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Children have an incredible knack at comforting. One mother tells of her little Tina coming home late from school. “Where have you been, Tina?” her mom asked. “Lisa dropped her best doll and it broke,” explained Tina. “I stayed to help her.” “Oh, were you able to fix it? It was very kind of you to try.” “No, Mom,” Tina lamented. “I couldn’t fix the doll. So I stayed to help her cry.” Pastor Dan was one of those persons people called about everything. He was just the one you wanted to talk to when you had a problem or something to share. Once he was visiting neighbors in the high-rise apartment building next to his church. He knocked on the door of a resident just to get acquainted. He met with a cold response, but was undaunted in his efforts to make a new friend. Upon finally gaining entrance, he found himself seated across from a very grumpy woman who had nothing good to say about anyone, from the mayor to the maintenance man. Pastor Dan just listened as he always did, throwing in a few “Really!” and “Imagine that!” kind of comments along with lots of smiles. When the old woman’s tirade slowed, Pastor Dan said he was delighted to have met her but he’d better be running alone now. If it were okay with her, he’d be back later in the week with a loaf of his wife’s fresh bread. Pastor Dan would have thought little more about the episode had the woman’s daughter not dropped by his office the following day. “Are you the pastor who visited my mother yesterday?” she inquired. Upon confirming that he was, the daughter introduced herself and promptly asked another question: “Whatever have you done to Mother?” Pastor Dan looked puzzled, so she continued. “My mother has been a totally different person since your visit!” the daughter went on incredulously. “She’s actually been cheerful—not one of her usual qualities you might have guessed! And she says you’re the best conversationalist in the whole wide world!” There are times when we all need some comfort, when we need to be soothed. It’s not always easy to live in this troubled world. But a touch of comfort can go a long way in soothing a hurting heart. From Jumpstart Connections, pp. 91-93 by Karen Holford and Karen and Ron Flowers.

The first pillar in the Biblical foundations of instrumental music in worship is the Psalms. When considering the Psalms and instrumental music, most instrumentalists think of Psalm 150, but there are actually a total of twenty-four psalms that mention the use of instruments in worship, either in the psalm heading or in the text itself. We won’t take the time to examine all those psalms, but let’s take a closer look at two of the more familiar psalms that mention musical instruments, Psalm 150 and Psalm 33. Psalm 150 concludes the book of Psalms with a chorus of praise, including every family of instruments: woodwinds, brass, percussion, and strings: “Praise Him with trumpet sound; Praise Him with harp and lyre; Praise Him with timbrel and dancing; Praise Him with stringed instruments and pip. Praise Him with loud cymbals. Praise Him on the high-sounding cymbals.” Psalm 150:3-5 Pipe, trumpet, timbrel (or tambourine), cymbals, harp, lyre (similar to the harp), and stringed instruments, representing all four families of instruments and all used in praise of almighty God! Even though this psalm mentions instruments in each of the four families, note the conspicuous absence of singing. Commentators on this psalm have seen this as undeniable Biblical support for instrumental praise alone. Psalm 33 is the first psalm to mention instruments, and connects the worship attitudes of joy, thanksgiving, and praise with the use of instruments: Sing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous ones; Praise is becoming to the upright. Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre; Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings. Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy. (Psalm 33:1-3) Take special note of the latter half of verse three in this particular psalm: “Play skillfully with a shout of joy.” We are to play skillfully as we worship the Lord. The famous British preacher, Charles Spurgeon, comments on this verse, “It is wretched to hear God praised in a slovenly manner. He deserves the best that we have.” Let us remember this Biblical mandate to faithfully minister with excellence.

Share 0 You can teach a child to pray in many creative ways. Here are just a couple: Prayer Picture Cards Things you need-Index cards, photos of people, pictures from magazines, glue, clear adhesive or a laminating machine. Make cards with different pictures that can remind you or your child to pray for different things, such as things to thank God for, people to pray for, asking forgiveness and help, or special prayer requests. Let your children talk about the pictures and explain why they chose them. Laminate the cards or protect them with adhesive film. Keep the cards together and let your child choose a few to use each time as guides for their nightly prayers. Another option would be to stack the cards in different categories, such as Praises, Thanks, and Requests. Let each child or parent praying choose one or two from each pack, or share them evenly among those praying. Let your children talk about the pictures and explain why they chose them. Acrostic Name Prayer (for older children) Things you need-paper, pens. Take a piece of paper and write the letters of your full name down the side of the paper. Use each letter to helop you write an acrostic prayer to God. For example: J-Jehovah, God, my Father, I come to worship you. O-Over and over I wants to praise You for Your love. E-Even when I make mistakes and hurt You, You still love me. L-Lord, help me to share Your amazing love with others. Another option is to choose one of the many names of God given in the Bible and use that as the acrostic name. “I will give thanks to the LORD because of His righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.” Psalm 7:17 From 100 Creative Prayer Ideas for Kids (and grown-ups too!) by Karen Holford.

