We are coming to the close of the year 2008, as we enter the last month of the year. It has been nearly a year since we started GGM! Thank you to all of you who have been so supportive! Most of you are probably beginning to redecorate, just as GGM redecorates each month as well. I chose the winter barn as a special gift for Mrs. D, as she enjoys barns so much and I thought the colors were great for this month. You may have expected the traditional greens and reds for this time of year, but even in my own home we celebrate December with patriotic colors. :O)
Some families celebrate different traditions during December and some don't celebrate anything in particular at all. One thing I know we can agree on is that we serve a Mighty God and we just celebrated being thankful for Thanksgiving. We don't find the early Christians celebrating the birth of anyone, but rather they do celebrate Resurrection Day. We don't believe there is anything wrong or sinful with celebrating someone's birthday, but we do need to be careful how we celebrate a person's birthday.
Each of you may honor the birth of Christ in different unique ways and I don't think God would be unhappy for celebrating the birth of His Son. Yet in some of this month's articles we take a closer look at the traditions and culture that our world calls 'Christmas'.
We love our Lord and certainly do honor Him for what He has done for us all these years, for His birth, death, and resurrection. May we all take some time to ponder the origin of some 'holidays' and what those origins represent. We pray that we will agree that we want to bring honor to Christ in the most pure way possible.
We hope you will enjoy the articles, interview, reviews, and recipes in this month's issue and may your last month in 2008 be a month to grow closer to Christ! Editor-in-Chief Growing in Grace Magazine
GGM: Tell us about your companion, Lady. MJ: Lady is my dog. She is part Chihuahua, Sheltie and Dachshund. I take good care of her. I keep her nails trimmed with the Peti-Cure. I feed her, give her water and bathe her. Her coat always looks so shiny when I'm done. She sits in my lap when I'm working on the computer and sits on my desk when I'm doing my studies. She has been a model for me too. My mom is teaching me photography and Lady is a very good model.
GGM: How cute Miss Moni! It sounds like you're taking very good care of her. Do you help with other things around the house? MJ:Yes, each month mom switches the housework up. Last month my job was to take care of the guest bathroom, which is also the bathroom I share with my three other siblings. I also check to see if the garbage bins get out on Mondays. Sometimes my dad rushes out and I want to be of help to him and make sure it gets done. This month it will change again and I have no idea what I'll get to do.
GGM: Maybe you'll get something less grungy this time Miss Moni. ;O) MJ: Thanks Mom. :O)
GGM: Miss Moni can you tell us about your last family vacation? MJ:Yes, we went to southern California in May to visit my Non and Poppop and got to stay at Aunt Susan's house on the lake. We went to some amusements parks and cooked together most of the nights. My Poppop has a BBQ pit and we got to roast marshmallows and make Smore's. Spending time with my family is a time I won't forget. Poppop had heart problems recently and we want to enjoy every moment we have with him.
GGM: Miss Moni what do you want to do with your life? MJ: Well my mom says that my number one job will be to be a good wife one day and hopefully a mom. I am willing to go to the mission field if my future husband is called by God to do that. I have a strong feeling in my heart that I need to tell as many people as possible about going to heaven. My mom says that in order for me to be a good witness in another country someday I should be working on doing that right here where I live now. I go evangelizing in my town every week.
GGM: Do you like to cook Miss Moni? MJ:Yes, I really enjoy cooking. My mom built me a blog to surprise me. I like to put recipes and am working on some new video cooking segments for that site too. We're also looking for a new template design. I make up my own recipes too. The best part is tasting the recipes.
GGM: You sound very creative Miss Moni. Are you creative in other areas of your life? MJ: My mom says I am. I get to have Miss Charlene's boys over every Tuesday night when she goes to a Bible class with my mom. Timmy, Gina, Landon, and Brady all do crafts with me. I try to make them Bible related and I show Brady the signs for the things I teach them. I also like to make jewelry. I could do that all day!
GGM: Miss Moni tell us something that your parents have done for you that you appreciate? MJ: There was a time when I heard someone talk about one of the best things they've ever done for their kids and I looked at my mom and said, "The best thing you ever did for me was bring me home to homeschool." There are times when I miss my friends and feel like I'm 'missing out' on all the fun they're having, but my mom reminds me of the family bond that we're creating and after almost losing Poppop I see why she tells me this. She says that friends are nice to have, but the family relationships are more important. She gets sad because her family doesn't come to see us very often, but we are making new traditions for our own family now. We are very close with Non and Poppop even though we don't see them very often.
GGM: Yes family is very important. What kind of traditions are you talking about Miss Moni? MJ: Well we always share our holidays with other people and my mom makes up new ones almost every year. The other day we went to The Sarah Home to have Thanksgiving with the ladies that didn't have family to be with. Most other people celebrate December 25th and get sad when they are alone, so we invite people to have a big breakfast with us every year. We don't make a Thanksgiving dinner on December 25th like many other families do. We just eat a really big breakfast with all the extras.
