(Teddy Roosevelt warned us about the need to keep Christian Civilization alive at all costs. Here I have chronicled how that has been accomplished over the centuries, right up to today. I think it is important for you to know the major details of how it has been done. Do review them below.)

“We will advance Christian CIVILIZATION or revert to the horrors of brutal paganism. The choice between the two is upon us” -Theodore Roosevelt

President William Howard Taft had stated at a missionary conference in 1908: “No man can study the movement of modern CIVILIZATION from an impartial standpoint, and not realize that Christianity and the spread of Christianity are the basis of hope of modern CIVILIZATION in the growth of popular self government. The spirit of Christianity is pure democracy. It is equality of man before God — the equality of man before the law, which is, as I understand it, the most God-like manifestation that man has been able to make.”

In 1923, in his last public address, titled “The Road Away from Revolution,” President Woodrow Wilson warned: “In these doubtful and anxious days, when all the world is at unrest, the road ahead seems darkened by shadows which portend dangers. Ground for the universal unrest is not to be found in superficial politics or in mere economic blunders. It probably lies deep at the sources of the spiritual life of our time”

Wilson added: “That supreme task, which is nothing less than the salvation of CIVILIZATION, now faces democracy. We call ours a Christian CIVILIZATION, a Christian conception of justice. Our CIVILIZATION cannot survive materially unless it be redeemed spiritually. It can be saved only by becoming permeated with the spirit of Christ and being made free and happy by the practices which spring out of that spirit.”

President Franklin D. Roosevelt stated October 6, 1935: “The 400th anniversary of the printing of the first English Bible is an event of great significance. We trace not only a measurable increase in the cultural value and influence of this greatest of books, but a quickening in the widespread dissemination of those moral and spiritual precepts that have so greatly affected the progress of Christian CIVILIZATION.”

Franklin D. Roosevelt stated at the Dedication of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, September 2, 1940: “There is another enemy at home that mocks at ideals, sneers at sacrifice and pretends that the American people can live by bread alone. If the spirit of God is not in us, and if we will not prepare to give all that we have and all that we are to preserve Christian CIVILIZATION in our land, we shall go to destruction.”

John F. Kennedy wrote to Brazil’s President, January 31, 1961: “To each of us is entrusted the heavy responsibility of guiding the affairs of a democratic nation founded on Christian ideals.”

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill stated June 18, 1940: “The Battle of France is over. I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian CIVILIZATION.”

Churchill stated July 14, 1940: “We are not fighting for ourselves alone. Here in this strong City of Refuge which enshrines the title-deeds of human progress and is of deep consequence to Christian CIVILIZATION; here, girt about by the seas and oceans where the Navy reigns, shielded from above by the prowess and devotion of our airmen, we await undismayed the impending assault.”

President Truman introduced Winston Churchill in Fulton, Missouri, March 5, 1946.  Churchill stated: “Except in the British Commonwealth and in the United States where Communism is in its infancy, the Communist parties or fifth columns constitute a growing challenge and peril to Christian CIVILIZATION.”

On V-J Day, August 14, 1945, President Harry S Truman stated at a News Conference announcing the end of World War II: “I have received this afternoon a message from the Japanese Government. ‘His Majesty the Emperor is prepared to authorize all the forces under their control wherever located to cease active operations, to surrender arms.’

The next day, President Truman released a message:  “The enemies of CIVILIZATION who would have destroyed completely all freedom of religion have been defeated. All faiths unite in thanksgiving to Almighty God on our victory over the forces of evil. Let us now all join to create the kind of peace settlement which will keep alive freedom of religious belief all over the world, and prevent the recurrence of all this misery and destruction. That is the most fitting memorial we can erect to those who have fought and suffered and labored and died in this struggle for mankind.”

On August 16, 1945, Truman proclaimed a Day of Prayer: “The warlords of Japan have surrendered unconditionally. This is the end of the schemes of dictators to enslave the peoples of the world, destroy their CIVILIZATION, and institute an era of darkness and degradation.”

He added: “Our global victory has come from the courage of free men and women united in determination to fight. It has come from the massive strength of arms created by peace-loving peoples who knew that unless they won, decency in the world would end. It has come from millions of peaceful citizens turned soldiers overnight, who showed a ruthless enemy that they were not afraid to fight.”

Truman concluded: “It has come with the help of God, Who was with us in the early days of adversity and Who has now brought us to this glorious day of triumph. Let us give thanks to Him and dedicate ourselves to follow in His ways.”

President Theodore Roosevelt included in his book Fear God and Take Your Own Part (1916), his address to the American Sociological Congress: “The CIVILIZATION of Europe, America and Australia exists today at all only because of the victories of civilized man over the enemies of CIVILIZATION. Because of victories stretching through the centuries from Charles Martel in the 8th century and those of John Sobieski in the 17th century. During the thousand years that included the careers of the Frankish soldier and the Polish king, the Christians of Asia and Africa proved unable to wage successful war with the Moslem conquerors; and in consequence Christianity practically vanished from the two continents; and today nobody can find in Mohammedism any ‘social values’ whatever, in the sense in which we use the words, so far as the sphere of Mohammedan influences are concerned.”

Roosevelt continued: There are such ‘social values’ today in Europe, America and Australia only because during those thousand years the Christians of Europe possessed the warlike power to do what the Christians of Asia and Africa had failed to do— that is, to beat back the Moslem invader.”

In his last public address, President Richard Nixon warned August 8, 1974: “In the Middle East, there are 100 million people in the Arab countries who worship Mohamed. Down deep, they are a major potential enemy. We must continue to oppose their principles if necessary, so that cradle of CIVILIZATON will not become its grave.”

David Horowitz, a conservative author who had previously been a 1960s radical Marxist, wrote in the Jewish World Review, September 6, 2001: “The ‘social justice’ organizations, socialist protesters of today, are the Fifth Column vanguards plotting to tear down Christian Civilization from within.”

What is at stake?

Do you, as an individual, like having the choice of where to live, what career to pursue, who to marry, what religion to adhere to, or not, how to dress, what to eat, and what to think? If you like making these choices for yourself, you like Western Civilization. Western Civilization can be summed up in one word — “individual.”

President Dwight Eisenhower addressed the American Legion’s Back-to-God Program, February 20, 1955: “The Founding Fathers expressed the ideal of Government based on the individual. That ideal previously, had existed only in the hearts and minds of men. They recognized God as the author of individual rights.”

Simply put, you have a worth and an identity simply because you are made in the image of God.

All other social structures can be summed up in the word “group.” In them your worth and identity are in relation to your acceptance by a group, a clan, a tribe, a gang, a family, a community, an ummah, a clique, a brotherhood, a society, a state, a company, a social network, the vaccinated, or a political party.

They are called “honor-shame cultures,” if you conform or contribute to this group and the group praises you, you are worth more. Online, it is being friended, followed, liked, trending. If you do not contribute, or are considered a drain or a threat to the group, you are worth-less, and the group shames, fires, ostracizes, or kills you. Online, it is being unfriended, unfollowed, unliked, blocked, de-platformed, cyber-bullied, cancelled. And like a pecking order, every group ends up having an influencer, a party boss, a gang leader, a king.

Critical Race Theory is the process of categorizing everyone into groups, then pitting them against each other to create division, fear, panic, and hysteria. In the confusion, people will trade freedom for security, allowing the government to usurp power.

In the Old Testament, God called ancient Israel out of the group — the Egyptian world, and set them apart.

In the New Testament, Jesus calls each individual to come out of the world, to personally love Him more than being accepted by any group. Believers are to shun peer-pressure and the fear of man, and leave the herd mentality, the mob mentality, the pack mentality, and instead, care only about being accepted in the sight of God.

Jesus said: “How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?” John 5:44

 This thought influenced America’s founders. President Reagan stated in 1961: “In this country of ours took place the greatest revolution that has ever taken place in the world’s history. Every other revolution simply exchanged one set of rulers for another. Here for the first time in all the thousands of years of man’s relation to man the founding fathers established the idea that you and I had within ourselves the God-given right and ability to determine our own destiny.”

Henry Cabot Lodge, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Committee, spoke against joining the League of Nation, August 12, 1919: “The United States is the world’s best hope. Beware how you trifle with your marvelous inheritance; this great land of ordered liberty. For if we stumble and fall, freedom and CIVILIZATION everywhere will go down in ruin.”

And to sum it all up, once again we turn to the great, tough Teddy Roosevelt, who warned in 1909:

“I believe that the next half century will determine if we will continue to advance the cause of Christian CIVILIZATION or revert to the horrors of brutal paganism. The choice between the two is upon us.”

Ron

—

The Bible says: Proverbs 18:24 (NKJV)

“A man who has friends must himself be Friendly”

The Lord desires for you to have an intimate relationship with Him, but He doesn’t stop there. He wants you to have enriching fellowship with other people as well. When you are lonely, you are to turn first to the Father. But you can also rely upon the people He has placed in your life.

Friend, God has given you people to love. They may not be the ones you wish you had a relationship with, but the Lord has placed them in your life for a purpose. And your loneliness will be remedied by interaction with them rather than by an escape into fantasy or other addictive behavior.

One of the greatest blessings in life is a godly friend. So don’t be reluctant to call upon your loved ones when you experience moments of loneliness, grief, debilitating loss, or profound despair. He has placed other people in your life to love you, spend time with you, and help you break through the wall of separation you feel from the world.

Therefore, don’t remain isolated. Reach out to others and thank God for your friendships.

(Jefferson is most known for writing the Declaration of Independence. He also contributed significantly to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and many other significant American documents. Since he was so important to the founding of America, I think it is significant to know where and how he got his ideas. Below, I have chronicled that for you. Do read it so that you will know.)

On January 1, 1802, the people of Cheshire, Massachusetts, delivered a giant block of cheese weighing 1,235 lbs to President Thomas Jefferson, being presented by the famous Baptist preacher, John Leland.

On the block of cheese, they put Jefferson’s motto, which was also on his personal seal: “Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God.”

