HOLD TIGHTLY TO HIS HAND

HOLD TIGHTLY TO HIS HAND

If ever a time we need to hold tightly to God’s hand it is now.  I think of His hands often.  I am reminded that His hands are nail-pierced for me.  His hands are the hands of the Creator.  As I look outside at those grey clouds I am reminded again of those hands who hold this world together.  With those precious hands He healed the sick, opened blind eyes and deaf ears.

“Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yet I will not forget you. See I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands: your walls are continually before Me” Isaiah 49:15-16.

Those hands, those precious hands are engraved with your name, my friend and mine.  He will never forget us. I am again reminded of an elderly man as I showed him this scripture to remind him how much God loved him.  “But that is millions of people” he said.  And as I left him that day he was still looking at his hands and amazed at God’s promise.

As I continue to recover and have needed an extra hand to help me along I have been looking at my husband’s strong hands, His hands are strong and sturdy to lead me along in this journey I am on at this time. His hands are loving hands.  His are hard-working hands and gentle hands who gently held three baby daughters and walked them also down the aisle in marriage. And we continue to walk hand in hand together ever mindful of Who has held our hands in His over these fifty two years.

And I am again reminded of my Wonderful Lord and how He has never changed and His hands have held me fast when the storms have come in my life and as the years roll on and it seems like some trials come back-to-back.  I could not find any stories of how this song was written but look at the words and hold tightly to His hand.

HOLD TO GOD’S UNCHANGING HAND

Time is filled with transition,

Naught of earth unmoved can stand,

Build your hopes on things eternal,

Hold to God’s unchanging hand.

Refrain:

Hold to God’s unchanging hand,

Hold to God’s unchanging hand;

Build your hopes on things eternal,

Hold to God’s unchanging hand,

Trust in Him who will not leave you,

Whatsoever years may bring,

If by earthly friends forsaken,

Still more closely to Him cling.

Refrain

Covet not this world’s vain riches

That so rapidly decay,

Seek to gain the heav’nly treasures

They will never pass away.

Refrain

When your journey is completed,

If to God you have been true,

Fair and bright the home in glory

Your enraptured soul will view.

Franklin l. Eiland

I look back over the years and see the changes time has made. When I was young I never thought about the years ahead.  After all time moved slowly it seemed. We were busy raising our children and didn’t give much thought to the fact of growing old.  But here we are in our senior years and time seems to be speeding up.  But I have learned to hold tightly to His hand.  He never changes or will ever let go of my hand.

He has promised in His Word to never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).  And we don’t know what the years ahead hold.  As we get older more of our friends and loved ones will leave us.  Some come to a place in life where no friends or family remain but there is a hand that we can cling to tightly, His unchanging hand!

The riches of this world will pass away.  We will take nothing of this world with us when we die.  But what we have done for Jesus will bring us treasures in heaven.  Whose hand are you clinging to this day?  Are you clinging to the possessions of this world?  I pray this day that if you feel like your world is falling apart and earthly friends have forsaken you, just reach up right now by faith and take His outstretched hand, as He reaches out to you.

And someday this journey will be over.  We who love the Lord will be welcomed home at last by the One who has held us fast over the years.  There will be eternal joy in His presence and gathered there will be loved ones and no more parting over there.  So my friends whatever happens in our lives we can cling to God’s unchanging hand.

In His Name,

Pastor Sharon

MOMENT BY MOMENT

MOMENT BY MOMENT

As I walk this path with Jesus trials will come.  There will be times of great storms and then the sky clears and I can walk along singing in His Wonderful presence.  The path is smooth for a time and I feel like I can’t do enough for my Wonderful Lord.  The future looks bright before me.

And then a great storm comes into my life and I am tripped up and this time literally.  This has been a time of much pain.  I have shed buckets of tears with surgery and again laid up for a time.  But here I am in spite of my right arm bound up, to come again and encourage you in the midst of the pain and sorrow many of you are going through right now. 

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in ant trouble, with the comfort with which we are comforted by God”  11 Corinthians  1:3-4.

Oh, thank You Father for your comfort!  Where would we be without You?  When these times of great testing come we are then able to take our experience in the midst of our own pain and turn around and minister to others in the midst of similar trials. As we minister this way, we discover that we have great compassion, which only comes from “The God of All Comfort.”

And we are kept in His love, not just daily or hour by hour, but moment by moment.  I awoke during the night with this very old hymn in my heart.  I don’t think I have heard this one sung in many years but the Holy Spirit knew that you out there needed His Word of encouragement.  Sometimes it is in the night hours, in the midst of pain that He drops His songs of comfort and love into our hearts.

