Today’s Scrip-Bit   25 December 2023 Nehemiah 8:10a.

25 Dec 2023 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

Nehemiah 8:10a.       Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto the Lord:

Well a Merry Christmas to all you my Scrip-Bit friends and families! Let’s hope that this blessed day of our Lord and Saviour’s birth finds you in good health, celebrating with those close to you. Let’s also hope that we did our godly duty by praying for those who can’t celebrate Christ’s birth the way we can due to strife, persecution and/or natural disaster, neither forgetting to send portions of our abundance to those around us who don’t have enough. Remember the scripture in Nehemiah? 

After the scribe Ezra read from the Book of the Law, Nehemiah, the governor, said unto them: ‘This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto the Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh. 8:9-10) And this Christmas day my brethren is also holy unto the Lord, so let us be joyful, but not forget those of us who are poor, sick and downtrodden. 

Now, although today is Monday, since it’s such a special Monday in our calendar, with gatherings of faithful believers in the Lord’s sanctuary all over the world, I thought we would treat it like a Sunday. Thus we shall sing and praise our heavenly Father for the great gift of His Son, born this day, some two thousand years ago. And what better way to honour Christ the Lord than with this marvellous old favourite of Christmas, ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’ written by Charles Wesley, the great hymn writer and one of the leaders of the Methodist movement of the time. 

And, like so many of these old songs, this one has a rather interesting story, which includes four creative minds over a span of more than a hundred years. Wesley published the song in 1739 with a title of ‘A Hymn of Christmas Day’ and the first line being “Hark how all the Welkin rings, Glory to the King of Kings”, welkin being an archaic English term for the heavens. But then, in 1753, Wesley’s’ friend and colleague, George Whitefield edited the text of the hymn, noticeably changing the first line to what it is today. 

For over a century, the hymn was sung to different tunes, until in 1855, the English musician William Hayman Cummings accomplished a unique feat by marrying Whitefield’s adaptation of Wesley’s hymn to a melody by one of classical music’s most notable composers: the great Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847). And apparently Mendelssohn’s tune was meant to be an instrumental piece, not suited for vocals. But Cummings, who was a well-respected musician himself did it, and thus we have the great Christmas hymn of today. 

So, as always, let’s offer up sincere sacrifices of praise to heaven as we sing this marvellous song, which celebrates the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, in a nice mid-tempo version. Singing: ‘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 angelic host proclaim “Christ is born in Bethlehem” Hark! The herald angels sing “Glory to the new-born king.” 

Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of Righteousness! Light and life to all He brings Risen 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 new-born king.” 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 angelic host proclaim “Christ is born in Bethlehem” Hark! The herald angels sing “Glory to the new-born king” “Glory to the new-born king.” 

Oh my people, what wonderful singing! I’m sure those sacrifices of praise were well received in heaven. Now, here’s an interesting commentary from the Godtube website that breaks down the song in a concise fashion.  It says: ‘Charles Wesley’s hymn offers us a good survey of theology. It mentions many of the names and titles of Christ: King, Lord, Prince of Peace, Sun of Righteousness, Everlasting Lord, Desire of Nations, Incarnate Deity, and Emmanuel. 

After the first stanza’s call to praise “the new-born King,” the following stanzas celebrate the virgin birth, the deity of Christ, the resurrection of the body, and the truth of the new birth. Two phrases, in particular, deserve comment: “Mild he lays his glory by” refers to Christ’s willingness to lay aside the glory of heaven to take on human nature and become one of us. “Late in time behold him come” reminds us of Hebrews 1:2 where we are told “in these last days” God has spoken to us through his Son.’ 

And the Lord God Almighty has certainly spoken to us through the gospel of His awesome Son in these evil and ungodly times! Now there are a few scriptures that I want to point out with respect to one particular line in the song. That’s, ‘Born that man no more may die Born to raise the sons of earth Born to give them second birth.’ I believe that ties in nicely with these words of Jesus to Martha, Lazarus’ sister when she was querying Jesus about not coming sooner to save her sick brother. 

He says to her: ‘I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead (may die), yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believeth thou this?’ (John 11:25-26) I do hope we believe that my brethren! That first part also ties in with Jesus interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well, when He informs her: ‘Whoever drinketh of this water (from the well) shall thirst again: But whosever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water I shall give him shall be in him a well (fountain) of water springing up into everlasting life.’ (John 4:13-14) Oh friends, again, I do hope that we are as anxious to drink of Christ’s living water as that Samaritan woman was! (smile) 

And as per the last words of the line: ‘Born to give them second birth,’ has to refer to Jesus chat with the Pharisee Leader Nicodemus who came to Jesus by night to ask some perplexing questions. And was Nicodemus surprised when Jesus told him in no uncertain terms: ‘Verily verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again (from above), he cannot enter the kingdom of God.’ (John 3:3) Nicodemus was nonplussed; surprised, confused, bewildered, asking if a man could enter his mother’s womb so he could be born a second time. 

But Jesus clarified the situation for Him. ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.’ (John 3:5-6) Thus friends, it behooves us to be baptized in water and be reborn of the Spirit of God, if we want to enter His kingdom. And the first thing that means is accepting Christ as Lord and Saviour, for He is the way the truth and the life, and no man comes to the Father but by Him.’ (John 14:6) Matter fixed, this Christmas day!  (smile) 

So, let’s eat, drink and be merry today, celebrating Christ’s birth, ensuring that we’ve been born again and are thus eligible for eternal life in heaven. Much LOVE!

…the LOVE of Christ…should be front and centre today… 

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 25 December 2020 Luke 2:17.

25 Dec 2020 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Luke 2:17.     ​And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
MERRY CHRISTMAS !

It’s a cold, snowy Friday morning…but it’s Christmas Day, and wonder of wonders we do have a white Christmas, something we don’t see as often, in these days of climate change. Yesterday evening it was raining, but the snow fell during the night and made everything a beautiful virgin white, that is until mankind gets involved. (smile) 

So Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all my wonderful Scrip-Bit friends and family! Hope the Lord continues to be good to all of us in the new year. And why wouldn’t He be eh, if we continue to be obedient and reverent to him? No reason whatsoever! 

And talking about years, this old one of 2020 was indeed an unexpected, unique, provoking and very testing year. But glory to God, we all came through it safely. Let’s give the Lord some thanks and praise for that, because it’s only with His divine help that we made it through without any serious problems. 

Consequently, on this joyful Christmas morn, when our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was born in that li’l town of Bethlehem, we can sit back, relax and contemplate what it all means to believers everywhere. Remember, JESUS is the ONE and ONLY reason for the season. The reason we can eat drink and be merry and call out greetings to each other. So please don’t let your day be consumed with just festive merriment, but do take a few moments to quietly ponder what it all meant back then, and what it still means today. 

In fact, let’s do that right now nuh. Let’s try and recreate the scene on that long ago, first Christmas Day. Remember, it was just a seemingly ordinary wintry evening, with the universe unfolding as it should. And let’s do it in song nuh, with this wonderful Annunciation of the heavenly birth. 

Please sing along with me: ‘While shepherds watched their flocks by night, all seated on the ground, the angel of the Lord came down and glory shone around. “Fear not,” said he – for mighty dread had seized their troubled minds –“Glad tidings of great joy I bring to you and all mankind: “To you in David’s town this day is born of David’s line a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. 

And this shall be the sign: “The heavenly babe you there shall find to human view displayed, all meanly wrapped in swathing bands and in a manger laid.” Thus spoke the seraph, and forthwith appeared a shining throng of angels praising God, who thus addressed their joyful song: “All glory be to God on high, and to the earth be peace; goodwill henceforth from highest heaven begin and never cease!” 

Oh friends what a wonderful heavenly declaration! But it had the poor shepherds terrible afraid. And it would have had us afraid too, if that heavenly throng just appeared from out of nowhere and made that most climatic statement. But please note to whom the Lord made the first declaration of Jesus’ birth; the lowly and humble shepherds out in the fields, not any great kings or powerful and important people. 

And yuh see where He caused Him to be born too, in a lowly stable. Imagine that nuh…the Son of God being born in a dirty stable and not a sumptuous palace. That’s because Jesus came to be a servant not a king by earth’s standards, to save the sick and suffering, the poor, lowly and downtrodden. 

And I like how the shepherds reacted. The Good Book tells us that after the angels had gone back to heaven, they said to each other; ‘Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.’ (Luke 2:15) Yeh friends, yuh see, despite their fear, they decided to check out the good news. If it was important enough for angels to declare it, then it was important enough for them to go and check it out. They did it afraid. And that’s exactly how we ought to operate in these rough and trying times. 

Anyway, the Good Book continues: ‘And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger (feed trough).And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered (marvelled) at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.’ (Luke 2:16-20) 

Ah mih bredrin, do we ever need to spread the beautiful news of Christ’s gospel and praise and glorify our great and wonderful God this day for all that He’s done for us! He didn’t need to do anything for us, just let us go our merry way rejoicing into hell with the devil. But through His awesome, undying and unconditionalLOVEfor the ungrateful creatures He had spawned, He couldn’t in good conscience allow us to go down that road to eternal damnation without giving us an opportunity to redeem ourselves. 

So on that cold, starry, ordinary winter’s night, He put His amazing plan for salvation into motion. In that dirty, smelly stable, a baby boy was born into this evil world, and they would call His name Jesus; the Son, the Saviour, the Messiah, who would be the means of ultimate salvation for all and sundry. Bless our God’s holy name my brethren, for just that act alone ought to endear Him to us for ever and ever! Amen! 

Oh my people, I don’t know what else to say or do to get us to really and truly appreciate the greatness of our God and the overwhelming LOVE He bears for us nuh. So let us go home, and we going to forego our Friday Chant because I don’t think today the Lord wants to hear our whining and complaining about our problems, most of which we brought on ourselves through our obstinate disobedience. He needs some praise and worship for the great gift He’s bestowed on us this day, the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 

So let’s go home singing and praising instead nuh: Loud and strong and harmonious: ‘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 hosts 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!” Hark! the herald angels sing: “Glory to the newborn King!” 

Yes friends, today is a day for much praise and thanks and generosity. Let’s remember Nehemiah’s awesome words to the children of Israel and action them as best we can: ‘Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’ (Neh. 8:10) 

That says it all my faithful friends in Christ! Much LOVE!

…Christmas…it’s just the beginning of the Christian’s joyful life…