MEDITATION OF OUR HEARTS

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14; NASB) The Psalmist makes it clear that this is not an “either or” statement…The words that come from your mouth are connected to what resides in your heart, or your heart’s meditation!!! If a person says nasty things to you, you wouldn’t be led to believe there are kind thoughts in that person’s heart concerning you, right? Jesus also knew this to be the case; He called the Pharisees white washed tombs because they looked good on the outside, like a nice grave marker, yet on their inside they were nasty and dirty, much like a rotting body (Matt. 23:27-28)....He also brought this up again when talking about food defiling the body, when He let the religious leaders know that it is the heart that defiles a body, or what is already inside, and not the food that comes in (Matt. 15:18-20). Too often, when we are dealing with gossip, mean thoughts towards others, course language, lust, anger toward others, frustration with the inept and foolish -- you name it -- we try to just stop ourselves from saying the words or thinking the thoughts. Instead, we should be getting to the root of the problem -- our heart!!! It all boils down to the meditation of our heart, which should always be on Christ!!!! Memorize the verse & use it when the words you speak & the thoughts you think are not pleasing to God.

BE A GOOD FORGETTER!!

**** DON’T HUG A GRUDGE!! **** We should learn to forgive & forget !!!!! A person is what he remembers -- But he is also what he forgets !!! One of the healthiest things a human being can do is become a master of forgetting !! IT IS GOOD TO HAVE A GOOD MEMORY -- BUT IT IS ALSO GOOD TO HAVE A GOOD FORGETTER !!!!! ************************************************ The apostle Paul gave us a part of the secret of his great life when he said, "Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:13-14). ************************************************ If you want to make this year the best year of your life, forgive & forget -- it’s the ONLY way to truly live a happy, cheerful, & joyful life this year !!!!!

REPOST FROM: CJ ADKINS ABOUT PASTORS & THEIR FAMILIES

I COPIED THIS FROM MY PASTOR FRIEND'S (CJ ADKINS) BLOG, "FOR WHAT ITS WORTH"...THIS IS AN EXCELLENT ARTICLE THAT I FELT SHOULD BE COPIED AND PASTED FOR AS MANY TO READ AS POSSIBLE! ENJOY! ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ A Thought About Pastors And Their Families Our older son's 40th birthday is today. It is so hard to believe that it has been that long since he arrived at Cabell Huntington Hospital in 1973, but that's another story, and I don't want to sound like the old geezer that I am becoming. What I do want to do, however, is to share a few thoughts with you regarding a pastor and his family. Jay is working on the last stages of his Ph.D. work at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, but he also serves as Pastor of First Baptist Church of Westwego on the west bank of the Mississippi River in suburban New Orleans. Both tasks are a full time job. He has served at FBC Westwego for just over 10 years, and previously he was mission pastor at Fellowship Baptist Church in South Shore, KY for five years. He also had the distinct "privilege" of growing up in a pastor's home as a PK (Preacher's Kid). Like me, he has witnessed the challenges of a pastor's family from both sides of the equation. He and his family were looking forward to a special week of vacation. Michelle shares a birthday with Valentine's Day, and Jay's birthday is the next day. They had looked forward to spending that special week together as a family in one of their favorite places. They had just arrived in Orlando, FL late Sunday night for their family vacation when "that call" came in. A dear saint in their church had passed away unexpectedly. To make a long story short, Jay and his family were faced with a situation that all of us in pastoral ministry for any amount of time have faced. He has had it happen before as well. Well, he did what he felt he needed to do in obedience to his calling from God. He spent as much time with Michelle and the boys as he could, and then he boarded a flight very early this morning so he could do the funeral service this afternoon in New Orleans. Michelle and the boys have stayed on for a couple of days and will be driving back to NOLA by themselves. A post that Jay placed on Facebook last night touched a familiar chord with me, and reminded me of similar situations I have experienced, both as a PK and a pastor. A pastor's family is not like most others. It takes a very special kind of woman to put up with all that is involved, and often the children just DO NOT understand why their lives are so different than that of their friends. Please take a moment to read Jay's brief post, and then, if you are blessed to have a good pastor, please take another moment to thank God for sending him your way, and ask God's blessings and grace on your pastor and his family. I know they would appreciate your prayers. >Read Jay's post here. << In many ways the pastor's family doesn't have it "fair." They don't get to go on weekend getaways. After not seeing him all day they often have to endure weekday evenings when they can't see their dad/husband because it is in the evening when the people who need him are free to visit with him. The families are often limited by finances because many pastors choose (out of obedience) to serve smaller and medium sizes churches which often cannot pay them the income others might appreciate. Then, from time to time, major vacation plans have to be adjusted because of church based tragedy. Tomorrow morning I'm flying home early from a family vacation to do the funeral of a precious lady who loved Jesus. I am honored to do it and I love being a pastor. It's just that as I think about saying goodbye to my kids and my wife (at 4:30 am on my 40th birthday) I'm reminded of just how "not fair" the pastor's family has it. I am thankful for a wife and boys who not only understand but encourage me to be there for others. I am blessed and I hope our church knows how blessed it is to have Michelle, Quint & Canon serving them as their pastor's family. Please pray for them as they travel back home from Florida without me.>> Happy birthday Son. May God bless you and your precious family. Thank you for giving to the Lord. The hours are tough, working conditions are not always ideal, and the pay is never enough, but the "benefits" are "out of this world"! Posted by C.J. Adkins at 12:25 PM

FILIPINOS COME, ASK, & DO!

________________________________________________________ “And someone came to Him and said, ‘Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?’” (Matthew 19:16) The “someone” was a rich, young ruler who was lost and searching for guidance from Jesus that would lead him to eternal life…He thought that there was something that he could DO to earn “eternal life”. The rich young ruler did three things: 1)He came to the right person – he came to Jesus! We still have the opportunity today to come to the right person, Jesus Christ. 2)He then asked the right question – he asked what he must do to have eternal life! We first must understand that there is absolutely NOTHING that we can DO to earn salvation – it is a free gift offered to all who will ask! We must ask the right question. 3)He then, unfortunately, did the wrong thing – he would not give everything he owned to follow Christ! He walked away grieving after rejecting the free gift of salvation. We must NOT do the wrong thing! While in the Philippines for a few weeks in January, Richard and I had the privilege to share the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a total of almost 2,600 men, women, boys, and girls…That in itself is definitely amazing -- to think that we were able to speak to that many people over a period of about 8 days of full ministry; but then to realize that more than 55% of them made some type of decision for Christ just blows me away!!!! PRAISE THE LORD!!!! OF THE almost 2,600 THAT HEARD GOD’S WORD PREACHED AND SUNG, 1,636 TOTAL MADE SOME TYPE OF DECISION FOR JESUS CHRIST; AND 1,463 OF THOSE MADE SALVATION DECISIONS FOR JESUS CHRIST!!! It was amazing to be able to go into school after school, businesses, and communities and be allowed to share the Word, of God, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and the plan of salvation without the concern of the ACLU or some other group coming down legally on us, the local churches and pastors, or the school administrators and teachers; how long that will last in the Philippines with their new government is a real definite concern, especially with the “westernization” and "Americanization" of that country -- which is definitely NOT a good thing!!! The point I am trying to make here is this – these almost 2,600 Filipino people: 1) Went to the right person of Jesus Christ! We brought Him to share with anyone who would listen; 2) Asked the right question! They all had the opportunity to ask and receive Him; and 3) Over 50% of them DID THE RIGHT THING!! The question is – WILL YOU DO THE RIGHT THING??!! COME TO JESUS; ASK HIM WHAT YOU MUST DO TO HAVE ETERNAL LIFE; AND THEN, DO THE RIGHT THING -- AND RECEIVE HIM AS YOUR PERSONAL SAVIOR AND LORD!!!!! ____________________________________________________________________

A GREAT OR A SMALL FAITH?

__________________________________________________________________________ “But Jesus, aware of this, said, ‘You men of little faith, why do you discuss among yourselves that you have no bread? Do you not yet understand or remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets full you picked up? Or the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many large baskets full you picked up? How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’” (Matthew 16:8-11) Jesus spent time developing His disciples’ faith because He knew it would be essential for the tasks ahead of them! For over three years, they attended a “school of faith” with Jesus as their instructor, and Scriptures as their textbook! Sometimes Christ used verbal instruction to teach, but many of the lessons were taught through demonstrations…He healed the sick, brought life back to the dead, cast out demons, fed thousands, and calmed the sea; their training even included tests revealing if they truly believed He was the messiah! At times the disciples’ understanding was slow and faltering, but Jesus Christ never gave up on them! He reproved them when they exhibited a lack of trust (Mark 4:40); but He also commended them when they showed signs of progress (Matt. 16:15-17)…Jesus’ objective was to firmly establish their faith so He could accomplish His work in and through them! After His ascension, He commanded His men to spread the gospel of salvation to the remotest parts of the earth – WITHOUT FAITH, THEY WOULD HAVE FAILED!! THE LORD HAS THE VERY SAME GOAL FOR US!!!!! That goal is to increase our faith so we can do the work He has planned for us!! If our faith is great, He will entrust us with challenges and achieve amazing things through us!!! BUT, small faith limits God’s activity in any believer’s life! HE WILL USE US ONLY TO THE DEGREE THAT WE TRUST HIM!!!!! FAITH BUILDING IS ESSENTIAL IN A BELIEVER’S LIFE, AND GOD HAS TWO PRIMARY MEANS OF DOING THIS: 1)SCRIPTURE – It tells us what to believe about God and Jesus Christ!! We MUST read God’s Holy Word to build our faith!!! 2)TESTS – They place us in difficult situations and circumstances that stretch us to believe and rely on GOD, instead of relying on our own understanding! Each time we believe HIM, our faith grows!!! GOD HAS A GOAL TO INCREASE OUR FAITH AT OUR LOCAL CHURCHES, AS WELL, SO HE CAN DO THE WORK IN US FOR OUR COMMUNITIES HE HAS PLANNED! IF OUR FAITH IS GREAT, HE WILL ENTRUST US WITH CHALLENGES & ACHIEVE AMAZING THINGS THROUGH US!! THE QUESTION IS, "IS OUR FAITH GREAT OR SMALL?" --- YOU MUST DECIDE!!

