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LET US KEEP TO THE POINT!
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Jan 1, 2009 6:43 am
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By OSWALD CHAMBERS
"...MY EARNEST EXPECTATION AND HOPE THAT IN NOTHING I SHALL BE ASHAMED, BUT WITH ALL BOLDNESS, AS ALWAYS, SO NOW ALSO CHRIST WILL BE MAGNIFIED IN MY BODY, WHETHER BY LIFE OR BY DEATH."
(Philippians 1:20)
MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST.
"...my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed..." We will all feel very much ashamed if we do not yield to Jesus the areas of our lives He has asked us to yield to Him. It's as if Paul were saying, "MY DETERMINED PURPOSE IS TO BE MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST ~ MY BEST FOR HIS GLORY." To reach that level of determination is a matter of the will, not of debate or of reasoning. It is absolute and irrevocable surrender of the will at that point. An undue amount of thought and consideration for ourselves is what keeps us from making that decision, although we cover it up with the pretense that it is others we are considering. When we think seriously about what it will cost others if we obey the call of Jesus, we tell God He doesn't know what our obedience will mean. KEEP TO THE POINT ~ HE DOES KNOW. Shut out every thought and keep yourself before God in this one thing only ~ MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST. I AM DETERMINED TO BE ABSOLUTELY AND ENTIRELY FOR HIM AND HIM ALONE.
MY UNSTOPPABLE DETERMINATION FOR HIS HOLINESS.
"Whether it means LIFE or DEATH ~ it makes NO difference!" (Phil. 1: 21). Paul was determined that nothing would stop him from doing exactly what God wanted. But before we choose to follow God's will, a crisis must develop in our lives. This happens because we tend to be unresponsive to God's gentler nudges. He brings us to the place where He asks us to be our utmost for Him and we begin to debate. He then providentially produces a crisis where we have to decide ~ FOR or AGAINST. That moment becomes a great crossroads in our lives. IF A CRISIS HAS COME TO YOU ON ANY FRONT, SURRENDER YOUR WILL TO JESUS ABSOLUTELY AND IRREVOCABLY.
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THIS NEW YEAR I RESOLVE... something we all can learn from this MAN OF GOD!
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Dec 31, 2008 2:00 pm
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TO EXAMINE CAREFULLY and CONSTANTLY what is that one thing in me that CAUSES ME in the least to DOUBT the love of God, and to direct ALL my forces against it.
NOT ONLY to REFRAIN from an air of DISLIKE, FRETFULNESS, and ANGER in conversation, but to EXHIBIT an air of LOVE, CHEERFULNESS AND GENTLENESS.
TO STUDY SCRIPTURES SO STEADILY, CONSTANTLY, and FREQUENTLY that I may plainly perceive myself to GROW IN THE KNOWLEDGE of them.
NEVER TO DO any manner of thing, whether in SOUL or BODY, except what TENDS TO THE GLORY OF GOD.
FREQUENTLY TO TAKE SOME DELIBERATE ACTION, which seems most UNLIKELY to be done, for the GLORY OF GOD.
NEVER TO GIVE OVER, nor in the least TO SLACKEN, MY FIGHT WITH MY CORRUPTIONS, however unsuccessful I may be.
NEVER TO ACT as if I were any way MY OWN, BUT ENTIRELY AND ALTOGETHR GOD'S.
TO ASK EVERY NIGHT as I am going to bed in WHAT WAY I HAVE BEEN NEGLIGENT, WHAT SIN I HAVE COMMITTED, and in WHAT WAY I HAVE DENIED MYSELF; also to do this at the end of every week, month, and year.
TO LIVE WITH ALL MY MIGHT, WHILE I DO LIVE.
-JONATHAN EDWARDS
'Theologian and Philosopher'
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WHAT'S THE GREATEST THING YOU WANT TO KNOW AND DESIRE IN THE YEAR 2009?
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Dec 31, 2008 12:40 pm
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All of us have a greatest need or desire that we want to fulfill in our life....What's yours? May this song will take you back to a strong heart's! desire of KNOWING THE KING OF KINGS AND THE LORD OF LORDS!
