Daily Devotional for Monday December 9, 2024

The story of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” you didn't know! and, There really is a war on Christmas this year!

DAILY DEVOTIONAL MONDAY DECEMBER 9, 2024

(Isaiah 43:10, John 15:27)

***CHRISTMAS FOR SINGLE MOTHERS! After much prayer and despite still needing $130,000 to end this year with all of our financial needs current, I have taken a huge step of faith and am announcing that as we have done most years since Liveprayer began over 25 years ago, we will be helping out single mothers this Christmas. We will be helping 30 single mothers with a gift of $200 so they can insure their children have something under the tree and a nice Christmas meal. As in past years, all I ask is that these single mothers we help go to church with their children on Christmas! I never ask people to do something I don’t do myself, and am giving into my personal need by taking care of 10 of the 30. If God is leading you to help me take care of any of the other 20, just make sure you mark on your $200 credit card or check gift that it is for the Single Mothers Christmas. What I need is for those who want to be considered, send me a short email with your name, address, and phone number. I need to know how many children you have and their ages. Lastly, a brief description of why you need this help. PLEASE, AS IN YEARS PAST WE WILL GET INUNDATED WITH REQUESTS. IT WILL BE FIRST COME. PLEASE DON’T BE UPSET IF WE AREN’T ABLE TO HELP YOU, SINCE WE CAN ONLY HELP 30 SINGLE MOTHERS. KNOW IF WE CAN’T HELP YOU, WE WILL BE HERE PRAYING FOR YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN! Email request to: bkeller@liveprayer.com and put SINGLE MOTHER in the subject line. God bless you and enjoy this blessed celebration of the birth of Jesus!!!

***PERSONAL MESSAGE FOR YOU FROM BILL KELLER: The Bible tells us that faith without works is dead. That DOES NOT mean works save us, we are saved through our faith in Jesus and God's grace working together, Ephesians 2:8,9. What that passage does mean is that once we are saved, good works should flow from our lives. That doesn't happen by accident but with each day as we put the time and effort into our relationship with Christ and He uses our life for HIS glory!

***DAILY PERSONAL PRAYER FOR YOU: Dear Lord, I cry out to You today. I have no place to turn but to You. My life is Yours. Do with it as You will and I will obediently serve You with my very last breath. IN the name of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ..AMEN!

***THE DAILY LIVEPRAYER TV NUGGET: The late, great Charles Schultz who created the “Peanuts” comic strip took a stand for Christ and his Christian faith in 1965 that most people never heard about! 1965 CBS debuted what has become a timeless Christmas classic for nearly 6 decades, “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” It was an animated Christmas special based on the popular “Peanuts” comic strip. Without question the greatest moment of that special is when Linus tells Charlie Brown what Christmas is really all about. Walking onto an empty stage with his trademark blanket, Linus shares the great Christmas story from Luke 2. Now I realize most people never gave that scene much of a thought since in 1965 this was clearly a Christian nation where most people went to church on Sunday. THE MEDIA HAD A GREAT RESPECT FOR THE CHRISTIAN FAITH SINCE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SUICIDAL TO MOCK OR DEMEAN PEOPLE OF FAITH! What most never knew about was how close that Christmas special came to being without the scene of Linus sharing the Christmas story. The executives at CBS were uncomfortable with it for being too “churchy” as were the executives at the primary sponsor of the show, Coke. What they didn't expect was the response from Charles Schultz. He told them point blank that if they took out Linus sharing Luke 2 the deal is off. THERE WAS NO NEGOTIATION ON THIS ISSUE! Well, as they say the rest is history. The Linus scene remained and no doubt has impacted Believers and non-Believers alike worldwide over the decades. Sadly, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” would have two chances of being made for a major television network today and slim just left town! The media today has no second thoughts at all of mocking and demeaning Christians and our faith. They go out of their way to ridicule people of faith and as former President Obama famously mocked us saying we were “bitter” and “cling to our guns and religion!” Sadly, it won't be on any TV networks this Christmas season, only available on APPLE+ TV. IT IS A MUST SEE FOR THE FAMILY TO BE REMINDED OF THE SIMPLE TRUTH OF WHAT CHRISTMAS IS ALL ABOUT!!!

