Christmas traditions are important and meaningful

- Erin Anderson
Soon we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. As you probably know, Jesus was not born on Dec. 25. In fact, no one is really sure when he was born — although some say he was definitely born on the 25th of an undetermined month. So why do we celebrate Christmas today?

Why — and how — has this religious holiday created by the Catholic church around 320 A.D. become a season-long secular occasion mixing Christian teachings with distinctly non-Christian symbols, from mistletoe to cookies and ornaments to 8-foot-tall inflatable snowmen?

In a way it is the story of Christianity coming head to head and, ultimately, to some kind of terms with ancient pagan rituals and the more modern secular celebrations, said Pastor Harry Riggs of First Baptist Church in Lincoln.

He views it as a postmodern era of religion — an era where churches need to accept that the mixing of religion and secularism “just is.”

“There are people who say it (secular celebrations) take away from the church,” Riggs said. “I don’t say that.”

Holiday traditions of cookie baking, candy house making and tree decorating are important and meaningful. They are rituals that center us in a world that is changing faster and faster, said Cindy Kaliff, counselor at Career & Life Options.

“It is an anchoring in a family, in a culture,” she said. “It is a way of having stability and an identity.”

If we didn’t have Christmas, we would have to invent it, said the Rev. Wayne Alloway of St. Mark’s United Methodist Church.

“There is something deep inside of the human psyche that needs a celebration where we celebrate light that overcomes darkness, where we put aside differences and try very hard to ignore the darker side of human nature — the baser side of who we are — and do good, love one another and be kind to one another.

“We need to be reminded of that on a regular basis — or at least on an annual basis,” Alloway said.

Christmas does that.

And even Alloway admits that aside from his religious celebration of Christ’s birth, one of his most favorite things about the holiday has no religious symbolism at all: filling his children’s stockings and watching their excitement as they wake up to discover what Santa left behind.

“There is nothing wrong with plain old joyful fun that goes with Christmas and has no profound symbolism with anything,” he said.

“It all points to love.”

So today as you gaze at the decorated tree, sip eggnog and dine on turkey, ham or roast goose, consider the history and folklore surrounding these customs and rituals.

The Christmas tree

The very first Christmas trees were oak.

The evergreen replaced the oak because it remains green throughout the long, cold winter — symbolizing enduring and renewed life.

The very first recorded display of a decorated Christmas tree was in 1510 in Riga, Latvia.

During the 16th century, Germans decorated fir trees both indoors and outdoors with apples, roses, candies and colored paper.

In 1848, Prince Albert, a native of Germany, brought the Christmas tree to his wife, England’s Queen Victoria. An etching of the family gathered around the tree in Windsor Castle soon turned the Christmas tree into a holiday tradition throughout Victorian England.

The Christmas tree’s arrival in the U.S. is a matter of dispute. The National Christmas Tree Association says Hessian mercenaries brought the tradition here during the Revolutionary War. But Christmas researcher Barbara Mikkelson and others say the Pennsylvania German immigrants brought it here in the late 19th century.

President Franklin Pierce brought the first tree into the White House in 1856.

About 50 years later, President Theodore Roosevelt banned the Christmas tree from the White House, saying that cutting down trees harmed the environment. However, legend has it that Roosevelt’s children had a secret tree that they hid in a closet whenever their father was nearby.

Today, 98 percent of real Christmas trees in America come from tree farms, according to the National Christmas Tree Association.

The wreath

A circle with no beginning or end, the wreath symbolizes eternity and is often placed upon tombs.

Because of its association with death, not all countries use the wreath at Christmastime.

But the wreath’s symbolism of eternal destiny makes it a fitting part of the Christmas celebration, Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz of the Catholic Diocese in Lincoln wrote in The Southern Nebraska Register. The red holly berries and ribbons serve as a reminder of Christ’s blood being shed “to redeem us,” he wrote.

Gift giving

The custom of giving gifts in winter stretches back further than the celebration of Christmas. It is believed the people of ancient Rome and Northern Europe gave gifts on a special day to celebrate the end of the year, according to the World Book.

The Christmas story of Christ’s birth in a manger and the wise men bringing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh adds to the importance of gift giving. And, of course, Christian faith tells us that Christ was God’s gift to us.

Lights

Jesus is the light of the world, according to Christian faith.

But history credits Protestant reformer Martin Luther with adorning our Christmas trees with light. As the story goes, Luther was walking home on a December night when he was struck by the beauty of the stars shining through the branches of a fir tree. The sight inspired him to place small candles on the fir tree in his home.

Thomas Edison’s employee Edward Johnson was the first person to put actual lights on a Christmas tree. By the early 1900s lights were available to the public, but were expensive. Not until the 1920s when General Electric made them by machine, were most people able to afford them.

Animals

According to legend, farm animals are said to kneel in homage to Christ at the stroke of midnight on Christmas Eve and are momentarily blessed with the power of speech.

Other versions of this superstition limit the gift of gab to cats. But it is said one should not overhear their conversation, as eavesdropping is fatal.

Once upon a time it was believed dogs who howled on Christmas Eve were destined to go mad before the end of the year. Many healthy animals were destroyed because of this superstition, Mikkelson said.

Mistletoe

This plant that brings us kisses — and for single women promise of new love — is actually a parasitic plant that sucks the water from the trees its inhabits.

But why muddy the myth with unfavorable facts?

Mistletoe dates back to 200 years before the birth of Christ. Druid priests used it in their winter solstice celebrations.

Ancient Celtics believed mistletoe, which has no roots and remains green throughout winter, had magical healing powers. They used it as an antidote for poison and infertility and to ward off evil spirits.

Mistletoe is also a symbol of peace. According to legend, Roman enemies who met under mistletoe would lay down their weapons and embrace.

Scandinavians associated mistletoe with Frigga, the goddess of love, and are credited with creating the custom of kissing under the mistletoe for good luck and happiness in the coming year, according to Mikkelson.

Other legends say unmarried women would hide pilfered springs of mistletoe in their pillows to bring on dreams of their future husbands. Others would burn the mistletoe to see what it said of their future husbands — steady flames were a good sign, sputtering flames indicated a ill-tempered husband was in their future.

Holly

Ancient Northern Europeans believed holly held magical powers that could ward off the ghosts and demons howling in the winter winds, so they placed it over their doors to drive evil away.

It is said holly sprang from the footsteps of Christ as he walked the earth, the pointed leaves representing the crown of thorns he wore on the cross and the red berries symbolizing his blood.

Superstition says couples must be careful about the type of holly they bring into their home. Prickly holly means the man will reign over the home in the coming year, smooth holly means the woman will have the power.

“Prudent couples take care to bring both kinds in together to assure a balanced, harmonious home,” Mikkelson said.

The poinsettia

The poinsettia is named after Joel R. Poinsett, the U.S. ambassador to Mexico who brought the plant to the United States in 1829 after seeing it used in Mexican Christmas celebrations.

According to legend, a young Mexican boy was on his way to a village Nativity scene when he realized he did not have a gift to bring to the Christ child. He picked some pretty green branches he found on the way, much to the taunting of other children. But it is said that when the boy laid the branches upon the manager, a beautiful star-shaped flower appeared on each branch.

The plant is often misunderstood and even maligned.

The red petals are not really flowers, but upper leaves of the branch.

And poinsettias are not poisonous to humans.

The poinsettia poison myth started in 1919 when a 2-year-old child died of poisoning and it was incorrectly assumed to be a poinsettia leaf,” Mikkelson writes on her Web site.

But there has never been a verified recorded poinsettia poisoning death, she said. According to the POISONDEX Information Service, a 50-pound child would have to eat more than 1.25 pounds of poinsettia bracts (about 500 to 600 leaves) to exceed the experimental doses, Mikkelson said.

The American Medical Association states the worst side effects of ingesting the plant is occasional vomiting. Still, we do not recommend your turn your beautiful plant into a salad.

The stockings

The Christmas stocking dates back to the story of three poor sisters who had hung their stockings by the hearth to dry. It is said Saint Nicholas threw three coins down the chimney, with one coin landing in each of the girls’ stockings.

Today, we hang our stockings in hopes of good fortune.

Santa Claus

Jolly old Saint Nick has been around since the fourth century.

“Originally known as Saint Nicholas, the patron of children and sailors, the bishop was immortalized because of his generous and loving nature towards children,” ClassBrain.com states. He was said to bring joy to the poor by throwing gifts through their windows.

There are many stories about how Santa’s image became that of a jolly plump man in a red suit.

One myth credits Coca Cola with its advertising gimmick of the 1930s to promote drinking Coke in the winter.

But it is more likely he evolved over time from Clement C. Moore’s 1822 poem “The Night Before Christmas” and Thomas Nast’s 1863 caricature of him for Harper’s Weekly. Mikkelson’s research finds the image is actually the merging of two religious personages: St. Nicholas, the elflike gift bringer, and Christkindlein, the Christ Child.

Rudolph

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer really was born out of an advertising gimmick.

In 1939, Montgomery Ward writer Robert L. May created a Christmas story for the store to hand out during the holiday season.

The store distributed 2.4 million copies of the story that first year. In 1948 the story was made into a nine-minute cartoon.

May’s brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, turned the story into a song. And after many singers turned down the chance to croon the ditty because it conflicted with the more traditional Santa Claus legend, Gene Autry eventually agreed (at the insistence of his wife). Two million copies of the records sold in 1949. It remains the second bestselling Christmas song of all time. Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” is first.

Caroling

St. Francis of Assisi led songs of praise, which started the Christmas carol custom in the 13th century, according to ClassBrain.com.

Tradition holds that it is bad luck to send carolers away empty handed. It is customary to offer food, drink or even money to carolers.

It is also believed to be bad luck to sing Christmas carols at any other time of the year — so get your singing done quick.

Cookies

Children started leaving cookies for Santa sometime in the 1930s. According to legend, naughty children left cookies as last-minute bribery attempts, and good children left them to say thanks.

Of all the thousand types of Christmas cookies made each year, the Oreo is the most popular and common cookie left out for Santa, according to ClassBrain.com.

Eggnog

Made popular in the 17th century, the original “nog” was a strong ale made from beer, sugar, egg yolks, lemon rinds and cinnamon.

In the 19th century, North Americans took the French version of the drink called “Lait de Poule” made with milk sugar and egg yolks and added either brandy, rum or sherry.

Over the last 150 years, the recipe for eggnog has not changed except for the fact that it is now cooked to prevent the threat of salmonella, according to ClassBrain.com.

Fruitcake

Fruitcake has been popular in Europe since Roman times, when cooks mixed raisins, pine nuts and pomegranate seeds into barley mash, states Mikkelson. In the Middle Ages, honey, dried fruits and spices were added to bread dough for special occasions. At one time, fruitcake was considered semi-sacred — and 18th century European law restricted its making to celebrations such as Christmas, Easter, weddings and the like.

“It's impossible to age a fruitcake too long, say those in the know. If stored in an airtight container and basted occasionally with liquor, it'll keep indefinitely,” Mikkelson writes.

Candy canes

In 1670, the choir master at Cologne Cathedral asked that the white candy sticks be shaped like shepherd’s hooks so he could give them out to his choir children to keep them quiet during Christmas services.

In the 1920s, Bob McCormack made candy canes by hand for his friends and family. Thirty-some years later, his brother-in-law Gregory Keller invented a machine that could make lots of candy canes at the same time. Bob’s Candies Inc. became the largest maker of candy canes in the world.

Some say that the white of the candy cane represents Christ’s purity, the red is the blood he shed, and the candy cane’s three stripes represent the Holy Trinity.

Our sources:

Customs, folklore and even superstitions surrounding Christmas are centuries old — and sometimes their origination uncertain.

The information we share here comes from a variety of sources: Barbara Mikkelson of www.snopes.com and self-made historian of Urban Legends; The National Christmas Tree Association; World Book; AllThingsChristmas.com; ClassBrain.com; “’Tis The Season Christmas Trivia”; “Quiz the Season: The Book of Christmas Trivia” by Heather Revesz; and the writings of Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz of the Catholic Diocese in Lincoln.

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I’m Dreaming Of A Church…

-Perry Noble

Ephesians 3:20 keeps running over and over again in my mind…and I keep dreaming of a church (and churches…)

* That the ministry goes beyond the walls of the building and actually IMPACTS the community in a radical way.
* Where the broken, hurting and lost are received with open arms…and the religious are challenged to repent of their “perfection.”
* Where generosity is embraced.
* Where the staff and volunteers give their best to God in every task that they take on! (I don’t believe the church should look to organization like Disney and Apple for inspiration…I believe they should be looking at the church!!! Yes, they have great thinkers…we have the HOLY SPIRIT of the LIVING GOD! There is no excuse for half hearted, watered down effort in the Kingdom!)
* Where JESUS is exalted…NOT a denomination or a political party.
* Where Scripture, not Robert’s Rules of Order, govern the Body.
* Where people in the church REFUSE to ignore injustice…and EMBRACE that God has called the church to do more about it than simply pray…but rather to DIVE IN and do all we can to help all we can.
* That refuses to accept that the way things are is the way they have to be.
* That champions the next generation instead of teaching them they are insignificant until they can get a job and begin to tithe.
* That excitement and passion surrounds the Sunday services…and also an expectation that God is going to do something huge!
* That throws the desire to compete with other churches out the window…and does all that they can to help the body.
* That embraces the fact that Jesus originally called “unschooled, ordinary men” to change the world…and He’s STILL doing the same thing today. (See Acts 4:13)

The church’s best days are yet to come…and I can’t wait to see what Jesus does next. He loves His church way more than we do!!!

We Will Never…

We Will Never…
-Perry Noble

Here’s a list of 20 things I believe we will NEVER do…

#1 – We will NEVER be without a message as long as we are desperate for God’s voice.

#2 – We will NEVER make everyone happy; therefore, pleasing everyone should never be our goal.

#3 – We will NEVER be successful in ministry by immersing ourselves into full blown competition with other churches.

#4 – We will NEVER be content in life if we believe we have something to prove.

#5 – We will NEVER be able to serve Jesus to our maximum capacity if we are not actively obeying His commands to rest and disconnect. (See Isaiah 30:15)

#6 – We will NEVER accomplish what Jesus is calling us to accomplish if we are not willing to take risks.

#7 – We will NEVER do what God has called us to do alone…if He’s called us to accomplish something amazing then He will also surround us with the people to pull it off.

#8 – We will NEVER discover a strategy that has been the “secret” for church growth all along…because each church is different.

#9 – We will NEVER honor God by seeking to build “our brand” rather than building disciples.

#10 – We will NEVER achieve our maximum potential in ministry if our goal is simply to impress our online audience and, while doing so, neglect the people in our own community.

#11 – We will NEVER see people become who God is calling them to be if we make INFORMATION rather than TRANSFORMATION the goal.

#12 – We will NEVER see God’s power unleashed in our churches if we refuse to talk about Jesus and what HE did for us on the cross.

#13 – We will NEVER truly connect with the people we lead if we always pretend that we have it all together…people identify with our failures way more than our success’s.

#14 – We will NEVER be able to teach about self control with integrity if we are obese because we are gluttons.

#15 – We will NEVER be looked at as successful in ministry if we grow a great church, but sacrifice our family to do so.

#16 – We will NEVER see great things happen in our ministry if we believe that every great idea must come from us!

#17 – We will NEVER see staff members achieve their maximum potential if we don’t trust them…and if we don’t hold them accountable.

#18 – We will NEVER have a great staff if we make it their goal to serve us rather than serve Jesus!

#19 – We will NEVER successfully motivate the people we work with through manipulation and/or fear…if your vision isn’t enough motivation then there is a problem. (AND btw…if you take pride in the fact that people “fear you,” then it is obvious that there is no fear of God in you!)

#20 – We will NEVER honor God by compromising the vision He gave us in order to not ask so much of people.

3rd Person Christian

Third-Person Christian
-Mark Betterson

I think some people are what I would call third-person christians. I'm not a grammarian, and I don't know if this metaphor holds up literally, but third-person christians read the Bible in the third-person. They think in terms of "they" instead of "me." They don't personalize it by reading it in first-person terms. And so Scripture is de-personalized.

Here's another example. Third-person christians attend church in the third-person thinking about the people in their life that "need to hear this message" rather than processing it personally! They talk about church in "they" terms instead of "we" terms.

Here's a thought. Simply insert the first-person "I" or "me" or "we" when reading the Bible. It helps you own Scripture. And more importantly, it helps Scripture own you.

Evolution - Science or Religion?

Evolution - Science or Religion?
©2000 by Arlo E. Moehlenpah

When I wrote my book Creation Versus Evolution : Scientific and Religious Considerations, I pondered over several other possible titles. Among these were “Evolution - Hoax of the Centuries” and “Have You Been Brainwashed By Evolution?” I do not know how marketable the book would have been with one of these titles, but still feel these phrases have some merit. The reason I believe that the theory of evolution is a hoax is that the public has been brainwashed into believing that the theory of evolution is supported by scientific evidence. In most of the school boards and courts considering Creation versus evolution, the issue has been presented as religion versus science. They argue that Creation should not be taught in public schools because it is religion, but that evolution can be taught because it is science.

The theory of evolution is not scientific.

It is important that we know what science is and are able to distinguish between “science” and what is “falsely called science.” A typical definition of science is that it is a branch of study concerned with observation and classification of facts, especially with the establishment of verifiable general laws, chiefly by induction and hypothesis. Webster defines science as “systematized knowledge derived from observation, study, and experimentation…”. You can look at various dictionaries and get slightly different definitions but the key words will be “observation,” “experimentation,” “verifiable,” “testable,” and “repeatable.” In other words, if it cannot be observed, repeated, verified or subject to experimentation, then it is not scientific. Evolution has never been observed, repeated, verified nor has an experiment ever been performed regarding it. Thus evolution is not scientific.

The theory of evolution contradicts known scientific laws such as the law of biogenesis, the law of kinds and the second law of thermodynamics. The law of biogenesis is that life can only come from other life. Life does not spring from non-living things. This is what we observe and what the Bible teaches in Genesis 1, where various forms of life were created to reproduce. Perhaps the most difficult problem that evolutionists face is the question of how self-replicating life systems could form from non-living, non-replicating systems. Some evolutionists propose that in the beginning small inorganic molecules such as water, methane and ammonia, somehow by chance chemical reactions, formed amino acids. These amino acids supposedly combined to form proteins and eventually living cells. The idea that living creatures can be produced naturally from non-living substances is called spontaneous generation. Never has this been observed, repeated or verified, and thus this idea is not scientific. The law of kinds is that life reproduces after its own kind. The phrase after his kind is used at least ten times in the creation account (Genesis 1:11, 12, 21, 24, 25). This applies to both the plant and the animal kingdoms. Specifically mentioned are grasses, herbs, trees, fishes, birds , beasts and creeping things. What this means is that pear trees produce pears and not bananas or monkeys. Cows have calves and horses beget colts. In other words, “like produces like.” The theory of evolution contradicts the “law of kinds ” by saying that one kind of creature evolved into another kind.

The second law of thermodynamics shows that systems left to themselves go to a condition of greater disorder, probability and randomness. Hurricanes do not build buildings. Explosions in junkyards do not build airplanes. Earthquakes do not create living systems. Systems go from order to disorder. This contradicts evolutionary theory , which assumes that disordered particles eventually evolved to form ordered life. The second law of thermodynamics also contradicts the idea that a Big Bang Explosion could have produced an ordered universe. For an ordered pattern to occur, there must be a designer and energy. The orderliness of the universe and the complexity of living organisms confirm the work of a divine Creator. Our ordered universe could not have developed from chaos. There are no exceptions to the second law of thermodynamics. Evolutionists try to point out that snowflakes forming, trees growing and embryos developing are exceptions to the second law. Snowflakes and other crystals form because of the sizes and shapes of atoms, ions and molecules that predetermine the shapes of the crystals. For example, if you dropped some marbles on a Chinese checkerboard, the marbles would take the pattern of the indentations on the board. This “disorder to order” is really not that at all, but is rather that the marbles are falling into a pre-designed order. Likewise, the order of a growing tree or a developing embryo has been pre-encoded into the cells of these systems.

Both Creation and evolution are religious views. The issue is not religion vs. science, but religion vs. religion. Any concept regarding origins is not scientific, in that origins were not and cannot be observed, repeated or verified. Scientists can only deal with present evidence. The choice of which theory to accept becomes a matter of faith. To accept something without evidence requires faith. Hebrews 11:1-3 states, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen…By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” The Christian believes that God created the universe, life and man, while the evolutionist believes that the universe, life and man somehow evolved without any supernatural direction. “Evolution cannot be proved or tested, it can only be believed.” Considering the majesty, beauty and complexity of the earth and universe, it is relatively easy to believe in Creation. But to believe that dead matter could create life, and have absolutely no evidence, requires faith of another order. Some believe that a cosmic egg of energy exploded to form chemical elements, stars , galaxies and finally people. Some even have the faith to believe that life was planted on earth by an unknown civilization from outer space. Since evolution cannot be observed, repeated or verified, it is no more “scientific” and no less “religious” than Creation. One person was asked, “Why aren’t you an evolutionist?” His reply was, “I don’t have enough faith to believe that random particles arranged themselves into ordered life.”

The zeal of Darwinists to evangelize the world with their theory makes it also seem like a religion. They see evolution as a light which illuminates all facts. To them evolution is the god they worship. Christians however recognize that the great Creator became our Savior and all of God’s fullness dwells in Him. Jesus Christ is the Light of the world and the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom.

Expanding Your Praise Vocabulary

Expanding Your Praise Vocabulary

©2001 by Arlo E. Moehlenpah

Let's consider a hypothetical family of four persons - a father, a mother, a daughter, and a son. To this family of four was born a healthy, seemingly normal, baby boy. When the baby boy was 9 months old he said his first word, "Da-Da." The father was so proud and said, "That's my boy!" Months later the baby boy said, "Ma-Ma," and the mother was equally proud. A few months later the baby boy said "Sissy," and the older sister was pleased. Likewise the brother was delighted when a few months later the baby boy said, "Bubba." When the baby boy reached two years of age he could still only say four words "Da-Da, Ma-Ma, Sissy," and "Bubba." They did, however, teach him to say "Da-Da" and clap his hands at the same time. When he was three he could hop up and down and say "Ma-Ma. "When he was four he could run and say, "Sissy" at the same time. When he was five he could dance a little jig and simultaneously say, "Bubba." Later he could run and clap and say "Da-Da" all at the same time. When the little boy entered school and could still say only the four words, "Da-Da, Ma-Ma, Sissy," and "Bubba," the parents were embarrassed.

When I was in Junior High School I was put in an experimental group where they endeavored to teach Spanish to seventh graders. I learned to count, "Uno, dos, tres, quatro. Also I learned an introductory phrase, "Como esta usted?" The teacher repeatedly would say to me a phrase in Spanish that went something like "A-e-i-o-oo, el burro sab d mas que tu." I never learned to write it, and I never learned what it meant until many years later when our family went out to eat with the Robert Nix family who were missionaries to Peru at that time. I quoted this phrase, and they began to laugh. They then told me it meant, "A donkey knows more than you!" At another time when I visited my former pastor, Oliver Spencer, in New York City, I rode the subway to the church location and arrived there early before the doors were unlocked. A number of people were gathered near the front door to keep out of the rain. Assuming that they were Spanish and trying to be friendly I greeted them with my learned phrase, "Como esta usted?" They quickly replied using a host of words, but unfortunately, I didn't understand a one. When they saw that I didn't understand they said something like, "No comprehende." I figured that meant "no comprehension." So I replied, "No comprehende," and shrugged my shoulders. My vocabulary and knowledge of Spanish was totally inadequate. Juan Carlos Ortiz points out in his book Disciple that many Pentecostals have primarily learned only four phrases to praise the Lord. They are "Hallelujah," "Praise the Lord," "Glory to God," and "Amen." Just as the four-word vocabulary of the hypothetical boy was totally inadequate when he entered school, so is our limited praise vocabulary. Often when a person steps to a Pentecostal pulpit he begins by saying, "Praise the Lord." Instead of praising the Lord the audience repeats the command, "Praise the Lord." This is like having a person tell you "Please shut the door," and instead of shutting the door you repeat back, "Please shut the door." Part of our problem, I'm sure, is habit, but for many of us we need to expand our praise vocabulary.

It is very difficult for most of us to learn a new language. I personally have taken the equivalent of German I three times and still feel totally inadequate trying to converse in German. Ortiz says, "As far as God is concerned there are only two languages in the world. The Ianguage of his kingdom and the language of the kingdom of darkness. The first is the Ianguage of praise; the second is the language of complaint." Just as I quickly run out of words in Spanish and German, so it is with some Christians. We quickly run out of the few praise words that we have learned in the church and revert back to the language of complaining. We need to expand our praise vocabulary.

