While You Were Sleeping

This is an amazing song -- I have it on the Casting Crowns Christmas album. May the lyrics remind us of the true reason for the season of Christmas! I do not want to miss the coming of the Savior!

Oh little town of Bethlehem

Looks like another silent night

Above your deep and dreamless sleep

A giant star lights up the sky

And while you're lying in the dark

There shines an everlasting light

For the King has left His throne

And is sleeping in a manger tonight

Oh Bethlehem, what you have missed while you were sleeping

For God became a man

And stepped into your world today

Oh Bethlehem, you will go down in history

As a city with no room for its King

While you were sleeping

While you were sleeping

Oh little town of Jerusalem

Looks like another silent night

The Father gave His only Son

The Way, the Truth, the Life had come

But there was no room for Him in the world He came to save

Jerusalem, what you have missed while you were sleeping

The Savior of the world is dying on your cross today

Jerusalem, you will go down in history

As a city with no room for its King

While you were sleeping

While you were sleeping

United States of America

Looks like another silent night

As we're sung to sleep by philosophies

That save the trees and kill the children

And while we're lying in the dark

There's a shout heard 'cross the eastern sky

For the Bridegroom has returned

And has carried His bride away in the night

America, what will we miss while we are sleeping

Will Jesus come again

And leave us slumbering where we lay

America, will we go down in history

As a nation with no room for its King

Will we be sleeping

Will we be sleeping

United States of America

Looks like another silent night.

Give...and it shall be given! (Part 1)

"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Luke 6:38)

We all know and love this scripture. I cannot even count the number of sermons I have heard using this verse. This passage is a particular favorite when someone is encouraging people to give in a special offering (Faith Promise, anyone??). I mean, what's not to like?? Give - and it will be given! But not just any ole "given". God is going to press it down, shake it together, and fill it to overflowing! And whatever measure you use, be it big or small, that's the same measure He will give it back to you.

Awesome promise!

However, this past Sunday, my husband reminded us that scripture is clarified by reading the CONTEXT of the verse. Hmm. Okay.

Back up to verse 37:

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven."

Oh, wow!

That puts a whole new light on "give and it shall be given", doesn't it? If you back up even farther you find scriptures that say things like "love your enemies" and "bless those who curse you" and "be merciful". And if you continue to read, you find the wonderful "plank" and "sawdust" passage. But that is a whole 'nuther blog. *smiles*

So, do you want mercy? Then GIVE and it shall be GIVEN to you.

Do you want love? Give and it shall be given.

Do you want forgiveness? Show forgiveness to others.

Do to others as you would have them do to you. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Part 2 of "Give...and it shall be given!"

Now, back to the plank and speck of sawdust verse. How many times do we do this? We are all concerned with making sure everyone sees this little speck in our brother or sister’s eye...all the while, we are straining to see around the big 2x4 in our own eye.

I mean, maybe if everyone is focused on that speck, they won’t notice the plank in our eye, right?

It is human nature to compare ourselves to others. And it is human nature to try and make ourselves look good and to find someone who did worse than we did. I mean, this goes back as far as the Garden of Eden. Isn’t that what Adam did? And Eve? All throughout the Bible and history, people have pointed fingers at specks of dust, all the while straining to see through a plank.

The statement is made that “everyone is tall if standing next to the right person”. How true this is! We like to ‘cut’ others down so that we look taller. We like to make others look bad so our own sin is not quite so bad.

What would happen if we traded that “self-righteous garment” for a “robe of righteousness”. If, instead of trying to make ourselves look good, we reached out to help a brother or sister who is in need of some encouragement? Instead of throwing stones, we grab a first aid kit and help to bind some wounds? Instead of grabbing the phone to be the first to start spreading the “news”, we fall to our knees to pray for our brother or sister who has fallen into temptation?

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."