Many people know that Handel wrote the music for Messiah. Much less commonly known is Charles Jennens, the man who chose the Bible passages for its libretto. Messiah was born out of a tragic event in his life. Dr. Al Mohler, President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, described this tragedy as he spoke of […]
Last year I read a mystery by George Bellairs that opens on Christmas Eve 1940 as Detective-Inspector Littlejohn is traveling to meet his wife who has evacuated to Yorkshire after their London flat was destroyed in the Blitz. On Christmas night they visit the local Methodist church in a small village to hear the choir […]
Today I was reminded of something in the past that had hurt me down to the bone because it was a permanent loss of something dearly anticipated. It was taken away and will never come again. I cried and grieved again for that loss. A little later I looked at the Bible reading for today. […]
Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands so that the […]
When the sixth hour came, darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour. At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”When some of the bystanders heard it, they began saying, “Behold, He is calling […]
And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. Revelation 11:15 KJV – The words of the “Hallelujah” chorus in Handel’s Messiah are from Revelation 19:6, 16; […]
God spoke through the prophet Malachi who told of a messenger to come. God was then silent for over 400 years…and Israel waited. Then God acted, and the journey to Bethlehem began…. But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son… Galatians 4:4a – God, after He spoke long ago to the […]
Christmas and the holiday season are not always times that are cheery and bright. Loneliness and loss have a sharper edge in contrast with our longings for warmth and love and joy shared with others. Suffering inflicts a terrible sense of alienation on our hearts. We can feel as if we don’t matter. But what we […]
God rest ye merry, gentlemen, Let nothing you dismay, Remember Christ our Saviour 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! The angel to Zacharias: And an angel of the Lord […]