Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1921-12-16
THE FIRST CHRISTMAS MESS.
AGE.

written by Matte Vernon, Bandy,
Va, Dec. IL, 1918. She died of the
influenza three months after this was
written.
More than nineteen hundred wears
ago the shepherds were startled IL,
the stiffness of night to hear an angel
proclaimtng The first Christmas mess
age: Fear not: for, behold, I bring
you good tidings of great joy, which
shall be to all people, unto you
is born this day in the city of David
a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be sign unto you;
We, shall find the babe wrapped in
swaddling clothes, lying in n man
ger What did it mean? Could it be
true? Yes. 1t is true, for suddenly
there was multitude of the heav-
emily host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, an OH
earth peace, good will toward men.
What wonderful message.
Oil would not our hearts have
thrilled, if we like the shepherds.
could have heard on that beautiful
night tie song of tho angels as it
rang over those distant Judean hills?
Then there could have been no doubt
as to the truthfulness of the mess
age. We would never have grown
tired of telling the sweet story that
meant so much to us, and to dying
world. The shepherds did not doubt
it. Thew Immediately began to seek
the Savior of the world.
They went to Herod and told hin,
their story. Never dreaming that
Christ would be numbered with the
poor he told them to bring him word
yuh thou ho1
tie Jews. But God read Herod's heart
and told the shepherds to return to
Their own country another way.
That message @ ace is still ring
ing, and will ring while eternal ages
ROLL When we find the Savior sweet
to our soul, God whispers to us, re-
turn home another way. And if we
fail to obey God, but seek again tn.
same road, we find our hearts black
err than they were before God said,
"peace to you, my troubled cid. What
is the meaning of the angels song?
1t is more than the human henrt can
know. 1t it life from the dead. Peace
has cheered the lonely all through
the years that have elapsed since
tat memorable night, nearly two
thousand years ago, when the shep-
herds ceased to watch their peaceful
focks and turned their eyes heaven
ward, while with borning hearts they
heard for the first time the sweet
strains of music that brought peace
to the hearts of men.
We find no record where Jesus
failed to lend a hand in every time
of need. He listens to the faintest
call. The angel brought the first glad
tidings of our Saviors birth. Angels
strengthened Him in every trial while
in this world of woe. was with Him
in his temptations in the wilderness,
when he spent long nights in prayer
for needed trength, God send All
angel to Him. In Gethsemane, when
the greatest trial Of His life was be-
fore Him.. when our sins were weigh
ing Him down. an angel strengthened
Him. Oh! the agony of that hour,
when His sweat was as it were great
DROPS of blood. But he resigned HIS
will to His Father and died that we
might have life more abundantly. All
angel announced His resurrection
and at the ascension the angel WAS
present, and as the wondering dis
ciples watched the disappearing Lord
as He neared His Fathers house, the
angel bid them look for this same
Jesus which should come in like man.
ner He went away.
We, as followers of Jesus, should
s. be watching for our Savior, for in
such an hour as we think not the
Son of Man will come. AS Christmas
draws near, we should not fail tc
tell the wonderful tory of the frs,
Christmas and what it meant to 4
dying worldd. After MANY years have
been spent in eternity in the presenc,
of God and the hoI- angels, we will
begin to realize What it meant wher
the angels sang, "Peace on earth
good will toward men,"
nEDc UErIv CpoCnCr ooE