CatHouse Chat

Rejoice!

... for unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord!

He came in humility, leaving the glory of Ivory Palaces to come to this sad and sin-cursed world. He laid aside His glory and His honor; He emptied Himself of His reputation and power.

Because of the great and eternal love He bears for His children, He came to live among us and died to atone and pay for our sins. Three days later, He arose in power, breaking the chains of sin and death and the grave.

Hallelujah, hallelujah, for today we rejoice in our Savior's advent here on earth! Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace good will to all men! All praise to God our Savior, come to redeem us from sin and eternal hell! Gloria in excelsis Deo!

A joy from the past - Kender podcasts the Carnival of Christmas (2009)

For those of you listening to his re-broadcast of the awesome job he did recapitulating the 2009 Carnival of Christmas, here is the original link...

Unfortunately, I could not post a Carnival this year due to the general craziness of life. God willing, I will have the opportunity to upload some sort of Christmas blessing to the blogosphere... but *sigh* no guarantees!

(UPDATE: I suppose I should link to Kender's site for the broadcast, right? You can find him here and here.)

One King

And now I am finally catching up with my proper Faith of Christmas posts! Hooray!

For today's offering, I present David Phelps' song "One King," from his One Wintry Night album. I'm going to embed a scrolling box for the lyrics to save space; I hope it works!

David Phelps One King lyrics

Lyrics

Only one King gave up everything to come to His people and save them. Only one King humbled Himself and left His riches to dwell among the poorest and most sinful of His people. Only one King was born in a manger two thousand years ago to begin His earthly walk to the Cross and the salvation of His people.

Only ONE KING - and His name is Jesus!

Celebrate His life and His message of grace and love by bowing to Him in gratitude. Lay yourself bare before the One who already knows everything and has His arms open wide to welcome you to His Kingdom. Submit yourself to Him and give your entire self to His loving commands - He will never betray you, and He will always be with you.

Remember that Child in the manger and all He did on our behalf... and welcome Him, yet again, into your soul!

If I don't get started today...

... I won't even BEGIN to start my annual Christmas series. I'm already on Day 4, with bupkis to show for it.

I want to use hymns and carols that are not as well known or are rather unusual for each day, but I'm not sure what to title this year's series... The Adoration of Christmas? The Praises of Christmas?

*sigh*

Well, since I'm in bed trying to kick a sinus infection before I have to resort to antibiotics, I suppose I'll have all day to work on this!

Brightest and Best

For the third day's offering, I actually have a video I can embed! One of my Cotillion friends recommended this beautiful hymn to me, and I couldn't resist! "Brightest and Best" was published in 1853, and it's definitely a forgotten gem!

 

Brightest and Best of the sons of the morning,
Dawn on our darkness and lend us Thine aid;
Star of the East, the horizon adorning,
Guide where our infant Redeemer is laid.

Cold on His cradle the dewdrops are shining;
Low lies His head with the beasts of the stall;
Angels adore Him in slumber reclining,
Maker and Monarch and Savior of all!

Say, shall we yield Him, in costly devotion,
Odors of Edom and offerings divine?
Gems of the mountain and pearls of the ocean,
Myrrh from the forest, or gold from the mine?

Vainly we offer each ample oblation,
Vainly with gifts would His favor secure;
Richer by far is the heart’s adoration,
Dearer to God are the prayers of the poor.

(The Faith of Christmas ... previous post ... next post)

 

It's True

Today's offering (yeah, I know - I posted this on the 4th, but it's been re-dated to the 2nd of December!) is a lovely song from Sarah Grove's album, O Holy Night, "It's True" - 

In your heart you
know it's true
though you hold no expectation
in the deepest part of you
there's an open hesitation

but it's true
kingdoms and crowns
a God who came down to find you
it's true
Angels on high
sing through the night alleluia

heard it told you
think it's odd
the whole thing fraught with complication
the play begins with 
baby God
and all His blessed implications

but it's true
kingdoms and crowns
a God who came down to find you
it's true
Angels on high
sing through the night alleluia

alleluia, alleluia

Oh it's true
kingdoms and crowns
a God who came down to find you
it's true
Angels on high
sing through the night alleluia

(The Faith of Christmas ... previous post ... next post)

I Believe!

Welcome to the 2010 Christmas series here at CatHouse Chat! I've gotten a bit of a late start; between starting my seasonal tax job and fighting off a sinus infection, I've been a bit exhausted. But, today (Saturday 04 Dec., no matter what the post's time stamp says), I've got all day to get caught up and lift my spirits by writing about the wonderful Gift who was given to all humanity two thousand years ago.

I plan to use unusual and little-known hymns, songs and carols for this series (although one or two probably won't fit that description), because the variety of Christmas songs is so much more vast than "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing!" (although I do love that hymn). I'd like to post the mp3 for each song, but will probably settle for a snippet, since I don't want to mess with copyright. At any rate, as I search out these songs, I know I will find new favorites for myself. In fact, I'm going to begin with one: "I Believe," from Natalie Grant's Believe album...

In a land far away
Time stood still
Long ago&
There were shepherds in fields
Or at least this is how
The story goes
The story goes
Woman with child
And a man with no room
Born in a manger
For telling it too
This is how
The story goes
But it is more than a fable
And it’s more than a fairytale
And more than my mind can conceive

I believe
The Wiseman saw
The Baby born the angels called the Son of God
Heaven’s child
The great I am
Born to take away my sins through nailed pierced hands
Emmanuel has come

I believe
Two thousand years
Still the story lives on
God’s gift to us
Sent to earth
Wrapped in flesh
His only Son
His only Son
And the heartbeat of heaven
Confounded our wisdom
But it’s still the simple truth
That sets me free

I believe
The Wiseman saw
The Baby born that the angels called the Son of God
Heaven’s child
The great I am
Born to take away my sins through nailed pierced hands
Emmanuel has come

And I believe
Precious child
How can it be that God’s great plan
For His story
Would send You to
The lonely tree
That You would come
For one like me

I believe
In a cross
I believe He came
For one, He came for all
Heavens child became a plan
Gave His life for me
In spite of all
I am
I believe
I believe
Oh I believe
Christmas lives in me
I believe 

(The Faith of Christmas ... next post)

Darkness over the land... the veil ripped

Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, “This Man is calling for Elijah!” Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink.

The rest said, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him.”

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.

Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:45-54, NKJV)

The Carnival of Christmas, 2009: GLORIA!

UPDATE, 25Dec2009 - What a lovely Christmas present: a link from the Blog Daddy himself! Thank you, Prof. Reynolds, and I hope your day was a joyful as mine. For those who would like more Christmas awesomeness, you can also read the first, second, third and fourth Carnivals of Christmas. I love hosting this wonderful Carnival; it has blessed me each year. So, I hope to see you all again for the SIXTH Carnival next year - and you'll send something in for me to link, right? ;-)

Best blessings to you all for a glorious day! (/UPDATE)

UPDATE (24Dec2009, 9a)! Kender, that blessed man, decided to feature the Carnival on his Right Talk Radio program on the 23rd of December. He graciously sent me the file and encouraged me to post it here. So, for your listening pleasure - and in hopes that this becomes a Christmas tradition - here it is. It's just over two hours long, and Kender did an AWESOME job! Thank you, my friend!

(UPDATE to the UPDATE(25Dec2009 7a): *sigh* The complete file was just too long, and died at about 1:15:00, so I have uploaded the eight parts separately.)

Carnival of Christmas, part one

Carnival of Christmas, part two

Carnival of Christmas, part three

Carnival of Christmas, part four

Carnival of Christmas, part five

Carnival of Christmas, part six

Carnival of Christmas, part seven

Carnival of Christmas, part eight

Thank you for coming by this year's Carnival of Christmas. It's a little quieter than it was last year, but there is a lot here to encourage and bless you for this most holy day.

I want to give my deepest thanks to all the contributors; it wouldn't be the Carnival without you all, and I am blessed and honored that you got involved. I truly appreciate all the beauty and care you put into your submissions, and I know they will be a wonderful gift of grace to your readers. Thanks again!

This year's Carnival was a bit hard for me, since we're mourning the loss of our dear Princess Pixel of the Prodigious Purr. It's sad to lose a beloved pet, especially so close to the holidays, but she lived a very good life with lots of kitti-skritchies, snuggles, cuddles, and love. We will miss her cat conversations and her quirky character very much.

With Pixel in mind, I'd like to open with an entry from A Ski, "The Christmas Tale of Baby the Cat." I think that I'm going to see if I can find a little Hummel cat figurine to add to my crèche scene, so that I can remember the purrs who have gone across the Rainbow Bridge.

Let's start with entries about

The Real Meaning of Christmas

Adam, the founder of the Carnival, gives us "The Season of Good News," and reminds us -

Presents are nice, and it’s great to share Christmas with family, but the extravagant gift of God, of what He invites us into is what is the true meaning of Christmas, and that’s why Christmas can be meaningful, even to the pauper and the lonely.

A.F. Ticker reminds us of the Reason we celebrate Christmas - 

Now this is a reason for celebration! The King Who came to the world as a child, grew to manhood, was crucified, buried, raised from the tomb, and ascended into heaven is coming again. This time He will not come as a peaceful Child. This time He will come as The King of kings and the Lord of lords.

My friend Doug, who writes at Political Pistacio, sent this in:

On Christmas Morning in 1987 it was my third Christmas in the United States Navy, and my third Christmas away from home. Like all of my other Christmas mornings, I was alone, and on duty.

The first Christmas I was in the state of Mississippi. I volunteered to stand duty watch, since I had nobody else to spend it with.

On my second Christmas in the Navy I was out to sea. I served underway watch, cold in the dark of night with the sea spray tapping on my skin. I served watch alone. I had nobody else to spend it with.

My third Christmas was on shore duty, in an office, alone. I had nobody to spend it with.

I was alone each Christmas, or so I thought, with nobody to spend it with. But during that time, when I felt my most lonely, He was watching over me, keeping me safe, keeping me close. I thought I was alone, but it was then that He was with me.

I assumed I had nobody to spend the time with, but despite my doubts, Christ spent the time with me.

Indeed! Remember, one of the Names of Christ is Immanuel - God With Us!

My dear blog brother, GM Roper, sends in his story about Daddy Bah - 

... when you give something to someone this Christmas, do it not because giving is important, do it from love, because Love is most important and the most important gift you can give.

I adore the Random Yak, and this year he sends in proof that Yak the Younger knows the true meaning of Christmas, too!

“Besides, it’s not about getting an expensive gift.  We only give presents to remind one another that Christ came into the world to live and die on our behalf.  The presents aren’t important, and if you put too much emphasis on them, people forget what they’re really all about in the first place.

“It doesn’t matter what they give me.  I know what it stands for, and I’m glad they care enough to send anything at all.”

Ah, Kender - my dear brother, my goofy, fierce, and wonderful friend - Kender sends in his own poem about the Reason for the Season -

No gift on Earth can equal
What the Lord above has done
He sent us our salvation
When He Sent His only Son

Kender is an excellent wordsmith in his own right - and I'm still waiting for that collection of poems and stories, my friend! ;-)

Of course, Kender isn't the only poet here at the Carnival; David at Third World County has penned a beautiful set of verses, the Gift, to celebrate the Reason for the season!

Big Dog has a great post up - no, trust me! - "It's all about the gifts" -

But the true spirit of Christmas is when we give something, no matter what the value, to someone we either do not know or do not have a close relationship with. It is our chance to demonstrate the kindness and to redeem ourselves. It is a chance to do something without any expectation of something in return.

And Cao chimes in with some great Illinois pictures and says

Material things…wealth, money – they come and go. But hopefully through it all, we’re able to maintain relationships with family and friends and help each other out and be there for each other when the times get tough. It is when people go through rough times that you truly find out who cares about you. It is those times when Christ’s message shines through…in that forgiving, unconditional love that is taught in 2nd Corinthians.

The Sounds of Christmas

Adam also sent in two old time radio shows, first from Let George Do It, and the second from Dragnet. Both have Christmas themes and are lots of fun to hear.

LOL, well there are sounds in this one, but it's not quite what you'd expect! Both GM Roper and David at Third World County thought this worthy of inclusion...

