Sunday, December 25, 2016

Rejoice; for, to us is born a King...

gold, golden, sun, advent, christmas, star
Rejoice; for, this day is born for us a Mediator, that man may be reconciled with God, and that this peace may be spread over the earth.

Rejoice; for, to us is born a Physician, to make sinners pure from sin, to deliver them from the power of Satan, to redeem them from eternal damnation, to impart to all a heavenly joy, that glory may be to God on high, and on earth peace, good-will toward men.

Rejoice; for, to us is born a King, to fill us with joy; a High Priest, to pour on believers the Divine blessing; a Father, to adopt us as his children for all eternity. To us is born a well-beloved Brother, a Master in every kind of knowledge, a veritable Chief, a Judge of most perfect equity, that glory may be to God on high, and on earth peace, good-will toward men.

Rejoice, sinners, for He who is born is the Son of God, the High Priest who absolves all that repent, in order that glory may be to God on high, and on earth peace, good-will toward men. ...John Huss image

Saturday, December 24, 2016

Lo, God, our God has come!

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Lo, God, our God has come!
To us a Child is born,
To us a Son is given;
Bless, bless the blessed morn!
O happy, lowly lofty birth,
Now God, our God, has come to earth!
 
Rejoice, our God has come!
In love and lowliness;
The Son of God has come
The sons of men to bless.
God with us now descend to dwell,
God in our flesh, Immanuel.
 
Praise ye the word made flesh!
True God, true man is He.
Praise ye the Christ of God!
To Him all glory be.
Praise ye the Lamb that once was slain,
Praise ye the king that comes to reign.
        ...Horatius Bonar image

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

"Fear Not"


Just Drop the Blanket: The Moment You Never Noticed in A Charlie Brown Christmas ...Looking at it now, it is pretty clear what Charles Schultz was saying, and it's so simple it's brilliant.

The birth of Jesus separates us from our fears.

The birth of Jesus frees us from the habits we are unable (or unwilling) to break ourselves.

The birth of Jesus allows us to simply drop the false security we have been grasping so tightly, and learn to trust and cling to Him instead...

Anne Kennedy: Dear Baby God, Help Us To Stop Freaking Out ...Humanity is Evil y’all. It just is. That’s why we have to celebrate Christmas. That’s what Christmas is For–to admit that we all blew it So Badly that God could come to earth as a literal human baby and still be stronger than all our capacity to correct our own course. This should be humiliating, but also pretty great. We might as well nestle back in our couches, or our refugee cots, and drink whatever we can get our hands on (well…maybe not whatever) and rejoice that God is strong enough to deal, even as a baby. And he isn’t a baby any more! He’s in heaven, glorified, powerful, ready to judge us all whenever we hit that sweet terrifying moment...

Thursday, December 8, 2016