Deep Thoughts or Random Ramblings?: December 2009

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Christmas can [still] change the world!! The story of Christ's birth is a story of promise, hope, and a revolutionary love. So, what happened? What was once a time to celebrate the birth of a savior has somehow turned into a season of stress, traffic jams, and shopping lists. And when it's all over, many of us are left with presents to return, looming debt that will take months to pay off, and this empty feeling of missed purpose. Is this what we really want out of Christmas? What if Christmas became a world-changing event again? www.adventconspiracy.org

Skyline is adopting the Advent Conspiracy mission this Christmas Season:
Worship Fully ~ Spend Less ~ Give More ~ Love All

We have also accepted a challenge to raise $60,000 to provide clean drinking water to Sierra Leone. What you and I take for granted-- that we can walk over to the sink and out comes a glass of water ready to drink & that is not going to make us sick... those in Africa may have to walk many miles to get. The "cleanest" of water, most of us would never dream of drinking. What could you cut back on or sacrifice this Christmas season? What if you gave that money you saved to help save the life of another? Please consider helping us reach this goal!! Donations can be made to Skyline and are tax deductable. If you would like to donate I would be happy to pick it up from you. No amount is too small. For more information on Skyline visit http://www.skylineokc.com For more information on the water pumps we are raising money for check out this video:

Here is the link to the message at Skyline the Sunday of 11/29/09:
www.skylineokc.podbean.com/2009/11/29/sunday-conversation-2009-11-29-skylineokccom/

Just a few facts from the message...
$18 billion would solve the world wide food crisis
$10 billion would solve the world wide water crisis (every 15 seconds a child dies without clean water)
$5 billion would educate every child in the world
That's a total of $33 billion
Each year in America:
$450 billion is spent on Christmas
$20 billion is spent on ice cream
$18 billion is spent on make up
$10 billion is spent on perfume & cologne
$5 billion is spent on Halloween candy

Where are our priorities? God has blessed us to bless others. I'm not saying give up all these things, but how can you cut back on them so that another may have a clean drink of water each day? If we spent half on Christmas alone, and gave the other half -- this would cover all these things almost 7 times!!

Live simply, so that others may simply live!!

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.
~ Matthew 25:37-40'

Quotable Quotes

The world needs a revolution. All a revolution needs are a few volunteers.
Faith that remains unchallenged ordinarily remains unchanged.
God's delays are not His denials.
I've had enough yesterdays with my God to trust Him with my tomorrows.
Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So love the people who treat you right, forget about the ones who don't, and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get the chance, take it, if it changes your life, let it. Nobody said it'd be easy, they just said it would be worth it.
We either add to the darkness of indifference... or we light a candle to see by.
Faith isn't belief without proof, it's trust without reservation.
The decision to step toward your destiny will often require a daring step away from your security.
You think you have a lot to lose if you step out in obedience. In fact you have nothing to lose, but everything to gain.
When you want something you have never had, you must do something you've never done.
God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.
I do not understand the mystery of Grace-only that it meets us where we are, but does not leave us where it found us.
If you chase blessings, they'll out run you. But if you chase God, the blessings will overflow.
The Will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.
Reputation is what people think you are. Character is what God knows you are.
A woman should be so hidden in God, that a man should have to pursue Christ to find her.

His Word

James 1:3 ~ For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
Psalm 143:8 ~ Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you.
2 Corinthians 1:4 ~ He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.
Hebrews 11:1 ~ Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Psalm 139:23 ~ Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 ~ There was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Romans 8:24-25 ~ For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
Romans 5:2-5 ~ And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
1 John 1:6-7 ~ If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
Matthew 5:14-16 ~ You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its 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.
John 15:1-2 ~ I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
Ephesians 3:16-19 ~ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Philippians 3:13 ~ I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.
Isaiah 58:10 ~ Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.
Isaiah 61:1-3 ~ The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion -- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.
Esther 4:14 ~ For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?
Nehemiah 4:14 ~ After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes."

Deep Thoughts or Random Ramblings?

Thursday, December 3, 2009

What is Advent Conspiracy?

Advent Conspiracy Challenge