Last night I received a letter from a dear sister in Guatemala, and I once again am in awe of the ability to communicate, instantly (or as fast a modem as you have -I operate at 14.4-one day...) around the world. Whether it be prayer, friendship, encouragement or humour. But I guess thing about the net is nobody knows you and they still talk to you!!! How easy it is to get on the computer and fly to distant places whent the fires are burning at home. Perhaps I am the only one who has ever done that... Not that the fires are burning here, but I wish that there was a way to "meet" people that wasn't so impersonal. Not that my love is any different for you than it is for someone in my living room. But...let's face facts. It is easier to be who you want to be here on the 'net, than it is when someone is looking into your eyes.

And the season of the Lord is upon us and MANY people are not who they usually are. Fakeness and garland and decoration do not only cover trees! And I have run into a lot of brothers and sisters who have embraced the world and its high pace, no peace scenarios. I went shopping yesterday and thought I would look around while I sought out some photo albums, (then I remembered I had a DIGITAL camera!) and wow! Was it already disfunctional. I was cut off, had a snippy clerk to answer questions. Please dear Lord, take me home. I obviously am not a shopper, and neither is my wife. That's what teens are for!

As goes the sales, so goes the nation.

Yesterday, I attended a meeting that was on Biblical economics for the endtimes. Will there be any??? Needless to say, I was not the popular participant. Believe it or not I grate more on people in person than I do here. The proposal was that we put our money into a "fund" and prepare it as "loans" for people. It was a long and drawn out thing, and I proposed Acts 2:42-47 as a principle of helping and well...NEXT

We had an wonderful cell group last night, full of prayer, thanksgiving, the Word and friendship. As the building went, the cement of the Holy Ghost cements us together. Realness. Its hard to be fake when you are faced by people full of the Holy Ghost. And I guess that's the theme (sometimes I am a little slow- up early to take my dad for chemo). Are you who you say you are? Are you touchable or teflon? Does the world revolve around Jesus or you? So many of you are going home, preparing for the Christmas from hell, when you could be the light bearer for a dark and dying family. Disfunctional is a word that personally sickens me, because people use it to describe themselves(a badge), their families(another badge), and believe it removes responsibility. Hey, I was "disfunctional" (perhaps still am by some standards), but then God gave me a function. I was part of the body of Christ. And I had a purpose, a FUNCTION. I am a CHRISTian! A bearer of Good News. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, if God so requires it. A real person to my unsaved(calling them saved) family. How do you be real? Look at Galatians 5. That is the fruit of a Christ follower. Its not darkness that prevails, but the light. A match in a dark room prevails! I want you to be real, not only with me, but your family and friends. Do they even know you are a Christian? I hope so for your sake. If you work a job, you do(supposedly) what the boss says. You study what is necessary for your job. You become what your job description says you are to be. (Here he goes again!) Well, if you are a Christian, your job is to lead the lost to the Lord (doing that yet???), preach the Word (doing that yet???), be Christlike in your walk (doing that yet???), and pray (doing that yet???), and worship (doing that yet???). Your manual is the Bible. I love books (usually read one a day), but the Word is the plumbline for you and me.

And if you and I think going home for the holidays is license to be like them, I believe God says solidly "NO" and so do you. You just weren't wanting to hear it. I have received so many prayer requests for people who don't want to go home. I have been there. But it is no Christlike, and so I went. And my dad is saved and there is a purpose. But if we get into the holiday season and become them we have lost the battle and the working power of Jesus Christ is circumvented.

We can sit in their living rooms with all their commercialism and be the light to show them Jesus, without ever saying a word. I know that there is parties that are not Godly, but Jesus went to Cana, and I am sure everyone wasn't sober and pleasant. (Perhaps because they were surprised at the best wine being offered last. As a former drunk, after a couple who cares? So I suspect it was with them. They served the worst after, because it was difficult to tell or even care. But let's not get theological now!) He went to be with the sinners.

Let me help you with a little Lee wisdom. SINNERS SIN! Don't be surprised when they do. Its there nature(but its not yours). And He met them in their homes and in their workplaces. And you and I need to do the same.