When we’ve been there then thousand years, Bright shining as the sun, We’ve no less days to sing Gods praise, Than when we’ve first begun. This last verse, from John Newton’s familiar hymn, “Amazing Grace”, speaks of that which we believers have to look forward – an eternity of praise in the presence of our creator. But I think the concept of eternity is probably one of the more difficult for us to grasp. I used to tell people that if I ever wrote a book on calculus, I would use that stanza as the introduction to the chapter discussing limits and infinity. It states the concept of infinity as clearly as any I have read or heard. But are infinity and eternity the same? or even similar? Infinity, by definition is limitlessness, a concept only approached in the universe, if current theories are correct. It used to be assumed that time and the physical universe were infinite in dimensions, but current cosmological thinking has come to the startling conclusion that both time and the universe have limits. There are physical limits to the size of the universe, and there was a point at which time and matter began. It is interesting how that agrees with God’s word in the Bible. Many cosmologists even envision a point at which time and matter will end. So, if time and the universe are not infinite, what is outside of them? We are limited in our understanding by the fact that we are constrained in time. Every aspect of our being is controlled by time, so it is difficult to rationalize anything outside of time. In the same way, it is difficult to imagine anything outside of our physical universe, because we have no rational context into which it can fit. It is not a vacuum, because a vacuum is still a function of matter and energy. It has to be something totally different than anything from our physical and temporal existence. Maybe it is eternity. In each of us, there is a part that seems to know that there is something “out beyond” – a realm we cannot directly access, but a realm that can still touch us. The Bible is a message from one who dwells there, as incomprehensible as eternity itself, but none-the-less real and significant in our lives. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes 3:11) We were created for eternity, yet, we fell from eternity, and became bound in time. I am unable to make my way back to eternity, but God can reach into time from eternity, touch me and draw me back. God himself paid the price to bring me back into eternity. Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. (John 17:3) Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:14-16) I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. (John 5:24) For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:40) We see that even though eternity exists outside of time, it permeates all of time. Time may be thought of as a subset of eternity, in the same way a tabletop may be thought of as a subset of a room. This construct helps me understand God’s ability to operate in and out of time, His ability to be everywhere all at once. Just as I can touch the tabletop anywhere, God can stick his finger into time at any point and turn the flow of history in the direction he has purposed from eternity. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Ephesians 3:10-11) Being an eternal being, outside of time and the universe, He can permeate all of time and all of the universe at once. He is not constrained to effect His will only sequentially in time, thus He is able to deal with my free will and still ensure that His plan unfolds as He has purposed. He can see my future acts as clearly as He can see my past acts. And He can reach into my past and tweak my history to bring me to the point of decision I reach today or tomorrow, building the sequence of events in my past that will allow me to see His best for me today. Thus He is able to bring me to a point where I agree with His will for me and freely make decisions in keeping with that agreement. He is sovereign – yet I am free to act as I see fit. Predestination and free will need not be in conflict! Of course, all of these word pictures are still limited by the existence with which we are familiar. It is no more possible to describe eternity and an eternal God, than it is possible to imagine or describe a color I have never seen. I like the way Josh Wilson says it in his “Three Minute Song” I tried to write a song, and keep it three minutes long Get in, get out, nobody gets hurt And I tried a thousand times to fit God between the lines But I’m finding out that doesn’t really work I just don’t have the words to say Because words only get in my way I must apologize, I have the hardest time Finding something to define a God that I can’t define And even if I could, it would take way too long If all I’ve got’s a 3 minute song I’ve got a hundred metaphors, and if I had a hundred more I could never ever seem to sum this up Besides, how can some melody communicate eternity? It’s like trying to fit the ocean in a cup. Eternity is not really like anything we have experienced. It is only by revelation from God that we can get glimpses of eternity and His nature. Even then, our nature only allows us to see a tiny glimpse of what it must be like – not what it really is. He is able to express it in language we can relate to, but our understanding will still be limited. One day, when I am free of the shackles of time, I will be able, from the vantage point of eternity, to see all of time as He does. Only then will I begin to understand how history had to flow, and how I fit into that flow. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. (1Corinthians 13:12) I think this is why there will be no tears of sorrow in heaven. I will see that everything did indeed unfold according to a plan that brought God glory and brought me to that blessed place with Him. So, I do not believe that eternity is infinite time. Infinite time could become tedious very quickly (in relative terms anyway). But I think eternity will be an entirely new experience, one filled with the wonder of discovery and understanding of things we can only dream about while we are bound in time. Yet I believe there is a part of me that can relate to eternity, even though I have no language with which to describe it. Many pagan belief systems see time as infinite, repeating itself in endless cycles of death and rebirth, forever destined to rise no higher than it has to date, and from all appearances spiraling downward. That sounds like an apt description of Hell to me. If history were indeed driven by man, that is the way it would go. But we know that God really directs and drives history forward towards a climax and a conclusion that He has prepared before time began. Life is not futile, it can have purpose and meaning because God is drawing us back into eternity to fellowship with Him. There is a purpose for all that we experience, and once we are free of time, we shall see it and rejoice … or face eternal regret that we did not accept His offer of grace. Understanding this little bit about eternity helps me anticipate some of what heaven may be like. And knowing how limited is my understanding of eternity assures me that heaven is undoubtedly far greater than all I can hope or imagine. But it also convinces me of the horror of hell, an eternity of separation from God, after having clearly seen all that He created me to be, and all he did to draw me back to Him. The flames of hell could be seen as a mercy if they distract from the realization of what was forfeited by foolish choice. But even if we do not fully grasp it, as believers, we have already entered into eternal life. It is not just a future reality, it is here and now. It was always here, but I was unaware of it while enslaved to sin. I may have caught whiffs of it in the air, as a fragrance born on the wind from a far country. But I did not recognize what it was, and might have feared its unfamiliarity. If told about it while in that deceived state, I may have even dreaded it, thinking it was only endless time – time can be so cruel. But as I was lifted a little from the morass of time, allowed to breathe more freely of this new fragrance, it infused my soul with new hope and joy because of the loving mercy and grace of my Savior. As I loose my grip on this ephemeral existence, I am able to experience more of eternity. As I take my focus off the corrupted image of heaven, I am able to see further into the reality of eternity. And sometime it simply overwhelms me so that I am left speechless. If not an understanding of eternity, at least an eager anticipation of it is central to an intentionally-biblical world-view. Only within an eternal frame of reference can I place all that occurs into a proper perspective. Knowing of the eternal pleasures that await, makes it easier to wait patiently upon the Lord, and renew my strength. Appreciating the contrast between the ephemeral and eternal makes it easier to reign in the materialism that so easily creeps in and robs me of true treasure stored up in heaven. Seeing myself from an eternal perspective brings true humility. Though “it is not all about me”, I still play a significant role in God’s plan. Believing that there is something outside of time helps me keep my focus on eternity, so I can finish the race rather than become defeated by the hopelessness of time and the futility of the physical world. Understanding the eternal frustration of a Christ-less eternity creates a deeper urgency to rescue the lost from such a fate, and makes me grateful for the grace and mercy I receive from His loving hand.

