Category: Christmas

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I Believe…I Believe!

Leading up to this time of year, world-wide, children and adults alike express a belief in Santa Claus. ‘If you’re good enough, then he’ll leave something for you under the tree’, is what we’re told from a young age. We

have put so much trust and devotion into ‘being good’, so that we won’t be disappointed come Christmas morning. However, as we grow older, we lose that desire to trust and believe in Jolly ‘ole St. Nick. In the 2004 movie, The Polar Express, a boy is whisked away on a magical train all the way up to the North Pole. All throughout the movie, he is skeptical of the fact that Santa even exists and at the end {SPOILER ALERT} he meets the Santa and is even given a silver bell that comes off of the Santa’s sleigh. Before meeting Santa, the boy repeats these words several times out loud, “I believe…I believe…I BELIEVE!”. After so much skepticism, this boy comes away with so much faith, or belief, in someone he had only heard stories about. There’s a song we sang this morning in worship called Bethlehem, Galilee, Gethsemane, and the lyrics go as such.

“Bethlehem, He was born there, I believe, I believe.

Galilee, Jesus walked there, I believe, I believe.

Gethsemane, my Savior prayed there, on Calvary, He died alone
But the tomb, He left there, I believe, I believe…”

As much as we believe in the physical things in this life, no matter what they are, they will not take us or give us as much fulfillment as our belief in Christ. Belief in Christ, means that we believe in truth (which He is…2nd Thessalonians 2:13).

Belief in Christ is not something you can proclaim only when it suits you, when it’s most convenient or when everyone else is doing it. Belief has to be genuine, from the heart and intentional. He was born, walked His earth and died for us to allow everyone of us access to the greatest gift we could ever have. I believe that He gave up everything for me, and I try everyday to live and show that to those around me.

-Do we believe the stories and historical events that we grew up hearing about from our parents and grandparents as they read from God’s word?
-Do we believe in the God that we know sent His Son to die for our sins, so that we would be able to be with Him one day?
-Do we proclaim our belief in God as much as we encourage our children to believe in a magical being that rewards kids for being good one time a year?

Who has more of your belief and trust? Christ or the things of this world?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lY-G5eHYGSc

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

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In the Waiting Room…Dec. 21st

For many of us, the image is clear in our minds. Daddy is nervously pacing (or sitting) in the waiting room while the doctor and nurses tend to the Waiting Roomexpecting mother. At the same time, others can be found in this same room waiting ‘on pins and needles’ for the news that their loved one made it through. Most of us have been in the waiting room anticipating the ‘good news.’ But as we look deeper into our own lives, we find we are spending our life waiting for more than just the doctor.

For hundreds of years the Jewish nation was waiting and longing for the coming of the Messiah. And now, some two thousand years later, we find ourselves waiting and longing for His return! During the Christmas season, our world remembers Christ’s arrival on this earth, and welcomes the newborn baby…the Messiah. But after the tree is taken down and the Christmas music stops, will this world anticipate His return? David wrote in the 25th Psalm, “…You are the God of my salvation; For You I will wait all the day.” Yet today many of us don’t want to wait. We fail to see that, like it or not, we are still waiting. Not for the newborn baby, but for our Savior’s return. Perhaps you could say we’re still…”In the Waiting Room.”

“…I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.” I Corinthians 14:15

Sunday morning, Dec. 21, 2014joy to the world

The following songs are found in the hymnal, Songs of Faith & Praise.

“Joy to the World” – 1018

Not to be reserved for December alone … this song of ‘welcome’ is one we’ll sing to open our assembly this morning. Written in the late 1700’s, this spiritual song was not intended as a Christmas hymn. Instead, Isaac Watts penned these words as a reminder of Christ’s birth. Look back at last December to read more about the joy that came into this world. (click on…December, 2013)

“Savior, Thy Dying Love” – 667

Before we open our wallets and give back as God has given to us, consider the three lines of each verse in this song, “…Something for Thee.” And each of these verses reflect on what we will give to Him; some offering…some song…some wanderer won…my soul in eternity. When we reflect on His giving to us, His dying love, what is it that we are willing to give back to Him? While you’re waiting, consider what you’re giving.

