November 17, 2024

How Suddenly A Baby Cries

December 16, 2014 by

phssChristmasgraphic2014
How suddenly a baby cries and all forever change
As shepherds leave the angel song to find this holy place
Where in her young and trembling arms a virgin holds her Son
And in this Child of breath divine our Light has finally come

She ponders how the Magi kneel before Emmanuel
With gold and frankincense and myrrh Christ’s sacrifice they tell
A dream would help them flee a king whose pride would cruelly destroy
As mothers weep God’s mercy meets the hunger for His joy

What wonder still that Anna filled with praise should bless the Lord
Her aging eyes now looking on the Savior of the world
For night and day her prayers had filled the temple of our God
Her heart could tell His saving hand within this gift of love

Hear Simeon who had waited long draw near to hold the child
To speak of Him who would reveal the many thoughts we hide
That hearts would rise to know His grace but many fall away
A sword would pierce His mother’s soul upon redemption day

How suddenly a baby cried and all forever changed
Through history soul by soul have come to find His healing grace
He filled my troubled heart with peace, with hope of endless worth
My voice will join the song of praise that tells Messiah’s birth

Written and sung by Kristyn Getty along with Keith Getty and Fionán de Barra

*    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

A baby’s first cry gets the attention of everyone around, yes?  At the very moment of birth, all in attendance pause to hear a baby’s first cry—expectant parents, other relatives and loved ones, the nurses, doctors, and other caregivers—and then sigh with joy, with relief, and with thankfulness at that wonderful sound!  When the baby Jesus was born, His cry, too, brought great joy to his parents, Joseph and Mary. Think of the setting:

And while they were there, the time came for her delivery,
And she gave birth to her Son, her Firstborn;
and she wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger,
because there was no room or place for them in the inn.
Luke 2:6 and 7

Joseph and Mary had traveled many, many miles to come to Bethlehem to register in the census.  Upon their arrival, there was nowhere for them to stay but in a stable…and this is where Mary birthed her firstborn, Jesus, God’s Son.  Not the best surroundings!  So I would think baby Jesus’ first cry meant oh-so-very much to them!

But…both Joseph and Mary were fully aware of just Who this tiny baby was!  Both had been told of the significance of this baby’s life by angels. (Read the records here: Luke 1:26-38;   and  Matthew 1:18-25).  Don’t you think they each had contemplated for the entire duration of Mary’s pregnancy the magnitude and awesome, eternal implications of just Who their Son would be!  Think for a moment…place yourself in their sandals: when the baby was birthed and took His first breath and released a cry, can you only imagine the praises that must have welled up out of their hearts?  Can you imagine the look they must have exchanged as they realized that the promises that the angel had made to each of them came forth into fruition?  That initial cry of baby Jesus truly changed the world!  Perhaps Mary remembered the words she spoke when she was visiting her cousin Elizabeth:

“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.
How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
…because the Mighty One has done great things for me, and His name is holy.
His mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear Him.”
Luke 1: 46-47 and 49-50

And so we, too, do also exclaim and praise!  Even now, don’t we love to sing these beautiful carols and anthems and songs that tell of Jesus’ coming and His birth.  We are reminded of all that first little cry meant as it sounded out that the Savior was born!  He had come…just as promised throughout the ages!  As the words of this beautiful song say,

“How suddenly a baby cried and all forever changed.
Through history soul by soul have come to find His healing grace.
He filled my troubled heart with peace, with hope of endless worth.
My voice will join the song of praise that tells Messiah’s birth.”

*    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

May our voices rise up in praise and thankfulness to our heavenly Father!  Because of His great love for us (you and me!), He sent His Son to redeem and save us; to rescue us and make available to us a relationship with Him for all eternity.

Never—don’t EVER—doubt His love!

