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.

Go Vote!

As much as I dislike to see posts about politics. I feel this election is pretty important. Please, everyone who has the power too, go let your voice be heard, whether through casting your vote, or not casting your vote.

But remember, Jesus has the power to change the heart of any leader. (Ezra 1:1, 6:22, 7:27) and He can change the heart of whoever our President whoever may be.

No matter what "party" wins tomorrow, it's about much more then that. The office of President is one to be respected and honored, and reflects in many ways the deeper heart of the people, just as much the view of the candidate.


So, go vote tomorrow. Find your nearest voting place HERE.

"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people." ~Proverbs 14:34

Why Are You Afraid of Humility?

He erased the curse, he triumphed over death, he opened paradise.

He struck down sin, he opened wide the vaults of the sky, he lifted our first fruits to heaven, he filled the whole world with godliness.

He drove out error, he led back the truth, he made our firstfruits mount to the royal throne.

He accomplished so many good deeds that neither I nor all humanity together could set them before your minds in words.

Before he humbled himself, only the angels knew him. After he humbled himself, all human nature knew him.

You see how his humbling of himself did not make him have less but produced countless benefits, countless deeds of virtue, and made his glory shine forth with greater brightness. God wants for nothing and has need of nothing. Yet, when he humbled himself, he produced such great good, increased his household, and extended his kingdom.

Why, then, are you afraid that you will become less if you humble yourself?

- Trevin Wax from "Kingdom People"

C.S. Lewis on Reasoning

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. ~Romans 1:18-32