Was it a Silent Night?

Every year at Christmas time we get our decorations out, start watching Christmas movies, and singing Christmas songs. One of my favorite Christmas songs is "Silent Night." I started thinking about the night Christ was born and all of the events surrounding it. I came to the conclusion that it probably wasn't a silent night at all. Let's take a look:

• Matthew 1:18-25 (New International Version)
  
  The Birth of Jesus Christ
  18This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
  20But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[a] because he will save his people from their sins."
  
  22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"[b]—which means, "God with us."
  
  24When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
  


• Luke 2:1-20 (New International Version)
  
  The Birth of Jesus
  1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to his own town to register.
  4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
  
  The Shepherds and the Angels
  8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ[a] the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
  13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
  14"Glory to God in the highest,
  and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
  
  15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
  
  16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

First, Bethlehem was packed and overflowing because of the mandatory census. This would have been equivalent to present day Time Square on New Years Eve. There were people everywhere plus animals. The noise from the crowds would have been tremendous.

Secondly, the shepherds were chillin by the camp fire outside of Bethlem when an Angel materialized out of nowhere and told them about baby Jesus. Then The Heavenly Host band joined him for a massive concert in the sky. Afterwards the shepherds headed into town to find Jesus.

Back in Bethlehem the crowds would have gotten stirred up because of the shepherds (who were considered scum and unclean) were talking crazy stuff about angels and a baby in a barn. The gossip would have been something to behold. Rumors and talk would have spread though town quickly. People would be out following a strange star that had appeared.

What about you? Would you have been looking for promised messiah? What about now? He was born to die for you and me. God had to have been sad knowing that He sent His son into a world as a sacrifice to save the human race.

With all that was going on, I really don't think it was a silent night at all, do you?

If you don't already know Jesus, this would be a great time to find Him. He always there for those who look for Him. For those of us that have already found Him, maybe it's time time to reconnect.

May you have a blessed Christmas,

Steve

Are you a Star?

When I was young, one of my personal Christmas traditions was to go out side late on Christmas Eve and look for the star that guided the Magi to Jesus. I would try to figure out which star it was. I would spend time thinking about it was like on the night of His birth. I think about the fact that He was born to die for my sins (everyone who believed). I would sing then Happy Birthday to Him.

• Matthew 2:1-2 (New International Version)
  
  The Visit of the Magi
  1After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem 2and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east[b] and have come to worship him."
  

I would try to figure out which star it was. I would spend time thinking about it was like on the night of His birth. I think about the fact that He was born to die for my sins (everyone who believed). I would sing then Happy Birthday to Him.

Even though we know Jesus wasn't really born on December 25 and the star was a one time event, I still do it. There are those who would argue about what the date really was and that it's wrong to celebrate it on that date. To be honest nobody really knows the exact date and it really doesn't matter.

I was re-reading the biblical accounts of Jesus' birth and God revealed to me that the star was not just a one time event. You see the star was there to signify the birth of our king and savior as well as to lead people to Him. Now, all Christians are that star. Wow! I never saw it that way before and I have read it many times.

• Matthew 5:14 (New International Version)
  
  14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.

• Ephesians 5:7-9 (New International Version)
  7Therefore do not be partners with them.
  
  8For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)
  

By being that light it is our responsibility, as commanded by Jesus, to light the way for others to Christ, just as the star did back then.

• Matthew 28:19-20 (New International Version)
  
  The Great Commission
  19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
  

Remember our sun is a star and look how it lights the world. So this Chistmas and every day go out and be the star Jesus intended you to be and help God make new stars.

Have a very blessed Christmas!

Steve

Thank You God for the Bad Stuff ???

Have you watched the news, looked online, read a paper, and/or spoken with anyone lately? Chances are you know someone with cancer, lost a job, struggling financially, going through divorce, loss of a loved one, etc. There just seems to be so much stress and sorrow everywhere you go. Doesn't seem like things to be thankful for. Yet God wants us to be thankful

• 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)
  18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
  
  
  
  

Are supposed to give thanks in everything? What about losing my job, the death of a loved one, having cancer, overwhelming debt, etc? I don't know about you, but those aren't things I'm thankful for. So what does Paul mean for us to give thanks in all circumstances?