The cadences of poetry frequently set the mood for some stirring or thoughtful ideas. David at Third World County found this beautiful gem by C.S. Lewis, truly an excellent writer in a class of his own.

Nice Deb sends in her annual "A Very Perry Christmas" - oh, I remember Steve Perry (and Journey)! I guess I do miss the 80's sometimes ;-)

"Crabs for Christmas"? Well, Fishersville Mike says you might not get it if you're not from Baltimore... LOL! Very cute, though!

One of my Virginia blog friends, Rick Sincere, has a fascinating discussion of carols and Christmas hymns that I earnestly encourage you to go read. There's a lot of information there, and a lot to learn! Do you know where your favorite carol came from?

A Ski, who sent in the story about Baby the Cat, also sent in this video on YouTube - a beautiful choral rendition of O Magnum Mysterium.

The Traditions of Christmas

My dear friend, Always On Watch, has had a very hard year. But thanks to friends who believe in doing what Christ commands, AOW and her husband have had a joyous early Christmas!

Is it really the tree or the presents that make Christmas? Brian from Bearing Drift sends in a story about the best Christmas Tree ever - and gives an excellent answer to the question.

The Random Yak reappears to comment on the traditions of how we choose our Christmas trees (oh, I've seen one or two of those trees in my own life!), and reminds us that these family memories really help make Christmas special.

What could be more traditional for Christmas than Santa Claus? Well, Paul at Thoughts of a Regular Guy has a great entry that explains why he believes in Santa - the real Santa! And for more information about St. Nicholas, I encourage you to go over to the Mars Hill Church blog and read all about him.

I can remember, many years ago, that my parents got quite upset with the abbreviation of Christmas to "Xmas." David at Third World County reminds us that "Xmas" is actually a respectful and historical version of the word - so let's keep the "X" in Christmas!

Laying Wreaths at Arlington and other National Cemeteries is very definitely a tradition of Christmas, and one we should hold close. never forget the Man who took the Ultimate Fall, so that we might be raised to new life in Him...

SWAC Girl also posts some gorgeous pictures of Christmas in Williamsburg - a colonial Christmas is truly a thing of beauty, but oh, that candy!!! Yum! Plus, she also has an absolutely perfect story about visiting Santa as a young girl, as well as going to have a Christmas tea after seeing Santa.

Obi's Sister has a picture-filled post up about all the gorgeous Santas she owns  - truly an impressive collection!

The Flavors of Christmas

David directs us to a Christmas "Chili" - apparently it's not a real chili, but it certainly looks awesomely excellent!

And Peppermint Bark? I loooooooove Peppermint Bark! This looks like an excellent recipe, posted over at Charm Offensive Cooking.

Christmas in the News

This is a new section for the Carnival, but I received two entries that I think warranted it. First is from Beth Shaw at Right Pundits, "Advent Conspiracy: Have Americans Lost Our Way?" It is indeed a good question, with so many resenting a cheerful "Merry Christmas!" wish. Beth's post dovetails in nicely with a post from last year by Cassie Fiano at Stop the ACLU: "Christmas is now an official holiday in Iraq." I pray that, as Iraq celebrates Christmas - officially - for the first time this year, that the Savior whose birth we celebrate is born in many hearts!

And that's all for this year's Carnival; I hope that all these wonderful posts will help you enjoy Christmas. May you be surrounded by family and friends this year, but most importantly, I pray that you remember and rejoice over the greatest Gift ever given: a little, helpless babe born in a tiny town who is the God who came to us to be our Savior.

May the Spirit of Christ be born in your heart this year, and may you bow before Him in worship and gratitude for all the abundant gifts He has poured out upon us!

Now it's REALLY Christmas...

All my life, I remember my mom setting up the Hummel figurines in the manger scene. When they went on their honeymoon in 1955, my parents went to Europe, and one of their stops was in Germany where Mom bought the core of the Hummel manger scene. Over the years, she added a few extras, and for Christmas 1995 when I was pregnant with the Darling Munchkin, Mom gave me the whole crêche ensemble.

And so, each year for Christmas I've tried to keep the tradition going. I gather evergreen sprigs and white fairy lights, and set up the crêche...

I worship the God who humbled Himself and came to earth as a baby, born in a rude stable. He lived a perfect life, showed us the love of His Father, died on the Cross to pay for our sins, and rose to prove that His grace and mercy were absolutely all that sinful man needed to be reconciled to his Creator God.

Christ Jesus, I praise You for all You did for me... but Your humble birth reminds me that You know all my trials, and You know all my pains and worries. Savior, be reborn in me today, and may I praise Your Name and live so that I lift Your life up to all people!

May you have a blessed Christmas, filled with the love and peace of God who gave His Son so that we may be gathered into His family and reconciled with our holy Creator!

The King of Christmas: Living Water

Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?”

Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”. (John 4:10-14, NKJV)

On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:37-38, NKJV)

They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:16-17, NKJV)

It's been so crazy this season! So many things are happening, and we are preparing for so many changes, that time has just raced along and slipped right by me. True, my time management skills - off the job, anyway - are not the best, but there never seem to be enough minutes in the day. As you can see, I'm hardly keeping up with this Advent series (although I am adding to the archives as I can - one post a day, remember! Aiiigh! LOL)

Yesterday as I was driving home, I heard something on the radio or off of the music on my Droid (I can't remember) that made me think of John 4:10 - "living water." I don't recall what it was exactly, but "living water" popped right into my head, and I thought, "Oh, Lord, I'm so tired and so thirsty... I need to be refreshed by You!"

When it comes to drinking water, I am really terrible! I'll sip some wine, savor coffee, swill sweet tea, gulp milk and so on, but I forget the pure, refreshing perfection of cold, clear water. Our bodies need to be properly hydrated to function properly; why do I expect anything different for my spirit and soul?

Jesus sits by the well and calls us to come to Him and drink from the Living Water. Drink fully and drink deeply, for there is a never ending supply to refresh and renew us. The more of Him we drink, the more of Him flows out from us to refresh and renew everyone we meet!

Jesus, let me come to You and drink. Let me immerse and lose myself in You. Clothe me in Your perfection, and may Your life and power renew my spirit every day!

Announcing the Carnival of Christmas, 2009

(UPDATE: This is a sticky post, so please scroll down to find more recent content.)

It's that time of the year again, and I am honored and delighted to announce that CatHouse Chat will be hosting the Carnival of Christmas for the third year in a row. This is the fifth year of the Carnival, which was originally begun by Adam Graham (previous editions are here, here, here, and here), and I hope and pray that the Carnival continues to grow and gain popularity each year.

Adam's original statement for the Carnival was

A Carnival for anything Christmas related. You can share Christmas stories, Christmas poems, Christmas podcasts, Christmas parodies, Christmas pictures, etc. The only requirement is that the post be respectful of the Holiday and in the Spirit of Christmas cheer and kindness.

I am going to add just a couple of clarifications to that: first of all, absolutely no political or advertising posts. I want to make sure the Carnival remains focused on the season and that it celebrates the joy, solemnity and unity that the season ought to bring. Secondly, I earnestly request that all submitted posts be dated from November and December of this year, 2009. I really want to keep the Carnival fresh with new pictures, recipes, memories and meditations, so get cracking and send in some of that awesome creativity I know you all do so well!

The past two years that CatHouse Chat has hosted the Carnival, I have pretty much accepted as many entries as I've gotten and haven't limited people to one submission per person; I'd like to continue that tradition. However, bear in mind that the Carnival has gotten bigger each year (hooray!), and I may have to limit people to, oh, three entries per person *grinz*

The deadline for submissions will be Tuesday, 22 December, and I plan to post the Carnival no later than 3 p.m., ET, on Christmas Eve. Hopefully, I'll get it up by the 23rd, but I like to give myself that extra time just in case something crazy happens.

I will NOT be using the Blog Carnival tool for entries this year. Please send ALL submissions directly to cathousechat -AT- gmail-dot-com, and use CARNIVAL in the subject line. In the body of the post, please include the permalink to your post, as well as the trackback URL if you want me to send one when the Carnival is posted. Please also give a brief (one or two sentence) description of the post, and what category I should put it in. So far, I'm planning on

• music and video
• pictures and art
• recipes
• memories and traditions
• meditations of the season
• humor

I may end up adding some categories (and there's always "miscellaneous!"), but these have been fairly standard for the Carnival so far.

All right, that's it so far. If you have any further questions, please feel free to e-mail me at the cathousechat address above (NOT the romeokat e-mail listed in my right hand column) with QUESTION in the subject line, and I will get back to you with an answer as soon as I can.

May your Advent season be full of joy, and may your Christmas be truly blessed!

UPDATE:  Thank you for the links and promotion, my friends!

• Cao's Blog
• Rick Sincere
• Crystal Clear Conservative
• Fishersville Mike
• Political Pistachio
• SWAC Girl
• Stop the ACLU
• GM Roper, my dear blog-brother, extra special edition (luv ya, GMan!)
• Third World County, another dear blog-brother (Teacher of Songs)
• Big Dog, a third dear blog-brother (Defender of the Realm)
• Deo Vindice

The King of Christmas: our Redeemer

Look down from heaven and see,
from Your holy and beautiful habitation.
Where are Your zeal and Your might?
The stirring of Your inner parts and Your compassion
are held back from me.
For You are our Father,
though Abraham does not know us,
and Israel does not acknowledge us;
You, O LORD, are our Father,
our Redeemer from of old is Your name. (Isaiah 63:15-16, ESV)

Redeemer. Someone who buys us back out of slavery. A kinsman who comes to rescue and avenge us. A Savior who loves us so much that He comes to pay the debt we owe and take us home. 

Redeemer. The God who loves us when we were unlovely, hateful, rebellious sinners and pours out His grace in our souls. The God who washes us clean from every taint of sin and adopts us into His intimate family. The only God who makes final, perfect peace between Himself and man.

I know You had me on Your mind

When You climbed up on that hill

For You saw me with eternal eyes

While I was yet in sin

Redeemer Savior Friend

Every stripe upon Your battered back

Every thorn that pierced Your brow

Every nail drove deep through guiltless hands

Said that Your love knows no end

Redeemer Savior Friend

Redeemer redeem my heart again

Savior come and shelter me from sin

You're familiar with my weakness

Devoted to the end

Redeemer Savior Friend

So the grace You poured upon my life

Will return to You in praise

I'll gladly lay down all my crowns

For the name of which I am saved

Redeemer Savior Friend

Oh, Jesus, my great Kinsman-Redeemer! I thank You for the great love and grace You came to show us. You came so humbly! You, the great God and Creator, left Heaven and laid aside Your glory so that You could come and buy Your children out of sin and slavery. You rescued us from Your own just wrath, and transfered us to Your Kingdom of light, love and grace. I praise You, my Savior, for all the powerful kindness You have poured out upon me. Let Your light so shine through my life that You are glorified and worshiped by all who see it!

The King of Christmas: our Advocate

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. (1 John 1:8 - 2:1, ESV)

What is an "advocate"? An advocate is one who pleads our case, who defends us and intercedes on our behalf. An advocate is a helper, someone who comes alongside us to aid us, comfort us, and to guide us in the ways of righteousness.

Jesus was born into a stable so that He could become our Advocate.

We have all sinned against a holy God - all of us. It does not matter the degree of our sin, for any violation of God's laws and His requirements for righteousness makes us guilty before Him. In ourselves, we have no way to make ourselves right before God: we cannot live perfect lives from our first breath, and we have no way to pay the penalty for our rebellion.

So what can we do?

That's the point. We cannot do anything; Jesus Christ has done it all. He came to live a perfectly righteous life in complete and whole hearted obedience to His Father. He came to die the death that we all richly earned with our mutiny against our Sovereign Lord and God. When God sends His Spirit to convict us of sin and draw us to Christ, the perfection of Jesus' life is given to us and the full payment of His death takes away our sin so that we may stand before God.

Are Christians perfect? No, not here on earth. Here, we struggle with temptation and sin, and we frequently fail to walk in obedience and fellowship with God. But that does not put us back into the kingdom of darkness, subject to God's wrath! Jesus was born, He lived and He died to reconcile us to His Father, but He also rose again to be our Advocate.