I am sure we have all been asked, or pondered the question on our own, “What would you do differently, if you knew you only had 6 months to live?” A truly contented person might respond, “Nothing, I’m already doing what I would do under those circumstances.” But then there are the rest of us. How I respond to that question probably reveals the internal conflict that rages inside me between selfishness and selflessness. Even my most “spiritual” responses would probably be tinged with a little selfishness – doing good things to bulk-up my heavenly savings account, or wanting to be remembered positively. “What would you do differently if you knew you were going to live forever?” It’s like the senior who quips, “If I had known I was going to live this long, I would’ve taken better care of myself!” Living life for the long run might, at first glance, appears to be inconsistent with burning brightly to win the sprint. But, in a thoroughly integrated world-view, the answer to both questions might be the same. The writer of Hebrews says: Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebr. 12:1-2) Nowhere in this passage does it state whether the race is a sprint or a marathon. In fact, I know not if the race before me is a sprint or a marathon. Nevertheless, I need to run it in the same way, with the same world view. The passage tells me what kind of world-view I need to finish strong. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith… Jesus must be at the center of my world-view. Only then am I going to run the race successfully. He is the finish line, and by keeping my focus upon Him, I will stay on course and not be distracted from the task at hand. Only then will I be able to …throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles… I often forget that there is an adversary that would love to see me fail, and so rob God of the glory He intends to reveal in me. The enemy will throw enticements into my path to distract my attention, or obstacles to trip me up, or obstructions to discourage me. If he can get me to dwell on my meager strength, he will convince me that I am not able to finish, nor even worthy to compete. But if my focus is on Christ, I will continue to move towards Him, no matter the enticements offered. I will hurdle over obstacles in my path. If I stumble, I will be able to pick myself up and continue in the right direction. And if I find my way blocked, I will wait upon Him to reveal the way around, over, under, or through the obstruction, because I will know that I am running in the right direction. If I am focused on Christ, I will also know that it is by His strength that I run, not my own. I will not limit myself to what I have accomplished in the past, but I will look forward with confident expectation (hope) for the miracles He will perform in my behalf as I run in obedience to His call. Have you ever seen an Olympic runner race with his previous medals around his neck. Often, my past achievements can be my biggest “hindrance.” I can also learn something from the way Jesus ran His race. …who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. What stops most from completing a footrace is the discomfort involved in running. When my sides ache from the build-up of metabolic waste products in my muscles, my legs feel like rubber, and it seems I cannot suck in enough air to keep going, it is easy to give up and drop out of the race. What many runners have learned, is that they can push beyond that “wall” and get their “second wind.” The difference comes in having a good reason to push past the pain and discomfort, to …run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Jesus knew to what He had to look forward, so He was able to push past the pain of Galilee, Gethsemane and Golgotha to take hold of the glory that was His. In the same way, if my eyes are fixed upon Him, I will know enough about my reward that I will be motivated to push past the pain and finish strong. And, as if that isn’t enough by itself, I also have a cloud of witnesses cheering me on in this race. Some of those witnesses are identified in the preceding chapter of Hebrews (what the “therefore” is there for!). They have run the race, and know that I can too. The Apostle Paul tells us that our goal is worth the hard work of sanctification. Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. (1Cor. 9:24-27) He stresses the importance of focus, discipline and single-mindedness. Every four years we are reminded of the hard work that precedes the stellar performances in the Olympic games. We hear and read stories of years spent in physical and psychological training – all for a medal. How much greater is the reward towards which we strive, and how much more permanent. Even the best Olympic performances are eventually outdone, and that medal may buy me temporary notoriety, but it will not sustain me for the rest of my life, much less for eternity. If my world-view is centered on Christ, is intentional and educates my entire being, I will have the will to do the hard work of sanctification. I will have confidence in the reward. And I will be encouraged by the great cloud of witnesses as I run this race.