I think that it's because God has our back and He wants us to depend on him. Check out what Matthew and James say:

• Matthew 6:25-34 (NIV)
  Do Not Worry
  25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[a]?
  28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

• James 1:2-3 (NIV)
  2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
  
  

Not only are we to give thanks for the good and bad, but we have to also consider it pure joy. JOY! How can you consider cancer joy? Think about a how a diamond is made. You take a plain, black, worthless rock and put extraordinary and pressure and heat on it. Then you have a clear rock that has to undergo precise cutting, grinding, and polishing to become extremely valuable. That's why we are to be thankful and joyful because God is making us diamonds.

This next verse is one verse I use a lot. When these trials come, and they do come, I try to focus on this verse and it's promise.

• Philippians 4:5-7 (New International Version)
  6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
  

For this Thanksgiving I pray that you spend time thanking God for the good and bad in your life because of the master piece He is making you into.

May you have a blessed Thanksgiving.

In His Service,

Steve

Basic Christian Behavior - Part 3 "Don't Be a Stumbling Block"

So far we've talked about Love as God designed it and respect for each other. The last part of basic Christian behavior is to not be a stumbling block or distraction. So what do I mean by stumbling block? Have you ever intentionally or unintentionally tripped someone? Come on now, we probably all have. Have you ever been walking down a hall or sidewalk and your looking at someone of the opposite sex and you run into something, totally embarassing yourself? (Of course I'm talking about the un-married. Right? Unfortunately most of us have.

Let's look at the the first example of tripping someone up, but spiritually speaking. If you knew someone was an alcoholic, would you offer them alcohol? How about if you knew someone was allergic to peanuts would you offer them a chocolate and peanut butter milk shake (my favorite)? I would hope your answer would be no. Whether intentionally or not, we can cause someone to sin (trip).

• Matthew 18:5-9
  5"And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. 6But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
  7"Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! 8If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

• 1 Corinthians 10:31-33
  31So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— 33even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. 1 John 2:9-11
  9Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. 10Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him[a] to make him stumble. 11But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.

Ladies, knowing that most men battle the sexual temptation, whereing clothes that reveal more than they should can can cause a man to sin or stumble.1 Christians, going out to protest at a homesexual or Pro Abortion rally showing hate and telling people they are going to Hell is a stumbling block. We do believe those things are wrong according to God, but speaking hate is wrong and not how Christ would treat them.

For me and my ADD mind, stumbling blocks (distractions) are everywhere. Has anyone seen the movie "Up" where the boy and old man are talking with the dog and the dog sees a squirrel and in the middle of the conversation says "squirrel" and totally zones out. That seen describes me. We can create our own stumbling blocks (distactions) or create them for other people. A good example of this is when I am teaching my youth group and some of the kids are talking or using their cell phones. They, and the people around them, are distracted from hear what God has to say to them. When we are to busy (we all struggle here) to spend time with God means we are distracted.

Whether intentionally or not, we can be a stumling block or distraction others in their relationship with Christ. We need to be careful of how our walk influences others beacuse they are watching you.

Have a blessed week.

Steve

Basic Christian Behavior - Part 2 "Respect"

What does it mean to respect someone or treat someone with respect? Do you think that people in general respect each other? Hopefully we do, but there are obviously times we do not. Why? Some would say "Respect has to be earned." Others might say "I'll treat someone with respect if they treat me with respect." What about people with different views? What about those in positions of authority?

