Christmas...

may you each travel to the manger this night and worship the King...  for this is what Christmas is truly about...






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This is My Father's World

chill out... listen... enjoy... and praise God!!


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Be Ye Glad

"... while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  Romans 5:8 [Bible]

Jesus "payed it forward"... just for you!!


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this little light of mine

how old do you have to be?

How old do you have to be to make a difference in the world? There are those who might try to tell you that if you are not yet of "adult" age, that you can have no voice for making a difference. That is simply not true!! You do not have to be an "adult" to have a voice and make a difference. Living in today's world, with technology as it is and especially with the global internet access that is available to people, should help you realize the impact that anyone, regardless of age, can have in our world today.

In biblical times, the Apostle Paul writes to the youth, Timothy, as to how he might instruct others in the Christian faith. In his first letter to Timothy, Paul says: "Don't let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity." [The Bible: 1 Timothy 4:12 New Living Translation].

Young people, regardless of age, can make a difference... choose wisely the kind of difference you will make. I challenge each of you to make a difference for GOOD!! And I welcome your comments, sharing what you are doing to make a difference for good in our world!!

Faith Reflections: God Looks at our Hearts

Read 1 Samuel 16:1-13

In today's world it is so easy to be down on ourselves because we tend to compare our lives with other people's lives... if we aren't famous like one of our favorite movie stars or rock stars, or if we aren't as pretty or good looking as we think one of our friends is or if we don't have a car like one of our friends has... well, you get the picture... sometimes we feel less about ourselves because we don't measure up to what our society says is the measure of success: beauty, fame and fortune...

In Samuel's time, it was thought by people that good looks and wealth meant that God favored some people more than others... and when Samuel is sent to anoint Israel's new king, he saw Jesse's oldest son and just knew that this had to be the one that God would choose, because he was tall and good looking...

But that was not the case... in verse 7 we read: "...The LORD doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.'"

In fact, God's choice for Israel's new king was the youngest son, David... the one about whom it is said that he was a "man after God's heart".

Don't look down on yourself because you don't measure up to the world's standards... instead know that the LORD knows your heart and loves you!!

seeking God...

Vacation Bible School at our church this summer was titled "Camp E.D.G.E." where the word "edge" was an acronym for "Experiencing and Discovering God Everywhere".  I kept thinking that it should have stood for "Experiencing and Discovering God Everyday"...  but it really doesn't matter which, because both are important ideas....  we should remember that God is with us everywhere we are and that we can experience God's love everyday in our lives!!  The Bible tells us that we will find God when we seek with all our hearts!!  [Jeremiah 31:13]  What a wonderful promise....   

But what exactly does it mean to "seek God with all our hearts"?  Although many things could be said in answer to this question, I will let you think about and pray over this question for yourselves...  and if you are not yet seeking God, I encourage you to do this...  to seek God with all your heart!!  It's a safe bet that while there may be many things you might do in life that you might later regret, seeking God with all your heart will not be one of them!!

skateboards... and God's Kingdom...

I did a little checking online and found out that skateboards have several parts to them... there is the deck... and then there are the trucks... and then we have the wheels... and of course there are the bearings... and then there is the grip tape, bushings and risers... all of these things go into the construction of a skateboard... and while a couple of these might be considered extras, most of the items are very necessary for a skateboard that can actually be used!!

In God's Kingdom, there are all kinds of people, each with different talents and abilities. In the same way that each of the parts of the skateboard are needed and work with the other parts so that the board will function as it should, each person's gifts and talents are needed and valued in God's Kingdom. God gave each of us special abilities, talents and gifts so that we could use them to help make God's Creation a better place... and so that we could use them to let others know how much their Creator God loves them!!

So I challenge you!! Take those gifts, talents and special abilities and offer them back to God by the way you use them!! After all, it is because of God that you have them in the first place... God gave them to you... so use them in ways that will honor God!!

God's Love in Action...

To get to Easter, you have to go through Good Friday... which wasn't so "good" when it happened... Jesus' blood, Jesus' life for our sins... the price for our salvation... the price for our reconciliation with God... a brutal and savage act done to one who was innocent of any sin... for my sins and your sins... because God loves us so much...

"For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him." John 3:16-17

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Faith Reflections: Witnessing for Christ

Throughout the New Testament, there are calls for God’s people to be witnesses for Christ. Many people think this is a very challenging thing to do and shy away from it. The idea of walking up to a total stranger on the street and asking if they know Jesus is something that sometimes frightens even the most faithful of Christians.

However, being a witness for Christ does not have to be so difficult. As Christians we are called to live our lives in such a way that others might see our good deeds and give glory to God [Matt. 5:16]. In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he tells the believers that they should live wisely among non-believers and make the most of the opportunities that come their way [Col. 4:5]. In this, Paul is not suggesting that believers confront non-believers on the street and ask if they know Jesus. Rather, he is suggesting to all of us that we live in such a way that opportunities will be created for witnessing when non-believers see how we live and ask questions.

Remember, as Christ-followers, we are to be a light in the darkness, pointing the way to Christ!!

a life changing faith...

How can we do it?  How can we help youth experience the power of God's Presence and love?  I think I struggle mainly with that...   I believe that if my "kids" knew and felt God's Presence, and knew for themselves, apart from anything anyone else tells them, that God loves them...  I think if they knew that, they might want to begin to explore and grow in a relationship with the Lord...  they might want to see how faith can speak to their lives and the issues they face...  they just might be willing to try to learn how God wants them to live...  and they just might make a positive difference in their world...

In The Book of 1 Kings [Bible - Old Testament], there is a story of the prophet Elijah who challenged all the priests of Baal [one of the gods worshiped by Canaanites] to a "duel"...  Elijah would prepare a sacrifice to God, and the priests would prepare a sacrifice to Baal.  Then the priests of Baal would call on their god and Elijah would call on his God...   and those watching would know who truly was God by which sacrifice was consumed by fire sent from heaven.

To make a long story short, there was no response from Baal, even after hours of pleading calling and ritual dancing and cutting by the priests of Baal...   but with only a simple prayer, the God of Elijah sent fire and consumed Elijah's sacrifice.  And all those who watched, fell to the ground to worship Elijah's God... because they knew that Elijah's God, the God of creation, the same God that we who are Christ-followers proclaim today, was truly the only God!

 

In a world where bulls are no longer sacrificed as a way to worship God, what can be done to challenge the "gods" of our world today?  How can we live so that the "fire" of God's Holy Spirit will be seen in our lives and as a result, influence our youth to live a life of faith in God? 

Ultimately, youth must choose for themselves....  whether to follow the Creator and Redeemer God, who makes all things new....  or whether to follow the gods of the world whose promises lead to hopelessness and despair...

Faith Reflections: "Foxhole" Prayers

“From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God.” 

   [Jonah 2:1 New International Version of the Bible]

Read: Jonah 1:17 - 2:10    [Found in the Old Testament of the Bible]

Everyone knows how it goes… the time for the dreaded test [Math, English, Science, whatever] has arrived, and you begin to pray madly that God will help you pass it. Or maybe you’re in trouble, and you know you need help, and even if you don’t usually do a whole lot of praying other times, this time you do. You even try to make a deal with God. “God, if you help me, I’ll…”

Some people call those types of prayers “foxhole” prayers… prayers that are said when someone is in a lot of trouble, is maybe scared, and needs a lot of help. Everyone at some time or another has prayed a “foxhole” prayer.

It is ok to ask God for help in these situations. In the Bible, Jonah had the same experience. He ran away when God wanted him to do something, and now was in big trouble, sitting inside a big fish that had swallowed him up. Even though Jonah probably thought God was mad at him, he still prayed and asked for help. Sometimes God is the only one who can help. Don’t be afraid to ask for his help. He is always listening.

anyone can be a hero...

"Be on guard.  Stand firm in the faith.  Be courageous.  Be strong.  And do everything with love."   1 Corinthians 16:13-14  [New Living Translation of the Bible]




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I gave up chocolate for Lent...

This morning in Sunday school, as we began to talk about Lent, one of the youth said, "I gave up chocolate for Lent!"  My reply was a question.  "Why?  Why did you give up something for Lent?"  I wanted to know if she or anyone else in the class knew why people "gave things up" for Lent.  Many times, during this Lenten season of the Christian year, people "give something up"...  but if there is no understanding of the reason why this is done at this time of the year, then this becomes a meaningless ritual.

Lent is the 40 day time of the year [not counting Sundays] before Easter during which Christians take time for introspection, for soul searching, reflection and repentance...  it is a time of growing in one's faith in preparation for the coming of the death and resurrection of Christ.  In the earliest days of the church, Christ-followers re-dedicated themselves to the faith, and new converts learned about the Christian faith as they prepared for baptism.  "Giving something up" was done to help a person focus on the ideas of reflection, repentance, renewal and spiritual growth during this time of the year. 

While giving up chocolate might not seem to be something that would help a person focus on spiritual soul searching, it can still help as a little reminder...  for example, every time you think about eating chocolate and then remember that you have given it up for Lent, as you begin to wonder, "Why did I give up chocolate?!!", you can then remember to ask yourself that question suggested by John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement... a question he suggested we all take time to ask of ourselves and each other on a regular basis regarding our relationship with God: "How is your soul really doing"?  

While some people take it very seriously, giving something up for Lent is not a "legalistic" requirement of the Christian faith...  and you don't have to give up only food items...  you can give up watching TV for a certain amount of time each day, or give up some other activity for a certain amount of time each day...  what you give up and for what amount of time is your choice...  because ultimately, it doesn't matter what you have given up, or even if you have given something up...  ultimately, what really matters is the answer to the question:  How is your soul really doing?

  

Take this season of Lent to reflect on how your soul is really doing...  and to grow in your relationship with God...  and if you are wondering how you can grow if you don't currently have a relationship with God, all it takes is one small step of reaching out for God... and you will find that God has been there all along.

can God love even me?

I have met people who think it is not possible that God would love them... they think they have done such terrible things that it would be impossible for God to love them, and because of this, they believe they could never live in a right relationship with God...  or even live in heaven with God after they die...  and then there are those who think they already live in hell... so why bother? 

The other day, I was reading in the Bible, in the New Testament book of Romans,  and I came across this passage which states, "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.  As the scriptures tell us, 'Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced'.  Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect.  They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him.  For everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved." Romans 10:9-13  [The scripture referred to in verse 11 is from Isaiah 28:16 in the Old Testament and the scripture referred to in verse 13 is from Joel 2:32 in the Old Testament.]

This letter was written by the Apostle Paul, and in it he is speaking to both Jews and non-Jews [known as Gentiles].  Although he wrote this almost 2000 years ago, he still speaks to people today through this letter.  

Let me encourage anyone who might think they cannot be saved or receive help from God.  In this letter, Paul states very clearly that anyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved...  this is a promise meant not only for people who lived thousands of years ago, but also for those of us who live today!!  It does not matter what you have done up to this point, or what your life is like now... if you want God [the LORD] to help you make better choices or live a better life, all you have to do is ask.  God is listening!!

what if?

In Paul's letter to the Christ-followers in Rome, we read: "Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect" [Romans 12:2 New Living Translation of the Bible]... 

And in his letter to the believers in Ephesus, he says: "Instead, let [God's Holy] Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God-truly righteous and holy... Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you" [Ephesians 4:23-24,31-32 New Living Translation of the Bible]...

What if?  With God, all things are possible!!



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oh, what a tangled web... or how'd i get into this??

So an interesting thing happened in my Sunday school class this past week.  Three of the boys were goofing around with some yarn they had found, and after about fifteen minutes, they found themselves more tangled up in the yarn that they had originally planned to be.  With a little help from a couple of people, a knife and a pair of scissors, they were able to get untangled.

Although it was a bit distracting in class, a day or so later I was thinking about it and realized that sin is a lot like that yarn...  we play around with it, many times knowing that what we are doing is wrong...  but after all, we're just playing... and it might even be fun...  for awhile...  but then after a while, we find ourselves more tangled up in it than we wanted to be and we may not know how to get out...  or we may not be able to get out on our own...

That's where Jesus comes in...  Jesus is the one who can help us out when there seems to be no one else who can...  and Jesus can even help us get right with God, since he is the one who took our place and paid the "ultimate price" [death] for the sins that we do.

You can learn a lot from a little bit of yarn...  and it was even red yarn...  

let's not forget...

It is so easy to get caught up in shopping and parties at this time of the year... let's not forget the real reason for the season of Christmas... Merry Christmas!!



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