Today's Word

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

God "will give to each person according to what he has done." To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
Romans 2:6-10

Today's Preaching Insight...

Superman

Wouldn't it be a comfort to have somebody like Superman watching out for us? Got a flat and no jack? No problem for the Man of Steel! He can pick up the car, hold 'er steady while we change the tire, and never even break a sweat!

But why waste such a magnificent creature on small stuff? Save him for when we're stricken with a fatal disease. Why, he can fly into the future, retrieve the cure, and be back before one second has ticked by! (George Reeves never did that, but the comic book hero used to all the time).

Did Mom and Dad break up? Superman can fix it. Am I saddled with some fear or compulsion, habit or addiction? You know the Man of Tomorrow must be able to help!

After all, that's why they call him "Superman," isn't it?

But, let's face it; reality is more steel than Superman will ever be made of. And fantasizing does little to salve our suffering.

Well, what about God, then? He's real, isn't He?

(To read the article, "Is Anybody Up There?" by Gary Robinson in its entirety at Preaching.com, click here)

Today's Extra...

This Week's Laugh: Proverbs from Fourth Graders

A 4th-grade teacher collected well-known proverbs. She gave each child in the class the first half of the proverb, and asked them to come up with the rest. Here is what they came up with:

Better to be safe than... punch a 5th grader.
Strike while the... bug is close.
It's always darkest before... daylight savings time.
Never underestimate the power of... termites.
You can lead a horse to water but... how?
Don't bite the hand that... looks dirty.
No news is... impossible.
A miss is as good as a... Mr.
You can't teach an old dog... math.
If you lie down with dogs... you will stink in the morning.
Love all, trust... me.
The pen is mightier than... the pigs.
An idle mind is the... best way to relax.
Where there is smoke, there's... pollution.
Happy is the bride who... gets all the presents.
A penny saved is... not much.
Two is company, three's... The Musketeers.
None are so blind as... Helen Keller.
Children should be seen and not... spanked or grounded.
If at first you don't succeed... get new batteries.
You get out of something what you... see pictured on the box.
When the blind lead the blind... get out of the way.
Laugh and the whole world laughs with you; cry... and you have to blow your nose.
(from The Daily Dilly)

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' "
Matthew 4:4

Today's Preaching Insight...

I Tweet, Therefore I Am
By Michael Duduit
Executive Editor of Preaching

"What are you doing?"

That's the question atop my Twitter home page, followed by an empty box into which I am expected to deposit my activities, plans, dreams, hopes and collected wisdom—all in 140 characters or less.

That's one of the things about Twitter that sticks out: You have a grand total of 140 letters, characters and spaces to record your thoughts for a single "tweet." (That's what they call the messages you create in Twitter. I know, it's all very cute.) Of course, some people do cheat, creating a sequence of tweets that are connected. The only problem is that you have to read them in reverse order to make sense. (I've heard a few sermons that had similar structural problems.)

Frankly, I don't typically find the 140-character limit to be all that limiting. Maybe it's because of learning to write tightly in my journalist days. Maybe it's because I'm not doing all that much or due to my having a paucity of wisdom to share. Some preachers, however, clearly struggle to keep their tweets within such limits. (I suspect they have the same problem on Sunday mornings.)

The preachers I follow on Twitter use the site for a variety of purposes: Some talk about their activities (such as one preacher today telling us he's on the way to get a pedicure—more information than I really needed to know); others share brief thoughts or inspiring comments (some more inspiring than others); others suggest interesting Web links; and a few carry on conversations with each other. That latter one is particularly interesting when I follow one of those preachers but not the other, thus insuring that I am tuned in to half of a conversation.

It does seem to me that there are several useful purposes for which preachers can use Twitter. Here's my top 10 list:

1. To alert church members to that terrific new sermon series on the history of the Jebusites, starting this Sunday!
2. To link to that third major point from last Sunday's sermon—the one you had to omit when you ran out of time.
3. To make sure your other preacher friends know when you are doing something cool that they aren't doing. (All in a spirit of humility, of course.)
4. To find a last-minute lunch buddy. (Hopefully one who picks up the check.)
5. To share that great quote you meant to use in last week's sermon but forgot until it was too late.
6. To ask your preacher friends to help you with a great illustration for next Sunday's sermon.
7. To get to use that great comeback that didn't come to you until the guy was already gone.
8. To have yet one more excuse to justify to your wife why you need to buy that new iPhone.
9. To compete with your old seminary buddies over who can get the most "followers"—people who subscribe to reading your tweets—unless, of course, you went to seminary with John Maxwell (34,000-plus followers), Max Lucado (25,000-plus followers) or Rick Warren (14,000-plus followers—but then he just started last week).
10. To alert the deacons when you are going out on visitation. (Just don't tell them that you have named your new boat Visitation.)

