Who to rely on for the new year

John 15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches . . . apart form Me you can do nothing

Add the following statements of doctrinal affirmation to those your life. Allow the truth of God's Word to saturate your heart and guide your steps in the coming year.

I believe that Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18), and that He is the head over all rule and authority (Colossians 2:10). I believe that Satan and his demons are subject to me in Christ because I am a member of Christ's body (Ephesians 1:19-23). I therefore obey the command to resist the devil (James 47), and I command him in the name of Christ to leave my presence.

I believe that apart form Christ I can do nothing (John 15:5), so I declare my dependence on Him. I choose to abide in Christ in order to bear much fruit and glorify the Lord (John 15:8). I announce to Satan that Jesus is my Lord (1corinthians 12:3), and I reject any counterfeit gifts or works of Satan in my life.

I believe that the truth will set me free (John 8:32), and that walking in the light is the only path of fellowship (1 John1::7). Therefore, I stand against Satan's deception by taking every thought captive in obedience to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). I declare that the Bible is the only authoritative standard (2 Timothy 3:15-17). I choose to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).

I choose to present my body as an instrument of righteousness, a living and holy sacrifice, and I renew my mind by the living Word of God in order that I may prove that the will of God is good, acceptable and perfect (Romans 6:13; 12:1, 2).

Praying for the best in the upcoming year,
Pastor Mike

When is a criminal not a criminal.

I am athe Pastoral laison for the State of California with an Organization called Stop The ACLU (www.stoptheaclu.org). Please read the following dispatch, and let me know what you think. By the way, I encourage you to drop by the website and check out how the ACLU is giving everything they have to trample the rights of Christians while giving the fanatical faiths of terrorism an open door to bomb us yet again.

With all of this debate going on about illegal imigartion, I have to wonder when doing something illegal became acceptable. Let's face it, politicians only want the people coming across our border illegally to become citizens so they can get their votes. Would they be so accepting of someone who robbed them of their paycheck? they would be a hypocrite if they didn't.

STOP THE ACLU
COALITION


Red Alert

Working Hard to Keep America Safe & Free from the ACLU

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Dear Friends & Supporters:

We had not planned to sent out any alerts and newsletters until after the 1st of the year, however, a certain issue has been in the spotlight that I feel warrants our prompt attention and action now.

We are aware that everyone who comes to the Stop the ACLU web site and joins our mailing list may not disagree with the ACLU on every single issue. While I believe most of us reject all the ACLU’s positions on abortion, same sex marriage, sex ed, Gay/Straight Alliances, prayer in schools and city council meetings, public displays of the 10 Commandments and religious symbols, radical Islam, the UN and matters of national security and terrorism, we know there are some who do not take issue with them on every single item. We understand and respect that.

However, I believe I speak for virtually everyone in the Stop the ACLU database when I say that the most serious issue of our day is the matter of border security and deportation of illegal aliens. And as such, we need each of you reading this alert to take action and do your part to stop the ACLU.

As many of you know, a few cities across America have enacted ordinances to curb illegal immigrants from employment and residency in their communities. Examples of those include Escondido, California; Valley Park, Missouri; Riverside, New Jersey, and Farmers Branch, Texas.

These communities have all been sued by the ACLU and have either backed off enforcement of their ordinances or are seriously considering doing so. Other communities like Carpentersville in my home state of Illinois have wanted to do so but were thwarted by radicals opposing public officials in these towns, led by ACLU threats of litigation.

However, one community is not succumbing to ACLU suits but instead digging their heels in to fight them, all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, if necessary. And that is the city of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, led by Mayor Lou Barletta.

This past Tuesday night on CNN, Christine Romans, substitute host for Lou Dobbs, had Mayor Barletta on the show. The transcript can be accessed here for those who would like to do so. But in the interest of time, I have copied and pasted the interview below.

(Note that there is a small section earlier in the web page that details what lawmakers and the president plan to do in the 107th Congress with regards to the illegal aliens currently here.)


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ROMANS: It's one small city in America and it's at the forefront of the battle against illegal immigration. Hazleton, Pennsylvania has become a model for other communities trying to stem illegal immigration within their own city limits. But Hazleton now faces expensive legal challenges for those efforts. The mayor of Hazleton though says he won't back down and he joins me now. Mayor Lou Barletta of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, welcome back to the program.

LOU BARLETTA, MAYOR, HAZLETON: Nice to be here.

ROMANS: Now Escondido yielded in California to the pressure that it was getting from groups who said you can't do this. And in fact, turned around and even paid the people that were suing it. Are you daunted at all by that?

BARLETTA: No, I'm not. You know, I'm sorry to hear what happened in Escondido, however we do things a little differently in Hazleton. We put together one of the finest legal defense teams in the country. Some of it is pro bono, some of it at discounted rates. Our insurance carrier is also covering us as well as we started a defense fund, smalltowndefenders.com where people from all over America are helping us defend ourselves.

