Question of the day ??

What were the baby Jesus' first words?

Thought of the Day !!

After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up and flee to Egypt with the child and his mother," the angel said. "Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to try to kill the child."
Matthew 2:13 (NLT)

Jesus' problems with persecution began even before he said his first words. He didn't have a life of peaceful living off the fat of the land. Instead, he was the kind of person who was different, who upset those who liked things the way they were. People didn't understand him and saw him as strange...even upsetting.

This was the life of Jesus. So if we're to call ourselves Christians, who by definition are supposed to be like Christ, how should we expect any less in our own lives. Jesus said to deny ourselves and take up our crosses and follow him. He never said it would be easy. But then again, what in life that's worth anything is?

In the love of Christ,
greg

The Dark Side

Check out the epitome of EVIL


Hat tip

Ordination Questions Finished

Yippee!!!

28 pages typed, proofread, photocopied 8 times and stapled (boy, it's hard stapling 28 pages together).

It's now off to the post office to mail these 3 trees that I've used to answer my theological questions for ordination.

All that's left now is taping my service next week and going before the BOM. Piece of Cake. (too bad you can't hear the trembling in my voice as I say those words - ha ha)

Question of the day ??

If you knew that tomorrow would be the last day of this world, what would you do today?

Thought of the Day !!

They entered the house where the child and his mother, Mary, were, and they fell down before him and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Matthew 2:11 (NLT)

Jesus has been born and the family has settled into a house somewhere in Bethlehem for Mary to recuperate from giving birth. During this time more visitors come to see the child that they've been told will be king. These wise men come bringing the gifts that are meant for royalty; gold, frankincense, and myrrh. But the gift that matters more than any of these is the gift of their worship. It's the gift of their time and effort. May we give the same gift to Jesus today and everyday.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the day ??

Are some sins worse than others, or is sin simply sin?

Thought of the Day !!

Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:7

Let us give our offerings of money, words, actions or time cheerfully to God.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Important Score

8 Gonzaga 72
4 Memphis 83
Final

My Tigers

I know this might come as a shock to many of you, but I've deemed the Motor City Bowl the championship game of college football. This decision is final and there will be no more discussion. Seeing as how my Memphis Tigers won the game, they should be crowned the champions.

btw - keep an eye on a certain DeAngelo Williams. He only broke Tony Dorsett's record for most 100 yard games in a college career with 34 and is 3rd all time in rushing yards for a college career.

If you're a football fan and want to let me know how your team did, I would love to hear. Maybe if that team is named USC or Texas or some other nationally known team, they will be able to receive second place. But do not squabble about right or wrong because on this blog, it's my world.

And just in case your were wondering who won the World Series last year.....It was the Braves.

Ha Ha !! :) :)

Question of the day ??

How would you explain the Holy Trinity to a child?

Thought of the Day !!

For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
James 1:3

Has your faith been tested lately? Did you rejoice? Probably not. But remember that in Romans 5 Paul says that we rejoice in our sufferings because they bring about endurance, which brings about character, which in turn brings about hope (the hope we have in God).

Ok, so maybe we won't always rejoice when we suffer and/or our faith is tested. But bear in mind that in ALL things God works for the good of those who love Him. He allows our faith to be tested only to make it stronger. So keep the faith, therefore keeping the hope in God to see you through any testing in your lives. God bless.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the day ??

I will be away tomorrow to spend the days before Christmas with my family. So today there will be two questions, one for today and one for Christmas. Enjoy.


What do you want for Christmas this year?

(and for later)

What did you receive for Christmas?

Thought of the Day !!

And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
Luke 2:18-19 (NIV)

Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem where Mary gave birth to the baby Jesus. The shepherds were told of this by the angel of the Lord, and they went to the manger to see for themselves. Now, everyone is gone. It has finally quieted down.

Everyone who heard the shepherds' tale of a baby born to be the Savior of the world was amazed. After all, it's an amazing story. Many still won't allow themselves to believe. They debate the virgin birth. They say that one child couldn't do so much. "But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." Mary knew who the child was that rested in her arms. She knew that the angel Gabriel had not been a hoax. She knew that there was something special about this baby.

