I wonder how many of us will get Christmas cards with the two different terms on them 1. Merry Christmas and 2. Happy Xmas.
According to the dictionary the meaning of Merry Christmas is: The real meaning of “Merry Christmas” is, to be full of absolute joy because God Himself, knowing none of us could *ever* get free of sin ourselves, provided the way for our salvation. It is only through God that we can obtain Holiness because none of us are able to cleanse ourselves to the point of pleasing God.
Whereas Xmas (also X-mas) is a common abbreviation of the word Christmas. It is sometimes pronounced, but Xmas, and variants such as Xtemass, originated as handwriting abbreviations for the typical pronunciation. The “X” comes from the Greek letter Chi, which is the first letter of the Greek word Christós (Χριστός), which became Christ in English. The suffix -mas is from the Latin-derived Old English word for Mass.
Personally I prefer the first one of the two
A lot of kids these days are brought up to believe that Santa and toys are ” The reason for the season” We must remember as Christians that Jesus is ” The reason for the season”
11 As Scripture says, ‘Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.’[e]12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile – the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’[f]
Or as The Message translates it,
Romans 10 The Message (MSG)
11-13 Scripture reassures us, “No one who trusts God like this—heart and soul—will ever regret it.” It’s exactly the same no matter what a person’s religious background may be: the same God for all of us, acting the same incredibly generous way to everyone who calls out for help. “Everyone who calls, ‘Help, God!’ gets help.”
I have a question for you. Can you honestly say you have had a ‘Stress free’ live? I know I haven’t. Something I’ve always tried to bare in mind when stressed or worried is the old saying ‘It’ll all work out in the end’ and it usually does.
Of course as we all know some of the more common stress factors are Marriage, Divorce and financial problems and that’s only the tip of the iceberg as they say.
As Christians dealing with stress we must trust in God because as The Message puts it ‘He’s the same God for all, a generous God who can help.
You were the Word at the beginning One With God the Lord Most High Your hidden glory in creation Now revealed in You our Christ
What a beautiful Name it is What a beautiful Name it is The Name of Jesus Christ my King
What a beautiful Name it is Nothing compares to this What a beautiful Name it is The Name of Jesus
You didn’t want heaven without us So Jesus, You brought heaven down My sin was great, Your love was greater What could separate us now
What a wonderful Name it is What a wonderful Name it is The Name of Jesus Christ my King
What a wonderful Name it is Nothing compares to this What a wonderful Name it is The Name of Jesus What a wonderful Name it is The Name of Jesus
How sweet is your name, Lord, how good You are Love to sing in the name of the Lord, love to sing for you all? Death could not hold You, the veil tore before You You silenced the boast, of sin and grave The heavens are roaring, the praise of Your glory For You are raised to life again
You have no rival, You have no equal Now and forever, Our God reigns Yours is the Kingdom, Yours is the glory Yours is the Name, above all names
What a powerful Name it is What a powerful Name it is The Name of Jesus Christ my King
What a powerful Name it is Nothing can stand against What a powerful Name it is The Name of Jesus
You have no rival, You have no equal Now and forever, Our God reigns Yours is the Kingdom, Yours is the glory Yours is the Name, above all names
What a powerful Name it is What a powerful Name it is The Name of Jesus Christ my King
What a powerful Name it is Nothing can stand against What a powerful Name it is The Name of Jesus
What a powerful Name it is The Name of Jesus What a powerful Name it is The Name of Jesus
Matthew 6:25-34New International Version – UK (NIVUK)
Do not worry
25 ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]?
28 ‘And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labour or spin.29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these.30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you – you of little faith?31 So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?”32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
As the varied way of life we journey,
Come the plains and then the mountainside,
Come the days of joy when birds are singing,
And the world is fair and sweet and wide;
Then a deeper joy comes, overfilling,
From the everlasting throne of love,
And all other joy is but an echo
From the ever-blessèd heights above.
There are shadows on the earthly pathway
Where, at times uncertainly, we tread;
In perplexity we halt and linger
Till our faith again is upward led.
For the heights of truth are ever calling,
And celestial radiance from afar
On our pilgrim way is gently falling
For our comfort where the shadows are.
In the days of peace and golden sunshine,
In the days of joy, or days of woe,
There is confidence in Him who holds us;
There is light to guide us here below.
And beyond await the heights of rapture,
Where all earthly joys, transcended, fade
In the glory of the Saviour’s presence,
In the Home eternal He has made.
32 “Now then, my children, listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways. 33 Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not disregard it. 34 Blessed are those who listen to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway. 35 For those who find me find life and receive favour from the Lord. 36 But those who fail to find me harm themselves; all who hate me love death.”
Although this passage of scripture indicates that Jesus is talking to children, the passage really refers to us all. We must keep listening because it is only by listening we become wise and are blessed
I heard a conversation a few days ago. One person felt the other had upset them and had held on to this grudge for two weeks, before venting their anger. If they had just turned round and said something at the time, the matter would have been settled. No, they had turned it over and over in their mind for days. It’s so easy to feel slighted, simply by taking what someone has said, in all innocence, the wrong way. The perceived hurt, anger and bitterness had festered inside, causing pain and anger. My challenge for you today, is, if you feel someone has hurt you, done something you do not agree with, said something that has caused you to take offence, then make today the day you get in touch with them, talk to them. Explain how you feel, and stop that annoyance causing you to feel stressed.
Leviticus 19:17-19 Don’t hold grudges. On the other hand, it’s wrong not to correct someone who needs correcting. Stop being angry and don’t try to take revenge. I am the Lord, and I command you to love others as much as you love yourself
10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
11 “All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish. 12 Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all.
It’s probably a good job we don’t know what’s ahead of us for example we didn’t know Covid – 19 was going to raise it’s ugly head towards 2019. A couple of lockdowns on with vaccinations in September 2021 we’re still fighting the virus.
Meanwhile things have been happening else where.
Recently America has pulled their troops out of Afghanistan because of the troubles there, and on top of that New Orleans has been hit by a tornado
I shall not fear though darkened clouds may gather round me; The God I serve is one who cares and understands; Although the storms I face would threaten to confound me, Of this I am assured: I’m in His hands.
I’m in His hands, I’m in His hands; Whate’er the future holds, I’m in His hands; The days I cannot see have all been planned for me; His way is best, you see; I’m in His hands.
What though I cannot know the way that lies before me, I still can trust and freely follow His commands; My faith is firm since He it is who watches o’er me; Of this I’m confident: I’m in His hands.
In days gone by my Lord has always proved sufficient, When I have yielded to the law of love’s demands; Why should I doubt that He would evermore be present To make His will my own? I’m in His hands!
Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.
It’s true what this video says We do have gift to share to everyone. The beauty of it is that everyone’s gift is different from the person next to you.
In the reading above we are reminded that Paul tells the people of Corinth because you have proved yourselves others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ,
Whilst sharing things puts us in Gods favour, we mustn’t forget the most important thing to share is the Gospel.
One of my favourite Salvation Army Band pieces is called ‘The Light of the World’ written and composed by Dean Goffin who I believe was Australian. I suppose one of the reasons I like this piece is the main hymn/theme going through it which is O Jesus, thou art standing. You will also hear the chorus Behold me standing at the door come in through the piece and if you listen carefully you will hear the bottom end of the band emphasise the knocking.
Holmun Hunt also painted a picture of Jesus sanding outside a door knocking and I believe this can be seen in St Paul’s Cathedral, London.
O Jesus, thou art standing,
outside the fast closed door,
in lowly patience waiting
to pass the threshold o’er:
shame on us, Christian brothers,
his Name and sign who bear,
O shame, thrice shame upon us,
to keep him standing there!
O Jesus, thou art knocking;
and lo, that hand is scarred,
and thorns thy brow encircle,
and tears thy face have marred:
O love that passeth knowledge,
so patiently to wait!
O sin that hath no equal,
so fast to bar the gate!
O Jesus, thou art pleading
in accents meek and low,
“I died for you, my children,
and will you treat me so?”
O Lord, with shame and sorrow
we open now the door;
dear Saviour, enter, enter,
and leave us never more.
As you listen to this video I would invite you to pray for the people of Afghanistan and the troubles in that country
5 Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.”[a]6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’”[b] (that is, to bring Christ down)7 “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’”[c] (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).8 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,”[d] that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim:9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”[e]12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of alland richly blesses all who call on him,13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”[f]
14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”[g]
16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?”[h]17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.18 But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did:
“Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”[i]
19 Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says,
“I will make you envious by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding.”[j]
20 And Isaiah boldly says,
“I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.”[k]
21 But concerning Israel he says,
“All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.”[
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