Hark

We've all sang this song hundreds of times around the Christmas holiday But I wanted you to see that the gospel of Christ's redemptive work on the cross is played out here.  In Matthew 1:21 it says this "And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus for he will save his people from their sins."  I want you to look again at the words to Hark the Herald Angels Sing because I've heard debates about Angels singing or speaking but  think one thing we've missed out on with the silly debate is the truth presented in the song about Christ's redemptive work.  

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 angelic host proclaim
"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
Hark the herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn king"

Christ, by highest heaven adored
Christ the everlasting Lord
Late in time behold him come
Offspring of the favored one
Veiled in flesh, the God head see
Hail the incarnate deity
Pleased, as man with men to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark the herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn king"

Oh, oh, oh
Ah

Hail the heaven born prince of peace
Hail the son of righteousness
Light and life to all he brings
Risen with healing in his wings

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"

Merry Christmas everyone 

Jewel - Hark the herald angels sing

Jewel - Hark the herald angels sing I used content under the FAIR USE policy. I do not own any audio or video shown they belong to the respective ow...

Anatomy and physiology

Some of you don't know this but for a time I desired to be an x-ray technician.  Studied biology and anatomy and physiology.  This week I've thought a lot about the human skeleton.  In Genesis 1:27 it says this.  "So God created human beings in his own image.  In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."  No one on this planet evolved from a monkey like public school tries to teach.  Also gender confusion should not be an issue there is only male and female any deviation is against what God created.  The reason I have been considering skeletons is this. We've all seen them in a science class or doctor's office or on a crime drama but think with me here for a minute.  It's the same basic shape for all people but consider for a moment the uniqueness of each person you meet based on looks.  God has taken the time to make everyone look different.  Psalm 139:13-16 "You made me all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.  Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!  your workmanship is marvelous-- how well I know it.  You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.  You saw me before I was born.  Everyday of my life was recorded in your book.  Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."   See God took the time to create us from skeleton to muscle structure to skin to soul every layer.  You and I we are his handiwork.  Look at how unique people around you are and boom there's a testament of God at work.  Romans 1:20  "For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky.  Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities-- his eternal power and divine nature.  So they have no excuse for not knowing God."  Our physical makeup declares God exists and it's unique and marvelous to see.  

Evidence Of God

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Sandi Patty - Masterpiece

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Laura Story - Indescribable

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Skim Milk Danger

It's often easy when reading the Bible or at least it has been for me to quickly skim the words of greeting or closings of books written by Paul.  I was doing this earlier and it's my own fault because a lot of the names he mentions don't connect much for me.  It's almost like you see something on Facebook that doesn't pertain to you.  What I did wasn't a good thing.  Well I make it a point to keep this blog about hope and encouragement.  So sandwiched in all these greetings well boom there were these verses.  1 Corinthians 16:13-14  "Be on guard.  Stand firm in the faith.  Be courageous.  Be strong.  And do everything with love."  The Christian life is a war zone for our thoughts and actions.  We need to be reminded at times to not be complacent and be alert.  If you want a good further example of being strong and courageous and God being with you read the book of Joshua it's the stuff that action movies should be made from.  "This is my command--Be strong and courageous!  Do not be afraid or discouraged.  For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."  Joshua 1:9

11. Soldiers of the Cross - DeGarmo & Key - Heat. It. Up. (1993)

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Michael W. Smith - 15 - Be Strong And Courageous (Live)

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Petra - Get on Your Knees and Fight Like a Man 

Petra - Get on Your Knees and Fight Like a Man Check my blog to find more Petra songs and learn about the next step of this huge proyect. http://unknownpetrafa...

Petra - Onward Christian Soldiers

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Equipped for the Task at Hand

So a day after i said I was going to take a break from the blog I was reading a portion of Five Minutes with Jesus: Peace for Today by Sheila Walsh and discovered this awesome chapter that I very much felt needed to be shared with others.  So without further ado:

Equipped for the Task at Hand

Elizabeth was born a slave.  At the age of eleven, she was taken from her family and sent to a plantation far away.  Utterly grief-stricken, she wept constantly and even stopped eating.  One night she grew so weak that she was sure she would die.  She hardly knew how to pray, but as she cried out to God, a figure cloaked in a brilliant white garment appeared before her.  And God placed His call on the most unlikely of servants in Pre-Civil War America: a young slave girl.  

Elizabeth became a powerful Evangelist who preached against the evils of slavery to both black and white congregations.  On paper, she was terribly ill-equipped for the task: she had no education; she was a woman in a man's world: and she was black during a time when people of color had no voice.  Of course she met doubt and resistance everywhere she went.  

  

  But she knew where to go to be equipped for the task to which her Lord had called her: Elizabeth took her needs to Jesus.  

  This truth could have helped Israel's first king before he was ever crowned.  When Saul learned about God's plan for him, he realized the calling was too big: foreign enemies pressed in on Israel's borders; tribes were scheming and jealous; and people had crazy high expectations for the nation's very first king.  So when the time for his coronation rrived and the announcement rang, the trumpets blasted, and ...... no Saul.

  So they started looking for the king, and they found him -- but only after the Lord told them, "He is hiding among the baggage."  1 Samuel  10:22

  Saul had considered the job description, sized up his own character, and found himself not up to the task.  

  Saul didn't know that when that happens-- when we find ourselves at the end of our own wisdom, courage, and strength-- we have only one option: we must lay our inadequacies before the throne of God and allow him to do his work through us.  

  When we do, we experience the peace that enables us to crawl out of hiding and into God's purpose for our lives.  

  We serve God well when, in our weakness, we turn to him for wisdom, courage and strength.  

From the end of the earth I will cry to you, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.  Psalm 61:2

Have you not known?  Have you not heard?  The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.  Isaiah 40:28

The Lord is my strength and shield.  I will trust him with all my heart.  He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.  I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.  Psalm 28:7

"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me.  Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.  But take heart, because I have overcome the world."  John 16:33

Pass Down

I worked doing customer service for 13 years at First Data and on each call we had to leave comments and notes about the call.  The purpose was for the next representative who took a call to know what you and that caller talked about and how you resolved their issue.  Now as a security guard we have three ways of getting information to the next guard relieving us.  We have verbal communication, a pass down log and our security reports.  In 1 Corinthians 15: 1-11 Paul gives us a pass down sheet of info about our faith.  It's not to be ignored either so wake up and have a read through.   Like people say these days "Well What had happened was........."  

1Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters,^a of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it. 2It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place.^b

3I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. 4He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. 5He was seen by Peter^c and then by the Twelve. 6After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers^d at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. 7Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles. 8Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw him. 9For I am the least of all the apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted God’s church.

10But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than any of the other apostles; yet it was not I but God who was working through me by his grace. 11So it makes no difference whether I preach or they preach, for we all preach the same message you have already believed.

And speaking of Chicken fried steak......... My dad has asked before about the music I choose for these things so here's a little inside detail on that.  I try to find something where the lyrics have to do with the passage.  Some may have noticed I post a lot of stuff by Petra.  I watched an interview with the band a few years ago when they released the DVD concert of Back to the Rock and the original lead singer Greg X Volz was asked "why do so many of your songs sound like Bible studies?"  "Why because they are."  their lead guitarist Bob Hartman has written most of their songs.  in college the band started over Bible studies in their college dorm rooms.  The songs were often born from those studies.  That's part of why I share a lot of Petra songs.    I just sometimes like to add little tidbits to all this.  

Reminders Of You

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Petra-Lord I Lift Your Name

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