Posts Tagged ‘Bethlehem’

It’s Christmas Eve, so what does that mean tonight while we sleep?

It means we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ the Saviour of our wold!

So whatever you are doing this Christmas Eve, don’t just get excited because Santa coming, but, more importantly, remember to give thanks to God for sending Jesus into our world.

While You Were Sleeping by Casting Crowns:

Oh little town of Bethlehem
Looks like another silent night
Above your deep and dreamless sleep
A giant star lights up the sky
And while you’re lying in the dark
There shines an everlasting light
For the King has left His throne
And is sleeping in a manger tonight

Oh Bethlehem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
For God became a man
And stepped into your world today
Oh Bethlehem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping

Oh little town of Jerusalem
Looks like another silent night
The Father gave His only Son
The Way, the Truth, the Life had come
But there was no room for Him in the world He came to save

Jerusalem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
The Savior of the world is dying on your cross today
Jerusalem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping

United States of America
Looks like another silent night
As we’re sung to sleep by philosophies
That save the trees and kill the children
And while we’re lying in the dark
There’s a shout heard ‘cross the eastern sky
For the Bridegroom has returned
And has carried His bride away in the night

America, what will we miss while we are sleeping
Will Jesus come again
And leave us slumbering where we lay
America, will we go down in history
As a nation with no room for its King
Will we be sleeping
Will we be sleeping

United States of America
Looks like another silent night

Jesus knocking on doorWe’ve all heard many times over the years how Mary and Joseph tried to find somewhere to stay in Bethlehem, but were constantly told there was no room.

Is Christ knocking on your door today, asking to be let in?

No matter whether we are worrying about something or someone, sick or ill, or mourning the death of a loved one, God loves us and will always have room for us in His heart. Therefore let’s make room in our hearts and time in our busy days, to let Christ into our heart’s this Christmas.

Who Is He? by Bellshill Band of the Salvation Army:


Who is He in yonder stall,
At whose feet the shepherds fall?
 
‘Tis the Lord! oh wondrous story!
‘Tis the Lord! the King of glory!    
At His feet we humbly fall,      
Crown Him! crown Him, Lord of all!
 
Who is He in deep distress,
Fasting in the wilderness?
 
Who is He the people bless
For His words of gentleness?
 
Who is He to whom they bring
All the sick and sorrowing?
 
Who is He that stands and weeps
At the grave where Lazarus sleeps?
 
Who is He the gathering throng
Greet with loud triumphant song?
 
Lo! at midnight, who is He
Prays in dark Gethsemane?
 
Who is He on yonder tree
Dies in grief and agony?
 
Who is He who from the grave
Comes to succor, help, and save?
 
Who is He who from His throne
Rules through all the worlds alone?

Baby Jesus, do you know you’ll die for all our sins?
Don’t be afraid, for in 3 days, you will rise again. Cause you will rise again.

Yes it’s Christmas time and yes at this time of the year we are celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ the Son of God. However let’s not forget exactly what this child, Jesus Christ did for us…He died for us all so that we could be forgiven!

Imagine you were told your one and only son had to die a horrible death just so everyone in the world present and future would be forgiven of their sins. I’m sure you wouldn’t want your son to die, and you’d try all you could to stop him having to die just because others were sinners.

And that’s what makes God so immense and worthy of our praise – Despite His love for His one and only son, He was willing to sacrifice His son just for you and me. What a sacrifice! What a God!

How many times have you been travelling somewhere in the car, with children, and before you’re anywhere near your destination they start asking, “Are we nearly there yet? Are we nearly there yet?”

Imagine how Mary felt travelling to Bethlehem while very heavily pregnant. Do you think she kept asking Joseph every few minutes, “Are we nearly there yet?”

Never having been pregnant I can’t give you any words of wisdom regarding how Mary might have felt during the last few hours of her pregnancy, as she travelled to Bethlehem. However I can tell you that based on the experiences of family and friends, I’m sure Mary would have been hoping her baby would be born soon, and there would be no complications.

But Mary’s pregnancy was no ordinary pregnancy as she was going to give birth to the Son of God! What an incredible responsibility she must have felt!

