Stuff Christians Like
Watch the news on any given day and chances are it won’t improve your mood. It’s a downer, man. The truth is – life can be a downer. Srsly. I’m talking big-time downer.
Now I know that as a believer in Jesus Christ, I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. I know that with God NOTHING is impossible. I know that greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world. I do. I really do. And I claim each one of those promises and cling to it like there’s no tomorrow.
But sometimes, just sometimes, even the most spiritual of us gets down. I’ll bet even Billy Graham needs a good laugh every now and then. I’m no Billy Graham but I definitely need a good laugh every now and then. And, boy, did I get one today. I stumbled across this blog while I was surfing the net at work. (Don’t get all bent out. It’s part of my job to surf the net and stay connected to my peeps.) I laughed. I laughed much. Then I came across this post on said blog. And I laughed even more.
Jon Acuff, by his own admission, has had many jobs. But he has finally found his dream job working with financial planning expert Dave Ramsey. In addition to writing the blog Stuff Christians Like, he authored a book by the same name. If the two posts mentioned above are any indication, this book has to be hilarious. I can’t wait to read it!
Like this:
Charting the End Times
For the past several months, Precept Camden has been studying the book of Revelation in our weekly Bible study. One of the things we are going to do on our last day of class is develop a timeline of events based on the things that we have learned in our study. A very interesting and helpful resource is Charting the End Times by Tim LaHaye and Thomas Ice. The cover of the book describes itself as “a visual guide to understanding Bible prophecy.” It has easy to understand explanations of things such as Bible prophecy, the feasts of Israel, the millennial reign of Christ, the book of Daniel, as well as a host of other interesting biblical topics. The colorful illustrations and charts are not only beautiful but are also easy to read. This book is a wonderful accompaniment to any study on the books of Revelation, Daniel, Ezekiel, or a survey of eschatology. You can click here to order a copy.
2012 World Watch List
Each year Open Doors releases the World Watch List, a detailed analysis of Christian persecution worldwide. Countries are evaluated and ranked according to the severity of persecution that occurred in the past year. The World Watch List is a ranking of 50 countries where persecution of Christians for religious reasons is worst. The list covers persecution of Christians of all denominations in the entire country. The focus is on persecution for their faith, not persecution for political, economic, social, ethnic or accidental reasons. The World Watch List is part of the mission at Open Doors to inform and inspire others with the message of the persecuted. Join the cause of the persecuted and share the World Watch List with your friends and family. Go here to get a free pdf download that details each country on the list. (This information was taken from various materials supplied by Open Doors.)
The 12th chapter of the book 1 Corinthians tells us that individual Christians are like the individual members of a body. We make up the body of Christ. And when one member of that body suffers, we should all suffer with it. We have brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering acutely all over the world simply because they are Christians. We have not just the responsibility but also the deep privilege of upholding them in prayer, giving them encouragement, and bringing their situation to light through whatever means we can.
Use the 2012 World Watch List to make yourself and others aware of what is happening around the globe as well as to take action on behalf of those who are suffering.
Find your purpose for 2012!
As a new year begins, I think this is a good time to encourage you to read a book that I love. What better goal to have for 2012 than to find the purpose for your life and begin living out that purpose?
(Originally posted April 2011)
Today I was reminded how much I love this book - The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. About seven years ago, a friend lent me his copy and said, “I think you’ll like this book.” The copy he gave me came with a journal. Not being the journaling type, he said I could keep the journal but he wanted his book back when I was done. So I read the book, worked through the journal, and I did, indeed, like it. I liked it very much.
The reasons I like this book are myriad. However, most of what I love about this book can be expressed in just one word: simple. Its simple, easy-to-understand theology does not take a Doctorate of Divinity to understand. Just the word “theology” conjures up all sorts of connotations, some of which may be negative. A simple definition of theology is a study of God and God’s relation to the world. Sometimes theology is expressed by theologians in words and thoughts that are difficult for everyday people to understand. But in The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren presents the teachings of the Bible and ideas about God in ways that everyone can understand. He simplifies the message of the Bible without sacrificing the truth found there.
