We who preach the gospel must not think of ourselves as public relations agents sent to establish good will between Christ and the world. We must not imagine ourselves commissioned to make Christ acceptable to big business, the press, the world of sports or modern education. We are not diplomats but prophets, and our message is not a compromise but an ultimatum. A.W. Tozer
Therefore let God-inspired Scripture decide between us; and on whichever side be found doctrines in harmony with the word of God, in favor of that side will be cast the vote of truth. --Basil of Caesarea
Once you learn to discern, there's no going back. You will begin to spot the lie everywhere it appears.

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service. 1 Timothy 1:12

Thursday, December 31, 2020

Books I Read in 2020

Once again I am publishing my annual look at the books I’ve read this past year. letting my readers know what sorts of things I read fill my head with (aside from the Bible, many magazines, journals, etc).


I know there is a lot to read here but you may find a title or short review to pique your interest and perhaps get a copy of the book for yourself.


As with the past years, a few books were repeat reads for me for various reasons; some so I could give them away but mostly just too many years passed to remember what was in them! Those will be noted in blue. For the most part the titles should tell you what the subject was.  And the list is in the order in which they were read.



Sword and Scimitar: Fourteen Centuries of War Between Islam and the West, by Raymond Ibrahim. This should be required reading for every American, let alone citizens of other countries.


Calvin Ruined the Protestant Faith, by Gregory L. Jackson. Staunch Lutheran author. I agree with him on Calvin, but totally disagree with him on Lutheranism and KJVO.


British Aircraft of the Second World War, by John Frayn Turner. Not only does it give details of every aircraft but if that aircraft was crewed by someone awarded the Victoria Cross (analogous to our Medal of Honor) it gives the story of that flight. The last section details specific missions in which the various types were flown.


The Smart Words and Wicked Wit of Winston Churchill, edited by Max Morris. Hardbound, 4.5X7 format, 159 pages of citations from Winston Churchill, some of which will end up on my “The Thought-Provoker” blog.


The Story of Civilization: Caesar and Christ, by Will Durant. This is volume 3 of an 11-volume series. I purchased and read one other one, The Age of Reason Begins, but gave that away a long time ago. I read this current one when I bought it back in 1998. It covers the Roman period from 800 BC to Constantine with an epilogue explaining the causes of the fall of the Roman Empire. When it gets to the Christian period you get what you’d expect from an atheist — Jesus only thought he was the Messiah but he was just influenced by Greek philosophy; Paul invented the Christian theology and a lot of Christianity was just copying the pagan religions around them, etc, etc, etc.  I have decided this book no longer belongs on my shelf and I will not pass it on for someone to be subjected to the deceitful false teachings about Christ and Christianity.


Irena’s Children: A True Story of Courage, by Tilar J. Mazzeo. The story of Irena Sendler from 1910 to the end of World War II. The primary focus of the story is the Warsaw ghetto and how Irena was instrumental in saving 2500 Jewish children out of Nazi hands.


White Cargo: The Forgotten History of Britain’s White Slaves in America, by Don Jordan and Michael Walsh. The title pretty much sums up what the book is about. Very interesting piece of history. The white slaves led to the black slavery.


The Illustrated History of the Vietnam War, by Andrew Wiest and Chris McNab. At only 252 pages it certainly isn’t in depth but it is an excellent, concise overview of the war from the French rule through WWII and back to the French, with the USA basically taking over from the French without learning any lessons.


Scotland: Highlands, Islands, Lochs & Legends, by Claudia Martin. Sort of a coffee-table book with lots of photos. Hardbound 8.5” tall and 11.5” long, 223 slick pages.  Text could probably be condensed to between 50 -75 pages. But the history and photos were we’ll worth the “tour.”


Persuasion, by Jane Austin.  This is another novel by Austin which I read to my wife.  Now, having never seen the movie we had no idea what the story was about. I cant recommend the book because it was quite a boring story. We liked much better the other three Austin novels we previously read.


A Legacy of Hatred: Why Christians Must Not Forget the Holocaust, by David A. Rausch. A friend gave me this book, which was first published in 1984 and this new edition was published in 1990. A very good look at the Holocaust and the history of anti-Semitism which led up to it. Many details of the period from Hitler’s ascension to the end of WWII. 


