Everlasting Love

 

We don’t yet see things clearly.

We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist.

But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright.

We’ll see it all then – see it all as clearly as God sees us,

Knowing Him directly just as He knows us.

But for right now, until that completeness,

We have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: 

Trust steadily in God

Hope unswervingly

Love extravagantly

Prayer for 2022:

Beginning Friday, January 7

Join me here for "Tell Me the Story of Jesus,"

Stories of hymns old and new.

Friday and Saturday

And Now These Things Remain: Love

And now these things remain:  love

1 Corinthians 13:13

Love.  A simple but very complicated word.  What would our lives be without it?  I shudder to think.  I depend every day on the love and patience of my daughters.  I had the enrichment of the love and caring of my friends.  My day is brightened by the love of my two beautiful cats.  And overarching everything is the is the unconditional love that God showers on me every minute of my life.

The Apostle Paul says it best in this chapter of his first letter to the Corinthian Church.  This reading is from The Message.

Love never gives up.

Love cares more for others than for self.

Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.

Love doesn't strut.

Doesn't have a swelled head.

Doesn't force itself on others.

Isn't always "me first."

Doesn't fly off the handle.

Doesn't keep score of the sins of others.

Doesn't revel when others grovel.

Take pleasure in the flowering of truth.

Puts up with anything.

Trusts God always.

Always looks for the best.

Never looks back,

But keeps going to the end.

Love never dies.

.

And Now These Things Remain: Hope

 

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace

as you trust in Him, so that you may

overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13 

If there is one thing the pandemic has taught me, it is that hope is a gift from God, not something that we conjure up by pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps.  If we base our hope in life on our health, that can quickly be taken away from us.  If we base our hope on this earth, it is deteriorating beneath our feet even as we speak. Hope comes from God alone, and Paul states that we can “overflow with hope” through the power of the Spirit. 

And hope does not disappoint us,

because God has poured out His love into our hearts

by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.

Romans 5:5 

My Hope is Built on Nothing Less

1863  Edward Mote/William Bradbury

 

And Now These Things Remain: Faith

 

And now these three remain:  faith…

I Corinthians 13:13

When I was growing up, sharing my faith meant handing out pamphlets, or going door to door to try to get people to come to our church.  As I have grown older, I have found that “sharing my faith” is so much more.  The best way to share my faith is to live it.

When Jesus talked about the final judgment in Matthew 24 and 25, He pictured the nations being judged by how they lived their faith.

·         I was hungry and you gave me something to eat.

·         I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink.

·         I was a stranger, and you invited me in.

·         I needed clothes, and you clothed me.

·         I was sick and you looked after me.

·         I was in prison and you came to visit me.

When the righteous protested that they had never seen Him in these circumstances, He replied, “If you did it for one of the very least of my children, you did it for Me.”  How can we live our life today that reveals our faith in Jesus Christ?

Faith is the Victory

Published in 1891 by John H. Yates, a Methodist minister

 

Leaving 2021

 

I have finished the course…

2 Timothy 4:7 

I started this blog, Water Into Wine, on Saturday, March 20, 2020, in response to the shutting down of my choir, my job, my church.  Life as we knew it came to a grinding halt as the Covid-19 Pandemic took over everything.  I wanted to write a daily word of faith and encouragement, and provide a daily hymn to sing.

It is now December of 2021, and what was unthinkable in March of 2020 has proven to be true – the Pandemic is still a major part of our lives.  Much has changed, however, Churches have flooded Facebook and YouTube, streaming devotionals and times of worship for every day of the week.  Most churches have reopened for weekend worship services – complete with congregational singing and great preaching.  Life is slowly getting back to our new “normal.”

I had originally planned to write this blog for about six months.  After twenty-one months, Friday, December 31, will be my last day for Water Into Wine. I have tried my best to be a small voice in the very large void caused by the Pandemic. I hope Water Into Wine has been that for you. I want to concentrate these last four days on 1st Corinthians 13:13. I hope you will join me.   

ONE OF MY FAVORITE HYMNS:

Blessed Assurance

Blessed Christmas!

 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was

with God, and the Word was God.

The Word became flesh and made His dwelling

among us.  We have seen His glory, the glory

of the One and Only, who came from the Father,

full of grace and truth.

John 1:1, 14 

For unto us a child is born,

unto us a Son is given.

And the government shall be upon

His shoulder, and His name shall be called:

Wonderful, Counselor,

the Mighty God,

the Everlasting Father,

the Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

 

A Very

Blessed Christmas

to All

Hallelujah Chorus  G.F. Handel - Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Where's the Line to See Jesus?

While they were there, the time came for the

baby to be born, and she gave birth to her

firstborn, a son.  She wrapped him in cloths 

and placed him in a manger, because there was

no room for them in the inn.

Luke 2:6-7

This video has a story - of a little boy's question while shopping at the mall before Christmas and the song that the question inspired.  There's no reason for me to tell that story - we will let the music do the talking.

 

Where’s the Line to See Jesus?

Herod: The Killer King

 

When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by

the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders

to kill...

Matthew 2:16a

King Herod finishes out the Christmas story with the unthinkable.  Haunted by the gossip of singing angels, a standout star, visiting royalty and a newborn King, furious that the Magi had hightailed it home in another direction, and driven almost to madness by his frantic hold on power, Herod turned even more brutal and deadly.  He ordered the death of every male child from age two and under, in Bethlehem and all the surrounding regions.  

His soldiers rode out from Jerusalem on their sinister mission, returning with calloused hearts and bloody swords.  And every baby boy, from infant to toddler, was sacrificed on the altar of Herod's crushing ego.

Every baby boy except one.  The child that Herod sought to destroy was safely away in Egypt.  There he would stay until the king was dead, and his heavenly Father called him forth to begin his work of salvation. 

And thou shalt call His name, Jesus -

for He shall save His people from their sins.

Don't Tell Herod!

And having been warned in a dream not to

go back to Herod, they returned to their

country by another route.

Matthew 2:12

It appears that God's angel messengers were not quite finished with their assignments for the wondrous event of God's Son come to earth.  After the Magi find Joseph and Mary and have the opportunity to see and worship the baby Messiah, they took their rest before venturing back to their homeland.  In a dream, they are warned not to return to Herod, for his overture of peace toward the newborn king was just smoke and mirrors.  When they headed for home the next day, they took a circuitous route that did not travel through Jerusalem.

The angel then appeared to Joseph in his second heavenly dream, this time with a  command: 

Get up, take the child and his mother and

escape to Egypt.  Stay there until I tell you, for

Herod is going to search for the child to kill him. 

As the Magi slowly wended their way home, Mary and Joseph escaped under the cover of darkness and made their way to Egypt.  They would live there for an unspecified amount of time until Herod was dead and the danger was over. The wonderful gifts of the Magi would provide for their travel and their needs in that strange new home.

Gifts of the Magi

After they had heard the king, they went on their

way, and the star they had seen in the east went

ahead of them until it stopped over the place

where the child was.  When they saw the star,

they were overjoyed.

Matthew 2:9-10

As soon as the Magi left Herod's palace, the star blazed forth to light their way.  The Bible states that the star led them to a "house."  Contrary to our modern nativity plays, the kings did not show up at the stable.  The star first appeared on the night of Christ's birth.  It took many months (perhaps as much as two years) for the men to travel to Jerusalem and then on to the town where Jesus lived.  He was no longer an infant, but a young child, and...

On coming to the house, they saw the child with his

mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.

At this point, the Magi brought forth gifts for the young king - very expensive gifts of gold, incense and myrrh.  Legend has always presented three wise men with three gifts, but in point of fact, we have no idea how many men made that journey.  The pronoun "they" indicates more than one, but beyond that, we simply do not know.  What we do know is that they recognized this young child as the Savior of the universe, and they bowed before Him in humble worship.

Herod and the Magi

 

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out

from them the exact time the star had appeared.

He sent them to Bethlehem and said,

"Go and make a careful search for the child.  

As soon as you find him, report to me,

so that I too may go and worship him.

Matthew 2:7-8  

Through every age and in every country, there are men of government and leadership - princes, kings, presidents, chancellors - some good, some bad.  Herod the Great, King of Judea, Galilee, Iturea and Traconitis from 37-4 B.C., was not one of the good guys.  He was a ruthless savage who murdered his wife, his three sons, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, uncle and a host of others.  He was an expert at removing any person, place or thing that interfered with or threatened his reign.   

King Herod was "disturbed" by the accounts of the Magi that a new "King of the Jews" had been born.  He consulted the religious leaders as to any prophecy that might shed light on this event, and learned of the prophetic writings of the book of Micah regarding the birth of a ruler in Bethlehem.  While he chatted with his important guests, the main focus of his inquiries were to pinpoint exactly when the natal star first appeared in the heavens.  He then sent his guests onward to Bethlehem, asking them to report back to him on the exact location of the tiny king, so that he also could come and pay homage.  Considering that the only thing Herod worshiped was himself, his parting words to the Magi rang false indeed.  

The Magi

 

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea,

during the time of King Herod, Magi from the

east came to Jerusalem and asked,

"Where is the One who has been born king

of the Jews?  We saw His star in the east,

and have come to worship Him."

Matthew 2:1-2 

Luke skips almost two years of Jesus' life after telling the story of His christening in Jerusalem.  Matthew leaves out most of the story in Nazareth and the facts of Christ's birth that Luke tells so well, beginning his story with the arrival of the magi or wise men from the east.  Believed by many to be astrologers, they set out on their journey by following a new star that they believed would lead them to the newborn Jewish king

The magi followed the star to Jerusalem, where their presence in the city disturbed the people of the city and King Herod as well.  They sought guidance in their search for the star-kissed child.  Unfortunately, guidance was not what King Herod had to offer.

 

We Three Kings – Hugh Jackman

Anna

 

There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter

of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.  She was very old;

she had lived with her husband seven years after

their marriage, and then was a widow until she

was eighty-four.  She never left the temple but

worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.

Luke 2:36-37 

As soon as Simeon had finished speaking to Joseph and Mary, another elderly parishioner joined the conversation.  She was a very aged widow who was a constant presence at the Temple, worshiping, fasting and praying.  Luke records that she also came up to Jesus' parents, gave thanks to God, and then spoke about the infant to anyone who would listen - all those who were "...looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem."

Mary and Joseph must have been both humbled and encouraged by the recognition of their child as the Messiah by these two pillars of Israel.  Simeon and Anna spoke about the mission and life of this baby in the same way that the angel had in his visitation to each of His parents.  If they had maintained any doubts about the message of the angel, this was a powerful affirmation of the heavenly messenger's words.

Luke says that after Joseph and Mary had accomplished everything required by the Law for both Mary and the child, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.  In so doing, Luke leaves out a huge portion of the Christmas story.

Simeon

 

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon,

who was righteous and devout.  He was waiting for

the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was

upon Him.  It had been revealed to him by the

Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had

seen the Lord's Christ.

Luke 2:25-26

The old man who waylaid Mary and Joseph in the Temple had been searching every day throughout the courtyard for the One who had been foretold by the prophets.  With eyes sharpened by the gift of the Holy Spirit, he instantly recognized the baby Jesus as the Christ - the Messiah.  Taking the child in his arms, he proclaimed:

Sovereign Lord, as You have promised,

now dismiss Your servant in peace.

For my eyes have seen Your salvation,

which You have prepared in the sight of all people,

a light for revelation to the Gentiles,

and for glory to Your people Israel.

While Mary and Joseph were trying to digest the meaning of these strange words, Simeon pronounced a blessing on the parents, and then turned directly to Mary:

This child is destined to cause the falling and rising

of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be

spoken against, so that the hearts of many

will be revealed.

And a sword will pierce your own soul too.

At the Temple

On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise

him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had

given him before he had been conceived.

When the time of their purification according to

the Law of Moses had been completed,

Mary and Joseph took him to Jerusalem to

present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law

of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be 

consecrated to the Lord"), and to offer a 

sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law

of the Lord: a pair of doves or two young pigeons.

Luke 2:21-24 

On the eighth day of life for Mary's little baby, his parents were still in Bethlehem.  He was brought to the rabbi for the rite of circumcision, and was named Jesus, as the angel commanded.  According to the Law regarding women who give birth of a son, Mary had to wait 40 days before going to the Temple in Jerusalem to offer a sacrifice for purification.  In addition, each first born son was to be dedicated to the Lord.  When the forty days were over, the little family set out on their short journey.  The distance between Bethlehem and Jerusalem was only about five miles, so this trip would be fairly easy for Mary and her infant son.

Upon arrival in the city, the family made their way to the Temple, where Joseph would purchase the animals for the sacrifice - probably opting for the cheaper option of two pigeons or doves rather than a lamb.  As they moved across the courtyard toward the place of presentation, an elderly man stopped them with a simple request:  he wanted to hold the baby.

Sweet Little Jesus Boy  Casting Crowns

The Shepherds IV

 

..all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds

said to them.  But Mary treasured up all these things

and pondered them in her heart.  

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God 

for all the thingsthey had heard and seen, 

which were just as they had been told.

Luke 2:18-20

 The shepherds were not just bit players in this heavenly drama in Bethlehem.  They were the first evangelists, sent out to the surrounding hills to tell their friends about what they had seen.  The Bible says that everyone who heard their story were amazed.  I'll bet they were!  You couldn't dream up a scenario with better dramatic potential than this.  The scriptures record that what they found in the manger was exactly as they had been told by the angels.  They returned to their sheep, praising God for blessing them with the honor and privilege of witnessing the angelic announcement of the newborn King. 