The speakers in the mall are playing sleigh-bell songs, Santa is in his grotto with a long line of children waiting to stroke his whiskers and the media is full of adverts for the latest ’must-have’ toys. Grocery trolleys are piled high with calories, and the glossy magazines are enticing you to throw away last year’s decorations and go with a whole new theme. And maybe, if you hunt for it, you will find a tiny manger filled with hay huddled in a dark corner, covered with dust. It may even be empty. 2000 years later there is still no room for Jesus amongst the crowds of people who have forgotten why they celebrate. As Christians we think we understand something of the true meaning of Christmas. But what would you say was the real meaning of Christmas? Peace, love, good news for all people, God with us, God saving us, equality, humility, giving generously, hospitality, acceptance, courage, caring for the homeless…? The Advent story has many facets. If we want to make Christmas spiritually significant for our children, we need to understand the spiritual significance it has for us. Discover the aspects of Christmas you are most passionate about, and then find ways to share your passion with your children. The story of Jesus’ birth has been carefully constructed with us and our children in mind. The Bible could simply say that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but the story takes on added dimensions when there are political upheavals; a young, homeless, pregnant mother gives birth in a stable; angels sing to shepherds and stars guide wise men across distant deserts. This has been choreographed by God himself. The action unfolds with Bethlehem center stage in the Universe, and a story is created to be retold and re-enacted. It is carefully balanced. Poor shepherds visit the baby as well as rich men. There are plots and subplots and an evil villain of a king. Danger lurks around dark corners, but the Light of the World cannot be extinguished, tiny and vulnerable though He is. The story has been told to inspire a sense of wonder and mystery. It captures our imagination and it is especially appealing to children. Take some time out to immerse yourselves in the story. Read it from different books. Ask each other, ‘which part of the story do you like the best? Which part is the most important to you? Where do you see yourself in the story?’ And then ask yourself which aspect you most want to celebrate with your children and family this year? And why this aspect now? Maybe your family needs to experience peace after a time of confusion and pain, or a sense of God being with you (Immanuel) during a time of uncertainty. The best antidote to all the commercialism is to keep the real story alive in your own mind. Keep telling it to your children in different ways. Bring it to life. Talk about what you are going to give other people, rather than what you want to get. Keep plans and decorations simple, and focus on the needs of your children and the people around you who are struggling. Find ways to share what you have and involve your children in the projects. Help them to see, feel, smell, hear and taste what the real story is all about. Maybe you can camp in a stable for one night, play choral music that sounds like angels, and share a sense of wonder about God’s amazing love that would give his only son to be born as a fragile human being, just for you. In the margins there are some ideas to help you bring Christmas alive and make it more meaningful for you and your children. Ask the Holy Spirit to inspire your season; to help you put Jesus at the very center of everything you do; and to give you God’s perspective on all your plans. Then your children will have a deeper understanding of the spiritual significance of this amazing event, and you will help them to live in a deeper understanding of God’s love.