The Rational Bible, Exodus: God, Slavery, and Freedom, by Dennis Prager. This is the book of Exodus with virtually a verse-by-verse commentary from a Jewish perspective. It also has commentary relating the teachings to today’s culture. Prager is a well-known, excellent conservative commentator who happens to be a practicing Jew. I found the book to be very interesting. This book was loaned to me by a pastor friend because he wanted to get my viewpoint on it. When I gave it back to him and discussed it with him he gave it to me as a gift!


that’s not in my american history book: a compilation of little-known events and forgotten heroes, by Thomas Ayres. Yes, there are no caps in the title. Very interesting historical tid-bits, some of which I actually knew.


1984, by George Orwell (aka Eric Blair). For years, even decades, I have heard about this book and what some of the teachings are. When I was in junior high school we were required to read Orwell’s Animal Farm which really demonstrated the end of the ideology of totalitarian systems, so I assumed 1984 would have a similar focus—and I was correct. While the topic of the book was good the story was boring. I was disgusted with the whole sex story between Winston and Julia with Winston finding her exciting knowing that she has had sex with hundreds of men in the “Party.” I think that is an irrational idea.Yes, I got some good quotes out of it for use on my “The Thought-Provoker” blog but overall I can’t recommend it.


Forgotten Hero: The Story of Jack Manch, Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo and the Self-Sacrifice of an American Hero, by Charles Culbertson. I saw this booklet while searching for a new copy of the book, Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo. We had watched the movie Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo on April 18th and decided to buy a new copy since I had lost mine. Jack Manch was portrayed in the movie so I decided I needed to read about him. He was 6 feet, 7 inches tall and had the nickname of “Shorty.”  Manch was flying a T-33A on a training mission in 1958 when the plane’s engine caught fire. Manch ordered the student to bail out as Manch steered away from a housing area; when he was clear he ejected but he was too low to get deployment of the ‘chute and died. He had served with much valor during WWII and then in the Korean War.


Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen. This is another novel by Austin which I read to my wife. We have the movie and enjoy watching it every year or so. The movie followed the book pretty well.


This We Know: A Chronology of the Shootings at Kent State, May 1970, by Carole A Barbara, Laura L. Davis, and Mark F. Seeman. I am from Ohio and graduated high school shortly after the incident at Kent State. It wasn’t until the late 1970s and early 1980s that I got curious about what really happened there and began reading library books about it; I think there was a total of four which I read. I recently came across my old letter to the editor which I wrote shortly after the incident and decided to see what I could find on the ‘net in the way of a book. There were quite a few, some of which were quite expensive, but this one was fairly inexpensive and sounded interesting. Very interesting since it is just a chronology rather than a lot of opining.


Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo, by Capt. Ted Lawson. Written in 1943, just over a year from when the mission took place. I first read this book when I was in high school and then when I was in the Army I bought a paperback version. I later gave that book to my son and after he left home in 2001 I bought another copy, which I later passed to another young man who was interested. Wanting to read it again, I bought another copy in 2011 and that was the last time I read it. It has become a tradition to watch the movie on April 18th every year since that was the date of the Tokyo raid in 1942. It is an excellent book for an inside look of what happened to the “Doolittle Raiders.” The last survivor of the raid, Doolittle’ co-pilot Richard Cole, died on April 9, 2019 at 103 years old—and I met him at the Air Force Museum in April 2017.


The Coming Apocalypse, by Dr. Renald E. Showers.  Subtitled, “A Study of Replacement Theology vs. God’s Faithfulness in the End Times.”  An excellent examination of Replacement Theology and how it originated and then later spread via the Roman Catholic Church and how it has affected history and the Church at large. Unfortunately, when the author gets to the end and writes about the end times, he goes full Hal Lindsey.


Murder on the Orient Express, by Agatha Christi. A story I’ve heard about for a very long time. Watched a modern movie and watched an episode of the Hercule Poirot miniseries and decided to read the “real McCoy.” Since my wife also wanted to know the real story, I read it to her.


