Herod’s reaction after Jesus’s Birth

Matthew 2:16-18 New International Version 16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

The events known as the massacre of the innocents following Jesus’ birth, remind us that the world Jesus entered was marred with darkness and suffering. Herod’s cruel actions brought immense pain and sorrow to many families in Bethlehem. In the midst of the joy of Christmas, this passage reminds us of the brokenness of humanity and the need for the Saviour’s redemptive work.

We are called to bring light & hope to a world that is often filled with darkness and pain. Our actions and decisions can impact the lives of those we lead, either positively or negatively. The Christmas season is an opportunity to extend compassion and support to those who are hurting, embodying the love and comfort of Christ.

Prayer

Father, we pray for those who are suffering and in pain, especially during this season of Christmas. Help us to be agents of comfort & hope, extending your love eto those around us. May we lead with justice & compassion, and the commitment to protect the vunerable. Amen.

Homeless at Christmas

It’s that time of year again when we think of the homeless people especially at night when the temperature drops very low, very often to freezing or below.

Let us spare a thought for those who will not be able to afford a Christmas dinner as we sit down to ours on Christmas day .

I also admire those volunteers from many organisations such as The Salvation Army who give up their day to cater not just for the homeless but for the old and people on their own.

Matthew 25:34-40 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?

Peace

Luke 2 : 13 – 14

And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”Image result for peace at Christmas

It doesn’t matter which version of scripture you choose to read, you’ll find the word peace used about 150 times. Sometimes it’s used to warn people who are about to lose their sense of peace, and other times it’s part of a standard blessing spoken over God’s people. It’s remarkable how many times the word is used to give a promise or as part of prophecy. Often the word is spoken as a reminder of the peace God gave in the past or given as a word of hope for the present as well as the future. During Advent this year, we’ll look at each of those uses of the word, and hopefully, by focusing on the One born to bring us true peace, we’ll have our most tranquil Christmas celebration ever!

Nowadays we read, hear and see on TV all sorts of evil taking place all over the world. Lets remind ourselves that this is a season of Peace and Joy.

Verse 1]
Behold the star of Bethlehem
The Word of God has become flesh
Unto us a child is born
The Savior of this broken world

[Chorus]
Hear the angel voices
Sing come let us adore Him
Peace has come, for our King is with us

[Verse 2]
Fully God and fully man
He comes for all with open hands
He rules with love on David’s throne
All praise belongs to Christ alone

[Chorus]
Hear the angel voices
Sing come let us adore Him
Peace has come, for our King is with us
Holy, Holy, Holy
Jesus we adore thee
Peace has come, for our King is with us

[Bridge]
Oh come let us adore Him
Oh come let us adore Him
Oh come let us adore Him
Christ the Lord
(2x)

Hope and Trust

Psalm 71 New International Version – UK

Psalm 71

1 In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;
    let me never be put to shame.
2 In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me;
    turn your ear to me and save me.
3 Be my rock of refuge,
    to which I can always go;
give the command to save me,
    for you are my rock and my fortress.
4 Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked,
    from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel.

5 For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord,
    my confidence since my youth.
6 From my birth I have relied on you;
    you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.
    I will ever praise you.
7 I have become a sign to many;
    you are my strong refuge.
8 My mouth is filled with your praise,
    declaring your splendour all day long.

Christmas tree – Religious or not?

Photo by sergio souza on Pexels.com

Non-Christians claim that Christmas trees are a religious symbol of Christmas. Is a Christmas tree really a religious symbol of Christmas equal to a Nativity scene?

It depends on how religious symbol is defined. If it means anything to which religious significance can be attached, then yes, because many Christians have attached religious significance to the Christmas tree (e.g., the Tree of Life, both in Eden and on Calvary). But if a religious symbol of a holiday is considered a tangible object intrinsically attached to that holiday, and without which the holiday wouldn’t be the same, then no, because the celebration of Christmas does not require Christmas trees. Christmas trees are a decoration that Christians incorporated into their celebration of the holiday over the centuries. They did not become widespread in the English-speaking world until German relatives of the British royal family brought the custom to Great Britain in the 18th and 19th centuries. Christians justified the custom on religious grounds by explaining that the evergreen tree can symbolize eternal life. Even today in many traditionally Catholic countries, far more emphasis is placed on the much older Christian custom of erecting Nativity scenes, a tradition attributed to St. Francis of Assisi (1181-1226). In short, although Christmas trees are a beloved custom in much of the English-speaking world, they are not necessary to the celebration of the holiday and are not nearly as symbolic of the holiday as the crèche. If it is agreed that a religious symbol should be understood to mean a tangible object intrinsically attached to that holiday, then Christmas trees are to Christmas what dreidels are to Hanukkah—a beloved custom but not a religious symbol.

O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree
How lovely are thy branches
O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree
How lovely are thy branches

Your boughs so green in summertime
Stay bravely green in wintertime
O tannenbaum, o Christmas tree
How lovely are thy branches

Let us all remember
In our gift giving and our merriment
With our family and friends and loved ones
The real and true meaning of Christmas
The birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ

O tannenbaum, o tannenbaum
How lovely are, are thy branches
O tannenbaum, o tannenbaum
How lovely are, how lovely are thy branches

The pillars all please faithfully
Our trust in God unchangedly
O tannenbaum, o tannenbaum
How love, lovely are thy branches

On Comet, on Cupid, on Donder and Blitzen
Ha ha ha ha

CANDLE OF HOPE

Romans 15:13

Image result for House decorated for Christmas

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Today is the first Sunday in advent ‘The Candle of Hope’

Isn’t it strange how at the lead up to Christmas you start to see adverts for donations to several charities whilst at the other end of the spectrum you see a house decorated like the one above.

Though having said that there used to be a person who lived in a nearby village to me decorated his house at Christmas to raise money for a ward in the local hospital.

The Lord Speaks

Romans 15:1-13 New International Version – UK 

15 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please our neighbours for their good, to build them up. 3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: ‘The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.’[a]4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to Image result for the lord speaksGod. 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews[b] on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed 9 and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written:

‘Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles;
    I will sing the praises of your name.’[c]

10 Again, it says,

‘Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.’[d]

11 And again,

‘Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;
    let all the peoples extol him.’[e]

12 And again, Isaiah says,

‘The Root of Jesse will spring up,
    one who will arise to rule over the nations;
    in him the Gentiles will hope.’[f]

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

God’s Time

Jeremiah 29

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

I have this tune on a recent CD I bought it’s a piano arrangement and I love the tune but being a musician when i looked up these words it made the tune a lot more meaningful.

As Jeremiah tells us God has plans for each of us we just need to pray for him to show and teach us the way to enable us do what he says.

In His time, in His time,See the source image
He makes all things beautiful in His time.
Lord, please show me everyday
As You’re teaching me Your way,
That you do just what You say in Your time.

In Your time, in Your time,
You make all things beautiful in Your time.
Lord, my life to You I bring,
With its winter and its spring,
May I fathom everything in Your time.

There’s a time, there’s a time
Both for sowing and for reaping there’s a time.
Time for losing, time for gain,
Time for joy and time for pain,
Every purpose under heaven has a time.

There are times, there are days,
Weeks and months we cannot understand God’s ways.
If for years we fail to scan
What is his eternal plan,
We’ll remember that He can, all the time.

The cries of the needy

Related image

Psalm 69 New Living Translation

22 Let the bountiful table set before them become a snare
    and their prosperity become a trap.[b]
23 Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see,
    and make their bodies shake continually.[c]
24 Pour out your fury on them;
    consume them with your burning anger.
25 Let their homes become desolate
    and their tents be deserted.
26 To the one you have punished, they add insult to injury;
    they add to the pain of those you have hurt.
27 Pile their sins up high,
    and don’t let them go free.
28 Erase their names from the Book of Life;
    don’t let them be counted among the righteous.

29 I am suffering and in pain.
    Rescue me, O God, by your saving power.

30 Then I will praise God’s name with singing,
    and I will honour him with thanksgiving.
31 For this will please the Lord more than sacrificing cattle,
    more than presenting a bull with its horns and hooves.
32 The humble will see their God at work and be glad.
    Let all who seek God’s help be encouraged.
33 For the Lord hears the cries of the needy;
    he does not despise his imprisoned people.

34 Praise him, O heaven and earth,
    the seas and all that move in them.
35 For God will save Jerusalem[d]
    and rebuild the towns of Judah.
His people will live there
    and settle in their own land.
36 The descendants of those who obey him will inherit the land,
    and those who love him will live there in safety.

God came to Earth

Lo, Jesus came heralded by a star and so, each year candles flicker and sweet carols rise. What an infinitely small view man takes of this cosmic happening and Spiritual intrusion! God came to earth. The Creator became a creature. The Prince of Peace became a pauper. The Word of God a speechless child. King […]

God came to Earth