✝ Daily Encouragement (12/13/23) "Heaven's Flash Choir"

Published: Wed, 12/13/23

A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber.

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Wednesday, December 13, 2023

The Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, MO
A great seasonal childhood Christmas memory was our annual family trip into Kansas City to view the Christmas lights at the Country Club Plaza.

"Heaven's Flash Choir"

Message summary: Today let us consider a special flash choir that was present at the birth of Christ, "Heaven's Flash Choir".

Note: Due to background noise (Hispanic drywall finishers) a podcast not prepared for this message. The new room is now opened up so we can keep the temperature up.

"Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests" (Luke 2:13,14).

We both enjoy choir music, although Brooksyne more so. Brooksyne has directed choirs over the years and now enjoys singing in one. In my case (Stephen) from an analytical perspective I think it's amazing, especially in a large choir, how the voices synchronize so that the words are clear, the blend musically is tight and sounds as one voice. It would seems that if they started even a fraction of a second before or after other voices the words would sound blurry (which for the record I realize is not an official musical term).

Years ago Brooksyne was invited to be a part of a "flash" choir at Lancaster's Central Market to sing the Hallelujah chorus. You've probably seen videos of these such as the one we post below recorded at a mall food court.

These flash choirs are intended to be a surprise and the participants are often spread throughout the crowd lending additional surprise when that person standing next to you starts singing out in a beautiful voice that blends with other voices all around the room.

Today let us consider a special flash choir that was present at the birth of Christ. They joined the angel who had proclaimed the birth of Christ to the shepherds. "Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying:..." The "suddenly" indicates this was similar to a flash choir!

Now Scripture does not elaborate on how many were present in this great company but I think it was probably large based on the words "great company". I am also pretty sure they had a good sound that projected for all to hear (no sound techs or sound equipment needed)!

The words in our daily text are the summary of praise of the heavenly host of angels to the Shepherds at the time of Christ's birth. I use the word "summary" since I wonder if there was actually more to their message that Luke summed up as “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" If that's all I heard a choir sing it would probably leave me wanting just a bit more singing than that!

Today we consider the phrase "on earth peace". We associate Christmas with love, joy, and peace, but also in the same Scriptural narrative there is the written record of unimaginable evil. We know the story but it's not a section of the Christmas narrative we choose to focus on. We might even prefer to skip over it since the backdrop seems to be unconducive to what we perceive as the proper setting for the Christ Child's arrival.

King Herod, in an effort to destroy the Christ Child King, ordered his soldiers to kill "all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under" (Matthew 2:16). What a horrible time this must have been for parents, siblings, grandparents. Herod was an exceedingly evil man. We also consider the moral depravity of the soldiers in carrying out such an evil command. Even though we know Herod's motivation there is no reason to believe the inhabitants of Bethlehem did.

We who believe in Christ still live in a fallen world with much evil and unrest. The peace of which the angels sang sure does not appear evident. Rather, all around we see strife. But the peace the angels spoke of is not the external circumstances that surround us. Rather it is the reconciling peace that Christ imparts within our hearts when we come to know and accept Him as Savior and Lord. True peace in other ways will come when the Prince Of Peace returns. Ultimately there is a future time when "the wrong shall fail, the right prevail."

The peace reigning within our hearts is truly a gift from God that surpasses all tangible gifts. Won't you receive this peace and the Christ of Christmas today!

Be encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Father, just as the angels came for the purpose of glorifying You at the arrival of Your Son on earth, we too want to unite our voices to declare Your goodness in sending Jesus to live among us, to provide a way for us to find salvation and thereby inherit Your peaceable kingdom; for now, it is within our hearts and it will one day be experienced in heaven for all eternity.

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Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources

"Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, Hallelujah Chorus" Watch on YouTube

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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.

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