Holiday Mail for Heroes

The Red Cross will be collecting holiday cards again this year for distribution to the soldiers in hospitals, rehab centers, and overseas. This effort will be spearheaded by PITNEY BOWES (http://www.pb.com), a company that provides software, hardware and services that integrate physical and digital communications channels, specifically specializing in mailing systems, postage systems, shipping, and other related services.

Please join in! To see some examples of cards that have been well-received in the past, go HERE.

Cards will be collected until December 10th, and each card will be screened for hazardous materials. The address is:

Holiday Mail for Heroes
P.O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

Here's a video that gives a few more details about this super project!

Heaven

The heavens of faiths besides Christianity are specific. For example, we’ve all heard of the Islamic paradise for the martyrs, with 70 virgins and green-cloaked cushions, fruit, and four rivers of wine/milk/honey/water forevermore. The Mormon idea has the option for the very faithful to get their own universe and be God for the new people they will create; they believe our God was once a man. The Jehovah’s Witnesses believe there are only 144,000 who will live in heaven, but everyone else will live on a refashioned perfect Earth. The Jews mostly believe that you live, you die, you go into the ground but God remembers you. The Catholic idea of Heaven is Christian (since they have Christian beliefs), but there is also a steep hurdle to first get over: Purgatory, which is Hell but only for a limited period of time.

These are the monotheistic types of Heaven. If you are a pantheist (god is all things -- you are god, and so is this blade of grass) you probably believe that things keep recycling and eventually will combine. If you are an atheist (no God), you believe that nothing happens after death.

In contrast, the Christian heaven is nonspecific. When you read through the Bible’s descriptions of Heaven, they sound either strange (Elijah’s wheel) or, let’s face it, not too exciting. In Revelation and other places, Heaven just seems to be an ethereal praise-fest to God, without much of a world. You have gates that are pearls, and the foundation of a city that is made of 12 layers of stones, and streets that are transparent gold (whatever that is). The city itself is a cube about 12,000 stadia/1375 miles on a side. There is no ocean. There doesn’t seem to be much to do or to see or interact with here.

Well, I am a Christian, and a scientist (but not a Christian Scientist, smile). There are good objective reasons to believe in God, and furthermore in the Christian interpretation of God. You can check out my website if you want to read about my faith journey to see how I reached this conclusion. The question I ponder today is, why does the Christian Heaven seem so vague when other ideas of Heaven are concrete and frankly so attractive and inviting?

The first thing I notice with the heavenly descriptions of other religions is, in general, there is a fulfillment of Earthly desires, Earthly pleasures, things that we already understand on this Earth, whereas the Christian Heaven can’t even be articulated. Many of the other descriptions don’t even talk about God, but simply about what the people will do when they get there.
But think for a moment about WHO IS GOD? Many people pray to God to do XYZ for them, but they’re not thinking about anything but themselves. God acts like a genie in a bottle; sadly not a reliable genie since many prayers go unanswered. They are like the cat in the old joke who says: You feed me, you pet me, you give me toys, I must be God.

Contrast this with what the dog says: You feed me, you pet me, you give me toys, YOU must be God.

As we spiritually mature, and specifically as the Holy Spirit works within us, our focus turns away from the inward, the self, and outward to God. God is a Spirit, not a man made of flesh and blood (except when Jesus came to Earth). Doesn’t it make sense that God’s focus is on Spirit things, not Earthly things that WE as people crave?

Christians believe that God gives His people a new character molded through His Spirit; we become conformed to His image. However, we cannot understand these things beyond the barest inkling until we move beyond our sinful nature that pulls us down, and we cannot be liberated from our nature’s influences until Earthly death.

Thinking about this, then, I would expect Heaven to be something beyond what I can understand. I would not expect it to be focused on Earthly pleasures and life and ambitions, but rather focused in a new way on the God who is truly worthy of worship. My sin nature does not find this attractive, but once I am liberated, it will be my entire Heart’s desire.

People often rebel at the thought of God calling people to worship Him. While you wouldn’t want to say this, it may seem self-centered and power-grabbing of God to require all creatures to worship HIM. However this view stems from the self-centeredness of our own human spirit. We cannot understand in this life just how beautiful and Holy God is, how worthy He is for our praise. Heaven is simply this: an ongoing recognition of who He is. As Paul says, “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12, NIV).

Knowing God Book Launch: for November 5th

I recently joined the John 3:16 Network put together by Lorilyn Roberts, which is a marketing network for Christian authors.

