GETTING READY FOR THE NEW YEAR!

Trying out posting to blog via email! Happy New Year!

MEMORIZE A PSALM!

The dawn's chill on my skin and the warmth of the the sunlight combined with clear skies to make this one of the most beautiful mornings so far this year. Through the woods by my house the wind was singing, the trees were swaying, and their song and dance was amazing! It's the last morning of 2008.

How does one express the feelings of thankfulness and joy that such splendor stirs? Poetry has been a creative outlet for emotional expression for millennia. Accompanied by music, songs of new days, winter nights, loneliness and contentment can still be felt years after their authors are gone.

Strangely enough, this morning I thought of the Beatles:

Dear Prudence, won't you come out to play
Dear Prudence, greet the brand new day 
The sun is up, the sky is blue 
It's beautiful and so are you 
Dear Prudence won't you come out and play 
(Copyright, Lennon/McCartney)

The song is a great expression of just enjoying being alive! To me, the rest of the song conveys an overwhelming sense of gratitude for life! It invites "Prudence" to that enjoyment and gratitude. But, to whom are we grateful? This is where the song runs out of meaning, like being in love with no object of love would be meaningless.

I can't imagine celebrating Thanksgiving, enjoying Christmas, or even feeling the smile that comes over my face on mornings like this, without being able to thank someone! Like the old joke about the atheist at his own funeral, "all dressed up with no place to go," is the feeling of thankfulness without someone to thank!

This is where the Psalms come in; poetry that takes the next step. Yes, I can relish in the sensations of dawn and dusk all by myself, but the Psalms give focus to those feelings. The Psalms point upward, saying, "praise ye the LORD!" The Psalms somehow give the Lover and His beloved back to one another.

Those living far away fear your wonders; where morning dawns and evening fades you call forth songs of joy.
You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it.
- Psalm 65:8-9

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it; Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy;
they will sing before the LORD, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth. - Psalm 96:11-12

See how God remains the central point of focus to all the beauty of nature? He is the object of our worship! He is the desire of the everlasting hills! I carry a couple of Psalms around in my thoughts for just such times. Psalm 103 is a favorite. It's a bursting out of praise for what the Lord does.

Spontaneity is why they're better memorized. Carry anything from an index card to a smart phone containing your memory verses, so you can pull them out for practice anytime. They'll be great enhancements to worship, the way hymns or worship songs are.

One more thing: These Psalms need to be spoken out loud to get all the "goody" out of them! Don't think them, or even whisper them. Say them at speaking volume, or even louder! If you're worried what others will think about you walking around monologuing, find somewhere secluded. That's why I was in the woods this morning!

THEY MARVELED

Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Luke 2:27-33

They marveled at what was said about Jesus! This amazes me that they marveled! These are the people who each had angelic visitations (Mary, in person - Joseph, in a dream) telling them that Mary, who was a virgin, would soon give birth to the Son of God! This is the Mary who uttered prophecies regarding Jesus, which were inspired by the Holy Spirit.

These are the people who were visited by shepherds; who received gifts from magi; who saw a star light the heavens for easy travel! And these people marveled?!? What in the world was left to marvel about? I can just imagine Mary: “You may have some new revelation to give me about Jesus, and you’re probably going to expect me to really freak out about it. But if you had seen half the stuff I’ve seen...!”

We could come up with different explanations for their marveling. But it comes down to this: Jesus is worth marveling over! And his marvel-worthiness is indefinite! I believe Mary was marveling when the first angel gave her that first visit, and she was still marveling when her boy was ascending back to his Father in Heaven! Gasoline in your car runs out. Bubblegum flavor runs out. Jesus just doesn’t run out! He always surprises, always amazes, always invokes some kind of shocking response!

My college choir once went to perform at a church, for their Wednesday night potluck. It’s not unusual for college students to sing for their supper. I remember sitting next to my friend Kevin. At that time, Kevin was still a fairly new Christian. He usually had an insight into religion that you just don’t get from looking through rose-colored stain-glass windows all your life.

Half way through the meal, he directed my attention to the contents of his dinner plate and said, “Man, I may not know everything about being a Christian, but I’ll tell you one thing I know: Jesus ain't no bad meatloaf!” Kevin knew that Jesus was so much better than a potluck, or its menu selection. Jesus is full of fresh surprises!

Jesus is about the new. He’s the only one who can give you something 2,000 years old and accurately call it, Good News! Jesus is not a one-hit wonder! Jesus is not a one-marvel Savior! The Living water doesn’t stagnate! The Bread of Life doesn’t go stale! And Jesus ain't no bad meatloaf!

JIPS 1.0 - GOOGLE CALCULATOR

What is a JIPS you ask? John's Internet Public Service! It could also be a portmanteau word: John's tips - Jips! In an effort to expand the scope and usefulness of DailyWhitt, I'll be adding JIPS from time to time.

Today we learn about an amazing feature of the Google search engine. Trying to figure those bill payments? Wondering about that percentage of change? Looking for a way to waste hours with meaningless calculations? You can do all the above from right in your Google browser! It's like a super-internet-based calculator!

Directions
1. Go to www.google.com
2. Type in a mathematical problem, or expression
3. Click the search button
4. Be amazed at the power of the web!

Examples
In the search field (that little box you type words into when you're looking for stuff on Google), you can type in the mathematical, or the English version of a problem:

2+2, or two plus two

twenty four divided by four, or 24/4

(As Seen on http://www.google.com/help/calculator.html)

Operator	Function	Example
+	addition	3+44
-	subtraction	13-5
*	multiplication	7*8
/	division	12/3
^	exponentiation (raise to a power of)	8^2
%	modulo (finds the remainder after division)	8%7
choose	X choose Y determines the number of ways of choosing a set of Y elements from a set of X elements	18 choose 4
th root of	calculates the nth root of a number	5th root of 32
% of	X % of Y computes X percent of Y	20% of 150

So, give it a shot and see what fun you can have geeking out!

More JIPS to come!

MARATHON

A&E: 12 episodes of Cold Case Files.
AMC: John Wayne movies all day.
Discovery Channel: 14 episodes of MythBusters.
Sci Fi: 22 episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
TBS: 24 hours of A Christmas Story.
USA: 13 episodes of House.

These are just some of the shows you could have caught yesterday. One website counted about 18 television stations running such Christmas Marathons. Based on this programming guide, 'tis the season of the rerun!

Somewhere between the 18th hour of "the soft glow of electric sex gleaming in the window" (the leg-lamp from A Christmas Story), and trying to figure out how 13 episodes of an atheist doctor (House) help to celebrate the newborn King, an idea came to me. Why don't I have a New Testament Marathon? I've actually thought of this before, so it's a rerun!

New Testament Marathon
Each year people around the world make the goal of reading through the Bible one of their New Year resolutions. I've actually done it a couple of times! The Lighthouse Christian Center website has a link to the One Year Bible weekly schedule - with a few other helpful links. Click here if you're interested!

My plan is simple:
Read the New Testament 12 times this year; once every month in a different version.

The idea is to make myself a New Testament Christian. Part of that plan means making 2009 a New Testament Marathon! Two months is plenty of time to get through, with some room for prayerful reflection and note-taking. Imagine the benefits of investing in God's Word next year!

Reading Plan
Here's a plan I "borrowed" from elsewhere:
Start with #1 on Day 1 and read through Matthew 9, then with #2 on Day 2 and read through Matthew 15, etc.

1. Matthew 1
2. Matthew 10
3. Matthew 16
4. Matthew 23
5. Mark 1
6. Mark 9
7. Luke 1
8. Luke 7
9. Luke 12
10. Luke 19
11. John 1
12. John 8
13. John 14
14. Acts 1
15. Acts 8
16. Acts 15
17. Acts 22
18. Romans 1
19. Romans 9
20. 1 Corinthians 1
21. 1 Corinthians 10
22. 2 Corinthians
23. Galatians
24. Philippians
25. 1 Timothy
26. Hebrews
27. James
28. 1 John
29. Revelation 1
30. Revelation 12

Audio
Listening to the Word is a great way to get it inside! The Bible is published in various audio formats and versions such as cd's, mp3's, web streaming and downloads. Click here and here for more info!

Bible Versions
Here are some possible Bible versions to read:

1. King James Version (KJV)
2. English Standard Version (ESV)
3. New International Version (NIV)
4. Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
5. New Living Translation (NLT)
6. God's Word (GW)
7. New English Translation (NET)
8. Amplified (AMP)
9. Contemporary English Version (CEV)
10. The Message (Message)
11. Today's New International Version (TNIV)
12. Wycliffe - Good, but Hard to Read. Alternative: New American Standard

All of these versions can be found here, or here, with the exception of NET Bible which is here. If this sounds like too much, it could be divided into 6 times, once every two months. You do the math!

Let's the Read the Word in 2009!

THE PLEASURE OF CHRISTMAS

The joy of giving really is greater than receiving! Christmas pleasure is the pleasure of God the Father giving to us.

Luke 2:14 (TNIV) "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."
English Standard Version: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” God’s peace is extended to those “with whom he is pleased.” How can we be one of those people? The Greek word for “please,” or “pleasure,” occurs four places in Luke. in each occurrence, it is directly related to God’s pleasure.

God the Father is Pleased With His Son - Luke 3:22
Before Jesus peaches the first sermon, heals the first sickness, or performs the first miracle, God the Father is already pleased with him. Jesus is the original focal point of all the Father’s love and pleasure. I believe all pleasure the Father finds in us will be because we are, or will be, in Christ!

God the Father is Pleased to Reveal the Kingdom to Little Children - Luke 10:21

God the Father is Pleased to Give the Kingdom to Little Children
Luke 12:32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.”

King James Version - "it is your Father’s good pleasure"

The phrase "good pleasure,” is a verb in Greek: "to be a pleasure" or "to be pleased by." You could translate it: "It pleased God," or, "God chose it gladly - to give you a Kingdom."

This helps explain another earlier and much more mysterious passage about God’s pleasure.
Isaiah 53:10 (KJV) Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

1. God is well pleased with His Beloved Son.

2. God desires to be well pleased with us - the sinners!

3. So, God is pleased to punish His beloved Son, in order to save us!
God nailed his Only Begotten Son, to a cross, broken and beaten, so he could give us the kingdom! Jesus took the punishment for our sin, effectively releasing us from sin and death. And look at the attitude of Jesus is this. He’s the one headed to the cross, so that the Father can give us the kingdom. And yet he so calmly puts the disciple's minds at ease. He says, “do not be afraid little flock.” The one who’s going to the cross to make it all happen is the one offering comfort! That shows me not just the Father’s love for me, but the Son’s as well!
Galatians 2:20b I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Jesus, the Son, also loved me! He loved the Father, and became obedient to death, but he also loved me and gave himself up for me! Don’t let anyone talk you out of a personal Lord and Savior. Jesus loved you personally, and gave himself up for you! Love is the heart of the Gospel!

Here’s some more great news about God’s pleasure, as it relates to you!

• It’s Your Father’s Good Pleasure to reveal his Son in you! - Galatians 1:15-16

• It’s Your Father’s Good Pleasure to adopt you as a child! - Ephesians 1:5

• It’s Your Father’s Good Pleasure to make known to you the mystery of his will! - Ephesians 1:9

• It’s Your Father’s Good Pleasure to will and work in your life! - Philippians 2:13

• It's Your Father's Good Pleasure to reveal the Kingdom to you! - Luke 10:21

• It’s Your Father’s Good Pleasure to give you the Kingdom!!! - Luke 12:32

WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT

MAYBE IT’S THE FLOATERS

Everyone has them. They can be as simple as tiny spots that seem to show up against the background of a clear blue sky, or as maddening as the large threads that are impossible to look directly at and just as impossible to ignore! They’re called floaters, and chances are you’ve seen yours. I'm not talking about digestion (floaters vs. sinkers). These are the spot-like, thread-like, or web-like debris that float in the gel between the lens and the retina of your eyeball.

While most people can get through life with no, or minimal annoyance from these little doodads, some have complained of severe symptoms caused by the constant perception of floaters in their field of vision. Distraction and difficulty concentrating during such tasks as reading, watching television, walking outdoors, and driving have been reported.

I recently discovered that I have a floater resembling the shape of a question mark. I've been looking at it all these years - no wonder I'm so confused!

As Christians, we used to be in darkness. Now, God has brought us into the kingdom of light. We can sing, “I once was blind, but now I see.” But how well do we see? When we look at Jesus do we see him alone, in all his majesty, and glory, or are we being distracted by all those other little things in our field of vision?

We can easily fall prey to floaters. We’re not troubled by blindness anymore. We can see Jesus, but we lack clarity. We’re like the blind man Jesus touched, who said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around” (Mark 8:23-25). In such cases we may need another touch!

Do you see Jesus, plus all those little bothersomes of life?, Do you feel like your eyes are being confused by the marginal debris and it keeps pulling you away from the focal point? Sure you're saved. Sure you're on our way to heaven, but are those little tasks, attitudes, sins and schedules distracting you from reaching your full potential? Ask God to touch your eyes, so you can see him more clearly.

