Grab Your Cape...

Well, the Christmas rush is over. I'm not sure if I'm happy or not. How are you holding up? Two days after Christmas and I have no regrets..., no disappointments..., and an unusual motivation! I thought that Christmas break would end up being a time of lazying around doing nothing important. Thankfully I've gotten a lot of things done and in a sense I feel like I could conquer the world! Yes that's right.... SUPERWOMAN (maybe a more unique name though). It helps that we are coming on a new year, 2011! A new year, to think of new things, do new things, and the list goes on...

Thinking about being superheros, lets describe what they are like:

• They are not recognized for the good things they do as superheros when they are "every day people"
• They can do anything-except for occasional weaknesses
• They want to help others and realize they can use their superhuman powers to do so
• They are clothed differently than everyone else
• They never die in the movies and comics (as far as I know)

Ok as Christians we are superheros too, let me explain:

• We have no need for recognition on Earth, even if we are persecuted for helping others  (Matthew 5:12- "Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.")
• 
  We can do everything with the power of the Holy Spirit  (Phillipians 4:13- "I can do all things through Christ who strenghthens me.")
• We have a longing to help others and are called to also; remember the Golden Rule? (Matthew 7:12- "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."  Matthew 25:40- " “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ ")
• God has specially clothed us as Christians and children of the King (Isaiah 61:10- "I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels."
• Finally, with a solid faith in Jesus Christ, you and I will never die, but live forever with God the Father. (John 3:16- "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.")

Ok so there you have it.  As a Christian, we are superheros.  I can conquer the world (ok maybe only make a dent) with God.  He is the reason we can be like this, he is the ultimate superhero (all of us have flaws)!  Ok, so as the new year comes, grab your cape with me and jump off some buildings (figuratively speaking; take some risks) for Christ!

Christmas is coming...

Christmas is coming the goose is getting fat... (ok maybe not). But one thing is for sure, Christmas is coming. My vacation has officially started and I am finally getting in the gear... and the spirit. The last few weeks have been pretty stressful and busy and I'm sad to say I haven't spent enough time with God. Lately I've been thinking about the Christmas story, and how this overly familiar story can show me something new. Well, I started thinking about believing and the song "Believe" by Josh Groban came to mind. If you just believe... This song from the Christmas movie, Polar Express, is talking about believing in Santa. As Christians, we believe in something greater (yes, greater than that man in the red suit). God came down to earth as the son Jesus. How more exciting is this! Well, here's the problem: This happened about 2 thousand years ago. Do we still believe? For some this may be walking on dangerous territory, but I think its important to think about and study. Do you really believe that Jesus was born, because of a divine plan to save the sinful people of the world? Do you really believe that we need salvation? Hard questions, I know. Probably pretty scary. In Polar Express, there was a tiny bell that was from Santa's sleigh. Only those who believed in Santa, could hear the ringing. So on Christmas Day, the 2 kids could hear the bell, but the parents just thought is was broken. Here's the neat distinction between that belief and a Christian's belief: We don't grow out of it. At the end of Polar Express the boy mentions that he never stopped being able to hear the bell. He had an encounter with Santa, and he never stopped believing. Have you had an encounter with God? Can you hear the bell of belief?