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Archives for the ‘Christmas’ Category

Shop anywhere but Target

Sunday, November 27, 2016, 6:10 pm | Randy Thomasson

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If you do Christmas shopping, DON’T permit your dollars to attack children and families and Creator God’s design of human beings.

A  Tennessee-based pro-family group 2nd Vote has scored U.S. companies on whether they are good, bad, or in-between on conservative issues. The scoring isn’t perfect, but it’s definitely helpful. See it to know which sellers to avoid this Christmas.

But above all, avoid Target, which is blatantly preaching the Big Lie that boys are girls, girls are boys, men are women, and women are men.

Why boycott Target
2016 Shopping Guide
Company database

Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
Romans 1:24-27

Let Jesus’ resurrection give you confidence

Sunday, April 5, 2015, 2:15 pm | Randy Thomasson

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The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is one of the most important events in history. It ranks right up there with the Creation and Jesus’ death on the Cross. And the Resurrection should give great confidence to true believers.

Consider that when Jesus died on the Cross in 30 A.D. to provide one-of-a-kind substitutionary atonement for believers’ sins, His disciples were afraid, sad, and scattered. They didn’t understand. Yet upon seeing the overwhelming evidence of Jesus’ amazing, physical resurrection, they became confident, glad, and united.

For Jesus’ resurrection confirmed that He was the God-Man, who had the ability to identify with (thus take the place of) sinful humans. And it convincingly demonstrated that He, as the One Who had created all things (John 1:3), had divine authority to forgive sins past, present, and future for all who confess and repent of their sins, ask for and receive Jesus’ forgiveness, and submit to Him as the new King of their lives.

Upon seeing that Jesus has resurrected Himself, just as He said He would, the formerly scared, hopeless, and defeated disciples were transformed in their minds, hearts, and souls. They now knew their identity and purpose. They now knew the meaning of life. And they knew the source of joy. And get this — they were willing to not only die for Jesus, but to live for Him and to suffer for Him as they produced great fruit, saw many lives changed, and turned their culture upside down.

Similarly, every believer today, who sincerely entrusts himself or herself to Jesus, should be glad and hopeful, not morose and hopeless. If you, like His disciples, will gaze at the resurrected Jesus, you’ll not only realize He is Who He said He was, and how much He loves you, but you’ll discover your exciting and fulfilling Reason for being, living, and working!

Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.” But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”

When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, “Have you any food here?” So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. And He took it and ate in their presence. Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.
Luke 24:36-44 NKJV

How to put Jesus first at Christmas

Tuesday, December 24, 2013, 12:59 pm | Randy Thomasson

adoration_of_the_shepherds“Adoration of the Shepherds” by Bartolome Esteban Murillo (1655)

We at SaveCalifornia.com believe in God and family — and we know families that pray together tend to stay together.

So we are strong advocates of returning Christmas to its true meaning as the “festival of Christ.” Because anyone who believes in Jesus can and should renew their excitement about Jesus during Christmas.

Remember that Christmas is about a miracle: the Incarnation where the Word became flesh and God became man; and the Birth of Jesus, the Savior of the world, proclaiming Good News that people’s sins can be forgiven.

In light of the amazing love of God revealed through Jesus Christ, believers should resist personal and cultural traditions that diminish adoration of Christ at Christmas. It’s a struggle. But at His own birthday celebration, shouldn’t Jesus be the center of attention?

SaveCaliforniaMinute_122313_200X160Listen to my SaveCalifornia.com Minute for ideas on how to glorify Jesus at Christmas, such as: reading aloud from the Gospels of Matthew and Luke about the incarnation and birth of Jesus, talking about it, and praying to Him.

Other ideas include singing songs of praise, watching a good “Jesus film,” and sharing around the table why you appreciate Jesus. What can you come up with?

 

charliebrownchristmas_200x160Peanuts creator, Charles Schulz, wanted “A Charlie Brown Christmas” to have the religious meaning that was central to his own experience of Christmas.

Despite being criticized for being “too religious” Schultz got his way in his 1965 movie. Enjoy this classic moment from this classic film as Linus explains to Charlie Brown the true meaning of Christmas.
Watch it now (1 min. 55 sec)

 

 

From my heart to yours, I wish you and your family a JOYous CHRISTmas!

Randy Thomasson
President, SaveCalifornia.com
Campaign for Children and Families

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SaveCalifornia.com is a leading West Coast nonprofit, nonpartisan organization standing strong for moral virtues for the common good. We represent children and families in the areas of marriage and family, parental rights, the sanctity of human life, religious freedom, financial freedom, and back-to-basics education.