This day the whole world focuses on one event — Christmas. Everything will become secondary for one 24-hour period while we celebrate Christmas. But what is so special about Christmas?  It is the centerpiece of our history. Even our calendar is dated from



God split history with the event of Christmas. Everything is either A.D. or B.C.

the reference point of Jesus Christ. God split history with the event of Christmas. Everything is either A.D. or B.C. What is so special about Christmas? Read Philippians 2 and you’ll know. There is the greatest explanation in the Bible of who Jesus Christ is and what He came to do. This is the bedrock, the foundation of all that we believe. I want to give you the 4 R’s of Christmas — 

1.THE RELEVANCE OF CHRISTMAS: GOD CAME TO EARTH - When Gen. Douglas MacArthur landed at the Island of Leyte on Oct.20, 1944, fulfilling his promise to return, that was big news. That is nothing compared to the news when God invaded earth. It was big news when man landed on the moon and walked there. It’s bigger news when God landed on the earth. Jesus Christ is God Himself. It was God that came to earth!

God invaded earth. That is the relevance of Christmas. Over and over the Bible repeats and Jesus proclaims that He is God. We must remind ourselves that Jesus did not begin His existence in the manger at Bethlehem. He was without beginning. Jesus even declared in John 8:58 – “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I am!”

II. THE REALITY OF CHRISTMAS: GOD BECAME A MAN - This is even more difficult to understand. If you were God and were going to come to earth, of all the ways you could choose to reveal yourself, would you come as a baby? As a human being? The reality of Christmas was that Jesus Christ was a real man, flesh and blood, bones, hair. He was a real person, not a myth, fable, a nice story. Our God has not remained remote and unapproachable. He has come to us in person. He did not just write us a letter. He did not just send us a representative. He did not just speak His laws from a mountain. He came to us as one of us. The Infinite became an infant. The Eternal One became a little one.



Jesus didn’t stay in a crib in a manger. He grew up went to a cross and… laid down His life for us.

III. THE REASON FOR CHRISTMAS: JESUS CAME TO DIE- Jesus didn’t stay in a crib in a manger. He grew up went to a cross and voluntarily laid down His life for us. The Bible says He did it for two reasons: 1) To demonstrate God’s love (Romans 5:8); and to 2) To die for our sins - (I Peter 2:24). Somehow what He did 2000 years ago can make a difference in my life right now. I can be completely forgiven for everything I’ve ever done wrong or will ever do. That’s the reason for Christmas. The angels said, “For unto you this day is born a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”

IV. THE RESULT OF CHRISTMAS: JESUS IS LORD – He did not remain dead. He rose again! And the Father has given Him the place of top honor in the universe. He’s honored above all else – the highest place. Is He your Lord today? Celebrate Christmas worshiping, adoring, loving the Lord of all!

A CHRIST-CENTERED AND SPIRIT-FILLED CHRISTMAS TO ALL!





Weathermen reported that there will be 4 to 5 more typhoons that will hit our country before the year ends. Just as we’re still in the rehabilitation stage from Ondoy’s aftermath it seems the nation is yet to brace for another calamity. God forbid. I pray not. And as much as prayer can make a difference, there are things in this life that only God knows why they are allowed to happen. But as I was contemplating on this, with a burdened heart, I can’t help but think of the worst storm that will befall upon the earth…soon!



“Be silent before the Sovereign Lord, for the day of the Lord is near.” Zephaniah 1:7

I’m reminded of Rev.8:1, “When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.” It is right before the final series of judgment that is to come upon the earth. It is a strange, eerie, but awesome silence as if all of Heaven is holding its breath. It’s the lull before the storm. I believe that what they see at the opening of the 7th seal is so terrible, so horrendous, so incredibly frightening, that no one in heaven dares to breathe a word— like the silence in the courtroom, just before the verdict is read — it’s like the silence in the executioner’s chamber, just before he pulls the switch, or administers the lethal injection!