FRIDAY NIGHT PHILIPPINE UPDATE

_______________________________________________________ PHILIPPINE MISSION UPDATE: By Wed. night there were over 566 souls that had been saved -- PRAISE THE LORD!!! Thursday morning, at Pastor Ernell's Warehouse Ministry in Dumaguete, we saw 82 accept Christ; Thursday night at our open-air crusade we had over people come to know Jesus as personal Savior & Lord; Friday morning, at our second High School in Bacong that we have visited, the Gospel of Jesus Christ was received positively by 400 students (WOW); and tonight (Friday night), in a little community just above Manjuyod, there were 40 more people who asked & received Christ into their hearts; and I cannot forget about our young male server at Shakey's Pizza this afternoon before we left town for Manjuyod - when we finished our meal and I paid the bill I congratulated him on a job well done, and then asked him if he knew Jesus Christ. His answer was initially yes, but when I asked him again saying, "Do you know Him as your PERSONAL savior & Lord; you have actually asked Him and received Him into your heart?", he responded by saying he wasn't really sure about that. Well, I immediately asked him if he would like to make absolutely certain about it, he said YES; that is when I turned it over to Pastor Cadiao, and he prayed right there and became a Christian -- PRAISE THE ALMIGHTY GOD!!!! HAL-LE-LU-JAH!!!! THEREFORE, AS OF FRIDAY NIGHT HERE IN THE PHILIPPINES, THE GRAND TOTAL OF SOULS SAVED, AND GOING TO HEAVEN & MISSING HELL, IS <<<1,088>>>; the total amount of decisions made for Christ and His ministry (including the 1,088) is over >>>1,302<<<........GOD HAS BEEN AND IS STILL CONTINUING TO MOVE IN WONDROUS AND MIGHTY, GLORIOUS WAYS HERE ON NEGROS ORIENTAL ISLAND, PHILIPPINES!!! WE GIVE GOD ALL THE GLORY AND HONOR AND PRAISE!!!! PS: And for those of you who are concerned enough to be thinking, "With that many people, there will be no way the local churches will be able to follow up!" Well, you are wrong, and you do not know Pastor Josue, Pastor Nico, & Pastor Ernell, or their wives and the lovely members of their churches and ministries that have dedicated themselves over the next several months to follow up on EVERY SINGLE decision made during our meetings, crusades, and divine encounters; they have also been enlisting help from their local association, which Brother Josue is the president of currently. I have no doubt in my heart or mind that they will eventually follow up with each and every one of these precious souls; in fact, they already have promises from a few of them to begin Bible Studies in their homes very soon! These Filipino Christians do things the right way and we American Christians could learn a thing or two from them -- the entire church works together to get things done and they are happy and joyful to be able to, and allowed to, serve Christ, others, and His church, as well as attend church services. By the way, last Sunday morning, over 50 men, women, boys, & girls from Manjuyod, which is over 2 hours away by bus, got up VERY EARLY, piled onto a large bus, and rode for over 2 hours to be at the Anniversary Celebration Service for BCF-SBC in Bacong by 9:30AM - YES, I SAID "AM" -- AND WERE EXTREMELY JOYOUS TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY AND PRIVILEGE TO DO SO!!!! And there are some of my members, and non-members, that I can't even get to walk across the street or drive a nice car 5 minutes across town to be at a morning service that starts at 10:45AM....THESE PEOPLE ARE TRULY HUNGRY TO HEAR THE GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST PREACHED BY A MAN OF GOD!!!!! Again, may GOD be glorified, honored, & praised!!!!!

GOD IS MOVING IN THE PHILIPPINES!

__________________________________________________________________________________ Since Sunday morning here in Bacong and Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, The Philippines, we have seen God move in people's hearts and lives -- SO MUCH SO, THAT WE HAVE SEEN OVER 566 MEN, WOMEN, BOYS, AND GIRLS COME TO KNOW JESUS CHRIST AS THEIR PERSONAL SAVIOR AND LORD AND OVER 730 (includes the 566) MAKE SOME TYPE OF DECISION FOR CHRIST!! PRAISE THE LORD!!!!! Sunday morning we were at Pastor Josue Cadiao's home, in the yard, for the 15th Anniversary Celebration Morning Worship Service; Richard sang and I brought the Word and Message from God, and at the end of the message over 20 people were saved; we then had a wonderful fellowship and an interesting "pork-filled" meal; on Monday morning we went to SacSac Bacong Central School where we shared the Gospel and saw over 150 students and teachers come to know Christ; that evening we had an open-air evangelistic crusade at SacSac and 26 people asked Christ into their hearts;Tuesday morning over 120 students responded to the drawing of the Holy Spirit and became Christians as we shared from God's Holy Word; Tuesday evening we went to Sitio Yellow Tops and I sang and preached the Word of God to a small community in the Barabgay of Candau-ay and over 15 accepted Christ; Wednesday morning we saw over 200 souls respond positively to the Gospel of Jesus Christ at Nazario Tale Memorial School, Banilad, Bacong Negros Oriental; and Wednesday evening we went back to Barangay Candau-ay, Dumaguete City, where 35 people accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord!! >>>>PRAISE THE LORD!!!!!<<<< The Barangay Candau-ay, Dumaguete City, is one of the areas where Pastor Ernell works in ministry, along with his wife, Lot Lot. They have a heart's desire to officially plant a church in that area; they have a great ministry there now with a wonderful children's ministry going with an average of over 35 chikldren meeting every week; they currently have a weekly Bible Study meeting in an attender's home....THEY ALSO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL "WAREHOUSE MINISTRY" GOING ON AT A LOCAL BUSINESS, WHERE WE WILL BE SPEAKING AT ON THURSDAY MORNING; GOD IS USING PASTOR ERNELL AND LOT LOT TREMENDOUSLY TO SPREAD HIS GOSPEL MESSAGE!!!! Friday and Saturday we will be going to Manjuyod, which is about 2 hours away, to spread the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; on Sunday, I will go back to Manjuyod SBC to opreach at their Sunday Morning Worship Service, while Richard stays at BCF-SBC and will speak to their congregation. Sunday aftyernoon we will have a fellowship as we begin to say our goodbyes to one another, which will be very difficult, Monday afternoon we leave to come home. GOD IS MOVING IN THE PHILIPPINES AND OVER 566 PEOPLE THUS FAR HAVE ACCEPTED CHRIST AS THEIR PERSONAL SAVIOR AND LORD!!!!! TO GOD BE ALL GLORY, HONOR, AND PRAISE!!! IT'S ALL ABOUT JESUS!!!!!!!!

FROM THE PHILIPPINES - 2013

___________________________________________ It has been an interesting journey half-way around the world; from Huntington, WV, to Dumaguete City, capital city of Negros Oriental Island, The Philippines. But, PRAISE ALMIGHTY GOD, we arrived safely yesterday (Thur.,01/10/13), as well as our luggage. As I am writing this blog I am sitting in the restaurant at Bethel Guest House, downtown Dumaguete, looking out over the ocean. Since we were here in 2013, they just recently lost some old trees from the recent typhoon. They were very blessed that there was not more extreme damage from the storm. It is very interesting that a man, Eddie, that used to work at Sta Monica (where we stayed in 2010) is now working here at Bethel; we were able to talk to him and ask about his little girl, who has now grown up; it made the change from Sta Monica to here a little easier and nicer - a familiar face! While waiting on our food to arrive at our table, Richard and I met Wes Robbie and his wife, founders of Fruit Bearers, Inc., a ministry that works up in the mountains around Negros Oriental, with children who are affected with physical challenges, and their families. They help them find specialists who can help them with their physical issues; from there, the Lord opens the door for them to minister to and share the gospel with the children and their families -- WHAT A GREAT MINISTRY! PRAISE THE LORD!!!!! It was nice to meet these fine ministers of the Gospel our first morning here in the Philippines. Richard and I are here on an evangelistic short term mission trip, working with our local "Filipino Family", which includes Pastors Josue, Nico, Arnell, & Joseph and their families, and some of the church members; Richard and I will be singing and I will be preaching as we go around this area, as well as a few hours away to Manjuyod, which is where Brother Nico serves as pastor. We will have the opportunity to minister to over a thousand or more people in the 11 days we are here; to tell them about Jesus Christ and His wonderful love and salvation!! I am excited to see exactly how GOD is going to use us and what HE will do and how HEwill use us as HE accomplishes HIS will, spreading HIS WORD and MESSAGE to a lost world!!! TO GOD BE ALL GLORY, HONOR, AND PRAISE!!! I will try to create a new post here on my blog as often as time and physical ability will allow. I am also posting updates on Facebook. Please pray for us as we continue to do God's work and will as He leads us and where He leads us! _______________________________________________________________________

WE MUST TURN FROM OUR WICKED WAYS!!

