Insights Magazine: December

December 2010

promise & Expectation Giving the Unexpected 3 Of Prophets & Angels 13

“

in this issue

Yo D

3 Giving the Unexpected Charles R. Swindoll pressure points

6 A Hodgepodge of Goings on and Doings Steve Johnson lifetrac

9 How-To: High-Five Robyn Roste moment of insight

Hi neighbour, whi my shovel out, woul me to clear your d It’s no troubl

12 God Keeps His Word "So, not only is our family

Dutch, German, and Mexican, we are of

Christian

nationality too."

lifelines

13 Of Prophets and Angels Terry Boyle

“I thoug might n

to the gr

strong family

14 This Christmas, Don't Forget Christmas Tanya Kieneker laughing matters

16 The Fright Before Christmas Phil Callaway 19 What Does God Expect?

Ben Lowell

Copyright © 2010 Insight for Living Canada. All rights reserved. No portion of this monthly publication may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission from the publisher. Insights is published by IFLC, the Bible teaching ministry of Charles R. Swindoll. IFLC is an autonomous ministry and certified member of the Canadian Council of Christian Charities. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture passages are taken from the NASB. Printed in Canada. Unless otherwise noted, photography by IFLC staff.

“ Larry, there’s a lot

of love out there. ou’re not getting any of it.

Don’t you want some?”

don’t forget, I love you...

I forgive you,

and I want to make it right.

ile I’ve got ld you like driveway? le at all!

ght you need a ride rocery.”

...can I

help you

carry that?

Giving the Unexpected

by Charles R. Swindoll There are various ways to describe it: turning the other cheek . . . going the extra mile . . . doing good to those who hate us . . . loving our enemies . . . pouring coals of fire on another’s head. We may say it different ways, but the action amounts to the same thing. By doing the unexpected, we accomplish two important objectives: (1) we put an end to bitterness, and (2) we prove the truth of the age-old axiom, love overwhelmingly conquers.

3

I was wrong.

Will you please forgive me?

care for a

“cup of kindness?”

4

Giving the Unexpected continued from p. 3

ered that he was Joseph—their long-lost younger brother whom they had deliberately wronged—they were overwhelmed with anxiety. They knew he had them completely cornered. Joseph was the respected prime minister . . . powerful, wealthy, surrounded by bodyguards, the ultimate model of authority. And they?

Weak, bankrupt, unprotected, guilty to the core. It was Joseph’s moment. Now was the time to unleash his rage and torture each one to the end of his life.

And why not? They had it coming . . . in spades! Instead, Joseph did the unexpected, which shocked his brothers down to their worn-out sandals. No grudge.

No get-even, fight-back attack. Not even a tongue-lashing. Those who deserved human hatred received supernatural treatment. Grace won the day. He forgave them . . . and the rest is beautiful history.

I can sense some cynic’s shrug, Well, that was then; this is now. Today, nobody takes somebody’s trash and mentally recycles it into treasure. How wrong you are.

Rabbi Michael Weisser did. It happened in Lincoln, Nebraska (according to the news). For more than three years, Larry Trapp, a self-proclaimed Nazi and Ku Klux Klansman, was spreading a message of

present

Remember Solomon’s statement?

When a man’s ways are pleasing to the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. (Proverbs 16:7) It’s true. I’ve seen it happen over and over again. I’ve also seen occasions when it could have worked, but neither side was willing to give it a try.

Why are we so hesitant? What keeps us from doing the unexpected for the undeserving so that we might watch God accomplish the unbelievable? It flies in the face of our human nature. We weren’t raised like that. Furthermore, it’s a major risk. No question, it is risky. Of course, that is where faith plays a major role. To believe the Lord against all odds and to obey Him—even if the action backfires— brings a smile to His face. But some of you who read this are frowning, thinking, Yeah, that sounds good, but nobody could pull it off.

Joseph did. After suffering years of consequences brought on by his angry brothers’ mistreatment, he lived to see the day when the tables were turned. Vulnerable, needy, and at his mercy, all those guilty guys stood before him without a word of defence. And when they discov-

© shutterstock.com/SeDmi

free of charge!

hatred through mailings and ugly phone calls. He promoted white supremacy, antiSemitism and other messages of prejudice from his apartment, which he declared to be the KKK state headquarters—and himself, the grand dragon.

