April 24, 2024

Born Is The King

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Born unto us this day the Savior
Gifted from Heaven to a manger
Hope of the world tonight for all mankind
All of the earth rejoice
It’s Christmastime

So lift up your voice and sing out His praise
It’s Christmas
Born is the King, rejoice in the day
It’s Christmas
Make a joyful sound
It’s Christmas
Let His praise resound
It’s Christmas

Goodwill to all the earth
And peace divine
All of the earth rejoice
It’s Christmastime
It’s Christmastime

It’s Christmastime

Phillips, Craig and Dean
Writers: Scott Ligertwood and Matt Crocker

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Don’t be afraid!” he said.
“I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.”
Luke 2:10 NLT

When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.
Matthew 2:10 NASB

“Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
John 1:29 NJK

“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
Luke 2:14 NKJV

I think I may have found a new favorite Christmas song.  Heard this song for the first time and I could not wait to hear it again.  To me, this song reflects exactly what Matthew 2:10 NASB is talking about: “they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.”

We have so much to rejoice about yet we get so caught up in the worldly ideas of Christmas; we forget to stop and celebrate the great
Gift we have been given. There is a line in an Alabama Christmas song that says:

The gift is just what’s in your heart and not what’s in your hand

I need to remind myself of that quite frequently.  Christmas joy should come from what is in our hearts.  Our voices should be lifted in praise for what this one birth means to the entire world.  As Romans 15:10 states:

Again it says,
“Rejoice and celebrate, O Gentiles, along with His people.”
And again,“Praise the Lord all you Gentiles,
And let all the peoples praise Him!”

This song is that happy celebration of the glorious Christmas event. There is such joy in this song!  You can’t help but sing along in a loud, unrestrained voice. “Born is the King” is a great reminder to celebrate the birth of Jesus with unrestrained joy.

After all, isn’t that what Christmas is supposed to be about?

Crucified With Christ

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My old self has been crucified with Christ.
It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.
So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God,
Who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Galatians 2:20

When I look back on what I thought was living
I’m amazed at the price I choose to pay
And to think I ignored what really mattered
‘Cause I thought the sacrifice would be too great

But when I finally reached the point of giving in
I found the cross was calling even then
And even though it took dying to survive
I’ve never felt so much alive

For I am crucified with Christ and yet I live
Not I but Christ that lives within me
His Cross will never ask for more than I can give
For it’s not my strength but His, there’s no greater sacrifice
For I am crucified with Christ and yet I live

As I hear the Savior call for daily dying
I will bow beneath the weight of Calvary
Let my hands surrender to His piercing purpose
That holds me to the Cross yet sets me free

I will glory in the power of the Cross
The things I thought were gain I count as loss
And with His suffering I identify
And by His resurrection power, I am alive

And I will offer all I have so that His Cross is not in vain
For I found to live is Christ and to die is truly gain

Phillips, Craig, and Dean
written by Randy and Denise Phillips, Don Koch, Dave Clark

Great I AM

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I want to be close, close to Your side
So Heaven is real and death is a lie
I want to hear voices of angels above
Singing as one

Hallelujah, holy, holy
God Almighty, the great I AM
Who is worthy, none beside Thee
God Almighty, the great I AM

I want to be near, near to Your heart
Loving the world and hating the dark
I want to see dry bones living again
Singing as one

The great I AM
The mountains shake before You the demons run and flee
At the mention of the name King of Majesty
There is no power in hell or any who can stand
Before the power and the presence of the great I AM
The great I AM the great I AM

Songwriter: Jared Anderson
Performed by Phillips, Craig & Dean

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“I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.”
Genesis 17:1b NLT

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”
Exodus 3:14 NASB

I AM 

Jehovah, our eternal and unchangeable God
Who is always the same—yesterday, today, and forever.

Nothing ever stays the same in this world or in our life.  Nothing except our God.  He is our Rock, solid and unchanging.  Such strength in just two little words—I AM.  Those three letters inspire such confidence and hope.  There is so much wrapped up in those two words…it could never be fully explained this side of Heaven.

Exodus 15:11 (NLT) asks the question:

Who is like You among the gods, O Lord—
glorious in holiness, awesome in splendor, performing great wonders?

Jeremiah 7:10 (AMP) answers that question:

For among all the wise [men or gods] of the nations
and in all their kingdoms, there is none like You.

There is NO one like our God.
He is the only One worthy of our praise.

There is no power in hell or any who can stand before the Power and the Presence of the Great I AM.’  Yet we have been chosen by Him.  We can be close to Him.  We can know His heart.  And one day we will stand before Him.  But we will never have to stand before Him in judgment.  Isaiah 38:17 tells us “You have cast all my sins behind Your back.”  Imagine that…standing before the Great I AM, clothed in righteousness, hearing the angels sing with one voice

Hallelujah, holy, holy
God Almighty, the great I AM
Who is worthy, none beside Thee
God Almighty, the great I AM

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Father, I cannot even conceive the magnitude of Who You are—the Great I AM—much less of standing before You, pure and holy. Thank You for the confidence those two small words convey.  You are I AM and we have nothing to fear.  I desire to be close to You, near to Your heart.  Remind me I am always in the presence of I AM and that Your Spirit dwells within me.  ‘Hallelujah, Holy Holy’ You are worthy of my praise.  Amen – So be it!