Every moment of every day - humanly speaking - Jesus stands before His Father and intercedes for His brothers and sisters, His friends. Each and every day, Christians have to live by the grace which has saved us and by the continuing grace that is transforming us into the image of Christ. Each and every moment, Christ is our Advocate, applying His blood and His righteousness to our imperfect lives and making them perfect in the eyes of God.

We are hidden and renewed in Jesus Christ our Advocate. Our hope is solely in Him.

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure;
Save from wrath and make me pure.

Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to the cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.

While I draw this fleeting breath,
When mine eyes shall close in death,
When I soar to worlds unknown,
See Thee on Thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.

Thank You, Jesus, for coming to live for me. Thank You, Lord, for dying for my sin and paying my debt. Thank You for living inside me, for helping me, for being my Friend and my Defender. Thank You, Jesus, for loving me so much that You came to be born in a humble stable!

The King of Christmas: the Word

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1, 14, ESV)

The Word, the Logos, the second Person of the Trinity... became flesh!

This quote from the Gospel of John is well known, but I wonder how often any of us really meditate on it? What does it really mean that "the Word became flesh"? What does it mean that "the Word was God"? Well, let me try to unwrap this for you a little bit.

Ancient Greek philosophy used this word to describe several things: the source and order of the universe, rational discourse, and the idea that divine power kept the universe moving. John's Gospel is directed mostly to the Greek culture, and so the Spirit's inspiration led John to use this concept from their culture and apply it to Jesus. John was saying to his Greek readers, "Look, the Source and Power of the universe isn't just a concept or a 'force.' The Logos you are trying to understand is God Himself. God put on flesh and came to live with us, and we saw Him! He's real!"

Over and over and over again, I come back to tis one concept: God Almighty, Holy God, God who is pure and perfect, left the glories of Heaven, laid aside the prerogatives of His deity, and was born as a helpless Baby to a poor young couple in a smelly stable far from their home.

The Source of all creation, the Power that keeps it chugging along, came to earth and grew up like us, worked like us, made friends, wept, ate, learned, slept, laughed, walked and spoke... like us!

How great a love, how deep a compassion He must have for His rebellious people! And what an amazing display the Living Word made when He came to live out the vast love of God before our eyes.

Father, let Your Word of truth and love be strongly proclaimed this Christmas season. May Your Son, the Logos which created the world and holds it together, be revealed to us. May Your Spirit convict us of sin and guide us to the humble stable and to the torturous Cross so the Son may be born in our hearts and reconcile us to You. Hallelujah, Christ the Savior is born!

The King of Christmas: the Servant of the Lord

Today is the beginning of Advent: the celebration of the God who humbled Himself and came to seek and save the lost.

And we are all lost without Him! We are lost in our sin, unable to help ourselves and unwilling to submit ourselves to the rule of our rightful and gracious King. But the most wonderful thing about Christmas, the heart of the whole season, is God Himself. God in the Person of the Son came down to earth, was born as a real baby, grew up and lived His perfect life in our sight, and then died to pay for our sins and to provide a way for the holy, pure God to reconcile with unrighteous sinners.

Jesus came to us as the Servant of the Lord.

Behold My Servant, whom I uphold,
   My Chosen, in whom My soul delights;
I have put My Spirit upon Him;
    He will bring forth justice to the nations. (Isaiah 42:1, ESV)

God sent His Son, His Chosen, to bring justice to all the world. He sent Him quietly, humbly to a little, no-account town, to be born in a rude stable, attended only by His earthly parents, some animals, and poor shepherds.

Behold, My Servant shall act wisely;
   He shall be high and lifted up,
   and shall be exalted. (Isaiah 52:13, ESV)

All His life, Jesus would act wisely and in accordance with His Father's will. Jesus would teach sinful people what it looked like to live wholly dependent upon God, trusting Him fully, and living sinlessly. And indeed, Jesus is high and lifted up - at the moment in Heaven and by His chosen people, but in the future He will be esteemed and worshiped by all tribes and tongues and nations.

Who else has been called "the servant of the Lord"? Moses, of course. Moses, who left the riches and privilege of being a prince of Egypt and became a humble shepherd in the wilderness - just like Jesus, who left the glory of Heaven and came to live among us. David, too, was called the servant of the Lord - a poor, unknown shepherd boy, who God raised up to be the king of Israel, a man after God's own heart - just like Jesus, who lived in poverty, died an ignominious death, and is now raised up to sit at the right hand of the Father in Heaven, and who is the King of kings. Both Moses and David pictured the coming Christ, the Promised One, in their lives. Both men pointed to the coming glory of Immanuel - God with us.

But there is one more servant who should be mentioned. One more person who was a humble servant, submitting to God's will even though she didn't completely understand it: Mary.

And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."

And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?"

And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy— the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God." And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:30-38, ESV)

I don't understand it all, God. I cannot begin to grasp the width, height and depth of Your love for Your people. But I do see that You love a humble, willing servant. You cherish Your Son, who descended from Heaven to live among us as a servant to all, loving us, healing us, saving us. Father, please let Your Spirit have His way in my heart. Make me like Your Son, serving in joy, humility and patience, so that I may earn Your "Well done!" in Heaven when You call me Home. Thank You for Your wonderful salvation that You have worked in my life. I pray that You will call many of Your children to trust in You this Christmas season so that Your name and Your grace and Your love may be proclaimed throughout the world. All glory to our Savior Jesus, Servant of the Lord Most High!

The King of Christmas, Advent series for 2009 - next post... final post

Welcome to Advent!

I pray that it will be a joyous season for us all, and that the Reason for the season guides our thoughts, words and deeds. May all Christians rejoice and sing with renewed enthusiasm this year as we celebrate the birth of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Good people all, this Christmas time,
Consider well and bear in mind
What our good God for us has done,
In sending His belovèd Son.*

Since 2005, I have tried - and mostly succeeded - to post a Christmas entry each day between the first and the twenty-sixth of December. I made myself a rule that all posts were to be Christ-centered and include either  Scripture or a scriptural hymn (sometimes both). I wanted a way to help myself be focused on the wonderful grace and kindness of my Lord and Savior, a way to keep Him in the forefront of my thoughts each day.

I was in a bit of a dilemma when I sat down - just this evening, I confess - to decide what my theme would be this year. Last year, I did the Alphabet of Christmas, and I've done hymns/songs as well. I had been thinking of Biblical prophecies of Jesus' birth, but wasn't sure it resonated with me this year. One friend suggested using the lives of saints, and another the books of the Bible (which tied in with my prophecy thought), but I think what I'm going to do this year is focus on the Names and Titles of Christ. I hope to learn more about Jesus, and hope you will join me for the journey.

As for the Carnival of Christmas, I have contacted the Daddy of the Carnival of Christmas, Adam, to see what his plans are for this year. I've had so much fun hosting the past two years that I'd love to do it again - but I shouldn't be selfish; Adam might like to take up the reins again this year. We'll see what happens!

The Real Santa Claus

I love our Marines - and I love commercials like this!

I truly believe, without a shadow of a doubt, that this is the real image of all our men and women in uniform: tough, dedicated, honorable, courageous - and also tender, protective and giving.

Right now, Project Valour-IT, created and sponsored by Soldiers' Angels is going on in the blogosphere:

Project Valour-IT helps provide voice-controlled/adaptive laptop computers and other technology to support Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand wounds and other severe injuries. Items supplied include

Voice-controlled Laptops - speaking into a microphone or using other adaptive technologies, they allow the wounded to maintain connections with the rest of the world during recovery.

Wii Video Game Systems - Whole-body game systems increase motivation and speed recovery when used under the guidance of physical therapists in therapy sessions (donated only to medical facilities)

Personal GPS - Handheld GPS devices build self-confidence and independence by compensating for short-term memory loss and organizational challenges related to severe TBI and severe PTSD.

Cassandra is leading for the Marines, USNI Blog sails for the Navy, the Mudville Gazette flies for the Air Force, and BlackFive humps for the Army - I would ask my readers to please go to any one of these worthy blogs and offer your support to this magnificent cause. All money is pooled and goes to those most in need without regard to their branch of service; the fund raiser is simply a "friendly" (HAH!) competition between the services to see who can raise the most for this charity. Competition ends on November 11th, but donations are always accepted on behalf of our men and women in uniform.

Please return the devotion our troops give to us: donate generously!

The commercial, of course, doesn't have anything to do with Project Valour-IT; it promotes the Marine Corps' annual Christmas Charity, Toys for Tots.

So many families, especially in this time of economic trouble and unemployment, do not have the resources to bring the joy of giving to their children. The Toys for Tots program is a way that you can help - and it's sponsored by those tough, gritty Marines who stand on the front line every day in defense of our country. These men and women, feared and hated by the bad guys of the world (and with good reason!), open their hearts to the most vulnerable of us all: children in need.

A truly valorous heart is courageous, dedicated, persistent, honorable, compassionate, and loving. The men and women who wear the uniforms of our Armed Services are excellent examples of valor, and we are all blessed by their selfless service.

Please join with them to serve the children and their wounded brethren. Let them know that we honor them as our brothers and sisters and that we care about the things they cherish.

Post-Christmas breakfast

I wanted something quick and easy this morning, to celebrate the fact that my dose of happy insanity is done for the year. Of course, I wanted a little eggnog, too, LOL!

THe Alphabet of Christmas: Z is for "zealous"

For unto us a Child is born,
      Unto us a Son is given;
      And the government will be upon His shoulder.
      And His name will be called
      Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
      Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
      Of the increase of His government and peace
      There will be no end,
      Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
      To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
      From that time forward, even forever.
      The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. (Isaiah 9: 6-7, NJKV)

God loves us so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus, the most wonderful, perfect gift any of us could have! God pursues us down to the depths of our sin, He chases us to the ends of our rebellion, and He tracks us to the outermost boundaries of our mutiny.

God is the Hound of Heaven, whose love and zeal for His children is endless and passionate.

Yes! God is passionate about you!

Just look at the life of His perfect Son - all Jesus did and experienced - and see that passion shining though. If God would go through all that just so that He could bring you into His family as a holy and beloved child - how can anyone say "no"?

...I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

Don't you want to partake of that sort of zealous, eternal love? Haven't you always felt the need for that sort of deep and abiding and perfect love? Then, come to Him... He's waiting!

However, I must remind you that Jesus has already come as God's Servant. The Day of Grace will not last forever, and soon the Day of Judgment will arrive. Enter into God's salvation now - do not wait! - for His patience will not endure forever. The Day is coming when Jesus will return as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and take His rightful place as our Sovereign.

On that Day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Every knee! So, whether you bow in worship and joy or whether you bow in terror and defeat, you will bow down.

Now is the Day of Salvation!

The Alphabet of Christmas: previous post.

The Alphabet of Christmas: Y is for "yearning"

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ (Matthew 23:37-39, NKJV)

I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people,
      Who walk in a way that is not good,
      According to their own thoughts;
     A people who provoke Me to anger continually to My face;
      Who sacrifice in gardens,
      And burn incense on altars of brick;
     Who sit among the graves,
      And spend the night in the tombs;
      Who eat swine’s flesh,
      And the broth of abominable things is in their vessels (Isaiah 65:2-4)

God yearns after His children. God loves all of us with a love that is infinite and awesome - and yet, He is too holy and perfect to tolerate sin in His presence. His beloved children were separated from Him by the infinite gulf of sin and rebellion; our transgressions were far beyond our ability to pay. We had no power within ourselves to reach up to God and grasp the beauty of Heaven, and so our gracious Father reached down to us.

Today we celebrate the birth of God our Savior; God, who came down from Heaven to do for us what we could not. God came down from Heaven to live with us and show us His love. God came down from Heaven to live a prefect, sinless life. God came down from Heaven to accept the penalty for our sins. God came down from Heaven to pay our punishment in full. God came down from Heaven to die and to conquer Death. God came down from Heaven to raise Himself up as eternal proof of His love and forgiveness.

How silently, how silently, the wondrous Gift is giv’n;
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His Heav’n.
No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.

God did all of this because He yearns for us to come to Him, to seek and find the unfathomable depths of love and grace and kindness and mercy and strength He has for us.

