God Speaks Peace

For the fourth and last Sunday of Advent at our church, our theme was peace. Peace is nearly as elusive as Joy. Peace is defined as "freedom from disturbance". I think that is an appropriate definition, but piggy-backing onto last week's post, I think that peace is contentment as well...being content in your circumstances. I also believe that no one can find true peace without God. The Bible mentions that idea several times. 

Isaiah 26:3--"You keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you."

John 14:27--"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."

Romans 8:6b--"but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace."

How great is that second verse....Jesus gives us His peace. Jesus not only has peace, but He IS Peace. He is the Prince of Peace as we so often call Him this time of year. The rest of the year we tend to forget that He is the Prince of Peace!

Isaiah 9:6--"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Because we as Christians are brothers and sisters of Christ, it is our responsibility to exhibit that peace. We are called to be like Christ and share His love (and peace) with others. 

2 Corinthians 13:11--"Finally, brothers,

 rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you."

Hebrews 12:14--"Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness, since no one will see God without it."

Romans 12:18--"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."

As mentioned before, peace is one of those things in life which is sought after all the time by everyone. The Bible tells us in several verses to "seek peace and pursue it", which implies it is hard to find and hard to keep. Seek peace and keep seeking it. The good news is that if we know Jesus as our personal Savior, we can find that peace. We may not always keep it, but in Him, we can find it. Christmas is the time of year we focus on the birth of Jesus, who came from the glory of Heaven to the dregs of Earth to begin His journey to save Mankind. 

Colossians 1:19-20--"God was pleased that all His fullness should forever dwell in the Son who, as predetermined by God, bled peace into the world by His death on the cross as God’s means of reconciling to Himself the whole creation—all things in heaven and all things on earth."

Ephesians 2:15--"He offered His body on the sacrificial altar to bring an end to the law’s ordinances and dictations. His desire was to create in His body one new humanity from the two opposing groups, thus creating peace."

May you find Jesus this Christmas! Only in Him will we find peace and peace that lasts for eternity!

God Speaks Joy

JOY--that is a familiar word thrown around a lot at Christmas. But what is Joy?

I'm sure some people would define joy as happiness and having everything going your way, but REAL Joy is different.  Joy and Happiness are two different things. 

This week at church was the third week of Advent and the theme was Joy. Joy is an elusive characteristic. Many people search for it, but it seems few find it. Happiness is about being content in current circumstances where joy is about being content and having peace no matter the circumstances. This does not mean that we are happy about circumstances that are sad or difficult, but it does mean that we have an inner peace no matter the circumstances. It is interesting to note that in the Bible there are many verses that list BOTH joy and happiness so it is apparent that they are two distinct emotions. 

You have filled me with joy, and happiness has risen in my heart, great delight and unrivaled joy, even more than when bread abounds and wine flows freely. Psalm 4:7

If we look at the story of Mary, the mother of Jesus, we can see a difference between the two. Mary was a young, unmarried but engaged, girl when Gabriel visited her to announce that she would give birth to Jesus. While Mary praised God at the time for allowing her to carry His Son, I can imagine that she also met this circumstance with UNhappiness. To others it would appear that she had been unfaithful to her betrothed and these circumstances certainly brought shame to her and her family, as well as uncertainty to Joseph. Despite this unhappiness and a seemingly "bad" situation, Mary still had JOY because she knew that God was in control and that she was being used as a part of His plan. 

You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice over his birth. Luke 1:14

The key to having JOY is God, pure and simple. Following God and Jesus and striving to do their will gives Joy, even if it brings unhappiness. Despite circumstances, Joy (and thus peace and contentment) can be found in God. May you find God this Christmas season and may He bless you with JOY!

Instead, You direct me on the path that leads to a beautiful life. As I walk with You, the pleasures are never-ending, and I know true joy and contentment. Psalm 16:11

Until this moment, you have not sought after anything in My name. Ask and you will receive so that you will be filled with joy. John 16:24

God Speaks Through Familiar Christmas Carols

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How often do we pay attention to the words we sing in those old familiar Christmas carols? I must admit that in “researching” for this post, I had to actually go back and look at the words to a lot of these carols. We all tend to know the first verse, often without even looking at the words, but how often do we really pay attention to what we are singing and how often do we focus on the message of the song? This is how God speaks to us through music. The melody and rhythm may ignite our soul, but the words are what speaks to us.

Growing up, my mother and I sang together often for different church events and occasions. Eventually my sister and my daughters started to sing with us as well. One thing I always remember about this experience with my mother (and I’m sure my sister and daughters would say the same) is that the words mattered. My mother was also a choir director and she used the same philosophy in choosing music for the choir...words mattered. Yes, the music had to be in the correct range and skill level of the singers, but then it was the message that was important. My family always viewed our singing as a ministry or opportunity to lead someone to Christ or bring them closer in their journey, so to us the words mattered more than the melody.

Because it is Christmas, I started thinking about the words to some of those more familiar Christmas carols that are sung in church this time of year and realized that I was not always familiar with the complete messages of those carols. Here is a closer look at the message from some of these well-known carols.

Kari Farnell

Hark, the Herald Angels Sing-- written in 1739 by Charles Wesley, adapted by George Whitefield in 1758. By 1961, our present adaptation was complete. This Christmas Hymn begins, in the first two verses, exclaiming the birth of Jesus, as do most Christmas carols. The third verse makes a striking change and acknowledges that Jesus came from Heaven, gives life to all, and has risen to heal our sins. It proclaims that Jesus puts aside his “Glory” to come to earth. I love the way Charles Wesley originally wrote the ending, “Born—that Man no more may die, Born—to raise the Sons of Earth, Born—to give them Second Birth.” The entire third verse explains Jesus’ reason for coming to Earth.

Kari Farnell

Joy to the World--words by Isaac Watts (1719), traditional music by Lowell Mason (1848). Although Joy to the World is one of the most published (according to Wikipedia) Christmas hymns in North America, if you really look at the words, it really reflects Jesus’ power and future coming more than it does His first coming.  Verse 1 could arguably be about Jesus’ birth. Verse 2 is an ode to Jesus’ reign as King where even nature sings His praises. Verse 3 refers to Jesus’ death on the cross which allows us to live in Heaven where there will be no more sin, sadness, thorns, etc. HE BREAKS THE CURSE of death! Verse 4 is a proclamation of Jesus’ future reign over all of the world; of His righteousness and love.

Good Christian Men, Rejoice--attributed to Heinrich Suso circa 1328; music In dulci jubilo circa 1305.

This is an interesting example of how God can even speak through “suspect” people. Heinrich Suso was considered a German mystic, who claimed to have either had a vision or an actual sighting of angels singing these words. As they sang, he joined them in dancing. However Suso was “inspired” to write the words, they are something God can use to speak to us. Verse 1 exclaims the birth of Jesus even in present tense. He is in the manger now!  Verse 2 gives the reason for Jesus to come to earth. His birth is the catalyst of the opening of Heaven to us. Verse 3 again proclaims that we have no more need to fear [eternal] death because Jesus was born to save us. He calls all of us to be present at His table in Heaven and has provided the means for getting there.

Kari Farnell

The last familiar Christmas carol I’d like to mention is O Come, All Ye Faithful. The text of this hymn is attributed to many different people. It was originally printed by John Francis Wade circa 1750, but originally appeared on a manuscript bearing the name of King John IV of Portugal in the mid-1600s. The music also has been attributed to various people including John Wade and a musician in the court of King John IV. Whoever penned the words to this carol, did so as a reflection of praise of the birth of Jesus. They call all people to come and celebrate and worship the newborn Christ. Verses 1, 3, and 4 issue this proclamation and praise of Jesus, while verse 2 explains who Jesus is; the true God, begotten not created.

Kari Farnell

During this Christmas season, I urge you to pay attention to the words; to allow God to speak to you through the familiar; to find something new among the traditional. As you listen to the traditional songs, decide whether they are telling the story of Jesus, or whether they are asking you to praise Him for who He is.

The next post will take a similar track as this, but using modern Christian Christmas songs. I’m excited to see what God will tell us about those.