Category Archives: Holidays

-The Call of Thankfulness

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            (Image by bdec via Flickr)

This is a good time to look at the call of thankfulness in the life of the believer.

Throughout the scriptures in both the old and the new, believers are instructed to express praise and thankfulness to God as a part of their daily worship and devotion.

Here’s a few good ones to remember:

Ps 100:1-5

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
2 Serve the LORD with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!

3 Know that the LORD, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!

5 For the LORD is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
ESV

Col 3:15-17
15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
ESV

Phil 4:4-7

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
ESV

In fact, thankfulness is the fruit and proof of one’s faith. According to Romans 1:21 the opposite is true for the ungodly who do not “honor him as God or give thanks to him.”

All believers are called to be thankful no matter what circumstances we may find ourselves in (See: I Thess. 5:18 below). In fact the very act of rejoicing, thanking, and praising God changes our very lives for the better. It also can open the door to miracles.

I am reminded of the occasion when Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown in prison. Most of us including myself would have probably complained about the situation and questioned God about why he allowed it to happen. But Paul and Silas gave thanks and sang praises and it changed everything (Acts 16:-40). I also know of one pastor who went through similar circumstances who sang praises and converted more than a few in prison in the process.

Even if our praises and thankfulness do not change the circumstances we find ourselves in, it does change us and open us up to greater intimacy with God. This is God’s will for our lives and real blessings follow.

1 Thess 5:16-18
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
ESV

-Reformation Needed –For Charismatic Pentecostal Churches?

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        (Image via Wikipedia)

This is a great time to consider the real need for a reformation of the Charismatic and Pentecostal churches in America.

J. Lee Grady proposes a new reformation along with new theses for change in this article:

“It’s (Past) Time for a Charismatic Reformation”

Here’s the Theses of change that Grady proposes:

1. Let’s reform our theology.

2. Let’s return to the Bible.

3. It’s time for personal responsibility.

4. Stop playing games.

5. Stop the foolishness.

6. End all spiritual extortion now.

7. No more Lone Rangers.

8. Expose the creeps.

9. Stop faking the anointing.

10. Let’s return to purity.

11. We need humility.

12. No more big shots.

13. Never promote gifts at the expense of character.

14. Hold the prophets accountable.

15. Let’s make the main thing the main thing.

Read the whole article to see his comments and explanations under each of the 15 theses. At least a good start and something to consider and pray about. May God bless and reform his church. Let it begin to day and let it begin with us.

-Merry Christmas…Here’s the Real Night Before Christmas Story

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     (Nativity  by krisdecurtis via Flickr)

The real Christmas story is found in Matthew (Matt. 1:18-2:18) and in Luke ( Luke 1:26-56, 2:1-40). However, Isaiah should never be ignored:

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

Matthew gives us the story largely from the perspective of Joseph, including the dreams that he had and his family genealogy. In this gospel the ‘Kingship’ of Jesus is the major topic. Starting with the Davidic Kingly genealogy through Joseph and the coming of the Magi (Wisemen) who are looking for the new king. Also King Herod’s reaction is in Matthew.

The events in Luke are given to us from Mary’s view. The angel Gabriel appears to Mary and announces the coming of the child. Mary’s genealogy is also given in Luke (Luke 3:23-38clip_image002[5]), she was also a descendant of David, but not in the ‘Kingly’ line. Chapter 2 begins with the Christmas story that everyone is familiar with:

1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

However, nothing explains the real reason for the season better than John 3:16-17:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.  -KJV

-Happy Thanksgiving!

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              (Image via Wikipedia)

Thanksgiving is a uniquely American celebration that began nearly four centuries ago with a deeply religious people, the Pilgrims, giving thanks to God for preserving them though a very hard year and bringing them their first bountiful harvest which they gratefully shared with their indigenous neighbors.

It was our first President George Washington who proclaimed that our first official national day of public thanksgiving should be dedicated by observing and:

“…by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God.“

In recent years the ‘politically correct’/secular crowd has rewritten the history of the first Thanksgiving to place an emphasis upon the hand that the indigenous American Indians played in helping the original Pilgrim community to survive. In the process they have redirected the emphasis on thanks towards the neighbors and away from the providence of Almighty God.