ROMANS: Mayor, one attorney with the national ACLU had this to say about the Escondido move and how it relates to Hazleton and other towns. Quote, "Other cities that have similar legislation should heed the lesson of this case. These ordinances will not withstand challenge, and must be repealed."

You've had -- you have suffered some legal setbacks in the course of this legislation. Are you concerned?

BARLETTA: Well, we have. The plaintiffs who are suing us, the judge has ordered that their identities will be kept confidential from even us.

ROMANS: So you're being sued by people who are not being identified?

BARLETTA: Absolutely. We don't know who these people are, where they live, where they work. They could be invisible for all we know. Unfortunately, we will heed that challenge and continue on. We're not going to back down and we'll fight this all the way to the Supreme Court if we have to.

ROMANS: Now the ACLU declined our request or our invitation to appear on the program with you tonight. But we did get several statements. And I've spoken to Vic Walczak who is the person for the ACLU in Pennsylvania who has been on this case.

"The mayor was unable to give statistics to support claims of problems illegal aliens have caused to Hazleton. There was no evidence to support any of his claims. He gave no details of actual problems illegal aliens are causing in Hazleton."

He says that he deposed you for some seven hours in the course of this litigation and in fact he couldn't come back with any kind of clear, concise data about just what harm illegal immigration is doing to your town. How do you respond to that?

BARLETTA: That's quite amusing. Apparently he forgot the illegal alien that shot two people on a busy street with hundreds of teenage high-schoolers standing nearby, killing one. Apparently he forgot about the 29-year-old that was shot between the eyes by two illegal aliens costing the city thousands of dollars. Apparently he forgot about the 14-year-old illegal alien who was shooting a gun on a playground. Or the drug dealers, over half last year, who were illegal aliens. And apparently he forgot the statistic that over half of our entire budget for overtime in the police department was spent on one homicide committed by illegal aliens.

If he wanted more statistics, I gave them to him. The school district, for example, English as a second language. In the year 2000, the budget was $500. Last year, that budget now is $1,145,000. So he may have to refresh himself on the notes from that deposition.

ROMANS: Let me ask you. So often people like the ACLU and some of the open borders lobby, they say this is war on immigration and on immigrants. You have told me before that that is simply not the case, that this is something to preserve a town for legal immigrants and for citizens. Explain that a little bit.

BARLETTA: That's correct. We are not rolling out the welcome mat for legal immigrants. However illegal aliens are destroying the quality of life and we simply cannot absorb the cost in our small budget where we cannot -- we can no longer provide the level of public service to the legal, hard working taxpayers of our community. This does not mean that we don't welcome legal citizens. Illegal is illegal and it shouldn't go any further than that.

ROMANS: So how far now does this legal battle go?

BARLETTA: Well this battle right now is in federal court here in Scranton, Pennsylvania. From there, it will most likely go to the third circuit court in Philadelphia. And I believe it will finally end up in the Supreme Court. We are one small city with limited resources, but we have a big heart who won't back down from this fight.

ROMANS: Let me ask you, is there a way mayor to write this legislation to make everyone happy? Is there a way to still preserve what you're trying to do, and that is to stem illegal immigration within your city limits, but at the same time satisfy the folks who say this is some kind of racism?

BARLETTA: No, there's no race in illegal. Illegal is illegal and we have. The ordinance that is before counsel and before the judge right now, we feel, does not regulate immigration in any way. We punish businesses that hire unlawful workers and landlords that harbor illegal aliens.

As far as the illegal immigrants, we leave that up to the federal government. Nobody in the city of Hazleton will be determining anyone's immigration status. And I believe we have found a way to defend ourselves and we're willing to fight to prove that.

ROMANS: Is there a point, Mayor, where this becomes too costly, where you have to throw in the towel?

BARLETTA: Well there are 25 lawyers on the other side suing us and the ACLU has a lot of money, and we are one small city. We've set up a legal defense fund, city of Hazleton legal defense fund and anyone in America and they have already that wants to help us fight, can do so through this Web site. The Escondidos in this country, as well as Farmers Branch and many other cities, this fight, the battleground is really in Hazleton, Pennsylvania right now.

ROMANS: That's true. I spoke with somebody from the ACLU several months ago actually who said that Hazleton is our Alamo, meaning they were really going to focus on this case and hope that it would deter other communities from doing the same that you are.

BARLETTA: Well, I could tell them that this is one mayor that will never stop fighting for the people in my community.

ROMANS: Mayor Lou Barletta, thank you so much for joining us.

BARLETTA: Thank you.




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After reading the transcript, many of you are likely outraged that the ACLU will not disclose the names of the plaintiffs they are claiming to represent and that the organization is denying the criminal activity occurring in Hazleton.

As noted in the article, Mayor Barletta set up a web site called Small Town Defenders to receive donations to fight the ACLU’s lawsuit. To his great courage, Mr. Barletta has said he will not bow to the ACLU in any way, shape or form. And we need to help as much as we can.

