How Do I Feel This Christmas?

JOHN 1: 9The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

15(John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ ”) 16Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and ^b is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

How do I feel

This Christmas?

I don’t feel cheerful

But not quite blue

Sometimes I’m friendly

Sometimes grumpy too

Mostly I’m tired

When I should be thinking

Of You

.

Remember 

The star in the sky

Remember

The angels singing

On high

Remember

The Virgin Mary

She gives birth to You

I can’t remember

Cause I didn’t see

But You remember

Please remember for me

.

Show me the angel

Announcing glad tiding of joy

Show me the shepherds

Standing in awe 

Listening to heaven’s song

Show me the three kings

As they bow down before

The child king

Show me the joy of 

You coming down to set us free

.

Please remember for me

Cause I didn’t see

Sweet Virgin Mary 

Holding You close to herself

Remember Joseph

Who did all he could

To keep You safe

Obeying every angel

That came in his dreams

.

So how do I feel

This Christmas?

When I think of You

I’m cheerful

Even when I’m blue

When people aren’t friendly

Help me not get angry

Although I’m tired

I’ll think of You

Sweet Jesus, my Savior

Help me think of You

~

~

LUKE 1: 26In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

34“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

35The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called ^b the Son of God. 36Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37For no word from God will ever fail.”

38“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

~

MATTHEW 1:  18This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about ^d : His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet ^e did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

20But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, ^f because he will save his people from their sins.”

22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” ^g (which means “God with us”).

24When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

~

 LUKE 2:  8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14“Glory to God in the highest heaven,

and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

~

MATTHEW 2: 9After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

13When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

14So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”. . . 

19After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”

21So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, 23and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.

Monday Christmas: Worship the King

The last Christmas post before Christmas!  Merry Christmas!

“9After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.” ~Matthew 2

I follow the Light

In the Heavens so bright

And it leads on to the place

Where my King rests His head

I am overjoyed

I can hardly contain it

My Lord is here

The one I’ve been seeking

The one who will rule

Eternally

.

I offer to Him

Riches fit for a King

Gold beyond measure

Not comparable to the riches of Heaven

Frankincense and myrrh

Not comparable to the prayers He smelled

In the courts in Heaven

But it is all the earth can give

To one so magnificent as He

The King of the Ages

The King of Glory

.

Yes, He is just a child

But worship He deserves

The Light led us straight to Him

In all its wisdom and majesty

And how much more is He?

Oh, that one day all might fall down

Worship the King of kings

But alas, it is not to be now

The Lord spoke to me

In a dream of the night

He warned of that fox Herod

Of people who want my King dead—

But the time of sacrifice is not now

So I take up my friends

I take up my things

And away I return to my land

Still rejoicing

For the Lord called me worthy

To kneel before my King

Provided a Light

To guide me in the Way

And I will await His coronation

I long for that Glorious Day

~

“16When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.” ~Matthew 2

“3Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. 4The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand.” ~Revelation 8

13“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man,a coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” ~Daniel 7

“7So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, 8do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness, 9where your ancestors tested and tried me, though for forty years they saw what I did. 10That is why I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.’ 11So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ ” ~Hebrews 3

“1The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. 4It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

5Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:

“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,

but a body you prepared for me;

6with burnt offerings and sin offerings

you were not pleased.

7Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—

I have come to do your will, my God.’ ”

8First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. 9Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

11Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. 14For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

15The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says:

16“This is the covenant I will make with them

after that time, says the Lord.

I will put my laws in their hearts,

and I will write them on their minds.”

17Then he adds:

“Their sins and lawless acts

I will remember no more.”

18And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.” ~ Hebrews 10

Monday Christmas: Reactions to His Light

‘3When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

6“But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for out of you will come a ruler

who will shepherd my people Israel.”

7Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”’ ~Matthew 2

‘I will follow in the path

This Light does lead

Please tell me the place

Where I may honor Him

Worship Him

Forever more.’

.

‘What is this news

That comes to our ears?

Brought from Gentiles

Far far away?

We are pressed underneath

The Roman thumb

And they say a King is born today!

How can this be?

This cannot be!

What will become of us

If the Romans hear of it?’

.

‘We have studied the Scriptures

We know it through and through

Nothing has escaped our notice

We know everything it has to give

This King was foretold of

To be born in Bethlehem

So go and stop this thing

Do not let it remain.’

.

