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CHRISTMAS THOUGHTS (2000) 11short articles
#1 THIS GIFT THAT YOU OFFER
#2 HOLY DAYS CELEBRATION
#3 WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR CHRISTMAS?
#4 CELEBRATE HIS ADVENT, HE IS GOD WITH US.
#5 GIVE THE PRICELESS GIFT FOR CHRISTMAS
#6 LAST MINUTE SHOPPING
#7 MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM PROMISELANDER TO OTHER FISHERMEN
#8 HIS GIFT IS VICTORY
#9 CHRISTMAS...YEAR ENDING...YEAR STARTING
#10 PAY THE CHRISTMAS DEBT, OWE NO MAN ANYTHING
#11 PRAISE THE LORD FOR THE DAY AFTER...
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Thu Dec 21, 2000
I wrote this to say thanks for the kind words and
deeds someone gives us at Christmas time.
This gift that you offer
At the foot of His Tree
Which tells of His love
Brightens the season for me.
When to others we give
A part of our self
The gift is not lost
Or left on a shelf
Even better than ours
Is the gift that God gives
That Christ came to earth
He died... NOW HE LIVES.
Pastor David
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Dec 22, 2000
Yes HolYdays. That is what we are celebrating. We aren't just celebrating another national day or patriotic hero's birthday. We are recognizing that the Holy One who inhabits eternity, chose to humbly step into time, so we could triumphantly step into eternity. I'd say that gives us a 'little' more reason to celebrate than Arbor day, or winter break.
Or maybe we could say it this way. God wrapped up His love in a Valentine named Jesus, sent Him here one Earth day, to gain our Independence from our slave master sin, so we could Labor for His kingdom always in a Spirit of Thanksgiving, and in the power of His Resurrection. This was the only way we could have a Good Friday or ... a good ANY DAY.
I hope you have a joyous Christmas.
Keep the Faith,
David W. Gould
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12/23/00
I. WELL, IT DEPENDS
The question means so many different things to so many different people.
FOR THE WEALTHY
For a select few the question opens the gate for anything their imagination can conjure. Some people have such great wealth available to them that they have to look for the exotic and rare just to come up with something they do not already have.
Though not quite so extravagant, others can have anything they want which is on the open market. The toys, clothes, homes, cars and vacations they want are only a purchase away.
THE AVERAGE AMERICAN
Still others will get most of what they want, even if it means saddling themselves with heavy payments. The gaining of the worlds goods comes at a high price. Sometimes it cost a spouse, a family, even a life.
THE POOR
There are a great number, though we don't like to think about them, who will be glad to just get a little something and even happier if they can just give a little something to their loved ones.
THE DESTITUTE
Still, there are those who would love to have a crumb of food, a little shelter from the storm, clothes to cover their childs nakedness. While some long for freedom from oppression, torture and imprisonment. There are those who would give anything to have good health, another year, or a loved one back again.
II. A WAKE UP CALL
After seeing these last "wish lists", the first ones seem small and petty. Maybe that is why we don't like to see the real world. We say we care and that it is time to re-focus, then we go all out to propagate the illusion by showering our children and our loved ones with things which will rot, rust or get robbed.
Maybe we should look at this question from a different point of view. Not from what some loved one can give us or we can give ourselves or even what some "Santa" can give us, but what God can give us.
I will not elaborate, but let me at least suggest a few lists to choose from.
GOD'S GIFTS IN TRILOGY
#1 THE GIFT OF SALVATION
God's gift of salvation as offered in Jesus Christ. Salvation is just the right gift for everyone. Everyone needs it and once they have it they say it is "just what I wanted." The three main advantages of salvation are;
a) Salvation from the PENALTY of sin. God forgives every sin that we have ever done. He will never remember what we said, thought or did which should have brought His judgement. He forgives us freely because of the price which Jesus paid.
b) Salvation from the POWER of sin. Jesus not only forgives, he delivers from the grip, enslavement and control of sin. Too many Christians have experienced His forgiveness, but never have known His deliverance.
c) Salvation from the POLLUTION of sin. We can not only be forgiven and impowered, we can be purified. We can know the joy of sins forgiven and the joy of being "pure even as He is pure."
#2 THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT
The gifts of the Spirit are given to His children, not so they can run around the "neighborhood" showing off their "gifts", but so they can "go about doing good" for His glory and other people's benefit.
#3 THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
The graces of the fruit of the Spirit. He not only delivers from the works of the flesh... adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings and such like, but in ther place He gives us... love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance. Whatever is Christlike is available from God to His children. He wants us to enjoy the good things of the kingdom.
THEY ARE GIFTS...NOT REWARDS
All these things are free gifts from God. We cannot buy them, earn them or accrue them in any way. They were bought and paid for by Jesus when He died on the Cross and then rose again from the dead physically. His Holy Spirit now brings these gifts to us. They are from the Father, the Son and the Holy Spririt. All we need to do is just "receive" them by faith. Just believe that God really has given us these things, and they will be ours.
These are just a few of the things He wants us to have. But aren't they so much better than the things the world has to offer?
What do you want for Christmas? I WISH YOU JESUS.
Onward and Upward in Jesus,
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12/13/00
What a great time of year. In the northern hemisphere we get that nip in the air (lately it has been more than a little nippy around here.) We listen to Christian music as we travel, shop, visit stores and attend various productions and presentations. People are quick to say, "Merry Christmas" and give you a warm smile. O K, so there are some (a bunch) of miserable, ornery, self absorbed complaining people zipping in and out of traffic and forcing their way in the check-out lines. But there is also the bright side. After all, the dark side is not people in a commericially driven frenzy, it is that those people are without Jesus. With all of the mis-placed emphasis, there is still the opportunity to be a light which shines in someone else's darkness. We can shine like a star leading people to the real meaning of Christmas. We don't need to let the darkness overcome the light which is in us, "for greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world."
We need to bing our gifts of praise and thanksgiving to the "Word become Flesh", and show our families and friends the real meaining of Christmas.
Don't let these people who are worried about WHEN HE WAS BORN turn your attention away from the fact THAT HE WAS BORN. That is what the season is all about. People are not more spiritual because they "don't celebrate Christmas", but because of how they celebrate the comeing of the Son of God.
The angels welcomed His birth, the shepherds worshipped at His crib and the Magi brought gifts and worship to the young child. We join a pretty interesting group when we celebrate the birth, arrival, advent of the Son of God.
Merry CHRIST birth
Onward and Upward in Jesus,
David on Higher Ground
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12/15/00
You know...We are faced with the issue of giving gifts at this time of year. And to be honest with you, I like to give gifts. But for some people it becomes a snare and a drudgery. That is because they feel like they need to give "stuff", even when they cannot afford it. Let's face it, most of what we give and get for Christmas rots or rusts or gets ripped off. After all of these years, many people are finally realizing that "stuff ain't where it's at." People are cutting back on the material aspect of Christmas and are getting back to the real meaning.
The arrival of the God's Son is The Supreme Gift of His love. God broke the bank of heaven when He gave us His Son, but it was all because He loved us SO MUCH. We can break our earthly banks in order to give gift to others, but it will always leave us empty. Even if you do give a few gifts this year, just to show your affection, don't make that your great expenditure. Give yourself. Give your love. Give your time. Give your encouragement. And most of all, give Jesus to those around you.
Even right now, start emphasizing the true meaning of Christmas. Build toward the celebration of the coming of the Babe in a stable. Make that your focus. Give that to your family and children. "They may not appreciate it", no, they may not, but they definitely need it. And it will fit them and it will never wear out nor get stolen. Now there is a gift worth giving.
Upward and Onward in Jesus,
David on Higher Ground
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12/23/00
TIS THE SEASON TO GO SHOPPING
To be honest, I am not a great shopper. I don't mind going to stores and looking around (sometimes I actually enjoy it, but don't tell my wife), even buying something if I have money, but I'm not realy very good for the economy I guess. But I have enjoyed going to the stores, malls and shopping centers around Christmas. The bright decorations, the music, the happy and excited children, the angels and nativity scenes. It is just usually so uplifting. But I haven't been out much this season and when I went with Martha to do some errands in town, we went to K-Mart and Wal-Mart, and you know what? No Chrsitmas music, and very little to actually convey the idea of Christmas at all. Of course I heard Christmas music where I was, but that is because I hummed and sang while I roamed about the store. How sad. I am not into the promoting of the commercialism, but now what remained of a very special season is going...going...gone, too.
