THE FIRST NOEL

Sometimes, history swallows up the facts for future generations.  Some things simply come about without record; nothing is known about them.  The origin of today's Christmas Carol is just such a thing.  The tune and original words came from somewhere, but it seems history has swallowed up the facts about where.  However, the modern version of the carol is not the only version.  In the 17th Century - 1823, William B. Sandys (1792-1874), and Davies Gilbert (1767-1839) edited and added lyrics to create the version we sing today.  This carol seems to have stemmed from France, and then came to England - and so we have two spellings of the word "Noel" (Fr.) - "Nowell" (Eng.).  Indeed, there seem to be three varieties of the lyrics.  However, most of our Hymnals contain the English version.  

DEVOTION

What I like about the carol is it's rolling tune and articulate lyrics.  Simply put, the joy of the first Christmas is melded together with the wonder of it all!  God has come in the form of a person!  He has done so to save us, to unite us, and He announced it through a host of Angels to a field of poor shepherds.  

Have you heard the story?  I know you have - at least you've heard the carol, most likely.  What I mean is this, "Have YOU experienced the joy of knowing Jesus has come to YOU?"  It's never enough to have Jesus come to someone you know or love.  God wants peace with YOU!  He sent His Son to YOU!  He wants to cleanse your heart of YOUR sin.  He wants to live forever with YOU.  That first Noel, the star shone the light, pointing to the True Savior of the world.

I know we have plenty of people who do not believe that God exists, much less that He cares enough to choose a means of showing it that is far better than a Hallmark Card.  God, did, however, send the very best.  Faith is not what makes it true or not.  Faith is only the means by which we choose to receive what is already true - Jesus Christ!  Such darkness of unbelief is only dispelled by the light of Truth!  Will you not simply believe with your head, but also your heart?  Will you follow that star to the Shining Star of Bethlehem - Jesus Christ?

And that's Just A Thot for today.  Merry Christmas!



1.  From the Internet:  http://www1.cbn.com/devotions/the-first-noel, 12/8/2015.
2.  From the Internet:  http://www.sharefaith.com/guide/Christian-Holidays/holiday-songs/the-first-noel-the-song-and-the-story.html, 12/8/2015.
3.  From the Internet:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_First_Noel, 12/8/2015.

AWAY IN A MANGER

Sometimes, the greatest things are obscure in history.  Today's Christmas Carol is one of those things.  Shrouded in mystery regarding its origins with the fables being so common as to be considered by many fact, we who are honest do not really know!  But Oh how we love the soothing tones of the melody, the comforting lyrics, and the hopeful meaning for all who put their trust in the Jesus of the Bible!

Here's one account of how it came to be:

In 1887, American hymn writer James R. Murray entitled the tune to “Away in a Manger” as “Luther’s Cradle Hymn.” Murray further stated in his popular songbook, Dainty Songs for Little Lads and Lasses, that Martin Luther had not only written “Away in a Manger,” but had sung it to his children each night before bed. As the song spread across a growing America and people began to sing it at home, in churches, and at schools, they often envisioned legions of German mothers rocking their babies to sleep each night with the strains of “Away in a Manger.” As the song became more popular, some news reports even trumpeted the song’s Teutonic heritage and the powerful inspiration that obviously could come from only the great Luther himself.

Ironically, not only did German mothers of this era not sing “Away in a Manger,” they had never heard it until the song arrived in Europe from its country of origin, the United States. Where Murray got his misinformation on Luther remains a mystery, yet because of his outstanding reputation as a writer and publisher, the story stuck. (From the internet: http://bibleheartburn.com/2013/12/11/the-story-behind-away-in-a-manger , 12/3/2015)

DEVOTION 
Sometimes, we hope to receive the blessings of those who are truly blessed by simply being near them.  You know what I mean.  Who wouldn't want to be best friends with King Midas!  He could give you all the gold you wanted - without anything more than lifting and lowering a finger!  Or hanging out with the popular person.  If he was in, and he accepted you - then YOU were in!  

