Peace on Earth



Philippians 4:4-7
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

The hymn “Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart,” inspired by verse four, was written by Edward H. Plumptre in 1865. He was a well-known Anglican scholar, author, theologian, and preacher. He wrote this hymn in preparation for the annual choir festival in the majestic, towering cathedral of Petersburg, England. Its eleven stanzas call for us to rejoice and celebrate God’s son, Jesus Christ.
We, as American Christians, have much to celebrate. We are free to worship God as we choose, where we choose, with whom we choose. We are free to celebrate Christ’s birth, His life, and His death on the cross which made possible the salvation of mankind. We are free to live our lives as Christ led His without fear of persecution, imprisonment, or death.
As we enter, observe, and celebrate this Christmas season, let us remember to rejoice and give thanks for the great gift of love God has given in that He sent His only son to make possible our gift of eternal life. Indeed, let us rejoice in the Lord’s caring, compassionate concern for us, His wayward children.
Let us REJOICE, GIVE THANKS and SING CHRISTMAS CAROLS and SHARE THE GIFT OF SALVATION with those around us. Let us GIVE to others the GIFT of PEACE, inner peace, which comes through a personal knowledge of Jesus Christ as Savior. For if we know Jesus, we know PEACE. If we do not know Jesus, we do not know PEACE.
We sing of the Wonderful Counselor and we find a precious wisdom; of the Mighty God and we are never alone if we remember; of the Everlasting Father and we are forever in the circle of loving arms; of the Prince of Peace and we find the calm assurance that enables us to confront every turbulent moment of our lives and endure. We must ever remember that Holy Child to whom Isaiah points, who is made real for us from the manger to the cross, and who draws us always into the resurrected life in the Peace of God forevermore. The Lord of Hosts is doing, and will do this, for each of us.
We celebrate the fact that hope, peace, joy and love are ours to claim and to cherish.

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