“Restore My Soul” – no book

And now consider the state of your soul; how are you doing spiritually? This song calls for God to restore my spirit, revive the fire in my soul, and renew my courage. At times we all become weary and feel ‘burned out,’ but this is when we need God’s guiding hand all the more to have the courage to stand up and replace our doubts with a stronger, bolder faith in His return. Renew your love for Him, rebuild your faith in Him and seek to have Him restore your soul!

“One Day!” – 353

Before we partake in the Lord’s supper we’ll sing only the first two verses of this hundred year old spiritual song. One day the angels sang of Christ’s birth as Jesus was born into this world. But just as we are born and die, so Christ was born and died. One day they led Him up Calvary’s mountain to nail Him on the tree, bearing our sins. And yet we find hope in knowing He didn’t stay in the tomb. Unlike this earthly body, Jesus was raised from the dead. So we sing, “Rising, He justified (freed us from sin) freely forever…” And then, wait for it, we sing “…One day He’s coming! Oh glorious day!”

“Bethlehem…Galilee…Gethsemane” – 357

“Bethlehem, Christ was born there. I believe, I believe! Galilee, He walked there. I believe, I believe! Gethsemane, my Savior prayed there. On Calvary, He died alone. But the tomb, He left there. I believe, I believe!” Believing is important and obeying is vital, but how many of us are willing to go each day, faithfully waiting for our Savior? We do when we confess that, “…Now He lives and reigns forever. I believe, I believe!”

“Blessed Assurance” – 480

What’s your story? Do you tell a story of assurance in Christ through the life you live? Will your song declare that you are an heir of salvation, and that you’ve been purchased by God? If so, and if you’ve read this far I believe you are, then you can’t help but sing praises to our Savior in song…all day long! What better thing to do while you’re waiting then to sing praises!Blessed Assurance

“When Jesus Comes” – no book

Our invitation song is one from years gone by. As a matter of fact it’s no longer in the book, Faith & Praise. But it’s message is one confirming our resolve as we wait for Christ’s return. Perhaps the chorus says it best, “O can we say we are ready, brother? Ready for the soul’s bright home? Say, will He find you and me still watching, waiting, waiting when the Lord shall come?“

“When He Comes in Glory By and By” – 854

As we are waiting, we are longing for His return. And you and I know, “How sweet it will be…when He comes in the sky!” So be patient, don’t loss faith and always remember the goal is heaven. “When He comes in glory by and by…” it will be sweet, for those who are in the waiting room!

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Questions of the Season…Do you see what I see?

With so much activity in our lives, it’s rare that at this time of the year, we would take time to stop and look up into the night sky. Our commercialized life style is too focused on office parties, secret Santa’s, last-minute shopping and the ‘hustle and bustle’ of this wonderful season. Nothing wrong with any of these activities, there is a lot of excitement around gifts and decorations. But are we missing the point when our life becomes so focused on things christmas joythat we fail to look heavenward? It’s true, in America, Christmas time is an intense and busy time of year. And our economy seems to depend upon the retail sales from all the shopping. Toys for children as well as adults are displayed and marketed as ‘must have items’ for Christmas morning.

But if you’re ever alone, all alone at this time of year, you may be able to hear some simple questions of the season. Questions like, “Do you see what I see?” Not the lights on the tree or the decorations on the mantle, but the beauty of the stars in the night sky. Or perhaps the question will be, “Do you hear what I hear?” Not the merriment of a Christmas party or the crunching of snow under foot, but the carols of praise and adoration that wafts on the airwaves. The scriptures tell us the magi saw a star in the east (Matthew 2:2), and yet the leaders of Israel and the king of Judea apparently didn’t see it. (At least they didn’t recognize it’s importance.) And certainly the shepherds heard the proclamation of Christ’s birth (Luke 2:14) as the heavenly choir echoed across the fields, “Glory to God in the highest…” Perhaps those shepherds asked their friends, “Did you hear the singing last night?” And reading the scripture we know that Mary took in all that was being said and done around her newborn baby (Luke 2:19), “…Mary treasured all these things, (what the shepherds had said) pondering them in her heart.” She might have asked another question for those who would stop long enough to listen. “Do you know what I know?”starry night

I remember a cold, Christmas Eve in 1975. It was a Wednesday night as my family drove back to the farm house from our mid-week Bible study. We had gone into town that evening, and as we drove home I recall the crystal, clear sky. The stars were shining in the night sky, and as I stood in the drive way looking up I thought of the words to a classic Christmas carol. “Do you see what I see, way up in the sky little lamb? A star, a star, high above the trees with a tail as big as a kite.”

Though it was almost 30 years ago, I still remember the stillness and solitude of the moment. Recalling the words of the song is one thing, but the memories from that night on Christmas Eve in 1975 continually echo through my mind.

Said the night wind to the little lamb, “Do you see what I see?
Way up in the sky, little lamb, do you see what I see?
A star, a star, dancing in the night with a tail as big as a kite.
With a tail as big as a kite.”

Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy, “Do you hear what I hear?
Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy, do you hear what I hear?
A song, a song, high above the trees with a voice as big as the sea.
With a voice as big as the sea.”

Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king, “Do you know what I know?
In your palace warm, mighty king, do you know what I know?
A Child, a Child shivers in the cold let us bring Him silver and gold
Let us bring Him silver and gold

Said the king to the people everywhere, “Listen to what I say,
Pray for peace, people everywhere! Listen to what I say,
The Child, the Child, sleeping in the night,
He will bring us goodness and light!
He will bring us goodness and light!

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O Come, All Ye Faithful

“For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.” Colossians 1:19, 20

The hope of all humanity comes in the form of a newborn baby as Jesus was born into this world O Come..some 2000 years ago. Not knowing the date, we have settled on December for a number of reasons. But why focus on the birth when the death of Christ, the shedding of His blood, is what brings us salvation? Perhaps it’s the warmth and nostalgia of a newborn baby, instead of the cold-hearted, beating found in a crucifixion. Whatever the reason, it is the birth of Christ that draws this country closer together more than any other time.

And hymns like this one call each of us to Christ as we… behold Him, worship Him and adore Him. Sometimes called by its Latin name, Adeste Fideles, this song is credited to John Francis Wade in 1751. His song of praise invites all of heaven and earth to greet the newborn king. “O come all ye faithful,” is a call for those here on earth who believe and are faithful to God’s word to worship Him. “Sing choirs of angels,” is a call for the heavenly beings to join in the praise.

But will we adore Him and worship Him only for a season? Would that our lives reflect this worship all year long. “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; O come let us adore Him…Christ the Lord!”

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December…1914

“By December 1914, the Great War had raged for almost five months and claimed nearly one million lives. Letters and diaries from the Western Front describe how the guns fell silent on Christmas Eve.”

There are moments in our life when we are impacted by a message spoken not by words, but by the actions of others. You’ve heard, a picture is worth a thousand words and the professional knows how to capture the message within the image. So it should not come as a surprise that in a commercialized society, we value times when the unspoken message is powerfully displayed with scenes of hope. A message that promotes not just a product, but an idea.

A company in the UK dedicated to selling grocery products is responsible for such an advertisement. For years, Sainsbury has produced professional quality commercials that not only ‘sell their products,’ but promote a message. Perhaps after seeing this commercial, you’ll be inspired to greater acts of compassion. How powerful would it be to hear ‘Silent Night’ being sung from a cold and dark fox hole. In a time of war would you have had the strength to step out and walk toward your enemy? There is power in song, and thanks to a grocery store for giving us a message from World War I…

 

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Without the Words…?

As a teenager I can remember each summer going to church camp in the New Mexico mountains at Camp Blue Haven. Just outside Las Vegas, New Mexico, wehiking to Hermit's Peak usually attended one of the two-week sessions which meant lots of daily Bible classes, nightly singing and devotionals and a day long hike up Hermit’s Peak on Saturday. But the extra week also gave us more opportunities for other daily activities; Sadie Hawkins Day, Hawaiian Day, Twins Day and in the middle of the summer, Christmas in July.

That last activity (Christmas in July) was the inspiration for me to share this YouTube link in the middle of our summer. Perhaps you have heard it before but I assure you, it’s worth listening to again…
The Christmas Scale

Considering the message from this short 3-minute video, most likely you will recognize the song by the fourth note. And to be honest you recognize it by the music itself. But what makes this scale ‘the best news’ will never be found in the music alone. What makes it the best (good) news in the world is found in the words SUNG by these eight, short notes.

Perhaps this is why when we sing to God, we sing A Capella (only our voices.) Rather than using the guitar, the drums, the piano or organ we sing with our voices to establish a message as well as an emotion. Paul understood that when he said, “…I will sing with the spirit (worship in spirit and in truth) and I will sing with the mind also (thinking, understanding what I sing).” The notes will certainly help us recognize a song and give emotion for our message, but playing music without the words leaves you lacking a message. Unfortunately it seems today we focus more on the emotion rather than the message.

