We were blessed to receive this card today. We had forgotten to get yesterday's mail and this was a real treat to read this morning from a new friend we learned to know while caroling last week.
My Christmas List of Blessings
Written by Vicki J. Kuyper
Written by Vicki J. Kuyper
My Christmas List is more than just a way to keep track of
The special people God has brought into my life to love
It's like a treasured scrapbook filled with pleasant memories
Of all the times God's answered prayer through friends and family.
Every name's a touchstone that leads to a place and time,
Where God has used another's heart to reach out and touch mine.
It may have happened years ago or even yesterday,
But every person on my list has changed my life some way.
Through simple converstaion, a warm hug or a shared meal,
Every person on my list has helped me grow and heal,
Or laugh or love or lean or smile...the blessings never end
As God allows our paths to cross as family and friends.
So please know that this greeting is more than a Christmas wish.
It's a "thank you" card to God for putting on my list
Each and every one whose name I've come to hold so dear...
Those who've shown me Christmas joy each day of the year.
**********
Satan's Meeting
Satan called a worldwide convention of demons. In his opening address he said, “We can’t keep Christians from going to Church. We can’t keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We can’t even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their Savior. Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken.”
“So let them go to their churches; let them have their covered dish dinners, but steel their time, so they don’t have time to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ.”
“This is what I want you to do”, said the devil: “Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!”
“How shall we do this?” his demons shouted.
“Keep them busy in the nonessentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds,” he answered.
“Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow. Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles.”
“Keep them from spending time with their children. As their families fragment, soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work!”
“Over-simulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice."
Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive. To keep the TV, VCR, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly.
This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ.
“Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogues, sweepstakes and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services, and false hopes.”
“Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines and TV so their husbands will believe that outward beauty is what’s important, and they’ll become dissatisfied with their wives. Keep the wives too tired to love their husbands at night."
Give them Santa Claus to distract them from teaching their children the real meaning of Christmas. Give them an Easter bunny so they won’t talk about His resurrection and power over sin and death.”
“Even in their reaction, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted. Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect on God’s creation. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts, and movies instead. Keep them busy, busy, busy!”
And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled conscience.”
“Crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Jesus. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause.”
“It will work! It will work!"
It was quite a plan! The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get more busy and more rushed, going here and there. Having little time for their God or their families. Having no time to tell others about the power of Jesus to change lives.
I guess the question is,
Has the devil been successful at his scheme? You be the judge?!??!
Does “busy” mean:
B-eing
U-nder
S-atan’s
Y-oke?
***********
This gripped me as I read this story this morning. Too many times I've been busy with blogging, facebook, phone calls, even teaching when I should "be STILL and KNOW that I am God" and stay more in the Word. I was reminded of Sunday's message and the two tie in really well.
Oh, that I may Know Christ and be busy in the Word instead of other things.
'The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.' as I read in Mark 14:38.
How many times do I grieve Christ by being weak in the flesh?
Lord, forgive me for the many times I've failed you, but more than that, I failed myself.
One goal our family has been talking about is reading through the entire Bible next year. We will be sharing our 'one year Bibles' and keeping each other accountable. How challenging! I know some of my friends who read the Word of God 3-4 times through in a year. May God bless you. Your life has been an example to us!
Thank you for your prayers!
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