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Epiphany – While many know it as the day marking 12 days after Christmas and the time to take down the Christmas tree and decorations; it’s actually a holiday with significant meaning. Let’s take a look at the origin and traditions of this holiday

What is Epiphany? 

Epiphany means “appearance or manifestation.” Throughout the world, Christians celebrate it on January 6 – 12 days after Christmas Day. Many countries refer to it as “Three Kings Day.” On this day, Western Christianity recognizes Christ’s manifestation to the Gentiles. The Gentiles, represented when the Magi visited the child Jesus and show how God’s gift of the Good News is for all people. Eastern Christianity observe Jesus’ baptism on this day. His baptism revealed his identity to mankind. In the East or the West, Epiphany celebrates God Revealing himself to the world.  

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Advent is the season of reflective preparation for the Nativity of Christ at Christmas and the expected return of Christ in the Second coming. 

What is Advent? History & Meaning:

Some people may know that the Advent season focuses on expectation and think that it serves as an anticipation of Christ’s birth in the season leading up to Christmas. This is part of the story, but there’s more to Advent.

The word “Advent” is derived from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming,” which translates to the Greek word Parousia Scholars believe that during the 4th and 5th centuries in pain and Gaul, Advent was a season of preparation for the baptism of new Christians at the January feast of Epiphany, the celebration of God’s incarnation represented by the visit of the Magi to the baby Jesus, his baptism in the Jordan River by John the Baptist, and his first miracle at Cana. During this season of preparation, Christians would spend 40 days in penance, prayer, and fasting to prepare for this celebration; originally, there was little connection between Advent and Christmas. 
By the 6th century, however, Roman Christians had tied Advent to the coming of Christ. But the “coming” they had in mind was not Christ’s first coming in the manger in Bethlehem, but his second coming in the clouds as the judge of the world. It was not until the Middle Ages that the Advent season was explicitly linked to Christ’s first coming at Christmas. 

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Happy Thanksgiving from Mountain Ministries to you! 
We are so thankful for you and for you being apart of our Ministry – whether you’ve been to the Mountain one time or a hundred or perhaps you found us online – we are thankful for you and we hope we can share God’s Good News through our nondenominational Ministry. 
Have a safe and blessed day with family, friends, and loved ones! 

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. 

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Fall in America is full of things like the changing of leaves, pumpkin carving, trick-or-treating, and other Halloween fun. 
However, for the wrest of the world, this list doesn’t even scratch the surface. After the fun and excitement of Halloween comes another important tradition: All Saint’s Day. 

What is All Saint’s Day? 
All Saint’s Day is a Catholic holiday for celebrating all of the saints. While it’s true that most Saints have their own days of celebrating on the Catholic calendar, it’s not always possible to observe all of these dates. Instead, most Catholics choose to celebrate all of the saints on a single day. All Saint’s Day. 
The day after All Saint’s Day is All Souls Day. This is the day in which Catholics celebrate those who are in Purgatory and will soon be cleaned of their sins to enter heaven. All Saints’ Day is truly a time for reflecting on traditions past, history, and being with the ones you love. 

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Labor Day – 

The beginning of work is from the beginning of time. God Himself worked for six days and rested on the seventh. When God completed creation He called it “very good”. We are created in the image of God and are designed to experience success and fulfillment through hard work! As Christians, we should view our jobs as an opportunity to serve God through perseverance and patience, and serve others through a Christ-like attitude. This collection of Bible verses can be used to reflect on your work during Labor Day and any time of the year!

Colossians 3:23 
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. 

Genesis 1:31
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning – the sixth day. 

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Luke 11:23

Jesus said to them, “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” 

Today, on this Lenten day, we can ask ourselves: “Do I listen to the voice of the Lord, or do I do what I want, whatever I please?” The Lord is clear with people who have lost their faithfulness: “Those who aren’t with me are against me.” 

One could ask: “Isn’t there a way to compromise, a little here and little there?” No, either you are you are on the path of love, or you’re on the path of hypocrisy. Either you let yourself be loved by the mercy of God, or you do what you want, according to your heart which grows harder, each time, on this path. There is no third path of compromise. 