I invite all of us these next few days to ponder the greatness of Christmas. Treasure the memories of Christmas' past where you experienced joy and peace. Search your own hearts for possible Christmas miracles and share all these memories with family and friends just as the shepherds shared the good news with the people of Bethlehem. And finally, make this Christmas special in some way. Do something special for someone. Bring the peace of Christ to a broken family. Share with a little one the real story of Christmas instead of, or along with, stories of Old St. Nick. Make this Christmas one that will be remembered fondly. Someone else's Merry Christmas may just depend on you.

I'll be in touch again next week when we get back from visiting with our family. Merry Christmas from Michelle and me. We love you all.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the day ??

What was Mary "pondering in her heart" the night that Jesus was born?

Thought of the Day !!

(The shepherds) ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. Then the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.
Luke 2:16-17

An angel of the Lord had appeared to the shepherds and told them the good news of great joy for the people everywhere. The news was of a child that would change the world. He would be called the Son of the Most High...the Son of God even. This child would be the most powerful being ever to live, yet he would be born in a cold and lowly place. This would be his choice though. You see, Jesus would not be the kind of Savior that distanced himself from those he saved. Instead, he came to us and lived among us so that he could do what we do, see things from out point of view, and feel the same pains and joy that we experience. This is a truly loving Messiah. And this is the Messiah that the shepherds went around telling everyone about.

I wonder if the people thought that they were crazy. Maybe they believed these guys to have been spending too much time alone with the sheep. But there was surely one person that believed. Mary not only believed, but she pondered all the things said in her heart.

Believable or not, these were the first evangelists of the Good news. They were the first ones used by God to spread the gospel of Jesus. And for that the world should be thankful. For we should use them as an example. We've been given the good news, and now it's time share it with others. Christmas is but a few days away. Will we run to find Jesus in our lives? Will we share the good news of Christ at Christmas? Will we praise God?

Let this Christmas be about something more than presents...more than parties...more than Santa. Lets all put away our bickering and complaining so that we may forgive and love and find the peace and hope of our Savior's birth this year.

MERRY CHRISTMAS !!

In the love of Christ,
greg

Mississippi...Believe It

Check out this website to see some facts about Mississippi that many people don't know. The first two articles caught my attention. They are entitled "Yes, we can read. A few of us can even write." and "Yes. We where shoes. A few of us ever where cleats." These are about Mississippi's authors and sports stars.

Check it out at Mississippi...Believe It.

Question of the day ??

What did the shepherd say to the wise man?

Thought of the Day !!

(Joseph) took with him Mary, his fiancé, who was obviously pregnant by this time. And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn.
Luke 2:5-7 (NLT)

Most of us has heard the story of the birth of Jesus over and over again. How the shepherds saw an angel proclaim the birth, how some wise men saw a star, how there was no room in an inn, how Mary pondered the happenings of the night in her heart. Yes, many a stage has been filled with children acting out the first Christmas and many shelves, countertops and even yards have displayed nativity scenes.

We do know the story (If you don't, look to Luke 2), but what about those who came to see the baby? Did they know what to expect? Think about the shepherds. They came to the place where the Savior of the world was born. And even though they were told that he would be wrapped in "swaddling clothes", or strips of cloth, I wonder if they were surprised.

I wonder if the shepherds, and later the wise men, were surprised to see what they had heard was a King residing in peasants' care. I wonder if they were surprised to see that a cave, and later an ordinary house, was where this king resided. I wonder if they thought that they might have the wrong address.

No, I think not. After all, they had been told. And even more importantly, I imagine that when they saw the baby, they just knew. My only reasoning for this is that when we meet Jesus, we know that there's something different about him. He attracts and pulls us to him. There's no mistaking the one person in the world that will love you more than anyone else in the world.

He may have been a fragile baby in a cold stable lying in a hay-filled manger, but he was something special. And even now, we are drawn to him. May he bless you this Christmas as you are attracted to the manger. And may we all share the gift that God shared with us so many years ago. The gift of love. Merry Christmas.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the day ??

What's your favorite Christmas gift of all time?

Thought of the Day !!

"Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and he will be called Emmanuel" (meaning, God is with us).
Matthew 1:23 (NLT)

God is with us. He came to world in the usual way...that is...if you are an ordinary child, but not the Savior of the world. God is with us. He chose to walk in our shoes, to experience what we experience, to laugh, to cry, to joke, to bleed. He chose to be among us, which makes Him special. It makes our God one who truly knows who we are and what we're going through. This proves His love for us.

Lets prove our love for Him this Christmas by being with Him. Let's worship God by coming together in love and peace this year. Let's worship God by taking Him to others this year. Let's worship God by remembering the baby that was born in a manger this year. Let's worship God by extending mercy and forgiveness to each other this year. Let's worship God by placing more importance on Jesus than on Santa this year. Let's just worship God this Christmas.

Christmas is a week from yesterday. How will you worship the Creator of the season this year?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Santa's Favorite Reindeer

You Are Comet

A total daredevil, you're the reindeer with an edge! Why You're Naughty: You almost gave Santa a heart attack when you took him sky diving Why You're Nice: You always make sure the sleigh is going warp speed

Which of Santa's Reindeer Are You?

Question of the day ??

If Jesus gave Santa salvation, what would Santa bring Jesus at the manger?

Thought of the Day !!

The angel went to [Mary] and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
Luke 1:28

Mary was really just a child. She was not powerful or famous, but instead ordinary. But, she was also highly favored by God. And the Lord was with her.

Of course, this didn't keep her from going through some very difficult times. Can you imagine what the people said about her when they found out she was pregnant and not wed? Actually, she could have been put to death if Joseph had chosen that route. Can you imagine how rough it was on her to be "very" pregnant and ride a donkey cross-country to Bethlehem? For us men, we can never know that. But we've all seen "very pregnant" ladies and have heard what they endured without the help of bouncing up and down on a donkey. How about how hard it had to be to see her eldest son being tortured and finally crucified?

How about you? Are you going through any difficult times at this moment? Christmas is coming and it's the most joyous time of the year...for many. For some, though, it's the hardest. Depression sets in for one reason or another. If there is anything (big or small) that is troubling you this season, remember this. Just as the Lord was with Mary...so is He with you. He loves you, for you are highly favored by Him.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the day ??

If the first Christmas happened today instead of a couple thousand years ago, where would Jesus be born?

Thought of the Day !!

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.
Isaiah 9:2, 6-7

There are still those today walking in darkness even though the light came at Christmas over 2000 years ago. For those of us who have the light of Christ shining in us, it is our task this Christmas to be a beacon.

This year many people in my congregations have had their Christmas spirit dampened by loss of loved ones or hospital visits or family squabbles or other problems unknown to me. Some of these dampening occasions I've seen in my own personal life this year, such as cancer threats and deaths to close friends.

Then there are always those who have no homes. There are those who've been displaced by hurricanes. There are those who are either fighting or have a loved one in someplace like Iraq. There are so many reasons it seems not to have the Christmas spirit this year, and only one to have it. But that one is Jesus. And Jesus came to save us from an eternity of despair while bringing us joy.

The truth is, some of us need the Christmas Spirit this year more than ever. We need to let those who oppose Christianity and those who are just Bah Humbuggers know that the light of Christ that came down once and walked among us is still alive in us. Who knows, a little bit of Christmas cheer or giving or just plain old love this year may make a difference in someone whose life has been darkened this season. What do you say? Will you join me in creating an attitude of Christmas? An attitude of LOVE!

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the day ??

What's your favorite Christmas song?

Thought of the Day !!

The angel replied, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby born to you will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What's more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she's already in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God."
Luke 1:35-37 (NLT)

The angel has come to Mary to tell her that she's going to have a son. This, of course, is impossible. She's never even had sex. At the same time the angel tells her that her relative Elizabeth, who is an old woman that has never been able to have children, is pregnant as well. Again, impossible.

Impossible situations still exist today. Ex-friends can't seem to forgive each other over something that's past. A person has been in a terrible car wreck and surely will not survive the night. A kid graduates high school drinking his way towards alcoholism. People claim that there's no hope for him. A disaster hits and it seems impossible to have to start over, building a new home and an new life. A man strives for the almighty dollar, working all week and partying all weekend. There's no way he'll get out of bed and become a churchgoer. A lady has been given six months to live. She won't make it to see his grandchildren graduate school. A baby is born with a defect and won't live more than a year. Wars of hate seem to go on forever. People get married and are expected to divorce. There are so many impossibilities in this world. There are so many obstacles that seem just too hard.

But with God, nothing is impossible. God can fix relationships. God can help us start over. God can pull us out of the mess that we've created for ourselves in our lives. He can reach out, and He can heal. He can even make a barren woman and a virgin girl pregnant.

What we see as impossible is simply a lack of faith. Does God fix everything in our lives so that we can live them comfortably, never having to lift a finger? Of course not. Part of this is because He knows a thing or two about how spoiled children can behave. And He loves us enough not to spoil us. But instead, He teachs us and allows us to grow.

Because of sin in our lives and in our world, our lives will never be perfect. But God does pay perfect attention to our prayers. He listens, but sometimes He knows that the best answer is "no" or "not yet". And most of the problems we have, we have because we either won't reach out to God, we won't trust Him, or we try to follow our own selfish ways instead of His.

God is still the one who can make impossible things possible if we will only trust in Him. He is still the one who makes Christmas a miracle. And since nothing is impossible with God, may we all reach out to Him this Christmas, seeking a miracle in our lives and in our communities.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the day ??

Which series is better, Lord of the Rings or Chronicles of Narnia?

Thought of the Day !!

Mary responded, "I am the Lord's servant, and I am willing to accept whatever he wants. May everything you have said come true." And then the angel left.
Luke 1:38 (NLT)

Wow, what an attitude. I know that in my life there's been times where I felt like I should do this or that, or that God was pushing me into some situation that I didn't want to be in. I only hope that I've accepted the call more times than not.

Mary's response is one of a true servant. This is what God wants from us all. He's willing to care for us and see us through any ordeal. But He also wants us to serve Him instead of ourselves. And He gives us several opportunities to do just that. When these opportunities come around, He's not testing to see how well we will do, for He knows what we're capable of. Instead He's seeing if we'll make our selves available for Him to use.

May we all have a servant's heart like Mary. May we all follow wherever God desires to lead us.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Are you an extravert or an introvert?

Thought of the Day !!

The angel went to [Mary] and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
Luke 1:28 (NIV)

You or I will probably never be approached by an angel who tells us that we are favored by the Lord. But then again, maybe we will. Or maybe we have. A wonderful lady named Lucy told me how she knew I was sent to her from God. I, on the other hand, thought that it was just the opposite.

Have you ever had a Sunday School teacher tell you how special you are to Jesus? Has a friend ever told you what Mrs. Lucy told me? Maybe God has used a different kind of angel to share with us that we are highly favored. And even though I'm no angel for sure, I would like to tell you that the Lord is with you if you want Him to be.

We may never do what Mary did, but we can still make a difference in our world in the name of Jesus. And with the Lord with us, who can stop us? Surely not the devil...even though he will try.

Know that each and every one of us is of value to the one who created us. Each and every one of us is worthy of redemption in His mind. Each and every one of us is highly favored. And the Lord longs to be with each and every one of us as well.

This Christmas season, as we remember that we are highly favored by God, lets allow that to guide our actions as we care for others who are just as favored.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Question of the day ??

What is your gift to God this Christmas?

(See Thought of the day below for commentary on this question.)

Thought of the Day !!

(The wise men) entered the house where the child and his mother, Mary, were, and they fell down before him and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Matthew 3:11 (NLT)

How many nativity scenes have you seen that had three wise men in them? First of all, we don't know how many wise men there actually were. There were three gifts mentioned, but the bible never says that only three men carried them. I heard a pastor jokingly say once that he thought there were 82. Who knows where he got that number. Then there is the fact that the shepherds were gone and Jesus was moved to a "house" instead of a stable.

The fact that the wise men have made it into our nativity scenes is not a big priority of mine to complain about though. I mean there are lots of other things wrong in this world of ours. If that was the only thing worth pointing out, we'd call this place Heaven instead of earth.

Today, I'd like to focus on the gift that they brought to Jesus. You may think that I should have said gifts. Were there not three? Actually...No. There was only one gift brought that day. Gold and frankincense and myrhh may have been given. And if you make me get technical, I guess they were gifts. But the only "true" gift was the gift of worship. They came from afar not to pay off or give some sweet smelling perfume to this king. They came to give the gift of themselves.

