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PROMISES

Christians, in this New Year, why not follow the psalmist in praise. The Lord promised much to hose who love and follow Him.

 "Rejoice in the Lord o ye righteous for praise is comely for the upright. Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto her with the psaltry and an instrument of ten strings. Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise, for the word of the Lord is right and all his works are done in truth. "(Psalm 33:1,2,3)

In these perilous days, we can rely on His promises, such as the following..

1. Valuable  "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." (2 Peter 1:4)

2. Assurances  "And being fully persuaded, that what he had promised, he was able to perform." (Romans 4:21)

3. Deliverance  "Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all." (Psalm 34:19)

4. Comfort  "When thou hast passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fine thou shall not be burned; neither shalt the flame kindle upon thee." (Isaiah 43:2)

5. For our good  "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them are the called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)

6. Provision  "Trust in the Lord, and do good, so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shall be fed." (Psalm 37:3)

7. Blessings  "Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." (Matthew 19:26)

8. Answer to Prayer  "Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." (Mark 1:24)

9. Eternal Life  "I am the resurrection and the Life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live." (John 11:25)

So, "Clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph." (Psalm 47:1)

God is in control!

Praise Him with me,

Arlene

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CELEBRATE THE BIRTH OF CHRIST

Loving, Caring, Giving, Forgiving

for he shall save his people from their sins." Matthew 1:21

Christians honor their King, the Lord Jesus Christ on December 25^th each year. We decorate our homes, set up creches and sing carols to celebrate His birth. We also shop, wrap gifts, address cards, bake cookies, attend Christmas programs and office parties, etcetera, etcetera. This frenzy of activity frequently leaves us exhausted and on the evening of December 25, we fall into an easy chair relieved it over for another year, and wonder (as in the words of the old song) ‘Is this all there is?’

Sad, isn’t it? How can we get off this racing merry-go-round? I won’t go into such things as shopping during the year, freezing cookies, and other solutions we all know and mostly forget about until mid-December. I would like to expound on positives that I believe should be at the forefront of honoring our Savior.

    1. Loving. "Jesus said unto him, thou shalt love the Lord, thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Matthew 22:37-39.

    Shoppers, jostling each other and pushing into lines, hardly show the meaning of Christmas. Neither does responding with glares and sharp rebukes. Although it goes against our human nature, Christians are obliged to return good for evil. A smile, a kind word, or even an offer of assistance, may alter the offender’s attitude for an hour or so. Who knows? Some of us till the soil, others sow, water, or reap a harvest. And you will lower your blood pressure.

    2. Caring. "Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, encourage the fainthearted, support the weak, be patient toward all men." I Thessalonians 5:14.

    A few minutes of our time spent writing a note to a shut-in, a telephone call to someone you haven’t seen in a long time, or a short visit to someone in the hospital or nursing home may brighten an otherwise dismal season and lighten your spirit. Your fatigue may diminish, as well.

    3. Giving. "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye measure it shall be measured to you again." Luke 6:38.

    What fun it is to browse through the toy department and choose toys for our young children or grandchildren. Finding the perfect gifts for spouses, older children, and parents is a pleasure. Along the way, let us not forget those less fortunate. A basket of food and gifts to a needy family (allow the children to participate) in your church or neighborhood, or donations to charities, or, perhaps sponsorship of a child through an international children’s organization are a few ways to spread the love of Jesus, and miraculously, this love is returned to you.

    4. Forgiving. "Then came Peter to him, and said, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times?’ Jesus said unto him, ‘I say not unto thee, until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.’" Matthew 18:21-22.

    Christmas is the perfect time to repair damaged and broken relationships. Forget who fault it is, ask the Lord to dull the memory of hurt feelings, and reach out to restore what was lost. Unforgiveness is like a cancer, destroying a person from the inside out.

    I should add a fifth way to honor Jesus: Praying. Pray for America and our leaders,pray for our troops, pray for the lost, pray for the persecuted saints in hostile lands, pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

    And, there is a sixth way we should not neglect. Praising. Praise the Lord with song and cymbals said the psalmist. Praising not only fills you with joy, but increases your circulation. Ha! Amazing isn’t it, that these six things benefit us as well? Such is the wisdom of the Lord God.

May your Christmas celebration be all you desire,

And may the Lord bless you abundantly,

Arlene

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ANGER

Ecclesiastes 7:9

Why are we so angry? Why does anger so often end in violence?

