Jesus Savior King and Creator

John 1:1-3, 14  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made...And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. ESV

What kind of a God is this that would become flesh and live among us? Well, the kind of God that God is not for us to decide. God is who He is, and we can't change that. We can't change who God is. But we can seek His help in learning what He wants us to know about Himself.

Indeed, becoming born as a baby was a way for us to come to know more about God than any of what had been spoken and written by prophets over many centuries.

If we want to come to know God we have to come to know Jesus. We need to know about His birth, His life, His teachings, His miracles, His death on the Cross, His resurrection, and His return to Heaven. We can learn these things from the written word, the Bible.

The things we learn about Jesus we can ponder, and believe, and even sing about.

Today I came across this song, You're Here, by Francesca Battistelli. I hope you'll be blessed by it.

Every Way Of A Man is Right In His Own Eyes

Proverbs 21:2-3  Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart. To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.  ESV

People are stunned and grieved by the tragedy in Newtown, CT. How could anyone be so cruel and heartless as to break into an elementary school and murder children and adults?

Adam Lanza must have thought about what he did before he went into that school. Apparently he got the weapons at his mother's home, and first used them to kill her. Then walked with the weapons to the school to do the rest of the killing. As difficult it is for us to comprehend why anyone would do such a horrendous things, it seems Adam Lanza was doing what what right in his own eyes.

God tells us how to live. We're to love Him with all our mind, heart, soul and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. But people think they know better than God. They do their own thing. They do what they think is right for them. They don't want others telling them what they can or can not do. They especially don't want to be told by God what to do.

Some of the things people do that are right in their own eyes seem to be harmless to most people. But other things result in hurt feelings. Or broken relationships. Or divorce. Or any number of other sins that are as offensive to God as to anyone else.

 Let us all repent of doing whatever we feel like doing that is right in our own eyes with no regard for what God says in His Word. Let us learn what is right in God's eyes from His Word and seek His help to do that. Not to earn forgiveness, which we are unable to earn on our own, but in thanks to God for sending His Son to die for our sins.

I pray for those hurting families in Connecticut. And I pray that we will all seek to learn better to do what is right in God's eyes rather than what is right in our own eyes.

There are Hymnns We Seldom Hear

This afternoon I went searching for Christmas hymns that were not the typical ones that are song today. The birth of Jesus was a turning point in the history of mankind, and so there have been many songs written about Him. Some are quite popular, and others are unknown to most people.

Today I'll share a video of the hymn Once In Royal David's City, written by Cecil Frances Humphreys Alexander in 1848, with music by Henry John Gauntlett in 1849. I hope you will be blessed by it.

Where Is It Appropriate To Sing About Jesus?

Earlier today DebbieLynne had a video of a Christmas Flash Mob singing at a mall. They weren't singing "Jingle Bells" or "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer." They were singing about Jesus and His birth.

Singing hymns and other songs about Jesus usually is limited to churches or the homes of Christians. But Jesus is the one who made all of Creation. (See John 1:3) Therefore I believe that anywhere in all of creation it is an appropriate place to sing praises to Jesus.

Unfortunately, many people oppose even the mention of Jesus, especially in public places. But the group who performed that flash mob event wanted to share their joy about Jesus with others who wouldn't be likely to stop by their church.

There was a time when groups would sing Christmas carols throughout their neighborhoods, going from house to house. This year a group from our church went to a hospital to sing carols for a man who couldn't get to church because of health problems. Both he and others at the hospital got to hear the carolers singing songs about the birth of our Lord Jesus.

Jesus is worthy of our praise. It is good to talk about Him and sing about Him. I hope there will be more of both for the rest of this Christmas season and throughout the year.

I hope you will enjoy this Youtube video of the Christmas Flash Mob by Journey of Faith at the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach, California, which took place December 24, 2010.

About Jesus and the Chrstmas Shoes Song

The birth of Jesus was incredible because He who was God (John 1:1) became flesh and lived among us (John 1:14). This same Jesus died on the Cross, resurrected never to die again, and returned to Heaven.

Those who believe and trust in His atoning sacrifice as full payment of their sins can live and die knowing they will be with Jesus for all eternity. You can have that faith whether you are very young or very old. You can have that faith whether you are a graduate of a great university or have no formal education at all. You can have that faith whether you have much material wealth, and have barely enough to get by.

Those of us who love Jesus as our Savior and Lord also enjoy songs about Him. One such song I very much like lacks the wonderful teachings that many hymns contain but it does touch my heart. It's a song called The Christmas Shoes. It was song by the Christian vocal group NewSong and was released through Benson Records as a bonus track on their 2000 album Sheltering Tree.

As much as I like this song, I can't bear to listen to it very often, since I'm unable to listen to it with dry eyes. But it's good to listen to it at this time of year when we can get caught up in what gifts we should be buying for those we love, and wonder about what gifts we might  be given.

If you think you can bear it, you can listen to The Christmas Shoes. But keep a tissue handy just in case your eyes water a bit.