Come. Come to the Manger Throne, and bow in worship and adoration. Come to the Stable, and give all of yourself into His embrace. Come and kneel before Emmanuel, and come Home at last.

Come!

Come to the waters, you who thirst and you'll thirst no more.
Come to the father, you who work and you'll work no more.
And all you who labor in vain and to the broken and shamed:

Love is here.
Love is now.
Love is pouring from
His hands, from his brows.
Love is near, it satisfies.
Streams of mercy flowing from his side.
Cuz love is here.

Come to the treasure, you who search and you'll search no more.
Come to the lover you who want and you'll want no more, no.
And all you who labor in vain and to the broken and shamed,

Love is here.
Love is now.
Love is pouring from his hands, from his brows.
Love is near, it satisfies.
Streams of mercy flowing from his side.

The Alphabet of Christmas: previous post... next post (Yes, I am going all the way to "z"! If you haven't guessed it already, the Birth is not the end of the Story!)

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

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. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

Merry Christmas! I pray this day finds you with friends and family, and that God sheds His Spirit upon you all generously. I pray that, if you have not, you find the Babe and join the family of God. May we bow down in worship and adoration of Emmanuel, God with us!

May the Christ Child be born in all of our hearts, and may He grant you grace and peace from this day forward.

The Alphabet of Christmas: X is for "eXtraordinary"

Shhh. Shhh!

It's quiet. The donkey is snoring softly in its stall, while the cow placidly chews her cud. The chickens are nestled in their nests, and a little lamb curls up to the warm body of its mother.

Starlight sneaks in through a crack in the wall, and the moon manages to guide a moonbeam through the door.

The town is asleep. The night is dark. All the earth lies quietly under the night sky...

And something extraordinary is about to happen!

O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight

For Christ is born of Mary
And gathered all above
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love
O morning stars together
Proclaim the holy birth
And praises sing to God the King
And Peace to men on earth

How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven.
No ear may his His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him still,
The dear Christ enters in.

O holy Child of Bethlehem
Descend to us, we pray
Cast out our sin and enter in
Be born to us today
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell
O come to us, abide with us
Our Lord Emmanuel 

Shh! The Light of the World is about to enter into Bethlehem!

The Alphabet of Christmas: previous post... next post.

Welcome to the Carnival of Christmas, 2008!

“ Glory to God in the highest,
      And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

It is truly an honor and a joy to be able to host this wonderful Carnival again. I had so much fun last year that I pretty much badgered poor Adam Graham into letting me do it again! I am grateful that he said yes. And we have over sixty wonderful entries (well, at least I think so – I believe I lost count at around fifty, LOL).

To open up and set the mood, I offer up the Wexford Carol, performed by Celtic Women (sent in by my Cotillion sister, Nice Deb):

Welcome to “Bethlehem” this joyous season! I pray that this Carnival will be a blessing to all who read, and that God sheds His infinite grace and  love upon us all. I hope that this Day finds you with family and loved ones all around, and that you look back on the year and remember all the blessings given to us. I pray, as always, that we don’t leave the “Christmas Spirit” behind when the season is over, but rather that we spread the kindness and love to all we meet throughout the rest of our lives. But most of all, I pray that this Carnival, now and in the future, reminds us of the Reason for the Season, and helps us still our minds and spirits so that we may truly have a glorious Christmas – and

REJOICE!

Pride of place this year goes to Hoosier Army Mom, who reminds us of the men and women in our armed forces. These brave and unselfish citizens volunteered to serve our country in a time of war, and many are far away from home and family. Please remember them in your prayers, and go over to buy them some phone cards at the Online Military Exchange.

Our second pride of place entry goes to Gayle, who writes of Christmas Lost and Found. Truly, this is a wonderful post about how God can – and does! – turn mourning into dancing, and works all things together for good to His called. Gayle is a perfect example of this year’s REJOICE! theme!

Oh – DON’T FORGET TO TRACK SANTA ON CHRISTMAS EVE!

And now for the rest of all those excellent entries:

Christmas Traditions and Memories:

Our Carnival Daddy, Adam Graham, starts us off in this category with The Christmas Advantage. Don’t forget, in these uncertain times, “a lean Christmas doesn’t have to be a poor one.” Amen, Adam. Amen!

Jenn H. presents His Christmas Legacy over at Mixed Metaphor.net. It is a beautiful and touching tale about the simple faithfulness of the season, and how rich a simple, loving life can be.

Rick Sincere, one of my Virginia blog-brothers, has sent in two delightful posts – one about his memories of how his family celebrated Christmas in Milwaukee (and he’s got pictures AND a video – gosh, you were a cute kid, Rick!). I love seeing how other families have traditions springing out of their former cultures… His second entry is no less worthy, and speaks about new traditions being made, this time in Arlington, VA. I will definitely have to try and get up there next year for some good music and theater – maybe Rick can get me the tickets! LOL *wink*

Have you ever wondered whether wrapping presents is worth it? Well, according to a study that GrrlScientist dug up, it certainly is!

Suldog reposts Pointy the Poinsettia this year, and all Pointy’s fans will be delighted to know he’s doing very well!

TF Stern sent in his Gingerbread Cookie Tradition – which ought to go in the recipes section, except it’s not a recipe. It’s a story about sacrifice in lean times, and how the true value of any gift is how much of yourself you put into it.

Here is a very worthwhile read: Teaching Your Children About Giving on Christmas Day. Vickie of SidetrackedMoms is one of our prolific contributors this year, and I think this is my favorite entry from her. But then again, I also adore her post about Christmas traditions, so you ought to go over and decide for yourself!

Oh, I remember cutting our own Christmas tree – and this story about a family’s first experience with cutting their own tree is both funny and heartwarming… Thanks to Philaazophy for this contribution!

Laura Lee Donoho tells us a beautiful tale of how she learned to give the gift someone wanted. That’s a very difficult lesson to learn – we often want to give what we think someone ought to want – but Laura relates the story with a simple honesty that is truly touching. There’s a lot more, so you really really need to go read! Thank you, Laura; I’m so glad you found the Carnival this year! (And Jo was always my favorite, too!)

My dear blog-brother – and new grandapa! – GM Roper writes about Daddy Bah and his Gift of Love. The GMan writes so well, and the story of enduring and selfless love will really bless your heart!

How many of us sing the story of Frosty the Snowman? Well, Jody Wilcox at Contemporary Conservative shows us how very like Jesus ol’ Frosty is… And does an exemplary job of reminding us of the meaning of Christmas!

Obi’s Sister sends in two entries of Christmas memories: the Best Santa Ever! and one about singing with Robert Shaw’s youth chorus one year *happy shivers* I love hearing big, well-trained choirs sing!

Finally for this section, Big Dog (yeppers, another blog-brother!) reminds us that a Simple Gift for Christmas is what it’s all about.

Christmas Meditations:

My dear blog-brother Scott, after the terrible deaths during the Black Friday shopping frenzy, reminds us of what is really important about the season. He goes on to remind us that it’s OK to wish people a Merry Christmas! After all, for all the political correctness running around, the holiday (short for HOLY day) we are truly celebrating is Christmas!

GrrlScientist (who sent in several entries) posts America’s food-availability crisis, a strong reminder that amid all the bounty many of us enjoy, there are others in need. Please keep the season in mind, and open your hands as generously as you can to help those less fortunate.

Crystal Clear Conservative posts Joy in the Heart, a beautiful memory of how she learned that Christmas is about giving – and giving of yourself is the most rewarding thing you can do.

Connie sends in an unusual contribution: her Christmas story is a day by day journey with lots of beautiful images. Well worth the read!

Save Your Christmas! Brent, of the Ominous Comma, gives us this wonderful, practical post which shows us how, with a little personal sacrifice (just a little), we can give someone in need the gift of pure, clean water (and he’s going to see this and tell me to take out at least eight commas, I’m sure!) Go on over and watch the video – and then put the Christmas Spirit into action!

Robert and Jennifer from Conservative Convictions send in two excellent posts, about appreciating the simple things, and finding peace in those simple things. These are two posts well worth the reading to remind you of the meaning of the season!

SWACGirl thinks back to a 10 year old boy she knew long ago, and how his joy amid his trouble reminds her to be grateful during this season. Merry Christmas indeed, Stacy – wherever you are.

In Eight Ways to Ruin Christmas, Michael Teft relates a story that looks at our Christmas decorations and points to what they should remind us of – definitely something to teach our children! (Odd title, though *grin*) He also sent in the Gift of a Bible, which has a link to a video by Penn Jillette (of Penn&Teller fame) that is a MUST-WATCH.

Another very dear blog-brother of mine, Ogre, posts two items. One is a cartoon about the Christmas rush – look carefully, because that is what the Christmas rush ought to be! The second is a reminder of what the Christmas story really is – and, oh, I love that old, old story!

Christmas Recipes:

Toni presents "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas" posted at Wifely Steps. She’s got a love of excellent videos up, starring the wonderful Food Host, Nigella Lawson. Nigella’s recipes are always easy and delicious – and you’ve gotta love that accent!

Oh, sugar cookies! I love holiday sugar cookies, but don’t usually have the time to make them. Gretchen at Dishes and China offers a simple recipe for them that I’m sure taste as good as they look.

Vickie of SidetrackedMoms, sent in a recipe for Christmas ornaments you can make with children. No, it’s not for food, but the fun you can have with your children is certainly the best part of a recipe for cherished memories!

We also have an entry from Making This Home – a link to some delicious German Christmas Cookies! Oh, dear – all I have to do is look at that recipe, and the pounds just glom onto me *grinning*

The Merry Widow is posting several recipes which, taken all together, will make sure you’ll roll out of the house on a very full and satisfied tummy Christmas night: Christmas Breakfast, Christmas Appetizers, Christmas Bread, and a Christmas Standing Rib Roast (OMG, I have just died in ecstasy – it’s been ages since I’ve cooked a rib roast…). I know she’s going to post a couple more after the Carnival’s deadline, so make sure you swing on over to find out what else she’s cooking!

Well, he calls them “cheap,” but really, these are foods you can get on a budget and still celebrate scrumptiously. Thanks to Ben of Money Smart Life for sending these in!

Julie from More4Kids sends in some recipes for fun Christmas desserts… And my scales are still creeping up-up-up!

Melody Rhodes sends in a post with a smorgasbord of items, but since she starts with several recipes, I’ll put it here. Go on over for some wonderful ideas!

SWACGirl returns to this edition of the Carnival with Forgotten Cookies, which look fascinating – I’ve never heard of cookies you can bake all night!

And gingerbread – at least in my memories – plays a huge part in making Christmas festive. I haven’t made gingerbread or gingerbread houses in years, but go on over to Walking Prescott, and look at the pictures of their annual gingerbread house competition. No recipes – but, WOW! – I didn’t know you could do that with gingerbread!

Christmas Songs, Pictures, Video and Poetry:

My goodness, this section got a lot longer than I expected…!

I want to thank the very talented Warren, of Longshot, for the graphic to the left. He created it especially for my dear friend, Always On Watch. AOW has composed a beautiful acrostic, A Piano Christmas, for her contribution to the Carnival.

Yet another of my blog-brothers, Kender, who is an extremely talented storyteller and writer, wrote the Love that Burns Brightest, which is a marvelous poem about the meaning of love, and its greatest Example.

GrrlScientist has a beautiful picture of Helsinki draped in snow – I wish Finland would send some of that white stuff to south-central Virginia; it would be lovely to have a white Christmas!

Chaosgone sent in two video-rich entries – one with beautiful traditional songs, and one with the *ahem* more amusing side of Christmas music, LOL!

NiceDeb, who gave me the link to the Wexford Carol video up top, sent in several pictures of her beautiful decorations at home. I’m jealous; I don’t usually “do” decorations – I leave them to my Beloved Husband and the Darling Munchkin, while I cook and clean, LOL

Fishersville Mike sends in his favorite Christmas carol – which is one of the most beautiful and uplifting of the traditional hymns.

Our Carnival Dad, Adam Graham, pops back in with the story of the Big Little Jesus – go on over and have a listen! And then he’s also posted his Christmas Eve (got THAT one in under the wire! LOL) roundup: a Truth and Hope Christmas.

