"Make A Joyful Noise
Unto The LORD"
1. Christmas Songs Of Praise
2. “O Come, All Ye Faithful”
3. The Song Of Mary
4. "O Come, O Come Emmanuel"
5. “O Little Town Of Bethlehem”
6. “In A Lowly Manger Sleeping”
7. “Hark, The Herald Angels Sing”
8. “I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day”
9. A Christmas Dream
10. “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”
11. “Silent Night”
12. “What Child Is This?”
13. “How Many Kings?”
14. “Mary Did You Know?”
15. "In The Bleak Midwinter"
16. God Can Use Our Suffering…
17. Sharing My Story
18. How Will It End?
19. “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”
20. Cleaning With A Purpose, Living With A Purpose
21. Another Chance For Life
22. “It Came Upon The Midnight Clear”
23. Tidings Of Comfort And Joy
24. Winter Solstice
25. Christmas Eve
26. Merry Christmas
27. Don’t Box It All Away Too Soon
28. The Shepherds Saw God’s Promise
29. God Getting Ready For Christmas
30. An Almighty God In Control
31. The Earthly Parents of the Christ Child
32. “Finally, Brethren”
1. Christmas Songs Of Praise
After our weeks of thankfulness and praise we are moving ahead to Christmas with songs of praise. Years ago I did some research and found stories behind some of my favorite Christmas carols and songs. After putting the stories and songs together, our church performed a play titled, “O Come, All Ye Faithful.” For our next devotional theme I want to go back to some of those stories and maybe add a few more. "Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise." (Psalms 98:4)
2. "O Come, All Ye Faithful"
"And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger." Luke 2:15-16
“O Come, All Ye Faithful”, these words have echoed through the ages, calling us to worship our God and our King. As we celebrate the birth of the Lord Jesus we see the “faithful” gathered around a lowly manger. We read of faithful men and women in the Holy Scriptures and know that above all, God is faithful to keep His Word. Now we want to look at some of the faithful men and women who, often through adversity, wrote the Christmas carols we enjoy year after year.
“O Come, All Ye Faithful”. What a beautiful old song. Published in 1760 as “Adestes Fideles” in Latin, by John Francis Wade, this song may have been sung as early as the 13th century. Since the shepherds first heard the tidings of the dear Savior’s birth and proclaimed, “Let us now go even unto Bethlehem…” we extend this invitation to you, “O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!” Worship with us as we exalt our loving Savior through the scriptures and songs that we have come to know and love.
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, O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord.
Sing, choirs of angels, Sing in exultation,
Sing, all ye citizens Of heaven above;
Glory to God, Glory in the highest;
O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord.
Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, Born this happy morning,
Jesus, to Thee be All glory given;
Son of the Father, Now in flesh appearing;
O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord.
3. The Song Of Mary
Before we look at the song of Mary, I want to share a personal prayer request. I am scheduled for surgery tomorrow. My oncologist told me that as long as there are no other places of cancer I will not have to go through chemotherapy again. I am still waiting on the results from Friday’s scan and I appreciate your prayers.
The first song of Christmas can perhaps be found in our Holy scriptures as Mary, the mother of our precious Savior visited with her cousin Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist. We find those words of praise in Luke 1:46-55.
“…My soul doth magnify the Lord,
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.”
4. "O Come, O Come Emmanuel"
Matthew also opens his book with the Christmas story…
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” (Matthew 1:18-23)
“Emmanuel”, God with us. This was proclaimed by the prophet Isaiah some 700 years before the birth of Jesus, as the nation of Israel looked for the coming of the Lord.
“Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)
Possibly as early as the 12th century someone in the medieval Roman Catholic Church penned down these words pleading with God to return and redeem captive Israel. The song was translated into English by John Mason Neale in the early 1800’s.
"O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel."
5. "O Little Town Of Bethlehem"
The prophet Micah foretold that the Lord would be born in the little town of Bethlehem.
“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” (Micah 5:2)
We see this come to pass in Luke chapter 2.
“And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.” (Luke 2:1-5)
In 1868 Phillips Brooks wrote a Christmas carol for the children in the Church of the Holy Trinity in Philadelphia. He gave it to the organist of the church, Lewis H. Redner, to compose a tune so the children could sing it for the Christmas Sunday School service. He had taken a trip to Bethlehem three years earlier and the memories must have been very dear to him. He had written a letter to his church while still abroad in February 1866. “I remember especially on Christmas Eve, when I was standing in the old church at Bethlehem, close to the spot where Jesus was born, when the whole church was ringing hour after hour with the splendid hymns of praise to God, how again and again it seemed as if I could hear voices that I knew well, telling each other of the “Wonderful Night” of the Saviour’s birth…” Listen in your heart as you read the verses of this beautiful Christmas carol that was written for the children, in Philadelphia, in 1868.