GGM: That sounds yummy, can you tell us more? MJ: The night before we do a lot of preparation. We scrambled the eggs in a big bowl, cover them and place in the fridge. We also pre-make the pancakes and french toast so we only need to microwave them. We set the coffee maker to start on it's own too. Mom gets up early and makes home made biscuits, bacon, sausage, and gravy. We get to help cook the eggs and set the table with butter and syrup. We pour the milk into a chilled ceramic pitcher, because it looks nicer on the table than a gallon jug from the store.
GGM: What other traditions does your family partake in during this time of year? MJ: We get to help with the Coats for Kids drive and Adopt a Family gift program that gives food boxes and gifts to needy families. My dad's ministry also gives away a car every year. Our ministry staff submits needy families to our founder and the leadership team prays about who t give it to. They get cars donated during the year and the men in the program work on the cars to get them working better. We get to be there when they unveil the car, which is filled with food and gifts to a special family. We always make sure the family is there and the news crew is there too! We always end up crying when we see how it touches their lives and when we see the expression on their faces.
GGM: That certainly is a giving spirit that your family, ministry, and town does for those needy families Miss Moni. MJ: Thank you. I got to go with my dad, mom, two ladies from The Sarah Home, and Mrs. Fickert to shop on Black Friday to get the gifts for those children. It's fun to pick out things for those kids. Mrs. Fickert is the one I interviewed a while back for the fire safety. She is in charge of this gift giving program.
GGM: So you like to give to others? MJ: Yes, my mom tells me that when I was little I would always buy treats for other kids at the snack bars. I would spend all my money on others. She is teaching how to do that with wisdom now.
GGM: Tell us about your siblings Miss Moni. MJ: Well we all love Timmy so much! My sisters and I are so happy mom and dad got to have a boy. He is so funny and cute. We are letting him be a leader when dad isn't home. If he says that a television program has 'bad' music we tell him how wise he is and then ask him what we should do. When he says to turn it off we say, "Yes sir" to him. It's so cute! Mom says that this will train him to take a stand on his own one day.
GGM: What about your sisters? MJ: I love my sisters. We don't get along ALL the time, but I like bedtime when Jess and I sing together and get to talk. Gina has a sweet heart and I make sure her glasses aren't still on her face when she goes to sleep. I will play baby dolls with her sometimes, because that's what she likes to do.
GGM: That is so sweet Miss Moni. Thank you for sharing about your family and we pray you'll have a wonderful winter season celebrating your family traditions.
In the corner of the small living room sat a sad Christmas tree, decorated with far less ornaments than the one shown in this photo. To conserve electricity, we were only allowed to turn on a revolving color lamp in the evenings.
The year was 1960 and I was the oldest of five children. Times were uneasy. Our parents had divorced and my mother, without a high school education, had gone to work as a butcher’s assistant in a nearby grocery store. She walked to and from her job each day. Before and after school, I was the surrogate mother.
This Christmas, the siblings were not all together since we were separated by a custody agreement earlier in the year. In the evening, harmony and togetherness were needed. We would wrap ourselves in grandmother’s quilts as we sang Christmas carols from an old, but treasured book while we watched the tree turn red, yellow, and green as the light turned. We tried to remember why we were celebrating and cast our concerns for gifts aside.
Finally, the big day arrived. We each received a little doll and one board game to share. But the big gift was when our other two sisters walked in the door. They were home. It was a merry Christmas after all. Later that day, we made our way to the small Missionary Baptist Church down the street and celebrated the reason this day was special. Indeed, special all around.
This is a very important article about purity, true love, and conducting yourself in a discreet manner. Please make sure it is ok with your dad or mom before you read this.
We see and hear the word love quite often now. People say they love Pepsi, the color pink, teddy bears, I love New York, etc. I believe that girls are more likely to talk about love than guys do and yet oftentimes they are misunderstanding what love really is. As a girl begins to notice a guy is nice looking, she may also realize that she gets butterflies in her stomach when their eyes meet. Girls become giddy over a guy speaking to her and read more into that conversation than what it is worth.
This last summer our family helped a young twelve year old girl and sent her to Bible camp. She was mesmerized by the guys and thought all the guys liked her. We asked her what made her think that they liked her and she said, “Because they’re talking to me and being really nice.” We had to explain to her that most of the guys in our church ARE nice, but are nice to EVERYONE. She truly thought that since they were being gentlemen that they had a romantic interest in her. I was concerned at how the guys from her school may have treated her. If our guys were so noticeably nice to her then there must have been a contrast between them and the guys she attended school with.
