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On the morning of January 8, 2007, my wife and I drove to an adoption agency. We left that agency with this young man in the backseat.

A.J.: eleven days old.

On December 28, 2009, my son turned 3 years old.

My son is my wife’s son.

And, he is Emilsa’s son. Emilsa gave birth to A.J.

And, thanks to her… and thanks to her decision to choose life, my wife and I have been given the amazing blessing of raising this beautiful child.

Can you imagine what the world would be like without this beautiful face in it… without this beautiful moment that I captured between mother and son?

Thank you, Emilsa. Thank you, God.

YouTube Christian Collab II Update: We have raised $210.95 for poconoprc.org as of this update. Won’t you join us?

With worship music, I can deal with bad singing. I can deal with bad playing. I can deal with bad arrangements. I can deal with bad choices in music.

“Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm. With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King.” Psalms 98:4-6, KJV

What is annoying, however, is when someone uses secular music and fails to correct the language so that worship turns into something else entirely.

Case in point: a YouTube ministry that works at a truck stop and preaches the same thing every week with what appears to be the same two “worship” songs: I Never Promised You A Rose Garden (sung to remind us all that Jesus never promised us a rose garden – presumably on earth because he did promise us a mansion in heaven… maybe without a rose garden, but I digress) and Let Me Be There.

Let Me Be There, a staple of Elvis Presley among others, has this lyric:

Let me take you to that wonderland that only two can share… all I ask you is let me be there

Aside from the potential sexual reference (credit to my friend Mackie from Scotland), this line seems to reference heaven (“wonderland”) as being available only for “two.”

Bad theology.

So, I pointed this out in a roundabout way that I knew would get back to this particular individual. And, I got an explanation.

It seems that to this worship leader, this reference is “all about relationship.” Everyone has a different relationship with Jesus. So, therefore, Jesus is taking all Christians to a wonderland/relationship that is limited to two because each relationship is different from any other.

Okay.

It is a solid attempt at an explanation. I can’t say that I disagree with that premise (not certain I agree with it, either), but I think it is a major stretch to tie the word “wonderland” with the word “relationship.”

Forgetting this, this worship leader happens to be among the Pharisaical Christians on YouTube who make it a part of their “ministry” to publicly discredit and defame me and my relationship with Christ.

So, it seems that this whole concept doesn’t even work with THEIR theology because they believe MY relationship with Christ should be exactly like theirs (same political worldview, same manner of Gospel preaching, same opinions), or the relationship is “fake.”

Confused? Me, too.

Moral of the story: don’t use, in your worship services, secular music that clearly was never intended to reference God.

Or, at the very least – as I suggested to this sister in Christ in this case – change the word “two” to “few.”

Let me take you to that wonderland that only few can share

That’s (a bit) better. Better yet, don’t try to pretend you’re talking the words of Jesus with secular lyrics in your worship. Sing praises to God.

Otherwise, it starts to look a lot about you.

YouTube Christian Collab II Update: We have raised $210.95 for poconoprc.org as of this update. Won’t you join us?

Kevin Lienhard is 19-years old. I’m 40. I’m old enough to be his Dad. But, God has put us together to write relevant worship songs for His glory. And, it is awesome.

As I was helping to put lyrics to Kevin’s beautiful music once again, he told me of a brief encounter with a woman at the supermarket he worked at last summer.

She was a “cat-lady” type who would talk to herself and pretty much scare folks such that she would walk around talking to herself and everyone would do their best to avoid her.

Well, one day, Kevin felt led to just listen to this lady. So, he answered the call. He listened. She described how she had recently lost her husband and her mother, and she essentially had nothing and nobody.

Something she said resonated with Kevin, reminding him of one of his songs (“Home”) from his recent CD. So, he made a simple offer: “I’m going to give you a copy of my CD,” he told her, thinking it could help.

And, he was right.

She still emails with Kevin and credits him with saving her life… with a simple answer to God’s call to just listen and be there for somebody in need.

And, it was this moment that prompted these lyrics during our songwriting session:

There are people in the world who feel they have nothing
When it seems like the world is holding them down.
And no one is listening, and no one is helping
When a moment of caring could bring them around.