After delivering the cheese, John Leland was then invited to preach to the President and Congress in the U.S. Capitol. The subject of his talk was “separation of church and state.”

Baptists had been particularly persecuted in colonial Virginia, as Francis L. Hawks wrote in Ecclesiastical History (1836): “No dissenters in Virginia experienced for a time harsher treatment than the Baptists. They were beaten and imprisoned, Cruelty taxed and were subjected to new modes of punishment and annoyance.”

So many Baptist ministers were harassed, and their church services disrupted, that James Madison introduced legislation in Virginia’s Legislature on October 31, 1785, titled “A Bill for Punishing Disturbers of Religious Worship,” which passed in 1789.

Colonial Virginia had a government imposed belief system, an “establishment” of the Church of England, or “Anglican Church” from 1606 to 1786. Establishment meant mandatory membership, mandatory taxes to support it; and no one could hold public office unless they were a member. This was modeled after European nations who had establishments of different Christian denominations.

Patrick Henry almost succeeded in having Virginia not ratify the Constitution as it did not have a Bill of Rights guaranteeing, among other things, the freedom of religion. Baptist Preacher John Leland had considered running for Congress, as he wanted an Amendment added to the new United States Constitution which would protect religious liberty.

Leland reportedly met with James Madison near Orange, Virginia. Upon Madison’s promise to introduce what would become the First Amendment, Leland agreed to persuade Baptists to get involved in politics and support Madison.

John Leland wrote in Rights of Conscience Inalienable, 1791, that they wanted not just toleration, but equality: “Every man must give account of himself to God, and therefore every man ought to be at liberty to serve God in a way that he can best reconcile to his conscience. If government can answer for individuals at the day of judgment, let men be controlled by it in religious matters; otherwise, let men be free.”

Following George Whitefield’s First Great Awakening Revival, 1730-1755, a Second Great Awakening Revival took place between 1790-1840. In Thomas Jefferson’s county of Albemarle, Baptist, Presbyterian and Methodist revival meetings were held. Even Jefferson’s daughter, Mary, attended a Baptist revival preached by Lorenzo Dow.

On July 4, 1826, the editor of the Christian Watchman (Boston, MA) published an account: Thomas F. Curtis wrote in The Progress of Baptist Principles in the Last Hundred Years (Charleston, S.C.: Southern Baptist Publication Society, 1856): “ANDREW TRIBBLE was the Pastor of a small Baptist Church, which held its monthly meetings at a short distance from Mr. JEFFERSON’S house, eight or ten years before the American Revolution. Mr. JEFFERSON attended the meetings of the church for several months in succession, and after one of them, asked Elder TRIBBLE to go home and dine with him, with which he complied.

Mr. TRIBBLE asked Mr. JEFFERSON how he was pleased with their Church Government?

 Mr. JEFFERSON replied, that it had struck him with great force, and had interested him so much; that he considered it the only form of pure democracy that then existed in the world, and had concluded that it would be the best plan of Government for the American Colonies.”

(Thus, it is recorded and codified that the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were patterned after the democratic principles of the government of Baptist Churches which were found most preferable by Thomas Jefferson. Read further of you want to see them more iterated.)

“A gentleman in North Carolina knowing that the venerable Mrs. (Dolley) Madison had some recollections on the subject, asked her in regard to them. She expressed a distinct remembrance of Mr. Jefferson speaking on the subject, and always declaring that it was a Baptist church from which his views were gathered.”

President Calvin Coolidge stated at the 150th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1926: “This preaching reached the neighborhood of Thomas Jefferson, who acknowledged that his ‘best ideas of democracy’ had been secured at church meetings.”

After Jefferson’s wife and two children died of the plage, he became depressed and moved to France for a little while. Upon returning to America, Jefferson introduced a bill in the Virginia Assembly. Jefferson’s bill, with the help of James Madison, was passed by Virginia’s Assembly, January 16, 1786.

So significant was this bill, that Jefferson noted it on his gravestone as “The Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom.” It stated: “Almighty God hath created the mind free. All attempts to influence it by temporal punishments are a departure from the plan of the Holy Author of religion, who being Lord both of body and mind, yet chose not to propagate it by coercions on either, as was in His Almighty power to do. To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions, which he disbelieves is sinful and tyrannical. Be it enacted that no man shall suffer on account of his religious opinions.”

This last paragraph, if applied today, would mean that Jefferson would have opposed Christian parents having to pay taxes to have their children indoctrinated in public schools with anti-biblical views on sex and marriage.

Consistent throughout his life Jefferson believed that there was a Creator and that the government should never force one’s conscience. Over time, brilliant legal minds have used Jefferson’s words about the “separation of church and state” to prohibit Jefferson’s beliefs; even though he intended them to mean only that the state should not interfere with the church. He never intended that they should ever be used to separate one from the church, or God.

Jefferson believed in a Creator, as he wrote in the Declaration: “All men are endowed by their CREATOR.”

Yet in 2005, U.S. District Judge John E. Jones, in Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District, ruled students could not be taught of a CREATOR: “to preserve the separation of church and state.”