Let's look at the definition proved by Merriam-Webster's on-line dictionary:

• Main Entry: 1re·spect
  Pronunciation: \ri-ˈspekt\
  Function: noun
  Etymology: Middle English, from Latin respectus, literally, act of looking back, from respicere to look back, regard, from re- + specere to look — more at spy
  Date: 14th century
  1 : a relation or reference to a particular thing or situation 2 : an act of giving particular attention : consideration 3 a : high or special regard : esteem b : the quality or state of being
  
  

Now that we know the official definition of respect, would you say that in the past we respect people. Most of us would probably say "it depends". Just watch TV, listen to some of the music, just walk around, or listen to ourselves. I know that there are times I am not.


I would say that respect really boils down to a heart issue. Take a look what Luke wrote:

• Luke 6:45 (New International Version)
  45The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

So if the problem is in our hearts, then we need to clean it up. Right? This would go back to last weeks message on love. We have to love people in order to truly respect them. The kind of love God has for us, unconditional.

Here is a good verse for ALL of us to start with:

• Ephesians 4:29 (New International Version)
  29Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

If we will memorize this and say it every time we open our mouths, WOW. We have to replace the evil in our hearts with things that build each other up, instead of tearing down. By the way, this goes for body language as much as it does with our mouths.

You know that God created us as equals in His eyes. We may have different functions, gifts, and abilities, but equal. Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. That verse pretty much sums that up. So let's try to show respect for one another.

Steve

Basic Christian Behavior - Part 1 "Love"

When you hear the word Christian, what do you think of? Some of us have good images of Christianity while many do not. Sadly the world usually sees the term negatively. Why? I would probably have to say it would be not knowing what the Bible says about Jesus' life and following His example. So what does the Bible say about how we are to act? A little over a year ago, I came up with some guidelines for my youth group for expected behavior. Really they should be common sense, but I feel that we should all try to be the best representative for God we can be.


One of the most basic and the building blocks for all others in found in Matthew:

• Matthew 22:37-38 (New International Version)
  37Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'[a] 38This is the first and greatest commandment.

What does it mean to love God with all your heart? Have you ever loved something, or someone, so much that you can't imagine being without it or them? That's how God feels about us. So if God states, in His word, that this is the first and greatest commandment, maybe we should pay closer attention to it. That pretty much leads into what Paul writes to the Corinthians's:

• 1 Corinthians 13 (NIV)
  Love
  1If I speak in the tongues[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[b] but have not love, I gain nothing.
  4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
  8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
  13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Wow. Do you look at your relationships this template? If you did base your relationships with it, would you still be in those relationships? Look at the last seven words. Again love is most important. By the way, this includes yourself. I don't mean in a prideful way, but if you don't love yourself then you can't love anyone else.

• Galatians 5:14 (NIV)
  14The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."

If we really think about it we are not very loving to the one person we are always with. Think about how you talk to ourselves...Remember God doesn't make mistakes and He made you.

Ok, so we've looked at how we should love each other and ourselves. So what about people that you hate or hate you? You know the people that you may think are unlovable (yes, that applies to yourself). Glad you asked.

• Matthew 5:43-45 (NIV)
  Love for Enemies
  43"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor[a] and hate your enemy.' 44But I tell you: Love your enemies[b] and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

It takes God's love through us to be able to love anyone, especially for us to love someone who we dislike or hate.

• Matthew 5:43-45 (New International Version)
  Love for Enemies
  43"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor[a] and hate your enemy.' 44But I tell you: Love your enemies[b] and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

1 John 3:18 (New International Version)18Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

From what I have studied about Jesus' life as an example, I think that He demonstrated His love ultimately by allowing Himself to be crucified for our sins. Now how are we going to imitate that love to the world around us?

Show love to someone that you wouldn't normally show love to this week and see what God will do.

Steve

Dead End

Recently while on vacation my yougest son and I were hiking and looking for an old cemetary. It had been several years since I had been there and a large developement had been built around it. Being directionally challanged it took a while, but we found it. At the end of a dirt road was the cemetatry, a dead end. We walked around looking at the names, sayings, and dates the people died. Being an older mountain cemetary, there were headstones that were just flat rocks with nothing on them. Some of them were nice engraved monuments.

