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PRINCE
OF PEACE
A perfect world is
coming
WHY
CHRISTMAS?
Maybe it was the only
way
A DIFFERENT
CHRISTMAS EVE
The best Christmases are
spent for others
Activated Ministries
P.O. Box 462805
Escondido, CA 92046–2805
USA Christmas has a way of bringing out the best in
info@activatedministries.org people. It’s one time of the year when we look upward
(1–877) 862–3228 (toll-free)
in search of peace and hope, inward for the resources
Activated Europe to love and give freely, and outward in reconciliation.
Bramingham Pk. Business Ctr. At Christmastime, most of the world shares a brief but
Enterprise Way blessed moment of peace.
Luton, Beds. LU3 4BU But what about this year? With numerous armed
England
conflicts around the world, peace agreements being
activatedEurope@activated.org
(07801) 442–317 broken almost before they are brokered, and the
growing specter of international terrorism, is there any
Activated Africa reason to believe that peace will ever come?
P.O. Box 2150 When we look at the world situation, there’s very
Westville 3630
little reason to hope. But when we look to the Prince of
South Africa
activatedAfrica@activated.org Peace, Jesus, there’s every reason to hope—and every
083 55 68 213 reason to pass that hope on to others.
What can you do to help bring peace on earth?
Activated India
You’re just one person, after all, and have very little
P.O. Box 5215
G.P.O.
influence—or do you? You may not command an army
Bangalore – 560 001 or sit at the negotiating table where peace treaties
India and disarmament plans are forged, but you can change
activatedIndia@activated.org situations through your prayers and you can influence
everyone you come in contact with through your atti-
EDITOR
Keith Phillips
tude and actions. A song that was popular some years
ago put it like this: “If everyone lit just one little candle,
DESIGN
what a bright world this would be!” You may not be a
Giselle LeFavre
light to the whole world, but you can light your part of
ILLUSTRATIONS
the world. We all can.
Etienne Morel
From all of us at Activated, may God bless you and
PRODUCTION
yours with His perfect peace, and may He make you a
Francisco Lopez
blessing to others this Christmas season and always.
VOL 3, ISSUE 12
December 2002
© 2002 Aurora Production AG
All Rights Reserved
Printed in Thailand Keith Phillips
For the Activated Family
www.auroraproduction.com
Unless otherwise indicated, all
Scripture quotations in Activated are
from the New King James Version of the
Bible © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc.
activated VOL 3, ISSUE 12
By Josef Gebhard
a different
Christmas Eve
activated VOL 3, ISSUE 12 3
Yes, I’d like a place in your heart. I mean that! I want to move
into your heart and never leave you. The very best present
you can give Me is an invitation to do just that. I’m strong
enough, but I never beat down any doors. I always wait for
an invitation. I just knock, and hope you’ll hear that knock
Are those long lines and and open the door of your heart.
Christmas sales getting
to you? You don’t have to put presents
under the tree for Me. You
can do that for your loved
ones.—I like to see people
happy! But what I want
most from you, and from
your whole family for that
matter, is to be invited in to
I want to let you in on a secret. The very best Christmas pres- live with you.
ent you could give your loved ones can’t be found in those
shops you’re planning to check out. You won’t find it in any
exclusive boutique either.
It’s a precious treasure, safely encased in ... you! Will you do that for Me on
My birthday?
I’m
talking You would make the day
about unforgettable for Me if you
your did! Your heart is a priceless
heart. gift. It’s beautiful, and I cher-
ish it. Other gifts grow old and
break or wear out with time, but
I promise that if you give Me the gift
of your heart, I’ll fill it with My warmth
and love so that it stays young forever.
Everybody knows that money Thank you for thinking about it. All I need to hear is
can’t buy happiness, yet a yes, and I’ll be standing on your doorstep with the
people are all too eager biggest smile you ever saw. Just say the word, and I’ll
to overlook that fact never let you down.
during holidays. It’s so
easy to get caught up in I’m yours always,
the frenzied rush to buy the
latest gadgets and toys for your Jesus
loved ones, all the while crowding out Welcome!
those precious moments you could spend with your family What’s
Gifts for you!
and friends, sharing with them the greatest gift in the world, in your
… And more
the love in your heart. bags?
to come.
re are
Whe and
m
mo ad?
d
Out ing
pp
s o
h
A PRAYER
feeding reading FOR CHRISTMAS
WHY GOD SENT JESUS
INTO THE WORLD MORNING
By Henry Van Dyke1
To show us what God is like:
The day of joy returns, Father in Heaven,
2 Corinthians 4:4
and crowns another year with peace and good
Colossians 1:13,15
will.
Hebrews 1:3
Help us rightly to remember the birth of
Jesus, that we may share in the song of the
So we can know and understand God:
angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and the
John 8:19
worship of the wise men.
John 12:45
Close the doors of hate and open the doors
John 14:7–9
of love all over the world.
Let kindness come with every gift and good
To make a way for us to be forgiven
desires with every greeting.
for our sins, be reconciled to God, and
Deliver us from evil, by the blessing that
have eternal life:
Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with
John 3:16
clean hearts.
John 1:29
May the Christmas morning make us happy
John 10:10
to be Thy children, and the Christmas evening
Romans 5:8
bring us to our bed with grateful thoughts, for-
Ephesians 2:4–7
giving and forgiven, for Jesus’ sake. Amen. •
1 John 4:8–10 1
From A Treasury of Christmas Stories
Christmas?
There was once a man who A short while later, he heard a
didn’t believe in God, and he didn’t loud thump. Something had hit the
hesitate to let others know how he window. Then another thump. He
felt about religion and religious looked out, but couldn’t see more
holidays, like Christmas. His wife, than a few feet. When the storm let
however, did believe, and she up a little, he ventured outside to
raised their children to also have see what could have been beating
faith in God and Jesus, despite his on his window. In the field near his
disparaging comments. house he saw a flock of wild geese.
Why would One snowy Christmas Eve, his Apparently they had been flying
wife was taking their children to south for the winter when they
God lower a Christmas Eve church service in got caught in the snowstorm and
the farm community in which they couldn’t go on. They were lost and
lived. She asked him to come, but stranded on his farm, with no food
Himself to
he refused. or shelter. They just flapped their
“That story is nonsense!” he wings and flew around the field in
come to Earth said. “Why would God lower Him- low circles, blindly and aimlessly.
self to come to Earth as a man? A couple of them had flown into his
as a man? That’s ridiculous!” window, it seemed.
So his wife and children left, The man felt sorry for the geese
and he stayed home. and wanted to help them. The barn
A while later, the winds grew would be a great place for them
stronger and the snow turned into a to stay, he thought. It’s warm and
blizzard. As the man looked out the safe. They could spend the night
window, all he saw was a blinding there, and wait out the storm. So he
snowstorm. He sat down to relax in walked over to the barn and opened
front of the blaze in the fireplace. the doors wide, then watched and
8 activated VOL 3, ISSUE 12
santa said it
I never liked Santa Claus. My
Santa Claus hushed the children and,
with a friendly smile, said, “I want to tell
you kids something, so you will all have
to be quiet and listen.”
parents had taught me from childhood He sat down on the stage and the
that Christmas was for Christ, and I held children crowded around him, each
that belief firmly. While other children anxious to be the first to receive a gift
spent their Decembers writing “Dear from the glittering red bag.
Santa” letters and clamoring for “Kodak “We must never forget why we cel-
moment” pictures beside the man in red ebrate Christmas,” Santa continued. “We
at the mall, I wanted nothing to do with must never forget the real reason. It’s not
the overweight, white-bearded impostor just about parties with yummy food and
who seemed to be taking baby Jesus’ presents, you know! And…”—he paused
place of honor. and beamed an even bigger smile—“I
But two Christmases ago, a talent will give a special prize to whoever can
company had signed me to host a show answer this question: Whose birthday
that would feature dancers, acrobats, are we celebrating on Christmas?”
opera singers, cartoon character mas- All the children tried to outdo each
cots, and of course, their special Yuletide other as they yelled, “Jesus! It’s Jesus’
guest—Santa Claus. birthday!”
And so, ironically, there I was on “Yes,” answered Santa Claus, “and
stage, microphone in hand, belting out you must always remember to pray and
the counterfeit’s song: “He’s makin’ a list, thank Jesus for everything!” He turned to
and checkin’ it twice, he’s gonna find out me. “Isn’t that right?”
who’s naughty or nice…” I smiled and nodded.
I wish there was a way to help the The program was perfect. The real
children think about Jesus in the middle of guest of honor was remembered after
all this, I thought as jolly Saint Nick came all! Santa said it! •
bounding in.
12 activated VOL 3, ISSUE 12
IN THE TRAIN
Jack sat in the cold train carriage and some passengers had.
and pulled his hat down over his ears. Jack knew it was going to take
He and his fellow passengers had been awhile before somewhere up the line
stranded there for several hours already. someone realized that the express was
The steam locomotive and the lead car- not on schedule and raised the alarm.
riage of the overnight express train had Search parties would have to be mobi-
jumped the tracks halfway between Hell lized and sent out with some caution. A
and nowhere. Now all they could do was train could be sent up the single spur line
wait until help arrived. It was 1959, the in the other direction, but that would
middle of winter, and the dead of night. have to be done with great caution as
No power, no heat, and no light except they could find themselves traveling
for a few flashlights that the conductor head-on into the delayed express travel-