It’s natural when a girl notices a guy and she gets that tingly feeling in her tummy, it’s a natural curiosity. It’s also a natural curiosity for a cat to venture into an open road, and for babies who want to reach out for an electrical outlet. These things are fascinating to them, yet not always safe or the right time to explore. The feelings a girl has in her tummy when she notices a guy looking in her direction is not one to cultivate at such a young age. A lady should always be aware of the expression her eyes send to another person. The world acknowledges that the biggest form of flirtation is through the eyes, this is why women have found such an interest in makeup. They have found out how to attract a man to look into her eyes and she knows how to make her lashes longer and fuller, then she uses them to express the desires of her heart. A girl knows that the eyes are a powerful tool.
The eye can be used to cause the fall of man: Just look at how Eve used her eyes to the fall of mankind.
Genesis 3:6, “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”
She was mesmerized by what she saw with her eyes then persuaded her own husband to disobey God. The eye sure can be deceiving and can be used for persuasion and inflict pain.
The eye can lead you astray: Lot was persuaded by the eye to choose the well watered plain of Jordan, but refused to heed God’s wisdom about avoiding the sinful land of Sodom.
The eye can be used for hatred: Sarah despised Hagar in her eyes after Hagar conceived from Abraham, and Hagar knew it.
Genesis 16:5, “And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee.”
The eye can be weak and not see clearly:
When Isaac was old his eyes were dim and thus easily deceived by his very own son Jacob.
The eye is used for flirting: Potipher’s wife used her eyes for wickedness in
Genesis 39:7, “And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.”
The eye can convince you to make excuses for sin: You may have seen when someone is joking with you that they wink at you. By the use of a wink you know they are hiding something or kidding you. People also use the wink of an eye to make excuses for sin, as if winking makes it acceptable.
Job 15:12-13, “Why doth thine heart carry thee away? and what do thy eyes wink at,That thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest such words go out of thy mouth? ”
Proverbs 6: 12-14, “12 A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth. 13 He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers; 14 Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.”
The eyes can be used as a tool in witchcraft:
Nahum 3:4, “Because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the wellfavoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts.”
Galatians 5:19-21, “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Lasciviousness is arousing intimate desires. When a girl uses her eyes as a way to inform a guy of how she feels about him, she is arousing a desire in him, she is enchanting him, and is practicing witchcraft.
We must stop ourselves from using our eyes in a way that displeases the Lord.
Matthew 5:28-29, “28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. 29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.”
Now this doesn’t mean that if you have wrongly gazed at a guy that you should literally pluck your eye out, but we should be guarding our eyes. Remember the little song, ‘Be Careful Little Eyes What You See’ We know that the Father sees everything we do and he knows everything we think.
Proverbs 5:21, “For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.”
Proverbs 15:3, “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.”
Matthew 12:25, “And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:”
We don’t want to allow our eyes to divide our thoughts and hearts from the Lord. Many cultures have etiquette for proper eye contact. The Japanese use the rule of 25% eye contact during a conversation.
It is not lady like or appropriate for a girl to gaze into the eyes of a guy, it shows a lack of temperance, decorum, and propriety. Here are some simple rules for eye contact etiquette for a proper young lady.
1. If a lady is being spoken to by another teen guy, be sure you have a chaperon to assist in godly communication and accountability. There was a time when girls and guys did not have private conversations and we need to bring that back into our culture.
2. When in a group conversation keep your eyes on the adult leading the conversation. If a guy wants to have a conversation with you, it would be wise to have them speak to your father first to request permission. This is not in regards to casual conversations at church, but rather if he wants to get to know you better. If the guy wants to speak to you on a regular basis and pursue a deeper friendship. This has become such an outdated rule of etiquette, yet it is not beyond our reach to bring back. Now I understand how silly it would sound if a guy approached you to speak to you and you said, “You’ll have to ask my dad for permission before I can talk to you” yet we need to work on bringing such manners back. You can speak to your father and let him know that you would like to have him be a part of your social conversations. Staying close to a parent or other trusted adult when in the company of other teens is wise.
Should a teen guy want to speak to you, then you already have accountability by your side. A wise father standing by would approach you and any guy who attempts to speak to you and engage in the conversation. If the teen guy shies away from speaking to you because of the presence of your father, then he has no business speaking to you, for he has shown a lack of respect for you, your father, and the Lord.
A teen guy who wants to speak to you in respect and for godly communication will not shy away from accountability. During this conversation you can glance at the eye of the guy, but keep looking back to your father’s eyes. A proper young man will recognize that you are honoring your father and in turn gain more respect for you as well as your father.
My daughter, Lady Jess, describes her eye contact etiquette to me like this:
“A girl has that discernment, other people call it intuition, it tells you that you’ve looked at their eyes for too long. When you ignore that intuition for too long you lose your ability to respond to it.”
3. Pray for manners. You can pray before attending a social function and ask the Holy Spirit to help you guard your eyes during conversations.
4. Avoid looking for eye contact. Some girls actively look around a room hoping for gaining eye contact with a guy they like. This is inappropriate behavior for a lady who wants to please the Lord.
