loveIn Christ Alone
In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand.
In Christ alone! – who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save:
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied –
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.
There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine –
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.
No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
‘Til He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand!
Stuart Townend & Keith Getty
Copyright © 2001 Kingsway’s Thankyou Music
To see a music video with this song go to:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcpLZgCwcEE&feature=related
The writing of the song…
“Townend and Getty both admit they are motivated by the idea of capturing biblical truth in songs and hymns that will not only cause people to express their worship in church, but will build them up in their Christian lives.
“…I’ve been amazed by the response to this song,” says Townend. “We’ve had some incredible e-mails about how people have been helped by the song through incredibly difficult circumstances…
One e-mail described how a U.S soldier serving in Iraq would pray through each verse of the song every day, and how the promises of God’s protection and grace helped to sustain him through the enormous pressures and dangers of life in a war zone…
Sometimes great melodies are let down by indifferent or clichéd words. It’s the writer’s job to dig deep into the meaning of Scripture and express in poetic and memorable ways the truth he or she finds there. Knowing the truth about God and who we are in Him is central to our lives as believers. Songs remain in the mind in a way sermons do not, so songwriters have an important role and a huge responsibility…
He continues, “The lyric [of this song] excites me because it places our hope, our assurance, our eternal destiny in the right place—on the solid foundation of Christ. I know in my own life I need reminding continually not to live by my feelings or my circumstances, but by the unchanging truth of the gospel.”
The full story can be found at http://www.crosswalk.com/1275127/
December 25th is the traditional anniversary of the birth of Christ, but most scholars are unsure about the true date for Christ's birth.
The decision to celebrate Christmas on December 25th was made sometime during the fourth century by church bishops in Rome. They had a specific reason for doing so. Having turned long ago from worshiping the one true God and creator of all things, many early cultures in the Roman empire had fallen into sun worship. Recognizing their dependence on the sun's yearly course in the heavens, they held feasts around the winter solstice in December when the days are shortest. As part of their festivals, they built bonfires to give the sun god strength and bring him back to life again. When it became apparent that the days were growing longer, there would be great rejoicing.
The church leaders in Rome decided to celebrate Christ's birth during the winter solstice in an attempt to Christianize these popular pagan celebrations. For the most part their efforts failed to make the people conform, and the heathen festivities continued. Today we find ourselves left with a bizarre marriage of pagan and Christian elements that characterizes our modern celebration of Christmas.
Regardless of the pagan background of so many December traditions, and whether or not Jesus was born on December 25th, our goal is still to turn the eyes of all men upon the true Creator and Christ of Christmas. The light of the world has come. And the Christmas season and celebration presents the church with a wonderful opportunity to preach the good news--that men can be made righteous and have peace with God through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.
Should Christians celebrate Christmas?
Scripture doesn't specifically command believers to celebrate Christmas--there are no prescribed "Holy Days" the church must observe. In fact, Christmas was not observed as a holiday until well after the biblical era. It wasn't until the mid-fifth century that Christmas received any official recognition.
We believe celebrating Christmas is not a question of right or wrong since Romans 14:5-6 provides us with the liberty to decide whether or not to observe special days:
One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks (Rom. 14: 5-6).
According to these verses, a Christian can rightfully set aside any day--including Christmas--as a day for the Lord. We believe Christmas affords believers with a great opportunity to exalt Jesus Christ.
First, the Christmas season reminds us of the great truths of the Incarnation. Remembering important truths about Christ and the gospel is a prevalent New Testament theme (1 Corinthians 11:25; 2 Peter 1:12-15; 2 Thessalonians 2:5). Truth needs repetition because we so easily forget it. So we should celebrate Christmas to remember the birth of Christ and to marvel over the mystery of the Incarnation.
Christmas can also be a time for reverent worship. The shepherds glorified and praised God for the birth of Jesus the Messiah. They rejoiced when the angels proclaimed that in Bethlehem was born a Savior, Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11). The babe laid in the manger that day is our Savior, the "Lord of lords and King of kings" (Matthew 1:21; Revelation 17:14).
