A life of Goodwill.

Thank you Lisa, for finding this passage the other day...

To the Christians of the world whether you are Roman Catholic or Lutheran, Anglican or Episcopalian, Seventh-Day Adventist or Non-Denominational; - what ever happened to following and living the Word of God?

In this season of worship, thanks and hope, lets remember what was written. We are not to judge others - ever - for that is our God's purpose, not ours!; we are to be loving...forgiving...sharing...and full of the HOPE and PROMISE that our God delivered through the life and death of our savior, Jesus Christ!

Romans 14

Cultivating Good Relationships

¹ Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don't see things the way you do. And don't jump all over them every time they do or say something you don't agree with—even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently.

^2-4For instance, a person who has been around for a while might well be convinced that he can eat anything on the table, while another, with a different background, might assume he should only be a vegetarian and eat accordingly. But since both are guests at Christ's table, wouldn't it be terribly rude if they fell to criticizing what the other ate or didn't eat? God, after all, invited them both to the table. Do you have any business crossing people off the guest list or interfering with God's welcome? If there are corrections to be made or manners to be learned, God can handle that without your help.

⁵Or, say, one person thinks that some days should be set aside as holy and another thinks that each day is pretty much like any other. There are good reasons either way. So, each person is free to follow the convictions of conscience.

^6-9What's important in all this is that if you keep a holy day, keep it for God's sake; if you eat meat, eat it to the glory of God and thank God for prime rib; if you're a vegetarian, eat vegetables to the glory of God and thank God for broccoli. None of us are permitted to insist on our own way in these matters. It's God we are answerable to—all the way from life to death and everything in between—not each other. That's why Jesus lived and died and then lived again: so that he could be our Master across the entire range of life and death, and free us from the petty tyrannies of each other.

^10-12So where does that leave you when you criticize a brother? And where does that leave you when you condescend to a sister? I'd say it leaves you looking pretty silly—or worse. Eventually, we're all going to end up kneeling side by side in the place of judgment, facing God. Your critical and condescending ways aren't going to improve your position there one bit. Read it for yourself in Scripture:

"As I live and breathe," God says,
"every knee will bow before me;
Every tongue will tell the honest truth
that I and only I am God."

So tend to your knitting. You've got your hands full just taking care of your own life before God.

^13-14Forget about deciding what's right for each other. Here's what you need to be concerned about: that you don't get in the way of someone else, making life more difficult than it already is. I'm convinced—Jesus convinced me!—that everything as it is in itself is holy. We, of course, by the way we treat it or talk about it, can contaminate it.

^15-16If you confuse others by making a big issue over what they eat or don't eat, you're no longer a companion with them in love, are you? These, remember, are persons for whom Christ died. Would you risk sending them to hell over an item in their diet? Don't you dare let a piece of God-blessed food become an occasion of soul-poisoning!

^17-18God's kingdom isn't a matter of what you put in your stomach, for goodness' sake. It's what God does with your life as he sets it right, puts it together, and completes it with joy. Your task is to single-mindedly serve Christ. Do that and you'll kill two birds with one stone: pleasing the God above you and proving your worth to the people around you.

^19-21So let's agree to use all our energy in getting along with each other. Help others with encouraging words; don't drag them down by finding fault. You're certainly not going to permit an argument over what is served or not served at supper to wreck God's work among you, are you? I said it before and I'll say it again: All food is good, but it can turn bad if you use it badly, if you use it to trip others up and send them sprawling. When you sit down to a meal, your primary concern should not be to feed your own face but to share the life of Jesus. So be sensitive and courteous to the others who are eating. Don't eat or say or do things that might interfere with the free exchange of love.

^22-23Cultivate your own relationship with God, but don't impose it on others. You're fortunate if your behavior and your belief are coherent. But if you're not sure, if you notice that you are acting in ways inconsistent with what you believe—some days trying to impose your opinions on others, other days just trying to please them—then you know that you're out of line. If the way you live isn't consistent with what you believe, then it's wrong.

