Devot. God Our Help

Dear Friends, 

 

I hope you all had a very blessed, peaceful and Christ filled Christmas as me and my family did.   

 

As I was preparing this devot. I remember a New Year's Eve tradition from when I was a child that I would like to share with you.

 

Early evening on New Years Eve we would go to spend the evening at the home of a very Godly Christian family. We knew that we and the other Christian families who went to their home would have a fun family time, yet without all the alcoholic drinking and ungodly carousing that other homes would host. 

 

We would have a meal and munch through the night.  The kids would play hide and go seek,  indoor Capture the Flag (of sorts) watch Little House on the Prairie  and the adults would chat and catch up with other couples that they only saw this one time a year. 

 

A hour before midnight all the families would gather in the living room to have a Yankee Swap.  Everyone brought a gag gift, sometimes a nice one would appear, to open and then  you could trade for what you really wanted to take home!  It was so much fun for everyone!   I think I still have some of the artificial fruit from the fake fruit tree we seemed to get stuck with! :)

 

Then 5 minutes before 12 we would gather on their wraparound porch with pots and pans.  But the very neatest 'noisemaker' of  all was the host family's Shofar (a ram's horn that the Jewish people would blow on special days, to warn of attack from the enemy or as a signal during battle).   We would count down the seconds to midnight and the at 12 the man of the house would blow on the shofar to welcome in the New Year.   All the guest would then come into the house and close the night, or should I say open the New Year, with a few minutes of prayer. 

 

The reason I share this is to encourage you to have a Godly 'family friendly time' this New Year's Even and make the Lord the center of your and your family's lives this New Year.

 He has brought you through 2014 and will help you through another year.  Shouldn't we acknowledge the One who has sustained us all this time much less given us the breathe to make it to another year?!  "Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!"  (Ps. 107:8)

As I have reflected this Christmas and New Year on what my family has done in the past, I am thankful for how I was brought up.  The end of Ps. 16:6 says, "yea, (Yes!) I have a goodly (beautiful, godly) heritage."   

 

I pray that my reflections of this season will inspire you to start similar traditions in your own.  Even if it is just you, or the kids are out of the house, start it for you and as a way to honor the Lord, let your light shine for Him.  (Mathew 5:14-16)

 

May the Lord bless you and your family with His peace, presence, joy in living for Him, and good health this year.  Happy New year from me and my family to you and yours!

 

Devot.http://www.icr.org/article/remembering-god-our-help   (Used by permission. Taken from http://www.icr.org/)  

 

Song:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDN623rmnEY

Devot. Treasure of the Heart

Dear Friends,

I hope you had a super weekend!  It is hard to believe that Christmas will be here and gone by the end of this week.

But as I have been telling my students, we have something of value and substance that we can carry and celebrate in our hearts all year long-Jesus Christ, who is our Hope of Heaven and the Gift of eternal life, life in Heaven with Him.

 

This is a gift that is free to all who wish to receive Jesus as Lord and Saviour of their lives(Ephesians 2:8-9) and it is a gift that never goes out of style, fades or can be stolen (John 5:11-15).  It is yours for keeps!

 

This devot. perfectly describes what I wish to explain when I think of my ticket for Heaven being paid for in Christ's blood and the day I received Jesus and His ticket to Heaven (I accepted that His death and resurrection paid my sin debt).

I pray that all of you make the True Reason for the season ring in your hearts and homes this Thursday.  It's the only thing that will last past the gifts.   From my family to yours, Merry Christmas!

Devot. http://www.icr.org/article/treasure-heart   (Used by permission.  Taken from http://www.icr.org/)

Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqFsFY0M8WI

Devot. Christmas- A Personal Promise

Dear Friends,

I hope you had a blessed, and safe week!

The devot. today is a neat one.  It explains how Christmas is God's own personal promise to the one who has trusted Him for salvation.

 

I wanted to share something I am doing with the students I teach to get them thinking about the True Reason for the season and why it is important in their lives.  I hope it would maybe inspire you to do this with the young people in your life.

 

During Christmas time, I call our living/dinning room areas 'Manger City' because of the 3-4 manger scenes that grace these rooms. 

They are all different kinds, styles, and with sentimental value, like the one my sister in law  made me for my 1st Christmas.  

 I have all the 'key players' (wise men, shepherds etc..) set up, but I have left out Baby Jesus. I ask each of my students to see if the manger scenes look aright to them, everything there etc... I am looking to see how observant the kids are:) 

Many of them have caught on in a few moments and after a few looks that Baby Jesus is not there!

I then ask them why I would keep Baby Jesus out of the manger scene since HE is THE MOST IMPORTANT PART of Christmas?!
They usually respond that He hasn't been born yet:)  I affirm that Mary has not delivered yet since she is still 1 week early:)

I then take this chance to ask them what would they say if someone asked them what Christmas meant to them and why that was important?

