Christmas Greetings 2023

Jesus Birth and our New Birth from My Utmost for His Highest

His Birth and Our New Birth By Oswald Chambers "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." —Matthew 1:23 His Birth in History. “…that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35). Jesus Christ was born into this world, not from it. He did not emerge out of history; He came into history from the outside. Jesus Christ is not the best human being the human race can boast of— He is a Being for whom the human race can take no credit at all. He is not man becoming God, but God Incarnate— God coming into human flesh from outside it. His life is the highest and the holiest entering through the most humble of doors. Our Lord’s birth was an advent— the appearance of God in human form. His Birth in Me. “My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you…” (Galatians 4:19). Just as our Lord came into human history from outside it, He must also come into me from outside. Have I allowed my personal human life to become a “Bethlehem” for the Son of God? I cannot enter the realm of the kingdom of God unless I am born again from above by a birth totally unlike physical birth. “You must be born again” (John 3:7). This is not a command, but a fact based on the authority of God. The evidence of the new birth is that I yield myself so completely to God that “Christ is formed” in me. And once “Christ is formed” in me, His nature immediately begins to work through me. God Evident in the Flesh. This is what is made so profoundly possible for you and for me through the redemption of man by Jesus Christ.

Christmas Greetings - 2018--

At this time of year the world largely goes into a sickly sweet version of what they think Christmas is and what it means to them.
Here from Oswald Chambers is the true Christmas Message.
All the other stuff can be nice to experience but it won't prepare you or complete you for this life or the next.
I would that every one I know understand this and act on it.

His Birth and Our New Birth

By Oswald Chambers

"Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." —Matthew 1:23

His Birth in History. “…that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35). Jesus Christ was born into this world, not from it. He did not emerge out of history; He came into history from the outside. Jesus Christ is not the best human being the human race can boast of— He is a Being for whom the human race can take no credit at all. He is not man becoming God, but God Incarnate— God coming into human flesh from outside it. His life is the highest and the holiest entering through the most humble of doors. Our Lord’s birth was an advent— the appearance of God in human form.
His Birth in Me. “My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you…” (Galatians 4:19). Just as our Lord came into human history from outside it, He must also come into me from outside. Have I allowed my personal human life to become a “Bethlehem” for the Son of God? I cannot enter the realm of the kingdom of God unless I am born again from above by a birth totally unlike physical birth. “You must be born again” (John 3:7). This is not a command, but a fact based on the authority of God. The evidence of the new birth is that I yield myself so completely to God that “Christ is formed” in me. And once “Christ is formed” in me, His nature immediately begins to work through me.
God Evident in the Flesh. This is what is made so profoundly possible for you and for me through the redemption of man by Jesus Christ.

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A Christmas Message

I would like to share a few thoughts as we pass from Christmas Eve to Christmas Day.

A time of celebration for the millions of Christians around the world and the millions who are not Christians but like to join in.

We celebrate the birth of Jesus as God's only begotten son.

Born of the Virgin Mary.

Conceived by the Holy Spirit.

Born to die on the cross.

    for the sins of mankind,

and to destroy the works of the devil .

Born to be resurrected to show us His absolute Divinty as part of God's Holy Trinity.

Born to heal, to release people from bondage, to restore sight to the blind.

Born to give the second birth to those who will receive Him as Lord and Saviour.

The giver of eternal life.

A wonderful message to those of us who have entered into His Truth.

A message of offense to those who prefer darkness to light.

What will you do with Jesus this Christmas?

Is He calling you?

Many are called but few are chosen.

Many hear His call and ignore it as they want to claim their right to do whatever they like.

Don't be so silly to do that.

Mind you becoming a Christian in this nearly post Christian age could be dangerous.

Have a truly blessed Christmas and enable Him to walk and talk  with you in the new year.

From Darkness to Light

Christmas Greetings

"O come let us adore Him!"

