VICTORY IN JESUS

VICTORY IN

JESUS

As I sit here this cold afternoon, I look back over the years, and see how the Lord has brought me to this day, though many trials and struggles, but I see victory in all those times, and I see victory ahead. Here is a wonderful old hymn, which we sang with much joy when I was a child and we still sing it today, especially in the retirement home where we go to minister in song and sharing the Word. Oh, what a precious hymn, and I am sure you will remember singing it, so sing along as I share the history of this song, written so long ago in the midst of the hymn-writer’s suffering. It is an amazing testimony of one man’s victory, as he read and studied the Word, from his bed of pain. I hope you are blessed by this wonderful hymn once again.

“Eugene M. Bartlett is a legendary name in southern gospel circles. Born in 1885, he taught in singing schools throughout the South and founded the Hartford Music Company in 1918. He brought gospel music into churches large and small.

In 1939, when he was fifty-four, Bartlett had a serious stroke. Partially paralyzed, he was virtually confined to a bedroom. No more could he travel and encourage churches in their singing. No more could he teach students, as he loved to do.

But he could still study the Bible. Writing was laborious; he struggled to put words down on paper and to put notes down on a score. But that’s the way he wrote his last song, “Victory in Jesus,” a song not only filled with hope and cheer, but also with solid theology gleaned from his Bible Study.” (“Hymns” by Petersen)

VICTORY IN JESUS

I heard an old, old story, how a Savior came from glory, how He gave His life on Calvary to save a wretch like me, I heard about His groaning, of His precious blood atoning, then I repented of my sins and won the victory.

O victory in Jesus, my Savior, forever, He sought me and bo’t me with His redeeming blood. He loved mere I knew Him, and all my love is due Him, He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood.

I heard about His healing, of His cleansing pow’r revealing, how He made the lame to walk again and caused the blind to see; And then I cried, “Dear Jesus, come and heal my broken spirit,” and somehow Jesus came and bro’t to me the victory.

I heard about a mansion He has built for me in glory, and I heard about the streets of gold beyond the crystal sea; about the angels singing, and the old redemption story, and some sweet day I’ll sing up there the song of victory. Eugene M. Bartlett (1885-1941)

Yes, we have heard the story how our Lord Jesus came as a baby in the manger. And He came to become the living sacrifice, the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world. We read of His suffering on the cross and His glorious resurrection. And we remember the day when we repented of our sins and won the victory over our sin. I remember that day so well, as a child of 10 years old, and how my life changed, and have loved Him all these years.

And oh, the Bible stories, the stories of Jesus walking among the people with great compassion, healing the sick, the lame walked, blind eyes were able to see. And today, our Precious Lord still heals the sick, and heals our burdened souls, whatever the need may be, and brings the victory! Oh, Praise the Lord!

And because of the cross, and His glorious resurrection, we have a home in heaven. He has promised each one of us a mansion and to live with Him for eternity. We will live with Him and there will be no more pain, sorrow or tears. We will have fully won the victory, at last!

And where are you today, my friend? Can you look back and claim victory as you have walked with Jesus? Or have you lost the joy of walking with Him. Or maybe you are reading this and have never met this wonderful Savior. He is waiting for you with open arms, arms ready to receive you into His kingdom. All He asks is that you repent of your sins, and make a decision to follow Him. And you too, will have “Victory in Jesus.”

In Jesus’ Name,

Pastor Sharon

HOLY, HOLY, IS WHAT THE ANGELS SING

HOLY, HOLY IS WHAT THE ANGELS SING

 

As we were sharing in a recent Bible Study, we were reading the scripture in I Peter 1: 12, which talks about our great salvation, and the things prophets shared beforehand and “which angels desire to look into.”

 

And I remembered a hymn from my childhood. I even remember the man who sang it as a solo. It always intrigued me as a child, that the angels would actually fold their wings, as they hear our redemption story.

 

It has meant much to me over the years. I miss these old hymns which meant so much to us so many years ago. Most of them are not even in our hymnbooks today. It takes research to even find the lyrics. I believe our young people today are missing out so much by not being exposed to the great hymns in our hymnbooks and the great ones that are not sung any more.