A parent loses it when his infant is fussy and suffocates the child. A driver gets cut off in traffic and shoots the offender. A teenager resents being told "NO" and kills her parents. A student shoots teachers and fellow students. An employee doesn’t receive a promotion, goes berserk and guns down his co-workers.

Babies cry, drivers make mistakes, teens get grounded, students receive bad grades, and employees miss out on promotion. This is nothing new. Individuals have dealt with crying babies, rebellious teens, bad drivers (of cars, carts, wagons, or chariots), failing grades, and unfair (or not) employers for thousands of years. In the past, most would try to bring their own behavior in line to deal with the problem.

Why, now, does it invoke such violent anger in so many people?

The Bible warns us to control our anger and says it leads to evil. "Cease from anger and forsake wrath; fret not thyself in any wise to do evil."

Certainly, we seem to exhibit out of control anger in recent years, at a spouse, at a child, at a parent, at the world.

Authorities cite isolation and depression as the probable cause of the increased level of anger. Perhaps, but I’m convinced there is a direct connection to our propensity to refuse to accept responsibility for our actions. Blaming someone else for our misfortunes may get us off the hook temporarily, but at the same time, it produces a seed of anger.

Why? Because although we won’t admit it, we know who is responsible. We shy away from painful reality. A second incident occurs, we lay blame, and the little anger seed sprouts. After several incidents, the sprout is a heavy and burdensome shrub. "A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool’s wrath is heavier than them both." Proverbs 27:3. (Emphasis added)

The heavier shrub crowds nearby seedlings (civility, understanding, compassion, forgiveness) and steals their food and light. Soon they wither and die and the shrub takes control. Its weight becomes unbearable. The only thought is immediate relief. Presto! A violent act toward the latest perceived offender and the pressure eases. But the shrub, though shot down to the ground, will sprout again, until we face the true villain–Hatred of Oneself.

A Christian can go to the Lord to vent his frustration and anger. He listens and He has the power to intervene. The Christian can leave the anger at the feet of Jesus and be relieved of his burden.

The unbeliever, in most cases, has no such pop-off valve and the trend toward "no absolutes" in our society leaves him floundering. Most do not go so far as to take someone’s life, but their anger is obvious. Look at the faces around you at a sports event, in the work place, or at the malls. Consider the lack of courtesy in a waiting line or the rhetoric we hear on TV and radio talk shows.

My parents taught: "If you can’t say something good about someone, say nothing at all." That adage seems to belong to a musty era of the past, as perhaps do I.

God’s great commandment is to love the Lord with all your heart and soul and your neighbor as yourself. The key word is, yourself. You cannot love God, nor your neighbor, until you learn to love yourself.

God made each of us in His image, He has a plan for each one and each one is precious in His sight.

May God’s love protect you and teach you of Himself,

Arlene

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THE FIRST CHRISTMAS TREE   

    (I found this story in an old school book published in 1915 entitled "A book of Holidays Colorado." Things were different then!)

Many different tales are told of the origin of the Christmas tree. Of all these tales there is none more beautiful than the story of St. Boniface, which many claim is the story of the first Christmas tree.

Once upon a time, many hundreds of years ago, before the people of Germany had heard of the Christian religion, they worshipped many gods, among them the great oak trees of the forest. A young man, traveling through the country and seeing the altars under the trees where the people offered sacrifices to these gods, sometimes of animals, and sometimes of human beings, decided to spend his life in teaching the people the true religion.

For many years he worked very hard, preaching, teaching and living among them. Usually they listened to him, but only a few gave up their old worship.

In the forest stood a gigantic oak called the 'Thunder Oak.' It was very old and very much honored by the people. For many generations they had offered sacrifices to the god Thor under this oak, which they believed was especially guarded by the mighty Thor. So long as this oak stood, St. Boniface, the missionary, saw it would be almost impossible to turn the people to another religion, however good it might be. So he determined to cut it down.

One cold winter's night, toward the end of the year, he went out to the forest where the people had gathered to celebrate the passing of the longest night of the year, and the turning of the sun toward them again. There he saw a crowd of men and women. At the foot of the Thunder Oak was a bright fire; around it was a company of white robed priests, and in the center knelt a young boy, who was to be sacrificed to Thor. As the big hammer, called Thor's hammer, was lifted over the head of the boy, St. Boniface struck it away with the cross he carried.

Then in the midst of the great crowd of pagans and a small group of Christians, he began to cut down the oak. As he cut farther and farther into the heart of the tree, the people, trembling with fear, watched for the stroke from Thor, which should strike him dead. But the missionary chopped away, the chips flew all around, a crackling should was heard in the top branches, the tree swayed and groaned, and with a terrible crash, fell to the ground. The people stood amazed--the sacred oak had fallen, and the man who dared to cut it down was unhurt.

When the tree lay on the ground, there, almost as if it had sprung from the very place where the oak had been, stood a beautiful, slender, green fir tree, straight and graceful, with its branches reaching upward to the stars that shone and twinkled in the sky above. St. Boniface saw it as a gift from heaven, and pointing to it said: "This little tree, a young child of the forest, shall be your holy tree tonight. It is the wood of peace, for your houses are built of fir. It is the sign of an endless life, for its leaves are green. See how it points upward to heaven! Let this be called the tree of the Christ-child. Gather about it, not in the wild wood, but in your own homes. There it will shelter not deeds of blood, but loving gifts and rites of kindness."

So the people took the young fir trees of the forest to their homes, and ever since, wherever this beautiful custom has spread, fathers and mothers and children gather around the green fir trees, to celebrate the birth of the Christ=child, who came to the world to put "peace on earth, good will to men" into the hearts of men and women and  children everywhere.

Emma G. Seldon

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The following was in the same book. Note the sentence after the title. I thought you might like to read and consider the words of this carol by Phillips Brooks without singing.

O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM

One of the great Christmas poems that should be taught in all schoolrooms.

                O little town of Bethlehem, How still we see thee lie!

                Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, The silent stars go by: Yet in thy dark streets shineth The everlasting Light;

                The hopes and fears of all the years Are met in thee tonight.

                For Christ is born of Mary, And, gathered all above. While mortals sleep, the angels keep Their watch of wondering love,

                O morning stars, together Proclaim the holy birth! And praises sing to God the King, And peace to men on earth.

                How silently, how silently, The wondrous gift is given! So God imparts to human hearts The blessings of His heaven.

                No ear may hear His coming, But in this world of sin, Where meek souls will receive Him still, The dear Christ enters in.

                O holy Child of Bethlehem! Descend to us, we pray; Cast out our sin and enter in, Be born in us today.

                We hear the Christmas angels The great glad tidings tell; Oh, come to us, abide with us Our Lord Emanuel!

                Amen! And may the Holy Christ be with you as we celebrate His birthday, and all the days of all your years.

                Merry Christmas

Arlene

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CAN WE BE THANKFUL IN 2005? 

    "Nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven." Luke 21:10-11

    "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring." Luke 21:25

    Do the above verses mirror the front pages of your newspapers?  Jesus spoke these words to the disciples in answer to their questions about when the end of the age would occur.

    Are we living at the beginning of that time? Many Bible scholars believe we are.  If so, how should Christians react?

    The Apostle Paul exhorts us to be, "Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Ephesians 5:20.

    So what should we do?

    At such times, I'm thankful that God is a good God--a God of mercy and grace, as well as judgment, and all-knowing and all-seeing. Most of all I'm thankful that He is in control. The Scriptures tell us He knew the end of time from the beginning.

    Comforted by His Word, I can praise Him and be thankful, even though I often do not understand.

    "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 35:8

    1. Thank You, Lord, for the volunteers who respond to disasters with money and helping hands.

    2. Thank You for those rescued.

    3. Thank You for the many who call out to the Lord Jesus and receive salvation. Thank You for the ministers who preach your Word.

    4. Thank You for our brave military men and women who fight terrorism daily.

    5. Thank you for teaching us to rely on You rather than human efforts and technology.

    6. Thank You for family and friends, for Christian brothers and sisters, and above all, for your Son.

    7. Thank you for the privilege of approaching your throne to ask:

        a. For the peace of Jerusalem

        b. For worldwide revival

        c. For the coming of Jesus Christ, Messiah, Savior.

    YES, I am truly thankful in 2005! Others have said it in far sweeter words:

PARADISE

by George Herbert

   I bless thee, Lord, because I grow

Among the trees, which in a row

To thee both fruit and order owe.

