We see it everywhere, the word…Xmas.

In our culture the symbol X can represent so many different things. Here are just a few for instance;
it may be used to name an unknown quantity, describe an obscene film such as X-rated, serve as a warning for poison and sometimes even used in place of Christ in Christmas (Xmas.)

In our culture since the letter X, in most cases, is used in a negative form, we just assume that (Xmas)
is negative as well. People seem to be outraged when seeing Christ’s name dropped and replaced by the symbol X. Every year I see signs, bumper stickers, shirts, etc. saying, “Put Christ back into Christmas.” I decided to do some research and check out the word Xmas. Wow, I was astounded at the result.

First, understand that it is NOT the letter X in our English vocabulary that is being represented here.
We see the letter X and obviously assume that it represents the negative. but that is not the case. The X originates from the first letter of the ancient Greek word for Christ – Χριστός (Christos), which translates in English as Christ. Therefore, the first letter of the word Christos is transliterated into our alphabet as X.

The idea of using X as an abbreviation for the name of Christ came into use in our culture with no intent to show disrespect for Jesus.

Actually, if you take time to study, even the symbol of the fish (which stands for Christianity) was derived from the first 2 letters of the ancient Greek word: fish -ΙΧΘΥΣ (Ichthys). This is actually an abbreviation for “Iēsous Christos, Theou Yios, Sōtēr” – which means in English, “Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior.” The X in the symbol of the fish actually stands for Christ, and the connection of the X for the fish is the I which stands for Jesus.

There is a long and sacred history of the use of X to symbolize the name of Christ, 
and from it’s very origin it has never meant to be disrespectful.

I hope this blesses you with knowledge, so to not be offended, the next time you see the word Xmas.

Blog contents borrowed from Mikel French

Merry Christmas/ Merry Xmas

Here is the outline for the last message in the series Amazing Grazing taught at Discovery Church.

This series is based out of the 23rd Psalm.

AMAZING GRAZING
Part 4 “We The Sheeple”
Pastor Steve Lummer
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. Psalm 23:1-6 (kjv)

1. How can I get past the pain of my PAST?

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

1. DON’T IGNORE IT.
“I kept very quiet… but I became ever more upset. I became very angry inside, and as I thought about it, my anger burned.” Ps. 39:2-3 (NCV)

2. DON’T RUN FROM IT
“I wish I had wings like a dove. Then I’d fly away and rest. I would hurry to my place of escape…” Ps. 55:6-8 (NCV)

3. DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT
“To worry yourself to death with resentment would be a foolish, senseless thing to do.” Job 5:2 (GN)

4. DON’T RESENT IT
“You are only hurting yourself with your anger.” Job. 18:4 (GN)

WHAT GOD SAYS TO DO WHEN YOU HURT

1. LET GOD SETTLE THE SCORE.
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.”

2. LET GOD SOOTH MY WOUNDS.
“You anoint my head with oil”

3. LET GOD SATISFY MY NEEDS.
“My cup overflows”

2. How can I have faith for the FUTURE?

A. Realize that God is WATCHING OVER ME!
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life

B. Realize that Heaven is WAITING FOR ME!
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. John 14:1,2

You cannot have a future when your past is bigger than your dreams.

Have a great life .

Pastor Steve

AMAZING GRAZING
HOW TO GO THROUGH WHAT YOU ARE GOING THROUGH
Pastor Steve Lummer – part 3

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. – Psalm 23:4 (kjv)

Examples of Life’s Valleys
The Valley of Calamity — Josh. 7:26 The Valley of Weeping — Ps. 84:6
The Valley of Trouble — Hosea 2:15 The Valley of Deep Darkness — Ps. 23:4 (Heb)

1. WHAT TO REMEMBER IN DARK VALLEYS

1. VALLEYS ARE INEVITABLE.
“In this world you will have trouble.” John 16:33 (NIV)

2. VALLEYS ARE UNPREDICTABLE.
“Disaster follows disaster… In an instant my tents are destroyed, my shelter falls in a moment.” Jer. 4:20 (LB)

3. VALLEYS ARE IMPARTIAL.
“(It) rains on the just and the unjust too.” Mt. 5:45 (LB)

4. VALLEYS ARE TEMPORARY.
“There is a wonderful joy ahead, even though the going is rough for a while down here.” I Peter 1:6 (LB)

“Our troubles are short-lived and their outcome is an eternal glory which outweighs them all.” 2 Cor. 4:17 (NEB)

5. VALLEYS ARE PURPOSEFUL.
“… at the present you may be temporarily harassed by all kinds of trials. This is no accident — it happens to prove your faith …” I Peter 1:6b-7 (Ph)

II. WHAT TO DO IN DARK VALLEYS

1. REFUSE TO BE DISCOURAGED. “I WILL FEAR NO EVIL”
“God will strengthen you with his own great power so that you will not give up when troubles come, but you will be patient.” Col 1:11 (NCV)