As we sat down on a bench. I started thinking about the lives they may have had. How did they die. Who did they leave behind? Then I thought about what they left behind. Not the stuff, but their legacy, what they did with their life, and how people remember them.

Look at the following people of the Bible and their legacy. They were not perfect, but look at what God accomplished through them:

• Moses




• David




• Ruth




• Elijah




• Paul




• Peter




• Of course Jesus who we should all try to immitate.

What about you? What kind of legacy are you going to leave behind? Will people remember you as a man or woman of God. Will they remember you for all of your negative qualities?

What is your legacy?

Steve

Choices, Part 2

In Choices, Part 1, we saw that we have the freedom to make our own choices. We saw that Adam and Eve started us out on the wrong foot for that by choosing the selfish route. God was ticked off and broken hearted at the same time.

• Read Genesis 3:6-24

Does someone else's choices affect others? What if I decide to drive my car down the road with my eyes closed, as fast as I can, through a busy city street? It's my choice. I can do what ever I want to. Right? How will that choice affect the others on that street? I could mow down some pedestrians, signs, bounce off a few cars, take out a squirrel, etc. You see my choice has consequences for others as well as myself. What about the innocent people or squirel? They didn't have a part in my choice, except that the were there. That's exacly how sin works.

God's Word gives us the information to make the right choices, not a list of dos and don'ts. The most important of these is whether to have a personal relationship with Christ or not.

• Ephesians 2:1-10 (New International Version)
  Made Alive in Christ 1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

• Joshua 24:15 (New International Version)
  15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

• Matthew 7:12-14 (New International Version)
  12So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
  The Narrow and Wide Gates 13"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

The whole Bible is written to give you the information you need to make a wise choice and save your soul. Also by making Godly choices the affects on those around you will be Godly, unlike the car story above. Many have tried to destroy and discredit His Word and yet it's still here. As hard as science tries to disprove the Bible and they find new evidence that proves something that was written about. It all comes down to faith to believe

So as we tell our kids when the go out, "Make wise choices"
Steve

Choices, Part 1

Why do bad things happen? Why do bad things happen to good people?

That can best be answered back in the beginning, in the Garden of Eden. When God made man he placed him in the most perfect place to have ever been on earth. He gave him everything he needed, including a wife. God gave Adam and Eve

• Genesis 2:15-17 (New International Version)
  15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."

God gave them one command, just one, "you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." One rule, and what do they do, they do it. I wonder if God had not told them if they would have eaten it? Some people will do the opposite just to see what happens. Of course they were deceived by Satan.

• Genesis 3:1-6 (New International Version)
  1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
  2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' "
  4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
  6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

Notice how Eve repeats the rule back to the serpent. Also notice that Adam was right there with her. Also notice how Satan appeals to her pride of being God-like. Funny how the men always blame Eve for this part, but Adam willing broke the rule with her.



Good or bad, God gave us freedom to choose. We are free to choose our own path, make our own decisions. I have the freedom to walk out in the middle of a busy road, drive with my eyes closed (or text, same difference), kick a wild grizzly bear, run with scissors, stick a fork in an electrical outlet, etc. Maybe if I do these things my eyes will be opened and I can be like God? How did their choice affect us today? How does anyone's choices affect others?



Think about the choices you make this week and come back here next week for the rest of the story.

The Perfect Dad???

Does anyone remember watching the "Andy Griffith Show" or "The Cosby Show"? Andy and Cliff seemed to always be able to say or do the right thing in their families. No matter the situation they had the right answer. Back in the day, being a dad meant something. A dad was wise, protective, caring, etc. The kind of dad we all wanted to have (if you didn't). Now we have "The Family Guy" where Peter is a horrible example of a dad. It seems that on most modern media that dads are shown to be clueless, brainless, dysfunctional losers. Why? What happened?


God designed fathers to be His example to the their families and the world. We are called to be the spiritual leaders of our families. Though not perfect, some of us have, or try to be, Godly dads. Unfortunately many did not have, or are not, the dads God called them to be. That's when you look to the one who is your true and perfect father, God. How cool is it that we can call the creator of the universe daddy.

