Boon's Sunday Sermon #17 - Naughty or Nice

The Elf on the Shelf story and tradition has become a fast growing phanomen across the country and probably worldwide.  In case you are not familiar with the adorable tale, let us educate you.

Upon arriving in your home, the elf must be named.  Once named he receives his North Pole magic.  Then he travels from your home to the North Pole during the night and back to your home to appear in a different place the next day.  If touched by human hands, he loses his magic.  He's Santa's special helper and delivers news of the children's behavior to him for determination as to whether they should be on the naughty or nice list.

Our home was happy to jump on board with this new tradition (my kids know that their dad is the 'real' Santa, but enjoy playing along) and "Elvis" joined our home a few weeks ago.  Not to leave the dogs out, we were happy to find "Cane" on our trip to Raising Cane's earlier this week.  Now our pups have their own version.  It has been a delight to see the kids jump up each morning to see where the elves have landed for the day and even more of a delight that the dogs haven't chewed them to shreds.... yet.

While it is fun to pretend that Santa is watching and making a list and checking it twice, it isn't reality.  Santa is a myth - a lovely and fun tradition but nothing more.

Christmas is about CHRIST.  As I shared with my children this week, it is a month long celebration of His birth.  Everything from setting up the Christmas tree, to riding around to view light displays, to playing along with the Elf on the Shelf story is all part of celebrating His birthday... it is all about HIM..  this is the reality.

Jesus is making a list.  And only those whose name is written on it will enter into His glory.

Revelations 21:27 says, "Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life."

Is your name written in His book?  It is not too late.  The gift of Jesus coming at Christmas was to purchase your eternal life and your redemption from the grips of hell.  It is a gift, but first you have to accept it.

If you have not yet made the decision to receive Christ as Savior, it is a simple process.  Here is a prayer that you can pray.  (If you would like more information or for us to pray with you, please feel free to email us anytime at agapepuppylove@gmail.com .)  

Dear God in heaven, I come to you in the name of Jesus. I acknowledge to You that I am a sinner, and I need your forgiveness.

I believe that your only begotten Son Jesus Christ shed His precious blood on the cross at Calvary and died for my sins, and I am now willing to turn from my sin.

You said in Your Holy Word, Romans 10:9 that if we confess the Lord our God and believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead, we shall be saved.

Right now I confess Jesus as the Lord of my soul. With my heart, I believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. This very moment I accept Jesus Christ as my own personal Savior and according to His Word, right now I am saved.

Thank you Jesus, for your unlimited grace which has saved me from my sins.  Jesus transform my life so that I may bring glory and honor to you alone and not to myself.

Thank you Jesus for dying for me and giving me eternal life.

Amen.

Even Santa (St. Nicholas) followed Christ.  Won't you do the same?

Boon's Sunday Sermon #14 - Why? Because We Love YOU

Today we are sharing a post from Mom's archives.  This message has been strong on our heart this week and we wanted to share it with y'all because we love you and want to know that you have had the opportunity to know Jesus as Lord and Savior.  Read on.  If you have any questions following this post, feel free to ask in the comments or send us an email.  We will answer them as best we can.

How much must you hate someone?

A while back a youtube video circulated through the online Christian community of famed magician Penn Jillette talking about a touching experience he'd had with a "good" man during one of his shows. Jillette is a known atheist. He seems to be just as devout an atheist as I am a Christian. However, during this show this "good man", as Jillette often referred to him, offered Jillette a Gideon Bible.

Instead of being offended by the gesture, Jillette was touched. Though still passionately denying the existence of God, he said, "If you believe there is a heaven and a hell and that people could be going to hell or not getting eternal life or whatever and you think that it's not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward," he continued, "how much must you hate someone to believe everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?"

Those words have pierced my heart. How much must I hate someone not to tell them about Jesus and how He has changed my life and what He wants to do in theirs? While I am a believer and I strive to live my life in a way that is pleasing to God, I do not often stop and preach the gospel to the unbelieving while going about my daily duties.

Jesus will return for His bride, and each day we grow closer to that moment. As I told my children just last night, the rapture could take place today or a million years from now. It is important that we keep our lives in right standing, that we wait and watch for Christ's return, and that we take as many people with us as we can.

We as Christians need to be busy about our master's business. It's not enough living a good life. We need to be actively proclaiming Jesus as Lord everywhere we go. I'm not talking about getting in people faces and screaming, "REPENT, THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND!", but rather as the Holy Spirit nudges to share in love with someone the gospel of Christ. Instead of shying away from what could be a "socially awkward moment," we need to be caring about other people enough to share eternal life with them in a kind and loving way. I would rather spend five minutes of my life on earth feeling rejected for sharing the gospel with a stranger than an eternity knowing I could have been the difference between heaven and hell to just one person but was to embaressed to put forth the effort.

In Acts 5 an angel of the Lord freed Peter and John from jail and spoke to them saying, "Go, stand in the temple courts, and tell the people the full message of this new life." As the chapter continues the men are brought before the Sanhedrin and flogged because of their testimony. Yet the chapter ends saying, "Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ." Even in the face of persecution and opposition Peter and John were not deterred from doing that to which Christ had called them. Neither should we be.


Do you know Jesus as Lord and Savior?  If not, it would be an honor to pray with you.  You can contact us at: samantha@theloveshackpack.com .  Why?  Because we love you.