In a recent book, evangelical pollster George Barna describes a new type of Christian whom he (positively) calls Revolutionaries. Barna describes them as "born-again Christians who had eliminated church life from their busy schedules. " He writes that the life of a Revolutionary Christian "reflects the very ideals and principles that characterized the life and purpose of Jesus Christ and that advances the Kingdom of God-despite the fact that [a Revolutionary Christian] rarely attends church services. " Barna thinks this type of Revolutionary Christian "is typical of a new breed of disciples of Jesus Christ."

How should we respond to proposals like this? How important is the local church in the plan of God? And when we talk about "the church," what exactly do we mean--and why should we care?

For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. -- James 3:16

What are your goals and plans for the New Year? Do you have great dreams and laudable goals? I hope so. But, please join me as I seriously look at why I set the goals I do and make the plans I make. In the afterglow of Christmas, that great season of giving, let's make sure our plans for the future are not selfish or based on envy, lust, or greed. Instead, let's set our hearts to reach great heights for God's glory and to do great things to be a blessing to others. Otherwise, all our attempts to reach great things ultimately will end in chaos, heartbreak, and destruction.

Heartlight

In Christ Alone

When you really see Jesus, I defy you to doubt Him. When He says - "Let not your heart be troubled," if you see Him I defy you to trouble your mind, it is a moral impossibility to doubt when He is there. Every time you get into personal contact with Jesus, His words are real. "My peace I give unto you," it is a peace all over from the crown of the head to the sole of the feet, an irrepressible confidence. "Your life is hid with Christ in God," and the imperturbable peace of Jesus Christ is imparted to you. - Oswald Chambers

The Christmas eve service at my church was beautiful. Several men read from scripture about Christ's birth. On the way home, I was thinking how much I love to hear scripture - how much I love the Bible. It was then I heard God whisper, "Yes, but do you love Me?" What? Of course I love God. I devote all my heart, soul, and strength to Him. But I knew that wasn't what He was really asking me.

We can become fascinated with the beauty and wonders of the Bible. The Book is full of great truths of theology and principals for living. Even the style and structure of scripture is captivating. I knew I often thrived on an ability to explain the Bible to others, to sort out the doctrines, and to apply it's principals for those who need direction. But in this enthusiasm for exploring scripture and seeking all these treasures am I missing the treasure: God Himself. In the process of mastering the Book am I missing the Person?

There is nothing wrong with going to the Bible for wisdom, direction, comfort, or theology. The Bible openly advertises it's practical benefits as "teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." (2 Timothy 3:16). But there is something more - something even better than the timeless truths. Second Timothy 3:16 also says, "All scripture is God-breathed." As we read the Bible we can feel Him near us. We can hear Him speak to us. And often, this encounter with God is what we need the most.

In his 1952 novel about the Black experience in America, Ralph Ellison begins with these words:

I am an invisible man. No, I am not a spook like those who haunted Edgar Allan Poe; nor am I one of your Hollywood-movie ectoplasms. I am a man of substance, of flesh and bone, fiber and liquids -- and I might even be said to possess a mind. I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me. When they approach me, they see only my surroundings, themselves, or figments of their imagination -- indeed, everything and anything except me.

Is it possible for us to love the people that we don’t see?

Many things I have tried to grasp, and have lost. That which I
have placed in God's hands I still have. -- Martin Luther

Christian Christmas

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! "Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas ... perhaps ... means a little bit more!" And what happened then ... in Who-ville they say is that the Grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day!
-- Dr. Suess

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. -- John 3:16

When you carry out acts of kindness, you get a wonderful feeling inside. It is as though something inside your body responds and says, "Yes, this is how I ought to feel."

-- Rabbi Harold Kushner

All effective fathers learn the importance of a wise and flexible response to their children's calls for attention. No busy signals here. No "hold" button. -- Gordon McDonald

Charlotte Elliott learned an important lesson about Jesus one sleepless night in 1834. She was an invalid, so when her family held a bazaar in Brighton, England, to raise money to build a school, she could only watch from afar.

That night she was overwhelmed by her helplessness and could not sleep. But her sadness turned to joy when she realized that God accepted her just as she was.

Her experience inspired these well-loved words: "Just as I am, without one plea but that Thy blood was shed for me, and that Thou bidd'st me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come! I come!" When she published the poem in The Invalid's Hymn Book, she included with it John 6:37.