The word "praise" originally meant "to set a price on," that is, to appraise something. It means to commend the worth of or express approval. Four times in Psalm 107 the writer entreats us, "O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men." As my great-aunt Susie Malles used to say, "I have much to praise the Lord for." There are many things to praise the Lord for rather than just limiting yourself to "Hallelujah," "Praise the Lord," "Glory to God," and "Amen."

Who should praise the Lord? "Oh praise, the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people" (Ps. 117:1). "Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord" (Ps. 150:6). Where should we praise the Lord? "Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders" (Ps. 107:32). "I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude" (Ps.109:30). When should we praise the Lord? "Seven times a day do I praise thee" (Ps. 119:164). "I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth" (Ps. 34:1). How should I praise the Lord? "I will praise thee, O, Lord, with my whole heart" (Ps. 9:1). Psalm150 says to praise him with the trumpet, psaltery, harp, timbrel, dance, stringed instruments, organs, and cymbals. It seems to say, "Praise him with whatever you have available." Why should we praise the Lord? "Praise the Lord: for the Lord is good" (Ps.135:3). "Praise thy name for thy loving-kindness and for thy truth" (Ps. 138:2). "Praise him for his mighty acts" (Ps. 150:2).

You only need to read the Bible to learn of the many wondrous things God has done for which we should praise him, but not only should we praise Him for what he has done, but for who He is. "Praise Him according to His excellent greatness" (Ps. 150:2).

When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray he taught them to begin and end their prayers with praise. I sincerely believe the Lord wants more than just a few repetitive, habitual phrases. The Bible speaks often of growing in grace and in knowledge. By just thinking and meditating we can expand our praise vocabulary. It was suggested to me once that we could praise God with words and phrases beginning with letters of the alphabet in order. For example, He is: Alpha and Omega, the Author and Finisher of our faith, the Almighty God, the Beginning and the End, bigger than all our problems, our Counselor, and Deliverer, the One in whom we delight, the Example that we should follow, our Friend, the Good' Shepherd, Great and Greatly to be praised, the Healer of all our diseases, high and lifted up, the Holy One of Israel, the great I Am, Jesus, Jehovah is become my salvation, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world, the Mighty God, (Oh, Magnify the Lord with me), Near, Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omniscient, a Present help in the time of need, my Provider, the Prince of Peace, the Quickener of my spirit, my Redeemer, the Ransom that was paid for my redemption, my Savior and Soon coming King, the One in whom I trust, Universal, Victorious, and Wonderful. I have trouble thinking of something that begins with "X," but by this time in worship and prayer I no longer need a crutch to lean on; my soul is rejoicing in Him. I recognize that all the promises of God are "Yea," and "exceeding, great and precious" and the Zeal of the Lord fills my temple. By using a concordance you can find many other words and phrases to praise Him for, His "excellent greatness."

Sometimes I begin to thank and praise Him that "I am fearfully and wonderfully made" (Ps. 139:14). I start with the visible parts of my body thanking Him for eyes to see, ears to hear, a mouth to speak, feet to walk, and so forth. Then I start thanking Him for the invisible parts of my body, especially thanking Him if I know the function of these parts. I thank Him for parts of the body such as my heart that pumps blood, my bones and muscles which enable me to move, and my brain which enables me to think, understand and talk. The more you know about the human body, the more you recognize God's greatness. In addition to the physical body I thank Him for the spiritual body, my brothers and sisters in the Lord.

I would like to challenge the readers of this article to begin praising God rather than repeating the phrase when someone says "Praise the Lord." I wonder what would happen if for the next 30 days you would purposefully try to use words other than "Hallelujah," "Praise the Lord," "Glory to God," and "Amen" to praise the Lord. There is nothing wrong with these words, no more than "Da-Da, Ma-Ma, Sissy, and Bubba,"or "uno, dos, tres, or quatro." I'm just trying to encourage you to expand your praise vocabulary. Peter said, "That you should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light" (II Peter 2:9). Let's do it!

Disturbed

Disturbed! November 3, 2009
-Perry Noble

“Being filled with vision doesn’t always mean that God is inspiring us…but rather that He’s disturbing us!”

AND…I can’t get that thought out of my mind.

My fear for those of us in ministry is that we don’t want to be disturbed…we want things to come easy, for the dots to always connect and for the story to always have a happy ending.

BUT…the more I read the Scriptures the more I see that the visions that resulted in the biggest impact were the ones that were the most disturbing to the people who received them.

* Moses was DISTURBED that a nation was enslaved…and for 40 years he dedicated himself to God’s vision.
* David was DISTURBED that Goliath mocked God and Israel…and he walked where no one else was willing to walk to try what no one else was willing to try.
* Nehemiah was DISTURBED that the walls had been torn down in Jerusalem…and he established a plan and relentlessly followed through on all that God had put in his heart.
* Esther was DISTURBED that her people were going to be destroyed…and she placed personal preference and comfort aside and risked her life in order to do what was right.
* The prophets in the OT were DISTURBED that people were living in rebellion against the voice of the Lord…and were willing to be unpopular so that His truth could be proclaimed.
* Paul was DISTURBED that religion was trumping a relationship with God…and ultimately gave his life for the spreading of the message that Jesus, not religion, saves.

Great leaders are the ones who are willing to allow God to disturb them, to bother them…to make the vision so personal that they don’t just think about it…they feel it!!!

We aren’t called to seek comfort, affirmation from others, convenience, popularity, personal preferrences and safety! The leaders that we admire in the Scriptures didn’t…and JESUS NEVER modeled that for us!!!

We are called to be disturbed!

I am praying that God will raise up more and more leaders who lead out of a burden rather than boredom…

Who lead out of conviction rather than convenience.

Who lead out of vision and not just “wishin!”

Who lead with passion rather than apology.

We are called to be disturbed…to be broken over the things that break HIS heart!!!

Disturb us God!

What's Up with Halloween?

What's up with Halloween?
Jim Liebelt

You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the evil powers of the world. So why do you keep on following rules of the world, such as, “Don’t handle, don’t eat, don’t touch.” Such rules are mere human teaching about things that are gone as soon as we use them. These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, humility and severe bodily discipline. But they have no effect when it comes to conquering a person’s evil thoughts and desires (Colossians 2:20-23, NLT).

At HomeWord, we receive questions from time to time about Halloween. Should parents allow their kids to “celebrate” or not? To avoid “giving the devil his due,” so to speak, some Christians change the name of their festivities from a Halloween party to a “Harvest Party” (while pretty much everything looks exactly the same!). Churches throughout our country use Halloween as a means for outreach to the community. So what’s up with Halloween?

There is no doubt that Halloween's origins can be traced to pagan beliefs and rituals. Satanic groups have also attached meaning to Halloween, celebrating it as a special holiday. These origins and meanings can be researched pretty easily on the Internet. Christians of good conscience differ on their views of whether or not believers should have any participation in Halloween celebrations. Certainly, Christians should not participate in the "dark side" of Halloween – to in any way approve of the satanic, or the focus on paganism, evil, death, etc.

Yet, the reality of Halloween participation for many - believers and unbelievers alike - is that of exercising a bit of fantasy, dressing up in costumes and having fun trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. To many, this is what Halloween is about, without any connection to occult or pagan practices. I have a hard time saying that there is anything wrong with this.

Let me give an illustration: We know the source and heritage of Christmas. We also know that for many people, Christmas is a very non-religious holiday. People give Christmas their own meaning, regardless of its origins. We would never say that everyone who celebrates Christmas is a follower of Christ or honors God. Halloween, I believe, is similar. People give Halloween their own meaning, regardless of its origins. Consequently, just because people participate in Halloween does not necessarily mean they are promoting or encouraging occult or pagan practices and beliefs.

Whatever conviction you hold about participating in Halloween, live it out for God’s glory! In all these things, a person should follow his or her own convictions, while understanding that Christians may differ in their beliefs about this issue. So, if you run into those fellow believers who differ from your stance on Halloween, give them freedom to live out their own convictions. The Apostle Paul said it this way, “Who are you to condemn God’s servants? They are responsible to the Lord, so let him tell them whether they are right or wrong. The Lord’s power will help them do as they should” (Romans 14:4, NLT).

Going Deeper
Responding to today’s culture can lead to two extremes: either isolating oneself entirely from the culture or immersing oneself totally in the culture without using any discernment. How can either of these extremes be destructive to God’s work your life?

What do you believe about participating in Halloween and why?

Further Reading
Romans 14; 1 Corinthians 8; 1 Corinthians 10:23-33; Colossians 2:6-23

Pastor Appreciation

At The Connection, we appreciate our Pastor and his wife very much. They are doing God's work in a wonderful and unique way. We wanted to post some scriptures that show our appreciation.
To all readers: Please make sure to let your Pastors know that they are appreciated. They probably already know but still like to hear it from you.

Passages that Encourage Us To Show Our Pastor Appreciation
This pastor appreciation scripture is taken from 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13. It calls upon us to give back to our pastors because of all they have given and done for us.

"And now, friends, we ask you to honor those leaders who work so hard for you, who have been given the responsibility of urging and guiding you along in your obedience. Overwhelm them with appreciation and love" (The Message).

This pastor appreciation Scripture is from 1 Timothy 5:17. It commands us to doubly honor those who minister to us.

"Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine".

This next pastor appreciation Scripture comes from 1 Corinthians 9:14. The context of this verse makes it plain that this verse refers to giving our pastors a fair salary.

“The Lord commanded that those who preach the good news should be supported by those who benefit from it.” (New Living Translation)


Passages that Tell Us Why We Should Show Our Pastor Appreciation
This pastor appreciation scripture is taken from Colossians 2:1-5. It really shows the heart of a pastor...what he thinks about us, what he wants for us, and what he works for on our behalf.

"For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for those who have not met me face to face. My goal is that their hearts, having been knit together in love, may be encouraged, and that they may have all the riches that assurance brings in their understanding of the knowledge of the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this so that no one will deceive you through arguments that sound reasonable. For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your morale and the firmness of your faith in Christ." (New Living Translation)

Philippians 1:3-5, 7-11 is another pastor appreciation scripture passage that shows the heart of our pastors.

"Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. I always pray for you, and I make my requests with a heart full of joy because you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now.

"It is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a very special place in my heart. We have shared together the blessings of God, both when I was in prison and when I was out, defending the truth and telling others the Good News." (New Living Translation)

This pastor appreciation Scripture, from James 3:1, shows that our pastors willingly put themselves under a higher standard for our benefit.

"Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged by God with greater strictness." (New Living Translation)

This pastor appreciation Scripture is from 2 Peter 3:17. It shows that our pastors work diligently to watch over our souls.

"I am writing you ahead of time, dear friends, so that you can watch out and not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people." (New Living Translation)


Passages that Tell Us How to Show Our Pastor Appreciation
This pastor appreciation scripture is taken from Colossians 4:2-4. One of the most important ways we can show our pastor appreciation is by praying for them.

"Be devoted to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving. At the same time pray for us too, that God may open a door for the message so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may make it known as I should." (New Living Translation)

Hebrews 13:18-19 also encourages us to pray for our pastors.

"Pray for us, for our conscience is clear and we want to live honorably in everything we do. I especially need your prayers right now so that I can come back to you soon." (New Living Translation)

This next pastor appreciation Scripture is taken from Hebrews 13:7. We show our appreciation for our pastors when we follow their godly example.

"Remember your leaders who first taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and trust the Lord as they do." (New Living Translation)

The Apostle John wrote this pastor appreciation Scripture in 3 John 1:3-4. Our pastors feel appreciated when we faithfully live godly lives.

"Some of the brothers recently returned and made me very happy by telling me about your faithfulness and that you are living in the truth. I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children live in the truth." (New Living Translation)

Hebrews 13:17 tells us to show our pastor appreciation by submitting to his direction.

"Obey your spiritual leaders and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they know they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this joyfully and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit." (New Living Translation)

Did Peter make an Executive Decision to change formula for Baptism?

Did Peter make an Executive Decision to change the Formula for Baptism?

Was Peter there when Jesus said in Matthew 28:19 "Go you therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

If so, why did he stand up and say in Acts, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)

Did he have a misunderstanding of what Jesus commanded him to do? The same Jesus who said "thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: And whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 16:18,19). The authority to bind and loose was inextricably joined with the possession of the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Those keys belonged to the kingdom and allowed entrance into it just as keys belong to a door and allow one to unlock it, thereby allowing entrance into the particular locale. The words translated "bind" and "loose" are from the Greek deo and lyo, which are themselves translations of the Aramaic asar and sera. This was the Jewish formula for excommunication and reinstatement. With this historical meaning in mind, then, Peter was given the authority to bar entrance into, or allow entrance into the kingdom.

Did all of this power go to Peter's head and he decided to change what Jesus told him to do?

Were the other disciples unclear as well? Why did they not stand up to Peter that day and correct him?

Phillip was actively concerned with the Samaritans and evidently was the first to proclaim the Good News to them: “But when they believed Phillip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.” Acts 8:12.

Read throughout the book of Acts how they were baptized: Acts 2:37-41; Peter and John in Acts 8:5-17
16 For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.;

Paul was baptized by Ananius in Acts 9:1-18; would he have changed the way he was baptized when he arrived at Ephesus in Acts 19? Acts 19:5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. The same Name Paul cast out devils in.

I'm thinking the executive decision was made later on.
Encyclopedia Britannia 11th edition vol.3, pg.365-366- you will find this statement: "The baptismal formula was changed from the name of Jesus Christ to the words Father, Son, Holy Ghost by the Catholic church in the 2nd. century.

Encyclopedia Britannia, vol.3 pg.82- "Everywhere in the oldest sources it states that baptism took place in the name of Jesus Christ."

The Canney Encyclopedia of Religion, pg.53 states,
"The early church always baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus until the developement of the trinity doctrine in the 2nd century."

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, vol 2 pg.377,-- Catholics acknowledge that baptism in Jesus' name was changed by the Catholic church.

Hastings Encyclopedia of Religions, vol 2 pg.377 states---
Christian baptism was administered using the words "In the name of Jesus"(from the same source pg.378),The use of the trinitarian formula of any sort was not suggested in the early Church's history."(from the same volume,pg.389)-note that, baptism was always in the name of Jesus Christ until the time of Justin Martr, when the triune formula was used.
Under “Baptismal Formula,” the Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1911 edition, states:
“The trinitarian formula and trine immersion were not uniformly used from the beginning, nor did they always go together. The Teaching of the Apostles, indeed, prescribes baptism in the name of Father, Son and Holy Ghost, but on the next page speaks of those who have been baptized into the name of Jesus -- the normal formula of the New Testament. In the 3rd century baptism in the name of [Messiah] was so widespread that Pope Stephen, in opposition to Cyprian of Carthage, declared it to be valid.

When we look at commentary:
The Jerusalem Bible, a scholarly, well-respected Catholic work, admits: “It may be that this formula, so far as the fullness of its expression is concerned, is a reflection of the liturgical usage established later in the primitive community. It will be remembered that Acts speaks of baptizing ‘in the name of Jesus,’ cf. Acts 1:5.”

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. 4, p. 2637, under “Baptism,” says, “Matthew 28:19 in particular only canonizes a later ecclesiastical situation, that its universalism is contrary to the facts of early Christian history, and its Trinitarian formula “foreign to the mouth of Jesus.”

New Revised Standard Version notes on Matthew 28:19: “Modern critics claim this formula is falsely ascribed to Jesus and that it represents later church tradition, for nowhere in the book of Acts is baptism performed with the name of the Trinity...”

No Other Name
Acts 410 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Executive Decisions
Acts 4: 1 The priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, 6 And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.
These all made an executive decision; v16 We cannot deny it. 17 But that it spread no further among the people, let us straightly threaten them, that they speak from now on to no man in this name. 18 And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.

Act 5:27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, 28 Saying, Did not we straightly command you that you should not teach in this name? and, behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood on us. 29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

Wow, the Name and the Blood are tied together. No wonder it brought on an Executive Decision.
What decision will you make?

