Head-dibs

[by Pastor Bob Coy at Calvary Chapel , Ft. Lauderdale, FL] But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. --Job 23:10 (NKJV) "Happy New Year!" Really? How can you be so sure that this upcoming year will be a happy one? Take a moment to look back at last year. Were there any trials? Of course there were, and you can be equally certain that there will be trials in this upcoming year as well . It's interesting that in describing the storms of life, Jesus always assumed that they would have a place of prominence in our lives. He said "when the storms came" not "if the storms come" (Matthew 7:24). You can mark it down in that brand new calendar that you just got: 2008 will be a year of trials. Regardless of this fact, we can still have a happy New Year when we recognize that our God is all-knowing. There isn't a single bump in the road that will take Him by surprise this year. Before time even began, He knew all tha...

"The difference between a Christian and an atheist is that the atheist waits until turbulence hits before he prays." ( Ray Comfort )

Fairest Lord Jesus, Ruler of all nature. O Thou of God and man the Son; Thee will I cherish, Thee will I honor, Thou my soul's glory, joy, and crown.

Jesus, the very thought of Thee With sweetness fills my breast; But sweeter far Thy face to see, And in Thy presence rest.

Hark the herald angels sing "Glory to the newborn King! Peace on earth and mercy mild God and sinners reconciled" Joyful, all ye nations rise What will happen when you die? Will you go to Heaven or Hell? Jesus knows! “Emmanuel.”! The herald angels sing "Glory to the newborn King!" Christ by highest heav'n adored Christ the everlasting Lord! He’s the One who’ll judge us all Let’s see who will stand or fall… Have you ever told a lie? Wished that someone else would die? Entertained a lusty thought? Stolen when you should have bought? Help! We’ve broken God’s Ten Laws! Who will come to save us all? That's why Jesus Christ was sent To be saved you must repent Died on the cross for all your sin Repent and put your trust in Him Mild He laid His glory by Born that man no more may die Born to raise the sons of earth Born to give them second birth Hark! The herald angels sing "Glory to the newborn King!" (Ray Comfort's blog is here )

O Come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer Our spirits by Thine advent here; Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, And death's dark shadows put to flight. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall come to thee, O Israel.

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"Jesus, you have found us When we wandered far; When we could not find ourselves You came to where are. 'Glory in the Highest' Is more than just a phrase. Lord, we fall before You now, Your Holy name we praise. Glory in the Highest! Lust the song begin! joy has come into our world; Let us worship Him! Glory in the Highest! Worthy is our King! Come let us adore Him, And bring Him everything." (Gloria Gaither)

10. "Well, well, well, now, there's a gift!" 9. "No, with all the hostile takeovers this year, I missed the big Ronco/K-Tel/Ginsu merger. Would you just look at that! What will they think of next?!" 8. "Hey, as long as I don't have to feed it, or clean up after it, or put batteries in it, I'm happy!" 7. "No, really, I didn't know that there was a Chia Pet tie! Oh, wow! It's a clip-on too!" 6. "You know, I always wanted one of these! Jog my memory -- what's it called again?" 5. "You know what? -- I'm going to find a special place to put this!" 4. "Boy, you don't see craftsmanship like that every day!" 3. "And it's such an interesting color too!" 2. "You say that was the last one? Am I ever glad that you snapped that baby up!" And the number one thing to say about the Christmas gifts you didn't like is: "You shouldn't have! I mean it -- you really sho...

“My wife and I once traveled from San Antonio in Texas to Mexico City. South of the muddy Rio Grande border, we found the plains of northern Mexico very dusty, dirty, hot, mosquito-infested, water-polluted and generally miserable. Up and down we went, along the dusty roads, through shabby towns, up and down but never out of the summer discomfort of the tierra caliente of Mexico. At long last we reached the little town of Tamazunchale (nicknamed Thomas and Charlie by gringo tourists) where the road began to climb up through the mountains to the wonderful plateau of Mexico, the delightful tierra temprada where the air was clear, the nights cool, the mosquitoes few, the water pure, and the general conditions bracing. So we continued at an elevation of seven thousand feet, up and down but always much, much higher than the highest part of the plains, until we reached the capital city in the “Bowl of the Gods”. The Victorious Life has its ups and downs, but at an elevation far removed from ...