Jesus always accepts people as they are. In John 6, the people had come from miles around to hear Jesus. When the crowd became hungry, He miraculously fed them with a boy's unselfish gift of five loaves and two fish. Then the Lord offered Himself as "the bread of life," promising that He would not turn away anyone who came to Him.

It's still true today. No one who comes to Jesus will be turned away. Come to Him with all your sin. He'll accept you just as you are.

- David Egner

Faith is unutterable trust in God, trust which never dreams that He will not stand by us. -- Oswald Chambers

Harry A. Ironside (1876-1951) was one of the most loved and most effective Bible teachers of the early 20th century. According to a close friend, Ironside devoted the first hour of every day to Bible study and prayer. It was his "morning watch," as he put it, and a necessary part of every day.

On one occasion when Ironside was lecturing at a seminary, a student came to him and said, "Dr. Ironside, I understand that you get up early every morning to read and study your Bible."
"Oh, I've been doing it ever since I became a Christian," he replied. "Well, how do you manage to do it?" the student asked. "Do you pray about it?" "No," Ironside said. "I get up."

Ironside knew that his spiritual life depended on a regular time in the Word of God. He didn't need to ask God if he should do it, or to give him the desire to do it. He regarded this discipline as absolutely necessary in the development of his spiritual life and his influence on others. He couldn't get along without it.

The psalmist wrote, "Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105). Do we realize how much we need the light of God's Word each day? Are we developing the habit of reading it regularly? How do we expect to hear from God if we are not reading His message to us?

- ODB

Dan Fogelberg died yesterday. His music brings back a lot of good memories. Did you know he was only 56 years old? Makes you think ... there really is no promise of tomorrow.

"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour." Matthew 25:13

You know my folly, O God; my guilt is not hidden from you. May those who hope in you not be disgraced because of me, O Lord, the LORD Almighty; may those who seek you not be put to shame because of me, O God of Israel.
-- Psalm 69:5-6

Some men have thousands of reasons why they cannot do what they want to, when all they need is one reason why they can.
-- Willis Whitney

How many people stop because so few say go? -- Charles Swindoll

Seeing clearly is critical.

The other day as I was driving along when the drizzle made mud of the dust on my windshield. It was then I discovered my washer fluid was empty. I made an executive decision that I would keep heading toward my destination without stopping to buy more washer fluid. Bad choice.

As I kept driving my windshield kept getting worse. I would use the wipers every once in a while hoping that the moisture would clean off with a swipe of the wiper blade...no luck. It only smeared it on thicker. It got so bad, in a short amount of time, that I had to pull off at the nearest gas station and buy a gallon of fluid. Then I had to wait in the parking lot a few extra minutes as the smudge was cleared away with the new fluid and my wipers beating furiously over my windshield. That is life, friend.

You cannot move forward without a clear vision for where you are headed. At least that is what the Scriptures say. Proverbs 29:18, "Where there is no vision, the people perish..." (KJV) It can kill a person to drive with the windshield unclear and you cannot get to where God is wanting to take you in life without clearly having His vision for your life before you.


In 2008, you can define your vision. You need to fill up your tanks with the fluid of His Word (Ephesians 5:18) and you need to do what it is He is asking you to do.


May we aspire to INFLUENCE lost people for the sake of Jesus Christ and to CONNECT with other believers in Christ within our church and to DEVOTE ourselves to becoming more like the image of His Son by studying His written Word and finally to HELP wherever we see a need that we know we can fulfill because our gifts from God are for that very purpose!

Let's make these more than words in 2008. Let's make them reality!

We WILL be the church God is calling us to be - and it starts with you and me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLZAWtdFhio&NR=1

A Living Prayer - By Alison Krauss

How much do you really know about the Roe v. Wade ruling?

We can expect both sides in the abortion debate to present their arguments in the coming months as we mark the 35th anniversary. Take this simple quiz to see if you really understand what the law allows:

http://www.roeiqtest.com/ui/

Do not hide your face from your servant; answer me quickly, for I am in trouble. Come near and rescue me; redeem me because of my foes.

-- Psalm 69:17-18

“How many there are … who imagine that because Jesus paid it all, they need pay nothing, forgetting that the prime object of their salvation was that they should follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ in bringing a lost world back to God.”

Lottie Moon, Tengchow, China, Sept. 15, 1887

The life of the mother of Jesus was simple and plain. There was nothing out of the ordinary about her external life-at least not revealed in Scripture. Yet what amazing grace was revealed in Mary's attitude! When the angel announced that her child would be called "the Son of God," she responded, "Let it be to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38).

