Christmas Story

Ok Jon, wow, we have been slacking majorly! I know, I know, finals. So I'm going to make this one so amazing it'll erase all memory of how badly we (at least me) have been slacking!

This is a Christmas Story. In fact, it is THE Christmas Story. And seeing as how I'm probably not going to be able to post much after today (not net and all) I'm going to relate this story today. It's the real "reason for the season" as the song goes, and although everyone has heard it, sang about it, performed it, seen paintings of it...I don't think it hurts to review, just in case some of you aren't quite in the spirit of Christmas yet.

Matthew 1:18-25
Now this is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Joseph, her fiance, being a just man, decided to break the engagement quitely, so as not to disgrace her publicly.
As he considered this, he fell asleep, and an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. "Joseph, son of David," the angel said, "don't be afraid to go ahead with your marriage to Mary. For the child within her had been conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All of this happened to fulfill the Lord's message through his prophet: "Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and he will be called Immanuel (meaning God is with us)."
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord commanded. He brought Mary home to be his wife, but she remained a virgin until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

So there you have it, the Christmas Story! Hopefully everyone already knows the true meaning of Christmas but if not, be willing to share this story with them, not that is is fresh in your minds. See you all tonight. Lasagna...YUM!

The Shortest Verse of the Day EVER!!!

First go to Tim's blog and read his post from the 15th.........
Man, you guys are SLOW readers! Ok, now proceed!

Luke 6:27-35
But if you are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Pray for the happiness of those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn the other cheek. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. Give what you have to anyone who asks you for it; and when things are taken away from you, don't try to get them back. Do for others as you would like them to do to you.
Do you think you deserve credit merely for loving those who love you? Even the sinners do that! And if you do good only to those who do good to you, is that so wonderful? Even sinners do that much! And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, what good is that? Even sinners will lend to their own kind for a full return.
Love your enemies! Do good to them! Lend to them! And don't be concerned that they might not repay. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to the unthankful and to those who are wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.


I know you've probably heard that verse a million times, but you can never read God's word too much, so it matters not! And there you have it, love everyone! Simple enough right!? I think so...simple to think about, harder to do, but work at it guys and have faith.

That's it, I give in

Thank you all for your time and patience, but I posted those test posts at like 12-4 pm earlier today, and they just now came up...so the real deal will probably come up at like midnight. Oh well, it will be there at some point, but not anytime soon probably. Love ya guys. You ought to spend some time praying together and do communion anyway. God's good, even if technology isn't. Cya Sunday.

Luke.

Good News!

I know it's getting to be that time where everyone is just about dead. Everyone's stressed and tired (which was completely obvious during worship practice on sunday). Whether its because of grades or homework or just tired of school period, this verse applies to all!

Paul says in Philippians 3:7-11....
I once thought all these things (for our sake, lets think of these things as school related) were so very important, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage (rubbish), so that I may have Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own goodness or my ability to obey God's law, but I trust Christ to save me. For God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith. As a result, I can really know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I can learn what it means to suffer with him, haring in his death, so that, somehow, I can experience the resurrection from the dead!

Whenever you get overwhelmed by all the worldly responsibilities and trying to achieve all your worldly goals, remember....they don't matter! Don't get me wrong, goals are important and if you want to do something with your life, you do need to do decent in school, but in the big picture, getting A's in school, going to college and landing a well-paying job means very little. Think about it, is God going to care if you got a D on an english essay? Is your future job going to have any berring on your enterance into Heaven? NO!!! Everything we are doing now that is not doing God's will, is garbage, or rubbish, as my favorite shirt says.
I know I have always had a problem with trying to overachieve in high school. I HAD to get all A's or I'd just die! I thought that my being in the top 10% of the class and getting into a great college were the most important things. Luckily, I've come to realize that they really don't matter at all. My serving God and worshiping Him is all that really matters. For people that don't have Jesus in their lives, it makes sense that they would be so concerned with worldly achievement, but it makes no sense for us! We have God in our lives! Do we not have more important things to do than read "The Scarlett Letter"?

Colossians 2:8-10...
Don't let anyone lead you astray with empty philosophy and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the evil powers of this world, and not from Christ. For in Christ the fullness of God lives in a human body, and you are complete through your union with Christ. He is the Lord over every ruler and authority in the universe.

So, to sum it up: Don't stress out about finals and all those horrid things. Do they matter?...Yes, but not as much as they seem to right now. And if trying to achieve perfection in school takes away from the time you have to spend with God, then stop! (I know, I am the last person to be saying all this, I should be talking into a mirror, but I am taking my own advice, believe me!) So chill out guys, don't work too hard and take a sigh of relief because in the big picture school does not matter at all! (Don't tell your parents I said that)
Peace out yo!