OUR DAILY BREAD : HALLELUJAH!

[cimi]

December 20
Saturday

READ
Isaiah 9:1-7
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I know that my
Redeemer lives.
__Job 19:25
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Composer George Frederic Handel was bankrupt when in 1741 a group of Dublin charities offered him a commission to wrote a musical work. It was for a benefit performance to raise funds to free men from a debtors' prison. He accepted that commission and gave himself tirelessly to work on it.

In just 24 days, Handel composed the well-known masterpiece MESSIAH , which contains "The Hallelujah Chorus." During that time, he never left his home and often went without eating. At one point, a servant found him weeping over his evolving score. Recounting his experience, Handel wrote, "Whether I was in my body or out of my body as I wrote it I know not. God knows." Afterward he also said, "I did think I did see all heaven before me and the great God Himself."

"The Hallelujah chorus" stirs my soul whenever i hear it, as I'm sure it does yours. But let's be sure we do more than resonate to that magnificent music. Let's open our hearts in faith and adoration for the Messiah promised in the book of Isaiah (Isa. 9:1-7). He has come to us in the person of Jesus Christ to be our Savior. "Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder" (v.6). __Vernon Grounds.
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````````````````Beautiful Savior! Lord of the nations!``````````````
````````````````````Son of God and Son of Man!``````````````````
`````````````````Glory and honor, praise, adoration```````````````
```````````Now and forevermore be Thine! __Seiss (trans.)`````````
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God's highest Gift awakens our deepest gratitude.

************Today's Bible Reading __ Isaiah 9:1-7*****************

1 Nevertheless the gloom
will not be upon her who is
distressed, as when at first
he lightly esteemed the land
of Zebulun and the land of
Naphtali, and afterward
more heavily oppressed her,
by the way of the sea,
beyond the Jordan, in
Galilee of the Gentiles.

2 The people who walked in
darkness have seen a great
light; those who dwelt in the
land of the shadow of death,
upon them a light has
shined. 3 You have
multiplied the nation and
increased its joy; they
rejoice before you according
to the joy of harvest, as men
rejoice when they divide the
spoil. 4 For You have broken
the yoke of his burden and
the staff of his shoulder, the
rod of his oppressor, as in
the day of Midian. 5 For
every warrior's sandal from
the noisy battle, and
garments rolled in blood,
will be used for burning and
fuel of fire. 6 For unto us a
Child is born, unto us a Son
is given; and the government
will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting
Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of
the increase of his
government and peace there
will be no end, upon the
throne of David and over
his kingdom, to order it and
establish it with judgment
and justice from that time
forward, even forever. The
zeal of the Lord of hosts will
perform this.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Handel's comment on the spiritual epiphany he experienced in
composing the Messiah is reminiscent of the apostle Paul being
caught up into the third heaven. "Whether in the body or out of the
body I do not know, God knows" (2 Cor. 12:3). __Dennis Fisher