Truth For The Heart
God spoke through the prophet Malachi who told of a messenger to come. And God was silent for over 400 years…as Israel waited in hope. Then God acted, and the journey to Bethlehem began… God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last […]
Read More“Joy to the World” is one of my favorite Christmas carols. The words are based on Psalm 98, and it is one of the more than 600 hymns written by Isaac Watts (1674-1748).1 Watts wrote the hymn not about the First Advent of Christ, however, but about His Second. “Joy to the World” was in […]
Read MoreChristmas and the holiday season are not always times that are cheery and bright. Loneliness and loss have a sharper edge then because they contrast with our longings to have Christmas be a time of warmth and love and joy. Suffering and grief can also inflict a terrible sense of alienation on our hearts. We […]
Read MoreThe wonder and glory and hope of the birth of Jesus resound. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 – __________ […]
Read More– “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.” 2 Corinthians 8:9 – There are songs in which the music, the lyrics, and the story behind its writing sing with one voice […]
Read MoreOne of my pastors once said that all of America has heard the Gospel in Christmas carols. There’s hardly anyone who hasn’t heard “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” because it’s sung in two Christmas classics shown annually on television in the United States. In each classic the main character goes through a hard time with […]
Read MoreGood Christian Men, Rejoice is a rollicking carol of joy. The lyrics and music echo each other as words and notes both rejoice that Christ is born. It was translated into English1 from Piæ Cantiones,2 a compilation of Latin songs done in 1582, by Finnish student, Theodoricus Petri. The music is based on a 14th […]
Read MoreThere is such rich variety in the music of Christmas. The carols we sing have come to us from different centuries, from different countries, and with many different musical styles. In “Lo, How A Rose Er’e Blooming,” I mentioned that when we sing these words or listen to these carols, we join with other believers […]
Read MoreI first heard Mary, Did You Know? sung by a small ensemble at the water’s edge of St. Augustine during an outdoor Christmas celebration over ten years ago. The lyrics and music throughout the song call you to meet and to know the Lord Jesus. The song’s bridge contains the words that caught me then and […]
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Kindling for Candles 