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December 2018 Plan of Salvation: John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever shall believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
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Being Thankful in the United States: A Nationwide Survey Each year the team at Raven's Eye conducts a national survey in the United States, which asks two questions: 1. For what or whom are you most thankful, and why? At this time, what or whom do you need most, and why?
been able to do.
findings support the presence of deep and meaningful family values among Americans, as well as the practical needs of jobs and money." -- Dr. Britton Niles Study co-author and CEO of Raven's Eye
At this time, what or whom do you need most, and why? • At this time, I most need my family. • At this time in my life, I need more money. Other interesting findings include that: 2018 survey results: • I most need love and support. • Participants were most thankful for other people, though god, health, aniFor what or whom are you most thank- What I need most right now is a job. mals and material items were noted. ful, and why? "This research is extremely valuable. It Such results indicate a human-centered • I am most thankful for my family offers insight into what Americans are worldview. because they love me, and have always thankful for and what they need. In • Participants focused on family and been there for me. terms of thankfulness, people appreci- friends, versus other social identities • I am thankful for friends in my life, ate family, friends, and the value of life such as sports groups or occupations. who love and support me. itself. When asked about needs, people Family included such relations as par• I am grateful for my good health. reflect on both social and material ents, children, husbands, wives, moththings, including their families, money, ers, and daughters were mentioned. • I am thankful for God. I'm thankful for everything that I have love and support, and a job. These Continued on Back Page
The Christian message is often referred to as the "Gospel," which means "good news." Specifically, it is the good news about Jesus—who He is, what He has done, and what He offers. Essentially, the message is that Jesus was God in the flesh, that He came into the world to reconcile humanity to Himself, and that his salvation is freely offered to each person who will respond in faith. The Gospel message explains that salvation is only possible through the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus. Through his sacrifice, Jesus paid the price for our sinfulness (rebellion against God), thus offering us forgiveness. Then through his Resurrection He conquered death, removing it as the penalty for our sin and replacing it with the offer of eternal life that is only available from Him to all those that place their faith in Him.
Christian Themed Solid Rock Café Opens in Antioch’s Historic Rivertown Southern, & Cajun styled, a warm dining experience including some delta water views, faith, fellowship, and a family friendly fun environment.
The Grand Opening of Solid Rock Café on November 9th offers the community great food, American,
the weekends. The owners of Solid Rock Café, Pastor Kirkland and Qwivander Smith, and Allen Payton wanted to offer tasty, quality home cooked food, faith and fellowship, family friendly fun, and a warm welcoming The restaurant and entertain- experience for all. Guests will also ment house, located at 422 W. find several big screen tv’s to unSecond Street, has an exten- wind & relax, cozy booths, servers sive menu. Some of the menu with smiles, outside dining with delitems include seafood, garlic ta views, private event space availcrab & noodles, gumbo, and able for parties, and more. Jambalaya on the weekends as well as greens, macaroni & Hours are Tuesday - Friday, 11am cheese, fried and baked chick- – 8pm; Saturday, 9am - 8pm en, and numerous other Southern, (brunch 9am – 1pm); and Sunday Cajun, and traditional dishes. A 11am – 6 pm ( brunch 11am -2pm). breakfast buffet is also offered on For more info: solidrockcafe.us,
Guests enjoy new restaurant (L); Guests are served food (above) at Solid Rock Café .
facebook.com/solidrockcafeantioch, or call (925) 481-2706.