Zephaniah 1:7 “Be silent before the Sovereign Lord, for the day of the Lord is near.” Zechariah 2:13 - Be still before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.” And also, Habakkuk 2:20 – “But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.” At that point in the book of Revelation, judgment is about to come to the earth like never before. The storm is about to break in all of its fury, and the enormity of what is about to happen causes even God to pause!

Beloved, a great storm is coming…but in Christ you are safe in His hands, washed by His blood and surrounded by His mercy! When things are not going well, when you are down and discouraged, when you are overwhelmed with the pressures and pain of this life — take heart! In a flash…in the twinkling of an eye…in a moment…everything can change. So, the next time someone says “in a moment” – be reminded. That’s all it takes for everything to change.



To be ready is to simply trust Him each moment of your day, to seek to please Him and live godly lives… 2Pet.3:11-13

But in the meantime, what are we to do? We’re to be always ready! And to be ready is to simply trust Him each moment of your day; to seek to please Him and live godly lives (2Pet.3:11-13). 1Jn.3:3 – “Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” And we’re to help others get ready for Jesus’ return. How? By sharing the gospel. What about family members and friends who would be left behind? Are we doing the best we can to influence them to accept Christ as their personal Savior? Time is getting shorter. Look up, for your redemption draws near!





Sounds familiar? Facebookers see this all the time in their Facebook account. And there they write whatever is on their mind. Glad that there is still some control of what is only allowed to be written there. Can you imagine if everything that goes on in our mind is written there? If you’re honest, it’s not all pleasant. And so, speaking of the mind, don’t you know that the greatest conflict taking place in the world today is the battle for control of our minds? So much of the walk of the Christian comes down to our minds.

The greatest conflict taking place in the world today is the battle for control of our minds…

You see, what feeds our fears and anxieties are an unhealthy thinking. What intensifies our worries is having negative and bad thoughts. It’s in the mind where worries and fears find their nest. The battle is in the mind. Wrong thinking leads to wrong feelings and before long the heart and mind are pulled apart and we are strangled by worry and paralyzed by fear. Somebody wrote, “Sow a thought, reap an action. Sow an action, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny.”

The battle for any temptation in your life begins in your mind; regardless of what the temptation is, the battle begins in our mind. What we think about, we will eventually feel, and what we feel we will eventually act on. Beloved, pay attention to what you are thinking about. Don’t allow your mind to wander in all kinds of directions. Instead we are to think of whatever is “true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things (Phil.4:8)!

Here are 8 filters. Everything we hear & everything we see need to pass through them. And if it doesn’t make it through these 8 filters then it shouldn’t be in our mind & in our heart. These are guidelines for us to have good discernment in a world that is full of lies and impurities! There is so much garbage in this world. And the old saying “garbage in, garbage out” is true. So think about it.

We are commanded to have pure thoughts, to have minds focused on what pleases God…

Church, we are commanded to have pure thoughts, to have minds focused on what pleases God. The Christian life is to be marked by a holy mind-set – that leads to holy living. We of course do this through the Word of God, giving regular, focused attention to the Bible, opening our minds to its truths, wanting God to mold our thinking by His Word. We do this through fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ, building each other up. And through the working of His Holy Spirit in us!

So, WHAT’S ON YOR MIND?

We live in the generation of Information Overload. Have any question, a topic to research, a subject to study…just google it and boom…not one, not two, but hundreds of links for answers right before your eyes! And sometimes hours are spent just to get into all that! Now I wonder…how many followers of Christ spend time in their Bible reading it, meditating on it, studying it with the desire to apply it in their lives? I know one thing based on observation – there are many who are ignorant of the Scriptures. Just to give you an example of the Bible ignorance, here’s an excerpt from an article — in it contains real answers given on a Bible knowledge test — 





People who said they knew their Bible gave the following answers: 1) Noah’s wife was Joan of Ark; 2) Lot’s wife was a pillar of salt by the day and a ball of fire by night; 3) Moses went to the top of Mount Cyanide to get the Ten Commandments; 4) The seventh commandment is, “Thou shalt not admit adultery;” 5) Jesus was born because Mary had an immaculate contraption; 6) The people who followed Jesus were called decibels; 7) The epistles were the wives of the apostles; 8 ) Paul preached acrimony, which is another name for marriage; 9) David fought the Finklesteins, which is a race of people who lived in Bible times; 10) A Christian should have only one wife. This is called monotony!

I know it’s funny…but it’s serious at the same time! How can we expect to make a difference in this fallen, self-centered world when the very thing that can bring a change, God’s Word, is not known by those who claim to be followers of it? The members of a certain Chinese church used to have a saying, “No Bible - No Breakfast.” If we follow that motto, I wonder how many of us would go hungry!

For the unbelievers you cannot really expect them to have the right answers. But it is tragic when a person who calls himself a Christian is ignorant of the Word. Ignorance of the Word is ignorance of the Lord. Not knowing the God of the Word is an invitation for deception. And of course, it’s even more tragic when we claim we’re Christian, attend Bible studies and even occupy positions in church yet completely live lives that are opposite biblical teachings. We can know our doctrines, the Bible characters, know the Greek and the Hebrew, but if it’s not translated into daily living and becoming more like Jesus, it’s indeed a tragedy. In this situation, the opposite of biblical knowledge is not ignorance but simply disobedience!





So beloved, log off from Facebook, Myspace, Multiply, Twitter, etc…and be logged on to His Word! It’s a shame to have all the knowledge and infos the internet provides but so lacking and “niwang” about His life-giving and life-changing personal encounter with His UNCHANGING WORD!




The Old Gospel Song

It’s been raining hard, floods in some parts of Manila, classes and offices suspended at the time of this writing. And there I was missing my kids terribly, can’t wait to go home. It was a good time with my family though. Nice to minister and spend time with my Dad and Mom who are not getting any younger. Well your life may be in a storm right now and the flood waters are engulfing you. If you are, let me remind you that God has the whole world in His hands.” Remember the old gospel song? He’s got the wind, the rain, the tiny little baby, yes, even you and me in His hands.



He’s got the Middle East in His hands (that’s a relief, isn’t it?), not to mention North Korea and Iran…

His Sovereign Hands

How easy it is to forget that! And it isn’t limited to our geography or our culture, you know. He’s got the Middle East in His hands (that’s a relief, isn’t it?), not to mention North Korea and Iran, Cuba and India, Indonesia and Russia—all right there in the palms of His sovereign hands. And while we’re at it, He’s got our future, our children, our circumstances, our friends, and our foes in His hands … within His grasp … under His control. He’s there—in charge.



God Knows Your Ways …

But there are times when we find it really hard to believe that our circumstance is truly in His hands. Not only are the wind and the rain and the tiny little baby in His hands, but so are life’s minor interruptions as well as major calamities. In fact, would you believe they never leave His attention? There will be times we will need the reminder of the wise prophet named Isaiah, “Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me.” (Isaiah 49:16) In other words, God sees us exactly as we are … warts and all, needs and all. He sees everything. And how close does He view it? It’s in the palms of His hands. God knows your ways … and He knows them continually. That includes your responses, your experiences, your reactions, what you call your calamities, your dead ends, your so-called impossible situations.



He has inscribed you and me on His palms. Things aren’t out of control…

Unshockable

Not only does He have you and me, the wind and the rain, and the tiny little baby in His hands, He has yesterday’s failures. He has today’s challenges, He has tomorrow’s surprises right there in His hands. And not one of them causes God to gasp. Not one causes Him to react with surprise, “Ah! I never knew that.” Not one. He is unshockable, He is immutable.

He’s got the whole world in His hands. What’s more, He has inscribed you and me on His palms. Things aren’t out of control.

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” 1Timothy 4:12







This is the welcome letter the campers received from Glen and Abba Tantio, a young couple who are youth ministry leaders in Calvary Chapel Dumaguete.



LIVINGSTONES YOUTH MINISTRY OF CALVARY CHAPEL DUMAGUETE

WELCOMES YOU TO YOUTH CAMP 2009!