What open force, or hidden charm

Can blast my fruit, or bring me harm,

While the inclosure is thine arm?

Inclose me still for fear I start;

Be to me rather sharp and tart,

Than let me want thy hand and art.

When thou dost greater judgments spare,

and with thy knife but prune and pare,

Even fruitful trees more fruitful are:

Such sharpness shows the sweetest friend,

Such cuttings rather heal than rend,

And such beginning touch their end.

    And one more:

LIGHT SHINING OUT OF DARKNESS

by William Cowper

God moves in a mysterious way,

His wonders to perform;

He plants his footsteps in the sea,

And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines

Of never failing skill,

He treasures up his bright designs,

And works his sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints fresh courage take;

The clouds ye so much dread

Are big with mercy, and shall break

In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,

But trust him for his grace;

Behind a frowning providence,

He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,

Unfolding every hour:

The bud may have a bitter taste,

But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,

And scan his work in vain;

God is his own interpreter,

And he will make it plain.

    May the Lord shower you with blessings this Thanksgiving,

Arlene

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THANKSGIVING IDEAS

Looking for something a little different to complement your traditional Thanksgiving dinner? How about a pumpkin cake instead of pie?

PUMPKIN CAKE

3-1/4 cups sifted all purpose flour                                      3/4 cup shortening

2 cups sugar                                                                      6 tablespoons frozen orange

                                                                                          juice concentrate, thawed

                                                                                          and undiluted. 

1 teaspoon salt                                                                  6 tablespoons water

1/4 teaspoon baking powder                                               1 - 15 oz. can applesauce

1 teaspoon cinnamon                                                          3 eggs

1/4 teaspoon allspice or cloves                                            1 cup raisins and 1 cup walnuts 

                                                                                          or pecans

Sift dry ingredients into large mixing bowl. Add shortening, orange juice, water and applesauce. Beat 2 minutes on medium. Add eggs and beat 2 minutes longer. Stir in raisins and nuts.

Spoon into greased and floured 10" Bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees one hour and 15 minutes, or until tester comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Turn out and cool completely.

Prepare your favorite creamy white frosting. Tint a 1/4 cup with green food coloring, and tint the rest orange (drops of yellow and red at a 3:1 ratio until you have the desired tint).

Cover cake completely with orange frosting. With edge of spoon or knife, score vertical lines to resemble pumpkin.

With green frosting, fashion a stem in the center and a pumpkin leaf on one side.

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FESTIVE YAMS

2 - 1 lb. cans yams, drained                                        1 - 1 lb. can pineapple tidbits, drained

1/2 cup preserved kumquats                                       1/4 cup kumquat syrup

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine yams, pineapple and kumquats in buttered casserole dish. Drizzle with kumquat syrup and sprinkle with cinnamon. Cover and bake at 350 degrees about 30 minutes. Approximately 6 servings.

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PLACE CARDS FOR YOUR TABLE

1 8-1/2'x11' sheet of card stock (or other stiff paper)

Thanksgiving stickers (or draw your own decorations)

Orange gel pen

Cut the 11" side of the card stock into thirds, then cut each third in half. You should have six pieces, approximately 3-1/3" x 4-1/4". Fold each piece in half to make a folded card approximately 3-1/3"x2-1/8".

Decorate the outside of each card and write a guest's name with the orange gel pen.

On the inside, print one line of Bible verse or poem (or write your own blessing). For example: Numbers 6:24-26 could be divided into 6 parts: 1st card - "The Lord bless thee", second card - "And keep thee", ending with the 6th card - "And give thee peace."

Decide the table seating arrangement and place the cards so the host or hostess read the first line, continuing around the table in order to complete the verses.

Another idea is to write something dear to your heart on each card, such as "hurricane victims," "earthquake survivors," "our military men and women," "missing children." Each guest could offer a short prayer or blessing.

Most of all, have a wonderful celebration with your family and friends while praising the Lord for His goodness.

AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL?

OR

AMERICA THE UGLY?

"Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder," states an old proverb.

How does the world behold America? Apparently, much of mankind sees America as ugly. Why?

1. Jealousy? America is perceived as rich and powerful. Certainly we have been blessed. We have freedoms and opportunities denied most peoples.

In contrast, thousands of people around the world seek to emigrate to the United States.