He cares for us and every facet of His creation.

• Deuteronomy 31:8 (New International Version)
  8 The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

• Matthew 6:26 (New International Version)
  26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

• Matthew 10:29-31 (New International Version)
  29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny[a]? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. 30And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
  

So God wants you to be part of His family and loves us so much that even though He created us He gives us freedom of choice to choose Him.

• Galatians 4:5-7 (New International Version)
  5to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. 6Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba,[a] Father." 7So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.

Fathers, look to our heavenly father and strive to be like Him. Being a Godly father is not easy, but the rewards are eternal. Sons and daughters, honor your father's today.

Be Christ to someone this week.

Steve

OBJECTS IN MIRROR ARE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR

This is the message I gave at our event at Bent Creek Baptist Church a couple of Saturdays ago.

Do you remember in the 1st movie of Jurassic Park when they are driving the jeep away from the T-Rex and there is a camera shot of the passenger side mirror and it shows "OBJECTS IN MIRROR ARE CLOSER THAN THEY APPEAR". The T-Rex is right on them.

As I got in my car the other morning, having a rough morning, I looked in the mirror and read that warning and thought that is how Satan works. He wants to bring things up from your past and make them huge. Think about it. Everyone of us has sinned and think about something you've done in the past that you still feel bad or guilty about. Satan is the great accuser and stands before God and says look at how he/she lives, see how they do...

• Revelation 12:10 (NIV)
  10Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.

Sometimes we are so far into our lives of sin that we have become trapped or enslaved. However, if you have been adopted into God's family through Christ, you can be free from that life. Meaning that as a Christ believer/follower He bought you out of that slavery and set you free.

• John 8:34-36 (NIV)
  34Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Did you get that last part, verse 36? Check out these next two verses:

• 1 John 1:9 (NIV)
  9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.



• Psalm 103:12 (NIV)
  12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
  

So basically if we ask God for forgiveness, with a sincere heart, He forgives us and it's gone. So when Satan brings up junk that you have asked God to forgive you of, remember that you were already forgiven. Tell Satan to get lost because God has forgiven you. In fact, if you were to ask God to forgive you of something you have already asked to be forgiven of He would say "what sin?"

Mom

What would we do without our moms? Okay, we wouldn't have been born. They have kissed our boo-boos, wiped our tears, taught us right from wrong, protected us, and on the list goes. To me there is no more important jobs than that of a Godly mother. Think about it, the creator of the universe chose to save us by being born of a human mother

• Luke 1:26-38 (NIV)
  The Birth of Jesus Foretold 26In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
  29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."
  34"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"
  35The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[a] the Son of God. 36Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37For nothing is impossible with God."
  38"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

God thought moms were so important that one of the Ten Commandments were given for moms.

• Exodus 20:12 (NIV)
  12 "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

Even Paul when talking to Timothy's faith because of the Godly influence of his grandmother and mother.

• 2 Timothy 1:5 (NIV)
  5I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

God gave moms unigue gifts, super powers that only they seem to posses, like eyes in the back of their heads, knowing when were lying, and making the boo-boos better. Thank you moms for being what God blessed and ordained you to be.

God blessed your mom with you and you with her so honor her on this Mother's Day.

In His service,

Steve

Busy, Busy, Busy

I don't know about you, but it seems like I am always busy. Family, school, soccer, baseball, plays, band, two or three jobs, church, cutting grass, etc. In our family we have a hard time just sitting down to a meal together. On top of all that we have TV, cell phones, mp3 players, gaming consoles, etc. taking more of our time.



When was the last time you heard the silence? Did you even know what it was? I know sometimes while driving down the road I will turn off the radio and have some quite time with God. During that time I am reaching for the radio because it's too quite. Sound familiar?

Ironically I have been trying to do this particular blog for several weeks, but have been too busy...

Please watch this video from Tangle (previously God Tube):

http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=0edec55cb25411422efd&sp=1





The Bible says in Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God".

