We would be so confused!

"For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob."Malachi 3:6

Praise God that He is constant!

Think about our lives. How inconsistent we are. We change our minds from one minute to the next. As a society we believe one thing to be true and then decide on something else. Our emotions change from moment to moment. We are never the same, and our lives are chaotic for it.

I am so grateful that God does not change. He is constant and unwavering. He doesn't change His mind in the middle of an action. He never changes what is true. Can you imagine if He did? We would never be able to trust Him. The bible would be meaningless. We would never know what is right from wrong. We would be so confused.

 James 1:17 tells us, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” Numbers 23:19 says: “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?” No, God does not change His mind. These verses show that God is unchanging and unchangeable. He was, is, and will always be the same.

God never changes Himself so that we can understand Him better. He changes us so that we can see Him as he truly is. If God changed His nature, He would cease to be God.

For more information on this topic check out http://www.gotquestions.org/God-change-mind.html

With God's Love,
Christian

What can flesh do to me?

"Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?" Psalm 56:3-4 NKJ

What do you fear? What do you worry the most about? What digs its way clear to your bone and stirs up the greatest amount of fear you have ever known?

Some of you can answer this right away. Others may have to think about it. Either way, ask yourself this, WHY? Why do you fear what ever it is that you fear?

There is nothing in this life that can bring you harm. I'm not talking about physical harm. I am talking about spiritual harm. Nothing in this life that can remove you from you. Better yet remove you from God. Once you belong to Him you will always belong to Him. Sure life is tough. Life has many hurts to offer, and we do suffer. But no matter what we are going through we always make it out. Even when we suffer till death, as long as we have God in our lives and trust Him we will always make it out. We will always come through the hard times and the suffering and we will come out better for it. This life is a life of practice, a growing period. A time that we are to learn from and gain wisdom. We are practicing and preparing for our eternal life. However you choose to practice, Trusting in God or running from God will be the lesson that you will take into eternity. God loves us so much that He lets us choose. (a topic for another day) We can choose to continue to live in a life of fear of what will happen IF. Or we can choose to trust God completely and know that what ever we are enduring or going to face we will do with God's strength because He knows that it is something that we need. It doesn't matter if it takes your physical life, that just means that you will be with God that much faster. NO MATTER what it is that you will ever face GOD HAS A PLAN!
I pray that you will open your heart to God completely and  trust Him with all of your heart. I pray that you will know without a doubt that He is in control and trust that His plan for your life will only make you stronger. In Jesus name, Amen
With God's Love,
Christian

why is Advent celebrated

I have offten wondered why we celebrate Advent. This is what I found out. It is pretty long but a good read and very informative. Thank  you Dennis Bratcher for putting this together!

The Season of Advent:
Anticipation and Hope

Dennis Bratcher

The Colors of Advent The Spirit of Advent Evergreens and The Advent Wreath
Celebrating Advent An Advent Reflection Music for Advent

Advent is the beginning of the Church Year for most churches in the Western tradition. It begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day, which is the Sunday nearest November 30, and ends on Christmas Eve (Dec 24). If Christmas Eve is a Sunday, it is counted as the fourth Sunday of Advent, with Christmas Eve proper beginning at sundown.

This is an Advent symbol of Jesus from Rev 1:8 and 22:13: "I am the Alpha and the Omega [the first and the last, the beginning and the end]" says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty" (see also Isaiah 44:6). The first symbol is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Aleph, and the second is the last letter of the Greek alphabet, Omega. Not only does this symbolize the One who has come and will come again, it also emphasizes the continuity of God's work in history throughout both the Old and New Testaments.

 

 

  

 

The Meaning of "Advent"

The word Advent means "coming" or "arrival." The focus of the entire season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus the Christ in his First Advent, and the anticipation of the return of Christ the King in his Second Advent. Thus, Advent is far more than simply marking a 2,000 year old event in history. It is celebrating a truth about God, the revelation of God in Christ whereby all of creation might be reconciled to God. That is a process in which we now participate, and the consummation of which we anticipate. Scripture reading for Advent will reflect this emphasis on the Second Advent, including themes of accountability for faithfulness at His coming, judgment on sin, and the hope of eternal life.
In this double focus on past and future, Advent also symbolizes the spiritual journey of individuals and a congregation, as they affirm that Christ has come, that He is present in the world today, and that He will come again in power. That acknowledgment provides a basis for Kingdom ethics, for holy living arising from a profound sense that we live "between the times" and are called to be faithful stewards of what is entrusted to us as God’s people. So, as the church celebrates God’s inbreaking into history in the Incarnation, and anticipates a future consummation to that history for which "all creation is groaning awaiting its redemption," it also confesses its own responsibility as a people commissioned to "love the Lord your God with all your heart" and to "love your neighbor as yourself."