 

There are great praise songs and choruses that are a blessing, but let us go back to the hymns which speak so much of our salvation and the work of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Here is that wonderful hymn, written by Joseph Oatman, Jr. who wrote many of our great hymns in the past. Some of you may also remember this old hymn from your childhood, so be blessed!

 

HOLY, HOLY, IS WHAT THE ANGELS SING

 

“There is singing up in heaven such as we have never known, where the angels sing the praises of the Lamb upon the throne; their sweet harps are ever tuneful and their voices always clear, O that we may be more like them while we serve the Master here!

 

REFRAIN: Holy, holy, is what the angels sing, and I expect to help them make the courts of heaven ring; but when I sing redemption’s story, they will fold their wings, for angels never felt the joys that our salvation brings.

 

But I hear another anthem, blending voices clear and strong, “Unto Him who hath redeemed us and hath bought us,” is the song; we have come thro’ tribulations to this land so fair and bring, in the fountain freely flowing He has made our garments white. REFRAIN

 

Then the angels stand and listen, for they cannot join that song, like the sound of many waters, by that happy, blood-washed throng; for they sing about great trials, battles fought and vict’ries won, and they praised the great Redeemer, who hath said to them, “Well done.”  REFRAIN

 

So, although I’m not an angel, yet I know that over there I will join a blessed chorus that the angels cannot share; I will sing about my Savior, who upon dark Calvary, freely pardoned my transgressions, died to set the sinner free.” REFRAIN

 

Oh, my heart rejoices that my sins are forgiven, and someday I will join in that mighty throng of believers down through the ages, praising my Lord forever. Can you imagine that day? Oh,

 I  believe it is soon that we will join those multitudes praising around the throne.

 

“And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia” For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!” Revelation 19:6.

 

And as we gather in that mighty blood bought throng, we will sing about the battles won and the great victories that were won, as we served our Precious Lord! Oh, I so pray that you, out there will be in that multitude, singing praises to our God who has redeemed us and bought us for all eternity. You can ask Him in right now, He is waiting for you. He will pardon your sins and wash you white in the blood of the Lamb. You don’t know what tomorrow holds or even the next hour. You need Jesus!

 

In Jesus’ Name,

Pastor Sharon

 

MY JESUS, THE VERY

THOUGHT OF THEE

Oh, the great love of Jesus! Just thinking about Him makes me want more and more of His presence, to feel His embrace. I look back down the years and see His footprints all the way, guiding, protecting and loving me just as I am.

We live in such a day when men are rejecting the very God who created them and who loves them. We see terror and violence all around this troubled nation and our world. And men’s lives are filled with sadness and grief. I cannot imagine my life without my Lord and His love surrounding me. And I think of you out there, wondering if you are feeling the same way. The darker the world gets, the more we want to just cling to Jesus and lay our head on His breast and let the storm blow around us, safe and protected by the “Everlasting Arms.”

I was thinking along these lines when the thought came to find a hymn that reflects His love in these troubled times, and how we can draw near to Him as we wait for His Glorious Appearing, and continuing to work for Him and living for Him day by day, and listening to His sweet voice, and staying in His Word and prayer. I was led to this old, old hymn that expressed how I am feeling this moment about my Lord, and pray that you, too, will be blest and drawn closer to Him.  Here is the story: Jesus, The Very Thought of Thee.

This hymn was written nearly a thousand years ago in the middle of the time we sometimes call the Dark Ages. It was a dark time because it was riddled with extensive corruption among the leaders of the nations as well as leaders of the church.

In such a time, the life of Bernard of Clairvaux shines brightly, “knowing God,” he said “Is a matter of the heart.” It was a truth that dominated his life. At a very early age he was drawn to spiritual things. Largely influenced by the piety of his mother. At the age of twenty-two he entered a monastery at Citeaux, and three years later he founded a monastery at Clairvaux and served as its spiritual leader until he died in 1153.