This issue is critical because whoever wins will set the stage for either uncontrolled immigration or major reform and isolation of ACLU lawsuits. If the ACLU wins, few municipalities, if any, will introduce immigration reform ordinances, knowing they will likely be struck down, resulting in thousands of taxpayers dollars awarded to the ACLU.

If Hazleton wins, it will mean that cities concerned about illegal aliens will be able to craft and model legislation after the Hazleton ordinance and as such, will likely stand up to court scrutiny.

This one is for all the marbles. As such, we need everyone's participation.




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Take Action Now!



While we here at the Coalition are definitely in need of serious financial infusions to sustain and expand our operations and hope you will consider us at this time, the city of Hazleton needs us as well, if not more so.

We fully understand the bills many of you have incurred as a result of Christmas shopping and we also realize that your house of worship, for those of you who attend church, needs your support first. However, after doing so, would you be willing to donate to Hazleton’s legal defense fund and help them defeat the ACLU?

The town’s web page is a secure site whereby you can contribute online. Or if you wish to mail a check or money order, you can do so by sending it to:

City of Hazleton Legal Defense Fund
C/O Mayor Lou Barletta

City Hall

40 N. Church St. Hazleton, PA 18201.



We especially ask that as many Pennsylvanians as possible help this town fight the ACLU.



It doesn’t matter whether you can give $5 or $50 or $500. If as many as possible in the Coalition’s database can step up to the plate and simply do a little, we could greatly expand the town of Hazleton’s current financial resources.

We know some folks cannot contribute anything and we fully understand. However, we would that each of you, as well as those of you planning to donate to Hazleton’s legal fund, sign the city’s petition of support and share your personal comments to Mayor Barletta by clicking here.

Also, if there is someone living within an hour radius of Hazleton who would like to be our liaison to the community, please contact me for more information. We will be in touch with the mayor, hopefully within the next few days.

Thank you, everyone, for your assistance in this matter. For those of you who are prayer warriors, pray that this ACLU suit will go down in flames and that Hazleton will have a big victory.

In closing, we want to remind you that with the support of the ACLU, the new Congress and President Bush plan to push the comprehensive immigration bill granting amnesty to thousands of illegal aliens currently here and cause nightmares right and left. We ask you to join as many immigration control groups as possible to force Washington to hear us. Some recommendations I can give are FAIR U.S., NUMBERS USA, U.S.Border Control, ALIPAC, Alamo Alliance and the Minuteman Project.

This bill may be introduced early next month so be informed and be prepared to blitz your senators and congressmen with communications. We will also endeavor to provide this information to you as well, both in an e-mail alert and on our web site.

Bottom line, I cannot emphasize enough how critical it is that Hazleton defeats the ACLU and that we force Congress to abandon any legislation granting amnesty and citizenship to illegals. Please do your part and encourage those in your address book to do theirs as well. I believe this is the defining issue of our time.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart and Happy New Year to all.



Warmest Regards,



Nedd Kareiva,

Director

When will Jesus return?

It seems that in today's world, there are thousands of books written on when Jesus will return. Some have it down to the day, while others base their entire belief system on it. Doesn't the Bible say Jesus' return is going to be a surprise...like a thief in the night that no one can anticipate? This belief is not wrong as Jesus is going to return like a thief. The problem is this belief is incomplete. The distinction is not Christian vs. non-Christian. Although subtle, it is the very important distinction between those believers who are paying close attention to Jesus and those who are not.

The letter to the Christian church of Sardis in Revelation 3:1-6 warns that if it does not wake up and stop resting on its reputation for doing good deeds, it will be surprised at Jesus' second coming. He wants the body to be alive and awake - not complacent - at His return.

The date of Jesus' return is a mystery. He told His disciples it wasn't for them to know the times, but this charge does not exclude a later generation from knowing the season! He gave us signs to go by; the first of which we see happening now: Deception of the masses. Jesus warned that there will be those who proclaim the truth that Jesus is the Christ, but they will fool and mislead many. "As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately. 'Tell us,' they said, 'when will this happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?' Jesus answered: 'Watch out that no one deceives you. For many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.'" Matthew 24:3,4

"We are not in darkness, nor are we asleep, that this day should surprise us like a thief." 1 Thessalonians 5:4

We are told to keep busy; doing the various jobs that Jesus has assigned each one of us. If we do this, keeping our eyes and ears open to His leading, we will not be surprised by this event.

Seeking to understand Biblical prophecy is a good thing. However, being alert to Jesus' return does not mean figuring out what the Beast means and when the battle of Armageddon will happen. Rather it means living with the constant expectation that you will one day stand before Jesus as your Judge and Savior. If you are living as a faithful follower of Christ, then you will be ready!

Praying that we're all ready,
Pastor Mike

Why a baby?

In those first speechless moments, new parents gaze with fascination. They lovingly examine every inch of their newborn child’s face.