Dear Camper,



I want you to know from the start that we are so excited you are here! You may be here for the first time and not too sure what to expect. You may have come unwillingly, or you may have come before and are expecting more of  the same. Whatever it may be, God has brought you here for a purpose. He wants to speak to you. I encourage you to lay all your expectations aside and be open to whatever the Lord may want to do in and through you this week.

God desires that you would know Him not just as some spiritual force or creator but as a loving, caring Father who loves you so much that He sent His only Son Jesus to die for your sins. This intimacy is only possible through Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit.

My prayer is that through this Camp God would develop in you an unquenchable hunger and thirst for more of Him. I pray you will surrender your life to Him and allow Him to transform you by His awesome power.

We have an exciting week ahead of learning, worship, fun activities and building new friendships so don’t miss out by holding back. Let go and let God have His way! I promise…you will never be the same again!


In His Grip,







Glen and Abba Tantio

Congrats to Glen and Abba on the new addition to
their family! Zar is now a ‘Kuya’ to baby Selah…




Snapshots








Evening Lecture Sessions with Pastor Jo:

1. “In Speech”
2. “In Life”
3. “In Faith”
4. “In Love”
5. “Jesus the Ultimate Example”



*For more photos of the Youth Camp visit the Livingstones Youth Ministry at their multiply website: www.livingstonesministry.multiply.com





The Apostle Paul: “Rejected”
Based on Bill Britton’s classic; modified and expanded by Dean VanDruff. From Acts 17:11.com


MYSTERY BABYLON DENOMINATION
FOREIGN MISSIONS BOARD

To: Rev. Saul Paul
First Christian Church
Antioch, Syria



Dear Mr. Paul:

I have your application for missionary appointment before me, and will be as frank as possible concerning your qualifications as a foreign missionary. We have to be very careful in choosing our missionaries, and our Missions Board has reviewed your case thoroughly. We have decided that it would be unwise to send you to the foreign field for the following reasons:

1. It has come to our attention that you are doing secular work on the side. We do not feel that making tents and full time ministry go together very well. [1Th 2:9] It seems that you do not have enough experience in trusting the Lord for your income. You should make up your mind whether you want to preach or continue your profession.
   
2. Your previous actions have been very rash and unseemly for a minister. We learned that in a public meeting you opposed Dr. Simon Peter, an esteemed minister with a high reputation. [Ga 2:11-14] We also hear that you refused to compromise with other ministers such that a special council meeting had to be called in Jerusalem to prevent a serious split in the churches. [Ac 15:1-30] We frown on putting ideology before people. For your own good, I am enclosing a copy of Daius’ Carnegus book on “How to Win Jews and Influence Greeks.” [Ga 1:10, 1Th 2:4-6]
   
3. You have conflicted with mature Jewish brethren in nearly every city you have visited who simply want to encourage the converted Pagans to be properly circumcised. Mr. Paul, you must know that these men are our most learned sages with a deep sense of the roots and history of our faith. As well, and more importantly, these men control the synagogues you could be ministering in if you would simply tone down your dialog into a more friendly and respectful exchange. [Gal 5:2-12]
   
4. In checking back, we discovered your Christian education consisted of a three year course in Arabia. [Ga 1:15-20] We find that the Arabian school has not been approved by our accreditation board.
   
5. Further, you admit to being an unskilled public speaker. [2Co 10:10, 11:6] Paul, surely you must know that people expect fine elocution from men of God, and that as a denomination we stand for the highest levels of excellence in the pulpit. Yet instead of going to much-needed oratory classes you spend your time making tents instead. From your correspondence, you also appear to be spending a considerable amount of time writing letters to insignificant little “churches” that meet in homes. [Ac 28:3-6] Honestly now; do you really think that such misguided activities are what will lead to your success in the world of religion? We strongly suggest that you put down your tools and set aside your pen, and instead practice hand gestures, facial expressions, and voice modulation in front of a mirror for several hours a day until you come up to par.
   
6. It has come to the attention also that you often emphasize “the power of God” and “the gifts of the Spirit.” [1Co 2:3-5, 12:1-7] Also that you speak in tongues a great deal. [1Co 14:18] Surely you realize that such as this only drives off the better class of people, and attracts only the riff-raff. It would be better to tone down those more sensational forms of worship. You sound as though you are “off the deep end.” [1Co 3:18]
   
7. It has been proven to our satisfaction that you had hands laid on you at Antioch with prophecy going forth, [Ac 13:1-3] with none of the Apostles or Headquarters brethren present to conduct this ordination service in the prescribed manner.
   
8. We see here that you have a jail record in several places. [2Co 11:23-27] If this is true, it puts you in a bad light, for our denomination has always stood for a high standard of civic responsibility. I fear it would damage our reputation to have someone representing us that had served time in jails and prisons. Frankly, Mr. Paul, we seriously doubt you could have been innocent and the judge wrong in so many cases. It just doesn’t look right.
   
9. It seems that you are a troublemaker, Mr. Paul. Several business men of Ephesus have written us that you were the cause of severe loss of business to them and even stirred mob violence. You must learn to cultivate the friendship and influence of men such as these. [Ac 16:16-22]
   
10. We also have some details of a shameful “over the wall in a basket” episode at Damascus, [2Co 11:30-33] plus a stoning at Lystra, and several other violent actions taken against your ministry. [2Ti 3:11] Haven’t you ever suspected that conciliatory behavior and gentler words might gain you more friends?
    
11. We have learned through channels that following some trouble with a preacher on the island of Cyprus, you began to allow yourself to be known by the Gentile pronunciation of your name rather than the proper Hebrew. [Ac 13:4-11] Yet another conflict, and then a name change. This does not seem to us to be conduct becoming to the ministry.
    
12. You admitted in your application that in the past you neglected such needy fields as Bithynia, just because “the Spirit didn’t lead that way,” and that you undertook a hazardous journey on the strength of a dream you had at Troas. [Ac 16:6-10] Mr. Paul, surely you don’t expect us to go along with such flimsy and fantastic excuses for your seemingly purposeless wanderings.
    
13. Many times you did not stay long enough, in our opinion, to get a church properly established. You left your converts many times without even a pastor to guide them, and without setting the church in order in some good hierarchical denomination. [Ts 1:5]
    
14. We hear also from Troas that you preach too long, one sermon lasting almost twenty-four hours, even to the extent that a young man fell asleep and was seriously injured. [Ac 20:7-12] We understand that you claim to have restored his life and raised him from the dead by falling on him and embracing him. What nonsense! We need practical men in the ministry, Mr. Paul, not high strung emotional radicals. Our advice is for you to shorten your sermons considerably. We find that about twenty minutes is the longest a minister can hold the attention of his audience these days. Our motto is “Stand up, speak up, and shut up.”
    
15. It is reported from your home church that you could not get along with your fellow ministers; that John Mark — a commendable young man and nephew of one of our highest leaders — had to leave your party in the middle of a journey; and that you had a sharp quarrel with gentle, good natured Barnabas. [Ac 15:36-40] Now these men are well thought of in Jerusalem and we wonder why you are always having trouble with your fellow workers?
    
16. We have notarized affidavits from four very popular and influential preachers: Diotrephes, Demas, Hymenaeus, and Alexander; to the effect that it is impossible for them to cooperate with either you or your program. [1Ti 1:20]
    
17. From what we hear, you seem to think that you have some direct sanction from on-high, boasting about your revelations and that God has chosen you to reveal some “Mystery”. [Ep 3:3-4] Can’t you realize that any truth that is to be revealed would come through Headquarters to the recognized, established brethren, and that after it had been checked by our Procedure and Doctrine Committee that we would distribute it on to the field workers?
    
