Heart Touchers - I've Seen the Desolation of Smaug

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I’ve Seen The Desolation of Smaug!

We humans aren’t really all that different from hobbits, right? To be sure, they are smaller in height, have bigger (and hairier) feet and live in holes in the ground rather than houses up above.

But despite the superficial dissimilarities, we share much in common with our imaginary heroes from the mastermind named J.R.R. Tolkien. We like to enjoy food and good company like hobbits. And at a deeper level, we are both creatures of comfort who have turned into comfort creatures.

We like to dream about adventures, but when it comes down to it, they represent disturbances in our well planned and structured lives…so if Gandalf came knocking on our doors, our reply would most likely be, “No, thank you very much!”

ive-seen-the-desolation-of-smaug-1 My friends, I am right with you. I love my hobbit hole and all the amazing amenities contained within. I don’t have a handkerchief and an overcoat with many buttons, but I certainly couldn’t leave home without my smart phone and MacBook Pro!

But lately I feel like I’ve heard a knocking on the door of my heart, and I’m not sure if it’s a Wizard or the voice of God - but I can definitely make out what the message is: “We've been blind, and in our blindness, our enemy has returned.”

In the same way that we are like hobbits, our world parallels Middle Earth in many aspects, as well. In their world, the relative peace and safety turned the eyes of the good people away from vigilance and kept it focused on all the wonderful “stuff” they had at their disposal to enjoy.

Then the dragon came…

We’ve been blinded too, my friends. The glitter of our success as a culture has made us blind to the evil and suffering around us, and “in our blindness, our enemy has returned”!

What enemy? None other than the one mentioned in Revelation 12 as “the Dragon”! Smaug the Stupendous is definitely a fearsome creature, but compared to Satan and his power, he is more like Smaug the Sickly Snake.

Our enemy doesn’t have the dragon sickness that is driven by a lust for gold. No, his gaze is set on something infinitely more valuable and eternal: the souls of those who haven’t trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation.

So have you heard the knock on your door as well? Jesus calls us to go fight the real dragon and reclaim what is rightfully His. Not a city under the mountain filled with treasure that will one day pass away, but a planet under the gaze of heaven comprised of 7 billion ever-living, never-dying people who need to be set free!

Gandalf wisely observed in An Unexpected Journey that while “Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I’ve found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love.”

And do you know what? Gandalf’s advice aligns with The Bible!

This is what the Lord… “It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies (Zechariah 4:6).

If you feel like ordinary folk , only capable of small acts, then you, my friend, represent a bigger danger to the Dragon than you realize. ANY act, large or small, done in the power of the Holy Spirit to the glory of God is a victory for the King of Kings.

When you sit by someone in the cafeteria who has no friends, you keep loneliness at bay.

ive-seen-the-desolation-of-smaug-2 When you forgive an enemy, you keep bitterness at bay.

When you say no to temptation, you keep addiction at bay.

And when you share the gospel message for the sake of THE Cause with your family and friends who don’t know Jesus, you keep hell itself at bay!

Let’s leave our hobbit holes and play out our role in the grandest story in the entire universe. Let’s go fight the dragon who keeps the souls of our friends jealously guarded and seemingly unreachable. We are armed with the Sting of God’s Word and the company of fellow adventurers. Doesn’t that beat out our cozy little creature comforts any day of the week?

And by the way…I’ve seen the Desolation of Smaug. Not only the movie, but also the day that the real Dragon goes down:

A battle broke out in heaven. Michael, along with his heavenly messengers, clashed against the dragon. The dragon and his messengers returned the fight, but they did not prevail and were defeated. As a result, there was no place left for them in heaven. So the great dragon, that ancient serpent who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world, was cast down to the earth along with his messengers (Revelation 12:7-9).

Now THAT’s the best ending I’ve read in a long time!

Flashpoint

Don’t get too comfortable in your hobbit hole. Take some time this week and pray about what adventure Jesus might be calling you to, and what role you can play in keeping the darkness at bay! Then get started!

Accelerant

PRAY: Jesus, thank You that You love us just the way we are, and You love us too much to let us stay that way. Give us the courage and strength to fight the Dragon and do our part for THE Cause of Christ, and may all this be to Your glory.

READ: 2 Corinthians 10:4. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.

GET: Check out this list of simple, creative “Random Acts of Kindness” ideas, then do something kind for someone every day for the next week!

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Creation Q & A

Q: When a giraffe lowers its head toward the ground, wouldn't you expect the blood pressure to increase so much that its brain would explode?

