Just a simple prayer today for our son. They are going to do some major work on his heart. Removing this and that, replacing it with such and such...Amazing what they can do! Thank you for joining us in prayer.

XtnYoda Shalomed

Followup report: The surgery and recovery have been fantastic! Thanks to all for your prayers.

From Michael Yon's web site we have one of Time Magazines top ten pictures of the year for 2005. It is a picture of one of our troops comforting a dying child from a suicide bombers heartless assault.

May we remember our troops serving in harms way this Christmas season...and their families back here at home. May we remember that Freedom is not free.

And if you haven't visited Michael's blog site you would be well served to check it out this day.

http://michaelyon.blogspot.com/

XtnYoda Shalomed

Monday, December 26, marks the first anniversary of one of recorded histories worst human disasters...the tsunami. Well over 200,000 souls were swept away...in a moment...into eternity. Then there are the desperate survivors such as this child. One now orphaned child. May Our Father take this human tragedy and somehow perform the greatest of miracles as Our Father can take evil and use it for good.

Gen 50:20
You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result — the survival of many people
(from Holman Christian Standard Bible® Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers.)

XtnYoda Shalomed

Merry Christmas to all!

An earthling and a martian were debating about which planet was the most advanced. The martian maintained a constant advantage until suddenly the earthling announced that the Son of God, Jesus, had been on earth! The martian was stunned beyond words. With new courage in the debate the earthling added that God's Son had also come having taken on the form of an earthling! The martian was again absolutely speechless and gasping for air managed to eek out, "God's Son has never even visited our planet, mush less taken the form of a martian!"

Then, after getting himself together, the martian asked, "What under heaven did you earthlings do when God's Son came to your planet? And in the form of an earthling! Did you have a planet wide celebration? Did you laud God's Son with gifts as all the peoples of the world came together in such a triumphant celebration? What did you do for the Son of God who came in the form of an earthling?"

Bowing his head the earthling finally responded with sudden grief, "We killed Him."

XtnYoda Shalomed

Need a Revival?

It is quite natural to find ourselves at times in need of revival. As I have thought about this I have wondered how aware we are of the warning signs that revival is needed? I have certain indicators in my personal life that throw up red flags for me that I am in need of revival. I thought I would share with you some of these red flags that we all need to be aware of to see if we are in need of a revival from the Holy Spirit of our Father.

1. When we start to look for reasons to miss regular times of worship, learning and ministering with our church family we are in desperate need of revival. “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near.” Heb 10:25 (NLT) I know that there are times when the ox gets in the ditch, but an ox too often in the ditch is an ox that needs to be ditched!
2. When I find myself being ‘sick’ on Sunday mornings and having to miss church but never too sick on Monday mornings to go to work, I am in desperate need of revival. “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD.’” Ps 122:1 (NLT)
3. When I start to feel that the ministry I am in is to be preferred above all other church ministries, I am in desperate need of revival. “Don't be selfish; don't live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. Don't think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing.” Phil 2:3-4 (NLT)
4. When I start to dread serving in my ministry areas, (arrive late-leave early-doing just enough to get by-not prepared) I am in desperate need of revival. “Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful desires will harvest the consequences of decay and death. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So don't get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time.” Gal 6:8-9 (NLT)
5. When I desire to control and redirect my regular giving to the general fund of the church to designated funds instead of seeing my designated giving as Faith Promise Giving above my general fund giving, I am in desperate need of revival. “There was no poverty among them, because people who owned land or houses sold them and brought the money to the apostles to give to others in need.” Acts 4:34-35 (NLT) The issue here is one of who is in control, the giver or the church?
6. When I find myself being easily offended then sitting at home pouting and waiting for someone to come and beg me to return to my God given responsibilities, I am in desperate need of revival. “Look after each other so that none of you will miss out on the special favor of God. Watch out that no bitter root of unbelief rises up among you, for whenever it springs up, many are corrupted by its poison.” Heb 12:15-16 (NLT)
7. When I am not aggressively seeking to include and embrace others into my comfort zone group I have become destructively cliquish and I am in desperate need of revival. “Live in harmony with each other. Don't try to act important, but enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don't think you know it all!” Rom 12:16 (NLT)
8. When coming to a worship service is about seeing my friends and not 1st and foremost about seeing Jesus, I am in desperate need of revival. “Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." John 12:21 (NKJV)

Let each of us to do as the scripture says and examine ourselves to see if we are in need of personal revival. Please keep in mind that God is the only one who can give to our hearts true revival. “For this is what the high and lofty One says--he who lives forever, whose name is holy: ‘I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.’” Isa 57:15 (New International Version)

Until Every Knee Bows, Phil. 2:3-11


XtnYoda Shalomed