The Spirit of Advent

Advent is marked by a spirit of expectation, of anticipation, of preparation, of longing. There is a yearning for deliverance from the evils of the world, first expressed by Israelite slaves in Egypt as they cried out from their bitter oppression. It is the cry of those who have experienced the tyranny of injustice in a world under the curse of sin, and yet who have hope of deliverance by a God who has heard the cries of oppressed slaves and brought deliverance!
It is that hope, however faint at times, and that God, however distant He sometimes seems, which brings to the world the anticipation of a King who will rule with truth and justice and righteousness over His people and in His creation. It is that hope that once anticipated, and now anticipates anew, the reign of an Anointed One, a Messiah, who will bring peace and justice and righteousness to the world.
Part of the expectation also anticipates a judgment on sin and a calling of the world to accountability before God. We long for God to come and set the world right! Yet, as the prophet Amos warned, the expectation of a coming judgment at the "Day of the Lord" may not be the day of light that we might want, because the penetrating light of God’s judgment on sin will shine just as brightly on God’s people.
Because of this important truth, especially in the Eastern Orthodox Churches, the Season of Advent has been a time of fasting and penitence for sins similar to the Season of Lent. However, a different emphasis for the season of Advent has gradually unfolded in much of the rest of the church. The season of Advent has come to be celebrated more in terms of expectation or anticipation. Yet, the anticipation of the Coming of the Messiah throughout the Old Testament and Judaism was not in connection with remembrance of sins. Rather, it was in the context of oppression and injustice, the longing for redemption, not from personal guilt and sin but from the systemic evil of the world expressed in evil empires and tyrants. It is in that sense that all creation groans for its redemption as we witness the evil that so dominates our world (Rom 8:18-25).
Of course, there is the problem of longing for vindication from an evil world when we are contributors to that evil. This is the power of the images of Amos when he warns about longing for the "Day of the Lord" that will really be a day of darkness (Amos 5:18-20). Still, even with Amos’ warning the time of Advent is one of expectation and anticipation, a longing for God's actions to restore all things and vindicate the righteous. This is why during Advent we as Christians also anticipate the Second Coming as a twin theme of the season. So, while some church traditions focus on penitence during Advent, and there remains a place for that, the spirit of that expectation from the Old Testament is better captured with a joyous sense of expectancy. Rather than a time of mourning and fasting, Advent is celebrated as a time of joy and happiness as we await the coming of the King. (see Can We Sing Christmas Carols During Advent?)
There will be time enough during the rest of the journey through the Church Year to remember our sins. It begins in Epiphany when we hear about the brotherhood of the Kingdom, and realize our failure to effect it. Then as we move toward and through Lent we realize that the coming of Jesus served more to lay bare our own sin than it did to vindicate our righteousness. There will be time to shed Peter's bitter tears as we realize that what started with such possibility and expectation has apparently ended in such failure.
It is only as we experience that full cycle, beginning with unbridled joy in Advent that slowly fades into the realization of what we have done with and to the Christ, that the awful reality of Good Friday can have its full impact. And in that realization we can finally be ready to hear the Good News on Resurrection Sunday! That is the journey that the disciples took. And so there is value in taking the same journey beginning with the anticipation and joy of Advent!
So, we celebrate with gladness the great promise in the Advent, yet knowing that there is also a somber tone as the theme of threat is added to the theme of promise. This is reflected in some of the Scripture readings for Advent, in which there is a strong prophetic tone of accountability and judgment on sin. But this is also faithful to the role of the Coming King who comes to rule, save, and judge the world.
Because of the dual themes of threat and promise, Advent is a time of preparation that is marked by prayer. While Lent is characterized by fasting and a spirit of penitence, Advent’s prayers are prayers of humble devotion and commitment, prayers of submission, prayers for deliverance, prayers from those walking in darkness who are awaiting and anticipating a great light (Isa 9)!
The spirit of Advent is expressed well in the parable of the bridesmaids who are anxiously awaiting the coming of the Bridegroom (Matt 25:1-13). There is profound joy at the Bridegroom’s expected coming. And yet a warning of the need for preparation echoes through the parable. But even then, the prayer of Advent is still:

Come, O Come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel!

The Colors of Advent

Historically, the primary sanctuary color of Advent is Purple. This is the color of penitence and fasting as well as the color of royalty to welcome the Advent of the King. Purple is still used in some traditions (for example Roman Catholic). The purple of Advent is also the color of suffering used during Lent and Holy Week. This points to an important connection between Jesus’ birth and death. The nativity, the Incarnation, cannot be separated from the crucifixion. The purpose of Jesus’ coming into the world, of the "Word made flesh" and dwelling among us, is to reveal God and His grace to the world through Jesus’ life and teaching, but also through his suffering, death, and resurrection. To reflect this emphasis, originally Advent was a time of penitence and fasting, much as the Season of Lent and so shared the color of Lent.
In the four weeks of Advent the third Sunday came to be a time of rejoicing that the fasting was almost over (in some traditions it is called Gaudete Sunday, from the Latin word for "rejoice"). The shift from the purple of the Season to pink or rose for the third Sunday Advent candles reflected this lessening emphasis on penitence as attention turned more to celebration of the season.
In recent times, however, Advent has undergone a shift in emphasis, reflected in a change of colors used in many churches. Except in the Eastern churches, the penitential aspect of the Season has been almost totally replaced by an emphasis on hope and anticipation.
In many churches the third Sunday remains the Sunday of Joy marked by pink or rose. However, most Protestant churches now use blue to distinguish the Season of Advent from Lent. Royal Blue is sometimes used as a symbol of royalty. Some churches use Bright Blue to symbolize the night sky, the anticipation of the impending announcement of the King’s coming, or to symbolize the waters of Genesis 1, the beginning of a new creation. Some churches, including some Catholic churches, use blue violet to preserve the traditional use of purple while providing a visual distinction between the purple or red violet of Lent.
This does not eliminate any sense of penitence from the Season. With the focus on the Advent or Coming of Jesus, especially in anticipating His Second Advent, there remains a need for preparation for that coming. Most liturgical churches incorporate confessional prayers into the services of Advent that relate to a sense of unworthiness as we anticipate His Coming. It is appropriate even in more traditional services of worship to incorporate confessional prayers as part of the anticipation and preparation of the Season.
With the shift to blue for Advent in most non-Catholic churches, some churches retain pink among the Advent colors, but use it on the Fourth Sunday of Advent. It still remains associated with Joy, but is sometimes used as the climax of the Advent Season on the last Sunday before Christmas.
Red and Green are more secular colors of Christmas. They derive from older European practices of using evergreens and holly to symbolize ongoing life and hope that Christ’s birth brings into a cold world. Although red and green are often used as part of the church decorations (see below), they are never used as liturgical colors during Advent since those colors have other uses in other parts of the church year (see Colors of the Church Year).