‘I am Herod

And I have been blessed

With a place of power

And now this threat has come

To tear down my tower

So I will squash it unawares

I will pretend to be an angel of light

But when given the chance

I will kill this king the Lord spoke of

This threat will not remain

This Light will be rendered meaningless.’

.

‘I will follow in the path

This Light does lead

I will go to this place,

Called Bethlehem,

Where I may honor Him

Worship Him

Forever more.’

~

“2The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” ~Isaiah 9

“9The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” ~John 1

“19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.” ~John 3

“5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” ~1 John 1

 

Monday Christmas: The Light Proclaims

I’ve decided to do my Christmas posts on Mondays, focusing on the Magi.  I hope it blesses you this season!

1After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magia from the east came to Jerusalem 2and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” ~Matthew 2

There is a light

High up in the Heavens

And I’ve seen something similar

Watched them a long time

But this is different

A different kind of light

A new message—

The King is born

Salvation has come!

.

I travel to meet Him

This Promised One

The One the stars speak of

That guide me to the place of promise

I go there to bow to Him

To give Him the richest gifts

Earth can give

Oh to gaze on His face!

To worship Him as King

As my Savior!

.

This star in the Heavens

Proclaims the Star of Salvation

This Light that has dawned on us

Tells of His crown of Light

I will follow in the path

This Light does lead

It will lead me to His side

Where I may honor Him

Worship Him

Forever more

~

“2The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” ~Isaiah 9

“1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” ~John 1

Ephesians 5:8

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light

1 Peter 2:9

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Isaiah 50:10

Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the word of his servant? Let the one who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the LORD and rely on their God.

Isaiah 60:19

The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.

Meditation on Christmas: Faithful Joseph

18This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

20But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

24When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. Matthew 1

Be you a faithful one
Joseph, Joseph
Be you honorable and kind
Pledged to be married
Yet finding your wife
To be with child
You had every right
To publically disgrace her
To stone her to death
You didn’t want it to be done
You were faithful
And kind

Come now to Joseph
Angel come in a dream
Tell this man the plan of the Lord
Who is this child
Within sweet Mary?
He is of the Holy Spirit
Sent of God
He is to be called Jesus
For He will save His people
Save them from their many sins

Be you a faithful one
Joseph, Joseph
Be you honorable and kind
You heard the word
Of the Lord
And you obeyed it through to the end
You took Mary as your own
And gave the child a name
Jesus
For He would save the people
Save them from their many sins
To you the Lord entrusted this to
To protect His child as He grew
Oh you were faithful
Joseph
You were honorable
You were faithful

~

’13When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
14So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”’ ~Matthew 2

“20But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
22Be merciful to those who doubt; 23save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.” ~Jude

Meditation on Christmas: The angel

26In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

34“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be calledb the Son of God. 36Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37For no word from God will ever fail.”

38“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. (Luke 1)

Why was Mary troubled
To hear that the Lord favored her?
Why was she perplexed?
Could it be that she knew the stories
Of God’s angels come
Who proclaimed things
Impossible for mankind?
The angel came to Gideon
And told him that he was strong
Although he was very weak
For he would deliver Israel
In the strength of the LORD
The angel came to Mary
And said she would give birth to a son
Although she was a virgin
The child would be given through the Spirit
For God can do the impossible
What He says will always come about
No matter what happens
Or who is involved
God is always
God

~

11The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. 12When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.”

13“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”

14The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

15“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”

16The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.” ~ Judges 6

Meditation on Christmas

“8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” ~Luke 2

This Christmas time
We remember
The birth of a boy
Sent down from Heaven
To Earth
A Heavenly Body
Become an Earthly Body
His Immortal Being
Become Mortal Flesh

And He came
Who knew no sin
To become sin on our behalf
And He came
Who knew no death
To suffer death on our behalf

And He did it for His love
For He loved us who deserve none of it
So that we who know sin
May be free of the slavery of sin
So that we who know death
May live with Him eternally
Death no longer holds sting for us His children
So that we who are mortal
May live eternal life
So that we who know earth
May live in Heaven with Christ

Oh for that day,
When all things of this world
Melt away
No more sin
No more pain
No more death
All that is worth having—
It is there!
All that is worth desiring—
It is there!
All that is beautiful—
It is there!
And oh so much more!
For we have all things good
In Christ our Savior!
In Christ our King!

~

“1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” ~Colossians 3

“4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” ~Philippians 4