O Christian, may this be a blessing to you, a reminder that our God is always close at hand. Always.
Proverbs 18:24 says, “One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
And Jesus tells us in John 15:15, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” And in Matthew 28:20, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age,” with John 14:16-17, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”
objects are closer than they appear
we pray for Your closeness we expect to turn and see Jesus we expect to see Your angels we watch for great miracles
what if we are looking too hard what if we are looking the wrong way what if we are looking too far we only need to hear You say
“I am closer than you are aware. There is no need to look here and there. My servants and signs are closer than they appear. Believe when I say I am near.”
we may not always see Christ because we refuse to look inside some great miracles are missed because we may be looking for the big
we need to remember Christ lives within and that angels appear as men and miracles come both small and large but God always resides within our hearts
I was sitting in my preaching class this past week, and the conversation started tracking a certain way. It got me to thinking about something.
I love that song!
Have you had conversations about some of your favorite songs? I am sure you have.
Perhaps sometimes you start trying to sing a song but you cannot remember either the tune, the words, or both. You desperately want someone to tell you the name of that song!
How would you feel if someone simply told you the track number of that song? Would you find that helpful?
Usually, we do not refer to songs by their number (with exceptions for music like “Piano Concerto Number Five” or “No. 9” … extra points if you can give me names to go with those!) Occasionally we may know when someone says “Oh, that was track four of that album.”
Typically, the response we get (and want) is the title of the song. We may even find the lyrics rushing to our mind at the mention of the title.
We are often okay with the recitation of the first line of the song or the chorus.
My God, My God
The funny thing is, we have become so accustomed to labeling things in the Bible by number that is almost all we know anything by anymore.
Perhaps if we read the Bible as much as we really should, we would recognize references in the New Testament to passages in the Old Testament.
For example, when Jesus was hanging on the cross, it would have been much easier on all of us who were not raised Jewish if He had said “Go look up Psalm 22.”
Instead, He did what many of us would do when we are in some situation: He quoted lyrics.
Think about: how many times have you been doing something and song lyrics popped into your head that seemed to fit the situation?
Now imagine you are the Son of God, and you want people to understand something about you?
When Jesus said, “My God, My God, why have your forsaken me?” He was not suggesting that the Father had abandoned the Son. He was saying, “Hurry, someone read Psalm 22!”
Read it:
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from my cries of anguish? 2 My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, but I find no rest.
3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the one Israel praises. 4 In you our ancestors put their trust;
they trusted and you delivered them. 5 To you they cried out and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
6 But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by everyone, despised by the people. 7 All who see me mock me;
they hurl insults, shaking their heads. 8 “He trusts in the Lord,” they say,
“let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him,
since he delights in him.”
9 Yet you brought me out of the womb;
you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast. 10 From birth I was cast on you;
from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
11 Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near
and there is no one to help.
12 Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. 13 Roaring lions that tear their prey open their mouths wide against me. 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me. 15 My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death.
16 Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet. 17 All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. 18 They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.
19 But you, Lord, do not be far from me.
You are my strength; come quickly to help me. 20 Deliver me from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dogs. 21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;
save me from the horns of the wild oxen.
22 I will declare your name to my people;
in the assembly I will praise you. 23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! 24 For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.
25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows. 26 The poor will eat and be satisfied;
those who seek the Lord will praise him—
may your hearts live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, 28 for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations.
29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him— those who cannot keep themselves alive. 30 Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord. 31 They will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn: He has done it!
Did you notice that all of the bolded sections describe the crucifixion, and this Psalm declares the greatness of God and His salvation.
This not only shows how Jesus fulfilled prophecy and the Law, but it shows the importance of the Old Testament.
We may not always refer to things as has always been done, but we are not too different from those in the past.
We may use numbers to refer to ancient songs, but we are better prepared to understand the connection between them and the gospel message.
Now, join me in Track 119, a psalm of praise to God for His Word!
The poem today is about realizing just how close our Lord is to us, and it is the result of overcoming due to our resolving to follow Christ.
Do you walk with Christ? Do you live in the power of the Holy Spirit? Do desire to walk with Him?
walking with
in our walk with our Savior
we long to be walking with
Him right next to us or
at least one of the angelic
we pray that we might see
with our eyes being trained
Him walking with us down the street
and to know we are safe
but our God tells us anew
that He has been there all along
He is always with me and you
and will be until He comes
Yesterday was my little brother’s 28th birthday. I still think of him as a junior higher, perhaps 13 or 14 years old. That is now half his age! I can barely believe it!
This past Thursday, January 9, was my 14th Re-birthday. It was 14 years ago I first knelt down and declared I believed Jesus is my Savior and the Son of God. I was only a couple years older than how I still view my brother when that happened.
This all got me to thinking about something.
Some friends and I had a conversation about conversations a while back. It was all about the exclamation “Really?!”
The full context of this conversation was focused around what one of us had heard about friendly conversation and this one word. Asking this word after a friend or loved one makes a statement is the same as casting doubt on the validity of the statement.
It is one thing if the conversation goes like this:
“I just won a million dollars!”
“Wow! Really?!”
Winning a million dollars is not a typical occurrence in daily life. Shock and amazement with a little bit of doubt makes sense.
But when the conversation is more like this:
“I lost my phone today.”
“Really?”
In this context, it can said as any of the following:
Anger: “How could you do that again?”
Sarcasm: “This is such a surprise coming from you!”
Astonishment: “This just happened?”
And many others.
The underlying theme is that saying “Really?!” denotes disbelief or mistrust, or at worst it denotes aggression or animosity. And to be fair, most of us use the term in such a way as to say “Tell me more!”
In Jesus’ Name. Really?!
You are probably thinking about how often you say “Really?!” to people, and, if you are like we were, you are attempting to justify your use of the term and explain that you usually mean “Tell me more!”
Let me then ask you this, Christian believer: How do you live your life?
Do go around claiming your connection to your church and as a good Christian, yet those outside the Church look at your example of love and light and think “Is this person really ‘blameless and innocent, [a child] of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16, ESV)
Put another way, do they look at your life and say “Really?! That’s a Christ follower?” And they want to stay away from God because of your example?
Or do you go around sharing the good news of Christ as you live out His commands of love and sacrifice? Do those outside the Church look at your example of love and light and think, “Really?! This kind of thing is true? Tell me more!”
Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test.
2 Corinthians 13:5-6, ESV
It is Christmas Eve! Tomorrow we celebrate God stepping into the time to redeem His Creation. There is no better explanation of that act than today’s song.
It is at least 300 years old and may be older than that. I have not been able to find verifiable information, but I have heard that it was written by a priest who was concerned with how much of the gospel message the average person actually knew. Therefore, he put the lyrics to a tune that could be heard in many pubs.
God rest you merry, gentlemen.
Let nothing you dismay.
Remember, Christ our Savior
Was born on Christmas day
To save us all from Satan’s power
When we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy, Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
In Bethlehem, in Israel,
This blessed Babe was born
And laid within a manger
Upon this blessed morn
The which His Mother Mary
Did nothing take in scorn
O tidings of comfort and joy, Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
From God our Heavenly Father
A blessed Angel came;
And unto certain Shepherds
Brought tidings of the same:
How that in Bethlehem was born
The Son of God by Name.
O tidings of comfort and joy, Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
“Fear not then,” said the Angel,
“Let nothing you affright,
This day is born a Savior
Of a pure Virgin bright,
To free all those who trust in Him
From Satan’s power and might.”
O tidings of comfort and joy, Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
The shepherds at those tidings
Rejoiced much in mind,
And left their flocks a-feeding
In tempest, storm and wind:
And went to Bethlehem straightway
The Son of God to find.
O tidings of comfort and joy, Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
And when they came to Bethlehem
Where our dear Savior lay,
They found Him in a manger,
Where oxen feed on hay;
His Mother Mary kneeling down,
Unto the Lord did pray.
O tidings of comfort and joy, Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
Now to the Lord sing praises,
All you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace;
This holy tide of Christmas
All other doth deface.
O tidings of comfort and joy, Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
Why I like this carol …
My first liking is that it tells the birth story of Jesus. It reminds us of the hope we have in His life and death, that He came “to save us all from Satan’s power when we had gone astray.”
My second liking comes from the title, which really means “God keep/make you joyful/content/hopeful/happy, people of God”. That is some paraphrasing on my part, but it is based on literal meanings of the words “rest” and “merry”.
This song is a reminder that God did not wait for us to achieve the impossible or seek Him out. He came to us, He redeemed us with His own life and blood, and He will return to redeem all of Creation. We should be joyful and hopeful knowing that our Lord wins and has won. He came and will come again!
Merry Christmas – Almost literally, “Joy comes from Christ’s suffering.”
Remember that is what “Merry Christmas” means, for the Christ-Mass, is the remembrance that Jesus Christ was born that He may die to bring us second birth … and He will come again!
We continue looking at some of my favorite Christmas Carols and why.
I have taken us through several songs and poems which have touched my life in some way, but honestly it is most Christmas carols and many Christmas songs that impact my life by simply being about Christmas and, specifically, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
That is why there is the ever-slightest shift this week.
The carol this week did not have a dramatic impact on my life, but it certainly begins to explain some of what I feel and believe.
O Come All Ye Faithful
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of Angels;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
O Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultation,
Sing all that hear in heaven God’s holy word.
Give to our Father glory in the Highest;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
All Hail! Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning,
O Jesus! for evermore be Thy name adored.
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
Why I Like This Carol …
… is that it is a call to celebration and worship.
There is something inherently joyous and celebratory about it, many times because the music is very upbeat and celebratory. Regardless of the music, those words just draw all focus to Jesus. They are a call to sing and celebrate the Savior of the world. They are a call to worship the Lord of all.
Join with me in celebrating and worshiping our God who saves us!
This is just a small break from my favorite Christmas carols as I share this interesting item.
I am not really sure where this came from.
This was e-mailed to me about two years ago, and I saved the picture. I share it with you now.
May we remember this Christmas season, in all of the hustle and bustle, in all of the craziness that life brings (regardless of the season), in all of the things that are wrong in this world, that Christ came into this world as a baby, but He saved this world through His death on the cross. May we remember that He rose to life again, and one day He will return to redeem us!
May we remember that He has not left us alone in the mean time!
“And surely Iamwithyoualways, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20b)
Here we are in the fourth week of some of my favorite Christmas carols!
The song this week was written in 1865 by William Chatterton Dix not long after he almost died of an illness. It was originally written as a poem called “The Manger Throne”, and later some of the stanzas were put to a traditional English tune called “Greensleeves” and called “What Child Is This?”
What Child is this who, laid to rest
On Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing;
Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
Why lies He in such mean estate,
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christians, fear, for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.
Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,
The cross be borne for me, for you.
Hail, hail the Word made flesh,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh,
Come peasant, king to own Him;
The King of kings salvation brings,
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.
Raise, raise a song on high,
The virgin sings her lullaby.
Joy, joy for Christ is born,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
Why I Like It …
The first reason I like the song is the Olde Timey sound, but that is just because!
The most important reason I like this song is the gospel message, of course!
The song sings of the newborn Jesus in Mary’s lap, but it looks forward with the hope of the cross and resurrection which brought us forgiveness of sins, salvation from death and God’s wrath, and the hope of eternal life! It reminds us that our Lord is deserving of our utmost praise.
This week, I continue with the theme of bells, but it comes from an unlikely place.
Silver Bells
City sidewalks, busy sidewalks
Dressed in holiday style.
In the air there’s a feeling of Christmas.
Children laughing, People passing
Meeting smile after smile
And on every street corner you’ll hear.
Chorus:
Silver bells, silver bells
It’s Christmas time in the city.
Ring-a-ling, hear them sing.
Soon it will be Christmas day.
Strings of street lights, even stop lights
Blink a bright red and green
As the shoppers rush home with their treasures.
Hear the snow crunch, see the kids bunch.
This is Santa’s big scene.
And above all this bustle you’ll hear.
(Chorus)
The video above comes from The Lemon Drop Kid, a movie (yes, black and white) from 1951 with Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell. It is a fun little movie about a gambler and crook who decides to go straight.
There is some debate over the actual inspiration of the song, but I prefer to go with the story that it was inspired by the Santa Clauses and Salvation Army people ringing bells for donations.
It reminds me that we are to help others out of our abundance.
Now, it is all well and good to do something for goodness’ sake, but …
The real reason we should help people is out of the love and compassion given to us by our resurrected Lord and Savior.
For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
2 Corinthians 5:14-15, NIV
Christmas reminds us of this, because God showed His love through the most unlikely of acts.
He was born as a human baby and laid in a feeding trough. The Creator of everything was born into squalor.
And too often we stop with the birth.
Yet the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, reminds us that He came to save us from our sin and rebellion. His birth reminds us that we must be born again. His birth reminds us that we must show the same love and compassion He shows, and we must take that love and compassion to others.
That is why Silver Bells is one of my favorite Christmas songs. Though a secular song through and through, it reminds me that God has given us all a purpose: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27)
In truth, this means we care for all people whenever we are able.
For the next several weeks, as we build to “the most wonderful time of the year,” I am going to look at some of my personal favorite Christmas carols. Why not start with my longest-running favorite?
Come they told me, pa rum pum pum pum
A new born King to see, pa rum pum pum pum
Our finest gifts we’ll bring, pa rum pum pum pum
To lay before the King, pa rum pum pum pum
Rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum
So to honor Him, pa rum pum pum pum
When we come
Baby Jesus, pa rum pum pum pum
I am a poor boy too, pa rum pum pum pum
I have no gift to bring, pa rum pum pum pum
That’s fit to give our King, pa rum pum pum pum
Rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum
Shall I play for You?, Pa rum pum pum
On my drum
Mary nodded, pa rum pum pum pum
The ox and lamb kept time, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my drum for Him, pa rum pum pum
I played my best for Him, pa rum pum pum pum
Rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum
Then He smiled at me, pa rum pum pum pum
Me and my drum
14 For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ 21 Well done, good and faithful servant.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents.
29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Here is what I want to say, then, about the song:
We know that God has entrusted us with responsibility in this life. He has given each of us gifts, be they abilities/talents, understanding, or the fruit of the Spirit. It can come in any form and varies from person to person.
Like the Little Drummer Boy, there is something we are tasked with doing. (I am going to reveal a secret to you: no matter what, it includes sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ to increase the Kingdom of God!)
Like the Little Drummer Boy, if we do our something to the best of our ability to give glory to God and make Him happy, God will smile on us.
It does not matter if we are rich or poor, eloquent or a stutterer, well-known or easily over-looked; if our goal is to play our part for His pleasure, we will one day hear our Lord say “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Do we truly love the Lord our God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths? Maybe I can help with the mind part, at least! This is Daniel M. Klem, apparent poet, reluctant yet passionate Disciple (Peter?), and foolish man attempting to understand theology!
a simple man of God 