Michael Duduit is the executive editor of Preaching and Dean of the College of Christian Studies at Anderson University in Anderson, South Carolina. You can follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MichaelDuduit.

Today's Extra...

Christ, Head of the Church
By J. Michael Shannon
Academic Dean and Professor of Preaching, Cincinnati Bible Seminary, Cincinnati Christian Unversity, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Can you believe it? The head of a baby Jesus statue was knocked off and carried away by vandals. It happened in Wauwatosa, Wis., at Saint Joseph's Catholic Church. The church members understandably are angry and looking to get the statue fixed. If the head is not found, the church will have to replace the entire statue at a cost of $12,000.

As disturbing as the incident is, we often have done something worse without even knowing it. The Bible says Christ is the head of the church, and frequently we assume we are. Understanding that Christ is the head of the church will not solve all our problems, and we still will debate and discuss what we think Jesus would have us do; but it is guaranteed that if we take Jesus away from His place as head of the church it is a prescription for disaster.

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone."
Romans 9:31-32

Today's Preaching Insight...

Preaching Occurs in Context of Relationship

In his book Reaching Generation Next, Lewis Drummond quotes the late H.H. Farmer (from The Servant of the Word): "Preaching is telling me something. But it is not merely telling me something. It is God actively probing me, challenging my will, calling me for decision, offering one His succor, through the only medium which the nature of His purpose permits Him to use, the medium of a personal relationship. It is as though, to adopt the Apostle's words, 'God did beseech me by you.' It is God's 'I-thou' relationship with me carried on your 'I-thou' relationship with me, both together coming out of the heart of His saving purpose which is moving on through history to its consummation in His Kingdom."

Drummond adds: "The activity of preaching means much more than merely conveying the content of the Christian faith. Preaching Christ is a unique activity. It becomes an event, an event wherein God Himself actually meets and addresses people personally."

Today's Extra...

This Week's Book...

Hearing Jesus Speak Into Your Sorrow

When sorrow comes into our lives, many questions surface: why did God allow it to happen, why wasn't there healing, and much more. Nancy Guthrie brings biblical insights to bear on such questions in her new book Hearing Jesus Speak Into Your Sorrow (Tyndale House). This can be a resource for preaching and teaching but also a helpful volume to share with families who struggle with loss.

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
Ephesians 1:3

Ephesians 1:3Today's Preaching Insight...

Why Leviticus?

When he launched Mars Hill Church in Grand Rapids, Rob Bell began by preaching through the book of Leviticus -- not the obvious choice for most church planters! In an article for the PreachingToday newsletter, he explains: "First, I didn't want the church to succeed because we put together the right resources. I wanted the church to flourish on the power of the Spirit alone. I knew opening with Leviticus -- foreign words to today's culture -- was risky. But the bigger the risk, the more need for the Spirit and the more glory for God to get.

"Second, unchurched people often perceive the Bible as obsolete. If that crowd could discover God speaking to them through Old Testament law, it would radically change their perception that Christianity is archaic. I wanted people to know that the whole biblical story -- even Leviticus -- is alive.

"The Scriptures are a true story, rooted in historical events and actual people. But many people don't see the connection between the Moses part and the Jesus part. But Moses' Leviticus is all about Jesus. The whole story. Every message in my series ended with Jesus. Every picture is about Jesus. Every detail of every sacrifice ultimately reflects some detail of Jesus' life.

"This teaching hit home. Many of my listeners wanted to make sense of the Bible, yet they knew only fragments of the story. Leviticus taught us all to ask the difficult questions: How does this connect with entire biblical narrative? How does this event point to the cross? How do I fit into the story?

"We discovered that the Bible is an organic whole: these concepts do connect, these images do make sense. For the first time, many in our congregation began to realize, 'This story is my story. These people are my people. This God is my God.'" (Click here to read the full article.)