Alton, who blogs at I’m not Emeril, has two posts with video. First, the Christmas story with a little video he made, and then the lyrics to “Christmas Wrapping.”

Homesteader Belle presents a post with lots of pictures of the beautiful Christmas ornaments and paper snowflakes her family made. What a gorgeous way of decorating!

SWACGirl, one of our prolific sender-inners, posts a picture of the gorgeous Christmas quilt made by her grandmother. Just lovely – and something, as a quilter myself, I can really appreciate! Then, she makes me very jealous with her pictures of snow, Christmas lights, and elegant old Virginia, dressed for the holidays. If she sends some snow to her “sister” (me!) down in south central Virginia, I will be an extraordinarily happy camper!

Another of my dear blog-brothers (gee, I do have a lot of them, don’t I? LOL), David of Third World County, has a whole set of discussions on Christmas hymns in his Christmas Alliance category. I love the old songs so much, and particularly like Thou Who Wast Rich Beyond All Splendor, Beautiful Savior, Ding Dong Merrily On High, and Still, Still, Still. You need to go over and check him out; he has a neat way of ferreting out interesting tidbits of information about the most beautiful music!

You definitely need to stop by Carrie and Danielle’s place for a list of worthy Christmas songs. I love their first choice so much, that I’m going to embed the video here (but do go see their other recommendations, because it’s a fantastic list, and full of really fun stuff!):

Christmas Advent Series:

My dear blog-brother Michael, of the Write Side of My Brain, has been posting beautiful Advent meditations all this month, and they have been a wonderful blessing to me.

I also have my Alphabet of Christmas series, which I hope has helped us all focus on the Reason for the Season… And, yes, I am going to go all the way to the letter “z”!

Christmas Humor:

GrrlScientist returns with the hilarious How to Stuff Your Parrot for Thanksgiving – which would work equally well for Christmas, I’m sure!

Madeleine Begun Kane, of MadKane, slyly gives us the Mad Gift Giving Guide, a contract between a husband and wife. WARNING – although this will make you laugh, there’s a lot of good sense in there, too!

Christmas Miscellany:

I know it’s late for shopping tips to help us this year, but I thought I’d post Vickie’s suggestion for a Girls’ Shopping Day, as well as MoneyNing’s 32 Shopping Tips. OneFamilysBlog also has some frugal shopping tips. If you bookmark them and come back to them for next year, I’m sure they could be very helpful!

And looky here – Christmas card designs which are downloadable! I am going to bookmark this post and use some next year – thanks to Brent Diggs who sent this in from Home Life Weekly.

Finally, don’t forget the animals who share our lives – they should enjoy the season, too! GP from Manely Montana helps us have a Doggone Safe Holiday (there’s even a recipe for some doggie treats), and GrrlScientist gives us tips on how to keep our feathered friends safe as well.

UPDATE - Christmas Delays:

I knew this would happen - there would definitely be a couple of extremely worthy late-comers to the Carnival that I absolutely HAD to link... LOL

Yet one more from my dear blog-brother, David - but not musical this time, even though it's a poem.

And this post is truly fitting to end with: A Police Officer's Story. Truly, an ending done right is only the beginning...

Well, that’s all for this year; I hope you’ve enjoyed reading through the Carnival entries as much as I have. It’s been wonderful fun, and I hope we can keep this annual tradition going for a long while. In the meantime, I will wish you all a very blessed and merry Christmas, and hope to see you again next year!

The Alphabet of Christmas: W is for "wonderful"

For unto us a Child is born,
      Unto us a Son is given;
      And the government will be upon His shoulder.
      And His name will be called
      Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
      Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.(Isaiah 9:6, NKJV)

I have said it so many, many times: how wonderful - how astonishing! - that God would come down to His creation and dwell among us!

To give you an idea, I'd like to show you some of the names of God from the Old Testament, and let you get a glimpse of all the wondrous ways Jesus lived these names and proved Himself, over and over, to be God incarnate:

Jehovah-jireh, "the Lord will provide." It is through God's provision of His Son that we can come to Him and live with Him. Jesus lived and died for us - the perfectly holy sacrifice that God provided on our behalf.

Jehovah-rapha, "the God who heals." Jesus healed the sick - the deaf, the blind, the leprous - but He has also healed a sickness far more lethal: sin.

Jehovah-Shalom, "the Lord our peace." Jesus' birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection have brought us near to God. Where we were once enemies, the blood of Christ has reconciled us to God and made peace between us.

Jehovah-tsidkenu, "the Lord our righteousness." Jesus lived a perfectly righteous and sinless life here on earth. He, and He alone, gained any and all of the merit we need to gain Heaven. Through faith in Him, and in His works, we are clothed in His perfection and righteousness and can stand before God without fear.

Jehovah-ra-ah, "the Lord our Shepherd." Jesus is the Good Shepherd, who lays His life down for His sheep. He goes before us and leads us in the way of truth. He protects us, He shelters us, and He guides our paths.

Jehovah-shammad, "the Lord is present." Jesus came to live among us - Emmanuel, God with us - and now, through faith in Him, His Spirit lives within us. We are never alone, for He is always with us to give us His strength, His love, and His wisdom.

But in a way, I think that El Shaddai Elohim Adonai, "the Lord God Almighty, God our Master," is my favorite. This powerful, eternal being, this almighty God, stepped out of Heaven and into history - all for the love He bore us. For the glory of His Name, He chose us and set His heart upon us. God is not too big to give Himself wholly to us...

His name is, indeed, WONDERFUL!

His name is Wonderful, His name is Wonderful,
His name is Wonderful, Jesus my Lord;
He is the mighty King, master of everything,
His name is Wonderful, Jesus, my Lord.

He's the great Shepherd, the Rock of all ages,
Almighty God is He;
Bow down before Him, love and adore Him,
His name is Wonderful, Jesus, my Lord.

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Submissions are now closed for the Carnival of Christmas, 2008, and it will be posted tomorrow (probably pretty early in the day, because I was able to get 99% of it done today).

The Alphabet of Christmas: V is for "vulnerable"

Image via Wikipedia

I have no verse for this word - it's something I picked out of the air, so to speak, as I was going through this series. But, think about it: in coming to earth, in incarnating, in being born, God became vulnerable.

The Lord God Almighty - He whose hands and power sustain the universe, He whose might can do anything, He whose will cannot be thwarted - God Almighty came down and was born as a helpless baby.

He became vulnerable to hunger and cold. He became vulnerable to sickness and bruises. He became vulnerable to cruel teasing and vile gossip.

He was vulnerable to being tired, and sorrowful, and disappointed, and tempted.He became in all ways just like us - except without sin.

Who has believed our report?
      And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
     For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
      And as a root out of dry ground.
      He has no form or comeliness;
      And when we see Him,
      There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
      He is despised and rejected by men,
      A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
      And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
      He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
      Surely He has borne our griefs
      And carried our sorrows;
      Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
      Smitten by God, and afflicted.
     But He was wounded for our transgressions,
      He was bruised for our iniquities;
      The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
      And by His stripes we are healed.
      All we like sheep have gone astray;
      We have turned, every one, to his own way;
      And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.(Isaiah 53:1-6, NKJV)

Jesus chose - He volunteered - to become vulnerable from before the foundations of the earth. He looked down the path of history and knew the end from the beginning, and knew He would come to us!

Jesus' birth into the world opened up the very depths of God's heart to us. He became vulnerable.

Why? WHY?

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

God loves us that much!

Father, I pray that You will somehow use this poor meditation as a way to open up the heart of one of your lost children. If You could love us so much that You would lay aside Your power for a time and become just like us - naked, fragile, vulnerable - then how could we turn away from Your Son? Send Your Spirit, Lord! Send Your holy fire and return our battered, weary and rebellious hearts to You. Search us out, lay Your hand upon us, and lead us into Your family and Kingdom. Let us carry Christmas - Christ in us - within us all through the year for Your glory and praise!

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The Alphabet of Christmas: U is for "united"

I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. (John 17:20-23, NKJV)

Just as Jesus is one with the Father and the Holy Spirit, He came so that we may join in that unity. Because of our sin, we are at war with God, and in rebellion against His sovereign rule. But Jesus came so that He could be our savior and our mediator, so that He could bring us into the eternal family of God.

Jesus came to us as a baby so that He could be one with us as a human. He felt our joys and sorrows, our pain and our triumphs, our laughter and tears. He slept, He ate, He hurt, He helped, He taught, He LIVED! He did all this so that He could, through His existence as man and His existence as God, bring two factions together in the unity God originally intended.

Jesus came to bring peace between God and man.

The Bible teaches that Jesus is our great High Priest, who offers the perfect sacrifice that pays for all of our sins. He is the great High Priest who lived among us and isn't so remote and elevated that He cannot empathize with us. He is the great High Priest who heals our hurts and gives us strength. He is our great High Priest who is God Incarnate and who reaches out to us in love and grace, offering His blessing of forgiveness, fellowship and family.

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16, NKJV)

And so, Jesus' birth, life, sacrifice, and resurrection call us all to come to Him and join in the unity God planned from before the foundations of the earth. Come to the King in the Manger Throne. Come to the High Priest who sacrificed Himself. Come to the God who loved you enough to leave Heaven and live among His people.

Come!

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Look what my WONDERFUL husband did for me while I was at church this morning! (UPDATED)

I have been wrestling for several years about where to put the Hummel creche that my Mom gave me when I was still pregnant with the Darling Munchkin. It is the anchor for many very fond Christmas memories, and it's always been a source of sorrow that I never had a good place to display it.

Well. My most wonderful, intelligent and AWESOME husband found the perfect place to set it up, and he even made the display table for me while I was at worship:

I'm going to cut that blue "velvet" so I have a skirt, which I'll then stitch on to velcro with a slight gather. Then the other half of the velcro can be glued/stapled to the edge of the table. From the leftover fabric (believe me, there's a LOT), I'll cut a topper that will drape over the edge of the table, and perhaps sew a rich gold cord along the edge. It ought to provide a very kingly contrast! Of course, I'll do that after this Christmas; no need to put too much on my plate when the wonderful day is so close.

However, I will go up to WalMart today, because I need to get some fake evergreen to  cover the roof of the stable. I'll probabl also get a new set of lights (all white, I think), and hot glue them on underneath the "pine." Mom always used live clippings, and tape to hold the lights on the stable. In this area though, we always seem to find the long-needled pine trees, and I prefer the short needled/Noble fir style. Plus, using good quality fake will let me set things up now, and it will last for several years.

I will do my best to set my beautiful creche up just right by the end of the day, and then post pictures for y'all's approval ;-)

UPDATE: Well, I decided not to brave WallyMart today, so I made do with what I had. My Beloved had some excellent suggestions about the lights (oooo, maybe a time-lapse picture later tonight!)... Anyway, here's what I have for this year:

 

 

Wow! When I get this tweaked the way I want it, the lovely creche Mom and Dad got when they were on their honeymoon in Europe (1955), will have a properly beautiful setting!

The Alphabet of Christmas: T is for "tender"

To give knowledge of salvation to His people
      By the remission of their sins,
     Through the tender mercy of our God,
      With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;
     To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
      To guide our feet into the way of peace. (Luke 1:77-79, NKJV)

Have you ever thought of God as "tender"?

Do you realize that God, although He certainly has the ability and authority, does not browbeat His creation, but rather holds out His hand in a tender invitation to come to Him?

Can you really fathom the kindness of God that He should reach out in such a quiet and humble way, and that He would willingly take upon Himself the consequences for our sin?

God is too pure to look upon wickedness, yet He came to live among us, to teach us and heal us, to feed us and love us through His Son.

God bestowed a wonderful privilege when He gave His Son into the house of Joseph and Mary, allowing them to raise Jesus in their tender care. God came as a baby...! A helpless child, completely dependent on the love and care of His parents, subject to their guidance and discipline - yet this Child was their God, their King and Savior!

Yet He came as one of us.

I think we forget that the tenderness of God is shown equally in His Commandments to us. Just as Jesus submitted Himsefl to the loving guidance of His earthly parents, so God has given us parental commands which are for our good. He does not give those commands to be the ultimate killjoy, but rather because, as our Father, He loves us and wants to protect us from terrible pain and agony when we stray from His design.

