Why Celebrate Christmas

There was a time when I almost gave up celebrating Christmas.  Our kids were young and they weren't yet hooked on the idea of Santa Claus and presents, Christmas trees and decorations.  I had even read that the Puritans who first came to America were so zealous in their faith that they didn't celebrate Christmas at all.  They went so far as to fine their fellow Puritan businessmen if any of them didn't keep their shops open on Christmas day.  The Puritans didn't want anything to do with a holiday that was conceivably rooted in paganism.  

As a new believer and new father myself, the idea of going against the flow of the excesses of Christmas had its appeal, at least in some respects.  But then I read an article by a man who simply loved celebrating Christmas.  He was both a pastor and one of the strongest Christians I had ever known.  To his way of thinking, there could be no greater way to celebrate the birth of the most important figure in human history than having the grandest of parties for Him.  

He explained that our word "holiday” came from the words "Holy Day,” and he reminded me that the Bible often encouraged lavish celebrations on various "Holy Days” throughout the year.  One such celebration is found in the book of Nehemiah, when the people were tempted to mourn and weep because of the situation in which they found themselves.  But Nehemiah helped them to see that this wasn't a day to be dour, but a day to celebrate, and Nehemiah gave them some ideas about how to do it.  The book of Nehemiah says:

"Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, 'This day is sacred to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.' For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

"Nehemiah said, 'Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.'

"The Levites calmed all the people, saying, 'Be still, for this is a sacred [holy] day. Do not grieve.'

"Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them” (Nehemiah 8:9-12).

Sometimes people need to be reminded why they should celebrate something, especially when they're tempted to break down and cry instead.

So today, I'd like to give you a reminder, too, and encourage you to take some time today and throughout this "holi-day” season to celebrate the goodness of God.

Like the people in Nehemiah's day, you might not feel like rejoicing today.  You might not feel like celebrating and feasting and giving gifts to one another.  Things may have happened this week, or this month, or this year, that make you feel like crying instead.  But let me remind you of what this day is about.  It's a day that is dedicated to the one Man in the world who has loved you more than any other person ever could.  A Man who, like His Father in heaven, wants to pour out His love on you today and every day from now until eternity.  A Man who, being born in a barn and raised in a no-name city was able to give life and hope and purpose and meaning not only to people in His generation, but to people in our generation, some 2,000 years later.  

His name, of course, is Jesus, and He was not only the Son of God, but the very essence of God Himself, who came to earth in human form to do what we could not do for ourselves:  to die for our sins, so that we could live the lives He created us to live.

I remember the night I put my faith in Christ so clearly.  You may have heard me tell you this before, but I'd like to remind you of it once again, as it may help to remind you why you can celebrate His coming into the world, too.

It was back in 1987 at a point in my life when I finally realized I had sinned deeply in the past and those sins were very likely to catch up with me soon.  When I realized what I had done, I confessed my sins to God and agreed with Him that I was indeed guilty.  Then something incredible happened.  I heard a man speaking about Jesus in a way I had never heard before.  I realized that Jesus wasn't surprised by my sins, but that He had come specifically to remove them, to wash them away, and to restore me in my relationship with God again.  I was overwhelmed by the love that I felt that night.  It went beyond anything I had ever known in my life.  

I didn't know what to do.  As God's love washed over me, I reached for a phone to call an old friend.  I just felt like I had to express my love to someone.  But then three words came into my mind: "Talk to Me.”  I didn't know what to make of them, so I reached for the phone a second time.  Then I heard the words again in my mind saying, "Talk to Me.”  But a second time I ignored it and reached for the phone again.  Then a third time, the words came again, simply and clearly saying:  "Talk to Me.”  This time, I knew it was God.

For the third time, I put down the phone.  I knelt down on my bed and buried my face in my pillow.  I called out to God and I cried.  And I cried.  And I cried.  I told God I was sorry for everything I had ever done wrong.  I confessed to Him that I had taken a wrong turn somewhere along the way and I didn't want to go that way any more.  I told Him that I wanted to straighten out my life and go His way from now on.  I wanted Him to be my Lord.  I wanted Him to call the shots from this day forward.  I put my faith in Christ that day and I've never looked back.  

It's been twenty-four years since I made that decision, and I've never regretted it, even when the days are hard or things don't go my way.  I'd rather follow Jesus any day than my own way, because I know that whatever He has in store for me will ultimately work for good.  Why?  Because I know that He loves me, and because I know that He has a purpose for my life that goes beyond just what happens to me, but affects many other people around me as well.  I know that God has a stake in my future that's bigger than whatever stake I might have in it.  And as long as I'm surrendered to Him, I know that I can trust Him to guide me and direct me in the way that He wants me to go.

So why do I celebrate Christmas?  Because it's a day when I can remind myself again of all that God has done for me through Christ--and to praise Him for it.  I'm so thankful He came into the world.  I'm so thankful He showed me the way to live.  I'm so thankful He's given me a reason to get up in the morning, if only to breathe in and out and praise Him for giving me the breath to do it.  When you're in love with someone, it makes you want to celebrate them.

I love celebrating the birth of Christ, just as I love celebrating the birth of other important people in my life that I love so dearly.  My wife's birthday happens to be on Christmas day, and when I think about what she's meant to me in my life, believe me, it makes me want to celebrate!  It makes me want to have a huge party and give gifts and let everyone know how much I love her!  (She doesn't want a huge party like that, but the love in my heart for her makes me want to give her one!)

In the same way, the love in my heart for Jesus makes me want to celebrate His coming into the world, too.  There's no better way for me to spend Christmas day than by remembering what He's done for me.

And if Christ has come into your life in a meaningful way, too, then you have a good reason to celebrate this special "holi-day” as well.  And I hope you'll do it with gusto, whether you celebrate it by yourself, on your knees or with your head in your pillow, or whether you go to a full-blown party with family and friends or co-workers or even strangers.  Praise God with your heart and praise Him with your voice.  Sing out to Him with a joyful spirit for all He's done in your life, even if you can't see the fruit of all He's done yet.  He's still your God.  He's still your Creator.  He's still the one who gives you life and breath and a purpose for living every day that He keeps you here on this earth.