Weisser became one of Trapp’s targets, receiving numerous pieces of hate mail from the time he and his wife moved to Lincoln. The mail was followed by offensive phone calls. At first, the Weissers were so afraid they locked their doors and worried themselves sick over their safety and especially their teenagers’ safety. The harassment of racial slurs and obscene remarks intimidated the family, as Trapp, the 42-year-old, clinically blind, double amputee, spewed out his hate-ridden venom against them.

One day Rabbi Weisser realized their fear had gone on long enough. He decided to do the unexpected. He left his message on Trapp’s telephone answering machine.

Weisser made call after call, all of them unanswered, speaking to Trapp of another side of life . . . a life free of hatred and racism. “I would say things like: ‘Larry, there’s a lot of love out there. You’re not getting any of it. Don’t you want some?’

And hang up.”

One day Weisser called and Trapp answered. “[Weisser] said: ‘I heard you’re disabled. I thought you might need a ride to the grocery.’” Trapp was stunned. Disarmed by the kindness and courtesy, he started thinking.

The bitter man slowly began to soften.

He called the Weissers one night and said, as Rabbi Weisser recounted it, “I want to get out of what I’m doing and I don’t know how.”1 Weisser and his wife drove to Trapp’s apartment that night and talked with him for hours. Before too long they made a trade: for their love, Trapp gave

them his swastika rings and hate tracts and Klan robes and hoods. That same day, Trapp gave up his recruiting job and trashed the rest of his propaganda. Eventually, the Weissers’ home became a hospice for Mr. Trapp. He moved into one of their bedrooms as his health declined . . . the couple cared for him until his death.

“What keeps us from doing the unexpected for the undeserving so that we might watch God accomplish the

unbelievable?”

Christmas is right around the corner.

Could it be that your best gift should not be wrapped in colourful paper and given to someone who loves you? How about giving someone the gift of forgiveness? How about filling a cup full of kindness? How about making a phone call of grace to someone who would never expect it . . . with no strings attached? An authentic extension of love to someone who doesn’t deserve it.

Now there’s a new idea for a Christmas gift that would never be forgotten.

Yep, it’s risky . . . but you wouldn’t be the first to try it. In case you need an extra boost to nudge you into action, journey back to Bethlehem and find God’s gift to us wrapped in cloths of love, lying in a manger of grace.

Talk about doing the unexpected for the undeserving!

1. Fernandez, Manny “Lessons on Love, from a Rabbi Who Knows Hate and Forgiveness,” The New York Times, January 4, 2009, http://www.nytimes. com/2009/01/05/nyregion/05rabbi. html?_r=2&pagewanted=1 (accessed September 17, 2010).

Photograph of Chuck Swindoll © 2010 by David Edmonson

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I remember as a boy one Christmas asking for a BB gun.

6

trees

© istock.com/ParkerDeen

will satisfy our deep needs. But the nature of these needs is such that Christmas, even with all it has to offer, inevitably fails to live up to the hype.

Misplaced expectations surrounding the birth of Christ are not new. By mentally reviewing the characters in that first Christmas drama the case could be made for saying the only people whose expectations seem to be met were Anna and Simeon. Simeon had received a revelation about the coming Messiah from the Holy Spirit so he was expectant (Luke 2:26), and Anna lived at the temple “looking for the redemption of Israel” (Luke 2:38).

Everybody else—Joseph, Mary, the Shepherds, the Magi, Herod, and Jerusalem were not expecting things to be the way they were. Joseph signs on expecting a normal engagement and marriage. But everything changes when his fiancé announces she is pregnant.

Mary gets engaged to Joseph expecting a normal life. But when the angel visits, her expectations change. Nothing from that point on is as she expects.

The lowly Shepherds clock in for the night shift never expecting to hear angelic messengers or visit a baby born in a sta-

boy

T

he scene in my house that morning was virtually identical to the Christmas morning scene from the movie.

Like little Ralphie, after tearing through all my gifts I languished in waves of disappointment. Then my dad pointed out one more treasure hidden behind the tree. It turned out to be my dream come true: a model 1894 Winchester BB gun. Christmas disappointment didn’t last that year.

What do you expect from Christmas? I don’t mean, what presents do you expect, but what do you expect from the whole experience we have come to call Christmas? It is a whole experience because it is no longer just a single event. It has become a season, a hodgepodge of “goings on and doings” as one old woman I knew used to put it.

