Sharing the Gospel is an important work in any Christian, I have been in the wholesale fishing tackle business some 42 years and I at one time called on Liquor Stores and Bars that sold fishing tackle. Then I realized for a few dollars of profit I was compromising my Christian life.
Today as a older Christian still wanting to serve the Lord, I write a Christian column for the local newspaper and send it out on this website and 6 others worldwide. We are never too old to share the Good News with our neighbors, friends, and stangers.
LEN'S LINES -- A Little Religion On A Positive Note By Len Granger
Should we dance in the New Year?
As the New Year arrives in a few days, I recall the celebrations when watching TV and see the many people all around the world perform all kinds of dances. They have always attracted my attention even though the churches that I have attended over the years frown upon dancing. So thought maybe the Bible had some instruction for its readers and will see the direction we should take?
We see where the Bible has provided many themes and topics for their dances with Biblical characters, heroes and heroines, kings and sinners, --and all kinds of stories. The tense type of story telling especially in the Old Testament is often found to be abounding with physical action and moral issues. The often quoted story of Salome who danced before King Herod to Queen of Sheba the art of dancing was considered profane. We see there are eleven biblical Hebrew terms used for dance which range all over the identification of dancing.
Even King David, we see in 2 Samuel Verses 14 to 16 danced. " Then David danced before the Lord with all his might; and Davis was wearing a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet. Now as the ark of the Lord came into the City of David, Michal Saul's daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the Lord and she despised him in her heart." A lot has been said about David, a man of God, dancing and it is often wondered what type of dancing it was? I have a song titled " And David Danced The Polka" which declares all other music and dance was not appropriate. During college I played in a German Polka Band for concerts, Senior Citizen Homes, and think just maybe King David might have enjoyed that lively music to celebrate the arrival of the Ark.
We also see in the old testament book of Ecclesiaster Chapter 3 verse 1 "To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven, verse 4, A time to weep, and a time to laugh, A time to mourn, and a time to dance." As a young airman in the Air Force going through basic training, we had a Saturday free to go to town. A bus was going to the USO Dance put on by the Hayward, California High School girls and I against my better judgment got on the bus. At the dance a beautiful girl and one of the best dancers attracted all my fellow airmen and was full of life. I was a wall flower as never danced but was able to talk with the girl. After an hour as she rested, she surprised me with, " Would you like to come to my house and meet my folks. as they are going to pick me up?" It was love at first sight and six months later we were married with a church wedding. I never learned to dance, but we had 55 years of Christian living, as we raised six children and traveled the world together during our Air Force career.
Maybe this year as I will be celebrating 80 years of life I may dance but not as King David did with shouting and twisting. I hear the slow dance called the Two Step, I might be able to handle. Just two steps forward and two steps backward.
We pray this Sunday morning, New Years Day, we will all be in the church of our choice singing and praising our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God Bless America
LEN'S LINES --- A Little Religion On A Positive Note By Len Granger
The Meaning Of Christmas
We as Christians would like to believe the world is celebrating Christmas, the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In some respects that is true, they may recognize the holiday Christmas, but it maybe in just a holiday spirit.
Here in this great land of ours, blessed so many times by the Lord, even our President says this is no longer a Christian nation based on how many regularly attend church. We see our public schools no longer allowed to celebrate with Christmas Programs, many restrictions on public display of Christmas themes, and the government at all levels trying to make Christmas politically correct.
Why is it the world so despises the reason we celebrate Christmas? Why does our culture try to replace the word Christmas with, Happy Holidays or even XMAS? You ask me, and I believe it is because we are so self centered, so sure we can do everything on our own, and we no longer look to the Lord for our needs. However, we now are finding we and the government can no longer take care of our everyday needs. Our Loving and Most Gracious Lord is there to pick us up in our time of need, if we only put our faith in him. He asks, that we as his servants, recognize his birthday, Christmas with its true meaning.
We see this year good news in some areas at Christmas time. The largest retailer chain has announced this year according to spokeswoman, Linda Blakely, that WalMart will be greeting customers with "Merry Christmas" early and often. Also Sears, will be placing up Merry Christmas Banners and changing their advertising to reflect a Christmas theme. Other national chains are rethinking their past policies on removing Christmas from their stores.