Believing the best is a challenge. It is so easy to focus on what’s wrong with someone rather than on what’s right about them. It’s the natural human response. But when we do this, we risk discouraging others and damaging relationships. Even when it is necessary to point out a mistake, appreciation for the effort is needed in generous proportions to the necessary correction. Ten parts affirmation to one part correction is about right, the experts say. if you can’t think of then good things to say, then just affirm what you can and forget the correction this time. We all become skilled through practice, and with each repetition, there’s opportunity for improvement. In the meantime, even a small dose of gratitude and affirmation keeps people motivated to good works. Even more importantly, it helps them feel good about who they are and the contribution they are making to the family enterprise. The secret is simple. Celebrate the kinds of behaviors you want to see more often. Appreciation is never wasted. You may even share in the rewards! From Jumpstart Connections, Karen Holford and Ron Flowers, p. 15.

Dear Roger, Does the phrase, “Amen”, said at the end of a prayer, relate at all to the Israelite’s captivity in Egypt and the Egyptian god Amen as in the Amenhoteps? Sincerely, Amanda Dear Amanda, My initial response is that, no, the words sound alike by chance and are certainly not related. After all, the Egyptian, Hebrew and Greek languages are from three different language trees-so, no connection. However, upon further review, I believe that there is a connection in the meaning of the words. The Egyptian god you mentioned was named “Amun.” In the pantheon of Egyptian gods, Amun was tops! All of the other gods were viewed as extensions of Amun. He eventually evolved, during the short reign of a dynasty of kings known as the Amenhoteps (which you mentioned) into being the one and only god. This is monotheism–one god–as opposed to polytheism-many gods. According to the Egyptian theology of the time, amun was self-created and was worshipped as a transcendent deity. When the line of the Amenhoteps died out, the Egyptionas returned quickly to their polytheistic pantheon. While it is impossible to pinpoint the exact time of the 400-year Israelite slavery sojourn in Egypt, some think that the Amenhoteps were ruling for at least a portion of that time. (Remember, “There arose a pharaoh who knew not Joseph.”) Hence, there may well be a monotheistic connection in both Israeli and Egyptian theology. The above is significant because during their years of slavery, the Israelites lived side-by-side with the Egyptians. The Egyptians, Hebrews and Greeks all had a word for “contentment”. The word for “contentment” is “amum” in Egyptian, “sea’pook” in Hebrew and “autarkeia” in Greek. What gets interesting is when we compare the Egyptian word “amun” with the Greek word, “amen” (which is the word we often use to conclude our prayers). While the Egyptian word, “amun” means “contentment,” the Greek word, “amen,” means “truly”, “surely”, or “let it be.” When you ponder this thought, when we conclude our prayers with the word “amen,” we are affirming our faith in the God to Whom we are praying. In essence, we are content that our prayers will surely be heard and answered by God. Few things speak more to contentment than the words, “let it be.” Without sounding trite, one of the most influential Beatles songs was entitled “Let it Be.” This song had a powerful impact that calmed down an entire generation of rebellious young people in the late 1960’s and 1970’s. The Beatles sand “Let it Be” and all was quiet–for awhile! Thank you Amanda, for such a penetrating question. I hope my answer is helpful to you. Ask me another soon. Love, Roger

Furnaces come in all shapes and sizes. Some are the fires fueled by pain and suffering. Some fires are caused by our broken world. Some fires are heated for God’s purposes. We lose our bonds in the fire. We don’t lose our eternal rewards in the flames. When unbelievers see us go through the flames and survive, they become believers in God.

Jesus describes His return in Matthew 24. Other passages in Thessalonians, Daniel’s prophecies and John’s vision in Revelation teach that Christ will come twice. He will come in secret for His saints at the rapture and with His saints to judge the earth at the end of time. Are we ready?

Brain cancer survivor Matt Chandler talks about making the most of every moment by rejoicing in God and remembering His goodness, His redemption and His sovereignty. Every day, we are several hours closer to stand in front of our Great Father.

In Psalm 127, Solomon encourages parents to establish a stable home environment, to set appropriate boundaries, to practice the art of being “with” and to meet the children’s primary intimacy needs. Parents need to aim their children for a future with the Master