Back to the question, “What do you expect from Christmas?” More pointedly, do you expect all the goings on and doings to give you true and lasting joy? Inner peace?

A sense of bonhomie toward all?

I ask because I believe we bring expectations to every Christmas. We expect fulfilment of an unstated promise to ourselves that the goings on and doings surrounding the celebration of the birth of Christ

© istock.com/ligonography

I could relate to Ralphie from the hit movie, A Christmas Story. In fact we were so identical, we could have been twins! My mother was against me having a BB gun because she was afraid—you guessed it—I would put my eye out with that thing!

A

Hodgepodge of Goings on & Doings

by Steve Johnson

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“...what do you expect from the whole experience we have come to call Christmas?”

ble and lying in a manger.

Jesus’ arrival completely alters their lives and they go home rejoicing.

The Magi trekking from a distance expect to find a king surrounded by palatial surroundings. When they show up at the palace, Jesus isn’t there. Instead they find Him in the house of a carpenter in a little village.

Scripture tells us “When Herod the king heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him” (Matthew 2:3). Herod is not expecting to hear of a new king being born. When he does, he perceives it as a threat to his earthly throne. As for Jerusalem, the people aren’t expecting another King to be born either.

All the expectations are misplaced, perhaps even misguided. Everyone at some point is looking at the goings on and doings around the birth rather than at this One who is born. But the actual coming of Christ fulfils God’s promise to provide what humanity needs as nothing and no one else can. Jesus Himself, and He alone, in who He is and what He does, is the fulfilment. He is God’s answer to humanity’s deepest need. In Him, by Him, and through Him, is Life. Eventu-

ally all the Christmas story characters except Herod and Jerusalem recognize this about Jesus and, in faith, refocus their expectations on Him. At Christmas we need this reminder again. It’s not the pageants, bright lights, concerts, presents, or the myriad of other goings on and doings that we engage in this Christmas that will meet our deepest needs. It will only be Jesus Himself.

To expect anything other than Him to satisfy is to invite disappointment. And disappointment won’t disappoint us—it will show up.

So by all means let’s enjoy our Christmas activities. But let’s check our expectations, even now. Where are we placing them? Let’s use the goings on and doings as signs pointing to the real Gift who alone can truly satisfy our needs. He won’t disappoint us this Christmas.

This Month's Gift Insight’s Bible Reading Guide: Old Testament paperback, 132 pages This one-of-a-kind resource uses a manageable five-day reading system and insightful weekly devotionals to motivate and encourage you to dig into the first 39 books of the Bible.

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(see enclosed form for ordering information)

Steve Johnson is the communications director at IFLC.

On lifetrac.ca and facebook.com/lifetrac this month: Endurance vs. Strength by Robyn Roste

High-fives. It’s not the concept which is difficult for me, but the execution.

The use of the phrase “highfive” has been included in the Oxford Eng lish dictionary as a noun since 1980 and a verb since 1981.

An Imperfect Christm

as

In your efforts to create a “Martha Ste wart Chr istmas,” are you missin g the season’s true meaning?

Let this humorous messa ge help you focus on Chr ist—the gift that stil l saves lives.

Subscr ibe or listen fre e onl ine at lifetrac.ca

People who confidently perform spontaneous high-fives impress me. I have to carefully prepare for high-fiving activities and even then my success rate is dismal—until now. You see, I’ve stumbled upon a piece of information, which is sure to change everything: keep your eyes on the elbow.

That’s it. Keep your eyes on the other person’s elbow, and never again miss a high-five. It seems too easy—can this really change my high-five fail-rate? Evidently, yes.

There are lots of simple tricks to make our lives a bit easier, and some that will change them altogether.

The wording of the high-five secret reminds me of the life-changing advice in Hebrews 12:2: keep your eyes on Jesus.

Here’s the verse in context: “Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on?

It means we’d better get on with it.

Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he’s never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot How-To: High-Five continued from p. 9

adrenaline into your souls!”

(Hebrews 12:1-3 MSG) Keeping your eyes on Jesus may seem too simple to actually work, but just like the high-five trick, if you know where to look, you won’t stray off course.

In Hebrews 11, the Apostle Paul catalogues people who lived by faith—those who “placed their hope in the resurrection to a better life” (Hebrews 11:35 NLT) rather than tried to avoid trials. It’s the practical how-to guide to answer the question: How do I live by faith?

Paul compares the Christian life to a race—a marathon, really. I don’t know what it is about marathons, but lately it seems like everyone is either doing one or talking about training for one. Well, everyone except me. I jog regularly but only as a way to stay fit. Forty-two point one kilometres of pain and suffering doesn’t exactly sound like a good time.

If not for the good time, why are so many people into marathons? For most people, crossing the finish line is seen as one of the great accomplishments in life. With this as the goal of a marathon, it makes more sense why someone would completely change their life and diet, endure injuries and pain, and persevere past the point when

your brain shouts “Stop!” Since the goal is worth so much more than the cost of preparation and training, people don’t mind the sacrifice.

In this context, Paul’s marathon analogy makes perfect sense. Why would anyone choose a life of discipline, sacrifice, and pain and suffering, unless the goal was worth more than the cost of living? It’s by placing our hope in a better life, which is our finish line to race towards.

Hope is in abundance at Christmastime. When the advent season begins, our stressed-out and overworked spirits are refreshed by renewed anticipation of all Christmas means to us. But how do we hold onto that hope and stay on course throughout the year? Here are four suggestions: How did Jesus run the race? Not only did He take our physical form to give us the gift of salvation, but He also ran our same race to perfection. Study, observe, learn, imitate.

Obstacles are inevitable. Many think hard times are only for unbelievers but in reality, we all live in a sinful world filled with suffering. If we expect to encounter pain at some point, then we won’t be so shocked when we do.

Prepare. Finishing a race takes purpose and discipline. The essential disciplines Jesus demonstrated help us prepare for what we’ll face as we run toward our heavenly reward.

Endure. When you reach the point when you want to quit, let God be your strength.

This is your defining moment! He will give you what you need the moment you need it to keep your eyes on where you’re headed; “that exhilarating finish in and with God.” Just like a marathon, this Christian life is a test of endurance.

But when we keep our eyes on Jesus, prepare for what’s ahead, and trust God for our strength, we are equipped to continue running with vigour and stamina.

Robyn Roste is the LifeTrac coordinator at IFLC.

Ever feel uncertain,

wondering if God will keep His word?

Before Mary and Joseph ever came to Bethlehem, Isaiah wrote,

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (7:14)

Seven or eight centuries later, Matthew wrote:

Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL,” which translated means, “GOD WITH US.” (1:22, 23)

Prophecy fulfilled.

That’s God keeping His Word.

&Angels 0f

H

Prophets

as it ever crossed your mind that Isaiah—often called the “Prince of the Prophets”—would have wanted to trade places with you? Think about that for a moment.

Isaiah lived in Jerusalem and had ready access to the kings of his day: some great, like Hezekiah, some not so great, like his predecessor, Ahaz. Isaiah had the run of the palace. He was a masterful poet and a powerful orator, and God used him greatly over the course of some six decades.

But I think he would have seriously considered a swap.

It was Isaiah who told the people that glory days were coming and terrible days as well. Messiah would come—one who would be called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God . . . Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). From the “stem of Jesse,” He would arise, rightful heir to great David’s throne (11:1). The Messiah would be the “cornerstone” of a new work by God, giving us a fresh start (28:16). But on the other side of the prophetic coin, Isaiah anticipated that Messiah would suffer greatly for the redemption of His people. He would be abhorred, “pierced through for our transgressions,” and only through His wounds would we be made whole (53:3–5).

How Isaiah must have longed to see the way his prophecies would unfold! He wrote what God gave him, but God didn’t give him the whole picture. How and when would the glorious Messiah step into history? Where would He live? How would He

by Terry Boyle

deal with His stiff-necked and rebellious countrymen? What form would His suffering take? And even after His being “cut off out of the land of the living” (53:8), what would be the abiding legacy of His work?

When would the “glory days” come?

Almost 800 years later, Peter the apostle spoke as a firsthand eyewitness to many truths Isaiah could only have guessed at. First Peter 1:10–11 gives us some insight into our privilege of being born after the cross.

The prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.

So much of what was written beforehand can be fully understood only in hindsight—through the lens of Christ’s life on earth. Only after His crucifixion can we reflect on the depth of His suffering.

Only after His resurrection can we really appreciate the glory to come.

Peter ended his paragraph with a stunning thought: the prophets like Isaiah aren’t the only ones who have yearned to know the fulfilment of their prophecies; even the “angels long to look” into the things we Christians can know about God’s plan of salvation through the suffering and glorious resurrection of the Messiah (1 Peter 1:12).

