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Posts Tagged ‘christian’

Prince Charles Appeals to Help Christians in the Middle East

Posted in News & Commentary, tagged , , , , on January 11, 2016|

Prince Charles

Prince Charles gave a gift to Aid to the Church in Need for Christians in the Middle East during an Advent reception. He said, in part:

At this traditional time of prayer and reflection on the mystery of the Incarnation, it seems to me vital that we pause for more than a moment to think about the plight of Christians in the lands where the Word was actually “made flesh and dwelt among us”.  For, despite what the brainwashed militants would have people believe, Christianity is not a “foreign” religion.  As the atmospheric Chapel of St. Ananias in Damascus and countless other holy sites bear witness, Christianity has been part of the rich tapestry of life in the Middle East for two thousand years.  And it was the early Middle Eastern church communities in places such as Antioch, Alexandria, Bosra in Syria, and Mesopotamia which eventually brought Christianity to Asia and the West.  To take just one example, the Armenian Apostolic Church – which, of course, is the oldest Established national church in the world – traces its origins to the Apostles Bartholomew and Thaddaeus.  And, ladies and gentleman, it is, perhaps, worth remembering that those of us who are members of the Church of England will be only too familiar with the Nicene Creed, whose words were first formulated in the Middle East in the fourth century.  Far from Christianity being a “Western” religion, Christianity was born in – and shaped by – the East…!

This is what makes the plight of our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ so especially heart-breaking.  Their suffering is symptomatic of a very real crisis which threatens the very existence of Christianity in the land of its birth.  In fact, according to Aid to the Church in Need, Christianity is on course to disappear from Iraq within five years, unless emergency help is provided on a greatly increased scale at an international level.  This affects us all.  Consequently, the greatest challenge we face is how to ensure that the spiritual and cultural heritage of Christianity in the Middle East is preserved for future generations – quite apart from doing all we can to provide practical support to those who are persecuted.

Please continue to pray for the persecuted church in the land of its birth.

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How to Strengthen Your Faith in 2016

Posted in Christian Living, Spiritual Practices, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on December 28, 2015|

blank page

Everyone talks about a different kind of list this time of year.  And it has nothing to do with being naughty or nice.  Our New Year resolutions for 2016 are taking shape on apps and lists across the globe.

Most resolutions focus on going to the gym and eating less.  The need for personal improvement can be physical, and it can be spiritual as well.  As you consider items for your list, here are five items that can strengthen your faith in 2016.

Schedule prayer time.  Find the right time of day where you can devote some effort to this.  Prayer is central to our faith. It is deliberate communication with our Heavenly Father. It is an act of worship. It is a spiritual discipline. It allows us to adore, petition, praise, and confess. On several occasions Scripture shows us examples when Jesus made time and space to pray. Follow in the example of Christ and find time to pray.

Meditate on the Bible.  You can read the text, receive a daily email, or listen to it on your smart phone.  Once you have a mode that is meaningful to you, make it a routine.  Spending time with God’s Word is vital to any Christian. It encourages and educates us. It provides direction when we feel lost. It reminds us that God is near.

Take a break. God gave the Sabbath for two reasons.  First, it is a day dedicated to honor and worship Him. Second, it is a day for us to rest.  Prevent burnout by setting aside work for one day out of the week.  Activities and events are always quick to crowd the Sabbath for other purposes. Resolve to use your God-given day differently in 2016.

Talk to your parents on a regular basis.  Set aside time for your family.  It can be on the phone, a video chat, or just stopping by the homestead.  Show them love and respect.  Show them that you care.  Continue to connect with them.  It will serve as a reminder of God’s love.

Try a new act of worship. This may sound radical, but too often we stay in a rut.  We stay with what we already know.  Try something new and different.  Feed your creative side and let it honor God.  Write a poem. Paint a picture. Learn to play an instrument. Create a new song or chorus for church. Volunteer your time at a local charity.  Find a new way to glorify God with a talent you haven’t used before.

As we prepare for 2016, make faith a part of your New Year resolutions.  Make a plan to strengthen your faith today and for the new year.

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Christmas, A Season of Change

Posted in Christian Living, tagged , , , on December 4, 2015|

nativity

Just about everyone loves the Christmas season. While reasons may vary, from hearing a performance of the Hallelujah Chorus to watching snowflakes, people love the Christmas season. It is the arrival of our promised Emmanuel, “God with us.” This season also has a funny way of changing people.

Yes, Christmas is the best time of year, but we often forget what it does to us. Christmas brings out the best in us. No matter where you live, there is an increased effort for people to be kind, caring, and generous. Drivers are more courteous on the roadways. You open the door for someone when their arms are full with shopping bags. Neighbors help each other by raking leaves or shoveling snow off sidewalks. We even tell total strangers “Merry Christmas!”

