The Miracle of Christmas

Dec 17, 2023

The song ‘Miracle In The Town’ contains the lyrics:
‘Two thousand years ago,
In a town that we all know,
Underneath the brightest star,
People came from near and far.
Little did they realise
That right before their very eyes,
A miracle was happening in the town:
Astonishing, amazing miracle in the town.
Astonishing, amazing miracle in the town.
Born in a lowly stall,
Baby Jesus, here for all,
There upon the straw and hay,
Now we call it Christmas Day,
But the people there and then,
They never knew in Bethlehem,
A miracle was happening in the town.’ (‘Miracle In The Town’, Tom Kirkham & Matthew Crossey)
Tonight at our carol service, we explored the miracle of Christmas, commenting on the fact that God intervened in human history in miraculous ways (angels appearing to Zechariah, Mary and Joseph and then to shepherds, a star guiding wise men from the East, an immaculate conception and a Saviour born who was fully human and fully God.) Without God’s miraculous intervention, there would be no Christmas and no salvation. But at the same time, the paradox is that Jesus came as a lowly baby, born in less-than-perfect accommodation and relatively few people knew about His arrival. He was ‘in very nature God’, as Paul puts it (Phil 2:6), but He ‘did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.’ (Phil 2:6-7) The miracle is clothed in the mundane: contrary to what the carol says, Jesus did cry as a baby; He was just like us!
We too live in an imperfect world. Our Christmas comes with financial pressures and family fallouts, with ill health and problems. We find as we enter into the Christmas story each year that God truly is Immanuel, God with us. He is there is in the everyday and the mundane just as much as in the miraculous; He is there with us through thick and thin. We have good news of a miracle-working God, but we also have a God who knows what it is to be fully human and who, because He is sinless, is able to be a high priest and atoning sacrifice, bringing us back to God. (See Heb 2:18)
Christmas gives us the opportunity to embrace Jesus and to be part of the family of God who know and receive the astonishing, amazing miracle that happened that first Christmas. Don’t be like the majority who did not realise God was working in that town. Be like the shepherds and the wise men: come and worship Jesus and in your hearts set Him apart as Lord.

Carol Service 2023

Dec 17, 2023

We had a lovely time at our carol service tonight, with the children singing so well! They performed two songs from ‘Bethlehem Ballroom’ by Tom Kirkham and Matthew Crossey, ‘Miracle In The Town‘ and ‘Shepherd Salsa’ and we enjoyed singing carols old and new, including a Christmas Hokey Cokey, which reminded us that God’s love is ‘what it’s all about’.
We also had a birthday to celebrate!
Our thanks to the children who all received Christmas presents as a very big ‘Thank You’ for their readings and singing throughout the service.

The Word Embodied

Dec 17, 2023

As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, it’s worth remembering that He is the Word who is God (see John 1:1-5).He was there at the beginning and was involved in creation; the Word is God, who could make something from nothing (something even the most creative person can’t do!) He came to earth to save us (Heb 10:5-7), a reminder that a sacrifice was needed for sin, showing us the seriousness of rebellion against God. The sacrifices and offerings of the Old Testament point to the gravity of the situation, but were only transitional, temporary ‘solutions’ until Jesus came. He was One who was obedient and did not refuse to do God’s will. His obedience meant death on a cross (Phil 2:5-8) but was the means of our reconciliation with God.

As a result of Jesus’s coming, He has made God known to us. (1 John 1:1-4) He loved us so much that He brought God’s light to our darkness and promised to dwell with us for ever as our ‘Immanuel.‘ Our God is both King and man, friend and helper. We have a Saviour who is closer than a brother, someone who knows each of us by name. Hallelujah, what a Saviour!

What’s On This Week

Dec 17, 2023

We have two services on Sunday 17 December (at 10.30 a.m. and 6.00 p.m.) Our evening service at 6 p.m. is our carol service, featuring our children as Nativity characters singing songs from ‘Bethlehem Ballroom’ by Tom Kirkham and Matthew Crossey. So if you want to see the shepherds salsa, come along at 6 p.m! Refreshments will be served after the service.

On Wednesday 20 December we have our Parent & Toddler party between 9 and 11 a.m. and we have our Christmas afternoon tea fund-raising event between 1.00 and 2.30 p.m. There are still places for this available, so book in by contacting Julie on 07729 421405 or emailing julie@gpcchurch.co.uk. Adults cost £5 and children £1.50.

On Thursday 21 December we have our final Bible study of 2023 at 7.30 p.m. We won’t be having a midweek sesrvice on 28 December, but have the opportunity for food and fellowship at Garry and Julie’s house between 4 and 7 p.m.

Please note there will be no evening services on 24 or 31 December but there will be morning services on both dates at 10.30 a.m.

We will also have a Christmas Day service on Monday 25 December at 10.30 a.m.

Joy

Dec 17, 2023

In a world of misery and anxiety, the Christmas story points to joy: ‘good news that will cause great joy for all the people,’ as the angels told the shepherds. (Luke 2:10) God leads us to joy, joy that is not dependent on circumstances. That first Christmas involved much fear and anxiety: hearing the angels’ news of a baby to be born to a young mother who was not married, travelling to Bethlehem with Mary in a state of advanced pregnancy, finding no lodgings there… all these circumstances were not ideal for joy! But the Christmas story is a joyful one because it tells us that God has taken steps to solve our alienation from Him; He has sent a Saviour!

The name ‘Jesus’ means ‘Jehovah is salvation’, and this is good news for us, because we could not save ourselves. On the third Sunday in Advent, we ponder God’s salvation and can only, therefore, be joyful. Paul tells us to ‘be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.’ (Rom 12:12) This is the key to overcoming.

Jesus Overcomes!

Dec 16, 2023

Jesus told His disciples, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) We may well feel there is little peace in our lives. We may be facing family breakdowns, problems at work and financial anxieties, not to mention the worry caused by ‘big issues’ in the news like wars, climate change, cost of living crises and so on. We may feel that peace is a nice ideal but that it is not possible to know peace in our daily lives. This verse from John’s Gospel is a great encouragement to us if we feel like that.

Jesus tells us that peace is found in Him. We may never find peace in relationships, work, with neighbours or with other situations, but in Him, we may have peace. It is His gift to us, a peace that transcends all understanding and guards us. (Phil 4:6-7) Secondly, He reminds us that He has overcome the world. All the issues that trouble us now are temporary and transitory. He has dealt with all issues, and we can take heart; we can be confident in the long run. (2 Cor 4:16-18)