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 darkness 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 fathered all above,
While mortals sleep, the angels keep Their watch of wondering 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 given!
So God imparts to human hearts The blessings of His heaven.
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:
Oh, come to us, abide with us, Our Lord Immanuel!
6. “In A Lowly Manger Sleeping”
“And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:6-7)
Fanny Crosby became blind after the wrong medication was used on her eyes shortly after her birth in 1820. Through the darkness, she saw God’s light and wrote 8,000 songs and hymns, often under different names so that all the songs in the hymn book would not be accredited to her. We sing many of her songs today. “Near The Cross”, “Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior”, “Blessed Assurance”, “Showers Of Blessings”, “To God Be The Glory”, “Close To Thee”, “Rescue The Perishing”, “All The Way My Savior Leads Me”, “God Will Take Care Of You”, and “My Savior First Of All” are just a few that express the deep love she had for her Savior. She wrote this Christmas hymn in 1883.
In a lowly manger sleeping,
Calm and still a Babe we see,
’Tis the Holy Child of promise,
Light of all the world is He.
Holy angels sing His welcome
In the realms of glory bright,
While the morning stars around Him
Fall in soft and tender light.
Blessèd Savior, dear Redeemer,
King of Judah, Prince of Peace,
Rock of Ages, Star of nations,
Thy dominion ne’er shall cease.
7. “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”
“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them,
Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
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, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:8-14)
The words and music of our next song span one hundred years. Charles Wesley, leader of the Methodist movement, wrote the song in 1739 and although the words sing with triumphant praise, he had specifically stated that he wanted slow solemn music. The song we sing today rings with the joyful cantata of the famous composer Felix Mendelssohn, written in 1840. He declared his music only to be used for secular use. In 1855 Dr. William Cummings joined the words and music into the song we sing today, although both men would have objected if they had been living. Can you imagine what they would have said if they had known the song would be sung on a Christmas cartoon in 1965 by Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, and a dog named Snoopy?
Hark! the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled!
Joyful all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies;
With the angelic host proclaim
'Christ is born in Bethlehem'
Hark! the herald angels sing
Glory to the newborn King.
Christ by highest heaven adored
Christ the everlasting Lord
Late in time behold him come,
Offspring of a virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail, the incarnate deity,
Pleased as Man with men to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel!
Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King.
Hail, the heaven-born Prince of peace!
Hail the Son of righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
Risen with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn king
8. “I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day”
I read the sad story behind this Christmas song and it did not leave me. During the next year I researched several Christmas stories to write our play but not one touched me as this one did. Be sure to read each verse of the song below.
“And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.” (Luke 2:15-18)
“I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day” was written by one of America’s best known poets, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The Civil War began in 1861 and tragedy also struck his home in July of that year when his wife was melting sealing wax with a candle and caught her dress on fire. Longfellow tried to smother the flames with a small rug in the room, but Fanny Longfellow died the next morning, leaving him behind with five children. Due to his burns, he was unable to attend her funeral and was still grief stricken at Christmas when he wrote, “How inexpressibly sad are all holidays.” A year after her death he wrote, “I can make no record of these days. Better leave them wrapped in silence. Perhaps someday God will give me peace.” His journal entry for December 25th of 1862 reads, “A merry Christmas’ say the children, but that is no more for me.” His son Charles was severely wounded in the Civil War almost a year later and his journal was indeed wrapped in silence. On Christmas Day, in 1864, still months away from the end of the Civil War, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow penned these words to “Christmas Bells”. Listen as he proclaims, “God is not dead; nor doth he sleep! The Wrong shall fail, The Right prevail, With peace on earth, good-will to men!”
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
"For hate is strong, And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail, The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men."