The simple 8-note scale (which you no doubt recognize) does provide a wonderful message, but understand that without the words…it’s just a series of notes on a scale.
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I Believe, I Believe

Bending down to pick up the bell that had fallen from the reigns of the sleigh, the young boy christmas bellholds it to his ear and gently shakes it.  No sound can be heard, the bell is silent, just a faint whisper of doubt.  But the boy knows better, others have heard it clearly ringing and the evidence is before him.  This bell should be ringing but he hears nothing…why?  Carefully he holds the bell in his hands and, closing his eyes, he whispers, “I believe, I believe, I believe!”  Slowly he again, brings the bell to his ear and gently shakes it.  A crisp, clear tone resonates from the bell.  It rings!  An old, white-bearded man approaches the boy and asks, “What was that you said?”  The answer is as natural as the sound that rings from the bell, “I believe!”

If you have seen The Polar Express you’ll remember this scene from the popular Christmas movie.  Standing between acceptance and rejection a young boy is magically transported to the North Pole where he meets a train conductor, several new friends and the man dressed in red.  But shortly before midnight on Christmas Eve our ‘main character’ still hasn’t decided if he truly believes there is a Santa Claus.  Not until he faces the fact he’ll never hear the Christmas bells until he believes…until he believes there is a Santa Claus.

So the question comes to you, do you believe?  A question asked not in regard to Santa, but in regard to the Christ.  Have you, will you, publicly proclaim that you believe Jesus is the Son of God?  That’s important, but don’t stop at believing.  The scriptures tell us ‘anyone’ can believe.  In James 2:19, regarding belief in God and Jesus as one, James states, “You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.”  The demons aren’t shaking a bell, they know who God is.  The intimate foes of Jesus Christ believe He is Who He says He is.  But they don’t accept Him nor will they ever follow Him.  I can say, “I believe, I believe, I believe!”, but what does my life say?  How do I live each day?

As this year ends and a new one begins many of us will write down our New Year’s Resolutions.  Our resolve to do some things better.  We’ll start acting differently, we’ll begin rearranging our priorities.  If you have never come to “believe” who Christ is, and what He has faith from Jamesdone for you, God’s word will give you direction.  But if you are already following God’s word, and have obeyed His calling, take a good long look at your life.  Remember, it takes more than just saying “I believe!”

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Stille Nacht (Silent Night)

The following account is one man’s record of how we came to know and love “Silent Night.”  The accompanying video (YouTube) is sung acapella by St. Thomas Boy’s Choir.  They’re singing this song in its original language, German.  The story is told…silent night

 

In 1818, a roving band of actors was performing in towns throughout the Austrian Alps. On December 23rd they arrived in a village near Salzburg, Germany, where they were to re-enact the story of Christ’s birth at a small church.  Instead, the actors presented their Christmas drama in a private home.  That Christmas presentation of the events in the first chapters of Matthew and Luke placed Josef Mohr, one of the ministers, in a meditative mood.  As he left that evening, instead of walking straight home, Mohr took a longer more scenic route. This path took him up over a hill overlooking the small village.  From that hilltop, Mohr looked down on the peaceful snow-covered hamlet. Reveling in majestic silence of the wintry night, Mohr gazed down at the glowing scene. His thoughts about the recent Christmas play reminded him of a poem he had written a couple of years before. That poem was about the night when angels announced the birth of the long-awaited Messiah to shepherds on a hillside.  Mohr decided those words might make a good ‘carol’ for his congregation the following evening at their Christmas Eve service. The one problem was that he didn’t have any musical composition to which that poem could be sung.  The next day Mohr took his poem to Franz Xaver Gruber, a musically talented member of the congregation. Gruber only had a few hours to come up with a melody which could be sung.  However, by that evening, Gruber had managed to compose a musical setting for the poem.  They now had a Christmas carol ready to be sung by/for the congregation.  On Christmas Eve, the little congregation in the village of Oberndorf heard the first singing of the now favorite, “Silent Night.”  Weeks later this Christmas poem made its way down the mountainside and into the hearts of hundreds of thousands of God-fearing men and women.