FOUNDING FATHERS QUOTES

The First Charter of Virginia (granted by King James I, on April 10, 1606)
• We, greatly commending, and graciously accepting of, their Desires for the Furtherance of so noble a Work, which may, by the Providence of Almighty God, hereafter tend to the Glory of his Divine Majesty, in propagating of Christian Religion to such People, as yet live in Darkness and miserable Ignorance of the true Knowledge and Worship of God…
Instructions for the Virginia Colony (1606)

“The great hope, and for the propagating and advancing the gospel of the kingdom of Christ in those remote parts of the world"
The Mayflower Compact (authored by William Bradford) 1620

John Adams and John Hancock:
We Recognize No Sovereign but God, and no King but Jesus! [April 18, 1775]

John Adams:
“ The general principles upon which the Fathers achieved independence were the general principals of Christianity… I will avow that I believed and now believe that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God.”
• “[July 4th] ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty.”
–John Adams in a letter written to Abigail on the day the Declaration was approved by Congress

Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." --October 11, 1798 -John Adams

"Without Religion this World would be Something not fit to be mentioned in polite Company, I mean Hell." [John Adams to Thomas Jefferson, April 19, 1817]

“ He who made all men hath made the truths necessary to human happiness obvious to all… Our forefathers opened the Bible to all.” [ "American Independence," August 1, 1776. Samuel Adams Speech delivered at the State House in Philadelphia]

John Quincy Adams:
• “Why is it that, next to the birthday of the Savior of the world, your most joyous and most venerated festival returns on this day [the Fourth of July]?" “Is it not that, in the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior? That it forms a leading event in the progress of the Gospel dispensation? Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer's mission upon earth? That it laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity"?
--1837, at the age of 69, when he delivered a Fourth of July speech at Newburyport, Massachusetts.

“The Law given from Sinai [The Ten Commandments] was a civil and municipal as well as a moral and religious code.”
John Quincy Adams. Letters to his sons

Benjamin Franklin: |
“ God governs in the affairs of man. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured in the Sacred Writings that except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. I firmly believe this. I also believe that, without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel” –Constitutional Convention of 1787 | original manuscript of this speech

In Benjamin Franklin's 1749 plan of education for public schools in Pennsylvania, he insisted that schools teach "the excellency of the Christian religion above all others, ancient or modern."

"For my own part, I sincerely esteem it [the Constitution] a system which without the finger of God, never could have been suggested and agreed upon by such a diversity of interests." [Alexander Hamilton- 1787 after the Constitutional Convention]

John Hancock:
• “In circumstances as dark as these, it becomes us, as Men and Christians, to reflect that whilst every prudent measure should be taken to ward off the impending judgments, …at the same time all confidence must be withheld from the means we use; and reposed only on that God rules in the armies of Heaven, and without His whole blessing, the best human counsels are but foolishness… Resolved; …Thursday the 11th of May…to humble themselves before God under the heavy judgments felt and feared, to confess the sins that have deserved them, to implore the Forgiveness of all our transgressions, and a spirit of repentance and reformation …and a Blessing on the … Union of the American Colonies in Defense of their Rights [for which hitherto we desire to thank Almighty God]…

Patrick Henry:
"Orator of the Revolution."
• This is all the inheritance I can give my dear family. The religion of Christ can give them one which will make them rich indeed.”
—The Last Will and Testament of Patrick Henry

“It cannot be emphasized too clearly and too often that this nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason, peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here.” [May 1765 Speech to the House of Burgesses]

Thomas Jefferson:
“ The doctrines of Jesus are simple, and tend to all the happiness of man.”

“Of all the systems of morality, ancient or modern which have come under my observation, none appears to me so pure as that of Jesus.”

"I am a real Christian, that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus."

James Madison
“ We’ve staked our future on our ability to follow the Ten Commandments with all of our heart.”

“We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We’ve staked the future of all our political institutions upon our capacity…to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.” [1778 to the General Assembly of the State of Virginia]

At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, James Madison proposed the plan to divide the central government into three branches. He discovered this model of government from the Perfect Governor, as he read Isaiah 33:22;
“For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver,
the LORD is our king;
He will save us.”

Thomas Paine:
“ It has been the error of the schools to teach astronomy, and all the other sciences, and subjects of natural philosophy, as accomplishments only; whereas they should be taught theologically, or with reference to the Being who is the author of them: for all the principles of science are of divine origin. Man cannot make, or invent, or contrive principles: he can only discover them; and he ought to look through the discovery to the Author.”


“Education is useless without the Bible” Noah Webster

George Washington:

Farewell Address: The name of American, which belongs to you, in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of Patriotism, more than any appellation derived from local discriminations. With slight shades of difference, you have the same religion" ...and later: "...reason and experience both forbid us to expect, that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle..."


“ It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and Bible.”

“What students would learn in American schools above all is the religion of Jesus Christ.” [speech to the Delaware Indian Chiefs May 12, 1779]

Anger Issues

There are some things I think we – the body of Christ – should be angry about. In the mix of Christian circles, they call this anger ‘righteous anger.’ Righteous anger basically can be defined as “Getting angry at things God would be angry with.” In conclusion then, I have put together a list of things we – the body of Christ – should be angry about.

1. In the country of Moldova – where at least 80% live below the poverty line – more women are led into sex trafficking than any other country in the world.
2. 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime.
3. Only 6% of rapists will ever spend a day in jail.
4. It costs – on average $50,000 to keep one person in jail for one year. That is more money than a student will pay to go to schools like” Georgetown University, John Hopkins University, Carnegie Mellon, Bates College, or even Boston College. In fact, there are only three schools in the United States that cost more than $50,000 a year: Sarah Lawrence College ($53,166); George Washington University ($50,312) and New York University ($50, 182).
5. Thus far, The United States has spent over 607 Billion for the war in Iraq. None of this money has been shown to help rebuild or restructure the Iraqi people. This also does not include the $75.5 billion for FY2009 war funding.
6. According to UNICEF, 25,000 children die each day due to poverty. And they die quietly in some of the poorest villages on earth, far removed from the scrutiny and the conscience of the world.
7. The poorest 40 percent of the world’s population accounts for 5 percent of global income. The richest 20 percent accounts for three-quarters of the world income.
8. Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names.
9. Almost two in three people lacking access to clean water survive on less than $2 a day, and more than 385 million on less than $1 a day.
10. For the 1.9 billion children from the developing world, there are: 640 million without adequate shelter (1 in 3), 400 million with no access to safe water (1 in 5) and 270 million with no access to health services (1 in 7).
11. 15 million children are orphaned due to HIV/AIDS (about the total amount of children in Germany or the UK).

I don’t want to end this post on a sad note. All I am trying to say is that there are reasons we should be angry as believers – as people in general. Did you know that if those who said they were Christians tithed to their churches, there would be $168 billion dollars given? To take care of all the world’s basic needs (food, clean water, clothing, health, etc.) cost $89 billion. That means the churches in the US alone could take care of all the world’s issues each year and still have almost half of what was tithed to share the Gospel. That is a dream to me. I don’t know if it could ever happen – Jesus said we would always have the poor among us. Yet, if we would give sacrificially like we really could and should, maybe Jesus’ statement would be challenged.

I Would Die For You

I Would Die For You

And I know that I can find You here
'Cause You promised me You'll always be there
Times like these, it's hard to see
But somehow I have a peace, You're near
And I pray that You will use my life
In whatever way Your name is glorified
Even if surrendering
Means leaving everything behind

My life has never been this clear
Now I know the reason why I'm here
You never know why You're alive
Until you know what you would die for
I would die for You

And I know I don't have much to give
But I promise You I will give You all there is
Can I possibly do less
When through Your own death I live?

No greater love is found
Than of those who lay their own lives down
As sure as I live and breathe
Now I know what it means to be free

MERCY ME

*Simple Harmonic Motion - SHM*

I believe that God is strategically setting us up to reach our city…to promote The Gospel to eastern Jefferson County in a creative, compelling, inspirational way. He has given Connection Worship Center a unique distinctive format…a unique and distinctive message! I am possessed with this vision. As long as there are people who don’t know Jesus, we must be the CONNECTION.

I want to thank the AfterShock Youth for the amazing Youth Service Wednesday Night. The building was packed on a Wed night. You guys and girls are getting it done!

I read this the other day (don't ask why God puts stuff in my head)
*Simple Harmonic Motion - SHM*
Now, in SHM, the total energy of the system is considered to be constant, with NO energy loss. The system oscillates between HIGH potential energy at the extreme ends and HIGH kinetic energy at the midpoint. Therefore, at the midpoint, the potential energy is zero and at the extreme ends of the motion the kinetic energy is zero. By knowing this, we can say POTENTIAL ENERGY at the extreme ends is transferred to KINETIC ENERGY at the midpoint. Kinetic energy is energy of motion. The kinetic energy of an object is the energy it possesses because of its motion.