9. A Christmas Dream
Before my cancer surgery I loaded games on my iPad to play while I was recovering. Some of the games are word association where you pick words from a group of words that are connected in some way. I dreamed that words came streaming down from the sky and I was trying to put them together. From the left side…. “Joyful and triumphant.” Then streaming down on the right, “Come and behold Him, born the King of ages”. The words kept gently falling and suddenly they were all coming together connected and held as if by angels, “Son of the Father, now in flesh appearing. O come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him , Christ The Lord!” I woke up with the song ringing in my soul. This is how it is all connected. From my earliest Christmas memory when I could barely read verses from Luke 2 and my sisters and I acted out the Christmas story for Mom and Dad, to the first Nativity pieces we had as a young family I found boxed up in the attic for 30 years. It doesn’t matter that I was in the hospital with AFIB last Christmas or that I had cancer surgery this Christmas. The whole meaning of our Christmas Lists and celebrations is our worship of The Lamb of God, “Now in flesh appearing.” The Lord woke me with a renewed awareness that that’s what Christmas is all about! I’ve been awake a couple hours now, just thanking my Lord for showing me that all the shopping and wrapping and decorating are just little parts of the joy we have this time of year, whether in a sick bed or anywhere else. Our Christmas joy comes from our worship of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! I wrote this on my phone in the wee hours of the morning because there may be someone else who is suffering, or grieving, or going through hard times that just needs to be reminded that our worship to our Lord is what Christmas is all about.
10. “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen is one of the oldest known Christmas carols, dating back to the 1500s. It is said that the songs of that time were dark and somber, and the night watchmen sang this song as they walked the streets of London to bring more joyful, uplifting songs. The title means, “may God grant you peace and happiness.” This song continues to bring “tidings of comfort and joy” to our Christmas season.
“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:8-11)
“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”
God rest ye merry, gentlemen,
Let nothing you dismay
Remember Christ our Savior
Was born on Christmas Day
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
comfort and joy;
O tidings of comfort and joy!
From God our Heavenly Father
A blessed angel came
And unto certain shepherds
Brought tidings of the same
How in that Bethlehem was born
The son of God by name.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
comfort and joy;
O tidings of comfort and joy!
11. "Silent Night"
This song was the highlight of our Christmas play. The narration began with a British Soldier of WWI in a beige uniform and ended with a German Soldier of WWI in a gray uniform. The German Soldier sang a verse of "Stille Nacht" and the British Soldier sang a verse of "Silent Night". They alternated singing the verses of the familiar song and then exchanged small gifts.
Silent Night was written by Joseph Mohr in Oberndorf, Austria in 1816. Two years later, on Christmas Eve 1818, he gave the poem to his church organist and asked him to write music for the guitar, possibly because the organ was broken. The music was written quickly and the song was sung on Christmas Day. Two singing families traveled to that little church and carried the song with them across the land. During the next hundred years the song traveled around the world.
World War I started in the summer of 1914 and by Christmas almost a million lives had been lost. As the German and British soldiers lay some 60 yards apart on either side of “No man’s land” in deep trenches of icy, murky mud, an amazing thing happened. Late Christmas Eve a baritone voice came booming from the German side, “Stille Nacht”. The British could not understand the words, but knew the music well and responded with their words of “Silent Night”. The opposing troops alternated singing Christmas carols and the Germans lit candles on small Christmas trees. On Christmas Day the soldiers crossed the barbed wire and called a truce. They exchanged small gifts and buttons, and joined services to bury the dead. This one time in history, never again repeated, the guns were silenced and enemies called a truce as they celebrated Christmas, in the first World War, December 25th, 1914.
Silent night, Holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin, mother and child
Holy infant, tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.
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.
Silent night, Holy night
Shepherds quake, at the sight
Glories stream from heaven above
Heavenly, hosts sing Hallelujah.
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born.
12. "What Child Is This?"
What Child is this whose birth was foretold and so anticipated? What Child is this whose promise of a second coming brings hope to a Christian people? What Child is this that left His mark on the little town of Bethlehem and still bears the marks of the cross throughout eternity? What Child is this that can heal the broken in spirit and give sight to blinded eyes? What Child is this whose birth was heralded by angels and yet gives the peace of a Silent Night? “This, this is Christ, the King, Whom shepherds guard and angels sing. Haste, haste to bring Him laud, The Babe, the Son of Mary.” These words were penned by William Chatterton Dix in 1865 after a sudden near-fatal illness confined him to bed rest for several months. Through his illness and deep depression he wrote many hymns, including this beautiful song set to the familiar tune Greensleeves, which had been written centuries before.
What child is this, who, laid to rest,
On Mary's lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing:
Haste, haste to bring Him laud,
The babe, the son of Mary.
Why lies He in such mean estate,
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christians, fear, for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.
Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,
the cross be borne for me, for you.
Hail, hail the Word made flesh,
the Babe, the Son of Mary.
So bring him incense, gold, and myrrh,
Come, peasant, king, to own him.
The King of kings salvation brings,
Let loving hearts enthrone him.
Raise, raise a song on high,
The virgin sings her lullaby
Joy, joy for Christ is born,
The babe, the Son of Mary.
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing:
Haste, haste to bring Him laud,
The babe, the son of Mary.