"if, my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14, ESV) ___________________________________ For the first time in the history of this great, God-blessed nation -- The United States of America -- a standing President has stated publicly that he supports, what some call, "same sex (homosexual) marriage"....First of all, based upon God's Holy Word, there can be no such "critter"; marriage is described very clearly as between one man and one woman....And second of all, God is the One who created marriage in the first place!! ____________________________________ All sins are equal in God's eyes, and the Word makes that very clear; but some sins have a greater impact than others on society and on the family structure, as Biblically stated....Actions many times speak louder than words, but too many Christians are not willing to "hear" either one!! Bill Clinton, for example, spoke loud and clear what his ideas were on marriage, marriage vows, commitment, cheating, lying, etc. by his actions; but too many Christians chose not to listen, see, and compare the facts to the Bible....Obama, as well, has been speaking volumes through his actions and words concerning his ideas on marriage, homosexuality, lieing, misleading, etc. before he ever made the public announcement yesterday; but yet, too many Christians again have chosen not to listen, or see, or believe! _____________________________________ There are some on the non-Biblical side of the argument who will scream for "tolerance" and not to be "bigots and judgmental"; tolerance extends in both directions and it allows people that you disagree to express their views without labeling them as practicing "bigotry and prejudice."....This is an issue of God's authority and morality, believing that, and following it with assurance....Following Jesus requires more than tolerance of things you don't like, but it requires a commitment to the principles of scripture, which is not a popular opinion....Additionally, love doesn't mean refusing to speak about things you believe are harmful to the individual, the society, the family structure, and Christ's church; actually, it requires the exact opposite and to do it in a respectful and kind manner. _____________________________________ Consequently, this moral issue has nothing to do with Christian's personal politics, but it does have EVERYTHING to do with Biblical righteousness, holiness, and morality....Therefore, we cannot "ride the fence" on this matter!! If we did, we would be unfaithful to the principles of God's Holy Scripture and teachings!!! To remain silent, as a called man of God or a called Christian, would be a sin within itself!! _____________________________________ Will we Christians chose to listen this time??? And will we chose to speak and stand up and make our Biblical and righteous stance known loud and clear in November through our actions at the polls, as well as our words between now and then???? Unfortunately, if history has anything to say about, probably not! But I do believe that God can bring a revival throughout the Church of Jesus Christ and blow "history" right out of the water -- IF we will humble ourselves, repent, and pray, and seek His face!! Maybe its time we take care of our own sinful situation and ask God to heal this nation His way, not ours!! ____________________________________ It is time for all Christians to get involved in the Bible and then get involved in the moral and political matters that have been and are affecting us, our society, our families, our morality, our churches etc.!!!!!!! WAKE UP CHRISTIANS!!!!!!!!!!! ____________________________________ O God, will You please wake up ALL Christians, and then give us all the divine strength, wisdom, and power, that only comes from You, to accomplish Your will and further Your kingdom here on earth! May we have an impact on a lost and dying world!!! May we all stand for You and Your Word!! In Jesus Christ's Name I Pray. Amen.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS?

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At our church, Central Baptist in Ashland, KY, we had a Thanksgiving Dinner back in November with a great turn out; shortly after, we all celebrated Thanksgiving Day; then began Sunday morning sermons that shared the Gospel Of Christ through segments of the Biblical "Christmas Story" that lasted all through December; in mid-December we had a "Church Christmas Party", again with a great turn out; on December 18th, during the Sunday Morning Worship Service, we had a very special "Christmas Singspiration Service", with some wonderful Spirit-filled presentations of worship to our Almighty God and our Savior Jesus Christ; throughout December the Church Choir sang some beautiful anthems that highlighted God's Wonderful Gift in the Baby Jesus (Thanks to Richard Shields!); we also had some fantastic solo offerings of praise to our King (Thanks to Mark Sluss!); the Youth had several special Christmas events throughout December; our annual tradition of the "Christmas Card Box" was a success again, with many people exchanging Christmas cards with others within the church family; we had Christmas Sunday Sunday School and Morning Worship, that was truly a blessing for all those who attended; we have planned a New Year's Eve Prayer Service, as we pray in the New Year with an early hour-long meeting -- this is something new for CBC; and we will have Sunday School and Morning Worship on New Year's Day.

All of these activities throughout the season, from Thanksgiving to New Years Holidays, are very nice, exciting, enjoyable, and full of spiritual blessings; but is this what makes this time of the year -- "HAPPY HOLIDAYS"???

This entire time of the year -- this "Holiday Season" should be based completely around and on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!!! For this is the ONLY way that this season can be truly "HAPPY"!!!!! Does this mean that we have to ignore completely the traditions of Santa Clause, exchnaging gifts, Christmas tress, decorating houses, inside and out, special activities, special displays, dinners and parties, etc., etc.??? NO! Not as long as we include Jesus Christ in EVERYTHING THAT WE DO!!! JESUS SHOULD ALWAYS BE THE REASON FOR EVERYTHING THAT WE DO ALL YEAR LONG ANYWAY!!!!!!!!

So when individuals say to us on the streets and in the stores, "Happy Holidays", we shouldn't get angry, up;set, frustrated, or all "religious"; we should just respond with, "Yes, it is Happy Holidays because Jesus Christ has been a part of every area of our celebration! In fact, Jesus Christ is Who we are celebrating throughout the holidays, therefore, how could they not be 'HAPPY'"!?!?!?!

If we will just include Jesus Christ in every area of our lives, every day of our lives, as children of God -- we would discover that our lives will be happier and more joyous, as we live our lives righteous and holy, obeying and pleasing God!!

Have your holidays been "happy"?? Has your year been "happy"?? Has your life been "happy"?? If your answer is "no" to any of those questions, then you either need to ask God to check your life and heart and see if there is any evil or unrighteous way in you; or you need to ask Jesus Christ into your heart and life as your PERSONAL SAVIOR AND LORD (not accepting a "religion", but accepting "Christ") and allow Him to change your life for eternity!!!

So if you are offended by the phrase "Happy Holidays" this time of the year, consider looking at it from a different perspective; realize that it is a terrific opportunity to witness for Jesus, as well as an opportunity to begin including Christ in EVERYTHING you do, therefore allowing this "Holiday Season" to truly be your personal "HAPPY HOLIDAYS"!!!!!

Merry CHRISTmas, Happy New Year, and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!
GOD BLESS YOU!!!!!!
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Addressing The Question About "Cults"

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Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” (Matthew 5:17-18).

I would like to address a subject that has been getting a lot of national attention over the last month or so, especially during the GOP debates; also, there has been several people ask me what I think about the subject, as well as what my answer is to this question: “Is Mormonism A Christian Faith Or A Cult?”

As always, we first must make sure that we are all on the same page when it comes to the definition of a “cult”….For our purposes in this article, we will agree that a “cult” is a religious movement or group that claims to be a true expression of the “Christian faith”, but has altered one or more of the essential doctrines of the “Christian faith” and/or has altered (added to or taken away from) the Holy Word of God – THE BIBLE!

Using this definition as our basis of discussion, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Mormonism is completely and positively a “religious cult”! This is not to say that the Mormon people are not wonderful, sincere, moral people – most that I know are!! They are also some of the most hard-working people, as they attempt to get their Mormon message out to anyone that will listen! I have often said that if Christians had this same dedication, effort, & desire to tell the world about the “real Truth” -- JESUS CHRIST, we would make a major impact & this world would see a great true revival!!!! But, as the Bible teaches, being good, sincere, moral & hard-working will NOT get you into heaven!!!

To state my case, I believe I must support it with "facts", not just personal opinion or here-say, therefore ---- Here is what the Mormons believe:

1) The Bible has “plain and precious parts” missing from it; The Book of Mormon has the truly trustworthy scripture (do not add to!).
2) There are an infinite number of gods in the universe; temple-worthy males may become gods.
3) The Holy Spirit was not involved in the conception of Jesus Christ; Jesus was a procreated child of God and His wife in the spirit realm.
4) Mormons must work to be worthy of the fullness of salvation.
5) The Millennium will be a Mormon millennium with headquarters established in Independence, MO.
6) The Mormon faith alone will dominate and guide the world after Christ’s return.
7) Joseph Smith is a true prophet of God who reestablished God’s one true church on the earth.

These Mormon beliefs mentioned above just scratch the surface of the doctrinal & Biblical errors of the Mormon Religion. While the Mormons claim to be true “Christ Followers”, they have taken the Christian faith & redesigned & restructured it. Mormonism has separated itself from true basic Christianity & insists that to be able to join & be a part of “God’s one true church and enter into the fullness of His salvation, one must become either a temple-worthy Mormon in this life or proxy baptized and temple-worthy in the life to come.”

WILL SOMEONE PLEASE SHOW ME WHERE THAT IS IN THE BIBLE? YOU CAN'T, BECAUSE IT IS NOT!

Mormonism is a radical departure from God’s Holy Word -- THE BIBLE -- and from the "Gospel of Jesus Christ"!!!
Therefore, the only true, correct Christian answer to give in response to this question -- “Is Mormonism a Cult?” -- is an absolute, adamant, unyielding, non-debatible, bold, and loving “YES!”

I hope that clears up any question as to where God's Bible and the Doctrine of Jesus Christ stands on this subject, as well as where I stand -- FOR I STAND UPON THE WORD OF GOD!!!!!
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Joy Comes Through JESUS!

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“For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5)

Many people today are suffering from earthly sorrows, physical pain, financial woes, heartache, and the cares of this world; but for the Christians there will come a day when all sorrow, worry, heartache, and pain will end!!
JOY FOR THEM WILL COME WHEN THEY MEET THEIR SAVIOR!!!