As we adopt these vintage manners back into our lives, we are restoring our hearts to proper courtship in the future. We must renew our heritage as Christian ladies and begin to incorporate godly eye contact back into our every day relationships. Sisterlisa is the owner and Editor-in-Chief of Growing in Grace Magazine and owner of AGMinistries, a devotion blog for women. She is married and homeschools her four children while remaining active in community service and leads the deaf ministry at her church.
The world’s first heart transplant was performed by a doctor named Christiaan Barnard of South Africa. Interestingly enough, Barnard grew up in a home of meager resources. His dad was a minister in the Dutch Reformed Church. After having a brother die from heart problems at the age of five, he was determined to become South Africa’s leading cardiac surgeons. He eventually performed South Africa’s first kidney transplant and later experimented with heart transplants in animals. Over fifty dogs received new hearts!
Finally, on December 3, 1967, the world’s first successful heart transplant was performed for a man who had incurable heart disease. Can you imagine being in the position of that first person to undergo such a surgery? Barnard was quoted as saying, "For a dying man it is not a difficult decision because he knows he is at the end. If a lion chases you to the bank of a river filled with crocodiles, you will leap into the water, convinced you have a chance to swim to the other side."
When I first heard of this special date in history, I could not help but think about our amazing God, the master heart surgeon. In Ezekiel, He promises, “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh." He sure did that for me!
Before I knew Jesus, I had no problem telling lies and had many idols in my life. My heart was hard indeed. I desperately needed a new one. Praise God, I did not have to wait in a long list of potential recipients and qualify through rigorous guidelines and criteria, not to mention the over $200,000 cost for such a major surgery!
The sword of the Spirit, God’s word, was the perfectly sterilized implement that was used in my supernatural heart transplant. One night I laid my husband’s Bible on my lap and asked God that if Jesus was real, to show himself to me. As my eyes fell on Isaiah 41:10, Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. These were the words of hope I had been looking for all of my life. I realized God was not far away, but close and personal, an answer to all the fears I felt in living so many years on my own without Him.
As with any recipient of a new physical heart, I had a fresh lease on life filled with hope, joy, and a promise that when my actual heart sounds its last beat, I will live beyond this natural life! Until then, we must endeavor to “Keep thy heart with all diligence…” both spiritually and
Hanukkah began nearly 2300 years ago and is rich in history and tradition. Unlike most other Jewish Festivals, Hanukkah is what is called a Post-Mosaic (After Moses) Holiday. This festival was not commanded by God nor was it instituted by God. However, it is LIKE other Jewish Festivals in several ways:
THE PAST: Hanukkah reflects upon remembrances of the past and shows us God’s provident hand upon His people!
The Greek culture that ruled much of the Middle Eastern world over 2,000 years ago had much to offer. It brought the world beauty in the form of architecture, fashion and art. It brought intellectual “wisdom” in the form of philosophy, language and mathematical discoveries. It brought entertainment in the form of sporting events and leisure that was previously mostly unknown. To much of the world there seemed to be no harm in indulging in the subtle blending of these styles with their own. This became known as Hellenism named for the Greek word for Greece, Hellas.
In Judea, however, the Jews lived by another standard. They followed a God-given law, The Torah. They were allowed to live in the way they saw fit until the Syrian King, Antiochus Epiphanes, came into power in 175 B. C. He insisted on full immersion in the Hellenistic life-style to the exclusion of all else. Under his tyrannical rule, anyone who even owned a Torah was in mortal danger. The King’s abusive acts went from the arrogant to the ultimately offensive. He minted coins with his image alongside that of Zeus proclaiming himself to be “god manifest”. He sullied the Jews temple by sacrificing pigs on the altar (an extreme insult to the kosher system under The Torah) and he even killed a priest named Elazar for NOT participating in this mockery. Finally, an old Jewish priest named Mattathias was troubled enough to stand up for his beliefs. He would not abandon his religion and would not convert to the pagan practices that had so blended with their lives that the lines were no longer simply blurred, but were all but erased! Mattathias and his sons gathered up an army of farmers and craftsmen and they trained themselves to fight against the Syrians. Years of battles passed and when Mattathias was too old to lead any longer he appointed his son, Judah to take over for him. Judah was a man of decisive force and had earned himself the nickname “hammer” or Maccabee. His followers soon after came to be known as The Maccabees. It took several more years, but this band of men had something going for them the Syrians did not have. The Syrian’s motivation was based on money, power and fear of the King. The Maccabees’ motivation came from determination to do what was right, regaining their freedoms and fear of the TRUE King! Through clever strategies, integrity and strength of character the Maccabees eventually were able to defeat the armies of their enemies and emerged victorious!
The people of Judah were triumphant, but were also devastated at the condition of their temple. It was littered with statues of false gods and almost every item that should have been consecrated unto The Holy God had been misused and abused. They set to work restoring the temple to its former glory. They built a new altar, removed the defiled stones, cleansed the sanctuary and finally in the year 164 B.C. on Kislev the 25th they were ready to rededicate their temple. In fact, the word Hanukkah means “dedicate”. Legend holds that there was an additional event that increased the joy of the people during the ensuing celebrations. As they prepared to light the Ner Tamid, or the Eternal Light, they found they only had enough untainted oil to burn for one day. It would take a full week to make more, but miraculously the limited supply of oil lasted for EIGHT days the duration of the entire festival!
