CHRISTmas 2004
Saturday, December 25
Hi all.
I'd like to wish one and all a very blessed and Christ-filled Christmas! Haha. Its Christmas night! And I'm at home. (: Well. There may be people out there partying, having fun with friends, laughing, being merry on Christmas night. But I prefer to keep mine a "silent and holy night" reserved for our dear Savior. Imagine. On the actual night of our dear Savior's birth, was there all the comotion? Was there much laughter? Was there fun? No, I dont think there was. It was indeed a silent, and a very holy night when baby Jesus was born. Its not that we shouldn't or can't hang out with friends on Christmas night, in fact I am glad that there are christian families gathering in houses to celebrate this night. But my feeling about this is that let all observe this day for the Lord and not allow ourselves to be caught up with the "festive joy" or the fun and forget the true purpose behind commemorating this day. For me, I rather keep mine simple. Just me and my dear Savior. And truly I pray that this night will be a memorable night for me!
Silent night.
Holy night.
Sleep in heavenly peace..
Christmas this year was exceptionally busy. This is the first time I got so busy for Christmas, because this the first time I write so many cards. Haa. I think we are all so vulnearable to lose focus while preparing for Christmas. Its really interesting. We think that the devil will be resting and allowing us to enjoy Christmas before striking again after Christmas. But I realised that He is not! You really think the devil will be submissive during this time of the year, when our hearts are filled with Christ's love and joy once again, and stay low in profile? Oh wells. You are wrong. He strikes in such subtle ways that we barely know that we are walking towards his pit trap. I can assure you that by getting ourselves busy with gifts and cards, and into this "festive mood" of Christmas, we are already blinded by him. Christmas is really a time remembering that God came down from glory to be borned in a lowly manger. Its a personal time with God. I believe the only real preparation we should be doing during this time of the year, is preparing our hearts and using the time to rest in the Lord. Our focus should never leave God. Yupps. I realise myself walking down this path without any knowledge of where I am heading too. I got so stressed, and worried about the things to buy, what to write, and whether if I am able to complete in time that I had no time left for the Lord. It was really a rush rush. And only on Christmas eve night itself, I realised the little importance of all the gifts and cards, compared to Jesus. And how I had spent unnecessary time worrying and being anxious. Christmas is really about Jesus Christ. No longer cards nor gifts, but only about remembering Jesus Christ. So, have we busied ourselves with cards and gifts this christmas and forgotten totally about the reason behind IT? Seek the Lord's forgiveness and repent! Actually, 25 December is just a day set aside to commemorate Christ's birth. The verse I mentioned before in Romans, "Let he who observes the day, observe it to the Lord" sums it all. Christmas should be a day, when we truly set aside to remember what Christ came to earth for!
Christmas Eve was a memorable night to me. The Christmas sermon by Pastor was encouraging. I thought it was quite a powerful message. But what really struck me on that day were some of the christmas carols and a message shared by Bro Daniel. I really really love this Christmas song.
O Holy Night
O Holy night, the stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth
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
O holy night! Come hear the angel voices
O holy night! O night when Christ was born!
Led by the light of faith serenely beaming
With glowing hearts beside His cradle stand
Led by the light, the so star brightly gleaming
Here came the wise men from the Orient land
O Holy night, the stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth
Long lay the world in sin and error, pining
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth
It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth
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
O holy night! Come hear the angel voices
O holy night! O night when Christ was born!
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn
O holy night! Come hear the angel voices
O holy night! O night when Christ was born!
This song is so beautiful. The words are so meaningful. I'll explain why I say so later. But do meditate on these words from christmas carols that we love to sing. Do we really mean them and understand them while we sing them?
Joy to the world, let earth recieve her King.
Do we mean it when we sing, "let earth reciever her King"? Its interesting to see non-believers sing carols and totally dont comphrehend what they are singing. Christmas carols are so meaningful and actually do bring the gospel news to people everywhere. Yet people sing them, without understanding and meaning them. When we sing, let earth reciever her King, do we really mean and acknowledge that He is King?
O Come O come Emmanuel and ransom captive Israel
Rejoice rejoice Emmanuel shall come to thee O Israel
I love to think back at the times before Christ came. You know your history- how the Jews are ruled by the Roman empire and how they long for their coming Messiah to save them from the foreign rulers. This coming Messiah was prophecised throughout the old testament. I thought for a moment, putting myself in their shoes, and how the nation of Israel was longing and waiting for their Savior with much eagerness. But little did they know that God's perfect plan of salvation was not for the phyiscal salvation of His people, it was to save men, not only Jews but men all over the earth from the bondage of sin. Hence these words. "O come O come Emmanuel and ransom captive Israel", Israel refering to God's people-us! "Rejoice, rejoice Emmanuel shall come to thee O Israel". I could really imagine faithful followers of God singing this song that blessed night, not knowing that God is about to answer their prayers and plea. Emmanuel shall come to us, and ransom us from the bondage of sin!
