The Delivery Of Eternal Light ems 12/12/21
17th Day of Advent
Week 3: Joy (or peace) ~ Light 2 purple candles and 1 pink candle
Advent Hymn 🎼 God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen🎶
An early English carol from the 1650s is also known as Tidings of Great Joy.
The Oxford dictionary states that this phrase means “God grant you peace and happiness” and appeared in Shakespeare’s As You Like It in 1599. This Christmas carol was also featured early in Dickens’ novel A Christmas Carol when Scrooge’s gloomy temper startled some Christmas carol singers. This melody celebrates the joy of God’s gift, bringing much comfort.
Verse 1
God rest ye merry gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
For Jesus Christ our Saviour
Was born on Christmas Day
To save us all from Satan’s pow’r
When we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
Verse 2
From God our Heavenly Father
A blessed Angel came;
And unto certain shepherds
Brought tidings of the same,
How that in Bethlehem was born
The Son of God by Name.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
Verse 5
Now to the Lord sing praises,
All you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood
Each other now embrace;
This holy tide of Christmas
All other doth efface.
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
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6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. ~I Peter 5:6-11
Light is essential to life. We count on it daily and even plan our lives around things we will accomplish with daylight. The electric lightbulb’s invention extended the activities people could do in their homes at night. But imagine if we had no light; how could we survive? God created light and then sent eternal light to us through His Son Jesus. His light warms our souls.
The Delivery Of Eternal Light ems 12/12/21
The love God has for us is beyond measure. Because His love is pure and unselfish, we can entrust our cares to Him. The wonder of such unconditional love should flood our hearts with joy and comfort.
Conversely, the enemy of our souls, the devil, has no concern for us and even hates us to the point of hunting us down to destroy us—what a contrast to God’s loyal love.
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen is one of my favorite carols, mainly because it reminds me of what I have been saved. God delivered His indescribable gift, His Son Jesus, to bring us comfort and joy by delivering us from the dominion of darkness.
Have you ever experienced total darkness? There is no nightlight, no stars up above, so pitch black you can’t even see your hand in front of you.
 We can temporarily tolerate this, but it can be pretty unsettling if it continues without reprieve. The fantastic thing about the power of light is that darkness cannot overshadow it. The moment light enters, darkness is dispelled. Â
Light brings warmth and comfort, hope and strength, and courage to the discouraged. Light is life-giving. And Jesus is called the light of the world!
1In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
2 He existed in the beginning with God.
3 God created everything through him,
and nothing was created except through him.
4 The Word gave life to everything that was created,
and his life brought light to everyone.
5 The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.
6 God sent a man, John the Baptist, 7 to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. 8 John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. 9 The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
10 He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. ~ John 1:1-10
Deliveries are made of goods and services throughout the calendar year, yet we are full of anticipation for unexpected blessings at this time of year.
But have you ever considered that God sent a special delivery to you to deliver you from something?
 We can rest assured that God’s power exceeds that of Satan and that He can deliver us from death and bring us to Himself. May God grant you peace and happiness as you realize He sent the Light of the World to you!
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I thank You that You are light and that no darkness is in You. Your holiness illuminates my soul with joy, comfort, and eternal purpose, and I am eternally grateful. Thank You for rescuing me from the dominion of darkness and bringing me into Your Kingdom of Light!
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The Shepherd: A Story of the First Christmas
https://youtu.be/lVt14Ug-GOs?si=9eoBBSsVJHHwP3Gp
Christmas with The Chosen: Holy Night
https://watch.thechosen.tv/video/184683594479?language=en
A young mother labeled “impure.” A shepherd boy considered “unclean.” Experience Jesus’ birth through their eyes as Christmas with The Chosen: Holy Night blends The Messengers and The Shepherd into one special remastered and re-scored story. This special feature also includes an original performance from Andrea and Matteo Bocelli, six favorite songs from the past, and two beautiful new monologues.
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