What's It All About?

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:8-11)

For many in America, these words are at least somewhat familiar. But for a growing segment, this knowledge does not come from the original source of New Testament Scripture. Instead, it originates from, of all places, a musical cartoon special based on the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. A Charlie Brown Christmas made its debut in 1965 and has been a seasonal favorite for almost a half century with young and old alike.

But near the program's conclusion, little Linus slowly makes his way to center stage, calls for a spot light, and quotes the above passage verbatim. He then concludes by turning to his distraught friend and uttering his now famous line, "That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown." And indeed it is!

With all of the wonderful Christmas movies and specials each year, this short cartoon was pure genius in its simplicity and has reminded viewers about the supreme reason for the season: Christ came to die for sinners. It helped share what one seasonal song spoke of in its perceptive title, A Cradle in the Shadow of a Cross.

Linus' flawless recital of the true meaning of Christmas concluded with Luke 2:14. "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"

We trust you are today glorifying God and fully at peace with the One who came via that lowly manger en route to that rugged cross in order to offer Himself as the supreme sacrifice for you and for me!

Have a merry and very blessed Christmas!

Bill Breckenridge

Pearl Harbor and Reconciliation

December 7 marks the 73rd anniversary of the brutal Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, a day which would “live in infamy” as President Franklin Roosevelt called it while urging Congress for a declaration of war. American casualties were unequaled until the savage attacks of 9/11. Sadly, many will spend the day without any thought of the significance of the day.

Lost in the obscurity of the years are two key figures whose lives would later intersect miraculously in the will of God. We share their story as we have in previous years because it serves as an amazing illustration of God's wonderful saving grace.

Captain Mitsuo Fuchida led the attack on Pearl Harbor, exulting in the deadly carnage done for his emperor-god. He was the only Japanese officer to survive World War II despite breaking both legs in a sea accident and exposure to the radiation-contaminated ashes of Hiroshima. His post-war days were spent farming, but his soul was empty.

Staff Sgt. Jacob DeShazer dropped bombs on Osaka in the surprise U.S. retaliation attack on Japanese cities led by Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle in April 1942. As one of "Doolittle's Raiders", Jake was the bombardier on plane #16, the last one off the carrier USS Hornet. He was captured after parachuting into Japanese-held territory in China and was imprisoned by Japan for 40 months. Hatred for his torturing captors turned to love when he read in the Bible of Christ’s forgiveness through the Cross, and he pledged that if he survived the war he would return to Japan as a missionary. Jake kept his vow, and returned to Japan, where he spent 30 years preaching the Christ he once ignored.

After reading a tract telling DeShazer’s story given to him by other American missionaries, Mitsuo Fuchida bought a Bible, read of Christ’s death for him, and accepted Christ as his Savior. He went to meet Jake DeShazer to publicly profess Christ. The two former bitter enemies in war became brothers in Christ and lifelong friends. As a team, they evangelized Japan and saw thousands come to Christ.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:15-17

David Virkler has written an article entitled "The Amazing Grace of World War II" that recounts the full story of Mitsuo Fuchida, Jacob DeShazer and Jimmy Doolittle. Read this stirring account on our website.

7 Reasons For Chronic Unhappiness

Tamara Star is the creator of the 40-day personal reboot for women. She is a life coach, speaker, and writer. And she recently authored an interesting article on her blog, Daily Transformations, having a title that seems self-explanatory and quite intriguing. She called the piece, ‘7 Habits of Chronically Unhappy People’.

In her article Star writes, “There are billions of people on our planet and clearly some are truly happy. The rest of us bounce back and forth between happiness and unhappiness depending on the day. We all have bad days, even weeks, when we fall down in all seven areas. The difference between a happy and unhappy life is how often and how long we stay there.”

She then goes on to list, and comment upon, the 7 habits or traits she feels are why some people are unhappy most all of the time. Here are just the titles alone:

1. Your default belief is that life is hard.
2. You believe most people can't be trusted.
3. You concentrate on what's wrong versus what's right.
4. You compare yourself to others and harbor jealousy.
5. You strive to control your life.
6. You consider your future with worry and fear.
7. You fill your conversations with gossip and complaints.