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers,
nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38 and 39

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Joy To The World

December 15, 2014 by

phssChristmasgraphic2014

 

Joy to the world, the Lord is come
Let earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare Him room
And heav’n and nature sing
And heav’n and nature sing
And heav’n, and heav’n, and nature sing

Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns
Let men their songs employ
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy

No more let sins and sorrows grow
Nor thorns infest the ground
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found
Far as the curse is found
Far as, far as, the curse is found

He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love
And wonders of His love
And wonders, wonders, of His love

Written by Isaac Watts; Arrangement by Lowell Mason

*    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Sing a new song to the Lord, for He has done wonderful deeds.
His right hand has won a mighty victory; His holy arm has shown His saving power!
The Lord has announced His victory and has revealed His righteousness to every nation!
He has remembered His promise to love and be faithful to Israel.
The ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
Shout to the Lord, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy!
Sing your praise to the Lord with the harp,
with the harp and melodious song, with trumpets and the sound of the ram’s horn.
Make a joyful symphony before the Lord, the King!
Let the sea and everything in it shout His praise!
Let the earth and all living things join in.
Let the rivers clap their hands in glee!
Let the hills sing out their songs of joy before the Lord, for He is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with fairness.
Psalm 98 NLT

As I was researching this song I came across the following excerpt on its history:

“The text of Joy to the World was originally titled “The Messiah’s Coming and Kingdom” when it first appeared in Watt’s Psalms of David Imitated of 1719. It was his interpretation of Psalm 98 which read in the King James Bible, “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.” Watts connected the joy found in the Psalm to the worship and praise of the coming Messiah. The song was conceived by Watts as a poem celebrating the second and final coming of Jesus but as we know, it has become a precious Christmas carol for the churches. It would not get set in its current musical form until a Jersey born son named Lowell Mason put his musical arrangements to the hymn in 1836.”

I find it interesting that this was written about Christ’s second Coming but has become a beloved carol celebrating His first Coming.  Yet it all ties together neatly, for without the first Coming there would be no second Coming.

As I was reading all of this, God prodded me with a question,

“Have you prepared room in your heart?”

My first response was “Of course!”  I accepted Christ as my Savior as a child.  But God made it clear He wasn’t talking about that.  He wanted to know if I had made room in my busyness for Him.  Ouch!  Why is it we become so consumed with the shopping, the gifts, the preparations, and the celebrations we forget the joy?  Joy is found in what Christ has done for us not in what we do to celebrate His birth.  It is a gladness, an exultation that leads us to rejoice.  Look at Psalm 92:4 NLT…

You thrill me, Lord, with all You have done for me!
I sing for joy because of what You have done.

That’s what Christmas should be about.  We should be so thrilled at the reminder of all He has done that we cannot contain our joy!   We have to sing.  Our excitement as we recall the wonders of His love is to be shared.

The light in the eyes [of him whose heart is joyful] rejoices the hearts of others…
Proverbs 15:30a AMP

Have you made room in your heart for Him?
Is the light in your eyes bringing joy to someone else?

*    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Lord, we thank You for this wondrous time of year.  Remind me to check my heart and make sure there is plenty of room for You instead of getting caught up in my own busyness.  Bring to mind the wonderful things You have done for me.  May I reflect the joy of what You have done.  In Christ’s name, I pray – Amen, it is so!

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Strange Way To Save The World

December 14, 2014 by

phssChristmasgraphic2014
I’m sure he must have been surprised
At where this road had taken him
‘Cause never in a million lives
Would he have dreamed of Bethlehem
And standing at the manger
He saw with his own eyes
The message from the angel
Come to life, and Joseph said

Why me, I’m just a simple man of trade
Why Him, with all the rulers of the world
Why here, inside this stable filled with hay
Why her, she’s just an ordinary girl
Now I’m not one to second guess
What angels have to say
This is such a strange way to save the world

To think of how it could have been
If Jesus had come as He deserved
There would have been no Bethlehem
No lowly shepherds at His birth
But Joseph knew the reason
Love had to reach so far
And as he held the Savior in his arms
He must have thought

Why me, I’m just a simple man of trade
Why You, with all the rulers of the world
Why here, inside this stable filled with hay
Why her, she’s just an ordinary girl
Now I’m not one to second guess
What angels have to say
This is such a strange way to save the world

 Songwriters:  David Clarke, Mark Harris, Don Koche ~ Performed by 4Him

*    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

He was just a young man, just  a carpenter.  A perfect example of the ordinary becoming extraordinary!  He coulfn’t believe his ears, and how in the world woulf he ever tell his family? Yes, they were engaged to be married and oh, he loved her with all his heart.  But a baby?  He knew it couldn’t  be his.  Then, in a dream, an angel came to him and explained everything. Yes…he was convinced, but sure that no one else would be. Why me, he said…I’m no one special.

