CHRISTMAS “KOOKIES”

A church that attempted to put a notice for their Christmas concert up on a public library bulletin board in Britain was told it could not do so because it might offend non-Christians, reports the Daily Telegraph.
Officials from the same library in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, however, held a party to celebrate the Muslim festival of Eid at the end of Ramadan only a few days earlier.
Bridget Adams, 57, a school teacher and a member of the choir at All Saints church in High Wycombe was refused permission by library officials to display a poster stating the dates and times of its Christmas services.
Margaret Dewar, the city official in charge of libraries, was furious that folks from the church made a stink about the incident.
"I am appalled at the attitude of these so-called Christians making such a fuss about this policy," she said. "It is quite a different thing having a party organized by a library to promote cultural understanding and accepting notices for religious services."


The Central Michigan University affirmative action office’’s attempts to ban Santa Claus backfired after noel-lovers stood up for their rights, reports the Saginaw News
The office posted a "Christmas Warning" on its online calendar warning against displays of Christmas cheer. The advisory, entitled, "How to celebrate Christmas without offense" said it "is inappropriate to decorate things with Santa Claus or reindeer or other 'Christmas' decorations."
"Good ideas for decorations during this time are snowflakes, snowpeople, poinsettias to give a feeling of winter," the notice said. Other cultural or religious holidays in December such as Hanukkah or Kwanzaa did not have similar warnings attached, the paper said.
The university took down the warning after fielding complaints from the Catholic League in New York. The office replaced its warning with a softer "suggestion" advising the campus community to "please be sensitive and respectful of others of all cultural traditions."

(via www.tonguetied.us)

Its that time of year again, tis the season to ....try to shut down Christmas. It seems that of all the holidays this country celebrates, Christmas is the time of year where people like the ACLU try to “rub it out” in just about any place in the U.S.A.
It seems that these Scrooges will only be happy when we all celebrate Christmas inside a closet, alone and with barely a Ho Ho Ho!
What is so “bad” about Christmas? What stirs up such hatred for what is usually a time that families get together, give each other gifts, total strangers talk to each other, peace on earth is at least talked about, and people do give each other good will. What makes people strive to blot out a holiday where people are motivated to give to others?
The problem is that Christ is the first six letters in the word Christmas. This is what has some people’s bowels all in an uproar.

Jesus said about two thousand years ago, ”But that the Word might be fulfilled that is written in their Law, "They hated Me without a cause." (John 15:25) which pretty much sums it all up.
He even says it more than once in John: “He who hates Me hates My Father also.”
(John 15:23). Then the question is why?
Again, Jesus answers: “Remember the word that I said to you, The servant is not greater than his master. If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they have kept My saying, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have had sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.”
(John 15:20-22)
When we walk with Jesus and talk about Jesus and do things that bring Jesus to everyone’s attention, their sins are self-evident, and they do not like that at all.
Since Jesus isn’t around to persecute, we are the next best target. And if we can’t be touched, then our celebrations are attacked.
Today it is holiday decorations, Christmas songs and signs that say Merry Christmas. The next day it may be no services here, or no home studies without a license, or no church schools or maybe more active persecution against Christians.
So this brings to mind the question, “What are we to do?”
Again, Jesus has the answer for us: “And when the Comforter has come, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He shall testify of Me.”(John 15:26)
God will send us a Comforter to take care of us as Jesus tells us in John 14: “And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, so that He may be with you forever,” (John 14:16)
So, whatever the world sends our way, we are covered.
Take comfort in the fact that in spite of any persecution, Jesus is always with us.
Until next time On My Front Porch.

(p.s. Merry Christmas)

RUN FOR YOUR LIFE

There are two worlds out there in the wild, the hunter and the hunted. The carnivore and the herbivore, the meat eater and the grass eater.
All over the world these two meet daily in their contest of wills, run fast enough or be eaten.
The strongest and fastest win the race, the weak and sick fall to the fangs of fate.
Most predators, be they lions, wolves, tigers or coyotes prey on the weak and slow of foot. They do not try to catch the strong, it takes too much energy and risks injury.
The prey stays in a herd, in the herd is protection and early warning (the white of the white tail deer). Stray from the herd and you place yourself at risk.
It sounds harsh, but that is the way the lion gets its Big Mac©.
“ Be sensible and vigilant, because your adversary the Devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking someone he may devour; “(1 Peter 5:8)
This verse is a great one to describe how the Devil makes his way about our world, looking for “victims” to devour. What is the devil looking for?
“Therefore, submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will run away from you.”
(James 4:7) This is the first way, refusal to submit to God. If submitting to God causes the devil to run away from us, then a refusal to submit to God will allow the devil to come closer to your heart.
“For people who go to sleep, go to sleep at night; and people who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober. We must put on the breastplate of faith and love, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. “(1 Thessalonians 5:7-8)
The next step is to fall asleep. Have you ever watched a deer as it lays in its bed? It never seems to quite go to asleep like a human, its nose and ears are constantly twitching, always seeking that danger signal that will save its life.
Third, get drunk on the sins of this world. Live in the night and the devil will soon seek you out. Run to God, receive your armor and the devil will flee from you.
“For this reason, take up the whole armor of God so that you may be able to take a stand in that evil day. And when you have done everything you could, you will be able to stand firm. Stand firm, therefore, having fastened the belt of truth around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, “ Ephesians 6:13-14)
Fourth, do not stand fast in your faith, but let it waver. Ignore or reject the truth that is given to you, do not take up the armor. Let the arrows of the evil one penetrate you.
“Pray in the Spirit at all times with every kind of prayer and request there is. For the same reason be alert with every kind of effort and request for all the saints. “ (Ephesians 6:18)
Fifth, quit praying, for any reason, and as a result you will not be alert for the requests from the saints.
We have looked at how the Devil can catch you, devour you, like the lion catches its lunch and devours it.
Take the first verse we looked at: “Be sensible and vigilant, “ is what we need, for the lion is seeking the last one in the herd to snatch. But all is not lost!
“Put on the whole armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the devil's strategies. “ Ephesians 6:11)
God will be with us, who can be against us?