Abraham esta buscando una novia por su hijo Isaac. Con quien voy a pasar el resto de su vida? Tiene que ser creente, que vive una vida pura.

Es importante organizar la iglesia con lideres espirituales.

Que gigantes tienes en tu vida? Somos mas que vencedores en Jesu Cristo!

2 Samuel cap 6:1-11 en donde nos habla de ver si en realidad, estamos en la voluntad del señor, muchas veces, creemos que estamos haciendo las cosas, pero no es asi. Uzza fue una persona que tomo las cosas de Dios a la ligera y por eso Dios lo fulmino, por tomas las cosas de Dios a la ligera, tu como tomas a DIos?

“El hermano Josue Cuamba trae una predicacion hacerca de las personas ancianas de la Iglesia, que es lo que la Biblia dice al respecto, lo conoceran cuando vean esta predicacion.”

It’s that wonderful time of the year! Or is it? Many people are deeply lonely during the holiday season. This is what Dr. Deb Waterbury advises: “It’s simply amazing to me how quickly the Christmas things are out on store shelves!! Before we can even get through Halloween the little green and red stuff starts appearing in stores. Then well before Thanksgiving, Walmart and Target and Costco are in full Christmas shopping swing. Of course, I know that this is mostly because of the category retail stores put Christmas in—exactly that: Retail. But what is also kind of ironic is that this particular season does not invoke joy from everyone. As some of us know very well, this season can the catalyst for more pain and loneliness than any other time of year. What I’ve also realized as I’ve gotten older and spent more time counseling and teaching women, is that this pain and loneliness isn’t necessarily dependent on physicality, and by that I mean whether or not you are physically alone or not. Loneliness and depression are no respecter of persons. They don’t just appear because of a death or a separation. They can come seemingly out of nowhere with no outward valid reason, and they invade every aspect of the recipient’s life. Christmas just makes that harder. It’s like having joy forced down your throat, and there’s not much else in the world that can make a person less joyful than being sad and then surrounded by a lot of stuff telling you to be happy. However, what I’ve also realized is that loneliness is a choice. Oftentimes, so is sadness. We can choose to remain in that state, or we can choose to move out of it, but only we can do that for ourselves. It’s absolutely unrealistic to expect someone else to swoop in and do that on our behalf. I feel lonely a lot of the time, and I’ve also come to understand that if I want to eliminate that feeling, then I am the one who must do something about it. What follows is a list I’ve created for this specific time of year to try to help myself and others get free from the pervading loneliness that seems to creep up on us particularly at Christmas. These are very practical suggestions, but I can promise you that if you will do even just a one or two of them, you will be pleasantly surprised at how much better you will feel. 1. Put up some Christmas decorations. I realize this seems quite trivial, but it is something to do, and in doing it, you’re basically telling your heart that you’re not listening to it. Instead you’re going to be festive, for crying out loudJ! It doesn’t have to be extravagant or expensive, but be sure that most of what you put up is about Jesus. After all, it is His birthday we’re celebrating. Then once it’s up, you have a daily visual reminder of why you’re celebrating in the first place. 2. Get involved with your local church’s Christmas pageant/program/outreach. This one is #2 on the list, but that by no means represents it as minimally important. This step is very important. Find out what your church is doing to celebrate, and get involved. Most churches at least do something with the children, and they are a blast during the holidays. It will be good medicine to be around the little ones who seem to have no troubles at all celebrating Christmas and having abundant joy in the midst of it. If you don’t belong to a church, then find one that is close to you and get involved with their program. Prayerfully you’ll find a church home when you weren’t even expecting it! 3. Make plans for Christmas Day. The tendency when we are lonely is to isolate ourselves, which when you see that actually written seems a little ridiculous, doesn’t it? However, this is precisely the human condition, so do something against that now. Make plans for Christmas Day. If you don’t have family in town, don’t be afraid to ask someone if you can join them for Christmas dinner. What is even better is if you organize a little dinner or something for you and anyone else you know who might be alone during this time. Start now. Have a plan and stick to it. 4. Make a “20/20” List. This