by Bishop Harry R. Jackson Jr.

The need for the nation to pray about her problems would be high on my grandmother's to-do list. In fact, she often said, "Prayer changes things!" As a black woman who was also part Native American, she was very proud to achieve the status of licensed practical nurse.

She was a natural caregiver whose profession was simply an extension of the way her mother before her had lived out her faith—visiting the sick and shut-ins her church. Her generation saw America change because of a non-violent civil rights movement that was fueled by civil disobedience and the power of prayer. Her personal life also changed because of prayer and faithfulness. In fact, she lived long enough to see her four daughters and her 15 grandchildren all graduate from college. Two of us even attended a prestigious Ivy League graduate school, with one of her grandsons becoming the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia.

Perhaps political liberals believe that the religious right will be emboldened or strengthened, if they are allowed to pray in public places or on special national holidays. Or maybe they believe that some form of psychological harm will befall those who are not attached to one of the many Christian denominations. Contrary to the public myths, everyone is encouraged to pray to the God of their own religious tradition. More importantly, acts of hatred, name-calling, or intolerant public jeering have never occurred at one of these prayer events.

It seems to me that the great faith of our leaders has not drawn the nation to prayer. Instead the huge needs of the nation have always driven men of faith and goodwill to pursue divine intervention. As I mused on this, I came upon a prayer offered up to God on behalf of the U.S. people in June of 1944. I have included just a snippet of this prayer:

"Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity. Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith. read more

Martin Luther King Jr. Day was celebrated nationwide yesterday, when my good friend, Bishop Harry R. Jackson Jr., wrote an outstanding article on the legacy of the civil rights leader and preacher. Click here to read and comment on Bishop Jackson's column.

Bishop Jackson is the guest editor of the January-February issue of Ministry Today, now available.

With the theme of social transformation, the issue coincides with the political season, which many are saying is the most important presidential election of our lifetime.

Because the primary season leading up to the presidential election is upon us, I wanted an issue on political activism. But Bishop Jackson exceeded expectations. He invited other outstanding authors such as Chuck Colson, David Barton and Tony Perkins to write, and the end result is something much more powerful—an issue on social transformation, which involves being involved politically. Read it and be transformed, so you can in turn transform society.

You can read my "A Call to the Church For Social Transformation" introductory article about Bishop Jackson in the magazine's latest issue by clicking here.

Now is the ideal time to subscribe to Ministry Today. We're currently offering a special promotion that includes a free ESV (English Standard Version) Thinline Bible with a paid subscription. Click here  to subscribe to Ministry Today. read more

In February, we will focus our Ministry Today website and e-newsletter on the life and work of Jamie Buckingham. He was not only one of the most influential leaders in the charismatic renewal for many years, but was the editor of Ministry Today at his untimely death in February 1992—nearly 20 years ago.

Jamie, who died at age 59, was senior pastor of the 2,000-member Tabernacle Church in Melbourne, Fla., a nondenominational church he founded in 1967. He wrote dozens of books, among them the biographies of charismatic leaders Kathryn Kuhlman (Daughter of Destiny), Nicky Cruz (Run Baby Run) and Pat Robertson (Shout It From the Housetops).

Join us as we celebrate the life and legacy of this great man who was also my friend and mentor. As we pay tribute to Jamie next month, please feel free to send us anything about Jamie or his influence on your life. You can send them to our staff editor Eric Tiansay (eric.tiansay@charismamedia.com). read more

Check out some links below to recent stories from Charisma News that you'll find informative and intriguing. You can also sign up to receive stories on your smart phone by signing up for the free app Charisma News by clicking here.

Empowered21 Launches Pentecost Initiative

U.S. Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Prayer Case

Santorum Wins Conservative Christian Endorsement for Republican Nomination

Eddie Long Reopening New Birth Christian Academy

Tebow, John 3:16 Drive Internet Evangelism read more

by Bishop Harry R. Jackson Jr.