Father, I pray that, this Christmas season, many would hear of Your tender and enduring love and come to You in faith and trust. Lord, for those of us who are Your children already, please help us live our lives as clear exampls of Your tender and powerful love. Let Your light and Your grace shine through us so that everyone around us takes notice and glorifies Your name. Help us to raise up the Name of Jesus each and every day, so that You may use us to tenderly draw Your lost children back to unity with You.

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The Alphabet of Christmas: S is for "Savior"

Image via Wikipedia

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.” (Luke 2:11-12, NKJV)

The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him. (Acts 5:30-32, NKJV)

For He said, “Surely they are My people,
      Children who will not lie.”
      So He became their Savior.
      In all their affliction He was afflicted,
      And the Angel of His Presence saved them;
      In His love and in His pity He redeemed them;
      And He bore them and carried them
      All the days of old.(Isaiah 63:8-9, NKJV)

Jesus is... the Savior of the world. There is no life He cannot redeem, there is no sin He cannot forgive. His love reaches from the depths of the ocean to the outer reaches of the universe. His saving grace knows no bounds. His hands are open to all who will come to Him and give Him their lives and their trust and their hope.

Jesus is the God who saves to the uttermost, and He's proven Himself over and over and over again. His sovereign hand rules over us all, He is King and Lord - yet He came to us in simplicity and humility. He was born in a stable to live among us and to show us His face - the face of love and mercy and grace.

Christ the Lord is born! Rejoice and sing Alleluia!

Christ the Lord is born! Receive Him into your life, accept His loving rule, bow before His unending forgiveness.

Christ the Lord is born! Let your weary spirit rest in Him, and partake of His eternal and infinite strength. Let Him renew your soul and lift up your countenance.

Christ the Lord is born! Come to the stable, worship the King - and then tell all the world of these glad tidings of great joy!

PEACE ON EARTH, GOOD WILL TOWARD MEN!

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!

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The Alphabet of Christmas: R is for "revelation"

Image via Wikipedia

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. (Colossians 1:15-18, NKJV)

Oh, sing to the LORD a new song!
     For He has done marvelous things;
     His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.
The LORD has made known His salvation;
     His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;
     All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. (Psalm 98:1-3, NKJV)

Jesus is the perfect revelation of the image and character of His Father. Although no one can see the father face-to-face and live, Jesus has revealed Him to us.

Jesus has revealed His Father's compassion by  healing the sick. He has revealed His Father's authority by forgiving sins. He has revealed His Father's sovereignty by banishing demons. He has revealed His Father's power by His resurrection. And He revealed His Father's justice by willingly going to the Cross and enduring our rightful punishment.

Jesus is God made flesh, God who lives with us, God who felt our hurts, God who went through our pain, God who touched us, God who fed us, God who laughed with us, God who cried with us... God, who LOVES us!

Rejoice in the revelation of God to sinful man! Rejoice that He came to seek and to save the lost! Rejoice that His love pursues us, even to the Stable and then the Cross!

Emmanuel - God with us, God revealed to us!

REJOICE!

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The Alphabet of Christmas: Q is for "question"

Who is this King of Glory that pursues me with His love
And haunts me with each hearing of His softly spoken words?
My conscience a reminder of forgiveness that I need
Who is this King of Glory who offers it to me?

Who is this King of angels, O blessed Prince of Peace,
Revealing things of Heaven and all its mysteries?
My spirit's ever longing for His grace in which to stand
Who's this King of glory, Son of God and son of man?

His name is Jesus, precious Jesus
The Lord Almighty, the King of my heart
The King of glory

Who is this King of Glory with strength and majesty,
And wisdom beyond measure, the gracious King of kings,
The Lord of Earth and Heaven, the Creator of all things?
Who is this King of Glory, He's everything to me!

The Lord of Earth and Heaven, the Creator of all things,
He is the King of glory, He's everything to me!

Who is Jesus to you?

Is He simply some mythical figure who has no foundation in history? Is He a good teacher and guide? Is He a deluded madman? Is He a healer? Is He a nice little figurine on your car's dashboard? Is He your co-pilot?

Who *IS* Jesus? It is a challenge with eternal consequences, and it must be answered by each one of us.

He had the same question for His disciples:

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”

So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:13-19, NKJV)

Jesus is not just some chubby baby in a manger who we pull out once a year and coo over. He is not a mythical figure, and He is not just a good man and respected teacher. He should never be only a safe little icon in our lives that makes us feel good about ourselves.

Jesus is not that small, and He is not a toy for us to take out and play with when it's convenient.

Jesus is the King of Glory, the God of the Universe, the Word made flesh, come to be the Way, the Truth and the Life. He is our Creator, born to rescue us from the just wrath of God, willingly sacrificing Himself to be our Savior. He is Emmanuel, God with us, who came to live in us and walk with us every day so that we could be His witnesses to all the world.

Jesus is the Authority, who has a right to rule our lives. I know that we don't like to hear things like that - especially in America, where we hate to acknowledge that anyone has sovereignty over us - but it is the truth. He has proven Himself worthy of that right in all His works. He created all that exists, He sustains it, and He will conclude it. He came to us, lived among us, and died for us. He rose again, and He will return one day soon - and He will Judge us.

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. (John 5:24-30, NKJV)

Will you hear His word and believe in Him who came to live and die for us because of His great love for an utterly lost and sinful race?

Who is Jesus to you?

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The Alphabet of Christmas: P is for "pure"

Image via One Year Bible Blog

And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. (I Peter 1:17-19, NKJV)

Pure - without spot or blemish, without taint or corruption, without any flaw or imperfection. The Bible asks:

Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD?
         Or who may stand in His holy place?
 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
         Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol,
         Nor sworn deceitfully.
 He shall receive blessing from the LORD,
         And righteousness from the God of his salvation.

Who can attain this level of perfection and righteousness before God? Who can possibly stand before God and rightly claim that they have lived a life of such purity that they've earned Heaven?

No one. Not a single person who has lived on this sad old earth - with one Exception.

Only Jesus lived every second of every day from the moment of His birth in complete and loving obedience to His Father in Heaven. Only Jesus earned the right to go to Heaven - and He offers it freely to all who come to Him in faith and love.

I could have used other words for the letter "P" - passion, power, peace - but none of them really worked. When we think of passion, we think of sex or anger or a deep desire. All these have a similarity to the passion God has for us - but passion as we know it cannot come close to the pure passion God has to seek and save His lost children. When we think of power, we think of might or authority or energy - yet power as we understand it cannot match the pure power of the holy omnipotence of God, who directs and weaves history to conform to His plan. When we think of peace, we think of quiet and tranquility and security - but peace as we experience it has little to do with the pure peace that God gives through His Spirit when we lay down our arms and stop fighting Him.

Only the pure and spotless Lamb, the perfect God-Man, the Holy One incarnate had this blindingly perfect holy purity. His birth in Bethlehem so many centuries ago was a silent explosion of pure love whose effects are felt throughout the world and trough all the ages.

Holy Child - blessed and pure Child - You are unmatched in all Creation in Your holiness and perfection. Be born in us, I pray, and let us follow Your Spirit in joyful obedience. Let us live our lives in gratitude and worship to the Holy God, the Pure God, who loved us and gave Himself to us!

“Great and marvelous are Your works,
Lord God Almighty!
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the saints!
Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy.
For all nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been manifested.”

(Revelation 15:3b-4, NKJV)

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The Alphabet of Christmas: O is for "obedient"

Image via WikipediaLet this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:5-8, NKJV)

Long before God set time in motion, long before He created the universe, He had a plan. He knew He would create, and He knew that man would sin, and He knew that He would come to earth and offer Himself up for the payment of His peoples' sins.

Before man ever existed, the birth of Christ and the shadow of the Cross were already planned.

And so, when God drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden, Jesus knew that He would be born. When God destroyed the earth in the Flood, Jesus knew He would live among us. When God brought His people out of Egypt, Jesus knew He would die on the Cross.

Jesus did not have to do any of this: God would have been perfectly just to allow man to bear the eternal consequence of his sin. But because of His faithfulness, because He is the obedient Son, and because He loves us, Christ came down to earth to abide with His children. The One True God, the Triune God, made a covenant within the Godhead to seek and save His lost children - and to do that, the Son came to us humbly and obediently, to show us His Father's love.

Father, how wondrous is Your grace and mercy! How great is Your love for us! I thank You and praise You that You cannot break a promise and that You were willing to come and live with us so we might see You and know You. Lord, let us look to You, always and in all ways, to follow in humble obedience. Your great love for us, Your holiness and Your faithfulness, should give us confidence that You are truly the God who knows and sees all things, and that we can trust You to lead us. Give us Your presence, grant us Your peace, and bless us with faithful hearts so that we may proclaim Your greatness and goodness in our words, thoughts and deeds.

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The Alphabet of Christmas: N is for "necessary"

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For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:3-4, NKJV)

Have you ever meditated on the fact that Jesus birth was necessary?

How often have we proved that we are a sinful race, filled with corruption? How often have even the best of us, those with the purest intentions, those whose lives are examples of kindness and grace - how often have even they proven themselves mere mortals? 

No matter how good we try to be, no matter the lofty goal of our intentions, we all fail. We are all human, and there is not one of us without fault. And, it only takes one fault - one sin - to separate us form God for all eternity. "ALL have sinned, and fallen short of the glory of God..." (Rom. 3:23)

So what is one to do? We may try to be "extra nice" the next time we encounter the situation. We may apologize. We may try to bury our sin. We may ignore it - we even try to make our sins seem like virtue! But before a holy and perfect God, our true selves are revealed: stained, torn, battered, ragged, filthy - useless and unprofitable creations, who have earned our deserved punishment.

But God... Oh, how often I have read those two words - BUT GOD - in my Bible! How often have I read things which take me to the depths of despair over my own sin and helplessness, only to go on to read "BUT GOD"!

But God, who is rich in love and mercy and grace, did what we could not. He sent His own Son - His only begotten Son - to live and die for us. Only a man can truly take the punishment for another man's sins, and only God can take ALL of the punishment for ALL of our sins.

The blood of bulls and rams and doves could only point us to the price which must be paid for our sin - and then Jesus came in the fullness of time to be like us in all ways, except without sin, and to ransom us from the terrible debt of eternal punishment that we all owe.

Only God can accomplish such a perfect salvation - and only the Baby born in Bethlehem could have lived the perfect, sacrificial life.

Lord Jesus, I thank You and praise You for the offering You made for us. You laid aside the glory of Your Divine Nature, and descended to earth to fulfill the Law in every particular. You lived the perfect life that we could not. You accomplished the impossible on our behalf, as only You could. Thank You for coming to us, Lord. Thank You for doing what was necessary, so that Your Spirit could live within us and bring us Home to You!

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The Alphabet of Christmas: M is for "majesty"

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Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.’”

Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”

When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Out of Bethlehem, a little town of no account, will come a Ruler.

God had promised this to His people Israel, and now He has fulfilled that promise!

But what the people didn't realize was that God wasn't going to give them a King in the way they were used to; He wasn't going to choose a man in a palace who commanded an army and a lot of money. He wasn't going to give them a man who was influential and an elder at the Temple. He wasn't going to give them a prophet who spoke His words...

God Himself was going to come to be their King!

And yet, God was still going to do it His way: He came quietly as a little Baby born in a stable. He came in service to His people, and did not demand His rights as their lawful King. He came to live among us and give Himself for us.

He came as a Pauper King, and the majesty of His character and glory was made plain to a watching world.

In the little village of Bethlehem,
There lay a Child one day;
And the sky was bright with a holy light
O’er the place where Jesus lay.

Alleluia! O how the angels sang
Alleluia! How it rang!
And the sky was bright with a holy light
’Twas the birthday of a King.

’Twas a humble birthplace, but O how much
God gave to us that day,
From the manger bed what a path has led,
What a perfect, holy way.

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The Alphabet of Christmas: L is for "lovely"

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Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. (Philippians 4:8, NKJV)

The loveliness of Christ is something wondrous! The simplicity of His arrival on earth, the purity of His life, the selflessness of His sacrifice, and the triumph of His resurrection cannot be matched by anyone or anything we have ever seen.