18. Finally, we hear that you claim to be an Apostle. We know nothing of this being passed upon by the proper authoritative channels and wonder how you could back that claim up, when the last Apostle was voted into office right here in Jerusalem. [Ac 1:26] Now that our denomination is firmly established, why do you imagine there would be any need for God to continue the Apostolic gifting?



As you see, Mr. Paul, we feel definitely after close scrutiny of your case, that you are undoubtedly the most unqualified applicant we have ever seen, and my advice for you is to find a church where you can work in harmony, and use your past education as perhaps a Sunday School teacher.

I hope I have prevented you from making a terrible mistake in your life.


Most sincerely yours,


J. Flavios Fluphehead, SECY









Don’t forget to thank God! And we really should…there are so many things that we should thank God for. But for a lot us we get caught up in the “Please God give me’s….”

Why don’t we start by thanking God for everyday things: breathing, walking, thinking, loving, existing…

How has God blessed your life?



“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord…” Psalm 92:1

“Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness.” Psalm 107:8-9

“Praise the LORD! Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD? Who can declare all His praise?” Psalm 106:1-2

“I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.” Psalm 69:30

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Some ways to thank and praise God!

• Do it with your mouth, not just your mind - Psalm 51:15, 63:5, 66:8, 66:17, 71:8, 15, 24, 105:2, 109:30, 119:171-172, 145:21

• Seek God, thirst for Him - Psalm 22:26, 42:2, 63:8, 105:4

• Thank God continuously - Psalm 71:6, 8, 14-15, 75:9, 79:13, 92:1-2, 115:18, 145:2

• Tell people about God’s wondrous works - Psalm 26:7, 96:3

• Thank and praise God in front of your brothers and sisters in the congregation, among many people- Psalm 22:22, 25, 26:12, 35:18, 68:26, 111:1, 116:19

• Among the unsaved of all nations, thank and praise God - Psalm 18:49, 57:9, 96:10, 108:3

• Praise God to the next and all generations - 79:13, 102:18, 145:4

• Sing praises to God, sing with understanding, and make it glorious - Psalm 7:17, 47:7, 66:2, 66:4, 9:2, 27:6, 28:7, 57:9, 61:8, 63:7, 68:4, 32, 69:30, 71:22-23, 92:1, 96:2, 101:1, 104:33, 105:2, 135:3, 146:2

• Even sing for joy in your bed -  Psalm 149:5

• Do it with all your heart - Psalm 9:1, 86:12, 111:1, 138:1

• Be glad and rejoice in God - Psalm 9:2

• Fear God, honor Him, glorify Him, revere Him - Psalm 22:23

• Love and respect God’s house - Psalm 26:8, 138:2

• Don’t sin, seek righteousness - Psalm 33:1

• Play musical instruments to praise God, and do it skillfully - Psalm 33:2-3, 43:4, 71:22, 92:3, 149:3, 150:3-5

• Shout for joy, rejoice - Psalm 33:3

• Be creative in your praise (write or sing God a NEW song, not always the same old one) - Psalm 33:3, 149:1

• Stand in awe of Him - Psalm 33:8

• Remember and praise God’s names - Psalm 44:8, 45:17, 54:6

• Lift up your hands to Him - Psalm 63:4

• Think about God at night - Psalm 63:6

• Encourage other to praise and thank God - Psalm 67:3-5

• Praise him with dancing - Psalm 150:3, 30:11, 149:3

(from:  ChristianAnswers.net)



Smile and have a blessed day with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!



• Cartoon from:  KevinFrank.net

Dear Reader,

If you have anything that we can use for “Things that Make You Smile and Think” and “Interesting Stuff”, please give us the link or email us your article at calvarychapel.dgt@gmail.com (this is the CCD email address exclusively for website matters), and we will post it here with the name of the contributor…We however, reserve the right to edit and choose which contributions will finally be published.

We would love to hear from you!

Thank you,

The CCD Bezalel Circle



Just the mention of it we wince. We don’t pray it comes to us but it does. Why is there pain? Why do well-meaning, God-loving followers of Christ suffer? C.S. Lewis had a great answer for that. “Why not?” he said. “They’re the only ones who can handle it.”

