a new year's verse and prayer ...

Christmas greetings ....

 

 

Go, Tell it on the Mountain

 

While shepherds kept their watching
Over silent flocks by night,
Behold throughout the heavens,
There shone a holy light:
Go, Tell It On The Mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

The shepherds feared and trembled
When lo! above the earth
Rang out the angel chorus
That hailed our Saviour's birth:
Go, Tell It On The Mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

Down in a lowly manger
Our humble Christ was born
And God send us salvation,
That blessed Christmas morn:
Go, Tell It On The Mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

When I am a seeker,
I seek both night and day;
I seek the Lord to help me,
And He shows me the way:
Go, Tell It On The Mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

He made me a watchman
Upon the city wall,
And if I am a Christian,
I am the least of all.
Go, Tell It On The Mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

God with us ....

Emmanuel means: God with us ... and that is exactly what Jesus' Christmas name is ... GOD WITH US!  thank you LORD!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzW_PmW-LzE

the focus ....

a good thought from the Life Application bible:

"Whatever you are considering as the focus of life, Christ is better.  He is the perfect revelation of God, the final and complete sacrifice for sin, the compassionate and understanding mediator, and the only way to eternal life.  Read Hebrews and begin to see history and life from God's perspective.  Then give yourself unreservedly and completely to Christ."

"The Son radiates God's own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command.  When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven."  Hebrews 1:3 NLT

expected ... yet unexpected ... expectantly waiting! ...

my family received an early Christmas present with the birth of a sweet little baby! ... my sister had a little girl!!! ... what a thrill!!! ... and she is just beautiful (babies tend to all be that way!) ...

her arrival made me think of JESUS return ... the bible speaks of a pregnant woman, and about NOT knowing the exact date/time she will deliver ... the signs are all there  - yet we do NOT know when - just that it will be soon ...  Jesus return will be just like that ...

the day my little niece was born was like any other day ... until i got the call at 1pm saying "she's here!" ... my mom said that she had called my sister that day, like every day, to see how she was feeling - and also to ask  how "little emma" was (the name was already picked out, and everyone called the unborn little one, by her name) ... well she got the surprise of her life when my sister said, i'm fine and little emma is fine too - in fact, she's right here in my arms and is just beautiful!!!!  unbeknownst to us, my sister and her hubby had gone to the hospital at 7a.m. that morning and the baby was born around noon ... mom said she was just thrilled and could hardly believe that emma was FINALLY HERE!!!!  she thought it was a dream!!!

now, we all knew my sister was pregnant ... we all knew she was in the 9th month ... we all knew that the baby would soon arrive ... even so, when she was born - it was still a HUGE (and happy) surprise!!!  even unexpected in some ways ...

yup ... I thought, that is just how JESUS return will be ... we KNOW, by the signs He gave us, that He'll return sooner than later ... yet when that soon arrives - we will still be surprised ...

that's why it is so important to not put off asking Jesus to forgive our sins and come into our lives ... to have a relationship with our Redeemer is vital ... we need to be the lights to a dieing world ... Jesus is coming ... Jesus is the HOPE ... and it will all happen when we least expect it ...

even so Lord Jesus ... COME!

the Spirit of the season ...