To all my readers,listeners,subscribers, chance visitors to this blog and my youtube channel I pray you will have a Christmas time which is joyful and a time of relaxation and reflection with friends and family.
The meaning of Christmas is being pushed further and further away in this age however the reality of Jesus and his arrival on earth and his death and resurrection are still very real.

Have a blessed time.

Geoff Thompson

Kangaroos Christmas Barbecue(Vegetarian steaks of course)

Hot in Adelaide today on Christmas day. Will get to 40c and did yesterday as well.

Saw this guy in Adelaide Hills a week ago.It was hot then and this was how he was coping.

Ps. I have been reflecting a bit as we tend to do this time of the year.
I tend to do far too much internet watching stuff of favourite vlogs and I have not come across any of them as I have looked this past week that have actually written just a post sharing a Christmas greeting.
To cap it off our local memeber of parliament used to send us a Christmas card once, then it became a holiday greeting.
Today  we got a happy new year. Where did Christmas go?

Unto us a Child is Born-Expanded

Last Sunday I again had the privilege of once again sharing with the Renmark Uniting Church congregations in Renmark West and in the Renmark Town Church.
Here is an outline of the message and the order of service.
It is not exactly as delivered as sometimes I add segments and delete paragraphs.

Eagle at Renmark West

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ORDER OF SERVICE 27/12/15 Renmark Uniting Church

Call to Worship:  Geoff Thompson (Psalm 148:7-13)

Hymn: “Praise to the Lord thee almighty” AHB 28

Prayer of confession praise and thanksgiving

Hymn: “I will sing the wondrous story” AHB 173

Offering and Prayer: Geoff

Hymn: 218 AHB “Unto us a boy is born!”

Bible reading: Colossians 3:12-17, Luke 2:41-52

Hymn:  “There is a green hill far away”  AHB 266 

Sermon: Geoff Thompson  “Unto us a Child is born”

  Hymn: “Thine be the glory risen conquering son” AHB 303

Benediction and Vesper

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“Chosen by God!--- for What?” and also “Unto us a Child is born.”

Do you believe you have been chosen by God to be His child?

Is this something you readily understand or you struggle with?

There are some that believe that God knows from the very start who are going to hear His call and become Christians.

That we are predestined to become Christians!

Become a child of God!

Because of that idea some Churches think evangelism is a waste of time.

They think well it will automatically happen through God’s divine intervention that someone will become a Christian.

Some believe it is up to us as individual Christians to share our faith with others.

 If we don’t how can anyone else become Christians?

Especially within our circle of friends and relatives or workmates or even complete strangers.

After all people need to hear the Gospel(The Good news about Jesus) to respond to it.

If we don’t tell them who will?

Well I embrace all those ideas except the one that says evangelism is a waste of time.

Becoming a Christian is the most important thing in the world as our eternal salvation depends on that.

There is a saying that has some merit.

It goes like this.

“Share the Gospel , the Good News, as often as you can;--

and occasionally use words.”

I think our Bible reading today from Colossians 3 has a lot of that idea built into it.

Colossians 3

¹² Since you have been chosen by God who has given you this new kind of life, and because of his deep love and concern for you, you should practice tenderhearted mercy and kindness to others. Don’t worry about making a good impression on them, but be ready to suffer quietly and patiently. ¹³ Be gentle and ready to forgive; never hold grudges. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

If we have this passage firmly a part of our way of living.

Firmly etched into our minds,

   As how we should relate to others,

And actually do it,

there will come a time when people may well ask you what is your secret?

How do you live like that?

Which is a way of saying I would like to be like that too.

That is when you can tell them that this is not really my own nature this is how Jesus has come into my life and makes living so much better.

Then you have an opportunity to use words sparingly.

It might be a simple presentation of the Gospel that you share with them

        Showing how Jesus can come into their lives

 and make all the difference.

I believe we have this two fold responsibility

     if we are Christians!

To so allow Jesus to live through us that people will be drawn to Him,

    Not us!

Some will say “that it is just your nature to be kind and forgiving, but it is not our natural state.

That is a lie of course.

Without Jesus controlling our thoughts and actions, we are, each one of us, just as capable as the next person of being an unpleasant piece of work.

That is circumstances can bring out our sinful nature that is built in.

So if we have been called by God,

         chosen by God,

  We have a responsibility to be His child,

      His son or daughter.

As we watch young people growing up from babies to young children, to teens and adolescents there are times when we think they are absolute angels.

That God surely has His hand on that young person.

But we know, sometimes from painful experience, that they can be led astray like any of us.

But there is always this capacity for them to come through for God if we live our lives before them as we have been discussing.

We should not debate or be anxious about whether God is calling them or not but do our part in their upbringing.

How many of us if our young  son or daughter went missing, would expect that they have gone to Church to pray to God?

Jesus came to earth as God’s only son with a mission.

He was very definitely aware of what He was called to do.

We have been celebrating His advent these past few weeks culminating with Christmas day.

His earthly parents were not always in the zone on what He was all about even though they knew His birth was a miracle and of God.

From todays reading in Luke we are reminded of this.

^41-42 When Jesus was twelve years old, he accompanied his parents to Jerusalem for the annual Passover Festival, which they attended each year. ⁴³ After the celebration was over they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t miss him the first day, ⁴⁴ for they assumed he was with friends among the other travelers. But when he didn’t show up that evening, they started to look for him among their relatives and friends; ⁴⁵ and when they couldn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there.

^46-47 Three days later they finally discovered him. He was in the Temple, sitting among the teachers of Law, discussing deep questions with them and amazing everyone with his understanding and answers.

⁴⁸ His parents didn’t know what to think. “Son!” his mother said to him. “Why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.”

⁴⁹ “But why did you need to search?” he asked. “Didn’t you realize that I would be here at the Temple, in my Father’s House?” ⁵⁰ But they didn’t understand what he meant.

⁵¹ Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them; and his mother stored away all these things in her heart. (mothers do that don’t they!)⁵² So Jesus grew both tall and wise, and was loved by God and man.

And what would you feel like if Samuel of the Old Testament was your son. Young Samuel was much admired by all as he was growing up.

This was our other reading.

¹⁸ Samuel, though only a child, was the Lord’s helper and wore a little linen robe just like the priest’s.^{[b] 19} Each year his mother made a little coat for him and brought it to him when she came with her husband for the sacrifice. ²⁰ Before they returned home Eli would bless Elkanah and Hannah and ask God to give them other children to take the place of this one they had given to the Lord. ²¹ And the Lord gave Hannah three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile Samuel grew up in the service of the Lord.
²⁶ Little Samuel was growing in two ways—he was getting taller, and he was becoming everyone’s favorite (and he was a favorite of the Lord’s, too!).
 (Hannah, Samuel’s mother, had prayed to God for a child as she had not been able to conceive and her and her husband dedicated him to God’s service as he was their miracle child. )
Samuel grew up to be an amazing leader of Israel and one of their greatest Judges.
He knew his calling and stuck to it even though he suffered great disappointment with his own children.
Here is a summing up of one of what we can learn from Samuel’s life by a commentator on the internet.
“A key verse in the life of Samuel relates his words to King Saul: “But Samuel replied: ‘Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams’” (1 Samuel 15:22). Obedience to God’s Word must always be our top priority.”
The Bible says “many are called but few are chosen.”
Many theologians have debated the meaning of that for centuries.
What it boils down to I think is that whether we think we are especially called, or ,we are Christians only because someone shared the Gospel with us, we have a responsibility as Christians to let the life and love of Christ shine through us to others.
To obey the Lord as he speaks to us through His word and as it is stored in our hearts.
We need to remember of course we cannot do this in our own strength but through allowing the Holy Spirit to empower us,
control us.
So over this Christmas period we have been celebrating the birth of the Lord Jesus.
As Christians we know that this was only the beginning.
He went on to give His life for us on the cross.
Unto us a child is born.
I don’t know whether you saw just recently in the Advertiser or on the ABC news the story of Harrison and Brad Chilcott.
I will read some of  it as reported on the ABC website.

“An Adelaide father's kidney donation has saved the life of his eight-year-old son whom, even before birth, doctors had not expected to survive.

Brad Chilcott gave a kidney to his son Harrison, who was born with just 15 per cent kidney function.
"Doctors told us Harrison couldn't survive, that we should terminate [the pregnancy]," Mr Chilcott said.
"Right up until the day of delivery they told us to expect that he wouldn't survive. A month later they told us to take him home so he could at least pass away at home rather than in a hospital.
"Here we are — eight years and a bit later — and Harrison is charging at life and loving it."
Mr Chilcott said his son was an inspiration.
"He just attacks every day with this kind of energy and passion and he's full of ideas, he's a little entrepreneur, so he really inspires us to make the most of every day", he said.

Mr Chilcott and his wife Rachel were told years ago they were both matches for the kidney transplant Harrison would eventually need.

His kidney failed this year and he spent months getting dialysis treatment three times per week at the Adelaide Women's and Children's Hospital.

Harrison's mother Rachel said the countless hospital visits had been exhausting for the whole family.

"I feel like I've been on dialysis with him. I'm here all the time, but he's so positive, he's so happy, it makes it a bit easier," she said.

In early December, Harrison underwent his life-changing transplant.

"I think he's the best dad ever, that would be fair to say," the boy said with a smile.

When we got to Skype from room to room, ward to ward, that was really exciting to see him try and force a smile — just to say hello and I love you, it was amazing," Mr Chilcott said.

There have been hurdles since the operation, with Harrison spending more than a week in intensive care.

"The operation itself went really well, my kidney is working well inside Harrison," Mr Chilcott said.

"There was a bunch of other challenges that Harrison faced as part of recovery over the last two weeks and there's still a long way to go."

Harrison is on anti-rejection drugs and ongoing blood tests are needed to check the status of the transplanted organ.

Mr Chilcott said he was pleased his son was no longer on dialysis.

"He's been on there three days a week for the last four months, missing school and a range of other impacts on his life so I'm really excited that he'll be able to go back to a much more of a normal kind of life after this," he said.

Harrison finally left hospital in recent days for a much-anticipated outing to see the latest Star Wars movie.

His assessment? "I reckon it's the best one they've made so far."
Harrison has had a transplant from his earthly father.
A wonderful act of love and sacrifice.
He was a son born with little hope of a healthy life.
His parents dared to hope and believe.
How much more wonderful is the sacrifice our heavenly Father has given us by giving us His only Son to die in our place.
To enable us to have the life of Christ living in us.
This is not something unfamiliar to Brad and his son Harrison.
Brad is a Christian Pastor.
He is one who gives his all in spreading the Gospel in words and actions.
So what will we do with these great truths we have been considering?
This great gift given to us?
If the whole world practised these next 4 verses there would be no more wars,no more murder,no more broken homes,no more broken relationships, no more drug addiction, no more fear,
  Only peace!

We read this in Colossians 4:4-8 

Amplified version

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, take pleasure in Him]; again I will say, rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentle spirit [your graciousness, unselfishness, mercy, tolerance, and patience] be known to all people. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours].
⁸ Finally, ^[a]believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart].
Will we head into 2016 with plans to make the above real in our lives?

.

Unto us child is born

Today we celebrate the birth of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

How does that affect us as Christians?

Some thoughts to ponder.

What we read below should follow on if we have really been impacted by the birth,death and resurrection of Jesus.

Have a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year. A new year that can only be happy if Jesus is Lord of our lives.

Colossians 3:12-17Living Bible (TLB)

¹² Since you have been chosen by God who has given you this new kind of life, and because of his deep love and concern for you, you should practice tenderhearted mercy and kindness to others. Don’t worry about making a good impression on them, but be ready to suffer quietly and patiently. ¹³ Be gentle and ready to forgive; never hold grudges. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

¹⁴ Most of all, let love guide your life, for then the whole church will stay together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵ Let the peace of heart that comes from Christ be always present in your hearts and lives, for this is your responsibility and privilege as members of his body. And always be thankful.

