Christmas Gift Ideas

 Here we are in the heart of the Christmas season, and I really enjoy this festive time of year. One of the many things I enjoy about Christmas is giving people gifts. Sure, it is nice to receive presents, but there is something special about giving someone a gift that you took the time to either track down or make. It is a way to show someone you care about them, to express your affection in a unique way, and to bond.

 While exchanging gifts is a wonderful tradition, Christmas ultimately celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, the one and only Son of our Father in Heaven. So, let me ask you this, “Have you ever wondered what kind of gift you could give Jesus?” If not, then maybe I can help you with some Christmas gift ideas for Jesus. Here are just a few gift ideas.

·         Spend time with Him: Set aside some special time this season to really talk with Him in prayer.

·         Introduce someone to Jesus: Share the gift he gave to all who will receive it.

·         Forgive someone that you feel has wronged you: Start by praying for that person; you may find that your feelings towards them will change.

·         Seek forgiveness from someone you have wronged: Don’t just say you are sorry, instead seek ways to show the person you are genuinely remorseful.

·         Help a stranger: Remember the story about the good Samaritan.

·         Join a local church: If you are not a member, look for one to attend. Most churches would love to have you there.

·         Thank Jesus for his sacrifice and repent.

·         Volunteer with a local charity.

·         Worship God the Father.

These are just a few ideas and remember we do not know when Jesus was actually born. So, these are good things to do any time during the year.

I hope you have a merry Christmas this year.

Layman Ray

Standing for Peace, Unity, and Love

In 1983, I was stationed at Hahn Air Force Base in West Germany. At that time, East Germany was still part of the Soviet Bloc, but tensions had started to calm down. In fact, our biggest threats came from terrorists. We were all aware of the Baader-Meinhof Gang, also known as The Red Army, and their bombing attacks. Plus, in that same year 241 service men were killed by Hizballah terrorist in Beirut, Lebanon. The bombing sparked a strengthening of security on the bases.

 I mention all of that to give you a backdrop for a poem that I wrote during that time, which seems especially fitting as we face new threats and uncertainties.

 The Knight Rides

The knight rides through the dark,

Upon his sturdy steed.

Never straying from his course,

Destruction is his deed.

Soon his voice will sound like thunder,

And our world will shake.

His sword is swift, and with a flash

Many lives he’ll take.

He doesn’t care whom he kills,

Man, woman, or child,

And all the world will feel

As if we’ve been defiled.

The world will be burning,

With no one left to care.

Darkness will befall us,

With no one left to spare.

This evil knight keeps coming,

Astride his metal horse.

Is there no one to stop him,

And stray him from his course?

 So, that has been on my mind lately. Threats are escalating between the countries, and it seems like we may be on the verge of World War 3. Let us pray that will not happen. I do not believe most people want things to come to that. I would love to see a world where people support and love each other, instead of being dragged into conflict.

 As Christians, we need to set the example for the rest of the world. By uniting in support of others, praying for our leaders and for peace, we can show the world the true meaning of Christian love and compassion. Let us be like the good Samaritan, offering help to strangers without question. Though we may not be able to change everyone’s heart, we can start with our own actions.

Have a blessed day.

Layman Ray

Writer's Block

I keep seeing the cursor blinking on my blank screen. Every blink seems to be saying, “Writer’s Block.” I stare at my computer trying to figure out how I want to begin, and still nothing has come forth. I have also started typing multiple times just to hit the delete key and then stare at the blank screen once again.

As I look over at my bookshelf, I see the inspirational books of so many great Christian writers. There are books by C.S. Lewis, A.W. Tozer, Billy Graham, Charles Colson, Erwin Lutzer, Dr. David Jeremiah, Voddie T. Baucham Jr., R. Albert Mohler Jr., Greg Laurie, and so many others. Some authors may not be as well-known, yet they have written things that have brought me new insights that I cherish. I have read some of these books multiple times.

Of course, my shelves hold several Bibles. The one I have read the most has been The New International Version, a gift from my wife. I have read it several times. When I read it, I often discover something new that I have missed before. I can only explain these things as God revealing something new to me. We have an amazing God.

