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!
Contrary to popular opinion, God's greatest wish is NOT our
happiness, it's our HOLINESS. Jesus didn't die to make us happy, He died to
make us holy. He didn't forgive us so we could be free of guilty feelings, He
forgave us so we would be free of the penalty for our sin - eternal separation
from our righteous Creator.
A change in our lifestyle, interests, and pursuits is in order.
Before salvation, we lived for ourselves, we did ungodly things, and we were
unholy in our thoughts and our deeds. We had no hope of being able to do or
think rightly, godly, and purely. But God, in His mercy, sent Jesus to pay our
penalty on the Cross of Calvary. God in His grace, offers this truth to all
men, that those who receive salvation through Jesus Christ will learn to deny
the ungodliness and worldly lusts and live for the godly, rightous, and pure
ways of God. There really IS a way out of much of the pain of living in this
world - and it is by living for Jesus rather than self!
Titus 2:11-14 (KJV) 11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared
to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly
lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the
great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14 Who gave himself for us,
that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar
people, zealous of good works.
This means that the drug addicted, sex addicted, homosexual,
rapist, murdering, abortionist, lying, stealing, bitter, lonely, drunken,
judgmental, angry, hopeless, fearful, gluttonous, deviant persons in this world
have hopes of being made pure and right with God forever. The salvation that
Jesus brings is a salvation from all these things, not a means of gaining
happiness through them, or an excuse to continue.
But before you try to reform yourself to obtain that salvation,
you'd better think again. It is not in the deed that the sin resides. It is in
the desire! That means that you'll need to be made into someone you aren't!
And that is exactly what the grace of God is when applied to your life. God
makes you a new creature in Christ Jesus - complete with new desires, abilities,
and purpose in life.
2 Corinthians
5:17 (KJV) Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a
new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Suddenly, happiness is intertwined with holiness. What will now
make you happy is that God has made you holy! And you will work alongside the
Lord to grow in holiness.
Are you saved? Is living for Jesus an act of gratitude for His
grace to you by making you perfectly holy in God's sight (Your position in
Christ)? Are you living a more holy life today than you were yesterday (Your
practice in Christ)?
If not, will you take a moment and repent of your sins, and seek
the Lord's grace of forgiveness and ask Him to make you new today? Give
yourself to Him, let Him teach you what is sin, and purify you from it - for the
rest of your life. You will not be disappointed when holiness is your
aim.
That is Just A Thought for today. May the Lord bless you and
keep you as you practice these things.
I was watching an episode of "Walker, Texas Ranger" the other night when the
sleazy criminal wife-beater was furious about his wife going to a battered
women's camp. He said they "brainwashed her" there. It got me to thinking
about that term, "brainwashing." As if the healing process were somehow a bad
thing. As if the immoral thoughts of the criminal were somehow better than the
right thinking that comes from seeing the truth.
It's a funny thing when the world thinks of Christians as being brain-washed
- until you read the Bible. It sort of admits to it. But don't stop there.
The truth is, everyone was born in sin, and learned to think sinfully. Our
understanding was darkened, our concept of God was distorted, even twisted. Our
messed-up brains need to be washed!
Titus
3:3-7 says that we were once messed up. We did and though all sorts of
mean, hateful things, desiring things that may be good for us, but fulfilling
those desires in twisted, warped, and unwholesome ways. Then Jesus came because
God loved us and sent Him to us so that we might be saved from the penalty,
power, and one day the presence of those wicked things we were living and
doing. He "wash[ed] us" by making us new creatures and renews us through the
Holy Spirit (Titus
3:5). Then, after we've been made new, clean, and justified by the blood of
Christ, we offer ourselves to Jesus in eternal gratitude.
In Romans
12:1, that eternal gratitude should be expressed by offering ourselves as
living sacrifices - living for Jesus and sacrificing our own wants to meet His.
Not only is that giving Jesus every part of us, it is the example Jesus set as
He did ONLY that which His Father in Heaven wanted. True love serves, and does
not take. When Jesus loved us, He served us by meeting our sin-need. Then, in
thanksgiving, we love Him back by giving ourselves to meet His every desire for
us.
Romans
12:2 says that to do that, we must forsake this world - not following its
ways, and be changed by the renewing of our minds - continually letting our
minds be renewed by the Word of God, lest the old habits return.
So, I suppose it's a really good thing to finally be able to think straight,
thanks to the Lord. Now, dear friends, will you consider letting YOUR minds be
washed by the Word of God and be made a new Creature through Jesus Christ?
And that's Just a Thought for today! Have a blessed day in Jesus Christ!
