The holly
and the ivy Are dancing in a ring, Round the berry-bright red candles
And the white and shining King One is for God's people In every
age and day, We are watching for His coming, We believe and we obey.
All
people that on earth do dwell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Begz2-6KzOg
Paslm
107: 1 – 2
Give
thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love
endures forever.
2 Let
the redeemed of the Lord tell their story— those
he redeemed from the hand of the foe, 3 those he gathered from
the lands, from east and west, from north and south.
4 Some
wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a
city where they could settle.
5 They were hungry and
thirsty, and their lives ebbed away.
6 Then they
cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and
he delivered them from their distress.
7 He led them by a
straight way to a city where they could settle.
8 Let
them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing
love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, 9 for he
satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good
things.
10 Some
sat in darkness, in utter darkness, prisoners
suffering in iron chains,
11 because they
rebelled against God’s commands and despised the
plans of the Most High.
12 So he subjected them to
bitter labour; they stumbled, and there was no one to
help.
13 Then they cried to the Lord in their
trouble, and he saved them from their distress.
14 He
brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and
broke away their chains.
15 Let them give thanks to
the Lord for his unfailing love and his
wonderful deeds for mankind, 16 for he breaks down gates of
bronze and cuts through bars of iron.
17 Some
became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered
affliction because of their iniquities. 18 They loathed all
food and drew near the gates of death.
19 Then
they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and
he saved them from their distress.
20 He sent out his
word and healed them; he rescued them from
the grave.
21 Let them give thanks to the Lord for
his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for
mankind. 22 Let them sacrifice thank offerings and
tell of his works with songs of joy
Hail
to the Lord’s anointed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkrepBvrLI4
Isaiah 8: 19 – 22
19 When
someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who
whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their
God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? 20 Consult
God’s instruction and the testimony of warning. If anyone
does not speak according to this word, they have no light of
dawn. 21 Distressed and hungry, they will roam through
the land; when they are famished, they will become enraged and,
looking upward, will curse their king and their God. 22 Then
they will look toward the earth and see only distress and darkness
and fearful gloom, and they will be thrust into utter darkness.
Isaiah
9: 1 – 7
9 Nevertheless,
there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In
the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
but in the future he will honour Galilee of the nations, by the Way
of the Sea, beyond the Jordan— 2 The people walking in
darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the
land of deep darkness a light has dawned. 3 You have
enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice
before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors
rejoice when dividing the plunder. 4 For as in the day of
Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that
burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of
their oppressor. 5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle and
every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will
be fuel for the fire. 6 For to us a child is born, to
us a son is given, and the government will be on his
shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of
the greatness of his government and peace there will
be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over
his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with
justice and righteousness from that time on and
forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty will
accomplish this.
O
come O come Emmanuel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKu0or0t8Uw
Prayer
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
lighten our darkness For we we a
blinded by world desires
we
feel sad and lonely we are strangers in a foreign land
help us
to look forward to Christmas to know that your light shall walk this
earth
may we mourn know more but lift our hearts that we may
sing and
Rejoice! Rescue us from the grip of Satan for we know
we are sinners and have fallen from you grace save your people O lord
save us fill us with your presence.
Lord
there many people that have turned that back on you many more that
have never heard the message of saving grace not knowing the true
meaning of Christmas and others that do not wish to offend by not the
word Christmas instead using happy holiday may we this advent speak
of the true meaning of Christmas that all people will come to you
.that all people will know they can be saved from the depths of
hell that all can receive victory over the death . So we ask that
you Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, And put death's dark shadows
to flight Lord cheer us by your close presence-within our hearts,
for we know that you have heard our prayers and forgiven us.
Therefore we will Rejoice!
for
you O God are with us. Blessed be your holy name. Emmanuel.
Lords
Prayer.
Our
Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come;
thy
will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily
bread.
And
forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against
us.
And
lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
For
thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever.
Amen.