Much political noise has been made about providing grants and/or loans for higher education. For minorities, these programs are seen as invitations for full participation in the American system. Many Americans believe changing the higher education equation for minorities is the only way to "level the playing field" economically for America's minorities.

More specifically, liberals often believe solving the education conundrum is mandatory for our future. Conservatives, however, almost universally declare that the education gap can be addressed by neither federal programs nor funding. They both are probably correct in this situation.

Solving America's education gap is tantamount to our nation fighting a cobra. In cobra fighting, you have two choices. First, you can charm the cobra (typically by playing music), and prevent him from striking you today. Secondly, you can choose to attack him like Rikki Tikki Tavey, the mongoose of Rudyard Kipling fame, and solve your problem permanently. Dealing with our educational woes at the university level, while the majority of minority children are vastly unprepared for life, simply charms the cobra.

To kill the cobra of educational inequities in America, we must begin in pre-elementary school. Although we can do important work at every stage of the educational process, our problem is that no one wants to wait the 20-30 years it will take to reform a system. I want to sound an alarm concerning our urgent national need to improve the education of minority students. Further, I want to advocate that resources and focus be directed primarily at charter schools.

Let me explain. While the nation's high school dropout rate for black and Latino students is 43 percent, in urban centers like Detroit it is as high as 80 percent. This does not mean these young people will never graduate. It simply means they do not graduate on time. Unfortunately, academic failure is only the indicator of much greater problems. read more

by Bishop Harry R. Jackson Jr.

Guest Editor of the January-February 2012 issue of Ministry Today, with the theme of Social Transformation

On Oct. 16, the new memorial for Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) was finally completed. There was only one problem with the work: The wrong words were carved on the statue. The tone of the phrase misrepresented "the spirit" of the fallen leader. After a huge controversy, the memorial leadership decided to change the writing on the statue.

This change was legitimate. Unfortunately, an illegitimate expression occurred this past week. Politico reported that Tavis Smiley had been disinvited from the 20th annual MLK luncheon, hosted by the Peoria Civic Center. Why? Mr. Smiley has said publicly that President Obama had not done enough for black Americans, which, according to the center, upset some people. He was replaced by reliable liberal Michael Eric Dyson.

In later interviews, Mr. Smiley noted that only a small handful of the 1,500 ticket holders for the event complained about his comments, resulting in his ouster from the luncheon. He also made it clear that he supports President Obama, but as a journalist feels obligated to hold him accountable for his actions in office. While I may disagree with Mr. Smiley on some issues, I certainly agree that his honest appraisal of President Obama's performance should not disqualify him from speaking at a luncheon honoring Dr. King.

In fact, Smiley's dismissal from the event dishonors Dr. King's legacy of holding all political leaders accountable for their actions and judging people based on their character, rather than their skin color. As I have written before, this is yet another example of the totalitarian attempts at thought control by leaders in the black community who purport to speak for Dr. King and African-Americans in general. We blacks who refuse to kowtow to the extreme left are not only disinvited from events, but often publicly excommunicated from our own race. read more

by Bishop Harry R. Jackson Jr.

I am often asked why I spend so much time engaging in the moral battles of our day. My critics see my work outside the pulpit as crass political pandering or fleshly power grabs.

They often are joined by a host of folks in our culture who want to renounce the religious right. These peace-loving believers have not been able to identify with angry, self-appointed spokespersons who have historically dominated the media.

Despite the excesses of some of our forerunners, the church dare not withdraw in monklike fashion from the public square.

Christians are called to perform a "prophetic" role in modern-day culture. What does that mean? In both the Old Testament and New Testament, prophets were charged by God to deliver important messages to their contemporaries. They served as God's conscience to those they were sent to.

In addition to speaking their messages, these prophets often demonstrated them to the culture in which they lived. They were like walking, talking billboards placed at key intersections in their nation to relay God's messages.

It wasn't always a comfortable lifestyle. Isaiah went around naked. John the Baptist wore the most unusual clothes.