From Godin's Book - Re-Capitalism

Re-Capitalism:

"Marx read his Darwin, but he's got it wrong, capitalism doesn't self destruct, it adapts" -- Tom Stoppard, Rock 'n' Roll

Capitalism is not immutable -- It's changed before (remember industrialization?) and will again. Darwin wrote about the finches of the Galapagos Islands, observing that the shape of each population's beaks matched the form of the the particular flowers that provided their food. Think of businesses as the individuals of the capitalist species. The shapes of companies will evolve as the world changes around them.

What changes? Two big ones: the world's growth will no longer come from the high-income economies (they consume 77% of the world GDP today -- only 32% by 2050). Second, just as industrial technology shaped the society of the United States in the 20th Century, information technology will be the basis of the emerging "digital native" economies in the 21st. Like finches, businesses will change their shapes to make their living in this new low income, high growth, globally connected, information-intensive environment.

How? They will learn to price and market goods whose marginal cost is zero. They will learn to profit from giving value away. They will prefer collaboration to competition. They will assume responsibility for the newly measurable "externalities" they impose on their societies.

If you live or operate in the developed world, you've got a problem -- you have a lot to unlearn, and no short-term incentive to do it. But better not ignore the competitor with the strange looking beak.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chris Meyer, co-author of Blur, The Speed of Change in the Connected Economy, is writing a book about the evolution of capitalism.
HBR Blog "You Call That Capitalism?" at:
http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/hbt/meyer-kirby/

Seth Godin Book - Free E-Book Download

Thank you for the link Anne Jackson!

Author & Blogger Seth Godin has issued a free e-book online...to get it, click here: CLICK ME

The title of the book is 'What Matters Now' & here is a repost of a blog entry by Seth, describing the book:

Now, more than ever, we need to shake things up.

Here are more than seventy big thinkers, each sharing an idea for you to think about as we head into the new year. From bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert to brilliant tech thinker Kevin Kelly, from publisher Tim O'Reilly to radio host Dave Ramsey, there are some important people riffing about important ideas here. The ebook includes Tom Peters, Fred Wilson, Jackie Huba and Jason Fried, along with Gina Trapani, Bill Taylor and Alan Webber.

DON

DON’T SHOOT YOUR FUTURE IN THE FOOT

Posted using ShareThis

Facing Hardships & Difficulties

December 11, 2009
Responding to Hardship
1 PETER 4:12-19

When you face a trial, what is your first response? You probably would like to run away as quickly as possible to escape it. Though this is a normal feeling, God has a different way.

It is not the trials in your life that develop or destroy you, but rather your response to those hardships. How, then, should we react when difficulties feel overwhelming?

First, trust God. Believe His Word and reflect on ways He has been faithful in the past. He assures us that He limits our trials and enables us to endure.

Second, persevere. Even when we don't understand and the pain seems too great to bear, we should never quit. Continue seeking the Lord through His Word and prayer. Cling to hope in Christ, and praise Him in the midst of the pain.

Third, remember that our sovereign God is in control. He's allowing this adversity for a reason and will demonstrate His sustaining power through it. Even though the pain might feel intolerable, the Lord will prosper us. Scripture compares our growth to gold, which is refined through fire (1 Peter 1:7). Often, I hear believers reflect on a difficult time and admit that despite the intense hurt, they wouldn't change the situation. They see the beauty God created through the struggle and realize its value.

We will encounter difficulties—sometimes intense and painful trials that seem too much for us. Yet we can rely on our heavenly Father to deliver and grow us in ways we could never imagine. He doesn't demand that we endure on our own, but He does allow us to respond and trust Him.

1 Peter 4:12-19 (New Living Translation)

Suffering for Being a Christian

¹² Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. ¹³ Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.

¹⁴ So be happy when you are insulted for being a Christian,^a]">[a] for then the glorious Spirit of God^b]">[b] rests upon you.^c]">[c] ¹⁵ If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs. ¹⁶ But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name! ¹⁷ For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God’s Good News? ¹⁸ And also,

“If the righteous are barely saved,
what will happen to godless sinners?”^d]">[d]

¹⁹ So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.