*Don't miss the Liveprayer TV program, airing “LIVE” every Monday thru Friday from 11pm EDT to Midnight! For details on viewing options for the Liveprayer TV program, “LIVE” or “On Demand,” go to: https://liveprayer.com/liveprayer-show-about.cfm

***DECEMBER FINANCIAL UPDATE: AMEN! Thanks to the help of many in the Liveprayer family, we cleared up the balance of our September shortfall and the first $25,000 of our October ministry operations. So as we head into December we still require the final $30,000 to clear up October, the $55,000 from November’s ministry operations, and the $55,000 for December’s operations.

That is a total of $140,000 to end 2024 with all of our ministry operations current. OUR GOD IS ABLE!!!

*******As we are now 23 days left until the end of 2024, please be praying about a special year-end gift to Livprayer! For many, a gift to God's work here will help on your taxes since you are either going to give the money to the government to waste, or to Liveprayer to get HIS Truth out to the masses and save souls!!!

The Bible teaches us to “give according to our ability to give.” For some that may be $10 or $20. For others it may be $50 or $100. Still others it may be $200, $500, $1,000, $10,000 or more. GOD WILL BLESS YOUR GIFT NO MATTER WHAT THE AMOUNT!!!

ALSO, DON'T FORGET A GIFT OF $1,800 COVERS ONE DAY OF MINISTRY AT LIVEPRAYER!!! I received this email recently, “Pastor Bill, My wife and I have just sold our last rental and God told us to tithe $1,800.00 to pay for a day of your ministry. Not looking for accolades, just that you know when you receive the check. Rest assured that we will still be making our regular weekly tithes."

TO GIVE A GIFT TO LIVEPRAYER, you can use your major credit card at: http://liveprayer.com/donate.cfm or you can mail your gift to: Liveprayer, 6660 46th Ave. North, St. Petersburg, FL 33709. All gifts to Liveprayer are 100% tax deductible!

*STOCKS! A great way to help Liveprayer is by donating stock. The transfer can be made in a way you get the full credit for your donation without having to pay any of the taxes you normally would on gains your stocks may have enjoyed. Contact me for information about this incredible way to help God's work here at Liveprayer: bkeller@liveprayer.com

*LIVE ON AFTER YOU ARE IN HEAVEN!!! By remembering God's work here at Liveprayer in your will/estate planning, you can still help me share His Truth with the masses, be here for people in their time of greatest need, and help lead the lost to faith in Jesus even after God has called you home!!! God has led many of our friends in the Liveprayer family to remember His work here in their will. Please pray about this opportunity to continue and partner with me in the Lord's work at Liveprayer, even after you are enjoying your rewards and the eternal peace of Heaven! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me at: bkeller@liveprayer.com

***Here are the social media sites where you can find Liveprayer and what is posted there: Facebook (1, 2, 3), Twitter (1, 2, 3), GAB ( 2, 3), Parler (2, 3), Clouthub (1, 2, 3), Rumble (2), TPN (2, 3), Gettr (2, 3), Telegram (2, 3), ROKU (1, 2). WE ARE ALSO NOW ON Sovren Media (2, 3), Mr. Pillow Mike Lindell's Frankspeech (2), Truth Social (2,3), and Frank Social (2,3). *Content posted: 1) Liveprayer TV “LIVE" Mon-Fri 11p-Mid EDT 2) Recent Liveprayer TV programs for “On Demand” viewing 3) Liveprayer Daily Devotional

***THE AUDIO OF THE TV PROGRAM IS NOW AVAILABLE ON MAJOR PODCASTING PLATFORMS!!! APPLE/I-TUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/liveprayer-with-bill-keller/id1696186297

***ALEXA! You can now listen to the audio of the TV program on your ALEXA. The first time you need to tell ALEXA to "enable Liveprayer." After that, simply say, "Play Liveprayer"

***Please watch and share the exciting new Bill Keller Docudrama at: https://www.liveprayer.com/bill.cfm

***How you can help Liveprayer! 1) Pray for Bill and the ministry team each day. 2) Encourage people you know to sign-up for the Daily Devotional at: https://www.liveprayer.com/signup.cfm 3) Share the TV program with people you know: https://liveprayer.com/liveprayer-show-about.cfm Here are the social media sites where you can find Liveprayer TV ‘live”, Liveprayer Facebook, Liveprayer Twitter, and the Liveprayer Church ROKU channel. For ON-DEMAND viewing, Liveprayer GAB, Liveprayer Rumble, Liveprayer TPN, Liveprayer Gettr, Liveprayer Telegram, Liveprayer Sovren Media, and Liveprayer on Mr. Pillow Mike Lindell's Frankspeech and Frank Social and Liveprayer on Trump's Truth Social. 4) Pray about helping Liveprayer with a gift at: http://liveprayer.com/donate.cfm