Finally, people tend to be more open to the gospel during the Christmas holidays. We should take advantage of that openness to witness to them of the saving grace of God through Jesus Christ. Christmas is chiefly about the promised Messiah who came to save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). The holiday provides us with a wonderful opportunity to share this truth.
Although our society has muddied the message of Christmas through consumerism, myths and empty traditions, we should not let these distract us from appreciating the real meaning of Christmas. Let us take advantage of this opportunity to remember Him, worship Him and faithfully witness of Him.
Pastor John MacArthur
A Response to Threat
"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 the arrow that flieth by day." (Psalm 91:4-5)
On this day we remember the unprovoked attack on America by Muslim terrorists. Despite attempts to make the country more secure, the threat remains scarcely abated today. What should the Christian's response be? In our text above, we see that we have no cause for fear. The physical danger may be real, but our Lord promises protection in tender words likened to a mother bird's care for her young. Our ultimate deliverance is guaranteed by His sure promises. Trust in His power and truth sustains us as surely as would a shield and buckler.
Our hope cannot ultimately rest in mere military might. God does not promise temporal safety to all, for there have been millions who have succumbed to undeserved violence. Our last hope is of a different order, firmly grounded in "the LORD, which is my refuge" (v. 9). He responds to our trust and worship with the promise "With long |better translated as 'eternal'| life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation" (v. 16). Much more interested in our response to troubles than in our deliverance, He desires us to believe and serve Him, all the while trusting Him, even in perilous times.
A New Testament application of this principal can be found in 1 Peter 3:14: "if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled." The remedy? "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear" (1 Peter 3:15).
The Lord Jesus Christ is Himself our example and inspiration. "For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds" (Hebrews 12:3). Fixing our eyes upon Him, we have no cause for fear. JDM
INSTITUTE FOR CREATION RESEARCH
www.icr.org
September 11, 2008 
Good News: Student-Led Graduation Prayers are A-OK
Family News in Focus Campaign helps teens and faculty recognize their First Amendment rights.
Every year about this time, the American Civil Liberties Union and others threaten to bring lawsuits against any school that allows students to share their faith or pray at graduation. The Liberty Counsel has launched the Friend or Foe campaign to help students and faculty recognize their rights and responsibilities. “The campaign is designed to educate and, if necessary, to litigate to make sure that prayer and religious viewpoints are not censored," said Mat Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel. The ground rules are simple: Any prayer that is student-initiated and student-led is perfectly legal. Bruce Hausknecht, judicial analyst for Focus on the Family Action, said every case that goes through the courts only adds to the confusion. Educational campaigns like Friend or Foe are needed to clear things up, he said. FOR MORE INFORMATION Visit the Liberty Counsel Web site.
Students Encouraged to Stand Strong on Day of Truth
On Monday, students from across the country will stand together on the fourth annual Day of Truth to support honest discussions about homosexuality.
The event comes three days after GLSEN's (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) Day of Silence, which disrupts class by encouraging students to remain silent throughout the day in honor of homosexual people who feel silenced.
Mike Ensley, youth analyst for Exodus International, said the Day of Truth is about opening dialogue.
“I would encourage Christian students to brainstorm what they want to do, how they want to respond,” he said. “It’s not about being adversarial to the gay-identified students or organizations on campus. It’s about helping people understand what their attitude really is towards their fellow students.”
Students are asked to pass out cards after class and wear T-shirts that encourage honest conversation about homosexuality.
Douglas Napier, senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, said Christian students should not be silent.
“We’d like Christian students everywhere to understand that they have the same constitutional amendments and constitutional privileges as every other student," he said. "Their viewpoint should be accepted in the schools, like any other student's.
"The First Amendment protects their right to speak out on this, and we want to encourage Christian students to be salt and light and to speak the truth.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION
http://www.citizenlink.org/FOSI/education/gais/A000002768.cfm
