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Author
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Topic: The Shepherd's Message
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WildB
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Member # 2917
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posted
.......... PEACE
"On earth peace—good will toward men."
"The peace of God Which passeth
all understanding shall keep our hearts
and minds through Christ Jesus"
.......Peace on Earth
The Prince of Peace is coming; God has a kingdom plan:
The King of Glory's coming, Christ, the Son of man.
He shall appear in Person; then wars and strife shall cease;
The whole creation's waiting for the coming Prince of Peace.
The golden age is promised when Jesus comes again,
Satan, then His prisoner, shall no longer reign.
The Son of God victorious will conquer all His foes:
Man will be delivered from all his pains and woes.
When the King arrives in glory and men behold His face,
He will be crowned and worshipped by all the human race.
He will be the same Messiah, once rejected by His own:
Crowned with many diadems He will sit upon His throne.
He'll establish here that kingdom which now is but a dream . . .
With a rod of iron He'll govern; He will be the Judge Supreme.
In equity and justice, the Lord Jesus will control:
Men of every nation, yea, every living soul.
He will heal the broken-hearted, the sick, the halt, the blind;
He will be the Great Physician for body, soul and mind.
There will be peace and plenty; the poor shall not then lack;
For all the earth will prosper when Christ the King comes back.
The King in all His glory will reign in power and might . . .
His judgment will be righteous: His decrees will all be right.
God made known this kingdom to holy men of old:
Christ's suffering and His glory these holy men foretold.
From God the Father's bosom the Saviour once came down;
Born in Bethlehem's manger; born in David's town.
Christ, the Seed of David, the promised virgin's Child;
He had no human father: He was holy, undefiled.
He was God Himself incarnate, both human and Divine.
He claimed this and He proved it by word and deed and sign.
But in spite of His credentials, His mercy and His grace,
He was hated and rejected by the rulers of His race.
He was betrayed by Judas; thirty pieces his reward:
They counted out the silver and Judas kissed the Lord.
They delivered Christ to Pilate and said that He must die;
Pilate believed Christ guiltless, and asked the rulers why.
He knew they hated Jesus and that without a cause.
He found no fault with Jesus; He had transgressed no laws.
In vain was Pilate's pleading; he only wasted breath.
They cried, "Release Barabbas," and put this man to death.
There stood the Lord of glory: God to earth come down.
"Behold the man," said Pilate: Christ wore the thorny crown.
He was the Man of Sorrows in a world of unbelief:
In fulfillment of the Scriptures, the Saviour came to grief.
Pilate was a coward, and afraid he'd lose his job,
He yielded to the rulers, and to the angry mob.
In spite of his convictions, he issued his decree:
And so the sinless Saviour was nailed to Calvary's tree.
To friends Christ had confided, He surely would be slain.
But to those same apostles He said He'd rise again.
So He was crucified and buried, just as He had said.
Then He was raised in power after three days dead.
And this was all God's counsel, because of God's great love.
The risen Christ ascended to God's heavens far above.
By His death and resurrection the righteous God forgives:
By Christ's blood redemption the believing sinner lives.
He's at peace with God the Father, because the Saviour died:
By faith in that Redeemer,
complete and justified.
Then by the Holy Spirit that saint of God is sealed,
Until that glorious moment when Christ shall be revealed.
Christ promised His disciples the Spirit would abide
As Witness of salvation, as Teacher and as Guide.
By the Spirit's presence the believers can be sure;
They are joint-heirs with Jesus, and in that Son secure.
So the Christian is anointed by the Comforter within,
Who convicts the world of judgment, of righteousness and sin.
The sin of not believing in God's beloved Son;
The folly of rejecting what Jesus Christ has done . . .
"I'll give you life," said Jesus, life that shall not cease;
On earth you will have trouble; but you may enjoy My peace.
It passeth understanding, God's peace and boundless grace:
Grace that is sufficient for every single case.
Yes, for saint and sinner, no matter what the need:
God offers grace and power to save and keep and lead.
With Christ, His well Beloved, all things the Father gives.
Christ, the hope of glory, within the Christian lives.
Because of Christ's baptism believers all are one:
And in the heavenlies seated with Christ the risen Son.
One in flesh and Spirit, with Christ the saint is dead;
Buried, raised and living, joined to Christ the Head.