In his official recognition and Proclamation of Thanksgiving 2009, our most secular President Obama continues the PC view and takes it to another level calling the nation to observe the following during this Thanksgiving:

“…I encourage all the people of the United States to come together, whether in our homes, places of worship, community centers, or any place where family, friends and neighbors may gather, with gratitude for all we have received in the past year; to express appreciation to those whose lives enrich our own; and to share our bounty with others.”

Notice that he makes no mention of thanking God in his proclamation—probably the first President to ignore the Almighty during this celebration. While it is always good to be thankful for others who have enriched our own lives and certainly that has a good part to play in the celebration. Nevertheless the major emphasis of Thanksgiving should always be upon God as it was at the very first.

Sorry Mr. President, for me and my family we will be praising and thanking the Lord God Almighty for the bounties and the providence that he has bestowed upon us this year in the name of his Son Jesus Christ.           

-Halloween? No–Reformation Day—a Great Time to Pray for Revival

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On October 31, 1517 Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the door of a church Wittenberg, Germany starting the Reformation of the Church. The enemy likes to use this day for propagating his dark agenda but this is also Reformation Day—a great day to pray for revival.

Generals International Ministry are sponsoring a conference of over 2,000 intercessors today to pray and intercede for this nation. According to Cindy Jacobs the meeting is all about responding to a call of the Spirit to prayer :

“Believers across America are deeply concerned about the state of our nation. Prayer warriors are writing and calling us daily to warn that they feel we are on the verge of something catastrophic in scope coming to the nation.”  …

“We’re going to pray for a reformation back to a biblical worldview in our nation, against terrorist attacks, for the economy [and for] the state of the nation.”

“We’re not for the donkey or the elephant; we’re for whoever stands up. This is not the time to water down the message. … We definitely feel the Holy Spirit stirring, and we are very concerned for our nation. There is a feeling of sobriety in our country.”

The message that some of the prophetic folks around the nation are getting right now is that it is time to pray. What ever else we do today let’s remember to join in prayer continually for this nation and people, and for Revival to flood across America once more.  

-Yom Kippur: The Biblical Day of Atonement

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(Yom Kippur service –runneralan2004 via Flickr)

Today is Yom Kippur –the Biblical Day of Atonement—actually it began yesterday evening at sundown on Sunday September 27 and ends at sundown today –Monday September 28.

Most associate it with being a Jewish holiday and that it is—the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. A day when Jewish folk fast & pray and take a look at their lives-particularly the last year and commit themselves to do better—they seek forgiveness for sins committed against others (beforehand) and against God. Traditionally it is also the day when God decides the fate of each human being over the next year.

You might ask—What does that have to do with Christians?

In one respect, what Jewish folk do on this day should be an on-going process for Christians-we should always be seeking to reconcile ourselves to those around us and we should continually be asking for forgiveness from our Heavenly Father in the name of His Son Jesus.

However, it is always good to recognize that today is a special day on God’s Biblical calendar. While we may not want to celebrate the special days like Jewish families do, there are still important Biblical principles to be learned and observed non-the-less.

I know quite a few prophetic ministers who take this day in particular very serious and usually spend it in prayer and fasting—believing that it is a time of evaluation—a time when ministries are pruned or expanded.

In my own life, most of the significant changes having to do with ministry seem to always happen this time of the year.

Blessings, Michael              

-Pentecost:The Importance for Us Today and in The Future

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Today is Pentecost. For many that was a wonderful event that happened at the beginning of the church to kick things off. After the church was established and the Bible was completed than Pentecost began to fade in importance and became tantamount to the birthday of the church—at least so goes one interpretation of church history and theology.

Then along came Azusa street and churches began to call themselves ‘Pentecostal’ and hundreds of millions came to Christ through that movement around the world. Now far more than half of the Christians in the world believe that the “Gifts’ are for today and experiences similar to Pentecost are constantly re-occurring and renewing the church. In fact, it is only among Christians in the Western world that this is an issue at all.

I believe that the example of Pentecost and the early church is going to be very important for the American church as it is in the midst of change. The 120 first Church of Jerusalem Christians were a group that was continually under some form of persecution. First from the Jewish authorities and later from the Romans. It was only through the power and counsel of the Holy Spirit that the church was able to survive and spread across the entire known world in one generation.

This is also happening in the present generation. It is said that more have come to Christ in the last 40 years or so than in all the previous generations combined. If you live in Europe or even in some parts of America, the church seems to be in decline, but not so everywhere else. There is a great harvest going on in Africa and Asia, and South America also is beginning to pick it up.

