Christmas Hymns 1

Hey this is Jim Graham from the masculine dirty podcast where we explore relationship instead a religion every week their chosen Truth Network podcast is starting in just a few seconds. Enjoy it Sarah but most of all, thank you for listening you for choosing The Truth Podcast Network.

This is the Truth Network encouraging prayer, God offers an open invitation for his people to talk with him at any time about anything encouraging prayer Dr. James Banks, author of the best-selling and many other books on prayer provides weekly biblical insight help you learn to love and now James oh you the love this for the next few weeks on encouraging prayer were going to be looking at some dismiss him, but also help us to pray and what we really want to do is bring out the meaning of somebody's him so that when you sing them, really. You will also be praying this week were looking at when my favorite hymns little town of Bethlehem by Phillips Brooks that was made by way Phillips with the nest, not Philip.

He was a pastor in Philadelphia over hundred 50 years ago in 1865. He attended a Christmas Eve service in Bethlehem at the Church of the Nativity and it moved him deeply, reflecting on that later. He wrote out the words to the him a little town of Bethlehem like read them like a poem here. The first two verses O Little town of Bethlehem house. Still, we see the lie above thy deep and dreamless sleep. The silent stars go by. Yet in thy dark streets shyness, the everlasting light hopes and fears of all the years are met in the tonight Christ is born of Mary, and gathered all above will mortal sleep. The Angels keep their watch of the wondering love O morning stars together proclaim the holy birth and praises sing to God the king and peace to men on the house such beautiful lyrics let him I am.

It really helps to slow down and really think about what Phillips is saying right there right. He put so much into those words and paints just a beautiful picture that he really does is sort of the set up for what comes next, because I make is my favorite Christmas hymns and it's really because of the next two verses that I think. To sum up the whole Christmas and why Jesus came just breathtaking. Again, this just be put so much into them. So let me read versus three and four.

How silently the wondrous gift is given. So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of his heaven, no year may hear his coming, but in this world of sin where meek souls will receive still the dear Christ enters in all holy Child of Bethlehem to send to us.

We pray cast out our sand and enter in, be born in us today we hear the Christmas angels.

The great lad hiding spell O come to us abide with us, our Lord, Emmanuelle, and you know I'm curious as I can be.

I mean those are amazing verses that clearly they have some real meaning to you that what was behind well.

The first is just a the whole point about Jesus coming into a world of sin, and if we humble our hearts and receive him.

He will and are into us and that's what it does through his spirit than he cleanses us and washes us, makes us a new creation in his love through what he did for us at the cross. So this whole notion of the defense with is a prayer that literally Lord come to us to send to us, and cast out our sins set us free. If you then mentions we hear the Christmas angels. The great lad hiding spell, but come to us abide with us Emmanuelle.

This whole picture of Jesus is Emmanuelle God with us in the beautiful thing about it that the reason why this is is my favorite hymn is because the meaning of it was so real, Phillips Brooks as well.

One of my favorite quotes and in all of literature comes from a letter that he wrote to a young friend who poured into Brooks life wanted to know the secret to Brooks peaks and Brooks was going through a very difficult time when this friend asked in this. He responds in a very candid way with these words, these last years have a peace and fullness which there did not used to be. I do not think it is the mere quietness of advancing age.

I am sure it is not indifference to anything which I used to care for. I am sure that the decision deeper knowledge and true love of Christ. I cannot tell you how personal this gross to me. He is here. He knows me and I know him. It is no figure of speech. It is the realist thing in the world and every day makes it real and one wonders with delight what it will grow to as the years go set amazing how my goodness and actually when you're reading is versus a few moments ago I thought occurred to me that really I guess it never occurred to go, but it does now dead. Like all my goodness that when you asked Jesus into your heart, it's Christmas day in your life. Another first of this that is usually left out of him, but the way it goes is where children pure and happy pray to the blessed child where misery cries out to the son of the mother.

Mild where charity stands watching and faith holds why the door the dark Knight wakes the glory breaks and Christmas comes once more God's complete John Eldridge puts it this way, which I think it's a beautiful and him being an author and you being an author. I'm sure you can appreciate that. Maybe he's quoting something that somebody else said that is just amazing.

He said no you here you have this phenomenal crescendo on all of the kingdom is the author of the story himself steps into the story. Christmas day and so I had never thought about it, but when we ask Christ into our life. The author of our very life is stepping into our life and expressing that yeah and that's the beautiful thing that you see with the CM if it also you see the author stepping into the meaning of the words here that when there is a quote that I read you about.

I can't tell you how real this gross to me. This is the wonder of Christmas know that you and I can know a Savior who loves us more than life and that it just get better with him. What we have to look forward to him.

You know that's why where Brooks said that one wonders with delight what it will grow to as the years go on, wrap things up with a word of prayer Robbie to suggest Lord blesses this Christmas know you to love to walk with you to take wonder all that you are to live with you and Matt Jesus hear more from Pastor James by visiting the website James Banks.org or by visiting these church in Durham, North Carolina.

May God bless you and encourage you to pray. This is the Truth Network