one needs a little explanation. We’ve all heard the saying, “Hindsight is 20/20,” meaning that we all have perfect vision when we’re looking at what has already happened. A “20/20” list is a physical list that I make quite often when I’m feeling sad or lonely. I take just few minutes and make a list of all the ways God has shown Himself both faithful and loving in my past. It may take a few attempts, but all of us can write something, and the physical act of writing them is exceptionally therapeutic. As a matter of fact, while I was studying for my master’s degree in the Art of Teaching, I did my thesis on how the brain remembers things. I found out that there is actually a trigger in the brain for memory when we physically put pen or pencil to paper. It will happen with the computer, too, but not nearly as strongly. When we physically write something on paper, the chemical reactions in our brains for memory are stronger than at any other time. Writing a 20/20 list will help. I promise. 5. Sing!!! And you don’t even have to be good at it!! Sing Christmas songs, sing praise songs, and don’t just passively listen—Sing!! Sing loudly and sing out! Sing in your car, sing in your house or apartment, sing in your back yard—sing anywhere. It’s just about impossible to feel sad when you’re singing about the joy of Jesus and His birth. We’re going to live forever only because of it, so sing about it! 6. Volunteer I remember counseling a woman one time who had been suffering from loneliness and depression for a long time. She had been coming to see me for a while when one day I asked her, “Where do you serve?” She looked at me like I had suddenly sprouted an extra head and asked incredulously, “What do you mean?” “Where do you serve?” I repeated. “Where are you volunteering?” She was, quite frankly, flabbergasted and a little put out. “How am I supposed to serve or volunteer when I feel like this? Shouldn’t you be asking what has been done for me by others?” How sad that is, but again, that is our human condition. When we are sad and lonely, it is often our last instinct to serve someone else, but I can tell you definitively that serving someone else in the middle of your pain is exactly what the doctor ordered. Find a soup kitchen or a shelter or somewhere in your church (Ask the Children’s minister. Believe me, they are always happy to have help!), or just look in your neighborhood. Help someone. It is an elixir for sadness that is just about unmatched by anything else. 7. Join a bible study. There are so many reasons why you should do this, not the least of which is to study the very Love Letter written to you by your Bridegroom and the Lover of your soul. There are lots of support groups out there, and many of them are very good, but nothing is quite as rewarding and edifying than spending time with other believers while looking at God’s Holy Word. However, even beyond the obvious benefits of studying God’s Word with other believers, it’s the “other believers” that is key here, which leads right into number 8 on the list. 8. Be vulnerable. Yikes! I had to go and say the “V-word” didn’t I? This is so difficult, I totally understand. It’s extremely hard for me to open myself up to disappointment and ridicule and betrayal, which might not even happen but is more likely when you open up to others. However, the flip side of that is so rewarding that we simply have to take the chance more often. Be vulnerable with someone, especially someone in your local body of believers. Is there a chance that you might get hurt? Of course there is, but there is an even better chance that you will be uplifted and encouraged and even more than that, an encouragement to someone else. 9. Reach out to family and friends, especially those with whom you may be estranged. These just keep getting harder and harder, don’t they? But there’s a reason for that. The more we’re willing to step outside of ourselves and allow healing in all areas of our lives, the more we rob Satan of any foothold he might have in causing us such loneliness and despair, especially during this most glorious of holidays. Take that step. Be the first one to talk. Be the first one to call. It may or may not bring resolution in the relationship, but it will bring peace to you. 10. Spend time with Jesus. I saved this for last, because it is absolutely the most important. How can we celebrate the birth of our King if we don’t even know Him? Make time for Jesus every single day. Get to know Him who came and gave His very life so that you would live forever with Him.” I pray you have a gloriously blessed and happy Christmas. May your joy be exponentially greater as each day passes, and may loneliness be a thing of the past as you revel in the reality of your position in eternity. Amen. debwaterbury.com . Used by permission.

