IS JESUS THE REASON?

 

One of the often seen quotes at this time of the year is, "Jesus is the reason for the season." Of course that is in reference to the coming Christmas Holiday. I realize that for a lot of folks that is a very true statement. The question is, should it be that way?

 

What makes the month of December any more holy or inspiring than any other time of the year. Samuel Johnson wrote this about this season: "(We as a people or) the Church does not superstitiously observe days, merely as days, but as memorials of important facts (or events). Christmas might be kept as well upon one day of the year as another; but (I feel) there should be a stated day for commemorating the birth of our Saviour, because there is danger that what may be done on any day, will be neglected."

 

Are we in danger of neglecting remembering the day of the birth of Jesus? Well, in all honesty you have to admit that the church we read about in the bible never celebrated that day. Was it a momentous occasion? Absolutely! It received a detailed description of the day in the gospels. The problem as I see it is not the keeping of Christmas, but remembering Jesus every day.

 

Our daughter-in-law Mylinda shared these words of wisdom from our adorable 4 year old grand daughter Allison: One morning Allison told her mom: "Jesus lives in your heart. That's where I keep MY Jesus, in my heart, all day long!"

 

You see, too some Jesus is the reason for this particular season; yet those with more insight realize that Jesus is the reason for EVERY season. My prayer is that like that 4 year old little girl; I can keep Jesus in MY heart all day long. Not just this season or this month or on the 25^th of December, but every day.

 

From now on, whenever I hear the phrase, "Jesus is the reason for the season," I'm going to try to respond, "No, Jesus is the reason for every season, "because I have him right here in my heart all day long.

 

Russ Lawson, Messages From The Heart

 

When you're an Old Coot

WHEN  YOU'RE AN OLD COOT  

I've been rereading a book that about a year ago my daughter-in-law and son gave to me. Looking back on it I figure they are making a statement about me, and they may not be far off the mark. The title of the book is, "When I'm on old coot, witticisms for people who refuse to grow old gracefully." I got to thinking about that and thought I'd do a little research. Just in case you are not familiar with the word, "coot," it is defined in this way: "a harmless simple minded person," Used in this way, "Don't mind him, he's just a crazy old coot." (Webster's Dictionary)

Humm, makes me begin to rethink the nature of the gift? No, really, I know it was just a gift that was given in fun, I think! Actually, I know why they thought of me with a book with this title. It is because I don't usually make the expected decisions or the do the things that "folks of my age," are normally expected to do. I know that more than one person has thought my decision may at the least be questionable (by accepted, safe, comfortable standards).

I also got to thinking about the word, "gracefully." It is defined as: "pleasing or attractive in line, proportion, movements or actions." Humm, again not me! I don't fit into any of those categories.

So, let me see if I understand this: I'm an old crazy person who is not always pleasing or attractive in my actions. Probably a few of you can identify with me in these things (or not). The truth is, I don't mind being different (if you hadn't guessed), but especially I don't mind being different from the world, seen as crazy, don't fit in, not pleasing or acceptable in my attitudes or actions to the worlds views. If fact, that is even biblical!

Take a look at what Peter wrote to Christians in 1 Peter 4:3-6: "You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy, their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols. Of course, your former friends will think you are crazy when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they'll call you a crazy old coot or simple minded. But remember that they will have to face God, who will judge everyone, both the living and the dead.  That is why the Good News was preached to those who are now dead, so although they were destined to die like all people, they now live forever with God in the Spirit." (Paraphrase by R.L.)

Forgive my taking a few liberties with the scripture, but I believe it contains the thoughts of the original message. As I said I don't mind being different from those around me, when it comes to pleasing God. What about you?

Russ Lawson, Messages From The Heart

In case you are wondering where to get this book for your "special someone," you can find it at www.gibbs-smith.com

Books by Russ Lawson @ http://www.lulu.com/russlawson

Thanksgiving, I don't think so ....

THANKSGIVING, I DON'T THINK SO

You may not have stopped to think about it, but not everyone is thankful at Thanksgiving. Some are like the suffering person in the note below.

"I really don't get this 'Thanksgiving thing.' I don't have the 'Leave it to Beaver' family, never did. Sure it's a big time for families, but I'm alone on Thanksgiving, so what's the big deal. My kids don't live near me; I'm not close to my brother or sister, my husband left me, so what's to celebrate, Being alone? Being miserable? I'll just snuggle up in my blanket on the sofa with my TV dinner while the rest of you go on with your fairy tale lives." (Anonymous)

Now, you may think the above note is a little extreme, but is it really? Think about your life and the lives of folks you know. How many of them are truly happy? How many times do you or they worry about things in this life? There may be a family member who is sick or who had a bad report from the doctor. You may be looking at the loss of a job, a cut in your hours at work. It may be that your employer may be downsizing, or you worry about the drop in the value of your home or your savings or retirement funds.