The majority of them have responded that Christmas is important because it is Jesus' Birthday.  I then ask them why that is important.

Many of them have responded that His birth is important because He came to this earth to die for our sins so that we could be saved from hell,and go to Heaven by trusting in Him.

Folks this is the heart of the matter.   My point for this live example is two fold:  1.  What these children have said is the heart of this season.  They get it.  2.  What are we doing it to make this Reason an active part of our hearts, homes, families?  Are we teaching this to the young ones in our lives or is there 'No Room' for Him in our lives?  Remember how I said last week that so far, we have the freedom to emphasize The True Reason for the season.  We must take these opportunities in life to give our young people values of substance that will help them see their need to accept Jesus as their way to get to Heaven (they are smarter than we give them credit for and understand more than we assume in this area), build them into being a godly light in the next generation, sustain them though the tough times in life and prepare them for Heaven.

It's never too early to start and never to late to emphasize this.  But we have to make a conscious effort to do so, like using the manger scenes.

This example is what my parents did with me as a child, and it has stuck all these years later.

 

The devot. below is about how we can prepare our hearts and homes for Christmas and how this glorious day is a special promise from Him.

Lord bless you this weekend!

 

Devot. http://www.intouch.org/resources/article-archive/content.aspx?topic=Christmas_A_Personal_Promise_Article#.VH-nY-ktBMs   (Used by permission)

 

Song Below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMus8df0HBU

Devot. and Your First Christmas Card!

Dear Friends,

I pray you had a blessed Thanksgiving and weekend!

Well it is the beginning of December and I am sending you your first Christmas card and Christmas devot. of the season.

I was emailed this forward below last year and saved it for now.  You know that I am direct and say how things are. 

The forward is sadly how things are in our country right now.  My parents reflect that it was not like this in their or their parent's day.

 But it doesn't have to stay that way though.  We are still a free country and people, Praise God, and can still stand up for how things should be. 

God has placed us here to be lights in a dark world (Matthew 5:14-16) and it is at this time of year when we can let the love of Jesus shine from us. 

People are looking for lasting meaning to their lives and this season beyond the gifts and parties. When all that is gone, what will they have left to help them through the rest of the year?  Hopefully Jesus if we have the courage to share Him with a hurting world this year.

Remember that Christmas was about Christ before commercialization and all the rest of that came about. 

 

While I know that some may not choose to keep The True Meaning in the season, and they are free to do so as citizens of the US, individuals and even God gives us free choice, we should have a right to keep Him in the season for us, our families and future generations.  

I pray the devot. below is a great start to your Christmas season and the forward is a reminder of the state of our union and what we as Christians can do to make a difference at this time of year.  God bless you this week!

Devot. http://www.icr.org/article/celebrating-kingdom-christmas  (Used by permission.  Taken from http://www.icr.org/)

                                                               Twas the  month before Christmas

                                          When all  through our land,

 Not a  Christian was praying

 Nor taking  a stand.

 Why the PC  Police had taken away

The reason  for Christmas - no one could  say.

 

 The  children were told by their schools not to  sing

 About  Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and  things.

 It might  hurt people's feelings, the teachers would  say

 December  25th is just a ' Holiday '.

  Yet the  shoppers were ready with cash, checks and  credit

 Pushing  folks down to the floor just to get  it!

 CDs from  Madonna, an X BOX, an I-Pod

 Something  was changing, something quite  odd!

 

 Retailers  promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa

 In hopes  to sell books by Franken &  Fonda.

 As Targets  were hanging their trees upside  down

At Lowe's  the word Christmas - was no where to be  found.

 At K-Mart  and Staples and Penny's and  Sears

You won't  hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your  ears.

 Inclusive,  sensitive, Di-ver-is-ty

 Are words  that were used to intimidate me.

 Now  Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf  Blitzen

 On Boxer,  on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton  !

 At the top  of the Senate, there arose such a  clatter

 To  eliminate Jesus, in all public  matter.

 

 And we  spoke not a word, as they took away our  faith

 Forbidden  to speak of salvation and grace

 The true  Gift of Christmas was exchanged and  discarded

The reason  for the season, stopped before it  started.

 

 So as you  celebrate 'Winter Break' under your 'Dream  Tree'

 Sipping  your Starbucks, listen to me.

 Choose  your words carefully, choose what you  say

 Shout  MERRY CHRISTMAS,

not Happy  Holiday!

 

 Please,  all Christians join together and wish  everyone you meet

 MERRY  CHRISTMAS!

 

 Christ is  The Reason for the Christ-mas  Season!

If you  agree please forward, if not, simply  delete.