THE GREATEST THING
THE GREATEST THING IN ALL MY LIFE
IS KNOWING YOU.
THE GREATEST THING IN ALL MY LIFE
IS KNOWING YOU.
I WANT TO KNOW YOU MORE;
I WANT TO KNOW YOU MORE.
THE GREATEST THING IN ALL MY LIFE
IS KNOWING YOU.
-Mark Pendergrass
"I WANT TO KNOW CHRIST AND THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION AND THE FELLOWSHIP OF SHARING IN HIS SUFFERINGTS, BECOMING LIKE HIM IN HIS DEATH." (Philippians 3:10 )
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HAPPY NEW YEAR BC FAMILY!!! I'M BACK AND WILL STAY ~ LORD'S WILLING!
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Dec 31, 2008 12:19 pm
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MY DEAR BC FAMILY!
JUST WANT TO GREET YOU ALL WITH A BLESSED, JOYFUL, HAPPY AND EXCITING NEW YEAR AMIDST THE TURMOIL ALL AROUND US. KNOW THAT WHATEVER HAPPENS IN THE YEAR 2009, GOD IS STILL SITTING ON HIS THRONE AND IN CONTROL OF ALL THINGS.
"BE STILL, AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD; I WILL BE EXALTED AMONG THE NATIONS, I WILL BE EXALTED IN THE EARTH." (Psalm 46 :10 )
I MISSED ALL OF YOU AND DIRE TO INTERACT WITH YOU AGAIN... I'LL BE POSTING MORE...
TO GOD BE ALL GLORY, HONOR, POWER AND PRAISE!!!
HALLELUJJAH TO JESUS OUR KING!
gl
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WHITE CHRISTMAS....PURE CELEBRATION!
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Dec 21, 2008 2:04 pm
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by David Jeremiah
Christmas Day 1941, eighteen days after the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor. People found it hard to celebrate the "peace on earth, good will toward men" that usually brought comfort and joy during the holiday season. A day of pure celebration turned into one of dark despair.
And then on Christmas night, Bing Crosby sang White Christmas for the first time. In minutes people forgot the tragedy and their minds drifted into the beautiful lyrics reminiscing about a snow white Christmas.
Whether in a muddy foxhole in Europe or a modern family room in American suburbia, nothing says "the holidays are here" like White Christmas. Those words bring Christmas images to mind. A fire flickering on the hearth…the twinkle of lights on the tree…the aroma of sugar cookies….
The "white" in "Christmas" evokes so many seasonal memories. Snow evokes so many images that speak of the true meaning of the Christmas season.
Something about a baby in a manger echoes the purity of newly fallen snow. As it thaws and melts, it soaks the earth, preparing the ground for an explosion of new life each spring. It falls thousands of feet in silence and lands without a sound, reminding us that Christmas is a time to block out the noise of the world for at least a day. The uniqueness of each snowflake—scientists tell us no two snowflakes are alike—reminds us of the uniqueness of each person whom God's unique Son came to save.
Snow reminds me of the One whose birth we remember each year. Can anyone doubt the purity of the baby born in Bethlehem—the purity of His birth and His life? When Daniel the prophet saw the Ancient of Days, Daniel described His garment to be white as snow (Daniel 7: 9).
A snow crystals' large number of reflective surfaces give it a white appearance as it reflects pure light. It is because He is pure that Jesus Christ can make us pure. After the heart of King David had been strained by the blackness of sin, he cried out to God, "Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow" (Psalm 51: 7). His prayer was answered because the God of Israel had promised His people that He would take their scarlet sins and make them white as snow (Isaiah 1:18 ).
Like snow, Jesus brings new life. As "the snow from heaven…so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it" (Isaiah 55:10, 11). By the Word which comes afresh to us at Christmas, we are saved and made whole: "For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord," a Savior who will "save His people from their sins" (Luke 2:11; Matthew 1:21). The life-giving snow of Christmas speaks of the life-giving Savior of Christmas.
