Singing and Praying your Way Through Christmas

Nothing says Christmas like a wonderful family in Asia, getting a water buffalo is like getting a farm tractor pulled while working getting the stand of the market water Buffalo opened. More importantly, it opens the door to talk about Jesus and nothing says Christmas better than that. Join Truth Network in supporting gospel for Asia gift today@truthnetwork.com and click on the Christmas critter campaign. This is Chris shoes with the Christian perspective podcast with Chris use. We encourage our listeners to engage the culture with Jesus Christ your chosen Truth Network podcast is starting a just a few seconds. So enjoy it share but most of all, thank you for listening to 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 physical insight help you learn to mom and now we very very Christmas to our wonderful listeners and places including India were so excited to know that encouraging prayer broadcast and podcast as folks listing all over the world. How exciting their people in linear India that will be listening today. Christmas day, James wonderful really is, and we wish everyone a very Merry Christmas wherever you may be today were finishing up with our singing and praying our way through Christmas. Rob evening already in India, it's appropriate.

But tonight were going to talk about Silent Night it is, after all, probably the most known, most of Christmas all time. You know it's been translated into something like 140 languages. That's amazing and I understand that it was first written in German, actually, which I know is your favorite languages over 200 years so the lyrics for a little different. They are the German everyone is sleeping except for Mary and Joseph were watching their blessed curlyhaired boy is the story behind this Christmas song is pretty amazing right. It started on Christmas Eve with a poem that Joseph motor had a couple of years before right. He actually wrote it, I think. In 1816 but the church was located right by a river, not not far from Salzburg, and it flooded earlier so the organ wasn't working and he was in a rush to fix things for the Christmas evening service. They had to change their plan home to the couple for anyone addressing something new it at the service and he went to his friend from school, but that the church organist and in just a couple of hours. Group work basically composed melody and and it was played on the night while I was sound of music based on the picture right there on that river. So I love that it shows how God is able to take even are really arrest efforts where things are broken and nothing seems to work in Houston. The message of the song is all about if we take that to heart especially when things are going wrong in our lives all the time. You know, if we take that to heart it changes everything.

We were just talking about how it really stop the war, at least for a day yeah World War I Christmas Eve in Belgium in 1914, and talk about an amazing story. The British heard the German singing Silent Night where they were dug in. Both sides are are behind their defenses and this is no man's land between then here comes Carol just little king over this area that in the course. The British and melody and they start singing it in English and beautiful thing happens. The men start to lay down there and they come out and no man's land there still singing nobody shooting and they shook hands and and they gave each other gifts from the rations in the next day they talk and laugh together and organize batches and it's a true story. The event is called the Christmas truce of 1914 and in the course of this was frowned upon by the higher-ups. Just look at the difference Jesus makes in our hearts when when we let him in and receive the message of his peace. It's so amazing.

Let's talk about this song and really a prayer yeah yeah the whole thing again is really about peace. Jesus give about Love's pure light and the grace it saves us and the truth is that if you know Jesus and if you are sincerely trying to follow him. There's there's a piece only he get an he promised it when he said, peace I leave with you my my peace I give you. I do not give the world. If so, do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid to write in John 14 right right in and what's happening in that chapter is that Jesus told the disciples going away course are upset about that questioning where is he going and why can't I go with him. Then Jesus tells good for them that he's going away because if he goes to send the comforter, his spirit who will be his.

His presence with them always, and he describes what that'll be like you describe these. That's the beautiful secret about Jesus he think he that's what his presence does in our hearts and lives as we live close to him. That's why he's called the Prince of peace. So our challenge is to let his peace rule in our hearts right. That's what Paul wrote about in Colossians exactly in the way that happens is losing heart heart with him in prayer and that's what we really want to encourage your listeners to work this morning. This is really been our theme for the year just just being with Jesus and as we are. He keeps us in this piece of what we need to do is go to him in our hearts to love him to turn from anything that separates us from him any sin in our hearts and lives in and ask for his forgiveness know that is we do.

He's even more willing to forgive us, then we are and then stay close to him and you will rest in him.

Literally, sleep in heavenly peace sleep in heavenly peace.

You know if it is he is peace with God and there is no greater gift chance can you wrap this up by praying that we will live there and know him and share his love with others as well.

Absolutely. Let's pray Lord help us help us to receive you because you are peace to live with you in our hearts close to you just resting in in who you are and all you have done for us. Thank you. You are Christmas you beautiful hear more from Pastor James by visiting the website James Banks.org or by visiting church in Durham, North Carolina. May God bless you and encourage you to pray. This is the Truth Network