Sense and Nonsense About Angels & Demons, by Kenneth D. Boa and Robert M. Bowman, Jr. I read this book when I first got it back in 2008 and I decided to read it again to determine whether to give it away or keep it in my library — I’m keeping it.  Good study of the false ideas about angels and demons as well as explaining the facts about them.


The Rational Bible, Genesis: God, Creation, and Destruction, by Dennis Prager. Prager did for this book as he did to his “Exodus” book as noted above.  Excellent commentaries. I do think he tries too hard to make all sorts of numbers mean something.


No Safe Spaces, by Dennis Prager and Mark Joseph Editors. Also in a DVD version. This book examines how free speech is not permitted any more, especially on college campuses where they have “safe zones” where you can’t say anything that offends someone. The idea of free speech is being excoriated by the LEFT.


The Founders’ Key: The Divine and Natural Connection  Between the Declaration and the Constitution and What We Risk by Losing It, by Larry P. Arnn. An excellent examination of the connection to those two documents and how the LEFT is fighting proper interpretation of the documents—and how the LEFT violates especially the First Amendment.


A Night to Remember, by Walter Lord. The story of the cruise ship Titanic which was sunk by a collision with an ice berg in 1912.  Given to my wife by our son on Mother’s Day 1998 because the kids knew she was fascinated by the Titanic. She has read it 2 or 3 times before but I’ve never read it. So this time I read it to her.  We have the movie by the same title.


Death of a Nation: Plantation Politics and the Making of the Democratic Party, by Dinesh D’Souza. A very good study of the history of the Democrat party and its political agendas from the beginning until the current time.


World War II: A Chronology of War, edited by Col. Raymond K. Bluhn, Jr, US (Ret). This is a LARGE book, 9.5” by 13” with 531 slick pages (plus index) and lots of photos. The book was published with the assistance of The Army Historical Foundation, The Air Force Historical Foundation, Naval Historical Foundation, and Marine Corps Association. There is a whole section, “Prelude to War: 1938-1941,” to open the book; almost a day-by-day account of all services and countries affected prior to the end of December 1941 with year-by-year chapters. Then the first section of the book is “The War Against Japan,” with year-by-year chapters, followed by “The War in Europe,” with year-by-year chapters. Each year in both sections are day-by-day of events. No real detail of any battles, of course, just short paragraphs with short descriptions of events. Great book for an overall understanding of the events of World War II.


The Night Lives On, by Walter Lord. “The untold stories and secrets behind the sinking of the “Unsinkable” Ship —  TITANIC! “ Written after the Titanic was found in 1985, it gives lots of accounts by survivors. Also given to my wife on Mother’s Day 1998, this one by our daughter.


Never Call Me A Hero, by N. Jack “Dusty” Kleiss, with Timothy and Laura Orr. The autobiography of one of the dive bomber pilots who flew at the Battle of Midway. The story begins in his early life, later as he joins the Navy, the battle, and his career afterwards. Written while in his 90s, it is also a story of romancing his wife.


The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells. This was a “read to my wife” request. I got a series of H.G. Wells books back about 1980 and never read them. I know I read some of Wells’ books when I was in high school but I totally forgot what they were about. For this book I much prefer the 1960 movie. The book is thick evolutionist propaganda while the movie is much lighter on it and the movie has somewhat of a happy ending compared to the book.


Willie and Joe: The WWII Years, by Bill Mauldin. Although a paperback, it’s almost 9X11” and a tome of 692 pages. Mauldin was famous for military comics he drew and captioned before and during WWII. This book has 18 pages of biography of Mauldin and his comic history, then 615 pages of his comics, usually one to a page but sometimes two. The there are 12 pages explaining the previous comics because those having not been in the military would miss the humor in many of them. The rest of the book are copies of original artwork.


The Island of Dr. Moreau, by H.G. Wells. Another one I read to my wife, a book which I cannot recommend. The basic plot was about using vivisection to turn animals into some semblance of humans. Horrid story, with evolutionism as the basic philosophy.


Vikings: Raids, Culture, Legacy, by Marjolein Stern & Roderick Dale. The title of the book pretty much sums up the topic of this book; a history of the Vikings.


Scotland: The Story of a Nation, by Magnus Magnusson. I went to a Scottish Facebook site to ask if anyone could suggest a good history book about Scotland and this is the book most suggested. At 700 pages it took me three weeks to read but it was well worth it!


The Invisible Man, by H.G. Wells. I read this one to my wife. Decades ago I saw different movies supposedly based on this book, but I don’t remember anything about them. While this was a better story than Dr. Moreau it was still not anything I’d recommend.


The Last Days According to Jesus, by R.C. Sproul. I read this book 16 years ago when I first got it and read it now to decide whether or not to keep it. It is essentially an examination of preterist eschatology. I’ll pass it on.


The Real Saint Patrick, by J.M. Holmes. Small paperback examining the myths, legends and actual facts of Saint Patrick. Ends with Patrick’s complete “Confession.”


The War of the Worlds, by H.G. Wells.  Of the four books by Wells which I read to my wife, this was the best one. Still lots of teaching of evolution and denigrating of religion but overall the story was good. For those who are unfamiliar, Martians invaded the earth and after causing death and destruction all over the middle part of England they ended up dying from bacterias.


The Longest Day, by Cornelius Ryan. A wonderful, very accurate report of what happened on June 6, 1944, including the events and preparations prior to the Normandy invasion. The book reports only on that one day, from beginning to end, and includes reporting on all participants on both sides of the battle. Reading about the research Ryan did and his efforts to get everything as accurate as possible is amazing. If you’ve seen the movie by the same name, it closely follows the book’s reporting. I last read the book when I was in high school in the late 1960s. After watching the movie again this year (we watch it every June 6th) I decided to buy the book. The one I got was released last year, the 75th anniversary of the invasion, and aside from the original text it includes copies of many of the documents Ryan used in his research as well as over 100 photos.


Why Do They Dress That Way?, by Stephen Scott. I last read this in 2003 when I first bought it. The point of the book is to explain why “plain people” (Amish, Mennonites, Brethren, et al) wear the peculiar styles. I got the book down in Amana, which was a colony of “plain people.”  The author did not grow up with any group, rather he claimed he was looking to be a better Christian in the way he dressed and therefore studied the “plain people” from all over the states and some foreign countries. Essentially their rules are arbitrary and legalistic, derived from abusing Scripture for the most part. I consider these groups cultic because it is all about control of their people.


Helmet For My Pillow: From Parris Island to the Pacific, by Robert Leckie. This was one of the first “war” books I read when I was in junior high school, if I recall correctly.  I was recently talking with my wife about books I read when I was in school and remembered several titles. So I ordered a copy on Amazon and, after reading the book, I’m sure I enjoyed it more when I read it over 50 years ago! Leckie was a Marine fighting in the Pacific during WWII, but at least a third of this book tells of his debauchery whenever he was on leave or had a pass, as well as his illegal activities of stealing things and spending time in the brig. If he’d left all that trash out it would have been a better book. I will not keep this one. OH, the book says the HBO miniseries “The Pacific” was based on this book. I saw the series and don’t remember seeing that, but I thought the series stunk when compared to “Band of Brothers.


All In One Room: A History of Country Schools in Johnson County, Iowa, by Franklin L. Yoder. The title sums up the subject of this book. We live in Johnson County and we photograph one-room schools, so this book was quite a fascinating read.  


Heidi, by Johanna Spyri. Another one read to my wife. A very sweet story with a lot of teaching about how God works in our lives. After many years of watching a Shirley Temple movie we finally decided we wanted to read the book. The movie is not the same story; it’s been modified and shortened so much that half the story is left out. But it is still fun to watch.


Never Without Heroes: Marine Third Reconnaissance Battalion in Vietnam, 1965-1970, by Lawrence C. Vetter, Jr. On September 1st, while at the local grocery store wearing my “Army Veteran” baseball cap, I was approached by another man about my age and wearing a “Marine Corps Veteran” hat. We got to talking about our time in service and he said he was in Vietnam as a technician aboard an electronics warfare aircraft. He invited me to meet with his group of vets meeting early on Wednesday mornings. So on the following Wednesday, the 7th, I met with them. There was another paratrooper who was stationed in Korean during the mid-1950s, a Navy vet who was an electrician on board an aircraft carrier during the Vietnam War, another sailor stationed in the Philippines during the Vietnam War and another Marine who was stationed in California during the Korean War. One man was missing, having just recently fallen out of a tree he was trimming and was recovering. This man, Bob, was a Marine Recon in Vietnam. So the next week we met on Bob’s patio. I mentioned my interest in history and that my only knowledge about Vietnam was through reading and talking to veterans of that war. Well, Bob had some stories and then he offered to loan me a book about his unit in Vietnam. This book was such a great history of what extraordinary missions his unit undertook. Members of this battalion were awarded four Medals of Honor, 13 Navy Crosses and over 50 Silver Stars. Fascinating reading, as well as humbling to read of so many who lost their lives saving others. Bob’s copy is autographed by the author, who was a member of the unit, and Bob’s name is listed at the back of the book with the names of all those who were members of the Battalion. I ended up purchasing my own copy. 


Reflections on the Existence of God, by Richard E. Simmons III. My retired pastor friend asked me to read this so he could discuss it with me. I think it is an excellent examination for the evidences for God while leaving religion out until the end of the book. Ed ordered 40 copies for his prison ministry. My only problem with the author is his lack of theological discernment when selecting Christian authors to cite (e.g., he calls Donald Miller’s Blue Like Jazz, from which he cites, a “wonderful book”).


The Miracle of Dunkirk, by Walter Lord. The second book I’ve read on this historical event. Lord really highlights the individuals involved.


Thunderbolt!, by Robert S. Johnson with Martin Caiden. This book is the story of one of the highest scoring aces of World War II and the plane he flew. It’s a great fighter-pilot book with all the thrill and fear of aerial combat. I read this book while in the 10th grade and during the same period I was taking a science course titled “Aeronautics,” which was essentially ground school for working toward a pilot license. Between the course and this book I was convinced that I needed to one day earn a pilot license, not even considering that one day I would earn a Commercial Pilot license but also a multi-engine airplane rating, and instrument rating and a helicopter rating!  While “Aeronautics” taught the mechanics of flight, the first part of Thunderbolt taught the thrill and joy of flying.  It’s a book I could never forget and so I found a copy on the Internet in October so I could once again enjoy the story.


A Town Like Alice, by Nevil Shute. Long ago we acquired a VHS set with the mini-series based on this book. It is really an excellent story which I can highly recommend. A couple years ago I found a DVD version, thinking it was professional but it is a bootleg copy — although a fairly good one.  A couple months ago we watched the mini-series for the first time in a couple years and got to wondering about the novel. So I found a copy from Barnes & Noble and I just finished reading it to my wife on 12/5. The mini-series really, really followed the book, which left you wanting the further story! The author was an aeronautical engineer in England and founded an aircraft manufacturing firm which provided 1000 training aircraft to the RAF in WWII. He moved to Australia a few years after the war and the large part of the book takes place there.


Hit List: An In-Depth Investigation Into the Mysterious Deaths of Witnesses to the JFK Assassination, by Richard Belzer and David Wayne. The sub-title sums up the topic. Essentially the evidence from two congressional commissions and other witness testimony is that Lyndon Johnson ordered the assassination and the Mafia with the CIA carried it out. Oswald had nothing to do with it.


Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty, by Peter Collier. This book profiles living and recently deceased (as of the 2006 publication) Medal of Honor recipients. Whenever I read such stories I wonder if I would have been able to do such things if I went to war.


Mission: Jimmy Stewart and the Fight for Europe, by Robert Matzen. Good story about Stewart’s war time service but the narrative leading up to the war had too much about him and how many Hollywood starlets he bedded. I don’t know why that was necessary — just pure titillation with nothing to do with the story. AND it made me lose a lot of respect for Stewart.


Richard Rohr and the Enneagram Secret, by Don & Joy Veinot and Marcia Montenegro. This book exposes the fraud of the Enneagram and well as the history of the false teachers who developed it and promote it among Christians. Rohr is the current “heavyweight.” I’m always amazed at how gullible people can be.