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Ways To Help Those Impacted by California Wildfires
our neighbors about the Good News of Jesus Christ and reap Good News Press is a Christian outreach eternal rewards. publication in the San Francisco Bay Area. Good News Press This popular high-quality, newspaper, inbelieves that this forms and inspires believers, as well as commission begins plant seeds into the hearts of men and in our own backwomen. yards. There are Good News Press covers world, national, more than 7 Miland local religious news and events, and lion people in the Bay Area. We want to features inspiring Christian articles and inshare the good news, and bring to them the sights. It is available, both digitally online love of Jesus Christ. and in full-color printed format. • Urgency… We believe that these are the Christian newspapers reach a targeted audi- end times and that Jesus Christ is soon to ence-specifically a family oriented, audireturn. ence, with strong loyalties and convictions. Go to our website to find out how to supWhy Support Good News Press port Good News Press at • Fulfill the Great Commission! Help us tell www.goodnewspress.us
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Black Friday Becomes Bless Friday® - Bless Friday Expands to South Texas
preparing the public areas of the Open Door Mission for Christmas. ODM helps addicted, homeless and disabled men. Since 2010, Bless Friday® has provided At-home activities include packing rice an alternative to hectic Christmas shop- and beans for the Fuente Food Pantry ping on the day after Thanksgiving. and making emergency lunch kits for Churches and Christians in Houston, Kids' Meals. Participating Houston area The Woodlands, Richmond, Trinity, and churches include Memorial Drive PresCotulla, Texas and Seattle, Washington byterian Church, St. John the Divine are preparing projects that honor Christ Episcopal Church, West University Bapat Christmas on Friday, November 23 tist Church, Crosspoint Church and the and also on Saturday the 24th. These Beacon of Light Christian Center. churches encourage families and individuals to celebrate Bless Friday® as an Beacon of Light Christian Center, locatalternative to Black Friday. ed in south Houston, will host clothing giveaway for the community on the This year Bless Friday will partner with morning of Saturday, November 25. RE/MAX Legacy Living and nearby residents and passersby will gather to fill Chuck Fox, founder of Bless Friday®, and wrap Christmas shoeboxes for dis- states, "Starting your Christmas celebratribution by the Houston International tion with service changes how you expeSeafarers. Jemila Winsey says, "These rience the holidays. Helping others alboxes will lift the spirits of lonely seafar- ters how you view the season. Children ers in the Port of Houston who are con- especially may be transformed as they fined on board and away from their fami- shift their focus from receiving presents ly and home during the holidays." to serving others. Join us by choosing an activity that honors Christ, gather Houston churches' efforts will include together your family and friends, and helping people still impacted by Hurristart your Christmas celebration with cane Harvey; sending congregants to service." The Beacon, a homeless shelter established by Christ Church Cathedral; help- Bless Friday® was founded in 2010 in ing at the Houston Food Bank, serving Houston to change the way Americans lunch at Cornerstone Community and celebrate Christmas.
The Camp and the Woolsey wildfires in California has had devastating effects, claiming at least 83 lives and thousands of homes. The Camp Fire nearly destroyed the entire city of Paradise California, leaving thousands homeless. The Camp fire is the most destructive wild fire in California history, and of this writing is still not completely out, but about 90 percent contained. Recent rain has turned very unhealthy air due Wildfire Burns Hill with Flames and Dramatic Smoke Formations during Woolsey Fire California to the wildfires for large chunks of California, but the rain has since brought air back to health assistance as well as medical healthy levels. treatment. Organizations that Help:
The Salvation Army began their response work for the American Red Cross: Camp Fire on November 8, and exMake Donations at their website: panded their efforts as the fire has exwww.redcross.org or make a $10 dona- panded. The Salvation Army has detion by texting the word CAWILDFIRES ployed multiple Emergency Disaster to 90999 or calling 1-800-REDService teams to provide meals and CROSS. support to those affected. Teams are providing three meals a day, snacks, California Community Foundation’s beverages, essential items, and emoWildfire Relief Fund tional and spiritual care. To donate visit www.calfund.org/wildfire-relief-fund their site:https:// The fund has raised more than $5 mil- westernusa.salvationarmy.org/usw_thq/ lion for relief and recovery efforts for news/california_wildfires/ wildfires. Provides financial and mental
What Does Christmas Mean to Christians? Christmas is the most commercial season in our society, but for a significant percentage of the population it is also a holiday packed with meaning. For Christians who take their faith seriously, Christmas is the celebration of one of the most important events in history.
celebrate Christian on different dates. December 25 is simply an arbitrary date chosen to celebrate the birth because the exact date is unknown.
Though most people identify Christmas with the date of December 25, Christianity does not actually claim that Jesus was born on December 25. In fact, Christmas has been celebrated on a variety of different dates throughout the history of the Christian Church. In fact, even today Christians in some parts of the world
While many people complain about the holiday’s modern emphasis on consumerism, Christians throughout the centuries have recognized that Christmas represents a turning point in history when the Savior entered the world.
The date is non-consequential, anyway, since the true significance of Christmas for Christians is not found in the coming of Jesus. It is in why Christians consider Christmas to be He came. The Bible explains (and the celebration of the day Jesus Christians believe) that Jesus is (and Christ was born as a baby. Known in was) divine, and that He came into theology as the "Incarnation," it sig- the world for the primary purpose of nifies that God became human and eventually giving up His life as an entered into His own creation. Acexpression of His love and grace. cording to the biblical nativity narra- Ultimately, it was part of a grand tives, Jesus was born to a virgin plan to offer forgiveness and life to named Mary in the town of Bethleall who would willingly choose to hem in the Judean countryside. place their faith and hope in Him.
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Christmas trends: Forget pine, white trees are hot Welcome to the future. Nearly 60 years later, nostalgia in white, silver and flocked trees has come full circle, out of garage sales and back into the living room. According to the Wall Street Journal, this is likely due to Instagram and social media where, if you want to display your favorite colorful ornaments, nothing shows them off as well as a white tree. In some ways, the white trees are a backlash against the all-natural trend in design, food, clothing and life in general, says the Journal. Besides, it is exhausting and expensive to head out to the tree farms to find and cut
Remember. Honor. Teach. Group remembers war dead with wreaths Like most good ideas, this one began with a problem. In 1992, the owner of a wreath company in Maine found himself with a surplus near the end of the Christmas season. What to do? Morrill Worcester, owner of Worcester Wreath Company, decided he would use the wreaths to decorate the most inspirational place he saw as a boy: Arlington National Cemetery. With the help of a senator, he made arrangements to decorate an older section of the cemetery, one with fewer visitors every year. A local trucking company heard about the effort and donated transportation for the wreaths. American Legion and VFW posts volunteered to make red bows. And the Maine State Society
just the right spruce or pine. If it is a backlash, it got started in 2017, when Wayfair saw white tree sales spike, quadruple the year before and selling out earlier. White trees made up 13 percent of total Christmas tree sales, up from 5 percent the year before. This year, as in the 1970s, white trees make the perfect backdrop for ornamental themes. One-color ornaments are popular, as are white-on-white flocked trees and lights. It certainly adds a bright spot to a room. Especially with flocked trees, you can still go native with wooden ornaments, pine cones and toys mixing with lights of a single color.
helped to lay the wreaths. It became a mission for veteran and military groups and the idea spread. By 2007, a non-profit
corporation-- Wreaths Across America -- was formed with the motto: Remember. Honor. Teach. In 2014 the group placed more than 700,000 wreaths in 1,000 locations from Pearl Harbor to Valley Forge. If you would like to participate, go to wreathsacrossamerica.org.
Good News Press - Back - December 2018
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Retirement Reformation Movement Aims to Transform Lives and Mobilize Untapped Golden-Years Army Shockingly, most Christians plan to do 'nothing' when they stop working, but Bruce Bruinsma hopes a 'seniors summit' will change all that and spark a revolution of devotion and service -- The American church's giant isn't sleeping, but it's busy playing golf and taking lif easy in retirement, according to the man behind a campaign to mobilize an untapped golden-years army.
of future thinking among maturing people, but also a gaping hole in the church's current view of seniors. Focusing ministry more on young people and families, many churches just tell older members "to keep giving and not be grumpy," he says.