A: It's true that the giraffe's blood pressure rises so much that it might cause its brain to explode. But, this doesn't happen because the giraffe has a series of incredible features. This includes reinforced artery walls, bypass valves, as well as pressure-sensing signals that all work together to maintain the proper blood pressure.

But then comes the real trick. As the giraffe raises its head, the same systems used to reduce the pressure when the head is lowered, also act to increase the pressure as the head is raised (so the giraffe doesn't pass out). The problem for evolutionists is this. How many giraffes blew their brains to pieces when bending down--how many passed out as they lifted their heads, becoming food for the lions--until the special features somehow evolved? It's obvious that the very first giraffes had to have these special features right from the beginning. If not, they wouldn't have survived to pass them on to their offspring! Of course, this is not at all surprising to those who believe in a Creator who created everything in six days, not billions of years!

Source: AnswersinGenesis.org

Creation News

Click on the Bible above or visit the web site listed below!

http://www.HeartTouchers.com/Creation_News

This new addition to our web site will give you an article on the leading news in the
Creation/Evolution controversy each day. This section also includes a rotating
Question and Answer feature and a weekly Creation Comic strip from the people
at AnswersInGenesis.org. Be sure to come back and visit each day for an informative
article that will help you keep up to date on the latest news in this controversial area!

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Thought For The Day

"The squeaky wheel doesn't always get greased; it often gets replaced." --John Peers

Verse for the Day

"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may
know how to answer everyone." Colossians 4:6

Kid's Thought For The Day

Here's a king," announced our three year old as
he unwrapped a figurine from our Nativity scene.
"And here's a donkey," he added as he continued
unpacking. Removing tissue from the statue of
the infant molded permanently in his manger, our
son exclaimed, "Here's baby Jesus in his car seat!"

Parent's Thought For The Day

"Perhaps the greatest social service that can be rendered by anybody to the country
and to mankind is to bring up a family." -- George Bernard Shaw

Coach's Thought For The Day

"The best inspiration is not to outdo others, but to outdo ourselves."

Writer's Thought For The Day

"Writing is rewriting. A writer must learn to deepen characters, trim writing, intensify
scenes. To fall in love with the first draft to the point where one cannot change it is
to greatly enhance the prospects of never publishing." --Richard North Patterson

Deep Thought For The Day

"'Twas the nocturnal segment of the diurnal period preceding the annual Yuletide celebration, And throughout our place of residence, Kinetic activity was not in evidence among the possessors of this potential, including that species of domestic rodent known as Mus musculus. Hosiery was meticulously suspended from the forward edge of the woodburning caloric apparatus, Pursuant to our anticipatory pleasure regarding an imminent visitation from an eccentric philanthropist among whose folkloric appellations is the honorific title of St. Nicklaus ..."

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Over 400,000 people have listened to popular Chicken Soup Author Michael T. Powers' free inspirational message entitled: "Breathing Life into Others". If you aren't one of them just visit: http://www.HeartTouchers.com and click on the link to listen to the free streaming audio message.

ALL-STAR Youth Ministry

--The Youth Church of Faith Community Church in Janesville, WI

Check out our youth group! If you are in 7-12th grade and live in the southern Wisconsin/northern Illinois area come check us out! Jr. High meets on Sunday mornings from 9:30 am - 10:30 am. High School age meets on Sunday night from 6:30-8:00 pm at Faith Community Church which is located at 2931 Lucerne Dr. in Janesville, WI. (About 3 blocks south-east of the Pontiac Convention Center.)

Currently we have students from Edgerton, Fort Atkinson, Milton, Janesville Craig, Janesville Parker, Marshall, Franklin, Edison, Clinton, Parkview, Beloit Memorial, and Beloit Turner, Tagos, Oakhill Christian and Rock County Christian. E-mail me back if you have any questions about our weekly meetings or would like to come to any of our events that are listed below... We have way too much fun and then, most importantly, talk about issues that are relevant to you as a teenager.

This Week: Sunday December 29

New Series: Act. Love. Walk. (Walk Humbly)

Visit our youth web site to see our topics through 2015!

http://www.faithcommunitychurch.net/upcoming_topics

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Teen Community Groups

6:30 - 8:00 PM Wednesday nights -- This night is for those teens who want to dig deeper than what we do on Sundays. These cell groups will also be doing special activities with each other as the year goes on to build community.

This Week: No Small Groups due to Christmas Day! Enjoy your time with your family!

For more info on our small groups, visit: http://www.faithcommunitychurch.net/small_groups

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Do you feel as if life has no meaning for you?
http://www.HeartTouchers.com/Life_Purpose