We are nothing without You.
We are ready to serve you today.

Are you ready?

YouTube Christian Collab II Update: We have raised $181.57 for poconoprc.org as of this update. Won’t you join us?

The YouTube Christian Community’s own Pastor George (pastorgeorgec) has issued a video challenge… join us!

YouTube Christian Collab II Update: We have raised $171.57 for poconoprc.org as of this update. Won’t you join us?

YouTube Christian Collab II Update: We have raised $152.18 for poconoprc.org as of this update. Won’t you join us?

I am directly ripping most of these thoughts from my Pastor, but I am passing them on to you as I feel led to this morning. Maybe it is something that needs to be said to someone. Maybe this is a reminder for me.

Imagine following a man who claims to be the Son of God. And, you watch him in many places doing amazing things like turning water into wine, healing the sick, raising the dead.

Then, an even BIGGER thing happens.

One day, you see this guy, who you are following, transform. The appearance of his face changes and his clothes become as bright as a flash of lightning… and, all of the sudden, he is chatting with well-known and long-since dead Moses and Elijah.

Whoa.

Shortly after, you go out again and watch as your master heals a boy with an evil spirit. And, when that is done, and everyone – including yourself – is marveling at the event, your master whispers to you and your fellow followers: “Listen, the Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men.”

Whoa, again.

Your master, who clearly is doing things that only God could do, is telling you that he is in peril. What do you do?

I like to think that I would ask my master what this meant. I would want to strategize and plan for ways to protect my master from this danger. No way is my master going to get taken! I would be like Mel Gibson as William Wallace, on horseback, cheering on my brethren in our quest to protect our master: “Gentlepeople! We are not letting our master get betrayed into the hands of men!”

Yeah, right.

What did the Apostles immediately do, according to Luke 9?

It says that “they were afraid to ask [Jesus] about it.”

They were not too afraid, unfortunately, to start arguing about who was going to REPLACE their master.

An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all—he is the greatest.”

So, their focus on their master’s announcement that he was in danger was to figure out who could be leader when the master was gone. Greed to the highest extreme.

And, then, extreme arrogance – the kind of extreme arrogance that we see in a lot of places – even here on the Internet.

“Master,” said John, “we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us.”

“Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you.”

We see this kind of thing everyday among different denominations of Christians. “Such and such isn’t saved because she does this. Such and such isn’t saved because he listens to Joel Osteen. Such and such isn’t saved because he voted for Obama. Such and such isn’t saved because she doesn’t speak in tongues.”

“Whoever is not against you is for you.”

The Word for today: As Christians, we need to focus on helping others, and not ourselves. We must focus on loving others and not spending our limited time here on earth pointing fingers… unless we are pointing the way to our Master.

Thank you, Lord, for this holiday message! Amen.

YouTube Christian Collab II Update: We have raised $152.18 for poconoprc.org as of this update. Won’t you join us?

Yesterday afternoon, I was heading out to meet my wife and son for lunch after I had gotten our car an oil change. We were meeting for lunch right next to a Target, where I planned to find a birthday present for my Dad.

As I was stopped at a red light at the off-ramp, I saw a destitute-looking woman with hard lines on her face, some three cars ahead of me, on the side of the road. She was holding a sign that read “Please help. Homeless.”

I did the sizing-up thing in my head that we folks (even if good-intentioned) do when we see people in this predicament. Things like: “If I give her money, she’s just going to use it to get her next fix.” Or, “do I have to give her booze money?” Or, “she’s probably not even homeless.”

And, as these things were running through my head, I felt God calling on me to give her money. So, I widdled in my wallet, and I saw a dollar bill. Then, five dollar bills. And, I started to sort the five dollar bills, when I heard in my head “give her a $20.”

I thought: “What? This could go to lunch!”

“Give her the $20.”

“But…”

“Give her the $20.”

So, I did. I gave her the $20, looked at her in the eyes, and I said “God bless you.” As she noticed the amount, I heard her shout “Thank God!” And, I felt good about myself. Yes, all about me, right?