No matter how we prepare ourselves, the reality of new birth astounds us. Here, nestled in our arms, is a brand-new member of the human race. Here is the future in flesh; our legacy to the world. We check eyes, mouth, ears for telltale family resemblances; we marvel at the delicate pink skin. Most of all, we silently thank the Lord over and over for a gift so unimaginably wonderful.

Can you imagine how intently Joseph and Mary must have studied the Child who came to them in Bethlehem? His coming had been foretold not by physicians but by angels. If those angels were right – and how could they not be? – here in the starlight was a Messiah who had been the subject of poems, songs, and dreams for a thousand years. Messiah: Perhaps the couple stammered when they tried to speak the M-word aloud. It was just so hard to imagine such a magnificent personification when they looked at the sleeping infant.

After all, everyone knew (or thought they knew) that the Messiah would be the ultimate military commander. He would arrive on horseback, with sword held high, crying out for vengeance and redemption in the name of the Lord and his favored nation. The Chosen One would have the wisdom of Solomon, the charisma of David, the godliness of Moses, and the military genius of Joshua.

Yet here was a baby – just a baby. Joseph and Mary had to admit that here was a baby who seemed, at first glance, like any other newborn child. He cried in the middle of the night. He hungered for milk. He needed fresh “swaddling clothes” every now and then. If this was just an ordinary child like cousin Elizabeth’s new addition, how could he be “one whose origins are from the deep past,” as the prophet had insisted? How could an infant be the Son of God?

Or for that matter, why would the Son of God be an infant? The need of crumbling, dying Israel was urgent. First the Greek and now the Roman influence was wiping away a bit more of the legacy of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob each day.

Why, indeed? Why did Jesus come as a child?

Jesus is the One like no other, for he was fully human and fully divine – simultaneously. Nothing about his humanity could detract from his godliness; nothing about his godliness could detract from his humanity. Only because this is true can he reconcile the Father in heaven with his children on earth. He is the Man of both worlds; he is the bridge by which God comes to earth and people come to heaven.

In that regard, we have seen that the Virgin Birth is the sign of his divinity. He comes to the earth from outside, pure and clean, and he is in no way a product of this world. Now we see that, in the same way, the infancy of the Child is the sign of his humanity. He is one of us in every way. He arrives from heaven with perfection and godliness of which no man or woman is capable – yet he takes the full human journey, which even God in heaven had not taken. How could we follow his footsteps as a man if we hadn’t seen him crawl as a child? How could we believe he had undergone all the temptation we have faced if he had bypassed the most difficult years in which we struggle to earn our adulthood?

To make the full sacrifice on our behalf, Jesus had to make the full commitment. It would have meant very little to us if he had sprung from heaven fully formed, bathed in heavenly glory, saying, “Here are my hands and my feet – place me upon the cross, for I am willing to die.”

Instead, we see him as a child in a manger. We see him at the Temple as a boy on the verge of maturity, already about his Father’s business. We see Mary and Joseph wondering at him, trying to understand, as he grew “in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people” (Luke 2:52).

Finally, we see him as a young man, quietly beginning a ministry that will change all of human history. We overhear the whispers from his neighbors: “He’s just a carpenter’s son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers – James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. All his sisters live right here among us” (Matthew 13:55-56).

We see him in the desert, wrestling with temptation and the matter of his destiny, and we know he is fully human. We see his love for children, and we can believe it because he, too, has been a child. And then, when those crude spikes are drilled through his wrists and his ankles, we know he feels the pain that any man would feel. We know the price of our sins is on the table, being paid in full with no credit plans or easy payment schedules, but by every last drop of blood and every brutal slash of the whip. We are bought with a price that could never have been paid without the full burden of humanity having been accepted.

If he had been God only, his sacrifice would have been cheap and unconvincing. If he had been man only, his sacrifice would have had no power; he would have been a martyr like ten thousand others.

But he was man and he was God, and therefore he was all in all. He came as a child to confront and conquer every challenge and every temptation common to humanity. We trust him with our lives because he was God. We love him with our hearts because we know that once he was a tiny baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

Knowing the reason for the season,
Pastor Mike

Tis the Season

How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces salvation, And says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” Isaiah 52:7

One thing I love about the Christmas story is the response of those who heard about Jesus’ birth. Across the board, their response was the same—an immediate reaction to go out and tell everyone about Him. It began with the angels, gloriously exalting Him from the sky so that everyone could hear. The excitement spread to the shepherds, and on to the wise men. Each of them felt the urgency to share the good news of the birth of the long-awaited Savior. Not only did they hear, but they responded. Not only did they respond, they responded immediately. No grass grew under their beautiful feet!

I love that God included this part of the story for us. He did not limit the scene to the cozy stable and loving parents. He showed us how even those outside of the main action could have a part in Jesus’ story. I think this was no accident. I think God wanted us to see how we too can respond to hearing the good news of Jesus’ birth. But do we? Do we take the opportunities we have at Christmas to share the gospel—the good news?

