A peasant Christmas

 I enjoy the lights & a lot of the festivities of Christmas. But unless we appreciate the lowly circumstances surrounding Jesus’s birth we will miss something.

Even with all its miraculous & angelic components, the birth of the savior was still a peasant experience. A majestic, & joyful event for sure, yet the poor, the lonely, & the marginalized were included. Don’t let the tension between the humility & majesty escape you. Not only does it bring greater understanding of the mission of Jesus, but a greater understanding of our hope & mission as his followers.

 Sing to the Lord

 

Why do we sing together during the time we call worship during our gatherings? We know  there is more to worship than just singing. But what is happening exactly when we sing together?  What’s happening to you? What kind of emotions do you experience? I would say that it is an active work of the Holy Spirit to have an emotional response to Gods presence. 

Do the words matter? Does the type of music matter? You decide for yourself at the end after reading this.

Sing to the Lord and Proclaim His glory

Psalms 98

Shout for joy to the Lord all the earth.

Burst into jubilant song with music.

Make music to the Lord with the harp,

with the harp and the sound of singing,

with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn.

Shout for joy before the Lord, the King.

Let the sea resound, and everything in it,

the world, and all who live in it.

Let the rivers clap their hands,

let the mountains sing together for joy;

let them sing before the Lord,

for he comes to judge the earth.

He will judge the world in righteousness

and the peoples with equity.

 

Psalm 100 & 101 - Sing about and to God - personally?

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.

I will sing of your love and justice; to you, O Lord, I will sing praise.

 

Sing to quiet our hearts and focus on Him

1 Samuel 16:23 - Sing to quiet our hearts and focus on Him

Whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would take his harp and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.

We benefit – Putting ourselves and our stuff aside actually breaks down the power and the pressure of the problems in our lives. Opens us up to receive.

 

Sing to God together - What’s the benefit?

Colossians 3:15 - Sing to God together

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

 

Music & Singing is not all there is to worship on earth - but

 

Sing to proclaim His Majesty

Take some time to read Revelation 5:6. As you read it grasp the magnificent scene and what is happening. Worship is something we should want to do because eternal life has already started for us. It seems that worship is also a portal through which we enter into intimacy with Him. Jesus said we will worship in Spirit & in truth so let’s grow by proclaiming it with our tongues & lives.

 

He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song:

“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.

You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,

and they will reign on the earth.”

Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang:

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,

to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength

and honor and glory and praise!”

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

be praise and honor and glory and power,

for ever and ever!”

The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

 

Entering into His presence & encountering the vastness of His glory will stir us to respond emotionally and in actions. We get a clearer view of the significance of the fact that the Glorious God of the universe has chosen us, and loves us. We can’t help but see our condition rightly. Then like many that have gone before us we will fall on our knees, or faces, or lift our hands with tears of submission & adoration.

 So now what?

So now what? We sang, we ate, we heard the story, we felt something. What do we do now? What will be different? What will make your heart sing tomorrow? How will Your story change? When you begin to see beauty in Jesus, in His life, His words, & His gift, your life will change, & you are not far from the Kingdom of God.

“I leave you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am. I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe.”

‭‭John‬ ‭14:27-29‬ ‭NLT‬‬

 Enough faith to believe 

Like many I used to question the miracles in the Bible. But Jesus’s resurrection confronted me & became the defining moment of my faith. Was it true or not? Did decay cease & life renew supernaturally at the molecular level? If God could do this, did He do everything? 

My questioning ended because the Holy Spirit & His word gave me enough revelation of truth about Him. And His love & grace built up my faith to believe it. He is the truth & all the things He did are true (real). What we believe does not change the truth. So, yes it makes perfect sense to me that He could & did create & alter molecules & cells for His purpose’s, just like He changes hearts & minds. The stone was large enough to need many men to move it, but it was not moved to let Jesus out. It was moved for us to see in. So the evidence could be experienced.

The glorious power of the resurrection answers all the questions & makes all things possible in Christ Jesus. 

 The Centurion

Several years ago a lent devotional I was using encouraged me to think about the response of the Centurion who witnessed the crucifixion. Certainly he must of seen, even supervised many crucifixions. It’s not likely that the blood & the anguish were the reason for his statement. Perhaps he was involved with the handling of Jesus through the various trials including his sentence by Pilate. It says in Matthew the darkness, the earth shaking, & the commotion really got his attention. Maybe Jesus’s behavior on the cross also revealed to him that there was something different about this man. As I reflect on the words of the centurion, I think it is the same for you & me. The Holy Spirit reveals the truth we see & hear about Jesus. Then we like the centurion declare “Surely He is the Son of God”

 That night in Jerusalem 

In Jerusalem it’s almost sundown. The horrific deeds of the day would have been done & the tomb is about to be sealed. Do you suppose it would have been a sleepless night for many? Certainly for the sorrowful, & the fearful. But beginning the Sabbath having also witnessed events like midday darkness, & the torn temple curtain, everyone would have been affected. Do you suppose anyone there had any idea that they were participating in a 72 hour drama that would change the world & so many people since? Most people believe that historically Jesus was a real person who probably died like this. The real question is not did it happen, but what we believe it means for us. Is it a gift that brings life, peace, & hope? Or is it foolishness? 

 The Bread & The Cup

It was a week long confrontation with religious leaders, some whom had already plotted His death. Yet there was love & tenderness towards the people & to his disciples. Very special times of profound teaching & serving. We need to consider the whole story of this special week.

 One of those special times was his instruction at the Passover meal. A practice His followers still do today to remember His rejection & brokenness that purchased our redemption.  His atonement & covenant that will cover us forever. We can experience & walk upright in His kingdom because of the power of His resurrection. We can say blessed is the King who lives among us.