Remembering the past, rejoicing in the future

There comes a time in life when you realise that things that you have done in the past, you may never do again. It may be climbing up Snowdon or running 5K or, as in our case, we may never host a family Christmas celebration. These events may come with a huge measure of sadness or maybe relief. In our case, regarding Christmas, it is with huge sadness. 

I would love to host a family Christmas one last time but for all sorts of reasons, it is not practical. Firstly, our family has grown exponentially, and we couldn’t physically sit us all down, even for a meal, let alone to sleep. Last time we had a big Christmas with the mainly older not younger generation there were 14 of us, some of whom were very small and we had a four-bedroom, two-bathroom house. Now the older generation has passed on and the younger generation have families of their own and we number 21. 

There is also the slight problem that half the family live in either Australia or USA so gathering altogether is quite tricky. Even if everyone was able to be in the same place at Christmas, for instance if we hired a big house, it would be wonderful but not the same. 

Am I just being a silly, selfish old lady? Yes, because I have so much to be thankful for. I have a huge family with 11 grandchildren. As a lady in a coffee queue reminded me, I have grandchildren. She would like to have one, but nothing is on the horizon. I have a home and family who are all talking to one another. I can put food on the table. We can give one another presents. We can speak face-to-face via today’s technology. We don’t have to wait weeks for letters to arrive or book a few minutes phone call on Christmas Day. 

The most important thing is to remember with fondness those days of long ago, but not to dwell there. To be thankful for the many, many blessings I have, the most important of which is Jesus. Where would be without him? I don’t know and I don’t want to know. 

My family is held in the arms of a loving Saviour, my destiny is assured not because of any good works that I might do but because of the one supreme good work – Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection. Today I can live a life of destiny and purpose, and I know that eternal salvation is assured. 

For a moment, I feel the pang of sadness for days gone by but with great expectation and hope I life my eyes to a future made glorious by the one who loves me more than I will ever know. And I am thankful. 

The cost of Christmas

 The birth of Jesus was a shocking event.

Mary, a beautiful virgin betrothed to Joseph, was found to be pregnant before they married. This would have been a major scandal in small town Nazareth. It is hard to realise today just how shameful and disgraceful it was in that culture to be an unmarried mother. 

However the criticism would not just have been reserved for Mary but also for her parents. People would have thought her parents had not brought her up correctly nor had they watched over her. I expect Mum and Dad were hugely disappointed in their daughter. They would have hoped she knew better. Her parents would have greeted with great suspicion the story that she was still a virgin and that this baby was conceived by the Holy Ghost. It was certainly not something to share with the neighbours. That would have added ridicule to condemnation. 

Joseph was also no doubt sceptical about tales of an immaculate conception. In fact he was mindful to divorce Mary quietly to avoid further public humiliation for her until the intervention of the angel. Having confirmed that this baby was indeed conceived by God, Joseph being righteous, married her. This would not have stopped the wagging tongues though. It would just have pulled Joseph into the public disgrace as everyone would have assumed the baby was his. 

Four people would now have been criticised and suffered public humiliation even though no one had done anything wrong. In fact they had been selected for the highest honour of all - being parents and grandparents to the Son of God. Who would believe that? 

I wonder if as Mary and Joseph discussed the upcoming birth they deliberated if they would have to go to Bethlehem. After all that is where the Scriptures said the Messiah would be born. It doesn’t appear so because it took the intervention of an ungodly Roman Emperor to get them to the right place at the right time. They left for the weeklong journey to Bethlehem when Mary was almost full term, not recommended in any culture, let alone one with modest health care facilities. 

I am sure Mary and Joseph were optimistic that God would provide somewhere suitable for the baby to be born. If nothing else, they must have both had extended family in Bethlehem. Perhaps there was no room anywhere because news of the pregnancy outside marriage had gone before them? We can only imagine the disappointment turning to despair when all they were offered was a stable. 

So Mary gave birth to her precious first born, the Son of God, in a stable with the animals. Under any circumstances that is shocking. 

