EARLY PRAYERS.....

MARK 1:35 READS: "In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there." Does this example have any relevance to our times? People in Jesus' time probably went to bed much earlier than we do due to the lack of electricity, heat, TV, the agricultural way of life, etc., and hence awakened much earlier. Of course in our times mnay have to rise early to get the kids to school and do the long commute to work. So, cultural considerations considered, when is the best time to meet with God? Of course, if we really have no heart to spend time with our Lord, can't we usually come up with all kinds of excuses not to do so? Really, the choice of the best time is very individualistic. Some are morning people and others function best at night. So, each one must find time, or make time, when best suited to his or her life. The "blessed" man of Psalm 1 delighted in the law of the law and mediated therein "day and night." Shouldn't we ever be walking by faith like Enoch of old? All this pondered, isn't there something special to be said about early morning devotions? J. Oswald Sanders put it this way: "It is most helpful to establish a regular routine that enables on to breathe the incense of heaven before inhaling the smog and fog of earth." I like that!

WHENCE WILL POWER AND/OR WON'T POWER?

"Just say 'no'" is a simple solution the world offers to offset the sinful temptations that come our way. The basic flaw in this simplistic advice is that the human "will" in and of itself does not possess the ability to dispel the evil solicitations that ever arise from within and without. What is the Christian answer? Do say "no" but acknowledge the need for the Lord's help. This means first of all an intense familiarization with the Word of God whereby we gain God's mind and viewpoint for life. Add to this utter reliance upon the Lord in trusting prayer and cries for help. And finally, admit the necessity for the Christian community wherein reside honesty, tranparency, encouragement and needed practical assistance from my brothers and sisters in Christ. Put all this together: THE WORD OF GOD plus CRIES TO GOD FOR HELP plus A SUPPORTIVE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY and we may very well find ourselves with an inner resolve to crucify the flesh and the lusts thereof. In addition will come a holy determination to say "no" to worldly conformity. Therefore to the Christian the solution may very well be "just say no" but the follower of Christ arrives at this point with Godly direction, Divine strength and human encouragement to make it happen. (Read: Psalm 1; Psalm 34:6; Romans 12:5,10,16.) -rdc

HERE'S SOMEONE WHO TELLS IT LIKE IT IS......

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.

My confession:

I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened... I don't feel discriminated against.. That's what they are, Christmas trees.

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu. If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Hurricane Katrina). Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'

In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself... And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said okay..

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing yet?

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it...

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.

Pass it on if you think it has merit.

If not, then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.

My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,

Ben Stein

IT'S GREAT ENTERING THE UNCERTAIN NEW YEAR WITH A CERTAIN FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST...

A true Christian, like an old bum, has been washed up (in the blood of Jesus) and robed with God's very own righteousness in Christ Jesus. Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. Hereby, our sins are covered and we are covered in the perfections of God Himself. That's security! "...even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe" (Romans 3:21-26).

IN WITH THE NEW.....HAPPY NEW YEAR

In Rome many people maintain the curious custom of throwing something old - crockery, radios, etc - out the window on New Year's Eve. Out with the old. In with the new! (I sure hope they look out the window first so as not to hit someone on the head.) How good it would be to take every worn-out idea and throw it out at midnight on New Year's Eve. What a relief to get rid of every old resentment, grudge, prejudice, notion, fear, etc., etc. and make them things of the past. The Christian brings such to Jesus and before Him confesses and determines to forsake them. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9). So, better than throwing stuff out a window let us come again to the crucified Savior, our High Priest, and confess to Him and then take Him at His word claiming forgiveness and strength to move into the New Year cleansed and ready to serve Him!

FAITH SEES WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT AT CHRISTMAS TIME AND ALL YEAR LONG....

"NOW FAITH IS THE ASSURANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR, THE CONVICTION OF THINGS NOT SEEN....BY FAITH WE UNDERSTNAD THAT THE WORLDS WERE PREPARED BY THE WORD OF GOD, SO THAT WHAT IS SEEN WAS NOT MADE OUT OF THINGS WHICH ARE VISIBLE" (Hebrews 11:1,3).

ADMIRE JESUS AND RECEIVE......

Many authorities think that Jesus' manger was in fact a feeding trough for animals. It was the only thing available in which to lay the baby. One person defines it this way: "MANGER: A FEEDING TROUGH LARGE ENOUGH TO CONTAIN 'THE BREAD OF LIFE.'" Later, Jesus said, "I AM THE LIVING BREAD WHICH CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN. IF ANYONE EATS OF THIS BREAD, HE WILL LIVE FOREVER..." (John 6:51). In a preceding verse (v 47) he explains the 'by faith' eating that saves the sinner. "MOST ASSUREDLY, I SAY TO YOU, HE WHO BELIEVES IN ME HAS EVERLASTING LIFE. I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE." It's not enough to admire Jesus. We must partake! It's not enough to sincerely salute Jesus as a noble historical figure. We must accept Him as personal Lord and Savior!