The Purpose Driven Life is a wonderful book for people new to the Christian faith as well as people who are seeking meaning and purpose in their lives. It is written in simple, down to earth language and explains basic doctrines of the Bible in a way that anyone can understand. I recommend this book to anyone who has ever asked the question, “What on earth am I here for?” However, I also recommend it to those who may not struggle with this question but who are interested in helping others find a meaningful answer to it.
Merry Christmas!
Meaningful not material gifts
Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet? Or, like me, have you barely begun? Most people on your list are probably just like the people on my list: they really don’t need anything. We give them gifts because we love them and it’s just what we do during this time of year. So we end up buying things like sweaters to put in already-full closets, video games for kids who should be playing outside in the fresh air and sunshine, boxes of Christmas cookies and candies for people who already have too much to eat, etc. We rarely give gifts that will endure until next Christmas much less gifts with eternal value.
But what if we decided to do it differently this year? What if we decided to truly honor the season of the Savior with a gift of hope to a persecuted believer? Open Doors has compiled a Gifts of Hope Catalog to help you choose gifts that not only encourage Christians suffering for their faith but also give real help and hope to those who share our faith but not our freedom.
For $44 you can provide job training for women to help them support their families. For only $5 you can provide biblical resources in digital media format to help train and disciple a believer. $767 will sustain a persecuted couple in ministry. These are just a few of the gifts available in the Gifts of Hope Catalog. Click here to view the entire catalog.
Don’t let this Christmas be another year of giving meaningless gifts that do little to honor the greatest gift of all – Jesus the Messiah! Purchase with purpose this Christmas and give the gift of hope to persecuted Christians around the world. Visit http://www.opendoorsusa.org/give/ for more information.
Why we don’t do Santa.
Today is St. Nicholas Day. Last night people in many countries spent time cleaning and polishing their boots before sitting them outside their doors in expectation of the little gifts that he will leave inside their shiny boots. Click here to read how St. Nicholas Day is celebrated around the world.
In light of today’s holiday, I thought it would be a good day to re-post an article I wrote last year explaining why our family does not make Santa Claus a prominent part of our Christmas celebrations. I’m not trying to convert anyone to accept our convictions, but the subject comes up frequently during this time of year. Since people seem genuinely interested (some, horrified, confused and/or angry!), I’m always willing to answer people’s questions concerning our beliefs. So here you go.
(Originally posted 12/22/10)
First, I want to say that I know what a hot button issue this is for many people. I know that many people hold very dear their traditions concerning Christmas, and Santa Claus is sometimes a big part of that celebration. I understand that. So the second thing I want to make clear is that I am not trying to convince anyone to cross over to the Santa-free zone. I am simply attempting to give some insight into my family’s personal beliefs on this subject. We do not proselytize this point of view and are not trying to make converts. To many our take on this Christmas tradition is curious, weird, and just plain stupid. We have even had people take offense at our personal conviction concerning Santa Claus – although I’m not sure why since it only comes up if people ask us why we don’t participate in this tradition.
When people ask us why we don’t do the Santa thing, for us it is really simple. It comes down to two things. Number one: it isn’t true. I have tried to teach my children to always be honest. Lying is wrong. The simple fact is that Santa Claus does not bring them presents. We buy their presents, and it is to us that they should express their gratitude – not to someone that has an endless supply of money and grants their every material wish. We believe that this does not create an atmosphere of gratitude. I can honestly say that my children are very grateful people and do not have the sense of entitlement that I see in our culture. Also, I can ask my children, “Have I ever lied to you?” and they can always respond, “No.”
Some people say it is merely a harmless game of make believe. It is pretending and no different from a little girl pretending to be a princess or a little boy pretending to be a pirate. Perhaps that argument would hold water if everyone playing the game knew that it was, in fact, a game. However, in the Santa scenario, children are not in on the secret. To them it is presented as true and factual and not as a game of make believe.
Number two: Santa Claus is given attributes that belong to God and God alone. He can be all over the world at one time – omnipresence. He knows who is good or bad – omniscience. He can give everyone what they want in spite of the cost or the situation – omnipotence. God is the only one who is all of those things. And He is so much more. In Isaiah 42:8, He says, “I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, nor my praise to graven images.” He says it again in Isaiah 48:11: “My glory I will not give to another.”
Christmas is all about celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. For our family, that has always been enough.