MOMENT BY MOMENT

“Dying with Jesus, by death reckoned mine; living with Jesus, a new life divine; looking to Jesus till glory doth shine, moment by moment, O Lord, I am Thine.

Refrain:  Moment by moment I’m kept in His love; moment I’ve life from above; looking to Jesus till glory doth shine; moment by moment, O Lord, I am Thine.

Never a trial that He is not there, never a burden that He does not bear, never a sorrow that He does not share, moment by moment I’m under His care.

Never a heartache and never a groan, never a teardrop, and never a moan; never a danger but there on the throne He thinks of His own.

Never a weakness that He does not feel, never a sickness that He cannot heal; moment by moment, in woe or in weal, Jesus my Savior abides with me still.  (Daniel W. Whittle-1893)

It is such a wonderful life to walk with Jesus, but trials will come until we are home with Him shining in glory. And moment by moment I belong to Jesus. 

I was lying in the hospital bed from the 5^th floor tower as the lights began to come on around the hospital buildings and grounds.  Some of those lights were very bright and some were a little dimmer or further away.  I related those lights to my life as a Christian and walking with Jesus.  Some of us seem to shine brightly in the midst of great trials.  I have met some in my calls who, in spite of incredible trials,seem to shine even brighter with His peace.  Then some of us seem to falter under the load and our lights of peace and joy begin to fade.  We ask “why is this happening to me?”  We may falter especially when these things seemingly go on and on.

But we are reminded that there is no trial that He is not there.  He bears all our burdens and He sees your tears and your heartaches.  He hears your groans and your moans of pain.  As I mentioned I have shed so many tears and moans of pain in this latest trial, but He reminded me and He reminds you that He is there every moment.

I am reminded that He comes in unexpected ways.  After my fall we were in the Emergency Room waiting for assistance.  As I was there in the wheelchair I noticed a young man leaning against the wall praying.  I ask him if he was praying for me and he said “yes.”  We then met together with him in a corner there and he brought out his well worn Bible and ministered to me and my husband.  To me he was an “angel” sent by my Lord to dry my tears.

Moment by moment, what a comforting thought in times of tears and pain and times of peace and joy when the sun is shining down, that the “God of all Comfort” will be there no matter what comes our way.  And “Moment by Moment” you and I are kept in His love forever.  Praise His Name!

In Jesus’ Name,

Pastor Sharon

HIS LOVELY NAME

HIS LOVELY NAME!

As I am writing this today, I am thinking about the world around me today.  Our days here where we live continue to be filled with fog and cold.  There is no rain or snow in sight.  Some of our lovely lakes are dwindling down to a puddle, it seems. I continue to note faces I see and wonder what is going on in their lives. Some faces seem to speak of sadness and sorrow and many burdens to carry.  And many smile and go on their way, seemingly satisfied with their lives.  Many love the Lord Jesus despite the great trials they may go through. And I am thinking about the lovely Name of Jesus and the absolute power of His Name and how that Name holds this world together (Hebrews 1:3).

Many people strive to reach the top of success in their careers, wanting to make a big name for themselves.  But there is only one Name that outshines any name that man can make for himself on this earth. And at that Name someday every knee will bow to the most glorious name in all the universe (Philippines 2:9-11).

And in that Name, the precious Name of Jesus, is everything my heart desires.  He is the Lover of my soul, He is my Savior, my Redeemer, and I look forward to the day when I will at last see His face and dwell with Him in heaven forever.  Have you, my friend, experienced the absolute love of Jesus?  When we mention the Name of Jesus, do you comprehend how awesome is that Name? 

I heard a song on a CD and must share it with you.  My heart is overwhelmed within me as I read the words of this song.  Some of you may know this song and can sing it as you read the words.  As we think of the Name of Jesus, may you come to know how lovely is that Name, the Name of Jesus!

WHAT A LOVELY NAME

There’s a name above all others, wonderful to hear, bringing hope and cheer.  It’s the lovely name of Jesus, evermore the same, what a lovely name.

CHORUS:  What a lovely name, the name of Jesus.  Reaching higher far, than the brightest star.  Sweeter than the songs they sing in heaven.  Let the world proclaim, what a lovely name.

Thru His name there’s wondrous power, power to redeem, making sinner clean.  By His pow’r He cleansed the leper, opened blinded eyes, caused the dead to rise.

