Majestic...

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?  
Psalm 8:3-4 

To Anyone with a Broken Heart - Patrick Morley

You have a dull ache. Sometimes it swallows your heart, other times it twists in the pit of your gut. Sometimes your head feels like it wants to split open because of the pressure. Other times, the feeling pierces your soul like the searing pain of a white hot knife. This horrid ache takes liberty to come and go as it pleases, never with warning. Even the briefest thought of your sorrow can bring moisture to your eyes, often hard to hold back. What we are talking about, of course, is a broken heart. My heart has been broken many times -- left out, made fun of, rejected, feeling alone, feeling unloved, depressed, broken promises, shattered dreams, betrayal, falsely accused. And then there are my sins of which I am ashamed and over which I grieve. What is breaking your heart today? Maybe an injustice -- by you or against you. Maybe you're grieving, or need to grieve, what could've been -- a son on drugs, a daughter who has wandered from the path, a spouse who seems distant, or parents who got divorced. The closer the person, the deeper the hurt. What is it for you? Maybe you are alone for Christmas. Maybe you have a son at war in a foreign land. Maybe you're separated from family. Perhaps your dream has been shattered by the recession -- out of work, out of money, out of business, out of hope. Maybe you feel abandoned by God. Maybe you are addicted to money, ambition, pornography, or sex, and don't know how to escape. Maybe you have a substance abuse problem that is ripping your family apart. Maybe you have abandoned your family. Perhaps greed got the best of you and you have compromised your integrity. God loves you very much. He has good plans for you. If I were a pastor, the sign over the door of my church would read, "Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Yet, we all like sheep have gone astray. Today, humble yourself before the beauty of his holiness. Feel the full weight of your sins. Repent (confess and turn from) any sinful way that has been alienating you from God. Put your faith in Jesus. Surrender yourself to his perfect plan for your life. Walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. Obey Christ. Don't lose hope. You're going to get through this.
Patrick Morley, Weekly Briefing #351

Weekend Picture - Joel Reynolds

The Birth of Christ - Luke 2 (MSG)

About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. This was the first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be accounted for. So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David's town, for the census. As a descendant of David, he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant.

 ^6-7While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel.

An Event for Everyone

 ^8-12There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God's angel stood among them and God's glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, "Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David's town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you're to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger."

 ^13-14At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God's praises:

   Glory to God in the heavenly heights,
   Peace to all men and women on earth who please him. 

 ^15-18As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. "Let's get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us." They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed.

 ^19-20Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. The sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they'd been told!

The Birth of Christ - Luke 2 (NLT)

At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2(This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 4And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant.

6And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

The Shepherds and Angels

8That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

13Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

14“Glory to God in highest heaven,

and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

15When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

The Birth of Christ - Luke 2 (NIV)

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to his own town to register.

4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

The Shepherds and the Angels

8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ^a the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14“Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

A Christmas Story by James Ryle

"He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not." (John 1:10).

While performing at the Kraft Music Hall in 1941, Bing Crosby sang “White Christmas”, a song by Irvin Berlin, and unexpectedly produced the best selling single of all time. There is scarcely anyone today who is not familiar with the old-fashioned melody, for it surfaces each year with the same nostalgic force it unleashed that first December all those years ago.

But things are notably different in our world today. Especially when it comes to Christmas; and specifically when it comes to Christ. The political/social climate of our world is increasingly hostile to anything Christian, and much is being done to exclude Christ from all public forums.

Once again we see the truth of John’s ancient words, “He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not” (John 1:10). John does go on to tell us that, even though the world does not accept Jesus, there are those who do. And God gives them “the power to become children of God” (john 1:12).

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Scriptures for Counseling - Anxiety

By Dr. Brian Campbell, from Pearls, Scriptures to Live By

Anxiety

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.   (1 Peter 5:7)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Do not fret - it leads only to evil. (Psalm 37:8)

Martha, Martha, the Lord answered, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her. (Luke 10:41-42)

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7)

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? (Luke 12:25-26)

An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up. (Proverbs 12:25)

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall. (Psalm 55:22)

When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul. (Psalm 94:19)

Search me, 0 God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24)

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food and the body more than clothes. (Luke 12:22-23)

And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. (Matthew 6:28-29)

So do not worry, saying "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or 'What shall we wear?" For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. (Matthew 6:31-32)

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:34)

**Copyright, 2002, Brian Campbell (Permission is granted to copy for personal use only.)

Weekend Picture by Joel Reynolds

Raised From The Dead - Daniel Kolenda

Last night after the service, a woman stopped me as we were getting in the car to leave.  In her arms she held her dead 3-year-old son.  I held the body for just a moment, prayed and then left.  Tonight we heard the testimony; as we drove away, the boy came to life and he is now perfectly well.  She shared the testimony tonight and the crowd went wild!  All of Sapele is rejoicing.  Praise the Lord!

