Christmas Woes

I've been up late on-line shopping. Or I should say, on-line searching. I made a list of great gift ideas for my hard-to-please teenagers and my dear husband (who has everything) and thought I'd just go on-line and find everything I need. Click-click goes the mouse and my shopping is conveniently delivered to my doorstep. I even decided on our Christmas cards.

But as the very old Hee-Haw song goes, "If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all..."

I have all these great ideas for shirts, hoodies, coffee mugs and Christmas cards stuck in my head and NOBODY is making what I have invisioned! Nobody.

The only thing I bought was stamps from USPS.com.

I'm starting to think the Puritans were right -- let's make Christmas illegal.

Bah-humbug. And good night.

Merry...Happy...Season's Greetings?

I was put on hold earlier today. The "hold music" went like this:

Just hear those sleigh bells jingle-ing
Ring ting tingle-ing too
Come on, it's lovely weather
For a sleigh ride together with you...

It's been rattling around in my head ever since. I even caught myself whistling it while working on the laundry pile. Ugh -- too soon!

But then I got to wondering...what do the "x-mess" folks say when someone wishes them a Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays or whatever? Hmmmm?

Salute to Legalism Part 2

Though technically not given as steps to salvation, the introductory "Dear Reader" letter at Jesus-Is-Lord is a "to-do" list for Christians. I number them as:

1. Find Christ.
2. Leave the internet alone.
3. Leave the television alone.
4. Read the Authorized King James Bible.
5. Obey the Authorized King James Bible.
6. Ask God to show you the old paths.
7. Look for the old ways.
8. Fathers work.
9. Mothers cook.
10. Mothers clean.
11. Mothers care for children.
12. Apply the Word of God to your life.
13. Repent of your sins.
14. Hide the Word of God in your heart.
15. Rise to who you were made to be.
16. Get out of debt.
17. Women teach your children at home from the Authorized King James Bible.
18. Learn the rudiments of everything you need to know from the Authorized King James Bible.
19. Embrace Genesis 1:1 - 2:7 as your outline.
20. Read the Authorized King James Bible to your children regularly.

Now the official Sue Bee "to-do" list for Christian living:

1. Nuture your faith in Christ Jesus.

That's it, folks.

Oh, I suppose I can elaborate a little more.

Four good ways to nuture your faith:
1. Read and study the Bible in a language you can understand.
2. Attend worship services at a Christ-centered church.
3. Pray, pray, pray. To God in Jesus' name.
4. Partake of the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion.

Through the Grace of God the Holy Spirit will lead you to take care of the details.

And may God bless you as you grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord!

The Solas explained

This is from an article by Rev. Timothy Kinne in The Lutheran Witness, page B, October 2007.

"Sola Scriptura - by Scripture alone means we believe that the truth of the message of salvation is found nowhere else than in the inspired text of the Holy Scriptures. Sola Gratia - by Grace alone means we believe that the reality of salvation is given to us only by the grace or undeserved love of God in Christ Jesus - and not by anything we have done. Sola Fide - by Faith alone means we believe that only by the power of the Holy Spirit, working through the Word of God, is one drawn into a faith relationship with the Lord.

...Eternal salvation in heaven is not based on me and what I may have done or not done. Rather my salvation is based only on what Jesus Christ has done for me."

There is a season (turn, turn, turn)...

First, some helpful definitions:

intellectual - Of or relating to the intellect. (n) a person of superior intellect. Intellectual implies not only having a high degree of understanding, but also a capacity and taste for the higher forms of knowledge

intellect - The ability to learn and reason; the capacity for knowledge and understanding.

anti-intellectual - Opposed or hostile to intellectuals or intellectual views. (In other words, opposed to the ability to learn and reason, and against those with the capacity to grow in knowledge and understanding.)

Now here's a great example of anti-intellectualism from Jesus-is-Lord.com (thanks to Kelly for pointed it out): THE BASIC SCIENTIFIC ARGUMENTS FOR GEOCENTRICITY

Ten Simple Rules...

Candy at Keeping the Home has brought up the 10 commandments and how in her opinion (since she cites no source) the RCC "eliminated" a commandment. In fact, it is the PROTESTANTS who eliminated a commandment, not the RCs, not the Lutherans nor the Orthodox.

The 1st Commandment as known by the Jewish people, and therefore as Jesus knew it is:

I. I am the Lord thy God.

Where is that one on Candy's list???? Ohhhhhhh, it's in the "preface" and no longer part of the commandments.

Interesting.

Take at look at the chart on Wikipedia. Take at look at Candy's chart here.

Seems to me that "God's 10 Commandments" should include all ten even if they differ in division.

And as for the "...they can now justify praying to Mary,..." etc etc. What's the source? Where is the smoking gun?