He’ll return in clouds of glory, saints of ev’ry race, shall behold His face, with Him enter heaven’s city, every to proclaim, what a lovely name.  (Charles B. Wycuff)

Are you walking through a time of fog in their life today?  Are you having trouble seeing Jesus through your tears of sorrow and pain?  Oh, what a lovely Name to part the clouds and bring hope and cheer!  He is Almighty God!  Christ is the all-powerful Lord, and absolutely nothing is impossible with Him!

And in the lovely Name of Jesus we can pray for the sick and those confined to bed, who in the past lived full lives serving Jesus.  I just came from a nursing home where I prayed over a dear saint.  And I am reminded of the compassion of Jesus for these dear ones.  This precious one had a lovely voice and sang her praises to Jesus, and now all I can do is read some scripture and pray in His lovely name and knowing that soon she will be home with Jesus and can lift her voice once again sing praises to her God!

In the Wonderful and lovely Name of Jesus is our Salvation. Through His death on that cross, He has power, through His death to redeem us from our sins by the cleansing blood that He shed.  And because of His resurrection, death is conquered and we have eternal life with Him forever.  As we read the Gospels in the New Testament we read of His power as he healed the sick and raised the dead, and of His great compassion and love.

When I think of that Lovely Name, I remember that He is the Messiah, He is our Redeemer, He is the Resurrection and the Life. He is our Great Shepherd, He is Bread of Life and He is the Bright and Morning Star and many other Names we can list that are found in the Name of Jesus!

And someday soon He will return in those clouds of glory.  And can you imagine with me what that reunion will be like as saints from all the ages, from every race and tribe will behold His lovely face.  I believe there will be a shout of joy from the millions gathered in the sky that will literally shake the heavens!  And we will gather around the throne shouting His praises forever and ever proclaiming “What a Lovely Name!”

“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice saying, “salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb!”

In the Lovely Name of Jesus,

Pastor Sharon

OH, COME THOU FOUNT OF BLESSING

OH, COME THOU FOUNT OF BLESSINGS

My thoughts today are of those who have been in a deep freeze these past few days.  Many are without power and are cold.  And in these times of winter, we can sink into despair and wonder where are help is coming from.  It is dark and cold here also but I know the “Son” is shining behind those clouds.  The rain and snow may fall, but we need to be reminded of our “Fount of Every Blessing.”

Our Fount of Blessing will bring the sunshine after the rain and snow, and Springtime will come again.  A day of hope will spring up again.

The hymn I want to share with you today has become my prayer and I pray that it will also become a song of your heart, a song of praise to your Lord Jesus Christ.  We are all prone to wonder from His loving care.  We have days when we don’t pray as we should or read our Bibles.  Sometimes it is easier to stay home from church than get up on Sunday and gather with other believers.  I want to share the story of the writing of “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing.”  It is a very old hymn, written in the 1700’s.

“Robert Robinson had always been prone to wander.  Apprenticed to a barber at fourteen, he spent more time reading and playing with friends than cutting hair.  He became the leader of a notorious gang, and he shamed his family so much they practically disowned him.

Then, still a teen, he went to a George Whitfield meeting, intending to ridicule it; instead he almost fell asleep in it.  But then the preacher shouted out a Bible verse: “O generation of vipers; who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come” (Matthew 3:7, KJV).  That evening Robinson was converted.  After his apprenticeship was over, Robinson went into the ministry.  He wrote this hymn at the age of twenty-three as he served at the Calvinistic Methodist Church in Norfolk, England.

Late in life, Robinson did stray from the faith and drifted far from the Fount of every blessing.  One day he was riding in a stagecoach and sitting by a woman who was reading a hymnbook.  She showed him the hymn, “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing, “saying how wonderful it was.  He tried to change the subject but couldn’t.  Finally he said, “Madam, I am the poor man who wrote that hymn many years ago, and I would give a thousand worlds to enjoy the feelings I had then.”  (HYMNS by Petersen).

COME, THOU FOUNT

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing Thy grace; streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise. Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above.  Praise the mount I’m fixed upon it Mount of Thy redeeming love.

Here I raise mine Ebenezer, hither by Thy help I’m come; and I hope, by Thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home.  Jesus sought me when a stranger, wondering from the fold of God; He to rescue me from danger, interposed His precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be!  Let Thy goodness like a fetter bind my wondering hear to Thee: prone to wonder, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love; here’s my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above. (Robert Robinson-1735-1790).

As I read this story, I wondered about this man and if he truly again found “His Fount of Blessing” before he died.  I like to think that maybe that dear lady sitting next to him led back to His Savior.

And our prayer today is calling for Him to “Come” to us.  He is our fount of every blessing.  He has promised to meet all our needs.  He is our Savior, our Healer, our Redeemer, our strength for every day.  I can’t begin to count the many blessings He has poured into my life.  His mercy and grace are like streams that flow into our lives.  And when we remember His mercy and grace we can then worship and praise our God.  He promises to give us songs in the night, and fill our days with never ending joy even in the midst of great trials that may come our way.

“Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying “Thus far the LORD has helped us” I Samuel 7:12.

The Lord had won a great victory for the Israelites over the Philistine army, and the Prophet Samuel had set this stone up as a reminder of the Lord’s help.  And we can raise our cry of help to the “Rock” Christ Jesus.  And the Lord will win the victory over the battles we may face.  Oh, we may go through some tough battles, but He is there, our “Ebenezer” our “Stone of Help.”  And when we were wondering from His fold, He shed His precious blood for our sins, and through His sacrifice, we now have a guarantee to safely arrive “Home” someday.

And our cry is to bind our wondering hearts to Him.  We are indeed prone to wonder, and to drift away from our loving God.  And I cry, and you cry, “Take our hearts and seal them, seal them for our heavenly home, the courts above.

Are you wondering from the folds of God today?  I am reminded of Jesus as our Shepherd who goes out for that one lost sheep.

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?  And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.  And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!” Luke 15:4-6.

Come today back into the fold of God, let your Shepherd carry you on His shoulders as all heaven will rejoice in your coming home to your precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

In Jesus' Name,

Pastor Sharon

THE TIME TO DECLARE HIS GREAT LOVE!

THE TIME TO DECLARE

HIS GREAT LOVE!

The Christmas Season has drawn to a close and decorations are being stored for another season.  And we can reflect back over the past year, with its trials, its joys and the road we have traveled with our Lord.  I am thinking back over the Advent Season and the promises that have been given to us in the lighting of the four candles and lastly, on Christmas Eve, the lighting of the large white candle, the Christ Candle.  Each of the four Sundays previous we lit candles of Hope, Joy, Peace and Love.  And each of the messages these candles bring we carry into the New Year.

In this New Year ahead is an unchartered path in each of our lives.  We don’t know what lies ahead for each of us, but as we walk with Jesus we have hope.  He is our hope for the future and each of our days.  Without His hope in our lives, life would be meaningless.  He came to bring us hope, hope for the future, and eternity with Him no matter what may happen in the days ahead.  And then, the joy that He brings into our lives and the songs that He drops into our hearts in worship and praise of our Wonderful Lord.  And along with hope and joy He brings peace that only He can bring.  This world will not offer us peace, but He is our Prince of Peace!  And we remember His love to us.  How can we fathom His love in sending His Son to die for each one of us, the very Lamb of God!  God is Love! 

And when I think of His love and this coming year and the changes that are happening in my own life at the moment, my heart longs to declare to Him how much I love Him.  And my desire is to love Him even more as this year goes on no matter what may happen in my own life.  And I pray that each one of you will have that desire to just draw closer to Him than you ever have been, having a deep longing for His presence.  To put aside the things going on in this world, and the struggles you are facing at the moment and just tell Him how much you love Him in grateful praise.

MY JESUS, I LOVE THEE 

“My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine, for Thee all the follies of sin I resign; my gracious Redeemer, my Saviour art Thou, if ever I loved Thee, my Jesus ‘tis now.

I love Thee because Thou hast first loved me, and purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree; I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow; if ever I loved Thee, my Jesus ‘tis now.

I’ll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death, and praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath; and say when the death dew lies cold on my brow, if ever I loved Thee, my Jesus ‘tis now.

In mansions of glory and endless delight, I’ll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright; I’ll sing with the glittering crown on my brow, if ever I loved Thee, my Jesus ‘tis now.  (William R. Featherston, Adoniram Gordon).

This words of this hymn were written  in 1862 by William Featherston, who was only sixteen years old and he passed away before his twenty seventh birthday.  Mr. Gordon later set it to music.  He had

just accepted Jesus as His personal Saviour.  And I wonder about the trials that this young man faced in the coming short years of his life.  Whatever the struggles were he could say, “I love Thee no matter what lies ahead and I love Thee for what You have done for me, and I love Thee for the future I have in You.”

And that is the message that I am feeling this day, and the message for each one of you.  We live in a time of great distress in the world, not knowing what the future may hold, but if ever a time to draw close to Him, to resign any sin that we may have in our lives, to know that if we ever loved Him, it is now time to cling to Him and renew our love to Him.