In the Western world and in America, Christianity was an institution and part of the culture—but increasingly not so anymore. In the future it will be increasingly important for Western Christians to take seriously the examples of Pentecost and the early Christian church as never before—a church that thrived and grew under persecution.

Strangely enough, the example of the Chinese Christians could well be a pattern for Western churches and particularly the American church to consider in the future. They band together to create home fellowships and supporting communities in the face of governmental and cultural persecution.

They continue to grow through prophetic inspiration, healings, sign and wonders, and miracles. Note also that nearly all of their leaders are self supporting—in these difficult economic times there are churches all over America that can no longer afford a full-time pastor, particularly in small mid-western towns. This example is also currently being duplicated in India which is in the midst of incredible revival.            

-The Purpose of Christmas?

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The Purpose of Christmas: Warren, Rick: 9781501196959 ...

Here’s an excellent article written by Pastor Rick Warren on the real meaning of Christmas. It’s actually an excerpt from his recent book:  The Purpose of Christmas–a timely message posted in Christianity Today Magazine online:

“Christmas is a party. Specifically, it’s a birthday party — for Jesus — and birthdays are meant to be celebrated. It’s why we say “Merry Christmas!”

Ironically, at most Christmas parties the person whose birthday we’re supposed to be celebrating is completely ignored. He’s never even mentioned. Although Jesus is the reason for the season, he’s often overlooked or merely mentioned along with Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus, the Grinch, elves, and a long list of celebrated fictional characters.

As I was writing this little book, I decided to take a survey of Christmas shoppers. I asked, “What are you celebrating this Christmas?” Most answers had nothing to do with Jesus:

  • “I’m celebrating that I made it through another year.”
  • “I’m celebrating being home with my family.”
  • “I got a Christmas bonus.”
  • “My son is home from Iraq.”
  • “The candidate I voted for got elected.”
  • “I’m celebrating that I’ve finished all my shopping.”
  • “I’m not celebrating anything. I’m just trying to survive.”

Preparing for Christmas can be a lot of work, especially for moms. With the pressure of buying gifts, sending greeting cards, decorating our homes, putting up lights, cooking, attending parties, and cleaning up afterward, we have little time to actually enjoy the meaning of Christmas.

The first purpose of Christmas is celebration! We learn this from the angel’s opening statement to the shepherds of Bethlehem. God had wonderful news for us that would cause us all to rejoice, celebrate, and throw a party: “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” Luke 2:10 (NIV)

The good news of Christmas is worth celebrating for three reasons. It is personal: “I bring YOU.” It is positive: “GOOD news of great joy.” And it is universal: “for ALL the people.” It doesn’t matter who you are, what you’ve done, where you’ve been, or where you’re headed — this news is for you.”  <<Read the complete article>>           

-October 31: Celebrate Reformation Day!

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(Church Doors in Wittenburg via Wikipedia)

No, I am not talking about trick or treating or goblins and pumpkins! This is a good time for prayer and for praising the Lord in order to balance out all of the dark festivities associated with this day in American culture.

On this Day…

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther posted Ninety-five Theses on the doors of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany and began the Protestant Reformation. Now that is something to celebrate about! The beginning 0f a sovereign work of God that transformed the world.

Merry Christmas! May the Blessings of the Lord be Upon You and Yours this Christmas.

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THE CHRISTMAS STORY:

The Christmas story is found in Matthew (1:18-2:18) and in Luke (1:26-56, 2:1-40). However, Isaiah should never be ignored: 

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.  (Is. 7:14clip_image002) 

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  (Is. 9:6clip_image002[1])

Matthew gives us the story largely from the perspective of Joseph, including the dreams that he had and his family genealogy.   In this gospel the ‘Kingship’ of Jesus is the major topic.  Starting with the Davidic Kingly genealogy through Joseph and the coming of the Magi (Wisemen) who are looking for the new king.  Also King Herod’s reaction is in Matthew.

The events in Luke are given to us from Mary’s view.  The angel Gabriel appears to Mary and announces the coming of the child.  Mary’s genealogy is also given in Luke (3:23-38), she was also a descendent of David, but not in the ‘Kingly’ line.  Chapter 2 begins with the Christmas story that everyone is familiar with:

1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

May the Blessings of the Lord be Upon You and Yours this Christmas.