The Savior, God’s Son, could have come to earth any way He wanted.  He could have come with trumpets or on a chariot or already a grown man or never having to go through anything, really.  But He didn’t.  He chose to come as small as He could—a baby born to common people, in a stable, in a manger.  He was wrapped in strips of cloth, instead of the latest trend in the expensive boutiques.  He came for one purpose alone…and that was (and is) to save us.

She was just a teenage girl engaged to a carpenter.  She was planning a wedding, getting ready to move in with her fiancé’s family, as tradition would tell her to do.  And then, on an ordinary night, an Angel of the Lord appeared to her and told her,

“Don’t be afraid, Mary…for you have found favor with God.
You will conceive and give birth to Son, and you will name Him Jesus.
He will be very great and will be called the Son of The Most High.
The Lord God will give Him the throne of His ancestor David,
And He will reign over Israel forever, His Kingdom will never end.”
Mary asked the angel,”But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”
The angel replied,”The Holy Spirit will come upon you
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
So the baby to be born will be holy and He will be called the Son of God.”
Luke 1:30-35

So they, Mary and Joseph, traveled to Bethlehem and found room in a stable.  And there the Christ-child was born.  And now we celebrate His birth every Christmas.  His coming to earth to save the world ultimately saved us from ourselves.  We will live forever, all because of that night in Bethlehem.

And, yes, it WAS a strange and
wonderful, awesome, amazing, loving way to save the world.

*    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Let us pray: Dear God, You are amazing and awesome and loving.  You give and give…and You gave the greatest gift of all, Your Son.  He came as a baby, a sweet baby boy, grew to be a man and the ultimate Sacrifice for us.  Thank You for all You have done for us; for loving us so much and giving so much grace that we don’t deserve.  The way You saved the world was perfect.  In His name we pray, amen.

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

If Every Day Was Like Christmas

December 12, 2014 by

phssChristmasgraphic2014

I hear the bells
Saying Christmas is near
They ring out to tell the world
That this is the season of cheer

I hear a choir
Singing sweetly somewhere
And a glow fills my heart
I’m at peace with the world
As the sound of their singing fills the air

Oh why can’t every day be like Christmas
Why can’t that feeling go on endlessly
For if everyday could be just like Christmas
What a wonderful world this would be

I hear a child
Telling Santa what to bring
And the smile upon his tiny face
Is worth more to me than anything

 Performed by Elvis Presley ~ Written by Red West

*    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

What if every day we could be more Christ-like…and treat people with kindness and good cheer everyday…and not just at Christmas?

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up,
as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by Whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you,
along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4:29-32 ESV

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love,
a tender heart, and a humble mind.
Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling,
but on the contrary, bless,
for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.
For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days,
let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit;
let him turn away from evil and do good;
let him seek peace and pursue it.
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and His ears are open to their prayer.
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
1 Peter 3:8-12 ESV

Christmas-time should not be the only time to help someone else in need.  We should be aware every day of those who God places around us that need something we have to give.

“The purpose of life is not to be happy.
It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate,
to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Are we too busy to notice those who God places around us?  Do we brag to others when we do help someone in need as to bring glory to ourselves?  God has much to say about this.  In Matthew 6:1-4 (NIV) it says,

Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them.  If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men.  I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
so that your giving may be in secret.  Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

When God calls us to help those around us…if our heart is to self-glorify then that is the only reward we will receive.  So be careful your heart is in the right place when you are helping those in need around you.

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Psalm 51:10

This Christmas season, let’s remember the true reason for the season and the sacrifice that Jesus made.  To get outside of ourselves and pay attention to those in need around us everyday of the year…not just one season.