• Psalm 144:4 (NIV)
  4 Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow.
  

We are all guilty of being to busy or distracted, but did you think that it was Satan trying to keep us too busy for our own good? Is that TV show more important than spending time talking with someone you love? Is that text or cell phone more important than spending time with God? God, the creator of everything, wants to spend uninterrupted time with you, do you have time?

• Mark 13:33 (NIV)
  33Be on guard! Be alert[a]! You do not know when that time will come.
  

You know we are never promised tomorrow so make the most of the time you have. Sometimes it's good to be distracted, but don't let it control you. So turn off your cell phone, ipod, computer, etc. (believe it or not you will survive) and have some quite time with God on a regular basis and see what happens.



In His service,

Steve

The Moth and the Cross

One night, while on a hike, I came upon a church. As I looked around I saw a cross made of 4x4s and painted brown. Kneeling down at the front of the cross I prayed for a while then and sat down on a post that was a few feet back. Looking at the wooden cross I thought about all Christ had endured to get there. The people that he loved, all demanding “crucify him!” because of lies spread by the religious leaders.

• Luke 23:20-24 (NIV)
  20Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. 21But they kept shouting, "Crucify him! Crucify him!"
  22For the third time he spoke to them: "Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him."
  23But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. 24So Pilate decided to grant their demand.

The thought of His flesh in shreds from the whipping and the cat of nine tails (a whip with pieces of bone and metal on the ends of straps, designed to damage from impact and pull flesh away when it was pulled back). I also thought about Him being nailed to the cross and raised up to hang there for hours of more suffering. All these things that he endured for my sins…

• 1 Corinthians 15:2-4 (NIV)
  2By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
  3For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

Then I prayed about seeing Him, to be able to talk with Him. That’s when I heard a sound coming from some tall grass. I looked down and saw a large moth stuck in the grass flopping around. While helping him escape his prison of grass I noticed a broken wing. I placed him on an arm of the cross realizing that Jesus had revealed Himself through the moth. It’s broken wing representing Jesus’ broken heart. A broken heart for the people of this world who still reject Him when all He wants a personal relationship with each of us.

This may not seem like big deal, but it shows me that God is still with us and wants to be part of our lives. What about you? Have you looked around to see if Jesus is revealing himself to you or maybe some who needs Jesus?

Pastor Steve

What's the Big Deal with Palm Sunday?

Palm Sunday is Sunday April 5 this year and good many of us have been around church, especially at Easter, and observed Palm Sunday. But you may not really understand it's significance. Was this about people having their palms read to see the future? or maybe it was the first Arbor day and they were planting trees?

Actually, it should be called donkey colt-branch-coat parade or something more catchy than that. What do I mean. Well about a week before Jesus' crucifixion, He rode Jerusalem on a baby donkey on a road lined with peoples coats and branches. This wasn't because the town was dirty and the street sweepers haven't been out yet. It was out of honor and respect for the one the prophecies were about. Check out these verses to get the story:

• Matthew 21: 1-11


• Mark 11: 1-11


• Luke 19: 28-44

Why a baby donkey? Donkey's were associated with leaders and by riding a young donkey would have shown humility and gentleness. This also fulfilled what Zechariah had seen. Putting coats and branches on the road was customary way of welcoming a triumphant king returning from a victory. So they were treating Jesus like a king who has one a major battle...

• Zechariah 9:9-10 (NIV)
  The Coming of Zion's King 9 Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king [a] comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
  (This was written around 900 years before it happened)

The problem is that the people saw Christ as a political leader that had come to deliver them from Roman rule. Christ did come as the King of Kings and to deliver us from the enemy, but that enemy is the sin in our lives. Within one week this admiration and respect will change drastically.

Check back next week for the rest of the story.

Where's God

Have you ever had one of those days (weeks, months, years) where every thing falls apart, your friends bail on you, you feel like boy/girlfriend/spouse don't care, school/work is horrible, and your dog won't even come to you. I think we all have. At church this past Sunday we discussed this topic and two people in the bible who were ultimate examples of this.