So by this time on the first Christmas, I’m sure Mary would have been delighted and relieved when Joseph told her there wasn’t far to go

Here’s a video of the song Not Far from Bethlehem performed here by Carol Gaddis & Joyful Noise:

I came across the song The End of the Beginning by David Phelps a number of months ago. However in the last few days I’ve found the words of this song coming to mind over and over again…

The End Of The Beginning by David Phelps

I was taking a trip on a plane the other day, just wishin’ that I could get out.
When the man next to me saw the book in my hand and asked me what it was about.
So I settled back in my seat. “A best-seller,” I said, “a hist’ry and a myst’ry in one.”
Then I opened up the book and began to read from Matthew, Mark, Luke and John…

 He was born of a virgin one holy night in the little town of Bethlehem.
Angels gathered ‘round Him underneath the star singing praises to the great I AM.

He walked on the water, healed The lame, and made the blind to see again.
And for the first time here on earth we learned that God could be a friend.
And though He never, ever did a single thing wrong, the angry crowd chose Him.
And then He walked down the road and died on the cross and
that was the end…of the beginning.”

“That’s not a new book, that’s a Bible,” he said, “And I’ve heard it all before.
I’ve tried religion, it’s shame and guilt, and I don’t need it anymore.
It’s superstation, made-up tales, just to help the weak to survive.”
“Let me read it again,” I said, “But listen closely. This is gonna change your life.”

“He was born of a virgin one holy night in the little town of Bethlehem.
Angels gathered ‘round Him underneath the star singing praises to the great I AM.

He walked on the water, healed the lame, and made the blind to see again.
And for the first time here on earth we learned that God could be a friend.
And though He never, ever did a single thing wrong, the angry crowd chose Him. And then He walked down the road and died on the cross and that was the end…of the beginning.”

“The end of the beginning?” he said with a smile. “What more
could there be? He’s dead. You said they hung Him, put nails in
His hands and a crown of thorns on His head.” I said, “I’ll read it
again, but this time there’s more.

And I believe that this is true: His death wasn’t the end but the beginning of life that’s completed in you.
Don’t you see, He did all this for you…”

“He was born of a virgin one holy night in the little town of
Bethlehem. All the angels singing praises to the great I AM.
He walked on the water, healed the lame, and made the blind to see.
And for the first time here on earth, did you know that God could be a friend?
And though He never, ever did a single thing wrong, He was the one the crowd chose.
And then He walked and He died, but three days later, three days later, three days later…
He rose! Three days later He rose!

You see, He came, He lived, and He died, but that was the end of the beginning.

My favourite words from this song are…

He walked on the water, healed The lame, and made the blind to see again.
And for the first time here on earth we learned that God could be a friend.
And though He never, ever did a single thing wrong, the angry crowd chose Him.
And then He walked down the road and died on the cross and
that was the end…of the beginning.”

Why? Because it reminds me of some of the amazing things Jesus did during His short time on earth. But more than that, it reminds us that God can be a friend to each and every one of us.

Don’t let the birth of Jesus this Christmas, be the end of your relationship with God…make it the start of your relationship with God!

//

So it’s nearer Christmas. Two weeks today Christmas will be over and we’ll all be complaining that we’ve eaten too much on Christmas Day and that we spent too much money on Christmas presents.

Are you all organised for Christmas? We’re not! we’re still got quite a few presents to buy and we’ve still to write our Christmas cards too. But we are all organised for Christmas Day…hubby, my Mum and Dad and me are all going out to a hotel for our Christmas dinner this year to save us having to make it ourselves. We will also be heading over to see my Aunt for a few hours before we go for Christmas dinner too.

Every year I always find Christmas kind of sneaks p on me. i.e. About 6 weeks before Christmas I start thinking about all the things I need to buy etc, but before I know where I am it’s two weeks before Christmas and I’m nowhere near organised!

What about Jesus, have you thought about Him yet this Christmas? If it wasn’t for Jesus we would have no Christmas…tha clue is in the name Christmas.

It’s good to give and receive cards and presents at Christmas time, and spend quality time with our family and friends, but we must never forget that Christmas is all about the birth of Jesus Christ over 2000 years ago…Jesus IS the reason for the season!

When A Child is Born by Il Divo: