Celebrate Immanuel’s Name

Celebrate Immanuel’s Name

by Charles Wesley (1707-1788).  

Celebrate Immanuel’s Name, the Prince of life and peace.

God with us, our lips proclaim, our faithful hearts confess.

God is in our flesh revealed; Heav’n and earth in Jesus join.

Mortal with Immortal filled, and human with Divine. 

Fullness of the Deity in Jesus’ body dwells,

Dwells in all His saints and me when God His Son reveals.

Father, manifest Thy Son; breathe the true incarnate Word.

In our inmost souls make known the presence of the Lord. 

Let the Spirit of our Head through every member flow;

By our Lord inhabited, we then Immanuel know.

Then He doth His Name express; God in us we truly prove,

Find with all the life of grace and all the power of love. 

            Christian musicians have the wonderful privilege to lead others in celebration of Christ’s coming to this earth many years ago.  By coming to this earth as a human being He was truly God with us.  However, He is still with us today.  Every Christian has the privilege of having Christ with him or her every minute of every day. This is a reality because He “Dwells in all His saints and me when God His Son reveals”.  We must not forget to “Let the Spirit of our Head through every member flow” during this wonderful season. 

 Thought for the Day 

The third verse of the song we have selected for today says, “Let the Spirit of our Head through every member flow; By our Lord inhabited, we then Immanuel know.”  Christians must not let this post postmodern world cause us to fall silent about letting the Holy Spirit flow through us.  To them, the thought of the Spirit flowing in and through us is phanatical but it is not.  It is a reality for the Spirit filled Christian.

Dec.17

O Come O Come Emmanuel –Latin hymn

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.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free

Thine own from Satan's tyranny

From depths of Hell Thy people save

And give them victory o'er the grave

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer

Our spirits by Thine advent here

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night

And death's dark shadows put to flight.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,

And open wide our heavenly home;

Make safe the way that leads on high,

And close the path to misery.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,

Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai's height,

In ancient times did'st give the Law,

In cloud, and majesty and awe.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

            “O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer our spirits by Thine advent here”.  In November of this year my wife and I went through one of the darkest fierce trials we have ever gone through during the time we have been married.  I had an auto accident and when I called the insurance agent to get a tow truck they informed me that the car was not insured.  To make a long story short, after many days of trial the insurance company finally got the mess straightened out and we were insured after all!         

            After those dark days, after many prayers, after sleepless nights, God performed a modern day miracle in our lives.  So, during this advent season I want to praise God because He revealed to Sheila and me that He is Emmanuel “God with us”  He is our Day-Spring and our Lord of Light .

Thought for the Day

I am anxious for Emmanuel to return the second time and take us to be with Him.  1Thessalonians 4:17 “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”