I think it is all too easy to romanticise and sanitise the Christmas story as we lustily sing our favourite Christmas carols. However it is good to remember how much it cost the key players to fulfil their destiny so that God could become Man and live amongst us. 

Today there are many, many Christians suffering for their faith all over the world. For many becoming a Christian can mean being ostracised by their family or even society, losing jobs or access to good education. Just like Mary all those years ago, too many Christians today are treated shockingly. Let’s remember and pray for them as we celebrate again the wonderful Christmas story.

Star of wonder

Star of wonder, star of might, star with royal beauty bright.

Isn’t it amazing that at the end of this year, the year that has shaken the planet to the core with the coronavirus, where not one single nation has been untouched, there is an event in our skies that everyone can see and marvel at.

It is the conjunction of Jupiter, the king planet and Saturn, the ruler and though these planets are hundreds of millions of miles apart they are passing one another in such a way that they appear to form one bright star in the night sky that all can see on Earth.  In the northern hemisphere it is equally significant as it appeared at its brightest on 21 December, the winter solstice, the darkest day of the year. 

Even the most secular people are calling it the Christmas star. Surely it is no coincidence that at such a dark moment on the earth, when the virus is once again running rampant, a star to bring hope is shining in the darkness. 

This same conjunction may have been the star that heralded the birth of Jesus and brought the wise men to come and worship the king, the Light of the World. Just as that star proclaimed the new era, Immanuel God with us, so this star too is a sign that God is birthing a new era for planet Earth, the era of the King. 

As we face this very different Christmas and an uncertain 2021, may our hope not be placed vainly in 2021 being a better year just because it’s not 2020, or in a vaccine or anything else but in Jesus Christ the King, and in a God who loves us and sent us a sign that he has it, he’s in control.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15: 13 

Christmas is cancelled?

Christmas is cancelled.  Christmas is off for many people in UK and Europe. Disappointment, anger, resentment is bubbling up. We can’t celebrate Christmas as we would like with family, eating turkey, drinking and generally enjoying ourselves. 

What is God doing?  

As I wrote before, God did not send this virus but he did permit it. I believe through this pandemic, God is turning our hearts to him; gently taking away everything that intrudes between himself and people, starting with his own people and then with the world. Christmas after all has become a parody of the celebration of the birth of Jesus. For most people they have no idea what they are celebrating; they just want to celebrate. 

I am as disappointed as anyone that we won’t be seeing our family whom we haven’t seen in months. I love it when we get together and I have the pleasure of cooking a delicious dinner for everyone before we settle down to open presents and play games. But if I let disappointment rule in my heart and emotions, I’m going to miss the greatest opportunity to know God better, to find him as Lord of my life overwhelming every frustration and pain with his presence.

This is our time to know God, really know him, his goodness, kindness and love and share this with all those around us who have no hope to fall back on as we do, because that is what knowing God gives us – hope. We may have to socially distance this Christmas but that doesn’t mean we can’t communicate – we just have to communicate differently.  

This Christmas, carol services have moved online and I suspect many people will search and find one and hear not only the familiar carols, but also the good news that Christmas is about God becoming man and dwelling amongst us. I believe that with hearts feeling tender and sore from the disappointments of this year, people will be open to the Gospel as never before. They need hope to lighten the darkness of the pandemic which seems to be throttling the nations. This is a unique opportunity for our family, friends and neighbours to hear the good news from the comfort of their homes. 

I am praying for our church services to touch many people in our town and area like never before. Normally our carol services are packed with lots of fun things happening that maybe distracts the congregation from the heart of Christmas – the good news of a baby born to save the world from their sins.  This year my prayer is that the message of Christmas is broadcast loud and clear across the nation. 

Despite everything, we have so much to be thankful for and as God’s people may we climb out of the pit of disappointment and run into the arms of our Saviour, finding there the comfort and hope we all need. Then let that hope spill over from our lives into the lives of those around us. 

Happy Christmas – be blessed. 

