Hang On - We're Getting Closer To Home

By Jason, M.Ed., M.A.R., Headmaster

"Don't be troubled. You trust God, now trust in me. There are many rooms in my Father's home, and I am going to prepare a place for you. If this were not so, I would tell you plainly. When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am." –Jesus (John 14:1-3)

Have you ever been on a really long car trip, one where it never seemed like you were ever going to get where you were supposed to be?  Long car trips can be frustrating—you’re looking forward to where you’re supposed to be, but the process of getting there can be irritating.  It can even make you want to disobey your parents and hit your little brother or sister after they’ve told you not to.

Sometimes life can seem like a long car trip, always heading somewhere and never quite sure you’re going to get there.  Ultimately, where we’re heading as Christians is to an eternity with God.  It’s the best possible destination, far better than we could ever imagine.  Yet along the way, we can lose sight of where we’re heading and our frustration can cause us to disobey our Heavenly Father and do what we know we’re not supposed to do.

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Be A Light

By Pat

Sometimes I wish I could surround myself with all my Christian friends and family and stay away from the rest of the world. It's so nice to be around people with the same beliefs, values and goals that I have; loved ones who speak my language, so to speak. I just feel different when I'm with fellow believers; in church, at my favorite Christian bookstore, in Bible studies.

But as wonderful as that feels to me, I realize that it's not what Jesus wants of us, for if we only walk among Christians, don't we shine our light in a room that's already brightly lit? Our lights, in order to illuminate the darkness, must therefore seek out those dark corners and rooms. In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus says, "We are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put in under a bowl. Instead they put it on it's stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven".

So that's what we must try to do. It's nice to to shine among the other lights in the room, making it brighter, but it's required to leave the room and find a dark corner in which to shine.

What Did Jesus Do For Us?

By Jason, M.Ed., M.A.R., Headmaster

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16, NIV)

I remember going to Disney Land in California when I was six years old. I had a blast, until I got lost. I don’t know how it happened, but I still remember the panic and fear of not knowing where my parents were. I freaked out. I don’t even know how long I was lost or how I eventually found my parents again, but I know being lost—even at Disneyland—was terrifying and I never wanted to be lost again.

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Got Boxes?

By MAD21

By now you all know what a fan I am of Samaritan Purse's program called, Operation Christmas Child (OCC). I have written before about the organization and the Graham's in a previous article. I was privileged with the opportunity to talk with a great woman named Stacey Wilson from OCC last month. The time of year to begin putting boxes together is coming very soon. Please read and consider how many boxes you and your friends and family could do this year.

How do you explain to people what you do for a living?

For the many people who pack shoe box gifts, when I mention that I work for Operation Christmas Child, their faces light up, and they start asking questions right away. For those who are not familiar with the project or Samaritan's Purse, I explain that I work on the public relations team for a Christian international relief organization that encourages people to pack empty shoe boxes with small gift items for needy children around the world - and that we share the Gospel along with those gifts.

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Are You Spiritually Weary?

By MAD21

To be weary means, "physically or mentally exhausted by hard work, exertion, strain, etc.; fatigued; tired..." (Dictionary.com). I'm talking about the kind of weary that we feel emotionally, or spiritually when we are ministering to people, when we are serving God.

There is an analogy of a person's heart, or emotional strength, being like water in a bucket or well.  Proverbs  4:23 says that our hearts are the "wellsprings of life." When we give of ourselves (like supporting someone emotionally) we are taking the water from the bucket. We are able to give freely and as often as needed so long as there is still water in the bucket.

But where does the water come from? Well, from a secular point of view, the water would come when other people do things for us. And there is something to be said about that. Our lives are definitely enhanced and changed when others love on us. However, that kind of water doesn't tend to last very long.

The kind of water we need is the everlasting variety. And that only comes from God. Matthew 11:28-29 Says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

We've all been in situations where we are giving support to our friends and family who are going through trials. As we are helping them through these times (filling their buckets), we need to be sure to also pray that God will continue to fill our own bucket. For he never grows weary and is the source of everlasting water.

If you find yourself feeling weary, emotionally drained or just plain tired. Go to the Well. HE will meet you there and fill you up. Bath yourself in his glory and feel the refreshing goodness of his mercy and love.

Isaiah 40:28 "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom."