Friday Morning Prayer:)… December 20, 2018

January 17, 2019 - 8 minutes read
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”
 
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”
 
Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.[1]
 
“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.  Instead be filled with the Spirit.”[2]
___________________
 
God has called us to daily join in the great company of the heavenly hosts and sing glorious praise to the newborn King!  “Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace!  Hail the Sun of Righteousness!  Light and life to all He brings, Ris’n with healing in His wings.  Mild He lays His glory by, born that man no more may die; born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth.”  How do I listen to this gospel truth?  Am I in awe at the person of Jesus?  “Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; Hail th’incarnate Deity, pleased with us in flesh to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel.”  Absolutely I am in awe!  Jesus, the light of the world said, “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”[3]   I desire to listen well with the ears of a born-again heart and see clearly through the light of Christ indwelling.  Only through Christ formed in the believing heart can this radically changed life be realized and experienced fully to the glory of God. 
 
 
Only supernatural ears truly hear, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”[4]  Beloved, your regenerate heart, and a continually transforming life is evidence of the grace of God! Rejoice!  Be glad! Let us encourage one another to remain true to the Lord with all our hearts.  As we celebrate our Lord Jesus always, be ye filled with the Holy Spirit and overflow as God determines. 
 
 
Pastor Mark encouraged the body at Emmanuel Christian as he preached about the filling of the Holy Spirit.  As believers are filled and empowered by the Spirit to live this radical Christian life, there is a spectrum of abilities and gifts given as God decides.  However, the most important manifestation of the Spirit is love.  In the midst of prevailing darkness, selfishness, hatred, greed, worldliness, etc. at every turn we are called to demonstrate love by being kind and merciful.  God is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.  So, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”[5]
 
 
Luke referred to Jesus as being, “full of joy through the Holy Spirit…”[6]  All true believers experience God indwelling through the Holy Spirit.  In fact, be encouraged by the clarity of Apostle Paul’s inspired words, “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ.  He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”[7]  Like the many that were filled with awe[8] and praised God for the miraculous signs and mercy showed, we too are in awe because of the power of our indwelling God manifest through our lives today! 
 
 
I pray as you read you have complete assurance that Jesus was born to die to redeem your life from sin and death unto a new birth in him.  In Christ, we are born again and filled with the Holy Spirit.  This is an ongoing supernatural dynamic process.  God gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.  Moreover, there is a greater measure of filling and/or empowering to do the work God has prepared in advance for us to do.  We humbly ask God for help.  “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”[9]  Be encouraged by our heavenly calling to function in the Spirit through the Scriptures, even memorize Scriptures, and think according to God’s thoughts. 
 
 
Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die;
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
 
 
Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Now display Thy saving pow’r,
Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.
 
 
Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the inner man:
Oh, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.
____________________
 
Sisters are meeting to pray.  First Baptist.  1912 Arnold Way, Alpine. 0900.
 
You are invited to join diverse gals representing various churches in Alpine for a sweet hour of prayer.  A time to demonstrate love and be encouraged by a mutually shared faith in Jesus.
 
 
Brothers are meeting too!  First Baptist.  Alpine.  0730
 
Join faithful brothers for an hour.  We hang out for a bit and intentionally ask, seek, and knock around 0845.  It is always a joy to hang out with brothers who love Jesus!  We give thanks, bring our supplications, praise in song as the Spirit leads, and/or sit in silence before the throne of grace.  Holy Spirit lead our time together.
 

[2] Ephesians 5:18
[3] John 8:12
[4] Luke 6:27-28
[5] Ibid v. 36
[6] Luke 10:21
[7] 2 Corinthians 1:21-22
[8] Luke 7:16
[9] Luke 11:13