THE PRESENT: Hanukkah gives us a firm focus for the present and opportunities to apply the lessons learned to our situation today!
We can learn many applicable lessons from Hanukkah and its traditions! We, like the Jews of that day, can stand for what we believe in, cleanse from our lives the world’s culture and pagan practices, and rededicate our lives to living a life that shines Light to the World! In their joy, the people worshipped God with gratitude and set aside a time of full devotion to honor God and celebrate the restoration of their freedom. They were once again able to obey God openly and were no longer under the oppression of their enemies. They decorated the temple, prepared a feast and offered the sacrifices required by God upon the newly constructed altar.
We can apply this in many ways, such as dressing in a way that is modest, giving of our time and talents to worthy causes and sacrificing of ourselves to be a blessing to God and to shine HIS Eternal Light to a lost and dying world! Think of that from which we have been delivered and worship God with a heart full of thankfulness. Let that heart of gratefulness transform your entire life. Make time to whole-heartedly glorify God as you thank Him for the liberty that we have in Him!
THE FUTURE: Hanukkah points us to the future and our hope in Jesus Christ! At the time, Jesus had not yet been born. Even so, I can see the possibility, as with other Biblical Jewish holidays that many of the elements of Hanukkah point to the truths of our Savior! We may even be able to learn some truths from the words Jesus spoke in the temple during Hanukkah in AD 29. Just prior to the festival he spoke about being the Good Shepherd. This may have been an allusion that the Jews would have understood as a Messianic claim! Then, we read in John chapter 10:
John 10:22-42 22And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. 23And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. 24Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. 25Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. 26But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. 27My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 30I and my Father are one. 31Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. 32Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? 33The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. 34Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? 35If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; 36Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? 37If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. 38But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him. 39Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand, 40And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode. 41And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true. 42And many believed on him there.
In an article by Gordon Franz, he points out that when Jesus was asked: “point blank, "Are you the Messiah?" (10:24). Jesus had to be careful how He answered that question. During the festival, throngs of Jews caught up in the nationalistic fever, were visiting Jerusalem. The word "Messiah" might spark off riots because of its heavy nationalistic and political overtones…Jesus does, however, answer the question in the affirmative, but not directly. When He answers, He is careful not to use the contemporary term and understanding… He says "I and my Father are one'" (10:30). That statement had heavy religious overtones for the festival which they were presently celebrating. Those gathered on the Temple Mount recalled the events nearly 200 years before on the very mount where, Antiochus IV, a mere man, proclaimed himself god. Jesus, the LORD manifest in human flesh, made the same claim but His claim was true. The Jews picked up stones to stone Him for blasphemy because, in their thinking, He was a man who made Himself God (10:31-33). Jesus declared that He was the fulfillment of Hanukkah by saying the Father "sanctified" the Son of God and sent Him into the world (10:34-36), The Father was in Him and He in the Father (10:38). If the Greek word "sanctified" was translated into Hebrew, it would be "dedication" or Hanukkah.”
In the same article, Gordon Franz goes on to say: “John wrote his gospel primarily to a Jewish and Samaritan audience, One of the unique things about John's gospel is his emphasis on the Jewish and Samaritan festivals and his indication that Jesus was the fulfillment of these holidays. Hanukkah was the rededication of a defiled Temple. At the beginning of Jesus public ministry, He said, "'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then the Jews said, 'It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?' But He was speaking of the temple of His body" (2:19-21) Herod' s Temple had been defiled by a wicked and corrupt priesthood. The Lord Jesus was "sanctified" by His death, burial and resurrection and is the New Temple.”
I pray that whether or not you celebrate Hanukkah that you WILL Celebrate the Light of the World without whom we would be in bondage and in a hopelessly lost condition.. I pray, also, that you will take the advice that the apostle Paul offered in Philippians chapter 2:
Philippians 2:14-18 14Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 15That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; 16Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain. 17Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all. 18For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me.
As I venture out into the community I can already sense the spirit of Christmas that we have become accustomed to each and every year. Yes, that spirit presents itself as early as October in some stores. We see the shelves lined with shiny red stringed beads, mistletoe, and velvety stockings laced with glitter.
We have begun hearing the music over the loud speakers and radio announcements rushing us out of the house for those sales that tell us we MUST have those items and we MUST get them now while we still can! The ‘count down’ to December 25th has us all wound up in a tight ball of string that gets us so easily entangled as it begins to unravel.
Yet they tell us it’s the spirit of Christmas, that we should allow the ‘magic of Christmas to capture our hearts’, so why do we become the Grinch this time every year? I believe that what we see today as the ‘spirit of Christmas’ is a wolf attempting to disguise itself in sheep’s clothing, but the Bible tells us that the sheep know the voice of their shepherd.