In the book of Job, Job had it all. He was blessed. Then within minutes, he loses his workers, animals, and children. Can you imagine what he must have felt? I would have probably lost it. But Job didn't curse God, even when his friends and wife abandoned him, he kept on trusting in God. I'm sure he was wondering where God was in all of this.

• Job 1:20-22 (NIV)
  20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. [a] The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised."
  22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

WOW!!!!

Then there is Jesus. He came and lived a perfect life, a life without sin. I don't think I can make it a day without some kind of sin. Can you? Jesus was loved by most, except religious leaders (ironic huh?). Just one week before dying, they welcomed him with palm branches (Palm Sunday). By the end of that week most had turned on Him and with mob mentality, demanded He be crucified. Even his closets followers ran in fear. But even Christ, from His human perspective, felt abandoned by God at His last moments on the cross

• Acts 2:22-24 (NIV)
  22"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men,[a] put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.

Maybe you feel like that way Job or Jesus did. Maybe it appears that everyone has turned their back on you or ditched you. No matter what has happened or will happen to you in this world, as a follower of Christ, God will always be there.

• Joshua 1:5 (NIV)
  5 No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.

Checkout this this song from 10th Avenue North: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J95rAr0gOFU

May God bless you this week and always. Steve

Pure as the Driven Snow?

Finally, we get a decent snow. It started while at church and snowed almost blizzard like. It was beautiful... Have you ever noticed how the snow makes everything pretty? Even the when my wife and I cleaned up our new bunny's corner of the room. We swept the mess up and threw it out in the snow. Within a few minutes it was covered over.

Kind of like our lives. We cleanup, bathe, put on nice clothes, fix our hair, some where makeup. All fixing up the outside while on the inside we are ugly from: hurts, abuse, bad decisions, lies, abandonment, revenge, hate, etc.

The good news is Christ works on us from the inside out:

• 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
  17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

So, are you covered in snow on the outside, but on the inside your a mess? Jesus came to wash you whit as snow if you will invite him in:

• Luke 11:10 (New International Version)
  10For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

So open the door and ask Him in.

I pray that you regular time with God so that you can get to know Him better.

Steve

What's Your Story?

Ever been to a party or some social event and had to speak with people you didn't know? You try to find common group and talk about things familiar. Usually one of you will come up with a story about something interesting in your life, like who you've met, somewhere you've been, or maybe what you've done. What about what God has done for you?

• 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)
  15But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

Peter probably wrote this from prison because of his stance for Christ. This would have been a time when Christians were started being persecuted. So he telling people to risk imprisonment to tell what Christ has done for them...






What about you? What's you stroy? It doesn't have to be a story like: I was a drug dealer/murderer/devil worshiper, shot 99 times, crawled accross the desert, bitten by a rattlesnake, and 5 scorpians, and God spoke to me through a palm tree... Just tell people what God has done for you. You know, God does things in our lives every day, we just have to look....



Don't worry about what to say, God will help you with that and don't worry about what people think. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus puts it this way:

• Luke 9:26 (New International Version)
  26If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

Maybe you don't have a story yet. It's not to late to start with Jesus. He is waiting for you to have have a personal relationship with you. He has plans for your story to help someone that may be going through something similar, that only you would understand.

So what are you waiting for go out and tell your story.

Have a great week,

Steve

• Luke 9:26
  26If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

Relationship Woe?

Have you ever wanted to be friends or date someone who wanted you to be a certain way, look a certain way, talk a certain way, etc. Basically be somebody you're not. No matter what you did, or even how you did it, you would eventually fall short.



This past week we were studying Mathew 23 on the seven woes. Basically Jesus is blasting the Pharisees because they are so focused on the religion, that they have removed the relationship. They took God's Law (10 Commandments) and twisted it by adding so many rules and stipulations that it was impossible to follow. The Pharisees also wanted everybody to know how holy they were by making sure people noticed their prayers, giving, and religous rituals making then the biggest hypocrites of their time.