Think about what "floaters" are in your line of sight. Wondering where’s your sense of purpose? Wondering why the lack of focus? Wondering how you could be so distracted? Maybe it's those floaters!

Floater Info:
Floater. (2008, December 18). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 04:08, December 23, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Floater&oldid=258766524

WHO IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD?

"I am the bread of life" (John 6:35,48,51).

"I am the light of the world" (John 8:12).

"I am the door of the sheep" (John 10:7,9).

"I am the good shepherd" (John 10:11,14).

"I am the resurrection, and the life" (John 11:25).

"I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6).

"I am the true vine" (John 15:1,5).

The book of John records Jesus making these seven significant statements about himself. As a Christian, I find myself easily agreeing with each declaration. As Jesus proclaims, “I am...” I respond, “Yes you are, Lord. You, and you alone!”

• Lord Jesus, only you are the bread of life.

• Lord Jesus, only you are the light of the world

But before I can get to the next “I am,” that old familiar puzzle challenge comes to mind: “One of these is not like the others.” As far as I can tell, each one of these seven statements is true for Jesus alone, except for, “I am the light of the world.” God’s Word boldly declares, “you are, too!”

You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16

How this comes to be is a mystery. Jesus tells us to put our trust in the light, that we may become children of light (John 12:36). I know I’m not the way, the truth, or the life - but I am the light of the word! And, according to Matthew, I am also a child of God! What an awesome right, and responsibility! This does not detract from the Glory of God. The fact that God has given us such high position in Christ, only enhances his Glory! According to Ephesians chapter 1, all this has been done, "to the praise of his glory!"

So, how can I be the light of the world? Obviously by good deeds. Anything else?

Look at Matthew 5:16 again. The Greek word for good there clearly means good and right; morally right, morally good, choosing to do good rather than evil. But it also can mean, beautiful, fine, or excellent.

There’s a lot of ugly in this world! Ugliness is always going on. People treat each other like garbage. But the child of God is supposed to be different! God is able to transform you beyond your past, into something beautiful, fine, and excellent!

Think about the meaning of excellent. Excellence, or the lack thereof, is not a reflection of your ethnicity, background, or socioeconomic status. God can take the bottom of the barrel, and he can turn it around! You may only have one shirt, but you can still be excellent on the inside - you can wash that one shirt every single night, and wear it clean each day! You can apply self-respect to some of the most demeaning tasks.

By the way, if you are faithful in those little things, God has promised to make you ruler over many things... I don't believe you can keep the Word of God, and keep a one-shirt lifestyle for very long! Keep at it, there is a time of reaping if you continue sowing and working.

I happen to believe that God is interested in more than just you doing good! Yes, he commands and expects us to be morally good. By the power of the Holy Spirit he even enables us to do good. I believe God is interested in us not just being good - he is interested in us being great!

• Be Great at being good
• Be Great at doing right
• Be Great at loving your neighbor
  
• Be Great at being kind to others
• Be Great at working hard
• Be Great at thinking smart
• Be Great at using wisdom
• Be Great at relying on God
• Be Great at showing excellence in all you do
• Be Great at in overcoming
• Be Great at being successful in what God has called you to do!!!

God has called us to be good. But he’s also called us to be great!

NON-HOLIDAY HOLIDAY MOVIES

Television and film have helped shape our modern view of Christmas spirit and peace on earth. It’s a Wonderful Life made a comeback, and positioned itself as one of my personal favorites years ago. It just wasn’t Christmas until I heard the bell ring, and knew that Clarence had earned his wings! Oops, that was a spoiler for those who have yet to watch this 60-year-old film!

My own generation followed Bill Murray in Scrooged (His version of A Christmas Carol), or watched little Kevin learn to survive without the parents, in Home Alone. White Christmas sets the festive mood for some. When it's on, I’m usually pondering why someone named their kid Bing. I sit there wondering if repeating his name will make more sense of it (Bing, Bing, Bing...). Of course we can’t open presents until we’ve seen Ralphie get his Red Ryder BB gun - and nearly shoot his eye out, in A Christmas Story!