Back at the stable, all is quiet except for the snuffling of the animals and perhaps a cry or two from Mary's baby.  The narrative says that after the shepherds left, Mary gathered together in her mind and heart all the unbelievable things that had occurred that night, tucking them away so that she might "ponder" them.  God must have been smiling at her tender innocence.  If she thought the angels and the shepherds were amazing, just wait...

 

This Baby  Stephen Curtis Chapman

The Shepherds III

When the angels had left them and gone into

heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 

"Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has 

happened, which the Lord has told us about."

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph,

and the baby, who was lying in the manger.

Luke 2:15-16 

First the blinding light, then the radiant angel, then an entire legion of angels singing out their joy at the birth of the Messiah.  The light recedes, the darkness returns, but the wonder and joy in the hearts of the shepherds is nigh to overflowing.  Securing their flocks, they rush to Bethlehem to find the stable and the newborn King.

Imagine Joseph and Mary's surprise when this motley crew stumbles into their humble accommodations.  Their occupation would have been obvious from the clothing they wore, but their purpose in coming to the stable may not have been immediately obvious.  I've often wondered, did Mary and Joseph hear the angels singing in the starry heavens?  Did they see the brilliance?  Or did they learn of the angel chorus from the shepherds?  Either way, it appears that Jesus' parents graciously welcomed the curious shepherds, and the Bible records that after a time, they left the manger and spread the news of what they had seen throughout the countryside.

 

The Little Drummer Boy   Pentatonix

The Shepherds II

 

...and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and

they were terrified.  But the angel said to them,

"Do not be afraid!  I bring you good news of great

joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of 

David a Savior has been born to you; he is

Christ the Lord.  You will find the baby wrapped in

cloths and lying in a manger.

Luke 2:9b-12 

In the midst of the overwhelming radiance stood a being - an angel - the messenger of God to a sleeping world.  The angel did not go to the courtyards of Herod.  He did not go to the apartments of the high priest.  His visitation list did not include a single Pharisee or Sadducee.  The powerful and learned were passed by as the angels winged their way to the manger.  Instead, they stopped on a crude hillside filled with smelly sheep and ignorant shepherds. The startling news of a newborn King was given to the lowest of the low.

The frightened sheep herders discovered that the angel's visit was not just beautiful music and blinding light.  No, the angel told them exactly where to find this newborn Prince, and their hearts overflowed with wonder at being chosen to witness this wondrous event.  The Bible then records... 

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host

appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth

peace to men on whom his favor rests."

vs. 13-14

 Glory to God from The Messiah - Mormon Tabernacle Choir

 

The Shepherds - Part I

And there were shepherds living out in the fields

nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.

An angel of the Lord appeared to them...

Luke 2:8-9a 

In the hills above the town of Bethlehem, shepherds were bedding down their sheep for the night.  Some of the flocks would be inside their protective enclosures, others would be out in the open air with the shepherd close by.  The night must have been clear because the stars were visible in the sky.  The men and boys who were protecting the flocks expected another calm, peaceful night.  After all, nothing happened in Bethlehem.

The fellas who were out there on those hills did not have college degrees - probably not even the bare rudiments of an education.  They were common peasant folk - trustworthy, responsible, loyal.  The last thing in the world they expected was for the night sky to turn as bright as mid-day with a radiance unlike anything they had ever seen.  Floods of light poured over the Judean hills as angel messengers prepared for the most spectacular announcement of all time.

 While By My Sheep Echo Hymn

The Innkeeper

 

While they were there, the time came for the baby
to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn,
a son.  She wrapped him in cloths and placed him
in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Luke 2:5-7

I cannot recall how many sermons and plays I have heard and seen about that horrible old man, the innkeeper of Bethlehem, who turned away Joseph and Mary in the hour of their greatest need.  I have also heard the legend that it is the innkeeper who led the couple to the stable (cave) where they could be protected from the elements and have some measure of privacy. 

I've always felt sort of sorry for the innkeeper of Bethlehem.  The Bible doesn't even talk about an "innkeeper;" it only mentions that the local inn was full.  And he (or she), after all, was simply doing his job, having already booked out all the rooms and probably the common spaces as well. Was he the one who led Joseph and Mary to the stable?  We don't know the human hand that guided them there.  We only know that in that place of protection, no matter how crude, the Savior of the universe was born.

The Journey

 

In those days, Caesar Augustus issued a decree that

a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.

This was the first census that took place while

Quirinius was governor of Syria.  And everyone went

to his own town to register.