13. "How Many Kings?"
"And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." (Revelation 19:16)
A few years ago I heard a song while grocery shopping, that made me stop pushing my cart and listen. It was a Christmas song, but so much more. I had never heard the story of Christ giving His life for me, in words so clear, being played in a public place. I could not wait to get home to look it up on the internet. I liked the song so much Mike ordered me a cd and more for Christmas presents. The song is by the group Downhere. Here is a statement from their website.
“It’s not just about a baby in a manger, but about the whole story,” affirms Martel. “It’s a look at all the hopes placed on this fragile baby, who will eventually grow, take on the sins of the world, be crucified and rise again. There’s a mystery and a wonder behind it and also foreshadowing of what’s to come, which translates to redemption for the lost and the ultimate hope for the future.”" (Downhere - Mark Martel)
Here are the words to "How Many Kings?" that tell the amazing story of love of our Lord and King.
"Follow the star to a place unexpected
Would you believe, after all we've projected,
A child in a manger?
Lowly and small, the weakest of all
Unlikeliest hero, wrapped in his mother's shawl -
Just a child -
Is this who we've waited for? 'cause...
How many kings step down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
And how many gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that is torn all apart
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?
Bringing our gifts for the newborn Savior
All that we have, whether costly or meek
Because we believe.
Gold for his honor, and frankincense for his pleasure
And myrrh for the cross he will suffer
Do you believe?
Is this who we've waited for?
How many kings step down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
And how many gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that is torn all apart
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?
All for me...
All for you..."
Only One did that for me!
14. "Mary, Did You Know?"
Some of my favorite Christmas memories were made as I rocked my babies in the still of the night. The lights of the Christmas tree gave the room a soft warm glow. Having five children gave me the chance to experience these magic moments over and over again, for many years. As I rocked and sang to my babies I often thought of Mary, holding her precious Baby Jesus that first Christmas. This verse became special to me the first Christmas I was a mother. Holding my month old baby that Christmas opened the door of my heart and soul to a new kind of love, a mother's love. I found new enlightenment to this verse, "But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart." (Luke 2:19) The feelings were so special that I wrote this verse on the opening page of my first journal in the spring of 1984.
I am not the only one who pondered the thoughts of Mary. Mark Lowry wrote questions for Mary as part of the Christmas choir presentation in 1984. Buddy Greene wrote the music for the song twelve years later. This is a beautiful song and has been recorded by many artists over the past few years.
Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy
Would one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy
Would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your Baby Boy
Has come to make you new;
This Child that you delivered
Will soon deliver you.
Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy
Will give sight to a blind man?
Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy
Will calm the storm with His hand?
Did you know that your Baby Boy
Has walked where Angels trod?
When you kiss your Little Baby,
You kiss the Face of God!
Oh, Mary, did you know?
Oh, Mary, did you know?
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!
15. "In The Bleak Midwinter"
Today I am sharing one of my favorite Christmas songs that I enjoy hearing Michael sing. In King Solomon’s prayer as he dedicated the temple, he proclaimed of God, "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?" (I Kings 8:27) This may have been the inspiration behind this beautiful Christmas poem written by Christina Rosetti sometime before 1872. In the second verse she moves from His meek birth to His majestic reign as we see in Revelation 21:1 "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea." The last verse speaks to each of us in a personal way as we look into our own hearts and ask, "Yet what I can, I give Him - Give my heart." The song that we sing today has changed over time, but here is the poem by Christina Rosetti.
In the bleak mid-winter
Frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter
Long ago.
Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him
Nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away
When He comes to reign:
In the bleak mid-winter
A stable-place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty,
Jesus Christ.
Angels and archangels
May have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim
Thronged the air -
But only His mother
In her maiden bliss
Worshipped the Beloved
With a kiss.
What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb;
If I were a wise man
I would do my part;
Yet what I can, I give Him -
Give my heart.