I'm not calling for bizarre or spooky behavior, but I am asking Christians to recognize that we all have prophetic assignments. We have been called to speak and live out the truths of God—right where we live and work.

We cannot sit by idly and watch the nation roll over a cliff. We must cry out a warning and model the Lord's priorities.

The best scriptural example of the folly of noninvolvement is seen in the book of Ezekiel. The majority of the prophets of Ezekiel's day did not get involved in the major social problems of the nation. The Lord figuratively referred to Israel's cultural problems in Ezekiel's day as "breaches in the wall."

Ezekiel 13:4-5 reveals the problem: "O Israel, your prophets are like foxes in the deserts. You have not gone up into the gaps to build a wall for the house of Israel to stand in battle on the day of the Lord" (NKJV). read more

by Bishop Harry R. Jackson Jr.

On June 10, 2011, the International Communion of Evangelical Churches (ICEC)—a new communion of churches—was formed. This confederation has been organized by a multi-racial and multi-cultural group of churches to address the problems that blight the urban landscape, both in the U.S. and around the world.

Our vision is to raise up churches with a mission to transform the cultures in which they operate. Our historic model is the work of John Wesley and others who created a movement that eventually came to be known as the Great Awakening. While remaining true to the biblical mandate to win souls and to care for the poor, our confederation of like-minded, independent churches will collaborate and deploy resources to transform their cities, states and nations.

In addition to prioritizing relevant, evangelical preaching designed stir a back-to-the-Bible movement in the U.S., the communion will also speak out on cultural trends and public policy issues of the day. In the spirit of John Wesley and the first Great Awakening, it is imperative that the church transcends race and politics to address the pivotal issues we face as a society.

Too often the church in America has been guilty of taking a very myopic view when addressing the issues of righteousness and justice. On one hand, the "Christian Right" has focused on personal, moral or righteousness issues, while dismissing issues regarding biblical justice. On the other hand, a great number of African-American and minority-led churches have been mostly vocal on issues pertaining to biblical justice, poverty and civil rights, while being absent on those relating to righteousness.

The church in America is too divided and is in desperate need of racial reconciliation. Therefore, a strong visual demonstration of unity is required to speak to the world—"The church of Jesus Christ has been called forth under God from every nation tribe and tongue to be one with Him." Jesus clearly stated this visual demonstration of oneness in the church would indelibly mark the psyche of an irreligious world and prove to humanity that God indeed sent Jesus into the earth.

The ICEC will merge with several networks of Christian organizations and ministries from around to world to become, in a pragmatic sense, a network of networks. This new wineskin will provide a clear vision, practical strategic plan and straightforward message for dealing with the issues of righteousness and justice around the world. read more

by Bishop Harry R. Jackson Jr.

In early 2010, Catherine Davis and her Atlanta-based Georgia Right to Life (GRTL) organization launched a groundbreaking effort to stop the egregious number of black abortions in their state. The organization decided to use billboards to present its case for life—that's right—billboards.

The 80-billboard campaign permeated the skyscape of Atlanta. Because of its scale, the campaign was nothing less than cutting-edge innovation. The billboards read, "Black children are an endangered species." The words encircled the face of an adorable black child. In addition to the message, the only Web address listed was  "toomanyaborted.com."

At the website, the message was very clear. Their research and statistics were complete. The editorials were also compelling. The Georgia Right to Life group had designed a sophisticated communications vehicle. Yet, it all started with a winsome message from the billboards. The graphics experts say that billboards can only effectively use seven words—just seven words and a visual impression. Therefore, the designers tastefully showed the innocence of a beautiful black baby.

This campaign was controversial, not because of its effect on Atlanta drivers or the average Joe. Changing lives by saying, "Respect yourself!" should hardly be controversial. The controversy aroused from their effectiveness as record numbers of black girls are going to their Website. Angry pro-abortion groups and Planned Parenthood have attempted to label GRTL as "deceptive." GRTL was also accused of working against the best interests of young black women. Some even have demeaned Catherine Davis as, you guessed it, a "sell out."  Once again in opponents' minds, the "naive black crusader" was being used by white extremists. In response to pro-abortion advocates, Davis had also been pitted against them on CNN, NPR and in a recent New York Times article.