Today's Extra...

Christmas, Traditions

In northern Europe, a walk through a winter's forest is a bleak affair—white, stark, cold, lifeless except for occasional boughs of green holly bearing bright red berries. In Medieval times, these boughs were brought inside to brighten the interior of the small houses. As Christianity spread, people noticed that the thorny points of the holly leaves could symbolize our Lord's crown of thorns. The red berries, His blood. The green color, the new life He gives. Even the word "holly" resembles the word "holy."

How interesting that all nature points to Him who created the earth and died for the world. Romans 1:20 says, "Since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made."

As you see the blue skies today or the falling snow or the green boughs of holly in homes, stores, and offices, remember: The baby in the manger is the Maker of the universe, and the Christ child we worship is the creator of the cosmos.
(Turning Point Daily Devotionals, 12-20-08)

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."
Mark 11:25

Mark 11:25Today's Preaching Insight...

Let the Prayers Flow

I want us to learn how to pray. If we were going to learn about leadership, we would study Winston Churchill. If we were going to learn about heart surgery, we would probably study Dr. Michael DeBakey. If I wanted to learn about evangelism, I would go to Billy Graham. If I want to learn about prayer, I want to go to Jesus, whose life was a living prayer, who prayed incessantly, unceasingly. Jesus, the man of prayer, has something to teach us, not an obscure character in the back channels of the Old Testament in only two or three verses. Jabez never appears anywhere else.

Sigmond Freud said, "The problem of the world is repressed sexuality." I believe in America there is a repressed spiritually. I think the secular media and secular nature of our culture has so suppressed our spiritually that it has to run out somewhere because it's jammed up inside us. Because it has not been trained, it runs out in all kinds of immature channels.

I believe Jesus has something to teach us about prayer. The first thing Jesus has to tell us is that our goal in prayer is not to feel good but to do good. Doing good is the goal of Jesus. We need to understand that we have this turned around. Shallow Jabez pray-ers become spiritual couch potatoes, summoning God to run their errands while the world moves on toward hell. If you understand the prayers of Jesus, Jesus brings us in, gives us strength in season and out of season to do His work and His will. The only thing the disciples ever asked Jesus to teach them was to pray, "Lord, teach us to pray." I wonder why they did that.

(To read the entire article, "Jesus and Prayer: Programming the God Machine" by William L. Self at Preaching.com, click here)

Today's Extra...

Prayer, Sin

A little boy was overheard praying, "Lord, if you can't make me a better boy, don't worry about it. I'm having a real good time like I am." Is this the unspoken prayer of many to whom we preach?

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
James 1:12

Today's Preaching Insight...

Don't Neglect Biblical Content or Application

In an article on "Blending Biblical Content and Life Application" at PreachingTodaySermons.com, Haddon Robinson writes: "A church in Dallas invited me to preach on John 14. That's not an easy passage. It is filled with exegetical questions about death and the Second Coming. How do you explain, 'If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself?' How is Jesus preparing that place? Does Jesus mean we won't go to be with Him until He comes back? What about soul sleep? I spent most of my week studying the text and reading the commentaries to answer questions like these.

"When I got up to preach, I knew I had done my homework. Though the issues were tough, I had worked through them and was confident I was ready to deliver solid biblical teaching on the assigned passage.

"Five minutes into the sermon, though, I knew I was in trouble. The people weren't with me. At the 10-minute mark, people were falling asleep. One man sitting near the front began to snore. Worse, he didn't disturb anyone! No one was listening.

"Even today, whenever I talk about that morning, I still get an awful feeling in the pit of my stomach. What went wrong? The problem was that I spent the whole sermon wrestling with the tough theological issues, issues that intrigued me. Everything I said was valid. It might have been strong stuff in a seminary classroom; but in that church, in that pulpit, it was a disaster.

"What happened? I didn't speak to the life questions of my audience. I answered my questions, not theirs. Some of the men and women I spoke to that day were close to going home to be with the Lord. What they wanted to know was, 'Will he toss me into some ditch of a grave, or will he take me safely home to the other side? When I get to heaven, what's there?'

