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No El: A Christmas Message

Allen Frederick 2 Comments

image001A View from the Nest
Random Ramblings from the Resident Raptor
Insight from the Journey across the Sky

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. 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. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” Luke 2:8-14 (ESV)

Hear ye! Hear ye! Have you heard the good news? Today in the city of David a Savior was born who is Christ the Lord!

Birth announcements do not usually cause visits from heaven nor bring an angel choir and a brand new star. Wise men from the east traveled many miles to pay homage to this new-born King. Relatives might make a trip across the country to see a new-born but to bring gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. I would think not.

The angels sang Joy to the world! They proclaimed good news to all men! He shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace! What a birth announcement! What a proclamation!

My birth announcement amounted to a small space in the local newspaper. No fanfare or celestial beings in attendance to announce my arrival and certainly no bright new star shining overhead. No one came from afar to witness my birth nor were any kings or governors quaking at the thought of a new king being born. Other than a three-day blizzard my arrival onto this planet was less than spectacular.

For most people, their entrance into the world is usually without much fanfare or production. I performed a Google search to see if I could find any famous person’s birth announcements and found none. I guess the lack of those is due primarily to the birth of most infants is not considered extraordinary. To be famous one has to do something in this life to be worthy of such acclaim. Merely being born would not need a royal announcement of heavenly proportions.

On this night angels were dispatched to Mary, Joseph and lowly shepherds, to proclaim the birthday of a King. The angels foretold of the greatness of this child. All of heaven was dispatched to make this special delivery. This was no ordinary birthday. This was no ordinary child. This was not just another birth.

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Thanksgiving and Leftovers

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A Turkey.

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Ah those wonderful Thanksgiving dinner leftovers!  They are just as good the day after as the day of, at least in my opinion.  I can eat turkey sandwiches for a week after Thanksgiving and not tire of them.  It is the week after Thanksgiving.  Many have left the warm confines of their homes and ventured out into the wild world of Black Friday.  Some were out at midnight for those specially advertised sales.  Others have been waiting in line since way before daylight.

But not me; nope  I have made it a rule for myself to do everything possible to never even leave home on the day after Thanksgiving.  If at all possible I’m staying in, watching movies and yes, eating on those delectable Thanksgiving leftovers.  I might even watch the news to see how shoppers have fared on their day-after excursions.  Some of the stories are tragic and others just plain old funny.  On either end of the stick I’m glad that I’m not one of the stories.

Now don’t get me wrong.  I don’t have anything against those who enjoy the Black Friday experience – To each his own.  I really hope they find what they are looking for and have a wonderful time in the process.  Folks it just isn’t my cup of tea and I don’t think you’ll ever find me out in the crowd.  If you need me, I’ll probably be right here at home.

The word “leftovers” often doesn’t get the right rating.  A lot of people snarl their nose at leftovers.  In the Bible there were two times when a miracle of Jesus produced leftovers.  Once He had fed five thousand people with a few fish and a few loaves of bread and on another occasion the number was three thousand with the same menu.  Each time there was more leftovers than what He originally started with.  You know what; I think I might have liked to have tried those Heavenly leftovers.

In Nehemiah 12:46 we read, “For in the days of David and Asaph of old there were chiefs of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.”  The people were remembering how it had been during the days of David and Asaph.  The offices of the singers were very important to these men in the worship of God.  After their thanksgiving celebration the people of Israel under Nehemiah’s direction were trying to duplicate that so as to re-establish the wonderful worship of days gone by.  In a sense they were making trying to stretch the leftovers of their own worship for the coming days.  I believe that was a good thing.

When we have an unusually good time of worship with our Lord we want to bask in the leftovers of that experience, and we should.  That wonderful feeling of worship and closeness to God is something we want to last on and on.  It makes us to want to stretch that experience until the next one.  It’s a Heavenly leftover that we can always look forward to.

I pray that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day.  I sincerely hope that things went well for you and you made memories that will serve as pleasant leftovers for a long time to come.  We should want those kinds of leftovers.  We need to cherish those times and remember them in our hearts.  We never know when tragedy may strike and take away some of those family members we love.  But we can always relive those good times in our minds.

It’s the same with our spiritual thanksgiving.  Those times well spent with our Lord serve as pleasant memories that can encourage us in days to come.  Hold fast to them.  Never forget them.  Keep them close to your heart.  Then draw from them as the need arises.  Of course there will be new experiences in the Lord.  We’ll have more good times to come.  But never forget them and always give thanks.