Despite opponents' vitriol, GRTL's work was both tasteful and historic. How was it historic? First, its anti-abortion message was direct and hard-hitting. Second, targeting blacks so directly, without condemnation, was revolutionary. This was a major course correction in anti-abortion marketing. As a result, it was finally piercing the cultural veil over the issue of abortion in the black community. read more

by Bishop Harry R. Jackson Jr.

The most frequent objection of those who fear the presence of believers in government is, "What right do you have to impose your morals on us?" Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council tells them, "The same right you have to impose your lack of morals on us." Someone's values will always be reflected in public policy. Almost every government policy decision is a value judgment. In this postmodern world, where moral relativism is the philosophy of choice, these value judgments are often based on the conditions of the moment rather than objective, transcendent, biblical truth. This is where the two sides diverge.

Bible-believing Christians believe there is absolute truth, a view that was held by all Christians until the turn of the 20th century. Belief in objective truth is the first step in developing a Christian worldview. A Christian worldview is based on the belief that there is a personal God who is directly involved in the activities of man and who authoritatively communicates to man through His Word and the Holy Spirit.

Shortly after the Civil War, the Protestant church divided over this belief in a literal interpretation of Scripture. Liberals moved away from Scripture as the sole authority in order to accommodate "rational truth," which they saw as incompatible with the Bible. These liberals embraced the "essence of Christianity" rather than the inerrancy of Scripture so they could synthesize their Christian thought with so-called scientific findings of the day.

One of the preeminent voices to emerge in defense of absolute truth shortly after the turn of the century was a Princeton Theological Seminary professor and Presbyterian minister, J. Grescham Machen, who would later lead a split within the Presbyterian church over the rejection of biblical orthodoxy. In his definitive work, Christianity and Liberalism, Machen said that liberalism was not only theologically wrong but was not connected at all to true Christianity. "What the liberal theologian has retained after abandoning to the enemy one Christian doctrine after another is not Christianity at all, but a religion which is so entirely different from Christianity as to belong in a different category." Machen felt that the argument was no longer between two views of evangelicalism, conservative and liberal, but rather a conflict between two religions. Liberalism is "a type of faith and practice that is anti-Christian to the core," Machen wrote. read more

by J. Lee Grady

The virgin birth contradicts the laws of science. But our faith rests on the miracle of the Incarnation.

My wife and I have four girls, and I was in the hospital room for each birth. There was a normal amount of blood, but no serious complications. Our oldest took forever to be born. Our second was in such a hurry that we thought she might end up on the floor of a hospital hallway. Our third tied her umbilical cord in knots in the womb. And our youngest calmly slipped out as if to say: "OK, I'm born. What's next?"

I had very little to do in the delivery room. My wife was the hero. She sweated, strained, pushed and gasped for hours. I stroked her arm a few times—and ate some doughnuts.

Normal births are amazing, whether they occur in hospitals or homes or the back seats of taxis. But when I consider the birth of Jesus, I'm in total awe—not just because of Mary and Joseph's bumpy ride from Nazareth, Mary's lack of a doctor (and no anesthesia!) and the crudeness of the manger, but also because of how Jesus was conceived. Mary was a virgin. Joseph, the "father," had nothing to do but stand in the background.

Secularists and liberal theologians have mocked the virgin birth for centuries. Thomas Jefferson called it a fable, while Episcopal heretic John Shelby Spong called it an "entrance myth." The concept of a woman giving birth to a baby without a man's involvement is ludicrous to unbelievers. It contradicts all the laws of biology.

Yet Mary was not a scoffer. She asked the angel how she would bear this child, and he said: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you" (Luke 1:35, NASB).