Evergreens and The Advent Wreath

The beginning of Advent is a time for the hanging of the green, decoration of the church with evergreen wreaths, boughs, or trees that help to symbolize the new and everlasting life brought through Jesus the Christ. Some churches have a special weekday service, or the first Sunday evening of Advent, or even the first Sunday morning of Advent, in which the church is decorated and the Advent wreath put in place. This service is most often primarily of music, especially choir and hand bells, and Scripture reading, along with an explanation of the various symbols as they are placed in the sanctuary.
The Advent wreath is an increasingly popular symbol of the beginning of the Church year in many churches as well as homes. It is a circular evergreen wreath (real or artificial) with five candles, four around the wreath and one in the center. Since the wreath is symbolic and a vehicle to tell the Christmas story, there are various ways to understand the symbolism. The exact meaning given to the various aspects of the wreath is not as important as the story to which it invites us to listen, and participate.
The circle of the wreath reminds us of God Himself, His eternity and endless mercy, which has no beginning or end. The green of the wreath speaks of the hope that we have in God, the hope of newness, of renewal, of eternal life. Candles symbolize the light of God coming into the world through the birth of His son. The four outer candles represent the period of waiting during the four Sundays of Advent, which themselves symbolize the four centuries of waiting between the prophet Malachi and the birth of Christ.
The colors of the candles vary with different traditions, but there are usually three purple or blue candles, corresponding to the sanctuary colors of Advent, and one pink or rose candle. One of the purple candles is lighted the first Sunday of Advent, a Scripture is read, a short devotional or reading is given, and a prayer offered. On subsequent Sundays, previous candles are relighted with an additional one lighted. The pink candle is usually lighted on the third Sunday of Advent. However, different churches or traditions light the pink candle on different Sundays depending on the symbolism used (see above on Colors of Advent). In Churches that use a Service of the Nativity, it is often lighted on the fourth Sunday of Advent, the final Sunday before Christmas.
The light of the candles itself becomes an important symbol of the season. The light reminds us that Jesus is the light of the world that comes into the darkness of our lives to bring newness, life, and hope. It also reminds us that we are called to be a light to the world as we reflect the light of God's grace to others (Isa 42:6). The progression in the lighting of the candles symbolizes the various aspects of our waiting experience. As the candles are lighted over the four week period, it also symbolizes the darkness of fear and hopelessness receding and the shadows of sin falling away as more and more light is shed into the world. The flame of each new candle reminds the worshippers that something is happening, and that more is yet to come. Finally, the light that has come into the world is plainly visible as the Christ candle is lighted at Christmas, and worshippers rejoice over the fact that the hope and promise of long ago have been realized.
The first candle is traditionally the candle of Expectation or Hope (or in some traditions, Prophecy). This draws attention to the anticipation of the coming of an Anointed One, a Messiah, that weaves its way like a golden thread through Old Testament history. As God’s people were abused by power hungry kings, led astray by self-centered prophets, and lulled into apathy by half-hearted religious leaders, there arose a longing among some for God to raise up a new king who could show them how to be God’s people. They yearned for a return of God’s dynamic presence in their midst.
And so, God revealed to some of the prophets that indeed He would not leave His people without a true Shepherd. While they expected a new earthly king, their expectations fell far short of God’s revelation of Himself in Christ. And yet, the world is not yet fully redeemed. So, we again with expectation, with hope, await God’s new work in history, the second Advent, in which He will again reveal Himself to the world. And we understand in a profound sense that the best, the highest of our expectations will fall far short of what our Lord’s Second Advent will reveal!
The remaining three candles of Advent may be associated with different aspects of the Advent story in different churches, or even in different years. Usually they are organized around characters or themes as a way to unfold the story and direct attention to the celebrations and worship in the season. So, the sequence for the remaining three Sundays might be Bethlehem, Shepherds, Angels. Or Love, Joy, Peace. Or John the Baptist, Mary, the Magi. Or the Annunciation, Proclamation, Fulfillment. Whatever sequence is used, the Scripture readings, prayers, lighting of the candles, the participation of worshipers in the service, all are geared to unfolding the story of redemption through God’s grace in the Incarnation.
The third candle, usually for the Third Sunday of Advent, is traditionally Pink or Rose, and symbolizes Joy at the soon Advent of the Christ. It marks a shift from the more solemn tone of the first two Sundays of Advent that focus on Preparation and Hope, to a more joyous atmosphere of anticipation and expectancy. Sometimes the colors of the sanctuary and vestments are also changed to Rose for this Sunday. As noted above, in some churches the pink Advent candle is used on the fourth Sunday to mark the joy at the impending Nativity of Jesus.
Whatever sequence is adopted for these Sundays, the theme of Joy can still be the focus for the pink candle. For example, when using the third Sunday to commemorate the visit of the Magi the focus can be on the Joy of worshipping the new found King. Or the Shepherds as the symbol for the third Sunday brings to mind the joy of the proclamation made to them in the fields, and the adoration expressed as they knelt before the Child at the manger. If used on the fourth Sunday of Advent, it can symbolize the Joy in fulfilled hope.
The center candle is white and is called the Christ Candle. It is traditionally lighted on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. However, since many Protestant churches do not have services on those days, many light it on the Sunday preceding Christmas, with all five candles continuing to be lighted in services through Epiphany (Jan 6). The central location of the Christ Candle reminds us that the incarnation is the heart of the season, giving light to the world.

Celebrating Advent

Advent is one of the few Christian festivals that can be observed in the home as well as at church. In its association with Christmas, Advent is a natural time to involve children in activities at home that directly connect with worship at church. In the home an Advent wreath is often placed on the dining table and the candles lighted at meals, with Scripture readings preceding the lighting of the candles, especially on Sunday. A new candle is lighted each Sunday during the four weeks, and then the same candles are lighted each meal during the week. In this context, it provides the opportunity for family devotion and prayer together, and helps teach the Faith to children, especially if they are involved in reading the daily Scriptures.
It is common in many homes to try to mark the beginning of Advent in other ways as well, for the same purpose of instruction in the faith. Some families decorate the house for the beginning of Advent, or bake special cookies or treats, or simply begin to use table coverings for meals. An Advent Calendar is a way to keep children involved in the entire season. There are a wide variety of Advent calendars, but usually they are simply a card or poster with windows that can be opened, one each day of Advent, to reveal some symbol or picture associated with the Old Testament story leading up to the birth of Jesus. One unique and specialized Advent calendar that can be used either in the home or the sanctuary is a Jesse Tree. (We have available an online Advent calendar with devotionals for each day of Advent as well as Christmas through Epiphany Day: NazNet's Advent and Christmas Celebration). All of these provide opportunities to teach children the significance of this sacred time, and to remind ourselves of it as well.
In congregational worship, the Advent wreath is the central teaching symbol of the season, the focal point for drawing the congregation into the beginning of the story of redemption that will unfold throughout the church year. For this reason, members of the congregation are often involved in lighting the Advent candles and reading the appropriate Scriptures each Sunday. While in some churches it is customary for this to be done by families, it can also be an especially good opportunity to demonstrate the unity of the entire community of Faith by including those without families, such as those never married, divorced, widowed, elderly who live by themselves, or college students away from home.

Small Things and Possibility: An Advent Reflection

We live in a world in which bigger and better define our expectations for much of life. We have become so enamored by super size, super stars, and high definition that we tend to view life through a lens that so magnifies what we expect out of the world that we tend not to see potential in small things. But as the prophet Zechariah reminds us (Zech 4:10), we should not "despise the day of small things," because God does some of his best work with small beginnings and impossible situations.
It is truly a humbling experience to read back through the Old Testament and see how frail and imperfect all the "heroes" actually are. Abraham, the coward who cannot believe the promise. Jacob, the cheat who struggles with everybody. Joseph, the immature and arrogant teen. Moses, the impatient murderer who cannot wait for God. Gideon, the cowardly Baal-worshipper. Samson, the womanizing drunk. David, the power abusing adulterer. Solomon, the unwise wise man. Hezekiah, the reforming king who could not quite go far enough. And finally, a very young Jewish girl from a small village in a remote corner of a great empire.
It never ceases to amaze me that God often begins with small things and inadequate people. It certainly seems that God could have chosen "bigger" things and "better" people to do His work in the world. Yet if God can use them, and reveal Himself through them in such marvelous ways, it means that He might be able to use me, inadequate, and unwise, and too often lacking in faith that I am. And it means that I need to be careful that I do not in my own self-righteousness put limits on what God can do with the smallest things, the most unlikely of people, in the most hopeless of circumstances. I think that is part of the wonder of the Advent Season.
I am convinced that one of the main purposes of the incarnation of Jesus was to provide hope. While most people today want to talk about the death of Jesus and the Atonement of sins, the early Church celebrated the Resurrection and the hope it embodied. It was a proclamation of a truth that rang throughout the Old Testament, that endings are not always endings but are opportunities for God to bring new beginnings. The Resurrection proclaimed that truth even about humanity’s greatest fear, death itself.
Both the season of Advent and the season of Lent are about hope. It is not just hope for a better day or hope for the lessening of pain and suffering, although that is certainly a significant part of it. It is more about hope that human existence has meaning and possibility beyond our present experiences, a hope that the limits of our lives are not nearly as narrow as we experience them to be. It is not that we have possibility in ourselves, but that God is a God of new things and so all things are possible (Isa 42:9, Mt 19:26, Mk 14:36)
God's people in the first century wanted Him to come and change their oppressive circumstances, and were angry when those immediate circumstances did not change. But that is a short sighted view of the nature of hope. Our hope cannot be in circumstances, no matter how badly we want them or how important they are to us. The reality of human existence, with which the Book of Job struggles, is that God's people experience that physical existence in the same way that others do. Christians get sick and die, Christians are victims of violent crimes, and Christians are hurt and killed in traffic accidents, bombings, war, and in some parts of the world, famine (see The Problem of Natural Evil).
If our hope is only in our circumstances, as we define them to be good or as we want them to be to make us happy, we will always be disappointed. That is why we hope, not in circumstances, but in God. He has continually, over the span of four thousand years, revealed himself to be a God of newness, of possibility, of redemption, the recovery or transformation of possibility from endings that goes beyond what we can think or even imagine (Eph 3:20). The best example of that is the crucifixion itself, followed by the resurrection. That shadow of the cross falls even over the manger.
Yet, it all begins in the hope that God will come and come again into our world to reveal himself as a God of newness, of possibility, a God of new things. This time of year we contemplate that hope embodied, enfleshed, incarnated, in a newborn baby, the perfect example of newness, potential, and possibility. During Advent, we groan and long for that newness with the hope, the expectation, indeed the faith, that God will once again be faithful to see our circumstances, to hear our cries, to know our longings for a better world and a whole life (Ex 3:7). And we hope that as he first came as an infant, so he will come again as King! (See The Second Coming)
My experience tells me that those who have suffered and still hope understand far more about God and about life than those who have not. Maybe that is what hope is about: a way to live, not just to survive, but to live authentically amidst all the problems of life with a Faith that continues to see possibility when there is no present evidence of it, just because God is God. That is also the wonder of Advent.

Music for Advent

Traditional Songs for Advent

Full lyrics for these can be found at various places online, such as NetHymnal.

Christ, whose glory fills the skies

Come, thou long expected Jesus

Comfort, comfort ye, my people

Creator of the stars of night

Day of wrath! O day of mourning, Part 1 (English translation of Dies Irae)

Go, labor on! Spend and be spent

Hark! A thrilling voice is sounding (English translation of Vox clara ecce intonat)

Hark! The glad sound

Hark! The voice eternal

High o'er the lonely hills

Hosanna to the living Lord (for the first Sunday of Advent)

Let all mortal flesh keep silent (English translation of Σιγησάτο παρα σαρξ βροτεία)

Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates (for the first Sunday of Advent; two versions)

Lift up your heads, rejoice (for the third Sunday of Advent)

Light of those whose dreary dwelling

Little children, Advent bids you (for the fourth Sunday of Advent; Second Advent)

Lo! He comes, with clouds descending

Lord Christ, when first thou came to men (two versions)

O Come, Divine Messiah

O come, O come, Emmanuel! (English translation of Veni, veni Emanuel)

O Day of God, draw nigh

O North, with all thy vales of green

O very God of very God

O Savior, rend the heavens wide

O Word, that goest forth on high

On Jordan's bank the Baptist's cry

Rejoice, rejoice, believers!

Savior of the nations, come! (English translation of Veni Redemptor gentium)

Sleepers, wake!

The advent of our King

The day is surely drawing near (for the fourth Sunday of Advent; Second Advent)

The King shall come when morning dawns

The Lord will come and not be slow

The world is very evil (English Translation of Hora novissima)

Thy kingdom come! on bended knee

Thy kingdom come, O God

Wake, awake, for night is flying

Watchman, tell us of the night

When shades of night around us close

Modern and Contemporary Songs for Advent

Full lyrics for some of these can be found at various places online, such as NetHymnal; others are fully copyrighted and can be obtained only from publishers.

At the coming of the Lord

Be Immanuel in me

Before the starry universe

Breath of heaven (for the fourth Sunday of Advent)

Child of wondrous love

Come, our Lord (also a song for Eucharist)

From David's city

Have mercy

Hear the prophets talking

I need a silent night (for the third or fourth Sunday of Advent)

Immanuel, Immanuel

Light a candle

People look east

Prayer for God's presence

Prepare us

The Advent candle shines with hope

There's a voice in the wilderness crying

This is my song (tune Finlandia; for the fourth Sunday of Advent)

To a maid engaged to Joseph (for the third or fourth Sunday of Advent)

Veiled in darkness Judah lay (for the fourth Sunday of Advent)

We have a hope

Welcome to our world (for the fourth Sunday of Advent)

When will the Savior come?

Advent Songs Sung to Christmas Tunes

Full lyrics for these can be found at various places online, such as NetHymnal; for links to downloadable .pdf files for use in church bulletins, see Advent Hymns Set to Christmas Tunes [external link]

The King shall come when morning dawns (using tune Antioch, Joy to the World)

Watchman, tell us of the night (using tune Mendelssohn, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing)

The people that in darkness sat (using tune Christmas, While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks)

Lo, He comes with clouds descending (using tune Regent Square, Angels from the Realms of Glory)

Of the Father's love begotten (using tune W Zlobie Lezy, Infant Holy, Infant Lowly)

Instrumental

Music and arrangement scores for these are fully copyrighted and can be obtained only from publishers.

Gabriel's Oboe
(From the movie The Mission; various soundtracks are available online, including this one [external link])

-Dennis Bratcher Copyright © 2011, Dennis Bratcher All Rights Reserved

To the glory of God.

"Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" 1 Corinthians 10:31

As you go about your day with many tasks in mind, how often do you complain about what you are doing? How often do you do something with an ulterior motive in mind? Who do you complete those daily tasks for?

As a stay at home mom of two, I find myself complaining about the mess that I had just cleaned up. Or the never ending job of laundry. Sometimes even the lack of adult conversation. In the last year God has really opened up my eyes to the fact that I don't do what I do for anyone but Him. Sure, my family benefits from me staying at home, But the only one that I am to please is God.

If we can remember as we do anything that we are to do it for God's glory, then He will use it to bless someone else. God's glory goes far beyond just pleasing Him, it allows doors to be opened so that He can take it and bless others. When I take care of my family to glorify God, He then uses that to please my family.

Sometimes we think that we don't have much to offer God. Maybe we aren't educated enough to do something great in this world. Maybe we don't have enough money to make a difference. God doesn't see us that way. He doesn't want that from all of us. He wants each of us to do the best we can with what we have and give Him the glory for it and through it. "God doesn't call the qualified He qualifies the Called."
I pray that you will open your heart to God. Let Him work in your life. Make it a conscious decision to do all that you do to the glory of God.
With God's Love,
Christian

Give Thanks to the Lord!

                         HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. "His love endures forever."2 Give thanks to the God of gods. "His love endures forever." 3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords: "His love endures forever." 4 to him who alone does great wonders, "His love endures forever." 5 who by his understanding made the heavens, "His love endures forever." 6 who spread out the earth upon the waters, "His love endures forever." 7 who made the great lights-- "His love endures forever." 8 the sun to govern the day, "His love endures forever." 9 the moon and stars to govern the night; "His love endures forever." 10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt "His love endures forever." 11 and brought Israel out from among them "His love endures forever." 12 with a mighty hand and outstretched arm; "His love endures forever." 13 to him who divided the Red Sea asunder "His love endures forever." 14 and brought Israel through the midst of it, "His love endures forever." 15 but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea; "His love endures forever." 16 to him who led his people through the desert, "His love endures forever." 17 who struck down great kings, "His love endures forever." 18 and killed mighty kings-- "His love endures forever." 19 Sihon king of the Amorites "His love endures forever." 20 and Og king of Bashan-- "His love endures forever." 21 and gave their land as an inheritance, "His love endures forever." 22 an inheritance to his servant Israel; "His love endures forever." 23 to the One who remembered us in our low estate "His love endures forever." 24 and freed us from our enemies, "His love endures forever." 25 and who gives food to every creature. "His love endures forever." 26 Give thanks to the God of heaven. "His love endures forever." Psalm 136 NIV
 Praise God for you have many things to be thankful for.
Thank you My God for the life that You have Given me. I would be nothing without You. I love You my king. In Jesus name amen.
with God's Love,
Christian

Trust Him!!

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,  And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways  acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones." Proverbs 3:5-8 NKJ

It is so easy to get caught up in every day life. Something comes our way that requires us to make a decision or to react in some way or another, we tend to do just that and most of the time instantaneously.
God is always placed on the back burner. We hardly stop to seek His guidance and we do suffer from it.

Sometimes life becomes stagnant. We are in between jobs or not sure what we should be doing next. That can last a very long time. I can't help but think that just maybe God is trying to show us something or get our attention. Maybe He is waiting on us to fully trust Him with All of our heart before He will move us on to the next step in our life. We continue to struggle and squirm as we search for the answer and try all kinds of different ideas that never pan out. How long will we continue to behave in this fashion until we finely give it to God. When will we stop giving excuses after excuses to why things are the way they are instead of waiting on God and praying that He will open our eyes to what it is that He wants us to see or do. I sometimes wonder if this is the very reason why so many people struggle so hard in life. They can't seem to find a job, or the right person to love, or maybe can't seem to have a stable life. My heart breaks for them.
The bible says "In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths."  When we acknowledge Him and seek Him, He will directs us to better places. We have to remember that He will never lead us wrong. He knows the future and what we need. He knows before we do. When we trust in Him, we are allowing Him to lead us where He knows is the best place for us. When we lean on our own understanding, we are removing His ability to help us, And because He is so loving and graceful, He will let us do our own thing. The funny thing is that no matter how many times we think we can "DO IT" we always end up crawling back to Him for help.
I pray that we all will learn to trust God with all of our hearts. To stop leaning on ourselves for the answer and realize that He is truly the only way for us to succeed. Father, I pray that You will open our eyes and our hearts to You. Father, there are some who are reading this that truly need your guidance in their life. Maybe a new job or a personal decision in their home. Father, I ask that You will touch their hearts and minister to them. Show them what it is that You are waiting on. Show what You want them to do. I praise You Father and thank you for each of them. In Jesus name, Amen.
With God's love,
Christian

Who are we that He loves us so?

"When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;" -Psalm 8:3-6 NKJ

Have you ever really thought about the fingers prints of God? The things in this world that has His name written all of it? What in this world do you look at and see God?
It is absolutely amazing to me, completely blows my mind!

As I look at this world and see all the great things that God has made for us. The majestic mountains, the glittery snow, the depths of the ocean, the vastness of the heavens, little precious babies, I can't help but wonder why us? Who are we that He loves us so? As I have mentioned before, we don't deserve Him, and yet He has us in mind always. Why?

I want to make sure that I answer this correctly and to the best of my ability, so I have copied and pasted an answer that I feel is the best one. I hope you find this suitable...

Question: "Why does God love us?"

Answer: This short question is among the most profound questions ever asked. And no human would ever be able to answer it sufficiently. One thing is certain, however. God does not love us because we are lovable or because we deserve His love. If anything, the opposite is true. The state of mankind since the fall is one of rebellion and disobedience. Jeremiah 17:9 describes man’s inner condition: “The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. Who can know it?” Our innermost beings are so corrupted by sin that even we don’t realize the extent to which sin has tainted us. In our natural state, we do not seek God; we do not love God; we do not desire God. Romans 3:10-12 clearly presents the state of the natural, unregenerate person: “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” How then is it possible for a holy, righteous, and perfect God to love such creatures? To understand this we must understand something of the nature and character of God.
First John 4:8 and 16 tell us that “God is love.” Never was a more important declaration made than this; never was more meaning crowded into a few words than in this short sentence—God is love. This is a profound statement. God doesn't’t just love; He is love. His nature and essence are love. Love permeates His very being and infuses all His other attributes, even His wrath and anger. Because God’s very nature is love, He must demonstrate love, just as He must demonstrate all His attributes because doing so glorifies Him. Glorifying God is the highest, the best, and the most noble of all acts, so, naturally, glorifying Himself is what He must do, because He is the highest and the best, and He deserves all glory.
Since it is God's essential nature to love, He demonstrates His love by lavishing it on undeserving people who are in rebellion against Him. God’s love is not a sappy, sentimental, romantic feeling. Rather, it is agape love, the love of self-sacrifice. He demonstrates this sacrificial love by sending His Son to the cross to pay the penalty for our sin (1 John 4:10), by drawing us to Himself (John 6:44), by forgiving us of our rebellion against Him, and by sending His Holy Spirit to dwell within us, thereby enabling us to love as He loves. He did this in spite of the fact that we did not deserve it. "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
God's love is personal. He knows each of us individually and loves us personally. His is a mighty love that has no beginning and no end. It is this experiencing of God’s love that distinguishes Christianity from all other religions. Why does God love us? It is because of who He is: "God is love."
(copied from gotquestions.org )

This may shed some light on why God chooses to love you. I am still in complete awe of God's love. I don't believe that anyone will every truly understand the extend of His love until we are standing before Him at His throne. I am so thankful that He chooses to love us despite of our selves. May His love bless you greatly!
With God's Love,
Christian

The Perfect Example!

"But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise. But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful." -Jesus-   Luke 6:27-36

I don't think I can say much here that Jesus didn't already say. I can't express enough how much it means to treat others in the same way that Jesus treats you. He is the perfect example to us. The one and only that we should ever try to be like. I am so thankful that He has never given up on me, that He was willing to take my punishment for my sins. A punishment that He never deserved. A punishment that I am so guilty of and deserving. Grace means to give something that is not deserved. His grace on us, we do not deserve and yet through His unconditional love for us He was willing to take our punishment and die so that we may live. There is nothing as wonderful and loving as that. We are to mirror His actions towards others. Be willing to take their punishment. Extend mercy and grace to them and show them what God's love looks like. This is easier said than done due to our worldly flesh. Something that only Jesus will ever be able to truly accomplish. But we are to give God our very best though we will fail at times we are to pick up our cross daily and follow Jesus.

I pray that you will take this message to heart and let God work in you. Focus on how you treat others and how you can mirror Jesus to them. Let them see God and not you. Remember that when you do fail God always forgives. His mercy is new every morning!!
With God's Love,
Christian

Two are better than one

"Two people can accomplish more than twice as much as one; they get a better return for their labor. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But people who are alone when they fall are in real trouble. And on a cold night, two under the same blanket can gain warmth from each other. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken."
-Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 NLT

It's always easier to do something when you have someone to help out. Simply just having someone around to keep you company makes a huge difference. We all need to have a buddy to lean on, to cry with, to lift each other up, to stand back to back and protect each other, to be together.  It makes it harder for Satan to attack us and get under our skin. It makes life a little bit easier to handle. Having a buddy; keeps us focused and gives us accountability. Keeps us in line and helps us to make rational decisions when we aren't thinking clearly. Helps us when we are unable.

God knows that we need each other and He encourages us to stick together. When we are bound together through God nothing can tear us apart. Friends that have Jesus in the middle of their relationship are the strongest and greatest friends of all. Check out David and Jonathans friendship in 1 Samuel. It is an awesome kind of love between two friends. The kind of friendship that makes you pray that you had a friend like that. A life long lasting friendship tied together by God.
I pray that you do or will have that kind of friendship.
With God's Love,
Christian

Life can only get better

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding" -Proverbs 3:5 NKJ

As we go through our every day lives, we are faced with many obstacles. Some are devastating. Some make us feel like there is no way our lives will ever be the same. Some may even seem like life will never change or get better. I know the reason it seems like there is no way out, is because we are leaning on our own understanding. We are trusting ourselves.

This world is so quick to find someone with the right answers. They will ask a friend, maybe a pastor, maybe family, and even someone who thinks they see the future. It is great to seek help from other CHRISTIANS. God encourages us to do so. But don't put all of your precious trust in anyone other than God, the one who truly knows your future. No matter where He is leading you, if you will follow Him, life WILL only get better. We have to trust His judgment. To know that He knows what is best for us. We can't have the future we want until He prepares our hearts and minds to handle what the future might hold. I can think of many things that I would like to have in my future. A bigger house maybe, my husband to retire early. Both of those things require more money. I'm not disciplined enough to handle more money. So IF it is God's will for me to have those things, He must first prepare me to have them, aswell as  anyother kind of want or need

When we trust God with All of our heart, life can only get better. It will change. That does NOT mean that it will be easier, but I promise with HIS strength we will get through it. We have to let Him be in charge. Let Him lead us where He wants us to go. Let Him be God!
With God's Love,
Christian

The TRUTH...

" I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13 NKJ

The LIE...
This is too tough for you! This battle that you are fighting is just gonna last forever, you might as well give up now. This war is pointless to fight because your just gonna loose anyway. Why are you doing this, you aren't strong enough to succeed. You start this now, you will just give up because you can never accomplish anything. This is a stupid idea who cares anyway? God doesn't care, so why should you?  -Satan

Do you ever hear these comments? Do you ever have these thoughts and feelings?

The TRUTH...
This may be tough for you, BUT I will pull you through it! This battle that you are fighting is a long and hard battle BUT I will fight BESIDE you and it WON'T LAST FOREVER! DON"T give up now, I will CARRY you though! This war is NOT pointless, you will NOT loose, you WILL come out STRONGER for it! You ARE doing this because I ASKED you too, you ARE strong enough with MY HELP! You start this now, and I WILL help you Not to give up, you CAN accomplish ANYTHING! This is Not a stupid idea, it is for MY GLORY. I CARE ABOUT ALL THAT YOU DO!!!!!!! Do IT FOR ME! -JESUS

I pray that God will give you the strength to over come. To pull through. The courage to seek His help and guidance. To allow Him to lift you up and carry you through the struggle. Father bless each and everyone who reads this with Your strength and compassion. Show them that You are stronger than any war that they maybe fighting. Speak to their hearts and remind them to Be Still and Know that YOU ARE GOD. In Jesus name I pray. Amen
With God's Love,
Christian

"Opening a whole different can of worms"

"Also do not take to heart everything people say, Lest you hear your servant cursing you. For many times, also your own heart has known That even you have cursed others." -Ecclesiastes 7:21-22 NKJ

May I just say WOW! I think that maybe God wrote this little scripture especially for me. This fits me to a "T".
More times than I would like to count,  I catch my self feeling out of sorts because of something someone said or did or didn't do what I thought they should have done. This happened very recently.
Most of the time it turns out that the person I am upset at, didn't mean to hurt me or had no intentions of upsetting me in the first place. I have realized that when I react to these feelings, I end up "opening a whole different can of worms." A "can" that I end up wishing I wouldn't have opened.

When we trust in God to handle situations that we are uncomfortable with, things will Always turn out right! People will not get hurt, and we will be able to move past it a lot sooner than if we take matters into our own hands. I'm not saying that we should just ignore our emotions and feelings. God gave them to us for a purpose. But I am saying to make sure we keep them in check and don't let Satan use them against us.

Now to move on to the hard part. The convicting part, like that wasn't convicting enough already. right?... OUCH.
How many times have we said something about someone else and realized that we too do the exact same thing that we are gossiping about? I would ask you to raise your hand, but the screen isn't big enough for all of us in this world. EVERYONE of us has done that same thing. Probably more times than we are willing to admit. The bible tells us "Do not judge others. Then you will not be judged.
You will be judged in the same way you judge others. You will be measured in the same way you measure others." Matthew 7:1-2 NIV. There's the big OUCH!
Friends, be careful in how you act towards other people. Jesus loves you beyond measure. He loves you unconditionally even with all your faults. We are to love others in the same exact way that Jesus loves us. It is hard to do, but with the Holy Spirit's help we can.
I pray that the Holy Spirit will guide you today as you go about your day. That He will teach you to love others as He loves you.
With God's Love,
Christian

"Respect your elders"

"Do not rebuke an older man. But exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity." 1 Timothy 5:1-2

Growing up, my parents taught me to respect my elders.  To honor them and love them. Be helpful to them. I never gave it much thought as a kid, but did as I was told.
Now I am trying to teach my boys the same thing. I realize how important it is to teach this to our children. I am not sure what has changed in the "parenting guide book" (if there is such a thing)  from the time I was a kid to now but MY GOODNESS, kids these days don't respect anyone. I have seen so many of them disrespect each other. Their elders and their parents. It truly breaks my heart.

God wants us to teach our kids to be respectful to everyone. Take a look at the scripture again. It says older men, older women, younger men, and younger women.  We are to treat older people as parents and younger people as siblings. To love them as such, with all our hearts. I really don't think that this is an age specifying scripture. Meaning that no matter how old YOU are, you still respect the elders and the young. That would pretty much mean Everyone.

Respect these days is far too often forgotten. We need to remember what our parents and grandparents taught us and pass them on to our children and maybe even a neighbors child or two.
With God's Love,
Christian

Only on Sundays?

"OH, clap your hands, all you peoples! For the LORD Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth." -Psalm 47:1-2 NKJ

Sunday, the day of the Lord. The day that we are to take rest from our daily lives and rest in Him. The day that most of us spend in church learning His word. Worshiping Him with a few songs of praise. Then off to our homes to enjoy a day of football and family time. This is how it is at the Wallace home. 
Far too often we all tend to save our worship and praise to God for Sundays only. God isn't awesome only on Sundays. He isn't our great King only on Sundays. Have you ever noticed that He doesn't just show up in our lives only on Sundays? And yet we tend to only show up in His only on Sundays. I am so very grateful that He is in my life always! That He is awesome always! That He is my great King always!
We need to make sure that we spend time every day in His word, Giving Him thanks, and the much deserved Worship from our hearts to His. Let Him know how much it means to us that He is present in our lives everyday, not only on Sundays!
With God's Love,
+Christian+

Thank you Veterans!!

Thank you to all the veterans of this country. We wouldn't have the choices to live the lives that we live with out you! This country wouldn't be as wonderful as it is with out you! We wouldn't have the freedom to worship the one true God with out you! We wouldn't have a voice against our government with out you! You have truly been a blessing to this country and I thank each and every one of you for the sacrifices that you have made to see that WE HAVE OUR FREEDOM. THANK YOU!!!!! ♥ may God bless each of you greatly!

The world, or Your soul?

"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" Mark 8:36-37

We are taught by our society that we have to succeed in life. Go to collage. Earn the highest degree you can. Why? To earn the highest amount of money you can. We live in a world that worships money. Lets face it, we can't do very much without it. We encourage each other to find a high paying job, we wish we could have a big house, nice car, or the latest greatest technology. But we forget to encourage and teach the TRUTH. See, when we get so wrapped up in all that this world has to offer we loose sight of the one true thing that matters most. GOD! I tend to think that we are a now or nothing kind of people. We focus on the now and not the whole picture. We want what we want NOW and the later, well... We will worry about it LATER. We say " I have time to worry about what will happen to me when I die, LATER. Friends the truth is that LATER is coming very fast. The bible says that no man knows when, but it also gives us a glimpse into the signs and warnings of Christ's return. Our world is showing many signs.  We should start heading those warnings and make sure we are right with God, by accepting Jesus Christ as our lord and savior. The only son of God. Stop focusing on how much of this world we can gain and let God save our souls. Are you willing to gain the world and lose your soul?
With God's love,
+Christian+

Just life is not enough.

Hello there,
This is the beginning of my newly created blog page. I hope and pray that you will find it useful and that God will use me to plant many seeds in your heart.
This page is called "Just life is not enough" for a reason. When I was a little girl, I read a poem that goes like this. "Just life is not enough, one must have plenty of Sunshine, Freedom, and lots of Love." (unknown)
That little poem stuck with me ever since.  In the last year, I have realized that just life is truly not enough. Sunshine, Freedom, & even Love are all great things to have in life. But something was still missing. I began to search for that something. I painfully realized that the something missing was God. No matter how long or how far we search for the missingness in our life, we will never be fulfilled until we recognize that Jesus is that missingness. He is the only one that will ever make us feel fulfilled. He truly completes us!
I am going to post scripture and encouraging words to help you through your life. This blog will also show my journey and growth in Jesus and the hard but necessary life changes that He has and will put me through. So much has happened already in my life in the past year, I hope to be able to share all of that as time goes on.
I  pray that God will use my blog and life story to plant seeds in your heart that will take root and grow strong. I hope that you truly know how much that God loves you. It is the most amazing thing in the world to truly know how much we mean to Him!
With God's Love,
Christian