Hallelujah! An All-Knowing God is Good News

The Reason We Celebrate

During the FCS Christmas concert on Dec. 12, Kris Wilder, Friendship Baptist Church youth pastor and FCS Bible teacher, shared a devotional contrasting God’s character with the lyrics of the jingle “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.”

You better watch out
You better not cry
You better not pout
I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is comin' to town

He's making a list
He's checking it twice
He's gonna find out
Who's naughty or nice
Santa Claus is comin' to town

In contrast to the legend of Santa's capabilities, David the Psalmist recorded his awe over these true attributes of God in Psalm 139:

1. God is all knowing. God knows our thoughts and words even before we say them.

2. God is everywhere. From the highest heaven to the bottom of the sea, daytime or nighttime, God is present everywhere.

3. God is all powerful. God was actively involved in creating us; we are fearfully and wonderfully made. 

“Most people in our world think we’re on good terms with God,” Pastor Wilder said. “We can think of others on the ‘naughty list,’ but not us! We think we’re generally good people, but that’s not the case.” Romans 3:23 tells us all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

The Bible tells us an all-knowing God knows every sinful thought and every selfish motive, Pastor Wilder continued. An everywhere-present God sees every wicked deed. And an all-powerful God is powerful and just enough to rightly judge our sins.

“So how could David rejoice knowing this about God?” he asked. “Because he knew other truths to be true about this God.” Romans 5:8 tells us, But God showed his love toward us and that while we were sinners, Jesus Christ died for us. 

“The reason that we can say ‘Hallelujah!’ this Christmas season is not in anything that we have done to fix our sin problem, but it is because God came to earth to fix what we could not fix." Pastor Wilder

“Jesus Christ came to this earth to live the perfect life that you and I have not lived. To die the death that all of us deserve. And even though this God knows everything about us, he loves us so much that he punished his Son in our place,” he concluded.

“This is what we celebrate at Christmas: Emmanuel, God with us. Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!”

 

Christmas Concert Recap

A packed house enjoyed the sounds of the season during the Dec. 12 FCS Christmas concert, Hallelujah! Christ is Born.

“The Turn Off Your Phone Song” by the FCS Chamber Singers and the Jubilation Choir’s ode to tasty “Hot Chocolate” brought smiles to the crowd. The primary focus of the evening, of course, was the celebration of Jesus’s birth through music.

The kinder choir sang “Silent Night” and “The First Noel” accompanied by the 4th grade ukulele musicians. The 5th grade Beginner Band displayed their newly learned skills, while the middle and high school bands shared arrangements that included “Joyeux Noel” and “Polar Express.”

The FLC hand chime choir delighted with “Canon in D” and “Joy to the World.” All the choirs sang seasonal songs and Christmas hymns that pointed to the Savior. The musical portion of the evening finished with the choirs and bands (TK4-12th) singing and playing Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus.”

Speech students helped introduce the songs. Festive artwork adorned the Welcome Center, including trees decorated with ornaments created by elementary students, and program covers designed by high school art students.