Let God have His way in your life today.  Let Him remind you of His great love for you today.  Let Him come to you and bewith you on this special "Holy Day,” this day that has been dedicated by Christians worldwide to celebrate the birth of God's Son, Emmanuel, which means quite literally, "God with us.”

There's a time for crying and mourning what's been lost.  But today is not that day.  This is a day to celebrate what's been found.  As the angel told the shepherds on the day that Jesus was born:

"Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:10-12).

The Good Seed

"Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap."¹

"A woman has a dream where she wanders into a shop at the mall and finds Jesus behind the counter.

"Jesus says, 'You can have anything your heart desires.'

"Astounded but pleased, she asks for [the fruit of] peace, joy, happiness, wisdom, and freedom from fear. Then she adds, 'Not just for me, but for the whole earth.'

"Jesus smiles and says, 'I think you misunderstand me. We don't sell fruits, only seeds.'"²

It's true … what we sow is what we reap. If we sow seeds of bitterness, we will reap bitterness. If we sow seeds of disharmony, we will reap disharmony. But if we sow seeds of joy, we will reap joy, and if we sow seeds of love, we will reap love.

So whatever you do, be sure to plant the seeds of whatever it is you want to reap.

Your Thoughts Make Your Life

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."¹

William James, the father of American psychology, stated that, "the greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitude of mind [your thinking]." He also said, "If you change your mind, you can change your life." 

While what William James said is true, this truth wasn't discovered by his generation. Two thousand years ago God's word pointed out the importance of right thinking. 

It is true; we can change our lives by changing our thinking—either for good or bad. If we harbor and dwell on negative thoughts, we will act in negative ways. On the other hand, if we harbor and dwell on positive thoughts, we will act in positive ways. What we think about comes about. 

As another has said, "What the mind dwells on the body acts on." Think of temptation for instance. First comes a thought and, if we entertain it, it hooks our feelings, and the stronger we feel about it, the more we keep thinking about it, and the more we rationalize about doing it … and unless we nip that thinking in the bud, we give in to the temptation and act it out. 

So as an unknown author also wisely said: 

    Watch your thoughts; they lead to attitudes.
    Watch your attitudes; they lead to words.
    Watch your words; they lead to actions.
    Watch your actions; they lead to habits.
    Watch your habits; they form your character.
    Watch your character; it determines your destiny. 

THE EAGLE THAT ACTED LIKE A CHICKEN

"But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."¹

The following illustration has been around the email circuit for quite a while but it is a good reminder. Also, there are different versions of this story, but they all make an excellent point.

A man found an eagle's egg and put it into the nest of a prairie chicken. The eaglet hatched with the brood of chicks and grew up with them.

All his life, the eagle, thinking he was a prairie chicken, did whatever the other prairie chickens did. He scratched in the dirt for seeds and insects to eat. He clucked and cackled. And he flew in a brief thrashing of wings and flurry of feathers no more than a few feet off the ground. After all, that's how prairie chickens were supposed to fly.

Years passed. The eagle grew very old. One day he saw a magnificent bird far above him in the cloudless sky. Hanging with graceful majesty on the powerful wind currents, it soared with scarcely a beat of its strong wooden wings.

"What a beautiful bird!" said the eagle to his neighbor. "What is it?"

"That's an eagle—the chief of the birds," the neighbor clucked. "But don't give it a second thought. You could never be like him."

And so the eagle, thinking he was just a prairie chicken and not able to soar into the heights, lived his life groveling and picking at the ground, never experiencing the exhilaration of flight and the majesty which was his by birthright.

Tragically, this is the picture of many Christians today. With the God-given ability to "soar on wings like eagles," as Isaiah wrote, they fail to take advantage of the abilities and blessings that God has prepared for all who truly hope and trust in him.

Let each of us determine that, with God's help, this will not be our fate, but rather that we will be like eagles and become and do all that God has planned and envisioned for us to become and do, and therein reach our God-given potential—and reap the rewards for all eternity.

Knowing That In ALL Things God Works For Your Good

I want to encourage you today that God is working for your good in ALL situations that you're facing, if you love Him and are called according to His purpose.  He really is FOR you, and even in those things that seem hardest, you can trust that He can work even in those things for your good.
I've been reading the book Pollyanna this week to my kids.  The book was written back in 1913 about an eleven year old girl whose contagious optimism transformed an entire town.  If you've ever heard someone described as a "pollyanna,” it's a term that came from this book.

But as I read the book this week again, I realized that for all her optimism, Pollyanna was in no way a naive little girl who was ignorant about the real pain that people face in life.  Her profound optimism wasn't the result of ignorance, it was the way she was able to keep sane and healthy in spite of severe losses she faced.  Born on the mission field, Pollyanna lost her mother when she was young, and lost her father when she was eleven.  She was sent to live with her severely stern and strict aunt on the East Coast, where she often had to fight back tears at the unfair treatment she received.

Yet with all the bad that was thrown at her, Pollyanna chose to train her mind to try to see the good in life, believing that there was always something she could be glad about.  It was something she learned from her father when she was on the mission field.  He called it the "glad game.”
In talking about the game to a woman named Nancy, Pollyanna said:
"We began it when some crutches came in a missionary barrel.  You see, I'd wanted a doll.  But when the barrel came the lady wrote that no dolls came in, just the little crutches.  So she sent 'em along.  The game was to find something about everything to be glad about, no matter what.  We began right then—on the crutches.”
Nancy said, "I can't see anythin' to be glad about--gettin' a pair of crutches when you wanted a doll.”
"There is— there is,” Pollyanna crowed.  "I couldn't see it either at first.  Father had to tell it to me.  You just be glad because you don't—need—'em!  You see, it's easy when you know how!  Only sometimes it's almost too hard, like when your father goes to Heaven” (from Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter).

Rather than being naive about life, it was Pollyanna's disappointments in life that helped her to see things in a whole new light.  She went on playing the "glad game” in her new town, helping the people see that no matter what they faced in life, there was always something to be glad about.  Without giving away too much of the story, Pollyanna even found a way to be thankful when she had to use crutches by the end of the book.

In a similar way, the Apostle Paul is known for saying some of the most optimistic things in his letters in the New Testament.  For instance, in his letter to the Philippians he wrote:  "Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice!”
Some people might think, "Sure, that's easy for Paul to say, as he was one of the most highly educated and influential people in the early church.”  But the truth is, Paul saw more suffering in his lifetime than most of us would ever see in ten or twelve lifetimes, if we were able to live that many.  Paul wrote:

"I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn? If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness” (2 Corinthians 23b-30).

Yet in spite of all this, Paul was still able to encourage people to "Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS.”  In his letter to the Romans, Paul explained why we can rejoice always.  He wrote:
"And we know that in ALL things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28, emphasis added).

I have quoted this verse more often—to myself and to others—than perhaps any other verse in the Bible.  It's a statement that I've tested for myself and found to be true over and over again.  It's not just a "pollyanna” way of looking at the world.  It's a truth that God has given us to hold onto tightly, knowing that no matter how things look in the situations that we're facing, we can trust Him to work in those situations for our good, if we're willing to trust them to Him.
But like Pollyanna in the book, there are times when finding the good in a situation seems like a daunting task.  But rather than running away from such tasks, Pollyanna relished them.  At one point, a sick and bedridden woman challenged Pollyanna to find something in her situation that she could be glad about.  Pollyanna sprang to her feet and clapped her hands.  She said:
"Oh goody, that'll be a hard one—won't it?  I've got to go, now, but I'll think and think all the way home.  Goodbye, I've had a lovely time!”

And Pollyanna did think and think, coming up with several ideas, one of which was to encourage the woman to be glad she had her hands and arms.  That simple statement made the woman wonder why she didn't do something with her hands and arms, so she began to knit little things for fairs and hospitals.  She became so glad to think she could do something with them.
I think people sometimes view me as being a little too "pollyanna-ish,” too, when I tell them to trust God completely in every situation that He can work it for our good.  But I've found that sometimes when I tell people stories of God's faithfulness to me in my life, they often don't realize, or take seriously when I tell them, how desperate the situations I've prayed through have truly been.  They only hear the outcome of the stories, knowing that somehow God turned even awful situations into something good.

I think that's the way we sometimes read the stories in the Bible, too.  Since we already know how they end, we can sometimes gloss over how dramatic the turnarounds really were.
For instance, when Moses and the Israelites were up against the Red Sea, with no where to turn and the chariots from Egypt pressing in, all of a sudden, God opened up the Red Sea so they could pass through on dry ground.  It was a near-death experience for them all, yet God delivered them through it.  But since it only takes a few paragraphs to read through the whole story, we don't always get the sense of impending doom that the people must have felt.  I imagine Moses went through some serious questions for God about how God could possibly work this one out for good.  Yet God told Moses to stand firm, and he would indeed see God's deliverance...and he did (see Exodus, chapter 14).

Or when Daniel spent the night in the lion's den and came out alive the next day.  People may just think that Daniel found a safe place to hide or that the lion's just weren't that hungry.  But if you read the story closely, you'll see that as soon as Daniel was lifted out of the lion's den, those who had falsely accused Daniel were thrown into the den themselves, and the text says:  "before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.”  I imagine Daniel had some serious questions for God about how God could possibly work this one out for good.  Yet Daniel was extracted without even a wound on him (see Daniel, chapter 6).
When we hear stories of God's faithfulness to others, we tend to minimize the adversity they faced, and maximize God's faithfulness in bringing them through it.  Yet when we experience our own life-dramas, we tend to maximize the adversity we're facing, and minimize the possibility of God's ability of bringing us through it.

Today, I want to stir up your faith.  I want to help you see the truth that God is working for your good, if you love Him and are called according to His purpose.  I want to encourage you to keep putting your faith in Christ.  Regarding the situations you're facing in life today, ask yourself:
"What good might God be doing through this?  What good might come out of what I'm going through right now?  What might God be doing that I can hang onto in faith, and hope for, and pray towards?  What good might God be doing on my behalf right now?”
God wants to turn your thinking around today.  He wants you to see that He really can—and does—work all things for good for those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose.
This isn't just a "glad game” from a children's story.  This is a truth from God, recorded in His Word, in order to help you see your life the way He sees it, full of hope and promise and significance.

God loves you and really will work for your good in ALL things, if you love Him and have been called according to His purpose.

Healthy Parenting and Partnering

"But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."¹

I read recently about a man who said, "I failed my son when he needed me most. I was under a great strain from a workload I seemed unable to escape. A gulf came between me and my son, and when I recognized it, it was too late. I have never been able to regain communication. I failed God as well as my son."

In our dreadfully materialistic culture in the Western world, far too many parents (who are on the obsessive merry-go-round of what the secular world calls success) try to buy off their kids with endless things, and/or get them involved in endless activities so they don't have to spend time with them.

In some of America's most affluent class, madness reigns. Super wealthy parents can give their kids "an 'Atherton Castle' [that] comes with a two-story, seven-foot-square 'fort,' and a ten-foot bridge that connects to another five-level fort with a 'crazy bar' climb—all for only $54,600. If that price seems steep, there's a 'pirate's haunt' for only $35,000."² There's far higher priced models too.

We, including our children, were created for relationships with each other—not with things. We all need to be bonded to people, without which we live together alone apart and consequently suffer from emotional malnutrition and die a little every day.

What kid needs any gift—be it large or small—without the loving emotional connection to his mom and dad? More than anything else our kids need our presence, to be with them, listen to them, be kind to them, care about them, help them, and communicate to them through word and deed that we truly love them. If a child doesn't feel loved, he/she is heading for major problems somewhere down the road—and it may be just around the corner.

And by the way, our spouses have exactly the same need. I have a friend from back home who, when her husband was climbing the ladder of success, used to say, "My husband gives me everything I want … except himself." Needless to say their marriage failed.

When we try to pay off our kids with things and our wives with expensive jewelry and the like, we wonder why our kids get into serious trouble and our spouses have emotional or physical breakdowns and/or get involved in an affair. I had another friend who, when going through chemotherapy, said, "I know why I have cancer. I'm dying of loneliness in my marriage."