This season is like no other as people come face to face with Jesus Christ. Just for this little window of time, the stores play songs that say His name, the decorations point to Him and many activities are focused on Him. How can we best use this window of opportunity to share Him so that this year we can inspire other people to take Him to heart? Here are just a few suggestions to use as a springboard in your own life…

Include scripture in your Christmas card or on your gift tags. Also, consider writing a letter that shares a story of how God was real to you this year, or how you experienced an answer to prayer. People love stories, and you never know how God will use this as a witness to those who receive your cards. But you have to be bold, step out of your comfort zone, and take the risk of your long distance relatives thinking you’re weird!

Find ways to bless retail salespeople during the busy shopping season. I have a friend who gives coupons for a free sandwich at a local restaurant out to each person who waits on her. This is just a little way to share God’s love with them, but it means a lot in the midst of the hectic, and sometimes rude, days before Christmas. These people take a lot of abuse and might just need a reminder that someone cares—and that God has not forgotten them.

There are many ways to adopt a family or child at Christmas. Compassion International is a terrific agency you can sponsor a needy child through, in the name of Christ. Don ’t limit yourself just to the community agencies, though. Think about anonymously giving to a family you know personally who is going through a hard time. Maybe they are facing a long-term illness or a job loss and you could be God’s hands and feet for them. Consider organizing a group of friends to buy food and gifts to make their Christmas surprisingly special this year.

Of course there are many ways to express the love Jesus came to share. As you experience that love, you can pass it along to all you come in contact with. Look for ways to show love to others, as that love will speak volumes to those who are lost and hurting. When their hearts are first softened by love, then they will want to know more about this Jesus. Make this Christmas the time you respond as the angels, the shepherds and the Wise Men did—by being intentional and passionate about sharing the good news of a Messiah who came to save the world.

Loving this time of year,
Pastor Mike

How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces salvation, And says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” Isaiah 52:7

One thing I love about the Christmas story is the response of those who heard about Jesus’ birth. Across the board, their response was the same—an immediate reaction to go out and tell everyone about Him. It began with the angels, gloriously exalting Him from the sky so that everyone could hear. The excitement spread to the shepherds, and on to the wise men. Each of them felt the urgency to share the good news of the birth of the long-awaited Savior. Not only did they hear, but they responded. Not only did they respond, they responded immediately. No grass grew under their beautiful feet!

I love that God included this part of the story for us. He did not limit the scene to the cozy stable and loving parents. He showed us how even those outside of the main action could have a part in Jesus’ story. I think this was no accident. I think God wanted us to see how we too can respond to hearing the good news of Jesus’ birth. But do we? Do we take the opportunities we have at Christmas to share the gospel—the good news?

This season is like no other as people come face to face with Jesus Christ. Just for this little window of time, the stores play songs that say His name, the decorations point to Him and many activities are focused on Him. How can we best use this window of opportunity to share Him so that this year we can inspire other people to take Him to heart? Here are just a few suggestions to use as a springboard in your own life…

Include scripture in your Christmas card or on your gift tags. Also, consider writing a letter that shares a story of how God was real to you this year, or how you experienced an answer to prayer. People love stories, and you never know how God will use this as a witness to those who receive your cards. But you have to be bold, step out of your comfort zone, and take the risk of your long distance relatives thinking you’re weird!

Find ways to bless retail salespeople during the busy shopping season. I have a friend who gives coupons for a free sandwich at a local restaurant out to each person who waits on her. This is just a little way to share God’s love with them, but it means a lot in the midst of the hectic, and sometimes rude, days before Christmas. These people take a lot of abuse and might just need a reminder that someone cares—and that God has not forgotten them.

There are many ways to adopt a family or child at Christmas. Compassion International is a terrific agency you can sponsor a needy child through, in the name of Christ. Don ’t limit yourself just to the community agencies, though. Think about anonymously giving to a family you know personally who is going through a hard time. Maybe they are facing a long-term illness or a job loss and you could be God’s hands and feet for them. Consider organizing a group of friends to buy food and gifts to make their Christmas surprisingly special this year.

Of course there are many ways to express the love Jesus came to share. As you experience that love, you can pass it along to all you come in contact with. Look for ways to show love to others, as that love will speak volumes to those who are lost and hurting. When their hearts are first softened by love, then they will want to know more about this Jesus. Make this Christmas the time you respond as the angels, the shepherds and the Wise Men did—by being intentional and passionate about sharing the good news of a Messiah who came to save the world.

Loving this time of year,
Pastor Mike

Do you believe?

If there’s one gift I could give you this Christmas, it would be this: that you would know the certainty of what you have been taught about Jesus Christ.

That Jesus really was born, really did live here on earth, really did die for you, really did rise again, and really will come back again for those who put their faith in Him.

This is a gift that a doctor named Luke wanted to give to his friend, Theophilus.

So Luke undertook a careful investigation of the claims about Christ, interviewing eyewitnesses who saw the living, breathing Christ when He walked here on the earth. Luke traveled with the Apostle Paul and recorded first-hand what Paul and the other apostles said, and did, in the name of of their risen Lord.