The day is coming when all the earth will keep silence before Him. Even now, "The Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him" (Habakkuk 2:20). Jesus was born into this world to be judged in our place. Rather than being silent in fear of judgment, we are moved to silence at Christmas because of God’s unspeakable Christmas gift.
God alone is God—there is no other (Deuteronomy 6:4; Job 23:13). And "there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). The uniqueness of every Christmas snowflake speaks of the uniqueness of our God and His "one and only Son" (John 3:16). Without Jesus, there would be no Christmas.
My prayer is that your days will be "merry and bright" because the radiant light of the King of kings has filled the manger of your heart, causing you to meditate on His purity, new life, silence, and uniqueness.
Whether you have snow or not, when you celebrate the One born to live, die, and come again for us, you'll have a White Christmas.
This article was excerpted from Turning Points, Dr. David Jeremiah’s devotional magazine.
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CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS...
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Dec 21, 2008 1:53 pm
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by Dr. John Barnett
Christmas is so full of wonder, meaning and tradition. But, where did all these things that we now call Christmas - come from? Let me just briefly sketch the origin and development of what we now celebrate as Christ's Birth.
The Biblical Celebration
• The Dawning of Light (Luke 1 : 78 -79)
• The Fullness of Time (Gal 4: 4-5 )
• The Mystery of Incarnation (1 Timothy 3: 16)
The Pagan Connection
• Dr. Phillip Schaff, a noted church historian of the last century, wrote a monumental 8 volume History of the Christian Church[1]. In this work he relates that history records that the ancients celebrated an annual victory of the Sun over the long night of winter. This religious festival was held near the winter solstice of 12/21 -22 each year.
• By Roman times there was:
1. A silent testimony of nature: the seasons that show winter as death and spring as life and resurrection. And,
2. A Public Celebration in Paganism that:
3. Related the Sol Invictus legend of the conquest of darkness by the Sun.
4. This tradition was embodied in the Saturnalia Festival. This festival was a feast of images, the giving of gifts, and the setting free of slaves.
• According to the Astronomers, on the night of 12/21-22, the earth is at its darkest, the night is the longest, the light of day is the shortest, and the Sun is closest to the Earth of any time of the year.
• What an amazing picture of Christ's coming to us. As John 1 says He came to a sin darkened world, He came as a Sunrise from on High and offered a free gift of salvation and liberation from servitude to the servants of darkness.
The Christian Regeneration of this Pagan Celebration
• By the year AD 360 the church was celebrating the Birth, Life, Death and Resurrection of Christ.
• By AD 386, Chrysostom was preaching, "Without the birth of Christ there is no Baptism, no Passion, no Resurrection, no Ascension and no Pouring out of the Holy Spirit..."
• As the centuries went on the tradition grew to include Epiphany [manifestation] when Christ was circumcised on the 8th day after His birth. The eastern church celebrates this on January 6th.
The Christian Meaning to Ancient Traditions
• December 25th was the Saturnalia Festival of emancipation, gift giving and the triumph of light after the longest night. The Christian sees the truth implicit in this pagan tradition that reflects: Christ the Light of the world, His triumph over the night of sin in Luke 1: 78-79
• Evergreen Trees were the symbol of eternal life. Martin Luther introduced them to the Reformation Church as a picture of our endless life in Christ, by bringing in a tree to his family on Christmas Eve lit with candles. Isaiah 60:13
• Candles are a picture that Christ is the Light of the world John 8:
• Holly speaks of the thorns in His crown Matthew 27 :29
• Red is a color of Christmas that speaks of Christ's blood and death.
• Gifts are a reminder of the gifts of the Magi to baby Jesus. Each of them speak to a component of His incarnation: Majesty in life, Bitterest Agony in Death and He as Gods Perfect gift to us. Matthew 2.
• The Yule Log was a symbol by which all the men in the family would carry a log large enough to burn for 12 days into the house. They were identifying with Christ and His Cross. The fire was started with a fragment from the previous years [this refers to the eternal existence of Christ before His birth] log. It speaks of warmth, unity, joy and the security of endless life.
• Mistletoe was an ancient symbol from the Roman times. It was under Mistletoe that old enmities and broken friendship were restored. So Christ was the One who took away the enmity and gave us Peace with God. Romans 5:1; 8:1.
