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Treasure Digest
Who's Watching You?My son called me recently to relay an exciting story. Josh, my youngest son, was working for a moving company. On one of his jobs he was moving in a newly hired CEO for several companies for the Cincinnati area. After he had worked hard all day moving this man in, the man called him over and handed him a $100 tip. The man told him who he was and what his new job was. He told Josh that he had watched him all day and was very impressed by how hard he worked, while he thought the other workers were slackers. He noticed how Josh had to work even harder to make up for his coworkers slacking. He went on to tell my son that if he wanted a job, he would be hired on the spot. He handed my son a business card and told him to call. When my son called the personnel department the next day, the CEO had already called ahead of time to make sure that he would be hired. Josh had no clue that he was being watched. He had no idea that his hard work ethic had such an impact on someone else that would create a new job opportunity for him. This example reminded me of an address that Clyde Kilough gave to the 2006 ABC graduating class. Mr. Kilough talked about being like a mirror. As a mirror can reflect light into a dark place, we, too, should shine in a darken world by our example. Mr. Kilough handed out pieces of a mirror to all the students to remind them to reflect God's light in a darkened world by their godly example. Christ reminded His disciples that they were to be the light of the world, and we should be too. Josh did that by his work ethic. He let his light shine, not by preaching, but by his hard work, which had a profound effect on the person watching him. So how do we let our light shine in a darkened world? Matthew 5:14-16 gives the answer. "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." Reflect a bright light with a godly example, for you never know who might be watching you! —Janet Treadway [ back to top ] Spiritual Attention DeficitI was busily trying to accomplish my seemingly never-ending "to do" list, and everything needed to be done before lunchtime! Nothing was being fully completed—only partially done jobs were staring back at me. I stopped in my tracks. Wait one minute here—is my spiritual list the same way? Do I stay focused on the priorities, or am I fluttering all over like a butterfly, not seeming to accomplish anything? As I was pondering this, I realized that just like a mental attention deficit disorder, we can also suffer from spiritual attention deficit. Spiritual focusing is extremely important for God's family. His chosen people must keep their focus (write your own name in John 15:16). Our priority must be entering the Kingdom to serve. We know that keys to achieving this include focusing on daily Bible study, prayer and occasional fasting. But, with the daily lists of things to do, this focus can easily slip. Praying is essential to everyone who breathes air; unfortunately, focusing can be a problem at times (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Some may find it helpful to keep several index cards where they normally pray. One card can be a list of people who need our prayers. It is very difficult to remember every prayer request unless we write it down. We can also include the names of the families who are serving abroad, the home office staff, the Council of Elders, ABC teachers and students, Feast of Tabernacles sites, etc. It is nice to have a "prayer cheat sheet" of names. Another card can be used for things that come to mind to do while praying. So often when praying for an individual or an activity, we will remember to send a note or make an encouraging phone call or possibly volunteer. It can be forgotten very quickly if we don't jot it down. You may want to pray before starting your Bible study. Ask our Great Creator to bless your focusing, reading and meditating, to place the Scriptures in your heart and to help you learn the very most with your time. Remember, our elder brother Jesus Christ walked this earth. He remembers how easy it is to flutter and not focus. He will see us through. Trying to set a day aside for fasting can be a challenge at times. Schedule these days ahead of time so you are sure to get them in. Pray fervently for God to guide you through the fast, starting a few days ahead of the actual day. Ask God to help your thoughts to be His thoughts throughout the day (Isaiah 55:8-9). God would love to help us with our spiritual focus by simplifying our lives and prioritizing according to His will. The list that I mentioned at the beginning, did it all really have to be done by lunchtime? Without a doubt, some of it could have waited. Ask your loving Father where you can simplify your life, what projects or ideas aren't absolutely necessary. God would love for us to take the time to smell the roses and to enjoy the creation that He has designed for our good. God will bless us with the power to remain focused spiritually, and He will pour peace upon us when we ask. —Tina Rupp [ back to top ] Q&A: Are New Year's Celebrations Pagan in Origin?Simply put, the answer is yes! In the earliest days of the Church (first and second centuries after Christ) there were no such celebrations as Christmas and New Year's. The New Catholic Encyclopedia states: "According to the hypothesis accepted by most scholars today, the birth of Christ was assigned the date of the winter solstice (December 25th on the Roman Calendar… January 6th on the Egyptian Calendar) because on this day, as the sun began its return to the northern skies, the pagan devotees of Mithra celebrated 'dies natalis Solis Invicti' (the birthday of the invincible sun)." Those customs carried over in the observance of Christmas (with its many traditions and practices steeped in paganism and mythology), and the "birth" of the "new year" of the sun! This is why the Roman calendar designates Jan. 1 as the beginning of the "new year." The beginning of the year from God's perspective is several months later, with the festivals tied in with the harvest seasons in the Holy Land. Much of the symbolism associated with New Year's today (mistletoe among others) has very definite sexual origins and meanings. Because we live in this secular society and must operate within the Roman calendar, even as Christians we acknowledge that a new calendar year begins to be counted on Jan. 1. Yet to get involved in the celebration of such would not be appropriate. That said, one should be careful not to become too judgmental if a Christian is, for example, viewing a football game or parade at that time of year—as opposed to actually "celebrating" the "new year." There are many resources that show the pagan origins of New Year's celebrations. You can find related material in reference encyclopedias and online research resources as well. [ back to top ] Turning the Hearts
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