Nope.

Shortly after, I entered the Target, and I was feeling so good about myself that I said to God “if someone in here needs help, I’m ready, Lord.”

I headed to the electronics/music section looking for something “Beatles,” but I couldn’t find anything… so, I looked at a FLIP HD camera, and I saw one that was decent for $149.99.

I had to ask the cashier to unlock the door to get a camera for me, so I said: “I’d like the FLIP camera.”

“The one for $149.99?” he asked.

“Yes.”

So, he unlocked the cabinet, got the camera, and we headed to the cash register to pay.

And, it was right here where God gave me a strong message… it wasn’t me that needed to help anybody. It was God needing to show me some of His awesomeness.

“Oh,” said the cashier, looking surprised. “Looks like this item is now $20 off.”

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it., Malachi 3:10

Apparently, *I* was the one who needed some biblical help, and God – in His infinite mercy – provided.

YouTube Christian Collab II Update: We have raised $132.19 for poconoprc.org as of this update. Won’t you join us?

I will admit it right off the bat. I am not a big fan of the “warfare” analogies that are used among Christian circles. I made a previous video on this issue of “spiritual warfare” between God and satan a few months ago, and my point was simple: why make such a big deal about this “war” between good and evil when we already know how the story ends?

God wins.

As we know the words of the Bible, and we know how the story ends, I feel that wrapping our minds around this “big fight” is a waste of time – EXCEPT to remind ourselves that we are at risk if we don’t stay on the right side.

Worrying about satan beating God is like having watched Star Wars Episodes 4, 5, and 6, and then starting at Star Wars Episode 1 with worry about the future of the Jedi.

So, do we “put on the full armor of God” as Paul says in Ephesians 6:11? Of course we do. But, what is the context of this? The Bible says that God wins, but just because God wins doesn’t mean WE win. WE have to stay on His side. And, we must stay armored to protect ourselves with the help of God.

Now, this all being said, I came across an article on CNN this morning that addresses a “War on Christmas.” Do I think there is a “war” to lessen the intensity, if you will, of the Christmas season?

Of course.

But, you know what? It comes from ALL camps. I have many Christian brothers and sisters who actually want the same thing. No Santa Claus. No Christmas trees. No mistletoe. No wreaths. No Yule log.

And, I get this.

EXHIBIT A. I was startled a week or so ago by a facebook status from one of my Non-Christian, Jewish friends which said this:

[Name removed] has finally reached my annoyance peak: Is it really necessary for my kids to be in school to do nothing but Santa Claus art for two weeks? Sorry, but last time I checked, our country still had the value of separation of church and state. I don’t want to hear that Santa is not a religious symbol . . . he’s not bringing MY kids gifts for Hanukkah, so it MUST be a Christmas thing.

I want to be clear that I don’t advocate for Santa Claus to leave the season. I think Santa is fun. I remember Santa being very fun as a secular Jew in a mostly secular Jewish family that celebrated the season with a Christmas tree and gifts under the tree every December 25th. And, my son – almost three years old – is very familiar with Santa Claus already from what he has seen in popular culture.

That cat is out of the bag, and remembering the fun we had with it as children, Marie and I are not curtailing the Santa myth one bit.

HOWEVER – and a big however – when our Jewish, non-believing friends tie Christianity with Santa Claus, then I submit that every Christian should put on the armor of God on ourselves and upon our immediate families, so that our Christmases are always Christ-centered.

So, while Santa is an element of The Reed Family Christmas season… as is the Christmas tree… and the wreath… and presents under the tree… and the yule log gas fireplace, we are stressing to young A.J. that JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON.

If Christian families focus more here and focus less on preserving the accoutrements of the secular Christmas season in their households, then I think that the diversion that “the evil one” wants to create between Jesus Christ and Santa Claus is diminished.

Still, I must confess that I feel the accoutrements are an important element of the season, and I would like to preserve them in the secular world.

Why?

As a non-believer for 36 Christmases, I always felt “something in the air” just as Thanksgiving ended. It always felt like the world was changing for the better. It was a palpable feeling… something you could smell, taste, hear, feel.