Now think about that for a moment.

Dr. Terry Boyle serves as pastor for Insight for Living United Kingdom.

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This Christmas, don't forget Christmas

by Tanya Kieneker

I love to tell people my family is of Mexican heritage. They look at me confused when I tell them, and they have good reason: I don’t look Hispanic. Neither does my husband. And our daughter is fair and tall— a perfect combination of our Dutch and German genes.

B

ut our son has a beautiful olive complexion and a thick, dark head of hair. Jaydon joined our family through adoption and on that day, threeand-a-half years ago, our family instantly became Mexican as well.

Our Dutch and German traditions come naturally, especially during holiday times like Christmas. On December 5, our children put their shoes out hoping Saint Nikolas will fill them with treats rather than coal, just like my husband and I did as children. These traditions carry through to New Year’s Day, when we will eat New

14

Year’s cookies, which really aren’t cookies, but rather deep fried dough dipped in sugar. (Not so healthy, but oh, so good!)

Mexican traditions don’t come as naturally to me but as I research this new culture, I’m struck with how many traditions have a Christian foundation, rather than focusing on Santa or gifts. For example, Nacimiento is an elaborate nativity scene, which sometimes takes up an entire entryway or room. Las Pasados is another beautiful tradition where, every night for the 12 days before Christmas, the children dress up as characters of

the Christmas story and go door-to-door asking if there is room in the Inn. They are turned away until arriving at a final home where there is a party welcoming the new baby Jesus.

As I’ve reflected these past few years about our Christmas traditions and trying to add in a few Mexican ones, I’ve wondered what my children are learning about Christmas. By my actions, are they learning to reflect on Christ’s birth rather their wish lists? Unfortunately, I’m not happy with the answer to that question.

Throughout the Bible, we see the Israelites taking great pains to ensure that their children and future generations would remember God’s faithfulness. After 40 years of wandering through the desert, the Israelites finally make it to the Jordan River and are ready to cross into the Promised Land. God performs another miracle by parting the waters and allowing them to cross through on dry land. As they reach the halfway point, God gives instructions to Joshua.

“Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder….

In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord.

When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.” (Joshua 4:4-7 NIV) Did you see that? They set up a memorial; something to help their children remember God’s faithfulness in bringing them into the Promised Land. The Bible is filled with other such examples of remembrance. The tradition of celebrating a Passover meal every year began as a way to acknowledge God’s faithfulness in res-

cuing the Israelites from slavery. “This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD—a lasting ordinance” (Exodus 12:14). The Feast of the Tabernacles was an annual celebration to remember living in tents for 40 years in the desert. “…so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in temporary shelters when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the LORD your God’” (Leviticus 23:43). And who can forget the Lord’s Supper? “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26).

“this is what our Christmas traditions need to be–

a memorial,

a way of remembering.”

Perhaps this is what our Christmas traditions need to be—a memorial, a way of remembering, something to pass on to our children and their children, so that we never forget Christ’s birth.

After all, the Bible also says that we are citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20). So, not only is our family Dutch, German, and Mexican, we are of Christian nationality too. Our Christmas should be filled with traditions from this culture that help us to remember and teach our children of the beautiful gift of Christ becoming man, paving the way for His own death to allow us to be in relationship with our Father.

As I think of our Christmas traditions in a more intentional way, I hope my focus has been realigned. And perhaps this will be the year that we finally set up a Nacimiento as our memorial to Christ’s birth.

Tanya Kieneker attempts to balance her life as a mother with her position as Media & Marketing Manager at Insight for Living Canada.

15

fright The

before christmas

by Phil Callaway

16

O

ne of my earliest purposes in life was to help my older brothers test things. If the consequences of thrusting bare wires into a light socket were unclear, I would find out. If a football was lodged in the uppermost branches of a spindly tree, guess who had the honour of retrieving it? Yours truly. Ever eager to test things for them, I licked dry cell batteries and icy doorknobs, put spoons in blenders and—I am ashamed to say—Elmer’s glue in my sister’s hair.

“Them that are

eaten shall have no Christmas,”

he said as the flashlight faded to black.

I grew up in a home where practical jokes were as regular as the daily mail, where you found yourself walking through a dark kitchen on any given night, only to have your brother Dan leap from beneath the table, yipping like a coyote. I faked a heart attack once, which helped for a few minutes.

