A Christmas Eve Prayer

A prayer by Rev. Richard J. Fairchild:

Eternal God, this holy night is radiant with the brilliance of your one true light. May that light illuminate our hearts and shine in our words and deeds. May the hope, the peace, the joy, and the love represented by the birth in Bethlehem this night fill our lives and become part of all that we say and do. May we share the divine life of your son Jesus Christ, even as he humbled himself to share our humanity. Amen.

The Chief Object Of Our Love

From the desk of John Fawcett:

Christian! Jesus is your Savior, your Friend, and your Portion!

• You are guilty—His blood cleanses from all sin.
• You are miserable—He is rich in mercy.
• You are helpless—He is mighty to save.
• You are impoverished—His riches are unsearchable.

His treasures of grace are inexhaustible! There is an inexhaustible fullness in Him, answerable to all your necessities—be they ever so many, or ever so great. He is the ever-flowing, the over-flowing fountain of living waters. He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or think. It has pleased the Father, that in Him all fullness should dwell. Indeed, we have all received grace after grace from His fullness. His kindness and mercy are unbounded.

If the kindness of men has a tendency to win your hearts—how much more should the infinite love of Jesus constrain you to love Him! He is precious in the glorious perfections of His person, His transcendent worth, and His all-surpassing excellency. Surely then, it is reasonable, it is highly proper—that He should be chief the object of your love! (“Christ Precious”)

Spurgeon On The Song Of Angels

Charles H. Spurgeon

From the sermons of Charles H. Spurgeon:

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:13-14 ESV)

It is wrong to worship angels; but it is appropriate to love them. Although it would be a great sin, and a crime against the Sovereign Court of Heaven to pay the slightest adoration to the mightiest angel, yet it would be unkind and inappropriate, if we did not give holy angels a place in our heart’s warmest love. In fact, he that studies the character of angels, and notes their many deeds of compassion with men, and kindness towards them, cannot resist the impulse of his nature–the impulse of love towards them.

The one incident in angelic history, to which our text refers, is enough to bond our hearts to them forever. How free from envy the angels were! Christ did not come from heaven to save angels when they fell. When Satan, the mighty angel, dragged with him a third part of the stars of heaven [angels], Christ did not stoop from His throne to die for them; but He left them to be reserved in chains and darkness until the last great day of judgment. Yet angels did not envy men. Though they remembered that He did not save angels, yet they did not murmur when He decided to redeem the seed of Abraham; and though the blessed Master had never condescended to take the angel’s form, they did not think it beneath them to express their joy when they found Him arrayed in the body of an infant.

How free, too, they were from pride! They were not ashamed to come and tell the news to humble shepherds. I think, they had as much joy in pouring out their songs that night before the shepherds, who were watching with their flocks, as they would have had if they had been commanded by their Master to sing their hymn in the halls of Caesar. Mere men–men possessed with pride, think it a fine thing to preach before kings and princes; and think it great condescension now and then to have to minister to the humble crowd. Not so the angels. They stretched their willing wings, and gladly sped from their bright seats above, to tell the shepherds on the hillside at night, the marvelous story of an Incarnate God. And note how well they told the story, and surely you will love them! Not with the stammering tongue of him that tells a story in which he has no interest; nor even with the feigned interest of a man that would move the passions of others, when he feels no emotion himself; but with joy and gladness, such as angels only can know. They “sang” the story out, for they could not stay to tell it in ordinary language. They sang, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will to men.” I think, they sang it with gladness in their eyes; with their hearts burning with love and joy as if the good news to man had been good to themselves. And, truly, it was good news to them, for the heart of compassion makes the good news of others, good news to itself.

Don’t you love the angels? You will not bow before them, and that is right; but won’t you love them? Doesn’t it make up one part of your anticipation of heaven, that in heaven you will live with the holy angels, as well as with the redeemed believers of all the ages? Oh how sweet to think that these holy and lovely beings guard us every hour! They keep watch and deflect evil away from us, both during the brightest noonday sun, and also in the darkness of the night. They watch over us no matter what we are doing, they lift us up in their hands, lest at any time we should strike our feet against harmful stones. Unceasingly they minister to us who are the heirs of salvation, watching over us night and day as our guardians, for don’t you know that, “The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him” (Psalm 34:7).

Let us turn aside, having just thought of angels for a moment, to think of this song, rather than the angels themselves. Their song was brief, but as one has remarked, it was, “well worthy of angels expressing the greatest and most blessed truths, in so few words.” — “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (“The First Christmas Carol”)