|
|
 id you know that one of the most famous Christmas songs was written because of a broken organ? It happened in a small church in Oberndorfer, Austria, back in 1818. Their pump organ had given out, and they were going to be without music for their Christmas Eve service. It was a calamity in the making. 2010 Christmas Messageby Eric Elder Merry Christmas from The Ranch! I’ve written a special Christmas message for you today, and we’ll return to our series on "The Top 20 Passages From The Bible" after the holidays... Did you know that one of the most famous Christmas songs was written because of a broken organ? It happened in a small church in Oberndorfer, Austria, back in 1818. Their pump organ had given out, and they were going to be without music for their Christmas Eve service. It was a calamity in the making. But their pastor, Joseph Mohr, remembered a poem he had written two years earlier about that first “silent night” when baby Jesus was born. He asked his friend, Franz Gruber, if the poem could be set to music, and as Gruber read the poem, a tune came to his mind. That night, the church sang the song “Silent Night” for the very first time. The story is told that several weeks later, a repairman came to their church from another village to work on the organ. When it was fixed, Gruber tested it out by playing the tune he had written for their Christmas Eve service. The repairman heard the tune and passed it on to others in his travels. The song that was written because of a broken organ has now been sung worldwide. Out of calamity, a song was born. It’s a reminder of what God did through that first “silent night,” when Joseph and Mary gave birth to Jesus. That looked like a calamity in the making, too. It started with an unexpected pregnancy, and ended with a bumpy donkey ride to Bethlehem, where Mary finally gave birth to their child in an animal stable. At first--when Joseph found out about the pregnancy and knew that he wasn’t the father--he was torn between two impossible options: to break off his engagement to Mary and bring disgrace upon her family, or to marry her instead, and bring shame on both of their families. But an angel of God spoke to Joseph in a dream, saying: “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20b-21).Joseph believed God and did what He said. Out of calamity, a savior was born. I don’t know know what you’re going through this Christmas, but God does. My hope and prayer is that everything is going well--that you’re feeling loved by God and blessed in all you do. Yet I also know that we all go through seasons when calamities of various sizes threaten to overtake us. I’ve heard this month from a woman who lost her only son; a wife whose husband just signed their divorce papers; a man who’s battling a lifelong addiction to porn; and a family who’s afraid they'll be capsized by a wave of debt. But I’ve also heard God begin to speak into each of these situations, however strong or faint the voice--giving hope to the hopeless--and providing little miracles along the way. God is, after all, a saving God, a God who loves to help those who can’t help themselves, and a God who gives His wisdom generously to those who ask. Whatever calamity you might be facing this Christmas, I want to encourage you to keep putting your faith in Christ. Remember that triumph is just a little “umph” added to “try.” As another Joseph said long ago, after being sold by his brothers into slavery in Egypt: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20).And out of that calamity, a nation was saved. Who knows what God might want to birth in your life through whatever you’re going through right now? It was a broken organ that led to a beloved song, an unexpected pregnancy that led to a marvelous birth, and a burning jealousy that led to the salvation of a nation. Keep putting your faith in Christ, the One we sing about as the “Son of God, Love’s pure light...Jesus, Lord at Thy birth.” Let’s pray... Father, thank You for being a God who can birth new things from calamity. Help us to thank You when things are going great, and to hold on tight to Your Son when things aren’t. We want to put our faith in Christ again this Christmas--and forevermore. In Jesus’ name, Amen.Today’s Scripture: Luke 2 Today’s Memory Verse: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20). Today’s Song: “Silent Night,” played on the grand piano by Marilyn Byrnes at the link below. To listen to more inspiring Christmas music from this CD, just click the link below that! Looking for a new devotional book for the New Year? We’ve got several that will help you grow stronger in your faith and closer to Christ, ranging anywhere from 2 weeks to 50 days. To look inside or order from Amazon, visit our giftshop at the link below: To find us on Facebook, look for us at “The Ranch Messages” and click “Like!” Invite your friends! We’d love to have them study along with us--and you! Just forward this email and encourage them to sign up for themselves at the link below. To subscribe to or unsubscribe from this newsletter, click here: |