There is a story told by a woman talking about when she was a small child: when World War I ended, she was just a small child in the first grade and she lived in Fort Worth, Texas. When the word of the war ending reached them it was about three o’clock in the morning. The first thing she remembers was waking up to the sound of noise in the streets; people were shouting, whistles were blowing, bells were ringing, and somewhere in the distance a band could be heard playing. Noise of every kind could be heard! They had no radios or televisions to tell them the good news, but they heard it just the same. The boy next door to her was beating on a dishpan, so she ran and got a tin pan and began beating on it with a spoon! She remembers her mother laughing and crying at the same time and everyone seemed to be happy – What a joyous moment that was – THE WAR WAS OVER!
As she grew up and became a young mother with three children, she remembers World War II ending. Her husband had just come home after spending two years on the front lines in Europe. In their small town of two thousand people, they heard the news about mid-morning; cars honked, someone rang a church bell, and the whistles at the mill blew. People ran into the streets calling out, “The War is over!” ---THEY HAD SOMETHING TO BE HAPPY ABOUT!!!

JUST THINK OF THE JOY THAT WE WILL KNOW ON THE RESURRECTION MORNING; THE WAR BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL WILL BE ENDED….THE WAR BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL WILL CEASE….THE LORD WILL DESCEND FROM HEAVEN WITH A SHOUT; THE TRUMPET OF GOD WILL SOUND; THE GRAVES WILL BURST OPEN – THE DEAD WILL ARISE!!
THERE WILL BE JOY UNHEARD OF THAT GLORIOUS MORNING!!!

This will be a morning of VICTORY – victory over the grave! The grave has robbed everyone of someone that we knew and loved….THERE WILL BE NO MORE DEATH!!! THERE WILL BE NO MORE PAIN AND SORROW!!
IT WILL BE A MORNING OF JOY!!!!!

As I have been visiting many different individuals from my church over the past few months in hospitals, homes, and care homes, knowing they were facing surgeries and death, I have been led by the Holy Spirit to share various Scriptures and personal testimony that I pray has reminded them and encouraged them to remember the joy of their salvation and the joy that they have in Christ and the joy that they have to come when they go to be with Christ for eternity! We all need to remember to NOT ALLOW the unhappiness of our situations and circumstances to overshadow the JOY that we have in Christ Jesus!!!!! If we do that, we will then experience VICTORY!!!!

It will be a morning of victory over sin….Sin has brought only bad things to this earth; sin causes sickness, shame, confusion, and trouble….Sin causes wars and rumors of wars….Sin causes little children to have to go hungry; sin cause homes to be broken…........
SIN ONLY LEADS DOWN A DARK PATH OF NIGHT!!!!
WHEN SIN IS JUDGED – THEN COMES THE MORNING!!!!
THE MORNING FOR WHICH ALL MORNINGS WERE MADE!!!!
THE MORNING OF JOY FOR THE REDEEMED CHILDREN OF GOD!

When man fell in the garden, the night of sin started; man was cast out of the presence of Heaven’s light….Then many years later the “Day Star” appeared – OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST!!! WHEN THE GREAT MORNING OF JOY COMES, ALL THE SAINTS WILL BE GATHERED HOME!!!!

OH, WHAT JOY SHALL THERE BE THAT DAY!!!!!!!

THAT JOYOUS RESURRECTION MORNING WILL BE A MORNING OF REUNIONS WITH LOVED ONES….WE DO NOT KNOW HOW THINGS WILL BE – WE CAN ONLY IMAGINE – BUT WE DO KNOW THAT OUR LORD HAS GONE TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR OUR COMING….THERE WILL BE REWARDS FOR FAITHFULNESS, BUT BEST OF ALL, THERE WILL BE WORSHIPING AND PRAISE FOR EVER AND EVER!!!!!!!!

“For it is written, ‘As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall give praise to God.” (Romans 14:11)

For I cannot wait till the day comes when my Savior and Lord Jesus Christ comes back and the “joy of our salvation” will take on a whole new meaning that will be so far beyond our human comprehension….As a Christ follower, that is what I live for; to a Christian, death is not the end – IT IS JUST THE JOYFUL BEGINNING THAT WILL NEVER END!!!!

If you don’t know Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord, then you can’t experience this JOY that I speak of; please take the time to invite Christ into your heart – I promise, you will never regret it!!!

OUR JOY COMES FROM OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST!!
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SING FOR JOY TO THE LORD!

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“It is good to give thanks to the Lord And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning And Your faithfulness by night,…For You, O Lord, have made me glad by what You have done; I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands. How great are Your works, O Lord! Your thoughts are very deep.” (Psalm 92:1-2; 4-5).

I AM SO TRULY AND WONDERFULLY BLESSED!!!!!
God has blessed me with so very much – so much more than I have ever deserved!!! How have You blessed me Lord? How can I count the ways?:

1) YOU SAVED ME!!
2) Gave me a wonderful family to be born into!
3) Gave me wonderful, godly parents, who raised me Biblically!
4) Gave me a sister & brothers who loved me as I am!
5) Gave me a wonderful, loving, supporting wife!!
6) Gave me 2 wonderful children who love me & each other!
7) Gave me 7 wonderful grandchildren who bless me every day!
8) Gave me wonderful In-Laws who have loved me as their own!
9) Allowed me to serve you in many ways for many years!
10) Gave me a second opportunity & called me into Your ministry to serve you and your people!!!
11) Gave me a wonderful group of people to serve, minister to, & pastor at Central Baptist Church!!!
12) Gave me great friends to help keep me grounded & focused!!!
13) Have always met my every need, Your way & in Your time!!!

I could go on and on, but there is not enough time or space to hold every wonderful blessing that God ever has given to me and done for me!!!!

This next week I will be having some pretty serious surgery and, therefore, will have several weeks and months of recovery and rehabilitation...I am not worried about what will be happening because I have already given it all over to Almighty God, and I also believe that God has brought about this option as an answer to my prayers over the past many months! My wife and I have bathed this decision in much prayer and meditation and are trusting in the Lord to take care of all the consequences!! I do want to thank ALL of my church family, family, and close friends who have been praying for me over the last 8 months, but I especially want to say thank you to all that will be praying for me as I pass through this circumstance in my life -- YOUR PRAYERS ARE GRATLY AND SINCERELY APPRECIATED!!!

Since I will be otherwise "incapacitated" over the next 2 to 3 weeks, now is the time........
TO WISH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU A VERY --- “HAPPY THANKSGIVING”!!!!!

MAY OUR HEAVENLY FATHER BLESS EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU IN A VERY SPECIAL WAY!!!

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!!!!!!!
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OH, WHAT A FRIEND

“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:12-15)

HOW WONDERFUL IT MUST HAVE BEEN FOR THE ONES CLOSE TO JESUS TO BE CALLED HIS FRIENDS! TODAY WE CAN ALSO COUNT JESUS AS OUR FRIEND IF WE HAVE GIVEN OUR LIFE OVER TO HIM!

Too often we treat our friends as if they were a heating pad or an electric blanket; we keep them all tucked away until a cold night of trouble or sickness comes….Then we rush to get their help and warmth of their love to sustain us….This is not the right way to treat true friends!

A philosopher long ago once said: “A man is rich if he possesses one true friend.”….It is easy to have a host of friends to laugh with us and enjoy our hospitality and food; but friends who stand by us through thick and thin, through times of adversity, are not so easy to find! Some people are like the honey bee – they sip the nectar of your friendship for a short time, then flit away to more flowering pastures when a problem arises….Some others like to be around us when they need a boost to their ego or spirit, but once they get what they want, they are off to be with other “friends” that like to play like they do; it is nice to keep all our friends, but we should never do so at the expense of our Christian principles!!!!!

THE BEST AND FIRST FRIEND ANYONE SHOULD HAVE IS, OF COURSE, OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST!!!! HE IS THE FRIEND WHO “STICKETH CLOSER THAN A BROTHER”….HE IS A FRIEND WHOM WE SHOULD ENDEAVOR TO INTRODUCE TO ALL OUR OTHER FRIENDS!!! HE IS A FRIEND WE SHOULD EVER SEEK TO KNOW BETTER!!!!

We can never know how close one of our human friends are to a breaking point in their life, therefore we should treat them with respect and offer words of encouragement; maybe just a kind deed or word from us might just make that difference….It is not hard to tell our friends how much you appreciate them and love them – if we make it a regular practice and habit to do so!!!!!

Even more importantly, we must be able to tell others, friend or not, about the One who came to be a Friend To All People – JESUS CHRIST!!!!!

WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS!!!!!

LOOK AT THE INVISIBLE PRICE TAGS

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

A lot of you really enjoy going shopping – Don’t you? A lot of times, just wandering through a dollar store or Wal Mart or antique stores is interesting and fun – all the new and old gadgets one can find to spend money on is amazing!

I try very hard to not get caught up in the big sales or “bargain hunts”, because if I am not careful, I will end up going home with something I do not need or that is not worth the price I paid….I have adopted a new slogan: “Nothing is a bargain unless you really need it!”….I once knew a lady who attended all the yard sales and bought anything she thought was a bargain; then she ended up trying to re-sell her s0-called bargains to her friends and children…..Most shoppers are alike in one respect; they may be young or old, big or small, but their fingers just naturally reach for the price tag – they look at the price tag and ask themselves a question: “Can I afford this? Is it worth the price?”

If we are concerned about the price of material things – such as clothes, food, homes, and have in mind approximate prices which we will not go over – what about the spiritual things? There are many, many things in life with invisible price tags….Young people standing on the threshold of life need to ask themselves, “What is the invisible price tag?”….A young man pays a small amount for a drink of liquor and maybe in a few years he cannot keep from drinking constantly; he did not see the price tag of a ruined life and a broken home.

There are very few bargains in life; one needs to remember that most successful people paid for their success in hard work and self-denial….Everything in life has a price tag, visible or invisible….The Prodigal Son could not see the price he was going to pay when he took his inheritance and left for a far away country….The Rich Young Ruler thought the price of eternal life was way too high, but there was a higher invisible price to pay….Judas realized too late the price he paid for thirty pieces of silver!