***REVIVAL TOOL!!! Do your part in helping to bring revival to our nation each day in less than 15 minutes and without costing you one penny! Join others by making this part of your daily routine! Visit the Liveprayer Revival Tool and share it with others at: www.liveprayer.com/revival.cfm *ALSO, THE DAILY REVIVAL TOOL IS MY WAY OF DISCIPLING YOU TO HELP YOU GROW IN YOUR FAITH. SO IT SERVES A DUAL PURPOSE! HERE IS A SPECIAL LINK THAT GIVES YOU THE PAST 30 DAYS OF THE REVIVAL TOOL VERSE FOR THE DAY, DAILY TASK, AND PRAYER: https://liveprayer.com/bill/revivalcheck.cfm

The “war on Christmas” is not a myth! Years ago when he was on FOX News, Bill O'Reilly caught a lot of heat when each Christmas season he spoke of the “war on Christmas.” O'Reilly was ridiculed by the rest of the media as creating a non-existent issue. To be honest, I never bought into this notion there was a war being waged on Christmas other than the complete rejection of our Christian faith by our culture at large. My position was that why should we expect the world to promote a special event they have rejected, that is out job!

I will give O'Reilly a bit of credit however. The rejection of Christmas and what it really means has gone much deeper over the years. It is more than just rejecting Christ's birth, you could actually call it a war on this most blessed time of year. Rejecting something is one thing, attacking something takes it to a whole new level! In the all-out assault on Christians for political purposes, and with the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, YOU WILL SEE CHRISTMAS ATTACKED THIS YEAR LIKE YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE!!!

Sadly, due to the pro-Hamas demonstrations throughout the country, already many places that annually had public Hanukkah displays will not do so this year due to fear they will become a flashpoint for hatred and violence. Likewise, with the media pushing the narrative each day that Christians are no different than Islamic terror organizations, you are going to see this sacred time of year attacked like never before. The one time of year where peace usually won the day and people took time away from activism to celebrate Christmas in whatever way they chose, sadly won't happen this year.

While the Christmas tree is a symbol of Christmas, it is NOT a Christian symbol. However, in their theological ignorance those who are attacking Christmas have decided burning Christmas trees is a great way of expressing their rejection of this time of year. From the private property of people's yards, to public town squares, it seems people who hate Christmas are taking out their hatred on Christmas trees.

Debating what this time of year means has long been over. Trying to silence those who publicly promote their faith during the Christmas season has been underway for several decades now. We are now moving into the final stage of conflict resolution...violence! Sadly that violence is being manifested this Christmas through the burning of Christmas trees and destruction of public manger scenes. No doubt that violence will continue to escalate in years to come.

The good news is nobody or nothing can erase the FACT that on the day we choose to celebrate Christmas, we are celebrating the historic FACT that God sent His Son Jesus to this world as a baby, born in a lowly Bethlehem manger, to save mankind. They can burn down all of the Christmas trees, destroy manger scenes, ban the Bible, and even massacre Believers for their faith...IT CAN'T NEGATE THE BIRTH OF JESUS!

This Christmas knowing those who reject the Christ-child and hate us simply for our faith are on the offensive, may I challenge YOU to take to the offensive as well. It is OUR JOB to share the true meaning and joy of this blessed time of year. May we be bold and fearless this Christmas season in telling everyone we come in contact with that Jesus is the reason for the season!!!

One of the big "controversies for many years at Christmas time was over certain department stores and retailers who ordered their employees to NOT say "Merry Christmas." Well, that issue is still with us this Christmas. Today, I want to give you a different side of this story that nobody else is talking about.

Please forgive me if I don't share the outrage of many Christians that some department stores and other retailers have quit saying "Merry Christmas." To be frank with you, I don't know why we expect a secular business to promote Christ when they have turned the celebration of his birth into a celebration of mammon!