John 10:4, “And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.”
Now we must ask ourselves this question, is it really the ‘Spirit of Christmas’ that we are hearing? What magic are they talking about? Is it His Spirit telling us to rush out and purchase the Wii our children have begged for or go into debt just to have a Christmas tree that is overflowing with gifts under its branches?
Christmas started out as a simple day to celebrate the birth of our Saviour. Now we know that Jesus wasn’t really born in the dead of winter. The Bible tells us that the sheep were out to pasture that night and we know they aren’t doing that in such cold weather.
Luke 2:8, “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.”
The origin of the ‘Christmas’ we see today in America was founded by the Catholic church in Pope Liberius in 354 and became the rule in the West in 435 when the first "Christ mass" was officiated by Pope Sixtus III. This just as happened to coincide with the date of a celebration by the Romans to their primary god, the Sun, and to Mithras, a popular Persian sun god supposedly born on the same day. The Roman Catholic writer Mario Righetti candidly admits that, "to facilitate the acceptance of the faith by the pagan masses, the Church of Rome found it convenient to institute the 25th of December as the feast of the birth of Christ to divert them from the pagan feast, celebrated on the same day in honor of the 'Invincible Sun' Mithras, the conqueror of darkness" (Manual of Liturgical History, 1955, Vol. 2, p. 67). (credit to http://www.new-life.net/chrtms10.htm)
Here we have a ‘Christian’ holiday that was founded on the same date that the pagans celebrate their god. It seems to be apparent that the Catholic Church was attempting to sway their followers away from such celebrations, so they created Christmas to divert their attention back to the Roman Catholic Church. This Catholic Born celebration was set ablaze into what we see in society today. Our culture now celebrates ‘Christmas’ without the name of our Saviour, as they attract crowds to their celebrations that honor the best decorated light shows and who gets the best gift.
Stores all over the country are denying any music over their loud speakers that share the gift of Christ’s birth and remove anything that bears His name. So is this ‘spirit of Christmas’ really the Spirit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ? Or have we just allowed a wolf in sheep’s clothing to sneak into our homes and become a hard fast tradition that has held us bound by the culture trap?
Hear what the Lord has to say about decorating trees:
Jeremiah 10:1-5, "1 Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:
2 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
5 They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good."
So what is it that captures our hearts this time of year? As we enter the stores we hear music about Santa Clause, Deck the Halls, Frosty the Snowman, and Oh Christmas Tree. We are being fed with the songs that promote a gluttonous old man that wants children to sit on his lap, decorating our homes in mistletoe, building a snowman who smokes, and singing praises to a pine tree covered in lights. This sounds very much like the same propaganda that Charlie Brown and his friends became victim to in his Christmas special. Amidst all the confusion and arguing over Christmas he finally shouted, “Is there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?” We then see Linus step up to the plate and set everyone straight. “Sure Charlie Brown I can tell you what Christmas is all about.” Now if you have seen Charlie Brown’s Christmas you’ll know that the children still surround the tree and sing, but their hearts did become more sensitive to the real reason for Christmas. There are some families who do not participate in the culture agenda for Christmas. They have no tree in their home, nor gifts under that tree, they do not acknowledge the Christmas that our culture is trying to force into our minds. Now before you say that I am becoming a Scrooge, let me explain a few things. These families have chosen to have a simple kind of Christmas and that is honorable. There is nothing wicked or sinful about a family who chooses not to acknowledge this modern day Christmas.
Yet when we place our focus on the materialism of the holiday season, gather around a tree, sing praises to that tree and sing the secular songs of Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer then that’s when we have entered the realm of wickedness. It is then that we have fallen victim to the enemy, it is then that we have been deceived. I can understand why many families have chosen to forgo the Christmas we know of today. This modern holiday is indeed magical. This magical day has millions of people falling right into it’s trap. The Bible warns us about magic and those that cast their spells on mankind.
Acts 8:9-11, “But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:
10To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.
11And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.” In this passage we see that Simon had bewitched the people for a great long time. We also know that the magicians had captivated Pharaoh’s heart and cause him to become hardened to the truth.
Exodus 7:22, “And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the LORD had said.”
In 2 Kings chapter 17 we see the evidence of what happened to the people when their hearts were given over to the idols that they have chosen. Verses 13-18 are quite alarming in light of this culture Christmas we see today.
“Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.
14 Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God.
15 And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them.
16 And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.
17 And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
18 Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only.”
God sent a messenger to warn them about their sin and they refused to listen, their necks were hardened. Imagine riding a horse that refused to obey the command of its rider as he pulls on the reigns to turn that horse, and the horse hardens his neck.