In spite of his many pressing responsibilities and frequent travel, Bernard never lost sight of what he prized most – the love of Jesus. God’s love was Bernard’s lifeblood, pulsing through everything he said and did. His knowledge of God was deeply personal, a mystical love affair that not only gave meaning to his life on earth but formed his vision of heaven. As Bernard said, “[God] is Himself the reward of those who love Him, the eternal reward of those who love Him for eternity.”  (“Hymns” by Petersen)

JESUS, THE VERY THOUGHT OF THEE

Jesus, the very thought of Thee with sweetness fills my breast; but sweeter far Thy face to see, and in Thy presence rest.

Nor voice can sing, nor heart can frame, nor can the mem’ry find a sweeter sound than Thy blest name, O Savior of mankind!

O Hope of every contrite heart, O joy of all the meek, to those who fall, how kind Thou art! How good to those who seek.

But what to those who find? Ah, this nor tongue nor pen can show; the love of Jesus, what it is

None but His loved ones know.

Jesus, our only joy be Thou, as Thou our prize wilt be: Jesus, be Thou our glory now, and through eternity. (Bernard of Clairvaux (1091-1153)

My dear friends, as I read the words in this precious hymn and the faith of this dear man, so many, many years ago, I only wish that I could live in the faith and love that this man did. Life is such a struggle sometimes, and we do live in troubled times as he did. We see that on every level. But so sweet to know that Jesus knows the desires of our hearts and how we long to draw in to His presence and let the world and its troubles go by. Don’t you long to feel His presence and to see His face?

“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I am also known” I Corinthians 13:12.

Yes, we only see Him dimly, by faith. We only know just a glimmer of eternity and what God has planned for we who love Him, but someday all will be made clear, Oh, praise the Lord!

And just speaking His name brings such sweetness: “Jesus, Oh how sweet the name, Jesus, everyday the same, Jesus, let all saints proclaim its worthy praise forever.”

And when we fall, He is right there lift us up, and to those who seek Him will find Him right there waiting with open arms. But to those who find Him, pen cannot tell the love that each one of His loved ones feel when safe in His arms.

And our prize, to feel His wonderful presence now, but someday face to face at last and for all eternity, and I can hardly wait, how about you? I pray that you, too, know the love of this Wonderful Savior, who died for us that we would spend eternity safe in His arms.

In Jesus’ Name,

Pastor Sharon

BE STILL, MY SOUL!

BE STILL, MY SOUL

 

New Year’s Day, 2016. The weather is clear and cold after a series of rain and snow.  As we look ahead to the year ahead, it is a path untrod, except by our Lord who has taken that path ahead of us, and He knows what lies down that path.

 

Will it be a year of pain and sickness? I, myself, have had two years of such, and look forward to a blessed year ahead. I look forward to returning strength and returning to the ministry God has given to me, the love of our precious seniors in nursing homes, foster homes and shut-ins. I look forward to once again laying hands of the sick and bringing hope into desperate hearts. There are many out there who are truly feeling hopeless at the beginning this year.

 

For some of you out there it will be a year of heartache and despair, some are fearful of the terror in our streets, schools and malls. Some of you may lose loved ones this year, or have recently lost a precious one. Christmas is a hard time for many, remembering past Christmases with their loved ones. Some of you are totally alone in this world now, and long for someone to come and just give you a hug and spend some time hearing your stories and enjoying your presence.

 

I pray that your year will be a year of joy, joy in the Lord. That you will fill His presence and His love in spite of any circumstances that may come into your life. Your life may be filled with cloudy days, but the Son is shining behind those clouds of grief or sorrow.

 

I am a lover of old hymns and their stories, and the verses that speak to our hearts. This song, “Be Still, My Soul is a new one to me, as I heard it in church last Sunday. I found the verses to speak to my heart, and wanted to know more about the history of this lovely song, that speaks to God’s people today, in troubled times.

 

It reassures His people that God is on our side no matter what lies ahead. It tells us that God does guide the future, and God stills the grieving heart. And it reassures us, as born again believers in our Lord Jesus Christ that the hour is getting late and someday we will be home with Him where all tears are wiped away.  Here is the story of that song:

 

“About a hundred years after the time of Martin Luther 1483-1546), Europe was in sad shape. The continent was racked by the Thirty Years’ War, which pitted Catholics against Protestants. The Lutheran Church had lapsed into formalism and dead orthodoxy. People had stopped going to church.

