| Something I’ve wanted to do with Meditate in thy Precepts for a while now but haven’t is to occasionally feature a solid hymn, and examine it line by line, matching it to Scripture. One of the blessings of the Christian life is good Christian music that uplifts the soul and turns the heart towards God. The hymns that do this are the ones which speak Scriptural truths throughout.To get the ball rolling on this, and to be in tune with the spirit of the season, I’d like to take a look at Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, one of my favourite Christmas carols, packed full of wonderful truths.
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Hark the heraId angels sing (Luke 2:13-14)
Glory to the newborn King (Matt. 2:11)
Peace on earth and mercy mild, (Isa 27:5; Hebr. 13:20; II Peter 1:2)
God and sinners reconciled (II Cor. 5:19-20, Eph. 2:16, Col. 1:21)
Joyful, all ye nations, rise, (Psalm 22:27, 86:9)
Join the triumph of the skies; (Luke 2:13-14)
With th’ angelic host proclaim (Luke 2:13-14)
Christ is born in Bethlehem. (Micah 5:2; Matt. 2:5; Luke 2:4-7)
Christ, by highest heaven adored; (Rev. 4:10-11, 5:11-14)
Christ, the everlasting Lord; (Isa. 26:4, 45:17; Hab. 1:12)
Late in time behold him come, (Gal. 4:4)
Offspring of the Virgin’s womb. (Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:25; Luke 1:34-35)
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; (Phil. 2:7-8; Hebr 2:9)
Hail the incarnate Deity, (John 1:14)
Pleased as man with man to dwell; (John 1:14; Phil. 2:7-8)
Jesus, our Emmanuel. (Isa. 9:6; Matt. 1:23)
Mild he lays his glory by, (Phil. 2:7-8)
Born that man no more may die, (John 3:15-17, 6:40; Rom. 6:23)
Born to raise the sons of earth, (Job 19:25-27, John 6:39, 11:25; I Cor. 6:14)
Born to give them second birth. (John 3:7)
Risen with healing in his wings, (Mal. 4:2)
Light and life to all he brings, (John 8:12, 9:5, 11:25, 12:46, 14:6; Rev. 21:6)
Hail, the Sun of Righteousness (Mal. 4:2)
Hail, the heaven-born Prince of Peace. (Isa. 9:6, 53:5; John 1:1, 14:27)
Come, Desire of nations come, (Hag. 2:7)
Fix in us Thy humble home; (II Cor. 6:16; Rev. 21:3)
Rise, the Woman’s conquering Seed, (Gen. 3:15; Gal. 3:19)
Bruise in us the Serpent’s head. (Gen. 3:15)
Adam’s likeness now efface: (Rom. 5:14)
Stamp Thine image in its place; (Ps. 17:15; I Cor. 15:49, 52-53; II Cor. 3:18; Phil. 3:21; I John 3:2)
Second Adam, from above, (I Cor. 15:45, 47)
Reinstate us in thy love. (II Thess. 2:16) |
“Love Not The World”
”For the WHOLE world(not just a portion) is under the control of the evil one”…….(I John 5:19)
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world will pass away, and the lust thereof: but he that does the will of The Only True GOD will abide for ever.” (I John 2:15-17)
“If you were of the world, the world would love it’s own: but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said unto you, the servant is not greater than his Master. If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept My saying, they will keep yours also.” (John 15:19-20)
“Where do wars and fighting among you come from? Do they not come of your lusts that war in your members? You lust, and have not: you kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: you fight and war yet you have not, because you ask not. You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts. You adulterers and adulteresses, don’t you know that friendship with the world is to be at enmity with The Only True GOD? Therefore whoever will be a friend of the world is the enemy of The Only True GOD.” (James 4:1-4)
“The world cannot hate you; but the world hates Me, because I testify that the works of this world are evil.” (John 7:7)” and “The Messiah gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of The Only True God, Our Father.”(Gal 1:4)
The Messiah testified: “If the world hates you know that it hated Me before it hated you.”(John 5:18) Truly, Truly, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone: but if it die it brings forth much fruit. He that loves his life in this world shall lose it; and he that hates his life in this world shall have it unto life eternal.” (John 12:24-25)
John testified: “Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hates you.” (I John 3:13) “ James testified, “Whoever would be a friend of this world is the enemy of GOD”(James 4:4)
The “earth and it’s life forms” are The Creation of The Only True GOD, Father of ALL! The “worldly” systems are the creation of, and under the dominion of “the god of this world”, he who is “the father of lies”, he who “has blinded the minds of those who believe not The Messiah”! All the nations of this world are under the dominion of, and serve, the evil one for he provides the fuel that feeds mankind’s “imag”ination, and mankind’s “imagination is destroying Creation(land, air, water, vegetation, creatures) and perverting that which is Spirit(Light, Truth, Life, Love, Peace, Faith, Simplicity, Wisdom, .etc.) ;-(
Once again, the “earth and it’s life forms” are The Creation of The Only True GOD, Father of ALL! The current “worldly” systems are the creation of, and under the dominion of “the god of this world”.
Those who “love this world” all serve “the god of this world”, and play their part in the processes that seek to destroy The Creation of The Only True GOD. “And The Only True GOD will destroy them who destroy the earth.” (Rev 11:18c)
Global warming, polluted air, land and waters, toxic wastes, sexual perversion, evil inventions of destruction, greed, hate, carnal warfare, dis-ease ,,,etc,,, are all destructive processes that have their root in “the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life”.
The Truth Is Alive in those who have been born of The Spirit for “they no longer love this wicked, evil world and it’s things, nor do they love their own lives in this world”.
They but seek and desire The Will of GOD, their Father and Creator, as they await their final transformation. “Corruptible to Incorruptible” ndeed and Truth!
Now “the ground was cursed for Adam’s sake” because he “hearkened unto the woman”.
Adam listened to a woman rather than obeying The Only True GOD. Yet because of Faithful Noah, The Only True GOD “no longer would curse the ground for man’s sake” because Noah obeyed The Only True GOD! (Genesis 8:21-22)
And the Faithful today are exhorted to “love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.”
Be not of those who deny and defy “The One GOD, Father of All”. Be not of those who are destroying Creation(land, air, water, vegetation, creatures) and perverting that which is Spirit(Light, Truth, Life, Love, Peace, Hope, Mercy, Faith, .etc.)!
“Set your affections on things above”. Desire heavenly, eternal things. Quit serving ‘time’ in the prison that is this world and take heed unto The Call of “The Only True GOD” to ”Come Out of her, MY people!”
“Come out” from among those who are destroying Creation and perverting that which is Spirit. Be of those who follow The Messiah on “The Way to The Truth of The Life”.
“Come out” of the worldly systems, which are the product of mankind’s “imag”ination, especially the systems of religion. “Pure religion and undefiled before GOD The Father is this, to visit the fatherless(those who know not their Father[Creator]) and widows(those who have not experienced The Messiah and The Power that raised Him from among the dead”) in their affliction and to keep oneself uncontaminated by the world.” (James 1:27)
Simply, all other religions are impure, defiled and of this wicked, evil world…….
“religion” is personal(oneself), not corporate…….
Faith will not create a system of religion!
Faith is Family, not “religion”, and The Brethren of The Messiah seek and desire that which The Messiah sought and desired above all else:
“Father, not My will, But THY Will Be Done”…….
Peace, in spite of the dis-ease(no-peace) that is of this world and it’s systems of religion, for “the WHOLE world(not just a portion) is under the control of the evil one” indeed and Truth……
Truth is never ending…….
By: Francis on December 24, 2009
at 4:29 am