ARE YOU READY. . . I was involved in a Bible study recently in which we discussed Luke 12:35-48. Luke begins this portion of scripture with the words of Christ, "Be dressed in readiness, and keep your lamps lit." In verse forty Jesus goes on to say that His return is certain, but the time is not known. The obvious theme of these verses is "Be Ready."

The return of Christ has been the subject of countless books, movies, and sermons. Unfortunately, a significant body of work is speculative, sensational, and unsupported by orthodox Christian teaching. Less is written about"readiness." Perhaps the most important question is, How do we get ready? The believer would be wise to pay greater attention to Jesus' teaching in this area.

It seems quite interesting that our Lord precedes the readiness portion of scripture with the often quoted verse, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Lk. 12:34) Immediately prior to this statement he says, "Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys."

Throughout the scripture, numerous authors allude to the danger of riches and the need for giving. Are you Ready? Are you ready to see the kingdom of God expanded? Are you ready for the return of Christ? Are you ready for Christmas? I would like to take some statements from the book of Luke and put them in the form of questions for your contemplation.

• Are you willing to share your food and clothing with those in need? (3:11)
• Are you willing to give to those who ask of you without expecting anything in return? (6:30)
• Are you willing to give regularly to those who have very little? (11:41)
• Do you receive the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind into your home? (14:13)
• Are you willing to sell your possessions and give to the poor? (18:22)
• Are you willing to give back to those you have taken advantage of? (19:8)

Let the above questions serve as a checklist? How many times have you heard the question, Are you ready for Christmas? The person who asks this question usually means, have you decorated, completed your shopping, and stocked up on goodies? Let that question remind you of something else this year. STAY OFF THE PAVED ROAD ...Craig

THE GUTTER ...has been described as a manifesto for all types of people in the church: those who yearn to impact the culture around them, those who want to make their story of Christ known and those who are seeking out new, fresh ways of exhibiting Christ's love to the poor in spirit. I recommend this book to you. The Christmas season is a great time to read it.

Many people avoid the gutter at all cost. This is unfortunate because it is THE place where Jesus would spend most of his time and energy. Wow! That is quite thought provoking. Where do you spend the majority of your time and energy? I want to share one quote with you.

"The modern church stays out of the gutter the same way the Pharisees stayed away from the unrighteous. Sometimes we just think we are better than them, or we're afraid we might revert back to our old gutter lifestyle. But where is our compassion for the lost? Peter and Paul, at the end of their lives, weren't bragging about their place in the Church--they were still broken for the lost. Jesus continually shows compassion for those in the gutter."

Stay off the Paved Road --Craig

MORE THOUGHTS ABOUT CHRISTMAS... Last week I shared some Information from the book The War on Christmas. Certainly there has been an attempt over a number of years to neutralize Christmas in our society. The activities of liberal activists, lawyers, politicians, educators, and media are usually cited as the primary source of this assault.

What about Christians? Do we USE Christmas for our own gain? There has been much publicized recently about the refusal of retailers to use the expression Merry Christmas. You will usually hear Happy Holidays , Seasons Greetings, Happy Holiday Season, etc. Well, if the expression offends people, the actual Christmas Holiday should be even more egregious. If these folks were honest about their political correctness then they would do away with the "season" altogether. But wait a minute, that would plunge most of them into bankruptcy.

That brings me back to the church. Do we USE Christmas in a way that is not unlike the retailers and political correct crowd that we openly chastise? Consider this - a number of Christians I have talked with recently share that their church will not have Worship Service on Christmas Sunday. There are several reasons given, but the obvious factor relates to inconvenience. When people tell me they are not having service on Christmas day I usually give a three word response. Are you serious? The Lord's Day...Is there a better day to celebrate the birth of our Savior? I wish Christmas fell on Sunday every year.

Our celebrations, cantatas, and pageants are also conducted at times of convenience. And what do they accomplish? What are we teaching our children? What impact are we really having on society? Perhaps society has become neutral to Christmas because the church has become ineffective in sharing the message or more accurately sharing the correct message. Have we contributed to the spiritual bankruptcy that is pervasive across our land. Let us remember that Jesus was born in a lowly, humble place. Jesus did not come to be served (given to) but to be a servant (giver). The Bible tells us that Jesus came to "seek and to save the lost".

Let us not USE Christmas for our personal gain and convenience. BE A GIVER (Servant) ...Go to a hard place ...Make a personal investment in someone's life ...Sponsor a child ...Work in a homeless shelter ...Share your faith ...Celebrate the "mission" of Christ! HAVE A BLESSED CHRISTMAS -Craig

WORLD AIDS DAY ... You may not be aware that December 1 is world aids day. On this day it seems appropriate to remind us of the horrible statistics: 40 million currently infected and massive epidemics preparing to erupt in India, China, and Russia. The World Health Organization says that only one million people in poor countries are getting the drugs out of the six million who will surely die soon without them.

As I have shared previously, a group from Crossroads Church recently traveled to Kenya. Poverty in Kenya averages 56%, which means that 15 million people live on around $0.80 a day. Nairobi Kenya has the largest slum in sub-Saharan Africa. Kibera is a sprawling shantytown of approximately 600 acres with an estimated population of 800,000 people, most of whom live in makeshift huts – and lacking sanitation, running water, and electricity.

In addition to the absence of even the most basic amenities, the residents are severely afflicted by the AIDS epidemic; it is estimated that one in six Kenyans is HIV-positive. As in all of sub-Saharan Africa, the number of orphans in Kibera rises daily while the social services needed to look after them are all but nonexistent. There are other countries on the African continent where the situation is even more dire.

It is encouraging to see that evangelicals are paying more attention. Nearly 2,000 pastors traveled to Orange County’s Saddleback Church today for a national conference that coincided with World AIDS Day on Thursday. Areas of discussion: How to start local AIDS ministries and free HIV testing in churches.

Leaders of the conference, including Pastor Rick Warren believes this attention represents a shift among evangelicals. He states, "Many have sidestepped the AIDS health crisis because of its association with homosexuality." What will you do? I encourage you to become educated and get personally involved! Carry the passion and light of Christ to a hurting world. -Craig