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Christ For All Nations 

TRUTH: Our Second Language by Pat Morley

George Burns once said, "The most important thing in acting is telling the truth. If you can fake that you've got it made."

There are two languages in the world: truth and lies.

The first language of every human being, a language that flows freely from our lower nature, is the language of lies. When the Father of lies was our father, lies was the only language we knew. Before I became a Christian I would often lie even if the truth could have served me better. It was my native tongue.

When we receive Christ we become bilingual. We can speak the second language of truth. But you know what happens, right? If we do not abide in Christ day-by-day, if we do not regularly practice our second language, we will revert to our native tongue. You know this is true because you know self-deceived Christians who regularly lie to you-and not about little things.

How does this happen? Every morning you and I go into a world where all day long we are tempted to exchange the truth of God for a lie (Romans 1:25). The lie comes in many forms but at its core is unbelief that says, "Jesus Christ alone is not enough to make me happy. I need something else."

The solution? We must renew ourselves daily in the truth of the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ through faith and repentance. If we don't? Well, what happens to anyone who doesn't regularly practice speaking their second language?

© 2002 Patrick M. Morley. All rights reserved. This article may be reproduced for any non-commercial use with proper attribution. www.maninthemirror.org

Why Do So Many People Fail at Self-Help? - Zig Ziglar

Many people who “fail” in the “self-help” stuff are looking for a magic formula of things they can do to be successful, instead of focusing on becoming the right kind of person first.

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Weekend Picture - by Joel Reynolds

Art and the Precious Limits of Reality - John Piper

I pray that this advent season every part of the Great Story will have a fresh luster because it is a Granite Fact.

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LIFE is Precious to GOD!

"Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day." Psalm 139:16 MSG

Weekend Picture - by Joel Reynolds

20 Workplace Habits You Need to Break - Marshall Goldsmith

Marshall Goldsmith is an executive coach, who has worked with CEO's in the world's top corporations. His book, What Got You Here Won't Get You There talks about 20 workplace habits you need to break.

As you look at the list, try to identify the three you are most guilty of. For an even better perspective, do a confidential 360 degree evaluation with a dozen of the people you work with.

1. Winning too much: The need to win at all costs and in all situations.

2. Adding too much value: The overwhelming desire to add our 2 cents to every discussion.

3. Passing judgment: The need to rate others and impose our standards on them.

4. Making destructive comments: The needless sarcasm and cutting remarks that we think
make us witty.

5. Starting with NO, BUT, HOWEVER: The overuse of these negative qualifiers which
secretly say to everyone that I'm right and you're wrong.

6. Telling the world how smart we are: The need to show people we're smarter than they
think we are.

7. Speaking when angry: Using emotional volatility as a management tool.

8. Negativity, or "Let me explain why that won't work": The need to share our negative
thoughts even when we weren't asked.

9. Withholding information: The refusal to share information in order to maintain an
advantage over others.

10. Failing to give proper recognition: The inability to give praise and reward.

11. Claiming credit that that we don't deserve: The most annoying way to overestimate our
contribution to any success.

12. Making excuses: The need to reposition our annoying behavior as a permanent fixture so people excuse us for it.

13. Clinging to the past: The need to deflect blame away from ourselves and onto events and people from our past; a subset of blaming everyone else.

14. Playing favorites: Failing to see that we are treating someone unfairly.

15. Refusing to express regret: The inability to take responsibility for our actions, admit we're wrong, or recognize how our actions affect others.

16. Not listening: The most passive-aggressive form of disrespect for colleagues.

17. Failing to express gratitude: The most basic form of bad manners.

18. Punishing the messenger: The misguided need to attack the innocent who are usually only trying to help us.

19. Passing the buck: The need to blame everyone but ourselves.

20. An excessive need to be "me": Exalting our faults as virtues simply because they're who
we are.

The Ministry of Refreshing - David Wilkerson

In Acts 27, Paul was on a ship headed for Rome when the vessel came to a stop at Sidon. Paul asked the centurion in charge for permission to visit some friends in the city, and “Julius…gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself” (Acts 27:3). Here is yet another instance of God using believers to refresh other believers.

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Weekend Picture - by Joel Reynolds

Creativity Thinking

"Everyone has creative potential, but creative people think they are creative."

Self-esteem is one of the most important elements of creativity. People must believe in their ability to develop original ideas and they must continue to believe in themselves after repeated failures.

Creativity flourishes in an environment that rewards attempts, as well as successes, and is conducive to failure. People must feel comfortable failing before they will repeatedly take risks or attempt creative approaches.

Roger von Oech labels four stages of the creative process:

1. Explorer
Finding new ideas and resources from which an idea may be built.

2. Artist
Transforming ideas (gathered by the explorer) into something new.

3. Judge
Ideas developed by the artist are evaluated and their merits are weighed; suggestions are offered on how they can be improved or further developed.

4. Warrior
Implementation of the ideas approved by the judge requiring persistence and determination.

SECRETS TO CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING

• Be an optimist
• Take your time
• Get enough information
• Brainstorm by yourself
• Redefine the problem
• Plan for results
• Break the routine
• Make a minus a plus
• Don't give up.
• Allow yourself to daydream
• Ask questions
• Have a sense of humor
• Tolerate ambiguity


GROUP TECHNIQUES TO GENERATE CREATIVITY

Brainstorming
Groups generate as many ideas as possible, listing ideas on a chart so that group members may modify them or combine them to create additional ideas. Criticism is not allowed during brainstorming, nor is evaluation of ideas.

Storyboarding
An adaptation of brainstorming, but it is primarily nonverbal so articulate group members are not able to dominate the process. Storyboarding uses a process similar to parliamentary procedure to gain support of an idea before it can remain part of the discussion. Storyboarding allows group members to produce data and solutions to problems generating ideas off of previous suggestions.

Nominal Group Technique
Focuses attention on individual members' ideas by having members write down their ideas/solutions on their own before sharing them with the group. Ideas are all recorded, everyone votes to prioritize ideas, then discussion is held on only the top ones before another vote is taken. This technique allows everyone to participate and contribute ideas before the group reaches its decision.


ROADBLOCKS TO CREATIVITY

Thinking there is one right answer
Many of us have the tendency to stop looking for alternative right answers after the first answer has been found. Often it is the third, fifth or tenth right answer that is what we need to solve a problem in an innovative way.

"That's not logical"
Logic is an important creative thinking tool when you are searching for ideas, however, excessive logical thinking can short circuit your creative process.

Following the rules
You often have to break out of pattern to discover another.

Being practical
Practical people know how to get into an open frame of mind, listen to their imagination and build on the ideas they find there.

Avoiding ambiguity
Too much specificity can stifle your imagination!

Being afraid of making a mistake
Errors are a sign that you are diverging from the norm. If you are not failing every now and then it is a sign you are not being very innovative.


Click here to go to this Issue of Out of the Box

Weekend Picture - by Joel Reynolds

The Kingdom of our Tongues - Jack Hayford

Click here to listen to this Audio Podcast

Getting Healthy - Susie Kania

Adapted from an interview with Susie Kania of the Cooper Wellness Center in Dallas.

1. KNOW THYSELF
If you're starting from nothing, get a physical exam first. Especially if you're a woman over fifty or a man over forty. And don't worry if things go slowly at first. Everybody starts at a different level.

2. THOU SHALT NOT WEAR WINGTIPS
If you're going to walk, wear quality shoes. "People don't always see that as important and they'll go out and walk in whatever they have. … If your feet and legs hurt, then it's hard to exercise."

3. THROW OFF EVERYTHING THAT HINDERS
Don't carry hand weights when you walk. "That has a tendency to throw off the biomechanics and you might end up getting injured. I recommend doing strength training at a separate time."

4. ROME DIDN'T LOSE TWENTY-FIVE POUNDS IN A DAY
"You're not going to accomplish in two weeks what you've undone in the last two years." Start slowly and progress slowly, so you can exercise without hurting yourself. "If you get an injury when you're starting an exercise program, that's very discouraging. You'll get frustrated and probably won't do anything again for a while."

5. THOU SHALT TRY SOMETHING NEW
"Put some variety in your exercise program. Vary your exercises or classes. Try new things—cycling, kickboxing, whatever. Make it enjoyable so you look forward to it."