How about us this Christmas? What will we give Jesus? Will it be gold, frankincense or myrrh? How about a diamond ring, new cell phone or X-box? Will you try to give him a gift certificate somewhere so he can pick out his own gift? Or will you give him the gift of yourself...the gift of worship, repentance and love?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Responses to the question of church being closed on Christmas

I received several emails in response to my "Thought of the day !!" email that went out yesterday (the same question that was posted below). As I do not have people's permission, I will not quote anyone. But I can say that 99 percent of the responses from people who responded were astonishment that we would even think of not having Christmas on Sunday, December 25. There was only one person who thought that we would all worship whether we were at church or not, so while churches should be open, it should not matter if people didn't go as long as they were with family. My thanks to all those who emailed or commented on my post.

Question of the day ??

I pastor a couple of smaller rural churches and have been approached with the question of whether we will be open on Christmas or not. I was simply shocked and amazed at such a question. It never even occurred to me that on one of the holiest days of the year we'd stay home. Then I heard that some of the mega-churches like Willow Creek, as well as some of the smaller churches are going to be closed on Christmas (a Sunday morning by the way).

What do you think? Should we go to church on Sunday, Dec. 25 or stay home with family?

I will go ahead and give my answer. Instead of transforming the world, we are conforming to it. And this is just another sad note in how we've done a lousy job in transformong. On a day where we are supposed to celebrate the birth of our Savior, many will choose instead to stay home and enjoy opening Santa's presents and/or having cooking for relatives take priority over worship. What a sad world we live in when on our Lord's birthday we don't even come to worship him.

Sadly yours,
greg

Christmas Barbies

Wondering what to get that evacuee or loved one down on the coast? Don't fret. Check out the Hurricane Katrina - Mississippi Response website for great gift ideas this year.

Question of the day ??

If you had to choose, would you sleep, eat or fly an airplane?

Thought of the Day !!

For every child of God defeats this evil world by trusting Christ to give the victory. And the ones who win this battle against the world are the ones who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
1 John 5:4-5

Have you ever felt like the world was getting you down? Over Thanksgiving I received news of one of my best friends death. This was the first time I've lost a friend to death. I also had a call from my church about a member's brother who was in ICU. Another member was going to be having surgery in Memphis on the following Monday, and I wouldn't be able to be there and the other three places I needed to be. And to top it all off, I received some very disturbing news about another one of my best friends.

It seemed as though everything was coming in on me at once. Each one of these things affected me in a unique way. These, along with the stresses of ordination preparation and other stuff going on in my life at the time, got me down. And I did feel for a while like the world was getting me down.

I remember thinking to myself, "Jesus, it would be nice for you to come back anytime now." Even though he has not come yet, in that thought lies the key to our success. We know that Jesus is coming back. We know that we won't have weeks like this popping up continuously forever. For we've placed our trust in Christ to redeem us and this world. We believe that even though we may not win every battle, that he has won the war. The only thing left is for him to come get us and take us home. That is what he did for my friend who passed away last week. And that is what he'll do for all of us who trust in him and believe him to be the Son of God.

Today is much better. Through prayer and some work on my part, I've gotten through all the news of last week. Now it's mostly just the ordination process and typical concerns over this week's sermons. But these are things I can handle. For I know God won't allow more to come on me that I can handle.

So the next time the world seems to be getting you down, look to the one who has won the final victory. He is your help. He is always there. And he will see you through.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Remember When

I got kind of nostalgic today for the days of my youth as I was driving home, and I would like to offer you the chance to think back, remembering when. Now daydreaming can be a dangerous thing while driving, so I suggest doing it at your computer. Here goes.

Remember when:

You thought 30 was old?
When my dad was 36 (my age now) I would have been 16. Now I know I can't be as old as I saw him. And I can't imagine having a 16 year old now.

You used to buy your school lunches for $.55?
Now lets not go getting into competition about who can remember when they could go to the movies and get a drink and popcorn for a quarter while receiving change (Dad!). This is to enjoy our childhood memories. So fill in where needed to suit your own life. As for me, I remember the $.55 meal and holding hands and saying grace before the meal. BTW, I went to public schools.

