Happy New Year!

Here is 2012 in numbers via TGC:

World population (est.): 7,061,314,509

Resident population of the United States (est.): 315,067,051

In America there is:
-- One birth every: 8 seconds
-- One death every: 12 seconds
-- One abortion every: 26 seconds
-- One international migrant (net) every: 40 seconds
-- Net gain of one person every: 17 seconds

America's outstanding public debt (est.):$16,348,868,007,556.33

America's outstanding consumer debt (est.):$11,380,000,000,000

Average credit card debt per U.S. household: $15,418

Average mortgage debt per U.S. household: $149,782

Average student loan debt per U.S. household: $34,703

Median household income: $50,054

Number of Americans with income below the official poverty rate: 46,200,000

Number of abortions in America (est.): 1,200,000


Number of adoptions in America (est.): 136,000

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Read more

"Yes, Jesus Did Claim To Be God"

from OnTheBox

"One of the many "cut & paste" objections unbelievers levy against God and His Word is this: "Jesus never claimed to be God."

Truth: The Bible does not record Jesus saying these words in a single sentence: "I am God."

Truth: Jesus repeatedly asserted He was and is God, and that is why the Jewish religious leaders sought to murder Him (Mark 14:60-64; Luke 22:66-71; John 8:48-59; John 9:35-41;John 10:30-33).

The Bible is replete with the words of Jesus and the words about Jesus, which clearly show (to those who are not spiritually blind), that God the Father and Jesus (God the Son) are one in essence and character while, at the same time unique in their personage. God the Father and God the Son, along with God the Holy Spirit, comprise the Trinity of God. God is one God in three Persons.

What follows was compiled by Mark Spence and published as part of Lesson 49 of The School of Biblical Evangelism. Feel free to copy and paste this into a Word document and size it to fit inside your Bible. The next time someone foolishly challenges the deity of Jesus, you will be all-the-more equipped to give the reason for the hope that is in you."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Read More

Merry Christmas! As we leave this season behind, here is a cool thought:

"...there was no place for them in the inn." ~ Luke 2:7

While many of us, Christian and none, no that there was no room in the inn, have we ever thought about why?  Well, I would say it was due to the influx people for the census by Caesar.  But I'd say the Lord was behind the census, not only so that prophecy may fulfilled (Micah 5:2) but so that, for our sake, He may experience true poverty, in love so that we may have true riches.

"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich." ~ 2 Cor. 8:9

Saint Augustine on the Incarnation

Man’s maker was made man,
that He, Ruler of the stars, might nurse at His mother’s breast;
that the Bread might hunger,
the Fountain thirst,
the Light sleep,
the Way be tired on its journey;
that the Truth might be accused of false witness,
the Teacher be beaten with whips,
the Foundation be suspended on wood;
that Strength might grow weak;
that the Healer might be wounded;
that Life might die.

- Augustine of Hippo

Christmas: Deaths Death Sentence

The apostle John, in his hotly debated vision letter called Revelation or more properly, "The Revelation to John", he gives us a vision of Christmas unlike any other that Scripture gives. And in light of the recent murmur about a pagan calender and the end of the world, I felt it a great time amongst all the reading of Christmas devotions, watching of movies and decorating of tress to gaze at the Cosmic perspective of Christmas and at the true meaning of the holiday.

8 People Admit They Would Kill for Money: Chilling New Documentary

Los Angeles, CA. "Genius" is a new and chilling movie based on the life and tragic murder of John Lennon. The Producer of the Los Angeles-based film company, Ray Comfort, said, "It's chilling because it reveals what people will do for money. There are ordinary people out there who would kill you. All they need is the right amount of money and the belief that they won't get caught."

Just before he was murdered, John Lennon told Playboy magazine that he didn't want to die at 40. Ironically the famous singer was gunned down at the age of 40 by a man who killed him just because he wanted to become famous.

Comfort said, "Many think that John Lennon was a musical genius. His music has crossed cultures and even generations--the Beatles have sold more than 2,303,500,000 record albums, and in June of 2012 they hit number one on iTunes. They are as big now as they ever were and they're half dead--with the tragic loss of Lennon and Harrison."

Ken Mansfield, the former U.S. Manager for Apple Records said, "Genius will open your eyes." Other reviewers have called it "fast-paced, thought-provoking and compelling." It is being promoted as "33 minutes that will rock your soul." Comfort's last movie "180" received more than 3.7 million views on YouTube and aired on television around the world. "Genius" has been released for free viewing onwww.GeniusTheMovie.com to coincide with the December 8th anniversary of the death of John Lennon.

Comfort added, "Abraham Lincoln said, 'Towering genius disdains a beaten path. It seeks regions hitherto unexplored.' That's what John Lennon did. He pushed the musical envelope of creativity."

Watch Genius HERE

(Press Release from Geniusthemovie.com)

A Prayer for Overflowing with Thankfulness

--Scotty Smith

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 

Col. 2:6-7

 Dear Lord Jesus, I want to be a man who gives you the quality and quantity of thanks of which you are so absolutely worthy. Not like a slow drip, a babbling brook, or a meandering stream, but like a geyser—a gospel geyser—spontaneously erupting with gratitude any and every moment. I want to overflow with thankfulness, to the praise of your glory and grace!

I have every reason to be like the healed Samaritan leper, who with a stunned heart and irrepressible gratitude returned to give you heartfelt thanks (Luke 17:11-17). I return today, and I want to return every day, to express my profound thankfulness.

From the first nanosecond I was given faith to receive you as Savior and Lord, I was fully and firmly rooted in your righteousness and love. Now, completely forgiven, I have no other righteousness than yours. Just as I cannot add one iota to your righteousness, I can never, ever be separated from your love, and your love, alone, is better than life. You have already set me free from the penalty of sin, you are continually setting me free from the power of sin, and one day you will set me free from the very presence of sin.
Jesus, I want to live in you—reflecting upon your glory with an unveiled face and marinating in the riches of your unfailing grace. I want to be built up in you, maturing by the same grace that saved me, being liberated for the race that you’ve set before me. I want to be strengthened in you, forgiving others as you have forgiven me; forbearing with others as you forbear with me; accepting others as you accept me—loving as your beloved.

Lord Jesus, how I would love to be already done with all of my carping and droning, all whining and complaining, all boohoo-ing and Eeyore-ing, and with every other expression of ingratitude. But until that Day, rise up in me this day, and set my heart, voice, hands and feet free to love you and serve those around me. Oh, Fountain of Grace, Oh, Artesian Spring of Life, set me free. So very Amen I pray, in your glorious and grace-filled name.