When Luke finished his lengthy letter, a letter we can still read today, he sent it to his friend Theophilus. We know it as the Gospel According to Luke, and we can read in the opening paragraph the purpose for which Luke wrote his letter:

“Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught” (Luke 1:2-4).

Luke knew that Theophilus had already been taught about Jesus Christ. But Luke wanted his friend to know the certainty of these things. It’s the same reason the Apostle John wrote down what He had seen Jesus do. John wrote:

“Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 21:30-31).

And it’s the same reason I’m writing to you today. I want you to know, with certainty, that the things recorded in the Bible about Jesus Christ are 100% true, from His virgin birth, to His sacrificial death, to His early-morning resurrection, to His imminent return.

It’s interesting to me that Luke, who so carefully investigated the details of what he wrote in order to lead Theophilus to a logical conclusion about Christ, spends more time on the virgin birth than any of the other gospel writers. He talks about angels appearing to Zechariah, Mary, Joseph and the shepherds. He details the reactions of Elizabeth and Mary when they discover they are pregnant -- two of the least likely people they would have imagined to conceive children.

Rather than shying away from these astounding events, Luke begins with them as the focal point for the beginning of his “orderly account.”

Let the words of the angels to the shepherds sink into your heart as Luke hoped they would sink into the heart of his friend:

“An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.’ ” (Luke 2:9-14).

My prayer for you today is that you will know the certainty of the things you have been taught, that you will know that God loves you, that Jesus died for you, and that He wants you to live with Him forever in heaven.

Take time to think about truth of what you’ve been taught. Take time to read more of Luke’s orderly account of the birth of Christ, and the rest of His life. And take time to rejoice that God sent such a perfect gift into this world, for you.

Praying for all of us,
Pastor Mike

The equation of salvation

Get into the habit of inviting guests home for dinner (Romans 12:13, NLT).

The town skeptic had come for dinner.

He was a grandfatherly old man, good to the children and liked by the townspeople, but all his life he had looked down his nose at religion. But the couple at whose table he now sat loved the Lord, and had recently seen their teenage son, Mark, give his heart to the Savior.

After dinner Mark and the old man had been alone in the parlor for just a few minutes when the boy slipped a small booklet from his wallet and handed it to the skeptic. "See what you think of this," he said.

The older man squinted at the print and slowly worked his way through the few tiny pages. As he reached the prayer at the end, he looked up with tears brimming in his eyes. "Is this what you and the other Christians have been trying to tell me all these years?" Mark nodded. "Well, why didn't you say so?" And the skeptic gave his heart to God.

In a similar case, a missionary friend in Japan shared a heartwarming experience. There was a man who was greatly admired in his hometown, and he was known as the town atheist.

He had been witnessed to many times before, but he would never respond. My missionary friend, whose parents had been befriended by this man, felt indebted to him and was also concerned for his soul. After obtaining a Four Spiritual Laws booklet, the missionary decided to call on his friend and read it to him.

As he finished reading, he asked, "Does this make sense?" The atheist replied in the affirmative.

"Is there anything that would keep you from receiving Christ?"

"No," was the reply.

The two men knelt together and prayed, and the (now former) atheist invited Jesus into his life. When they arose, the man then stunned him with this question, "Chuck, is this what you and all the other Christian leaders have been trying to tell me for years?" When my missionary friend nodded affirmatively, the man continued, "Well, why didn't you tell me? Any man would be a fool not to receive Christ if he really understood what is involved."

We have found that the average person does not need to be convinced that he should become a Christian; he needs, rather, to be told how to become a Christian.

Praying that we take ourselves out of the equation,
Pastor Mike

Get into the habit of inviting guests home for dinner (Romans 12:13, NLT).

The town skeptic had come for dinner.

He was a grandfatherly old man, good to the children and liked by the townspeople, but all his life he had looked down his nose at religion. But the couple at whose table he now sat loved the Lord, and had recently seen their teenage son, Mark, give his heart to the Savior.

After dinner Mark and the old man had been alone in the parlor for just a few minutes when the boy slipped a small booklet from his wallet and handed it to the skeptic. "See what you think of this," he said.

The older man squinted at the print and slowly worked his way through the few tiny pages. As he reached the prayer at the end, he looked up with tears brimming in his eyes. "Is this what you and the other Christians have been trying to tell me all these years?" Mark nodded. "Well, why didn't you say so?" And the skeptic gave his heart to God.

In a similar case, a missionary friend in Japan shared a heartwarming experience. There was a man who was greatly admired in his hometown, and he was known as the town atheist.

He had been witnessed to many times before, but he would never respond. My missionary friend, whose parents had been befriended by this man, felt indebted to him and was also concerned for his soul. After obtaining a Four Spiritual Laws booklet, the missionary decided to call on his friend and read it to him.

As he finished reading, he asked, "Does this make sense?" The atheist replied in the affirmative.

"Is there anything that would keep you from receiving Christ?"

"No," was the reply.