That's the tenor of our Christmas Carol.  If Jesus is "In" with the Father, blessed by the Father, protected by the Father, then those Jesus wanted near Him would be equally blessed!  And that's not unbiblical in the least.  In fact, He wants us to be so near Him we are IN Him and HE in us.  That union with Christ is the key.  We are to be ONE with Him, not separate from Him.

Romans 8:1 (NKJV)  There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. (Emphasis mine)

This Christmas season - indeed today, as you read this devotional - ask yourself, "Am I IN CHRIST JESUS?"  If so, delight that what love the Father has for Him, He also has for you.  If not, delight that it is His will that will change and that you will receive Jesus IN you and you will be IN Him.  That is simple, but profoundly life changing.  Simply repent of your sins and turn from them to Jesus.  God wants better for you than that.  Believe that and follow Jesus wherever He leads you.  There is NO condemnation by God to those who will walk according to Christ Jesus' leadership.  When you begin to want His will for your life, you will know you are saved!

And that is Just A Thot for today.  May your Christmas be blessed because you are near the Lord Jesus Christ!

"ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH"

This month (December 2015), I hope to post a devotion and history of a different Christmas Carol each day.  The information I find on the internet will be used to help us along the way.  I claim little to no originality.  Anything I "cut and paste" will be cited with a link to the page from which I took it.  I pray that you will be blessed and visit each day for something new and uplifting!

Today:  "ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH"

HISTORY:
In A.D. 129, Telesphous, Bishop of Rome, ordained that, "In the Holy Night of the Nativity of our Lord and Savior, all shall solemnly sing the 'Angel's Hymn.' " With that proclamation the 'Angels Hymn' became the first Christmas hymn of the Christian church. Its most common English version was translated in 1862 by James Chadwick, and its most memorable feature is its chorus Gloria in Excelsis Deo!, which is Latin for Glory to God in the Highest. (http://www.makingmusicfun.net/htm/f_mmf_music_library_songbook/angels-we-have-heard-on-high-history-and-lyrics-of-a-christmas-favorite.htm)

DEVOTION:
As vast numbers of angels swiftly descended toward earth through the star sprinkled sky, the leading angel halted them with a sign. They hovered with folded wings over a silent field near Bethlehem. "There they are," said the leading angel, "the humble shepherds who have been chosen by God to receive our message. It will be the most wonderful news that mortal man has ever received. Are you ready with your great angelic chorus?"

The leading angel drifted slightly downward so that he could be seen by the shepherds below. They were terrified! Each one of them covered his face in the brilliance of the light but earnestly listened with awe as the vision before him began to speak in his own language:

"Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11).

Instantly surrounding the angel was the brilliant heavenly host, and echoing through the sky was the most beautiful singing that the shepherds had ever heard, exulting and praising God for the long-awaited gift of His Son. They made haste to see the Savior with their own eyes.

The Bible teaches that angels are the ministering servants of God and that they are continually being sent to help and protect us, the heirs of salvation. Certainly their most important task, however, was this momentous occasion announcing Christ's arrival on earth!


Although little is known of its origins, this inspiring eighteenth-century French carol has become a universal favorite.
(http://www1.cbn.com/devotions/angels-we-have-heard-high)

And that's "Just A Thot" for today!  May your Christmas Season be blessed!

THE IMPORTANCE OF FAITH IN TODAY'S WORLD

John 16:25-33

History tends to "repeat" itself.  That is true for civilizations, communities, churches, and families.  That "repeat" is really a cycle of growth and decline.  It is a repeat of numbers and morality, faith and secularization, financial stability and poverty, political processes and procedures.  Each grows and declines - repeatedly.

