Christmas 2008 is now a memory. Our presents have been opened and many already exchanged or even placed in a drawer and forgotten…toys already broken. Christmas pageants are over and the lines the children worked so hard to memorize have already mostly been forgotten. The cookies, candies and goodies have all been enjoyed and eaten (and we have the extra pounds to show for it).

All the decorations from our homes and churches have been packed away for another year. Even the bright lights that had adorned our homes have gone out. Each piece of our nativity scenes have been carefully wrapped and put away. Even baby Jesus in his manger has been packed away.

I’m afraid, all too often, many of us pack away Jesus, not just physically but in our hearts as well. The joy of Christmas gets trampled for the next holiday coming up on the calendar and we think we just don’t have the time.

Maybe we’ve begun to neglect our devotions, or perhaps our Scripture reading has been squeezed out due to a busy schedule or just plain laziness. Maybe we’ve missed a few weeks of church because of all the visits over Christmas. Maybe we are facing a trial.

Well maybe…just maybe… instead of packing Baby Jesus away we could leave Him out where we might see Him often and be reminded to praise God for the gift of His Son…given as a tiny helpless baby…This Baby Jesus who made it possible for you and me to have forgiveness of our sins and eternal life with God. This priceless gift given to all is a one size fits all, not to be forgotten and can’t be broken or lost, if only we accept it. Each day as our eyes open to a brand new day, it’s just another opportunity to remember God’s gift and then praise and thank Him. There is a Christmas song with the line “If every day were like Christmas what a wonderful world this would be.” Well, every day for a Christian IS Christmas. Keep the joy of the Christ Child in your heart each day of 2009 and share it with as many people as you can.

The world is a joyless and lost place without Jesus. But we can share the gift of Jesus that just keeps on giving and giving….

Luke 2:9-11 – “An angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”

A Savior for you and you and you and you and you…….
Glory to God in the highest!!

MaryAnn

MaryAnn and John Kiernan have been married for 35 years, have 2 grown/married sons and are the proud grandparents of two grandsons. She serves at America’s KESWICK as a Biblical Counselor and also as Intake Coordinator for the Colony of Mercy. Her life verse is Romans 8:28.

There are times when problems loom large in life. They seem to consume all our time and thought. They rob us of simple pleasure and rest. Problems will do that until we render them to their proper place of purpose.

“It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat. Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, ‘A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar’ (which is En Gedi). And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So Judah gathered together to ask help from the LORD; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD” 2 Chronicles 20:1-4.

An excerpt from “After the Spirit Comes” by Jack R. Taylor (pg. 33-34)

“…Listen to the final word of Jehoshaphat to the Lord: ‘O our God, wilt thou not judge them? For we have not might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: BUT OUR EYES ARE UPON THEE’ (2 Chron. 20:12). This is precisely where a problem begins to turn into prosperity. And this is precisely where most of us lose out in our problems. It is a matter of transferring the problem from our hands into His. Many of us engage in problem-centered praying. That is, we reckon more with the problem than anything else. Jehoshaphat engaged in God-centered praying. He turned his eyes away from the problem and unto the Lord. OUR EYES ARE UPON YOU! He talked with God, left the issue with God, and heard from the Lord.

God’s word to him was: ‘Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude: for the battle is not yours, but God’s’ (2 Chron 2:15). Let that final word vibrate down through the corridors of your soul…NOT YOURS BUT GOD’S! NOT MINE BUT HIS! IF we could but be convinced that the battle is the Lord’s, the victory would soon ensue.”

When you pray about problems in life, do you rehearse the problem (which gives it prominence) or do you rehearse the greatness of God (which reminds you of His preeminence)?

Diane

I was speaking to my neighbor a few weeks ago (on a Saturday afternoon about 4:20). As she was pulling out of the driveway, I stopped her and asked her how she was doing. She said she was fine but didn’t have time to talk with me then because she was on her way to church and didn’t want to be late. I could tell she was very distracted and said I’d talk to her later.

I actually did see her the next day (Sunday) after I was returning home from church, and we talked a bit more. She said she usually went to church on Saturday afternoons so she could sleep in on Sunday, go out for coffee and come home and read the Sunday newspaper at her leisure. Or – to my way of thinking – she didn’t have to “mess up” her Sundays by having to go to church.

I went back into the house and that got me thinking about my own “preparations” for church. Now, I do not have the option of attending Sunday worship on Saturday because it is not offered. I wonder if it were what my response might be. Would I choose to not mess up Sundays with worship but choose rather to “get it out of the way” on Saturday? Where does that put me on the delighting in worship scale – from 1 to 10 – am I a 10? Do I fairly jump out of bed on Sunday, looking forward to going to church to raise my heart and voice in worship to God, or do I roll over and think, “I’d love to sleep late but I HAVE TO GET UP TO GO TO CHURCH.” Notice I said “have to get up,” not “want to get up.” I will admit that on some Sunday mornings, my attitude toward worship is no better than my neighbor’s. She at least admits she goes when it’s convenient, not because she feels compelled by a worshipful attitude to go.

So today, as I write this, my prayer is that my attitude toward my church-going will become more worshipful and expectant as I prepare for what I will say to God and what He will say to me – prepared now because my heart is filled with praise for Him, for Who He is, and I can look forward with anticipation to going to church not because it is my duty, but because it is my true delight.

Lynn Randall

Of all the songs I love to sing, this is one -if not the one- which I love the most. Think about it. “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I’m found, was blind but now I see.” Everyone today, who believes Christ and receives Him as Lord and Savior, was once lost and blind, but now found and able to see. It’s a soul-deep feeling that makes His grace so indescribably amazing and the sound so satisfyingly sweet.

“Taste and see that the Lord He is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him. Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see- how good GOD is. Blessed are you who run to Him” Psalm 34:8.¹

It was many years after first hearing this song that I learned its history. At the time, I was shocked to learn that John Newton had a career as a slave trader before, during and for a few years after he wrote this wonderful song. As a person of African, Native American and other decent it felt almost weird to be singing a song written by a man whose livelihood was to capture, buy and sell into captivity, people who looked just like me. What did this mean? How could this be?

In the midst of this questioning, God began to speak to my heart and He showed me His visible faithfulness throughout the generations of men.

Were it not for Calvary’s Cross we’d all be dead in our trespasses and sin. We’d all be as undone as John Newton by the prevailing ways that our own particular hearts are shaped and bent.

All of us have been in storms at one time or another. In fact, it was in the midst of a storm that Newton, realizing his helpless state, took his first steps toward religion and faith in God. Like we all once were, Newton was a spiritually bankrupt man who, just like you and me, came to a point of decision, realizing that only the grace of God could save him. As it has and does in our hearts and lives, the process of change began in his, and soon after he penned the words to “Amazing Grace.”

I could share story after story after story of grace so amazing, not the least of which is how God intervened in my daughter’s young life to save it, when she herself sought to take it. Amazing grace!! Why did He do it? We didn’t deserve it! We did nothing to earn it. The grace simply appeared to us in the hour of our greatest plea, “Father God, in the strong, saving, healing name of Jesus! Heal her body, restore her soul and redeem her spirit.” He saved her body, is restoring her soul and daily reminds His precious one, that her spirit is redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.

By grace alone, God has thus far brought us (all of us) and to this very moment we remain confident that He will lead us (all of us) safely home.

“The Lord has promis’d good to me,
His Word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.”

Stephanie D. Paul

¹(NIV & The Message) http://www.biblegateway.com/passage

I have often heard parents say they wish that children came with a book of instructions. Well, guess what? There is a parenting instruction manual. It is called the Bible! Remember, we recently went over the pattern for discipline found in the book of Jonah. There are also many Scriptures that give overall instructions for Christian parenting as well as Christian living.

When we were raising our children, we adopted a theme verse. It is found in Proverbs 24:3-4. I especially like the Living Bible Translation: “Any enterprise is built by wise planning, common sense, and keeping abreast of the facts.” There it is. A three point outline for a well balanced family. Wise planning; common sense; keeping abreast of the facts. The best time to start the Wise Planning is, of course, before you have children. If you are in the middle of child rearing, there is still time to make some plans. What are your goals for your children? College? Technical school? Dating age? Dating rules? Receiving Christ? Christian education? Sit down with your partner and start to make a list. Before they were in school, our children knew they would not be allowed to date until they were sixteen because Glen and I had talked about it and planned ahead.

A Christian psychologist once told me that most parents have an instinct about how to solve problems, but they are afraid to trust their own instincts, so they go to a counselor instead. That instinct is called common sense. I prayed for godly common sense. Sometimes we need to seek a professional’s help to confirm what we knew all along.

