How is it that one of the oldest and best-known Christmas carols asks for the Messiah to come, when in actuality He has already done so? The answer lies in the fact that “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” is, strictly speaking, not a Christmas carol but an Advent hymn. Advent, the roughly four-week period leading… Continue Reading
Christmas—a very mention of the word produces delight and expectation in the hearts of people everywhere. Or does it? For some Christians, Christmas is a much-anticipated season to celebrate the birth of Christ. For others, it is also a time to encourage family closeness and tradition. But still others refuse to celebrate at all, insisting… Continue Reading
The Advent and Christmas seasons are just around the corner, a wonderful time of year to sing rich Christological hymns with your church and family. Here are two resources you might want to consider using this season: Hymns and Carols of Advent and Christmas Last year we published a new collection of hymns and carols… Continue Reading
I am pleased new announce a new collection of hymns and carols for Advent and Christmas. This is simply all of the Advent/Christmas hymns included in Hymns to the Living God, published in a format convenient for caroling, home gatherings, or even church services. You may purchase the print or Kindle editions here. . You have… Continue Reading
Advent is upon us! This is a wonderful time of year to both remember the prophecies regarding Christ’s first coming and anticipate his coming again. If all of the prophecies concerning his first coming were fulfilled with complete literalness, we can have confidence that those prophecies yet to be fulfilled will also come to pass… Continue Reading
We are in the midst of a wonderful time in the year when we can reflect upon the advent of our Lord and the redemption that comes through faith in him. One of the most enjoyable ways to do this is through the singing of classic Advent and Christmas hymns. Songs like “Come, Thou Long Expected… Continue Reading
A few years ago we published a new daily devotional for the Christmas season by Pastor Taigen Joos that has been very well-received. This devotional is perfect for both families and individuals to use as they prepare to worship Christ during the Christmas season. Each daily reading is a rich, yet brief meditation on an event or characteristic… Continue Reading
I recently posted a Children’s Books Shopping List for my trips to Half Price Books and the library book sales. As the Advent and Christmas seasons are swiftly approaching in a few short weeks, I’d like to be on the lookout for some quality Christmas books to add to our family collection, so I… Continue Reading
Savior of the nations, come; Virgin’s Son, here make Thy home! Marvel now, O heaven and earth, That the Lord chose such a birth. Not by human flesh and blood; By the Spirit of our God Was the Word of God made flesh, Woman’s offspring, pure and fresh. Wondrous birth! O wondrous Child Of the… Continue Reading
The Church confesses the incarnation of Jesus Christ as a mystery. On the one hand He is “the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were… Continue Reading
Little child, look on me— What can Thy newborn eyes see? Dost Thou recognize a man Fashioned by Thine ancient plan? Infant that Thou hast become Canst Thou yet behold me from The aspect of eternity? Little child, think of me— No slave was ever less free. I have sold myself to sin, Vainly now… Continue Reading
This post is excerpted from “A Deliberate Choice.” December is for Advent. Historically, Christians have begun their reflections upon the incarnation, not by celebrating it, but by remembering why it was necessary. Advent is not a feast, it is a fast. It is a season for reminding ourselves of what we were without Christ, and… Continue Reading
Oh, what an embarrassment of riches! Rarely have so many topics presented themselves at one time for consideration through this publication, and rarely have I as a writer ever wanted to address more of them. This is one week when I certainly have no trouble finding a topic to write about. For example, the recent… Continue Reading
The following is the sermon I preached this morning in our church to kick off the Advent season: Audio You don’t have to turn on the news or visit a news web site very long to get very depressed. We live in a day of despair, threat of war, violence, murder, poverty, sickness, abortion, waning… Continue Reading
A while back I stumbled across Charles Wesley’s Christmas hymn, “Glory Be to God on High.” This is a superb text on the incarnation of Christ, and I thought this would be a good time to recommend it here. We’ve sung it to the 18th century tune Amsterdam. The hymns is a meditation on the… Continue Reading
See the babe in manger lowly, with His mother, meek and mild. Here the Godhead now incarnate, Wholly God and yet a child. Lying in a bed for livestock, This, the Prince of heav’n was He, Human flesh and blood and body– Hypostatic Deity. See the angels praise His coming, He their King from heaven’s… Continue Reading
The concept often referred to as the humiliation of God the Son—the notion that the second person of the Trinity emptied himself of the full manifestation of His glorious divinity, left his privileged position in heaven, veiled himself in human flesh, and dwelt among his creatures as one of them—is one of the most wonderfully… Continue Reading
A friend of mine once mused that it was at Christmas that Christians finally sing good hymns. Selah.1 And Chuck Bumgardner (here and here and here) has been providing some excellent commending great hymns of the season. I thought I would take my weekly post here to suggest to you an advent hymn myself. I… Continue Reading