O Holy night, the stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth
Long lay the world in sin and error, pining
It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth
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 thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn
Oh... This song is really so beautiful and so meaningful. When then Tan's family plus Sis CC, and Dawn presented this item. I could really feel the Holy Spirit touch my heart. I was crying, on the inside. Consider these words, "Long lay the world in sin and error, pining. Till He appeared and the soul felt His worth" Bro Daniel reminded us that there was a comma between error and pining. The word pining actually meant a yearning and looking for something to replace its vacuum. I really thought and God truly spoke to me. This earth, from the time of Adam right until this very moment, has become so filled with sin and humans have really been in the bondage of sin. (Later a verse will touch on this) Humans have struggled from the beginning until now, to overcome sin. So these words, "Long lay the world in sin and error, pining" gave me a deep impression. And the next line, "Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth". I was really thinking how great this truth is. We were so weak and worthless before Christ came. We were really that pathetic and worthless, when we are so filled with sin. Man had always from the beginning, till before Christ came subjected to the lifelong bondage of sin, and its wages. But imagine the moment the promised Messiah came to earth, men at last could feel their own soul's worth again(since adam)! "A thrill of hope, a weary world rejoices. For yonder breaks, a new and glorious morn" Beautiful! Because of Christ, the world, that is so weary after battling sin for ages, could find hope at last in God's promised Messiah. I could imagine when the day breaks and every heart has found hope and is rejoicing once again because the long-expected Savior is finally borned.
Really. I've prayed that God will cause me to rejoice once again at the story which has been told so many times to me. I didnt want to feel numb to this wonderful story. And indeed God has been faithful and really brought so much joy into my heart this christmas, just with the words from the christmas carols. Indeed, thank the Lord for speaking to me through these carols. Anyway, Bro Daniel shared a very encouraging message. But the verses he read before the message left a very deep impression on my heart. Meditate on them.
Hebrews 2:10-18
For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying: "I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You." And again: "I will put My trust in Him." And again: "Here am I and the children whom God has given Me."
Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.
Read the second part. "Inasmuch then..." Christ indeed had to die so that He may be able to destroy the one who had the power of death, who is the devil. For it is written, "that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil". And by destroying the devil, He truly emerged as the victor. So Christians, we are fighting this battle from VICTORY and not for victory. I read a book at tecman about what 7 things the devil does not want you to know. One thing mentioned, is that He is a defeated foe already. Truly, we can rejoice that we have victory in Christ! and through this, Christ is able to realase men, who because of the fear of death were held captive of sin for their lifetime. And as the song O come Emmanuel suggests, Christ has indeed came to ransom captive Israel. Its interesting that the next verse says, " For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham." God chose to help and save men to the angels. Isnt that a wonderful truth. Of how much God loves man? I thank the Lord that He loves us so much and chose to reach down to save us, even to the point of allowing His Son to suffer and die on the cross in humility. O the deep deep love of Jesus... Hebrews 2:18 is a very interesting verse. I was thinking about it. God has to come down to live just as a man lived so that He was able to be the perfect merciful and faithful High Priest to intercede for us, and because of that, He understands our problems and our needs. Because He was man before! And its interesting to bring this into context of our trials and temptations. I strongly feel that, with my own experience, that God puts us through the toughest trials so that we may be able to, like Jesus, understand what others, who may need help in future,going through a similar trial as us, in future. 1 Corinthians 10:13 actually can link hand in hand with Hebrews 2:18 in this context. There is no temptation that is not common unto man. Indeed, nothing is new under the sun. I think it is great joy and encouragement to know that if we are faithful through whatever trials that God puts in our way, we may eventually grasp a truth that He wants us to know, so that we may be able to help a brother who, in future, might be going through similar trial as us. It can truly encourage one, who yearns to be a witness for Christ, to be faithful thru whatever comes His way! There are many "golden nuggets" we can extract from this lovely passage of scripture. Actually I read this book that Bro David and Sis Chiao Chyi gave me, on "How to obtain fullness of power". I just read through the first chapter on obtaining power through God's word, and its really encouraging. I will type it out probably in the next entry. ITs quite late now. Anyway I was talking about how lovely and beautiful scripture really is, if only we feast on God's word!
Christmas 2004 will be over in 1h 15 min. Hmm, I'll really like to thank God for all those who have given me cards and gifts to encourage me. Really thank you all! Esp Bro Daniel and Sis Joann, for the book on "of the imitation of Christ", Bro DAvid and Sis Chiao Chyi for "How to obtain fullness of power" Darrell and Beng's book too. And of course those little encouragement in cards that the youths wrote. Thank you people! And of course thank the Lord!
Have to go rest le. Tomorrow still got church. Hope you are encouraged by this entry.