And though Israel could care less about the birth of the Messiah, it is interesting that because of the violence in that part of the world, they have shut down the little town of Bethlehem. Could this be indicative of the times as well?
But back to our original thought, LAST MINUTE SHOPPING. Remember the post I made about WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR CHRISTMAS? If you didn't find what you wanted there, try this.
THE PERFECT GIFT
He is the Giver of every good and perfect gift. Dream your dreams, catch the vision of God. You are God's choice in telling the story of the Christ Child, so fill your heart with His love, truth, peace, power and purpose. Do you have a dream or vision from God and His will? Then let Him fulfill it. He never calls you to a place He won't go before you and with you. He never assigns you to a work without equipping you to do it. If you have caught sight of His plan for you, trust Him to bring it to pass. Years ago as a child, my son Mark asked me if I knew "how to make a dream come true?" Then he said, "Do it." This Christmas, dream big dreams for God and then by His grace and power, Do It.
Make this the best Christmas ever. It is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the kingdom and all things are for your sake. He is the giver of every good and perfect gift. You do not lack anything from God. Do not let Him lack any thing from you.
Upward and Onward in Jesus,
David on Higher Ground
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Dec 24, 2000
Enjoy the celebration of Christ's birth. We who enjoy the sea and the fish in it should celebrate this special day of the year with a little different point of view.
The One we honor on this day, grew up and called to Himself men who would change the world. Some of the men he called and chose were fishermen. Men who knew the testing that the sea puts you through. Men who did what they liked, but not what was always easy. Men who knew the discomfort of stormy weather, the disappointment of being "skunked", the hardship of a bad season, the cost and time of up-keep of their boats and tediousness of net-mending. Men who were weathered and tough with dogged determination. Men who knew the joy of a good catch, the camaraderie of old-salts sitting around spinning tales and "stretching the truth." Men who were real men, who feared very little and loved their life-style more than wealth. Men who fished from early morning, through heat of day, into dark of night and ate fish every day, talked fishing 24/7 and then dreamed about fishing in their sleep. Independent men, strong men, stubborn men. But just like us, men who needed a relationship with King Jesus more than an encounter with king mackerel.
I am from the Promised Land area of Morehead City, North Carolina, but because of this One I am promised a land which is fairer than day, where no storm clouds rise, therefore I have anchored in Jesus and I have pulled into His safe harbor.
He called those fishermen of old and He still does,
to come and follow Him and He will make us fishers
of men. Merry Christmas, good sailing and good
fishing.
Pastor David
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12/21/00
THE GIFT ON THE TREE
The greatest Gift came not under the tree nor in the stocking hung by the fireplace... the greatest Gift came hung on the tree. From His birth, when the innocents were slain by the cruelty and jealousy of Herod, the way of Jesus would be the way of death. From the shedding of His own blood at His circumcision, the way of Jesus has been the way of blood. The Babe was born to die. He was cradled in His mothers arms before He was laid in a manger... so that one day He would be stretched out on a cross and then His limp, dead body would be cradled to the tomb. The perfect Child would become the perfect sacrifice.
BEAUTIFUL BUT BLOODY STORY OF THE BABE
Though Christmas is a beautiful story, it is the beginning of a violent story of love. What must it have been like to look into the face of the Infant, and know that He would one day cry out, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me?" To hold His tiny fingers which would one day curl in pain from the driving of the nails. To brush His lovely face which one day would be so tortured with pain that there would be no comliness that any should desire Him.
If the story only ends in pain, blood and death the story is a true tragedy.
FROM TRAGEDY TO VICTORY
But the lowly birth, the life of trial, denial and betrayal by friends does not end in the tomb. The gaping grave was not the last word. He is risen and He is alive forever. He is risen, He is alive and He is available to whoever sees that their sins killed the Babe of Bethlehem. He will forgive, He will give you a new life. If you believe He died for your sins and He rose again from the dead physically, you can be a part of this story of victory. If you don't come to accept Him and know Him, your life will be the true tragedy.
When we sing, "Away In a Manger" let's remember that He took our sins away. When we sing, "Silent Night" let's remember that He silenced the wrath of God.
God gave His Gift, all we need to do is receive Him into our lives.