Suffering was interwoven into the life of Paul, and he knew the right way to handle it. In Acts 13-14, Paul suffered opposition and slander from the Jews in Antioch and Iconium. When they found him at Lystra, they stoned him, dragged him out of the city, and left him for dead. Paul was doing God’s will when this happened. It would have been very easy to question God’s love and God’s calling on his life. But how did Paul interpret these experiences?

Look at 2 Corinthians 1:8-9. “For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead.” Paul is saying, “Yes, it was bad, but it caused me to trust God as I never had before.”

Paul talks about his sufferings throughout 2 Corinthians, and he even boasts about it because of what it taught him. What do you do with pain? You shouldn’t apply some quick-fix, false theology to it: “I bind all pain and all suffering in Jesus’ name.” You should pray for an end to your pain, but you should also pray, “Let me not waste this time.” You should ask God, “What are you trying to teach me? What lesson should I be learning?”



For Paul, that lesson was summed up in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. The Lord told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” And Paul concluded that he would take pleasure in his infirmities, and in the persecutions he suffered. He knew that his true strength came from God: “when I am weak, then I am strong” (v. 10).

Are you in some kind of pain today? I pray that you and I would learn what God is trying to teach us, even in the midst of pain. And rest your heart in the fact that His grace is sufficient for you!

A colorful rainbow brings to light the interconnected nature of one of the world’s most familiar books.

The Bible’s 1,189 chapters are plotted along the horizontal axis at the bottom of the image, with each bar’s length determined by the number of verses.

The arcs above the graph show the 63,779 cross-references between each chapter.

“It almost looks like one monolithic volume,” said Carnegie Mellon’s Chris Harrison, who — along with Christoph Romhild of North Elbian Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hamburg, Germany — won an honorable mention for illustrations in the 2008 International Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge.



Additional Information:

• This diagram arose from a collaboration between a Carnegie-Mellon Ph.D student and a Lutheran pastor to create a grand map of Biblical cross-references: “We wanted something that honored and revealed the complexity of the data at every level –- as one leans in, smaller details should become visible. This ultimately led us to the multi-colored arc diagram… The bar graph that runs along the bottom represents all of the chapters in the Bible. Books alternate in color between white and light gray. The length of each bar denotes the number of verses in the chapter. Each of the 63,779 cross references found in the Bible is depicted by a single arc - the color corresponds to the distance between the two chapters, creating a rainbow-like effect.”

• “Although the Bible is made up of 66 individual book written by several different people, a scientific graph of the intersection of the content shows it to be so united that it appears to virtually be the work of one hand. Just another proof of the veracity of the Word.” - Ed Hodge

• Read the original post from the National Geographic.

• Check out the original image at Chris Harrison’s site.
  

Take a look and see why his promising career as a lifeguard did not flourish…
Smile and have a blessed day with our Lord and Savior!



Moses did not make it as a lifeguard, he failed! He also had his own share of run-ins on several very serious setbacks. Read the following post about how God gave Moses second chances. If you’re experiencing failures like Moses did, there too, is hope for you:

• God is the God of ordinary men who accomplish extraordinary things.

Dear Reader,

If you have anything that we can use for “Things that Make You Smile and Think”, please give us the link or email us at calvarychapel.dgt@gmail.com (this is the CCD email address exclusively for website matters), and we will post it here with the name of the contributor…We however,  reserve the right to edit and choose which contributions will finally be published.

We would love to hear from you!

Thank you,

The CCD Bezalel Circle

Have you ever wondered, “Where will I spend eternity?” God’s Word gives only two ultimate destinations for all humans. The first one is called hell and the Bible describes another ultimate destination called Heaven.

The question may at first make you smile…”“How will you spend eternity-Smoking or Non-smoking?” But seriously, think for a moment and ask yourself the question…



Non-Smoking or Smoking?