Every once in a while a new movement comes along that seeks to capture the attention of people away from traditional faith commitments. My attention was grabbed by one so-called spiritual movement last week. Calling itself the “Spiritual But Not Religious” movement (SBNR), it portends to offer true spirituality instead of that stuffy, old time religion. What does SBNR offer? According to the movement’s website, SBNR folk are those who avoid, “Guilt—A set of rules to follow.” SBNR people are those who “walk beyond all religious forms that bind our humanity.” Additionally, the movement claims that, “There is no longer such a strong need for a minister, church or sacred texts to put boundaries on an experience of wonder.” Or to put it more succinctly, “Spirituality is more concerned with experience than dogma.” The movement is founded by a supposedly Christian pastor of the innocuously named church, “Christ Community Church.” The name seems to ring with “Christianity,” but the movement’s principles clearly defy the definitions in scripture of what is spiritual and what is not. For instance, take the quotes just offered in the paragraphs above, such as avoiding, “A set of rules to follow.” It sounds pleasant, doesn’t it? Not to the ears of the Apostle Paul who said of those rules to follow, “For we know that the Law is spiritual” (Romans 7:14 emphasis mine). If the Law is spiritual then why do men create movements that seem to repudiate God’s word? The same scripture provides the answer: “I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin” (Romans 7:14). It is the nature of all so-called spiritual movements to redefine what spirituality is. Last week I asked on my blog site, “What is spirituality?” Not too many takers on that one. It seems that in our post-modern world true definitions are difficult to come by. Unless we go to the Bible. We’ve already seen one definition from Paul—the word of God is spiritual. If you want to be a spiritual person then you must go to the word of God to assist you in that endeavor. But movements like SBNR deny this fundamental truth. They not only deny it, they turn the definition of “spiritual” into some kind of feel-good-only sense of wonder and mysticism. Amongst its many examples, here’s how SBNR defines spirituality. • A rainbow emerging through violent storm clouds, • A newborn baby cradled in your arms, • A brilliant sunset illuminating mountains Are these “spiritual?” They look an awful lot like “natural” to me. Therein lies part of the problem. SBNR and movements like it redefine spiritual so that it is really nothing more than a personal, subjective, emotional experience—regardless of religious profession. In fact, SBNR seems to embrace the feel-goods of every religion. SBNR claims that true spirituality includes the “universal wisdom” of Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, nature traditions and more. In fact, SBNR is nothing more than Buddhism disguised. According to the movement’s website: “There is a way out of this fallen state (of sin or illusion or disharmony), there is a path to our liberation. If we follow this path to its conclusion, the result is a rebirth or enlightenment, a direct experience of spirit within and without, a supreme liberation, which marks the end of sin and suffering.” That’s not spirituality. That’s Buddhism. So what is true spirituality? As already mentioned, we cannot have true spirituality without the Bible. “For we know that the Law is spiritual” (Romans 7:14). The Apostle Paul—a true spiritual man—defined for us what a spiritual person is. Notice how closely Paul ties the spiritual man with the wisdom of God’s word instead of human systems. “We have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words” (I Corinthians 2:12-13). What do those spiritual words say to us? “Who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ” (I Corinthians 2:16). Did you catch that? We have the mind of Christ. We have, through the Holy Spirit—who is the origin of all true spirituality—the ability to know what God thinks. What does God think? He thinks this: “No man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ…Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, “He is the one who catches the wise in their craftiness” and again, “The Lord knows the reasonings of the wise, that they are useless” (I Corinthians 3:11,18-20). A truly spiritual person recognizes Christ for who he is, submits to the authority of Christ and his word, and orders his life according the principles of Christ. “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:1-2). Without these things our so-called spiritual experiences may offer emotional satisfaction, but they cannot progress beyond that. Man’s own mind may deceive him into believing his is spiritual when in fact he is only acting according to the sin nature which thrusts itself against submission to Christ and his word. guywithabible.com Used by permission of the author.