2. REMEMBER THAT GOD IS WITH ME. “FOR YOU ARE WITH ME”
“When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up — the flames will not consume you.” Is. 43:2 (LB)

3. RELY ON GOD’S PROTECTION AND GUIDANCE. “YOUR ROD AND STAFF COMFORT ME”
“The good man does not escape all troubles — he has them too. But the Lord helps him in each and every one.” Ps. 34:19 (LB)

If you were starting your own sports team and needed a mascot you might consider choosing the lions, tigers, eagles, or bears as they give us a sense of power and independence. I seriously doubt that anyone would consider their mascot to be a sheep. Sheep are not known for their agility, strength or independence.
Yet God has chosen the “sheep” to be the mascot of his people. Not lions, tigers, eagles, or bears, but sheep. Why? Because as God’s people we bear a remarkable resemblance to sheep. Isaiah says it best.
Isaiah 53:6a All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way;
I have a cartoon that shows two sheep looking at a crowd of people and one of the sheep is saying, “All we like people have gone astray.” Unlike the bear, tiger or lion of strength we like sheep are inclined to be self-destructive. Our streak of wanting to be independent hurts us. Like a flock of sheep we need a shepherd. To live life without the Shepherd brings about our own demise.

We just wrapped up part two of our Amazing Grazing message yesterday.

Here is the outline.

AMAZING GRAZING
PART 2
PASTOR STEVE LUMMER
ARE YOU UP TO THE “REST TEST”?

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.– Ps 23:2,3 (kjv)

“And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High.” Daniel 7:25

GETTING A READ ON GOD’S LEAD

1. The Shepherd leads me to REST.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

REST is about the right SIGHTS and SOUNDS

Free from FEAR. – Free from FRICTION. – Free from FLYS.

2. The Shepherd leads me to REFRESHMENT.
he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3. The Shepherd leads me to RESTORATION.
He restoreth my soul

4. The Shepherd leads me to RIGHTEOUSNESS.
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness

Or we can do life our way.

Psalm 23 – An Antithesis
The clock is my dictator, I shall not rest.
It makes me lie down only when exhausted.
It leads me into deep depression.
It hounds my soul.
It leads me in circles of frenzy, for activities sake.
Even though I run frantically from task to task, I will never get it all done,
For my ideal is with me.
Deadlines and my need for approval, they drive me.
They demand performance from me, beyond the limits of my schedule.
They anoint my head with migraines, My in-basket overflows.
Surely fatigue and time pressures shall follow me All the days of my life.
And I will dwell in the bonds of frustration Forever

In 1959, the Milton Bradley Company commemorated its hundredth anniversary by introducing a “modern” board game: The Game of Life. The game featured a road from high school to retirement with lots of detours, dead-ends, and shortcuts. Advertising copy for the game advised players this way: “Land a great job, get married, and fill up your car with kids! Dodge bad luck and make a buck. End up with the biggest fortune, and you’ll retire in style as a winner!”

If only the real game of life was that simple! Unfortunately, the game of life is a little more complicated than the Game of Life. Life doesn’t fit into nice neat game board boxes. And the path is sequentially laid out.

Have you ever tried playing a board game without reading the rules? Our family does that all the time. We aren’t patient enough to actually learn the game before we start playing so we usually end up making up rules as we go along or we hit a point in the game where we’ve got to go back and read the rules anyway and we discover we’ve been playing the game the wrong way. For what it’s worth, we usually quit and start over again!
A lot of people approach life that way. They are playing the game of life, but they’ve never read the instruction manual. They don’t know the rules of the game. They aren’t even sure of the objective.

Here is the outline for our latest series at Discovery called Amazing Grazing based out of the 23rd Psalm.

AMAZING GRAZING
Part 1
Pastor Steve Lummer
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. -Psalm 23:1-

SOME LEADING QUESTIONS

1. WHOSE FOLLOWING WHO?
Exodus 13:17 “When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, ‘If the face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.’ So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea.”

2. SHOULD I TAKE THE SCENIC ROUTE?
a formula: change of place + change of pace = change of perspective.

3. WHAT ABOUT YOUR MAP QUEST?
Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord will all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and He will make your paths straight.”

HOW TO KNOW THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD

I WILL have CONFIDENCE in my shepherd because I know Him.

I WILL be in LOVE with my shepherd because he takes care of me.

I WILL closely FOLLOW my shepherd because I can hear Him.

In the sixteenth century, the Renaissance astronomer Nicholas Copernicus challenged the belief that the earth was the center of the universe. Copernicus argued that the sun didn’t revolve around the earth, but rather that the earth revolved around the sun. The Copernican Revolution turned the scientific world upside down by turning the universe inside out. In much the same way, each one of us needs to experience our own Copernican Revolution. The paradigm shift happens when we come to terms with the fact that
the world doesn’t revolve around us. But that’s a tough pill to swallow. When we are born into this world, the world revolves around us.

We all need a Copernican revolution. We need to realize that the sun doesn’t revolve us.