And we love Him now and remember that He first loved us, purchased our redemption at Calvary.  And we loved Him because He suffered so much for us, and when we remember His great sacrifice for our sin, and we love Him even more as we remember that great love.

And I wonder about that young man who wrote the words to this hymn.  Maybe he knew he would face death at an early age, and could praise Him as long as the Lord gave Him breath.  And He knew that even when He was dying, he would love Him even more.  Maybe someone out there may be facing a life threatening situation right now.  But can you love Him even more as that day comes when you are dying?  Is your heart ready to meet Jesus?  Oh, how He loves you!  Will you be reaching out to Him in love on that day?

And how can we fathom the absolute love we will feel for Jesus when we see Him face to face?  Will we fall at His feet?  Or will you just want to feel His arms wrapped around you?  I know that He is to wipe away all tears from our eyes, but will He let me cry for one moment when I see Him, and try to tell Him how much I adore Him?  And I will be able to say, “If ever I loved You, my Jesus, ‘tis now!

In Jesus’ Name,

Pastor Sharon

REJOICE! HE HAS COME!

REJOICE! HE HAS COME!

It is dark and cold outside today, and only a few days left until Christmas Day.  But there is a song in the air and we rejoice because our King has come!  Our King has brought salvation and His joy to this dark and cold world.

 We look at the lovely decorations and the colors and remember it is all about Him: the red for His shed blood on the cross for our sins, the green for eternal life He brings.  We see purple as we remember His royalty and we see blue remembering our home in heaven.  And oh, those lovely gold ornaments on our trees, His Divine Kingship, our King of kings and Lord of lords!

The third Advent candle that has been lit is the “Candle of Joy.”  And oh the joy that this candle represents!  We can shout and praise our Wonderful Lord that He has called out of darkness and into His marvelous light, bringing hope into this dark world.

JOY TO THE WORLD!

“Joy to the world!  The Lord is come; let earth receive her King, let ev’ry  heart prepare Him room, and Heav’n and nature sing, and Heav’n and nature sing, and Heav’n and Heav’n and nature sing.

Joy to the earth! The Saviour reigns; let men their songs employ; while fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy, repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow far as the curse is found, far as the curse is found, far as far as the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove the glories of His righteousness, and wonders of His love, and wonders of His love, and wonders and wonders of His love.  (Isaac Watts)

At this Christmas time, let us look up and rejoice in the coming of the King to that stable in Bethlehem.  We remember the Biblical account of the Inn Keeper refusing Mary and Joseph a room, but He calls us to prepare Him room in our hearts.  We hear of the angelic hosts as they proclaimed to the earth the joy of the Saviour’s coming.  Now we can rejoice and shout for joy as He comes into our hearts with His love and peace and His eternal salvation.  Have you made room for the King to come live in your heart?  What a wonderful time of the year to be born again into His kingdom of joy!

“Let the sea roar, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell in it; let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills be joyful together before the LORD, for He is coming to judge the earth, with righteousness He shall judge the world, and the peoples with uprightness”  Psalm 98:7-9.

The psalmist calls on all creation to sing and shout for joy at the Lord’s coming!  I love this hymn because it celebrates God’s involvement with His people, and this work of God began at the stable in Bethlehem.

When we receive this King into our hearts, our sins and our sorrows and those thorny places in our hearts are covered by the blood of Jesus.  He takes away the sins and thorns to remember them no more.  Yes, we may have sorrow come into our lives, but now this King will be there to be our comfort and our peace.

For now we look forward to the day when He will judge the world in righteousness.  Yes, in this season of Advent we are looking forward to His Second Advent, when Christ Himself will split the sky and will come again, and the nations will know the wonders of His great love!  Oh, what a day that will be!  On that day God will being a righteous conclusion to all things.

“But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, let you sorrow as others who have no hope.  For is we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.  For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.  For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, the voice of an archangel, and the trumpet of God.  And the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Therefore comfort one another with these words” I Thessalonians 13-18.

Yes, “Joy to the World” He has come and He is coming again, oh Praise the Lord!  He will judge the nations and bring peace to this weary world.  Our King will reign in righteousness!  There will be no more thorns in the ground, no more curse on this earth.  So as you sing this song this Christmas, sing it with great joy!  Our King has come, and He will come again!

Blessings in this Joyful Season!

Pastor Sharon

WE WELCOME YOU, PRINCE OF PEACE!

WE WELCOME YOU,

PRINCE OF PEACE!

As we continue to share the season of Advent, we lit our second 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 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.

As I was thinking about this blog 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.  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 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.

“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.

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.  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!

Be Blest in Jesus’ Name,

Pastor Sharon