
• Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect on God's creation. 
• Send them to amusement parks!, sporting events, plays, concerts, and movies instead. 
• Keep them busy, busy, busy!   And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, they will leave with troubled consciences.

For those who resist all the temptations of television and worldly pursuits, crowd their lives with so many good causes that they have no time to seek power from Jesus. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause.  

'It will work! It will work!!"

It was quite a plan! 

The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to have little time for their God or their families, and to have little or no time to tell others about the power of Jesus to change lives. 

I guess the question is, has the devil been successful at his scheme?  You be the judge! 

Does "busy" mean:

B-eing
U-nder
S-atan's
Y-oke

Remember the Reason for the Season.  Take time with Jesus.  After all, it is His Birthday we are celebrating.    

Here are some verses to help you through the busy season:

Php 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Pro 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Php 4:6 Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Php 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

And here are a few GIFTS that Jesus gives to you.

John 14:27  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Ecc 3:13  And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Merry Christmas one and all.

MEREDITH AND ABBEY

I received the following in an email and decided to share it with everyone.   

A little kindness goes a long way and blesses many people.

Here's the email

Meredith and Abbey

This is one of the kindest things you may ever see.. It is not known who replied, but there is a beautiful soul working in the dead letter office of the US  postal service. Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey..  She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her.  I told her that I thought we could so she dictated these words: "Dear God, Will you please take care of my dog?  She died yesterday and is with you in heaven.  I miss her very much.  I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick. I hope you will play with her.  She likes to play with balls and to swim.  I am sending a picture of her so when you see her You will know that she is my dog.  I really miss her. Love,  Meredith" We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven..  We put our return address on it. Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven.  That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office.  A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet.  I told her that I thought He had. Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, 'To Meredith' in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, 'When a Pet Dies..' Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope.  On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note: "Dear Meredith, Abbey arrived safely in heaven. Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away. Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart.  Abbey loved being your dog..  Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by... Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me.  What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you..  I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much. By the way, I'm easy to find, I am wherever there is love. Love, God"

HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH A SKEPTIC?

HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH A SKEPTIC?

Being a widow with much time on my hands I have chosen the internet as my way of ministering to those that are interested in reading or watching what I have to say.  I Blog and have a You Tube Channel where I try to uplift the name of Jesus and reach out to help others in any way I can.  I care about those that take the time to read or to view what I have to share. 

Recently I received a comment on a video I presented, by a 19 year old that was brought up in a Christian church.  He entered University and is now studying Science, other religions and Christianity.  The studies in Science have caused him to question and doubt the Supernatural and the studies in other religions have caused him to question the prominence of Christianity over these other religions.   In one letter he asked “How do you validate your faith on a personal level? Rejecting these other religions and promoting yours?”  

Some in the Christian community are at a loss to answer these sincere seekers of truth because they don’t really know what they believe or why they believe it.  Many grew up in Christian homes never doubting what they had been taught.  Many converted after some sort of experience.  Is there any kind of “proof” that we can offer this doubting world as to the validity of our faith over that of another?

I know what I believe and why I believe it but how does one communicate that to a skeptical world?  How does one prove that we have not just believed on “blind faith”?  How does one put many years of study into a brief conversation easy for another to understand?  This was the dilemma I faced.

The world doesn’t want to hear quotes from the Bible because they think the Bible is archaic and merely written by men and not by God.  Personal experience is thrown out because other religions have personal experiences that back up their claims.  The threats of eternal punishment in hell – they believe – are scare tactics to keep followers in line.  They see no “proof” of God or any kind of life after death.  They want scientifically verifiable evidence before they are willing to believe anything.

Many Atheists/Skeptics on the net are not trying to find truth as they believe they already have it.  They comment on Christian videos and blogs hoping for an opportunity to prove how unintelligent or unaware the Christian Community is.  Sad to say, many well meaning Christians tend to prove them right.  In trying to give articulate answers they don’t stop to think, pray or discern who their audience is.  Many offer Bible quotes or refer to their personal experiences. Others resort to anger and threaten with hell to try to prove their point.  The non believer tends to look at this as the normal response from an uneducated unintelligent individual. 

I nearly fell into the same trap. 

The first comment I received from this individual was somewhat mocking. I immediately grouped him with all the others who “troll” the net looking for unsuspecting Christians to attack.  I was at the ready with a reply that would have been sarcastic and dismissive when a little voice inside me said “What if this person is really seeking the truth.” 

It would have been easy to dismiss that voice and continue as I had planned but when I thought about it, I reconsidered what I was about to write. 

We are Ambassadors for Christ sent to do what he would do were he personally present. 

Wanting to communicate as Christ would, I went to Him in prayer asking him to direct every word I wrote. 

I tried to think as this young man would think.  I presumed he probably encountered people that offered him glib answers to his heart felt questions only to be let down with the results.  I assumed he didn’t want to hear the “five and dime store” version of Christianity, as he’d already heard enough of that.  I speculated that he was looking for something new and something real that would make an impression on him. 

I tried to meet him where he was; on his level, that of a skeptical Christian who has struggled with many of my beliefs showing him how I found answers.

My first response was somewhat unconventional as far as Christian witnessing goes.  I figured he would be ready to counter all the customary answers he had probably heard in the past and already had dismissed.  I was hoping to demonstrate that I was not simply regurgitating things I had been taught or heard elsewhere. 

My individual response seemed to spark his interest and he was willing to converse further.  I continue to communicate with him using my God given intelligence and reason using principles and experiences that are common to everyone.

The lines of communication are open because I chose to listen, to go to God first and to try to discern where this person was coming from.  He is now more open to listen to the explanations I offer as to how I validate my faith.  Hopefully through continuing dialogue I will be able to demonstrate to him why I am able to reject other religions and promote my own.  

I cannot lead anyone to Christ.  Only God the Holy Spirit is able to do that.  I can only be an instrument in the Master’s hands appealing to one’s sense of logic, intellect, reason and curiosity.  They must do the thinking for them self and ultimately make their own choices. How it all ends is in God’s hands.

WHY DO I WRITE?

Why Do I Write?

I write because I feel like I have to write.  I feel driven to write.  I desire to write.  I have a longing to write.  I create when I write and I love to create.  It is like there is something inside me that is screaming to get out, to let my voice be heard, to express feelings and emotions.  I write because I want to honour My Lord and my King, share all that I know about Him, and that others might get to know Him also. 

I’m not a great writer.  I’m not even a good writer but I still desire to write and let my voice be heard.  I want to share all my joys and sorrows, my ups and down.  I want to let others know that I am a person, a real person on this side of the screen. 

I write to share experiences, thoughts and dreams.  I want to share my inside as well as the outer me.  I write about everyday occurrences to inform friends and family.  I share little anecdotes I find amusing,  hoping someone else will find pleasure in reading them.  I write about things I’ve learned hoping that others might benefit as I have.

What is in us makes us want to share?  Is it the oneness we feel inside even when in a room full of people?  I find that even then I feel like they don’t see me – the real me – the inside me.  It is important for me that they know the real me.  Why?  Why should it matter to me?  What difference does it make if they think that I am someone that I am not?  Will it really change anything in my life?  Probably not but then I feel like they believe a lie.  Truth matters to me.

We live in a corrupted world full of evil and dishonest people.  I don’t want to be one of them.  I want to be separated unto the truth, the real Truth.  There is not one truth for one and another truth for another.  There is only one Truth and that truth is found in the person of Jesus Christ.  He said “… I am the way, the truth and the life.  No man cometh unto the Father but by me.  (John 14:6)

Our whole world system began because of a lie and that lie is still being perpetuated even today.  “Hath God said?” Three little words changed the course of History.  These same three little words continue to grieve and hurt people today.

I see around me a world full of pain suffering and dying.  Everywhere people are searching for something – anything – that will fill that void and emptiness they feel inside.  All too often I see them searching in the wrong places.  They find pleasure for a season but it is fleeting and does not satisfy like they hoped.  They move on in another direction never seeming to find that peace that passes understanding. 

I write and I hope.  I hope that maybe, just maybe, my words might bring a ray of hope to a hurting soul.  I hope that maybe someone will listen and really seek to understand.  I hope that just one soul will turn to the only Hope we have in this world. 

Tit 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

Tit 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.