1 Peter 1:7 (New Living Translation)

⁷ These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

Notes from Generate|Life tonight...

•Last week Tony talked about Bre stealing the sheets (Natalya and I –Love Barricade)
•We live in a world that sees the need and is so cause oriented and wants to make a difference
•Problem is that those are all great but
•It just isn’t enough to just give clean water, or shoes, or schools (those are all important) but there is an AND missing.
•All this AND…what is that AND?

1. This idea of Charity – means only giving to the poor – Just like rhyme is the most obvious thing about poetry, so we come to know it poetry as nothing more than rhyme.
“Charity” in the Christian sense means “Love” But Love in the Christian sense is not emotion – its about the will
•“Agape” - to describe the attitude of God toward His Son. John 3:16 “For God so loved (Agape) the world, He gave him up…”
•Love does what is NEEDED not what is WANTED…there is a distinction here
(Our definition of love is used so frequently that it loses all meaning…You don’t love cake)
•It is not done on impulse or feelings, or someone that reciprocates it – this love seeks the welfare of all!

Question: If love seeks the greatest good for others, what is the greatest good you can do for someone?

•love would seek to provide the best possible answer for any given circumstance
(Paramedics are heroic – saves the day. Then if there was an accident and used a BAND-aid to fix paralyzed)
*the point is that Band aids work fine to stop bleeding on small cuts but if someone
is suffering internal bleeding it wont fix anything – we need to love people enough to make sure that they walk away with getting the proper treatment – just like its not enough to put a band ai
•that’s giving hope, that is loving in an AGAPE way
It isn't in an act of service that a life is changed…but it's only in the truth of a love found in the one who gave it all so that we might live! His truth will last forever while clean water alone will only last for a moment
•It isn’t about a one of act of kindness for another that on the surface makes us feel better about where we live or the car we drive
•In the end it never was about the other person it was about us feeling better
•That’s the danger in social justice causes without the greatest news of all attached, which is the Gospel.
•It’s the greater good
•It’s the proper tool to fix the larger issue 1 John 3:16-17 “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the bretheren. Vs 17 But whoever has the worlds goods, and beholds the his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?Here John says that we see people hurting we should step in and help them that is our platform –
•then in vs 18 “Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue but in deed AND truth

1 We have an obligation to love people enough to give them the truth about Jesus – the long term AND – Long term answer
(Kids in Kenya have nothing but have joy because they Know Christ)
I believe that the church is doing it right – maybe not all but many are
(stats on giving)
Survey shows that the biggest indicator if someone will give is religious participation
They give more blood, more to homeless, more to charities – 4 times as much
yet the media and news and civil rights movements would have you believe that the church isn’t doing a thing

2. Helping the needy and poor is a platform to preach the greatest message ever
•Mark 6:34 “When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and he felt compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things.” –Jesus’ first concern wasn’t that he fed them or did a miracle, he wanted them have life beyond the here and now
We have to give what they NEED not what they WANT…and that takes selflessness.
•The kind that Jesus taught about
(My wife is the most selfless person ever – sick at café)
. The love that Jesus offers changes you
•When you know that you matter and are loved it frees you from having to be selfish… It gives you HOPE!!
John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have love you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.”
•Jesus said that the world will know you are mine by the way that you LOVE one another
•(So convicted by Eko and how he loves his family)
•Don’t you see? It’s a love that is so foreign and uncommon to this world that they cant comprehend why someone would do that?
•It wasn’t that Loving others was a new commandment, but Love sacrificially like Jesus was new – John 15 “one lay down his life.”
•That kind of OUTRAGEOUS LOVE causes anyone that sees it or experiences it to ask a question, “what is it that they have?”
•You want to debate your friend about the validity of Jesus – show them how much you love them..That will prove who Jesus is.
1. The truth is that you cant love people that way without having the known the LOVE that comes from God who is complete Love

Forgiveness - Definitions & Effects (APA)

Beyond the teachings and promise of God through Christ, here is a secular view of forgiveness - through the eyes and research of a PhD candidate - published by the American Psychological Association in 2006.



Forgiveness - Definitions & Effects

Adapted from Philpot, C. (2006). Intergroup apologies and forgiveness. Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

Religious scholars of many faiths, philosophers, and more recently, psychologists, have grappled with the notion of forgiveness and have sought to delineate its boundaries ^{(18, 23, 38, 39)}.

Defining Forgiveness

Forgiveness is a process (or the result of a process) that involves a change in emotion and attitude regarding an offender. Most scholars view this an intentional and voluntary process, driven by a deliberate decision to forgive ^{(6, 8, 26, 38)}. This process results in decreased motivation to retaliate or maintain estrangement from an offender despite their actions, and requires letting go of negative emotions toward the offender. Theorists differ in the extent to which they believe forgiveness also implies replacing the negative emotions with positive attitudes including compassion and benevolence ^{(8, 17, 23, 25, 26)}. In any event, forgiveness occurs with the victim’s full recognition that he or she deserved better treatment, one reason why Mahatma Gandhi contended that “the weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong” ^{(12, p. 301)}.

Forgiveness and Reconciliation

Some theorists view reconciliation, or the restoration of a relationship, as an integral part of the forgiveness process ^{(9, 17)}, and others as independent processes because forgiveness may occur in the absence of reconciliation and reconciliation may occur in the absence of forgiveness ^{(4, 10, 21, 25, 39)}. Nonetheless, forgiveness does have behavioural corollaries. Reductions in revenge and avoidance motivations and an increased ability to wish the offender well are features of forgiveness that can impact upon behavioural intention without obliging reconciliation. Forgiveness can be a one sided process, whereas reconciliation is a mutual process of increasing acceptance ^{(32, 33)}.

Forgiveness and Other Processes

Forgiveness is recognized as different from other processes, such as condoning (failing to see the action as wrong and in need of forgiveness), excusing (not holding the person or group responsible for the action), pardoning (granted only by a representative of society, such as a judge), and forgetting (removing awareness of the offence from consciousness; to forgive is more than just not thinking about the offense) ^{(8, 21, 25, 29, 37)}. Many of the concepts that scholars keep different are treated as the same in lay conceptions of forgiveness ⁽¹⁹⁾.

Benefits of Forgiveness

• aids psychological healing through positive changes in affect (37)

• improves physical and mental health ^{(7, 35)}

• restores a victim’s sense of personal power ^{(9, 11)}

• helps bring about reconciliation between the offended and offender ^{(16, 20, 27)}

• promotes hope for the resolution of real-world intergroup conflicts ^{(1, 14, 24, 28)}

Forgiveness Interventions

There are a large number of interventions designed to improve individuals’ abilities to forgive, both at the interpersonal level (e.g., distressed couples, incest survivors, victims of parental abuse) ^{(2, 4, 5, 6, 10, 13, 15, 30, 31)} and at the group level (human rights abuses, intergroup conflict and war (18). Interventions that promote understanding the roots of violence can foster reconciliation and forgiveness after mass violence and after individual harmdoing ^{(33, 34)}.

Results from experiments tracking the outcome of forgiveness interventions show that interventions:

• leads to improved affect ^{(10, 13)}

• lowers rate of psychiatric illness ^{(18, 35)}

• lowers physiological stress responses; thereby improving physical well-being and leading to a greater sense of personal control ^{(3, 17, 36)}

• facilitates the restoration of relationship closeness ^{(9, 22)}

References

1. Azar, F., Mullet, E., & Vinsonneau, G. (1999). The propensity to forgive: Findings from Lebanon. Journal of Peace Research, 36 (2), 169-181.
2. Bass, E., & Davis, L. (1988). The courage to heal: A guide for women survivors of child sexual abuse. New York, NY: Perennial Library/Harper and Row Publishers, Inc.
3. Berry, J. W. & Worthington, E. L. (2001). Forgivingness, relationship quality, stress while imagining relationship events, and physical and mental health. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 4, 447-455.
4. Butler, M. H., Dahlin, S. K., & Fife, S. T. (2002). “Languaging” factors affecting clients’ acceptance of forgiveness intervention in marital therapy. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 28 (3), 285-298.
5. Coyle, C. T., & Enright, R. D. (1997). Forgiveness intervention with post-abortion men. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 65 (6), 1042-1046.
6. Enright, R. D., Santos, M. J., & Al Mabuk, R. (1989). The adolescent as forgiver. Journal of Adolescence, 12 (1), 95-110.
7. Exline, J. J., & Baumeister, R. F. (2000). Expressing forgiveness and repentance: Benefits and barriers. In M. E. McCullough, K. I. Pargament & C. E. Thoresen (Eds.), Forgiveness: Theory, research and practice.
8. Fincham, F. D. (2000). The kiss of the porcupines: From attributing responsibility to forgiving. Personal Relationships, 7, 1-23.
9. Fincham, F. D., Hall, J.H. & Beach, S.R.H. (2005). ‘Til lack of forgiveness doth us part: Forgiveness in marriage. In E.L. Worthington (Ed.), Handbook of forgiveness (pp. 207-226). New York: Routledge.
10. Freedman, S. R., & Enright, R. D. (1996). Forgiveness as an intervention goal with incest survivors. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64(5), 983-992.
11. Goboda-Madikizela, P. (2002). Remorse, forgiveness and rehumanization: Stories from South Africa. The Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 42 (1), 7-32.
12. Gandhi, M. (2000). The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi (2nd Rev. ed. 2000, Vol 51, p. 1-2). Veena Kain Publications: New Delhi, India.
13. Hebl, J., & Enright, R. D. (1993). Forgiveness as a psychotherapeutic goal with elderly females. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 30 (4), 658-667.
14. Hewstone, M., & Cairns, E. (2001). Social psychology and intergroup conflict. In D. Chirot & M. E. P. Seligman (Eds.), Ethnopolitical warfare: Causes, consequences, and possible solutions. (pp. 319-342). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
15. Hope, D. (1987). The healing paradox of forgiveness. Psychotherapy:Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 24 (2), 240-244.
16. Hoyt, W. T., Fincham, F., McCullough, M. E., Maio, G. & Davila, J. (2005). Responses to interpersonal transgressions in families: Forgivingness, forgivability, and relationship-specific effects. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 89, 375-394.
17. Kaminer, D., Stein, D. J., Mbanga, I., & Zungu-Dirwayi, N. (2000).Forgiveness: Toward an integration of theoretical models. Psychiatry, 63 (4), 344-357.
18. Kaminer, D., Stein, D. J., Mbanga, I., & Zungu-Dirwayi, N. (2001). The Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa: Relation to psychiatric status and forgiveness among survivors of human rights abuses. British Journal of Psychiatry, 178, 373-377.
19. Kearns, J. N., & Fincham, F. D. (2004). A prototype analysis of forgiveness.Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 30, 838-855.
20. McCullough, M. E. (2000). Forgiveness as human strength: Theory, measurement and links to well-being. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 19 (1), 43-55.
21. McCullough, M. E., Pargament, K. I., & Thoresen, C. E. (2000). Forgiveness:Theory, research and practice. New York: Guilford Press.
22. McCullough, M. E., Rachal, K. C., Sandage, S. J., Worthington, E. L., Wade Brown, S., & Hight, T. L. (1998). Interpersonal forgiving in close relationships: II. Theoretical elaboration and measurement. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75 (6), 1586-1603.
23. McCullough, M. E., Worthington, E. L., & Rachal, K. C. (1997). Interpersonal forgiving in close relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73 (2), 321-326.
24. Mullet, E., Girard, M., & Bakhshi, P. (2004). Conceptualizations of Forgiveness. European Psychologist, 9 (2), 78-86.
25. Murphy, J., & Hampton, J. (1988). Forgiveness and mercy. Cambridge: University of Cambridge.
26. North, J. (1987). Wrongdoing and forgiveness. Philosophy, 62, 336-352.
27. Paleari, G., Regalia, C., & Fincham, F.D. (2003). Adolescents’ willingness to forgive parents: An empirical model. Parenting: Science and Practice, 3, 155-174.
28. Pargament, K. I., McCullough, M. E., & Thoresen, C. E. (2000). The frontier of forgiveness. In M. E. McCullough, K. I. Pargament & C. E. Thoresen (Eds.), Forgiveness: Theory, research and practice (pp. 299-319). New York: The Guilford Press.
29. Richards, N. (1988). Forgiveness. Ethics, 99 (1), 77-97.
30. Rye, M. S., & Pargament, K. I. (2002). Forgiveness and romantic relationships in college: Can it heal the wounded heart? Journal of Clinical Psychology, 58 (4), 419-441.
31. Sells, J. N., Giordano, F. G., & King, L. (2002). A pilot study in marital group therapy: Process and outcome. Family Journal Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families, 10 (2), 156-166.
32. Staub, E. (2005). Constructive Rather than Harmful Forgiveness, Reconciliation, Ways to Promote Them after Genocide and Mass Killing. In Worthington, E. (ed.). Handbook of Forgiveness. Brunner-Routledge.
33. Staub, E. (in press) Reconciliation after genocide, mass killing or intractable conflict: understanding the roots of violence, psychological recovery and steps toward a general theory. Political Psychology, December, 2006.
34. Staub, E., Pearlman, L. A., Gubin, A., and Hagengimana, A. (2005). Healing, forgiveness and reconciliation in Rwanda: Intervention and experimental evaluation. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology. 24 (3). 297-334.
35. Toussaint, L., & Webb, J. R. (2005). Theoretical and empirical connections between forgiveness, mental health and well-being. In E.L. Worthington (Ed.), Handbook of forgiveness (pp. 349-362). New York: Routledge.
36. VanOyen, C. W., Ludwig, T. E., & Vander Laan, K. L. (2001). Granting forgiveness or harboring grudges: Implications for emotion, physiology and health. Psychological Science, 12 (2), 117-123.
37. West, W. (2001). Issues relating to the use of forgiveness in counselling and psychotherapy. British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 29 (4), 415-423.
38. Worthington, E. L. (2005). More questions about forgiveness: Research agenda for 2005-2015. In E. L. Worthington (Ed.), Handbook of forgiveness (pp. 557-575). New York: Routledge.
39. Zechmeister, J. S., & Romero, C. (2002). Victim and offender accounts of interpersonal conflict: Autobiographical narratives of forgiveness and unforgiveness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82 (4), 675-686

Blog Source: http://www.apa.org/international/forgiveness.pdf

Notes from Central Christian Church - 12-6-09

Jud Wilhite
Christmas Stories - Pt 1
Dec. 6

The Battlefield Story












(Go ahead, Click the Picture)


John 1:1-2, 14 (New Living Translation): In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God…So the Word became human and made his home among us.

1. Surrender your heart to Jesus’ authority

(My Notes) His incarnation was for our salvation, His battle strategy was for us! We need to accept it wholly - in our hearts, for our lives are for Him - personally, in family, in business...all for Him. God became man to help us. He can't fully help us, without our acceptance and surrender.

John 1:3-5 (New Living Translation): God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

John 10:9-10 (New Living Translation): Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

God is 1 in 3 - Tri-Unity or Trinity; Father (Divine), Son (Human), Holy Spirit (Supernatural).

Christmas - the incarnation of his Human Form in Jesus, is His first move to get our lives back from ourselves...That's what we celebrate, his divine move to help us regain the possibility of a Rich and Satisfying Life. Through Him. He was first Divine...then his move was to become Human, to suffer and bleed for us - showing us the way to live...then he rose, and his spirit remains within us, redeemed...IF WE SURRENDER and LIVE LIKE HIM.

Without God as the foundation, a true Rich and Satisfying life is not possible. Material things aren't riches...they are byproducts and burdens. Only through God is true richness and satisfaction possible...true Peace...True Life...True Love. Live life through Christ...live like Christ...love, give and give second chances.

2. Surrender your heart to Jesus’ mission

John 1:6-13 (New Living Translation): God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.

Bethlehem is the beachhead - the path to our salvation's start. He came here to save us from the darkness. We live on to help that path be fulfilled. With Christ in our hearts and Christ as our guide. So we can 'Walk the Walk' as Christians. Once you accept Him, walk it - live it & fulfill the mission. If you were arrested for being a follower of Jesus, would there be enough evidence to file charges? Live past the tradition, do it well & make a difference. Accept people, forgive people, love people and give people a second chance...and perhaps you will help others make the choice to live that mission...

Experience God's Victory!

A Follower not A Fan

Psalm 119:11 (The Message)

^9-16 How can a young person live a clean life?
By carefully reading the map of your Word.
I'm single-minded in pursuit of you;
don't let me miss the road signs you've posted.
I've banked your promises in the vault of my heart
so I won't sin myself bankrupt.
Be blessed, God;
train me in your ways of wise living.
I'll transfer to my lips
all the counsel that comes from your mouth;
I delight far more in what you tell me about living
than in gathering a pile of riches.
I ponder every morsel of wisdom from you,
I attentively watch how you've done it.
I relish everything you've told me of life,
I won't forget a word of it.

Give Thanks to God!

Psalm 136 (NLT)

¹ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
² Give thanks to the God of gods.
His faithful love endures forever.
³ Give thanks to the Lord of lords.
His faithful love endures forever.

⁴ Give thanks to him who alone does mighty miracles.
His faithful love endures forever.
⁵ Give thanks to him who made the heavens so skillfully.
His faithful love endures forever.
⁶ Give thanks to him who placed the earth among the waters.
His faithful love endures forever.
⁷ Give thanks to him who made the heavenly lights—
His faithful love endures forever.
⁸ the sun to rule the day,
His faithful love endures forever.
⁹ and the moon and stars to rule the night.
His faithful love endures forever.

¹⁰ Give thanks to him who killed the firstborn of Egypt.
His faithful love endures forever.
¹¹ He brought Israel out of Egypt.
His faithful love endures forever.
¹² He acted with a strong hand and powerful arm.
His faithful love endures forever.
¹³ Give thanks to him who parted the Red Sea.
His faithful love endures forever.
¹⁴ He led Israel safely through,
His faithful love endures forever.
¹⁵ but he hurled Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea.
His faithful love endures forever.
¹⁶ Give thanks to him who led his people through the wilderness.
His faithful love endures forever.

¹⁷ Give thanks to him who struck down mighty kings.
His faithful love endures forever.
¹⁸ He killed powerful kings—
His faithful love endures forever.
¹⁹ Sihon king of the Amorites,
His faithful love endures forever.
²⁰ and Og king of Bashan.
His faithful love endures forever.
²¹ God gave the land of these kings as an inheritance—
His faithful love endures forever.
²² a special possession to his servant Israel.
His faithful love endures forever.

²³ He remembered us in our weakness.
His faithful love endures forever.
²⁴ He saved us from our enemies.
His faithful love endures forever.
²⁵ He gives food to every living thing.
His faithful love endures forever.
²⁶ Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His faithful love endures forever.

People of the Second Chance

Mike Foster (Plain Joe Studios / Ethur) and Jud Wilhite (Central Christian Church - Las Vegas, NV) have repackaged and relaunched their leadership lifestyle ministry of radical integrity and radical grace under the new name - People of the Second Chance. You can express your support in 3 simple ways:

1. Join their new Facebook Page.
2. Follow @POTSC on Twitter.
3. Spread the word about People of the Second Chance via blogs, Tweets, social sharing, and other online spaces.

Stay tuned because a People of the Second Chance blog starts the week of December 7.

People of The Second Chance

WHAT IS PEOPLE OF THE SECOND CHANCE?