And there you have it. Of course I'm in the middle of two other books: How the Scots Invented the Modern World upstairs and Maps of War: Mapping Conflict Through the Centuries downstairs, both of which will be reported on next year.


Friday, December 25, 2020

The Gospel at Christmas

Our Christmas Eve service was a pretty solid gospel message through scripture and song. I want to share it with my readers. You’ll notice that for the hymns we didn’t always sing all verses, but that was just fine because the full message was there.  

After a few words and opening prayer from a visiting pastor two women sang the song, He Who Is Mighty.  I had to look up the lyrics because I can almost never understand the words when women are singing. So here you are:


Oh, the mercy our God has shown

To those who sit in death's shadow

The sun on high, pierced the night

Born was the Cornerstone


Unto us a Son is given, unto us a Child is born

He Who is mighty has done a great thing

Taken on flesh, conquered death's sting

Shattered the darkness and lifted our shame

Holy is His name


Oh, the freedom our Savior won

The yoke of sin has been broken

Once a slave, now by grace

No more condemnation


Unto us a Son is given, unto us a Child is born

He Who is mighty has done a great thing

Taken on flesh, conquered death's sting

Shattered the darkness and lifted our shame

Holy is His name

Holy is His name


Now my soul magnifies the Lord

I rejoice in the God Who saves

I will trust His unfailing love

I will sing His praises all my days


My soul magnifies the Lord

I rejoice in the God Who saves

I will trust His unfailing love

I will sing His praises all my days


He Who is mighty has done a great thing

Taken on flesh, conquered death's sting

Shattered the darkness and lifted our shame

Holy is His name

Holy is His name


For the remainder of the service, a Bible passage (ESV) was read and then we sang a hymn.


The Promise Given—Genesis 3:8-15: Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” So the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”


Come Thou Long-Expected Jesus


Come, Thou long-expected Jesus, born to set Thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us; let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation, hope of all the earth Thou art;
dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart.


Come to earth to taste our sadness, he whose glories knew no end;

by his life he brings us gladness, our Redeemer, Shepherd, Friend.

Leaving riches without number, born within a cattle stall;

this the everlasting wonder, Christ was born the Lord of all.


Born Thy people to deliver, born a child, and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever, now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit rule in all our hearts alone;
by Thine own sufficient merit, raise us to Thy glorious throne.


The extent of the blessing foretold—Genesis 22:15-18: And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”


It Came Upon a Midnight Clear


It came upon a midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth

To touch their harps of gold

“Peace on the earth, good will to men

From heaven’s all-gracious King" –
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels sing.


And ye, beneath life's crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow,
Look now! for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing; –
Oh, rest beside the weary road
And hear the angels sing!


For lo! the days are hastening on
By prophet bards foretold,
When, with the ever circling years
Shall come the age of gold;
When Peace shall over all the earth,
Its ancient splendors fling,
And the whole world give back the song,
Which now the angels sing.


The Promise is of a King—Isaiah 9:2, 6-7: The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone…. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.


Hark! The Herald Angels Sing


Hark! the herald angels sing,

"Glory to the newborn King!"

Peace on earth, and mercy mild,

God and sinners reconciled

Joyful, all ye nations, rise,

Join the triumph of the skies;

With th' angelic host proclaim,

"Christ is born in Bethlehem." 

Hark! the herald angels sing,

"Glory to the newborn King!”


Christ, by highest heav'n adored:

Christ, the everlasting Lord;

Late in time behold him come,

Offspring of the favored one.

Veil'd in flesh, the Godhead see;

Hail, th'incarnate Deity:

Pleased, as man, with men to dwell,

Jesus, our Emmanuel!

Hark! the herald angels sing,

"Glory to the newborn King!"


Hail! the heav'n born Prince of peace!

Hail! the Son of Righteousness!

Light and life to all he brings,

Risen with healing in his wings

Mild he lays his glory by,

Born that man no more may die:

Born to raise the sons of earth,

Born to give them second birth.

Hark! the herald angels sing,

"Glory to the newborn King!”