SOME VERY WISE WORDS TO PARENTS.....

"The trait I admired most growing up was my mother's unwavering loyalty to my father. To the world, they presented a consolidated whole: respectful of each other, always each other's first priority. As a child, I wanted to be the center of my parents' universe. But my parents were, and are, each other's universe and we children remain merely sources of light that shine upon their special world. Only as an adult can I appreciate the fact that, although loved, we were not chosen in the way my parents chose each other." (Janice A. Burns) As has been said elsewhere, the greatest thing a dad can do for his kids is to love their mother!

"OH GIVE THANKS UNTO THE LORD, FOR HE IS GOOD..." (Psalm 106)

GOD AND US WEAK VESSELS...

2Co 4:7 "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves."

All things honestly considered, I serve God in a relatively meager way;
But such does go along with this idea: my weak body is just a jar of clay.

But, little is much when God is in it and a Master can still use a lesser tool;
In fact, God used little David, who, by God's great grace, the nine-foot giant
did out-duel.

God specializes using things quite broken and thus gains for Himself all the glory;
So, by this my weakness is made strong....and....uh...this now concludes my
lesson-learned story. - rdc

FOR WHAT CAN WE GIVE THANKS?????

Mrs. Green thanked Tom, the grocery boy, for delivering a loaf of bread. "Do not thank me. Thank grocer Jones," Tom smiled, "He gave me the loaf to deliver." But when she thanked the grocer,he said, "I get the bread from baker Brown. He makes it, so he deserved the thanks." So Mrs. Green thanked the baker. But he told her that miller Milligan should be given the gratitude. "Without miller Milligan's flour I could not make bread," Brown replied. The miller told her to thank farmer Foster because they made the flour from Foster's wheat. But the farmer also protested. "Do not thank me; thank GOD," Foster said. "If He did not give my farm sunshine and rain, I could not grow wheat." YES, even a common loaf of bread can be traced back to God, the giver of "every good and perfect gift" (James 1:17).

HAPPY ADVERSITY???????

LUDWIG van BEETHOVEN, the German composer of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, went deaf midway through his career but continued to compose great works. ABRAHAM LINCOLN, when a young man, entered business, failed and spent 17 years of his life paying off the debt of a worthless partner. He fell in love with a beautiful young woman to whom he became engaged. Then she died. Entering politics, he ran for Congress and was badly defeated. In 1858, he was defeated by Douglas, but, in the face of this defeat and failure, he eventually achieved the highest success attainable in life, and undying fame to the end of time. Read the Scripture verse under the cartoon again. In fact, look of the passage and read the context....and be encouraged to hang in there! The Apostle Paul suffered untold suffering but was able to say at the end, "I have fought a good fight."

SPINNIN' INTO HEAVEN?????? (click on pic)

- SMILE/THINK AWHILE - No, no, no! Heaven is attained not by OUR works but by the finished work of JESUS CHRIST who died in our stead and paid for our sins at Calvary. "For by grace you have been saved, through faith; and that, not of yourselves, it is the GIFT of God; NOT as a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8-10, emphasis mine).

DRUG TO CHURCH? BAD?

ALL OR NOTHING?????

The Christian life is a life-long "process" whereby we grow in the grace and knowledge of our God and become increasingly like our Lord Jesus. It doesn't happen all at once. In the first place, getting saved IS instantaneous. When a sinner believes in Jesus at that moment he is "in Christ" complete in God's righteousness and washed in the blood of the Lamb. Such a one is saved and sealed. But on the other hand, as Christians, Christ is in us! And thereby (by His grace and power)we enter a day by day walk with God, reading His Word, obeying, praying, examining ourselves, confessing, availing ourselves of a good Bible centered church and patiently enduring God's working in us and through us for the accomplishment of His purposes. The One who began the work in us "will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus" (Phil. 1:6). "Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass" (I Thess. 5:23). This goes on and on until we see Jesus. Then, in an instant, we shall be like Him perfectly so. Meanwhile, let us run with patience the race set before us. Let's not get frustrated with ourselves or others when we detect our shortcomings, foibles, lapses and sins. Let's not demand a perfection of one another more rigid than God expects. In this life it just isn't "all or nothing" by way of Christlikeness. Arduously (often) but joyously we keep on keeping on bearing and forbearing one another (and ourselves) in love. Christians are not righteous people who occasionally fail but rather sinners, saved by grace, who hopefully are getting it right and increasingly right as the days go by. Through Christ Jesus we are more than conquerors both positionally (in Christ) and practically(Christ in us).