THE VIRGIN

Mary was filled with excitement that day
Joseph had pledged they would faithfully stay
Building a home he had vowed to prepare
Planning a marriage one day they would share.

Early one morning while sitting alone
An angel appeared from God's holy Throne 
Fear gripped her heart as she looked in his face
Gabriel announced: "You're a gift of His grace!"

The Virgin in wonder did not understand
How she could conceive without seed from a man
The Word made in flesh God in mystery provides
Emanuel, God with us, forever abides.  

Before he ascended he gave her The Name:
The Savior, Christ Jesus, the King who will reign
This miracle birth, Mary kept in her heart
Is the one Christmas Gift that will never depart.
B. Pent 

THE EMPTY THRONE

The trumpet alerted the angels to come

To gather together before the White Throne
The Father announced a miraculous plan
That Jesus would take on the flesh of a man.

Amazement and wonder were seen in their eyes

A virgin would birth heaven's infinite Prize
The ones who were chosen to break the Good News
Appeared to some shepherds, the lowliest of Jews.

“All Glory to God!” was the theme of their song

Lasting peace, was the Gift awaited so long
Emanuel’s coming to Bethlehem's stall
Was God's only Son with salvation for all.

The shepherds and magi who worshiped this King

Saw Him as Messiah; their freedom He'd bring
The path from the stable was marked by a cross
They did not see then, how much it would cost!

While angels rejoiced at the birth of God's Son

Redemption for man through His death would be won
Each sinner partaking the Savior's new birth
Brings praise from the angels in heaven and earth.
B. Pent

THE CHRISTMAS MYSTERY

A LITLE SEED WAY BACK IN TIME
BEFORE THE WORLD WAS FLUNG IN SPACE
BECAME THE SUBJECT OF GOD'S PLAN
FOR RESCUING THE HUMAN RACE.

OMNISCIENCE SAW THE FALL OF MAN

WITH ALL THE CONSEQUENCE OF SIN
THERE WAS NO HOPE OF ANY KIND
BECAUSE OF DEATH THAT REIGNED WITHIN.

SO GOD DEVISED A METHOD RARE

AND HAD THE PROPHETS WRITE IT DOWN
A VIRGIN WOULD CONCEIVE A CHILD
IN BETHLEHEM'S SMALL JUDAH TOWN.

THE SEED IN MYSTERY WAS REVEALED

THE HOLY SPIRIT, THREE-IN-ONE
COMBINED IN FLESH THE LIVING WORD
AND PLACED IN MARY'S WOMB, A SON.

HOW STRANGE THE VIRGIN MUST HAVE FELT

ON HEARING GABRIEL SHARE THE NEWS
BUT JOSEPH'S DOUBTS WERE NOT AS CLEAR
SINCE IN HIS HEART WERE OTHER VIEWS.

WHEN GOD'S PREDESTINED MOMENT CAME

ETERNITY WAS PRESSED IN TIME
THE SEED BECAME AN EMBREO
AND HEAVEN'S STAR BEGAN TO SHINE.

WHAT MUSIC MUST HAVE FILLED THE SKY

AS ANGEL CHOIRS ANNOUNCED HIS BIRTH
SO WHEN THE SHEPHERDS SAW HIM THERE
PROCLAIMED HIS COMING TO THE EARTH.

THIS CHRISTMAS MYSTERY ONCE CONCEALED

IS OFFERED AS GOD'S GIFT TO ALL
SO EVERY PEOPLE-GROUP ON EARTH
CAN KNOW THE SAVIOR WHEN THEY CALL.
--B. Pent

A CHRISTMAS PRAYER

O God of Love, we stand amazed
That One so pure in radiant Light
Should stoop to offer saving grace
To our rebellious human race.

O Lamb of God how can it be
That flesh should clothe Your Deity
And birth from Mary's womb, a Plan
Your Blood, the Gift, for sinful man!

O Breath of God, Whose Spirit fills
The barrenness of our human heart
Remove all dross, ignite the flame
That we might glorify Your Name!

O Church of God, the hour's near
The Bridegroom soon will call us Home!
Proclaim His Word, we soon shall meet
To cast our crowns at Jesus' feet!
B. Pent

THE GIFT

A thousand gifts may come your way
To bring you joy this Christmas day
With brilliant lights around the tree
For every boy and girl to see.
Yet if you miss the One who came
There is no joy that will remain.

Sweet carols fill the ethereal sky
Like angel choirs once sang on high
Of peace on earth to every man
While Christmas memories fill the land.
But fear can tear the life apart
If Christ no longer rules the heart.

As busy shoppers seek to find
The perfect gift with love in mind
A voice breaks through life’s empty space
"Give Christ a chance to fill its place!"
For if you fail to crown Him King
There is no lasting peace within.

God’s greatest Gift came down to earth
So we can have redemption’s birth
He is enough, so please take heed
Receive His Son, that’s all you need.
Then you will find fulfilled in Him
Life’s deepest joy without, within!
B. Pent

BETHLEHEM'S CRY

It took nine months before that cry was heard!

The strangers could not find a room that night

Yet labor pains had forced them from the Inn

To find a stable bed to birth a King.

The Virgin Mary wiped His tears away

While Joseph cleaned the stable cave that day

The Baby's cry once heard on Christmas morn

Foreshadowed days His heart for man was torn.

One day beside the tomb of His dear friend

The Savior wept because of sin's dread curse

He later cried when Judah turned from grace

By spewing hate upon His thorn crowned face.

On Calvary's hill a painful cry was heard

“Oh! why have You forsaken Me, My God?”

Another cry soon echoed through the night

“Tetelestai! then Satan fled from sight.

One final cry will shake the world again

The Lord Himself from heav'n to earth descend

The Church in white will rise to meet the Groom

His promise to return is very soon.

B. Pent

BETHLEHEM'S CRY

It took nine months before that cry was heard!

The strangers could not find a room that night

Yet labor pains had forced them from the Inn

To find a stable bed to birth a King.

The Virgin Mary wiped His tears away

While Joseph cleaned the stable cave that day

The Baby's cry once heard on Christmas morn

Foreshadowed days His heart for man was torn.

One day beside the tomb of His dear friend

The Savior wept because of sin's dread curse

He later cried when Judah turned from grace

By spewing hate upon His thorn crowned face.

On Calvary's hill a painful cry was heard

“Oh! why have You forsaken Me, My God?”

Another cry soon echoed through the night

“Tetelestai! then Satan fled from sight.

One final cry will shake the world again

The Lord Himself from heav'n to earth descend

The Church in White will rise to meet the Groom

His promise to return is very soon.

B. Pent

THE GIFT

A thousand gifts may come your way

To bring you joy this Christmas day

With brilliant lights around the tree

For every boy and girl to see.

Yet if you miss the One who came

There is no joy that will remain.

Sweet carols fill the ethereal sky

Like angel choirs once sang on high

Of peace on earth to every man

While Christmas memories fill the land.

But fear can tear the life apart

If Christ no longer rules the heart.

As busy shoppers seek to find

The perfect gift with love in mind

A voice breaks through life’s empty space

“Give Christ a chance to fill its place!”

For if you fail to crown Him King

There is no lasting peace within.

God’s greatest Gift came down to earth

So we can have redemption’s birth

He is enough, so please take heed

Receive His Son, that’s all you need.

Then you will find fulfilled in Him

Life’s deepest joy without, within

--B. Pent

THE EMPTY THRONE

The trumpet alerted the angels to come

To gather together before the White Throne

The Father announced a miraculous plan

That Jesus would take on the flesh of a man.

Amazement and wonder were seen in their eyes

A virgin would birth heaven's infinite Prize

The ones who were chosen to break the Good News

Appeared to some shepherds, the lowliest of Jews.

“All Glory to God!” was the theme of their song

Lasting peace, was the Gift awaited so long

Emanuel’s coming to Bethlehem's stall

Was God's only Son with salvation for all.

The shepherds and magi who worshiped this King

Saw Him as Messiah; their freedom He'd bring

The path from the stable was marked by a cross

They did not see then, how much it would cost!

While angels rejoiced at the birth of God's Son

Redemption for man through His death would be won

Each sinner partaking the Savior's new birth

Brings praise from the angels in heaven and earth.

B. Pent

THE NAME THAT IS ABOVE EVERY NAME!

"Jesus came from the bosom of the Father to the bosom of a woman. He put on humanity that we might put on divinity.  He became son of man that we might become sons of God.  He was born contrary to the laws of nature, lived in poverty, was reared in obscurity, and only once crossed the boundary of the land in which he was born and that in his childhood.  he had no wealth or influence and had neither training or education in the world's schools.  His relatives were inconspicuous and uninfluential.  In infancy he startled the king.  In boyhood He puzzled the learned doctors.  In manhood he ruled the course of nature. He walked upon the billows and hushed the seas asleep. He healed the multitudes without medicine and made no charge for His services.  He never wrote a book, yet all the libraries of the country could not hold all of the books about him.  He never wrote a song, yet He has furnished the theme for more songs than all songwriters together.  He never founded a college, yet all the schools together cannot boast of as many students as He has.  He never practiced medicine, yet He healed more broken hearts than the doctors have healed broken bodies.  This Jesus Christ is the star of astronomy, the rock of geology, the lion and the lamb of zoology, the harmonizer of all discord, and the healer of all diseases.  Throughout history great men have come and gone, yet He lives on.  Herod could not kill Him, Satan could not seduce Him, death could not destroy Him, and the grave could not hold Him.  This is our Christ the pre-eminent One." (author unknown)

I WONDER AS I WANDER!

My thoughts move once again to this incomprehensible mystery! I follow the shepherds from Bethlehem's hillside after hearing the announcement by angels of Christ's birth. I try to comprehend a virgin birth as I look at Mary's new born son: deity and humanity interwoven. He had no halo or visible marks of divinity I am aware of. Just a normal baby who cried, drank mother's milk, burped and needed wiping several times a day. Yet, He was God incarnate who pre-existed from eternity past: spoke the universe into being; created the world and everything in it; and even pre-arranged His visit to planet earth.

The pungent smell of an animal shelter disturbs my thoughts. I would resent spending even one night there! Where was the eastern culture of hospitality for traveling strangers? Was there no righteous family in Bethlehem available? Yet, even more disturbing is that God was coming to visit earth and all we offer Him is a dung infested stable.

It's Christmas time again and its mystery still boggles reason. Why is our King in rags? What is this covering of flesh? What was God thinking when He sent Jesus into this sin-cursed world? I sure wouldn't have risked it! Would you?

I guess the wonder of it all is that He did come. Wrapped in this indescribable Gift Paul talks about in 2 Corinthians 9:15 is the one thing every person seeks: LOVE. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son" (John 3:16).

So I find myself once again metaphorically picturing God coming into this sinfully dung-infested heart of mine, cleaning it up, and living in it forever. Jesus stands at every heart's door and continually knocks (Rev.3:20) waiting for our response: "There is room in my heart for Thee!"

Why He chose me is a question I can't answer. That is what makes Christmas so mysterious to me. I am lost in the wonder of His grace as I continually rejoice in His great salvation. So should you be!