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Sunday, Dec 13 - Christmas JOY<br />
As a little girl every Christmas Eve vespers service I ever attended began with this song, written<br />
out below (here's a link to listen) and here are the words:<br />
O come, O come, Emmanuel<br />
And ransom captive Israel<br />
That mourns in lonely exile here<br />
Until the Son of God appear<br />
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel<br />
Shall come to Thee, O Israel.<br />
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free<br />
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny<br />
From depths of Hell Thy people save<br />
And give them victory o’er the grave<br />
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel<br />
Shall come to Thee, O Israel.<br />
O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer<br />
Our spirits by Thine advent here<br />
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night<br />
And death’s dark shadows put to flight<br />
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel<br />
Shall come to Thee, O Israel<br />
O come, Thou Key of David, come<br />
And open wide our heavenly home<br />
This is a haunting song. A song sung by people in captivity and bondage. A song of slavery. A<br />
song of gloom and darkness. A song of the lonely. Yet...a song of hope. A song of promise. A<br />
song of redemption. You hear it in the music and lyrics.<br />
The good news is Emmanuel came at Christmas, and with Him came everything that which<br />
those in slavery, darkness, and misery longed. Now, it's simply a matter of receiving... For all,<br />
even those who are in that dark place that sometimes envelops over the holidays, there is JOY<br />
to be found in <strong>Jesus</strong>. This is the story of the third advent candle: in His presence is fulness of<br />
joy.<br />
May we pass that on... Emmanuel came. He ransomed. He turned mourning into dancing. He<br />
freed us from Satan's tyranny, brought victory over the grave, dispersed the gloomy clouds of<br />
our lives, and cheered our spirits. May we live like we BELIEVE...and make it contagious to<br />
others who don't know it yet. The Good News is Advent is near for all who believe and receive...<br />
Step into the joy of freedom in Christ!<br />
XXXX<br />
**For a deeper discussion on the topic of joy, go to www.peg-justathought.blogspot.com. From December 29, 2014<br />
through September 28, 2014, once a week, I blogged about my personal study on joy.<br />
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