This spirit of gratitude and grace comes from our Creator. God has demonstrated His love in sending Jesus Christ to earth. We celebrate this perfect gift in many ways, but the power of God’s love changes us.

We reciprocate the love that God has shared with us, His children. The gift of Jesus is so tremendous that we live in a different way. We choose to be transformed, and in turn, show greater compassion. This beautiful event happens more now than at any other time of the year. Christmas and the celebration of our Savior yield a new and different world, one where people give gifts, adopt orphans, feed the homeless, care for widows, support unemployed veterans, and show compassion to total strangers. In short, we decide to live out our faith. We put God’s plan of grace into action.

As the Christmas holiday approaches, make the decision to be transformed. Reflect the love that God has poured out from heaven through Jesus, the promised Messiah. Demonstrate your faith and share the love that you have received from our Heavenly Father.

 

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Words of Thanksgiving

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , on November 26, 2015|

pilgrim landing

There are many words that express the attitude of the day. You will hear thankful, grateful, and blessed. Our day is focused on early American settlers who crossed a freezing ocean on a little rickety boat because of their faith. While those words and themes are important, let us also focus on the words that inspired these settlers.

In Psalm 103, we find a hymn of Thanksgiving.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,

who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit, 

who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,

who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

These words reminded them to look beyond their losses, their hardships, and difficulties. These words reminded them to instead focus on the Almighty. Little food, poor housing, and a harsh winter made their first year difficult. Only 50 Pilgrims survived the winter of 1620. They gathered together in the fall of 1621 to celebrate their first harvest and the blessings we often overlook today.

May we follow in their example. No matter the problems we have experienced in 2015, let us join together and bless our God, whose love and care sustains us through all things.

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Veterans Day Prayer

Posted in News & Commentary, tagged , , , , , on November 11, 2015|

veterans-day

Almighty God, I give you thanks for veterans. I give thanks that there are men and women willing to leave families, farms, and factories to sacrifice for a nation. They demonstrate right with blood, sweat, and tears.

The Bible shows warriors like Gideon and David who were unsure of your calling, but stepped forward in faith to protect others in danger.  We still have warriors like this today. People who will step forward in uncertain times to protect the ones they love and a nation they cherish so deeply.

For these men and women, I give you thanks. Bless their efforts when in conflict. Protect them in the heat of battle. Heal their wounds of war, both inside and out. Bind their families together and strengthen their faith in you. I ask these things in the name of our risen Savior. Amen.

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Moving Toward Charity For All

Posted in Christian Living, News & Commentary, tagged , , , , on October 26, 2015|

charity

Americans gave more than $358 billion to charities in 2014, an impressive number when you consider our economy. As a nation with stagnant salaries and rising cost of living expenses, $358 billion is quite a hefty sum, a figure that represents an incredible feat of generosity, one that deserves a deeper look.

When you dig into the total by category, you find that religious organizations received the most donations. Religious groups garnered 32 percent of the total.

Generous giving of that magnitude creates a lot of attention in the news. The talking heads on television continue to discuss the story. They don’t know how to interpret the information. They point to foundations, museums, scientific studies, and research hospitals as worthy causes for such giving, but for many reason religious groups seem like an odd place for people to send that level of financial support. They scratch their heads as they try to figure out why people give and sacrifice in this manner.

To me, the answer is quite clear. Churches, charities, missions, and religious organizations are performing the work of Christ.

Religious organizations feed the hungry, clothe the homeless, care for the sick, give comfort to the wounded, share hope with the broken-hearted, and minister to our souls. Significant acts like these will always mean more to people than receiving a tax deduction. It causes us to open our wallets. It enables us to volunteer and assist others in their time of need. It allows us to reflect Christ in a dark world.

As we approach Thanksgiving and Christmas, remember religious organizations, charities, and churches when you give. Armed forces personnel can give through the Combined Federal Campaign with payroll deductions. Odds are there is a charity that could use your assistance. Your financial support, no matter how great or small, allows people to share the redemptive story of Jesus and perform the loving work of our gracious God.

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A Majestic Moment

Posted in Devotions, tagged , , , , , , on September 28, 2015|

Smoky Mountains

I will always remember my first trip through the Smoky Mountains. The ancient mountains were in rare form that day.  They drew me in and wouldn’t let me go.

Everywhere I looked, I found ridge upon ridge of forest. There were trees of every variety. They were too numerous to count. I could behold marvelous wonders in every direction. With spectacular color, they turned each hill into a brilliant masterpiece.

This November day, the Smoky Mountains were alive. Dogwood, maple, sassafras and birch trees welcomed everyone with their red, orange, and yellow leaves. It was more than beautiful. The trees spilled across the landscape and created a canvas that only God could paint.