Her answer contained all that our Lord requires-the pure, simple submission of the soul to His will. This was the heart of Mary's deep spirituality: She abandoned herself to God's will in the present and received the grace to do what God asked of her.

What is God asking you to do? It may be something magnificent, or something ordinary. It may be to respond actively to a command of Scripture, or to submit patiently to present suffering. "What God arranged for us to experience at each moment is the holiest thing that could happen to us," said the 18th-century writer Jean-Pierre de Caussade.

Are you able to accept each moment with grace and submission? Can you respond to the Lord as Mary said to the angel, "Let it be to me according to your word"?

Worship Through Music

My Redeemer Lives by Nicole C. Mullins

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFmu1eUouaA&feature=related

Mercy Said No by CeCe Winans

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQU0iwmJFng&feature=related

Shackles (Praise You) by Mary Mary

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRayKxgePQI&feature=related

Now Behold the Lamb by Kirk Franklin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CK1R1suY6U&feature=related

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

By Marianne Williamson

A college I attended had an interesting annual rite—a tug-of-war. Two teams train and prepare to pull together on their end of the rope to win the competition, hoping to avoid the mud-pit between the teams and gain campus bragging rights for another year. For a fun competition, it can become intense.

As believers in Jesus, we often face the challenge of learning how to pull together. Self-interest, personal agendas, and power struggles get in the way of genuine ministry and hinder the work of Christ.

Such was the case in Paul’s letter to the Philippians, where he had to plead with Euodia and Syntyche to “be of the same mind” (4:2). Their personal friction created a roadblock to their spiritual service, and their “tug-of-war” was harming the life of the church. Paul’s appeal was for them to pull together and work for the honor of the Master. It is an appeal that serves us well today. When we feel distanced from our fellow believers, we must look for the common ground we have in the Savior.

Church is no place for a tug-of-war. It’s imperative that we work together for the advancement of God’s kingdom. He can use us in wonderful ways when we lay aside our personal differences and pull together on the rope.

A believer at war with another Christian cannot be at peace with the Father.

"Among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. -- Ephesians 5:3

"Not even a hint!" Hmmmm! Don't you wish it were true? The church I attend and the person I see most often in the mirror don't quite measure up to this directive. If sexual temptation doesn't get us, greed often does. In a culture of conspicuous consumption, greed concerns me more than the immorality and impurity. Not because I am unconcerned with impurity, but because we have become so calloused to our own greed.

In this season of giving, let's honestly examine our hearts about our "wanting," "getting," and"possessing."

From Heartlight

It's my birthday.

Not just any birthday either, it's my 50th birthday! I didn't want to have my birthday lunch sitting at my desk so I went to the park. It's a crisp, but comfortable day, so I opened the windows of my car to let the breeze come through while the sun warmed my face.

It was then I noticed the trees with large gnarled limbs and a few leaves scattered among the branches. I wondered how much life had occurred under their peaceful gaze. Children playing in the summer shade, squirrels gathering their fruit for winter and birds building nests and raising families in the shelter they provided.

Seasons of life are all around us. The trees are now without their leaves so that the sun can shine through to warm me. When I return this summer they will be bustling with life to provide shade and shelter. Dressed for each season of life.

I too feel the effects of the seasons of my life. The spring and summer are behind me now and I look forward to this fall before entering my winter years. It is a time when the leaves of my youth are less plentiful, but other things fill their place. There comes a peace in knowing the value of life and the companionship of friends and memories. There is the opportunity to share the experience of my years and the comfort found in understanding what I see ahead in the winter of my days.

There are seasons in the Christian's life as well. I am seeing the fruit of my years in service. I get to watch children I have taught, now grown, teach children of their own about the Lord. There is a familiarity with the Word that I did not have as a youth. The weight of the cross I bear seems lighter with the edges smoothed through the years.

Seasons of life - find peace in what each has to offer.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.
Ecclesiastes 3:1

Keeping Christ in Christmas ... Join in Celebrating Merry Tossmas

http://www.citizenlink.org/Stoplight/A000005834.cfm?eafref=1

[King] David certainly was aware that his lust for power had become a barrier to inwardness. Careers, even religious careers, may become little more than forums for our own advancement. But how are we to deal with such ambition? Our longing after Christ must exceed our need for status in the world. -- Calvin Miller