It’s What You Do That Ultimately Makes A Difference. Talk Isn’t Enough.

Sometimes we think our opinions are more important than our actions. But talk is never enough – no matter how eloquent we are. It is not what we say that in the end makes the difference, it’s what we do. Who we are is proved time and time again not by our words, but by our actions, by the way we live.

John Wesley told of a man he had little respect for because he considered him to be miserly and covetous. One day when this person contributed only a small gift to a worthy charity, Wesley openly criticized him. After the incident, the man went to Wesley privately and told him he had been living on parsnips and water for several weeks. He explained that before his conversion, he had run up many bills. Now, by skimping on everything and buying nothing for himself he was paying off his creditors one by one. “Christ has made me an honest man,” he said, “and so with all these debts to pay, I can give only a few offerings above my tithe. I must settle up with my worldly neighbors and show them what the grace of God can do in the heart of a man who was once dishonest.” Wesley then apologized to the man and asked his forgiveness.

We need to tell others of the judgment, the grace and the love of God, but it brings an entirely new meaning and effectiveness when after we tell them, we show it.  This is what Jesus did…

Matthew 5:16
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

A Call To Holiness, Fasting & Revival

The following is an article by J.L. Grady and does a great job urging us on / into 2008. My personal belief is that we will began to see more persecution of the Church and Christians in America, as well as revival and growth. It is time that we stand as brothers and sisters in Christ and not as Pentecostals, Baptists, Methodists and such. – Marv

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A Desperate Cry for Revival in 2008
As we begin a new year I urge you to join other believers across the nation for three weeks of fasting.

Never in my 15 years at Charisma have I known a time of such intense spiritual turbulence. God is shaking everything that can be shaken, including our Christian colleges, our megachurches and our most prominent ministries.

At a time when a U.S. senator is investigating the financial practices of six well-known preachers, I sense that God has taken out His holy plumb line to conduct His own detailed inspection of every church and ministry in this country. He wants to unleash a nationwide revival, but He must bring His correction first.

“I urge you to join me in this solemn fast. Pray with desperation for the five topics outlined here.”

These are desperate times that require desperate measures. That is why I have joined with the Awakening America Alliance to call for a solemn 21-day fast that runs from January 1-21. Here’s a list of the things I’m praying for during the next three weeks:

1. The fear of God. Holiness was so tangible among early Christians that false prophets were blinded and greedy liars fell over dead. As a result of God’s judgment on Ananias and Sapphira, “great fear came over the whole church” (Acts 5:11, NASB).

Where is this sense of “shock and awe” today? How can Christians be so cavalier about divorce or so flippant about adultery? How can television preachers sleep at night after robbing God’s people with manipulative fundraising appeals?

We celebrate His mercy but ignore His severity. We need a thunderclap from heaven and a display of Elijah’s fire to remind a wayward church that God will not be mocked.

2. Integrity and purity in the church. Our movement hit rock-bottom in October when charismatic pastor Donnie Earl Paulk of Atlanta announced to his stunned congregation that a DNA test had proved he is not the nephew of Bishop Earl Paulk but is in fact his son. That such unspeakable depravity was permitted to thrive for decades at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit is an indictment against the elder Paulk and all leaders who refused to challenge his behavior when they first learned about it years ago.

This and other recent religious scandals have so tarnished our credibility that we have become a curious freak show. Many unbelievers now associate ministers with wife-swapping, wife-beating, no-fault divorce, gay affairs and $10,000-a-night hotel rooms. We need a Holy Ghost housecleaning.

3. A return to evangelism. In the 1970s we were less sophisticated but so much more zealous for Jesus. We handed out tracts and witnessed to everyone. Sharing our faith was the priority. Yet most people in churches today have never led anyone to Christ.

We are no longer contagious. Spirit-filled believers spend more time chasing “financial breakthroughs” than lost souls. We have rejected sacrifice and compassion and embraced a counterfeit gospel that produces bored, selfish spectators.

4. Godly leadership. As we head into an election season it’s obvious that our nation is facing a leadership crisis. But this leadership vacuum is not just in the political arena. Many of our spiritual fathers have disappointed us, either by their own moral failures or by their refusal to confront sin.

I pray that God does not give us the president we deserve in 2008. If we cry out for mercy, perhaps He will upset the current slate of candidates and put someone in the White House who can model Christian integrity. May He also give us spiritual shepherds who care more for the flock than for the crowd’s applause.

5. A national spiritual awakening. There were seasons in America’s past when sinners became so convicted of their sins that they collapsed under the weight of their guilt. During the days of revivalists George Whitefield and Charles Finney, huge waves of conversions led to a widespread transformation of society. Drunks became sober, prison inmates sang hymns, stingy business owners stopped oppressing their workers, atheists surrendered their unbelief and rebellious children returned to faith.