The retirement issue has come to the forefront in recent years as longevity has increased, Bruinsma acknowledges. Many people can now expect to live 30 years after they stop workHaving built a successful career ing, he says, passing through and company helping Christians three different phases of opporsave wisely for retirement, financial services veteran Bruce Bruinsma is now focused on making sure they spend those years well, enriching their own and others' lives. Through his new Retirement Reformation (www.retirementreformation.or g) initiative, he plans to birth a movement that inspires and equips seniors to invest their hearts in a deeper relationship with God and their time and money in building God's kingdom. With many believers among America's 50 million or so and growing population of retirement-agers, the church has missed an opportunity to capitalize on their wisdom, experience and resources, Bruinsma contends. "Our career may come to an end, but as Christians our calling to serve God continues until we die," he says. "Imagine what might be accomplished if more older Christians were actively engaged in meaningful ministry. Remember, ministry equates to changed lives."
Being Thankful Survey Continued from Front Page
about how their lives can be enriched in return.
"The world says that it's all downhill after you retire, and you just need to try to enjoy as much leisure as you can before you die," Bruinsma says. "There is something much more fulfilling available; God invites us to be part of reflecting him to the world in every stage of life. Our last quarter could be our best season ever, if we take adMany people are completely un- vantage of a life's worth of prepared for their second half knowledge and experience, of life, in retirement, Karcher combined with a greater freesaid, though it is the time when dom provided by both time and "we could most anticipate a money." greater freedom in our calendars and finances than we prepared for." Welcoming the invi- Retirement Reformation tation to be part of the summit, (www.retirementreformation.or he added: “I anticipate there g) was founded to help Chriswill be phenomenal new relatians approach retirement as an tionships formed, ideas generated, and plans put in place for opportunity to serve God in new improving the impact the aver- ways, sharing their wisdom, experience and resources. It also age Christian has on the world around them." assists churches and organiza-
He began researching the issue and found not only an absence
•
Females were relatively more thankful for their, "wonderful husbands," than were males, while males were relatively more thankful for their, "loving wives." But the Retirement Reformation • Younger males mentioned needing a isn't only about what seniors can do for the church—it's also car relatively more frequently than other tunity to be active in God's service as they further age.
groups, while younger women were relatively more thankful for their boyfriends. Other than thankfulness or gratitude, love is the most frequent emotional term used. For more information, go to: ravens-eye.net.
December National Events 1-31, National Impaired Driving Prevention Month.
Cambridge. Since 1918, a Christmas Eve service of carols and readings from the Bi1 and 8, Christmas Candleble performed by the Choir of lightings. Roscoe Village, King's College. Web: Coshocton, OH. Web: roscoevil- kings.cam.ac.uk. lage.com 25, Christmas. 1-31, Christmas New Orleans Style. New Orleans, LA. Con26, Boxing Day. Dec 26. A day certs, caroling Web: fqfi.org. when Christmas gift boxes have been expected by a postman, 2, Hanukkah Begins At Sundown. the lamplighter, the dustman and generally by all those 10, Nobel Prize Awards Ceremo- functionaries who render sernies. vices to the public at large, without receiving payment 14-Jan 5, 2019, Christmas Bird therefore from any individual. Count. Web: audubon.org/ 31, First Night. Family23, Community Carol Sing. Mys- oriented, nonalcoholic commutic, CT. Web: mysticseanity celebrations of the New port.org. Year-first observed in Boston, MA, in 1975. 24, Christmas Eve. 31, Leap Second Adjustment tions in maximizing the gifts of a largely untapped constituency 24, ENGLAND: Festival Of Nine Time. (to coordinate atomic Lessons And Carols: 100th An- and astronomical time). by equipping older members niversary. King's College and supporters for active inChapel, Cambridge University, 31, New Year's Eve. volvement in ministry.