 

Then God raised up what is known as the Pietist movement, a movement that was characterized by music, personal holiness, and missionary zeal. In the midst of this time of turmoil and discouragement, Katharina von Schlegel noticed the verse in Psalm 46 that says, “Be still, and know that I am God.”

 

As God spoke to her, she wrote this great hymn. Whatever your circumstances, whatever your problems, you can find comfort in these great words.” (“Hymns” by Petersen).

 

BE STILL, MY SOUL

 

Be still, my soul; the Lord is on thy side; bear patiently the cross of grief or pain; leave to thy God to order and provide; in every change He faithful will remain. Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heavenly Friend through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

 

Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake to guide the future as He has the past. Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake; all now mysterious shall be bright at last. Be still, my soul; the waves and wind still know His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

 

Be still, my soul, though dearest friends depart and all is darkened in the vale of tears; then shalt thou better know His love, His heart, who comes to soothe thy sorrows and thy fears. Be still, my soul; thy Jesus can repay from His own fullness all He takes away.

 

Be still, my soul; the hour is hastening on when we shall be forever with the Lord, when disappointment, grief, and fear are going, sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored. Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past, all safe and blessed we shall meet at last.  (Catharina von Schlegel -1697-?)

 

I call to you, my dear friends, no matter what lies ahead in our walk with the Lord, don’t forget that “He will never leave you or forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:8).  He has the future in His hands, He sees the end from the beginning, and no matter who is President, He is still King! Praise the Lord!  And He still calms the storms in our lives, like He calmed the waves on the Sea of Galilee, “Peace, Be Still!”  And in the times of grief and tears, He comes to sooth our sorrows and fears.

 

And yes, the hour is hastening on, as the song says. Whether we go home to be with Jesus, or He comes to call His people home, we will forever be with Him, where all tears will be wiped away, and we will be forever with Him. I just pray that you have made that decision to accept Christ as your own personal Savior, as you don’t know what the next hour, or day will hold for you. Make that decision before it is too late. He is waiting for you. Then whatever the circumstances you can say “Be Still, My Soul,” and just rest in Him.

 

Blessings in Jesus’ Name,

Pastor Sharon

ARISE SHINE, YOUR LIGHT HAS COME!

“ARISE SHINE, YOUR LIGHT HAS COME!

“Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the LORD will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and the kings to the brightness of your coming” Isaiah 60:1-3.

As we spend Advent anticipating the light coming to the darkness, we are reminded

that we become a reflection of that light. Our responsibility does not end at

witnessing the birth of the light; we absorb that light and become lights ourselves.

As Jesus enters us, his light shines through us into the world.

The church has a terrible reputation of engaging in deceit and wickedness in the

shadows of our steeples. We hide our light, either to commit sin in secret or to hide

our sin in shame. If we are called to be light, and not to hide that light under a

“bushel basket”, then maybe we need to repent from cozying up to the darkness and

shine that light into our own lives.

Once we remove our own darkness, we can turn the light outward; shining into the

rest of the world. What might it look like for us to live as beacons of light for a

shadowed world? How might we be a refuge, our light drawing people afraid and

alone in the darkness?

I had a conversation with someone recently and she mentioned that the world is getting so dark with evil. And I shared with her that yes, the days seem dark spiritually, evil abounds, but our Lord promises that His light shines on and on, and someday that light will cover the earth. But for us who are believers, His light has come shines on and on.

“Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the LORD will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and the kings to the brightness of your coming” Isaiah 60:1-3.

The Prophet reminds us to arise, to get up and shine, for the Light of the World has come. And as we walk by faith in this dark world, we have the glory of the Lord shining upon us, and the world around us will see that light and that light will bring peace no matter how dark the world seems to be.

“Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” I Peter 1:13. He calls us in this time to set our hope fully on the grace that will be brought to us on the day we see Jesus face to face, to keep our minds fully on Him and not on the darkness around us.

Yes, as believers we have the light of the Lord Jesus Christ upon us, even though darkness seems to be covering the earth and its people. Hear the word of the Lord from Jesus Himself: “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master” Luke 35,36.

We are to keep our armor intact, standing, always in prayer, (Ephesians 6), and to keep that light He has given us always shining in this dark world, and always to be waiting for our Master, looking up, but reaching out to others in the darkness of sin.

As we continue to share the season of Advent, this season of light we have lit candle of Hope, Love and Joy and now we have lit our fourth candle, the Candle of Peace. In this world we sometimes wonder “where is our peace?”  Problems come into our lives that will shake us to the very core of our being. And sometimes it is just a phone call away.  We think everything is going well.  We are looking forward to Christmas and the New Year, and then we hear news that a Radiologist has found something suspicious and we are scheduled for more tests. 

But no matter what the test results may be, we as followers of our Lord Jesus know where our peace lies. We can run right into His arms with our problem and isn’t it wonderful to know that He is right there and is aware of the whole situation and whatever the future may hold and His light begins to shine again in our lives, we can bring that light and peace into this world of darkness, to those around us fearing who are fearing the darkness that is coming into their lives and this world.

As I was thinking about this, and what song the Lord would have me share, I was looking at our wonderful Christmas carols, and thinking of a song that would speak of the peace that He brings to us in these difficult times. Let me share with you the story of “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear”.

“Although he was a Unitarian minister, Edmund Sears believed in the deity of Christ.  He also believed in the angels’ message of “peace on earth.”

This hymn, written in Massachusetts in 1849, focuses on the angels’ song of “peace on earth.” Like many other hymns written in America during the mid-1800’s, it might be called a “horizontal hymn.” Such hymns called people to live well, to be at peace, and to honor God.  It seeks to encourage people who are bent “beneath life’s crushing load,” as the third stanza says, to stop and hear the message of Christmas sung by the angels.

Peace was a timely topic when Sears penned these words.  Tensions were rising in America, leading toward the Civil War.  But the peace promised by the angels is not only national; it is personal as well.” (Hymns by Petersen).

IT CAME UPON THE MIDNIGHT CLEAR

“It came upon the midnight clear, that glorious song of old, from angels bending near the earth to touch their harps of gold: “Peace on the earth, goodwill to men, from heav’ns all-gracious King!” The world in solemn stillness lay to hear the angels sing.

Still through the cloven skies they come with peaceful wings unfurled, and still their heav’nly music floats o’er all the weary world: above its sad and lowly plains they bend on hov’ring wing, and ever o’er its babel sounds the blessed angels sing.

And ye, beneath life’s crushing load, whose forms are bending low, who toil along the climbing way with painful steps and slow, look now! For glad and golden hours come swiftly on the wing: o rest beside the weary road and hear the angels sing.

For lo, the days are hast’ning on, by prophets seen of old, when with the ever-circling years shall come the time foretold, when the new heav’n and earth shall own the Prince of Peace their King, and the whole world send back the song which now the angels sing.  (Edmund Hamilton Sears)

The world during the time of Christ’s birth was a sad and weary world and a dark world.  The people were bowed down with the weight of Roman rule. There had been no prophetic word for 400 years, and they waited anxiously for their Messiah to come. And He came that night, The Prince of Peace, born in a lowly stable. The shepherds out in the fields of Bethlehem saw a wondrous event in the skies that night.  The skies lit up with His glorious light. The angels bending low announcing that He was here at last, our Gracious King.  And the world of the shepherds stopped for a moment in time in the stillness of that night to hear the glorious song of the angels. The Light of the World had come! “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men” Luke 2:14.

And today we live in a weary world with its turmoil and pain. And our Precious Lord calls us to stop in the rushing world of Christmas, the noise of traffic, the crowded stores, the business of the season and listen with our hearts to the song of the angels as they proclaim peace to our hearts. But it takes our willingness to just put aside all the noise of the season and hear the music of the skies.  He calls us to come away with Him, just sit in His presence and let the world go by. Can we do that? The babe of Bethlehem speaks of peace and joy to come. “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” John 14:27.