The two men knelt together and prayed, and the (now former) atheist invited Jesus into his life. When they arose, the man then stunned him with this question, "Chuck, is this what you and all the other Christian leaders have been trying to tell me for years?" When my missionary friend nodded affirmatively, the man continued, "Well, why didn't you tell me? Any man would be a fool not to receive Christ if he really understood what is involved."

We have found that the average person does not need to be convinced that he should become a Christian; he needs, rather, to be told how to become a Christian.

Praying that we take ourselves out of the equation,
Pastor Mike

Colossians 3:23-24 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

"I didn't know you were in full-time Christian work," said my friend as we were driving. "I didn't realize that," he went on. I responded, "Every person who has followed the will of God in their life is in full-time Christian work." God calls some to the mission field, others to be accountants, and others to be advertising executives, and still others to be construction workers. God never made a distinction between sacred and secular. In fact, the Hebrew word avodah is the root word having the same meaning of "work" and "worship." God sees our work as worship.

We have incorrectly elevated the roll of the Christian worker to be more holy and committed than the person who is serving in a more secular environment. Yet the call to the secular marketplace is as important as any other calling. God has to have His people in every sphere of life. Otherwise, many would never come to know Him because they would be separated from society.

We are all in missions. Some are called to foreign lands. Some are called to the jungles of the marketplace. Wherever you are called, serve the Lord in that place. Let Him demonstrate His power through your life so that others might experience Him through you today and see your vocation as worship to His glory.

Praying that we all give our work to God,
Pastor Mike

The ins and outs of prayer

“But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” Matthew 6:6

Who's a better example of someone with a strong, active prayer life than Jesus himself? Many times in the gospels we read of Him going away from the disciples. They would go to sleep for the night, but He would spend the entire evening with His Father, praying.

That's probably why the disciples came to Him one day and said, “Lord, teach us to pray.” In other words, “We've been watching you. We've been examining your life and you obviously know how to pray. Lord, teach us how to pray.” Notice they didn't come to Him and say, “Lord, teach us a real humdinger to use when we are in big trouble.” Instead, they said, “Lord, teach us to pray.” That’s a good attitude to have. We should always be open to be taught by the Lord.

His response was to teach them what we call the Lord’s Prayer, which is brief, covering the basics of prayer. There is a lesson here. The lesson is that Jesus’ prayers were short when offered in public. But when He was alone with God, it was a different thing. He could spend the whole night in communion with the Father.

How different that is from so many of us. Our prayers in public are long. Yet our prayers in private are short and sometimes nonexistent. It should be the very opposite of that. When you go before the Lord in prayer, talk to Him with your whole heart, even if it takes all night!

Praying that we all find more time to talk to God,
Mike Sanderson

The wrestling match

How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?Psalm 13:1-2

Sometimes our spiritual distress is centered on questions about God. Where is God? Why doesn't God help? At other times our spiritual distress is centered on questions about ourselves. What is wrong with me? How come I'm still struggling this much?

Doubts about ourselves can be profoundly troubling. We wonder if our faith will survive the struggle. We wonder if our faith is strong enough. Often we feel like spiritual failures. The kind of spirituality we have been taught does not envision 'good' Christians as people who wrestle with their thoughts and are sad everyday. We think of 'good' Christians as people who trust
God and manage to smile in the midst of any circumstances. When we can't manage to do this, we question and criticize ourselves.

But wrestling with our thoughts and experiencing sorrow day after day is often a part of the recovery process. It is not a sign of failure to engage in this hard work. It is a sign of courage. And it is a sign that our faith is alive and struggling. People of real faith struggle in life. People
of real faith are people who wrestle with thoughts and who feel sorrow in their heart.

Praying that we win our wrestling match,
Pastor Mike

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed James 5:16

Sometimes honest confession can seem shocking, impossible, and dangerous. Because we have learned silence so well, we experience honesty as full ofrisk. After all, if we're honest, then other people will know what we think and feel. We'll be exposed. The appearance of strength and competence we work so hard to develop will have to share the spotlight with our weaknesses,
our failings, our sins.

When we practice honesty as a daily discipline, however, something happens to us. The promise of this text begins gradually to grow in our lives. We begin to heal. It is not a dramatic, once-for-all-time, quick-fix kind of healing. Nor is it a private healing, a healing that happens only 'inside' our heads or in secret with God.

Honesty leads to healing because people can now express their love for us in practical ways. Honesty leads to healing because we no longer have topay the high tariffs that pretense demands. We heal because the experience of acceptance counteracts the contempt we so easily heap on ourselves. We heal because we are no longer alone. We heal because we are known and
loved.

Honesty is a discipline with a promise. We will be healed.

Praying that we all learn to be more honest,
Pastor Mike

Breaking the cycle

1 John 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous

People who are caught in the sin-confess-sin-confess-sin-confess cycle eventually begin to lose hope that they can experience any real victory over sin. Sheer willpower can't keep them from repeating the sin they just confessed, and Satan pours on the condemnation. Self-control seems like an illusion, and the Christian life is one of unending ups and downs.