¹⁶ Remember what Christ taught, and let his words enrich your lives and make you wise; teach them to each other and sing them out in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing to the Lord with thankful hearts. ¹⁷ And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, and come with him into the presence of God the Father to give him your thanks.

PS  there will be a follow up post soon expanding on this message.

A Christmas Message by Geoff Thompson

Below is the message I shared with the Renmark West and Renmark Town Uniting  Church on 22/12/13.
To any who read this blog I wish you a joyful and blessed Christmas.
Make it a time of celebration and renewed faith.

EMMANUEL:GOD WITH US AND FOR US.

First reading.Matthew 1:18-25

Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son

¹⁸ This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about^[d]: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet^[e] did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

²⁰ But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,^[f] because he will save his people from their sins.”

²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³ “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”^[g] (which means “God with us”).

²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. ²⁵ But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.”

  

2^nd reading

Luke 1

The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

⁵ In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. ⁶ Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. ⁷ But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.

¹¹ Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. ¹² When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. ¹³ But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. ¹⁴ He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, ¹⁵ for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. ¹⁶ He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. ¹⁷ And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Mary Visits Elizabeth

³⁹ At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, ⁴⁰ where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴² In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! ⁴³ But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴ As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁵ Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

Have you ever thought about the real meaning of Christmas?

Christmas is becoming less real in the lives of many around the world.

Don’t you think?

We have just come back from a holiday to Canberra about 2 weeks ago.

While there we went one night to see a decorated house all  lit up with lights like some people do these days.

It was easily the most spectacular and glittering decorated house  we had ever seen.

Yet there was no evidence,no skeric of a Christian or biblical happening related to the real Christmas!

Not a thing?

We looked but couldn’t find a thing.

No nativity scene-----No angels----No shepherds-----no wise men-----no manger,no Mary,no Joseph,no Jesus.

A child visiting would be entranced but nothing of Christmas at all!

To defend Canberra however we went to a wonderful Carols by Candlelight with lots of traditional carols.

What is called Christmas these days and in the recent past has had little to do with the real Christmas.

The real Christmas had some of these elements in it.

A miracle birth.

The virgin Mary giving birth to a son conceived by the Holy Spirit.

God is now among us and is called Emmanuel and Jesus.

The word Emmanuel means God with us.

His birth has a future  impact on the eternal destiny of millions of people yet to be born and then present  and living at the time of His birth.

Now to the people who God called to be part of this Divine Drama.

Mary and Joseph.

Zacharias and Elisabeth.

Elisabeth  and Zacharias had longed for a child but this had never happened.

They must have felt like many who in this day think they must have done something wrong to not conceive.

Elisabeth was past the Child bearing age.

Yet God’s plans and ways are often much bigger than ours and in this case Elisabeth and Zacharia.

Elisabeth gave birth to John the Baptist who was very much part of this drama.

This  plan for mankind.

They Elisabeth and Zacharia  were humble people who loved God.

They were prepared to do whatever God asked of them.

God chose them!

Not anyone of the stature of a world or local celebrity!

Mary’s amazing response to the angel.

Total abandonment to God’s will!

“And Mary said,behold, the handmaid(or bondmaid) of the Lord:be it unto me according to thy word” Luke 1:38.

To the Lord I belong ,body and soul.It must be as you said: (paraphrase of Phillips translation)).

How many wonderful people does God have who live in total obscurity who love Him body and soul.

They are never in the spotlight.

Who among the great and the wise(?) religious leaders of that day would have picked Mary.

They would not have given her a second thought.

The more one ponders this remarkable event the more one is filled with wonder.

The choice is so accurate,

so right!

God knew the innermost being of Mary.

Body and soul God knew her to be His.

