A Birthday Celebration!

You are cordially invited to
A BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION!!!

Guest of Honor: Jesus Christ

Date: Every day. Traditionally, December 25 but He's always around, so the date is flexible....

Time: Whenever you're ready. (Please don't be late, though, or you'll miss out on all the fun!)

Place: In your heart.... He'll meet you there. (You'll hear Him knock.)

Attire: Come as you are... grubbies are okay.

He'll be washing our clothes anyway. He said something about new white robes and crowns for everyone who stays till the last.

Tickets: Admission is free. He's already paid for everyone... (He says you wouldn't have been able to afford it anyway... it cost Him everything He had. But you do need to accept the ticket!!

Refreshments: New wine, bread, and a far-out drink He calls "Living Water," followed by a supper that promises to be out of this world!

Gift Suggestions: ; Your life. He's one of those people who already has everything else. (He's very generous in return though. Just wait until you see what He has for you!)

Entertainment: Joy, Peace, Truth, Light, Life, Love, Real Happiness, Communion with God, Forgiveness, Miracles, Healing, Power, Eternity in Paradise, Contentment, and much more! (All "G" rated, so bring your family and friends.)
R.S.V.P. Very Important!

He must know ahead so He can reserve a spot for you at the table.

Also, He's keeping a list of His friends for future reference. He calls it the "Lamb's Book of Life."

Party being given by His Kids (that's us!!)!

Hope to see you there! For those of you whom I will see at the party!

How Bright Is Your Light Shining?

"For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" Matthew 5:20

Like a beam of light shining through the darkness, modern day followers of Jesus stand out and are visible for all the world to see. Our temptation is to allow our light to shine only for those inside our church, while ignoring people outside.

What we need to see is that as the salt of the earth and the light of the world, we live by a higher standard. Jesus warned his followers, "For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom to heaven."

Don't be misled. The scribes and Pharisees were the finest people of their day. They had all sorts of rules and regulations. How they loved to debate the fine points of the law. They lived their lives in strict observance of the Torah. They thought if they could live out their lives to the letter of the law they would be found right in God's sight. Jesus, though, pointed toward a higher law--the law of love. Here is where Jesus wants his disciple to shine. He wants us to "out-love" everybody on earth. Instead of consulting a rule book to determine our actions, Jesus wants his followers to act out of compassion. Jesus wants his followers to go beyond the religiosity of the scribes and Pharisees and truly become the "salt of the earth" and the "light of the world".

Heavenly Father, help us not to just survive, but to love as you loved us
By: Ron Newhouse