16. God Can Use Our Suffering…
When I was in the ninth grade my Mom had a terrible mishap and was in a leg cast for several weeks. Being the oldest of my sisters I suddenly found myself being the cook in the family. I knew how to follow instructions on a cake mix box, but that’s about all. It took a lot of practice, but during that time I learned to fry chicken, make homemade biscuits and fix whatever Mom could explain from sitting on the couch with her leg propped up. I hate that Mom had to go through that, but I am so thankful that I learned to cook. I still burn the chicken at times, and sometimes my biscuits fall apart, but I enjoy cooking. God used Mom’s suffering to teach me to cook. Years later our Pastor’s wife fell while getting up leaves and broke her wrist. She was also the church pianist, and the only person at church that could play a piano. I had taken piano lessons for a while when I was young, but I could not play in front of people. I didn’t know enough to play at church. I could barely play songs from the church hymnal, but I started practicing on two songs. I played them over and over until I could play them at church. Week after week I added a few new songs. I messed up… a lot. All of the practice helped me learn to play better, and playing while people sang gave me more confidence. That was years ago. I still mess up sometimes. I hit the wrong notes. Sometimes I can’t get the timing correct. But, God is using me to play the piano at church and I am thankful. Two very special women in my life went through trials of suffering and God used it to mold me into what He wanted me to be. I thought about this a few years ago and I wondered what kind of suffering I would go through to be used for God’s glory. I took some Christmas tracts with me to the hospital for my cancer surgery. I was there such a short time I only handed out a few. After one woman left the room Michael said, “Did you see how she changed after you gave her the tract?” She seemed weary when she came into the room. When I asked her if I could give it to her she smiled, and her steps seemed a little lighter. Maybe I was there so this woman could learn the true meaning of Christmas. Only God knows how much the little things we do affect the lives of those around us. Even during times of suffering I try to be thankful to my God. I never know if He is using my trials to help someone else along the way.
17. Sharing My Story
I was always a private person. I was quiet and didn’t share much of my personal life. That changed when I started writing the devotions each day. First of all, I believe in the power of prayer. When I share the trials I am facing, I know that some dear friends pray for me. God hears and answers our prayer and sometimes when I don’t have the strength to pray for myself, it is a blessing to get messages that my name is being lifted up in prayer by others. Secondly, I know that sometimes when we go through sorrows we feel like we are going through it alone. We see all the perfect pictures on social media and we may wonder why we are having such trials. I don’t try to paint a perfect picture of life. I share my troubles to let others know that life is not perfect and we all go through hard times. The last reason I share with the devotions is so I can try to encourage others. Scriptures that God uses to speak to me may also comfort someone else. James tells us to “…pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16) I appreciate your prayers!
18. How Will It End?
In just two more weeks, if the Lord tarries and does not call us home, we will have used up our allotted time for 2025. Do you remember when it seemed so new, and yet that was almost a full year ago? How will it end? None of us know. I have already been through so much in the past month that I never saw coming. A lot can happen in two weeks. I was in the home stretch in finishing my Bible reading for the year and Michael has been reading out loud for me during my recovery. We are now beginning the book of Revelation. We don’t know when it will happen, but we can be sure that every prophecy in the Bible will surely come to pass. God has given us a glimpse of how it will end. If you have not read the book of Revelation recently, I encourage you to read it as we end year 2025. The end is coming. Not just the end of the year, but the end of time as we know it. Are you ready to meet God? If you are, then you have a joyous eternity to look forward to. If you don’t know Jesus as your Savior, then maybe 2025 will be your last chance to call on Jesus to save you. I repeat, a lot can happen in two weeks. Here is the beginning of the end… “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.” (Revelation 1:1-2)
19. “The Best Christmas Ever”
During recovery I have been watching a lot of Christmas movies. One thing that I recently noticed is how many characters have said, “Let’s make this the best Christmas ever!” This began to bother me because if someone is waiting on the “best Christmas ever” then it indicates that Christmas has never been good enough. That’s sad. Even when times have been tough and there weren’t many gifts, Christmas has always been good because we always celebrated the Christmas story from Luke 2! The best Christmas ever was the first Christmas. Jesus came down from heaven to give His life and die on a cruel cross so that we could live forever in heaven. That’s the best Christmas ever, with the best gift ever, and it can change your life forever! If you have never accepted God’s gift of salvation, it’s just like a gift under the tree that no one opened. It’s still there, waiting for you, but it doesn’t help you until you receive it.
We are all born in sin. “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:…For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” (Romans 3:10 & 23)
The price for sin is death. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
Confess that you are a sinner, and believe that Jesus died to pay for your sin. Ask Jesus to forgive you and save you and He will! That could truly make it your best Christmas ever!
