Here is Paul Baloche with a Christmas version of “Offering.” So many beautiful songs to honor Christ in all His glory.
Dec
07
Over this past weekend I traveled with my daughter Carolyn to Northern Ontario to visit and on Sunday preach God’s word to a congregation very dear to my heart. This was home base for many years – from birth to age 19 when I headed off to the “South” (read Toronto) for my first round of training. 2 summers during my undergraduate studies I returned to serve that congregation, then came back during my dad’s eventful summer of 1990 and was called to serve this flock from 1991 until June 2004 when God moved us onward to Toronto Baptist Seminary.
I did some thinking about “small” towns as we traveled from Oshawa to Thornloe. Ontario is filled with small towns, villages and even some hamlets where the “Welcome to” and “Thank You for Coming” are very close. I listened with keen interest as John Light, Adult Sunday School teacher this past Sunday in Thornloe shared his “angst” with people who describe small communities (such as Charlton where he lives) as ‘quaint’ or ‘bustling.’ He made a few comments, in his preamble to the lesson, about the “Little Town of Bethlehem” portrayed by Philip Brooks in his classic Christmas song. “How still we see thee lie, above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by…..”
In “The Story Behind the Carol” Rupert Christiansen writes -
On Christmas Eve in 1865, Phillips Brooks (1835-93), a gangling young American Episcopalian, rode the perilous journey from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, to assist at the midnight service in the Church of the Nativity.
Two years later, back in Massachusetts, he was inspired by the experience to write this carol for his Sunday school. Rev Brooks – 6ft 6in tall and capable of preaching at more than 200 words a minute – was a favourite with children; when one woman told her daughter that he had died, the girl replied: “O how happy the angels will be.”
Brooks’s carol was an instant success in the USA, but only came to England when Vaughan Williams introduced it in 1906, arranging it to the traditional tune Forest Green, which he had collected from peasants in Surrey in 1903.
Consider
Micah 5:2-5 (New International Version)
2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. “
3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor gives birth and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites.
4 He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.
5 And he will be their peace.”
FANTASTIC – don’t you agree?
- a small community, a little town – rather insignificant – with little potential – who can say?
- God’s plan included Bethlehem as the birth place for His Son – amazing!
- out of you will come …..FOR ME….. For the LORD – one who will be ruler, whose “beginnings” were in eternity – Compare John 1:1ff “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God….”
Israel abandoned? Is this indicated in the 400 silent years – did they feel abandoned by God
- The one coming is a SHEPHERD – cf. John 10 “The Good Shepherd” Hebrews 13 “The Great Shepherd” I Peter 5 “The Chief Shepherd” O that today’s shepherds (pastors) would shepherd the flock with God’s strength and in His majesty.”
His greatness reaches to the ends of the earth – cf. Acts 1:8 as believers testify about Jesus Christ they spread His gospel, they introduce others to Him across the globe so that from the rising of the sun to its setting the LORD’s name is praised.
Small Town – “quaint?” “bustling?” “insignificant?” Not in the mind of God and in the hearts of true believers as we celebrate again this year the birth in BETHLEHEM of the KING of kings and LORD of lords!
Dec
03
I’ve always wondered how you extract Christ out of Christmas. Isn’t this indicative of what our culture has been doing for many years – take a “religiously” oriented day and dismantle it so it bears no resemblance to its original design?
Perhaps the Dutch have it right – December 6th is St. Nicholas Day. Wikipedia references St. Nicholas in this way….
Saint Nicholas (Greek: Άγιος Νικόλαος , Agios ["saint"] Nikolaos ["victory of the people"]) (270 – 6 December 346) is the common name for Nicholas of Myra, a saint and Bishop of Myra (Demre, in Lycia, part of modern-day Turkey). Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nicholas the Wonderworker. He had a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as putting coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him, and thus became the model for Santa Claus, whose English name comes from the Dutch Sinterklaas. His reputation evolved among the faithful, as is common for early Christian saints.[2] In 1087, his relics were furtively translated to Bari, in southern Italy; for this reason, he is also known as Nicholas of Bari.
