This evening an expectant crowd of people, old and young will gather at Westbury High Street [Wiltshire]. Yes the great event of the year will have arrived. There will be stalls and rides and maybe even a visit from a certain man dressed all in red with a big white, fluffy beard. Yes, tonight’s the night when the Christmas lights will be switched on in Westbury. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 “Tada!” Suddenly the gloomy darkness that envelops the town of the White Horse will be punctuated by multicoloured Christmas lights depicting snow men and stuff. The excited townsfolk will gasp with astonishment, amazement and exceeding great joy. I’m sure that it will be a wonderful occasion and we certainly plan to be there. Traditionally, Christmas is associated with the birth of Christ. Now maybe you think that I should be informed about such things, but I don’t really know whether or not Jesus was really born on 25th December. The truth is, nobody knows. However, I think it is appropriate that the Church decided to celebrate the birth of Jesus in December, the darkest of months. In the last month of the year, which will soon be upon us, the days are short and the nights long. We look forward to spring time, when the days lengthen and we can enjoy more daylight.
Jesus brings the light of God’s love into our dark world. His name is Emmanuel meaning God with us. We might think that God is remote and unconcerned about the plight of humanity. But Christmas reminds us that God cares for us so much that he stooped to become one of us. In Jesus, God knows what it is to be human. He came to rescue us from the darkness of sin and suffering that shrouds our world.
Jesus brings the light of God’s love into our dark world. His name is Emmanuel meaning God with us. We might think that God is remote and unconcerned about the plight of humanity. But Christmas reminds us that God cares for us so much that he stooped to become one of us. In Jesus, God knows what it is to be human. He came to rescue us from the darkness of sin and suffering that shrouds our world.
The coming of Jesus Christ was described like this by Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist,
the rising sun will come to us from heaven
to shine on those living in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.
to shine on those living in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.
Jesus himself said,
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
Enjoy the Christmas lights that illuminate our streets at this time of the year. But do not forget the True Light of Christmas.
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
Enjoy the Christmas lights that illuminate our streets at this time of the year. But do not forget the True Light of Christmas.
An edited version of Morning Thought from BBC Radio Wiltshire's Breakfast Programme. Sadly, the talk was not broadcast due to a phone line fault.
2 comments:
I do hope this Gospel Letter will bless you, do be encourage, in Jesus name. {Evangelist Billy Bolitho} www.evangelistbillybolitho.blogspot.com Please feel free to photocopy. Encouraging the body of Christ.
Children of Promise
“Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise”.
{Galatians 4 v 28}.
When God looks at this old world, He no longer looks upon it like He did in the days before His only Son was crucified at Calvary. For Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary gave birth to the new covenant or testament, which He wrote on the hearts of men who accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour. No longer does He see tribes and races of people as such, for now because of Christ’s sacrifice He sees only the children of promise and the children of the bound. Let me explain, God states clearly in scripture that the children of God are those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, regardless of race or gender, they are the children of God, yes the children of promise. You see it is written, “And if ye be Christ’s then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to promise”, {Galatians 3 v 29}.
Abraham had two sons, one by a bondwoman called Agar, and another by a freewoman called Sarah, as it is written, now these two sons represents the two covenants. The first son Ishmael of the bondwoman represented Jerusalem, which is now in bondage, which also represents the old covenant, but the freewoman’s son Isaac represents the heavenly Jerusalem, which is the new covenant. All God’s people are one in Christ Jesus, who are under the new covenant. Under this covenant there is no longer Jew, Gentile, slave or free, men or women, for we are all one in Christ. “For ye are all the children of promise by faith in Christ Jesus”,
{Galatians 3 v 26}.
Now God’s plan for the people of Israel is the same plan which He is using for the whole world, and that is that we must all repent and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. There is no other plan for salvation, only through Jesus. Who was crucified for our sins and rose again for our justification, and who is alive forever more. Praise be the wonderful name of Jesus. As it is written, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved”, {Acts 4 v 12}.
As Isaac was, so are we the children of promise, no matter what nation we are from, God considers us all equal and precious in His sight. So precious are we that He sacrificed His only Son for each and everyone of us. So, let us all stand together as, the children of promise. I would like to state that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and many more in Israel are likened unto an olive tree which also represents the children of promise. We who believe are grafted into that tree, and so we become one with them, and are known as the true Israel of today. Now today there are still people in Israel who are chosen by God according to election of grace who will be grafted back into the olive tree, which represents the children of promise.
We must pray for them, that they will see Jesus, for it is written, “ There shall come out of Zion the deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: for this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins”, {Romans 11 v 26 & 27}
So dear saints, let us always pray and standby Israel, for I believe that there are many yet to come to know Jesus as their true Messiah. God bless Israel.
"Always winter and never Christmas; think of that!" C S Lewis (Mr Tumnus to Lucy in Chapter 2)
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