Can such a movement happen again? It must or our country will descend into its darkest hour. I urge you to join me in this solemn fast. Pray with desperation for the five topics outlined here. We can’t settle for anything less than a heavenly visitation.

J. Lee Grady is editor of Charisma.

How to Assemble a “Merry Christmas”

(Luke 2:8-20)  And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. {9} And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. {10} And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. {11} For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. {12} And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. {13} And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, {14} Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. {15} And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. {16} And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. {17} And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. {18} And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. {19} But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. {20} And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.  

There are certain Christmas’ that stick out vividly in my mind because of where I was or by what I received.  I remember one Christmas where all I wanted was this tool set that had a roller chest and toolbox. Well Christmas rolls around and under the tree is only one gift from my parents to me. It is small. I mean small. It was about 1” tall 2” wide and about 6” long. Wrapped rather nicely and had a very strange rattling sound to it. I couldn’t even guess what was in it. Now I am one to pick up a present and tell you if it is a shirt or a sweater, what size, and what color. This year I was stumped. My Dad makes me wait until last and then he hands me it and there is a utility knife key chain and a letter in the box from Santa Claus. The letter went on in a rhyme to tell me how bad I had been all year and this was all I was going to get for Christmas, until my Dad had lobbied Santa for me. He had convinced  Santa to leave me one more small gift in for me in my Dad’s closet. You know the letter and the key chain and the whole setup about my present was better than the gift itself. What I treasure most about that Christmas, is all time and thought that my dad put into planning the “joke” that assembled a Merry Christmas for me.  The Christmas season comes upon us so quick. So much to do and so little time. I know some Christmas’ feel as though there is no merry in a merry Christmas. So I have some instructions (Perfect more instructions at Christmas!) this season on how we all can have a Merry Christmas!  

Instruction Number 1

A Merry Christmas begins with the Baby Jesus, not with gifts.

(Luke 2:15-16)  And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away the Lord hath made known unto us. {16} And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.  A Merry Christmas begins with a baby in a manger. Not at the mall or at a party. (Luke 2:11)  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.                                              

Instruction Number 2          

Get someone else to help you celebrate.            

(Luke 2:17)  And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.  

No time of the year is riper for the picking for soul winning than Christmas. The whole reason for the season is (I had to put that in there somewhere) found in the birth of Christ.  As we said in the first instruction. The shepherds increased their joy by spreading the good news of Jesus’ birth. Keeping Christmas to ourselves will rob us of the greatest opportunity we have to discover true joy and truly have a Merry Christmas. Share the reason for the season with everyone you know. 

Instruction Number 3

Take time to think it through.           

(Luke 2:18)  And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.  

The commercialism of Christmas is not in the fact that we buy gifts or decorate. The commercialism of Christmas is that the true meaning gets lost in the hustle and bustle of adding to the season things that distract us. The message was plain by those shepherds that night and it stuck wonder in the hearts of those that heard their tale. Note:  Taking time and reading the story of the first Christmas and listening to the Word of God can assure one of a “Mary” Christmas.   

Instruction Number 3

Don’t throw anything away!            

(Luke 2:19)  But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.  

Have you ever put anything together and compared it with the picture on the box? They might look similar, but if you didn’t follow the instructions you will notice differences. If you try to skip steps, the parts left over will expose your shortcuts.  First, we understand “kept” to mean that she (Mary) remembered the events of that night and the things connected to the birth of the Savior.  She meditated on those things. Every detail that surrounds Christmas is important and must not be forgotten. If it is lost then our Merry Christmas is just a poor copy of the original.  

Instruction Number 5

Don’t stop until the job is done.                        

(Luke 2:20)  And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.                        

A Merry Christmas just doesn’t happen in December. It continues the whole year through for a Christian. The shepherds returned to their job and their responsibilities with a different attitude. They worked the rest of their shift somewhat differently. They may have gone back to the same boring job but they were not the same men. The joy of the first Christmas had changed them.  Have you allowed Christmas to make a positive difference in your life? Do you return to work or school after the holidays, praising God for the gift of his Son and rejoicing in a merry Christmas? Or do you go back to work / school to relax?            

The five steps to assemble a Merry Christmas are clear but they are not always easy.  It takes some effort to put together a Merry Christmas.  It took some effort on the part of the shepherds and Mary.  If you have had trouble assembling a Merry Christmas in the past, why not stop and read the instructions this year – Luke 2:8-20. By the way I got the tool set for Christmas that year!