Celebration of Good Cheer

It is Christmas eve morning and I am all alone for a short while with much to do in the kitchen!  But I am still so excited over last night's service that I have to write!  I went to the Thursday night service which was a service led by Joey Gore and the Celebration choir.  Psalm 95: 1-2, “Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.  Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.”  

The Christmas tree, lights, poinsettias and the Celebration choir dressed all festively, but the presence of the Holy Spirit out shined it all!  Pastor Barry got up to read Scripture and, already, he said, “wow, can you sense the joy?!”  You could!  It was so wonderful and when all of that praise and worship is going on you have to be joyful.  All of the worries of the world slip away!  Especially as they sang, “‘Hope Has A Name’ and His name is Jesus.  How do you help an empty, lonely, broken and hopeless world?  With the hope of Jesus!” 

I watched a friend singing in the choir with pure joy on her face as she worshipped.  She is missing her husband this Christmas but she still has joy!  Thanks be to God! (She said I could share.) And I know that many in the choir, on staff, in the congregation, and visitors were hurting but we can have joy and hope through Jesus!  He is so good to us!  He is GOOD!  Romans 15: 13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Karson sang about Mary having a baby named Jesus.  As I watched him sing he exuberated joy!  We all should.  Jesus came to save us from our sins.  Matthew 1: 21, “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.”  We have so much to be grateful for.  I like the words Karson sang, “Let the whole world give Him the Praise!”

My favorite was at the end when they sang, “once you’ve been changed by His love, anything less is never enough.  Once you’ve witnessed the wonder of Jesus, anything less is never enough.  Once you’ve spent time in His presence, anything less is never enough.”  “No wonder we call Him the Great I Am!  “It all started in Bethlehem!”  And that is why we celebrate!  Psalm 47: 1, “Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.”  Joy to the world!