Category Archives: Christmas Carols

No Room – When the hustle and bustle replace the joy

Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem because it was decreed by Caesar, but when they arrived, there was no room for them in the inn, so Mary delivered her firstborn son in a stable filled with animals, basically, the barn.

Or did she?

The picture I have had most of my life is of the two of them standing at an ancient bed and breakfast and a kindly elder gentlemen shaking his head telling them he was sorry he could not accommodate them. Everything was full because of the census. Even though Mary was with child they still could not find a place to stay, but this innkeeper did offer his stable and a clean bed of hay where she could give birth. Yikes!

But a little deeper look at the Greek wording might give us some insight and a better understanding of that holy night.

The Greek term translated inn (kataluma) had more than one meaning. It could be a small inn, or a group of people traveling together, a caravansary. This word is used only one other time in the New Testament… “And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? And he shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready.” Luke 22:11.

This is the place where Jesus shared the Last Supper with His disciples! What kind of room does Luke say this was? “A large furnished upper room…”

So the last night of Jesus’ ministry on this earth was spent in an upper room in an inn or kataluma. Sort of a guest room.

Now let us look at His entrance into this world…when they discovered the inn was full, it was no doubt filled with others, possibly even relatives, who had also traveled to the city for the same reasons. Older members of the family would be accommodated first so they could have possibly taken the rooms.

In this culture and time period, the animals were brought inside at night for several reasons. Mangers (animal feeding troughs) were also found inside the house, tools were stored and the animals were safe from harm. Their being inside also added warmth with their body heat, milk supply and dung for fuel.

So when it is said that Joseph and Mary could find no room in the inn and Jesus was born in the manger, in reality they were likely in a house of humble stature. The stable was on the ground floor, where they brought the animals in at night, the sleeping quarters were on the second floor.

True, it was never the best of conditions; it was still a very humble birth! And if all the rooms in the sleeping quarters were full, and they were, then Mary and Joseph did sleep with the animals on the first floor…the sounds, the smells, the shedding! Everyone was busy getting to the city of their birth to pay their taxes and be counted. There was plenty of hustle and bustle and no one had room for the King of Kings.

No fanfare, nothing flashy or royal by the world’s standards. But all of heaven took notice that day and the heavenly hosts sang, “Glory to God in the highest!”

Sadly, ever since then, our world has never had room for Jesus. Isaiah prophesied it would be so, “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.” Isaiah 53:3.

We have continued to push Him out of our government and our schools. Many now call it Winter Break instead of Christmas Break. It is no longer politically correct to say, Merry Christmas; that has been replaced with Happy Holidays, which they says covers everything and makes everyone happy.

I have even heard of a school on the east coast that gave a performance where the 5^th grade sang Silent Night and the teacher had removed all of the references to Jesus in the presentation. What would be the point?!

There was a song back in the 1970’s that we used in a Christmas play titled No Room. The lyrics went like this:

No room,–no room for Him.
No room to let Him in.–
No room for Jesus in the world He made, no room.
No room for the King of Kings;
Room for others, and for other things.
No room for Jesus in the world He made, no room

No room,–no room for Him.
No room to let Him in.–
No room for Jesus in the heart He made just for Him.
No room–for the King of Kings
Room for others, and for other things.
No room for Jesus in the heart He made, no room.

Room for houses, lands and pleasures,
Room for things that pass away;
But for the One who reigns forever,
There’s no room today.

Have you made room for Him? Are you taking time to remember the Reason for the Season? Is the hustle and bustle distracting you from the meaning and purpose of that first Christmas?

Take time each day this week to pause, pray and thank God for His entrance into this world. His birth made all the difference in our lives and is the Hope that will take us to be with Him forever one day soon.

When we make room for Jesus, our silent nights become holy nights. Let Him in today…make plenty of room!

Angels from the Realms of Glory: A rich and surprising story!

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James Montgomery (1771-1854), was only a small five year old boy when his parents decided to go to the West Indies as missionaries. That was a far cry from their beloved Scotland and too dangerous for a small child so they put James in a Moravian community in County Antrim, Ireland. When he was seven, he was sent to a seminary in England and sadly, when he was only twelve, his parents died on the mission field.

James had been shuffled from boarding school to boarding school while his parents were sharing the Gospel. Being left behind affected James and he did not succeed in school. In fact, he failed at several things until he discovered he could write poetry.

When he grew up, he worked for The Sheffield Register, deemed a radical newspaper at the time. James eventually bought the newspaper when the owner had to flee the country to avoid being put in prison. He later renamed the paper The Sheffield Iris and used his paper to speak out against social injustice and slavery.