I would have asked for more scientific information. ("Um, thanks Gabe, but how does this process of miraculous impregnation work?") But Mary didn't quibble over details. She believed Gabriel's announcement and submitted to God in childlike faith.

The Greek word for "overshadow," episkiazo, is a reference to the cloud of God's presence that materialized in Moses' tabernacle. The Amplified Bible translates Luke 1:35 as: He "will overshadow you like a shining cloud." This same cloud hovered over the ark of the covenant, led God's people through the wilderness and filled Solomon's temple with shimmering shekinah glory. read more

by Jonathan Bernis

It has been said that the New Testament is concealed in the Old Testament and the Old Testament is revealed in the New Testament. This is certainly true of the birth of the Messiah, which we celebrate this month. One need only turn to the pages of the Old Testament to discover where, when, how and why Jesus of Nazareth was born.

Where would the Messiah be born? When Herod the Great sought to find the Messiah, he asked the Jewish religious leadership to discover where He would be born. They, of course, had the answer immediately: Bethlehem.

How did they know this? Because the prophet Micah had recorded this revelation hundreds of years earlier. "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times" (Micah 5:2, NIV).

There are two interesting points to this prophecy. First, the word Bethlehem is formed from two Hebrew words, bait ("house") and lechem ("bread"). It is no coincidence that Yeshua, the
Bread of Life, was born in the town known as "house of bread."

Second, this verse has the fascinating statement, "Whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." This prophecy reveals the amazing paradox that the Messiah would be born, yet He
already would have existed! Only Yeshua, who John reveals was in the beginning with God and is Himself God (see John 1:1) could have fulfilled this.

When would the Messiah be born? To answer this, we have to turn to Daniel 9 (for further study on this chapter, I recommend Daniel's Prophecy of the 70 Weeks by Alva J. McClain, Zondervan). "The Anointed One will be cut off but not for Himself. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary" (see v. 26). read more

by Sandra Clifton

"Frank, you don't have to do this!" Harriett called out to her husband. It was early afternoon of Christmas Eve in the 1920s, and the arctic winds were beginning to howl across the Kansas plains. "A promise is a promise!" Frank called back to his newlywed wife. "And God has promised me that I would have roses especially for you by Christmas!"

The young couple had wed last summer under financial duress and had gone without roses, Harriett's favorite flowers, at their wedding. On their wedding night Frank had vowed to his new bride that God would allow him to make it up to her, with the gift of beautiful roses by Christmas.

So on what looked to be the worst weather day of the year, with a major wind and snowstorm settling in, Frank was off like a mule, headed toward town with the goal of finding flowers for his Harriett, to make good his promise of roses by Christmas.

Four hours had now passed since Frank disappeared into the winter storm on his way to town. Harriett wiped the frosted front window and surveyed the empty lot in front of their farmhouse. From the sheets of white frost moving sideways across their yard, it was all too obvious that blankets of snow would soon cover the land and barns and all of life. Where was Frank?

To busy herself in an attempt to allay her worst fears that her husband was trapped in a snowstorm, Harriett piled on her coat and stepped onto the porch to gather stacks of wood for the cast-iron stove that would need stoking throughout the night. Life was hard on the Kansas plains that winter—and roses by Christmas, no matter how great a promise her loving husband had made before God to her, seemed a bit far-fetched.

Suddenly through the glare of the white crystals of snow emerged an image—of a perfect line of red roses. Was this a mirage? thought Harriett. This perfect line of roses was slowly moving toward her—as if floating through the air. Then Harriett saw the hands holding this image—those of her husband Frank. read more

by Linda Mintle

I used to be a consummate Christmas shopper. By the time December hit, I was way ahead of the game. I would have a mountain of bargain finds, admired goodies and toys to die for tucked away on a shelf just waiting to be wrapped and stowed lovingly under the tree. I found that shopping ahead spread the financial burden throughout the year and helped me avoid the last-minute holiday shopping rush.

Sounds like a plan, doesn't it? I thought so, too, until several years ago. Something happened that made me rethink my supposedly brilliant strategy.