It is possible to keep abreast of the facts by being involved with your children. Get to know their friends and their teachers. If at all possible, invite their friends to your house frequently rather than always letting your children go to their friends’ homes. Get involved in school activities. Do you know the names of your children’s five closest friends? What are their teachers’ names? If your child ran away from home, where would he or she go? If you don’t know the answer to these questions, you have an assignment for this week.

Do I know all of these things because I always did it right? Of course not! I have learned these things both by success and failure. After each new venture, it is important to spend some time with your partner in debriefing, figuring out what worked and what didn’t. Determine to learn from your failures as well as your successes.

MWH

It’s time to ring in another new year….2009. A time for new beginnings. So many of us look where we have been and make plans or resolutions to do something in a new way, or NOT to do something. I know I have done it and I really can’t think of one resolution I truly followed through with which then became a part of my life.

Not that it’s a bad thing to make resolutions. However, the problem lies in what I’m are relying on to carry it through. Too many times I just make a resolution without even lifting up a prayer, or a cry to the Lord to seek Him in the midst of whatever the struggle is. Then I make my own plans and plunge ahead full force only to fall flat on my face and end up feeling like a failure.

It’s not about what I want but what God wants for me.

It’s not about what I can do but what God can do through me.

Its’ not about how much willpower or strength I have, but about Jesus who lives in me who gives me the strength I need.

Really it’s not about me at all but all about Him.

This year instead of my plans for change, my plans for accomplishment, I think I want to seek God in the midst of it first, then follow His plan, because I know He will give me what I need if it’s His plan and not mine.

Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.”

Matthew 26:41 – “Watch and pray so that you so not fall into temptation. The Spirit is willing but the body is weak.”

Philippians 4:19 – “My God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ.”

John 16:24 – “Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.”

1 Thessalonians 5:17 – “…pray continually.”

You know, I’m thinking THIS is a winning plan! How can I go wrong? Would you like to join me for true change with God’s plan?

MaryAnn

MaryAnn and John Kiernan have been married for 35 years, have 2 grown/married sons and are the proud grandparents of two grandsons. She serves at America’s KESWICK as a Biblical Counselor and also as Intake Coordinator for the Colony of Mercy. Her life verse is Romans 8:28.

As we consider a New Year, 2009, our propensity is to “turn over a new leaf,” “start over,” “get our act together,” or “make a resolution.” Recently, while reading “The Complete Green Letters” by Miles Stanford, I was again reminded it is not in my strength, my effort, or by shear determination that I will conquer my flesh, my old nature. All New Year’s resolutions I have ever made lasted no more than a week and typically much less.

“Denying oneself certain things for a time, or even for all time, is not even close to the answer since the old nature will adjust and thrive under any conditions-anything short of death to self.” (pg 43) In other words, our efforts to squash the flesh will only serve to force it into other areas. Short of death, it will simply morph into some other form and continue to scream for attention.

Let me give you an example from my own life. In 2001, I decided for a number of reasons to forgo desserts entirely. In about 6 months I lost 25 pounds. Here we are in 2009, and I have gained back about half of those pounds, not because I have started eating desserts again but because I have compensated in other ways to feed the old nature within me that cries out to be satisfied, even though it cries out from the grave because the Scripture clearly states my old nature is dead. “For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin” Romans 6:5-7.

Why are people who quit smoking prone to gain weight? Because instead of smoking they start eating.

“Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord” Romans 6:11. Unless and until we reckon ourselves dead (done deal) we will be duped into believing the lie that our old nature, our old man, has a say in what we should do.

“For it is not scriptural to believe that the old Adam nature can be conquered in that manner (i.e. denial/mortification). It yields to nothing less than the death of the cross. It is altogether too tough to be killed by abusing the body or starving the affections” (A.W. Tozer-quoted by Stanford-parenthesis mine).

“The ‘flesh’ will only yield to the cross; not to all the resolutions you may make at a conference, not to any self-effort, not to any attempted self-crucifixion; only to co-crucifixion, crucified together with Christ (Gal 2:20). It is not putting yourself to death, but by taking, through faith and surrender, your place of union with Christ in His death.” (G. Watt – quoted by Stanford)

So this New Year – instead of resolutions, instead of turning over a new leaf, let’s choose to exercise faith and surrender to the reality of our death, the death of our old nature. Let us take our “flesh” to the cross where it will yield to its death.

Diane