Author: Christine

“The angels sing, Peace on earth, good will to men, from heaven’s all gracious King.” Good news. The Messiah’s birth! Our Savior is here. Yet, as the song continues, we see men trodding on, the weight of life causing back breaking toil. One day looks just like another. The angels sing over earth’s Babel sounds- manmade idols to worship, false gospels that are preached. Man is weary. We are looking for peace, yet unable to find the peace that passes all understanding. “Look now! Hear the angels sing.” The prophets foretold of the coming Savior, Jesus. He came the first time as a lowly babe in a manger.

Have you received Him as Savior and Lord? Is He welcomed into your home as the centerpiece of your Christmas celebration? For as the song concludes, just as scripture says, He is coming back. The whole world will bow at His return. When “peace shall over all the earth, its ancient splendors fling.”

The angels sang at His first coming. “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:13-14). The angels will sing at His second coming. “…the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Revelation 5:11b-12)

Let us come to Him. Rest in His presence. Hear the angels sing. Prepare your hearts to receive your King this Christmas. And may He be Lord of your life as the days move forward into the New Year.

It Came Upon a Midnight Clear *

1 It came upon the midnight clear,
that glorious song of old,
from angels bending near the earth
to touch their harps of gold:
“Peace on the earth, good will to men,
from heaven’s all-gracious King.”
The world in solemn stillness lay,
to hear the angels sing.

2 Still through the cloven skies they come
with peaceful wings unfurled,
and still their heavenly music floats
o’er all the weary world;
above its sad and lowly plains,
they bend on hovering wing,
and ever o’er its Babel sounds
the blessed angels sing.

3 And ye, beneath life’s crushing load,
whose forms are bending low,
who toil along the climbing way
with painful steps and slow,
look now! for glad and golden hours
come swiftly on the wing.
O rest beside the weary road,
and hear the angels sing!

4 For lo! the days are hastening on,
by prophet seen of old,
when with the ever-circling years
shall come the time foretold
when peace shall over all the earth
its ancient splendors fling,
and the whole world send back the song
which now the angels sing.

*hymnary.org

400 years of silence. No prophets speaking. Heaven is quiet. There is hope, however, as the pages of scripture speak of One who is coming. Their Messiah. On a quiet night, in a small town, a holy birth takes place. God’s gift to all men. As we hustle and bustle through the Christmas season, do we look for quiet moments? To still our hearts. To look heavenward, giving thanks to God for His precious Son, Jesus. We praise Him. We humble ourselves before Him. In the quiet stillness, our hearts repent of sin and receive Jesus as Savior. Shepherd us. Abide with us. Let Your light shine in our hearts as we proclaim Your name, Jesus.

1 O little town of Bethlehem,*
how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
the everlasting light;
the hopes and fears of all the years
are met in thee tonight.

2 For Christ is born of Mary;
and, gathered all above,
while mortals sleep, the angels keep
their watch of wond’ring love.
O morning stars, together
proclaim the holy birth,
and praises sing to God the King,
and peace to men on earth.

3 How silently, how silently,
the wondrous gift is giv’n!
So God imparts to human hearts
the blessings of His heav’n.
No ear may hear His coming,
but in this world of sin,
where meek souls will receive Him still,
the dear Christ enters in.

4 O holy Child of Bethlehem,
descend to us, we pray;
cast out our sin and enter in;
be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels,
the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
our Lord Emmanuel!

*hymnary.org

Joseph and Mary. Faithful ones. Separately told of the birth of a Son. The Son of God. Mary, upon hearing she is the chosen vessel to be used of God, replied saying, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38) Joseph, resolved to divorce her quietly until the angel of the Lord visited him, explaining the virgin birth of Jesus. Joseph did as the Lord commanded him and took Mary as his wife. (Matthew 1:24)

Together, Mary and Joseph commit their marriage to God, honoring Him, travel to Bethlehem to give birth to their first born Son, Jesus. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

As we read about the birth of Jesus, we are reminded of our need of a Savior. By faith, upon hearing the gospel message, we believe and commit our ways to following Him. Living a devoted, faithful life of obedience is the mark of being a true Christian. Jesus will greet His children as He welcomes them into heaven with these words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:23a)

O Come All Ye Faithful *

1 O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem!
Come, and behold Him, born the King of angels!

Refrain:
O come, let us adore Him;
O come, let us adore Him;
O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord!

3 Sing, choirs of angels; sing in exultation;
sing, all ye citizens of heav’n above!
Glory to God, all glory in the highest![Refrain]

4 Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning;
Jesus, to Thee be all glory giv’n!
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing! [Refrain]

*hymnary.org

The song, “Go Tell It On the Mountain” is an African American spiritual, adapted by John W. Work. The scripture reference is Luke 2:8-20 and Matthew 28:19. (hymnary.org)

Sheep. Shepherds. Nighttime. A seemingly ordinary evening. Doing their job. Keeping watch over their flocks. Suddenly, the ordinary turned extraordinary. Angels. Visible. Proclaiming. The truth of the angel’s message became sight when the shepherds heeded the angel’s proclamation and saw their Savior, the babe in the manger, in Bethlehem. The shepherds left, praising and glorifying God. But they did not keep this Good News to themselves. They made known the saying told them. They went and told everyone what had happened. They shared the Good News. We, too, are tasked with telling others the Good News. “ Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.  Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

Let our message of Jesus be the center of our Christmas celebration and be proclaimed as we gather with friends and family this holiday season.

Go Tell It On the Mountain

Refrain:
Go, tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere.
Go, tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

1. While shepherds kept their watching
O’er silent flocks by night,
Behold thru-out the heavens
There shone a holy light.