By December we were down to eight or nine hours of pitiful sunlight a day, so I had to keep my guard up. The most frightening spot on earth was in our basement: The Cellar. Often my mother sent me there to retrieve cans of applesauce from a box, which never ran dry. This was 35 years ago, before light switches as we know them. In those primitive years, all we had were pull cords hanging in the furthest spots by heartless electricians.

A few nights before Christmas, my older brother Tim held a flashlight to his face and warned me “just so’s I would be careful” of a creature who had found shelter in The Cellar. As I listened wide-eared, he described a white-fanged wolverine the size of an eighth grader who enjoyed little children and craved applesauce.

“Sometimes you can see his yellow eyes just before he grabs you,” cautioned Tim. “But mostly he keeps ‘em shut till it’s too late.”

With a hoarse whisper I asked why he hadn’t done something about it, him being so big and all. “Oh, I have,” he said. “I bludgeoned the beast myself with a rake and buried it in a grove of fir trees.” But this only served to anger the wolverine community.

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One by one they came out of hiding to dwell in our cellar and seek vengeance.

There were three of them down there now, he thought. Maybe a whole herd. “Them that are eaten shall have no Christmas,” he said as the flashlight faded to black.

I slept very little that night. To the child who is afraid, everything squeaks.

“Philip.” It was Christmas Eve and Mother needed applesauce. Tiptoeing obediently down the stairway and into the lengthening shadows, I prayed aloud, making deals with God. I even agreed to ask my sister’s forgiveness for the glue thing if God would just get me to that first 40-watt light bulb.

With renewed strength, I strode boldly toward it, tripped over a toolbox and whacked my forehead on the ping-pong table.

I don’t remember the next few seconds much. But apparently I located the light bulb, because I recall standing beneath it, trying to regain my balance and switch off my fears.

The dim light above the ping-pong table threw ghostly images against the far wall.

Six steps to my right was the pull cord. I walked toward it and reached out my hand.

There are defining moments in all of our lives. This was mine. Instead of the cord, I

felt long strings of something cold, wet, and slimy. And as I screamed, I beheld the one thing I feared the most: a pair of yellow eyes.

Racing around the ping-pong table, I hurdled the toolbox. This time the heart attack would be real. And then I heard the laughter. It was coming from behind me. I turned to see Tim standing there. Holding two flashlights. And an empty can of spaghetti.

He’s a pastor now. And a good man. I am quite sure Tim regrets his activities that dark Christmas Eve, because his jokes got more practical after that. Perhaps he found his purpose in life that Christmas— to nudge people closer to the Kingdom of God. It worked with me. That night I apologized to my sister, and then asked my father to read me the Christmas story over and over. When you’re afraid of the basement or a big brother, there’s nothing quite like it to turn the lights on.

“Immanuel,” said my dad, “you know what it means?” I didn’t. “It means that God is with us. That He will never leave us or forsake us. He’s the one who turned the lights on at Christmas.” With that, I drifted off to sleep.

Those who fear Him have nothing to be afraid of.

Visit Phil online at www.laughagain.org

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Thank you for your support!

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So what will it all mean on December 26?

Do you ever look back and wonder where all the time went? Or how did another Christmas season escape you?

Every year many of us find ourselves pining for a “do over” when it comes to the Christmas season. Often we have either been so busy in well-doing, or simply just too busy. But the Christmas season can lead to anticlimax and regret if we don’t find ourselves disciplined and intentional about what’s really important.

Here are some of the things I know I’ve promised to do differently in the past: 1. Take more time for reflection 2. Take more time with family 3. Say “No” to busyness 4. Spend less money—generosity can turn into buyer’s remorse and even regret when the bills come in 5. Take a fresh look at the Christmas story, and its very personal message for me But ultimately what can and has happened, even with the best of intentions?

1. The demand on time—busyness— overwhelms and time slips away 2. The allure of commercialism and

misplaced generosity wins out 3. Christmas becomes routine or worse, a time of increased anxiety 4. December 26 arrives and nothing has changed We’ve spent a lot of time thinking about expectations in this issue of Insights. But I can’t conclude without asking, what does God expect of me this Christmas season? This is what comes to mind after some reflection: 1. Enter into the season with an expectant heart; God’s about doing something 2. Be quiet enough to reflect, listen, and be in wonder 3. Be humble enough to not get caught up in the distractions 4. Be earnest enough to tell this great story to someone else That’s my personal list. Yours may be different. Let’s make a commitment to one another not to let December 26 arrive with regret.