This Church has a lot of POTENTIAL ENERGY but God is wanting to turn it into KENETIC ENERGY. We are connected to him like a ball on a spring. He is the constant, we are stretching and when we finally let go, we will be the ones who change our world. Jesus didn't need a lot of people, he just needed people who were willing to change what they had always done and focus their energy on Him and what he was trying to do.
These next few months are going to be incredible. I can hardly contain the ideas that God is giving us and trying to put them into action. God is wanting to do so many things but it is taking us some time to change our methods and routines in order to get into the groove of what He is trying to do. His message is still the same about needed laborers for the harvest. There are so many things that God is wanting to do through us as long as we make ourselves available to him and not to just ourselves. I have had years of training by routines, but God is trying to reshape and mold, and the flesh doesn't like it. I'm comfortable in my routines. Change is difficult.

Hey…If you believe in what we’re doing here at the Connection Worship Center…tell somebody. Start an energy buzz.

Failing Forward

Vincent Van Gogh failed as an art dealer, flunked his entrance exam to theology school, and was fired by the church after an ill-fated attempt at missionary work. In fact, during his life, he seldom experienced anything other than failure as an artist. Although a single painting by Van Gogh would fetch in excess of $100 million today, in his lifetime Van Gogh sold only one painting, four months prior to his death.

Before developing his theory of relativity, Albert Einstein encountered academic failure. One headmaster expelled Einstein from school and another teacher predicted that he would never amount to anything. Einstein even failed his entrance exam into college.

Prior to dazzling the world with his athletic skill, Michael Jordan was cut from his sophomore basketball team. Even though he captured six championships, during his professional career, Jordan missed over 12,000 shots, lost nearly 400 games, and failed to make more than 25 would-be game-winning baskets.

Failure didn't stop Vincent Van Gogh from painting, Albert Einstein from theorizing, or Michael Jordan from playing basketball, but it has paralyzed countless leaders and prevented them from reaching their potential.

At some point, all great achievers are tempted to believe they are failures. But in spite of that, they persevere. In the face of adversity, shortcomings, and rejection, they hold onto self-believe and refuse to see themselves as failures. Here are seven abilities of achievers that enable them to rebound from failure and keep moving forward.
Seven Principles for Failing Forward

Reject Rejection

Achievers who persevere do not base their self-worth on their performance. On the contrary, they have a healthy self-image that's not dictated by external events. When they fall short, rather than labeling themselves a failure, they learn from mistakes in their judgment or behavior.

Don't Point Fingers

When people fail, they're often tempted to blame others for their lack of success. By pointing fingers, they sink into a victim mentality and cede their fate to outsiders. When playing the blame game, people rob themselves of learning from their failures and alienate others by refusing to take responsibility for mistakes.

See Failure as Temporary

People who personalize failure see a problem as a hole they're permanently stuck in, whereas achievers see any predicament as temporary. One mindset wallows in failure, the other looks forward to success. By putting mistakes into perspective, achievers are able to see failure as a momentary event, not a symptom of a lifelong epidemic.

Set Realistic Expectations

Unrealistic goals doom people to failure. For instance, if a person hasn't exercised for five years, then making it to a gym twice a week may be a better goal than running in next month's marathon. Also, some people insensibly expect to be perfect. Everyone fails, so expect setbacks and emotionally prepare to deal with them.

Focus on Strengths

Don't invest time shoring up non-character flaws at the exclusion of investing in your strengths. People operating from a position of strength enjoy a far lower rate of failure than those laboring in areas of weakness. You're built to give your talents to the world; be diligent about finding expressions for them in your career.

Vary Approaches to Achievement

In the Psychology of Achievement, Brian Tracy writes about four millionaires who made their fortunes by age 35. On average, these achievers were involved in 17 businesses before they finding the one that took them to the top. They kept trying and changing until they found something that worked.

Bounce Back

Rehashing missteps and blunders for too long sabotages concentration and eats away at self-confidence. When dealing with failure, achievers have short memories. They quickly forget the negative emotions of setbacks and press forward resiliently. While taking pause to learn from failures, achievers realize that the past cannot be altered.
Summary

I believe it's nearly impossible for any person to believe he or she is a failure and move forward at the same time. For those who have been downsized, let go, or bankrupted, the temptation may be to internalize failure. My hope is that anyone who has suffered setbacks recently will be able to separate life's unfortunate events from their self-worth. Failure, like death and taxes, will happen. Your response to failure holds the key to your future.

By Dr. John C. Maxwell

The Alter and the Door

Careless, I am reckless
I'm a wrong-way-travelin'-slowly-unraveling shell of a man
Burnt out, I'm so numb now
That the fire's just an ember way down in the corner of my cold, cold heart

Lord, this time I'll make it right, here at the altar I lay my life
Your kingdom come but my will was done, my heart is broken as I...

Cry, like so many times before
But my eyes are dry before I leave the floor, oh Lord
I try but this time, Jesus, how can I be sure I will not lose my follow through
Between the altar and the door

Here at the altar, oh my world so black and white
How could I ever falter
What You've shown me to be right

I'm trying so hard to stop trying so hard
Just let You be who You are
Lord, who You are in me
Jesus, I'm trying so hard to stop trying so hard
Just let You be who You are
Lord, who You are in me

Casting Crowns

Awake My Soul (Christ is formed in me)

When I close my eyes, I can see Your glory
When I raise my hands, I can touch your face
When I bow my knees, I stand before You
And Christ is formed in me

Awake my soul prepare an entrance for Your glory
And let my heart become a throne for You to dwell
And when I need Your Holy Spirit more than life itself
Then Christ is formed in Me

When I lose myself I reflect Your image
When I break, break my will, then I am whole
When I give, give my all, I find life everlasting.
Then Christ is formed in me

Awake my soul prepare an entrance for Your glory
And let my heart become a throne for You to dwell
And when I need Your Holy Spirit more than life itself
Then Christ is formed in me

From - Let The Worshippers Arise - Phillips, Craig & Dean

DANIEL FAST continues at The Connection

Please join us every Wednesday as we Fast and Pray for His Direction. Warning! Do not overdo it on this fast. It could cause weight-loss and a healthy body:)

Here are the basic guidelines for this fast. 

Please make sure to READ THE LABEL when purchasing packaged, canned or bottled foods. They should be sugar-free and chemical-free. Keep this in mind as you review this list of acceptable foods.

Foods to include in your diet during the Daniel Fast
All fruits. These can be fresh, frozen, dried, juiced or canned. Fruits include but are not limited to apples, apricots, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, cantaloupe, cherries, cranberries, figs, grapefruit, grapes, guava, honeydew melon, kiwi, lemons, limes, mangoes, nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, pears, pineapples, plums, prunes, raisins, raspberries, strawberries, tangelos, tangerines, watermelon
All vegetables. These can be fresh, frozen, dried, juiced or canned. Vegetables include but are not limited to artichokes, asparagus, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chili peppers, collard greens, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, ginger root, kale, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard greens, okra, onions, parsley, potatoes, radishes, rutabagas, scallions, spinach, sprouts, squashes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips, watercress, yams, zucchini, veggie burgers are an option if you are not allergic to soy.
All whole grains, including but not limited to whole wheat, brown rice, millet, quinoa, oats, barley, grits, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat tortillas, rice cakes and popcorn.
All nuts and seeds, including but not limited to sunflower seeds, cashews, peanuts, sesame. Also nut butters including peanut butter.
All legumes. These can be canned or dried. Legumes include but are not limited to dried beans, pinto beans, split peas, lentils, black eyed peas, kidney beans, black beans, cannellini beans, white beans.
All quality oils including but not limited to olive, canola, grape seed, peanut, and sesame.
Beverages: spring water, distilled water or other pure waters.
Other: tofu, soy products, vinegar, seasonings, salt, herbs and spices.

Foods to avoid on the Daniel Fast
All meat and animal products including but not limited to beef, lamb, pork, poultry, and fish.
All dairy products including but not limited to milk, cheese, cream, butter, and eggs.
All sweeteners including but not limited to sugar, raw sugar, honey, syrups, molasses, and cane juice.
All leavened bread including Ezekiel Bread (it contains yeast and honey) and baked goods.
All refined and processed food products including but not limited to artificial flavorings, food additives, chemicals, white rice, white flour, and foods that contain artificial preservatives.
All deep fried foods including but not limited to potato chips, French fries, corn chips.
All solid fats including shortening, margarine, lard and foods high in fat.
Beverages including but not limited to coffee, tea, herbal teas, carbonated beverages, energy drinks, and alcohol (Duh!).

It is also recommended that you listen to Godly Music and get in the Word during this time.
May God Bless you in your efforts.

‘The Principle Of Magnification’

MANY CHRISTIANS allow circumstances to determine their level of worship when worship should really be disconnected from circumstances. If you allow the conditions of life to dictate your level of worship, they will also determine and limited your altitude. The only way to achieve the altitude of a God’s-eye view is found in this passage: “Those who wait on the LORD . . . shall mount up with wings like eagles.” [See Isaiah 40:31, emphasis added.]

An elevated perspective changes everything.

That is why you can come into a worship service weighed down with big troubles and insurmountable problems and suddenly sense a change the moment you catch an “updraft” of the Spirit. When you begin to worship, you ascend to join the Object of your adoration. The Bible says God “made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” [Ephesians 2:6] Suddenly you find yourself soaring in His presence.

[Tenny, The God Catchers, pp. 80-81]

If you are soaring in His presence, then that means you are looking down on your problems. How do you wait on God? You worship Him. You anticipate divine needs and discern what the Holy Spirit wants. David the psalmist declared under the anointing of God, “Oh, magnify the LORD with me.” [Psalm 34:3, emphasis added.] He was referring to worship. If worship magnifies, then does its absence minimize?

A young and unmarried but pregnant Jewish woman named Mary echoed David’s words centuries later when she declared to her relative who was also expecting a child, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.” [Luke 1:46-47, emphasis added.] What does it mean “to magnify”?

WE CAN”T MAKE HIM ANY BIGGER THAN HE ALREADY IS
These Bible passage reveal a divine principle I call “the principle of magnification.” Have you ever wondered, How do you magnify a God who is so big He already fills the whole universe? How do you magnify the omnipresent God? How do you make the Creator of the universe bigger? The truth is that we really can’t make Him any bigger than He already is - He “fills all in all.” [Ephesians 1:23]

When I was a little boy, my dad often ministered at large camp meetings held at rustic campsites. One toy stood out during those periods when I had lots of free time on my hands and the wonder of the outdoors in which to spend it. In fact, it is one of the few toys I’ve been able to keep track of over the year. It is still sitting at my parents’ house in Louisiana, and my kids often play with it.

This magnificent tool of play is a large Bausch & Lomb magnifying glass with an amber-colored handle. My favorite project back then was to see if I could start a fire - now don’t laugh! Come to think of it, I guess I never got over that inner urge to start fires. I just transferred it to the spirit realm to make it legal.

In the process of honing my fire-starting skills, I discovered that when you use a magnifying glass to magnify something like a grasshopper, you don’t really make the grasshopper any bigger. The magnification properties of the glass simply make the insect appear bigger so you can better examine the minute details and understand the beauty of the grasshopper (if there is such a thing).

THE PROCESS OF WORSHIP MAKES HIS APPEAR BIGGER
When you look through a magnifying glass at a grasshopper, you are not making the grasshopper bigger; you are just making it appear bigger. The process of worship does not make God bigger; it just makes Him appear bigger.

Unlike the grasshopper, God is already bigger than all created beings, form, and matter; yet the magnification of worship makes Him larger in your view. Suddenly everything about Him gets bigger in your eyes. That means His capabilities get bigger, His power gets bigger, and the force of all of His promises and wonder is suddenly enlarged when you magnify the Lord.

Why does the world have such a skewed view of God? One of the most important reasons is that we have not magnified God in the sight of the unsaved. They look at our misrepresentations (and underrepresentation) of Him and His kingdom and say. “Nothing we see there can help us. Those people are as messed up as we are.”

We must restore the principle of magnification. How do we do that? Worship magnifies God to the world. When they see and hear us praise God for His mighty works and His godly attributes, they begin to realize there is more to Him than meets the eye.

When non-Christians hear how He transformed our lives, they begin to see Him for the first time. Then they say, “If He can do that for them, then maybe He would do it for me too.” This is the principle of magnification in operation.

ABRAHAM USED THE REST OF HIS LIFE AS A MAGNIFYING GLASS
God revealed Himself to the son of a moon worshiper and gave him a God-sized promise. Abraham used the rest of his life as a magnifying glass to declare and reaffirm God’s power and ability to keep His impossible promise. Countless individuals, tribes, and people groups saw their first glimpse of God through Abraham’s worship and faith in God. In the end, God’s promise that all nations would be blessed through Abraham came true through Jesus Christ.

Abraham’s life illustrates how faith operates according to the magnification principle. He constantly magnified God’s ability to keep His word despite facing years of contrary circumstances. Fear also works according to the magnification principle. If faith is the forward gear propelling a car forward, then fear is the reverse gear propelling the same car backward.

Faith and fear operate on the same principle. The alarming thing about it is that North Americans have allowed fear to so infiltrate our version of the English language that we have adopted “fearful language” as a matter of habit. How many times have you asked someone how is he feeling only to hear him say, “I’m afraid I’m catching a cold”?

Job said, “The things I greatly feared has come upon me, and what I dreaded has happened to me,” [Job 3:25] Have we made that our cultural slogan?

[ THE ABOVE ARTICLE IS TAKEN FROM ]
Tommy Tenny, ‘Worship Is Heaven’s Tool Of Choice’, in id., God’s Eye View: Worshiping Your Way to a Higher Perspective (Nashville, Tennessee: Thoman Nelson, Inc., 2002), pp. 8-9.

Please Pray for Direction about Our Building

At Monday Night's prayer meeting we found out that we will have the opportunity to possibly take over the entire building where we are currently located, which will give us the much needed room to expand the sanctuary and the church as a whole. This will require a much greater financial commitment, but in following with our theme for the year, we are "Attempting Great Things for God and Expecting Great Things from God". Sometimes we have to step out by faith and do things beyond our own abilities. We are praying that God will work through the hearts and minds of all those that will be involved in making this happen. We are hoping that we can find many faith partners to partner with us financially and in prayer. Please pray for Gods' Will to be done in this area.

Praying for our leaders

Thought this was appropriate on Inauguration Day.

It is vital that we establish a prayer coverage over our families, our pastors and ministry leaders. We do not always know the personal ins and outs of the lives our our leaders and pastors. This can make it difficult to know what to pray. Many people just pray protection or blessing. We want to provide more than just protection and blessing for our leaders. This is a good place to start when praying to help establish prayer coverage. Pray daily for our pastors/leaders and their families.

Sunday - Wisdom/Knowledge/Understanding

Monday - Favor with God/Favor with Man

Tuesday - Pure Vision/God size Vision/Priorities

Wednesday - Spirit, soul, and body/Binding body, soul, spirit to the will and purpose of God.

Thursday - Warfare and Protection /Canceling the plans of the enemy /Breaking curses

Friday - Fear of the Lord/God’s Kingdom come on earth as in heaven in their lives.

Saturday Family – protection and salvation

[Rewritten from : Cindy Jacobs, Possessing the Gates of the Enemy(Grand Rapids, MI: Choosen Books, 1991), pg.171]

Connection Theme for the Year

Our theme from Pastor James Leach:
"Attempt Great Things For God and Expect Great Things From God"

At the Connection Worship Center we are going to do just that. The Lord is moving us in ways we have never experienced before and sometimes we don't expect it so we miss it.

I like this from Jonathan Moore's blog,
"When the Apostles were in the storm about to sink and Jesus approached their boat walking on water, they thought He was a ghost. They thought this because they’d never seen Him walk on water prior to this. So, because they’d never seen Him in this manner before, they immediately assumed it wasn’t Him at all. The same thing happened in Luke 24 when Jesus passed through the wall after His resurrection and was suddenly in the room with the disciples. They immediately believed Him to be an intruder because they’d never seen Him walk through a wall. The point is this: As soon as you think you’ve got Jesus figured out, He’s going to do something you’ve never seen Him do. He will show up somewhere you never expected Him. And if we’re not careful, we’ll see something happening and assume it’s not Jesus simply because we’ve never seen Him manifest himself this way before. Umm, before we judge that something we’ve heard about or seen is not Jesus at all, we may want to remind ourselves that He can’t be tracked nor do we have the only formula for finding Him. He is going to use people we never dreamed He’d use and He’s going to show up in places our historical theology can’t explain."

Hopefully we don't miss it. He may not move this way again so we need to attempt great things for God and expect great things from God.

Thoughts about getting beyond church

These are thoughts that come from reading other quotes, sayings, other ideas to remind me that even though we're helping to establish a new church, that God goes Beyond Church. He goes beyond even our thoughts and imaginations and inspires us to do great things on a daily basis.

The thought that inspired me today was "Never start a sentence with 'I should have".