Emmanuel -- God With Us

When God sent His Son to be the Savior, He was wasn't quite what many Jews were expecting. But God always knows what He is doing and why He is doing it.

There was a purpose that Jesus was born in very humble settings, with shepherds being among the first to be told of His birth, and to come and see Him lying in a manger.

There was a purpose that Gentile wise men would see a star and search for the newly born King that they might honor Him with their gifts.

Even when Jesus grew up and spoke great truths and did amazing miracles, some still would not accept this was the Messiah. Some did. Many did not.

Today there are Jews who have heard about Jesus, read about Him, and have come to believe in Him as their Messiah, Savior, and Lord. I hope more will come to know the truth about Jesus. Jesus is indeed Emmanuel, God with us.

Song About Mary's Boy Child

Many years ago, when I was still in my teens and twenties, I enjoyed listening to a local Boston radio station that played popular music. At Christmastime there was one song that they played which I especially liked, and I'm going to share it with you today.

The song is "Mary's Boy Child" which was written by Jester Hairston in 1956. It's been song by a variety of performers, but it was the version done by Boney M that was the one that I enjoyed the most.

I'm not going to write a lengthy post today. I just invite you to listen to the song all the way through, and remember that the birth of Jesus does give us hope. If we will accept what He did for us, we can spend eternity with Him. If we accept Jesus as our Savior and our King, we will indeed have something great to sing about.

By the way. Be sure to look at the shadow on the manger displayed at the start of the song.


Sit back. Relax. And enjoy "Mary's Boy Child - Jesus Christ" as song by Boney M.

What Do We Give to Jesus?

If you have been following this blog recently you know that I've been sharing Christmas hymns and songs in my posts. Today I'll do the same, but not a hymn or song telling actual details of that amazing time when Jesus was born. Instead I'll share the "Little Drummer Boy" song, even though no such boy is ever mentioned in the Bible.

The birth of Jesus was extraordinary. Angels foretold and then proclaimed the event when it took place. Wise men were led by a star from the east, bearing expensive gifts to honor the one who they understood to be the new king of the Jews.

Jesus, the Son of God, had been born as a baby so that He could grow up, teach great things, demonstrate His diety in many ways, and then die on the Cross as a sacrifice to atone for our sins. He did what we could not do for ourselves. He is worthy of our thankfulness. He is worthy of anything we can do for Him to show our appreciation.

I guess that's why I mist up when I hear the Little Drummer Boy song. The little boy knew he was poor. He had no gift to give. But he wanted to do something. So he did what he could, he played his drum for the baby Jesus.

Jesus deserves whatever good thing we can do for Him. Maybe we can only do a little. Maybe we can do a lot. But we should not hold back. We should do whatever we can do.

But how can we do things for Jesus, now that He has resurrected from the dead and ascended back to Heaven. You'll find the answer to that question in a teaching Jesus gave that is recorded in Matthew 25:
"And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'" Mat 25:40 ESV

What are we giving to Jesus today? What are we giving and doing for those He calls His brothers? Is it our best? Let's think about it as we celebrate His birth, and enjoy the songs we sing this time of year.

Below is a video of the song about an imaginary boy who did what he could for Jesus. I appreicate Katherine K. Davis, Henry Onorati and Harry Simeone for having composed the words and music for The Little Drummer Boy in 1958.It reminds me that I need to do what I am able to do for Jesus. I need to give Him the best I can give Him.

What Child Is This?

When Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph were away from home. The town they were in at the time was Bethlehem, and it was crowded. So when Mary gave birth to Jesus, the best they could do for Him was lie him in a manger, an animal feeding trough.

Why was Jesus born in such humble circumstances? Perhaps one reason was because God wanted shepherds to be His first visitors. After all, Jesus was the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world. He was also the Good Shepherd.

Shepherds were not considered high class respected members of society. They would not have been welcome in a fine home if they showed up in the middle of night to see a new born baby. But God wanted shepherds to be among the first to see Him come in the flesh as a baby. Therefore He saw to it that He would be in a very humble setting where shepherds could come, see, and be amazed that what the angel had told them was indeed true.

God knows what He is doing. He always has, and always will do what is best according to His plan and purpose. We need to pay more attention to Him, and what Scripture tells us about Him. And since He is worthy to be praised, it is a good thing to sing about Him.

Some Came to Worship Him -- Some Were Troubled

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him."  When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him;  Matt 2:1-2 ESV

In a recent post on this blog I wrote about the shepherds who were told by an angel about the birth of Jesus. Those shepherds then went into Bethlehem and found the baby in a manger, just as the angel had said.

The shepherds weren't the only ones who came to know that Jesus had been born and was no ordinary baby. There were men from the east who had seen a certain star rise in the sky and somehow knew that it was related to the birth of the king of the Jews. They came a great distance to worship him. But when they arrived in Jerusalem, where it would be reasonable for them to expect a new born king of the Jews would be, nobody there had news of such a royal birth.

