Christmas Devotion
Merry Christmas!
Mele Kalikimaka! (Hawaiian) Maligayang Pasko Po! (Filipino) Merii Kurisumasu! (Japanese) Feliz Navidad! (Spanish) Felis Pasgua! (Chamorro) Haengboken Keurisemaseu Doesipsio! (Korean) Shengdan Jie kualie! (Chinese) Merry Christmas, Mate! (Australian) Merry Christmas Ya’ll! (Texas) During this season you will hear such greetings and more throughout our community. From the islands to Asia, Latin America, Australia and the Mainland, we will have tourists celebrating Christmas with us. Truly, God becoming flesh, wrapped and placed in a manger, has brought the promise of “peace on earth and goodwill to all men” (Luke 2:14).
Today we celebrate the One who is called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). We celebrate the One whom the prophet foretold would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14). The words and tunes of the Christmas song writers will fill our heads and hearts. Hope, peace, joy, and love will take the opportunity to garland our heads as a lei po’o. Their very fragrance will overwhelm our conversations as we embrace family and friends.
Christmas is celebrating that holy night when God stepped into our world. The hymn “O Holy Night” captures the historic event with these words, “A thrill of hope - the weary world rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!” This revelation of hope calls us to respond in one simple act. “Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices! O night divine, O night when Christ was born!”
Another great Christmas hymn is “O Come, All Ye Faithful.” The third verse fills the soul as it sings, “Yea, Lord we greet Thee, born this happy morning; Jesus, to Thee be all glory giv’n; Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing!” It is through his gospel that John testifies the Word did become flesh and moved into our neighborhood (John 1:14). And it is this specific revelation of Emmanuel - God with us (Matt 1:23) that we return to the chorus of this Christmas hymn. “O come, let us adore Him. O come, let us adore Him. O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!”
Christmas is never complete with a simple greeting. The Christmas greeting demands a response. The saints over the last two millennia have responded with worship. They prepared themselves through Advent’s journey and then culminated the journey with glorious worship. They worshipped Him who alone is worthy and who deserves all the glory.
Oh, Encounter Ohana, let us worship Christ the Lord. Let us come together and adore Him. Not just for a day, but for 2023 and beyond. May we be worshippers of Jesus Christ, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, until we see Him face to face. “O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!”
SCRIPTURES
Isaiah 7:14
Isaiah 9:1-7
Matthew 1:18-2:12
Luke 2:1-21
John 1:1-17
HYMNS
O Holy Night
O Come, All Ye Faithful
You are loved!
Merry Christmas Ya’ll!!
Uncle Mike
Mele Kalikimaka! (Hawaiian) Maligayang Pasko Po! (Filipino) Merii Kurisumasu! (Japanese) Feliz Navidad! (Spanish) Felis Pasgua! (Chamorro) Haengboken Keurisemaseu Doesipsio! (Korean) Shengdan Jie kualie! (Chinese) Merry Christmas, Mate! (Australian) Merry Christmas Ya’ll! (Texas) During this season you will hear such greetings and more throughout our community. From the islands to Asia, Latin America, Australia and the Mainland, we will have tourists celebrating Christmas with us. Truly, God becoming flesh, wrapped and placed in a manger, has brought the promise of “peace on earth and goodwill to all men” (Luke 2:14).
Today we celebrate the One who is called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). We celebrate the One whom the prophet foretold would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14). The words and tunes of the Christmas song writers will fill our heads and hearts. Hope, peace, joy, and love will take the opportunity to garland our heads as a lei po’o. Their very fragrance will overwhelm our conversations as we embrace family and friends.
Christmas is celebrating that holy night when God stepped into our world. The hymn “O Holy Night” captures the historic event with these words, “A thrill of hope - the weary world rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!” This revelation of hope calls us to respond in one simple act. “Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices! O night divine, O night when Christ was born!”
Another great Christmas hymn is “O Come, All Ye Faithful.” The third verse fills the soul as it sings, “Yea, Lord we greet Thee, born this happy morning; Jesus, to Thee be all glory giv’n; Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing!” It is through his gospel that John testifies the Word did become flesh and moved into our neighborhood (John 1:14). And it is this specific revelation of Emmanuel - God with us (Matt 1:23) that we return to the chorus of this Christmas hymn. “O come, let us adore Him. O come, let us adore Him. O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!”
Christmas is never complete with a simple greeting. The Christmas greeting demands a response. The saints over the last two millennia have responded with worship. They prepared themselves through Advent’s journey and then culminated the journey with glorious worship. They worshipped Him who alone is worthy and who deserves all the glory.
Oh, Encounter Ohana, let us worship Christ the Lord. Let us come together and adore Him. Not just for a day, but for 2023 and beyond. May we be worshippers of Jesus Christ, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, until we see Him face to face. “O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!”
SCRIPTURES
Isaiah 7:14
Isaiah 9:1-7
Matthew 1:18-2:12
Luke 2:1-21
John 1:1-17
HYMNS
O Holy Night
O Come, All Ye Faithful
You are loved!
Merry Christmas Ya’ll!!
Uncle Mike
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