Kings and kingdoms will pass away

My last blog was about Mary and Joseph and their Godly response to the call of God on their lives. The next two people involved in this amazing story but in a very different way were both ungodly rulers. One was an Emperor and the other a Roman appointed king and tyrant. One never knew he was fulfilling God’s plans and the other never realised he was opposing the Lord God Almighty.  They are of course Caesar Augustus and King Herod.

Mary and Joseph lived in despised Nazareth but Jesus needed to be born in Bethlehem, the city of David. It was to King David that God promised ‘Your house and your kingdom shall endure for ever before me; your throne shall be established for ever’ (2 Samuel 7: 16). This baby was going to fulfil the prophecy. 

Every Jew knew that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem because Micah had prophesied this ‘But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.’

So how did God get Mary and Joseph to the right place? Surely he could have sent Gabriel to tell them to pack their bags and go stay in Bethlehem till the baby was born? They would have understood. Or why not get a relative to invite them to stay? No. God chose a much more significant way.

Enter Caesar Augustus. He was known as Gaius Octavian, his birth name, till he became Emperor in 27BC. He was well thought of because he restored peace and order after 100 years of civil war and he reigned quite benevolently compared with many of his successors. However it is doubtful if anyone other than historians would know of him if he had not decided at ‘just the right moment’ to order a census of the entire Roman world for taxation purposes.

This was not a small-scale event, this affected all the known world - people both great and small. Everyone had to return to their home town to be registered and this included Joseph and a heavily pregnant Mary. They had to go from Nazareth to Bethlehem, 111 kilometres or about 70 miles, quite a long way when you have to walk it.

God orchestrated that a pagan, unbelieving emperor in Rome miles away from the Holy Land would do his bidding. Why did Caesar Augustus choose that moment for his census? Because God wanted the Messiah born in Bethlehem.

Every year as we read the Christmas story, the name of Caesar Augustus is mentioned. He has become famous even though he had no idea that his census would be so important.

Another interesting though very unrighteous king also played his part in the birth of Jesus. King Herod was a nasty piece of work. He was appointed king of Judea by the Roman Senate and considered to be king of the Jews even though he was a non Jew, an Idumean. He was ruthless and murdered his wife, his three sons, mother-in-law, brother-in-law and uncle and a few others.

He has many similarities to other megalomaniac rulers over the centuries. Apart from killing off all opposition, real or imagined, he was an avid builder in his own honour of course.  He erected many splendid theatres, amphitheatres, a port, palaces, monuments, pagan altars and he even started the re-building of the temple in Jerusalem, paid for through a heavy tax burden on the local population.

In the context of the Nativity, apart from helping date the event, Herod was most definitely the bad guy. He was the one the magi visited, not unreasonably, in Jerusalem. They asked him, ‘Where is he that is born king of the Jews?’ That unwitting question led to the tragic events that followed. Herod was the king and he had not sired a baby recently so any new-born would be seen as a threat.

Having established that this unwelcome king would be born in Bethlehem, Herod tried to trick the magi to revealing his exact location. The magi though were warned in a dream not to return to Jerusalem.

Herod then in a great rage ordered the killing of all baby boys under the age of 2 in Bethlehem. This would probably not have been a large number, possibly less than 20, as Bethlehem was a small village but that does not detract from the brutality of the act.

So we have a Roman Emperor far removed from the action yet unintentionally arranging that the Messiah be born in Bethlehem. And we have a Roman appointed king trying to slay the infant Jesus.

God used the mighty to serve his purposes and ensure the birth of the King over all creation happened in the right place. However it is tragic that Herod, the ruler over the Jewish nation, had the opportunity to welcome and worship this new-born king but instead tried to kill him and in the process murdered innocent children.

Receiving well

I have been struck afresh this year by the advertisements for Christmas on the radio. Many of them promise that if you use their products or services it will be your best, greatest, most marvellous Christmas ever. Maybe you would like to visit the Ultimate Gift Ideas website.  One advert even promised that if you bought their gold goblets (four for £10) it would make your Christmas table the best ever. Excuse my cynicism.

But this is the problem with all if these advertisements. As the superlatives flourish, their promises inevitably lead to disappointment and cynicism which after all protects us from disappointment. We are all familiar I am sure with Jesus words “It is more blessed to give than to receive” which is a great antidote to both disappointment and cynicism for the focus shifts away from ourselves, our wants, our desires, our needs onto others.

As we give to others we can share in their joy. I love anonymous giving as you get to enjoy others’ pleasure secretly. God, the greatest giver, must have great pleasure in giving not just to his children but everyone.  Of course the best gift God gave us was his Son which is or should be the focus of Christmas.

However I am also struck by the importance of how we receive gifts. Recently I have witnessed gifts that were of huge significance to the giver been treated quite casually by the recipient.  This can be very hurtful.

How must God feel then when his greatest gift, his Son Jesus, is treated casually or ignored by most people?  His sorrow must be deep. God has provided all that man needs to deal with sin and to live a happy, fulfilled and deeply satisfying life. Through Jesus men and women can fulfill their God given destiny. The majority choose to reject this gift.

This Christmas as we receive gifts let’s make sure we receive them all – the big and the small with thankfulness and gratitude. However I want to make sure that this Christmas I take my eyes off the glitter and nonsense that will only disappoint and with a thankful heart place my focus firmly on the greatest gift of all.

Gerard van Honthorst Nativity

God loves the outsiders and misfits

It’s Christmas.  The time when we ponder afresh the wonderful news of God becoming a baby, Immanuel, God with us.  This year I am drawn again and again to the misfits, the outsiders that are an integral part of this incredible story.

Firstly Mary, a completely unknown young lady living in Nazareth, a despised town, called to the greatest honour for a woman – to be the mother of the Son of God.  Joseph, an ordinary carpenter, called to stand with Mary and share in the social disgrace of a child conceived outside of marriage.

The first visitors to the infant Jesus were the social outcasts, the shepherds, those lowest on the ladder. The other significant visitors were the religious outcasts, the Gentiles. The contrast between the rural, coarse, illiterate Jewish shepherds and the highly educated, foreign, exotic Gentiles could not be stronger.   Jesus came for everyone not just the rich, the famous, the respectable or religious people and not just for his people the Jews but for all people.

It is hardly surprising though for the Bible is full of stories of those chosen from the outside to become important players in God’s plan of redemption. Moses was an exiled murderer hiding out in the desert so inadequate and insecure he didn’t think he could do anything for God. He certainly didn’t want to go and talk to Pharaoh and be the instrument for the release of the Israelites from captivity.

Or David, the youngest member of a large family of sons so insignificant he was out with the sheep not even in the family home. Some have proposed his legitimacy was in doubt which was why he was looking after the animals. However this was where he learned all the skills necessary to kill Goliath, survive in the desert when a king was determined to kill him and most importantly of all, the place where he developed into a man after God’s own heart. His beautiful psalms are a lasting testimony to the years spent as an outcast but which prepared him to be the greatest king Israel ever had and the ancestor of the Messiah.

Even Jesus’ forerunner and relative John the Baptist was a social outcast and misfit growing up in the desert dressed in camel hair. Yet Jesus said of him among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist (Matthew 11: 11). Surely in the desert John developed into the one called ‘to prepare the way of the Lord.’

Jesus didn’t choose his disciples from the religious elite or synagogue. He chose rough fishermen who would become great fishers of men.

All of these men had to flow against the tide of the day, to stand up for the Lord and lead their nation into righteousness.

Jesus himself was the greatest outcast. The Son of God was born in a stable in obscurity and poverty because there was no room for his parents in society. His whole ministry was lived on the edge of society, feted one minute and condemned the next.

However this is a great source of encouragement for us, the ordinary made extraordinary by God’s call. Wherever we are whether we are in the spiritual desert, running from persecution, a social misfit or down the bottom end of society or just plain obscure, God uses people just like us. He calls us from the desert, obscurity, the despised places, the mundane where he has been transforming and training his sons and daughters, his people, his chosen ones to do extraordinary things for him.