I marveled at God’s handiwork. A kaleidoscope of fall colors, worthy to display all year round.

I kept turning around to see it all. I didn’t want to miss an inch of this perfect landscape. I took pictures to remember the sight. I didn’t want to go. I didn’t want to leave. How could anyone leave such a beautiful place?

Creation was providing a reminder to look and see what God has done. This world is no cosmic accident. This is not something that mankind can replicate. There is no way to manufacture something so exquisite.  There is no scientific way to make all this happen in such grand fashion.

Nature was providing a majestic moment. A testament to the greatness, splendor, and majesty of God.

The Old Testament prophet Nehemiah acknowledged that God alone is the creator of the heavens and the earth. He says, “You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all the starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.”—Nehemiah 9:6 NIV

Take time to bask in the beauty of autumn. Watch the display. Enjoy the splashes of color that transform the slopes and hills. Stop and revel in the gorgeous demonstration. As the fall foliage presents another reminder of heaven, offer a prayer of thanksgiving to the One, who made it possible. Such beautiful handiwork will draw you close and never let you go.

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A Time for Tulips

Posted in Christian Living, tagged , , , , , , , , on February 20, 2015|

snow tulips

Most of America has snow on the ground.  People are inside, trying to stay warm. Recently, I looked out my window at home to see a dozen tulips poking through a snow drift.  I marveled at the strength and power that made those plants grow in such harsh and demanding conditions.  I didn’t want to go outside because of the freezing cold, but the tulips pushed through the layers of dirt, soil, leaves, and now several inches of snow.

We forget it, but people are like those snow covered tulips.  Folks can push through tremendous difficulty and hardship.  We often grow during the most difficult times in life when there is an inner strength guiding us forward.

Scripture provides a picture of this in 2 Corinthians chapter 4.  Paul writes to the church and says, “do not lose heart.”  There is an inner strength in you that the world will not understand.  While it may be confused with personal strength, it is a “treasure in jars of clay.”  This extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.  It gives the ability to endure, maintain, and move forward even when life gives us the worst conditions possible.

Paul also shares how resilient believers can be because of God strengthening us in times of sorrow. In verse 8 he shares that God provides so well that “we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed . . . .”  The Lord who helped Israel endure the desert sands will also strengthen you during the challenges of today.

God provides a covering that shelters us during the storms of life.  He also allows His Holy Spirit to guide us and strengthen us when we only see darkness.  The inner strength protects us and allows us to move upward, beyond the dirt and soil of difficulty.

Don’t lose heart.  Remember what God can do with snow covered tulips.  He renews their inner strength day by day, allowing momentary afflictions to prepare them for a greater reward and a new season of life.

 

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Lent is a journey to the cross and the tomb

Posted in Christian Living, Spiritual Practices, tagged , , , on February 18, 2015|

lent journey

Lent is an important time where Christians focus on personal sacrifice and ready themselves for the celebration of Easter.  On the liturgical calendar, Lent runs six weeks from Ash Wednesday to Easter.  It is a religious observance where Christians focus on fasting, sacrifice, and abstaining from different foods, acts, or luxuries.  Others will observe the season of Lent by adding a spiritual practice to grow closer to God.

No matter how you decide to take this six-week journey, focus on where it ultimately ends; the Son of God on a blood stained cross for the sins of humanity and an empty tomb proclaiming his resurrection.  May God bless your journey and the path that takes you there.

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Costly Christianity

Posted in Christian Living, tagged , , , , , , on February 16, 2015|

cost

The brutal slaying of 21 Coptic Christians by ISIS this weekend serves as a grim start to the season of Lent.  While Lent is often celebrated as a time of sacrifice and inflection, today it seems more of a reminder that there is a price for our faith.

As our hearts are heavy and our prayers go out to the families of these 21 brothers in Christ, let us also focus on discipleship.  Let the Church hear this message again and again. There is a cost to discipleship.  There is a figure for service to the Savior.  There is a price when one decides to follow Jesus.

These tenets are not new.  Jesus teaches His disciples that they will be ridiculed, reviled, and rejected.  There is a hard road for us to travel as we grow stronger in faith.  Matthew 10:22 shares, “You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.”

Those are not easy words to hear, but they allow us to focus on what is truly important and to keep our perspective.  While there is a great price to pay in service, one will also find value in the salvation of Christ.  There is something greater than all my hardships and struggles.  There is something bigger than all my troubles.  The value of Jesus.

The point becomes clear in Matthew 10:32, “Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.”

As hardships, struggles, and difficulties come your way remember the examples we see in Scripture; hold on to your confession, stand fast in the truth, and endure to the end.  The value of Jesus will soon be clear.

 

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