We don't know a lot about those men from the east, but they did come with the right attitude. They came to worship, to honor this new king. When they couldn't find him on their own they asked the people in Jerusalem, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?" But no one in the city had even heard that such a king had just recently been born.

When King Herod heard that men from the east were looking for a newly born king, he was troubled. He knew he was not of the line of David, and had no real right to be on the throne. If there was a true royal descendant of David, the people might rise up and accept him their new king.

King Herod was not the only one who was troubled by this report by the men from the east. All Jerusalem was troubled with him. A newly born king might complicate their lives more than they already were. If even a young child was proclaimed to be the rightful heir to the throne, no telling what difficulties would arise within the political and social systems that were currently in place. Would it mean more trouble with the Romans?

The wise men were right to be looking for the new king so they could worship him, even if they didn't have a clear understanding of how much of a King He truly was. Jesus was worthy of their worship, and worthy of the gifts they brought. It would also be good for us to realize how worthy Jesus is of our worship and whatever gifts we can give Him.

King Herod and the people of Jerusalem were also right to be troubled. If they were not going to seek Jesus to honor Him, then they had good reason to be troubled. Jesus had been born humbly. He would live and then die on a cross with great humility. We needed Him to be the sacrificial lamb to die in our place for our sins. But Jesus was then and is now still God of all. And He shall return. And there will be judgement. And then there will be a great many who will be troubled. Greatly troubled.

Let's follow the example of those wise men. Let us worship Jesus as our Savior and Lord. If we do, then we won't have to be troubled when we come before Him.

Mary...What Did She Know?

"... the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary.  And he came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!"  But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.  And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,  and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.
 (Luke 1:26-35) ESV

In my blog post yesterday I wrote about how the shepherds were afraid when the angel appeared to them with great light in the middle of the night. Angels sent by God in ways that can be seen by people are quite unexpected and when that happens it is normal for people to be afraid.

When the angel Gabriel was sent by God to Mary, she was greatly troubled. She was scared. She did not know what was about to happen.

What Gabriel spoke to her were words to calm her fears. And they were words to cause her to wonder. She was told she had found favor with God. And, even more amazing, she was told she would give birth to a son and was to call him Jesus, and that He would be called the Son of the Most High.

The words of the angel may have calmed her fears, but she still did not understand how what He had said could be true, for she was a virgin. Well, she got her answer. And I believe it is an important answer for us to know about. She was told that the Holy Spirit would come upon her, and therefore the child to be born would be called holy -- the Son of God.

The name that the baby was to be called was Jesus, which means God is the Savior. For Jesus to be our Savior, and die on our behalf for our sins against God, He had to be one of us, a real flesh and blood man, and yet be perfectly sinless, so He had to also be God in the flesh. Jesus was and is both Son of Man and Son of God. He is the Savior we needed, and He came and did what we needed.

Mary had been told incredible things by the angel Gabriel. She knew the baby she would giver birth to would be extraordinary. But even with knowing that, there was much she would not know until that baby grew up and began to demonstrate how much He was the Son of God, and could do glorious things.

From the time the angel told Mary she would give birth to Jesus, to when He was born in Bethlehem, to His years of childhood, and to His years of ministry, then death on a cross, followed His resurrection, Mary continued to learn more about Him.

Learning more about Jesus is a good thing. Getting to know Him should be the focus of our lives. That is why it is good to read about Him in the Bible. And that is why it is good to sing about Him.

The Night The Shepherds Were Afraid

One night, more than 2,000 years ago there were certain shepherds keeping watch over their flock. I expect they were on the look out for animals or thieves who might sneak in and take away one or more of their sheep.

But what they saw that night wasn't a wolf or robber creeping in the darkness. No, they didn't have to strain their eyes that particular night. What they saw was bright, very bright, and it frightened them.

Today we sing about that event. But at first those shepherds did not feel like singing when the angel of the Lord appeared. If they knew it was an angel, they probably also knew it could mean judgment. Had God sent an mighty angel as an agent of His wrath?

But, thankfully, that angel had words from God which called for rejoicing rather than trembling. Those humble men were the first to be told that the birth of the savior, the messiah, the Lord, had taken place.

Indeed that was glorious news for those shepherds, as it is for us today. Indeed, it is news worth singing about.

Why Celebrate the Birth of Jesus?

As we approach December 25 many of us are thinking about what gifts to give to members of our family. We're also enjoying the decorations that are going up around town. We even give thought to what gifts others might give us for Christmas.

As nice as those things are, we ought to remember that even we don't know the exact day of the year Jesus was born, the day is supposed to when people celebrate that He was born. That is why it is good that there are songs that remind us of that.

One such song is O Holy Night, a Christmas carol composed by Adolphe Adam in 1847. As we listen to the words of this and other Christmas carols we hopefully will be reminded of Who Jesus is and therefore why we should celebrate not only His birth, but also His life, death, resurrection, and eternal lordship.