Monday, November 27, 2006
Make A Change This Christmas
Thanks and praise to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Now that Thanksgiving day is past a lot of people are turning there attention towards Christmas.
Consumers spent an average $360.15 each from Nov. 23 through yesterday, up from $302.81 a year earlier, the National Retail Federation said yesterday in a statement. Fewer people shopped, with about 140 million visiting stores during the four days including Thanksgiving, down from 145 million last year. This from Bloomberg.com.
Of the 140 million shoppers, if they would give $5.00 each to some organization that is helping humanity in some way or another that would be $700 million dollars. I would dare say that would help tremendously. Do the math, if it where $10.00 that would be $1.4 billion dollars.
If everyone would help it would not be that big of a strain on any one person or organization to help fight hunger and poverty in the world today. As Jesus Christ has told us to feed the hungry and cloth the naked we, as a country, could do that.
Along with giving here locally or just in the U.S. we need to reach out further to go outside the boarders of the U.S. The U.S. has been so blessed for so many years we need to show the love that Christ has shown us to our neighbors around the world. Instead of war let us fight them with an over abundance of sincere love for one another. It is not our governments place to do this. It is the church's and each individual Christian on this earth.
The missionaries out in the field are persecuted every day. The churches in other countries are burnt to the ground and their pastors locked up or killed. We could do so much through them if we would only give them our financial support as well as our spiritual support. You could go to The Voice of the Martyrs for many different ways to give. They have different directions that you can designate your money to go towards. Such as
Sudan Life Packs
Action Packs for Pakistan and Afghanistan
Sudan Blankets of Love
I do not know how to get all this together in the best way to help all humanity. But I do know someone that does, Jesus Christ. Let us all put our prayers before Him to praise Him and thank Him for His blessings He has bestowed upon us and for Him to guide us in His way not our own. That we may truly rejoice in the real meaning of Christmas and give to those less fortunate. It is shameful, on us, that anyone is hungry or without clothes on there back.
Try to not think as, one country helping another. But try to think as one human being helping another.
It is the birth of Jesus Christ that we celebrate every year on December 25th, not the coming of Santa.
Luke 1:37
37: For with God nothing shall be impossible.
Romans 12:16-21
16: Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.
17: Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
18: If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
19: Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
20: Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
21: Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
1 Corinthians 13:1-13
1: Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2: And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3: And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
4: Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5: Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6: Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7: Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8: Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9: For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10: But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
11: When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12: For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13: And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Romans 5:6-8
6: For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7: For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
8: But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
1 Peter 3:8-18
8: Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
9: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
10: For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
11: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.
12: For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
13: And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?
14: But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;
15: But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
16: Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.
17: For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.
18: For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
Now that Thanksgiving day is past a lot of people are turning there attention towards Christmas.
Consumers spent an average $360.15 each from Nov. 23 through yesterday, up from $302.81 a year earlier, the National Retail Federation said yesterday in a statement. Fewer people shopped, with about 140 million visiting stores during the four days including Thanksgiving, down from 145 million last year. This from Bloomberg.com.
Of the 140 million shoppers, if they would give $5.00 each to some organization that is helping humanity in some way or another that would be $700 million dollars. I would dare say that would help tremendously. Do the math, if it where $10.00 that would be $1.4 billion dollars.
If everyone would help it would not be that big of a strain on any one person or organization to help fight hunger and poverty in the world today. As Jesus Christ has told us to feed the hungry and cloth the naked we, as a country, could do that.
Along with giving here locally or just in the U.S. we need to reach out further to go outside the boarders of the U.S. The U.S. has been so blessed for so many years we need to show the love that Christ has shown us to our neighbors around the world. Instead of war let us fight them with an over abundance of sincere love for one another. It is not our governments place to do this. It is the church's and each individual Christian on this earth.
The missionaries out in the field are persecuted every day. The churches in other countries are burnt to the ground and their pastors locked up or killed. We could do so much through them if we would only give them our financial support as well as our spiritual support. You could go to The Voice of the Martyrs for many different ways to give. They have different directions that you can designate your money to go towards. Such as
Sudan Life Packs
Action Packs for Pakistan and Afghanistan
Sudan Blankets of Love
I do not know how to get all this together in the best way to help all humanity. But I do know someone that does, Jesus Christ. Let us all put our prayers before Him to praise Him and thank Him for His blessings He has bestowed upon us and for Him to guide us in His way not our own. That we may truly rejoice in the real meaning of Christmas and give to those less fortunate. It is shameful, on us, that anyone is hungry or without clothes on there back.
Try to not think as, one country helping another. But try to think as one human being helping another.
It is the birth of Jesus Christ that we celebrate every year on December 25th, not the coming of Santa.
Luke 1:37
37: For with God nothing shall be impossible.
Romans 12:16-21
16: Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.
17: Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
18: If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
19: Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
20: Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
21: Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
1 Corinthians 13:1-13
1: Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2: And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3: And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
4: Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5: Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6: Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7: Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8: Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9: For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10: But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
11: When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12: For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13: And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Romans 5:6-8
6: For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7: For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
8: But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
1 Peter 3:8-18
8: Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
9: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
10: For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
11: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.
12: For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
13: And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?
14: But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;
15: But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
16: Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.
17: For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.
18: For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
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