Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Merry Christmas! I hope on this very special day your hearts are filled with the joy of the Lord . . . our strength, our song and our salvation.


From the desk of Walter Martin:

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Romans 8:18

Christians should take heart in the midst of persecution. They should say, “I’m blessed by God, because I wouldn’t be getting this flack unless God was blessing me.”

Sometimes at Christian Research Institute when we have problems—and believe me I think we have legions of demons assigned to us—it never fails but we get blessed out of our socks. It’s an unfailing truth . . . something happens. God does something incredible and pours out a blessing, and you simply can’t believe what happened.

Let me illustrate: December is the worst month of the year for Christian giving. CRI takes a terrible beating in December along with other Christian organizations, mainly because everyone’s out buying Christmas presents. There’s nothing wrong with that, but the Devil is still in business in December. The work of God still has to go on in December. Just because you’re trimming your tree doesn’t mean the Devil isn’t trying to trim us!

Every December we have a special prayer session at CRI. We pray and ask, “Lord, this year we’ve had such a tough time from so many different sources. The Devil’s been after us in every area. We’ve got the building now, and all the problems that come with it. Lord, bless us out of our socks in December so that we’ll know you’re pleased with us during the year and that you’ll bless us next year. We lay a fleece before you, Lord. Do something unusual. Every December is a bummer but this time, please, just bless us. Open the windows of heaven and let us feel your power.”

That December we got more money than we’d ever gotten in any December in the history of Christian Research Institute. It even beat out May, which is the best month of the year. God answered that fleece. It was as if He put his arm around our shoulders and gave us a nice squeeze. I could almost hear Him saying, “Okay! December’s your worst month? I’m going to make it your greatest!” And He did. We just praised and thanked God for such a blessing; a blessing made greater by the fact that we were closed for ten days during December for vacation, and the Bible Answer Man was not done live for most of the month. God blessed us more than we ever anticipated.

Jesus is trying to get the same message across to you—not just in finances— but in every area of your life. He wants you to realize how blessed you are when men persecute you. Don’t rob yourself of a blessing by sticking your head under the covers and saying, “It’s a rainy day and I’m not coming out.” Instead, throw off the covers, bound out of bed, and ask God to do something unusual for you.

He will not fail.


Something to think about: God will open the windows of heaven for you.


Perfect submission—all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest;
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.

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