“9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:9, 10 & 13)
20. Cleaning With A Purpose, Living With A Purpose
The first of October I felt an urge to start deep cleaning my house before getting out my Christmas decorations. I move slower these days and it takes me longer to get things done. I decided to focus on a different room of the house each week, cleaning from ceiling to floor. It felt good to get the dust off the ceiling fans and clean out some of the clutter. Going into November I was really happy with my progress but my purpose seemed to be changing. I wasn’t just cleaning for Christmas; I felt I was cleaning to make life easier. I told Michael that I felt like something was going to happen and having the house clean would make it easier for us. Mid-November I had a scheduled CT scan but this time something showed up that wasn’t there before. The doctors moved quickly, and so did I. I finished my cleaning, and decorated the tree. I pulled stuff from the attic and made a memories corner with the 30 year old treasures. We shopped and I wrapped presents, all before December 2nd when I had cancer surgery. I am always thankful for the little ways that God leads me day by day. I don’t always understand what way the Lord is leading, but that’s okay. I am just happy that I can try to follow His way! “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.” (Isaiah 55:8)
21. Another Chance For Life
Five years ago Michael was in the rehab center at the hospital following his heart surgery. It was Christmas day and I remarked how I was sorry we had to be in rehab at Christmas. I will never forget his response, “This is the best Christmas ever because I was given another chance on life.” Now, when people tell me that I have the worst luck at Christmas I don’t see this as a bad Christmas. I couldn’t sleep last night and I was praying that God would show me our devotion for the day, and He did. He showed me that He is giving me another chance on life. Having surgery to remove cancer is not a bad thing in my eyes. Oh, no, it is another chance on life. Three years ago I could have died from colon cancer but God gave me another chance. Last Christmas I was in AFIB about ten days over Christmas, and God gave me another year. All of the CT Scans and MRI Scans might sometimes seem inconvenient, but I am thankful for the scans. I am thankful that God used them to show the doctors that there was something that did not belong, and it was removed. I am truly thankful for another chance on life! I thought of a few people in the Bible that were given another chance on life. First, I remembered how God added 15 years to the life of Hezekiah. (Isaiah 38:1-6) The king of Babylon went to see Hezekiah after he recovered and he showed him all the silver and gold, and treasures of Judah. The Prophet Isaiah told him that the day would come that all of those treasures would be carried to Babylon. During that 15 years King Hezekiah had a son, Manasseh, who began to reign when he was 12 years old after the death of the king. He was very wicked and God pronounced judgment on Judah. (II Kings 21) The second chance on life for King Hezekiah was not good for Judah.
Let’s look at some positive examples of men that were given another chance. Jonah was sent to Nineveh and he tried to run from God. From the belly of the whale he repented and God gave him another chance. The entire wicked city repented to God. “So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.” (Jonah 3:5) Peter denied knowing Jesus, but Jesus gave him another chance. On the day of Pentecost Peter preached and about 3,000 souls were saved. “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” (Acts 2:41) Our last example is the thief on the cross. God was willing to give him one last chance to be saved and he trusted Jesus. “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43) This was his last chance. I am so thankful that God has given me another chance to serve Him. I want to live for Him and serve Him by serving others. Has God given you another chance on life? Has He given you another chance to trust Jesus as your Savior? This might be your last chance. I pray that you will make the right choice.
22. "It Came Upon The Midnight Clear"
"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, good will toward men." (Luke 2:13-14) Today we have another old Christmas song, written by Edmund Sears in 1849. Many of the Christmas songs that are dear to Christians today have been sung for a hundred years or more. The dear saints of old were able to sing praises to God even through the darkness of the day. The third and fourth verses are omitted from many Christmas song books today. I have included them here to give hope to those who face strife in your daily life. This Christmas I pray you can see the Light of the world who can bring peace to a troubled soul.
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, goodwill to men,
From heaven's all-gracious King.
"The world in solemn stillness lay,
To hear the angels sing.
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 blessèd angels sing.
Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long;
Beneath the angel-strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not
The love-song which they bring;
O hush the noise, ye men of strife,
And hear the angels sing.
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!
For lo!, the days are hastening on,
By prophet bards foretold,
When with the ever-circling years
Comes round the age of gold
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling,
And the whole world give back the song
Which now the angels sing.
23. Tidings Of Comfort And Joy
I started these devotionals, “Make A Joyful Noise Unto The Lord”, three weeks ago with stories of Christmas carols and songs. Then, the Lord seemed to lead me to share personal testimonies of how God was working in my life. This weekend my focus shifted to those hurting around me. I know so many families who are having a hard time this Christmas season. With the price of groceries and daily provisions for the family some don’t have money for Christmas gifts and that is hard for parents to bear. I can’t provide for them, but I can pray. I know of some who lost a mother and grandmother after a hard battle with cancer at Thanksgiving. I can’t take away their grief or provide them any comfort, but I can pray. There are other families still suffering through cancer and other illnesses. I can’t take away their pain, but I can pray. As we enter the week of Christmas let’s try to spend more time in prayer for those who need comfort and joy. God brought these words back to me from a familiar Christmas carol, “Tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy. Tidings of comfort and joy.” The shepherds were watching their sheep when the angel said, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” (Luke 2:10) There is nothing in my power to bring comfort and joy to those who are hurting, but I can pray. I pray that the Lord will give them comfort and joy through this Christmas season.
