Song and Prayer for the Day

Song for the Day While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Nahum Tate

Prayer for the Day

Dear heavenly father, I am asking You to help me to experience the joy of Your coming during this Advent season.  Help me to never lose the wonder of the miracle of the virgin birth.  Help me to share my inner joy to those around me that do not know You as their personal Savior.  Give me the wisdom to know how to approach others in a way will not be offensive to them.  Thank You for those who preached the message of Christ’s love for me when I was just a little child.  I love You Lord for coming to this earth to redeem me and for suffering and dying for my sin.  This I am praying in Your name.  Amen.

They Experienced Jesus

They Experienced Jesus

Luke 2:20, “And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

            I always marvel at the things that Scripture records about the shepherds.  These men of faith and action went when they were told to do so, and therefore they experienced the wonders of Christ’s birth first hand.  They would have missed a tremendous blessing if they had not gone to Bethlehem that night. 

            Because they saw Him they came away from that humble stable “glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen…”  I somehow am always secretly a slight bit disappointed when I go to a Christmas production without spending some time around the manger.  Every time I experience a manger scene I go home rejoicing and praising God for the gift of His son.  Make sure that the audience experiences Jesus in your Christmas production this Advent season.

Thought and Song for the Day

Thought for the Day

Acts 4:12, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”  Although it is not popular to be pluralistic when it comes to the belief of “god”, it is a fact that there is no way to be saved than through Christ’s shed blood which is still efficacious today.

Song for the Day Jesus Paid It All by Elvina M Hall

 

“He shall save his people from their sins.”

“He shall save his people from their sins.  

Matthew 1:21, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”

            There are many things that Christians can and should celebrate during Advent.  We have already considered some of them, but among all these important aspects of Christ’s first and second coming, we should celebrate God’s plan for everyone (John 3:16) to have forgiveness of sins.  Romans 6:12 speaks to the issue of victory over sin, “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.  Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.” 

            So many people have tried to conquer sin in their lives without God’s help.  All the new-year’s resolutions that one can think of are no substitute for the sinner turning over his or her life to Christ. The writer of the Epistle to the Romans speaks to the issue of people “yielding” one’s life to be an instrument of unrighteousness.  One of the most wonderful things about celebrating Christ’s coming to Earth over 2,000 years ago is his obedience to the will of the Father that brought us the possibility of forgiveness of sins and peace with God.  Try to share Christ’s ability and willingness to forgive sins.

 

 

Thought and Song for the Day

Thought for the Day

Sometimes Christian musicians are afraid to try to explain the mysteries concerning the plan of salvation.  Reading Scripture to those who do not understand is a powerful way to make explanation of these mysteries.  Also, A Christian’s personal testimony is also a powerful way to reach the lost with the gospel.

Song for the Day Thou didst Leave Thy Throne by Emily Elliott

 

 

Of Christ’s Kingdom There Shall Be No End

Of Christ’s Kingdom There Shall Be No End

Isaiah 9:6-7, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”

            Sometimes I try to imagine what it would have been like to experience the Isaiah scroll being taken from the scroll ark, and watching as it was unrolled to the above two verses.  I also marvel at what it would have been like to hear this portion of Isaiah’s prophecy being read in the Temple.  I believe the hearts of those who came to worship were thrilled at the thought of Christ’s coming to earth to become Emmanuel—“God with us”. 

            It is a mystery to many people who do not know the plan of salvation what it meant when God actually came to earth to be “God with us”  It is also a great mystery to millions and millions of people today that do not have the slightest notion of What it means to have Christ dwelling in the Christian’s heart, even though He ascended into the heavens after his resurrection.  Furthermore, it I an even greater mystery to multiplied millions of people today that Christ is going to return to this earth a second time. 1Timothy 3:16 says, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”  I suggest that you take some time to share the meaning of these mysteries, during this Advent, with someone who does not know Christ and has not experienced His saving power.

Hymn and Thought for the Day

Hymn for the Day O Come, O come, Emmanuel-- Latin Hymn

Thought  for the Day

Revelation 22:20, “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”  Spend some time today thinking about the fact that Christ said “, Surely I come quickly”.

 

 

O Come, O come, Emmanuel

O Come, O come, Emmanuel

            As I mentioned before, during Advent, look forward to celebrating God sending His son to this earth.  Although we so not know with specificity the exact day of Christ’s birth, we can still worship him on the 25^th of December. Likewise we have no idea when the trump shall sound in celebration and announcement of Christ’s second coming, but we can still look forward in eager anticipation to the coming of Christ’s kingdom when he returns for those who love and serve Him.  With this in mind we can sing the Advent hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” with great joy, meaning and understanding.

`           The Christian knows that the thought of Christ’s return to the earth is by no means “pie in the sky” but rather a “lively hope”.  1Peter 1:3 explains what Christian’s mean by the term “lively hope”, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”  Christianity offers this hope since we serve a God who is alive rather than a god “who was” and now is not alive.  Because Christ is alive, we have a right to worship Him with great joy and anticipation during this Advent season.

 

Song and Thought for the Day

Song for the Day Angels from the Realms of Glory  by James Montgomery

Thought for the Day

1John 4:18, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”  If you are a Christian musician who is often plagued with inordinate unfounded fear, remember that God will cast out that fear because it does not come from Him!  Today is Sunday--God wants this Day to be a day of rejoicing and release from the torment and oppression of Satan!

 

 

 

God Sent His Angels to Mary

God Sent His Angels to Mary    

            Lu 1:26-31, “And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.  And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.  And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God.  And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.”

            Hebrews 1:14 explains that God’s angels are ministering spirits that God sends on occasion to minister to people who are the “heirs of salvation”.  Certainly Mary needed to have someone to minister to her because God’s message to her was without doubt a shocking and seemingly impossible one.  It is not surprising that the angel needed to assure her that she should not be afraid because Scripture tells us that “she was troubled” about what the angel was saying to her.

            I am sure that she was shocked that the angel was saying things like you have “found favor with God” and you are thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.”  It does not surprise me that these words were very upsetting and hard for her to understand.  However, she was able to believe and submit to the will of God because of the fact that God’s angels are ministering spirits.

            God knows just exactly what we need and he has promised in His Word in Psalm 34:7 that “The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.”  God not only sends His angels to comfort and minister to very special people but also to His musicians who love, serve, and fear Him.  He has promised that He will not only minister to them, but He will also deliver them from whatever troubles them.  So, if you are troubled about something today, FEAR NOT, God has promised to surround you with angels that will minister, protect, and deliver you!  Advent should be a time of great joy--not inordinate fear.