*    ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Heavenly Father, thank You for the opportunities You give each of us everyday to love and help others as Jesus has loved us.  May we have the right heart in doing so.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

God With Us

December 11, 2014 by

phssChristmasgraphic2014

You’ve come to bring peace, to be Love
To be nearer to us
You’ve come to bring life, to be Light
To shine brighter in us

Oh, Emmanuel
God with us

Our Deliverer, You are Savior
In Your presence we find our strength
Over ev’rything, our Redemption
God with us
You are God with us

Oh, You’ve come to be hope to this world
For Your honor and name
And You’ve come to take sin, to bear shame
And to conquer the grave

You are here
You are holy
We are standing in Your glory

Singer/Songwriters: Jason Ingram, Leslie Jordan  ~ All Sons and Daughters

*   ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Joy
Love
Hope
Light
Peace
Savior
Strength
Deliverer
Redemption
Emmanuel—God with us!

In this beautiful song, these names are sung in praise of Jesus.  They are just a few of the names/titles by which Jesus is referred to throughout the Scriptures…some proclaimed by God, some through His prophets and some given by man.  One of the most significant is Immanuel.

The name Emmanuel (also Immanuel or Imanu’el) of the Hebrew עִמָּנוּאֵל ” God [is] with us” consists of two Hebrew words: אֵל (EL, meaning ‘God’) and עִמָּנוּ (ʻImmānū, meaning ‘with us’). **  And this very special name, as Matthew tells us, means “God with us.” Jesus Christ is Immanuel, “God with us.” This name was first given by the prophet Isaiah more than 700 years before Jesus’ birth.

Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign:
Behold, the young woman who is unmarried and a virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and shall call his name Immanuel [God with us].
Isaiah 7:14

God’s people trusted and waited for the fulfillment of this promise for a long time.  Mary and Joseph, having been raised by parents who believed this promise and taught them about the coming Messiah, also had it in their own hearts.  Can you only imagine what stirred in Joseph’s heart as the angel told him,

…an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife,
because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus,
because He will save His people from their sins.
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

Matthew 1:20-23
{read the whole passage here}

When God sent His Son to ‘dwell among us’ it was as if God was with us.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God; and all things were made through Him
and apart from Him nothing was made which was made…
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory,
glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth
John 1:1-3, 14

This verse speaks that ‘God with us’ to me so clearly!  What an incredible plan Almighty God had from the beginning to rescue and redeem us—to save us by sending His Son to live among us.

Jesus always gave honor and glory to His Father…never placing it upon Himself (even when others tried to).  I am sure His example constantly showed His disciples that He always did His Father’s will…and that they should do so also.

Even towards the end He faithfully and lovingly prepared and comforted their hearts. During the Last Supper, when He was alone with just those closest to Him, Jesus told them many times and in many ways that He no longer would be with them BUT they would not be alone…He would send the Paraclete—the Comforter, the Holy Spirit.  And reminded them again and again how He had been Emmanuel—God with {them}.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.”  Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.”  Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know Me, Philip? Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?  Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own authority, but the Father who dwells in Me does His works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.  Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in My Name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My Name, I will do it.”

John 14:6-14

*   ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

What a loving Lord and Savior!  He came to be Immanuel ~ God with us.  In this one name, everything mankind has ever needed—and still needs!—was brought to earth.   God’s promise of salvation was fulfilled in His Gift of Jesus.  How blessed we are that it was His plan for Jesus to become Immanuel—God with us. May we be thankful for that provision as we wait for the fullness of Immanuel when Jesus returns to gather the Church and we live for eternity in His Presence…truly God <will be> with us!

The songwriter of the carol, Hark, The Herald Angels Sing, Charles Wesley, wrote his understanding of the awesome glory of Jesus being Emmanuel with the words below; may we echo the same!

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with man to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel.