Many girls pay too great a price for pretty clothes….Many boys and girls pay too much for popularity and surface friends….WE NEED TO LEARN TO SEARCH FOR THE PRICE TAGS AT THE PRESENT AND IN THE FUTURE!!!

The Cheapest thing in the world is a kind and loving word….Yet the value of a kind word on a life is hard to measure….Look for life’s price tag and be prepared to make the best selections of how you will spend the time and talent allotted to you.

ARE WE REALLY EQIPPED FOR GOD'S WORK?

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“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

ALL SCRIPTURE IS INSPIRED BY GOD; THE BIBLE CAME FROM GOD THROUGH ALL THE MEN WHO WROTE IT!!!

“For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:21)

No BIBLICAL PROPHECY was ever produced because a person wanted to prophecy; the prophecy in Scripture was given ONLY by God through men who wrote as the Holy Spirit bore them along, guarding them from writing error and guiding them to write God’s Word to us!!!

God’s Holy Inspired Scripture is useful for TEACHING – God has offered us His Word to teach us about His grace; It is the written Word which brings us to the Living Word, Jesus Christ, God’s Gift of Grace for each of us.

God’s Scripture is useful for REPROOF – The Scripture is one of the Holy Spirit’s instruments in convicting and rebuking those who are living in sin; the Bible gives a clear path for those who are in sin to repent of their sins and allow Jesus to come into their lives to free them from that power of sin.

God’s Word of Truth is useful for CORRECTION – God intends for His Written Word to be used for correction of those in error; if there is a believer who is not living their life according to the Bible, then improvement in their actions can only come from the “correctiveness” of those Words of Truth.

God’s Holy Bible is useful for TRAINING IN RIGHTEOUSNESS – The Word of God is to be used to train and educate the children of God in His righteousness; because “ALL” Scripture comes from God Himself, “ALL” of it is profitable in different ways for everyone, therefore, as we learn from His Words, they ultimately will lead us to righteousness.

The purpose of the proper use of Scripture is that the believer may be equipped – thoroughly “equipped for every good work”!!!

In other words, we are to use The Word of God as our guide, help, and absolute reference to work at and accomplish EVERYTHING THAT GOD CALLS US TO DO!!!

AND WE ARE TO REMEMBER THAT THE TRUTH CONTAINED IN SCRIPTURE IS SUFFICIENT IN ALL MATTERS PERTAINING TO DOCTRINE, MORAL BEHAVIOR, AND APPLICATION TO EVERYDAY PARTICULAR SITUATIONS!!!!!

The Inspired Scripture is the believer’s confidence!! As opposition from the world increases, the Bible is to be our reliance, support and protection!

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'HE HAS RISEN"

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“Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus, the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know - -- this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.” (Acts 2:22-24)

“Death cannot keep his prey, Jesus, my Savior! He tore the bars away, Jesus, my Lord! Up from the grave He a – rose, With a mighty triumph o’er His foes; He a – rose a victor from the dark domain, And He lives forever with His saints to reign. He a – rose! He a – rose! Hal-le-lu-jah! Christ a – rose!”
(3rd verse - Low in the Grave He Lay – Robert Lowry, 1826-1899)
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“Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.” (Matthew 28:7)

“I serve a risen Savior, He’s in the world today; I know that He is living, whatever men may say; I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer, And just the time I need Him, He’s always near. He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today! He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way. He lives, He lives, salvation to impart! You ask me how I know He lives: He lives within my heart.”
(1st verse – He Lives – Alfred H. Ackley, 1887-1960)
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“HE HAS RISEN” --- THIS SIMPLY STATED FACT IS THE BASIS OF OUR CHRISTIAN FAITH!!!!

WE SERVE A RISEN AND LIVING SAVIOR!!!!!!!!
WE DO NOT SERVE SOMEONE WHO HAS DIED & REMAINS DEAD & BURIED, AS OTHER RELIGIONS DO!!!

WE SERVE A GOD THAT KNEW WHAT WE NEEDED AND WAS WILLING TO COME TO THIS EARTH AND DIE IN OUR PLACE SO AS TO SAVE US FROM OUR SINS AND GIVE US ETERNAL LIFE WITH HIM!!!!

JESUS CHRIST DEFEATED DEATH FOR US; ALL YOU MUST DO IS ACCEPT HIS FREE GIFT THROUGH FAITH!!

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Pray Till You "Fell The Pain"

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“And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.”
(Luke 22:44)

We live in a time that we attempt to avoid pain at all costs; this is why there are very few true intercessors…..Prayer is not difficult to comprehend, but it is difficult to do as our Lord did in the Garden of Gethsemane…..When was the last time that you prayed in such a way that your heart broke for those you were interceding for; it broke so much that your entire mind and body suffered in extreme pain??

Most of us pray our prayers at the shallowest level of prayer possible, but our Heavenly Father desires for us to experience the very deepest type of intercessory prayer possible -- going to the place where very few Christians have ever gone…..This deepest level of intercessory prayer is not easy; it is painful…..We cannot experience this closeness to God by praying our short, repetitious, empty, daily or weekly prayers; it will involve positioning ourselves before God for extended periods of time, continuing when everyone else has moved on and gone to sleep!

When Jesus arose from His prayer in the garden, He went to the disciples and found them sleeping and told them to wake up and pray (Luke 22:45-46)…..God expects us to stay alert in our prayer life…..ALSO, WE MUST EXPERIENCE BROKENNESS BEFORE THE LORD TO BE EFFECTIVE INTERCESSORS FOR HIM; we must submit fully to God and allow Him to break us so that He can then mold us into the “vessels of prayer” that He desires us to be!!

How do we get better and more mature in our prayer life? Just like anything else, we get better at something the more that we do it!!
How many times have you said, “I know I need to pray, but I just don’t feel like praying now”? When we do not feel like praying is exactly when we need to pray!!!!! To become the spirit-filled intercessors that God desires us to become, we must commit ourselves to pray and then follow through!!!

We need to find our own “Garden of Gethsemane” and begin visiting it on a very regular basis and plan on spending long periods of time there…..Follow Jesus’ example and take the time to pray --- pray until you “feel the pain”!!
God is calling His children to become intercessors for Him!
Continue to pray earnestly before Almighty God until you reach that deeper intense level that He wants you to experience on a regular basis!

It will hurt, but it will be a “good hurt”!!!

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"BACKSLIDER'S CALENDAR"

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“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:23-25)

From time to time I hear some non-Christians, and some lazy Christians, who are continually looking for excuses to not come to church Worship Services, say that they can worship God at home, they don't have to go to church, and that the Bible doesn’t say we have to go to church anyway! When people say this, they are showing their ignorance of God’s Holy Word (reference Hebrews 10:23-25)…..The Bible tells Christians plainly that we are to stir up one another to an incitement of love and good deeds as we gather for worshiping Almighty God and Jesus Christ and for the edification of one another!!

To help reveal the ridiculousness of the constant excuses we hear from those who continue to place the importance of coming to Christ's Church at the bottom of their priority list (and possibly help give these people some new excuses), I have included below what is called a “BACKSLIDER'S CALENDAR”....Please read with your sense of humor intact.

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> JANUARY – I hereby resolve to start to church this year, but I’ll wait till February; I gotta get over the holidays first because they take so much out of you!

> FEBRUARY – Weather is terrible! I’ll start back to church when it gets a bit warmer; my blood is too thin this time of year.

> MARCH – Lots of sickness at this time and I have got to keep away from all those flu bugs!

> APRIL – IT'S EASTER! BIG CROWDS! I can't stand being in crowds! They won’t miss me anyway.

> MAY – I’ve been holed up all winter and now that the weather is getting pretty, it’s time to hold reunions, work in the flower bed, and mow the grass!

> JUNE – I’ll wait till the baby is older; how on earth do some folks take their few week old babies to church and then never miss Sunday worship?! Weekend trips to relatives are more important anyway, since they haven't seen the baby yet!

> JULY – WOW! The heat is terrific! The A/C in church gives me the chills; anyway, we have that cabin, camper, or boat reserved for the weekends.

> AUGUST – Preacher’s on vacation and he’ll never know if I miss church; I never liked those guest preachers anyway. But when he gets back, I promise I'll start back!

> SEPTEMBER – School’s started and things are too busy and the kids are too tired. Anyway, it's my last chance for yard work and to do house repair.

> OCTOBER – Leaves are so beautiful! I can worship God outdoors anyhow!!

> NOVEMBER – THANKSGIVING! Time for family! Getting colder! Can’t stand crowded warm church buildings!

> DECEMBER – CHRISTMAS! This time of the year belongs to the kids, therefore we can't expect them to have to go to church; just don’t have time for church now! Roads are bad anyway! I will resolve to start back to church next year!
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Another thought --- too many times we hear others say, “I don’t have to be in church to be a Christian!”....And quickly we agree without thinking about exactly what was said.

Yes --- we do NOT have to be in church to be saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ! But according to The Word of God, the very definition of a “Christian” is to be a “CHRIST FOLLOWER” or a “LITTLE CHRIST”, therefore if we “act like” and “follow” Him, we WILL be in church! For Jesus was found to be in the Synagogue every opportunity He had!

THEREFORE AS “LITTLE CHRISTS”, SHOULDN’T WE ALSO BE FOUND IN CHURCH FOLLOWING HIM EVERY OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE??!!??!!

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DO ALL TO THE GLORY OF GOD!

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“Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (I Corinthians 10:31)

I have been a Cincinnati Reds die-hard fan ever since I can remember! Thank goodness, my son, Dustin, has followed suit….We have enjoyed going to games in the “big city” for many years, & enjoyed seeing some wonderful talents displayed over the years….Dustin & I have had many “baseball heroes” - those who have played the wonderful & beautifully simple, tradition-filled game of baseball with abilities way beyond the norm; those such as Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, George Foster, Eric Davis, Tony Perez, Joe Morgan, Chris Sabo, Dave Concepcion, Barry Larkin, Brandon Phillips, Ken Griffey, Jr., Joey Votto, & many more!

But it is way more difficult to find those who not only play the game with gifted ability, but also do their very best to live the godly, righteous, & holy life that our God demands of His children! Those who are not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!!

I recently found just that person! But unfortunately he doesn’t wear the Cincinnati Reds uniform, although he does wear red! His name is Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals --- Through his first decade in the major leagues, Pujols has set all kinds of records, hitting at least .300 with at least 30 homers and 100 RBIs in each of his 10 seasons – the only player ever to accomplish that! He has won the NL MVP award 3 times & has been an All-Star 9 times! Joe Posnanski (Sports Illustrated) has documented that at age 30, Pujols has more home runs than Babe Ruth, more RBIs than Hank Aaron, more hits than Pete Rose, & more runs than Ricky Henderson at the same age….AND HE HAS DONE IT WITH A SENSE OF HUMILITY THAT IS RARE AMONG ALL PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES!!!

But for all of his accomplishments, he is merely a man – a man incredibly gifted by Almighty God to do the things he does!! He will be the first to tell you that he has excelled ONLY because of GOD & GOD ALONE!!! Yes, Pujols has worked diligently to develop those God-given talents & gifts, but he has never lost sight of the fact that all the glory belongs to his Creator -- Our Heavenly Father!!!! Albert isn’t one to revel in his celebrity &, though his talents have made him immensely wealthy, he has used it to bless others & make a difference in people’s lives; not just materially, but spiritually as well, as he shares the Gospel of Christ as he goes!!!

It is the Lord Jesus who is the true Hero of the Albert Pujols story; his devotion to Christ is what has fueled him to excel in baseball….It has driven his generosity to the less fortunate, bolstered his integrity, & kept him humble in an occupation where personal honor & glory is often top priority!

“Every time I step on the field it’s to glorify (Jesus). No Matter if I’m going 5-5 that day or if I’m 0-4. No Matter if we win the game or we lose the game, I still glorify Him. I look up at the sky every time I get a base hit and
every time I cross the plate to remind myself that it’s not about Albert Pujols. It’s about the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Albert Pujols)

We all need to take that same Biblical approach in our own daily walk with Christ; no matter what you do or where you do it...............

WHATEVER YOU DO, DO IT FIRST & FOREMOST,AND ALWAYS FOR JESUS CHRIST!!!!!!!!!
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LOVE ONE ANOTHER

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“Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.” (I John 4:11-12)

The word “love”, as it is used in the Biblical Texts, has two obvious qualities: 1) The master teacher on love, John, taught that love has its own origins in God; “We love, because He first loved us.” (I John 4:19); “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (I John 4:10); “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” (I John 4:7)….GOD IS THE AUTHOR OF LOVE!!! WITHOUT GOD THERE IS NO LOVE!!! To live a love-filled life is to be God-filled!!….2) Love is a relationship with persons; “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (I John 4:11); “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.” (I John 4:20)….True Godly love prompts us to seek others! If we truly love one another, then God abides in us and His love is perfected or matured in us (v.12).

Love is not a word that describes our feelings….It is not a technique by which we fulfill our needs….It is not an ideal, abstract and pure, on which we meditate or converse….IT IS ACTING IN CORRESPONDENCE WITH OR IN RESPONSE TO GOD IN RELATION TO PERSONS!!!

(Love) occurs 349 times in 311 verses in the NASB; I believe this shows that it is very important to God, therefore should be very important to us and how we live our lives as Christ followers….”Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;” (Romans 12:10); “Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.” (Romans 13:8); “If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.” (I Cor. 13:2)

WE ARE NOTHING WITHOUT LOVE!! LOVE CHARACTERIZES GOD AND WHAT HE MANIFESTED IN THE GIFT OF HIS SON (John 3:16) – IT IS MORE THAN MUTUAL AFFECTION; IT EXPRESSES UNSELFISH ESTEEM OF THE OBJECT LOVED….CHRIST’S LOVE FOR US IS UNDESERVED AND IS WITHOUT ANY THOUGHT OF RETURN!!!
THE LOVE THAT WE SHOW TO OTHERS AS JESUS’ FOLLOWERS, SHOULD BE THE VERY SAME TYPE OF LOVE THAT CHRIST SHOWED TOWARD EACH ONE OF US!!!!!

WILL WE LOVE EACH OTHER AS JESUS HAS LOVED US??

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IT MUST BE PERSONAL!

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“But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, ‘I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.’ Seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish priest, were doing this. And the evil spirit answered and said to them, ‘I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?’” (Acts 19:13-15)

As you read Acts 19:6-17, you find that Paul had a powerful walk with God....God was using Paul so mightily that extra-ordinary miracles were occurring through his daily life....Verse 12 actually tells us that even cloths that touched Paul were taken to the sick, and they were healed!

Evil spirits were cast out and God used Paul’s teaching and preaching to build a strong church in Ephesus....Paul’s ministry was so impressive, in fact, that others tried to duplicate it....Beginning in verse 13, we start hearing about these 7 Sons of the Chief Priest, Sceva; they attempted to cast out demons the way Paul did.
They confronted an evil spirit and attempted to exorcise it “...by Jesus whom Paul preaches.”....These men were trying to use a spiritual power that Paul had acquired after years of walking closely with his Lord!

They could imitate Paul’s words and movements, but they couldn’t duplicate the POWER FROM GOD that came to Paul through his personal relationship with Almighty God!!! In response, the demon viciously attacked the 7 sons and humiliated them; the demons were fearfully aware of Jesus....James 2:19 says, “You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.”....They were also familiar with Paul’s influence over the powers of darkness; but the demons had no knowledge of the 7 Sons of Sceva!!

So, you ask, “What does this have to do with me?”; well, here is the answer:
You can duplicate the words, actions, and deeds of a spiritually mature Christian all you want, BUT YOU CANNOT INHERIT OR DUPLICATE HIS OR HER WALK WITH GOD!!!!!
First of all, you cannot inherit or duplicate another's salvation....It MUST BE A PERSONAL, ONE-ON-ONE EXPERIENCE WITH JESUS; and secondly, your Christian maturity is developed personally by walking daily with Jesus....It takes time and personal effort and desire to grow in Christ!!

If you neglect to take time to read and study God’s Holy Word; if you neglect to take time to talk with God in prayer; if you neglect to go to church on a regular basis to gain Biblical teaching, experience, and discipleship training; if you, in general, neglect your relationship with Jesus Christ, YOU WILL NOT GROW IN YOUR FAITH!!!

Just trying to imitate the faith of others will not give you victory!!!

ONLY AS YOU NURTURE YOUR OWN RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS WILL YOUR LIFE BE FILLED WITH SPIRITUAL MATURITY AND WITH GOD’S MIGHTY POWER!!!
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AS WE FORGIVE OUR DEBTORS!

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“’And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors…’ For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.” (Matthew 6:12, 14-15)

Please take note that the only point the Lord Jesus emphasizes in this prayer is the necessity for forgiving one another!!

Forgiveness with the Father depends on forgiveness among the members of the family of God….This is the forgiveness that affects fellowship within the family of God – not the forgiveness that leads to salvation.

Within this prayer that we call “The Lord’s Prayer”, God is seen as the sovereign creditor to whom we must give account for all the goods he has entrusted to us….What is it that we have that we have not received from God?….The pardon which God offers signifies that the past is abolished and that a man finds himself before God in an entirely new situation --- He is freed from his debt; but if he does not forgive the debts which his brother has contracted toward him, it is deceptive to think that his own liberation is real!

THE LOVE OF GOD HAS FOUND NO ECHO IN HIM – GOD’S LOVE IS NOT REFLECTED IN THE MAN WHO WAS FORGIVEN BUT YET REFUSES TO FORGIVE OTHERS!!
THIS IS WHY JESUS ABSOLUTELY CONNECTED THE PARDON WHICH WE RECEIVE FROM GOD FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS TO THAT WHICH WE ACCORD TO OTHERS!!!

“Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions.” (Mark 11:25)

“For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.” (James 2:13)

What we are to understand through these Scriptures is that we must always recognize that God makes forgiveness for our transgressions available and free for the asking through His mercy….Therefore, if our Heavenly Father is willing to forgive us and show mercy, then should we not also be willing to forgive others and show God’s mercy when they intentionally or unintentionally hurt us, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ!!!!!

