IQ # 255 O Night Divine

To my Friends in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, may all that you have longed for and hoped in be found in the birth of our salvation, God’s promise.

“What is the most meaningful part of Christmas for you?” Several nights ago this question was posed to a group of youth and leaders. As each person shared their own personal thoughts my mind took me back to the church I grew up in. For many years a candle light service would be held at eleven pm on Christmas Eve, and close to the midnight hour all of our candles would be lit, and as the room lights lowered we would begin singing “Silent Night”.  Just before the last verse we would all raise our candles and sing, 

“Silent night, holy night, wondrous star, lend thy light. 
With the angels let us sing.

 Alleluia to our King.

Christ the Savior is born.

Christ the savior is born.”

Those moments in time have always been a special place in my heart during Christmas time, but it was a song heard earlier in many of those services that brought me emotionally and spiritually to my knees.

Her name was Gloria, a most befitting name, blessed with a most beautiful angelic singing voice, and she would honor God’s gift to her with the singing of, “O Holy Night” (also known as the Christmas Song) 

As Gloria would begin singing, “O holy night, the stars are brightly shining, it is the night of the dear Savior’s birth…”  I would find myself at the manger scene observing the birth of the coming King. “Long lay the world in sin and error pining, ‘Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn…”  A silent night of anticipation was awakened by the birth of God’s son, our Messiah.  I could feel His new born presence come alive in my soul. How could I not be moved by such a magnificent event? How could anyone not be moved, knowing that God had come to all of us in living, breathing, human form?

“Fall on your knees, O hear the angels voices!

O night divine! O night when Christ was born.

O night, O holy night, O night divine…”

While Gloria continued singing, “Led by the light of faith serenely beaming; with glowing hearts by his cradle we stand:…“,  my faith and belief in God resounding in his physical presence in my life became very clear.

“He knows our need, to our weakness no stranger!

Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!

Behold your King!  Your King! Before Him bend!...”

How could I be in His presence? I am not worthy to be here at His birth? The unrest in my life would rekindle its destructive forces, until… until I would change my focus towards God’s truth.

“Truly He taught us to love one another;

His law is love and His gospel is Peace;

Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother;

And in His name all oppression shall cease,

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful Chorus raise we;

Let all within us praise his Holy name!...”

As I continued to reflect back to those special nights of the coming Jesus, It also brought back a bit of sorrow, yet filled with hope and love. In the final years of Gloria’s life she would suffer the loss of her legs due to diabetes. Confined to a wheelchair made entering and navigating throughout our out dated and stair encased church building very difficult, and to reach the alter area where she would sing, more steps needed to be scaled. Gloria’s gift to us on Christmas Eve seemed to have come to an end.

“Truly He taught us to love one another;

His law is love and His gospel is Peace;

Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother;”  

With the love of God in our hearts, the chains were broken. We lifted Gloria, wheelchair and all, to the top of the alter area, and there on this special night, this holy night, God’s angelic voice was heard once more.

“Fall on your knees, O hear the angels voices!

O night divine! O night when Christ was born.

O night, O holy night, O night divine…”

When it was my turn to share the most meaningful part of Christmas, the words of the experience I just shared with you above were hard to come by that night.  My emotions were heavy in trying to relate God’s presence in my life and the love he taught us and how we acted upon His law of love.

No matter what else goes on through the rest of my life, when the time comes I will be reminded of Simeon’s praise to God as he held the baby Jesus in his arms,

Luke 2:29-32

“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
 you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”

With the love of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior,   

Papa John 12:19:15

IQ #254 Way Beyond Fan-Tab-U-Lous!

You’ve studied hard, you’ve obeyed your parents and you’ve saved, then one magical day your dad comes to you and hands you the keys and the title. You are overwhelmed with excitement. There before you, sitting in the driveway is your very own car. You own it, it’s yours.

Later on, you’ve toiled many long days, weeks and years, you’ve been a good servant, done a good job, you’ve sacrificed and you’ve saved, then one magical day you are given the keys and deed. You are overwhelmed with excitement. There before you is your new home. You own it, it’s yours.

For those of you who have experienced either one or both of these events, you can understand how awesome that feels. If you are not the actual receiver, but part of the family, the experience is still exhilarating.

Last Sunday morning during the high school Enlightenment session we read and discussed what the apostle John was given access to in Revelation chapter 5, John was witness to the one who; was totally obedient, learned what he must do, did the work that needed to be done, served like no other, made the ultimate sacrifice and saved. Then one magical day, the one who gave it his all, was handed the keys, the title, and the deed to everything known to man and beyond. Jesus Christ, the son of God, the only one worthy of this complete ownership, received God’s creation, His total kingdom. 

Revelation 5:1-8

5 Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. ² And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” ³ But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. ⁴ I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. ⁵ Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

⁶ Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. ⁷ He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.⁸ And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb.

As believers and followers of Jesus Christ this scripture passage signifies the most fantabulous moment in our lives, because we are part of his family and with that comes all that God has promised. How can you read this scripture and not be overwhelmed with excitement!

Two other very import things happened the moment Jesus took hold of the scroll; Satan was being shown his walking papers, the pink slip, his time of unruly rule was going to be over. He was going to be FIRED!

The other important part of that transaction was something that popped in my head last night. In Matthew 5, Jesus began his ‘Sermon on the Mount’, teaching His disciples, the crowds and all of us how we should live our lives. In verse 5 he says, ”Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” How profound is this one little sentence about meekness being such a tremendous part of Jesus Christ’s inheritance. Jesus was; humble in nature, gentle as a lamb and totally submissive to God. 

Each day is a new revelation on why being a believer in Jesus Christ and putting your total trust and faith in God is so vital to your life.  As a part of His family, can you even imagine what the family reunion is going to be like? Way beyond Fan-Tab-U-Lous!

With the love of Jesus Christ,

Papa John 12:4:15