“Joy to the World! The Lord is Come” by Isaac Watts, put to music by George Handel and arranged by Lowell Mason. Although this was originally meant to commemorate Jesus’ second return, it’s become a beloved Christmas song. 1 Joy to the world! The Lord is come: let earth receive…

“O Little Town of Bethlehem” by Phillips Brooks, music by Lewis H. Redner. I always think of children’s choirs when I hear this one. 1 O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie; above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by: yet in thy…

“The First Nowell,” a traditional English carol. Born is the King of Israel! (For simplicity’s sake, I’ve changed “nowell” to “noel.”) 1 The first Noel the angel did say was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay; in fields where they lay keeping their sheep, on a cold…

“Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent,” from the Liturgy of St. James, translated by Gerard Moultrie. My favorite line: “he will give to all the faithful his own self…” 1 Let all mortal flesh keep silence, and with fear and trembling stand; ponder nothing earthly-minded, for with blessing in his…

“Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus,” by Charles Wesley. God keeps His promises! He sent Jesus, and He will send Him again! 1. Come, thou long expected Jesus, born to set thy people free; from our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in thee. Israel’s strength and consolation,…

“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” translated by John Mason Neale. 1 O come, O come, Immanuel, and ransom captive Israel that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear. Refrain: Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to you, O Israel. 2 O come, O Wisdom from on high,…

At first glance, this verse seems rather insignificant when compared to others like John 3:16 or the 23rd Psalm. But the more I looked at it, the more “meat” I found. Note some of these important words: For God is MY King… “My” indicates a personal relationship. A king’s first…

I cannot imagine the emotional agony Jesus endured those last days before He was sent to the cross. He knew what the glorious result would be, but He also knew how much He would suffer. Who wouldn’t want to avoid the pain and humiliation of a public crucifixion? Yet His…

All of us like accolades, am I right? Who doesn’t want a pat on the back for a job well done, a bonus for going over and above at work, a trophy for coming in first? We like our “prizes.” But there is no prize on earth that will compare…

“By and By” by Fanny Crosby—oh, the promise of heaven with Him! (Feel free to listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhD4jTgHpSI) We shall all clasp hands in glory by and by; We shall tell redemption’s story by and by; When the voyage of life is past We shall reach the port…