The reason the Son of God came was to destroy the devil’s work. – I John 3:8

“… born on Christmas Day/To save us all from Satan’s Power …”- “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” (Traditional Christmas carol)

When I was in high school my favorite activity was choir, and my favorite event was the Christmas program. For years we sang, among other things, a set of carols by Benjamin Britten. One of them was truly unique – I mean, who sings about spiritual warfare at Christmastime?

(WE did.)

“This Little Babe” approaches the topic of the Christ Child as a picture of God’s assault on the kingdom of darkness. This tiny Baby in the manger is the Commanding Officer of God’s armies, leading legions of angels against the devil and his demons.

The lyrics, like the Nativity story itself, is packed with ironies. They point to the awesome power of the seemingly helpless newborn Infant:

“This little Babe, so few days old is come to rival Satan’s fold; / All hell doth at His presence quake, though He Himself for cold do shake/ For in this meek unarmed wise/ The gates of hell He will surprise.”

The melody is intense, in a minor key, meant to be sung forcefully. While one would usually expect a song about a battle to be written for male voices, this one is for high voices – women, girls, or possibly young boys. (Our choir was made up of high school girls, and we sang it with gusto!)

While one might think of songs of warfare being accompanied by drums, cymbals, and trumpets, the only instrument accompanying these female voices is a harp.

The arrangement of the song creates growing intensity. The first verse is sung in unison, the second verse in a two-part round, the third verse in a three-part round, with no refrains in between, like waves of armed reinforcements charging over the hill to join the battle.

The voices come back together as the song reaches a crescendo, “My soul, with Christ, join thou in fight – “ and they end in unison, admonishing the audience to “foil thy foes with joy.”

All that content is packed into a song less than two minutes long!

I recently heard this carol for the first time in decades, and it struck me how profound the message is, unlike the usual songs about Santa, toys, snow, and rockin’ around the Christmas tree. Even songs about the sweet little Baby in the manger, the gentle beasts, shepherds, wisemen, and angels singing, might lull us into forgetting that a war is being waged daily on the battlefield of our minds. This little Baby came to set the prisoners free, and that involves defeating the kingdom of hell that has held us in bondage to sin for so long.

Just after the Fall of Man in the Garden of Eden, God prophesied to the serpent that the offspring of the woman would ultimately defeat him – “He will crush your head, and you will bruise his heel.” Genesis 3:15 No doubt the serpent (Satan) remembered those words down through history – and now, in the little town of Bethlehem, He had arrived!

Jesus, the offspring of the woman, with no human father, had come. Even as He lay sleeping, a tiny newborn, Satan’s doom was sealed.

So, while we’re singing songs about the cute little Baby, let’s not forget who He was, is, and always will be – the God who came for us then, fights for us now, and is coming back to complete His triumph over evil. And on that day, His victory will be like this carol – short and swift, forever separating the kingdom of heaven from the kingdom of darkness.

Which side will you be on?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, as we celebrate Your coming to earth, we thank You for the love You had for us. We are in awe of Your willingness to leave Your home in glory and be born as one of us, suffer in our place, die to pay the penalty of our sins, and rise to life again to show us the eternal life that awaits all those who love and follow You. Help us not to be distracted by the trappings of the season, but instead to have hearts and minds set on You, for it’s in Your name we pray, Amen.

Here is one performance of this truly unique Christmas carol – enjoy!

I am coming soon. – Jesus, Revelation 3:11a

Last year I posted about a beloved traditional Advent song that our choir director felt needed more verses. I shared the verses I added, highlighting Jesus other “comings” – out of the grave (Yeeha!) and His Second Coming, yet to happen.

For The Musical Believers: As Advent Is Here …

I just want to let my readers know that these verses are still not copyrighted, so if the Spirit leads, feel free to share these lyrics with your music minister, choir director – or sing them yourselves.

Come, Thou whom the prophets promised,
Thou of whom the cantors sing.
Come, Immanuel, God, be with us,
Thou our Prophet, Priest and King.
Jesus, Thou art all perfection,
Thou, whose fellowship we crave;
Thou the Life and Resurrection,
Come redeem us from the grave.

Come, Thou King, receive Thy kingdom;
With the angels, split the skies!
Come with clouds and trumpet sounding,
Bid Thy slumb’ring children rise.
Gather in Thine arms so tender
Sinners saved through faith alone,
Through the gates of heav’nly splendor
Unto our eternal home.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, whatever happens in the coming days, whether we are celebrating Your birth with joyful abandon, or we feel there is little to celebrate this year, help us always to be mindful that You are alive and coming again, and it could be any day – any moment. And may we live our lives accordingly. In Your name, amen.

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. – I Thessalonians 5:18

Some of my readers might remember Jackson, the little boy who invited the neighborhood bully to Sunday school. The bigger boy not only refused his invitation, he made fun of Jackson, making it clear he wanted nothing to do with God.