Have you ever known someone who always did the right thing? Have you ever known someone who not only did the right thing, but also did it with kindness and gentleness? Have you ever known someone who had a sweet humility of spirit, who lived with joy even amid pain? Have you ever known someone whose patience with you never ran out and who never, ever stopped loving you?

I've known people who have come close - my grandmother in particular stands out - but no matter how wonderful these people were, they all had their failures. All the lovely people in our lives have some flaw or smear, and they fall from perfection.

The loveliness of Christ, however, is without spot or blemish. He is altogether lovely, and He never fails. He is the faithful Friend, He is the honest Advocate, He is the noble Warrior, He is the true Judge, and He is the everlasting God. There is no shadow of turning in Him, and He makes unbreakable promises which He brings to pass.

The immense glory and perfection of God is indescribable - and yet, He distilled Himself down and gave Himself to us with a love so powerful and pure that it is hard to grasp. He wanted us to know Him, He wanted us to see how we should live in obedience to Him, and He wanted us to see that love in action.

How noble, just, pure, lovely, virtuous and praiseworthy an example He gave. How humble and perfect!

This simple glory of the life of the Man from Nazareth is truly deserving of our lifelong meditation, praise, and worship...

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The Alphabet of Christmas: K is for "koinonia"

This one is hard to write, for how can I explain the wonder of being in God's family, in fellowship with Him? For that is what the Greek word, koinonia, means - "fellowship."

Perhaps the best way I can explain it is to quote from the book of Romans:

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Because Jesus has come into this world, and lived His life among us, we can now have fellowship with God. Because Jesus has lived His life perfectly, He offers all that perfection to us, to clothe us in His absolute righteousness. Because Jesus was born into this world to seek and to save His lost sheep, we can now have peace and fellowship with God our Father, and are no longer at war with Him.

We have koinonia with the Almighty God of all Creation - because of a Baby's birth in Bethlehem, all those long years ago.

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 the angelic host proclaim:
"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
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 the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son 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
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

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The Alphabet of Christmas: J is for "Jesus"

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Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:18-21, NKJV)

Here we are in the middle of the alphabet, and how appropriate that Jesus is right here waiting for us.

"Jesus." Joshua. Yeshua. "God saves."

That's the meaning of Jesus' name, you know. "God saves." God saves us from our sin, God saves us from eternity in Hell, and God saves us from suffering under His wrath. Jesus came down from Heaven to remove us from the kingdom of darkness and transfer us to His Kingdom of Light.

Meditate upon this: The King of Heaven laid aside His crown, took off His robes of glory, gave up His riches, and came down to us. He lived in poverty and obscurity, living with us in simplicity and humility. He healed the sick, He taught the ignorant, and He fed the hungry. He got His hands dirty, His heart bruised and broken, and He wept in joy and in pain.

The King of Heaven, the Lord of Creation, loved us so much that He did all of this and more - because His beloved children were in need of rescue from sin and death and hell.

God saves. Jesus saves. And at Christmas, we celebrate the Birth of our great and wonderful Savior, who came to give Himself up for us as a ransom for many.

Jesus saves - and thank God He does!

It is He
Christ who is born today
Hear Him crying
In the manger
King of heaven
Son of god
Alleluia, alleluia

There He lies
There with the lambkin
Only swaddle for His garment
With His holy mother Mary
Alleluia, alleluia

Glory, glory to almighty God
And on earth peace to all men
Hear the joyful angels singing
Alleluia, alleluia

He is born
Let us adore Him
Christ the Lord
King of kings
Prince of peace
For all the universe
Alleluia, alleluia

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The Alphabet of Christmas: I is for "Immanuel"

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So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:22-23, NKJV)

What would you do if you knew - KNEW - that the person standing right in front of you was God? What would you think about having this omnipotent Person standing there, offering irrefutable proof of exactly who He was? What if you were convinced He knew everything about you, the good, the bad, and the terribly ugly? How would you react? How would you handle the situation?

What if you were His best friend, grew up together from little babies, got dirty in the mud together, played Hide 'n' Seek while your mothers watched over you? What if you sat together in the synagogue being taught God's Law by the Rabbi? What if you saw Him as an adult and realized there was something... different about Him; something you couldn't quite place? What if you saw Him heal a person who was deathly sick with a simple touch? What if you heard Him speak about God in such a loving, intimate way that it made you long to know God like that, too?

What if you'd lived back when Jesus walked the earth, God Incarnate, and lived and walked with Him, touched Him and eaten with Him, seen Him laugh and cry, had Him teach you and rebuke you and love you like no one else ever had?

Immanuel - "God with us."

With us in our lives, in our work, in our ignorance, in our pain, in our joy, in our sickness, in our family, in our triumphs, in our confusion, in our turmoil, in our passions, in every triviality of our lives...

GOD WITH US!

How wonderful, how marvelous, is the great love of God for us! He came to us in fire and power, He came to us in thunder and lightning - but He came to us also as a little Baby. He touched us with a human hand, wept human tears, and lived a human life. He showed us this indescribable love and showed us He is with us, if only we will reach out and take His hand...

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The Alphabet of Christmas: H is for "humble"

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Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:5-8, NKJV)

Have you ever thought about how humble God is? When you truly consider it, He certainly has no restrictions on what He is able to do. He is wholly perfect and just, absolutely beautiful, all-knowing, and rich beyond what we could even begin to grasp; He certainly has a lot to boast of and be proud about!

As our Creator, God has the right and the authority to demand our worship and obedience - and it is a command that we do so - but, oddly enough for an all-powerful and perfect God, He has allowed us this choice at present.Somehow, He has made a way that we may exercise free will without infringing upon His absolute sovereignty. Somehow, although He effectively calls His chosen people, we all still have to make the choice for ourselves.

And how does God present this choice? Does He appear in the clouds with thunder and wind and lightning, forcing us to bow down to Him in terror? Does He snap His fingers and turn us all into unthinking, slavish drones? Does He simply wash His hands of us when we succumb to our frailty and sinful natures and disobey Him?

No.

Instead, He comes to us as one of us. He is born and must go through the helplessness and dependence that all babies must experience. He grows up and lives His life among us, learning a trade, making friends, experiencing rejection, teaching, rebuking, providing healing and comfort to those who are able to come and admit their need of Him.

Jesus, the all-powerful God, came to us in humility and meekness, showing us that it is not weakness or degradation. Jesus proved in His own life that obedience and worship were not slavish mindlessness, but rather courage and freedom.

Jesus holds out a tender hand to us and invites us:

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:28-29, NKJV)

Jesus was born in a humble stable. He lived a humble life. He loved and served us with humility and kindness. And finally, He went to the Cross and gave Himself up for us, so that we might trust Him with all ourselves.

The Lord God Almighty humbled Himself out of love for us. Can we not do the same thing this Christmas season? Let us learn from and follow our beloved Savior's example, and show His love to everyone in our lives, both today and always.

Jesus, I am so thankful that You loved us enough to lay aside Your privileges awhile and come to us in a form we could understand. Thank You for living with us, feeling our hurts and joys and pains and delights, and showing us the Father's face. Help us turn to You for strength and compassion so that we may be molded into Your image and be true children of Your Father. Glorify Yourself through us as we live lives of humble worship and obedience!

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The Alphabet of Christmas: G is for "generous"

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For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9, NKJV)

The wonderful generosity of God and His Son, Jesus Christ, is incredible. God loved us so much that He offered up His Son - His ONLY begotten Son - to pay for our sins. And the second Person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ the Son, willingly gave himself on our behalf because of His love for us.

Can you believe this?!!

Again, you must consider whether you, as a loving parent, would sacrifice your ONLY and much beloved child so that people would scorn and hate and disrespect Him? Could you give your child up so that ungrateful and unworthy men and women could claim He was no one special and that He was just a "good man"? Would you give your child up to the same disbelief, dismissal, disregard and disrespect that people focus upon Jesus?

How insane is it that, faced with such a selfless and compassionate sacrifice, people insist that Jesus is no more than a good teacher, or a synthesis of guru-philosophy, or a myth to promote the ideal of human kindness...?

Ladies and gentlemen, God gave everything to show how much He loved us and how far He was willing to go to bring us to Himself! His Son, because of the love He had for us, came to us in human form JOYOUSLY, and despite the torment He knew would come... Because He loves us!

For the readers who may not believe, I want to ask you: what kind of humanistic "ideal" can match this? What example of human love can surpass this? To whom can you run for love and acceptance and forgiveness and transformational power?

There is no God like the Lord God Almighty, compassionate, merciful, generous, and loving.

There is NO God who has given Himself to the fullest depths of love for a people who cannot earn and could never deserve His grace and kindness - except the God who descended to earth and became a Baby...

Only ONE God has given Himself to live your life, to endure your hurts, to share your pain and to bear your sins.

This God came two thousand years ago as a tiny, helpless Baby. He lived His life among us, and He gave all of Himself up for us in the most wonderful and astonishing act of generosity known.

Jesus, thank You. We do not deserve Your love and generosity - but we cannot ever express our gratitude for what You did! Thank You, Lord - and let us show Your love and grace t everyone we meet, both in this Season and throughout the year!

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The Alphabet of Christmas: F is for "faithful"

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This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.
Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,

“Therefore I hope in Him!”
The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,
To the soul who seeks Him.
It is good that one should hope and wait quietly
For the salvation of the LORD. (Lamentations 3:21-26, NKJV)

Have you ever thought of what was going on in Israel before the birth of Jesus? Did you know that they had had a long history of hearing from God through His prophets? Gd had revealed Himself to them in a unique way, which no other culture in the world - or in history - has experienced.

God had chosen their father Abraham and personally guided him to the Promised Land. God had preserved Abraham's descendants from a worldwide famine through Joseph being sold as a slave into Egypt. God had, at the right time, taken Israel out of Egypt's bondage with plagues that proved His sovereignty. He Himself led them, as a cloud and as a pillar of fire, through their wilderness wanderings.

Over and over throughout the history of Israel, God had spoken to them, chastised them, reassured them, judged them through kings and prophets and priests. Israel did not often like God's discipline for their sinful ways, but I cannot believe that they doubted He existed.

And then, before the birth of Christ, God was silent for about four hundred years.

That's almost twice as long as the United States has been in existence, and we have difficulty imagining what it must have been like for our Founding Fathers. So, can you imagine how long and worrisome this silence must have been to a nation so used to hearing from God regularly? What must they have thought? Did God abandon them? Had He chosen another nation? Was He still there? Would He keep His promises? What can we do to call Him back? Where is His promised salvation?

They must have had many, many questions.

I think that back then, like us today, they may have begun to lose hope. God had promised them a Messiah who would subdue the world and reign in peace - but where was He? God had promised a Child - but He hasn't come yet! God had promised to save His people - but HOW? It has been so long, He has been so silent, the world seems to be falling apart all around us - Lord God, please give us a sign before our weak and fading hope dies out altogether!

They forgot - we forgot - that God is faithful. He is faithful, He is all-powerful, and He cannot tell a lie - and when God makes a promise, it will surely come to pass!!

But at the appointed time, a young couple, the wife heavy with Child, began their journey to an inconspicuous little town and at last God's voice would be heard again.

The Faithful One had come to live with His people.

Oh, Father, when I consider the birth of Your Son on this earth, I cannot get over my amazement! Though we had prophecy upon prophecy to study and see Your plan revealed to us, yet we stand in shock and wonder at how unexpectedly You fulfilled Your word. How astounding that You would choose to be born and come to us as a Baby, to live as we do, to feel our pains, to eat our food, to laugh and cry with us, to hug and heal and scold and teach us - face to face! How... incredible! Thank You for breaking into this world as You did; thank You for humbling Yourself like that; thank You for loving us so much, Jesus, that You forsook everything, and became poor, so that You could rescue us from wrath. Worthy is the Lamb!