Just a thought.

Ben Lowell is the executive director of IFLC.

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The Owner’s Manual for Christians paperback, 234 pages

Written for all believers, Chuck Swindoll’s clear biblical teaching and pastoral instruction encourage us on to the Christian life we long for.

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1200

Sale! reg. $16.00

The Mystery of God’s Will: What Does He Want for Me? paperback, 224 pages

Must we grope blindly through life with no clue to what God wants for us? Not at all. Chuck invites us to join him on a spiritual quest that will demystify and clarify God’s will.

1275

$

Sale! reg. $17.00

The Call: Finding & Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life hardcover book by Os Guiness, 249 pages

Discover a sense of significance as you begin to find and fulfil the purpose for your life in this deeply revealing and perceptive book

by Os Guiness.

$

1200

Sale! reg. $16.00

December’s Featured Resources

Looking Ahead order/donate at insightforliving.ca or call 1.800.663.7639 offer expires January 31, 2011

Paul: A Man of Grace & Grit 22 CD messages + study guide

Ever feel like the worst of sinners? So did Paul. Chuck Swindoll examines how the Lord changed a man of hate and self-righteousness into a person of grace and grit.

4800

$

Sale! reg. $64.00

The Gift That Still Saves Lives single CD message

Chuck retells the timeless story of Christ’s birth, the indescribable gift to all mankind.

$

600

Sale! reg. $8.00

10-Minute Time Outs for Busy Women paperback devotional by Grace Fox, 272 pages

In just minutes a day, busy women will find personal encouragement and renewal as well as practical how–to’s for living effective Christian lives at home, in the church, and in the mainstream of society.

$

1350

Sale! reg. $18.00

Finding and Following God’s Will booklet, 52 pages

“What would God have me to do?” This simple question often paralyzes believers. Chuck examines the Scriptures to help you find and follow the sometimes winding, often mysterious, and always rewarding path of God’s will.

3

$ 75 Sale! reg. $5.00

The Adventures of Jake 75 minute CD

Six dramatic adventures performed by Phil Callaway for kids aged 7-10 about fear and faith, honesty and teamwork.

1425

$

Sale! reg. $19.00

December’s broadcasts

Best of 2010 4 CD messages

We all battle the temptations and effects of our sinful nature. These four messages point to a better way for Christians, a way that chooses righteousness over sin, freedom over bondage, and peace over strife.

4500

$

1680

Sale! reg. $60.00

Paws & Tales, Season 1

$

29 audio episodes, 30 minutes per episode

Enjoy all of the fun, adventure, and music from Paws & Tales’ first season.

Sale! reg. $24.00

Holiday Messages 2010 An Imaginative Christmas 4 CD messages

Chuck breathes new life into the first Christmas by placing you in the story. In these four messages he challenges you to use your imagination, to think and feel like Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and a temple rabbi.

1680

$

Sale! reg. $24.00

600

$

This Month's Gift

Sale! reg. $8.00

Secrets of a Nurturing Home single CD message

No matter what kind of home you came from, it is not too late to start doing right in that all-important parent-child relationship.

first copy

FREE! additional $ copies:

8.25

Sale! reg. $11.00

Insight’s Bible Reading Guide: Old Testament paperback, 132 pages

This one-of-a-kind resource uses a manageable five-day reading system and insightful weekly devotionals to motivate and encourage you to dig into the first 39 books of the Bible.

H ope Again When Life Hurts A N D D RE A M S F A D E

Hope Again unites the timeless words of the Apostle Peter and the timely wisdom of Chuck Swindoll to bring you hope even in the most challenging trials.

January 6, 7 Hope Beyond Failure: The Broken Man Behind the Book (1 Peter) January 10, 11, 12 Hope Beyond Suffering: How We Can Smile Through Suffering (1 Peter 1:1-12) January 13, 14, 17 Hope Beyond Temptation: Staying Clean in a Corrupt Society (1 Peter 1:13-21) January 18, 19, 20 Hope Beyond Division: Reasons for Pulling Together (1 Peter 1:22-2:3)

info@insightforliving.ca • insightforliving.ca • 1.800.663.7639