** click here for more info from the Strong’s Concordance of the Bible

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Christmas Offering

December 10, 2014 by

phssChristmasgraphic2014

Over the skies of Bethlehem appeared a star
While angels sang to lowly shepherds
Three wisemen seeking truth
They traveled from afar
Hoping to find the Child from Heaven
Falling on their knees
They bow before the humble Prince of peace

We bring an offering of worship to our King
No one on earth deserves the praises that we sing
Jesus, may You receive the honor that You’re due
O Lord, I bring an offering to You

The sun cannot compare to the glory of Your love
There is no shadow in Your Presence
No mortal man would dare to stand before Your throne
Before the Holy One of Heaven,
It’s only by Your blood
It’s only through Your mercy, Lord, I come

We bring an offering to You
We are an offering to You
An offering of praise we sing
An offering to You
We are an offering to You, Jesus
An offering of praise we sing
An offering to You
We are an offering, oh Lord
We are an offering of worship to our King
No one on earth deserves the praises that we sing
Jesus, may You receive the honor that You’re due
O Lord, we bring an offering to You

Written by Paul Baloche ~ Performed by Mark Hall & Casting Crowns

*   ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

When we make an offering or a sacrifice to God we are showing our love for Him…our thankfulness for all He has done and continues to do. The definition of sacrifice is ‘…an act of offering to a deity; something precious’.

Walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us
and gave Himself up for us
as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Ephesians 5:2 NIV

I am overwhelmed with gratitude when I truly stop and think about the sacrifice that God made when He sent His only Son to save the world from sin!  We are so undeserving…and yet He loves us so!

Is there something in your life you need to sacrifice as an offering to God?
“Ask God to help you move from smelling the odor of waste to the bouquet of grace.”
– Pastor Rick Warren

God took my life of waste and turned into a bouquet of grace.  The very least we can do is give our King the offering of something precious to show our gratitude for all He has done; and stand in the awe and presence of His Glory and Majesty.  If God does nothing else for me for the rest of my life, the fact that I have been saved from my life of waste is enough.

The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.
Proverbs 15:24 KJV

What will you be sacrificing or offering this Christmas season?

*   ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Heavenly Father, may You receive the honor that You’re due
Oh Lord, I bring my offering to You.
AMEN

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Come and Worship

December 9, 2014 by

phssChristmasgraphic2014

Angels from the realms of glory
Wing your flight o’er the earth
Ye who sang creations story
Now proclaim Messiah’s birth

Come and worship, come and worship, come and worship
Worship Christ the newborn King

Shepherds in the fields abiding
Watching o’er your flocks by night
God with man is now residing
Under shines the Infant light

Saints before the altar, bending
Watching, longing, hope and fear
Suddenly the Lord descending
In His temple shall appear

Written by James Montgomery; Sung by Bebo Norman

*   ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Oh, to be first-time parents!  Remember the fears, the concerns of not knowing if you were going to know how to care for the child?  What if they did this, or if they had that, is this normal, should I call a doctor?  Everything had to be perfect—new clothes, new crib, new bottles, new car seat, new everything.  But then, imagine, Mary and Joseph. They were not home, they were in a stable behind a hotel.  There were no more rooms or homes for them to visit.  No friends they could stay with.  At least Joseph was able to find a place warm, dry, and slightly comfortable for Mary and his soon-to-be-born stepson.

Then, once Mary had Jesus, everything changed.  Having cleaned out a manger in which to lay Jesus, after wrapping Him in swaddling clothes, they began to have visitors.  Shepherds came to see the wonder of the promised Messiah…the one the Angel told them would be in a stable.  Both Mary and Joseph were tired, but excited to see Jesus, and to welcome these strangers with news of the angelic host proclaiming the birth.

*   ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

As we celebrate the birth of our Savior, let us Come and Worship the love our Father in heaven has for us His people. Without God desiring a relationship with all of us, Jesus would not have been born.

Thank You, God, for loving us so much that You would send Your Son, Jesus, to earth to live among us!

Filed Under: Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Angels We Have Heard On High

December 8, 2014 by

phssChristmasgraphic2014

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

Angels we have heard on high
Singing sweetly through the night
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their brave delight

Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Gloria, in excelsis Deo

Shepherds, why this jubilee
Why your joyous strains prolong
What the gladsome tidings be
Which inspire your heavenly song

Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the angels sing
Come, adore on bended knee
Christ the Lord, the newborn King

Angels we have heard
Angels we have heard on high
Angels we have heard on high
In excelsis Deo

Author unknown ~ additional phrasing written by Kevin Olusola, Scott Hoying
Performed by Pentatonix

*   ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host
praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
Luke 2:13-14 NASB

This is one of my favorite Christmas carols and this version by Pentatonix is amazing. I love the pure joy I see in their faces on the video.  But I realized as I listened that I wasn’t sure what “Gloria, in excelsis Deo” meant. A quick check of Wikipedia provided this answer:

“Gloria in excelsis Deo” (Latin for “Glory to God in the highest”). The hymn begins with the words that the angels sang when the birth of Christ was announced to shepherds in Luke 2:14. Other verses were added very early, forming a doxology.”

A ‘doxology’ in the Greek literally translates as –doxa– “glory” and –logia– “saying”… I like that— “glory saying.”   The angels were giving glory to God for the birth of this child, shouting:

“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord;
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Luke 19:38 NASB

The fullness of Heaven is found in the humility of a manger.  The glory of angels compared to the humility of a stable.  Such a contrast!

“God loves to put His glory in unlikely packages so His glory is more clearly displayed.”
– David Guzik

It should be no surprise then that the first to hear the good news of this miraculous birth would be lowly shepherds abiding in the field at night.  They may have been the only ones awake but God planned it that way.  Christ came for all people, regardless of social status or position.

  • And He died for all – 2 Corinthians 5:15a AMP
  • Who gave Himself as a ransom for all – 1 Timothy 2:6a AMP
  • But we do see Jesus—made lower than the angels for a short time so that by God’s grace He might taste death for everyone – Hebrews 2:9a HCSB

That’s probably the best reason for “glory saying” that I can think of!   Psalm 66:2 (HCSB) says we are to “Sing about the glory of His name; make His praise glorious.” And Romans 15:6 (NLT) urges “all of you…join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

That’s what I want my Christmas to be filled with this year – “glory saying.” How about you?

*   ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Dear Lord,
Please let my mouth be full of praise and honor to You all day long so that I praise You with all my heart, and honor Your name forever, giving all glory to God in the highest. In Christ’s name I ask this—Amen, so be it!

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This Is Christmas

December 7, 2014 by

phssChristmasgraphic2014

Do you find it hard to sleep tonight
Resting by the Christmas lights
Could there be something you forgot

Beyond the bows and mistletoe
The tree with presents wrapped below
There’s more to this than you had ever thought
Have we lost the reason that we celebrate each year

What is Christmas
If there never was a Savior wrapped in a manger
What is Christmas without Christ

Remember how the story goes
God’s Gift was wrapped in swaddling clothes
Beneath the star, one great and holy night

The shepherds heard the angels sing
The wise man brought an offering
Peace on earth began in Bethlehem
Have we lost the reason that we celebrate each year

What is Christmas
If there never was a Savior wrapped in a manger
If the angels never sang
Glory to the newborn King
What is Christmas without Christ

There’d be no Gloria in excelsis deo
Gloria in excelsis deo

What is Christmas
(Joy to the world)
If there never was a Savior wrapped in a manger
(Joy to the world)
What is Christmas without Christ

This is Christmas
It’s all about the Savior wrapped in a manger
(Joy to the world)
This is Christmas because of Jesus Christ

(Gloria)
This is Christmas
(In excelsis deo)
Because of Christ
(In excelsis deo)
Because of Christ

written by Jon Micah Sumrall and Dave Lubben ~ performed by Kutless

*   ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

‘mas,’ …that’s what Christmas is without CHRIST.

In reality, I would say ‘mess,’ really.  Yes, there are gorgeous trees…decorated in colorful ornaments…and gifts, too.  Cookies and treats would still be made,and turkey and trimmings still would be served.  But what would it all mean?  And when all was taken down and put back into boxes, and the food all stored away and life went back to the way it was, how empty it would be.  Of course you would still have the presents and such, but that thrill only lasts for a short while.  We need THE Gift that fulfills forever….