These people made molten images and do we not do the same thing with statues of Santa or Frosty in our homes? These same people made their sons and daughters to pass through that ‘fire’ and partake in the enchantments as well. Are we not also following that same path of feeding our children with the Culture of Christmas? Now maybe you don’t think you’re doing anything wrong, after all you’re not praying to Santa, but are your children believing that Santa can provide for their desires? Should we allow our children to seek Santa at all? So maybe Frosty is a nice guy, but he has a bit of magic himself, can we really expect that our children will not be deceived into thinking that life can be brought forth through the magic of a magician’s top hat? Let’s not forget that both Santa and Frosty participate in smoking through a pipe.
Now don’t get upset at what I am bringing forth to you today. God’s people had a stiff and hardened neck back then and they certainly do today as well. It’s not an easy step for people to go ‘cold turkey’ with any tradition or habit that is both physically and spiritually unhealthy. Yet why is it that we have such a hard time doing what God has asked us to do for centuries now? Perhaps it’s because we have been brought up living in this culture for so long that we have become accustomed to it and grafted in it. But who should we be grafted in? We have been grafted into a Culture of Christmas and yet God is able to graft us in to Him again.
Romans 11:17-25, “And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.
20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.
24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. ”
Will you pray about this Culture of Christmas and seek the Lord about being grafted in again to the fullness of the Almighty God? May the spirit that indwells in you no longer be that spirit of the world, that ol’ serpent himself, which has been clothed in the magic of Christmas. For it is not the spirit of Christmas that we need, it is the Spirit of the one and only true living Word of God, the Christ himself. Sisterlisa is the owner and Editor-in-Chief of Growing in Grace Magazine and owner of AGMinistries, a devotion blog for women. She is married and homeschools her four children while remaining active in community service and leads the deaf ministry at her church.
Now here I am, a lady who has been fully clothed in that very same Christmas for all of my life. I believe everything that God has given to me in this article. I know the words of this article are true and I must follow and obey this understanding that the Lord has shown me today. Yet it is not just I, but my children and my husband as well. Pulling a child away from something that we have allowed to be grafted into their lives for many years is not an easy task. Their hearts will certainly experience rebellion and resistance to a change such as this. We do not want to breed resentment in the hearts of our children. Their hearts have been wooed over and handed over to that disguised enemy that calls himself the spirit of Christmas.
We must WIN their hearts back and pray for their hearts to be grafted in again to the Living God and His Spirit. Can you begin to make changes towards that goal? Can you at least eliminate portions of your holiday that are the most obvious sampling of the spirit of this culture? As we grow in Christ, we do not become all holy and all righteous in one day. Growth takes time, but can you begin growing today? Can we do some weeding of our garden this holiday season? I pray that God gives you wisdom as you embark on your journey back to the original lifestyle that God so genuinely wants us to have.
Wow, the cultural Christmas season is upon us and I see new holiday movies everywhere. But, they are not all family friendly. My, how movies have changed over the years! There is a definite difference between shows like 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' and 'A Christmas Story'. If Christmas is 'supposed to be' about the Messiah's birth, then why do we allow such awful humor and profane language in movies about it?
I enjoy watching 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' because when all of the kids and the animals get caught up in the material of the season, with the lights and the tree and everything, Linus sets everyone straight on the real meaning of Christ's birth. It is about the Lord and his birth in the stable manger with all of the animals and the angels.
We want to be careful not to fill our family's minds with materialism. We want to be sure that they know what the true meaning of Christ's birth really is. This year our family cleaned out our 'Christmas' films. We are taking steps to take out parts of this world's 'culture' of Christmas.
I would suggest you try 'The Nativity Story'. Although there are some parts I don't agree with scripturally, it is a nice film that brings honor to the birth of Christ rather than to stockings being hung by the chimney for ol' Saint Nick. Please be sure that the simplicity and godliness of the birth of Christ is upheld. Lady Jess is a teen lady who is homeschooled along with her siblings. She assists her mother in teaching her younger siblings, is an interpreter in her church's deaf ministry, sings in the choir, and is the Toys for Tots Assistant in her county.
Well, the Cultural Christmas season is here. Many count it as time for peppermint, cookies, brownies, blondies, cakes, gingerbread, candy turtles, and pies. That means sugar, fat, and a new New Year's Resolution.
Here are some winter baking recipes that you can use with brown sugar.
Almond-'Sugar' cookies
1-1/4 cup almond flour 1 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup butter, at room temperature 1 large egg 1 teaspoon vanilla
Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat. Stir together flour and Splenda. Blend in butter, egg and vanilla until well mixed. Form into 1-inch balls on a cookie sheet and flatten each with a fork. Sprinkle with additional Splenda. Bake for 8 minutes or until set but not brown. Allow to cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet then remove to wire racks to cool.