Yet a Biblical message so beautifully compiled couldn’t be contained to the Austrian Alps.  In less than 15 years “Silent Night” was sung all across Europe.  Then, in 1838 at the Alexander Hamilton Monument, located outside New York City, this melancholy Christmas hymn was sung in the United States, in its original, German language. Then, nearly fifty years after being first sung in the mountains of Austria, “Silent Night” was translated into English.  By 1876, eight years later, that English version made its way into print in Charles Hutchins’ Sunday School Hymnal.  Today the words of “Silent Night” are sung in more than 300 different languages all around the world.

As the month of December draws to a close, consider this old, ‘Christmas Hymn’ again sung in German.  May this old favorites ring through the years and cheer our hearts.  The “Christmas Song of the Day”…Silent Night.

Silent night! holy night! All is calm, all is bright,
‘Round yon virgin mother and Child!
Holy Infant, so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace, Sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holy night! Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Saviour is born. Christ, the Saviour is born

Silent night, holy night Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth. Jesus Lord, at Thy birth.

 

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I’m Dreaming of…

white christmasIn January, 1940, Irving Berlin penned the words to a song we have heard and sung during Christmas for years.  The words are simple and the message couldn’t be clearer; “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know.  Where the tree tops glisten and children listen to hear sleigh bells in the snow…”  The song was recorded and topped the charts in the winter of 1942 (the year following the attack on Pearl Harbor).  In a few short years, 1954, Bing Crosby made this a classic, all-time favorite in the movie “White Christmas.” Perhaps the mix of melancholy – “just like the ones I used to know” – with comforting images of home – “where the treetops glisten” – gives an understanding of missing home.  It’s easy to see how this song could resonated so strongly with listeners during World War II.  You understand when you remember that during this time thousands of young men were scattered across the world, far from home, fighting for our freedom.  The sentiment expressed in the song propelled it’s success. 

For all practical purposes, the words are saying, “I’m dreaming of being home.”  Ask most any college student and he or she will tell you how good it is to be home after months away.  Even when we grow older and have families of our own, there is something about ‘going home’ that swells within our hearts.  But what about that feeling of longing to be ‘home’ with Christ?  Do we think about/Do we long to be home with Him?  Paul sums it up best in the first chapter in the book of Philippians; “…I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better;” (NAS)  Paul is talking about dying (though not suicidal) and going ‘home’ to heaven, as opposed to living on in this life and serving in the kingdom of God.  He understood that when this life is over (when the battle is won), God has reserved a place for His children.

As we enjoy this Christmas season and sing songs of peace and home, remember the home that is waiting for the children of God.  Would that we all be dreaming of that home!  Enjoy this song of the season and let it warm your heart.  Our “Christmas Song of the Day”…I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas.   

 

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Mary Did You Know?

jesus mary josephFew Christmas songs have been written in the last decade that compare with this stirring, poetic masterpiece from the pen of Mark Lowry.  Written as though interviewing Mary, the mother of Jesus, Mark took a very unique perspective in creating this popular Christmas song.  As if he were the reporter writing a story on Jesus, our author explores a new direction to a timeless question.  What do you think your son will be when he grows up?  A unique perspective of a reporter looking at the Savior and seeking to know more about the Messiah from his mother’s viewpoint.

Mary and Jesus...2

The birth of a baby is miraculous in and of itself.  The struggle and pain that accompanies the delivery makes one understand and appreciate the mother.  But Mark Lowry provides a glimpse into the salvation of all mankind as he interviews Mary and reminds her that ‘this child that you delivered will soon deliver you.’  Lowry went on to explain, “When I wrote this thing about Mary, I began thinking I was interviewing her on her thoughts of being a mother to Jesus.  A couple of the lines I wrote really stood out, like ‘when you kiss your little baby, you’ve kissed the face of God.’ I just thought this needed to be in a song.”

Enjoy this acapella version of a most popular Christmas song. As the days roll through December remember to come back and learn something more about our songs of the season.  This “Christmas Song of the Day”…Mary Did You Know?.

Mary, did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know, that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you’ve delivered, will soon deliver you.

Mary, did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary, did you know your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?

Did you know, that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
When you kiss your little baby, you’ve kissed the face of God.

The blind will see
The deaf will hear
The dead will live again.
The lame will leap
The dumb will speak
The praises of The Lamb.

Mary, did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary, did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know, that your baby boy is heaven’s perfect lamb?
This sleeping child you’re holding, is the great I AM.