Luke 2:1-3 

Mary's story leaves the book of Matthew at this point, and leapfrog's back to Luke, beginning in chapter 2.  Caesar has just ordered a census to be taken of the Roman Empire.  Everyone had to journey to their hometown to register for the census.  Joseph was of the house of David (as was Mary), and he would need to register in Bethlehem.  The journey would be 70+ miles, and Mary was in no shape to travel, being in her ninth month of pregnancy.  Whatever the circumstances or objections, however, Mary ended up enduring those long, bumpy roads riding on the back of a donkey.  

They finally arrived - dusty, weary and aching.  Joseph's search of the local inn(s) came to naught - there was not an empty bed in the town.  The Bible does not say when the baby was born relative to when they arrived in Bethlehem.  It simply says, "While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born..."  Because their accommodations were in the stable (most likely a stone cave), when the baby decided it was time to begin its birth journey, Mary and Joseph made ready a feeding trough to serve as bassinet and cradle for their little boy.  

 

Joseph: Dreamer

After he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared

to him in a dream, and said,

"Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary

home as your wife, because what is conceived in her

is from the Holy Spirit."

Matthew 1:20

During the stress-filled days of agonizing about what to do with his shattered engagement, Joseph had a dream from God.  When Mary returned from visiting Elizabeth, she would have told Joseph the entire story of the visit from the angel and his exact words, including his answer to her question, "How can this be?"  His thoughts of divorce seem to indicate that he found the message far-fetched.  What he could not accept from Mary's explanation he suddenly received from the horse's mouth.  The angel in the dream told Joseph the exact contact, but from the Holy Spirit. 

The angel told Joseph that Mary would have a son, and that he was to call the child Jesus, "...because He will save His people from their sins."  This statement would have been an unmistakable indication to Joseph that the child to be born would be the long-awaited Messiah. 

When Joseph awoke from his dream, he did exactly as the angel had commanded.  There were no more question, no hesitations, no "what if's".  God had clearly spoken.  Matthew says that Joseph "...took Mary home as his wife," and cared for her for the remaining six months leading up to the long-awaited birth.

 

 

Mary: Home in Nazareth

 

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about:

His mother Mary was pledged to be married to

Joseph, but before they came together, she was found

to be with child through the Holy Spirit.  Because

Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did

not want to expose her to public disgrace,

he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

Matthew 1:18-19 

In order to discover the next event in Mary's story, we have to leave the book of Luke and go to the first chapter of the book of Matthew.  Mary is pledged to Joseph; but before the ceremonies could take place (actually, exactly when she returned from Elizabeth's house), it is discovered that she is pregnant.  

I assume that Mary went home to her parents following her visit to Elizabeth.  Their shock at her condition would only deepen Mary’s qualms.  What if Joseph doesn’t believe her?  Will they stone her?  There is nothing overly dramatic about these questions. Her situation really was a life or death matter.  

Joseph, poor fellow, was absolutely blindsided.  One can only imagine the turmoil, hurt and embarrassment that must have weighed on his mind, especially if he really cared for Mary.  The Bible tells us that he was a good man - a righteous man who did not want to make Mary's situation a public spectacle, leading me to believe that he genuinely cared for his young bride-to-be, and wanted to handle this awkward situation as quietly and discreetly as possible. 

 The God of the universe, however, had other ideas...

 

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel   The Piano Guys

Mary: With Cousin Elizabeth

Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months,

and then went back to her own home.

Luke 1:56

Three months.  A very long time for some, a fleetingly short time for others.  Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months - a haven against the social storm that was to come.  For 12 weeks, Mary could ponder, prepare and pray.  Perhaps her thoughts were something like this:

·         What will my parents say?

·         What will Joseph say?

·         Will anyone believe me?

·         How can I do this on my own?

·         How in the world will I raise the Messiah?

·         Should he go to school? 

·         Should I homeschool him?

·         What shall I feed him? 

·         What shall I teach him?

·         What shall I say when he asks about his father?

An overwhelming task is ahead of this young woman who has been handpicked by God to birth His Son.  And Elizabeth?  She who is now elderly will give birth to John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ - an equally overwhelming task for an old woman. Together they probably have more questions than answers.  But they are both women of strong faith.  No doubt they use those few precious months to strengthen and encourage one another and to spend time in prayer. 

We hear nothing more of Elizabeth after the birth of her son.  After three months, Mary turned toward home, continuing her slow journey to that lonely stable on the outskirts of Bethlehem.

 

Hail to the Lord’s Anointed  St. Mark’s UMC Houston

UMC Hymnal #203