Suppose there's a door you are told not to open. On the other side of the door is a dog that keeps insisting, "Come on, let me in. Everybody is doing it. You deserve to have a little fun. Who will know? You can get away with it." So you open the door and the dog comes in and bits you on the leg. Ironically, the dog instantly changes its story: "You opened the door. I have a right to be here. You'll never get away with this!" If such a thing happened, would you beat on the dog or on yourself?

Sin which is allowed to reign is like the dog that bits you on the leg and won't let go. Not realizing there's a dog, you beat on yourself for leaving the door open and pray out to God for forgiveness. He forgives you, but the dog is still there. Why not cry out to God and beat on the dog instead of yourself? James 4:7 tells us, "Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." We are correct in confessing our sin, but we have failed to follow the complete biblical formula which breaks the cycle: sin-confess- resist . We must first assume our responsibility for opening the door, then we must resist Satan and command him to leave if we are going to experience victory over sin.

We live as though God and a sick humanity are the only realities in the spiritual realm. We must turn to our righteous Advocate (1 John 2:1) and resist our sinful adversary if we are to experience victory and freedom over temptation and sin.

Praying for all of us to change,
Pastor Mike

The irony of it all!

Be sure of this: "I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20, NLT).

In 1914, Irish explorer Ernest Shackleton set out to cross Antarctica by foot -- 1,500 miles, north to south. He intended to use 39 sled dogs to lead him -- dogs that were eventually butchered and eaten by his desperate crew that at one stretch had not set foot on land for 497 days.

They lost their ship, the Endurance, on crushing ice floes and for months lived on the ice. When the floes began to crack and melt in the summer, they boarded three lifeboats and set sail to Elephant Island, where they were still not safe. Shackleford left most of the crew there but took five of the best and sailed 800 miles away to South Georgia Island, where he was able to get help to go back and rescue the rest of the crew.

How did Shackleton get men to volunteer for such a hazardous voyage? They signed up in response to an advertisement he placed in the London Times, which said: "Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger. Safe return doubtful."

In spite of this warning, brave men came from all over to sign on for the crew. Shackleton pledged that no man would die on this voyage, later saying to his crew, "Follow as I lead, do what I say must be done, and I'll get you home." Incredibly, two years later, he did.

Isn't it amazing that people will sign up for such a temporal cause under such miserable conditions, with a good chance of losing their lives? Yet, many people are reluctant to totally commit their lives to our Lord Jesus Christ -- who created us, loves us and died for us -- and His glorious purposes.

It reminds me of the words of our Lord Jesus, "If any of you wants to be my follower," he told them, "you must put aside your own pleasures and shoulder your cross, and follow me closely. If you insist on saving your life, you will lose it" (Mark 8:34-35, TLB).

That passage has been very meaningful to me ever since I was a young Christian. Our Lord's next words have proven true: "Only those who throw away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to REALLY live" (emphasis supplied).

Our Lord did not promise that it would be easy to serve Him. In fact, many live in danger and have been martyred for His cause. But He promised to be with us, and that by following Him, we will discover "what it means to really live." There is no other way to "really live" except by following Christ.

Shackleford, a mere human, said, "Follow as I lead, do what I say must be done, and I'll get you home." If we follow Jesus, the Son of God, and do what He says, He will get us to our real home, heaven!

Praying that we follow the one true Lord,
Pastor Mike

Why are you a Christian?

Philippians 4:13 I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.

In the thirteenth century a man named William Wallace became the instrument of freedom from England's tyranny over Scotland. A very wicked king ruled England. A tragedy in the life of William Wallace launched him into living for this cause. Initially his cause was revenge, but soon his cause turned to something bigger than himself-freedom for a nation. When he challenged the commoners to fight for this freedom, they responded that the enemy was too great and that they might die on the battlefield. They also refused to fight for the nobles, the knights and leaders who had a vested interest in gaining more land for themselves versus a pure cause of freedom. Wallace's response: "Yes, we might die. We will all die sooner or later. But we will die for a cause worth dying for. So that our children and their children might live in freedom." This story was popularized in the movie Brave Heart (Sherman Oaks, California: Paramount Pictures, 1995).

Today we find many Christians living a status quo relationship with God that is more characterized as "business as usual" than a life demonstrating God's power. Our focus is often more concerned with improving our standard of living than improving the Kingdom of God through our circle of influence. While this takes place, millions upon millions die without the saving grace of Christ. Many other Christians die never experiencing the freedom in Christ that His blood paid for. God has called each of us to live for a cause greater than ourselves-a life that is dependent on His grace and power to achieve things we never thought possible through our lives. This is His plan for your life. The apostle Paul prayed that He might experience the power of the resurrection in his life. This power is available to you and me to live for a cause greater than ourselves. Ask God what He wants to achieve through your life today. And consider yourself dead already to the consequences of what that might mean for you.

Praying that we all learn to give more,
Pastor Mike