1 Across the sky the shades of night
This Winter's eve are fleeting:
We deck Thine altar, Lord, with light,
In solemn worship meeting:
And as the year's last hours go by,
We lift to Thee our earnest cry.
Once more Thy love entreating.


2 Before the cross, subdued we bow,
To Thee our prayers addressing;
Recounting all Thy mercies now,
And all our sins confessing;
Beseeching Thee, this coming year,
To hold us in Thy faith and fear,
And crown us with Thy blessing.

3 And, while we kneel, we lift our eyes
To dear ones gone before us,
Safe housed with Thee in Paradise,
Whose peace descendeth o'er us:
And beg of Thee, when life is past,
To re-unite us all, at last,
And to our loss restore us.

4 We gather up, in this brief hour,
The memory of Thy mercies:
Thy wondrous goodness, love, and power,
Our grateful song rehearses:
For Thou hast been our strength and stay,
In many a dark and dreary day
Of sorrow and reverses.

5 In many an hour, when fear and dread,
Like evil spells hath bound us,
And clouds were gathering overhead,
Thy providence hath found us:
In many a night when waves run high,
Thy gracious presence drawing nigh
Hath made all calm around us.

(by James Hamilton)

Brothers and sisters, I urge you to watch out for those people who create divisions and who make others fall away from the Christian faith by teaching doctrine that is not the same as you have learned.  Stay away from them.

(Romans 16:17 -- GW)

But when the right time came, God sent his Son into the world.  A woman gave birth to him, and he came under the control of the laws given to Moses. ⁵ God sent him to pay for the freedom of those who were controlled by these laws so that we would be adopted as his children.

(Galatians 4:4-5 -- GW)

"A Cracked Christmas" sermon by Pastor Paul Garchow on 12/25/16
  . . .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sjkwuh5fpjU

Back to work . . . happy Third Day of Christmas. 

Tender Lord,
by Your Word, send gentle peace.
Surely bless, perfect rest from sin release.
Father dear, always near, guard, watch and keep
This child this night in sleep.

Each night, my head on my pillow,
Darkness and fear come to me.

Jesus knows how to dismiss them
with His love.

Jesus my strength and my fortress,
Tenderly watches o'er me.
Guiding my life through my troubles,
With His Word.

Praise always be to the Father,
Praise always be to the Son,
Glory to you, Holy Spirit,
Three in One.

(Author Unknown)

Merry Christmas!

Go, tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere
Go, tell it on the mountain,
That Jesus Christ is born.

(by John Wesley Work, Jr.)

 

 

After he had said this, he was taken to heaven.  A cloud hid him so that they could no longer see him.
¹⁰ They were staring into the sky as he departed.  Suddenly, two men in white clothes stood near them. ¹¹ They asked, “Why are you men from Galilee standing here looking at the sky?  Jesus, who was taken from you to heaven, will come back in the same way that you saw him go to heaven.”

(Acts 1:9-11 -- GW)

==============

Click here to see a Christmas CAREtoons video . . .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEhQmybKBtg&feature=youtu.be

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,

          and wild and sweet
          The words repeat

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom

Had rolled along

The unbroken song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,

A voice, a chime,

A chant sublime

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,

And with the sound

The carols drowned

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,

And made forlorn

The households born

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;

"For hate is strong,

And mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;

The Wrong shall fail,

The Right prevail,

With peace on earth, good-will to men."

(by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in 1863)

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
⁹ And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
¹⁰ And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

(Luke 2:8-11 -- KJV)

All you, beneath your heavy load,
By care and guilt bent low,
Who toil along a dreary way
With painful steps and slow:
Look up, for golden is the hour,
Come swiftly on the wing,
The Prince was born to bring you peace;
Of him the angels sing.

For lo, the days have come to pass
By prophets seen of old,
When down into the circling years
Came Christ as was foretold.
His word of peace shall to the earth
God’s ancient promise bring,
And all who take this gift will hear
The song the angels sing.

(by Edmund H. Sears)

Oh, come, all ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant!
Oh, come ye, oh, come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold him
Born the king of angels:
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Oh, come, let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.

(by John F. Wade)

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
¹⁶ And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
¹⁷ And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
¹⁸ And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

(Luke 2:15-18 -- KJV)

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— ²² the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.  For there is no distinction: ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.  This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. ²⁶ It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

(Romans 3:21-26 -- ESV)

 

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

(by Phillips Brooks)

The children born to a man when he is young
        are like arrows in the hand of a warrior.
⁵             Blessed is the man who has filled his quiver with them.
                He will not be put to shame
                    when he speaks with his enemies in the city gate.

(Psalm 127:4-5 -- GW)

“Brothers, I can tell you confidently that our ancestor David died and was buried and that his tomb is here to this day. ³⁰ David was a prophet and knew that God had promised with an oath that he would place one of David’s descendants on his throne. ³¹ David knew that the Messiah would come back to life, and he spoke about that before it ever happened.  He said that the Messiah wouldn’t be left in the grave and that his body wouldn’t decay.
³² “God brought this man Jesus back to life. We are all witnesses to that. ³³ God the Father used his power to give Jesus the honored position—the one next to him on the heavenly throne.  Jesus has also received and has poured out the Holy Spirit as the Father had promised, and this is what you’re seeing and hearing. ³⁴ David didn’t go up to heaven, but he said, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Take the honored position—the one next to God the Father on the heavenly throne ³⁵ until I put your enemies under your control.”’

³⁶ “All the people of Israel should know beyond a doubt that God made Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
 

(Acts 2:29-36 -- GW)

 

 

The Lord will come from heaven with a command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God.  First, the dead who believed in Christ will come back to life.
(1 Thessalonians 4:16 -- GW)

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


Trumpets sound and angels sing
Listen what they say
That man will live forevermore
Because of Christmas day
(by Jester Hairston)

Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the new-born 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 new-born King!"

(by Charles Wesley)

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. ¹¹ On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.  Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

(Matthew 2:9-11 -- NIV)

P.S. No, the wise men weren't there with the shepherds on Christmas Day. 



Christ paid the price to free us from the curse that the laws in Moses’ Teachings bring by becoming cursed instead of us.  Scripture says, “Everyone who is hung on a tree is cursed.” ¹⁴ Christ paid the price so that the blessing promised to Abraham would come to all the people of the world through Jesus Christ and we would receive the promised Spirit through faith.

(Galatians 3:13-14 -- GW)

Christmas Lullaby by Amy Grant ...

Are you far away from home
This dark and lonely night
Tell me what best would help
To ease your mind
Someone to give
Direction for this unfamiliar road
Or one who says, "Follow me and
I will lead you home"

How beautiful
How precious
The Savior of old
To love so
Completely
The loneliest soul
how gently
how tenderly
He says to one and all,
"Child you can follow Me
And I will lead you home
Trust Me and follow Me
And I will lead you home."
...................
Be near me, Lord Jesus
I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever
And love me I pray
Bless all the dear children
In Thy tender care
And take us to Heaven
To live with Thee there
Take us to Heaven
To live with Thee there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiBynEP3WVs

"What's in that manger?" sermon by Pastor Paul Garchow on 12/25/15
 . . .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-Ev6qgZQ7g

It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth,
To touch their harps of gold:
"Peace on the earth, goodwill to men
From heaven's all gracious King!"
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels sing.

(by Edmund Hamilton Sears in 1849)

75th anniversary today of the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese . . .

They asked, “Where is the one who was born to be the king of the Jews?  We saw his star rising and have come to worship him.”
(Matthew 2:2 -- GW)

God rest you merry, gentlemen

Let nothing you dismay

For Jesus Christ, our Saviour
Was born upon this day,
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
For Jesus Christ, our Saviour, was born on Christmas day.

(author unknown)

6. Now let us all with gladsome cheer
Go with the shepherds and draw near
To see the precious gift of God,
Who hath His own dear Son bestowed.

(Martin Luther)

Be near me, Lord Jesus; I ask thee to stay
Close by me forever and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,
And take us to heaven to live with thee there.

(by an unknown author)

And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

(Philippians 2:8 -- ESV)

Come, O long-expected Jesus,
Born to set your people free;
From our fears and sins release us
By your death on Calvary.
Israel's strength and consolation,
Hope to all the earth impart,
dear desire of ev'ry nation,
Joy of ev'ry longing heart.



Born your people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a king;
Born to reign in us forever,
Now your gracious kingdom bring.
By your own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By your all-sufficient merit
Raise us to your glorious throne.

(Charles Wesley)