Inscribed on the Jefferson Memorial, Washington, DC is Jefferson’s warning:

“God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that His justice cannot sleep forever.”

RON

The Bible says: Hebrews 4:16 (NLT)

“let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”

God always wants you to go to Him. Always. As His child, you are eternally welcome in His holy presence. Any feeling of shame that keeps you from approaching Him originates from you—not from Him.

This is one of the reasons the enemy will temp you to sin or violate commands. He knows that if he can get you to rebel against God, you will feel so guilty and embarrassed about it, you will hide from the Father’s loving presence. The more the enemy can get you to focus on your unworthiness, the easier it is for him to keep you from the Savior who makes you worthy.

But understand that God wants to forgive you and welcome you into His presence no matter what you’ve done or how you feel. Go to Him. Pray to Him, turn from sin, and accept his grace. His loving arms faithfully await you.

Baylor grads remember the very popular physics professor at Baylor, Dr. Robert Packard. Many students wanted to take his introductory physics course which he made so very interesting for non-science students.

When he first came to Baylor his brilliance was little known. However, at that time, he taught me and a few others Baylors’ most advanced physics courses. We just loved him, for he was so close to God. He died recently at age 94. And he did not get to see the recent greatest breakthrough in all physics history. It is the most amazing scientific fete of all time.

Einstein predicted its theoretical possibility 80 years ago with his famous E=mc² formula, which states that energy and matter (or mass) are interchangeable. The formula has now been proved, for actual matter has been created from pure light……real matter from pure light only.

It has been done at the Brookhaven National Laboratory under the U.S. Department of Energy. They caused two gold (Au) ions to move in opposite directions at 99.995% of the speed of light. As the ions pass one another without colliding, two photons from the electromagnetic cloud surrounding the ions can interact with each other to create a matter-antimatter pair: an electron and a positron. It was possible by using some of the most powerful lasers ever created.

In UPTON, NY—Scientists studying particle collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC)—a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science user facility for nuclear physics research at DOE’s Brookhaven National Laboratory—have produced definitive evidence for physics phenomena predicted more than 80 years ago. The results were derived from a detailed analysis of more than 6,000 pairs of electrons and positrons produced in glancing particle collisions at the RHIC.

The primary finding is that pairs of electrons and positrons—particles of matter and antimatter—can be created directly by colliding with very energetic photons, which are quantum “packets” of light. This conversion of energetic light into matter is a direct consequence of Einstein’s famous E=MC² equation, which states that energy and matter (or mass) are interchangeable. Nuclear reactions in the sun and at nuclear power plants regularly convert matter into energy. Now scientists have converted light energy directly into matter in a single step.

In other words, the results depend on the ability of RHIC’s STAR detector—the Solenoid Tracker at RHIC—to measure the angular distribution of particles produced in glancing collisions of gold ions (Au) moving at nearly the speed of light.

The Bible says Revelation 19:16

“On His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, ‘King of Kings and Lord of Lords'”

It’s amazing how quickly life can change. Perhaps you’re looking back today and remembering all that’s occurred since the year began. Problems that consumed your heart last January are a distant memory, while blessings and opportunities that didn’t seem possible a few months ago have appeared by surprise.

If you focus on the ever-changing nature of life, you may feel discouraged about the future. But nothing will encourage you more than considering God’s absolute faithfulness through it all.

Though this year ends, He remains sovereign over all that exists. Allow this truth to comfort you as you face the unknowns ahead. He remains sovereign over all that exists. No problem is too overwhelming for your heavenly Father. He is your perfect leader, who guides you wisely to triumph no matter what happens. And his love for you never fails.

So, as the new Year begins, rejoice that the One who’s always King will always be with you. And that’s a fact that will never change.

From 1714 to 1718, James Oglethorpe was a military aide under the command of Prince Eugene of Savoy fighting to drive the Muslim Turks out of Belgrade, Serbia.

After the battle, at the age of 22, Oglethorpe returned to England, where he entered Parliament and worked for prison reform after one of his friends died in debtors prison.

In 1732, Oglethorpe founded the Colony of Georgia in America for poor debtors and persecuted Christians. Oglethorpe defended Georgia from attacks launched out of Spanish Florida.

General James Oglethorpe’s secretary was Charles Wesley. Charles’ brother, John Wesley, served as the colony’s Anglican minister. John Wesley’s efforts to evangelize the Indians proved more difficult than anticipated, and his strict religiosity was resented by the colonists.

In 1737, John and Charles Wesley returned to England where they were befriended by a Moravian missionary named Peter Boehler, who was waiting for a ship to sail to Georgia. Peter Boehler shared with the Wesleys regarding the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which resulted in their “Aldersgate experience” in May of 1738.

John Wesley wrote: “In the evening, I went very unwillingly to a Society in  Aldersgate-Street, where one was reading Luther’s preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ; Christ alone, for salvation;  and an assurance was given me, that he had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.”

John Wesley went over to Europe and lived with the Moravians for eight months. He accepted their faith “the religion of the heart.” The Wesleys’ began preaching that God’s grace was free for all. They influenced George Whitefield, who spread the Great Awakening Revival throughout the American colonies.

