GOD REST YE MERRY GENTLEMEN

As our world seems to be growing spiritually darker all the time plagued with anti-Christian fervor, moral reversals, injustice and terrorism abounding, the spiritual blessings of Christmas are brought to light in this carol - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.  (If you watch the YouTube version below, a great history is presented along with the full lyrics - even if the recording only plays 3 of the 4 verses written out with the text of the video.)  This particular song resonates with the heart that feels oppressed and seeks redemption and release.  The lyrics are about the spiritual oppression of sin and the release that God has wrought through His Son, Jesus Christ as the Bible so clearly teaches.  The minor key and happy rhythm reflect this oppression/freedom theme very well.  Indeed, the carol is mentioned by Charles Dickens in "The Christmas Carol."(1)  By the way, the link referenced below also includes far more verses than the YouTube video does.  They will bless you, too!

Do you ever feel like your sin has separated you from God?  Does He seem a long ways off?  Let this carol lift your hearts as you contemplate what God has done that first Christmas for you today.  He has paid the price, sent His Son, and redeemed you from your sin.  Satan has no more power over you if you will but allow Jesus to rule you instead!  Jesus has overcome Satan!  Let this be "Tidings of Comfort and Joy" - comfort for those times your feelings need reminded that Satan is powerless, and joy to last an eternity because of the freedom you now have been given through Jesus Christ!  

Now, as the Carol invites, sing praises to God for He has done this wonderful thing!  Praise Him for His love and care - and invite all you know to join in the chorus of praise!  Sing this carol together this Christmas and celebrate!

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




(1)  From the Internet:  http://makingmusicfun.net/htm/f_mmf_music_library_songbook/god-rest-ye-merry-gentlemen-history-fun-facts-and-lyrics-of-a-christmas-favorite.htm, 12/11/2015.

GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN

I have to admit, I was a bit surprised by the history of this song - but I was also delighted. Don't get me wrong.  I love my country very much.  But if I'm honest, we have some flaws.  Slavery was one of them.  But even out of those trials come some of the neatest things.  Oppression often breeds faith.  Negro slaves may not have had much going for them, but they did have faith.  With that faith came music.  With that music came wonderful expressions such as "Go Tell It On the Mountain."

This extremely popular Christmas Carol was once a Negro Spiritual written by someone altogether unknown, but its infectious tune and lyrics that were pregnant with biblical truth offering a hope that only a heart of faith could know was soon spread throughout slavery.  The author is credited to John W. Works, III.  However, in 1907, as a negro professor, he compiled a book entitled "Folk Songs of the American Negro" in order to "preserve and promote African American Folk-Work."2  Dr. Works' efforts sent the song's popularity skyrocketing across the country and across the country's racial barriers.  Music has a way of doing that, and knows no boundaries.

The original song lyrics have been changed many times over.  The lyrics of today's carol are not the only lyrics the tune knows.  However, they are the most famous.  Peter, Paul, and Mary rewrote the lyrics in the 1960's, and Simon and Garfunkel also have a rewrite out.2  Still, the version in the hymnbooks across America are the most widely known and faithful to both the Lord and the song's author.


DEVOTION

Put yourself in the place of the Shepherds and sing this song.  Picture the the wonder of the annunciation, the spectacle of the angels, and the miracle of the virgin birth, baby in a manger, and prophecy all wrapped up in a single moment.  Imagine the fear and trembling swelling up inside, then giving way to a delight and hope, and finally a sense that everyone needed to hear the news!

Such a journey fills the heart of all who hear the story told by the Shepherds that night - a journey from fear and trembling to delight and hope that the Sovereign Creator God has given us His Son for a blessing and sacrifice for our sins!  Indeed, we have been saved from our sins!  Next, desiring that all might know this truth as we do - and trust Him for the forgiveness of their sins as well.

Do YOU know Jesus as YOUR Savior and Lord?  Do YOU delight in His Salvation like the shepherds did?  It matters NOT what station you have in life.  You have nothing but your soul to lose for keeping quiet.  Proclaim Him to a world that needs Him.  Go, Tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere that Jesus Christ is born!

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





1 - From the Internet:  http://www.sharefaith.com/guide/Christian-Music/hymns-the-songs-and-the-stories/go-tell-it-on-the-mountain,-the-song-and-the-story.html, 12/10/2015.

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.

DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR

Q:  What does the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 have to do with Christmas Carols?  

A:  It inspired the now-famous carol of today's blog-post - "Do You Hear What I Hear?"

Wikipedia reports that in a musical plea for peace, the song written by Noel Regney and Gloria Shayne Baker, husband and wife a the time, the song came upon an invitation by a record producer for a Christmas song.  Not first sung by Bing Crosby, his rendition made it a hit.  Since then, it has sold millions of copies and been released by many artists all over the world.




The world was (and it seems always has been) in chaos, filled with violence and fear.  But the Nuclear threat at the time of its writing had never been greater in America.  Today, terrorism has replaced the nuclear threat, and peace still seems so far away from so many, making the song very popular 50 years later.  


But the song points to the only peace any heart can know - the peace of God that passes all understanding.  That peace comes to us through Jesus Christ.  At His annunciation, the angels said in Luke 2:10-14 (NKJV) "10  Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12  And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, 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, goodwill toward men!" 

The news was then, and still is this:  God desires to have peace with mankind.  He sent His Son to make that happen.  His Son is Jesus Christ.  Jesus was born that first Christmas so He would die that first Good Friday, and rise again that first Easter!  This is God's Peace Offering.  No one need to fear the judgment and wrath of God if they will but receive the Son of God, Christ, to be their Lord!  

Do you hear what I hear?  I hear the Father in Heaven pleading with you to take His peace offering to be YOUR Lord today!  He will set you free of sin, and forever unite you in love with God the Father.  Simply forsake your sin and turn to Jesus - the resurrected Savior - and make Him your Lord.  

And that's Just a Thot for Today.  Merry Christmas!

ANGELS, FROM THE REALMS OF GLORY

Ah, the beauty of our hymns!  They tell the stories of the Bible, put them to music, and through it all, bring out the marvelous, often spectacular wonder of Jesus Christ.  Whether people these days will consider it or not, the Bible is the True Story of God's dealing with mankind - and the result of faith is worship!  

Today's Hymn, "Angels, From the Realms of Glory" is a result of believing the Bible's account of the coming of Christ.  I hope you enjoy it - and are inspired by it when you next sing this hymn.

"This hymn was written by James Montgomery (1771-1854), who was born in Scotland of Irish parents.  His father, John Montgomery, was a Moravian pastor––apparently the only Moravian pastor serving in Scotland at the time.

"Montgomery's parents felt a call to serve as missionaries on the island of Barbados, West Indies, in the Caribbean.  When James was only five years old, his parents departed for the West Indies, leaving James with a Moravian group in County Antrim, Ireland.  His parents died in the West Indies a few years later, so James never saw them again.  One wonders how well he remembered his parents––and whether he resented them for abandoning him at such an early age.

"The Moravians made it possible for James to enter Fulneck Seminary in Yorkshire, but that turned out to be a bad fit.  James had the soul of a poet, and poetry was banned at Fulneck.  In 1787, he apprenticed himself to a baker, which also proved unsuitable.  He bounced from pillar to post during his late teens.

"But in 1792 he began working for Joseph Gales, who published the Sheffield Register, a local newspaper.  Gales supported a number of radical causes, and in 1794 was forced to flee to Germany to avoid prosecution.  Montgomery, although still in his early 20's, was able to gain control of the newspaper, and changed its name to Sheffield Iris.  Under his leadership, the paper continued its radical bent for more than three decades––advocating such seditious causes as abolition.  Montgomery was twice imprisoned for his editorials, but his imprisonments only added to his popularity.

"As a young man, Montgomery drifted from the faith, but as he matured he returned to the Moravian church and became an advocate for Christian missions.

"On Christmas Eve, 1816, Montgomery was reading the second chapter of Luke, when these verses captured his attention:

"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, KJV).

"Montgomery was inspired to write this hymn, which he wrote quickly and printed in the Christmas Eve edition of his newspaper.  Each verse of this hymn speaks to the nativity from the perspective of a different group of people."

• Verse 1 is about the angels, who are urged to "proclaim the Messiah's birth." 

• Verse 2 is about "Shepherds in the fields abiding."  It includes the phrase, "God with man is now residing"––an allusion to Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:23, which speak of a virgin conceiving and bearing a son whose name will be Emmanuel, which means "God with us."

• Verse 3 is about "Sages," the Magi or Wise Men, who are urged to "Seek the great Desire of nations"––an allusion to Haggai 2:7, which in the King James Version reads:

"And I will shake all nations,

and the desire of all nations shall come:

and I will fill this house with glory,

saith the Lord of hosts."

• Verse 4 expands the vision to "Saints"––a word that in the New Testament applies to all Christians.

• Verse 5 further expands the vision by urging "All creation" to praise "God, the Father, Spirit, Son."[1]

---

[1] From the Internet:  http://www.lectionary.org/HymnStories/Angels%20from%20the%20Realm%20of%20Glory.htm, 12/2/15.

"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!

Angels Are Not Gods

Bible Reading: (Hebrews 1:14) Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

Angels have gotten a lot of attention in recent years. Cute little cherubs sitting on nick-nack shelves reveal chubby boys or girls with rosy cheeks and dimpled smiles sporting golden wings and harps. These are the angels spoken of by bumper stickers that tell us we are protected by them. Maybe its for this reason that so few actually believe. Yet, those who do have elevated angels to the role of god - and look to the angels, not the Savior, for salvation from any and all circumstances.

The biblical picture of angels is quite different - and wonderful. Angels aren't wimps. Their power is real and it is great, but it is limited. Their appearance is stunning and glorious, but it is overshadowed by the glory of God. They are not the creator, but the creature. When seen by any biblical person, that person was tempted to bow to the angel; and then instructed to rise and bow only to God. What a thought! What a lesson!

Angels are ministering spirits - at the command of the Almighty. They definitely serve the saints - Believers. They are interested in what we have (salvation, redemption, forgiveness of sin) because they will never have it. They will one day be the subjects of our judgment (we will one day judge the angels). Angels are not the focus of God's creation - man is. Christ did not die to save angels, but lost men. God is still over the angels.

Angels serve in many ways, not just protection. They anointed Isaiah's lips with hot coals. They usher the saints into the throne room, and escort them about heaven as they did John in Revelation. They rejoice when a single sinner repents. They all bow before the Father and the Son, and they unite to speak His praises around His throne. Many times we serve angels who appear to be people; and we are unaware of them when we do it.

Angels are dignitaries, yes. But angels are emissaries from a greater nation - the nation of Heaven. We should thank the Lord for making and sending such a mighty army of servant-warriors who operate in realms unseen on our behalf that we might be free to do the will of Him who sent them in the first place. Let us take our eyes off of the angels and place them with rejoicing in our hearts upon the One to whom we all answer - angel and man alike: Our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Lord!

Bro. Greg