"They wanted to hear me say: 'You know, Jesus said He was going to prepare a place for us. The Creator of the universe has been spending 2,000 years preparing a home for you. God only spent six days creating the world, and look at its beauty! Imagine, then, what the home He has been preparing for you must be like. When you come to the end of this life, that's what He will have waiting for you.'

"That's what I should have preached. At least I should have started with their questions. But I didn't.

"It's also possible to make the opposite error--to spend a whole sermon making practical applications without rooting them in Scripture. I don't want to minimize Scripture. It's possible to preach a skyscraper sermon--one story after another with nothing in between. Such sermons hold people's interest but give them no sense of the eternal. Talking about 'mansions over the hilltop' comes from country-western music, not the Bible. A sermon full of nonbiblical speculations is ultimately unsatisfying.

"Some of the work I did in my study, then, could have helped the people answer their questions. The job is to combine biblical content and life application in an effective way."  (Click here to read the full article.)

Today's Extra...

Miracles, Deliverance

In a recent issue of his Friday Evening devotional newsletter, Tom Barnard includes this story: Eddie Rickenbacker was a fighter pilot and Ace in World War I. His life was a kaleidoscope of events centered around airplanes and cars. He accumulated more than 300 hours in combat flying during the First World War and had more than 20 "victories" (where he survived and an enemy pilot did not). Later he was awarded the highest honors for bravery in battle by the United States and France.

During World War II, he served as a consultant to the military in England, as well as the United States. In October 1942, he was sent on a tour of the Pacific theater to deliver a secret message to General Douglas MacArthur. After visiting bases in Hawaii, his plane--a B-17 Flying Fortress--was en route to another military base in the Pacific when navigation failure caused the plane to stray miles off course, eventually losing fuel and forcing the pilots to crash-land into the rough seas of the Pacific Ocean.

Amazingly, the crew of eight survived the crash, but with injuries--one fatally. They made it aboard their life raft, but with very few provisions. Their food and water supply was exhausted in three days. The crew fought the sun, weather and sharks. They needed a miracle.

On the eighth day, the crew had an impromptu devotional service, praying for a miracle. Time dragged by very slowly. Trying to take a nap, Rickenbacker pulled his military cap over his nose. Suddenly, he felt something land on the top of his cap. It was a seagull. He carefully reached up and captured the gull. It wasn't much of a meal for the men, but it was something. After devouring most of the bird, they used the intestines for bait, with which they caught fish and survived until they were rescued--after 24 days at sea.

Years later, Billy Graham asked Rickenbacker to share the story of his life-threatening experience and the events that led up to his affirming faith in Christ. Eddie said, "I have no explanation except that God sent one of His angels to rescue us." God answered their prayers by sending an angel in the form of a seagull.

Do you sometimes feel like you are adrift in a sea of frustration and hopelessness, praying for a miracle but only seeing endless sea and insufficient provisions for the trip? Pray to God for a miracle. Pray for an angel of the Lord to locate you and deliver you. His angels are always near. Watch for them. (To subscribe to Friday Evening, send your name and email address to Barnard at mailto:barnard22@cox.net.)

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away."
Luke 21:9

Luke 21:9Today's Preaching Insight...

The Real Health Care Business

H1N1 is the new danger on the horizon. This particular flu virus has already taken a number of lives, and experts fear many more could be in danger. As a result, we're being told -- by everyone from President Obama to Sesame Street's Elmo -- that we should wash our hands frequently and sneeze into our sleeves. Such precautions can help avoid unnecessary spread of the virus.

There's an even bigger danger our world faces, and it poses a far greater hazard than any flu -- though it does seem to spread virally. It is called sin, and it will destroy everything we have and all that we are if not dealt with.

The problem is, washing your hands won't help. In fact, there's not enough hand sanitizer on the globe to deal with your sin. The only thing that will help is to sanitize your soul, and that takes a Doctor who is unlike any other. You and I need the Great Physician because He is the only one who can cleanse sin and bring permanent healing to our lives.

Preacher, you have the privilege of sharing the good news about the cure. Isn't it exciting to be in the health care business?

Today's Extra...

This Week's Laugh

Darth Vader and Christmas

The fight between good and evil, an epic battle: Darth Vader and Luke. Suddenly in the middle of the fight, Darth Vader pulls Luke to him, and whispers "I know what you're getting for Christmas!"

Luke exclaims "But how??!?"

"It's true Luke, *breathe* I know what you're getting for Christmas."

Luke tries to ignore this, but tears himself free, screaming "How could you know this?!"

Vader replies, "I felt your presents."

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

[The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
Luke 1:28-29

Today's Preaching Insight...

Fred Craddock shook the homiletical world nearly 40 years ago with his book As One Without Authority. Citing that book in his recent commencement address at Southern Baptist Seminary, Al Mohler goes on to remind us Craddock's title does not adequately describe those who faithfully proclaim God's Word:

"The preacher's authority is a delegated authority, but a real authority. We are assigned the task of feeding the flock of God, of teaching the church, of preaching the Word. We do not speak as one who possesses authority, but as one who is called to serve the church by proclaiming, expounding, applying and declaring the Word of God. We are those who have been called to a task and set apart for mission; as vessels who hold a saving message even as earthen vessels hold water.

"Our authority is not our own. We are called to the task of preaching the Bible, in season and out of season. We are rightly to divide the Word of truth, and to teach the infinite riches of the Word of God. There are no certainties without the authority of the Scripture. We have nothing but commas and question marks to offer if we lose confidence in the inerrant and infallible Word of God. There are no thunderbolts where the Word of God is subverted, mistrusted or ignored.

"The crowds were astonished when they heard Jesus, 'for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.' Congregations are starving for the astonishment of hearing the preacher teach and preach on the authority of the Word of God. If there is a crisis in preaching, it is a crisis of confidence in the Word. If there is a road to recovery, it will be mapped by a return to biblical preaching." (Click here to read the entire address.)

This Christmas, we celebrate not only the gift of the Christ child, but the privilege of proclaiming His truth to a lost world. Merry Christmas!

Today's Extra...

Christmas

"An old pioneer traveled westward across the great plains until he came to an abrupt halt at the edge of the Grand Canyon. He gawked at the sight before him: a vast chasm one mile down, 18 miles across, and more than 100 miles long! He gasped, 'Something musta happened here!'

"A visitor to our world at Christmastime, seeing the lights, decorations, trees, parades, festivities and religious services, also probably would say,'Something must have happened here!' Indeed, something did happen. God came to our world on the first Christmas" (James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited).

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.
Luke 1:30-31

Today's Preaching Insight...

Trimming Your Sermons

In the most recent issue of his Ministry Toolbox newsletter, Rick Warren offers some suggestions for tightening those sermons. Among his suggestions:

Background material: I hate to tell you this, but your members aren't nearly as fascinated by archeology and linguistics as you are. Do as much background study as you can in the exegesis, but share as little of it as possible in your sermon. Remember, preaching is not a seminary class. You are preaching for life change. You don't have to explain everything about a text to your congregation. Describing too much detail of the text can actually hide or dilute the power of the text. When you pay too much attention to secondary issues, you miss the point and purpose of the verse. Figure out the purpose of the text and emphasize that.

Points: The Puritan preachers often would use 30, 40 or 50 points in their sermons. But exhaustive sermons are exhausting to the congregation. Here is a principle of life -- confinement often produces power. When an artist confines his painting to a canvas, a picture comes out. When water is confined to one channel, it produces hydroelectric power. When pianists confine their playing to the score, music is produced. When you confine your sermons to fewer points, you get a sermon with power.

Quotes and illustrations: You've got to trim your illustrations, too. Often we spend way too much time telling a story. Don't draw out your stories; condense them. A good story becomes a great story when you use as few of words as possible. Take a look at all of your stories. Can they be any shorter? Also, don't forget to take a look at your quotes. Sometimes you will find an archaic quote that has a kernel of a good idea in it. Well, just rephrase it. Shorten it to give it zing. You also can look at limiting the number of quotes or outside illustrations you're using if your message is too long. (Click here to read the full article.)

Today's Extra...

In the Dec. 11 edition of his Turning Point Daily Devotional, David Jeremiah writes: "A gospel group called The Williams Brothers had a hit with their song, 'I'm Just a Nobody.' It was about a down-and-out man who lived on the streets and spent his days telling people about Jesus. He was laughed at and harassed by passersby, but that didn't stop him. The chorus of the song was his life message: 'I'm just a nobody trying to tell everybody about Somebody who can save anybody.'