One such repetition is what happens to the Church in the world.  Jesus warned his disciples that belief would be necessary - trust in Him - if they were to survive the world's opposition.  That eternal connection to Christ is far more than a title (being CALLED a Christian).  It is a spiritual connection that comes from trusting and serving Jesus Christ.  Being a Christian in name only will not work in a world that tries to find fault in your faith.  Only those whose faith rest in the finished work of Jesus Christ can endure the opposition of the world.  The time is upon us that we again face what Jesus promised would happen to his disciples.

Jesus told his disciples they would be scattered, unable to gather together (John 16:32).  In that time, they will not be able to gather with the man we know as Jesus, either.  He was speaking of the time he was to be arrested, falsely accused, and publicly crucified.  To be associated with him was to risk similar treatment.  The cycle continues, and again, Christianity is no longer popular - Christians will and are being scattered.  And yet, because of their relationship with Jesus, the disciples would be able to have peace.  The world would bring tribulation, but the heart would be full of peace.  The world might seem like it was winning, but it has already lost - to Jesus.  The world hopes to send people to God's judgment, but through the disciples' relationship with Jesus, that judgment will not happen - Christ's crucifixion paid that for all the disciples who trust and know Jesus.  Jesus promises it, and God backs Jesus in this (John 16:27). 

Of course, this passage reveals that it is more than just being CALLED a Christian, it is a deep awareness that Christ is ONE with God - He is Divine - MORE than just a man.  He came from God.  He is more than a good teacher, He is God.  He is more than a mere prophet, He came from God.  He is more than a platitude dispenser, good moralist, or powerful preacher - He is the MESSIAH promised in the Old Testament.  Therefore, we can trust Him completely.  He is not to be compared with anything in creation, for He is the Creator of all that is.  He is more reliable than the sunrise and sunset.  His words are Faithful and True.  And those who trust Him, His words, and His deeds do so because they know that He came from the Father as He said!  Serve Him alone, and His victory over the world will be yours.  And that is faith - serving Him.

Do you have faith?  It doesn't take a quantity of faith.  It isn't how much you believe.  It's the quality of your faith - who you trust and by your trust who you serve.  If you say you trust Jesus, then prove it by serving Him - no matter what.  In today's world, that means serving Him when the world says you are not allowed to.  It means serving Him when no one is watching.  It means serving Him when you are isolated from everyone.  It means serving Him when jail, job loss, or death may be the penalty.  Is YOUR faith of that quality?  Then you can have peace with God, for Christ promises you are loved by God!  As John later said, "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God." (1 John 5:13). 


Do YOU have saving faith?  Saving faith is serving faith!

And that's Just A Thot for today.  Please comment, share, and grow by it!

GOD SEEKS A MAN!

Ezekiel 22:30 (NKJV) So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.

When the Prophet Ezekiel penned these words under the inspiration and dictation of the Lord, great evil was being done throughout the land. This verse follows a long list of wrongs done by God's people - including other prophets. God was speaking through the Prophet Ezekiel, looking for a man who would have faith in God in spite of the storm of public opinion to the contrary. God has always wanted better for mankind than mankind wants for himself. And that is true for you, too. God wants better for you than you want for yourself, too often.

So God is looking for a certain kind of man. He is looking for a man of faith. The man of faith would have to be willing to do some things that the world might find strange, even offensive. He would have to buck the culture. He would have to articulate God's goodness to a world that otherwise couldn't see it. He would have to warn the world about God's justice to a world that otherwise didn't believe it. That kind of man is needed today.

That kind of man is needed in our homes. Our children are being thrust into indoctrination camps we call public schools five days a week. Our children come home with strange new ideas they've heard from their teachers and peers only to sit in front of a screen for hours of follow-up indoctrination through the TV or internet. Who will have the courage to take measures in the homes to stand in the gap? Moms? But the kids need DAD to do it, too. His example and active influence is unparalleled. If he is disinterested, Mom's influence is diminished greatly. If he is uninvolved, Mom's influence is diminished greatly. If he openly opposes faith, Mom's influence can be removed all together. Dads need to stand in the gap between God and the world to protect their families.

