19 December 2021: An extraordinary story for Christmas

Service available on Youtube, or as text (below), or for audio see the Podcasts page.

Welcome

There is a Carol Service in the building at 2pm today (19th December) – bring some friends.

Christmas Day Service on Zoom 10.30am.

Boxing Day is a Sunday: worship in the building at 10:30am.

Testimony

Paul, one of my friends in prison, sent me a newspaper, “Insidetime” (February 2021), and in it was a quite exceptional testimony (all testimonies are remarkable) of a woman called Mandy. There is too much detail to record here but the newspaper online is well worth a read.

A woman whose life was so messed up, (just like her mother’s and grandmother’s), that of her four sons, three were born addicted to heroin. Mandy, after so many attempts at coming clean, eventually came to faith, and is making up for lost time successfully helping rehabilitate women going through what she went through. cf. one part of her testimony: “I was so deep in addiction that when my waters burst with my third child, I didn’t think I could cope without a hit, so my first thought was not to go to hospital but instead to a crack house”.

This is why Christmas should be all about the Christ-child who came to save and set us free from whatever we are in bondage to, Amen.

Thanks Paul / Mandy

Worship

Birthdays

Happy birthday Jesus!

Word

The most significant events in all of human history are the birth, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The Christmas Story, of the birth of Jesus, is truly extraordinary for many reasons:

1. Numerous prophesies fulfilled in an instant
2. The miraculous birth of John the Baptist to parents well past child-bearing age
3. Angelic visitations to Zechariah, to Mary, to Joseph (x 3), to the shepherds (plus a great company of the heavenly host)
4. John the Baptist filled with the Holy Spirit even before he was born
5. Zechariah unable to speak for 9 months
6. John the Baptist leaping in his mother’s womb when Mary greeted Elizabeth
7. Zechariah having his speech restored when he agreed to name his child John, and then being filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesying
8. John the Baptist growing and becoming strong in spirit
9. The virgin Mary impregnated by the Holy Spirit
10. Mary giving birth to the Son of the Most High, to Jesus, the Saviour of the world, the Messiah, the Son of God, Immanuel, God with us
11. Caesar Augustus issuing a decree that led to Joseph and Mary going to Bethlehem, the town of David where Jesus was born, thus fulfilling prophecy
12. Simeon moved by the Holy Spirit to go to the temple just as Jesus was being consecrated and then prophesying over the child
13. Similarly, Anna the prophetess; the visit of the Magi guided by the star!

Let’s worship, praise and thank the One who orchestrated such significant events, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Quote of the week

“The birth of Jesus is the sunrise in the Bible”

Henry Van Dyke

Verse of the week

The rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness.

Luke 1:78-79

Let’s Pray

Heavenly Father, the remembrance of Jesus birth, and all the accompanying events, causes us to worship, praise and thank You for Your mercy, grace, love and goodness. Lord, You saw the desperate need of humanity and You met that need through giving us Your Son and through giving us Your Holy Spirit. Thank you for the sunrise of the birth of Jesus that is shining brighter and brighter and we look to forward to that day when it will shine in all its fulness in the full light of day, Amen.