They don't exist to please the heart of God but the insatiable appetite of man. They aren't in business to bless people, only take their money. So their decision to not say "Merry Christmas" is much ado about nothing.

The fact is, WE are the ones who are supposed to say "Merry Christmas" to them!!! Why do we expect the world to do what WE are supposed to be doing? If you know Jesus as your Savior, it is YOU who is supposed to say "Merry Christmas" to those you meet along your journey through life each day. The Bible says that WE are His ambassadors, WE are His witnesses, WE are to be salt and light, not some secular department store!

This is one of the best times of the year to be a Christian and remind people that Christmas is NOT about merchandise, but the birth of Jesus. WE are the ones to remind the world that Christmas is not about the presents we give to each other, but the present God gave to this world in the form of His Son Jesus Christ!

This is also the time of year when so many people get outraged because their town hall won't put up a manger scene. I wonder how many of those who are outraged have manger scenes in THEIR yards? Why do you expect the city hall to put up a display like that when you won't even do it in your own yard where it is 100% legal? We expect the government to publicly symbolize the birth of Jesus but we aren't willing to do it ourselves!

Again, God called US, not the government to be His witness to this lost world!

Listen my friend, I would LOVE to see manger scenes in the town square, love to see "Christmas" not Holiday parades, love to hear Christmas carols in public, not songs about reindeers, snowmen and Santa Claus, and I would love to hear "Merry Christmas" at the store instead of "Happy Holidays," but what do you expect from a world that has rejected God's Son and the Truth of His Word? I've been trying to tell you over the years now that this is no longer a Christian nation, that we live in a world that operates in rebellion to God, so how come we expect the world to promote the birth of Jesus?

PROMOTING THE BIRTH OF JESUS IS OUR JOB!

God has called us to share our faith in Christ and the hope we have in Him with this lost and dying world. As this Christmas season is upon us, NOW is the time for each one of us who knows Christ as our Savior to be faithful in sharing Him with a world that needs His love so desperately. Even though the world has perverted this wonderful time of the year by cashing in on the birth of Jesus, now even trying to act like that is not what this time of the year is about, it is our opportunity to make sure everyone we meet knows that this blessed time is about one thing and one thing only...the birth of Jesus!

My challenge to you is to not get caught up in these mindless debates about department stores not saying "Merry Christmas," but for YOU to say "Merry Christmas" to those you encounter during your day. Let those God has called to the legal arena fight for the public displays and symbols of our faith, while those of us who know Christ exercise OUR FREEDOM to publicly display the symbols of our faith. Rather than being upset that the great Christmas carols are not being sung, get a group from your church and spend a night caroling throughout your neighborhood.

I love you and care about you so much. I know it is frustrating to see the world we live in reject Christ. If it hurts us, imagine how it hurts God who so loves this world! We often get so caught up in the world's rejection of God and His Truth that we forget that WE are the ones God has called to bring His hope and Truth to the lost and hurting. We expect the world to do what we have been called to do! It is our job as followers of Christ to declare His love and mercy and grace, not the job of a fallen world that rejects the Lord.

Rather than lamenting how the world is trying to eliminate God, we have got to get busy doing our job which is to declare God's existence and presence. We can't blame a world that has rejected God for not doing the job WE have been called by God to do!

I pray today that each of us who knows Jesus will exercise OUR freedoms this Christmas season and make sure every person we come in contact with knows that the joy we have in our heart comes from this precious time of year when we celebrate the birth of our Savior. It is a great opportunity for each of us to share our faith in Christ, to help someone we know find the true meaning of Christmas.

The fact the departments stores, the town halls, and other public entities are not promoting Christ's birth is a wake-up call to the churches and each Believer that WE are the ones God has entrusted with this mission. That first Christmas, God didn't entrust that great message with the men of the world, but men of God who were tending their flocks.

May each of us be faithful this Christmas season in being like the shepherds and sharing with the world that 2000 years ago in a manger in Bethlehem, a baby was born. This was not just any baby, but the Savior of the world. God's gift to a fallen world that through this baby they would find the forgiveness of their sins and everlasting life. This baby's name was JESUS, the only name by which man are saved. Let each of us who have accepted Him into our hearts and lives by faith declare HIS birth and hope to this lost world this Christmas.

In His love and service,

Your friend and co-laborer in His work,

Bill Keller