So this year let us not be silent about why we celebrate Christmas. While it is great to share gifts with each other and have a happy feast celebration, let us remember the inspiration for gifts comes from our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus came from his glory to earth to be like one of us, a tiny, helpless, baby. He gave himself so that we might live, as without our Lord in our lives we have no hope of salvation.
Let us remember if someone greets us with "Happy Holidays" we will return a warm greeting and quickly respond with "Merry Christmas".
This Sunday, Christmas Day, let us all turn out in record numbers and fill the church of our choice as be sing and worship our loving and gracious Lord, Jesus Christ, on his birthday. God Bless America
I maybe of the old school but sex before marriage was not something my wife and I did as we had respect for each other. Honey Moon was something we looked forward to and would then know each other. As we were both Christians, we sure enjoyed sex after marriage and God blessed us with 6 children. My wife would say, as I like most men think sex and love are the same, you can get sex on any street corner, but Love Takes Time To Build. After 55 years of marriage, with the last 15 as a 24/7 caregiver, I found out that Christian love was forever.
I have a saying:
If a woman whats her oil checked, I must own the car.
The Bible tells us our bodies are a temple of the Lord. So I do not drink or smoke and never have, Doctors say here in California a little wine is good for your health as do the wine industry. However, overeating is putting a stress on my body which I am guilty of. So if I started to like wine, or smoked, my self will power in those areas just might be out of hand. I try to put on the full armor of God and stop the wiles of the devil Pray the Lord will never let me go into those sins.
LEN'S LINES ---- A Little Religion On A Positive Note By Len Granger
Porn the Killer
In today's fast life pace of things we find the computer has given us all kinds of wonderful things including a broad outlet on the world. Some Christians , who should know better, have let the computer become the most important thing in their life as they search for things they feel will just maybe make them more satisfied with life and even happier.
Christians we believe the Lord is the first in our life but when we let, family, job, money, or even the computer replace the number one spot in our lives, bad things can happen. Porn a fantasy in one's mind, can if we let ourselves dwell on it, make us a tool of the devil. We see stories in the papers but the world says it is not a problem for most people and they believe it is a sign of the times.
Now when the devil attacks weak Christians with his sinful sword of Porn we should take notice. We must keep the Lord first in our lives and put on the shield of armor he provides us in Ephesians 6- v11, " Put On The Whole Armor Of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."
A reader of this column in Dallas, Texas, who is the widow of a pastor, tells a very heartbreaking true story of her Christian sister and how sinful porn tore a family apart.
"Len's Lines ...12/11/11
Today is my sister's birthday and I would love to share a story about a very special person in life. This lady happened to be my little sister. She was 45 years of age and was the youngest of seven of us children. Maybe this may help someone else out there that has been addicted to porn. She met this young man in high school. She led him to the Lord, they fell in love and married and God gave them three beautiful girls. Ron got caught up into porn when in high school. When their girls were age 16, 18 and 20, their dad got mixed up in porn again and all his past came back to haunt him. He was even seeing Christian doctors and counselors because of this addiction. One morning the girls awakened to find his attach case was still in the spot he left it the night before. The girls broke into their bedroom because no one answered them. They got into their bedroom and found their parents dead in bed. I'm telling you this story as Satan is out to kill and destroy us all. We must keep our focus on the Lord Jesus Christ and not let the sins of the flesh rule our lives. Satan got the victory in this story, however, but as Christians our victory is in the Lord Jesus Christ. My sister is in heaven with Jesus and Oh, how I miss her sweet voice and smile. Someday I will see Him face to face and will see my sister again. When we let this kind of thing get a grip on us, we not only hurt ourselves, but others as well. If you have never asked Jesus into your life and let Him make a difference in you, I pray that you will do this and you will never be sorry you made this decision. Your eternity is your destiny. God Bless You is my prayer. Joan"
This middle aged family was not in need of anything and was materially well by today's standards. The devil is very powerful if we let him get a hold of our life and you can see by the story steps were being taken to remedy the problem. However, if we put the Lord first in our life and look to him for answers, our Lord has promised he will shield us from a life of sin and change our sinful nature.
We pray this Sunday will find us all in the church of our choice praying and worshiping our most loving and gracious Lord Jesus Christ. God Bless America