That kind of man is needed in our public square. All corners of the square, from business, to schools, to medicine, to law, and everything in between face the temptations and morays to serve self rather than truth. God is truth. There is a great move to get God and His morals out of the public square. And so corruption moves in. Who will be a man and stand in the gap? We need a man of faith, a man who trusts that God will both protect and provide for him as he stands before his community to declare that God is real, good, and just. No wrong will go unpunished, and no good unrewarded. Who will be that man?

That kind of man is needed in global society and politics for the same reason as in the public square. He is needed in the courts for the same reason. He is needed wherever corruption, blasphemy, and paganism rule, for God is not mocked, and will pour out His indignation on them for their wicked disregard for His Holiness and Truth. They will learn of their lies at the judgment, and then pay for their deeds. Their only hope is that someone, some man, will stand in the gap and warn them of this in time for them to repent and turn to God's only Hope for Mankind - Jesus Christ, God's Son. 

What Jesus did on Calvary's Cross was to take the full wrath of God upon Himself for these sins of corruption and faithlessness. All who will receive Him as Lord of their life (Commander in Chief) and turn from their wicked ways to follow Jesus' ways, will be spared the wrath of God. Those who will not turn to follow Jesus will face God's wrath themselves.

What kind of man will trust God and love his fellow man enough to stand in the gap and warn his fellows, his family, and his friends?  Will YOU be that man?

And that's "Just A Thot" for today.

May the Lord bless you as you heed His Word today!

What's in a Name?

"Thou shalt call his name Jesus." -

Mat_1:21

Oh, to be in love with Jesus - so that all which is connected with Him might also be dear to us. His name, as much as anything, means so much. Like a student in High School - books littered with the names of their dear boyfriends and girlfriends.

What's in a name? The name of a person reflects his character, cause, and countenance.

I am sure that somewhere in the name of Jesus lies his character - for the name alone, loosely translated means "God will Save Us." How is His character in that? It takes a Holy character to be able to save us from our unholy condition.

The cause of Christ is in His name as well - salvation of our souls. Some these days may not consider the soul as even existent, much less worth saving. But Jesus has not given up the cause simply because we have resisted. May we embrace His cause by first receiving Him and loving Him and then by loving those He came to save?

His countenance is recalled with the mention of His name. You and I may not have seen His face, but we have some concept of what He looked like - be it from an artist or some other source, we have a composite and very personal picture of the face of Christ which comes to mind at the mention of His name. It is a blessed picture. It is a humble picture. It is a powerful picture. It is a smiling (or is it stern?) picture.

What is the delight of your heart when you hear the name of Jesus? How that name moves the angels of heaven and the heart of the Father. Does it move you as much?

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Jesus Was Sent!

"The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world." -

1Jo_4:14

The love of God is seen in that the orders for Christ to come are from Him. Jesus needed His Father's permission, authority, consent, and assistance. Apart from any of these, and the mission would fail. How like us? We need to go, do, and become what the will of the Father is - with His permission, authority, consent, and assistance. Jesus' power to save is wrapped up in his submission to the will of the Father. His power is not His own, His will is not His own.

What words did Jesus speak that did not come from the Father? What deed did Jesus do that did not come from the Father? What journey did Jesus take that did not come from the Father? Why then, believer, is it the Man named Jesus you trust and not the Son? You might find the Man to be a friend, but the God is the Savior. I do not neglect the man in favor of the God, but it is His deity that unites Him with the Father, and through that deity, we also are united with the Father through Christ. His humanity is an essential link for us, giving us something to see, hold, smell, and hear. But we are from there pulled out of the physical and into the spiritual dimension through faith in the Word of Christ. And so the Father sent the Son to be Savior of the world!

This day, I think on the love of the Father to see my need and send His Son. I think on the perfect enterprise of Christ to save my soul. I think on His perfect submission to the perfect will of the Father - and ask Him to help me be as submitted. What love and what peace?!

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