"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." (1 Timothy 3:16) ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Worship Christ the Lord
TUNE TO "O Little Town of Bethlehem"
WORDS BY Jim Byrd
1. Sing praises to the Son of God,
Who down from heaven came;
To save His people from their sin,
O praise His holy Name.
Down from His heav’nly glory,
The Savior came to earth;
And angels looked with holy awe,
Upon His lowly birth.
2. God in the flesh, the Son of Man,
Our Prophet, Priest and King;
The Seed of woman came to earth,
Salvation thus to bring.
In love and great compassion,
He died upon the cross;
To save His people from our sins,
From death and endless loss.
3. He was the perfect sacrifice,
Who put away our sin;
The sword of justice dealt with Him,
And smote Him deep within.
The risen Christ ascended,
His greatness now we own;
Our Savior reigns forevermore,
Upon His sovereign throne.
4. Bow down and worship Christ the Lord,
His wonders gladly tell;
All fulness of the Godhead three,
In Christ the Savior dwell.
The only Mediator,
On Him our hopes depend;
He is our Savior, God and King,
Our Advocate and Friend. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Some Thoughts About Christmas
Some of the Lord’s people choose to celebrate Christmas while others are opposed to any observance whatsoever. As children of God, we have the freedom to observe or not observe, remembering that whatever we do must be for His glory. I dare not infringe upon your liberty and try to impose my convictions upon you, nor should you encroach upon mine. There is no biblical command for celebrating the birth of Christ. On the other hand, such a remembrance is not forbidden either. I realize that so much that has to do with Christmas is of pagan origin, including the very name. The word Christmas means the mass of Christ. We know that the mass of the Catholic religion is a sacrificing of the Son of God all over again. The Word of God clearly tells us that "Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God" (1 Peter 3:18).
I know the world’s observance of Christmas has little if anything to do with the worship and adoration of Christ Jesus. Having said that, however, I admit there is much I like about Christmas. While my dear wife shopped in a mall the other night, I sat and listened while a choir proclaimed the birth of our Savior. They sang "Joy to the World the Lord is come." Whether or not they understood the meaning of that great hymn, I did and was led to worship. At Christmas, multitudes must come to grips with the reality of Christ Jesus the Lord. When Handel’s, "The Hallelujah Chorus" is sung, all who hear are confronted with the sovereign Christ. Here are the words to that song, all of them taken directly from the Scriptures. "Hallelujah: for the Lord God omnipotent reignth." "King of kings and Lord of lords." "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever." They are singing the Word of God. Surely your heart is made to rejoice!
On the secular level, it seems people are a little nicer to one another at Christmas and that is refreshing. In addition, the giving of gifts is a wonderful thing. It is good to see people seeking the joy of others. The Lord Jesus said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35). I especially like the fact that at Christmas, families spend time together. It is a national holiday and folks seem to slow down, if only for a day, and that’s good. But above all, Christmas gives us an opportunity to proclaim the glories of our Savior and declare the reason for His incarnation. Most people acknowledge His virgin birth, but have no understanding as to His purpose in coming. Let us use this time to declare who He is, why He came, what He did while He was here and where He is now.
We do not esteem December the 25th above any other day of the year. However, we do highly esteem Christ Jesus, and we are grateful that, in the providence of God, despite the opposition, His Name continues to be extolled. "Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift" (2 Corinthians 9:15). ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
First Baptist Church 881 Van Dyke Road, P.O. Box 155, Almont, Michigan 48003 810-798-8888 Jim Byrd, Pastor
Sunday Schedule: 8:30 a.m. Television Broadcast over Cable Channel 97 in Almont, Imlay City and Dryden 9:45 a.m. Bible Classes 10:30 a.m. WORSHIP SERVICE Wednesday: 7 p.m. Bible Study and Youth Groups
Pastor Byrd’s messages are accessible on www.freegraceradio.com, cassette and video tape, CD and DVD www.sermonaudio.com/fbcalmont email: fbc@airadvantage.net
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