"The shepherds in the fields outside Bethlehem might have felt the same way when the angels from heaven appeared to them: 'Why did God choose us, a bunch of nobodies, to be the first to hear of the birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem?' They were just a bunch of nobodies who probably later told everybody about the Somebody in Bethlehem who could save anybody. Why did God reveal Himself to shepherds instead of to important royal officials? Perhaps to signal the kind of king who was coming into the world: gentle and humble, a servant-Shepherd who came to tend to God's flock.

"If you sometimes feel like a nobody, rejoice! God seems to gravitate to the nobodies of this world when He wants them to meet Somebody who can save everybody" (www.davidjeremiah.org).

[Judy Harder]

Today's Word for Pastors...

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."
Luke 1:32-33

Today's Preaching Insight...

I wrote the following as the introduction to the last PreachingNow of 2005. It garnered a lot of responses (mostly positive, thankfully!), and I thought it might be time to share it again:

There's been a lot in the news recently about the failure of stores and other commercial enterprises to use the word "Christmas" in their advertising. There's even a book out called The War on Christmas (Sentinel), and the news is filled with angry protests from commentators and church leaders calling for boycotts of stores insisting on greeting their customers with "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas."

I wonder why all this surprises us. In an increasingly secular society in which the cultural elites are more and more pagan in their worldview, why is it a shock that commercial enterprises want to encourage us to spend without reference to the birth of a baby born in a manger? Why are we surprised that many schools -- fearful of litigation and influenced by the secular academy -- would want to celebrate a "winter holiday" instead of the intervention of a holy and righteous God into history?

Should we help civic officials and educators deal with the legal tightropes related to celebrating the Christmas season in a pluralistic culture? Of course. But rather than declaring "war" on stores and organizations that fail to use the language of Christmas, perhaps we will make an even more profound impression by acting authentically Christian at this season of the year. Maybe if they hear us sharing the good news of Christ's love and see Christ living through us as we serve, give and love one another, then the word "Christmas" will have an even greater influence in a culture where love, giving and service are so rarely seen.

Merry Christmas to you.
Michael Duduit, Editor

Today's Extra...

Christmas, Jesus

In 1994, two Americans answered an invitation from the Russian Department of Education to teach morals and ethics (based on biblical principles) in the public schools. They were invited to teach at prisons, businesses, the fire and police departments and a large orphanage.

As it neared the holiday season, the orphans heard the traditional Christmas story for the first time. The Americans told them about Mary and Joseph arriving in Bethlehem; and after finding no room in the inn, Mary and Joseph went to a stable, where Jesus was born and placed in the manger.

Throughout the story, the children listened in amazement. Some sat on the edges of their stools, trying to grasp every word. As a follow-up activity to the story, each child was given three small pieces of cardboard to make a crude manager. Each child was also given a small paper square, cut from yellow napkins that the children tore into strips, and then carefully laid in the manger for straw. Small squares of flannel from a discarded nightgown were used for the baby's blanket. Pieces of tan felt were used for the doll-like baby.

As they made their way around the room to observe the children, one of the Americans noted, "All went well until I got to one table where 6-year-old Misha sat. He appeared to have finished his project. As I looked at the little boy's manger, I was startled to see, not one, but two, babies in the manger! Quickly, I called for the translator to ask the lad why there were two babies in the manger."

The observer noted Misha very accurately recalled the story that had been told until he came to the part where Mary put Jesus in the manger. "Misha then started to ad lib his own ending," recalls the observer.

"And when Maria laid the baby in the manger, Jesus looked at me and asked me if I had a place to stay. I told him I have no momma and I have no papa, so I don't have any place to stay. Then Jesus told me I could stay with him. But I told him I couldn't because I didn't have a gift to give him like everybody else did.

I wanted to stay with Jesus so much, so I thought about what I had that maybe I could use for a gift. So I asked Jesus, if I kept Him warm, would that be a good enough gift? And Jesus told me, 'If you keep me warm, that will be the best gift anybody ever gave me.' So, I got into the manger, and then Jesus looked at me and told me I could stay with him -- for always!"

As Misha finished his story, his eyes brimmed full of tears that splashed down his little cheeks. Putting his hand over his face, his head dropped to the table, and his shoulders shook as he sobbed and sobbed. The little orphan had found someone who would never abandon or abuse him, someone who would stay with him -- for always!