“When St. Paul calls Christ God’s ‘unspeakable Gift,” he is not toying with exaggerating superlatives, polishing his style with impressive phraseology. The blessing of the Savior’s Gospel was as inexplicable to him as it must be to us. The Apostle uses a term here which means: “one ‘cannot bring out’ or ‘express’ the blessing, the fullness, the glory, the riches, the value, of this divine gift. If St. Paul, acknowledged even by the Christless world as a master of logic, expression, and rhetoric, asserts that God’s Christmas gift to the world defies all description, where will we find words or pictures, poetry of painting, that can reproduce in full majesty the limitless love of our Lord Jesus? No sacred oratorio, not even the unforgettable strains of Handel’s ‘Messiah’ and it s climax in the stirring ‘Hallelujah Chorus’ or the artistry of Bach’s ‘Christmas Oratorio,” can be classed with the angel chorus reechoing over Bethlehem; and even the angel voices could not sing the full glor...

"Andrew became a soul-winner at once. He quickly found his brother and brought him to Jesus. We can learn valuable lessons from him. To be a soul-winner one must first himself be a follower of Jesus. Men who have never seen the beauties of the Lord are not fit to tell others about Him. One of the surest signs that you are born again is your desire to see others saved. Andrew does not appear to have been brilliant. He was just a man or ordinary capacities. He was just a young convert. But he was able to win a soul. Your ability to be a soul-winner does not depend upon whether you have a college education--it depends upon your love for Christ and your fellow men. God loves to take the weak things of the world and confound the wise. He can use our talents today if you really love Him." Charles E. Fuller, Dec. 19. Manna in the Morning . Boston: Fellowship Press, 1943.

J. Edwin Orr tells of meeting a “pastor describing the war between the Old and New Natures, concluding that the Old Nature could not be defeated in this life. He quoted a well-known story of a Hopi Indian, giving his testimony in a meeting crowded with braves and squaws. The big man told his audience that, before his conversion, he used to go to town on Saturday night and get drunk, and then his big black dog used to bite everybody. After Jesus Christ came into his life, He gave him a great white dog, which liked to help everybody. But now the two dogs, fought against each other. A chief sitting on the front seat asked the important question: ‘Which dog winning?’ Said the brave, after careful reflection: ‘Whichever dog I feed the most!’ I expected the pastor to say: ‘That’s a picture of a carnal Christian!’ Instead he said that it was a picture of a Christian until the day of his death. So I sought out the preacher, and spoke with him in this way: ‘There are some Christians who say tha...

As shadows cast by cloud and sun Flit o'er the summer grass, So, in thy sight, Almighty One, Earth's generations pass. And while the years, an endless host, Come pressing swiftly on, The brightest names that earth can boast Just glisten and are gone. Yet doth the Star of Bethlehem shed A luster pure and sweet, And still it leads, as once it led, To the Messiah's feet. 0 Father, may that holy star Grow every year more bright, And send its glorious beams afar To fill the world with light. --WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT.

“There is a difference between forgiveness and cleansing. Hitherto, I had always regarded the promises of 1 John 1:9, “He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness”, as two ways of describing the same blessing. But I have come to see that two different things are promised therein. The things that are forgiven are “sins”, acts of sin, specific sins; the thing that is cleansed is the whole personality, cleansed from all unrighteousness. My small boy, David, was once told not to play in the tempting mud puddle. He disobeyed. To his dismay, he discovered that the muddy evidence of his disobedience was written all over his face and hands and knees and clothes. Fearing just punishment, he stayed out late, until the twin forces of fear of the dark and miserable hunger drove him in. By this time, we were so relieved to see him that we forgave him promptly. But as soon as he was forgiven, his mother took him to the bathroom, and stripped off his dirty clothes, washed his ...