2. Arrogance? Perhaps this has some validity, but in balance, we are the most generous people on the planet.

3. Decadence? This is more difficult to refute considering the themes of many of our movies and TV programs.

In the end, however, I’m reminded of a story.

Two friends lived in a small poor village. They farmed patches of land and barely produced enough to feed their families. One day, a rich man noticed one of the farmers laboring in his field and bought him a donkey. The farmer was overjoyed. Now he could plow a larger plot and produce more. He ran to tell his friend of his good fortune.

Black thoughts filled the friend’s heart. ‘Why should he have a donkey and I have none? I deserve one as much as he does. He’s no better than I am.’

Jealousy and hatred exploded inside him. That night he crept to his neighbor’s cottage and killed the donkey.

How do Americans behold their country?

1. My perception. I love my country. The sight of Old Glory flapping in the breeze, our president entering a room to the fanfare of Hail to the Chief, and a soldier, far from home handing a child a candy bar and a hug, sends tingles down my spine.

2. I am concerned about abortion, attacks on traditional marriage, euthanasia, pornography, and the education of our children.

3. Too many vocal Americans apparently hate their country.

4. We seem to be a divided land insofar as the correct path to follow.

How does God perceive America?

I don’t pretend to know the mind of God, but I do believe the Bible. The Bible says God brought a flood and destroyed all but Noah and his family. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by God’s hand because of rampant wickedness.

On the plus side:

a. America has established a system of government providing unparallel freedoms for its citizens.

b. Missionaries have spread the Good News to every corner of the world.

c. America has embraced refugees and Americans are quick to respond with aid to disasters across the planet.

Ultimately, God will decide whether America’s people are a beautiful light to the world or an ugly smog.

I believe it is time for us to pray as never before.

Blessings

Arlene

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CELEBRATE - HE IS RISEN!

Years ago, I listened to a song that haunts me every year just before Easter. It depicted the glee of Satan and his demons over the death of Jesus. They threw a victory celebration.

(My interpretation of devilish revelry.)

Gleeful demons dance around a smoke-filled cavern lit with flames. Satan lolls on a slab of stone.)

"We finally did it, Master."

"Yeah. We didn’t stop Him when you couldn’t corrupt Noah and his sons, or when pharaoh’s daughter saved Moses."

"We lost Him when God spirited Him away to Egypt before Herod could kill him."

Satan rises and the demons kneel. "I couldn’t entice Him after His fast in the wilderness, but when we played on the Sanhedrin’s pride, it was easy."

THEN

A voice rings out. A voice Satan knows well.

"I am alive, you fool. I have the keys of hell and death."

"And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it." Colossians 2:15

"Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death; because it was not possible that He should be holden of it." Acts 2:24

THE PARTY WAS OVER!

Now our Lord sits on the right hand of God’s throne and intercedes for us day and night.

(Hymn: Low in the Grave He Lay. Robert Lowery)

May your hearts fill with joy this Easter, knowing THIS celebration will continue into eternity.

Blessings,

Arlene

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FEBRUARY SWEETS

February frequently exhibits dreariness here in America’s heartland: gray clouds and fog, snow, and ice.

One antidotes I rely on is browsing through garden catalogs and dreaming of spring. A bright spot occurs in the middle of the month - Valentine’s Day, depicted by sweet red and pink hearts and roses, and, of course, the comfort of chocolate.

Today, I’m tired of garden planning, and it’s too early for Valentine baking. What could lift my spirits? I wondered what the Lord had to say about sweet things and found several references in the Bible.

Psalm 55:14

Talking with our brothers and sisters in Christ is sweet. Perhaps I will invite a friend for tea tomorrow. We could nibble on something sugary and share the sweetness of Jesus.

Psalm 104:34

Oh, yes! I can meditate on His sweetness, mercy and grace, right now. I cannot imagine life if I didn’t know about his love and sacrifice. His plan of salvation is very, very sweet.

When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid; yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. Proverbs 3:24

Snuggling under a blanket, serene in the knowledge that God is in control is sweet, indeed.

Proverbs 16:24

How delightful! Pleasant words: faith, trust, promise, salvation, and love. Thoughts of these flood my being with warmth.

Ecclesiastes 11:7

Light - isn’t that comforting? Regardless how gray the view from your window, the Light shines bright and steady, impervious to ice storms or depleted batteries.

May the sweetness of the Son give you joy all the days of February.

Love in Christ

Arlene

Give Yourself a Smile