Another category of holiday films has emerged over the years. Some movies, although their plots don’t center on Christmas, seem to be played and expected more often around the season. They’ve managed to capture Christmas magic, without the elves or reindeer. These I call non-holiday holiday films. A short list of examples should clarify:

• Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
• The Wizard of Oz
• The Sound of Music
• Neverending Story
• Princess Bride
• Lord of the Rings

No doubt, you immediately see what I mean. You probably even have a favorite non-holiday holiday movie! The Wizard of Oz was always mine. Due to each installment being released in December, LOTR has recently topped the list. The Sound of Music has grown on me. My attitude used to be, “Another song - time to go to the kitchen for more popcorn..."

These movies serve the purpose of keeping our system from being overloaded by story lines where Santa has to find Rudolph, get married, get out of jail, or overcome Martian invasion in order to save Christmas. There are only so many hours of candy cane plots the human body can stand!

Movies that capture the Christmas spirit seem to share a common trait: The struggle to overcome obstacles, or good overcoming evil. This theme cuts to the heart because the heart is constantly in a struggle to overcome. This is the true meaning of Christmas. This is one of the main reasons Jesus came! (Click here for a more complete list of why Jesus came to the world) Maybe this is why non-holiday holiday movies are sometimes more meaningful than their sugary counterparts.

The good news is that no matter how troubling we find our lives, or our world, Jesus came and overcame for us!

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Go ahead and watch that non-holiday holiday movie. Hopefully you’ll include The Nativity, or some other actual Christmas story as well. Whatever you watch, or listen to, I pray you will remember that as long as you are in Christ, you are in His peace. This peace is not just the avoidance of conflict, with danger still threatening in the nervous quiet, like the eye of a storm. This is the peace of victory! The enemy has been defeated, is no longer a threat, and there’s no better peace than that!

HE'S LIKE HIS FATHER

We looked at Jesus as the gift who keeps on giving. Jesus is, "the image of the invisible God..." He's just like his Father. Here's a list of some of the gifts God the Father, the Original Giver, has given:

• God Gives Salvation
  Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.

• God Gives Eternal Life
  1John 5:11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

• God Gives The Holy Spirit
  Acts 5:32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
  Romans 5:5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
  2Corinthians 5:5 Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
  1John 4:13 We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.

• God Gives Proof that Jesus is the Judge of the World
  Acts 17:31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.”

• God Gives A Measure of Faith
  Romans 12:3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.

• God Gives Grace
  1Corinthians 3:10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds.
  2Corinthians 9:14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you.

• God Gives Honor to the Parts that Lack Honor
  1Corinthians 12:24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it,

• God Gives New Birth
  1Peter 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

• God Gives Everything we need for Life and Godliness
  2Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

• God Gives His Very Great and Precious Promises
  2Peter 1:4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

• God Gives Wisdom
  2Peter 3:15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.

• God Gives All Things
  Romans 8:32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all — how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

This phrase brings to mind such "not sold in stores" products as the Chia Pet and the Clapper. These days, "not sold in stores" items are sold in "Not Sold in Stores" Stores! Although, there have always been those who tried to sell the gift of God (ex: indulgences), it remains and always will remain a free gift. The gift of God is the Lord Jesus. He is the gift who keeps on giving!

God Gave His Son Jesus. And Jesus gives, and gives and gives...

• Jesus Gives Rest
  Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
  

• Jesus Gives The Keys to the Kingdom
  Matthew 16:19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
  

• Jesus Gives Authority Over the Enemies
  Luke 10:19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.
  

• Jesus Gives The Right to Become Children of God
  John 1:12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
  

• Jesus Gives Living Water
  John 4:14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
  

• Jesus Gives His Own Body
  John 6:51 "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
  

• Jesus Gives Eternal Life
  John 10:28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.
  

• Jesus Gives A New Command
  John 13:34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
  

• Jesus Gives Peace
  John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
  

• Jesus Gives His Word
  John 17:14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.
  

• Jesus Gives Glory
  John 17:22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one:
  

• Jesus Gives Us Our Assignment
  Acts 20:24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me — the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.
  

• Jesus Gives Us Strength
  1Timothy 1:12 ¶ I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service.
  

• Jesus Gives Understanding
  1John 5:20 We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true — even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
  

GIVE THEM THE WORD!

Yesterday our church performed the annual Christmas musical. This year was exceptional. We always set the mood for such productions by bringing the lights in the house down - also in case some of our people need to grab a quick nap during the service. But we used more than can-lights for ambiance this year!

We utilized the concept of “video soundtrack.” With a camcorder, a MacBook and the musical soundtrack, we were able to make our own DVD versions of songs. Our children’s ministry met one Sunday afternoon a few weeks ago to dress in Bible costumes and reenact the Nativity. A couple late nights of editing later had produced a great video of our people’s own kids and grand kids, without the headache of dealing live with costumes!

For another song our people turned in pictures of Christmas past, from their own photo albums (or other family members’). The effect was a nostalgic “feel good” song. While our soloist was singing, “I Love Christmas,” we caught a glimpse of how much she loved it about 20 years ago! Such multimedia seemed to bring our small-town church to another level.

There are always areas that could be improved upon. As musical director, I could have used another month of practice! My biggest weaknesses, which involve planning and organizing, can always stand some tweaking! Overall, I consider this to be the best production since I’ve been at the church.

The weakest factor I found was the abrupt and arbitrary narration. The book’s breviloquent blather seemed a little too thrown together to actually have made it in the back of a published Christmas musical. I mean my alliterations may be superfluous, but they’re also free! We actually paid for those disjointed comments intended to be read between the songs. My wife said, in her North Florida accent, that some of the narration was, “just plain stupid!”

I thought about trying my own hand at more meaningful prose to connect the songs. Maybe you can guess how far I didn’t get! The technical aspects of the musical seemed to overshadow everything else.

When I finally sat down with the narration in mind, I found myself being pulled to the traditional scriptures associated with Christmas. In high school, I discovered what was the other end of the church spectrum from my Pentecostal childhood, when I happened to flip to the back of an Oxford published book of Christmas carols. The Lessons and Carols is a service designed to travel from the fall of man all the way to the stable of Jesus’ birth. It’s the biblical realization that the Word has been made flesh.

The whole crux of Christianity is that the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Immanuel - God With Us, is the whole point of the virgin birth, the angels, the shepherds and the manger. After Eons of humanity reaching upward to appease gods and somehow attain peace with them, the One True God reaches down to us! He pulls us upward if we only receive him, and believe in his name.

Sure, I threw in a few zingers about Chia Pets and fruitcakes not making the top of my Christmas gift list, but my main objective was to give them the Word! Being the guy who is still called “ma’am” over the phone, I’m always surprised at how my tenor voice seems to make baritone, when infused with the authority of Isaiah 9:6-7 in the King James! Getting back to those basic scriptures found in any liturgical Christmas book reminded me: Give them the Word, it changes lives!

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
Isaiah 9:6-7

SEIZE THE MOMENT

Pulling up to the school yesterday to pick up the kids, I saw a ginormous rainbow, seeming to reach from one side of heaven to the other. I snapped a shot with the lousy cellphone camera (see picture), and immediately darted inside, borrowing the school camera to get a better quality picture of this gorgeous phenomenon. I figured with a real camera I would be able to tweak the scene and get a great rainbow shot.

I took a few pictures, capturing several settings of exposure and effects. Though the thing was still up there, I couldn’t take another image with even a hint of that rainbow. By then the sky was changing, the rainbow was fading, and it was nothing more than a noisy image on my 1 megapixel cellphone cam.

This little situation reminded me to seize the moment. Rather than running around looking for the proper moment, celebrate the one happening right now. Enjoy every bit of blessed time the good Lord has seen fit to give! “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord,” means to me that every breath I take should be a moment to grab up and use for God’s glory. As long as I’m breathin’ I’ll be praisin’ Him!

Note to Killjoys: I realize that puppies and rainbows probably won’t cure cancer, or bring world peace, but they are sometimes worth a couple of minutes of your time!

MORE ON FLOURISHING

Still thinking about these uncertain economic times. There seems to be more nausea and nail-biting over bailouts and corruption each day. Even optimistic reports are saying that the economy will get worse before it gets better.

Money doesn’t magically appear for people, simply because they call themselves Christians, or donate to the Gospel Telethon. The blessing of God isn’t a genie lamp, which need only be rubbed and wished upon. Every biblical promise has a condition - usually without lamp rubbing!

The good news is that when the conditions are met (and often when they’re merely attempted from right motives), The promises are fulfilled. God’s blessing is the exponential, factored into whatever project that’s commited to the Lord. Zero to the nth power is still zero. But when one of God’s children actually applies something to a situation, let the multiplication begin! Psalm 1 describes the righteous person this way:


He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. -Psalm 1:3

• The righteous will experience stability. “...like a tree planted...”

• The righteous will experience refreshing. “... by streams of water...”

• The righteous will experience productivity. “...which yields its fruit...”

• The righteous will experience consistency. “...in season...”

• The righteous will experience longevity. “... and whose leaf does not wither...”

• The righteous will experience prosperity. “Whatever he does prospers.”

As long as I’m doing something, it will prosper. "...at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up" (Galatians 6:9b). I need to keep doing something! Things have a funny way of working out. For example, five years ago, when we needed the money, I was working two jobs. Amazingly, the part time job was earning only a little less than the full time job. Don't give up. God has a way of working things out for his people.

FLOURISHING

What’s happening to America’s economy? One report said 1.2 million jobs have been lost this year. The news tells us we’re in a recession.

I believe the Word of God’s report, when it says, “...my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). I can’t explain how God’s economy works, I just know it does. I know that when I married a woman who believes in giving a tenth of her income to God, I was deep in student loans. In much less time than paying them off usually takes, we were debt free!
Remember how frail and skimpy Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree was until his friends took hold of it?!? The “after” version of this tree looked as though new branches and pine needles were miraculously added. That’s how God operates in our lives. Every frail area he touches begins to flourish and prosper.

Let’s be open to whatever means God uses to bless us. He may even send Linus and Lucy!

TIME AND REGRET

It’s the time of year when the north wind invades Florida’s warmth, and daylight doesn’t linger much past 5:00pm. The crisp morning exhilarates and makes it easier for me to wake up. The rising afternoon temperature confuses the body . Before I can process these changes, the sun is setting, the day’s too short and the cool air rushes back in.

It’s the time of year when regret tempts me. The year’s death is bound to bring some wondering over what didn’t get done, what could have gone another way, what would have happened if only I had walked through a differnt door.

In "Burnt Norton," the first of T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets, we find the realm of ungrasped possibility articulated thus:

If all time is eternally present
All time is unredeemable.
What might have been is an abstraction
Remaining a perpetual possibility
Only in a world of speculation.

We seem to be stuck in whatever now our own past has created. There’s no way to go back and change what, or who we were. There’s no rewind button. Although, the older I get, the more I believe there is a fast forward!

The Gospel offers a rescue plan. Jesus promises one more sunrise, after the very last sunset; one more spring after the final winter. Jesus refers to the Last Day. The hope in this is that there’s an end to the seemingly endless flow of days. There’s an end to all the effects of bad decisions and the slow decay of time. There's an end to all regrets.

After the death of time itself, we will awaken in the glorious morning of eternity! Those who are new creations still often bear scars from life before Christ. On that day, cause and effect will be disrupted as we become new people, with new bodies worshiping the God who wiped away our tears!

"REASON FOR THE SEASON" AND OTHER CHRISTMAS CLICHÉS

First a joke:

What do you call Santa's little helpers?

A: "Subordinate Clauses." :-)

"Jesus is the Reason for the Season." I've heard this so many times, that by now the identity of this "Stranger in the Manger" should be as clear as icicles on Christmas eaves!

Commercialism and Christmas seem to be inextricably intertwined in the festive dance of oblivion to who and what this holiday is supposed to celebrate. This is the reason for the season of Christmas Clichés. Among other tools, we battle secularism with those pithy statements designed to put people in touch with the heart of Christmas: Jesus.

We don't know exactly when Jesus was born, and it doesn't matter. The point is that some people decided long ago to take one day, one season actually, to rejoice in the historical fact that, "...when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law (Galatians 4:4)..." That's much better news than believing, "Santa Clause is coming to town!"

In my own attempt to "Put Christ Back in Christmas," I've gathered some of the biblical reasons Jesus came to this world. These are much more than cliché. They give real cause for celebrating Christmas. Maybe we can move a bit closer to what it felt like that special night when the angels glorified God over the sleepy town of Bethlehem.

• Jesus came to this world to fulfill the law and the prophets (Matthew 5:17).

• Jesus came to this world to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).

• Jesus came to this world to redeem his people (Luke 1:68).

• Jesus came to this world to seek and save what was lost (Luke 19:10).

• Jesus came to this world that we might become children of God (John 1:11-13).

• Jesus came to this world not to condemn the world, but to save it (John 3:17).

• Jesus came to this world to do the will of his Father, to save all who believe in him (John 6:38-40).

• Jesus came to this world to give abundant life - life to the full (John 10:10).

• Jesus came to this world to testify to the truth (John 18:37).

• Jesus came to this world to preach peace (Ephesians 2:17).

• Jesus came to this world to save sinners (1Timothy 1:15).

• Jesus came to this world to demonstrate the kindness and love of God (Titus 3:4)

• Jesus came to this world to do away with sin (Hebrews 9:26).

• Jesus came to this world that he might take away our sins (1John 3:5).

• Jesus came to this world to destroy the works of the devil (1John 3:8).

• Jesus came to this world that we might live through him (1John 4:9).

• Jesus came to this world to atone for sin, and thus turn aside God’s wrath (1John 4:10).

DON'T LICK THAT FLAGPOLE!

What Christmas season would be complete without watching, discussing, or even quoting from the film, A Christmas Story? No matter how many times I see it, I still squirm when the kid puts his tongue on the frozen flagpole (“I triple-dog dare you!”). Most shocking about that scene is the same kid admitting that licking the flagpole would be dumb, just before doing it!

From what I’ve read of Socrates, he had a concept, which can be summed up as, “knowledge equals virtue.” He believed that people did evil because they were ignorant. They didn’t fully understand the implications of their actions. If they could be made to grasp the reality of evil, they would choose good.

So, if someone could truly teach me that eating certain foods, for example, increases my risk of heart attack, I would eventually put down the Greasy Spoon Special, and walk the rabbit-food path of enlightenment. But in my experience, just knowing right from wrong does not cause virtue. No matter how many health lectures someone may attend, they could still be found dead with all the knowledge of the New England Journal of Medicine in one hand and a triple bacon cheeseburger in the other!

That flagpole-licking kid, still took the stupid dare, knowing that it was stupid. I’d imagine we could all find examples in our own lives where we've engaged in some goofy behavior, with full knowledge that it’s goofy behavior. Whether peer-pressure, personal pleasure, or stubbornness is to blame, we all have done bad things with full knowledge that they were bad things.

Jesus offers the cure for knowing, yet still doing wrong:

Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him. 31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” 34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 33 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:30-36

Many put their faith in him
In the ancient world, the concept of believing in something was such that the believer changed their behavior and lifestyle to conform to their belief. To believe in Jesus verbally or intellectually only scratches the surface. Your life has to change.

“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples”
This is a clear indication that your life is changing. To hold to His teaching means to stay in a constant state of obedience to it. It means you discipline your life in such a way that if Jesus says it, you do it - daily! Prayer, Bible study, ministering, worship, witnessing are all spiritual disciplines to which he calls us.

“Then you will know the truth”
Charlie Peacock’s amazing song from 1990, Experience, has the following chorus:

We can only possess what we experience
We can only possess what we experience
Truth to be understood must be lived
We can only possess what we experience

You only truly know what you have experienced. Reading a traffic booklet from the DMV teaches me how to drive, but it doesn’t teach me how to drive. Studying a book of piano instruction teaches me how to play but not how to play! Reading the Bible teaches me how to live, but only taking action according to the book teaches me how to live. Only those who hold to his teaching, can call themselves disciples, and can say, “I know the truth!”

“And the truth will set you free”
Wow, do you see how using this last statement alone, almost sounds out of context? The truth will set you free. Well, only after you know the truth. And you’ll know the truth only after you are a disciple of Jesus. And you’ll only be a disciple of Jesus if you hold to his teaching. And you’ll only hold to his teaching if you believe in him, and put your faith in him!

“If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed”
Jesus reminds us that he is the one behind this sequence of events I just listed. Yes, we have to believe, hold to, become disciples and know the truth, in order to be set free. But Jesus, the Son of God, is ultimately responsible for our manumission. We are saved by God’s grace, through faith in Christ - And not even the faith we put in Christ is ours. It comes from God, too!

So, put your faith in Jesus, hold to his teaching, be his disciple, know the truth, and whatever you do, don't lick that flagpole!

THE FIRST DOSE OF DAILYWHITT

Welcome to my new blog. A couple of thoughts: First of all, I want God to be glorified, and readers edified by this site. I hope that we'll together look at the world from a Christian perspective, while not taking our own religious preconceptions too seriously. After all, our walk with Jesus is supposed to be relationship, rather than religion!

Secondly, the name is a bit of a misnomer. I doubt that my busy schedule will allow me to post to this site, "daily." I just thought the name sounded catchy (if not a bit corny). However, checking back occasionally you may catch all kinds of posts, from Biblical dissertation, news commentary, or even the occasional movie review. Let's look at culture, society and our own loves and lives as people of God sojourning through this world together.

Hope to talk to you soon!