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you, He is Christ the Lord.
This will be a sign unto you: you will find the baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the Heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and
saying,”Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.”
Luke 2:11-14

THE Gift.  He came the same way that you and I did.  His precious mom and dad beamed with pride and joy.  I’m sure they held Him and sang to Him and kissed His sweet head.  They didn’t need anything else that night.  And today…we don’t either.  As we decorate our houses and light the tree, we remember the reason for it all—Jesus. He came wrapped in a manger, for you and I.  And He became a man and experienced all that we have.

Let us not forget.  For without Christ, there really wouldn’t be any glory.  There wouldn’t be any joy to the world or angels singing for all to hear.  But because He is the Savior, we will still be filled with Him, even when Christmas is over. Even when we take it all down, we look up to Him Who loves us and will come back for us to live with Him forever.  Isn’t that really the only gift we ever need?

And, thanks to God the Father, there will never be a Christmas without Jesus.  It is all about a Savior, it is all about Him wrapped in a manger, and it always will be!

*   ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Let us pray: Oh Heavenly Father, You are so amazing and awesome and always giving. You love and love and give grace and forgiveness for free.  You have so much patience with us, I am amazed.  Lord, thank You for sending the ultimate Gift, wrapped in swaddling clothes, placed in the manger to save us from certain death.  That is the whole reason we celebrate Christmas. I pray for those who have moved away from You.  May they be reminded this season about the Baby that came to save the world. We can never thank You enough so we pray to live our thanks to You by spreading hope to this hurting world and by blessing because we have been blessed!  We pray all these things in Jesus’ name, amen!

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Mary’s Little Boy Child

December 5, 2014 by

phssChristmasgraphic2014

Long time ago in Bethlehem
So the Holy Bible say
Mary’s boy child Jesus Christ
Was born on Christmas day

Hark now–hear the angels sing
A new king born today
And man will live forevermore
Because of Christmas day
Trumpets sound and angels sing
Listen what they say
That man will live forevermore
Because of Christmas day

While shepherds watch their flock by night
They see a bright new shining star
Then hear a choir sing
The music seemed to come from afar

Now Joseph and his wife Mary
Come to Bethlehem that night
Then find no place to born the Child
Not a single room was in sight

By and by they find a little nook
In a stable all forlorn
And in a manger cold and dark
Mary’s little Boy was born

 Songwriter: Jester Hairston ~ Singer: Mandisa

*   ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

This song really makes me think about things from Mary’s perspective.  How she must have felt the night the angel told her should would become pregnant with Jesus.

Upon entering, Gabriel greeted her: Good morning!
You’re beautiful with God’s beauty, beautiful inside and out! God be with you.
She was thoroughly shaken, wondering what was behind a greeting like that.
But the angel assured her, “Mary, you have nothing to fear.
God has a surprise for you: You will become pregnant
and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus.
He will be great, be called ‘Son of the Highest.’
The Lord God will give Him the throne of his father David;
He will rule Jacob’s house forever—no end, ever, to His kingdom.”
Luke 1:28-33 MSG

I wonder if she was afraid of what people would think…. Or if she thought, ‘Why me, Lord?’ Yet honored and overwhelmed that God had chosen her to be the one. Those are some of the things I wonder; and yet Mary received the task before her and trusted God in it.

He went with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant.
While they were there, the time came for her to give birth.
She gave birth to a son, her firstborn.
She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger,
because there was no room in the hostel.
Luke 2:5-7 MSG

What an honor it is when God chooses us for Kingdom work to be used for His glory to shine through us! The unthinkable becomes possible when we receive the task before us and allow Him to work through us.

Jesus looked at them intently and said,
“Humanly speaking, it is impossible.
But with God everything is possible.”
Matthew 19:26 NLT

*   ♥  ~  ✝  ~  ★    *

Heavenly Father, what an honor it is when you choose us for the unthinkable, unimaginable tasks. May we receive the task before us without question and boldly trust in You as we allow You to work through us. To You be the Glory!! In Jesus’ Name!! AMEN!!!

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