Mysterious Manifestation by ems 12/20/21
24th Day of Advent
Week 4: Love (or adoration) ~ Light 3 purple candles and 1 pink candle
Advent Hymn 🎼 Go, Tell It On The Mountain 🎶
This African American spiritual folk song published in 1907 can be dated back to at least 1865. John Wesley Work, Jr, the son of a church choir director in Nashville, gathered folk songs handed down from plantation to plantation and published them in two volumes. This song celebrates the Nativity of Christ and the importance of making the story known everywhere through oral stories and songs.
Go, Tell It On the Mountain John Wesley Work, Jr., 1907
Refrain:
Go, tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere
Go, tell it on the mountain,
That Jesus Christ is born.
While shepherds kept their watching
Over silent flocks by night
Behold throughout the heavens
There shone a holy light.
Refrain
The shepherds feared and trembled,
When lo! Above the earth,
Rang out the angels’ chorus
That hailed the Savior’s birth.
Refrain
Down in a lowly manger
The humble Christ was born
And God sent us salvation
That blessed Christmas morn.
Refrain
“This Christian life is a great mystery, far exceeding our understanding, but some things are clear enough:
Christ appeared in a human body,
was proved right by the invisible Spirit,
was seen by angels.
He was proclaimed among all kinds of peoples,
believed in all over the world,
taken up into heavenly glory. ~ 1 Timothy 3:16
Mysterious Manifestation by ems 12/20/21
God is omniscient. He knows and fully comprehends the seemingly unfathomable mysteries of the universe. At times, He chooses to reveal and clarify some of life’s great mysteries.
The biblical meaning of mystery is a sacred secret hidden in the past but now revealed.
When I consider the angel interactions proclaiming the births of John the Baptist and Jesus, I find it curious that despite John’s calling to prepare the way for the Messiah, he didn’t realize Jesus was the One until years later. They were relatives connected through their mothers, Elizabeth and Mary, yet Jesus’ mission was hidden until the day of His baptism.
Understanding how God would manifest Himself in human flesh is also mind-boggling. It’s like trying to explain a three-dimensional world to someone who has only experienced two dimensions. There are no words to construct an accurate picture.Â
Faith is a gift God gives us to aid us in interacting with Him. Just as a young child cannot grasp more complex ideas since their brain is undeveloped, we need to exercise our faith and grow by reading the mysteries God has mapped out for us in the Bible.
Reading mysteries was a favorite pastime for me as a young child. I was spurred on to discover the truth from one chapter to the next. I developed a habit of gathering facts and examining evidence to aid me in figuring out what happened in the stories I read.Â
I love searching the Old Testament Scriptures to uncover the prophesies spoken hundreds of years before their fulfillment in the New Testament. I have discovered a clear revelation of God’s loving heart and His plan to rescue us from the penalty of sin. I find it utterly unique that more than 300 prophesies were recorded about Jesus’ birth, and every single one came true!
Isn’t it wonderful that God cannot lie and that He reveals the clues of His mysteries to us? He wanted us to understand fully what He is like, so He gave us a living, breathing picture of Himself in His Son.
Jesus said, “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.” (John 14:9)
May God open the eyes of your heart to see and understand the mysteries He has manifested in Jesus!
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, Thank You that with great compassion, You have revealed Your mysteries through Your Word and through the 3-D picture of Jesus who came to reveal You to us. Jesus fulfills the longing of my soul, and may I be quick to share with others what I have learned thus far in this walk with You. I love You, Abba!Â
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Learn more about Jesus here:
https://www.youversion.com/the-bible-app/
https://watch.thechosen.tv/
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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