Well, this is going to be a weird and difficult Christmas. I remember last year Christmas I was still a catholic, still liked Santa Claus, and of course was still an unsaved sinner on his way to Hell. None of these still apply to me (thanks to the Lord Jesus); I'm no longer a catholic, I hate the imposter Santa Claus, and I'm a born again believer of the Lord Jesus on my way to Heaven. It's amazing how much a life can change in just a year! Anyway, I no longer feel like me and Christmas are compatible and I think it may be because I've been mainly exposed to the worldly Christmas and not the "Christian" one. This year I’ll try to focused on the birth of the Saviour and thanking God for sending His Son into the world for us. This may prove to be a difficult Christmas because I’m saved and most of my family isn’t, but then again, I’ll just have to wait and see.

I just want to say I DO celebrate Christmas, so if all of you will just kindly PM me I will give you a mailing address where you can send my gifts. ;)

Oh what a shame we can't PM on here, and I just tried to send you an email through your profile and got a message stating that you don't wish to receive mail?? :p

Cody over at baptist1611 posted this good sermon which I think is very good.

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninf...ID=12250622630

Peace and Love,
Stephen

I'm getting you the same thing I got you last year, brother! :D

Oh, and you'll have to edit the "messaging and notification" on your profile to "receive email from members" to accomodate Kiwi's observation..................:p

Satan, er 'Santa' Claus
 

http://visibleprocrastinations.files..._headstone.jpg

:p

Luke Chapter 2
 

Hello Rolando! I understand your predicament/situation with the family and you being "different" from them this year. My dad was/is a twice a year Church attender and a Free Mason (boo-hiss), Mom was a "Jack-Mormon", and many of the cousins and sister are Mormons, so I was viewed as a bit wierd... No problem---Our Lord Jesus never promised us a "walk-in-the-park".

Okay... I've got an idea for you, since you want to follow Christ,,, at the same time maybe gently nudge your family members into following Him (instead of Mary and the Pope)... Keep focused on Christ by remembering the scripture found in Luke Chapter 1 and 2. Rich, Deep, Truths.

The Christmas hymns are full of great Christology/Theology. I'd suggest you go over to a website www.cyberhymnal.com and look/listen at the words to "Hark the Herald Angels Sing-Glory to the new born King" and many others in the Christmas section. "Oh little town of Bethlehem" , "Angels we have heard on high".

Now, another way of not doing the commercial/Santa thing is to find a Church that has Christmas Eve service and even Christmas Day service. You were R.C. so you might be comfortable in a formal Church setting--- no better thing to be doing on Christmas Eve than to be in a Church at the 11:00pm/Midnite service remembering the birth of our Saviour!

I googled for you and I found a couple nearby your home that will probably be open on Christmas Eve and/or Christmas Day. They are conservative and Traditional in what they believe. Phone/google them and get their service times/directions.

First Reformed Episcopal Church of New York. 317 East 50th Street

Redeemer Reformed Episcopal Church 734 Ocean Ave. Jersey City

There are also a couple of conservative Lutheran groups (synods) that might have a congregation within driving distance of where you live. Look for Wisconsin Synod and also Missouri Synod. Those two groups still believe in the Virgin birth of Christ. Beware---not all Lutheran Churches are conservative anymore, and sadly the synods have gone to using the NIV.

For this Christmas time... it would be a good witness if rather than being a grumpy "scrooge" guy, and making the family think that those "Born-Again" people have ruined their son... They saw you go to Church service and come back singing "Silent Night", and then you can say something like: "Hey family of mine--- Let me read out loud from St. Luke's Gospel about Mary and Joseph, and the shephards and baby Jesus..." Scatter some seeds Rolando. Never know what might grow---:) .

BTW--- Many will tell you that Jesus wasn't born on Dec. 25th... So what! Remember the Saviour's Birth and tell folks "Merry Christmas"! Irritate a liberal and the nearby atheist, and the J.W.'s. Revelation 5:12

Twas the Week Before Christmas

Twas the week before Christmas
When all through our land,
Not a Christian was praying,
Nor taking a stand.

See the PC Police had taken away,
The reason for Christmas - no one could say.
The children were told by their schools not to sing,
About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.

It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say,
December 25th is just a 'Holiday?'

Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit,
Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!
CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod
Something was changing, something quite odd!

Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa,
In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.
As Targets were hanging their trees upside down,
At Lowe's the word Christmas - was no where to be found.

At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears,
You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.
Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty,
Are words that were used to intimidate me.

Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen,
On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton!
At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter,
To ELIMINATE JESUS, in all public matter.

And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith,
Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace.
The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded,
The reason for the season, stopped before it started.

So as you celebrate 'Winter Solstice' under your 'Dream Tree,'
Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.
Choose your words carefully, choose what you say,
SHOUT MERRY CHRISTMAS,
not Happy Holiday!

One good poem deserves another........:)


Twas the Night Before Jesus Came
'Twas the night Jesus came and all through the house
Not a person was praying, not one in the house.
The Bibles were left on the shelf without care,
For no one thought that Jesus would come there.
The children were dressing to crawl into bed,
Not once ever kneeling or bowing a head.
And mom in her rocker with baby in her lap
Was watching the Late Show while I took a nap.

When out of the east there rose such a clatter,
I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash
Tore open the shutters and lifted the sash!
When what to my wondering eyes should appear
But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here!
The light of His face made me cover my head--
It was Jesus returning, just as He said.

And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth,
I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself.
In the Book of Life which He held in His hand
Was written the name of every saved man.
He spoke not a word as He searched for my name;
When He said, "It's not here" my head hung in shame.
The people whose names had been written with love
He gathered to take to His Father above.

With those who were ready He rose without a sound
While all the rest were left standing around.
I fell to my knees, but it was too late;
I had waited too long and thus sealed my fate.
I stood and I cried as they rose out of sight;
Oh, if only I'd known that this was the night.
In the words of this poem the meaning is clear;
The coming of Jesus is now drawing near.
There's only one life and when comes the last call
We'll find that the Bible was true after all.

--AUDRY PATRICIA WOOLVERTON

http://http://www.biblebelievers.com/TwastheNite.html

Moderation?
 

Php 4:5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

Interestingly, this is the only place in the Bible where the word moderation is used.

Because I believe the King James Bible I am less interested in understanding what the original Greek word here means because I trust that God through the Holy Ghost guided the translators such that the correct word, moderation, was used. So rather than looking to the Greek, I will look to the Oxford English Dictionary to determine what this word and thus sentence means.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, moderation originally means:

the quality of being moderate in harshness or intensity; mildness, clemency (obs.). Later more generally: the quality of being moderate in conduct, opinion, etc.; avoidance of excess or extremes in behaviour; temperateness, self-control, restraint.

I believe strongly that this is the definition the translators had in mind when guided by the Holy Ghost they rendered Philippians 4:5 as they did.

I realize the following verse is erroneously applied to Christian liberty and grace but if we look to the beginning of the paragraph in verse 1, Paul is encouraging the Philippians – and us – to stand fast in the Lord:

Php 4:1 ¶ Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.

Christmas, Easter, Super Bowl Sunday – any celebration that would compete for our worship of our Lord should be approached in moderation. We do not want the unbelieving world to ever question who it is that is the most important person in our life and the object of our true love. True?

And finally, I never want to forget the consequences of my own actions, whether upon the unbelieving world or my fellow brothers and sisters:

Ro 14:21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.

Harley