This makes Jackson grumpy! When he decides he’d like to be “cool” like the other boy, he uses the same line: “What did God ever do for me?” He has no idea he is about to go on a journey that will show him God does plenty. Jackson is going to learn that blessings don’t have to take the form of spectacular miracles. By the end of the journey, Jackson has gone from grumpy to very grateful!

If you have a little reader who is ready for “chapter books,” this might be a good place to start. It comes with illustrations by my good friend and award-winning artist, Roberta Dills, a vocabulary list, and suggestions for a family activity to generate gratitude in everybody.

Happy Thanksgiving!

“Grumpy to Grateful” is available on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=grumpy+to+grateful+by+Ann+Aschauer&crid=31PQCFP19L9P4&sprefix=grumpy+to+grateful+by+ann+aschauer%2Caps%2C183&ref=nb_sb_noss

Prayer: Lord, when we think of what we have to be grateful for, we hardly know where to start! Thank You for creating us to be objects of Your love and expressing that love through such an incredible gift – the sacrifice of Your Son! And thank You for the millions of ways You continue to show that love every day. May we love You with all we are and all we do, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Be very careful, then, how you live. Do not be unwise but wise, making the best use of your time because the times are evil. – Ephesians 5:15 – 16

Yesterday I woke up very early – or seemingly early. During the night, 2:00 A. M. had miraculously become 1:00 A. M.! It was that wonderful once-a-year privilege of turning our clocks back and “gaining” an hour! (We didn’t really gain an hour, just got back the hour we “lost” last spring.) I don’t know if other countries do the “spring-forward-fall-back” thing called “Daylight Savings’ Time,” but it’s a ritual carried out twice a year in most of the United States. My sister’s state of Arizona doesn’t indulge in such nonsense; consequently, she and I are two hours apart half the year and three hours apart the other half. In case we run out of things to think about when trying to figure out when to call each other.

But I digress …

One would think an extra hour would be a great help for someone like me who struggles with being on time. But anyone with punctuality problems will tell you, extra time isn’t always helpful.

I could blame my genes. When I was growing up, my family, the “tardy Hardys” were typically the last ones to arrive, and with my father, who never met a stranger, we were sometimes the last to leave. Our Sunday morning theme song was, “Sunday school is over, and we are going home,” the song wafting from the children’s Sunday school room as we pulled into the parking lot. (In our defense, that only happened once, the “spring-forward” weekend the year we forgot to reset our clocks.)

Digressing again …

Anyway, yesterday as I got up well before the alarm went off, I had a great feeling of being in control of the Sunday morning situation. I wasn’t just on time, I was ahead of time! I brewed a pot of coffee and sipped it smugly while answering a couple of text message that had come in. Hey, I had time, right? I went through all my morning routines – physical therapy, washing my face, fixing my hair, light breakfast, even making the bed. Being ahead of time was great!

But at one point (probably after changing my mind twice about what to wear) I realized I was no longer running way ahead of time. (Surprise.)

I still had about ten minutes to spare, though … if I could get out the door immediately.

I drove to church, applying my makeup whenever I sat at a red light. Once there, I debated where to park – Could I find a spot that was pleasantly close to church without being obviously selfish and taking the closest spot? By the time I had put the “club” on my steering wheel, gathered my purse, coffee, and Bible, I was sensing the Spirit telling me to give a couple of protein bars to the people who were rummaging through the nearby dumpster. A brief conversation ensued, and I invited them to church. I prayed with one of them for a job and made a couple of suggestions. By the time I reached my classroom, (You guessed it.) the teacher was finishing the opening prayer. My metal cannister of coffee fell to the floor, loudly announcing my arrival.

What happened to that extra hour?!

The Sunday school class was an in-depth study of Revelation, and the lesson that day focused on the coming Judgment of God. In that day there will be two kinds of people: those who are given grace, forgiveness, and eternal blessings, and those who face the wrath of God. (Revelation 8 has a chilling description of the latter.)

Having started the morning in the final book of the Bible, in the worship service we heard a message from Genesis, the book of beginnings. The subject was the Great Flood, when God brought judgment onto the world, sparing only Noah and his family. The rest of Mankind perished, the people Jesus later described as eating and drinking and marrying – carrying on “business as usual” – oblivious and unprepared for the judgment.

The message of both Genesis and Revelation – and every book in between – warns us:

God is holy, and He will judge justly. His wrath is justified. If we get what we deserve, we are all doomed.

But God is also merciful. He has provided a way to escape. Although we are powerless to save ourselves, Jesus, the sinless Son of God, willingly died on the cross, taking on Himself the punishment for our sins. We can come to Him, ask His forgiveness, and begin a new life with Him. This is the only way. If we turn it down, we are left to pay the penalty ourselves.

Someone I know and have been praying for recently went through a bit of a “scare,” medically, and during the time of uncertainty, he developed an intense interest in knowing God and salvation. He was reading the Bible, asking questions, and even requesting prayer. He had been to church for the past couple of Sundays and heard some very direct messages about God’s holiness, our sinfulness and depravity, and God’s offer of forgiveness.

Friday this person was given a clean bill of health! While thrilled for him, I wondered if he would show up at church yesterday. I was delighted to see him back, in spite of the fact that the immediate crisis had passed. – That crisis, anyway. Perhaps he’s realizing that any one of us could face sudden judgment any day, any minute.

The notion that “I still have plenty of time” can be deceiving and dangerous. Today most of us don’t think much about the certainty of death. But maybe we should. It will come, sooner or later. – What if it’s sooner?

To everyone reading this, I hope you have entrusted your soul Christ. We cannot save ourselves, and without Him we have no hope of escaping the just judgment of a holy God. If you haven’t repented and turned to Him for forgiveness and salvation, you can do it right now. Confess your sin and hopelessness apart from Him, acknowledge Jesus’ death as your atoning sacrifice, and commit to live the rest of your life for Him.

Whether the rest of your life is another day, or you “still have lots of time,” give that time to Him. You won’t regret it.

Prayer: Lord, You have given us each a set number of days on this earth, and we want to live our lives the way You created us to. Thank You for a new day, and whether it’s our last day on earth, or one in thousands, may we glorify You with it, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. – I John 3:8

Today you may find yourself surrounded by graveyards, zombies, and other decor celebrating death. Just remember the One who defeated death and promised eternal life to those who love Him. – He’s coming back!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for dying on our behalf to pay for our sins. We were lost, beyond hope, and irredeemable, until You offered Yourself as our atoning sacrifice. (We are not our own, we were bought with a price.) Thank You for freeing us from the fear of death, so we can live our lives to the fullest. Help us to live for Your glory. In Your name we pray. Amen.

 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season – II Timothy 4:2a

Friday my first installment of another “There’s-got-to-be-an-easier-way-to-get-readers” story appeared, and yesterday the conclusion of that story followed.

Side note: I’ve been trying to reconcile the two kinds of posts – the ones so long certain people won’t read them, and “cliffhangers” that bother other people.

For those of you with time to read them, here are parts 1 and 2:

There’s Got To Be an Easier Way To Get Readers – Episode Two

There’s Got To Be an Easier Way To Get Readers – Episode Two (Continued)

Today I had a related experience that made me laugh, and I wanted to share it with y’all as a post-script of sorts to my two-parter.

I was taking my usual morning “prayer walk,” where I gather my thoughts for the day and give everything to the Lord, so He can discard the garbage and preserve and protect the good stuff. As usual, early on I “put on the whole armor of God” – the “belt of truth” wrapped around me to keep me grounded, the “helmet of salvation” to guard my mind, and the “breastplate of righteousness” to guard my heart. Then there’s the combat boots …

“Having my feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace” in my prayers sounds like this:

“Lord, today send me where You want me to go. Let me encounter the people You want me to encounter and speak the words You want me to speak. May I stand firm in the gospel of peace, even as I am resting in the peace of the gospel.”

That day I encountered numerous people on the pier. It was a good day for walking and fishing. There were the usual casual greetings and petting friendly dogs and quietly smiling at fishermen. But as I was walking home along the road, there was one man who made a point of speaking to me. He apparently had something that was too exciting to keep to himself, and which he couldn’t wait to tell someone, even though he didn’t know me from Eve.

He stopped his truck and declared through the open window, “I really got lucky today!” I looked at him quizzically. He went on to tell me he had left his cell phone on top of his truck and didn’t realize until he needed to use it that it wasn’t in the cab. He’d thought he had lost it forever. But it had slid off the roof into the back of his truck, and he was able to retrieve it. He exclaimed once again, “I really got lucky!”

Those who know me (or just those who read yesterday’s post) know my standard answer: “I don’t believe in luck.” I told him I’d had an accident on the highway just the week before and could have been killed but came out of it without a scratch.

His eyes got big, and he repeated what the Midas man had said, verbatim: “Somebody was looking out for you.”

I smiled. “He’s been looking out for me for 71 years,” I told him. He smiled back, as if to let me know he doesn’t really believe in “luck,” either.

“Well,” I said, “God bless you the rest of the day, too.” He grinned, thanked me, and drove on.

As he drove away, I questioned whether I should have said more. I suppose there are those who would have launched into a full-blown explanation of the gospel then and there, but as often happens, I didn’t get the feeling that was needed. I prayed he caught a glimpse of my “Jesus” necklace and could recognize who that “Somebody” is that’s been looking out for me. I prayed he’d see his near mishap/disaster with his cell phone as a playful a wink from God, who is looking out for him, too. Anyway, I was grateful for the opportunity to give a min-testimony. (How did I sum up two days’ worth of blog posts into one sentence?!)

So, as Scripture says, we should be ready in season and out of season. You never know when someone will come along, who for some reason feels they just have to talk to you!

Prayer: Lord, we know You can and do send us where You want us to go, and You set up “divine appointments” anytime, anywhere. Thank You for giving us lives that are full of surprises, big and small, when we turn our days over to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.