You learned how to drive?
I backed my dad's company car into a tree...enough about that!

You kissed your first girl (boy)?
Nope...must have been too nervous and blocked it out.

You got your first car?
Oh yeah!!! A 1967 metallic blue Rally Sport soft top convertible Camaro with a 327 engine. Boy was that a slow sports car. All my friends beat me. I even got beat by a truck once. But all the girls wanted to ride in my care though. And isn't that all that matters.

Of course I also remember having been broke down on the side of the road eleven times in one year. Oh well, on to other memories.

*** Hey, I think I remember that girl I kissed now --- Nope, false alarm. She wouldn't kiss me.

You went to the prom?
I remember that I couldn't dance. I also remember that I was supposed to go in with a friend and rent a limo. He backed out at the last minute and I got stuck with the whole bill.

You were riding your motorcycle out in some very tall grass and got stuck and then all of a sudden it caught on fire?
Or was that just me?

You learned the truth about Santa Claus?
I remember my parents telling me that if I told my little sister that I wouldn't get anymore presents. I also remember telling my sister not to let on afterwards so we could both have Santa come see us every year.

*** Her name was.......Robin.....Yes. My first date and my first kiss. Actually the kiss came before the date. Long story. Short relationship.

You used to go on vacation with your parents?
Most of ours was to the Smokey Mountains. I remember playing in the freezing cold mountain streams.

You saw your first scary movie?
I remember I was very young and was in the back seat of my parents' car at the drive-in. My mom shoved my head down every time there was a scary part or someone shed some clothing. I saw more of the back floorboard than the movie. And yet I still had to sleep with the bedroom door open and the lights on.

How about you? What would you like to remember? The key is that from time to time we stop our busyness, sit still for a moment, and enjoy a memory or two. Or as Lisa at Messy Musings puts it, stop and breathe. It just may brighten your day.

Question of the day ??

Would Jesus be a Democrat or a Republican? (Remember now, be nice.)

Thought of the Day !!

Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love has been brought to full expression through us.
1 John 4:11-12 (NLT)

Friends, there has always been anger and hatred in our world. It began with a jealous Cain and has grown from one murder to mass genocides. In the last several years we've seen the hatred of Americans displayed by people flying planes into the twin towers. Of course, we've also seen a massive amount of hate for those who are of middle-eastern descent by us Americans. And then lets not forget all the ism's that run rampant in our society today. There's racism and classism at the top of these where people are looked down upon because of race or their place in society.

But it doesn't end with our society. I've seen people in our churches who've forgotten the purpose that God gave them. Many of us have seen those who are more interested in control or running the church their way instead of God's way. I've also seen preachers who've decided that they know better than God and feel like their church is their own private territory. And in both of these scenarios, I've seen bickering, backbiting, gossip, anger and eventually hate.

As Christians we are called to be different from the world. You'd expect to see this going on in a large corporation where all are competing to get ahead. But our churches should be a place of peace that are set apart from the world.

Of course the truth of the matter is that we Christians are still sinful human beings. We cannot claim perfection. But we can strive for it. And that's what I see as our problem. We need to strive more to be different...to be set apart from this world instead of conformed to it...to go on towards perfection. And when I say go on towards perfection, I mean it as Wesley did. I mean that even though we will never be perfectly sinless people, we can strive for (and obtain) perfection in Christian love.

When John wrote "since God loved us that much", he was talking about verse 9 that reads "God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him." So God loves us so much that He gave of Himself for us. He was born into a cold world and died an even colder death. And since He loved us this much, the least we can do is love each other. It is only then that God will preside in us. If we have hate for people who are different, people of different color, people that think differently, people in our churches, people who come from our own household, people in general, then we do not have God in us. This is simply because God is love and where hate presides, God does not.

This Advent let us prepare for Christ by practicing love. Break down those barriers that separate you and whomever. Forgive a friend. Shake the hand of a stranger who may look or act different from you. Speak to someone you normally wouldn't. Smile at anyone today. Let us allow the love of Christ to show through us so that others will know that we are different...that we are set apart...that we are with God and He is with us.

In the love of Christ,
greg