“8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.” (Luke 2:8-15)
24. Winter Solstice
The longest night of the year 2025 has passed. The darkness has been steadily growing, but now that the winter solstice has come, our days will begin to get longer as the nights get shorter. I remember my Grandma Hancock talking about the winter solstice when I was young. 150 years ago people did not have the benefits of electric lights, so longer nights meant shorter daylight hours to get things done. The winters must have seemed colder without the benefits of heating systems that we have today. They didn’t have all the conveniences of grocery shopping and their food supply may have been scarce during the winter months. As much as I enjoy looking forward to spring when I can plant a garden, I’m sure it meant a lot more to my grandparents who depended on the garden much more for food. We can begin to enjoy the light of the sun, but we can also enjoy the Light of the Son! We celebrate Christmas to remind us that Jesus came to give Light to a lost and dying world. “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.” (John 12:46) We can also celebrate Christ by letting our light shine for Him. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) And we can be ever thankful that Jesus came to give a light to the Gentiles, so that we can also be called the sons of God. “A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.” (Luke 2:32)
25. Christmas Eve
It’s Christmas Eve. Are you ready for Christmas? I worked to get most of our preparations early this year. We have only a few last minute gifts to wrap. I usually have a long list of dishes to prepare, but since I am still recovering from surgery, I’m letting the younger ones cook this year. Whether I feel ready for Christmas, or not, it is coming. I’m excited for the grandchildren. I enjoy spending time with them and watching them open their presents. I think a more important question to ask is, “Are you ready for the Lord to come again?” I heard someone say last week that she wished the Lord would come soon. Are you ready for the Lord to come again? I am ready to meet my Lord. When Jesus comes again, all our problems will be over. Let’s live today like it could be today. Let’s be ready to meet our Savior. I can say with John, “… Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” ( Revelation 22:20-21)
26. Merry Christmas
“1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:1-14)
27. Don’t Box It All Away Too Soon
It’s the day after Christmas. You may be one to leave everything decorated until after the New Year, or you may start boxing things up today. The beautiful tree that you were so excited to decorate, may now seem to be in the way. You carefully wrap the Nativity pieces and tuck them safely away for another year. You may think that you can start boxing stuff up today, and end up exhausted by day’s end because you couldn’t stop once you got started. I like for Christmas to last a little longer. So, I will leave things just as they are for a while. I think this year I will leave a little something out to be a reminder of the great gift God gave for me. I can hang a small ornament from the nail that my calendar hangs on, and each month that I move it to turn the page, I can tell God thank you for giving His Son for me. I think I can leave a small Nativity on the piano to be a constant reminder that Jesus is my song and joy of my life. My computer desk is crowded, but I can find a small space to put a small Christmas memory, to think on as I type the daily devotions. Your Christmas may have been hard this year. There may be pain and sorrow that you had to bear, and you don’t want to be reminded of that all year. I’ve been there, and I understand that, but I want to remember the joy and peace that God has given me, even in the midst of my pain. So, I’m not going to box it all away too soon. I’m going to leave a few Christmas things out, and if my grandchildren ask me why, I will be glad to tell them. I want to remember God’s precious gift that He gave for me! “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” (II Corinthians 9:15)
28. The Shepherds Saw God’s Promise
I was planning to write on the shepherds today, and I read this post written by Leandra Glance. I asked her permission to share it for our devotions today. I hope you enjoy it.
“What a wonderful day to turn towards scripture folks! Yesterday and today were my first experiences celebrating Christmas at church. It was such a blessing to be there. This morning the message was about peace, hope, joy, and love. Of all the scripture that was read 1 verse stuck out to me. Luke 2:20 says Then the shepherds went back to their sheep, praising God and thanking Him for everything they had seen and heard. It had been just as the angel had told them.
Seems like an ordinary verse from the Bible. But it’s not. The shepherds were able to see God’s promise fulfilled and then they went back to what they were supposed to be doing. But they didn’t go back in the same way. They came back praising and thanking God. This struck me because we often witness something and then get stuck there. It could be trials that we witness. And we just lay there in it. We frown and share our struggles and linger in the misery. Or we witness something fantastic in our lives. We may smile and say thank you God for a short while, until the next thing happens.
If you know the Bible then you know there was a long time of waiting before the promise of our Messiah was fulfilled. After seeing Jesus, the shepherds hadn’t just had that promise filled in their life. They had peace filled. Their hope was filled. Their joy was filled. And the greatest love of all was filled. And so that one verse saying that they returned to their responsibilities with praise and thanksgiving is huge!