Why is Jesus called the Bread of Life? “Get me in as fast as you can,” demanded the frantic woman at the blood lab, “I am fasting, and I don’t want to sit around here all day and starve to death.” As I watched the receptionist it seemed she was using all her will power to keep from rolling her eyes at the woman. Maybe I imagined it. Sometimes when I am hungry, I think I have super powers and can read people’s thoughts and intentions. Meanwhile, the receptionist actually responded by saying, “Of course, ma’am, we will be with you as soon as we can.” As this whole scene played out before me, I remembered that almost ever person who visited the lab at this time of the morning had missed breakfast. But, the moaning woman pouting in her chair was clueless. She complained to anyone who would listen, completely unaware of how pervasive the hunger was in the room. Ravenous myself, I felt justified in judging her while I waited for them to draw my blood. How do you behave when you are hungry? How does skipping a meal affect your temper? For most of us, any amount of hunger is a mood-altering event. It is easy to be testy when feeling the growling of our stomachs and the light-headedness of low blood sugar. The real question is how do we feel when we are spiritually hungry? Are we even aware that our spiritual lives might be running on empty? How would you even begin to satisfy a deep spiritual hunger, a hunger the Bible teaches we were all created with. Jesus calls himself the Bread of Life. Jesus first identifies himself with this portrait, which is foreshadowed in the Old Testament, when a hungry crowd pursued him the day after he fed the five thousand in John 6:1-14. What was Jesus emphasizing with this word picture when he said, “I am the Bread of Life”? The Bread of Life portrait unfolds against a mighty miracle. The feigned devotion of the crowd at the feeding never deceived or enchanted Jesus. The day of the miracle, Jesus knew their hearts and that they wanted to make him king by force. But, Jesus outwitted their plan by going to the mountain alone; and then after dark, he crosses the lake and joins the twelve by walking on the water (John 6:15-21). The next morning when the crowd realized that Jesus had escaped, they began their search for him seeking another free meal. When they finally caught up to him, Jesus confronts them with these compelling words in John 6:26-40. Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “ This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat’”. Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” ESV In the next verses the crowd begins to grumble. But, Jesus does not back down; instead, he exposes their pretentious devotion with this teaching in John 6:53-58. So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not as the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” ESV When the people first heard this message they probably thought Jesus was teaching cannibalism. Especially, since this teaching occurred long before the Last Supper. The scriptures say this lesson offended them and that day many ceased to follow Jesus. Even the twelve were confused by this episode (John 6:61-71). Have we taken offense at something God has said that we don’t understand? Jesus was offering himself to them as the sustaining “Bread of Life”, but they just wanted him to give them a free breakfast. The people struggled to grasp Jesus’ spiritual metaphor because they wanted Jesus for what he could give them, and not for who he really was. What does it mean for us to feed on Jesus like bread? The “Bread of Life” metaphor refers to believing in Jesus and believing Jesus. So, feeding on Jesus would mean accepting Jesus as the Holy One sent from God, and trusting what Jesus said. While accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior promises us eternal life (John 6:40) we must exercise our faith and choose to believe his words daily (John 6:68). Jesus said in John 13:13. “You call me Teacher and Lord and you are right for so I am.” ESV We must take Jesus’ teachings to heart, accepting them and let them permeate our lives just like our physical bodies would absorb food. If we don’t we are not feeding on Jesus. Sometimes, if we are honest we might struggle to admit spiritual hunger is a problem. Most people we know are good at masking or ignoring their spiritual needs, so we can almost believe there is no growling hunger. Without accepting the reality of a ravenous spiritual appetite, though, we won’t attempt to feed ourselves or anyone else. The Old Testament story referenced in John, chapter 6 is found in Exodus 16. The “manna” given to the Israelites foreshadows Jesus’ portrait as the Bread of Life. When the Jews were wandering in the desert, the Father would give manna every morning of the week, except one. Every Friday morning a miracle would occur; God would provide extra manna, so the Israelites did not need to collect it on the Sabbath. This Old Testament story of manna from heaven exposes a spiritual necessity; we need daily doses of spiritual bread to thrive. When we feed daily on Jesus, we fuel spiritual growth and strengthen our lives. Unfortunately, we can’t store spiritual food like a bear puts on fat for the winter, because it will always be impossible for us to enter a state of spiritual hibernation. Look at what happened when the Israelites tried to hoard the manna in Exodus 16:19-20. “And Moses said to them, ‘Let no one leave any of it over till the morning.’ But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them.” ESV As an athlete guards her diet to maintain her peak performance, our spirits need the daily nourishment of Jesus. Why might someone ignore his or her spiritual appetite? What counterfeit sources of food might a person pursue to satisfy a genuine spiritual hunger? True strength is safely sustained only in Jesus. It is vitally important we see the exclusive claim Jesus is making about himself with this statement, “I am the Bread of Life.” Peter put it this way in John 6:68-69. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” ESV

When you’re wondering how to overcome anxiety, one of the best things you can do is shift your perspective. In this message, we’ll learn from the story of Paul and Silas, who were thrown into prison for their beliefs. But that didn’t stop them from keeping their focus on God’s provision. www.lifechurch.tv . Used by permission.

Do you dread Christmas? Or love it? Some people dread the holidays because family feuds abound. Is it “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year?” Well, it should be, and for the most part, it often is. However, people are people, no matter where you go, and that includes us. Consequently, we have to deal with each other, and Thomas Wolfe’s classic novel, You Can’t Go Home Again, becomes more of a work of non-fiction rather than fiction in the lives of some. For Christians it is doubly sad that some of us dread this blessed holiday because of tension and feuding with family members. As Christmas draws ever closer, knots in stomachs draw ever tighter, and instead of toys and gifts flying off of the shelves at Walmart, it’s Tums and Rolaids that are being re-stocked daily. That’s truly sad because for us Christians, this really is our holiday. This is our celebration, the day of the year where we celebrate the moment in time when our very salvation was born. And yet, some of us dread it with all that is in us. My friends, this simply should not be. It should not be because it replaces the joy that we by all rights should be feeling at this time above all times. The devil knows this, which is why he loves to take this the time of year to torment us most of all. Shouldn’t this, then, be the time of year we fight back most of all? If you are dreading Christmas this year because you know there is someone you are going to have to see that you know pushes all of your buttons or with whom you have a long standing feud or argument, be the author of peace. Be the one who stops this cycle, because believe it or not, you can do that. It really isn’t complicated, but it will take some forethought and preparation. Below are five very practical and straightforward steps that you can follow to avoid a family feud this Christmas. ONE: Pray for the offending party. (Luke 6:28) Truly amazing things happen in the spiritual realm when we pray for those who mistreat us. It is a powerful thing. However, it is also a powerful thing for us. So much healing occurs in our own spirits when we humble ourselves to pray for those who have hurt us. We take great strides toward laying self aside and instead placing the good of others in front of ourselves. This is the truest form of becoming more Christlike. Jesus said in Luke 6:28 to “bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you,” and then he went on for many verses to explain why this is the way of the believer. If we don’t, what separates us from anyone else? It’s easy to love those who treat us well, but loving those who don’t is much more difficult. Truly, that takes a supernatural love, and we have that indwelling love in us in the Holy Spirit. TWO: Don’t dwell on past wrongs, but if possible, think only on the good times or good things involving that person. (Philippians 4:8) The human brain is an