It was the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, but I felt like a louse! The tree looked bulimic—only I was the one who had binged. Brilliantly wrapped packages were bulging from every available nook and cranny.

I slumped to the floor and thought, "We have only two children. There's enough here for 10!"

My husband and I stared at each other. We realized that things had gotten out of hand. We had to ask ourselves: What message are we giving our children?

One by one we started dismantling the swollen pile. This present can wait for a birthday, this one for next Christmas, this one for a special reward for hard work.

Finally the stack looked sensible.

Right then and there, we made a decision. In the future, Christmas gifts would be limited to three types: (1) A gift really desired; (2) a needed item; 3) something educational. Of course, our children hated the idea and hoped we would eventually come to our senses. read more

What an ancient tradition can teach us about the heart of God

by Jack Hayford

The expression "Father Christmas" is commonly used in Commonwealth Nations of the British empire. That's how they refer to Santa Claus. Santa Claus goes by many different names in different parts of the world, and he's often a point of contention for some people.

As sincere as they may be, there are believers who take an antagonistic attitude toward celebrating Christmas, especially toward Santa Claus. Oftentimes, we're negatively orientated to things because we've never been faced with a living counterpart. The only counterpart we know is a dead thing of the past. If you are a person who grew up believing in Santa Claus but never having any understanding about Father God, then your transformation as a believer may have included accepting the view that says you shouldn't celebrate Christmas, or that the idea of Santa Claus is evil.

There are some things that have to do with celebrating Christmas and with Santa Claus that really are soured by carnality in the world, but there's another side to that. If you were told you shouldn't celebrate Christmas because it's an extension of an ancient, pagan holiday, consider this: It's also an ancient Christian take-over of a pagan holiday. Many of the things we associate with Christmas, like the yule log and the tree, have to do with things Christians did to sanctify the holiday with a living counterpart. They took the best of what was and reinterpreted it with life.

The Father of Christmas isn't Santa Claus; it's the living God who gave His Son. I came to understand the heart of the Father of Christmas because of the father that was closest to me in my first experiences of Christmas—my own dad. I was one year old when my mamma and daddy received Christ, and, so, I was raised by people who knew and loved Jesus Christ. Their fidelity to Him was unlimited and unqualified. They absolutely were committed to the truth of the Word of God, and the glory of the Son of God.

When it came time for Christmas, the Hayford family had Christmas. We weren't wealthy; my father was a switchman for the Southern Pacific Railroad. But our Christmases were full of splendor. We had some presents, and it seemed my parents went out of their way to make it as lavish as our budget could afford.

But what really made Christmas special was what was in my parents' hearts, especially my dad's. He fathered Christmas to me before I understood the eternal Father. The reason it's important to me to offer this illustration is because it all centered around my dad's being Santa Claus, though I didn't know that was what he was doing at the time. Let me share with you the story.

I can see the picture right now: it was before my brother Jim, who is 10 years younger than me, was born. My sister, mamma and daddy and I would be sitting at the table having dinner. It was about three weeks before Christmas. All of a sudden, my dad would say, "What was that?"

Everybody stopped. Then he'd say, "I thought I heard bells." Right now, my sister's and my eyes are lighting up. My father says: "Listen kids, you stay right here. I'm going to go outside and see if I can find it." read more

Don't allow gift-giving expectations to put you deeper in debt and rob you of the true joy of the season

by Amie Streater

I know what you're thinking: Here they come. Christmas and New Year's; gifts to buy, meals to prepare, decorating, houseguests, parties to attend, church activities, neighborhood events, school productions—and a partridge in a pear tree.

It's exhausting, isn't it? Add the fact that the last few years have been financially disappointing for most of us, and it's no wonder we get a heavy feeling in the pit of our stomachs when the calendar page flips over to November.

Life is about to get a lot more expensive, as if it hasn't been bad enough this year already. As Christians, we tend to feel guilty just thinking about the price tag that comes along with the Thanksgiving and Christmas season.