God is just, and therefore He must judge every sin; but God is love, as He provided His Son to take the judgement for our sins. The Lamb is God’s way to love us without having to judge us! This was foreshadowed when Abraham was taking his son, Isaac, to the top of Mount Moriah, Genesis 22:7-8: “Isaac spake unto Abraham. My father behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering.”

This passage has a double meaning: First, that God will provide a sacrifice, a ram caught by its head in a thorn bush on top of Mount Moriah; and Second, that God will provide a sacrifice, His only begotten Son, upon whose head was a crown of thorns.

Charles Wesley wrote in a hymn published in 1738: “Amazing love! How can it be, That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?”

Charles Wesley was the 18th child of Rev. Samuel and Susanna Wesley, born December 18, 1707, in Epworth, England. Susanna Wesley home-schooled all her 19 children, giving them a classical education which included learning Latin and Greek. Charles Wesley excelled in his studies. He attended Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford, where he came to the attention of Garret Wellesley, a member of the British Parliament with a large fortune in Daugan, Ireland. Having no child, Garret Wellesley offered to adopt Charles as his heir, but Charles declined. Garret Wellesley then decided to leave his estate to his cousin Richard Colley Wellesly, the father of Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, who became famous for his role in defeating Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

After graduating from Oxford, Charles Wesley sailed to the Colony of Georgia in 1732, serving as secretary to the colony’s founder, General James Oglethorpe.

In 1739, Charles Wesley penned “Hark! how all the Welkin – Heaven – rings.” George Whitefield suggested the first line be changed to “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” The song was put to the music of Lutheran composer Felix Mendelssohn, grandson of the notable Jewish philosopher, Moses Mendelssohn. “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing” was first published in 1739 in the collection Hymns and Sacred Poems. It was republished in George Whitefield’s Collection of Hymns for Social Worship in 1754.

In America, at this time, the French and Indian War was heating up. British General Edward Braddock fought the Battle of the Monongahela in 1755, assisted by the young officer named George Washington, who was miraculously spared. Also at the battle on the side of the British was 20-year-old wagon driver Daniel Boone. Colonial Americans found hope in singing Charles Wesley’s hymn:

“Hark, the Herald Angels sing, Glory to the new-born King, Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled.

Joyful all ye nations rise, Join the triumph of the skies; with angelic host proclaim, Christ is born in Bethlehem.”

Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”

Christ by highest heav’n adored, Christ the everlasting Lord! Late in time, behold Him come, Offspring of a Virgin’s womb, Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, Hail the incarnate Deity!

Pleased as man with man to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel, Hark! The herald angels sing,”Glory to the newborn King!”

Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Son of Righteousness! Light and life to all He brings, Ris’n with healing in His wings.

Mild He lays His glory by, Born that man no more may die, Born to raise the sons of earth, Born to give them second birth.

Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King!”

The same year Charles Wesley was born, 1707, Isaac Watts wrote the carol “Joy to the World,” which became one of the most published Christmas hymns in North America.

“Joy to the world! The Lord is come; Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare him room, And heaven and nature sing,

And heaven and nature sing, And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the world! The Saviour reigns; Let men their songs employ;

While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains

Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow, Nor thorns infest the ground;

He comes to make His blessings flow Far as the curse is found,

Far as the curse is found, Far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace, And makes the nations prove

The glories of His righteousness, And wonders of His love,

And wonders of His love, And wonders, wonders, of His love.”

At this time in Europe, composer George Frideric Handel was at a low point in his career, having suffered partial paralysis on his left side due to a stroke.

Incredibly, beginning August 22, 1741, George Handel composed “Messiah” in only 21 days, as part of a series of concerts in Dublin to benefit charities.

In Messiah, Handel included a line from the Book of Job 19:25:

“I know that my Redeemer liveth.”

The premiere was met with overwhelming success.

When it was performed in London, King George II stood to his feet during the singing of the “Hallelujah” Chorus.

In reflecting on the “Hallelujah Chorus,” 1742, Handel expressed what he saw in his mind and spirit that he expressed in the music:

“I did think I did see all heaven before me, and the great God Himself.

Another popular Christmas carol first published in 1751 was “O Come, All Ye Faithful,” originally written in Latin as “Adeste Fideles.” It is one of the oldest hymns, with attributions to 11th century Cistertian monks, 13th century St. Bonaventure, 17th century Portugal’s King John the Fourth, or 18th century John F. Wade, with music by John Reading:

“O come, all ye faithful, Joyful and triumphant,

O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem.

Come and behold Him, Born the King of angels! 

– Chorus –

O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

God of God, Light of Light,

Lo! he abhors not the Virgin’s womb;

Very God, Begotten not created.

– Chorus –

O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

Sing, choirs of angels, Sing in exultation;

Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!

Glory to God, In the highest; 

– Chorus –

O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,

O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, Born this happy morning;

Jesus, to Thee be glory given; Word of the Father,

Now in flesh appearing. 

– Chorus –

O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,

How the world’s most famous Christmas carol came to be written and set to music:

O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.”

How “Silent Night” the world’s most famous Christmas carol came to be written and set to music:

In 1818, a roving band of actors was performing in towns throughout the Austrian Alps. On December 23, they arrived at Oberndorf, a village near Salzburg, where they were to re-enact the story of Christ’s birth in the small Church of St. Nicholas.

Unfortunately, the St. Nicholas’ church organ wasn’t working and would not be repaired before Christmas. Because the church organ was out of commission, the actors presented their Christmas drama in a private home. That Christmas presentation of the events in the first chapters of Matthew and Luke put assistant pastor Josef Mohr in a meditative mood. Instead of walking straight home that night, Mohr took a longer way to his house. The longer path took him up on a hill overlooking the village.

From that hilltop, Mohr looked down on the peaceful snow-covered village. Reveling in the majestic silence of a wintry night, he recalled a poem he had written a couple of years before about the night angels announced the birth of the Messiah to shepherds.

Mohr decided those words might make a good carol for his congregation the following evening at their Christmas Eve service. The problem was he didn’t have any music to which that poem could be sung. So, the next day, Mohr went to see the church organist, Franz Xaver Gruber. Gruber only had a few hours to compose a melody that could be played on a guitar. By that evening, Gruber had composed a musical setting for the poem. That the church organ was inoperable no longer mattered. They now had a Christmas carol that could be sung without an organ.

On Christmas Eve, the small Oberndorf congregation heard Gruber and Mohr sing their new composition to the accompaniment of Gruber’s guitar.

Weeks later, well-known organ builder Karl Mauracher arrived in Oberndorf to fix the organ in St. Nicholas church. When Mauracher finished, he let Gruber test the instrument. Gruber began playing the simple melody he had written for Mohr’s poem. Impressed, Mauracher took copies of the music and words back to his own Alpine village, Kapfing. There, two well-known families of singers — the Rainers and the Strassers — heard it. Captivated by “Silent Night,” both groups put the new song into their Christmas repertoire.

The Strasser sisters spread the carol across northern Europe. In 1834, they performed “Silent Night” for King Frederick William IV of Prussia, who liked it so much he ordered his cathedral Christmas Eve group to perform it.

Twenty years after “Silent Night” was written, the Rainers brought the song to the United States, singing the original German version at New York City’s Trinity Church.

In 1863, nearly fifty years after being sung in German, “Silent Night” was translated into English by either Jane Campbell or John Young. Eight years later, that English version made its way into print in Charles Hutchins’ Sunday School Hymnal. Today, the words of “Silent Night” are sung worldwide in more than 300 languages.

Artists who have recorded it in English include Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley, and Mariah Carey. Bing Crosby’s version is one of the best-selling singles of all time.

Here are the complete lyrics of Silent Night in English:

“Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night, holy night
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing halleluia
Christ the Savior is born
Christ the Savior is born

Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus Lord at Thy birth
Jesus Lord at Thy birth”

Ron

The Bible says: Luke 2:14 (NIV)

Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.

Does your heart yearn for peace? The hectic nature of Christmas sometimes inspires more weariness, conflict, loneliness, and feelings of unworthiness than the joy promised by the angles at Christ’s birth. The tumult within your spirit and unfulfilled dreams may leave you longing for rest. But be assured, your Savior desires to give you genuine tranquility in the midst of all the pressures of the season (John 14:27).

Friend, you will feel exhausted and overwhelmed when you believe everything depends on you. But Christ calms your soul by taking full responsibility for your needs as you obey Him. You’ll find peace when you trust Him, because you’re assured that the One who is best able to give you the victory in every situation will never leave or forsake you.

So when you feel overwhelmed, stop and spend time with your Prince of Peace. Then rejoice in the fact that he’s got everything under control (Psalm 103:19). Truly, He is always ready, willing, and able to help you (Psalm 46:1).

Ron

(Most gentile folks know that the Jewish people have a ceremony around our Christmas time. They call it Hanukkah. However, most gentiles know very little about it. I think it would be pertinent for you to know all about it. I have chronicled the story of Hanukkah for your benefit below. Do read it and find out all about Hanukkah.)

Hanukkah represents the Rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 164 BC.

The origin of lights at this season can be traced back to the Jewish Festival of Lights, or Feast of the Dedication, in Hebrew called “Hanukkah.”

Solomon’s week-long dedication of the First Temple began on the 1st day of the Hebrew month Tishri, in the 10th century B.C., ending on the 8th day of Tishrei.  (First Kings 8; Second Chronicles 7.)

Beginning in 597 B.C., the army of Babylon surrounded Jerusalem, deposed King Jehoiachin, and deported the first group of Jews.

Babylonian’s army returned and destroyed the First Temple on the 9th day of the month of Av, circa 587 B.C., and made a second deportation of Jews.

The prophet Jeremiah wrote in chapter 25: “And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the Lord.”

And Jeremiah wrote in chapter 29: “For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.”

The prophet Daniel read Jeremiah’s prophecy and wrote in chapter 9: “In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.”

In 539 B.C., Cyrus of Persia captured Babylon, the ancient world’s largest city. Shortly after, Cyrus let Jews return to Jerusalem after 70 years of captivity.

The Book of Ezra, chapter 6, recorded how Jews built the Second Temple and dedicated it in 516 B.C.

Around 334 B.C., Alexander the Great invaded from the west and speedily conquered the Medo-Persian Empire.

The prophet Daniel foretold in chapter 8: “The male goat was coming from the west over the surface of the whole earth without touching the ground; and the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. (That was Alexander the Great). He came up to the ram that had the two horns, which I had seen standing in front of the canal, and rushed at him in his mighty wrath and he struck the ram and shattered his two horns.”

Thus, the common understanding is that Alexander’s Empire, after numerous  battles, was divided up thus:

Seleucus ruled the rest of the Middle East, Syria, Babylon, Persia, and parts of India, collectively known as the “Seleucid Empire.”

Lysimachus ruled Thrace & Asia Minor;

Cassander ruled Macedonia and Greece;

Ptolemy ruled Egypt and into the Middle East.

Around 167 B.C., out of the Seleucid Empire, there arose an aggressive king, Antiochus the Fourth Epiphanes.

So, Daniel wrote further: ” Around Out of one of them came forth a rather small horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Beautiful Land.”

That horn was Antiochus who attacked Jerusalem, as reported in 2nd Book of Maccabees 5:11-14: “The king thought that Judea was in revolt. Raging like a wild animal, he set out from Egypt and took Jerusalem by storm. He ordered his soldiers to cut down without mercy those whom they met and to slay those who took refuge in their houses. There was a massacre of young and old, a killing of women and children, a slaughter of virgins and infants. In the space of three days, eighty thousand were lost, forty thousand meeting a violent death, and the same number being sold into slavery.”

The prophet Daniel foretold in chapter 11:22-27: “While returning to this land with great riches, his (Antiochus) heart shall be moved against the holy covenant and return in rage against the holy covenant, and do damage. And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary with desolation.

Antiochus the Fourth Epiphanes tried to force the Jews to abandon their beliefs and adopt the Greek culture, as recorded in 2 Maccabees 5:11-14: “Not long after this the king sent an Athenian senator to force the Jews to abandon the customs of their ancestors and live no longer by the laws of God; also to profane the temple in Jerusalem and dedicate it to Olympian Zeus. They also brought into the temple things that were forbidden, so that the altar was covered with abominable offerings prohibited by the laws. A man could not keep the sabbath or celebrate the traditional feasts, nor even admit that he was a Jew. Women were arrested for having circumcised their children and were publicly paraded about the city with their babies hanging at their breasts and then thrown down from the top of the city wall. As were Others, who had assembled in nearby caves to observe the sabbath.

“Though they were persecuted, Daniel prophesied: “But their God shall be strong, and carry the people who know Him out to great exploits.”

Around 167 B.C., Mattathias and his sons began the Maccabean Revolt against Antiochus Epiphanes. Judas Maccabaeus was finally successful in driving the enemy out in 164 B.C.

When the Second Temple was cleansed of all pagan defilement, a week long re-When the Second Temple was cleansed of all pagan defilement, a week long re-dedication began on the 25th day of Kislev, circa 164 B.C. But there was a problem, there was only found enough holy olive oil to light the golden lamp stand, the menorah, for one day, and it would take a week before more could be made. The decision was made to relight it anyway, and miraculously, the light burned for eight days.

This is celebrated annually as the Feast of Dedication, also known as the Festival of Lights or HANUKKAH, which is the Hebrew word for “dedication.”

Flavius Josephus wrote in the Jewish Antiquities (12.7.6-7 316-325) that in 164 BC: “The generals of Antiochus’ armies having been defeated, Judah Maccabee assembled the people and told them that after the many victories which God had given them they ought to go up to Jerusalem and purify the Temple. But when he with the whole multitude came to Jerusalem and found he Temple deserted, its gates burned down, and plants growing in the Temple of their own accord because of the desolation, he and those with him began to lament.”

Josephus continued:  “When he had carefully purged it he brought in new vessels, the menorah, the table and the incense altar, which were made of gold. And on the 25th day of the month Kislev, which the Macedonians call Apellaios, they lighted the lights that were on the menorah, and offered incense upon the altar, and laid the loaves upon the table, and offered whole burnt offerings upon the new altar.

As it happened, these things took place on the very same day on which, three years before, the divine worship had been reduced to an impure and profane form of worship; for the Temple had remained desolate for three years after being made so by Antiochus. “

Josephus concluded: “And so Judah and his fellow citizens celebrated the festival of the restoration of the sacrifices of the Temple for eight days. They honored God, and delighted themselves with psalms of praise and the playing of harps. Indeed, they were so very glad at the revival of their customs and, after so long a time, having unexpectedly regained their right to worship, that they made it a law for their posterity that they should keep a festival celebrating the restoration of their Temple worship for eight days.”

The New Testament Book of John, chapter 10:22-23, recorded that even Jesus observed the Feast of Dedication: “At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon. The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, ‘How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.'”

The many centuries of Hanukkah candles being lit during the winter might have been an inspiration for the Christian tradition of putting lights in tree branches to depict the sky above Bethlehem.

Various U.S. Presidents acknowledged Hanukkah: Franklin D. Roosevelt wrote to Samuel I. Rosenman, President of the Jewish Education Committee in New York, December 16, 1940: Dear Sam, Please convey my best wishes to your co-workers in the Jewish Education Committee of New York, at the annual Hanukkah Dinner. Our modern democratic way of life has its deepest roots in our great common religious tradition, which for ages past has taught to civilized mankind the dignity of the human being, his equality before God, and his responsibility in the making of a better and fairer world. The world is engaged in a great spiritual struggle to test whether that ancient wisdom is to endure, or whether some few men shall dominate multitudes of others and dictate to them their thinking, their religion, their living. We need the sustaining, buttressing aid of those great ethical religious teachings which are the heritage of our modern civilization. For ‘not upon strength nor upon power, but upon the spirit of God’ shall our democracy be founded.”

In 1951, President Harry S. Truman received a presentation of a Hanukkah menorah from Israel’s Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion.

On December 17, 1979, President Jimmy Carter was the first President to participate in Hanukkah. He walked from the White House to Lafayette Park to light the National Menorah erected by the American Friends of Lubavitch.

Carter said: “The first candle that I lit, the shammes candle, has given its light now to five other candles. It has not itself been diminished. It shows that when we give life and love to others, the life and love in our own hearts is not diminished. It grows the more we share it. So, tonight we pray that our closeness to God, our memory of these fine commitments of human beings down through the ages will strengthen our desires to share our life and our love.”

President Ronald Reagan stated in his Hanukkah Message, 1983: “Whether we be Americans or Israelis, we are all children of Abraham, children of the same God. The bonds between our two peoples are growing stronger, and they must not and will never be broken.”

President George H.W. Bush stated in his Hanukkah Message, 1991: “When Judah Maccabee and his followers prepared to rededicate the Temple in Jerusalem, they found only enough oil to light the menorah for one night. Miraculously, it lasted eight.”

President Bill Clinton stated in his Hanukkah Message, 1997: “From the days of the ancient Maccabees down to our present time, tyrants have sought to deny people the free expression of their faith and the right to live according to their own conscience and convictions. Hanukkah symbolizes the heroic struggle of all who seek to defeat such oppression and the miracles that come to those full of faith and courage. This holiday holds special meaning for us in America, where freedom of religion is one of the cornerstones of our democracy. The coming year will mark the 50th anniversary of the State of Israel, where the story of the first Hanukkah took place so many centuries ago. May the candles of the menorah light our way to a true and lasting peace for the people of the Middle East.”

George W. Bush remarked lighting the Hanukkah Menorah in the White House, December 10, 2001: “Tonight, for the first time in American history, the Hanukkah menorah will be lit at the White House residence. The magnificent menorah before us was crafted over a century ago in the city of Lvov. The Jews of Lvov fell victim to the horror of the Nazi Holocaust, but their great menorah survived. And as God promised Abraham, the people of Israel still live. We’re reminded of the ancient story of Israel’s courage and of the power of faith to make the darkness bright. We can see the heroic spirit of the Maccabees lives on in Israel today, and we trust that a better day is coming, when this Festival of Freedom will be celebrated in a world free from terror.”

President Donald J. Trump remarked on Hanukkah, December 12, 2017: “The miracle of Hanukkah began more than 2,000 years ago, when the practice of Judaism was made punishable by death. A small band of Jewish patriots rose up and reclaimed their Jewish identity by vanquishing a mighty army. In their pursuit to rededicate their holy temple, the Jewish heroes found only enough oil to light the temple’s menorah for one night. However, a miracle occurred and with God’s grace the oil lasted for eight days. On this holiday, we are proud to stand with the Jewish people who shine as a light to all nations. We also stand with the people of Israel, the Jewish State, which has itself a miraculous history of overcoming the tallest of odds. We hope that those observing the holiday here, in Israel, and around the world have a wonderful holiday.”

(So now you know the real story of Hanukkah)

Ron

The Bible says: Galatians 4:4

“When the fullness of the time came, God sent forth his Son“

This Christmas, are you waiting for some precious promise to be fulfilled? Do not despair—God always keeps His Word. Yet just as the Savior appeared in a way and time that were completely unexpected to anyone—so will the blessings He has for you.

For example, the nation of Israel thought the Messiah would appear during a time of national crises. But the Lord had better plans. He waited until the message of the gospel could be carried to the ends of the earth so the whole world could embrace the good news. It was the only time in history that one could travel safely across the whole known world on the safe Roman roads and safely cross all national boundaries without a visa.

How Christ came contradicted the Israelites’ expectations as well. They imagined a great conqueror who would build the kingdom for Israel—not a baby in a manger. Yet Jesus had a greater purpose—saving their souls, not just their land. Therefore, if you’re discouraged because God’s promise to you is not yet fulfilled—remember, His answer may not appear in the manner or time you suppose. But rest assured, He has greater plans than you can imagine. So continue to trust and obey Him completely, and anticipate the blessings He has promised you with joy.