Tuesday, March 22 – What is God’s Purpose for Your Life (And How to Find It)

Waking up and feeling purposeless is incredibly frustrating. You look around and see your friends and coworkers living passionate, engaged meaningful lives. They have deep relationships, rewards jobs, and a sense of direction that compels them to hop out of bed each morning with a spring in their step. 

You know that God has something good in store for you. You don’t believe he intends you to live a life of painful drudgery in which each day is a total drag. After all, the Bible is full of passages about joy. While this certainly does not mean that every single day is a parade and circus, it does mean that an overall sense of gladness should permeate your life. 

In Psalm 63:7, David said, “for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.” How can you get to that place? Where, instead of wandering aimlessly through life, you’re actually singing for joy? 

Today we will be talking about some signs that you may not be living in the fullness of God’s purpose for you. We will give some suggestions for how to begin living a meaningful, enthusiastic, joyful life. 

Signs you may not be living in God’s Purpose: 

Before we dive into this, we need to make at least one caveat. In one sense, you are always living in God’s purpose. God is God and He works all things, including your life, according to his purposes. Nothing can happen without God ordaining it. 

Psalm 57:2 says, ” I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me.” This is key in understanding God’s purpose for your life. God has numbered your days and will fulfill every purpose He has for you. 

However, our choices and actions also really matter. In some ways, this is a mystery we can’t fully understand, but that doesn’t mean it is not true. We can choose to do things that will bring us more joy and give us more of a sense of purpose. We want to help you identify those choices you can make to bring more excitement and God-given purpose into your life. 

Signs you do not have purpose in your life – 

If you are blatantly disobeying the Bible, you’re not living in God’s purpose and you will experience a sense of aimlessness in your life. 

You lack joy and excitement. If you way up everyday filled with apathy, dread, or total boredom, you’re probably not doing what you are meant to do. God has created you uniquely, has really good things planned for you and one of the fruits of the Spirit is joy (Galatians 5:22) Sure, there will be difficult things you encounter that require patience and persistence, but overall you should have a sense of joy and excitement that fills your days, your work, and your relationships. 

You don’t feel much Fulfillment in Life: If you go about your days experiencing little fulfillment, you may be wandering from your God-given purpose. Fulfillment comes from doing rewarding, meaningful, purposeful things. From a job that taps into your skill and passions. From a relationship that involves giving and receiving. From hobbies that are invigorating instead of mind-numbing. Yes, you’ll have to do certain things that are boring and unfulfilling, but if you’re entire life is gray, you probably need a change. 

You Work so That You Don’t Have to Work: You know the feeling of pointless work. You go to the office, clock in, do your job, then go home and collapse in front of the television. You work for the weekends and for retirement. All true joy you experience comes from things outside of work. From hobbies, friends, or side jobs. 

Ecclesiastes 8:15 says, “And I command joy, for the man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.” 

Would you say this kind of joy characterizes your life and work? If not, you may need to rethink where you’re headed. 

You Feel Stuck: If you desperately want a change but also feel totally stuck in your life, that’s almost certainly a sign that you’re not walking according to God’s purpose. Those who are stuck want to go in a particular direction but don’t know how to get there. So they spin their wheels, feeling endlessly frustrated but unsure of how to make the frustration end. Do you feel trapped? 

Ways to regain your purpose: 

Go to God in Prayer: Let’s start with the obvious. If you feel purposeless, ask God to give you wisdom and direction. James 1:5 states, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” 

That’s incredibly good news. God wants to give you a purpose. He wants to bestow divine wisdom on you. It’s not like God is holding out on you to make you miserable. He desires you to have a joyful, ambitious, purposeful life. Ask God for purpose and expect Him to give it to you.

Dig into God’s Word: The primary way God speaks to us is through the Bible. This means that one of the first things you should do in your search for God’s purpose is to start digging into scripture. Now, you won’t find any verses that tell you to become a dance instructor or painter, but you will begin to understand the heart of God.

Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” God’s word brings light to paths that otherwise seem dark. In the Bible you learn how to live wisely in God’s world, which is the first step toward finding your purpose.

Determine Your Gifts and Strengths: God has given you very specific gifts and strengths. Maybe you’re a math whiz or a wise counselor. Maybe you have a mind for electronics or business. Maybe you’re great at organizing people and getting things done. God’s purpose for you probably involves the things you’re already good at.

This is where education can be particularly valuable. Going to college or going back to college allows you to discover your gifts and then determine how you’re going to use them. It also connects you with people who want to help you find your purpose.

Determine Your Passions: What is one thing you’re particularly passionate about? Really, this can be anything. Business, art, economics, alleviating poverty, whatever. If money wasn’t an issue, what would you love to do?

Determining your passions often helps you figure out what God has called you to do. It’s often said that God works at the intersection of our gifts and our passions. Where do your gifts meet your passions? That may be God’s purpose for you.

Bring Others into your Life: Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” In other words, one of the main ways God will help you find your purpose is through others.

A caveat needs to be made here. Your counselors should be people you trust. Whether this is your professors, parents or friends, it needs to be people who have your back and want the best for you. You want wise counselors to help you find God’s purpose for you.

In the End, Trust God: Trying to discover your life purpose can be a stressful, overwhelming thing. It can seem like such a big, confusing, frustrating subject. You want to move forward, but you’re not sure how. You want to find your purpose, but you feel like you’re aimlessly wandering.

But you can trust God to lead you where he wants you to go. As Psalm 23:2-3 says, “He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”

You may feel confused, but God doesn’t.

Better communication is key to getting thru difficult situations. 

I know that I am not the best communicator, but over the last several years, communication has been one of the top things I am trying to work on in my life. Let’s look at some different perspectives in regards to communication, both from a spiritual and everyday outlook. 

Communication with God Thru Prayer: 

First, let;s talk spiritual communication. How great is it that our communication with God is done thru prayer. Though yes, it would be great to hear his voice. What if everyone that we were communicating with, had the grace of God. We can only wish, right? 

Technology Changing How We Communicate: 

One thing about better communication that has to be discussed is technology and how it plays such a huge role in how we deal with situations. We all know about how the smartphone is changing how we communicate, and let’s be honest – it is not always for the best. While yes, it is easiest to communicate through text, if there is a conversation or a situation where your message could be misunderstood, do not send the text! Text messages have no feeling. You have no way to understand how the person on the other end took what you had to say. While I am constantly sending text messages, It is still good to pickup the phone!

With that all being said, there is still positives to technology! Technology is a God send not only for us here at Mountain Ministries, but all ministries, churches, and religious organizations! Without technology, you would not be reading this blog! You would not be on our website, hear our podcast, or receive emails from us! Believe it or not, without technology there would be some people who would never hear God’s Great News from the Mountain! Perhaps they are on a business trip, live far away, or do not want to step foot in a church but still want to hear God’s Word. With technology, the possibilities are endless with the people we can reach! 

Tips for Better Communication: 

Prayer – Say a prayer before you have a hard conversation. Ask God for peace, calm, and conclusion. 

Think Before You Speak – Think about what it is you are going to say before you actually say it. Write it down, if need be! 

No Texting – Save texts for simple conversations, not anything complex. 

Grace – We have used this word a lot! This may sound cliche, but WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?) As Jesus gives you grace, give that person grace

Open Mind, Open Heart, and Open Ear – Go into the conversation with an open mind. It is easy to pre-write the narrative to a situation, don’t! Open your heart to the conversation. Listening is a lost art. Use your ears before your mouth. There are two sides to every story. 

Better communication will help not only the person you are talking to, but also yourself. 

Trash in – Trash out

When something is stirring inside of you that needs to be discussed but you aren’t dealing with the situation just internalizing it – that trash stays in. What happens when you do not take out the trash? It Stinks. Your demeanor can change, as well as your overall attitude. Get the trash out with a healthy discussion. 

Communication in different situations is never fun, but is a must to get through whatever you are dealing with. 

What tips do you have to help someone better communicate in a difficult situation?