WE MUST SHOW GOD & OTHERS THAT WE DO UNDERSTAND THE LOVE & MERCY OF GOD BY SHOWING THAT SAME LOVE & MERCY TOWARD OTHERS -- GENUINELY & CONSISTENTLY!!
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10 Things You May Not Know Abiout Your Pastor

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“And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-13)
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As I read through the January Home Life, I came across an interesting article written by Stephen Cavness titled “10 Things you may not know about your pastor”….This article put into words many things I have thought over the last 21 months, and prayed about; in many ways, it says what my heart has wanted to say to the wonderful people at CBC….Continuing below you will find the 10 things listed in the article, as well as a few changes, additions, or subtractions to personalize them just a little.
“10 THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT YOUR PASTOR”
1) HE LOVES YOU – and not just because it’s part of his job description. As a pastor, God has placed in his heart a love and concern for you that you probably wouldn’t believe if he tried to explain it; even at that, he could try harder. Your words, notes, and other forms of encouragement mean so very much because they come from people your pastor really cares about!
2) HE GETS FRUSTRATED – because most of his church family thinks he’s the first to know everything when often he’s the last. Few things are more discouraging than learning there has been heartache, sickness, or turmoil that some have been talking about for a week, wondering why the pastor hasn’t called or come by; he could use others help. (Note: the CBC family has done really good at keeping me updated)
3) HE UNDERSTANDS THAT YOU DON’T AGREE – with everything he does. He may even know your way would be better. But sometimes, he also knows he might have to do things a certain way a while longer, or change something rather quickly, for the greater good. He is deeply aware that it might be inconvenient, but is willing for some to be frustrated if it means he can prevent bickering in the church; and to make certain that he’s not compromising doctrinally in any way.
4) YOU FILL HIM WITH OVERWHELMING JOY – whether it’s your becoming consistent in your attendance, your tithing, your walking by faith, or some other spiritual growth aspect, or asking him a question that reveals you’ve been thinking about gospel implications, or treating others with grace, or smiling while singing, or showing concern when others are missing from church life, or lingering after services because you desire to spend more time together, or a multitude of other great things, you make him happy! There are times that he sheds tears of joy because he sees God bringing His work to completion in you!
5) HE WANTS YOU TO REALLY KNOW AND LOVE THE GOSPEL – to have genuine love for one another, and to have your life shaped by the grace of God; when the church has this true love and is gripped in this way, there is rejoicing both on earth and in heaven!
6) HE DOESN’T EXPECT YOU TO BE PERFECT – and he is acutely aware that he is not! In fact, a lot of times he’s afraid that you may perceive he’s not the man of God you thought he was; not because of some gross sin but because he, too, can be lazy, selfish, tired, frustrated, and distracted in his walk with Christ. Pray that he won’t be!
7) FOR EVERY SERMON YOU THINK HE BOMBED, -- he thinks he bombed twice as many. But know this: Sometimes, the sermon you love the most leaves him frustrated because what you tell him you loved about it misses the point he was trying to make. Other times, he’s 100% certain that he proclaimed the Text exactly as the Lord wanted him to and feels invigorated to have done so --- until he realizes almost everyone hated it or was bored. Knowing that he shouldn’t try to please people, but wanting his church family to be encouraged and engaged is hard to balance. Pray for him!
8) SOMETIMES, HE HAS NO IDEA WHAT HE IS DOING – It’s not that he hasn’t been called to the ministry, but college and seminary doesn’t train him for every situation! Things often come up and he has no idea what to do. Sometimes, by the grace of God, he gets it right. Sometimes, he fails and it scares him to think he might fail the next time. Pray that he would be bold in trusting Christ at all times and in all circumstances!
9) IT BOTHERS HIM WHEN HE CAN’T MAKE YOUR SITUATION BETTER – He does not care at all about being the hero or great problem solver, but he does care if your marriage will work out; he wants your rebellious child to see the truth; he desires your parent to show you affection; he wants the memories of abuse to be swept away; he wants your spouse to get better and come home from the hospital; he cares that you have been diagnosed with cancer, or some other disease; and he has a heart’s desire to see you overcome doubts that God is real, that He is in control, and that He alone can heal all these mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual wounds and perform miracles! But when his prayers are being answered with a no or wait, it breaks his heart for you and your family, and he would do almost anything to fix things for you, if he could!
10) HE WANTS MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, FOR YOUR LABOR TO BRING HONOR AND GLORY TO GOD! – He knows he has blown it sometimes, that there have been instances when he simply could have and should have done better. His calling as a pastor often terrifies him because he knows his own inadequacies better than anyone else! He longs for the church family he serves to get it right because he loves God and he loves you; and when God gets the glory and you reap the benefits, your pastor relishes in the joy that is all rooted in Jesus Christ! He desires for each one of you to “Let Go, and Let God”; stay focused on Christ, remain faithful to Him and His mission, and always follow Him and obey; and remember – that it’s ALL about JESUS!!!!!

Please remember that I understand that I can do nothing without God’s help and divine strength, wisdom, and power! In fact, I AM NOTHING WITHOUT JESUS! I desire to be the very best Pastor, Minister, and Preacher for all of you for as long as God wills it….Please pray for me that in everything I do, I will please and glorify and honor our Heavenly Father, as His name is lifted up and His kingdom is furthered here on earth!

WISHING A HAPPY & HOLY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU!!

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HISTORY OF CHANUKKAH (OR HANUKKAH)

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Matthew 17:20 - "He replied, "Because you have so little faith, I tell you the
truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain,
'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Matthew 19:26 - "Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but
with God all things are possible." (NIV)

HISTORY OF CHANUKKAH (HANUKKAH):

During the reign of Alexander the Great, the Jews were allowed (like many of the people that Alexander conquered) to continue practicing their religion and live with relative autonomy. However, a successor to Alexander, Antiochus IV, was not so benevolent. He oppressed and massacred the Jews. He desecrated the Temple by placing a Hellenistic priest in it and allowing the sacrificing of non-kosher animals on the altar.

Two groups opposed Antiochus. There was the group led by Mattathius the Hasmonean and Judah Maccabee, his son. There was also a group then known as the Chasidism, which eventually became the Pharisees. Together they formed a revolt against the assimilation of the Jews and oppression by the government. They succeeded and regained control of the Temple, with God's help!

However, during the rededication of the Temple there was a shortage of undefiled oil. In the Temple, the menorah was to burn through the night. It would be eight days before fresh oil could be prepared, and there was only oil for one night.

MIRACULOUSLY, THE OIL LASTED FOR EIGHT DAYS!!!!!

While a majority of the world knows about Chanukkah, it is actually a minor holiday in comparison to other Jewish holidays, such as Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, or Passover. The minor significance may be due to the fact that the story is not related in Jewish scripture, but instead in The Book of Maccabbees, which Jews do not accept as scripture.

Although many people attribute the celebration of Chanukkah to the victory of the Jews over Antiochus IV's rule, a lot of people believe this is incorrect. They believe that Chanukkah is a celebration of God's miracle of the oil, not of the military victory, because Jews do not celebrate war or the spilling of blood….But which ever way someone chooses to believe, the fact still remains that God gave His people freedom from their enemies AND gave them a one day supply of oil for the Menorah that lasted eight days! God won the battle and performed a wonderful miracle!!!!

Also known as "Feast of Lights," the 8-day celebration is not actually discussed in the Old Testament. However, it is a celebration worthy of notice, because it is another example of how God can work miracles in His children's lives!!!!!

Are There Lessons for Christians in Chanukkah???

When God works in people's lives there are always lessons to be learned!! God is a provider of miracles, and even though this celebration is not included in the Bible that most Christians use, it should not be overlooked as "just a Jewish holiday." Christians around the world are being persecuted for their faith and Christianity is being muted in many other areas of the world. Yet God always has a way of offering and supplying His people with His divine strength, wisdom, and power. When the Jews faced a lack of useful oil for the Temple, it did not mean that God was not there to provide; it meant that He was supplying another opportunity to show His children how much He loves them!

God has the capabilities to provide whatever His people need!!!
Chanukkah reminds us that, with a faith the size of a mustard seed, anything is
possible with God!

Amen?….Amen!….Praise the Lord!

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SANTA CLAUS & THE CHRISTIAN

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“In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35)
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SANTA CLAUS
Where did this tradition have it’s beginning, and does the history of Santa Claus
have anything to do with the Christian church??

The first Santa was actually a leader in the early Christian church….His name was Nicholas and he lived in Asia Minor, which is now Turkey, in about 300 A. D. He was the Bishop of Myra and was well known for his kindness toward poor people, especially the children….There have been many stories told about this man, but one of the most famous is when Nicholas helped to save an entire family from starvation by dropping bags of gold through either an open window or the chimney; historians differ on which one it was, but it sounds better if it was dropped down the chimney.

The Church changed Nicholas’ name to Saint Nicholas and he became famous for the stories told about his giving to others in need….In England, he is known as “Father Christmas”; in Germany, he is called “Cristkind”; in Holland, he is “Sinter Klass”; and in America, we know him as “Kris Kringle”….When the Dutch came to America, they brought “Sinter Klass”, whose name was eventually changed to “Santa Claus”….Because of the poem, “The Night Before Christmas” (Clement Moore, 1822), and because of American artist’s depiction of this giving hero, “Santa Claus” became the “jolly old fellow” that we know today.

Santa is part of many family traditions this time of the year….For my family, we have always celebrated Christmas with the tradition of Santa Claus but with the understanding that this was secondary behind the true meaning of Christmas; Jesus Christ and His birth! Santa Claus is a reminder to give from the heart with love, because Santa first loved Jesus and gave to help others because Jesus first gave of Himself.

I love this time of the year because everything reminds me of Jesus Christ, His miraculous birth, and His sacrificial giving….Yes, Christmas Time is when families gather in fellowship, parents and grandparents give till it hurts, children excitedly tear open wrapped gifts to see what wonderful things they hold, and everyone enjoys the turkey and dressing….But, most importantly, this is the time of the year that we celebrate the most wonderful, beautiful GIFT EVER given; THE GIFT OF SALVATION AND ETERNAL LIFE SENT TO THIS EARTH THROUGH OUR LORD’S ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, JESUS CHRIST!

Please, don’t forget the real true meaning of Christmas – JESUS!!!
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THE GRACE OF GRATITUDE

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“Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders You have done. The things You planned for us no one can recount to You; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.” (Psalm 40:5)

“O’ God, I am so depressed; I am so unhappy and have nothing to be thankful for!”….Have you ever felt that way, or have you heard someone else say those words?

HOW SELFISH AND UNGRATEFUL THESE WORDS ARE!!!