Here was a pure love for Him

A genuinely single love.

God knew that she loved Him with all her heart,mind and strength.

There was nothing else that she shared her devotion with.

There were many prominent people in Israel at that time yet God seems to have by passed most of them.

Is this a lesson for us?

Most of us serve God making allowance for the pressures bearing in upon us.

:what will happen if we do what God wants;

how will my popularity be affected?

 What will others think?

And so it goes on.

Our love of God is mostly a mixture of other things and devotion to God.

As Christians we are also ordinary people called and chosen by God.

We are called to be part of the Divine Drama.

The following verses are some of Lesley’s favourites and should be for us all.

Ephesians Chapter 1

Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ

³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. ⁴ For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love ⁵ he^[b] predestined us for adoption to sonship^[c] through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. ⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace ⁸ that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, ⁹ he^[d] made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, ¹⁰ to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
¹¹ In him we were also chosen,^[e] having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, ¹² in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. ¹³ And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

 We now  come to the place God chose.

We know it was Bethlehem.

No one knows the actual location.

We do not really know the year, the  month , the day or the time He was born.

We don’t really know who the wise men were or how many there were.

People have made many assumptions about the birth of Jesus over the years.

What is now called Christmas.

We do not really know whether Mary travelled on a donkey.

We can imagine the long journey they were on.

The anxiety as the baby’s birth drew closer.

Then they came to Bethlehem.

They were crowded out.

We could get angry with the people who crowded them out but they were just ordinary people going about their ordinary lives.

We are ordinary people who often in going about our ordinary business have no room for Jesus.

He gets crowded out.

Our loss when we allow ordinary things to take precedence over Jesus is immense.

Then we come to  the wonder of this truly supernatural event.

Shepherds and Joseph and Mary are in awe as they take part in the birth of our Saviour.

It occurred to me recently that one of the reasons God came to us as a baby was because our own children can identify with babies from an early age.

Just the simple story of the birth of Jesus when told to little ones is something they can relate to.

A  manger on the mantlepiece or under the Christmas tree can have a big impact! 

 more so than we might think.

The rejoicing angelic choir.

Imagine what this must have been like.

The angels knew the significance of what was happening.

They sang their hearts out.

There is arguably no more beautiful song  to evoke the first Christmas than “Oh little town of Bethlehem”

It is a prayer.

A most beautiful song of praise  and in part a  telling prayer.

It is also a marvellous summary of all that was put in motion, the gospel,THE GOOD NEWS, on that night.

We went to a carols night in Canberra on our recent holiday and this same  carol , for me, was the highlight

It would be wonderful if everyone who sings this prayer this Christmas would enable God to answer it!

The prayer part.

5. O holy Child of Bethlehem,
    Descend to us, we pray!
Cast out our sin and enter in,
    Be born in us to-day.
We hear the Holy angels,
    The great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
    Our Lord Emmanuel!

The full song.

1. O little town of Bethlehem,
    How still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
    The silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
    The everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
    Are met in thee to-night.
2. O morning stars, together
    Proclaim the holy birth!
And praises sing to God the King,
    And peace to men on earth.
For Christ is born of Mary
    And gathered all above,
While mortals sleep the Angels keep
    Their watch of wondering love.
3. How silently, how silently,
    The wondrous gift is given;
So God imparts to human hearts
    The blessings of His Heaven.
No ear may hear His coming,
    But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still,
    The dear Christ enters in.
4. Where children pure and happy
    Pray to the blessed Child,
Where misery cries out to Thee,
    Son of the Mother mild;¹
Where Charity stands watching
    And Faith holds wide the door,
The dark night wakes, the glory breaks,
    And Christmas comes once more.
5. O holy Child of Bethlehem,
    Descend to us, we pray!
Cast out our sin and enter in,
    Be born in us to-day.
We hear the Holy angels,
    The great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,
    Our Lord Emmanuel!

We will sing this as our closing Hymn.

Shall we make it our prayer as well,

as a congregation and as individuals.