Classic Humor

Nothing spiritual or profound today. Just a great laugh from a classic comic. This is Jack Benny at his best. Enjoy!

He has the whole world in his hands

How the world was changed by the birth of that one baby boy - Emmanuel, God-with-us, Jesus! And it continues to change as 20th and 21st century technology and commitment to missions has spread the good news in ways unprecedented until now. Perhaps we really are close to the day when Jesus will come again!

Check out this report from the Pew Forum on the size and distribution of the world's Christian population.


From the Executive Summary:
A comprehensive demographic study of more than 200 countries finds that there are 2.18 billion Christians of all ages around the world, representing nearly a third of the estimated 2010 global population of 6.9 billion. Christians are also geographically widespread – so far-flung, in fact, that no single continent or region can indisputably claim to be the center of global Christianity.
      A century ago, this was not the case. In 1910, about two-thirds of the world’s Christians lived in Europe, where the bulk of Christians had been for a millennium, according to historical estimates by the Center for the Study of Global Christianity. Today, only about a quarter of all Christians live in Europe (26%). A plurality – more than a third – now are in the Americas (37%). About one in every four Christians lives in sub-Saharan Africa (24%), and about one-in eight is found in Asia and the Pacific (13%).
      Although Europe and the Americas still are home to a majority of the world’s Christians (63%), that share is much lower than it was in 1910 (93%). And the proportion of Europeans and Americans who are Christian has dropped
from 95% in 1910 to 76% in 2010 in Europe as a whole, and from 96% to 86% in the Americas as a whole.
      Almost half (48%) of all Christians live in the 10 countries with the largest number of Christians. Three of the top 10 countries are in the Americas (the United States, Brazil and Mexico). Two are in Europe (Russia and Germany), two are in the Asia-Pacific region (the Philippines and China), and three are in sub-Saharan Africa (Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Ethiopia), reflecting Christianity’s global reach.
      Although Christians comprise just under a third of the world’s people, they form a majority of the population in 158 countries and territories, about two-thirds of all the countries and territories in the world.


You can read the full report HERE.


May you and those you love have a merry and blessed Christmas.

When an angel came to announce the birth of Jesus, he said “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” And Christmas continues to be a season with much rejoicing. Does this mean that everything is right in the world, or even in our lives? No. But, as Christ-followers we can still find joy in our…

1)Forgiven Past. The apostle Paul tells us that “Having been declared righteous, then, by faith, we have peace toward God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  (Rom. 5:1) All of us some things in my past we’re ashamed of. Isn’t it amazing that, through faith in Jesus, we can know that our sin account is completely clean before God?

2)Future Prospects. Paul continues, “We confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.” (Rom. 5:2) When Christ-followers look to the future, we see glory – the promise of eternal life in a new heaven and a new earth. It’s good to know that no matter how bad things are, better times are coming.

3)Present Pressures. Paul says, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;  perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Rom. 5:3-4) Meeting Jesus didn’t take away any of the problems in the shepherd’s lives. They still were poor, and were still governed by a brutal dictator. But they now had HOPE. When we live in hope, because we know we are justified, then our whole attitude to pressure changes. And as we abide under pressure, our perseverance yields strength and character.

This is what the Christian life is all about. The ability to rejoice in our present pressures, and in our future hope, because of the surety of our forgiven past. Rejoice!

Second Sunday of Advent - Peace

This morning we lit the second candle on our Advent Wreath, which is the candle of “Peace.” 

The word for peace in Hebrew (the language Jesus spoke) is Shalom, and it has a much deeper meaning than the way we use the word “peace” in English. While “peace” can simply mean that there is no fighting going on, Shalom implies wellness, wholeness, and harmony. 

So, when we affirm that Jesus is the “Prince of Peace,” we are saying that he is the one who brings harmony and wholeness to our lives and to the world. Jesus came not just to pay the price for our sins (which he did), but to bring wellness to life; to bring harmony to our relationship with God. He addresses not just the consequences of our sin, but also our underlying mixed up, tattered, dissonance of our sin-sick lives. 

This Advent, we wish Shalom for you and all those you love.

Bethlehemian Rhapsody

"Bohemian Rhapsody" was one of the greatest rock anthems of the 70s. Now, with some new words, and a few puppets, it's being used to tell the greatest story ever told. Enjoy!