HOW OFTEN DO WE FORGET TO SHOW GRATITUDE TO GOD FOR ALL HIS WONDERFUL BLESSINGS?
When I see my brother carrying his oxygen tank with him wherever he goes to be able to breathe, I have to stop and thank God for the breathe He gives to me every day….When I see the man or woman at the store struggling to get in and out of the car because they only have one leg, I have to stop and thank the Lord that I am still able to walk….When I see the young child being strolled around because they have a debilitating disease, I have to stop and praise God for the health of my children and grandchildren….When I go to the Philippines and see the families beating their clothes on rocks in the filthy sewage tainted river water to get them clean, I have to stop and thank God for clean running water, washing machines, dryers, electricity, and a house to have all these things in.

We too often just take our comfortable, lovely homes for granted….How grateful we should be for houses and cars….How much more grateful we should be for Christian homes! People say that the city of Hong Kong is so crowded that some must live on roof tops to survive.
How grateful we should be for God-centered, Bible teaching and preaching, churches! There are places around the world where people do not have the opportunity to go to church and learn about Jesus Christ and worship their One True God openly and publicly….They can’t even read their Bibles in public, and some can’t even own a Bible!

When my children were younger, they had been complaining about the food that their mother had been fixing for them over a period of about a week….We had tried to explain to them how blessed we were to have the food that we had, therefore they needed to be grateful and quit complaining….Well, they didn’t listen, until one night we decided to place a piece of bread and a glass of water in front of them to eat; at first they thought we were joking and then they realized that was all they could have before going to bed that night….They still complained from time to time, but after that night their attitudes changed drastically and they became a lot more thankful for what they had.

“O’ God, please give me the grace of gratitude for all blessings”

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THE MINISTRY OF LAITY

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“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.” (Matthew 5:13)

Jesus was not directing these words to a bunch of theologians or theology students who had dedicated themselves to the full-time ministry of the church as clerics or pastors….Among those who heard Jesus that day were no doubt many who ended up devoting their lives to wholly spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ – His life and teachings; His death and resurrection; and His living presence among His followers….But most of those to whom He addressed that day continued to be fishermen, tax collectors, soldiers, carpenters, or shepherds….THE MAJORITY OF THE INDIVIDUALS ADDED TO THE CHURCH WERE NOT APOSTLES, PREACHERS, PASTORS, AND MINISTERS; THEY WERE LAITY!!

The function of the church to be the salt of the earth could only be fulfilled then and now by LAITY….And laymen and women must be “laity” in the Biblical sense --- “the people of God IN the world.”

Too many times the common approach to “laypeople” is wrong; we think of them as “unauthorized amateurs”….In the church we will hear them referred to as “only a layperson”, or a “part-time Christian worker”, even though they may spend a good deal of time and money doing “church work”….THIS IS ABSOLUTELY WRONG!!!!!

Looking at the Biblical concept, “laypeople” are to be the integral part of the operation of the church ministries….The “common church folk” are extremely important to the survival of the church and the completion and success of it’s ministries; without them there is no church!!!!

The church today is failing to accomplish its primary task of penetrating and transforming the world – “You are the salt of the earth;”….But Jesus doesn’t stop there; He goes on to also say in verse 14 that “You are the light of the world.”….He doesn’t say that you are salt of just a part of the earth or light of just some of the world --- “God so loved the world…”!!!

The whole earth and world begins right outside our front doors!!! If we expect to make an impact on the world for Jesus, then we must start right outside our four walls….The church does not exist for itself, as many church members believe, but we exist for those outside the church!!! The church owes a service to those who do not belong to it --- the service of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ and offering His love through our sacrifice!!!

ARE YOU SERIOUS ABOUT REACHING THE LOST FOR CHRIST?

WILL YOU STEP OUT & PERFORM “THE MINISTRY OF LAITY”?

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THE GREATEST QUESTION EVER ASKED!

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“Pilate said to them, ‘Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?...”
(Matthew 27:22a)
THIS IS THE GREATEST QUESTION EVER ASKED!!!!

There are three reasons why this is the greatest question ever asked:

1) It must be answered – it cannot be ignored!

If you are a Born-Again, Baptized Believer in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Virgin-Born Son of God, Savior of all sinners, then to refuse to open your mouth and confess Him as your own Personal Savior and Lord and share the Gospel and the plan of salvation with someone who needs to hear it means you don’t care if that person dies and goes to hell or not!!!!! To refuse to answer this question is also showing that you are against Jesus….Christ said in Matthew 12:30, “He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters.”….Psalm 107:2a says, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,…”….There is no such thing as neutrality with the Son of God! Either we are for Him or against Him!!!

2) This question must be answered NOW!

The answers to other questions can be postponed --- BUT TO REFUSE TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION IMMEDIATELY MAY VERY WELL MEAN AN ETERNITY IN HELL FOR SOMEONE!!!!! God deals in the eternal present – He does not deal in the future concerning salvation….Proverbs 27:1 tells us, “Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth.”….2 Corinthians 6:2b says, “…Behold, now is ‘The acceptable time,’ behold, now is ‘The day of salvation’”….We have no promise of the next 60 seconds! And even if we did have the assurance of another day, week, month, or year, the Bible plainly states that NO MAN KNOWS the day or the hour when the Son of God will come back to this earth….If you are not prepared for His return, you will be without any hope of salvation whatsoever!

3) The answer to this question determines not only where we spend eternity,
but also the quality of life that we will live while still here on earth!

The answer to this question will settle your eternal destiny, as well as determine if you will live the “abundant life” here on earth that God intends for all of us to experience through Jesus Christ….Jesus says in John 10:9-10, “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”….Jesus is the ONLY way to eternity in heaven; salvation is not attained by good living, liberal giving, or good works! The way you answer the greatest question will determine your eternal destiny!

Then what shall you do with Jesus? Take Him as your Savior and Lord and claim the abundant life waiting for the adopted children of God!!!

WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH JESUS???

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WHEN I WHINE

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“Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
(Philippians 4:11-13)

I have been to the Philippines on 5 Short Term Mission Trips over the last 6 years (planning on going a 6th time this coming February), and each time God allows me to go I learn more and more about how we as Christians need to rely upon God to supply the resources to meet our every need as we are used by Him to complete His will through us….Here in America, it seems like we tend to whine about what we do not have instead of understanding what God can do with what we do have; now there are times that we do need something, and God supplies it to us in His time to help us to do His will better and possibly easier.

But every time I return from the Philippines, God reinforces the statement I made as I was coming back from my first trip -- it captured the essence of what I had learned; “I am amazed at how little they have and yet how much they do with it, and how much we have and yet how little we do with it.”

I found a poem I would like to share (written by an unknown author) that expresses part of the problem we have as Christians when we don’t realize how blessed we truly are -- not lucky, but blessed! We need to focus in on what we DO have, instead of what we DO NOT have.

"When I Whine"

Today, upon a bus, I saw a girl with golden hair, and wished I was as fair.
When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw her hobble down the aisle.
She had one leg and wore a crutch. But as she passed, she passed a smile.
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine. I have two legs, the world is mine.

I stopped to buy some candy. The lad who sold it had such charm.
I talked with him, he seemed so glad. If I were late, it’d do no harm.
And as I left, he said to me, “I thank you, you’ve been so kind.
It’s nice to talk with folks like you. You see,” he said, “I’m blind.”
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine. I have two eyes, the world is mine.

Later while walking down the street, I saw a child with eyes of blue.
He stood and watched the others play. He did not know what to do.
I stopped a moment and then I said, “Why don’t you join the others, dear?”
He looked ahead without a word. And then I knew, he couldn’t hear.
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine. I have two ears, the world is mine.

With feet to take me where I’d go. With eyes to see the sunset’s glow.
With ears to hear what I’d know. Oh, God forgive me when I whine.
I’ve been blessed indeed, the world is mine.

WHAT DO YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW THAT GOD CAN USE TO HELP YOU SERVE HIM AND
HIS PEOPLE BETTER?
BE CONTENT AND LET HIM USE YOU!!!
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETHEART!

“He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.”
(Proverbs 18:22)

A good wife is a great blessing to a man! He that finds a wife has found a good thing, a jewel of great value, a rare jewel; he has found that which will not only contribute more than any thing to his comfort in this life, but will forward him in the way to heaven….God is to be acknowledged in it with thankfulness; it is a token of His favor; it is a sign that God delights in a man to do him good and has mercy in store for him.

This coming Sunday is my beautiful, wonderful, good wife’s (5?th) birthday ---- HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEBBIE; GOD BLESS YOU!!!!!

I want to thank my Creator God for creating Debbie for me to have as my wife many years ago (well, maybe not THAT many!)….I believe with all my heart that (5?) years ago (and by the way, she only looks like she is 4?) when God allowed her to be born into this world, He already had in mind that about 20 years from then we would meet, fall in love, and get married; God had everything planned out for our lives.

Because I listened to His Holy Spirit, followed His direction, therefore finding my wife, God has blessed me with comfort in this life and favor in His eyes….I want to say to my lovely sweetheart, to my family and loved ones, to my church family at Central Baptist, to my friends, and to the entire world -- I ACKNOWLEDGE GOD AS THE GIVER OF ALL BLESSINGS, INCLUDING THE BLESSING OF A GOOD WIFE, AND I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO ALMIGHTY GOD!!!!!!

Debbie has been a moral, physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual support for me all of our lives together and I am so blessed to have her in my life!!!

She has supported me in my ministry as God has led us both by faith and not by sight; it has not been easy for us, especially her, but God has blessed us for our faithfulness and met our every need thus far -- Thank You Lord!!

“Almighty God, thank You for bringing my wife, Debbie, into this world and then into my life as my wife! Thank You for blessing me with such a wonderful godly women, a rare jewel of great value. May You bless her this day on her birthday and give her many more years to serve you on this earth, if it be Thy will. Thank You for Your favor, O Lord. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen.”

“He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.”
(Proverbs 18:22)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETHEART - GOD BLESS YOU!!!!!