Clever Free Methodist

While listening to a religious devotional program the other day, I heard two distinct phrases from the New Testament reading out of  Hebrews 10:32-39.  They are from verses 35 and 39 which state,  “so, don’t throw away your confidence,”  and  “we do not belong to those who shrink back.” The world is difficult, challenging and obviously bent to evil and selfishness. It is rather easy sometimes to become discouraged with the state of the Church, Believers, and even our own direction of life. The urge to quit, surrender or to just flat out stop trying so hard or refraining from putting forth so much effort has come to mind for consideration. This is where the  passage in Hebrews  comes to encourage us to keep the faith and stay grounded in Jesus Christ. Nothing that this world could offer us is of any worth or value in comparison to our priceless faith in Jesus Christ and spending eternity with Him. Even hardship, difficulty, disappointments, loss, and any of life’s traumas do not contain

One of the most challenging times in the Church calendar are the days following right after Christmas. There are just a few days until celebrating the New Year, so Christmas can quickly be pushed aside as “over” to prepare for the celebrations of December 31 st .   So, what are we supposed to do with Christmas, the decorations, and seasonal music? Well, that is easy! Keep celebrating! Also, leave those decorations alone and keep the Christmas music playing!   The reason for that is due to the fact that we still have twelve more days of Christmas following December 25th. The end of the Christmas season isn’t until the first week of the New Year in January. And, yes, we have a name for that! We call it “ Epiphany !”   This event that the Church refers to as “ Epiphany ” means “manifestation.” The reference is to God who “reveals Himself “in the flesh” through His Son, Jesus Christ. It is also a time to mark the appearance of the Three Wise Men who were one of the first to worship Christ