Even without much serious consideration, it appears that this author has put her finger on the main issues that explain why so many have a negative attitude about life in general. She has covered ‘nearly’ every base quite well and each reason seems logical. And it would even seem that the majority of the above reasons might be found together in most unhappy people to one degree or another. But with that said, there are just one or two things that should be added to this sad set of depressing attitudes.

First, there is absolutely no mention of God or anything spiritual in the group. Those who have God in their lives, via Jesus Christ, have been given a new heart and a whole new set of coping skills to deal with life when it is hard. Christians are promised what the Bible calls the ‘fruit of the Spirit’ in Galatians 5:22. These icluded love, joy, peace and patience among other things. And they are told in Philippians chapter four to think on those things that are noble, just, pure, lovely, and positive! Mediating on these kinds of things, versus all the possible negatives, is an antidote to the list mentioned above.

Then too, there is one other item that should be number 9 on the list but was obviously absent. There is no mention at all of any thankfulness for anything or for any reason. In Hebrews 13:15-16 we read, “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” And Paul records in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Life is hard and sometimes extremely hard. Everyone goes through difficulties, suffering and disappointment. And it is easy to become ‘chronically unhappy’ and stay parked there. But Christians should not and must not do so. They can do far better. They alone possess a new heart in Christ and the opportunity to be thankful to God for His salvation, blessings and the motivation to do good to others in His name. For believers, the many good things from God should outweigh the bad things from this life.

Basically, it becomes somewhat difficult to remain unhappy when one is in Christ, walking with Christ, thanking Christ and serving Christ. So numbers 1-7 on the misery list are interesting and again even understandable on some levels.  But these two new numbers just added offer something more - something superior! They offer God’s alternative pathway to joy, hope, peace and a brighter outlook even in an increasingly darkening world.

According to God's word chronic unhappiness is not God's choosing, but rather our choice!


Bill Breckenridge

Honoring Heroes of War and Faith

David Virkler's thoughts on Veterans Day 2010 are worth repeating, so we are re-posting them today.

Veterans Day focuses on honoring those who have served our military, many of them giving their lives to defend America in war and peace. Newspapers and TV feature gripping stories of military survivors whose memories recall gallant service and not a few recounting their fellow soldiers’ deaths in tortured battles around the globe.

Formerly called Armistice Day but renamed after World War II, Veterans Day recalls the end of World War I when, on November 11, the armistice became official in a railroad car at 11:00 AM in a French forest in 1918. Many observe a two-minute silence at precisely 11:00 AM each November 11.

As Veterans Day approached, my wife and I realized our outdoor flags had worn out and not been replaced. It would be a tragic oversight not to replace them by November 11. I bought two new flags at our local hardware store - one for our residence and the other for the Dedication Evangelism headquarters building next door.

It took much longer to put up the flags than I had planned, and I was tempted to complain and fret over the delay as other important business was waiting. But then I thought, “Why am I distressed over these few minutes when brave men and women have fought and died so I can live in freedom and preach the Gospel? Shame on me!”

All this eventually turned my attention to God’s memorial passages of the Bible. One is Hebrews 6:10, where we find, “For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” Hebrews 11 is an entire chapter honoring spiritual warriors who fought the Lord’s spiritual battles in faith. Some were prominent Bible figures, such as Abel, Noah, Abraham and Moses. Others were obscure, remote figures whose life flitted past with scarcely a lingering notice, such as Barak and Jephthah. (Read up on them in Judges 4, 5, 11 and 12.)

All heroes of faith are memorialized in God’s record books, even those who merely frequently fellowship in the Lord. “Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who meditate on His name.” (Malachi 3:16 & 17)

Human peace agreements are only temporary given the warring, uncontrollable nature of sinful man. When Hitler came to power to begin WWII and crushed France, French officials were forced to sign a surrender armistice in that same rail car parked in that identical spot in the French forest on June 22, 1940.

However, in Christian theology, our surrender becomes our permanent freedom. Calling on the Name of the Lord brings salvation as Romans 10:13 declares. In Christ we yield and are liberated forever. John 8:36 says, “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” Romans 5:1 reaffirms it: “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…”

November 11 will pass and veterans may be forgotten for another year, but we are never forgotten by “the captain of [our] salvation” (Heb. 2:10). “God is not unjust to forget….”

Dave Virkler

How Important Is Your Vote?

Tuesday is an important mid-term election in the U.S. The results of some key races could shift the majority in the Senate from Democrat to Republican. A number of gubernatorial races are also taking place. State and local races and public questions are also on the ballot.

Christians must pay special attention to some basic issues regarding political involvement, especially as it relates to elections. Understanding these issues will affect the political behavior of each American citizen.

Following are excerpts from the article “Political Q&A” by David Virkler. These are questions that you or others may have asked. The answers may surprise you.

Q: What is the most important “political” verse in the Bible?

I believe the most important “political” verse is Luke 20:25, where Christ said, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (see also Mark 12:17 and Matt. 22:21). He could have said to render just to Caesar, thereby endorsing a secular state, to render only to God indicating a theocracy, or to Caesar and God together indicating a church state. However, Christ said to render to each their due indicating that there is a difference between church and state. This is most closely approximated in the United States.

Q: Who or what is “Caesar” in the United States?

In Bible times, Caesar represented the highest political authority. In the United States, the highest political authority is the Constitution. Our constitution makes the people the government. In rendering to Caesar (the Constitution), we give to the common good through personal involvement.

Q: How many social institutions did God ordain?

There are three institutions ordained by God—the family (Genesis 2:21-24), the church (Acts 2) and government (Romans 13:1-7).

Q: Are civil servants ordained ministers?

Yes. In Romans 13, Paul says that “higher powers” are “ordained of God” (vs. 1) and a ruler is a “minister of God” (vs. 4).

Q: On what Bible verse is our three-part system of government based?

It is thought to be based on Isaiah 33:22, where the Lord is called “our judge” (judicial), “our lawgiver” (legislative) and “our king” (executive).

Q: Is it possible to be an American and not be involved in politics?

No. Everyone is involved in politics regardless of whether we vote. If we pay taxes, send children to public schools, drive on public roads, accept police protection, allow ministers to marry with state authority, accept government assistance or scholarships or say the Pledge of Allegiance, we are politically involved. If religious institutions grant state-authorized degrees, place the U.S. and Christian flags together in church or accept tax exemption, they, too, are politically involved.

Q: What are the general Biblical areas of political participation?

The Bible indicates four areas of involvement:

Precedent – God governed as dictator in Old Testament times. Daniel and Joseph rose to high positions in pagan governments. Jeremiah 29:7 enjoins prayer for the well-being of pagan societies that believers might be blessed.

Passive – This is outlined in the previous question.

Prayer – God’s Word commands that we pray “for all men, for kings, and for all that are in authority” (I Timothy 2:1 & 2). “All men” is the electorate. “All that are in authority” includes any elected or appointed official, even those with whom we don’t agree.

Personal – Paul accepted and appealed to Roman protection as a Roman citizen (Acts 21:35) and as a means to evangelism in Europe (Acts 25:10-12).

Q: Does it really matter if Christians vote? Does a single vote count?

Yes! But even if it did not, obedience to God and “Caesar” dictates that we should register and vote.

In his 1981 inaugural address, Ronald Reagan declared, “I do not believe in a fate that will fall on us no matter what we do. I do believe in a fate that will fall on us if we do nothing.”

The prophet Ezekiel recounted how one person would have made a difference in God’s judgment of Israel. “And I (God) sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before me for the land that I should not destroy it: but I found none. Therefore I have poured out my indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads….” (Ezekiel 22:30, 31)

God thinks one person is important. Shouldn’t we?

Click here to read the full article on our website. Print copies are also available on request.