God gives this life eternal to all who will believe:
On Christ the sinless Saviour and this Christ receive.
So while the kingdom's in abeyance, no king on David's throne,
Christ is in God's presence appearing for His own.
God's eternal purpose is not God's kingdom plan:
But in this dispensation, to complete the one New plan:
When Christ's Body is completed, in the twinkling of an eye,
Every member of His Body to this world shall say "good bye."
By God's own mighty power to heaven they'll ascend;
Transformed to share Christ's glory, glory without end.
Accept Christ as your Saviour, then as Lord let Him control:
The peace of God past knowledge will keep your mind and soul.
http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/ohair/GRACE%20WORKS%20IN%20ADOBE/PEACE.pdf
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That is all.....
Posts: 8775 | From: USA, MICHIGAN | Registered: Mar 2004
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Carol Swenson
Admin
Member # 6929
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posted
What an incredible few hours the shepherds experienced the night of Jesus’ birth, that first Christmas. They saw the glory of an angelic visit, heard a world-changing message, and visited the baby Jesus Himself. Yet, the shepherds' response to all this wonder is a reminder to all Christians of the simple truths of the faith.
The Shepherds' Message from God
'And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.' (Luke 2:7)
Just imagine who these very ordinary people were. Shepherds spent most of the year outside the town, up on the hills where the flocks of sheep could find pasture. They were used to a solitary life, and probably very much in tune with nature.
But nothing in nature prepared them for the announcement that was made to them as representatives of 'all the people'. (Luke 2:10)
'An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.' (Luke 2:8)
Suddenly, these ordinary working men were the audience to one of the greatest spectacles the world has ever seen. An angel was hovering right over them, trying to calm their fears while, at the same time, proclaiming the most important words they would ever hear,
'Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord'. (Luke 2:11)
The heavenly host surrounded the angels, praising God and blessing man. Then, they all left the shepherds and returned to heaven.
The Shepherds' Response to the Message
These very practical men accepted the angel's message without doubt. They didn’t sit around in shock, wondering if what they had seen was real, and if the angel really came from God. They didn’t speculate on whether or not they should believe what they had heard.
They immediately started down the hills to Bethlehem to 'see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about'. (Luke 2:15) They were more than willing to confirm their faith by leaving their sheep and making the trip into the town to seek out the baby Jesus.
What joy filled their hearts when they found Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. The shepherds must have felt comfortable in the ordinary surroundings of a stable where they could share their story with the proud parents of this wondrous babe.
It doesn’t appear that they stayed long at the holy manger. Probably worried about the sheep left on the hillside, the shepherds made their way back, stopping along the way to ‘spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child’. (Luke 2:17)
Their story amazed the townspeople they told. Mary, also, was impressed about hearing that an angel and a heavenly host had made such a glorious appearance. She tucked that vision away in her heart to think about over and over again.
The shepherds returned to their flocks, praising God all the time, reveling in all that they had seen and heard.
The Shepherds’ Lesson for People Today
There are three lessons in this story of the first Christmas that are still true in the 21st century.
First, when the shepherds were offered the opportunity to meet Jesus, they sought Him out immediately. They had one of the first human encounters with Jesus. Without question, they accepted Jesus as the Christ, God's Son come to earth. The angel had told them that this baby was their Savior and they believed. That same opportunity to meet Jesus and accept Him as a personal Saviour is available to absolutely everyone right now.
Secondly, as soon as the shepherds realized the importance of the angel's message and their meeting with Jesus, they told everyone they met. They could probably be labeled the first Christian evangelists as they made their way through the town, back to the hillside. That is certainly a lesson for every Christian believer today. Go and tell the world the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Thirdly, the shepherds returned to their routine with their flocks as changed men, 'glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen'. (Luke 2:20) As the significance of these few hours would sink into their hearts and minds, it is probable that these shepherds who had been so richly blessed went about their duties rather differently. Surely, the attitude of thankfulness and praise strengthened their communion with God and spilled over into their relationship with their families, with each other, and maybe even with their flocks of sheep. It is hoped that people today experience the same kind of joy and gratitude after an encounter with Jesus, even as they go about their routine business.
How fitting that God, once again, as He had done with Moses and David, used shepherds to announce a turning point in the spiritual well being of His people.
 The Shepherd's Message
Posts: 6787 | From: Colorado | Registered: Dec 2007
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