• Bells are associated with ringing out news. Christ is the good news, the best news of all.
• Christmas Eve is a time when we remember that Christ came in the darkest night of Earth's need to be the Light of the World.
• Shepherds who were watching lambs for use as sacrifices in the Temple, were the first to hear the great news that the Lamb to end all sacrifices had appeared.
• Christmas Pie is an old tradition that uses a Mince pie with various spices to remember the spices of the Magi. For centuries it was made in a manger shape.
Some Final Thoughts
• Don't lose the Spiritual Depth of Christmas because of its Pagan association.
• Don't miss the Spiritual Delight of Christmas because of the Commercial association.
• Don't forget the Spiritual Despair of the World because of Christmas and its wonders.
• Some challenges:
1. Give a gift to Jesus.
2. Like Christ, give to those who can't repay you.
3. Pause to sense the darkness outside at night, and then thank God for sending the light.
4. Read the Scriptures to your family.
5. Start some traditions that point to Christ.
6. Enjoy this wonderful time of the year, don't lose the season for the rush.
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IT'S ALL ABOUT HIM ~ THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!
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Dec 21, 2008 1:41 pm
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by Greg Laurie
A little girl noticed that her mom was getting really stressed out around Christmas. Everything was bothering her mom, and she was very irritable.
Evening came and the mom bathed the little girl, got her ready for bed, put her under the covers, and had her say her prayers. She would usually pray the Lord's Prayer, but on this particular evening, she amended it a little bit.
Her petition went something like this, "Father, forgive us our Christmases, as we forgive those who Christmas against us."
That is what happens when we lose focus of the real meaning of Christmas, isn't it? We get so caught up in the busyness of the season that sometimes we forget the wonder of it all: that deity took on humanity, that God became a man.
Scripture sums it up well in 2 Corinthians 8:9, which says, "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich" (NKJV). Jesus literally went from the throne of heaven to a simple little cave or stable.
Can you imagine what must have gone through Mary's mind that day when the angel Gabriel appeared to her and told her she would be the mother of the Messiah? Her head must have been swimming. "What about Joseph? What are people going to say?"
But God had it all put together, because the time was just right in every way.
There was one small detail: the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem, as Scripture prophesied (see Micah 5:2). But Mary and her husband-to-be Joseph lived in Nazareth. So the Lord touched a little man who was big in his own mind.
His name was Caesar, and at this particular time in history, he was the most powerful man on Earth. One day, Caesar gave a decree that all of the world should be taxed.
In reality, he was nothing more than a pawn in the hand of God. The Lord needed Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem, so He moved events.
Mary and Joseph made the difficult journey to Bethlehem, which was especially perilous for a woman who was as far along in her pregnancy as Mary was. But they did make it, and there, the miraculous birth of Christ took place, just as Scripture said it would.
This little baby grew up quickly, and although we would love to know more about his boyhood, the Bible offers only a few details.
But we do read of one day in the synagogue in Nazareth when, as the custom was, the time had come for Jesus to read. He walked to the front of the synagogue, opened up the scroll, and began to read from Isaiah: "'The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord' " (Luke 4:18-19 NLT).
When He had finished, He sat down and said, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing" (verse 21). He had declared himself the Messiah. His public ministry had begun.
This One who was sent from God was always in perfect sync with the Father. While He spoke with the learned spiritual leaders, He always had time for the outcasts of society-people like the woman at the well and the tax collector, Zacchaeus. People like you. People like me.
His ministry on Earth was only a few years, and then He was crucified. You can be sure that as He hung there on the cross, where all of the sin of humanity was placed upon Him, that this was God's most painful moment.
But then it was finished. He rose again from the dead, and after a time, ascended back into heaven, promising to come back to this earth. And we eagerly await that day.
This Jesus who was born in a manger, who walked this earth, who was crucified, and who rose again, is not some mere historical figure, although He was that. He is alive, and He is still in the business of changing lives.
That is the reason He came: to put us in touch with God, to forgive us of all of our sins, and to give our lives purpose and meaning.
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IT ISN'T Xmas, BUT CHRISTmas!!! RING IT OUT LOUD AND CLEAR!!!
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Dec 14, 2008 10:42 am
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It isn't Xmas, but CHRISTmas
For that's the day Christ came.
When you take CHRIST out of Christmas
You cross out life's best name.
I wonder why they cross out Christ,
The best that God could give.
I wonder why they've forgotten.
That we for Him should live.
Why take Christ's name out of Christmas?
For He came to set us free.
If we had Christmas without Christ
How hopeless we would be.
Why, is it ~ that they cross out Christ?
The greatest gift of all?
Why, is it ~ that nobody cares
Or listens to His call?
To me ~ X stand for nothing,
Then why, cross His name out?
To me ~ Christ means everything
He took away my doubt.
I'll never try to shame my Lord.
I'll keep His name in place;
Then when life here below is over,
I'll see Him face to face.
Let us all, "KEEP CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS"
Love and serve Him this year.
It isn't Xmas but it's CHRISTmas,
RING IT OUT, LOUD AND CLEAR.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!!!
JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON!
MAY YOUR CHRISTMAS BE FILLED WITH CHRIST'S LOVE, JOY AND PEACE!!!
I SAY, MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!
PEACE ON EARTH, GOODWILL TO ALL MEN!!!
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MY CHRISTMAS E-MAIL...
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Dec 14, 2008 10:26 am
366 Views
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I have a list
Of people I know,
All logged in my computer,
And now at Christmas time,
I have gone to take a look.
And that is when I realize
That these names are a part,
Not of the computer
They're stored in
But of my heart.
For each name stands
For someone who has
Crossed my path sometime,
And in that meeting
They've become
The rhythm in each rhyme.
And while it sounds fantastic
For me to make this claim,
I feel that I'm composed of
Each remembered name.
And while You may not be
Aware of any special link,
Just meeting you has
Changed my life,
A lot more than you think!
For once I have met somebody,
The years cannot erase
The memory of a pleasant word
or e-mail, or a family face.
So never think
My Christmas E-mails
Are just a mere routine,
Of names upon an address
List forgotten in between
For when I do a Christmas E-mail
That is addressed to you,
It's because You're on the list
Of people I'm indebted to.
And whether I have known you
For many years or few
in some way you have been a part
Of shaping things I do.
And now that Christmas has come,
I realize anew,
The best gift life can offer
Is meeting people like you.
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WHO IS ON YOUR GIFT LIST THIS CHRISTMAS?
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Dec 14, 2008 10:19 am
290 Views
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USUALLY-
We give gifts to family and friends.
We want to buy gifts for people we love and people we care about.
We tend to give gifts to those who treat us well, people who are kind and considerate to us.
And often we will give gifts in return for gifts that we have received.
Some of us will even buy gifts for our pets.
HOWEVER-
WE GENERALLY DON'T BUY GIFTS FOR OUR ENEMIES!
Do we?
We don't give a gift to the person who has slandered us in the past year.
We don't give a gift to the irate neighbor who never has a kind word to say.
We don't give a gift to someone who has tried to run us out of business.
Nor do we send a gift to the thief who stole the car stereo last month.
BUT-
When God sent Jesus Christ, His Son, and gave us this ultimate gift, He gave it to us while we were still His enemies.
"BUT GOD DEMONSTRATES HIS OWN LOVE TOWARD US, IN THAT WHILE WE WERE STILL SINNERS, CHRIST DIED FOR US." Romans 5:8
We did nothing whatsoever to merit or deserve this gift.
What we really deserve is judgment, because-
We all have deliberately sinned against God.
THE AMAZING TRUTH OF CHRISTMAS IS THAT-
In spite of our sins, God sent His Son to save us.
In that tiny manger in Bethlehem, He gave us an undeserved gift.
WHAT GIFT YOU WANT TO SEND YOUR ENEMY THIS CHRISTMAS?
-A greeting card?
-A telephone call?
-A present by post?
-A family dinner?
-At least a forgiving prayer?
...YOU NAME IT!
THE LORD IS READY TO HELP YOU!
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