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The Alphabet of Christmas: E is for "enduring"

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Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.
Oh, give thanks to the God of Gods!
For His mercy endures forever.
Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords!
For His mercy endures forever. (Psalm 136:1-3, NKJV)

Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles!
Laud Him, all you peoples!
For His merciful kindness is great toward us,
And the truth of the LORD endures forever.
Praise the LORD! (Psalm 117, NKJV)

I don't know if you realize this, but the Triune God did not come up with the plan for Jesus to be born into this world on the spur of the moment. Even before He created the universe, God had ordained that the Christ would take on human flesh, to reveal Himself to us and to bear our sins.

When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden, God promised the Seed who would crush the head of the serpent. Noah built the Ark, a picture of the saving grace found in Christ. Israel was given the covenant of the Law, so that they would be a righteous nation and show the holiness of God. David the King was promised a Descendant who would reign in truth and justice forever. Isaiah proclaimed the promise of the Son, the King of Glory and the Prince of Peace - this Child, born of a virgin, who would be Immanuel, God with us.

This persistent love, proclaimed over and over and over throughout the Bible, fulfilled at last with the birth of a Baby in a little stable, in an obscure town called Bethlehem.

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
      Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,
      Yet out of you shall come forth to Me
      The One to be Ruler in Israel,
      Whose goings forth are from of old,
      From everlasting.

Welcome! Welcome yet again to the Everlasting God, who enfleshed Himself to live and abide with us. He is our Immanuel, God with us, the King of Glory who has come to show us the enduring love of God and to offer His salvation. Our Savior, our great God, who came as a tiny Baby...

Father, thank You for Your enduring love, which bears any burden and pays such a terribly wonderful price to save Your children. The tenderness You shower upon us is humbling, and I pray that we keep it ever before us, so that we may praise and glorify You all the days of our lives. Immanuel - God with us. Welcome!

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The Alphabet of Christmas: D is for "daring"

Image via WikipediaFor God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:16-17, NKJV)

Reckless. Bold. Lavish. Rash. Extravagant. Audacious.

Daring!

Imagine sending your only child, whom you love with all your being, into a dangerous and seemingly hopeless fight. Imagine sending this child with no armor and no weapons - save those of holiness and love. What devoted parent would consider such a thing?!

But this is exactly what God did!

Jesus came into the world, and He was completely human - subject to the same limitations we are, the same sorrows and trials, the same weary trudge that live can be sometimes. Although He didn't cease to be God the Son, He nevertheless put aside His power and glory and donned humanity. He came to us like a newborn lamb, without spot or blemish, destined to give Himself up to ransom us from sin and death and hell.

Incredible!

It never ceases to amaze and awe me that the infinite God, who created and sustains everything which exists, would love us - would love ME! - so very much that He would come to us so meekly and humbly. Only the mind of the true God would be able to concoct such a daring plot to show His love and to rescue His lost children!

Father, thank You for Your reckless abandon in Your love for us. Thank You for the gift of Your Son, who You send in such an unexpected and surprising way. The extravagance of the blessings You have in store for us through Him can never be fully understood - only joyfully accepted. Father, please help us show Your love in new ways that surprise, delight and astonish people with our humble boldness. Help us to be like You and love without reservation; help us carry that love to the world and pour it out abundantly throughout the year.

Infant holy, infant lowly,
for his bed a cattle stall;
oxen lowing, little knowing,
Christ the babe is Lord of all.
Swift are winging angels singing,
noels ringing, tidings bringing:
Christ the babe is Lord of all.

Flocks were sleeping, shepherds keeping
vigil till the morning new
saw the glory, heard the story,
tidings of a gospel true.
Thus rejoicing, free from sorrow,
praises voicing, greet the morrow:
Christ the babe was born for you.

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The Alphabet of Christmas: C is for "charity"

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Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. [...]

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. (1 Corinthians 13: 4-8, 13, KJV)

Charity. Normally these days, one uses "charity" in the sense of helping out those who are in need, but I deliberately used the original King James translation, which uses "charity" in the sense of "love."

Yet, we still have a problem because the word love has become so diluted in meaning, and has been cheapened terribly. How else could it be used in a sentence like, "Oh, I just love American Idol!"? How frivolous to use a powerful and subtle word like "love" in such an inconsequential way!

Take a look at how the Bible defines love in this well-known passage: love is patient and kind, it isn't boastful or proud. Love is gracious and unselfish, love isn't irritable and does not assume the worst. Love does not promote sinful behavior, but loves the truth. Love can bear up under any stress, it believes even amid doubt, it keeps hope alive, and it keeps enduring through all trials.

We can have a likeness of this love in our own lives, yes, but none of us are capable of displaying it all the time. We slip and lose our temper, we forget and act selfishly, we get impatient and run right over people.

Jesus came to show us, personally, this great and wonderful love that comes from God Himself. Each and every day of His life, He showed us how very much His Father - the Almighty God, eternal, holy and righteous - loves the frail and sinful creatures who bear His image.

A Baby's outstretched hand, a hand which had voluntarily laid aside its rightful glory and omnipotence, revealed to us this tender, fierce and utterly devoted love. The powerful love of the omnipotent God, the knowing love of the omniscient God, the everlasting love of the omnipresent God - all wrapped up in the soft, fragile, helpless hand of the Baby born in Bethlehem.

Father, how wondrous are Your ways! To distill all Your power and faithfulness into human flesh, and to make such a glorious gift - ah, how amazing You are! Only You could have done something so unexpected, so crazily tender and sensibly improbable. Your thoughts are truly far above ours, and Your ways past searching out! Thank You for pursuing us through this marvelous Birth. Help us to trust You more and to gladly submit to Your loving hand so that we may be conformed to the image of Your Son. Let us celebrate His birth by living and proclaiming Your love and charity in all we say and do.

The Alphabet of Christmas: Previous Post ... Next post

The Alphabet of Christmas: B is for "beautiful"

Image via Wikipedia

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me
           - The Battle Hymn of the Republic

Have you ever considered what constitutes "beauty"? What does it mean to you? Is it the incredible sweep of tall mountains, lifting their jagged peaks to the heavens? Is it the delicacy of an artist's brush, capturing a color and a texture with inspiring skill? Perhaps you find the precision of a finely crafted engine or building, the careful fit of one piece against another to make a functional whole to be your definition of beauty?

There are many ways beauty is revealed to us, and each speaks to different people in different ways and with various levels of impact.

One of the most universal images of beauty for humanity is a mother holding her newborn child in her arms. Look how tender she is, examining the tiny fingers and toes, delighting over perfectly formed features, awed by the innocence and helplessness and dependency of her child. This tiny treasure, a beautiful gift of life, a new person born into the world.

Two thousand years ago, Mary and Joseph were stunned with the wonder of the Child God had entrusted to them. As they gazed upon their Savior, a tiny newborn Baby, how humbled they must have been that God had chosen them to raise His Son here on earth!

Like a plainly wrapped present, tucked away at the back of the Christmas tree and almost overlooked, which contains the gift you've been longing for all these years, God wrapped His Son in simplicity and humility, and then revealed His glory modestly, subtly, gently to a wounded and weary world.

THAT is beauty. The quiet, simply given Gift, who was born in an obscure little town in a rude little stable, to parents who were nobodies. And yet the gift God gave that night was the most glorious gift He could possibly have given: His very Self.

Ah, Father! How quietly, how quietly that wondrous gift was giv'n! I am in awe of Your grace and mercy, and the very great love You bear for Your image-bearers. Only You could have planned and performed such an incredible miracle: God become man, born in poverty and humility, to live among us and bring us face to face with who You truly are. Thank You, Father! Let us remember Your Gift throughout this blessed Season, and then carry Him with us every day of our lives.

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The Alphabet of Christmas: A is for "abide"

(source: How Stuff Works)

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. (Luke 2:8, KJV)

Abide. The dictionary definition is:

v.intr.

1. To remain in a place.

2. To continue to be sure or firm; endure. See Synonyms at stay¹.

3. To dwell or sojourn.

My thesaurus (you're going to be seeing a LOT from the thesaurus during this series!) says that synonyms for "abide" are:

stay, remain, tarry, linger, stop; live, reside, dwell; visit, sojourn, sit

The Bible uses the term "abide" in a very intimate sense - "to live with in daily life, participating fully." When shepherds "abided" with their flocks, they lived with them, guiding and watching over them, caring for, protecting and feeding them. They knew each one of their sheep by sight and sound, and the sheep knew their shepherd's voice and knew it meant safety and security.

Think about how wonderful it is that the very God of Heaven - the God who created everything in existence, who is pre-eminent over His creation - came down to earth to abide with us.

Really think about it.

He didn't come as a mysterious figure, shrouded in inscrutable conundrums. He didn't come as an ascetic, removed from and indifferent to the tribulations of life. He didn't come as a religious icon, spouting callous platitudes from a hardened heart. He didn't even come as a powerful King, robed in splendor and riches.

Jesus the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, Very God of Very God, God in the flesh... Jesus came to us - as a baby! A little, helpless child, completely dependent upon His earthly parents for love, care, nourishment, and teaching.

Jesus came as a vulnerable child... And lived among us.

Father, how blessed and kind You are to come to us so gently, so humbly - as a little child, helpless, dependent and weak. As You were then, so are we all now. In this joyous Season, when we remember the gift You gave in the birth of Your beloved Son, let Him be born anew in our hearts. Let us lift our voices in praise and worship to the God who abides with us!

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Announcing the Fourth Annual Carnival of Christmas

UPDATE: The Carnival of Christmas, 2008, is NOW POSTED!

FEATURED POST THROUGH DECEMBER FIRST: PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR NEWER POSTS

This will be the fourth Carnival of Christmas, which was started in 2005 by Adam Graham. He very graciously permitted me to host it last year, and I am honored to continue the tradition.

Here is the general premise: I am calling for submissions from bloggers for their posts which celebrate the joy of this season. Family memories, favorite recipes, Christmas stories, meditations on the birth of Christ, thoughts on how to focus on the true meaning of the season vs. commercialism, and so on. I will happily include Hanukkah posts as well, or even Kwanzaa, so long as everyone remembers to focus on the joy and love and wonder of the season.

I would ask that anyone who sends in a post for inclusion in the Carnival please be respectful of these guidelines; I will not accept political posts, diatribes, or any commercial-type articles. Take a look at last year's Carnival, the one from 2006, or the first one, and you'll have an excellent idea of what the Carnival is all about.

Some things I would love to have - and for which I will give proper credit, of course - are Christmas-themed photos that I can pepper through the post (as I did last year), as well as some more Christmas music entries.

Hard deadline for submissions to the Carnival is December 23rd, and I plan to post the Carnival here on CatHouse Chat sometime on Christmas Eve. At the moment, I do NOT have access to the Blog Carnival account, so please send submissions to my blog e-mail: cathousechat -at- gmail -dot- com (with the proper modifications, of course!). Please note: that e-mail is NOT the e-mail on the right column; I need to keep the Carnival e-mails separate so I can keep track of them properly.

Finally, I would ask that my blog friends help me out and promote the Carnival whenever they can; I had a glorious response last year, and would love to make it an even bigger Carnival this year!

All right? Great! Now, let's get those Christmas-themed posts coming!

Welcome, Jesus!

King of Kings. Lord of Lords. God Almighty. Creator. Savior. Immanuel - God with us. The Bright and Morning Star. The Root of David. The Rod of Jesse. The Rose of Sharon. The Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Our Advocate. Everlasting Father. Prince of Peace. Messiah. The Bred of Life. The True Vine. The Way, the Truth, and the Life. The Captain of our salvation. Mighty Warrior. Lord of Hosts. The Good Shepherd. The Holy One of Israel. Redeemer. The Image of God. Lamb of God. Light of the World. The Resurrection and the Life.

Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End.

I AM.

Born in Bethlehem, two thousand years ago. Born into a frail, mortal body, so He could walk with us and talk with us and teach us of His Father. Born to touch us with a gentle hand, to raise us up and transform us with infinite love and forgiveness. Born to live in us, to guide us, to heal us. Born to live and die for us, to show His great love for us while we were yet still sinners.

The Lord of Glory, born on earth.

Welcome, Jesus. Welcome, Lord! May Your light shine upon us and may Your love overshadow us. Send Your Spirit to us today, to bring us Your great salvation and kindle new life in our cold, dead spirit.

Welcome, Savior!

"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!”