YOUR PURPOSE AND VALUE

Why are we here? Is there a reason we are sitting here this morning, in the house of God? What would be our purpose as a Christian? We have touched upon it before, and I think all of us have wondered at one time or another just what our purpose is. I think the two most asked questions about our lives are:
(a) The question of reason - "Why am I here?" (b) The question of value - "Do I matter?"
Asking different people these questions will get you different answers.
·· Oprah Winfrey said, "You've got to figure it out by yourself." ·· The Materialist says, "Life is all about the acquisition of things." ·· Those who are into the self-help nonsense say, "Create your own purpose."
Carl Yung, the famous psychiatrist said, "I don't know the meaning of life or the purpose of life, but it looks as if something were meant by it." Not to sound unChristian-like, but can we say, "Duh?”
Joseph Taylor wrote a book entitled "I Have No Answers to the Meaning of Life - And I No Longer Want to Search for Any." That tells us two things about Mr. Taylor. One, he is honestly ignorant, and two, he doesn't care who knows it.
Sadly, there are many people who see no purpose at all in their lives. And, without any purpose to your life, you have no direction. Having no direction to our lives renders us absolutely useless.
An old farmer and his wife always went to the county fair. And, every year they saw the same pilot offering to take people up for a spin in his airplane for $10.00 a ride.
Every year, the old farmer asked his wife to give him $10.00 so he could go up. Every year, the wife responded by getting very mad at him and saying that ten dollars was ten dollars and they couldn't afford to be so frivolous with what little money they had.
He told her that he was now 80 years old and if he didn't go up this year, he never would. In a very angry voice, she repeated that ten dollars was ten dollars. At this point they got into an argument about it.
The pilot overheard them and offered to make them a deal. He would take them up for free - providing he didn't hear one word from either one of them during the entire trip. If either of them said anything at all, they would have to pay him the $10.00. They agreed.
The pilot put them in, took off and during the course of the next 15 minutes put that plane through every maneuver known to man, including flips, rolls, and nosedives. And he didn't so much as hear a sound from them.
When they landed, he congratulated the farmer on not making any noise, and asked him how come they never said anything during all the maneuvers. The farmer said, "Well, I was going to say something when my wife fell out, but like she always told me, 'Ten dollars is ten dollars!"
Let's talk about why you are here. The first thing we must realize is that God created us – that is why we are here. Now, for those who do not believe in God, there will never be an answer as to why they are here. For those who do believe in God, the answer to that question will be forthcoming.
First of all, ask yourself ….
1. WHY DID GOD PUT ME HERE?
We are not the first people to ask what our purpose is. That question was also asked in JEREMIAH 20:18.
"Why did I ever come out of the womb to see trouble and sorrow and to end my days in shame?”
God put you here for His purposes, not your purposes and for His pleasure, not your pleasure. When you understand that, you will start to see your life from a different perspective.
ISAIAH 49:5a, says it plainly: "And now the Lord says – He who formed me in the womb to be His servant.”
We are not here to enjoy ourselves, but to enjoy the Lord. We are not here to wander aimlessly through life, working for our own desires, but to work for the Lord for the desires He has for us.
We look ahead and see our own desires and conclusions. We do what we want to do and go where we want to go. We forget that we have a Master and that Master has a plan for us.
In EPHESIANS 1:4, we are told – "For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight.”
There are three basic truths in our lives.
·· God loves us more than we know ·· God wants us to love Him with all our hearts ·· God wants us to love others in His name
When we start to realize just how very much our God loves us, we will start to realize a love for Him develop within our hearts. And the more we love Him, the more we will change to love those around us in ways we could not have done before.
God does not do love; God is love. It sometimes helps us to understand Him a little better if we exchange the word God with the word Love.
You were put here because God created you. You were put here because God created you. And God created you to worship and love Him; to walk in His will for you. That is why you were put here.
So now that you know WHY you are here, it is time to see if you know …
2. WHAT YOUR PURPOSE IN LIFE IS
You can walk down any street and ask a bunch of strangers if they think God loves them. Almost all of them will say, "Yes.” Everyone thinks God loves them. And you know what? They are right! God does love everybody. But the real question of purpose is whether we love God or not.
Do we love God enough to follow His commandments; to read His Word; to receive His Son? God's love for us will not get us into heaven; only our love for Him through His Son, Jesus, will get us to heaven. But it cannot just be an acknowledgement – it has to be a commitment from the heart.
It doesn't matter where you have been. It only matters where you are (in Christ) today, and where you want to go tomorrow (heaven).
We hear much talk today about a 'purpose driven life.' When we break that down, we see there are actually five great benefits to having purpose in our lives.
a) Purpose gives meaning to our lives b) Purpose simplifies our lives c) Purpose prepares us for eternity with God d) Purpose keeps us focused e) And purpose motivates us
By the way you live your life, would others see that you are a Christian? Would you say you are really in love with God? If I told you how to discover your purpose in life, would you want to know badly enough to do the things necessary to live your purpose?
You are here because God put you here, and your purpose in being here is to love Him and worship Him – constantly, and in all things.
Enough about purpose for a while. Let talk about …
3. THE VALUE OF YOUR LIFE
I started this message by telling you about the farmer and his wife who both knew the value of $10.00. We must always be aware of value. It is said that when a man of money meets a man of experience, the man with experience ends up with the money and the man of money ends up with the experience. One knows the value of money, and now, the other knows the value of experience.
When we look at God's generosity, we also see the depth of how much He really loves us, as is demonstrated by His extreme generosity.
JOHN 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world He gave His One and only Son, so that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."
If all you think about is the fact that you are unworthy or that you do not deserve God, it will lead you to feelings of self-condemnation and alienation from Christ. These feelings are from the enemy, and they are all meant for one thing; to steal your joy and get you unfocused.
Let me give you some truth right now. There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ. Let me tell you once again that it does not matter what you were before Christ, the only thing that matters is the great value God places on you, after you come to Christ.
For some, I pray this will be very liberating. Something you have waited all your life to hear. I pray that God uses this message to finally free you from the doubts you have had about your worth; your value; and even your salvation.
Let's quickly look at a couple of things that determine value and see how we stack up in a biblical standard.
MANUFACTURING COSTS
How much something costs to make is a very critical element in determining the item's final value, isn't it?
In GENESIS 1:26 we do not see any hesitancy in our creation, even though God knew what lie ahead for His Son.
He knew how much it was going to cost Him, and He went ahead with the project anyway. Why? Because in His eyes, we were worth it. The cost of creating and redeeming you and me was outweighed by the value He placed on us.
Another thing that determines our value is –
THE PURCHASE PRICE
You would be surprised at how much some people are willing to pay for certain things. A couple of years ago, I heard where some rock and roll band, whom I have never heard of before, is selling tickets for their last performance in America. They said the money would go to help the victims of Katrina.
The owner of the club they will be playing in said that he has four special spectator boxes similar to the press boxes at a baseball game. He said all four of them have already been rented at $20,000. per box! I love music, but I have never heard a performer who was worth that kind of money.
Some people pay thousands of dollars for beanie babies or Barbie dolls. I wouldn't, because they aren't worth anything to me. My point is the more something means to you, the more you will be willing to pay for it.
Think of the most valuable thing in your earthly life. Go ahead make it a hum-dinger. Is it some property you own, or a house you have, or maybe a place you go to? Now, let me ask you this question: As valuable as it is to you, would you pay for it with the life of one of your children? Absolutely not! There is nothing on this earth worth that is there? Or, is there?
Evidently, God thought there was. He thought we were worth enough to redeem us with the life of His only Son. You are worth the life of Jesus. That is how much God thinks you are worth. .
In 1 PETER 1:18-19, we read – "For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”
When we consider that Jesus Christ took the world's sins upon Himself as He hung from that cross, we can start to see just how much He thought we were worth. And that has never changed!
Another thing that determines how much we are worth is –
THE MAINTENANCE COST
If we want to purchase something, but we first find out that whatever it is will end up demanding most of our time or money, we probably would not buy it.
Let me ask you a question: Are you a high-maintenance Christian? In other words, do you need a lot of attention in order to remain faithful? Do you require constant encouragement and constant support from others in order to keep strong in Christ?
Well, I have some very good news for you! Even if you are a high-maintenance Christian who needs lots of special attention, God still thinks you are worth everything He did for you! He sees your significance and He knows your value – even if you don't.
Just like the grade school teacher who noticed a little girl in her class straining to read the blackboard. She knew the little girl's family was poor, so she took it upon herself to have the girl's eyes examined. Sure enough, she needed glasses and the teacher paid for them. The next week the teacher gave her the new glasses.
The girl said she could not take them, as she was poor and could not pay for them. The teacher gave them to her anyway, and said, "You don't have to pay for them, I already did.”
That is what God did for us. We are worth so much to Him that He paid the price so we do not have to. It is very hard for us to understand this, but to God, we are just as worthy as someone like Billy Graham or the Apostle Paul.
In closing, let me remind you that when someone is very dear to you, you will always speak of that person in loving terms.
In DEUTERONOMY 32:10, we hear how God talks about us. "In a desert land, He found him, in a barren and howling waste. He shielded Him and cared for Him; He guarded Him as the apple of His eye.”
Even though this verse applies to Israel in the Old Testament, it is just as applicable to the church in the New Testament, and to each one of us today.
It always seems much easier for Christians to tell someone else that God loves them, than to say it to themselves. But look at what all God has done to show you how much you mean to Him. For the truth of the matter is you are more valuable to our Father than you will ever understand.
And let me say again, that your singular most important purpose in life is to do as commanded in:
MATTHEW 22:37 '... Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.'

THE RAPTURE IS COMING

When he was on Earth 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ said to his disciples and followers, "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house [Heaven] are many mansions [dwellings]; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."1

This event that Jesus is referring to is identified as the Rapture of the Church which, according to many Bible scholars, is at the beginning of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. In spite of being one of the most climactic events in world history, the word "Rapture" isn't in the Bible, but the concept is. The word comes from a Greek word that literally means "to snatch out" or to "seize." However, the English word "rapture" is derived from the Latin verb, rapturo, which also means to be "snatched" or "caught up." It refers to the day that Jesus was talking about in today's Bible verse; that is, when he returns to take all his true followers to be with him in Heaven, and together be with him forever.

Jesus made this promise to his disciples and followers prior to his crucifixion and resurrection. At the Rapture Jesus doesn't actually plant his feet on earth at this point of time, but comes in the clouds to call or "snatch" up his people to meet him in the air. Also, according to many Bible scholars, approximately seven years after the Rapture, Jesus will come back to earth via the Mount of Olives in Israel to put down all evil forever.

As the Bible further explains, "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we [Christians] who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words."2

The Apostle Paul also wrote in the Bible, "What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever. But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: 'Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?'"3

As mentioned earlier, this will be one of the most climactic events the world has ever experienced. Can you even begin to imagine what it will be like when millions of graves will be opened, the bodies of dead Christians will arise, be immediately changed,  and together with them all the millions of living Christians will be snatched up from the earth to meet the Lord in the air and transported to Heaven. Thousands of cars will be left on highways driverless. Pilots will be snatched from airplanes. Doctors and nurses will be caught up out of hospitals. School teachers will vanish—as will many students. This chaos will happen worldwide.

Jesus also said about the Rapture, "I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left."4 This indicates that this event will happen worldwide simultaneously as in some parts of the world it will be daytime and other parts nighttime.

Furthermore the Bible predicted 2,000 years ago that every eye would see Christ's return. In the last book of the Bible Jesus' disciple, John, prophesied: "Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen."5 "Every eye" seeing him will be made possible worldwide in today's world via satellite, television, and the revolutionary electronic media.

I wonder how those in the news media who are left behind will rationalize the millions of people missing. I'd love to know what they will come up with but don't plan to be around to find out.

For today, I urge you to make sure that you are ready for this dramatic and climactic event. Of one thing we can be absolutely certain and that is this: just as Christ's first coming, predicted in the Bible hundreds of years prior to his birth in Bethlehem, is a fact of history, so also will be his return. And as Jesus said, he will come when people least expect it.6

Note, too, that when the trumpet of God sounds, Christ's return—the Rapture—will be as sudden as a flash of lightning. As Jesus described it, "For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes.7 It will be too late then to make preparations for Christ's return.

If the Rapture should happen today, would you be ready to meet the Lord in the air? To make absolute certain that you are ready, be sure to read the article, "How to Be Sure You're a Real Christian" at: www.actsweb.org/christian. Don't delay. Be sure to do this today.

Renew Your Mind

I believe that God would love to renew your mind.  He would love to replace any thoughts you may be having that are pulling you down with thoughts that will pull you up.  He would love to give you new thoughts.  He would love to give you His thoughts.  He would love to give you thoughts that will change the trajectory of the rest of your life.

How do I know this?  Because God has changed the trajectory of my life by renewing my mind!  It all began when I first started reading the book of Romans for myself, as an adult, almost twenty-five years ago.

I wasn’t in the pit of despair.  I didn’t hate myself or my life.  I didn’t even know I was headed in a direction that was about to destroy me.  But as I began reading the book of Romans, starting with chapter 1, God began answering questions that I had had on my heart for a long time.  He began speaking to me through the words on the pages in such a clear and convincing way that I knew it had to be God that was speaking to me.

The things I read caused me to reevaluate my life, what I had been doing so far, and what I wanted to do in the future.  In the weeks that followed, God so changed my thinking that I finally came to the point where I was willing to put my faith and trust in His Son Jesus Christ for everything in my life:  for the forgiveness of my sins, for the direction of my life, for my job, my body, my finances, my future—everything that was a part of me.  I gave it all to Him.

Now, almost twenty-five years later, I am in an entirely different place than I would have been had I stayed on the path I was on.  Even though I didn’t realize at the time the direction my life could have taken, God knew—and He wanted to spare me from it.  He picked me up, turned me around, and put me on a new path—a path that was headed towards an abundant and eternal life.

And how did this life-change all get started?  It started with an idea.  A thought.  A thought that maybe God was right and I was wrong.  A thought that maybe if I were to truly follow God with my whole heart, that no matter where He led me, He would take me places that I could never have gone on my own.  A thought that if I trusted Him completely, if He really loved me, if He cared for me deeply, and if He knew what was best for me, then He would always lead me down a path that was in my best interest and His—even if I didn’t understand it at the time.

Ideas are powerful.  In the Academy Award-nominated movie, Inception, the main character asks an intriguing question to a guest who has joined him for dinner.  He asks:  “What is the most resilient parasite?  A bacteria?  A virus?  An intestinal worm?” 

As his guests chokes on his food after hearing that last statement, the main character then answers his own question by saying: 

“An idea.  An idea is like a virus.  Resilient, highly contagious.  Once an idea’s taken hold in the brain it’s almost impossible to eradicate.” 

Later on in the movie, he states this premise once again, and then adds this powerful statement: 

“And the smallest seed of an idea can grow.  It can grow to define…or destroy you.” 

Ideas have started revolutions of all kinds—both good and bad.  The U.S. was started with a revolutionary idea back in 1776.  But so were the terrorist attacks that killed so many of our people back in 2001. 

Some of the ideas that have been planted in our minds are great.  They should be be nourished and fed.  But other ideas that have taken root in there aren’t so great.  They probably need to be rooted out and destroyed, before they destroy us.

I’ve been talking with some friends who grew up having had seeds of faith planted deep within them when they were young—seeds which were watered regularly as they got older.  But somewhere along the way, other people have planted doubts in their minds, doubts that have cropped up and overshadowed their faith.  Doubts that have grown so large that you can hardly tell that they ever had a seed of faith at all.  Unfortunately, they have taken to watering and nurturing these doubts—by the books they read, the shows they watch, and the people around which they have surrounded themselves. 

And yet I know those seeds of faith were once there, and I believe they are still are!  I was there when some of those seeds were planted.  I was there as they were being watered.  I even did some of the watering myself. 

But sometimes things happen to us along the way, things that happen to us and things that we do to ourselves, that cause those good seeds within us to get crowded out and wither, letting the bad seeds grow wild and unhindered.

It might seem like there’s no way out once this cycle begins to happen.  It  might seem like people have gone too far down the wrong path—that they’ll never be able to change.  But that’s a lie! 

The truth is, God can change people’s hearts and minds in an instant.  He can turn any life around on a dime.  He can restore the years that have been taken away and put people back on the right path—His path—the path that leads to an abundant and eternal life.

But how?  How can God do it?  How can He transform us into the people He wants us to be—and into the people that we truly want to be, too?

The Apostle Paul gives us an idea in the book of Romans—several, in fact!  He wrote this letter to those who believed in Jesus in the city of Rome, about 25 years after Jesus died and rose again from the dead.  After spending over half the letter describing the difference between a godly life and an ungodly one, Paul said:

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:1-2).

What Paul said to the Romans is the same thing God is saying to us today:  we’re not to conform to the pattern of this world—the worldly way in which things are done, but which inevitably lead towards death and destruction.  Instead, God wants us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.  Why?  Because then we’ll be able to know God’s will for our lives—to test and approve it for ourselves—His good, pleasing and perfect will!  What a blessing that would be in any of our lives—to know God’s will!

In the weeks ahead, I’ll be exploring with you several of Paul’s many ideas for how to renew your mind, from how you think about yourself, to how you think about God and the people and situations God has placed in your life.

For some of you, this will be a new and exciting adventure into territory you’ve never explored before.  For others of you, you may feel like you’ve tried so many things to change the direction of your life—and not yet found the secret to successfully doing it—that you may be skeptical that this will help either.  But take courage:  God would still love to renew your mind, too!

I remember seeing some flowers that our friend and neighbor Mary Lou planted in her front yard.  They were called impatiens, and they grew into these huge bushes, bursting with color.  My wife and I decided to plant some in our own yard.  We planted them in the right spot and we watered them regularly, just like the instructions said to do.  But no matter what we did, our impatiens hardly got more than a few inches tall, while Mary Lou’s were flowing over and out of her planter boxes. 

We couldn’t figure out what was wrong until we asked her if she had a secret.  It wasn’t a secret, she said, but she did use Miracle Grow, a type of fertilizer that would help the plants grow to their fullest potential! 