2. The shepherds feared and trembled
When lo! above the earth
Rang out the angel chorus
That hailed our Savior’s birth.

3. Down in a lowly manger
The humble Christ was born,
And God sent us salvation
That blessed Christmas morn.*

*hymnary.org

“Angels We Have Heard on High” is an English translation from French by James Chadwick (hymnary.org). Taken from the scriptures found in Luke 2:8-15.

Angels, God’s messengers. Proclaiming the Good News that the Savior, who is Christ the Lord, is born this day in Bethlehem. Shepherds. Hard working men. Caring for their flocks of sheep. Day and night. A nighttime worship service. A multitude of angels praising God. ““Glory to God in highest heaven,  and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased. (Luke 2:14) Shepherds, after going to Bethlehem and seeing with their own eyes the baby lying in the manger, returned to their fields glorifying and praising God for all they had seen and heard. The Good News was proclaimed and heaven and earth worshipped God. “God’s glory was returning to earth in the person of His Son(John 1:14). That lowly manger was a Holy of Holies because Jesus was there!” (Warren Wiersbe)

When we sing “Angels We Have Heard on High” are you remembering Luke 2:8-15? As we sing about the birth of our Savior, let us worship with hearts full of praise, giving all glory to God. Thanking Him for sending His Son, Jesus, who is Christ the Lord!

1. Angels we have heard on high,
Sweetly singing o’er the plains,
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains.

Refrain:
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.

2. Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
Which inspire your heavn’ly song? [Refrain]

3. Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the angels sing.
Come, adore on bended knee
Christ the Lord, the newborn King. [Refrain]*

*hymnary.org

Do you know a fixer? Someone who is a Jack of all trades and can fix anything. Or there is a problem and the fixer wants to provide the solution-all is well. Mankind had a problem in the garden. The fruit. Disobedience. Cast out. Now what? How do we fix this? Man couldn’t solve the problem. Satan wasn’t the fixer though he wanted them to think he was. God had the solution. He provided the answer. The problem was fixed. Jesus, the Son of God, born of a virgin, became the perfect blood sacrifice that remedied the separation of God and man.

Jesus is the Fixer. Man cannot redeem himself. Cannot do enough good to be in a right relationship with God. We have to go through Jesus. The Fixer fixed our problem. We are sinners in need of a Savior. He alone offers the free gift of salvation. As believers, we live a life desiring to please Him. How? By keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus. “A fixed disposition of trust in the Lord brings a peace that the wicked can never know.” J. MacArthur

As we go through this Christmas season, let us remember why the Messiah came to earth in the first place. As we lift our voices up in song, let us keep our mind fixed on our Savior as we sing, “Joy to the world. The Lord has come. Let earth receive her King. Let every heart prepare Him room. Let heaven and nature sing.”

One car. Six adults. Six voices. One destination. Does the driver listen to the native voices who know the way but disagree on the best route? Does the driver listen to the GPS calling out directions? Finally, the driver focused on one voice in the car and made it to the destination quickly, calmly and without incident.

How many times in our own lives do we find ourselves needing to make a decision , a change. We ask friends, family, co-workers for advice. We may get conflicting answers. Whose voice do we listen to? Many voices, multiple opinions, one decision. Have we stopped to pray? To meditate on God’s word? To listen to the One voice that matters, whose direction and will we seek?

As Christians, we make many decisions throughout the day. Go here. Go there. Do this. Do that. From the minutiae to the massive, life brings many decisions of jobs, marriage, family. We need to hear from our Shepherd. He knows us. He sees us. He hears us. He cares for us. Let us make sure we are the sheep of His pasture, listening to the voice of our Shepherd. He leads, guides and directs our path when we listen to His voice. Is His voice the loudest voice you hear?

John 10:27-29 “ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”

Want to fly on an airplane? Cash a check? Be let in a place of employment? Show your identification please. Whether it is a passport, driver’s license or employee badge, our identification tells others our citizenship of a country, a state or place of employment.

As a Christian, do you identify with the teachings of the Bible? Did you get baptized to publicly show you identify with Jesus? We may not hold an ID card or badge, but our words, our actions, our comings and goings should show the world we identify as a Christian, a follower of Christ.

Galatians 3:26-27 “ So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith,  for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”

Ephesians 2:18-19 “ For through him(Jesus) we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household,”

Definition: the expression of approval, especially by the clapping of hands (Webster)

We clap for sports teams, at concerts, for our children. Why? To show our approval, for a job well done, out of love. As we minister to fellow believers, as we share the gospel message to those outside the family of God, as we teach others in Sunday School, what is our motivation? To hear an atta boy? To be noticed? When Jesus walked this earth, He was preaching, teaching and healing. He did not do it for applause or for the approval of men. Rather, He came to do the will of His Father. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)

As we serve Jesus, let us humble ourselves as we encourage others, as we share the good news, as we teach others. For we do not do it for applause, nor for the approval of men. “ Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)

If you walk, run, swim, bike or watch sports that do these activities, you have heard the term, “bell lap.” You know a bell rings, signaling to the athlete, “one lap to go.”

In life, do we hear a bell? Do we know when we are on our bell lap? Since none of us know the future or can predict what direction our life will take, we need to live in the present. God tells us to plan for the future but to live for today, for we know not what tomorrow will bring.

So, let us live for today. Let us serve others with a joyful heart. Let us begin our day in the Word thanking God for today. Let us love God and love our neighbors. Let us submit our plans to the Lord today, and walk according to His will.