Dedicated Christian

Jars Of Clay – “Love Came Down At Christmas” [live]

Happy birthday Jesus

and

Merry Christmas to everyone

By Robert Czaplinsky

Here we are again, at that time of the year where the birth of Jesus, son of God, is celebrated. In my heart, I know that Christmas is certainly not about the exchanging of gifts and the decorating of a Christmas tree. Nor is it about spending much of your hard earned money on expensive presents that are probably not appreciated. It is also not about hanging lights and ornaments from every square foot of your home. Christmas is wonderful, but not for the traditional manner that Americans celebrate in 2008. The beauty of the celebration of Christmas lies in the heartfelt sentiment found in our churches, the collecting of gifts and goods for the needy and homeless, the unselfish prayers brought forth by the righteous, and the special way families gather together to celebrate. You must be like a child to truly understand Christmas. Christmas has great wonder when you contemplate God’s plan for saving mankind…the giving of His son for all of us. God made the greatest sacrifice of all!

As I walk through the malls and super-sized retail stores, I think of how commercialized man has made Christmas. In spite of this, I still yearn for the sound of old-time Christmas carols and how a group of carolers can bring to life the events of long ago in the sweetness and sincerity of their songs. I remember the distinct smell of fresh baked cookies and pies wafting through the air of my family’s home, a tradition carried on by my brothers and sisters to this very day. I long for when we sat around the kitchen table on a frigid December morning, sipping hot cocoa and gobbling down far too many of the best Christmas cookies I ever tasted. I loved how my mom filled the house with the best Christmas songs ever written, while she worked long and hard in the kitchen, preparing for the forthcoming holidays. I remember the tale of the 3 wise men, who journeyed far to celebrate the birth of the son of God. I marvel at the story of the Virgin Mary and how the miraculous birth of Jesus took place. I’ll never forget sitting in church and listening to the pastor telling the greatest story ever told, and joining in as everyone prayed and sang praises to God during the most joyous time of the year. Even at 7 years old, I knew that Jesus Christ is Lord and will always be. These memories are stored deeply in a most special part of my heart and can never be taken away! Thank you Lord!

I still admire the goodness and kindness that everyone shares with each other, even today, as we face times of great trial in the United States. We must constantly remember that God is watching out for us, and his Word is his bond with us! God’s plan is always the perfect one, and for all of us, we must trust in Him and have the faith to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that everything he does is for us!

I think it is also appropriate to say…Happy Birthday Jesus!

In the darkness, where everything is unknown,
I faced the power of sin of my own.
I did not know of the place I could go,
where I could find a way to heal my wounded soul.

He said that I could come into His presence without fear,
into the holy place where His mercy hoovers near.

I’m running, I’m running, I’m running to the mercy seat
where Jesus is calling.
His grace will be my covering,
His blood will flow freely, it will provide my healing.
I’m running to the mercy seat.

Are you living where hope has not been?
Lost in the curse of a lifetime of sin?
Lovely illusions, they never come true,
but I know where there’s a place of mercy for you.

He said that you could come into His presence without fear,
into the holy place where His mercy hovers near.

Come running, come running, come running to the mercy seat
where Jesus is calling,
His grace will be your covering.
His blood will flow freely,
it will provide your healing.
Come running to the mercy seat.

He said that I could come into His presence without fear,
into the holy place where His mercy hovers near.

I’m running, I’m running, I’m running to the mercy seat
where Jesus is calling,
His grace will be my covering.
His blood will flow freely,
it will provide my healing.
I’m running to the mercy seat.

I’m running to the mercy seat.
Come running to the mercy seat.
I’m running to the mercy seat.

By Robert Czaplinsky:

Goal: Lesson and Example on Steadfast Faith and holding on to God’s promises to us.

Materials: Main text is the book of Genesis and God’s promise to Abraham.

A timeline of Abraham’s waiting for God to fulfill his promise to give Abraham a son and heir.

Other material is a general search and list of some of God’s promises to his followers.

What have I experienced and observed?

(Attention and interest items)

Question: Have you ever wondered why God doesn’t seem to answer your prayers and whether you are really following the plan God has for your life?

1. Americans generally want to have their desires and DO NOT WANT TO WAIT! They want it now!

Examples: a) impatience in supermarket lines

b) waiting at the bank/ATM

c) all the fast food drive-thru lines

d) speeding on the highways

e) gasoline (pay at the pumps)

f) abbreviated church services

2) Let’s relate this to the people in the churches.

Many people pray and expect immediate results. In general, most Christians do not persevere. **Also, how many times have we seen people come forth for prayer? Prior to receiving prayer, they confess to a problem that cannot be solved, rather than receiving a miracle from God through a simple act of faith. (a negative confession rather than a positive confession)

1. Faith/Steadfastness

Anyone who studies events in our world know that all good things take time to develop.

Examples:

1. Marriages
2. Good Reputation
3. Positive Character
4. Knowledgeable at Work
5. Solid Credit and Finances
6. Development of Patience
7. Children of Quality Moral Character

Text: Let’s to take a good look at Abraham. Abraham was a righteous and holy man who was chosen by God to become the father of a great nation. A nation made up of people of the Jewish faith: God’s Chosen People!

Let’s take a look at Genesis 12:1-4, and read about the promise God made to Abraham.

Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of the country from your family and from your father’s house. To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation: I will bless you and make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was 75 years old when he departed from Har’an.

Then, Genesis 15: 1-6. God promises Abraham a son and an heir.

After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision saying,” Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus? Then Abram said, Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!” And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” Then He brought him outside and said “Look now toward heaven , and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.

Central Truth: I want to show you that you must have faith in God and ALL of his promises. God WILL DELIVER just as he did for Abraham, who waited 25 years to finally receive a son and an heir.

Main Message Notes

1. Todays message is about:

1. faith- believing without seeing
2. righteousness- Doing right; virtuous; (our thoughts and actions

aligning to God’s word)

1. timing- Our timing in balance with God’s timing.
2. holding fast- Have faith in God’s promises in spite of all circumstances.

1. Abraham was 75 years old when he first received God’s promise.

(Genesis 12:1-4)

“Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of the country from your family and from your father’s house. To a land that I will show you, I will make you a great nation: I will bless you and make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was 75 years old when he departed from Har’an.”

1. Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah (his wife) was 90 years old when they gave birth to Isaac, according to God’s promise. THINK:

(Genesis 21: 1-5) (Abraham and Sarah was sure it was too late for a son.)

“Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for

Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him. When his son Isaac was 8 years old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him. Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born to him.”

1. In all, Abraham has his promise confirmed 5 times by God:

(Genesis 12: 1-3) The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your household, and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you. I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 13: 14-17) The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you!”

(Genesis 15: 5) He took him (Abram) outside and said, “Look up at the heavens and count the stars-if indeed you can count them.” Then He said to him “So shall your offspring be.”

(Genesis 17: 1-2) When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my covenant between you and me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”

(Genesis 17: 19) Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.”

1. After 25 years of waiting for a son, Abraham gets his son and heir. Then, God requires Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac.

(Genesis 22: 2) Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region on Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”

1. In (Genesis 22: 11-18), God sends an angel to stop the sacrifice and greatly rewards Abraham for his obedience!

(Genesis 22: 11-18) But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. ‘Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” Abraham looked up, and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide! And to this day, it is said,” On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on your seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of your enemies, and through your offspring, all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.

1. Abraham’s faith and righteousness did not avoid some doubt along the 25 years.

(Genesis 15: 2-5) But Abram said, “O Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.” Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look up at the heavens and count the stars-if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

(Genesis 16: 1-4) Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar; so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her.”

(Genesis 17: 17) Abraham fell face down; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man 100 years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of 90?”

(Genesis 18: 9-15) “Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him. “There, in the tent,” he said. Then the Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.” Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. Abraham and Sarah were already old and well advanced in years, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?” Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, “Will I really have a child now that I am old?” “Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son.” Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.” But he said, “Yes, you did laugh.”

CONCLUSION:

1. How does all of this relate to us? The New Testament connection is found in:

(Galations 3: 13-14) Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written; “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” He redeemed us in that the blessing that was given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, so that BY FAITH we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

(Romans 4: 16) Therefore, the promise comes BY FAITH, so that it may be by grace and may be GUARANTEED TO ALL ABRAHAMS OFFSPRING- not only those to who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all!

1. We must believe that God’s word 100% true.

(Isaiah 40: 8) “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of our God stands forever!”

1. How to Receive God’s Promises

1. Ask God to meet your needs according to His Word.
2. Be faithful and righteous. (God will NEVER FAIL.)
3. HOLD FAST! Time and circumstance do not matter. God will not test anyone beyond their limit.
4. Rejoice if God makes you wait. He is preparing you and your faith for an even greater work for HIS GLORY!
5. God’s word is true. He will ALWAYS KEEP His promise.

1. In closing: 1 Corinthians 2: 9 says

“As it is written:

No eye has seen,

No ear has heard,

No mind has conceived,

What God has prepared,

For those who love Him!”

By Robert Czaplinsky

Stories are circulating on the internet about “The New World Order”. This controversy surrounds the rich corporations and people of our world attempting to reorganize the governing bodies on our planet and set in place a single government! A government made up of the rich and powerful people ruling the earth. There will be no more free countries. Technology would allow control of the minions to be a non-issue. Computer chips are being placed in the driver’s license, in cars, pets, and inside of people. Micro-chips can be used to replace debit or credit cards. All buying and selling can continue to be tracked, and even denied to those who do not support the “New World Order”. The decision to do this is supported by claims to reduce kidnapping and run-aways, but the underlying purpose is to know where everyone is, and what everyone is doing at all times. What better plan can be implemented to control the population of an entire planet! This is a direct connection to ‘The Mark of the Beast’ and the beginning of the rule of the Anti-Christ. This is truly a most unique time to be alive!

We are going to see the Second Coming of Christ in the span of our lifetime! A Christ who will come as a powerful king and rid the world of those who seek to do harm and control others for personal gain. Look to the heavens and pray, for the day of trial and tribulation is at hand, but the end result for those who stand fast in their faith will be VICTORY!

More information on the current economic situation in our country is stressing to me. I am at a loss as to how money can be simply printed and used. If printing money is the answer to economic woes, why doesn’t every country in the world just start printing money until their economic problems have gone away? Better yet, why not allow everyone to print money so they can do as they please also? The facts are simple…we cannot just print money! Perhaps the story of the U.S, borrowing the money from other countries is true. Our budget deficit is already so high that soon even monthly payments will be impossible. The value of our dollar is going to deteriorate on the world market. Our country is facing economic chaos, and it appears that rather than facing the problem, there are those in power who would prefer to see a change in government rather than a re-strengthening of our current government.

What can be more frightening to hear than the fact that President-Elect Obama is looking to take away as many rights of private gun owners as possible. Add to that the fact that President Obama is also looking to create another army…an army that is to operate on United States soil. This would essentially make our country into a ‘police state’. Why would such an army actually be needed??? Is the reason for the prevention of terrorism, or for forced control of the American Civilian? I guess we will have to wait and see. An unconfirmed rumor circulating on the internet states that the United States may already be under Martial Law, and military personnel have received letters to put them on notice that they may be called at any time.

Referring back to the ‘amero’, actual pictures of paper money marked as ‘ameros’ have also come to surface and have various denominations marked on the bills. It appears that if the ‘amero’ does actually become reality to Mexico, U.S., and Canada, it seems as if this event will soon occur. Target dates for these changes continue to be somewhere between the end of February and the beginning of July.

Can we hope and pray that these changes are being made to benefit us!

It’s the song of the redeemed
Rising from the African plain
It’s the song of the forgiven
Drowning out the Amazon rain
The song of Asian believers
Filled with God’s holy fire
It’s every tribe, every tongue, every nation
A love song born of a grateful choir

It’s all God’s children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns
It’s all God’s children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns

Caught up in the heavenly sound
Let praises echo from the towers of cathedrals
To the faithful gathered underground
Of all the songs sung from the dawn of creation
Some were meant to persist
Of all the bells rung from a thousand steeples
None rings truer than this

When all God’s children sing out
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns
All God’s people singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns

And all the powers of darkness
Tremble at what they’ve just heard
‘Cause all the powers of darkness
Can’t drown out a single word

When all God’s children sing out
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns
All God’s people singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns