Leaving Jesus Out of Christmas
It was nearing Christmas, and I received a phone call from a man who needed to talk to a counselor. I met him at my church office, where he told me his tale of woe.
A decade earlier, he killed his wife in a fit of anger, and spent several years in prison for manslaughter. He and his wife had a daughter who was in the custody of his in-laws. He had not seen her since, and now, as Christmas neared, his heart ached. With tears streaming, he lamented, “I could pass her on the street and not even know who she was.”
What I remember most about our counseling session, however, was what he said when he first walked into my office. Dramatically raising his arms, he said, “Now, preacher, let’s just leave Jesus out of this, okay?”
As he sadly went his way that day, I thought to myself, That’s the whole problem. You’ve left Jesus out.
Source: Phil LeMaster, Grayson, Kentucky.
Jeremiah 17:5-8; Matthew 11:28-30; Hebrews 4:15-16; Burdens, Abiding in Christ, Dependence on GodMy Cows Know My Voice
Cattle-rustling is a major problem in Uganda. The Ugandan army daily attempts to reunite cattle with their owners. The biggest difficulty lies in proving ownership.
One elderly lady settled the issue in a remarkable way. She stood before the herd and called her cows by name. As each cow heard that voice calling her name, she lifted her head and then followed the old woman.
As far as the army was concerned, it was as strong a proof of ownership as one could find.
Source: Paul Harvey news and BBC.com (2/28/03);submitted by David Slagle, Lawrenceville, Georgia.
Call, Conversion, Discipleship, Obedience. Psalm 23:1-4; Luke 15:3-6; John 10:1-16Debt-Ridden Couple Learns to Give First to God
In a sermon on giving, the pastor of Community Christian Church in Naperville, Illinois, read this letter from Jeff and Julie, who attend the church:
“We moved here for a business opportunity that ended up not working out, and we soon found ourselves in a desperate financial situation. We were behind in our rent and car payments. We had back IRS payments, 16 credit cards with more than $40,000 in debt, and not enough food in the fridge. On top of all that, we decided to start a business.
“Well, in the middle of this, one of the pastors challenged us to include our finances in our commitment to following Jesus, and I really struggled with this. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to support (this church) or set an example for others to follow. It was that Julie and I were so broke that on occasion we ended up going to a friend’s restaurant to ask for free food.
“I thought, If I’m struggling to keep my family, how can I commit what I don’t have to God? What am I supposed to do? Just write a check for 10 percent of my income and hope that something happens? The pastor urged me to trust God and give it a shot.
“After prayer and discussion, we decided that God would get the first portion of every check and not just what we were willing to give up each week. We decided to make God the first priority in our lives, and we had no idea how we’d get by.
“The week after this decision, my brother and I were dropping off flyers at a construction site looking for work. We’d started a carpentry company. We met a builder, and he asked if we would be interested in doing their work. He had a house that was ready for us to start immediately and about 20 more to do during the next 12 months.
“Julie and I no longer questioned how we’d honor our financial commitment. We increased our giving.
“If our story ended there, it would be a good story. However, you cannot outgive God. Over the next couple of years through a divinely orchestrated series of events, Julie and I also went from renters to homeowners. Owning a home has given us the ability to restructure our debt and has also given us some security and stability. I felt the need to tell our story.
“The story is about much, much more than finances. It’s about faith, stepping out and trusting God with all that we have—our lives, our future, our relationship, and even our finances.
“Now as I reflect on this story and what we experienced, I’m still trying to answer one question. What was it that we sacrificed?”
Source: Dave Ferguson, Naperville, Illinois.
Proverbs 3:9-10; Malachi 3:8-12; 2 Corinthians 8:2-7, 9:6-7. Faith, Stewardship, Tithing, TrustCopyright © 2003 by the author or Christianity Today/Leadership Journal. Click here for reprint information onLeadership Journal.