This affects us directly. How? Because as believers we have accepted Jesus into our hearts. We have experienced a fulfilled promise. We have a peace the world can’t steal. No person, no situation can steal Jesus from us. If you’re not a believer..wouldn’t you like to have something that no one can take away from you? Those shepherds moved forward in their lives the way we should. We should move forward in praise and thanks to God for all that we have seen.
The verse I brought up today is Luke 2:20. But I recommend yall go all in. Start from Luke 1 and go through to Luke 2:40. Read up folks and be blessed.”
29. God Getting Ready For Christmas
Thank you Michael for writing our devotions today.
Having five children and thirteen grandchildren, my wife and I start getting ready for Christmas fairly early in the year. But have you ever thought how far back God got ready for that first Christmas day? Around 580 BC Daniel was promoted to be “Master of the Magicians” or “Chief Magi”. As a promotion for his amazing dream interpretations, Daniel is put into a position to teach the “wise men”. In Daniel 4:9 the Bible says: “O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof.” That is probably how the Magi learned of Hebrew Scriptures about a great “Messiah” or king to be born. They followed the star from a great distance and it led them to the Christ child.
The prophets had said a lot about this child. Micah 5:2 said the child would be born in Bethlehem, about ten miles south of Jerusalem. “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” Hosea 11:1 said the child would be called out of Egypt. “When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.” Jeremiah 31:15 said there would be weeping in Ramah, which was ten miles north of Jerusalem. “Thus saith the LORD; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.” How could these prophecies (and many others) all be fulfilled by one baby? They were! Remember that “History” is just “His Story”!
30. An Almighty God In Control
Thanks again Michael for sharing this devotional.
When God in His infinite wisdom knew the time was approaching for the Messiah to be born, he set the world in motion. He used a decree by Caesar Augustus to do this. Luke is the gospel writer who tells us about this. Luke 2:1-6:
“1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.”
Luke is the most detailed gospel writer. Most scholars assume that he got his information from Mary, who of course would have known more about the birth of Jesus than any other person. But Luke is also a Greek doctor, an educated man who writes his gospel and gives us so many historical events and political figures so that we can know the timeline better. If Caesar Augustus was here today, he would probably be surprised that the world makes no mention of him, except for his name being used to name the eighth month in our calendar. But he would be shocked that the name of Jesus Christ is worldwide. Churches, schools, colleges, mission boards, and millions of Christians—all claim the name of Jesus, the baby that was born in Bethlehem because of a taxing Caesar Augustus placed on the entire world.
Today’s world is drifting farther and farther away from God and His Word. But be assured that God is still on His throne in 2025, and is still in control. As Preacher Harold Sightler used to say, “Did it ever occur to you that nothing ever occurred to God?” Praise His Name!
31. The Earthly Parents of the Christ Child
Thank you Michael for our devotions.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Joseph, His “Foster” father, were both extraordinary people. God chose them to be the earthly parents of God’s only begotten son. Mary was a young virgin blessed to be chosen to raise Jesus. But the Christmas story also hinges on the character of Mary’s betrothed husband, who shows his strength of character when Mary tells him that she is pregnant with the Christ child. Put yourself in the place of Joseph. His bride-to-be is expecting, and she claims that an angel appeared to her and told her that she had been chosen to be the only virgin ever to be with child from the Holy Ghost. Joseph is faced with three choices:
1-Marry Mary quickly, and hope people soon forget about the six month baby.
2-Publicly divorce Mary, which could result in her being stoned to death.
3-Have the marriage contract set aside quietly, while Mary went off somewhere to have the baby.
Joseph decides on the third option, but just then in God’s timeline look what happens in Luke 1:20-25.
“20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.”
So Joseph and Mary alone know that they have been chosen to parent the Son of God. What amazing people these two must have been!
32. “Finally, Brethren”
Today is New Year’s Eve. I have been thinking about what I could say about leaving an old year, before we go forward into the New Year. I decided to let God’s Word say it all for me. I remembered that in some of Paul’s letters, he said, “Finally, brethren…” I decided to look up those verses and each and every time there is an important message for us. I hope that you will read these verses and let the Lord speak to you through His Word as you leave the old year behind and start the New Year.
“Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.” (II Corinthians 13:11)
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” (Ephesians 6:10)
“Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.” (Philippians 3:1)
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” (Philippians 4:8)
“Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:” (II Thessalonians 3:1)
“Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:” (I Peter 3:8)