The Angel Declares That God Has Come to Save—Matthew 1:18-23: Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel”


O Come, O Come, Emmanuel


O come, O come, Emmanuel,

And ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here,

Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.


O come, thou Rod of Jesse, free

Thine own from Satan's tyranny;

From depths of hell thy people save,

And give them victory o'er the grave.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.


O come, thou Key of David, come

And open wide our heav'nly home;

Make safe the way that leads on high,

And close the path to misery

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.


The Shepherds Go to Bethlehem—Luke 2:8-20:  And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.


At this point a trio of young women sang the song, Candlelight Carol. 


How do you capture

The wind on the water?

How do you count all the stars in the sky?

How can you measure

The love of a mother

Or how can you write down

A baby's first cry?


Candlelight, angel light

Firelight and star glow

Shine on his cradle till breaking of dawn

Gloria, Gloria in excelsis Deo!

Angels are singing

The Christ child is born


Shepherds and wise men

Will kneel and adore him

Seraphim round him their vigil will keep

Nations proclaim him

Their Lord and their Saviour

But Mary will hold him

And sing him to sleep


Candlelight, angel light

Firelight and star glow

Shine on his cradle till breaking of dawn

Gloria, Gloria in excelsis Deo!

Angels are singing

The Christ child is born


Find him at Bethlehem laid in a manger

Christ our Redeemer asleep in the hay

Godhead incarnate and hope of salvation

A child with his mother

That first Christmas Day


Candlelight, angel light

Firelight and star glow

Shine on his cradle till breaking of dawn

Gloria, Gloria in excelsis Deo!

Angels are singing

The Christ child is born

Angels are singing

The Christ child is born


The Wise Me Go to Worship—Matthew 2:1-2, 9-12: Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”… After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.


What Child Is This?


What Child is this who, laid to rest

On Mary's lap is sleeping?

Whom Angels greet with anthems sweet,

While shepherds watch are keeping?

This, this is Christ the King,

Whom shepherds guard and Angels sing;

Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,

The Babe, the Son of Mary.


Why lies He in such mean estate,

Where ox and ass are feeding?

Good Christians, fear, for sinners here

The silent Word is pleading.

Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,

The cross be borne for me, for you.

Hail, hail the Word made flesh,

The Babe, the Son of Mary.


So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh,

Come peasant, king to own Him;

The King of kings salvation brings,

Let loving hearts enthrone Him.

Raise, raise a song on high,

The Virgin sings her lullaby.

Joy, joy for Christ is born,

The Babe, the Son of Mary.


The Little Child is the Infinite God—John 1:1-14: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people[c] did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.


O Come, All Ye Faithful


O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant!

O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem

Come and behold Him

Born the King of Angels

O come, let us adore Him

O come, let us adore Him

O come, let us adore Him

Christ the Lord!


God of God, Light of Light

Lo, He abhors not the Virgin's womb

Very God

Begotten, not created

O come, let us adore Him

O come, let us adore Him

O come, let us adore Him

Christ the Lord!


Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning

Jesus, to Thee be glory given

Word of the Father

Now in flesh appearing

O come, let us adore Him

O come, let us adore Him

O come, let us adore Him

Christ the Lord!


This is Good News!  Short, excellent gospel homily by the pastor as elders begin the lighting of the candles.  As the hymn begins the lights are turned down.


Silent Night! Holy Night!


Silent night! Holy night!

All is calm, all is bright

'Round yon virgin Mother and Child,

Holy infant, so tender and mild,

Sleep in heavenly peace,

Sleep in heavenly peace.


Silent night! Holy night!

Shepherds quake at the sight!

Glories stream from heaven afar;

Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!

Christ the Savior is born!

Christ the Savior is born!


Silent night! Holy night!

Son of God, love's pure light

Radiant beams from thy holy face,

With the dawn of redeeming grace,

Jesus, Lord at Thy birth,

Jesus, Lord at Thy birth.


Silent night! Holy night!

Wondrous star, lend thy light; 

With the angels let us sing

Alleluia to our King;

Christ the Savior is born!

Christ the Savior is born!


Have a blessed Christmas!