After all, this is a time to be focused on gratitude for all God has blessed us with, especially the fact that He sent His Son so that we might be saved. It's just not very spiritual to think about money during this blessed time.

Actually, I think it is.

During the time of year when we celebrate the ultimate gift we have in Christ, I think it's healthy to explore why we feel like we're in bondage in so many other areas, such as our finances. It's OK to acknowledge that things don't look the way we would like them to. It's productive to take time to sit back and ask, "Why does my money—and my life—look and feel so yucky right now?"

You could plaster a plastic smile on your face and plow through the holiday season, and likely no one would be the wiser. But where, exactly, would that get you?

Mark 8:36 says, "For what will it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" What will you gain by having another plastic Christmas? How will that feed your spirit and connect you more deeply to God?

What will you really accomplish if you forge ahead with credit cards in hand, charging your way to what you hope will be a picture-perfect holiday season, yet on Jan. 2 face bills you can't pay and more levels of uncharted waters in your soul?

What if, instead of choosing to live out that candy-coated lie of the "perfect holiday season," you chose to lay hold of the abundant life Jesus told us He came to give us?

You can do just that if you will spend some time this season pressing in with God and asking the questions that, when answered, could really help heal your heart, and your finances.

Counterfeit Convictions

As believers in Christ, most of the struggles we have are based on "counterfeit convictions," misconceptions about what the Bible says and what God's will for our lives really looks like. The tricky thing about counterfeit convictions is that they usually stem from some kind of truth. In most cases, a biblical truth gets polluted in our minds by lies we hear in the world or lies we choose to believe about ourselves, or both.

God promised us in Jer. 29:11 that He has amazing plans for each of our lives, plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us hope and a future. So when our lives don't line up with that promise, our human tendency is to ask God why.

It's a good question to ask, but it is coming from the wrong perspective. Instead of asking God why His promises don't seem to be true in our lives, we should be asking God what we're doing to keep those promises from coming to fruition, what counterfeit convictions we're living by that are holding them back. read more

Is there a hidden blessing amid the madness?

by the late Dennis Bennett

Does it bother you at Christmastime when carols are being played in shopping malls to the accompaniment of ringing cash registers? Does it upset you when the symbols of Christmas such as the Bethlehem star and the manger scene are used to sell merchandise and cards and decorations?

There's no doubt, the commercialization of Christmas has been overdone. It would be nice if Christmas tinsel wouldn't appear until at least after Thanksgiving. Nevertheless, I suggest we cool it on the complaining.

It's unfair to put down people who make their living in merchandising just because they like to do a brisk business at Christmastime, and because they use the Christmas symbols and themes to help them do it. Lie it or not, we are a "nation of shopkeepers"—we believe in and depend upon free business, which is a lot better than depending upon the government to feed us and tell us what to do.

When stores have a good Christmas season, we should be glad. Good sales means prosperity for the owners and the employees. I spent years in the business world before going into the ministry, and I remember how nice it was to have a Christmas season with some extra money to spend.

But a far more vital reason beckons us not to complain about the commercialization: Christmas songs and symbols are fast being removed from the public schools and municipal, state and federal property. Suddenly the right to display nativity scenes and other biblical figures is being challenged. Shopping malls and department stores are rapidly becoming the only public places left where it's legal to sing songs about Jesus or display Christian symbols. read more

by Steve Sjogren

During the holiday season, people in neighborhoods, stores, malls and elsewhere can get a taste of God's love through "giving" outreaches. At little cost, your church group can plan to stock up and give away items such as:

>Christmas cards, candy canes, poinsettias or wreaths

>Hot chocolate or cookies

>Firewood, kindling or pinecone fire starters

>Gift boxes, bows, transparent tape or tissue paper

>Large shopping bags with handles

>Free photos taken with an instant-picture camera

>Christmas tree disposal bags

>Batteries for smoke detectors, remote controls and toys read more