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   no flesh will be justified in His sight,   
   for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.   
      
   19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are   
   under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become   
   guilty before God.   
   20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified   
   in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.   
      
   2 Cor 5:10   
      
   10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,   
   that each one may receive his recompense in the body,   
   according to what he has done,   
   whether it was good or bad.   
      
   10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one   
   may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done,   
   whether it be good or bad.   
      
   2 Cor 10:5   
      
   5 casting down imaginations and every high thing   
   that exalts itself against the knowledge of God,   
   bringing every thought into   
   captivity to the obedience of Christ,   
      
   5 casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against   
   the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought   
   to the obedience of Christ;   
      
   )   
      
   Advent Day 24   
      
   From C.S. Lewis A grand miracle by Joel Heck   
      
   "Once more, very many thanks to all your great goodness to me and mine:   
   and with all best wishes for a happy Christmas."   
      
   -C. S. Lewis   
      
   (From Letter to Dr. Warfield Firor, Nov. 6, 1948, Lewis' Collected Letters,   
   II, p. 889.)   
      
   Christmas Gratitude   
      
   During World War Two and for nearly a decade thereafter,   
   England suffered from a scarcity of certain foods and other consumables.   
   Rationing was the only solution, and a victory in the war the only consolation.   
   During those years, many in England benefited from the generosity of American   
   citizens almost as much as from the heroic courage of American soldiers.   
   The Lewis household was one of many to receive packages from the States,   
   which greatly eased the hardship. In the process, God blessed both the giver   
   and the recipients.   
      
   Dr. Warfield Firor, a physician from Baltimore, sent package after package   
   for many years. Because of the gift of more than one delicious ham,   
   Lewis once named him "Firor-of-the-Hams." Lewis had to come up with new   
   and creative ways of expressing his thanks, so frequent and generous   
   were Firor's gifts. Finally, Dr. Firor insisted that Lewis not thank   
   him anymore, but simply write to him about what he was reading, thinking,   
   or doing at the time. But in a letter in 1948, Lewis paired his gratitude   
   with greetings for the upcoming Christmas season.   
      
   The psalmist, thankful for God's strength, salvation, refuge, and   
   righteousness, thanks God for being his God. He says, "The Lord is   
   my strength and my song; he has become my salvation" (Ps. 118:14).   
   In the Advent season, we think of the salvation that God has sent   
   in his Son, and we are grateful.   
      
   We give thanks to you, 0 Lord, because you are good,   
   and because you gave us Jesus. Give us truly grateful hearts.   
      
   Amen.   
      
   You are my God, and I will praise You;   
   You are my God, I will exalt You.   
      
   Psalm 118:28   
      
   From Follow The Story by Marva J. Dawn   
      
   TUESDAY, FOURTH WEEK OF ADVENT   
      
   John's Qualifications   
      
   And the child grew and became strong in spirit, ...   
      
   -Luke 1:80a   
      
   What do we mean when we assert that certain people have a "strong spirit"?   
   Usually we are awed by their   
      
   passionate convictions or the certainty of their beliefs.   
   In John the Forerunner's case, we encounter both the culmination of his call   
   to prepare the way for his Lord and the aftermath of his years of solitude   
   in the desert when his preeminent teacher was God. Some scholars speculate   
   that he was associated with the Essenes, who had retreated to the barren   
   lands to preserve their faith, but we don't know for sure.   
      
   Nor do we know how old John was when he withdrew to the wilderness,   
   but we can surmise that earlier he had benefited from the rigorous   
   training of Zechariah and Elizabeth.   
      
   They had enfolded him entirely in the story of Israel's long­ awaited   
   Messiah and in his own call to cultivate repentance in preparation for him.   
   On the bedrock of his parents' proficiencies, God equipped him   
   in the wastelands to meet the public and testify to them.   
      
   prayer   
      
   Equip us wholly, Lord, to serve you the best we can. Amen.   
      
   Read Luke 1:76-80.   
      
   76 "And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest;   
   for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,   
   77 to give knowledge of salvation to His people   
   by the remission of their sins,   
   78 through the tender mercy of our God,   
   whereby the sunrise from on high has visited us;   
   79 to give light to those who sit in darkness   
   and in the shadow of death,   
   to guide our feet into the way of peace."   
   80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit,   
   and he remained in the wilderness until the day of his appearance to Israel.   
      
   From The Ah-Has of Advent by Rich Bimler   
      
   FOURTH TUESDAY   
   AH-HA! Ambassadors of Health, Hope and ACCLAMATION!   
      
   7 so that, being justified by His grace, we might   
   become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.   
   8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I want   
   you constantly to affirm, so that those who have believed in God might be   
   careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to   
   everyone. TITUS 3:7-8   
      
   Christmas is the time for acclamation . . . and so is Advent! This AH-HA   
   is present throughout our lives in the Lord as we shout. cheer, applaud   
   and say "AH-HA and hooray" to those around us!   
   Today's lesson is a great summary of the life in the Lord that we acclaim   
   daily. We are justified by his grace. which means we live "just as if I'd never   
   sinned." The Babe born in the manger whom we celebrate these days is   
   the reason for the reason we are free to acclaim his love and forgiveness   
   to others ... starting with ourselves!   
   Ruth Graham, wife of Billy Graham. had it right when she said that a "happy   
   'marriage is the union of two forgivers." We acclaim that this is what the   
   Church is all about also---a commUNION of forgivers in Christ!   
   The Church has not survived for over 2000 years because of our optimism,   
   idealism or realism, but because the Spirit has empowered his people to   
   acclaim and witness to the birth, death, and resurrection of the Lord! Our   
   job is not to fix the world but to forgive the world through Christ Jesus!   
      
   Lord, we applaud, praise and acclaim your name. And even when   
   we do not acclaim your name, we know that you claim us as your forgiven   
   people! Help us. Lord, to say. like St. Paul, " This is a faithful saying!"   
   In Jesus' name. Amen ... and AH-HA!   
      
   Read Titus 3:4-8   
      
   4 (Titus 2:10-11) But when the kindness and the love of God our Saviour   
   toward mankind appeared,   
   5 (Ro 12:2; 1Pe 3:21) not by works of righteousness which we have done,   
   but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of rebirth   
   and the renewal of the Holy Spirit,   
   6 (Ro 5:5; Joel 2:28) whom He poured out on us abundantly through   
   Jesus Christ our Saviour,   
   7 (Ro 8:17; Titus 1:2) so that, being justified by His grace, we might   
   become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.   
   8 (1Ti 1:15; Titus 2:14) This is a faithful saying, and these things I want   
   you constantly to affirm, so that those who have believed in God might be   
   careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to   
   everyone.   
      
   From  On Eagle's Wings    
   The 6:15 AM Revelation   
      
   5 The light shines in darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it.   
      
      
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   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)