For some people, it is difficult to celebrate the holidays in November and December. I read somewhere that there are more suicides at this time of year than any other. Why? Probably because people are reminded that they don't have the storybook lives they would like to have and they feel like they never will.

You may be wondering what worry has to do with Thanksgiving. The way it connects is that the inability to give thanks comes from the same weakness and struggling in our spirits that causes us to worry. It is a basic losing of our faith in the one who sustains us.

Did you know that at least 9 times in the New Testament we read the words, "May God be with you." Do you really believe that God is with you today? Do you recognize his power and strength around you? Could it be that you are spending so much time focusing on the negatives things that might happen, that you forget to count your blessings for today?

You see our sense of well being; the ability to give thanks is in proportion to our faith in God. Paul writes these words in Ephesians 5:19-20, "Speak to one another with psalms, hymn always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Perhaps right now, this moment, would be a good time to begin singing the old song that tells us to, "Count your blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done."

Is it a time for Thanksgiving? YES! I definitely think so!

Is your string securely tied?

IS YOUR STRING SECURELY TIED?

I recently heard a story about a little boy who was sailing his little sail boat in a pond in the park. He had tied a string to the boat so he wouldn't loose it, but it had come untied. The boat began to drift out further into the pond than the boy could reach and of course he became very upset. His father was watching the whole thing and walked up and began throwing large stones to the far side of the boat. The idea of course was that the splash and the ripples would begin to move the boat back towards the shore. Before long the boat was back within the reach of the boy and he was happy once again.

I wonder if sometimes that is how God works in our lives? We begin to drift away from him, fail to talk with him, fail to worship with his children, do we fail to live lives which would honor him. Then something happens to upset the calm waters of our lives, it makes a big splash and cause ripples. Hopefully these things will cause us to begin to drift back towards God. Do you think that God ever uses those bad or difficult things that happen in your life to get your attention and shove you back into his arms?

I think the problem is that sometimes our string becomes untied, we loose our anchor and we drift. We sometimes sing the old hymn, "Will your anchor hold", notice some of the words:

Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,
When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?
When the strong tides lift and the cables strain,
Will your anchor drift, or firm remain?

We have an anchor that keeps the soul
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Savior's love.

The writer of the book of Hebrews uses this theme to assure us that we can trust in God. God never changes and never goes back on his word and is always there for us. Notice what the writer says: "God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls."(Hebrews 6:17-19, NLT)

Is your string securely tied? Will your anchor hold? Will you recognize that the ripples or storms taking place around you may be God trying to get your attention? If you are "fastened to the Rock," then you can speak the words of Psalms 23 with security and serenity of one whose father is watching over us. You can sing the words of the song knowing even the storms won't cause you to drift?

Fixing Bicycles and Thanksgiving

FIXING BICYCLES AND THANKSGIVING

I recently read a little story about a little girl that touched my heart. It seems that this little girl was late coming home for supper one evening. When she got home her parents were understandably upset. He questioned her about why she had been so late, after all they had worried about her!

The Little girl said, "I stopped to help Marcie, she had a wreck on her bicycle and it was broken." Her father said, "But you don't know anything about fixing bicycles!" To which the little girls replied, "I know, but stopped to help her cry."

Now you may or may not know anything about fixing bicycles, or cars, or washing machines, or refrigerators or much of anything else. But when friends have broken things in their lives and are in despair, we can help them with that! The truth is that you are rarely in the position of being able to fix the brokenness of someone's life, but you can help them cry about it. You can encourage them and help them through the hard times in life!

Paul wrote in Romans 12:15, "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep." (KJV). I kind of like a modern translation of that verse that says, "Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy: share tears when they're down." (MSG)

We are entering into that time of the year when you are more apt to notice the sorrow or rejoicing of those around you. You may take more notice of people (or groups) trying to relieve the difficulties of those who are struggling to make it in or world. People take up collections of money, food and clothing to help those who might be less fortunate than we. They try to help folks who are struggling just to make ends meet. So count your blessings and do what you can, but if you have nothing to help with physically, then share their sorrow or suffering; cry with them!

On the other hand we are also entering into a time of rejoicing! It is a time of thanksgiving when people take time to count their blessings, thank God. I wonder however, if we rejoice in the right things? I read of an old man who was very poor. His cloths were tattered and his shoes had holes in them. Some people who lived near by gathered some clothes and several pairs of shoes and left them on his doorstep one night. The next morning he ran to his friend's house praising God. He said, "Rejoice with me !" "God is so good, someone left clothes and shoes on my doorstep last night and I met some folks this morning who were in need of them."

So, sometimes we cry and sometimes we rejoice with folks, even if we don't necessarily understand why they are crying or rejoicing. Psalm 92:1 Tells us, "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD…" (KJV) I may not always understand it, but I believe it anyway! Let's all do it now!

Russ Lawson, Messages From The Heart