The historical Saint Nicholas is remembered and revered among Catholic and Orthodox Christians. He is also honoured by various Anglican and Lutheran churches. Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, and children, and students in Greece, Belgium, Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Russia, the Republic of Macedonia, Slovakia, Serbia and Montenegro. He is also the patron saint of Barranquilla, Bari, Amsterdam, Beit Jala, Siggiewi and Liverpool. In 1809, the New-York Historical Society convened and retroactively named Sancte Claus the patron saint of Nieuw Amsterdam, the Dutch name for New York City.[3] He was also a patron of the Varangian Guard of the Byzantine emperors, who protected his relics in Bari.
For his help to the poor, Nicholas is the patron saint of pawnbrokers; the three gold balls traditionally hung outside a pawnshop symbolize the three sacks of gold. People then began to suspect that he was behind a large number of other anonymous gifts to the poor, using the inheritance from his wealthy parents. After he died, people in the region continued to give to the poor anonymously, and such gifts were still often attributed to St. Nicholas.
The Dutch celebrate with gifts on St. Nicholas Day and leave Christ in Christmas – namely they take time to focus their attention on Jesus – the reason for the season – on December 25th.
How can we celebrate Christmas without worship? Didn’t worship permeate the visit of the wise men in Matthew 2
“…….we saw his star in the east and have come to WORSHIP him.” Matt. 2:2
“….they bowed down and worshiped him.” Matthew 2:11
How precise the text is! The wisemen do not worship Mary, nor do they worship King Herod. They worship the one “BORN king of the Jews – Jesus who is the Christ.”
Study the theme of WORSHIP – trace the origins of this word and track through the New Testament its usage. Some years ago in a meeting with some Jehovah’s Witnesses, I was drawn by God to Hebrews 1:6 “….When God brings His firstborn into the world, He says, ‘Let all the angels of God WORSHIP HIM!’
May God enable us as teachers to guide others to worship this Christmas. To WORSHIP or not to WORSHIP – that is the question! Really there is no question who understand who really was born in Bethlehem. O come, let us adore HIM!
Nov
27
In this final of 4 songs from Luke 1 & 2, Simeon expresses his full confidence in God who has kept His promises.
How does Luke 2 describe Simeon?
LESSONS AB
OUT SIMEON
OUT SIMEONA Jewish man – He was part of the Old Covenant. He knew God has made a promise to provide salvation and now seeing the Christ-child this promise was to be fulfilled.
A righteous / devout man – Were all Jewish men devout? Not necessarily – but Simeon was. He walked in God’s ways and sought to live right before Jehovah.
A hope-filled man- He had been waiting and waiting and waiting in expectation. Guided by the Spirit he came to the temple at the “exact time” when Joseph and Mary brought Jesus. Simeon’s hopes were about to be realized.
A Spirit-anointed man – What did it mean for him to be filled with God’s Spirit? O to know this anointing.
LESSONS about GOD
God’s Sovereignty
Have I yielded to God’s Sovereignty over my life?
God’s Servant
Am I serving God with my time, talent and treasure?
God’s Salvation
Have I experienced salvation myself and am I seeking to share it with others?
Nov
26
The third song from that first Christmas is the shortest of the four. Here’s a simple consideration of how angels respond to Jesus Christ.
1) They worship him.
“Glory to God” – Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost!”
Hebrews 1:6 “Let all the angels of God worship Him.” When did God bring His firstborn into the world? The Incarnation was the special introduction of the WORD to the entire world. The WORD was becoming flesh – taking on human form.
Revelation 5:11 describes the scene in heaven as John hears the voice ofmany angels, numbering thousands upon thousands , and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircle the throne and in a loud voice sing of the “worthiness” of the Lamb.
Application – Am I worshipping Jesus Christ as I should?
2) They serve and obey Him
Satan understood this as Luke 4:10 describes. This quote from the psalms reminds us of the charge given to angels to guard the Son carefully.
After the period of the temptation, “…the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.”
Application – Am I serving and obeying Christ?
3) They proclaim Him
The good news proclaimed to the shepherds is about a Saviour! When the angels sinned in rebellion against God, God did not provide a way of salvation for them. They were removed from God’s presence and bound in “everlasting chains” for the day of judgment.
What song can angels not sing? Amazing Grace! I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see.
What response do the shepherds give to this good news? Share with others the good news they have just heard. I wonder if they even waited for morning before they started to speak of this new-born Saviour.
Application – Am I proclaiming Jesus Christ? If I can’t talk about him at Christmas time when can I talk about Christ?
Nov
25
A brief meditation on this 2nd song of that 1st Christmas.
Psalm 103:1, Luke 1:67-79
The BENEDICTUS – sung by Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, is another psalm of praise. Remember who Zacharias was – a priest serving in the temple. For years he had heard the words of the Psalms sung.
Note – v.67 re: The filling of the Spirit – Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit. The filling of the Spirit will lead the believer into deeper worship.
Why was Zacharias blessing God?
1. God has visited us
Christmas is a time for visitors. The local papers in smaller communities used to publish a list of visitors. The story of Christmas is a story of God visiting us.
What was His purpose in visiting?
2. God has redeemed His people
God’s work of redemption is about to be made visible. The work of redemption is a work of God. God’s people have been rescued by God Himself. God has been rescuing people out of the dominion of darkness and bringing them into the kingdom of His dear Son. (Col. 1:13,14)
3. God has raised up a horn of salvation
2 Samuel 22:3 “…The God of my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation….”
Horns were raised up and blown to announce key events. God is blowing His trumpet and proclaiming a Saviour on earth.
4. God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets
God has spoken (cf. Hebrews 1:1-4) God sent His prophets who announced salvation, to promise mercy, to remember His covenant.
Consider the extensive preparation made by God for the coming of His Son into our world. Trace a time-line of prophetic history.
e.g. Gen. 3:15, Gen. 49:10; Deut. 18:15,17; Isaiah 7:14, 9:6,7; Micah 5:2; Hosea 11:1;
OUR RESPONSE
What is our response to such a God?
v. 74,75 being delivered. In what area of your life do you need deliverance?
Spend the rest of my life serving Him without fear in holiness and righteousness.
Right BELIEF results in Right LIVING. We live out what we truly believe.
Nov
24
O Magnify the Lord, O Magnify the Lord, O Magnify the Lord with me.
O Magnify the Lord, O Magnify the Lord, O Magnify the Lord with me.
And let us exalt His name together, and let us exalt His name together.
O Magnify the Lord, O Magnify the Lord, O Magnify the Lord with me!
If Mary, the mother of Jesus, had known this song, I’m sure she would have sung these words many times. Isn’t this what she is inviting Elisabeth to do? As we read the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) isn’t she inviting us to do this as well?
Psalm 34:3 is Hebrew poetry. The NIV translates this verse “Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt His name together.”
Magnificat = Latin title from the opening words of Luke 1:46-55. St. Jerome in the 4th Century A.D. translated the Scriptures from Hebrew and Greek into Latin.
Magnificat – meaning – glorifies, magnifies, declares the greatness of…
Notice how God-centred this song is. It is NOT focused on Mary. It is focused on GOD! This song is an outburst of praise. Mary has had a few weeks for the announcement of the angel to sink in.
{An interesting comparative study would be to compare this song by Mary with that of the song of Hannah, the mother of Samuel in I Samuel 2}
Magnificat
WHO GOD IS
v.46 He is the LORD – not “a” LORD but “the” LORD
v.46 He is God – cf Ruth 1 – “…and your God my God” – Who is your God? What is your God like? Is He the God of the Bible?
v.46 He is my Saviour – Do you know God as your Saviour? Remember only sinners need a Saviour
Augustine, Catholic bishop of Hippo in Africa – (4th Century) writes “Mary was more blessed in that she believed in Christ than in that she had given him birth?
What attributes of God fill this song of praise?
a) His might; b) His holiness; c) His mercy; d) His strength; e) His power; f) His provision; g) His help
Meditate on each of these attributes
WHAT GOD HAS DONE
God has done mighty things – What had God done for Mary? What has God done for you?
He has regarded the “lowly state” – God was aware of her humble position in life.
His name is holy. Mary reverenced God’s name. cf. Lord’s prayer “Hallowed be your Name”
v.50 His mercy – generational – Each new generation can experience the mercy of God
v.51-53 3 parallel statements
On the one side – the proud, the mighty, the rich.
On the other side – the humble, the weak, the poor
How has God treated each group?
In teaching this passage there are some great religious “images” or “paintings” you may find under Google “IMAGES?”
I recently taught this passage at Richmond Hill Baptist and explored the depths of worship portrayed in this wonderful Christmas song of praise!
Nov
23
Try a search on the Internet for the “Top Christmas Songs of All Time.” When I did this some time ago I discovered the following:
1) White Christmas–Bing Crosby; 2) The Chipmunk Song – The Chipmunks; 3) Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer – Gene Autry; 4) I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus – Jimmy Boyd.
Now don’t misunderstand – I enjoy the fun songs of the season but do these four really constitute the TOP 4 of ALL TIME????? Notice the lack of reference to the CHRIST of CHRISTMAS. IF there was no CHRIST, there would be no CHRISTmas. After all, JESUS is the reason for the season, isn’t He?
The four songs I want to focus on over the next number of posts are all found in the Biblical text of Luke 1 and 2. All of the titles are Latin, borrowed from the Vulgate, Jerome’s significant contribution to the translations of history.
1. The Magnificat – the song of Mary, probably a Jewish teenager.
2. The Benedictus – the song of Zacharias, a priest and father to John the Baptist.
3. The Gloria In Excelsis Deo – Sung by a choir of angels
4. The Nunc Dimmittus – sung by Simeon as he held the baby Jesus in his arms in the temple.
What do these four songs have in common? First, they are all God-centred. Unlike so many popular seasonal songs today, these first four Christmas songs focus on God – who HE is and what HE is doing.
Secondly, they model Jewish poetry, much like the Psalms which were so familiar. Parallel ideas expressed in music had been sung by Jewish worshipers for many years. Mary, Zacharias and Simeon had certainly heard and sung from the Jewish songbook for many years. In fact their songs seem to be a development or application of key verses. e.g. Compare Mary’s Magnificat with “O magnify the LORD with me and let us exalt His name together.”
Thirdly, these songs are expressions of joy celebrating the precious gift of God’s Son to be the Saviour.
As we celebrate Christ’s birth this year, let’s choose songs which are God-centred, reflect Biblical themes and celebrate the gift of God’s Son – a gift too wonderful for words to describe. May your celebration of CHRIST’s birth be CHRIST-centred!
Nov
20
Yesterday I had the joy of leading a Bible study at Christie Gardens. We have been tracking “clues” through the Old Testament which anticipate the birth, life, ministry and person of Jesus Christ.
Here’s an outline from what I taught
Isaiah’s Portrait
1. A Son – Isaiah 7:14 “….give birth to a son…..” cf. Matthew 1:22,23 – fulfillment
2. A Stone – Isaiah 8:13,14 “…a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious…” cf. I Peter 2:4-8
3. A Shining Light – Isaiah 9:1,2 “…people walking in darkness…great light….” cf. John 1:9, John 8:12
4. A Shoot – Isaiah 11:1-2 “…a shoot will come up from the stump…” cf. Matthew 1:5,6ff – Jesus – descendant of Jesse
5. A Saviour – Isaiah 53 “…wounded for our transgression” cf. Matthew 1:21
Please pray for Dr. G. Doxsee who planned on sharing this prediction-fulfillment outline with a resident from Christie Gardens who is not a believer.
Remember NOT to forget Christ in the Old Testament! The Scriptures do point to HIM – John 5:39-40
Nov
06
Keith writes
Use your own family tree or genealogical research (if this is a hobby) as a tool for creating interest. Anyone of importance in your own family?
Key figures in the tree for Jews – David – a pivotal king, Abraham – founder of the Jewish nation
v.2 Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are often linked together. God’s covenant was established with Abraham, renewed with Isaac and renewed and repeated again with Jacob.
These 3 generations are linked together. God blessed succeeding generations of believers – look up Psalm 78 – One generation shall declare Your praise to another generation…..
v.5 Notice how Salmon married a Gentile – Rahab – the prostitute from Jericho; Boaz (his son) also married a Gentile – Ruth – the Moabitess
v.6 Note that Bathsheba is not listed “by name” by as the “wife of Uriah” – David’s sin is clear, visible and a root of evil for him.
v.7-11 The period of the kings is filled with tragedy, rebellion, revival and strife.
v.11 God’s people ended up in exile, yet God preserved them even though the exile was a punishment for their own wrongdoing.
v.16 Both Mary and Joseph were from the tribe of Judah. Was it required to marry within your tribe?
v.17 D.A. Carson suggests that the name “David” has significance with the number 14.
v.18-25 Joseph – note his character – a just man, respectable, totally committed to the Law of God – making no exemption for personal circumstances.
It took the intervention of God to prevent Joseph from carrying out his plan of action.
Check out this family tree of Adam & Eve at Amazon. A great tool!