And this wonderful old Christmas carol calls us to praise Him! The angels proclaimed His birth and proclaimed peace to all men. We praise Him because, He as God, came to dwell among men, to bring peace in the midst of our cold, stormy, foggy days.  And we praise Our God for sending Jesus, and we praise Him for His great love, and we praise Him for our salvation and for the hope of eternal life. 

There in the manger was God in the flesh reaching out to all mankind.  So sing your praises, sing the wonderful carols and rejoice in God your King! Let Him bring great joy into your heart this season no matter what the days ahead may hold! And we can rejoice in the promise of His Second Advent, His soon return as “Prince of Peace.”

And we think of the wonderful “Gift” that was given. And into our hearts He places the hope of Heaven and all its joys. And when we seek Him with humble and repentant hearts, He enters in.  My dear friends, the door of salvation is still open, let Him enter and be your Lord and Savior. “For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you. And in the day of salvation I have helped you. Behold, now is the day of salvation” 2 Corinthians 6:2

If you do not know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, please don’t put it off. You don’t know what tomorrow holds, or even the next hour. Please don’t miss the call of the Savior. Let this Christmas be the time when you accept Him into your heart and be ready for whatever the days ahead may hold and be prepared to spend eternity with “The Prince of Peace.” And, Oh what Hope, Love, Joy and Peace He will bring into your life. So we make a call, “Come, Lord Jesus, forgive us our sins, abide with us!”  He is Emmanuel, God with us! And He comes, bringing the wonderful peace that only He can bring. In the midst of our trials, we can sing: Peace, Peace, wonderful peace, coming down from the Father above. Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray, in fathomless billows of love.  (Warren D. Cornell).

Are you bending under a heavy load right now?  Are your steps slow and painful?  Listen to the music of the angels, listen to the lovely carols, each and every verse We walk a weary road sometimes and He calls us to rest and listen with our hearts and minds tuned on Him, the Savior of the world. The One who came as that precious baby and remember that before Him was the shadow of a cross!

And yes, the days are hastening on quickly. The prophecies are being fulfilled, and the signs of that wonderful day coming are upon us. And our cry is as the prophet, as He proclaimed: “Oh that you would rend the heavens! That You would come down! That the mountains might shake at Your presence” Isaiah 64:1

We look up, keeping our eyes on the heavens and someday those heavens will open and Jesus will come! This time He will not come lowly and meek, as He came the first time, but this time He comes as the Conquering King of kings!  And we all look forward to that day when at last there will be continuing and forever “Peace on earth, goodwill toward men.” And we will join in joyful chorus around the Throne that joyful song of the angels! And we will walk in His light forever shining in His glory.

In Jesus' Name,

Pastor Sharon

COME, O COME EMMANUEL!

COME,  O COME EMMANUEL!

 

It is the second week of December, and the weather has been very cold.  But the season is upon us, warming our hearts with song “Joy to the World, the Lord has come.”  Everywhere the lights are bright and shoppers are crowding the stores looking for their special treasures.  And we see the beautiful colors of Christmas in our lovely decorations and trees.  And we sing those lovely Christmas carols which speak of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

We look at our nativity sets and see Mary and Joseph and sweet baby Jesus surrounded by shepherds and Wisemen and angels looking on.  And in our church we are celebrating the Advent season.  We light our candles each Sunday and ponder the meaning of each of five candles, three purple candles and one pink candle.  The last candle we will light will be the large white candle on Christmas Eve, the Christ Candle

 

On the first Sunday of Advent, we lit the candle of Hope. Hope is our assurance that God will finish all He has started. Hope is our confidence that He will do all He has promised. All the promises of God are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. He is our hope, today and forever! (2 Corinthians 1:20) Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:15)

On the second Sunday of Advent, as we think about the coming of Jesus Christ, we light the candle of love.

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us! (1 John 3:1)

This is how God showed His love:
He sent His one and only Son into the world
that we might live through Him. (1 John 4:9)

A new command I give you: Love one another.
As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
All men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another. (John 13:34-35)

On The third Sunday of Advent, as we think about the coming of Jesus Christ, we light the candle of joy. When Christ comes into our lives, He brings the fullness of joy. He anoints our hearts with the oil of gladness. (Isaiah 61:3 When Jesus was born, the angels said that His coming was good news of great joy for all people. (Luke 2:10) Because Christ has come to us,
we can live every day in the joy of the Lord. Praise to His name!

On the fourth Sunday of Advent, as we think about the coming of Jesus Christ, we light the candle of peace. Jesus Christ is our peace. (Ephesians 2:14) He is the Prince of Peace,
and the fruit of His presence is peace. (Isaiah 9:6; Galatians 5:22) Christ comes to bring justice, wholeness, and harmony to every relationship throughout all creation. He wants to continually grant us peace in every situation. (2 Thessalonians 3:16) Jesus, we pray, guide our feet into the path of peace. (Luke 1:79)

 On Christmas Eve, As we celebrate the birth of Jesus and rejoice in His coming to us,
we light the Christ candle, the white candle. Jesus Christ is our hope. He is our peace. Jesus Christ is our joy. He is love-- pure, holy, undying love.

Whoever believes in Him will never perish
but have eternal life (John 3:16)

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:15)

The first candle we lit was the “Candle of Hope and Prophecy.”  As we celebrate Advent we are remembering His first Advent, His first coming and the amazing prophecies that foretold of the Messiah and His coming.  The people in the days when Jesus came, were looking for the deliverer, the One who would free them from the Romans and sit upon the Throne of David once again.  But Jesus came not to be an earthly king, but to bring the Kingdom of God to reign our hearts, a spiritual kingdom.  But the people did not see that and rejected Him and He went to the cross to die, to shed His precious blood for you, for me. 

 

And He came to bring hope to a lost world and to each of us.  In this world many have lost their hope, but there is hope in Jesus, my friends.  The cry of ours hearts and the cry of the hearts of those in His day was “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel!

 

O COME, O COME, EMMANUEL!

 

“O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear.  Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

 

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free Thine own from Satan’s tyranny; from depths of hell Thy people save and give them victory o’er the grave.  Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

 

O come Thou Dayspring, come and cheer our spirits by Thine advent here; and drive away the shades of night, and pierce the clouds and bring us light! Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

 

O come, Thou Key of David come, and open wide our heavenly home; make safe the way that leads on high, and close the path of misery.  Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel. (Latin hymn from 12^th century)

 

In this wonderful old hymn we see the promise of His coming, and we see Emmanuel, God with us.  He would come and when He came He would bring salvation.  In the first verse we see captives in exile longing for Emmanuel to come.  And there are times when we feel that we are captives to our sin, and to pain and sorrow.  But Emmanuel will come and bring deliverance from our sin and that which enslaves us.

 

“There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.  The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of Knowledge and the fear of the Lord” Isaiah 11:1-2.

 

We see this wonderful prophecy of our Wonderful Lord as He would come.  He would be a “Righteous Branch” which would grow out of Jesse, David’s father.  He would come with wisdom, understanding, counsel and might, knowledge and the fear of the Lord.  This was the Messiah they were waiting and watching for, our Precious Jesus, the Messiah!

 

“Through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” Luke 1:78-79.

 

In God’s tender mercy, He was sending the Dayspring, the Messiah to visit us.  Those who sit in darkness, He came to bring light and life and to conquer death forever.  And He promises to guide us into a life of peace.  Oh, what a promise!  If you are feeling darkness closing in on your today, the Dayspring has come to light your path, to bring peace and joy and eternal life with Him forever.  Oh, what a precious promise!

 

As we celebrate Advent, we also are looking forward to His second advent.  And we look for our heavenly home.  And because of His death and resurrection, He has opened the way to eternal life.  And when He comes there will be no more sorrow, pain or tears.  And our hearts look toward the heavens and long for His coming at last!  O Come, O Come, Emmanuel!