interesting organ. When we think of what someone does or says, the brain can’t discriminate between the feelings of a memory and an actual occurrence. As far as your hypothalamus is concerned, every time you remember the occurrence, it happened. So, if you remember your uncle calling you stupid 326 times, then you will feel like he called you stupid 326 times. You see, God gives us directives in His Word for our good because He knows what is best for us. When He told us in Philippians 4:8 to think on whatever is true and honorable and just and pure and lovely, He did so because He knew we would react to those thoughts. You will react to the thoughts you have about your family member, too. That’s why thinking only on whatever good things you can leading up to Christmas will greatly benefit the outcome of the occasion. THREE: Sit down and make an actual list of positive qualities about this person and then spend some time meditating on them. (Philippians 4:8-9) Another interesting thing about the brain is how well it retains information when we physically write things down. Something almost magical happens when our hand writes things down on paper. The brain works on what has been described as a sort of filing system. We create files for every piece of information that we take in from the moment we are born. Depending on the way you take information in and the number of times you take that information in, it will determine the number of files you have, the kind of files you create, and then the ease with which you will be able to access those files in order to remember said information. It has been scientifically proven that not only do we create more files for information when we physically write things down, but we also create bigger files in that act alone. Why do you think your teachers in school were constantly making you take notes? I know it seemed like we were simply trying to torture you, and sometimes we were, but mostly we knew it would help you remember the information. The act of writing down a list of positive qualities about the person with whom you are offended before you see them and then meditating on those qualities will help you recall them when you are confronted with painful or hurtful feelings when you see them. Believe me, you will be better able to deal with those feelings if your mind is conditioned beforehand. FOUR: Ask God to put a guard over your mouth. (Psalm 141:3) When someone baits us with horrible words, it is a difficult thing not to answer back. I could not understand that struggle more. Something inside of us rises to the occasion to defend not only ourselves, but to stand for justice and righteousness and liberty, and well, any other tremendous word we can think of in the moment. It just seems like the right thing to do, and it seems like the wrong thing to let them get away with saying horrible things. In a word, it’s our pride. It’s our sense of justice and our need, our desire to dispense it. I am constantly reminded in those moments of James 4:12, “There is only one law-giver and judge; he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?” It is so much easier to prepare for those instances by asking God to put that guard over our mouths before we go. We cannot do it in our own strength. Our flesh will surely take over when we are in those situations, but with God and His strength, it is possible. Pray Psalm 141:3 every day leading up to Christmas and the confrontation with the family member you dread seeing. God is faithful. He will not fail you. Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth, keep watch over the door of my lips! FIVE: Dwell every day, every morning if possible, on what was made possible for you because of what you are actually celebrating on this day. (Isaiah 9:6-7) The battle is in our minds. Satan would have you think on anything and everything other than Jesus. He wants you to set your mind on this world and the cares therein, but take that battle back! You are the author of what occurs in your head! And the weapons of that warfare are the very words of our Father. Speak truth where there are lies. Meditate every single day on the reality of what we celebrate, and do so by speaking the Word of God. Satan cannot stand against that mighty Sword. The key is preparation, as with any battle, and believe me, my friend, this is war. The enemy wants us disillusioned and disenchanted, because if we, the ones who know the truth, are disillusioned during this blessed holiday, then the world will continue to see it as a marketing, pagan ploy. Instead, be merry this Christmas. Be joyful. And be at peace. Our Savior has come. Hallelujah!