An Irishman, under English rule, Montgomery himself was imprisoned twice for sensitive political articles and his activity as a leader in the abolitionist movement. Slavery was legal at the time and Montgomery was using his paper to try and turn the tide and set the slaves free. He was thrown in prison on two different occasions because of articles that he had written. Each time he was released he went right back to the paper and fighting the war for two things: freedom for the slaves and also freedom from Great Britain for the Irish.

In a time of political upheaval and great disdain between the Irish and the British, each side would read Montgomery’s newspaper. One would be looking to inspiration that would draw more to their revolution. The government, on the other hand, would also read it looking for something to use against James Montgomery.

But on Christmas Eve, instead of more division, Montgomery surprised them all by reaching out to both sides with his poem, Angels from the Realms of Glory. The tune that soon accompanied it, Regent Square, was composed by the blind composer, Henry Smart (1813-1879). The name of the tune, Regent Square, was borrowed from the Presbyterian Church in London.

Montgomery went on to write more than 400 hymns.

So many good words in this Christmas carol that It seems as if James Montgomery discovered what his parents had given their lives for. He has touched thousands down through the decades with his words about the Christ child coming to Earth for man. I especially love the second stanza, God with man is now residing. Is He residing in YOU? Make sure you know Him, Christ IN you, the Hope of

Glory. To be able to come and worship Jesus is truly a great privilege and He has made a way for each of us to come to Him anytime, all the time.

Be sure and share this message, as James Montgomery did, and touch souls for eternity. Worship Christ, the newborn King!

Angels From the Realms of Glory

Angels from the realms of glory,
Wing your flight o’er all the earth;
Ye who sang creation’s story,
Now proclaim Messiah’s birth:
Come and worship,
Come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King!

Shepherds, in the fields abiding,
Watching o’er your flocks by night,
God with man is now residing,
Yonder shines the infant Light;
Come and worship,
Come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King!

Sages, leave your contemplations,
Brighter visions beam afar;
Seek the great desire of nations,
Ye have seen His natal star;
Come and worship,
Come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King!

Saints before the altar bending,
Watching long in hope and fear,
Suddenly the Lord, descending,
In His temple shall appear:
Come and worship,
Come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King!

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Go, tell it on the Mountain!

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Did you know that Go Tell It On The Mountain has no published author, because it was passed down from plantation to plantation and never credited properly? John Wesley Work actually published it in 1907 and it has been a favorite Christmas carol for many decades.

He made me a watchman

Upon a city wall,

And if I am a Christian,

I am the least of all.

The story didn’t end for the shepherds, the Wise Men, for Joseph or Mary after the birth of Jesus. It didn’t even end 33 years later after His death burial and resurrection!

Here we are, ready to enter 2021. Did you know that He made YOU a watchman? He made ME a watchman! And if we are Christians at all, and we are friends, we are, we are the least of all, but He put us here to do a job.

So what did He leave us here to do?

Go tell it! Proclaim it everywhere you go!

We are to make His name glorious as we spread the Good News. Jesus Christ was born and it’s more than just a story. It’s not a fairy tale. It is for you, for your children, and their children too. Acts 2:39.

Are we moved with compassion to share this Gospel today? Are we willing in good times or adversity to share the story and our testimony?

Let us not hide it under a bushel. Let us not be so caught up in our plenty that we forget that our purpose on this earth is to reach others, not just to satisfy our earthly desires and wants.

He was born for a reason. He died for a reason. For you, me and all who would believe.

Let’s take this Good News, over the hills and everywhere!

While shepherds kept their watching
Over silent flocks by night,
Behold throughout the heavens,
There shone a holy light:
Go, Tell It On The Mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

The shepherds feared and trembled
When lo! above the earth
Rang out the angel chorus
That hailed our Saviour’s birth:
Go, Tell It On The Mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

Down in a lowly manger
Our humble Christ was born
And God send us salvation,
That blessed Christmas morn:
Go, Tell It On The Mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

When I am a seeker,
I seek both night and day;
I seek the Lord to help me,
And He shows me the way:
Go, Tell It On The Mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

He made me a watchman
Upon the city wall,
And if I am a Christian,
I am the least of all.
Go, Tell It On The Mountain,
Over the hills and everywhere;
Go, Tell It On The Mountain
That Jesus Christ is born.

Psalm 105:1 “Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done.”

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Category Archives: Christmas Carols

No Room – When the hustle and bustle replace the joy

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