Yes, we have rules or commandments that we should follow, but Christ became a human in order to have a personal realationship with you. He doesn't care what you look like, what you have, what you've done, or where you've been. He does however love you too much to leave you there. He wanted to have a relationship so bad with you that He defeated death for you.

• Romans 8:1-4 (NIV)
  1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,[a] 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature,[b] God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.[c] And so he condemned sin in sinful man,[d] 4in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

So do you have have a personal relationship with Christ? Have you had that relationship with Him, but have fallen away from Him? Maybe you're tired of bad relationships and running away from God. He's with you:

• Matthew 11:29-30 (NIV)
  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

• John 5:24 (NIV)
  24"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.

If you are not sure, have questions, or maybe you've made a decision, please let me know: steve@soulrestored.org

May God Bless You,
Steve

Did you hear what Steve did?

Did you hear what Steve did? He did this with that person and that person is dating a different person. Can you believe that He would even talk with her after he did what he did. Let's text this around and tell everyone what he did...




Has that ever happened to you? For most of us, it has. Whether true or not, people have talked about us or we have been talked about them. With technology you can ruin someone literally seconds. Back in the day it took a day or two to get the word out there. In our youth group Sunday morning we talked about gossip and the immediate and long term effects of it. We also talked about what we can do to stop it.

Webster Dictionary defines gossip as: a person who habitually reveals personal or sensational facts about others2 a: rumor or report of an intimate nature b: a chatty talk c: the subject matter of gossip

Why do people do that? Envy, revenge, hate, jealousy, greed, etc. Basically it is for selfish reasons. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul gives us a better way to respond to gossip:

• Ephesians 4:29 (NIV) 29Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

We have a choice when gossip comes our way or when tempted to gossip. Maybe we need to examine our heart.

• Luke 6:45The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

My challange to myself, and you, is to take the opportunity to build people up instead of gossiping. If you have an issue with someone, go to them instead of everyone else.

In His Service,

Steve

What is Love?

For Valentine's I decided to do something different for my wife. Instead of the typical flowers and candy I choose to buy the movie "Fireproof" and "The Love Dare" 40 day devotional. For those who have not seen the movie, it's a great movie.

In the movie the husband just doesn't get what love is. His focus is himself. The more I thought about it, most of us don't. So what is true love? If you watch TV and movies, listen to music, etc you would think it was about power, revenge, sex, everyway but the right way.

God gives us a pretty clear picture of love.

• Matthew 22:36-38 (NIV)
  36"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'[a] 38This is the first and greatest commandment.

If we would follow this one command, the world would be a much better place. Think about it? It's against our worldly nature because most of us are self-centered.

• John 15:12-13 (NIV)
  12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Do you care enough for someone enough to die for them? God did. He cared so much for us that He sent His son Jesus to do just that, even for those who hated Him. Maybe you would die for someone you really cared for, but what about someone who has hates you or you hate them?

• 1 Corinthians 13 (NIV)
  Love 1If I speak in the tongues[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[b] but have not love, I gain nothing.
  4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
  8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
  13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

When you think about the person whom you love can you match the way you feel to these verses? When God led me to the person I was to marry, I based our relationship on these principles to make sure it was right. Before that, I could not say that I did. It's hard not to trust someone when you have been hurt or even abused. It's also hard not to be jealous of someone flirting with your boy/girlfriend or spouse.

Take some time to go through these verses and see if this is how you feel about others.

In His Service,

Stephen Linhart

Lighten Your Load

Have you ever been on a hike with a heavy pack and the further you went the heavier it got. Our lives are like that. We carry around all kinds of weight from our lives. We care the bad things we've done, quilt, abuse, lies, etc. The Bible calls this sin a burden.

Matthew 11:29-30 (NIV)
29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

• Check out the video "Lighten your Load"

Jesus want to have a personal relationship with you and He loved you so much that He died for you to be able to have that relationship.

In Christ, Steve Linhart