My goal in this study is to give you a little bit of Miracle Grow from time to time—in the form of faith—a burst of faith that you can use to grow to your fullest potential, too.  Oftentimes we try to do things all by ourselves.  We may be doing the exact same things as other people around us, but you would hardly know it by the results.  While sometimes it may just be the season that God has for us, oftentimes it’s because we’re missing out on the key ingredient—faith!  Faith to believe that God can really do all that He says He can do in our lives!  And as Jesus said, even just a little bit of that stuff has the power to move mountains!

For some of you, moving a mountain is just about what you need right now.  As we go through this study, I’ll be sharing some stories from my own life, as well as some stories from the Bible and from Christians throughout the ages that I pray will boost your faith.  I pray they’ll give you a burst of energy that will help you to keep pressing forward and keep moving in the direction that God has in mind for you.

For today, let me encourage you to simply begin seeking the Lord for His wisdom.  As you do, you’ll find that He’ll be glad to pour out His thoughts into your mind.  As God says in the book of Isaiah:

Seek the LORD while He may be found; 
 
   call on Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way 
 
   and the evil man his thoughts. 

Let him turn to the LORD,
   and He will have mercy on him, 
 
and to our God, for He will freely pardon.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, 
  
   neither are your ways My ways,” 
           
       declares the LORD. 

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, 
 
   so are My ways higher than your ways 
 
   and My thoughts than your thoughts. 

As the rain and the snow 
 
   come down from heaven, 

and do not return to it 
 
   without watering the earth 

and making it bud and flourish, 
 
   so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is My Word that goes out from My mouth: 
 
   It will not return to Me empty, 

but will accomplish what I desire 
 
   and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
   (Isaiah 55:6-11)

God would love to renew your mind.  He would love to pour out His wisdom upon you like rain from heaven, refreshing your soul as He does.  He would love to feed and nourish those ideas that will come to define you, and root out and destroy those that could possibly destroy you.

In the weeks ahead, I pray that God will transform your life by renewing your mind.  For those of you who are interested, I’ve also included some additional scripture readings below, along with some questions that you can use for personal reflection or group discussion, if you’d like to invite some friends to study this material along with you.

Either way, I pray that God will use this time to renew your mind in powerful ways, transforming your life along the way.  I’m looking forward to it myself, and I hope you are, too! 

My Prayer Closet

It’s not easy to find a quiet place in our house with all of our kids. But I’m always encouraged when I think of Susanna Wesley who had 19 children. When she needed time with God she would sit in a chair and throw her apron over her head. Her children knew not to disturb her during her prayer time.

We’re told that she seldom spent less than an hour each day in prayer. Her sons John and Charles Wesley founded the Methodist church and wrote many of the hymns that are sung throughout the world. John, her fifteenth child, said this about his mother:

“I learned more about Christianity from my mother than from all the theologians in England.”

What an encouragement to any of us who think we are too busy to find time to pray!

I don’t know if it would work for me to put an apron over my head. I don’t even own an apron. :)But I do believe each of us should have a special place where we can go and meet with God.

I’d like to encourage you to find a place where you can go and spend time with God uninterrupted from the distractions of this world.

One of the best things about God is that He is always with us...wherever we are. So you can meet with God anywhere - in a closet, in your room, or in a special chair.

Let’s take a look at a few of the places where people in the Bible met regularly with God.

The book of Daniel records in Daniel chapter 6, verse 10:

“Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.”

Moses made it a habit of meeting with God, too. In Exodus chapter 33, verse 7, it says:

“Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the ‘tent of meeting.’ Anyone inquiring of the LORD would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp.”

Both of these Godly men made it a habit to pray daily to God and they both had a special place where they felt most comfortable meeting with God. Daniel’s place was his room. For Moses, it was a tent.

You may have a special place where you sense God’s presence. It may be a beautiful park or a quiet spot along a creek. The beauty of His creation is an easy place to recognize the reality of God and feel His presence. Usually though, we are so desperate for God that we don’t have the time or the money to go to those places. Or maybe the weather keeps you from taking that walk with God that you wish you could take. For me, I need Him everyday! So I need to have a place where I can go and meet with Him daily.

Jesus set an example for us as he often retreated to a solitary place to pray. The first chapter in the Gospel of Mark tells us that just after he called the first disciples and healed many people He got up very early in the morning and went to a solitary place to pray.

Mark chapter 1, verses 35 says:

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”

Matthew chapter 14, verse 23 records another example just after Jesus fed 5,000 people and dismissed the crowd:

“After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.”

Now I know that if the Son of God Himself needed to spend time with His Father in a solitary place, I do, too.

Not only did Jesus make it a habit to pray in a solitary place, but He also taught us in His Sermon on the Mount of Olives that praying in private is a good habit for us as well. He says in Matthew chapter 6, verse 6:

“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Wow! Jesus even tells us to go into our room, close the door and pray to God. I remember one time hearing someone talk about going to their prayer closet. When I first heard them talk about it, I wasn’t sure if they were really talking about going into a closet to pray or if they were just saying that as a figure of speech. Most of the time we hear people talking about bringing something out of the closet, like a hidden sin, but not going into a closet. But I was desperate for a quiet place where I could focus on God, so I decided to try it for myself. I’ve found it to be immeasurably helpful in the time I spend with God.

My prayer closet really is just a closet! We homeschool our kids and my husband works at home, so there’s not much extra space in the house. So first, I had to clean out a section of a closet.  I’ve put a chair and box of tissues in there, along with a paper and a pencil to write down what God is speaking to me. Each day I bring in my Bible and my devotional. When I want to worship, I also bring in some worship music.

My goal is to make the place I meet with God free from distractions and as comfortable as possible so I can focus on Him.

I was telling Eric the other day that one of my favorite times of the week is on Sunday mornings during worship. I love being totally focused on worshipping Him! At home in my prayer closet, I can do the same thing. I love to listen to worship music. When I’m in my closet and put on my favorite worship songs, I’m there - in His presence - worshipping Him.