Snicker doodles
Makes about 26
1/2 cup butter, softened 1-1/2 cups ground almonds 1 cup granulated brown sugar 1 large egg 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon
In a medium bowl, beat butter until creamy. Add half the ground almonds, 1 cup brown sugar, egg, vanilla, baking soda and cream of tartar. Beat until well combined. Beat in remaining ground almonds. Cover and chill in bowl for 1 hour. Pre-heat oven to 350 F. In a small bowl, combine the 2 tablespoons brown sugar and the cinnamon; mix well. Roll chilled dough into 1-inch balls. Gently roll each ball in the cinnamon-sugar mixture to coat and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes until lightly browned at the edges. Carefully remove from pan to cooling rack to cool completely.
Brown sugar cookies
2 cups sifted flour, less if possible 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed 1 egg 1 tablespoon 15% cream (any kind of cream from 10% to 35% will work fine) 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla granulated sugar, for decorating
Blend 1 cup flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla, and cream. Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture, then add enough of the remaining 1 cup flour to make the dough stiff enough to roll. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill several hours. Preheat oven to 375 F. Place on a lightly floured cutting board and roll to 1/8" thickness. Use floured cookie cutters to cut into shapes. Place on an ungreased baking sheet, sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake 8 minutes.
Be cautious not to give into temptation and eat all your sweet goodies this season. We can enjoy teats from time to time, but do not overindulge.
Proverbs 23:12, "For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags."
Isn't it interesting that he names gluttony in the same verse as a drunkard? Be wise with your winter delicacies meeting up with your taste buds. ;O)
I hope this has been a neat help for all of you. Lady Jess is a teen lady who is homeschooled along with her siblings. She assists her mother in teaching her younger siblings, is an interpreter in her church's deaf ministry, sings in the choir, and is the Toys for Tots Assistant in her county.
Title: Andrea Carter and the Family Secret Author: Susan K. Marlow Read Chapter 1 here Genre: Junior Historical Fiction
This book was very exciting. In the beginning, Andrea, also known as Andi, discovers a man who was at their creek just about dead. There are many thrilling parts including a family secret that you will not believe! I can’t tell you too much, because that would ruin the story for you.
My favorite character is Andi because she is so courageous. During the book her world turns upside down when she finds out some unbelievable news. You will see how she grows up and takes on new challenges that she has never been faced with before.
I loved this book because of the adventure and seeing how Andi handles what is coming at her. I highly recommend it to girls ages nine and up. I think Mrs. Marlow did a fantastic job writing this book. She understands girls, horses, and ranch life really well to create such a great story. I give it two thumbs up!
We've given away the first two books in this series, and now you can enter to win a copy of THIS book. To enter, please let us know how you found GGM, and what your favourite article was this issue! Also, we've kept the same icon, but you need to remove the other one and readd it to your sidebar so it's properly linked!
The giveaway will end at the end of the month. Please be sure to enter and tell a friend!
done. She sits in my lap when I'm working on the computer and sits on my desk when I'm doing my studies. She has been a model for me too. My mom is teaching me photography and Lady is a very good model.
ut the family relationships are more important. She gets sad because her family doesn't come to see us very often, but we are making new traditions for our own family now. We are very close with Non and Poppop even though we don't see them very often.
It’s natural when a girl notices a guy and she gets that tingly feeling in her tummy, it’s a natural curiosity. It’s also a natural curiosity for a cat to venture into an open road, and for babies who want to reach out for an electrical outlet. These things are fascinating to them, yet not always safe or the right time to explore. The feelings a girl has in her tummy when she notices a guy looking in her direction is not one to cultivate at such a young age. A lady should always be aware of the expression her eyes send to another person. The world acknowledges that the biggest form of flirtation is through the eyes, this is why women have found such an interest in makeup. They have found out how to attract a man to look into her eyes and she knows how to make her lashes longer and fuller, then she uses them to express the desires of her heart. A girl knows that the eyes are a powerful tool.
Finally, an old Jewish priest named Mattathias was troubled enough to stand up for his beliefs. He would not abandon his religion and would not convert to the pagan practices that had so blended with their lives that the lines were no longer simply blurred, but were all but erased! Mattathias and his sons gathered up an army of farmers and craftsmen and they trained themselves to fight against the Syrians. Years of battles passed and when Mattathias was too old to lead any longer he appointed his son, Judah to take over for him.
In an article by Gordon Franz, he points out that when Jesus was asked:
As I venture out into the community I can already sense the spirit of Christmas that we have become accustomed to each and every year. Yes, that spirit presents itself as early as October in some stores. We see the shelves lined with shiny red stringed beads, mistletoe, and velvety stockings laced with glitter.
their god. It seems to be apparent that the Catholic Church was attempting to sway their followers away from such celebrations, so they created Christmas to divert their attention back to the Roman Catholic Church. This Catholic Born celebration was set ablaze into what we see in society today. Our culture now celebrates ‘Christmas’ without the name of our Saviour, as they attract crowds to their celebrations that honor the best decorated light shows and who gets the best gift.
will certainly experience rebellion and resistance to a change such as this. We do not want to breed resentment in the hearts of our children. Their hearts have been wooed over and handed over to that disguised enemy that calls himself the spirit of Christmas.
Title: 