ReDream

As we close out the year I think it's good to look back at the past year and recall your victories and accomplishments over the past 12 months. If you are like me I enjoy remembering my past successes but I don't always enjoy looking at what I failed to accomplish. However, sometimes it's good to look at both your successes and failures and learn from them.

While there were a lot of positive things this past year, everything I desired and dreamed of accomplishing did not come to past. Am I discouraged? No I'm not. Why? Because I have learned to redream when all of my dreams haven't become a reality yet. My challenge to everyone who reads this post is simply this, REDREAM.

Dreams are the substance of all accomplishment. Nothing great has ever been accomplished without a true heart-felt dream. It has been rightly said, “The world belongs to the dreamer.”

A dream is a vision of the future God desires for you. God desires to give you a future of peace, success, and purpose. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

A dream is a mental picture of who you will become and what you will accomplish. It is a picture of how things can be not how they presently are.

Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” One translation says, “Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint.”

A dream from God becomes a magnificent obsession when you accept it and pursue it with all your heart.

• When the future looks dark and bleak, it’s time to re-dream.
• When the circumstances of life have bogged you down, it’s time to re-dream.
• When you’ve fallen on your face and can’t seem to get up, it’s time to re-dream.
• When you’ve tried and failed, it’s time to re-dream.
• When others say you’re finished, it’s time to re-dream.
• When everything around you is falling apart, it’s time to re-dream.
• When you’ve lost everything you own, it’s time to re-dream.
• When the going is tough and you feel like giving up, it’s time to re-dream.

The War on Christmas

As Christians today is the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. I just read a post by a friend of mine, Don Enevoldson. It is an eye opening thought provoking piece about Christmas and all the hoopla surrounding it in our society today. Thought you might enjoy it. Keep an open mind and gain a new perspective about Christmas.

The War on Christmas

Christmas, contrary to popular belief, is a relatively recent holiday. The birth of Jesus has been celebrated for a long time, of course, though not as universally as most modern Christians suppose. The early Protestants preached that it was a pagan celebration and completely inappropriate for followers of Jesus. Even as recently as the American Revolution, most Americans did not celebrate Christmas.

The holiday gained popularity in America in the early 1800s, interestingly at the same time as a great spiritual awakening that swept the nation. Christmas was established as a federal holiday only in 1870, motivated by a desire to find some means for bringing unity to a nation ravaged by the divisiveness of the Civil War.

It is ironic that an American holiday instituted to bring unity should be so controversial today. Opponents to the Gospel want to purge every reference to Christianity from this season. Christians proclaim that Jesus is the reason for the season.

I’ve heard more controversy on this subject this year than I can remember at any time in the past. It has prompted a few random thoughts on the holidays:

• When I say “Happy holidays,” I mean: “Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy New Year.” I haven’t left Christmas out. I’ve just included the others.

• When someone says to me, “Happy holidays,” I choose to take it the same way I mean it when I say it.

• When I see “Xmas,” I read it as an abbreviation. I do not read the “X” as something intended to replace “Christ.” Rather the Greek word for Christ is Christos. The “Ch” is the Greek letter chi, which looks like an English “X.” Constantine used the “X” as a symbol of Christ. I choose to read “Xmas” as an abbreviation consistent with early Christian symbolism. I choose not to be offended by it.

• I acknowledge that the anti-Christmas people are generally right when they point out that a significant portion of Christmas traditions are from pagan origins. Feasting and the giving of presents was a part of the Saturnalia celebrations of ancient Rome. Yule logs came from northern Europe. Even the choice of December 25 was motivated by the fact that a pagan holiday was already celebrated on that day. We took a lot from the pagans. (The Christmas tree appears to be an exception.) Most of the early Christians did not observe Christmas. Origen wrote in the third century that only sinners like Herod and Pharaoh celebrated birthdays. He, like most believers in the first couple of centuries of the church thought it would be pointless to make a big deal over Christ’s birth, because they saw such celebrations as pagan, and besides, they anticipated Jesus returning any time anyway. Why spend time commemorating the past when they could look to the future with such great hope?

So, as we celebrate the birth of the world’s savior, it occurs to me that perhaps the early Christians had a good idea. Rather than participate in the confrontation, throwing the name “Christmas” in the face of those who do not believe in Christ in order to win an argument, let us remember that our mission is not to keep Christ in Christmas; it is to infuse Christ in everything, anticipating his immanent return. Look to the future more than the past. Let us celebrate the real reason for the birth, which was the cross, the resurrection and the return. Without those events, the birth is meaningless.

From Christina and from me, to all of our friends, Happy Holidays, by which I mean, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May we celebrate our anticipation of a year filled with impartation of the life of Christ, who came to this world to set us free.

Don Enevoldsen

Fear Not

In times of uncertainty it is important that we be reminded that as believers we have no need to be afraid or filled with fear. God has promised in His Word to take care of us, to protect us, to heal us, to provide for us, and to watch over us.

The word fear is defined as “A feeling of agitation and anxiety caused by the presence or imminence of danger. A state or condition marked by this feeling. A feeling of disquiet or apprehension. A reason for dread or apprehension.” Someone has said that FEAR is “False Evidence Appearing Real!” I couldn’t agree more. The vast majority of time the fears we have are unfounded and never even become a reality in our lives. Fear is nothing more than a smoke screen from the enemy (satan) to try to shake our confidence in God and cause us to lose our focus and our momentum.

Here are some of my favorite scriptures regarding God’s instruction for us to not be controlled by fear.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. (Psalm 23:4,5)

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. (Psalm 27:1-3)

He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. (Psalm 91:4-7)

Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken. (Proverbs 3:25,26)

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. (Romans 8:15)

“6 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:6-9)