The Bible never ceases to amaze me with its rich history and intricate connections between books, which can only be described as divinely inspired. There are the prophecies that cannot be explained, except as a supernatural gift. Then there are the awe-inspiring words of Jesus that show his pure genius. Finally, the love and sacrifice of God leaves me in awe every single time.

Still, I sit here going through a mental block.

Maybe, just maybe, this writer’s block is a nudge from God to pause and reflect, to immerse myself deeper into His word.

If you find yourself staring at a blank screen, remember—you’re in good company. God’s revelations come in His time, and they’re always worth the wait.

Have a blessed day, Layman Ray

Christ Focused: The Communion Story

 

As a Deacon in my church, I’ve had the honor of helping serve communion.  These days, we use small, hourglass-shaped communion cups. One end holds a piece of bread, and the other holds grape juice. (Although, some older cups in our church might have turned to wine!)

Years ago, the Deacon’s would pass the plates of bread around and then serve little cups of juice. There is a science to this, as you do not want to spill grape juice on someone’s Sunday best. Blessedly that never happened. Afterwards, the Deacon’s would go to the front of the church, and the Pastor would serve them. He would explain what the elements represented, and the entire church would then eat the bread and drink the juice.

One Sunday, the other Deacons and I were lined up in front of the church, with our backs to the congregation. The Pastor approached each of us with the plate of bread in his hands, symbolizing Christ’s body. When he came to me, I picked up a piece of bread and brought my hands together in prayer as he continued to the next person.

The Pastor began to tell us that the bread represented the body of Christ, and he was telling us how Jesus had broken the bread during the Last Supper. As I stood there, the bread was between my left thumb and index finger, my right index finger twitched for no apparent reason. The twitch knocked the bread out from between my fingers. I watched in disbelief as it fell in slow motion to the floor.

There have been times in my life when the brain seems to kick into overdrive, with thoughts moving faster than seems possible. This was one of those moments. After a split second of shock, I started trying to figure out what to do. Should I ask for another piece, pretend to eat it, or pick up the bread from the floor?

I quickly decided I could not pretend to eat it. As a Christian I felt that would be a lie, especially while taking communion. I also did not want to ask for another piece. Communion bread is a Holy Sacrament. I was blessed to be partaking in that moment, and asking for another piece would imply that any piece of bread is fine. The piece of bread that had dropped represented Christ’s body broken for me.

So, I reached down, picked it up, gave a prayer of thanks, and at the appropriate moment, I ate it. It was important to me as a believer to partake in the meal in remembrance of Christ. I needed to push my petty concerns aside and focus on Christ. It was a humbling experience.

From time to time, things happen in our lives that make us reassess our focus. As long as we put Him and His desires first, we can be confident we’re moving in the right direction.

Have a blessed day.

Layman Ray

The Christmas Gift

 

Hello All,

I know Christmas is two months away, but I would like to share this poem with you.

Have a blessed day,

Layman Ray

 

The Christmas Gift

Wrapped so carefully was the present.

The package could touch a suffering heart.

Some men have seen this gift as insolent.

They cannot see the gift as a fresh start.

 

Some enjoy the idea of receiving,

But they do not want to see what’s inside.

Yes, they enjoy the pleasure of giving.

Still, from this present they prefer to hide.

 

Then there are those who unwrap the package.

They take the gift to save for themselves.

In truth, the gift was for every age.

This gift was given to all for free.

The gift of life completed on a tree.

The Christian What If Zone: Time Travel

 

We are about to embark on an adventure through the world of imagination, where random thoughts and mindful meanderings blend. We are going to travel through the electrical impulses firing in our brains to open the world of possibilities. We are about to step into “The Christian What If Zone.”

Ok, that may have been a little dramatic, but I wanted to lead into this by making the point that this will be an exercise of the imagination. So, please indulge me with this.

                Imagine, if you will, you are in your church sitting in one of the pews. You and several others are attending a prayer service. The pastor is leading the time and has just asked for everyone to pray for the people of the surrounding community, the lost, the lonely, those in need, and those who are hurting. You close your eyes.  The church is silent as you pray, but if you are honest your mind is wandering.