Probably my favorite aspect of being in my closet is the freedom I feel to just be myself. I have the freedom to raise my hands and dance (although it’s a small closet). I can cry when I’m overcome with my own sinfulness or I can cry out of complete gratitude for all He’s done for me, without embarrassment that my nose is running and I look like a mess. (That is why I have a box of tissues nearby.) I’m totally free - I have total freedom to make a fool of myself.

I have also noticed that when I pray silently to God my thoughts can be easily distracted. But when I pray out loud, my thoughts and prayers stay more focused. So in my closet, I can pray out loud and not worry about anyone hearing me. The clothes and walls muffle the sound! My prayer is that someday I’ll be as bold outside my closet as I am inside it during my worship and prayer time.

It has been such a blessing in my prayer and quiet time to have a place to go to. I come out of the closet and I feel great! I feel refreshed and ready to take on the responsibilities of my day. Your prayer closet can be a great place to really feel connected to God, free from distractions and free to be the child of His that you are.

I’d like to encourage you to find a place where you can go and spend some time with Him. After trying it for a few days, I hope you’ll find yourself running to your prayer closet each day like I do, wanting to spend more time with your Daddy! He loves you. He created you. And He’ll love it as much as you do.

Where Has All the Security Gone?

"'I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,' says the LORD Almighty."1

The sun set last night and rose again this morning as it has for thousands or millions of years. While some things never change, we can't say that about life in the last few decades—not to mention what lies ahead in the coming years!

I read that if we were to put the entire world's knowledge from the beginning of time until 1845 on a graph it would measure only one inch tall. From 1845 to 1945—just 100 years—the graph would measure three inches tall. But from 1945 until today the graph would be as tall as [or much taller than] the Washington monument in Washington, DC.

Change today is the order of the day. It has been said that today's average worker will need to be retrained at least three times during his working career to keep up with all the changes. Changes in technology, lifestyle, philosophy, morals, etc., are happening so fast it is difficult to keep up with them all.

Furthermore, the security that so many of us knew in earlier times has pretty much vanished. With escalating terrorism worldwide, unless we have an anchor for the soul, we can be left drifting on a restless changing sea of uncertainty. But for those who have faith in God, of this one thing we can be absolutely sure: He never changes! His love is from everlasting to everlasting and he is still in control of the world and universe no matter what. As the Bible says, "I the Lord do not change."2

Americans have engraved on their coins, "In God we trust." But until that commitment is engraved on people's hearts and we genuinely trust in the God who changes not, we will have no lasting security.

The Chosen

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."¹

Mike Barnicle, a former columnist for the Boston Globe and more recently with the New York Daily News, tells about a baby born to Mary Teresa Hickey and her husband in 1945. The parents came from Cork, Ireland. The baby was a Down's Syndrome boy. Mary Teresa held the baby tightly, saying, "He's ours and we love him. He is God's chosen one."

The family lived in the Dorchester section of Boston. Their other boy was Jimmy. The dad died young of a heart attack, and Mary was left to raise the two boys, nine-year-old Jimmy and seven-year-old Danny. To pay the rent she scrubbed floors at a chronic care hospital.

Jimmy took good care of Danny. Dan felt at home with all the kids because no one told him he was different. Then one day, as they were boarding a trackless trolley, some strange kids shouted, "No morons on the bus!" That was the day Jimmy Hickey learned to fight. It was also the day Jimmy decided to be a priest. Little Danny attended the Kennedy school in Brighton and eventually obtained a job.

In 1991, Mary Teresa Hickey died at age ninety-one after showering her sons with unyielding love all their lives. Father Jim Hickey had been a priest for thirty years. In every parish to which he was assigned, Danny went along with him. The people were favored with both men.

In October 1997, Danny was in the hospital. His fifty-two-year-old body was failing. One night when ordinary people were eating supper, watching a ball game or going to a movie, a simple story of brotherly love played itself out at the bedside of a man who never felt sorry for himself or thought he was different.

Father Jim held his brother and asked, "Do you trust me, Danny?"

"I trust you."

"You're going to be OK."

"I be OK."

Eight hundred people stood in line at his wake. Parishioners packed the church for his funeral. They sang and cried and prayed. Later that day, Daniel Jeremiah Hickey was gently laid beside his parents at New Calvary cemetery. The granite headstone bore his name and the inscription: "God's Chosen."²

Bin Laden is still alive

The death of Osama bin Laden is a key moment in the history of radical Islamist movement he led. But could his death pose more danger than he was alive?   Osama bin Laden has often said that he would not be captured alive as what would other jihadist say.  They are even more confident to claim that their death would open more opportunities for other young jihadist to follow suit. The first was true but the second will be tested now.

U.S. authorities are clearly proud of the fact that finally, their number one enemy is dead. The question whether if they have totally silenced the al Qaeda movement is yet to be answered in the next episodes where we will find these young Islam fundamentalist grow mature.

Burying Bin Laden at sea has just triggered more questions than answer to many Muslims.  They now consider Bin Laden as great martyr which was truly the ultimate goal of every jihadist, which is to die as martyrs.  Some however are still in doubt if he was indeed killed during the operation or it was just some psychological tactic the US employed to confuse the enemy.

Whether Bin Laden is dead or still alive, the world should be able to address the root cause of these young unsatisfied Islam to be convinced to join the movement.  It appears that there is an overwhelming power behind the movement that drives these people to act irrational to fulfil their calling.  They should be made to understand that they should learn to live in harmony with other religion which is totally a dead end situation.

There are some Islam practitioners who abhor terrorism as what some of their brothers do and yet there are those who continue to look forward to getting the rewards in heaven after accomplishing their martyrdom.  These are conflicting doctrinal teachings that needs to be addressed appropriately or otherwise the US will continue to live under the shadows of Bin Laden as he was able to successfully indoctrinate a lot of young Islamic followers to follow his footsteps. 

The key to world peace is to dig deeper into the foundation the teachings of Islam and reverse the process.  It is a fact that there are factions within the religion itself which makes it more difficult to address conflicting issues most especially in areas issues concerning Islamic religion infidels.  If only they can start educating these young ones about peace and harmony then world peace can be achieved by probably in the next generation to come, or else we can just expect that the last war will be on religion.