Onward and Upward in Jesus,
David on Higher Ground
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12/22/00
Christmas comes for us at the end of the year. This gives us an opportunity to do three things in conjunction with one another.
THREE THINGS TO DO
First, we have the opportunity to celebrate the coming of the Son of God.
Second, we have the opportunity to evaluate the year just ending.
And
Three, we have the opportunity to dream God's dreams for the future.
It is not the time to get frustrated and irritated; not the time to let the pressures of meetings, parties and last minute details and obligations rob us of the Joy of the moment. After all, it is true that "Christmas comes but once a year" so don't miss the blessing that it brings. It is the time to focus more sharply on meaning of life, not just the season. Live the moments that will be captured in peoples minds and hearts. Shine the light of the gospel in a time when others are overcome with the darkness of disappointment and failure. Let the joy of Jesus brighten the corner where you are.
It is not the time to be depressed over past failures, but to learn from our shortcomings. This is not a simple matter of evaluation done from a human point of view, but rather allowing God to show us our failures and His adequacy. Seeing God's faithfulness, goodness, power, constancy and consistancy. Learning from the times we failed and from the times we faithed on through our trials and troubles. Leaving our past in the hands of Jesus, trusting His blood to cleanse us from our sins and sin. Taking note of the changes He made in us this past year, knowing that as we obeyed we moved forward in triumph. Repent of our own failure, give praise for His success and give thanks for His faithfulness through the entire year. He was there, even if we were not available to Him.
It is the time to dream His dreams, catch His vision, move in His power and show His love. It is the time to put off the burden of habits and attitudes which slow us down in our service to Christ and it is the time to be done with the sin which so easily ensnares us. It is the time to walk in the new light which He sheds on our path. It is the accepted time and day of salvation. Tomorrow is as blood bought as the past is blood washed.
Onward and Upward in Jesus,
David on Higher Ground
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12/13/00
Just stand in line at the Wal-Mart or Toys R Us or some of the more expensive stores and watch the carts and carts of "stuff" people are buying. Then after Christmas listen to all of the complaining about much they spent on gifts. There are actually people who go into debt to give gifts at Christmas. What a shame that people enslave themselves to celebrate the birth of the One Who died to set us free. Debt enslaves and God directs us to not go into debt.
However there is a debt with which we are saddled because of Christmas. You see, God gave His Son, Jesus Christ to the whole world. Since there are some in the world who have never heard about Jesus, we who have heard are supposed to tell the unreached. God has given us a Gift which belongs to others and He wants us to give that Gift to them. Until we give to others what God has given to us, we are in debt.
It is true that we have a debt to all. God gave me a message for someone else and I must pay that debt by giving them His message (Ro. 1:14) It is also true that God DOES NOT want us to be in debt. We would be shocked to know what victory comes by being out of debt. Our society has misled us and we are slaves because of un-Biblical finances. We should take RO. 1:14 as a do/don't directive from God this Christmas season. Do tell the gospel to others, and Don't owe your fellow man anything.
Upward and Onward in Jesus,
David on Higher Ground
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Dec 26, 2000
The packaging has been discarded, the dishes have been washed and put away, the house has been straightened up, the friends and relatives have gone home, some of the new toys survived to play another day, the left overs are still here and we have some pictures to remind us of our good time over Christmas. I hope we have more than this today. I hope relationships were deepened, spirits were lifted and insights were broadened.
Some did not have a very pleasant Christmas. Some suffered
great affliction and today is another day of suffering for them...we need to pray for them. Some inflicted themselves with misery and never opened the gifts that God gave them. They would rather have misery than joy, turmoil than peace, irritability than longsuffering, anger than love, doubt than faith. We cannot make them "believe" on Jesus, but we need to pray for them anyway. Some will face the lonliness of loved ones going "back home" and leaving an empty place at the table and an empty space in the heart, we should pray for them. Some are about to face "bad news" or heartaches, we need to pray for them. But as we pray, can we see how much we have, and for this we should give praise.
I stayed warm, dry, fed...Praise The Lord.
I saw and talked to loved ones...Praise The Lord
I fellowshipped with friends...Praise The Lord
I worshipped without being thrown into jail or being physically attacked...Praise The Lord.
Pastor David
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