Company Overview:

People of the Second Chance gives voice to a scandalous movement about receiving, giving and being a second chance person—one who embraces one’s scars with guts while moving forward in life, rebels with grace rather than justice, and advocates a second chance for the lost and forgotten.

Mission:

• Know that they are not alone in their failures and how to leverage pain, brokeness, and suffering as the foundation for future success.

• Be empowered to receive a second chance, to embrace their scars and move forward into a future not defined by the past.

• Be challenged to extend radical forgiveness in their relationships, friendships, communities, and in the midst of relational injustice.

• Engage in solutions where second chances are needed and be an advocate for those in poverty, prison, or forgotten.

• Learn how radical integrity and radical grace work together in life and leadership success.

Thank you ChurchRelevance.com!

Forget Yourselves...

Philippians 2:1-4 (The Message)

He Took on the Status of a Slave

If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

Success...

Ephesians 5:15-17 (The Message)

^11-16Don't waste your time on useless work, mere busywork, the barren pursuits of darkness. Expose these things for the sham they are. It's a scandal when people waste their lives on things they must do in the darkness where no one will see. Rip the cover off those frauds and see how attractive they look in the light of Christ.

Wake up from your sleep,
Climb out of your coffins;
Christ will show you the light!

So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times!

¹⁷Don't live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants.

Submarine Veterans - A Salute by Author Unknown

Only a submariner realizes to what great extent an entire ship depends on him as an individual. To a landsman this is not understandable, and sometimes it is even difficult for us to understand, but it is so.

A submarine at sea is a different world in herself, and in consideration of the protracted and distant operations of submarines, the Navy must place responsibility and trust in the hands of those who take such ships to sea.

In each submarine there are men who, in the hour of emergency or peril at sea, can turn to each other. These men are ultimately responsible to themselves and each other for all aspects of the operation of their submarine. They are the crew. They are the ship.

This is perhaps the most difficult and demanding assignment in the Navy. There is not an instant during his tour as a submariner that he can escape the grasp of responsibility. His privileges in view of his obligations are almost ludicrously small, nevertheless, it is the spur which has given the Navy its greatest mariners – the men of the Submarine Service.

It is the duty which most richly deserves the proud and time-honored title of………Submariner.

Interesting...Bits and Pieces from Pearl Jam's Amongst the Waves

What used to be a house of cards
Has turned into a reservoir
Saved the tears that were waterfalling
Let’s go swim tonight, darling

& Once outside the undertow
Just you & me & nothing more
If not for love I would be drowning
I’ve seen it work both ways, but I am up

Riding high amongst the waves
I can feel Like I
Have a soul that has been saved
I can feel like I
Put away my early grave

Gotta say it now
Better loud
Than too late

Riding hi amongst the waves
I can feel like I
Have a soul that has been saved
I can see the light
Coming through the clouds in rays

Gotta say it now
Better loud
than too late

I choose...

Joshua 24:15 (The Message)

¹⁵ "If you decide that it's a bad thing to worship God, then choose a god you'd rather serve—and do it today. Choose one of the gods your ancestors worshiped from the country beyond The River, or one of the gods of the Amorites, on whose land you're now living. As for me and my family, we'll worship God."

NEON Faith - Notes about Authentic Faith

Jud Wilhite
Authentic Faith

Hebrews 11:23 (New Living Translation): It was by faith that Moses' parents hid him for three months when he was born. They saw that God had given them an unusual child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king's command.


1. Take a risk to obey God

2. Exchange counterfeits for the real God

Hebrews 11:24-27 (New Living Translation)
It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to share the oppression of God's people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward. It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king's anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.

The Message of Strength

2 Timothy 1:12-14 (The Message)

11-12This is the Message I've been set apart to proclaim as preacher, emissary, and teacher. It's also the cause of all this trouble I'm in. But I have no regrets. I couldn't be more sure of my ground—the One I've trusted in can take care of what he's trusted me to do right to the end.

13-14So keep at your work, this faith and love rooted in Christ, exactly as I set it out for you. It's as sound as the day you first heard it from me. Guard this precious thing placed in your custody by the Holy Spirit who works in us.