Come,
Thou long expected Jesus Born to set Thy people free; Born Thy people
to deliver,
Born a child and yet a King, Born to reign in us
forever, Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal
Spirit Rule in all our hearts alone; By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne. Amen
TALK
People
today more than ever need hope
Hebrews
10:19-25
Therefore,
brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most
Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and
living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his
body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the
house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a
sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having
our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and
having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold
unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is
faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one
another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up
meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but
encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day
approaching.
March
23rd 2013 daily bread
Although
I try not to be shocked by the things I see these days, I was caught
off-balance by the message on the woman’s T-shirt as she walked
past me in the mall. The bold letters declared: “Hope Is For
Suckers.” Certainly, being naïve or gullible can be foolish and
dangerous. Disappointment and heartache can be the tragic offspring
of unfounded optimism. But not allowing oneself to have hope is a sad
and cynical way to view life.
Biblical
hope is unique; it’s a confident trust in God and what He is doing
in the world and in our lives. That’s something everyone needs! The
writer to the Hebrews clearly stated the importance of hope when he
wrote, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without
wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Heb.
10:23).
Having
biblical hope is not foolish, because it has a strong foundation. We
hold fast to the hope we have received in Christ because our God is
faithful. He can be trusted with anything and everything we will ever
face—both for today and forever. Our hope is grounded in the
trustworthy character of the God who loves us with an everlasting
love. So, the T-shirt had it wrong.
Hope
is not for suckers; it’s for you and for me!
By: Bill
Crowder.
On
TV the
other day
a program showed a man Changing the old styled
light
house
bulb which was very large and it
burned
many
watts of electric not at all environmentally friendly, but good
at saving
lives. Then he showed a much smaller more powerful LED light bulb
using much less electric but giving out a much brighter and
almost
instant light unlike the old bulb that had to warm up first. The
new bulb shines through storms and fog. Giving hope to sailors and
saving more live .
A
lighthouse shines its beacon of light and hope into the darkness of
night. ... Lighthouses have long been symbols of hope. They have
served as key navigational aids throughout the ages.
In
and old daily bread pamphlet there is an article by Dennis Fisher.
He
writes
The
Mission Point Lighthouse was built in 1870 on a peninsula in Northern
Michigan to warn ships of sand bars and rocky shores along Lake
Michigan. That lighthouse got its name from another kind of
lighthouse, a mission church, which was built 31 years earlier.
In
1839, Rev. Peter Dougherty answered the call to become pastor of a
church in Old Mission that was made up of Native Americans who lived
farther south on the same peninsula. Under his leadership, a thriving
community of farmers, teachers, and craftsmen worked side by side to
build a better life for the community.
When
believers in Christ work together in unity, their fellowship of faith
provides spiritual light in the world’s darkness (Phil.
2:15-16).
Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on
a hill cannot be hidden. . . . Let your light so shine before men,
that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven”
(Matt.
5:14-16).
The
Mission Point Lighthouse warned ships of danger, but the original Old
Mission Church provided spiritual direction to all who would listen.
Believers do the same individually and through our churches. We are
God’s lighthouse because Jesus lives in us.
There
is an old hymn that says Brighten the corner where you are, it is
in the Alexander hymnal No 3 the words are:-
Do
not wait until some deed of greatness you may do
Do not wait to
shed your light afar
To the many duties ever near you now be
true.
Brighten the corner where you are
Chorus.
Brighten
the corner where you are
Brighten the corner where you
are
Someone far from harbour you may guide across the
bar
Brighten the corner where you are.
Just
above are clouded skies that you may help to clear
Let not
narrow self your way debar
Though into one heart alone may fall
your song of cheer
Brighten the corner where you are
Ch.
Here
for all your talent you may surely find a need
Here reflect the
bright and Morning Star
Even from your humble hand the Bread of
Life may feed
Brighten the corner where you are
Ch.
Bathroom
light gave
us hope in the darkness.
Quite
a few years ago a friend and I went on holiday in
Morpeth it
was march time the nights came in quick we were staying on a farm in
bed and breakfast chalet it was a converted cow shed. There
were no street lights. And driving back from a day exploring was
very, very hard. It took us ages to find the farm it was pitch
black with a few stars and not much of a moon. The next day I said
to my friend “before we go out to day lets leave be the bathroom
light on”. When we were heading back around seven that evening
the little light shone out for miles it was a good guide back to our
base, and we had no problems for the rest of the week, although we
had to put extras coins in the electric meter each morning.
A
cow shed, what a place to sleep in, ours was well furnished and
totally modern in side, but from out side it looked just as it
would have done a hundred years or so ago. It made me think and it
still does
years later Jesus was born in a cattle/cow shed I bet this was not
the sort of bed and breakfast Mary and Joseph had in mind. A
painting Rembrandt comes to mind the Art historian Seymour Slive
described the great Dutch artist Rembrandt (1606–1669) as the
master of light and shadow, a compelling storyteller on canvas.
Rembrandt’s painting The
Adoration of the Shepherds portrays
the darkened stable in Bethlehem where two shepherds kneel beside the
manger while other people stand farther away. One man holds a
lantern, but the brightest light shines not from his lantern but from
the Christ-child, illuminating those who have gathered close to Him.
Seven
centuries before Jesus’ birth, Isaiah used an image of light and
shadow to foretell the coming of a Saviour for Israel: “The people
who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in
the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined. For
unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given” (Isa.
9:2,6).
Each
person may see a different story in Rembrandt’s painting, but
perhaps each of us is represented somewhere in that stable. Are we
kneeling in worship, standing back in hesitation, or hiding from the
light that has penetrated our darkness?
Christmas
invites us to step out of the shadows of darkness and to allow the
light of Christ to shine into our hearts.
Then
we can reflect Gods light and shine for him just as the full moon
reflects the sun light to shine brightly in the night sky.
On
our last evening of our holiday after a day on the beach we stopped
for a fish and chip supper.
It
was getting cold so I put the heater on and we started to talk about
Sunday school and the songs we knew and Jesus bids us shine was
mentioned.
After
a while my friend began to doze off, in the distance I could see the
little light shining as usual so I started to sing
Jesus
bids us shine, With a pure, clear light, Like a little cow shed
gleaming in the night.
In
this place of darkness, So let us shine-- You in your small corner,
And I in mine.
My
friends response “ I’m too tired to shine”
In
this world of darkness, So let us shine-- You in your small corner,
And I in mine.
Prayer
Lord
flood your world with hope.
Lord
God help all people to look to the Light of hope , this advent
we
pray for the war torn areas of the world we pray that your peace may
flood your world with hope this Christmas. We pray for all in
Sudan victims of war we pray for the peace workers for the work of
Unicef.
Lord
flood your world with hope.
Lord
God help all people to look to the Light of hope , this advent
We
pray for all in Afghanistan for Doctors and nurses medical staff
that aid givers and recivers we pray that the suppies get through
to where they are ugently needed quickly get through to them
quickly.
Lord
flood your world with hope.
Lord
God help all people to look to the Light of hope , this advent
We
pray for peacekeeping forces who come under fire from both sides may
the leaders of the nations come together to work for peace and
reconciliation
Lord
flood your world with hope.
Lord
God help all people to look to the Light of hope , this advent
Amen
Come
thou long expected Jesus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAoIkjPVh64
Benediction
Be
people of hope. Let hope live in your heart and share the hope of
Christ with all you meet. Share hope by noticing someone else’s
humanity. Share hope by listening to someone’s story. Share hope
by praying for our world. In this Advent season, we need to see,
feel, and share hope.
As you go out into the wonder of God’s
creations, share hope with those you meet.
Amen.
Hope
of the world Mary’s
Child
coming soon to reign.
Born
in the Night Mary’s child
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujh1wxEGjOw
God
bless Susannah.