                After a few minutes, you start hearing people and cars. At first the noise seems very distant, but it gradually gets louder. You also notice the smell of exhaust and food cooking. Is that the smell of hot dogs? The impressions are faint that at first. It seems like your imagination is getting the best of you, but as they slowly become more intense you start to realize there is something happening around you. A car horn blares loudly close by. You open your eyes, and you are shocked to find that you are not sitting in the church any longer. You are now sitting outside on a bench in the middle of a large city. There beside you on the bench is a newspaper. It is the New York Post, and you notice one of the articles on the front page is about President Bush. You stand up and look around to figure out exactly where you are. Then you notice the two buildings standing before you. You quickly look at the date on the paper, September 10^th, 2001. You lift your eyes and see the Twin Towers standing before you.

                As you stand there looking, you watch people coming and going out of the building. They are going about their business, and they have no idea what is about to happen. They do not know that the buildings are going to be destroyed in a terrorist attack the next day. The attack will kill around three thousand people. They do not know, but you do. Watching the people going about their business your heart breaks for them. You cannot explain how you got here at this time, and you do not know how much time you have before you are pulled back into your own time. Still, you are here, and you know what is coming. So, here is the question. What would you do with the time you have? Take time to think about that.

I am using this to help us get the feeling of where we are as Christians. We cannot go back and save the people in the Twin Towers, although I wish we could, but we do find ourselves in a similar predicament. We know the future because we have the Bible. We know that God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, John 3:16.  We know that he did not send his Son here to condemn the world. Jesus was sent here to save the world. We have the knowledge of God’s love and the sacrifice on the cross that can save people from a terrible torment. Like the person in the “What If” story we do not know how much time we have before we are pulled out of here. We also know that time is short. We cannot just sit and do nothing. We must try. We must help bring as many people to safety and to home as we can. We must find that same urgency in our evangelism. Let us not waste a moment.  Reach out, share the hope, and be the light in someone’s life today.

Have a blessed day,

Layman Ray

Prayers:  Please pray for the lost in your community and around the world.  Start a discussion with those you know. I believe most people come to Christ because someone loved them enough to reach out to them.

Salvation's Path (allsoulscount.com) This is a link to All Souls Count’s web site. Feel free to print the All Souls Count article on salvation if you would like to share with someone you would like to reach.

To God be the Glory!

 

One day while I was visiting Goodwill, a thrift store in town, I came upon a plaque with the following prayer on it: 

Lord, may I make a difference in all I do, the words I say, and the actions I take.  Lord, may I glorify you, that you might be pleased with me.

Unfortunately, I do not know where this prayer originated. I tried to find it online to give credit to whomever wrote it, but I had no luck. This is a formidable prayer, and I keep it on the wall near the light switch. That way, I can see it every night before I turn out the lights.

For me, these are the words that I need and want to live by. I want my life to glorify God. Does it always do that? I honestly have to say that it does not, but that does not keep it from being my goal and my desire. Bringing glory to God, our Creator, is the very purpose of life, the universe, and everything.

Recently, a friend asked me, in a text, the following question: “What to God is of greater importance our service for Him or our love and devotion to Him?”

After some thought, here was my reply: “I believe the answer is both.  We glorify God by our actions that are based in love and devotion to Him. In Isaiah 1:11-17, God makes it clear that He does not want meaningless actions of worship. We are to love Him by loving others. This is why our serving is so important, but we must serve Him with fidelity and love.

I tend to think of Christians in the same way a loyal knight would serve a worthy king. In ALL we do, we do it in service of the King, and our dedication and purpose in life is to serve the King’s will for His glory.”

So, the prayer on the plaque is especially important to me. I can picture in my mind a knight swearing allegiance to his king with the words on the plaque, but I can also hear a Christian giving himself or herself to the great God Jehovah with these very words.

Have a blessed day,

Layman Ray

 

Prayer request:  Please pray for all of those impacted by hurricane Helene and for those who are reaching out to help them. If you can, both Samaritan’s Purse and Feed the Hunger are two great agencies that will be working to help those in need. You can find both organizations online.