Jerry D. Ousley is the Author of five books, “Soul Challenge”, “Soul Journey” “Ordeal” “The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional” and his first novel “The Shoe Tree.”  Listen to the daily broadcast Spirit Bread.  Find out more by visiting www.spiritbread.com

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com

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The Sins of The Fathers

Allen Frederick 1 Comment

The Sins of Our Fathers
Having mercy on thousands, overlooking evil and wrongdoing and sin; he will not let wrongdoers go free, but will send punishment on children for the sins of their fathers, and on their children’s children to the third and fourth generation. Exodus 34:7 (BBE)

The actions of our ancestors have left us were we are today. With an ever-increasing burden placed upon future generations, the current generation has a great deal to repent of. It is because of the bad decisions of our ancestors that we find America where it is now. It is not fair to place the burden of our current state of affairs at the feet of our founders because since our founding our country has moved toward a socialist state in direct opposition to the constitution and the founding principles set forth there. Our founders left for us a representative republic if we could keep it. It appears that we have failed to keep our country as founded, but rather we have been led astray toward the pathway of tyrannical rule; against which our founders fought and died.

Robert R. Livingston

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Yes my fellow Americans unless we alter our course radically, and return to the founding father’s vision of a representative republic, we will be visiting upon our children tyranny. The sins of my father and my father’s father have come back to bite us. Our children and our children’s children are going to have to pay the price for our mishandling of the sacred trust handed down to us by the likes of Franklin, Jefferson, Madison, Washington, Adams, Smith et al. These brave men gave up their fortunes and pledged their lives and sacred honor to protect and defend this new nation conceived upon the idea that all men are create equal and equally endowed with unalienable rights, granted to them by God and not legislated by a central government. These great men saw the misfortunes that lie in wait for those who desired a strong central government. They feared an all-powerful government and went to great lengths to attempt to limit it’s power and reach. The desires of our founders was for the government to be by, for and of the people. They set in place a federal government which derived it’s power from the people. The states yielded some of their power to this newly formed central government, but only on a limited basis, and they retained the power to withdraw support at anytime. As a result of the South losing the Civil War succession was eliminated and I fear what has been unleashed is a leviathan that can no longer be restrained.

Unless we chart a new course, or better yet return to the original course, and get back to constitutional government our children and their children will have to bear the weight of our sins. Sins of omission as well as sins of commission. Ignoring a problem will not make it go away it will only postpone the inevitable, and come back home to visit our children. We wrote checks, on overdrawn accounts, and borrowed from our children’s futures to give a bit more comfort for ourselves, knowing that we would not be around when the bill came due. We elected officials who wrote checks on our behalf to give us our wants and desires all at the expense of our children and their children.

Yes folks we have played the dead-beat dad for far too long. It is time now to rise up and be accountable for our actions. It is time we look out for our children and their children and store up for them and not hoard it ourselves. We have stolen their futures and the Lord will hold us accountable. So for the children’s sake let us repent of our greedy ways and make things right. Why should our sins be visited upon our children and their children?

And that is this week’s tail feather. Think about it.

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. Isaiah 40:31Open Link in New Window (BBE)

Along for the journey

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Never Give Up

Allen Frederick Leave a comment

As a Christian we have a higher power from which we can draw our strength from. Although there are many who rise up against you never forget that greater is He who is with you then he who is with them. We serve the greater good, the highest authority, and the final arbitrator of all things. He is the King of kings and the Lord of all lords. And you my child are a King’s kid.
 

 

Belarus Theologian Takes PCUSA to Task On Gay Issues

Allen Frederick 4 Comments

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

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A hearty AMEN to Reverend Siarhei Hardum of Belarus for stating the obvious. The issue of homosexuality is clearly covered in Scriptures and there really should be no need to be debating this issue. The Christian church has long stated that Homosexuality is an abomination to the Lord. If it is an abomination to the Lord wouldn’t it stand to reason then that those who promote this type of activity are also an abomination to the Lord? But if we want to just look at this from a morality issue, any sexual immorality is condemned by the bible not condoned.

I agree with the good Reverend from Belarus when he states this is a form of paganism.

If you are involved in a homosexual lifestyle there is hope for you in Jesus Christ but you must repent of your sexual immorality in order to receive his forgiveness. Like any other sin there is forgiveness after repentance.

clipped from www.onenewsnow.com

Associated Press logo smallPCUSA Presbyterian sealMINNEAPOLIS – An Orthodox Church theologian who was invited to greet the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has criticized its approval of non-celibate homosexual clergy.

The Reverend Siarhei Hardun of Belarus said that vote and efforts to approve same-gender “marriage” looked to him like an attempt to “invent a new religion — a sort of modern paganism.”

“Christian morality is as old as Christianity itself. It doesn’t need to be invented now,” he said of attempts to create what he described as a “new morality.”

Hardun added, “When people say that they are led and guided by the Holy Spirit to do it, I wonder if it is the same Holy Spirit that inspired the Bible.”
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