CHRISTMAS EVE CANDLELIGHT SERVICE (12/24/06)
Sir, we would see JESUS!
Emmanuel Lutheran Church
Luke 2: 5b-16
IN THE NAME OF JESUS!
Beloved, will you pray with me:
Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child,
Make Thee a bed, soft, undefiled
Within our hearts that it may be
Those quiet chambers kept for Thee. Amen.
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In the name of our newborn King and only Savior, Jesus Christ, dearly beloved:
Into this world so full of sin
Came JESUS CHRIST, our hearts to win,
Though not with pomp and shining pow??r
Before WHOM folks in terror cow??r.
Oh, marvel at HIS lowly birth,
For lying there is LORD of earth
Before WHOM all must humbly kneel
And for His saving grace appeal.
He came to earth by Virgin born
Early on that Christmas morn
As human Babe - the form GOD chose ?±
To bring to us our souls?? repose.
To break for us the chains of death
That we would not by God be left
To die fore??er, cut off from HIM,
Left snared by all our damning sin.
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To shepherd folk on Beth??lem??s plain
God??s holy angel herald came,
?¨Fear not!?Æ said he to fright??ned men;
?¨Your LORD has come! Before HIM bend.
?¨To you is born this holy night
The promised CHRIST. In HIM delight!
In Beth??lem town He now does lie
In manger bed. To HIM draw nigh!
?¨In swadd??ling clothes HE??s resting there,
In stable that??s so rude and bare.
HIS glory now HE laid aside
That HE with you might e??er abide.?Æ
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And then the sky was filled with lays
As angel host sang forth their praise:
?¨Glory to GOD in highest heav??n,
Who unto men HIS SON hath giv??n.
?¨CHRIST brings you peace and saving pow??r
E??en now this night ?± GOD??S chosen hour.?Æ
Then gone were they from shepherd??s sight.
No more was seen that glor??ous light.
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Then filled with trust, the shepherds sped
Unto that lowly manger bed.
And there HE was! The holy CHILD! ?±
So kind, so meek, so undefiled!
They knelt before their SAVIOR KING,
Who brought them peace. Their hopes took wing.
GOD kept HIS Word, HIS promise sure.
T??was meant for all ?± both rich and poor.
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So this glad news they spread that day
To all they met they had to say,
?¨We??ve seen the SAV??OR, CHRIST THE LORD,
The promised, everlasting WORD!
?¨HE??s come! HE??s come, REDEEMER, KING!
Salvation unto us to bring!
HE cheers our hearts, makes safe the way
On this most holy, happy day!
?¨The angels brought this bless`ed news
Yea, they who now that BABY view
With eyes of faith and hearts of love
Will see GOD??s SON from heav??n above.?Æ
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Then to their fields they did return ?±
Flocks they tended, but hearts did burn,
With prophets?? words that night fulfilled
In BABY JESUS lying still . . .
On fresh clean straw in manger bed
Where by the angel??s words once led
They knelt beside their SAVIOR, LORD,
When faithful GOD fulfilled HIS Word.
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Oh, JESUS, would to GOD that we
Like faithful shepherds e??er might be!
They heard the Word, then worshipped THEE
With happy hearts so faithfully.
But there are times when lost in sin,
We??re slow to live by faith within.
We hear GOD??s Word, but shut it out.
We act like fools and leave YOU out.
Where shall we turn for sure release?
Where can we find unending peace?
?¨Go to MY manger, MY dear child,
And find there peace in the CHRIST CHILD!?Æ
HE is the LORD of heav??n and earth.
WHOM angels laud with pious mirth .
With might HE rules our universe.
HE used HIS pow??r to end sin??s curse.
For lying there on manger straw
Is JESUS, KING and LORD OF ALL!
HE came to earth to set us free
From Satan??s yoke and tyranny.
Yet HE as one of us did come
To open wide our heav??nly home.
And CHRIST obeyed GOD??S holy Law
To break its curse that trapp??d us all.
HIS goodness, perfect righteousness,
He now imparts as saintly dress
To each believing child of GOD.
HE took for us GOD??s judgment??s rod ?±
Upon the cross HE took our pain,
Forlorn ?´fore GOD, that HE might gain
Pardon for sin. HIS love doth reign.
He brings GOD??S peace to earth again.
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What wondrous love our GOD doth give
That Jesus now in hearts might live!
GOD??s SON was born as human Child
Of Virgin Mary, gentle, mild,
?¨A BROTHER kind, HE comes to you
With perfect love in your plain view.
Your broken heart HE??ll mend and heal;
Your pains and hurts e??en now HE??ll feel.
None have yet sinned beyond HIS pow??r
To cleanse and blossom like a flow??r
That we e??er for our LORD might live.
Our every sin HE doth forgive!?Æ
?¨For HE??s the ONE WHO??s conquered sin.
HE cleanses all your guilt within.
There??s none that HE??s too weak to save.
Why HE??s the Lord ris??n from the grave!
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Oh, JESUS, come, to us; now give
The SPIRIT??s pow??r that we might live
Not by our sight, but in faith sure
That in our hearts YOUR love YOU pour.
Help us to trust as shepherds did
That by YOUR love we??re quickly rid
Of sin??s dark, dread and foolish ways.
Then shall we sing to YOU our praise:
?¨Glory to GOD and praise and love
Be to our LORD in heav??n above!
For HE has met our souls?? great need
By sending CHRIST to set us free.?Æ
Yea, to the manger now we flee
That GOD??s own grace we there may see
In BABY, WHO??s our SAVIOR dear.
Then laud GOD??s love ?± yes, loud and clear!
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The SAVIOR cradled in my heart?
A manger here? . . . Within my heart?
Ah, yes! For HE??s now there to live
With GOD??s own love ?± e??en to forgive.
For JESUS unto us doth bring
Redeeming love. To HIM e??er cling
With fervent faith and wond??ring heart.
CHRIST in HIS grace does not depart.
Then spread abroad the news so glad:
?¨Lift up your hearts; no more be sad!
The SAVIOR??s COME your sin to bear!
CHIRST cleanses you, casts out all fear,
?¨The FATHER gave HIS SON for you,
That you might live with hope renewed.
This GIFT OF LOVE was granted you
That you might spread fore??er Good News.?Æ
God, turn us now to JESUS LORD
To trust HIS strong, sure, saving Word,
To share HIS peace and there to see
That we??re HIS child eternally.
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Then share CHRIST??s love and sing HIS praise
Throughout your earthly pilgrimage,
Until your stand at GOD??s right hand
Amidst HIS glor??ous angel band. Amen.
TO GOD ALONE BE GLORY!
© The Reverend Frederick A. Stiemke
Vacancy Pastor