I am pleased to announce the book launch of KNOWING GOD by one of the John 3:16 members, Sana Edoja. She is attempting a bestseller status on Amazon by encouraging book purchases for tomorrow, Friday November 5th. If you purchase the book on this date, simply send her your order receipt and she will send free gifts -- chapters from some great books by various authors -- as a Thank You! Here is some information about her:

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Born in the south of France, the eldest of a family of five children, my origins are French and Moroccan. From the age of thirteen, my favourite hobby was writing French poems and songs. I initially pursued a degree in business administration, but a few years later developed a strong desire to sing. Unfortunately, circumstances didn’t allow me to pursue this promising career. In 1995, I came to the United Kingdom to improve my English. Struggling to make a living while in the UK, my life turned around when I believed and was baptized into Christ Jesus, confessing Him as my Lord and Saviour. I saw the power of God at work in my life. It was this experience that motivated me to write my first book “Knowing God”, which I believe will help those who are seeking God to get a better understanding of the riches of the Kingdom of God.
Blog: http://sanaedoja.wordpress.com/home-page-my-book-called-knowing-god/

You can purchase my book by clicking HERE:

“Knowing God” can be very challenging in the world we are living in today, especially with the circumstances of life shown to us by the media. I have written this book with the clear intention and determination to help those who are looking for the truth to have a better understanding of God as the Bible intends. There is nothing more beautiful and exciting than having a wonderful relationship with our loving God. His powerful Word promises us that if we seek Him, we will find Him. “You will seek Me and find Me; when you seek Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). My personal experience with God motivated me to share with you what God has revealed to me about His character. I will also share with you how you can develop a personal relationship with a wonderful Saviour; how your needs can be met and how you can live in righteousness through the power of the Word of God in a practical and conventional way.
I pray that this book will be a source of encouragement and enlightenment to those who are seeking God and want to know Him in a much deeper way.

May God bless you all forever and ever.

Sana Edoja

Help me achieve best-seller status by buying from Amazon.com on November 5.
Don’t forget, Friday, November 5, is the big day to order and receive lots of free gifts. To purchase your copy on Friday, click this link:

To receive you free e-gift after you have purchased your book, please email your order number from amazon to the following email address:

Email: sana.edoja@yahoo.fr

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SOME REVIEWS OF SANA'S BOOK KNOWING GOD:

Reviewed By: Janice S Ramkissoon from Write2Shine:

‘Knowing God’ is a collection of articles, forming an introductory style bible study guide. The Author’s aim is to help others understand that “There is nothing more beautiful and exciting than having a wonderful relationship with a loving God.” And in order to bring this point across, Sana Edoja has chosen topics that are likely to affect individuals who haven’t yet come into a relationship with Christ.

The book is broken down into different headings, based on the title of the articles. The reader can therefore, choose topics of interest and be able to have easy access to bible references dealing with that particular aspect of their life. Sana also urges readers to heed Paul’s advice according to Acts 17:11 as they study this book, “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures everyday to see if what Paul said was true.”

I believe the message that the author would most like to drive home is found in article 17, and in its title: “We have authority and victory over the enemy through Christ”. In this article, Sana reminds us to focus on Christ. Using the scene of Matthew 4:6, she reminds her readers that the devil also knows scriptures and that “there is no greater lie, than one that’s mixed with truth.” For this reason she urges readers to Focus on God, for “when we know the word of God like Jesus did (2000 years ago) and confess the scriptures throughout our life, using them to combat the lies of Satan,…” We will win the battle.

The author shares her experience in little bite sizes particularly in article 33 “God has given us free will” and others such as “Overcoming Temptation” and “Sexual Immorality” relating the practical side of what takes place when one does not focus on Christ. Having found Christ we are now responsible so article 40 is fitting towards the end of the book as she asks the question: “Are you fit to be God’s disciple?” Sana once enjoyed “clubbing on weekends”. Having found Christ, she lost interest both in that hobby as well as in the music. “I found that clubbing and worldly music were doorways for sin…” listing a few of these sins as “lust, violence, drugs, sex and alcohol” and points out that “they don’t satisfy the craving needs of our souls for love.” And so it is important to not conform to the ways of this world as article 41 highlights.

My recommendations, in order to get the best out of this book, would be to treat it as a reference guide rather than a book you sit down and read from cover to cover. It would be a great gift for a new-born believer, to help towards spiritual growth.

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KNOWING GOD by Christian author SANA EDOJA: A 5-Star review for this 144 pages encouraging and enlightening book. Well presented content and context with a well defined cover. A book to consider when gift buying – in any season. Top marks to this very able author Sana. God bless.

Review contributed by Eliza Earsman, author of Days of Elijah (Revised): A True Story (232 pages) and also A Collection of Verse – 108 pages nonfiction.