So today I have a pretty significant video post to share with you. The message is pretty simple, and the messenger is very wise for his age. Listen and let it touch your soul.

Christmas Comes Early to This Blog

I know that I have been a little lazy in that I have only posted video's that I want to save and show others. But I came across this little ditty and thought it quite significant. Please read it and heed it.

So often in the Christmas story, we focus on the main characters: Mary, Joseph, and, of course, Jesus. But through the short account in Luke 2:8–20, we can learn from the shepherds four things that should make the top of our to-do list this Christmas.
* Believe
The angels announced in spectacular fashion that the Messiah had been born. As soon as the angels left, the shepherds looked at each other and said: What are we waiting for? Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened.
There is no debate. There is no procrastination. They don’t decide to sleep on it. They don’t go to the local library for research. They just believe it. That’s faith. Scripture says that without faith it’s impossible to please God. The angel said, “Peace on earth among people with whom he is pleased.” Who is that? It’s those who respond to God’s gift through faith. Scripture says, “For by grace you are saved, through faith….”
Faith means you say yes to all that God did through Christ. Yes, he is the Savior of the world. Yes, he came to die for my sins. Yes, through him I find forgiveness and new life. Yes, I want to follow Christ as Lord. Faith isn’t a spectator sport; it’s an active embracing of all that God has promised in Christ.
* Obey
The shepherds did exactly as they were told. We sometimes think of Christmas as a tame holiday. We think of sweet little baby Jesus asleep on a bed of hay. Everyone loves that because it’s so innocuous and safe. But Christmas isn’t safe! That baby is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He has come to usher in a kingdom that rivals the kingdom of self. That’s threatening. He bids those who would follow him to take up their cross daily—to lay aside our own right to rule ourselves, to surrender to his rule.
The world loves to celebrate the birth of Christ, but they hate to obey him as the Lord of their lives. Everyone wants to keep Christ in the manger. But the manger is meaningless apart from the Cross. As one writer put it many years ago: “This little babe, so few days old, is come to rifle Satan’s fold; all hell doth at his presence
quake, though he himself for cold does shake.” Christmas is a time for obedience.
* Tell
When the shepherds arrived in Bethlehem and saw the child lying in the feed trough, “they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child.” They weren’t preachers; they weren’t missionaries, but that didn’t matter. They had heard and seen something that meant salvation for the whole world.
Christmas trees, eggnog, and exchanging of gifts are fine, but if we do all that stuff but don’t talk about Jesus—if we fail to speak of the real meaning of it all; if we neglect to tell someone that this child was born as Savior and Lord, that he was sent by God to die on the Cross to purchase with royal blood our own deliverance
from sin, death, and the devil; if we neglect to publish that abroad, we’ve failed to do Christmas right.
The angel said that this is good news of great joy which shall be for all the people. Share the joy.
* Experience
The shepherds were overwhelmed at the angel’s announcement. They experienced holy wonder.
How can you engage in holy wonder? Maybe that means you stop in the middle of your shopping,sit down, and read the Christmas story. Maybe that means you gather your children around a Nativity scene each night and unwrap a different piece and talk about the role it plays in the Christmas story. Maybe that means you wake up early one morning and find a place you can watch the sun rise as you meditate on Luke 1:79.
The work of holy wonder is treasuring and pondering the fact that God invaded planet Earth on a perilous rescue mission. Amidst all the activity, stop and treasure
all these things. Ponder them in your heart. Engage in some holy wonder.

By Mark Mitchell, with JoHannah Reardon
ChristianBibleStudies.com

Jud Nelson Skydiving

The Battle

Speechless

Would You Take Me In?

Check This Guy Out!

Psalm 23

Story Telling

Check out this video! Wow! Using storytelling to present the gospel. Not rocket science. .. just simple stories to bring the good news to those who do not know Jesus!

The Visitation

I had the distict privilege to visit a friend in the hospital last week. When I went there, I wasn't sure what kind of condition I would find her. She was suffering from an extremely elevated heartbeat.

So what was her disposition, you say? Well, she had an incredible sense of humor. We talked about a couple of serious things and then went on to talk about something on the bit more macabre side of life. We talked about what we would like to have at our funerals. Not that either of us intend to die soon, it just was an area of conversation that we found ourselves in.

Me? I would like to have my flowers color coordinated and the pall bearers to be good looking and wear black suits. My friend? She wanted to have the song, "Who Can Make an Alligator?"
Do you know the answer to that question? Only God can, that's who!

She is a really cool friend to have!

I am powerless
HUMILITY
I want to change
REPENTANT
I give him my will and life
SUBMISSIVE
I look at myself through His Word
HONESTY
I can forgive because He forgave me
MERCIFUL
I desire the Holy Spirit
OBEDIENT
I seek to make peace
RECONCILIATION
I trust in the power of Jesus Christ
FAITH
I stand firm in my faith
PERSEVERENCE
I am a new Creation in Christ
LOVING SERVANT
. . . but seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness
and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 6:33

Just a Beginning

OK. My first blog. What does one say? You choose a blog design, and title and url and then get writing.
For one thing, I want a different font than I have choices for. Isn't that how life is in these United States. We cannot have what we want so subsequently we are disappointed. Hummmm?
And the other thing about blogging is this. Once you put it down, it is there for others to see. A glimpse into your heart and what you think. That means that you want others to know this information. Not so sure about that. What is written is too important to just be cavalier about it.
So right now, I may not write too much or too often . . . I just needed a blogspot so that I could reply to others as I read them. We'll see.