It isn’t hard for kids to be happy around Christmas, especially if they think there’s going to be a pile of gifts waiting for them on December 25th. But this kind of happiness is hardly the joy the Bible talks about. “Happiness” comes from the Middle English ha p meaning “chance” or “good luck.” Happiness, for many people, is a circumstance: something that must happen to them in order to feel satisfied. Joy is something altogether different. Biblical joy is grounded in something eternal—in Christ whose coming into the world should be a cause of great joy for all people (Luke 2:10). 6 Practical Ways to Cultivate Joy in Your Home at Christmas It isn’t hard for kids to be happy around Christmas, especially if they think there’s going to be a pile of gifts waiting for them on December 25th. But this kind of happiness is hardly the joy the Bible talks about. “Happiness” comes from the Middle English hap meaning “chance” or “good luck.” Happiness, for many people, is a circumstance: something that must happen to them in order to feel satisfied. Joy is something altogether different. Biblical joy is grounded in something eternal—in Christ whose coming into the world should be a cause of great joy for all people (Luke 2:10). Here are 6 ways to experience that kind of joy at Christmas. 1. Christmas Light Adventure “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life…Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” (John 8:12,56) The tradition of putting up Christmas lights goes back to 16th- and 17th-century Germany when candles were placed on or beside decorated evergreen trees in Christian homes. Some say they were meant to remind Christians of Jesus: the light of the world. Candles were eventually replaced with electric lights in the late 1800s. Take your kids out for an evening drive to see electric light displays on homes, businesses, and public buildings. As you drive, remind your children that Jesus is the light of the world, the one prophets longed would come into our dark, sinful world. 2. Give Extravagantly “…their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.” (2 Corinthians 8:2) Gift-giving wasn’t always a God-honoring Christmas tradition, but Christmas started to become a more family-centered holiday in the early 1800s, and quickly turned into an opportunity for commercialism. Rather that merely giving your children gifts, think of ways as a family to give extravagantly and sacrificially. · Look for opportunities to send money or resources to others in your community and around the globe. · Ask your church leaders about missionaries or local initiatives who need support. · Use the gift catalogues put out by ministries like Compassion International or Samaritan’s Purse to buy items for needy people around the world. 3. Take It to the Streets “And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.” (Luke 2:20) Caroling goes back many centuries. In the middle ages, men would sometimes go “wassailing,” traveling to the home of their feudal lords to sing songs, wishing them health and good will—usually in exchange for cakes, cider, and ale. This tradition was eventually domesticated in Victorian times and became a way to celebrate harmony between neighbors and social classes at Christmastime. Take your kids caroling with you to visit neighbors and especially shut-ins or those at nursing homes. Find lively Christmas carols that focus on the birth of Christ. Take time to talk to your children about the carols meaning. The joy of Jesus’ coming prompts us to sing about Him. 4. Be Intentional: Slow Down Together “Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot.” (Ecclesiastes 5:18) Christmas can be a very busy season for a lot of families, so in order to take joy in the good gifts we’ve been given by God, it is important to slow down and enjoy one another. · Schedule families nights. If you don’t plan it, something will fill that time. · Cook or bake together. Find special foods that your family associates with the Christmas season and make them together as a family. · Craft together. This is especially great for kids. Find crafts that serve as reminders of the meaning of Christmas. 5. Make Service a Habit “…remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35) The path to lasting joy is the road of humility—forgetting about yourself and spending your time to bless others. There are many ways to do this as a family. · Make and deliver cookies to the fire station, police station, or hospital employees. · Make and deliver treats for your neighbors. · Send Christmas cards to military serving abroad. · Have your kids set up a hot chocolate stand to raise money for a good cause. · Make a meal for an elderly friend or relative. · Ring bells for the Salvation Army. · Invite a widow or widower from your church over for dinner, and have the kids help to make the food. · Have your kids purge their toys to give to Angel Tree Prison Fellowship. · Volunteer at Ronald McDonald House. · Pack shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse. · Make homemade crafts to take to the children’s hospital. · Serve food at a local homeless shelter or food pantry. · Find ministries in town that have an adopt-a-family program. There are many ways you can serve others. 6. Do Extra-Special Devotions for Christmas “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Romans 15:4) Family devotions are a great habit to get into as a family, but around Christmastime it is a great idea to make devotions extra-special, something memorable to take the focus off the bustle of the holiday. In past years, we done special Christmas carol devotions with our kids, talking about the lyrics and the stories behind some of our favorite Christmas carols. The kids have really enjoyed these times because they get to sing loud and dance around. We took 15 of our favorite Christmas carol devotionals and put them into a book this year. The Stories Behind the Music uses Scriptures, classic Christmas carols, and hands-on activities speak to your families minds and hearts the truths of the gospel. For more Christmas ideas, go to www.intoxicatedonlife.com.