CHRISTMAS DAY! - Traditions - FAMILY

Luke 2:16
'And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in the manger.' (NKJV)

1 John 3:1 (NKJV)
'Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us that we should be called children of God!'

Family. Like it or loathe it, many of us will be spending time with our family today. My daughter and her husband recently had their first baby, a beautiful little girl, and this will be their first Christmas as a new family. For some of us, who have little of no family, this day can be a lonely time, and for those who's relationships are sometimes painful it can be extremely difficult.

The GOOD NEWS of Jesus' birth today is that he is a REDEEMER! This means to 'buy back'...We have just 'redeemed' our car, which was judged a write-off, hopefully with the intention of getting it repaired. But Jesus can do this with all aspects of our lives. He can redeem broken relationships, redeem our souls from past hurts and save us from our own negative thought patterns. He's amazing.

I'll leave you, this Christmas with two links: one to a beautiful song by Melody Green, sung by her husband Keith, and the other an improvised version of it by our group, 'Epiphany':

Epiphany Christmas Blessing 2015
Happy Christmas from all of us in Epiphany! Here's our Christmas Blessing from our 'Classics at Christmas' concert at St George's Church in Poynton on 18th December 2015.
Posted by Epiphany on Wednesday, 23 December 2015

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

DAY 24 - Traditions - SANTA, PRESENTS and GOODWILL

Matt 2:11
'They presented gifts to him: gold, frankincense and myrrh.'

Santa Claus is coming to Town
'He's making a list, and checking it twice,
Gonna find out who's naughty or nice...'

So gift giving is right at the heart of the Christmas story, though it's a little different the way it happens now.......although St. Nicholas, the 4th century bishop who was so loving and generous, I'm sure was a great guy. Maybe things have got a little out of hand, but giving is also central to the heart of following in Jesus' footsteps. Jesus, himself, said that it is more blessed to give than to receive. (See Acts 20:35)

Someone else who features in our Christmas traditions to do with goodwill is King Wenceslas, who, according to the song, went out of his way to help the poor. One chilling prediction that Jesus made is that as we reach the end of the age,
'"Such will be the spread of evil that many people's love will grow cold."'(Matt 24:12 GNB)
The best way to keep our love flowing, I reckon, is to stay close to the Lord Jesus.
Here is a verse of the famous carol:


"Sire, the night is darker now
And the wind blows stronger,
Fails my heart, I know not how,
I can go no longer."
"Mark my footsteps, my good page,
Tread thou in them boldly.
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly."

DAY 23 - Traditions - MUSIC

Luke 2:13
'At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God's praises.' (MSG)

Come to the Manger
'Sing, sing, chorus of angels,
Stars of morning o'er Bethlehem sing.'

Actually, in the literal translation of the scripture about the angels appearing to the shepherds there was no mention of singing, though it is implied. But singing is something we do when we are rejoicing and it is a great way of expressing our praise to God.

Over the centuries since the birth of Christ, singing has been an important part of our Christmas celebrations and there are so many carols with fantastic Christian words. Sadly, most people these days only know a basic few carols and they seem rather archaic to our popular music-trained ears. 

I do, however, love the energy of the secular Christmas songs and wish we had a few more like them, but full of words about the real meaning of the season.

I love the Mariah Carey song, 'All I want for Christmas is you.', and I think that this is what Jesus is saying to me as I prepare for this Christmas!  

DAY 22 - Traditions - Twinkly lights and Christmas trees!

Luke 2:13
'And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" (NKJV)

We Three Kings
'O star of wonder,star of night,

Star with royal beauty bright'

Here in Britain in the winter we have short days and lots of rain, more rain and sometimes snow. You know, I don't mind if some of our Christmas traditions come from pre-Christian roots, because decorated pine trees look so pretty and Christmas lights cheer up the dark winter nights.

In the scripture above we see God's Christmas decorations.... lots of amazingly bright angels filling the night sky as they went back up into heaven!

And what about the star of Bethlehem, shining brightly for the Magi to follow? 

Jesus is described as the Light of the World, so I am happy to fill my Christmas with twinkly lights!

DAY 21 - Traditions - FEASTING

Luke 1:53
'He has filled the hungry with good things.' (NKJV)

Good King Wenceslas
'"Bring me flesh and bring me wine
  Bring me pine logs hither
  Thou and I will see him dine
  When we bear him thither."'

To be honest, there's not much in the biblical Christmas narrative about feasting...... which is such an important part of our Christmas experience! So are we wrong to celebrate in this way? Even the references above are about feeding the poor, and not feasting. 

If you take the Bible as a whole, there is actually a lot about feasting, from Abraham providing the best quality meal for his angelic visitors to Jesus' story about the prodigal son's welcome home party! Jesus, himself, went to many parties; the wedding feast at Cana and the meals at Simon the pharisee's house and at Matthew's to name just a couple.

I feel sad, however, that so many people have to overindulge, particularly in alcohol, in order to have a good time. It seems for some people it's the only way to drown out the worries of life, fully relax, and let go of inhibitions. 

The father in the prodigal son story said to his elder son, "Let's have a feast and celebrate! For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found."

So I would slightly alter that and say, 

Let's have a feast and celebrate! For the whole human race was dead and now can live again through Jesus!

DAY 20 - Foretold - THE STAR

Matt 2:10 

'When they saw the star they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.' (NKJV)

2 Pet 1:19

'And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the Morning Star rises in your hearts.' (NKJV)

Rev 22:16

'"I am the root and offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star."' (NKJV)

Who knows what the star of Bethlehem was......some say it was a conjunction of planets, or a comet....?

Whatever it was, it was so unusual it caused the Magi to set out on a long journey to find the new King they believed to have been born.

At the very end of the Bible, in this passage in the book of Revelation, John tells of his vision in which Jesus describes himself as the bright morning star.

The morning star, which in reality is probably the planet Venus, shines as the sky becomes light, when all the other stars are invisible to the naked eye. It is like a signal that the night is almost over and the day is ready to blast away the darkness with the light of the sun.

In Malachi 4:2 , (interestingly, at the very end of the Old Testament), we read these words:

'But to you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings.'

DAY 19 - Foretold - SORROWS

Matt 2:18 (from Jer 31:15)
'A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted because they are no more.' (NKJV)

Matt 24:8
'"All these are the beginning of sorrows."' (NKJV)

Right here in the middle of the Christmas story is the bit we don't like to dwell on.....so many baby boys in Bethlehem were murdered on the command of King Herod, as he tried to assassinate Jesus before he could become a threat.
This year the world has experienced so many sad events, from terror attacks to the suffering of countless refugees fleeing war. It is hard for us to respond to all this without becoming overburdened in our spirits, or, alternatively, shutting out all the bad news and drowning it out with other distractions.

I would like to offer these words from a beautiful song my daughter has written for this Christmastime:

'For those on their own tonight, let this song be some kind of light.
As the bells ring and the choirs sing, may you know
This Christmas is for you.'

Here is a link to it..... I hope it blesses you!

DAY 18 - Foretold - FOREWARNED

Luke 1:54

'And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.' (NIV)

Matt 24:25

'"See, I have told you ahead of time."' (NIV)

John 13:19 (NIV)

'"I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am."'

Although our most important question is about how we should be living, our heavenly Father doesn't want us to be ignorant about what's going to happen, which is why there is so much written in the Bible, in both the old and new Testaments about what is called 'the last days'. 

Jesus said, as recorded above, that when things do take place, (eg; see Matthew's gospel, ch 24), we are not to be afraid. He has told us all this in advance so that our faith in him will not be shaken , but instead, become stronger.

I like this rendering of Romans chapter 13:12 in the Message version:

'The night is about over, dawn is about to break. 

 Be up and awake to what God is doing!'

DAY 17 - Foretold - THE RIGHT QUESTION

Matt 2:2

'Soon afterwards, some men who studied the stars came from the east to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the baby born to be the King of the Jews?"' (GNB)

Acts 1:11

'"Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw him go."' (NKJV)

Rev 1:7

'"Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him."' (NIV)

Luke 17:21

'"The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, "See here!" or "See there!" For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."' (NKJV)

The Magi needed to know where Jesus was born in order to go and present their gifts to him. They may have asked the wrong people, but at least the question was right.

But now we do not need to ask where he is, or when he will return... the scripture I've quoted from the book of Revelation shows that everyone will see him when he comes again....we're not going to miss it! And Jesus made it clear that only God the Father knows when that will be. (Matt 24:36).

It is enough for us to know, in the light of biblical prophecy (much of which seems to be unfolding before our eyes), that it will be soon.

The question we must ask is this: 

"What sort of person should I be, and what kind of life should I be living?"
(See 2 Peter 3:11)

DAY 16 - Foretold - BELIEVING

Luke 1:45

'"Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished."' (NKJV)

Matt 1:22
'So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet,' (NKJV)

Matthew's gospel is full to bursting with quotes from the Old Testament, as he is at pains to show how Jesus' life and death were all in accordance with prophecies which had been made long ago.

Mary would have been aware of the Messianic prophecies and here we see her, full of faith that God would use her to fulfill them!

Just an ordinary girl.
Just an extraordinary God.

DAY 15 - Who is Jesus? - LIGHT FOR EVERYONE!

Luke 2:32
'A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people, Israel.' (NKJV)

Matt 2:2
'"Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?"'

(See also Romans 15:9-12)

At the time when Jesus lived, a 'gentile' was the name given to anyone who wasn't a Jew and the Jews thought they were special and believed they were God's chosen people.

Well, the fact is that they were the race chosen by God to bring God's Son into the world and through them God began to introduce Himself to the world. Jesus was one of them, a Jew, and when we meet Him finally, he'll still be a Jew by descent.

But He didn't come just to be King of the Jews. He's the LIGHT to bring God's revealed rescue plan of salvation to all people, all races, all nations.

Light for everyone!

'"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with me."'

Rev 3:20 (NKJV)

Here is a wonderful link to a song which my daughter Sarah composed when she was a young teenager. It is sure to brighten anyone's day!!!

  

DAY 14 - Who is Jesus? - Anointed

Luke 2:11

'"For there is born to you this day in the City of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord."' (NKJV)

Lev 8:12

'And he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron's head and anointed him, to consecrate him.' (NKJV)

Luke 4:18

'"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor."' (NKJV)

OK, here are a few word meanings before we start:

Christ (Messiah in Hebrew) - Anointed One

Consecrate - to make holy

Holy - Set apart (for a specific task), dedicated to God

Gospel - good news

 Anoint - run or smear with oil.

In the Old Tesatament, people were anointed, specifically priests and kings, and set apart for a specific purpose. Priests were the custodians of Temple worship, but more than that, they were the connection the ordinary people had with God himself. Priests and kings would often be anointed by a prophet.

In this passage from Luke 4, Jesus was quoting a passage from the prophet Isaiah (61:1,2) because he knew he'd been anointed for the task of bringing good news to the poor, healing to the brokenhearted, freedom to captives, sight to the blind, liberty to the oppressed and to proclaim that the time of the Lord's favour had come!

He also said, recorded in John's gospel, 20:21, "As the Father has sent me, so am I sending you." Then he 'breathed' on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." 

As believers, we have been spiritually anointed by the Holy Spirit so that Jesus' whole mission statement above applies to us, too. I often think of anointing with oil to be like a lubrication which makes joints turn smoothly and stops abrasion. Through faith, our anointing makes living like Jesus a smooth run.... if we're struggling under the burden of it we're missing the anointing, somehow. Sometimes keys won't turn in the lock without lubrication, so let's get lubricated!

DAY 13 - Who is Jesus - GOD AND MAN?

Luke 2:12 (NKJV)

'"And this will be a sign to you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger."' 

Isaiah 7:14 (NKJV)

"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."

It's interesting, isn't it, that these two 'signs' should describe the same event but from totally different angles?

Jesus was born in a little town in Israel to a perfectly ordinary set of Jewish parents...... or was he? He was, in a way, the first genetically engineered baby, born with only one human parent, though he was fully human, he wouldn't have had any of his DNA passed down through Joseph.

Each of us is made up of three parts: spirit, soul and body. Now this is me just ruminating here....so Jesus' body was 100% human and his spirit was 100% God, so what about his soul, - his thoughts, will and emotions? Just as this part of us is inextricably linked to our physical body and the chemical workings of our brain, so, I believe, it is just as tightly interwoven with the workings of our spirit. So Jesus' soul was completely human, but also completely divine.

He was the complete outworking of his title, 'Immanuel', which means 'God with us'.

Here's a wonderful clip from the Hercules film (Disney version!) which reminds me of how Jesus tasted death to rescue each one of us, but unlike this clip, he really did die....and came back to life again! And he wasn't half man, half god, like Hercules in the Greek myth, but fully man and fully God!

https://youtu.be/Ts_WDlgNMoo

DAY 12 - Who is Jesus - KING

Luke 1:32 (NKJV)

'He will be great and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.' 

Isaiah 9:6 (NKJV)

'For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder. And his name will be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.'

Rev 19:16 (NKJV)

'And he has on his robe and on his thigh a name written:

KING OF KINGS and LORD OF LORDS.'

There is no doubt in my mind that this prophecy in Isaiah is referring to Jesus - not just an ordinary baby.

Angels appeared to three individuals and a group of shepherds to tell them about him, God spoke to Simeon and led a group of important Magi to follow a star because of his birth, and Herod killed a townfull of little boys to prevent him from becoming a king......

but you know, when God's got a plan, no earthly ruler, no ruthless ideology and no amount of secular protest will stop the return of the King of Kings!

DAY 11 - Who is Jesus - SAVIOUR

Matt 1:21
"...you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

Psalm 69:1
'Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck, I sink in deep mire..'

This name, given to the little baby, 'Jesus', which means 'saviour', was all about his main assignment in life: to save people from their sins. Everybody loves a saviour, be they Superman, Dr Who or Harry Potter, but not everyone realises that they, themselves, need to be saved.

Realising our need of help is the first step to recovery for many an alcoholic or person with an addiction.

And much as we try to do good in this life, we're all pretty addicted to selfishness, so let us, with King David in the Psalm above, cry out to God for help, whatever our situation.  

As Paul the Apostle quotes in his letter to the Roman believers (Rom 10:13), 

"Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." 

(Joel 2:32)

DAY 10 - Being Ready - READY TO WORSHIP

Matt 2:1

'After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him"' (NIV)

Matt 28:16,17

'Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw Jesus, they worshipped him, but some doubted.' (NIV)

I believe that we humans are made to worship, so if we decide not to believe in God then we find something or someone else to direct our love, our veneration, our awe and devotion. It could be a celebrity, a football team, or simply the advance of science (which could include our smart phone!), or a partner or loved one.

But here, the Magi were in no doubt that Jesus was worthy of worship, though those disciples in the second scripture were not so sure. Exactly who was Jesus? As Jews they would believe that worship was reserved for God alone.

This Christmas we need to decide who we believe Jesus to be: a good life coach, a prophet, some ordinary guy, or God himself who came down, and in the words of the famous Christmas carol, was:

born that man no more may die

born to raise the sons of earth

born to give them second birth. 

So that's us.

Let's worship him.

DAY 9 - Being Ready - READY TO WAIT

Luke 2:25

'Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Messiah.' (NIV)

Matt 24:44

"Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect" (NKJV)

When we are waiting for an important delivery, or for a loved one's return, we are expectant and ready. Maybe we have taken down the old to make space for the new, or have made up the bed for our visitor and tidied the house. We are ready, and keep looking out of the window to see if they have arrived yet.

Simeon had waited many long years for God's promised Messiah and he was ready, waiting in the place he knew he'd see him. If, that morning, he had thought, "Maybe I'll skip today because I could do with a lie in. After 65-or-so years and he still hasn't appeared, what are the chances of it being today?", he would have totally missed it!

As believers in Jesus, we are looking for his return to earth, as he promised, and we have no idea when that will be.....though I believe it'll be sooner than we imagine.

So let's get our inner lives swept and clean; all dark corners faced and dealt with, and counterfeit gods thrown out, ready for the Return of the King!

DAY 8 - Being Ready - READY TO SEARCH

Luke 2:15
'When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."' (NIV)

Jer 29:13
'You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.' (NIV)

The shepherds went to look for the new baby the angels had told them about. They knew he'd been born in Bethlehem and that he'd be lying in an animal's feeding trough, so that narrowed it down a little. I wonder how long it took them to find him?

Searching for truth sometimes seems like looking for a needle in a haystack, yet God promises that we will find him if we really want to. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life" (John 14:6) and he also said, "I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me." (John 10 14) Earlier in the chapter Jesus describes how sheep know the voice of their shepherd and they will not follow the voice of a stranger, so we have nothing to fear, even in these confusing days of many differing voices all shouting different things.

If we're really searching for the truth, we will find it..... or rather, we will find him.

DAY 7 - Being Ready - READY TO OBEY

Matt 1:24
'When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.' (NIV)

Luke 5:5
'But Simon said, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at your word I will let down the net."'

In some quarters obedience is almost a dirty word, as it brings with it images of slavery and people not able to make decisions for themselves. But in the Bible, being ready to obey is the first step to completely free living. Let me explain: just as I will discuss about worship, it's not whether we worship, but who we worship (see day 10), so it's not about whether we obey, but who we obey! Here's a little quote from the Message version, Romans chapter 6:

'You know well enough from your own experience that there are some acts of so-called freedom that destroy freedom. Offer yourselves to sin, for instance, and it's your last free act. But offer yourselves to the ways of God and the freedom never quits. All your lives you've let sin tell you what to do. But thank God you've started listening to a new master, one whose commands set you free to live openly in his freedom!'

When Joseph woke up and decided to obey the angelic message he must, partly, have thought, "This'd better be God!" And Simon would've been exhausted from working all night - would you feel like letting those nets down again? However, it's all about believing that God knows a lot more than we do about stuff! In both cases the obedience was followed by abundant blessing: a miraculous baby, and so many fish that the net began to break under the weight.

DAY 6 - Being Ready - EAGER

Luke 1:39
'At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea' (NIV)

Luke 24:31-34
'At that moment, open-eyed, wide-eyed, they recognised him. And then he disappeared.
 Back and forth they talked, "Didn't we feel on fire as he conversed with us on the road, as he opened up the Scriptures for us?"
They didn't waste a minute. They were up and on their way back to Jerusalem.' (MSG)

This is a beautiful painting of Mary and Elizabeth greeting one another when Mary went to stay with her and Zechariah. Mary was so eager to share her experience with someone she knew would understand, someone who's life had also been touched by God.

The two friends of Jesus who who were walking away sadly from the rest of the disciples after Jesus' crucifixion met with the risen Lord and immediately trekked back to Jerusalem to share their experience with the others.....never mind the fact that night had fallen and there might be thieves and brigands along the route, and that they were already worn out. They were infused with a new energy.

When God's presence touches our lives, our hearts burn with excitement and joy, and we want to share our experience with other people who have felt that same touch. We want to be where it's all happening. We want to be where God is moving, and it changes our priorities so that we're willing to travel, stay up late, get up early....... and even miss breakfast!

DAY 5 - Don't be afraid - PROTECTION

Matt 2:22
'When Joseph heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee.'

Psalm 68:20
'Our God is the God of salvation: and to God the Lord belong escapes from death.'

I have known escapes from death in my own life and in the lives of those I love. I can think of quite a few, actually......there was the house fire when I was a student and the time the car in front of us on the fast lane of the motorway suddenly lost control and veered off the road onto the only part for miles where there was a grass verge in between the carriageways, and an incident at a firework display.... and there were others....

and you hear so many stories of people being saved by angels or strangers who suddenly disappeared after they'd rescued someone.

But there are times when it doesn't happen. 

I firmly believe in God's protection over our lives but we cannot escape suffering completely this side of heaven. Let us not be afraid, but put our trust in our heavenly father; his strong, loving arms are always there for us.

DAY 4 - Don't be Afraid - HOPE and JOY

Luke 2:8,9 (NIV)
'And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people."'

Heb 12:2
'...looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.' (NKJV)

Joy is not just feeling happy, which is quite transitory, really, and depends on whether we're having a good day. Joy is actually a powerful force which is way stronger than fear. I think joy and hope go hand in hand; they see the future and know the end of the story.
'Mindfulness' has helped some people because it helps them focus on the positive rather than the negative, but Christian hope, which carries joy in its arms, is like a bouncer at the door to our hearts, stronger than any opposing force.

"YOU SHALL NOT PASS!"...... These famous words of Gandalf to the evil Balrog in the 'Lord of the Rings' by J.R.R.Tolkein, are an excellent picture: his staff, which he holds between himself and the monster represents our hope and our joy which the monster 'fear' cannot pass through.

DAY 3 Don't be Afraid - KEYS

Luke 1:12,13
'When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah,"' (NIV)

Matt 16:19
"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
Sometimes we are gripped, like Zechariah, by fear, or despair, or any negative force, and it has the power to immobilise us.
In the story, 'Pilgrim's Progress' by John Bunyan, Christian and his friend find themselves imprisoned by Giant Despair. After praying, they come to the realisation that the key of promise, which Christian carries, will unlock the door to their prison, and sure enough, it does.

Our way out is often just the realisation that we do not have to stay in that place, and the keys were in our pocket all the time.
Here's another quote, from John's gospel this time (John 8:31,32 NKJV):
Jesus said, "If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed. And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.

If anyone is interested in seeing a young Liam Neeson in this (very old) film of Pilgrim's progress, go to 4 minutes 20 seconds in!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hO4PKC4G2A

DAY 2 Don't be Afraid - RISK

Matt 1:20 
"Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife," (NIV)

Esther 4:16
"...I'll go to the King, even though it's forbidden. If I die, I die." (MSG)

Let's face it, life is a bit of a gamble. When we walk out through the door in the morning, we can guarantee nothing. There are many things we have no control over, and even though in our society risk is minimised through so many health and safety rules, every time I drive my car, or walk down the street, or even do something quite ordinary like shopping or gardening, I take a risk.

Joseph took a risk accepting Mary as his wife; he knew there would be consequences. His close-knit community would have known that her pregnancy had started before the wedding and might ostracise them. 

And Queen Esther took the risk as she approached the King, knowing that she could be executed for it, but she did it anyway. In both cases the path wasn't easy: Joseph had to do much travelling, first with a very pregnant wife, and then to Egypt with a small child; and Esther had to admit to being a Jew and to stand with her people who were being persecuted.

I don't know how the photographer managed to take such a cute picture, but this little creature weighed up the situation and reckoned that the tasty morsel was worth the risk. Joseph and Esther thought so too. Caution is not always a bad thing, but fear always prevents us from walking in the fullness of life that Jesus calls us to.

DAY 1 Don't be Afraid - DON'T PANIC!

Luke 1:29,30
'Mary was troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God." (NIV)

Psalm 112:6-8
'Surely the righteous will never be shaken....they will have no fear of bad news, their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear.' (NIV)

Fear is public enemy no.1. The government will do anything within its power to stop fear and panic from spreading. But those who put their trust in Father God live in the shadow of his favour, like Mary did. It's not that bad news never comes, but that it loses its power over us. Often, with the bad news, comes wave upon wave of fear, guilt, shame, hatred, or despair and it's these negative emotions which have power to immobilise us. For those who trust in God, bad news finds no place to land in their hearts and it merely passes them by.

Here is a link to a clip from Dad's Army, a Second World War spoof that, I'm sure, will brighten your day!

https://youtu.be/ZR6wok7g7do

Shirley's Advent Calendar

Dear friends,

Hi! Here again, with a few thoughts as we run up to Christmas this year. We live in turbulent times and I offer this daily blog in the hope that it will bless people and be a few moments out of the whirl of the Christmas rush.

With love,

Shirley.

P.S. There will be a few quotes from the Bible in my blog, and to get the full picture, you might need to read more widely around it. You can access the full Bible here:

Bible App - YouVersion

https://www.youversion.com/apps