 

In the Name of Jesus’

Pastor Sharon

 

BLACK FRIDAY? BUT THE LIGHT HAS COME!

BLACK FRIDAY?  BUT

THE LIGHT HAS COME!

 

 

I had a conversation with my daughter the other day and she mentioned that the world is getting so dark with evil. And I shared with her that yes, the days seem dark spiritually, evil abounds, but our Lord promises that His light shines on and on, and someday that light will cover the earth. But for us who are believers, His light has come:

 

“Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the LORD will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and the kings to the brightness of your coming” Isaiah 60:1-3.

 

Yes, as believers we have the light of the Lord Jesus Christ upon us, even though darkness seems to be covering the earth and its people. Hear the word of the Lord from Jesus Himself:

 

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” John 8:12.

 

Thanksgiving Day is coming tomorrow and I pray that you and your family will have a blessed day of giving thanks and praise to our Lord for the blessings He has bestowed upon us, namely His salvation and His gift of eternal life. And Friday is what we have come to be called “Black Friday.”  Many will stand out in the cold and dark waiting for those doors to open and looking for a bargain.

 

I want to now go back to another “Black Friday” so long ago.  And there were no long lines at shopping malls or waiting in parking lots.  In fact, on this day, 2000 years or so ago, there were crowds of people, but not out for a bargain.  This indeed was a dark day, a day of earthquakes and darkness when the sun refused to shine.

 

It was a day of suffering, intense suffering.  And as the earth trembled and the sky grew dark, there upon the hill were three crosses.  And on the middle cross was the Savior, Jesus Christ.  And there He was suffering for my sin, for your sin.  And of all Fridays to come down through the years, this was the blackest Friday in history. 

 

And there were crowds at the foot of the cross, crowds of men and women calling out curses at the One who was taking their sin on Himself.  And also at the foot of that cross were those who loved Him, and now felt helpless as they watched Him suffer and die there.  They thought He had come to overthrow the Romans and would set on the throne of David and bring peace to the world, and they just couldn’t understand why He would die and suffer such a cruel death.  And they felt they had lost all their hope in Jesus, the Messiah.

 

But it was “At the Cross” on that first “Black Friday” that we can kneel today as the price has been paid in full by the shedding of His precious blood. 

 

AT THE CROSS

 

“Alas, and did my Saviour bleed and did my Sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred head for such a worm as I?

 

At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light and the burden of my heart rolled away.  It was there by faith I received my sight and now I am happy all the day!

 

Was it for crimes that I have done He groaned upon the tree? Amazing pity, grace unknown, and love beyond degree!

 

Well might the sun in darkness hide, and shut His glories in, when Christ the mighty Maker died for man the creature’s sin.

 

But drops of grief can ne’er repay the debt of love I owe; here, Lord, I give myself away, ‘tis all that I can do.” (Isaac Watts)

 

People are running everywhere looking for that special price on a bargain they are looking for.  But I want you to know that another price has already been paid.  And it was paid, not for physical “things” that would soon decay and fade away.  But a price was paid for your eternal soul and for mine.

 

“knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:” II Peter 2:19.

 

We owed a debt of sin and it was paid in full on the cross on that “Black Friday.”  How can we comprehend the debt of love that our Saviour took to that cross?  As the song says so plainly, we give ourselves totally to Him as Lord of our lives and look forward to spending eternity with Him.

 

Yes, that day was dark, but three days later, the “Son” shone again!  The earth again shook, but on this day, our Saviour came out of the tomb shining brightly.  He conquered death and is seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven for you, my friend.  He has sent His Holy Spirit to dwell in our hearts by faith.  His precious Holy Spirit brings comfort and peace into our hearts as we walk with Jesus.  We may have dark days, but I am so glad that the “Son” still shines in our lives! The Light has come!

 

So on this “Black Friday” we remember the “Black Friday” so many years ago on Calvary, and we meet Him at the cross where our sins are forgiven, and we can praise Him for His great salvation.  Just stop in all your running around today and give Him praise with a grateful heart for all He has done and we can look forward to seeing Him face to face at last!

 

In Jesus’ Name,

Pastor Sharon