Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”Refrain:
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.Refrain
Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.Refrain
Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Now display Thy saving power,
Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.Refrain
Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the inner man:
O, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.Refrain
Remember: He is the King of Angels, the Lord of Hosts, and the very Angel of the Lord! The angels were worshipping their Creator!
The angels proclaimed the Birth of the Christ... but to whom did they give the message? Did they shout it in all the cities of civilization? Were they dispatched, one by one, to inform the rulers and kings of that era? Oh, they must have been sent to all the religious leaders, right?
No.
When the angels trumpeted the birth of their King, God the Father sent them to humble shepherds:
Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
“ Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
Wouldn't you think that the angels would be sent to the most powerful, the most influential people in the world? But, no... God does not work like that. He chooses the weak, the humble, the broken, the insignificant to exhibit His Message. That should tell you that He wants you - no matter how "ordinary" you are. You are unique, and precious to Him.
It's not easy to recieve His Word - look at those poor shepherds; they were terrified! As a matter of fact, biblically speaking, whenever God sends His angels to speak to mankind, the angels must always reassure us. The modern view of angels as cuddly cherubs is incorrect: holy angels shine with the reflected light of the Glory of God Himself, which is a petrifying experience.
Angels destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 11). One angel slew over 100,000 people in one night (2 Kings 19). They released captives from prison (Acts 12, and 16:16ff)... They are not weaklings, they are not soft and accomodating, they do not compromise. It is a mistake to assume that they do our bidding. They protect God's children, yes - but not beyond His will
But the holy angels follow the will of their Lord - see, they reassure those men: "Fear not!" Don't be afraid! We bear good news - GREAT news - from God Almighty Himself! His Savior - the Shepherd of Israel, OUR Commander - has been born! Prophecy is fulfilled, and you may see the proof: go here and see Him!
God gave the shepherds His announcement to remind us that His message is for all people. "Goodwill toward men!" He invites us to come and accept His peace - a peace which surpasses all understanding.
Even you.
Do you know your Shepherd? Have you met your Lord, Who loves you with an everlasting love? Have you loved the Man Who commands His angels to watch over and protect you? Come to Him, lay your lawlessness at His feet, and receive the humble Child Who came so that you may have life in His Name!
Jesus King of angels heaven's light
Shine Your face upon this house tonight
Let no evil come into my dreams
Light of heaven keep me in Your peace
Remind me how You made dark spirits flee
And spoke Your power to the raging sea
And spoke Your mercy to a sinful man
Remind me Jesus this is what I am
CHORUS:
The universe is vast beyond the stars
But You are mindful when the sparrow falls
And mindful of the anxious thoughts
That find me, surround me and bind me
With all my heart I love You Sovereign Lord
Tomorrow let me love You even more
And rise to speak the goodness of Your name
Until I close my eyes and sleep again
CHORUS
Jesus King of angels heaven's light
Hold my hand and keep me through this night
Thank You, Lord. Thank You!
The Carnival of Christmas needs submissions by December 23rd; please contribute!
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