6. THOU SHALT KICK IT UP A NOTCH
"As you progress and get more fit, you need to continue to challenge yourself, so that you don't get in a rut." In other words, your body gets used to the level you're at. Until you reach your desired plateau, keep challenging yourself—slowly but surely.

7. FLEE THE ELEVATOR
"Look for opportunities for activity as you go throughout each day. Look for the hard way to do things instead of the easy way." In other words, take the stairs. Park farther away from the office.


Click Here for more Outside The Box 

Tha Names of Jesus Christ - Tag Cloud

Encourage Your Leaders to Pray for the Sick - Jim Angelakos

Do you want to see your leaders grow spiritually and move in the Power of God? Then teach them how to pray for the sick as Jesus did. Believing in faith that God will heal them and leaving the results in His hands.

One day Jesus called together his twelve apostles and gave them power and authority to cast out demons and to heal all diseases. Then he sent them out to tell everyone about the coming of the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. (Luke 9:1-2)

It's part of the Great Commission.


They will be able to place their hands on the sick and heal them."  Mark 16:18 b


It's good stewardship. When we pray for others- our spiritual gifts are activated, we become more sensitive to the healing work of the Holy Spirit and the Power of God.


Here are a few more benefits to your leaders when they pray for the sick: their faith increases, their belief in the Word and Power of God increases, they're encouraged, it's training them, it provides evangelistic opportunities for them, it's personal ministry, it helps them lead balanced lives, it's compassionate, it's a serving opportunity and it's Kingdom building... 


You never know, It may even increase the attendance. Nothing brings crowds together more quickly than a good "Healing Service".

A vast crowd brought Him the lame, blind, crippled, mute, and many others with physical difficulties, and they laid them before Jesus. And he healed them all. (Matt 15:30)

The Kingdom of God is advancing. Let's make sure that our leaders are fully equipped to serve in it.

The Three Taverns - James Ryle

“Some of the followers in Rome heard about us and came to meet us at the Market of Appius and at the Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and was encouraged.” (Acts 28:15).

This is a delightful moment captured forever in the words of Luke, author of The Acts. What makes this moment so special was that, for Paul, it came at the end a long and arduous struggle against one thing after another. 

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CT Classic: Is Halloween a Witches' Brew? by Harold Myra

The contemporary Christian often finds Halloween an uncomfortable topic. It's a bit like walking past a graveyard and detecting among the tombstones a thoroughly raucous party in progress—a bizarre mixture of horrible screams and merriment—and wondering who might have called it. What is this mishmash of innocent fun, ugly pranks, and witches' taunts? And what indeed, might be "holy" about All Hallow's Eve?

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Weekend Picture - Joel Reynolds

Communicating the Message - Andy Stanley

Preaching on Sunday mornings is such a simple thing and by complicating it, I think we all do ourselves and the audience a disservice. It is very simple. Here is the model: Make people feel like they need an answer to a question. Then take them to God's Word to answer the question. And tell them why it is important to do what we just talked about. And then you close by saying, "Wouldn't it be great if everybody did that?" And that's it. It is a journey. You take people from somewhere to somewhere....Andy Stanley


The complete article can be seen at Ed Stezer's Blog  More...

Never Stop Learning - by Tim Stevens

Something he said stood out to me: "I learned several things Sunday, and a couple of them are really going to help me in my preaching."  Read More ...

Eyeball to Eyeball Ministry - by Patrick Morley

Here is one sure way of knowing whether or not you are discipling men to lead powerful lives transformed by Jesus Christ: Go eyeball to eyeball and have a meaningful conversation.

To give a man a book to help him on his journey to biblical manhood is a tremendous discipleship tool. I am amazed at the impact of Christian literature. If I had not personally seen how much books change men's lives, I would never have believed it. But the impact of a book generally plateaus far below its full potential unless, guess what, you go eyeball to eyeball and have a meaningful conversation about what the man has read.

Teaching the Word of God in a Bible study is a tremendous method to disciple men. It's great because...More...


Man in the Mirror  Weekly Briefing #340

Financial Need

Mayeline Torres / Financial Need

Christmas had arrived and a new year was soon to unfold for Mayeline and her two sons. Like so many, the holidays had stretched her single-mom budget to the max. Then on December 29th crisis struck as they discovered her son's kidneys were failing. Soon hospital bills piled up pushing Mayeline's fragile budget over the edge.

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