No, I’m not talking about evolution’s missing link…there’s no missing link - that’s why it’s still missing! Read on. God offers instruction, but then it’s our move. We must accept His instruction and apply it to our lives. Then, and only then, can we expect to cash in on the benefits of His instruction. So you see, application is the essential link between instruction and change.

Imagine, if you will, that you work for a company whose president found it necessary to travel out of the country and spend an extended period of time abroad. So he says to you and the other trusted employees, “Look, I’m going to leave. And while I’m gone, I want you to pay close attention to the business. You manage things while I’m away. I will write you regularly. When I do, I will instruct you in what you should do from now until I return from this trip.”

Everyone agrees. He leaves and stays gone for a couple of years. During that time he writes often, communicating his desires and concerns. Finally he returns. He walks up to the front door of the company and immediately discovers everything is in a mess — -weeds flourishing in the flower beds, windows broken across the front of the building, the lady at the front desk dozing, loud music roaring from several offices, two or three people engaged in horseplay in the back room. Instead of making a profit, the business has suffered a great loss.

Without hesitation he calls everyone together and with a frown asks, “What happened? Didn’t you get my letters?” You say, “Oh, yeah, sure. We got all your letters. We’ve even bound them in a book. And some of us have memorized them. In fact, we have ‘letter study’ every Sunday. You know, those were really great letters.” I think the president would then ask, “But what did you do about my instructions?” And, no doubt, the employees would respond, “Do? Well, nothing. But we read every one!”

In the very same way, God has sent us His instruction. He has preserved every word of it in a Book, the Bible. It’s all there, just as He communicated it to us. When He returns for His own, He is not going to ask us how much we memorized or how often we met for study. No, He will want to know, “What did you do about my instructions?” Be NOT hearers only but DOERS of the Word (Jam.1:22). What instructions from the Lord that you’ve not been doing? Do it now…and change will surely come.

If there’s one attitude families are guilty of more than any other when it comes to mothers, it’s presumption … taking them for granted … being nearly blind on occasion to the load moms carry. From a Mother’s Day Greeting card: “Forget the housework, Mom. It’s your day. Besides, you can always do double duty and catch up on Monday!”

Another one: On the front of the card was a beleaguered mother. Draped over her neck were three unmatched socks and at her feet was an enormous stack of unwashed clothes. On the stove was a hot skillet burning the food. A cold, stained coffee pot needed attention. The refrigerator door was ajar and milk had spilled in it. The dishes, naturally, looked like a homemade tower reaching out of the sink. Inside the card was scribbled: “Look, lady, nobody said it was gonna be a free ride!” But my favorite was a great big card that looked like a third-grader had printed it. On it was a little boy with a dirty face and torn pants pulling a wagonload of toys. On the front it read:“Mom, I remember the little prayer you used to say for me every day …” and inside, “God help you if you do that again!”

There’s an old song entitled “I Owe You.” In the song, a man is looking through his wallet and comes across a number of long-standing “I owe yous” to his mother … which he names one by one. Borrowing that idea, I suggest you who have been guilty of presumption unfold some of your own “I owe yous”. Consider the priceless value of the one woman who made your life possible—your mother. Think about her example, her support, her humor, her counsel, her humility, her hospitality, her insight, her patience, her sacrifices. Her faith. Her hope. Her love.

Somebody once said, “He is not poor who has had a godly mother.” Indebted, but not poor.



“If you don’t watch it, you’ll be planning lunch during the sermon (hahaha).”

Moms, on Mother’s Day Sunday we rise up and call you blessed. But knowing you, you’ll feel uneasy in the limelight. You’ll probably look for a place to hide. True servants are like that. If you don’t watch it, you’ll be planning lunch during the sermon (hahaha). But that would be a waste of time. Especially since you’re going to be taken out to lunch (which will add to our indebtedness!). But in all honesty, it won’t come anywhere near expressing our gratitude. So, live it up today. It’s all yours. My advice? Shake up the family for a change. Order your most favorite food and have an all-body massage!

THANK YOU MOMS! WE LOVE YOU! WE THANK GOD FOR YOU!