And, when I came to faith and celebrated my first Christmas as a Christian, I felt that feeling… but 1,000 times stronger. It was during my first Christmas Eve mass as a Christian that I realized the source of that palpable feeling:

That feeling is God. It is God’s happiness that during this season, the world is reminded that a Savior for all was born.

So, while I think that God would prefer that God bless and Santa B. less, I think that He is pleased that even the secular Christmas focuses the secular world – even if for a brief period of the year – on giving, sharing, loving, renewing.

God is love. And, if the secular Christmas is about love, it is alright by me.

Best of all, the secular Christmas provides Christians with many opportunities to spread the Gospel to our non-believing friends. And, this includes our actions. If we direct efforts to curtail the accoutrements of the secular Christmas, I think we end up looking more like Ebenezer Scrooge than a disciple of Jesus Christ.

That is not a good thing.

YouTube Christian Collab II Update: We have raised $103.99 for poconoprc.org as of this update. Won’t you join us?

See the video update, below!

Last month, it took only 48 hours for Christian blogger Jon Acuff to raise $30,000 to build a kindergarten in Vietnam. He had anticipated that it would take a month and a half, if it would happen at all.

It is a month later, and his blog has already raised enough for ANOTHER kindergarten. That’s $60,000… for children in a country that you can bet 95% of the contributors have never been to and likely never will.

Yesterday, the YouTube Christian Collaboration II received donations from a person in the Philippines and a person in the Netherlands. The fellow in the Philippines happens to be my wife’s cousin, so I know for a fact that he has never set foot in the Poconos of Pennsylvania. I imagine the same is true for Ms. Netherlands.

Yet, these small gestures of $9.99 worth of kindness will help to move mountains. With a click of a mouse, they have helped to save a life of an unborn child some thousands and thousands of miles away from their computer screens.

I have a big smile on my face writing this, thinking about what an amazing experience it had been to be a part of Jon Acuff’s project… and what an amazing feeling it is to galvanize with fellow believers in this case for God’s glory. No finger pointing. No personal attacks. Just a few Christian folks moving His feet and His hands and His love.

I wonder how the original apostles and disciples would react to see how “the body of Christ” can communicate together in today’s world. In their day, the “body” was very much limited in such a way that the right hand would have no idea what the left was doing… or, at least, it would take a long time for each hand to know what was going on.

Today, we are blessed with the ability to help those in need, thousands and thousands of miles away, in a matter of seconds. We can share testimonies and witness to people we have never met in person. We can share the Gospel with total strangers who we only know as bits and bytes on a computer screen. We can share Christ’s love without a word coming out of our mouths.

Glorious.

YouTube Christian Collab II Update: We have raised $47.59 for poconoprc.org as of this update. Won’t you join us?

I have been on YouTube for about three-and-a-half years now… almost exactly the amount of time that I have been a Christian.

On YouTube, in particular in the last two years, I have had my eyes open to denominationalism, division, and finger-pointing among the brethren. It is very sad.

When I was extremely new in the faith, this was mostly invisible to me. I long to be back in those days… those days when I first read the Bible with “eyes that could see.” These were the days when I first read the details of the Pharisees, the Pharisee mindset, and the tragedy of this mindset. Yet, such a mindset is prolific among circles of those who profess to know Christ – especially on YouTube.

I read through portions of Acts 15 yesterday, and it stuck with me for most of the day… and still stuck with me this morning.

Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.”, Acts 15:5

These Pharisees were teaching, among other things, that “unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” Acts 15:1.

On YouTube, I have been accused of not being saved for a plethora of reasons from those in the brethren with the “Pharisettical” mindset. These include: voting for Obama, not wanting a repeal of Roe v. Wade, being a registered Democrat, being a fan of Dan Brown novels, and enjoying the Harry Potter series.

After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?, Acts 15:7-10

It was this mentality among some YouTubers that prompted this video, attempting to look at the problem comedically.

Hope you can get a laugh from that. Let’s continue to pray for those with the Pharisee mindset!

Have a blessed day!