We regularly appeal to the Lord to Hear and provide for our supplications, prayers and petitions, which is right and a privilege granted us.

As the children of God, we are taught to bring everything to God in prayer, to ask for the supply of our needs, to ask for protection and to bring thanks. Philippians 4:6-7 “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus”.

David often prayed the Lord to hear his plea (Psalm 5:1-5) “Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my meditation. Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity”, and so can we.

Unfortunately, we often neglect to listen to the Voice of the Lord!

It is imperative that we consistently hear His voice and dwell according to the requirements of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The voice (and therefore the Word) of the Lord comes in various forms from the Spirit, including through the mouth of the Apostles and ordained servants, the written Word and Scripture (The Bible and Apostle circulars), choir songs, Sunday school, in the breaking of bread, in the community with our fellow brothers and sisters and even in a dream (Joseph).

Mark 4:9 “And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear”.

We have to be receptive to the voice of the Lord always, be guided by the Holy Spirit to hear what the Lord speaks. Apostle Paul teaches the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 2:13) “Which things also we speak, not in the Words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”    

Ask the questions of ourselves:                                               

• Do we allow the working of the Lord’s Voice (also the Word of God) in our lives?
• Do we understand the might of His Voice?
• Are we serious about the Voice of the Lord?
• Do we share the Word with those that still have to be drawn to the work of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ?
• Do we often forget the Word of God or ignore His Voice?

Hebrews 2:1 “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.” Proverbs 7: 24-27 “Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth. Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. For she hath cast down many wounded; yea, many strong men have been slain by her. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.”

We are “never too young” to Hear the Voice of the Lord and to Serve Him! A wonderful example of the instruction to hear the voice of the Lord is given to us in the history of Samuel, where the Lord called him three times – Samuel thought it was Eli that called him, but Eli knew it was the Lord and therefore instructed Samuel to say: “Speak, Lord thy servant heareth.”

Parents and children, a very important lesson we learn from the book of Samuel is that we are never too young or too old to hear the Voice of the Lord and to serve in the household of God. Hannah, Samuel’s mother, promised God that if He gave her a son that she would dedicate him to God (1 Samuel 1:11) At the age of 3 years Hannah took Samuel to the temple and entrusted him to God. According to historians, Samuel was 12 years old when he heard the Voice of the Lord. The name Samuel means “God has heard”.

Proverbs 8:32-35 “Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways. Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord”.

We should be able to see, hear and experience the Lord in all things, visible and invisible, and in all of God’s wonderful creation Romans 1:20 “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:” Romans 11:36 “For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:9 “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:”

Let us always hear the Voice of the Lord, like the song we sing: I can hear my Saviour calling, follow, follow me…

Apostle Paul’s words are an expression of triumph of those Christians who through Christ have become reconciled with God. Apostle Paul continues by praising God who has brought about this reconciliation, “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation” 2 Corinthians 5:18.

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away, behold all things have become new. Those who are in Christ strive to emulate Jesus’ character and nature in their everyday life. This includes sincere prayers born out of childlike faith and the endeavour to overcome that which is not good. The ambassadors for Christ repeatedly tell us to be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:20 “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.” He is a new creation. Through the life received from God became a new creation. This life develops through grace and by partaking of Jesus body and blood. We have put off the old man which grows corrupt. Ephesians 4:22 “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts.”

Everything that is contrary to Jesus’ teachings and being God’s child must become part of the past. This also applies to our vocabulary and reactions in our everyday life, insincerity and negativity. In this manner we make room for that which is new to unfold within us. At the end of time the Almighty God will cause everything old to disappear. There shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain. Revelation 21:4 “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Even heaven and earth will pass away to enable that which is perfect and glorious to emerge. Revelation 21:1-3 “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.”

Behold all things have become new. When we plant a seed a new flower on the plant emerges. Likewise, the fruit of the Holy Spirit must noticeably develop within every child of God who endeavours to be found in Christ. We want to concentrate our efforts on that which is new. We want to ensure that small and insignificant things continue to be small and insignificant and great and important things continue to be great and important. Let us forget the old tune and learn the new song. Let us discard our former names and secure those of the new creation. We will then be able to enter into the new city of God as joyful and appreciative inhabitants.

Luke 2:10-14.

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 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, good will toward men.”

Can one, in one Christmas letter, write anything new what Christmas means to us?  Hasn’t everything been told? There is no other Christian Festival beloved as Christmas; it is filled with great Custom and Tradition united. Its origin we take out of the writings of History.

In the first 300 years the first Christians did not celebrate every year the Festival. It was in Rome in the first 400 years that man began to celebrate the birthday of Christ on the 25th of December.  At first it was called the Nativity. Christmas, the white night, from the German meaning, the 12 nights after the Winter Sun, celebrate the birth of Christ as Christians, and we speak of the Holy Night.  When we write of the Christmas Festival, we must remember that for us the Christmas Festival for us begins with what is written in the Bible in Luke 1:5-25, Luke 1:26-38  and Luke 1:57-66; herein is what is written in the Bible concerning Jesus and His birth. I am sure that we all know the story told. Also, what we have learned as a child – Christmas tree, Charity, Christmas goose, Service and Christmas Carols; while in some homes there may be sadness, Christmas uplifts all.

Let us hear what the message says!  The first time the message was heard, we find God was given the praise and Glory. We find that today there should be no difference for those who hear the message of the Birth of our Lord and understand it; those who hear it aright should be thankful  in their hearts and get strength that Christ was born and brought Peace on earth, especially for man today; Peace between man and God. This applies for all generations.

The world has made great mistakes, and today we can look at the birth of our Lord and realize that today is the day that we can profit from our mistakes.

Christmas time makes us realize that there is only one God, and He loves all people; the Christ child is for us the Guarantee; and the Holy Ghost is the greatest Security that we can have; the door to the House of God stands open wide today. We all have the opportunity to come to God.

We would all love to be effortlessly in a constant state of joy, peace and hope. The reality in this imperfect world is that mistakes happen and tribulations can occur. Apostle Paul urges us not to despair at those times but to reframe the events, learn from them and grow in experience and faith.

An old story from the business world highlights this concept – The new person in an office was inexperienced but had a great desire to do well. Wanting to avoid the pitfalls of failure he went to an experienced and successful worker to ask, “How can I make a go of it in this company?” The experienced worker answered, “Make the right decisions.” Not finding this helpful, the new worker asked again, “How do I make the right decisions?” Again, the experienced worker answered simply, “Experience!” “But how do I get experience?” said the new worker. “That is easy,” said the older man, “make the wrong decisions.”

The good news from this story, when applied to our spiritual journey, is that Jesus works with those who make and acknowledge mistakes. Paul confirmed that process to the Corinthians as above, but Jesus lived the example with His Apostles. He did not choose experienced preachers to share the gospel but those who had to learn Christ. 2 Corinthians 12:9, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

One of the most relevant examples of needing to progress from tribulation (mistakes) through experience to hope is that of the Apostle Peter. Jesus initially confirmed he had some strength as indicated in his name, Petra (meaning rock / strong) and Peter boldly proclaimed that he would follow Jesus anywhere. Unfortunately, his decisions then led him to denying Christ three times. Following the resurrection, when Jesus came to his disciples at the sea of Tiberius, Peter must have expected to be sacked from his calling. Would he need to go back to his old vocation of fishing? By Grace, the opposite occurred, and Jesus told him three times to feed My lambs / sheep (see John Chapter 21). Having made his mistakes and learned by experience, Peter then was given great hope which he shared freely. With his first sermon to the Jewish nation, then to the Samaritans and ultimately through Cornelius to the gentiles, Peter was given the blessing of being used by Christ to share this hope.

Jesus works with those who makes mistakes. His strength is made perfect in our weakness.

The beginning of Advent is always striking. The world around us lights up its streets, decorates its windows, and prepares for Christmas festivities. Yet the Gospel appointed for today does something very different: it speaks not of shepherds or angels, but of Noah, judgment, and a thief coming in the night. The contrast is deliberate.

Advent is indeed a season of beauty, of lights and music – but within the life of the Church, it is also a season of holy seriousness. It is a time when Christ invites us not only to remember His first coming in Bethlehem, but to prepare for His second coming, and for our own personal encounter with Him. Advent asks us to lift our eyes from the sentimental and look toward the essential.

Jesus says that His coming will be “as in the days of Noah.” But who were the people of Noah’s time? Scripture tells us that violence, resentment, and corruption filled the earth. The Book of Wisdom adds something even more profound: it tells us that Cain – the one who killed his brother Abel – perished not simply because of his crime, but because he was consumed by his own fratricidal rage. In other words: Evil does not only harm his victim. It destroys the one who commits it. Sin is self-destructive. We create our own inner flood long before the waters rise.

And into precisely this world – broken, angry, confused – Jesus comes. He does not wait for humanity to improve. He does not come only for the righteous. He comes for those who have lost themselves, who carry wound, who feel trapped in patterns they do not know how to break. He comes for us.

Jesus then used a jarring image: His coming is like the coming of a thief. A thief takes what belongs to us. A thief disrupts our plans. A thief removes what we thought was essential. It is strange that Jesus uses this comparison – until we realise that there are things we cling to that are, in truth, stealing life from us. Sometimes what we hold most tightly, our habits, our addictions, our grudges, our unhealthy dreams are things quietly destroying our peace and joy. We go away on holiday and return home only to discover that something we treasured – our television, our jewellery, our computer – is gone. The loss forces us to confront what really matters and what really does not. In a similar way, Christ sometimes enters our lives and removes what we were convinced was the foundation of our happiness. It feels like loss, but it is actually grace.

Cain believed that Abel was the obstacle to his happiness before God. He believed that removing his brother would give him peace. But it only handed him emptiness, fear, and alienation. How many times do we replay some version of Cain’s illusion? “If only I remove this from my life, or that person, or this responsibility – I will finally be happy.”

But Christ knows better. Advent is the season when Christ gently asks: what is it that you are clinging to that is not giving you life? What do you need Me to “steal” from your heart so you may finally be free. Perhaps a habit. Perhaps a resentment. Perhaps a dependence. Perhaps a dream that is not God’s dream for you, perhaps simply the illusion that we control our own happiness.

Advent is the season of courage. A season of inner rebellion against everything that keeps us from the fullness of life. And so we should pray. “Lord, remove from me whatever destroys me, even if I cannot let go of it myself.” That is not a comfortable prayer. But it is an honest one. And Jesus always answers honest prayers.

Jesus ends today’s Gospel with a simple command: “Therefore keep awake.” Stay awake not in fear, but in hope. Stay awake not because the world is dark, but because the dawn is coming. Stay awake because Christ is near – not to take from us what is good, but to free us from what is false.

Advent reminds us: the Lord is coming. And He comes not to harm, but to heal. Not to steal life, but to restore it. Not to frighten us, but to love us into freedom.

As we begin the holy season: let us examine our desires with honesty. Let us question what we cling to. Let us ask Christ to take away what harms us. Let us wake up to the truth of His presence. And let us prepare not only for His birth in Bethlehem, but for His coming into our lives today. May this Advent be for each of us a time of wakening, a time of courage, and a time of deep, renewing hope.

Our text points us to Christ’s teaching on that in life what we should thirst for, the truth, as it is only that, which will make us free. Free from what? We live in a world that is greedy for knowledge and this passes onto our lives; we are told we have to absorb more to survive. The same is with our computer systems in business. One often today, hears the term used about business computers that they are suffering from “information overload”. Too much information has been keyed or programmed in to them that they then become slower and begin to mix up that data and start to print and calculate the wrong things. This sometimes causes what is termed as a virus and then can pass on this problem to other computers, simply by talking or connecting with each other. This same problem of “information overload” is passing on to us as human beings to keep up. Telephone messages, texts, facebook, chat sites, social media, e-mail to be searched out, junk mail to read through before we throw it out, all forms of media urging us to chase after more and more information, updates in the forms of seminars, job training, night courses, magazines from this to that, and it goes on and on. Information technology is here to stay, we cannot go back to the good old days as they are referred to, so we have to learn to manage our time a little better and get our priorities right so that we do not get “information overload” turning into a virus and not only affecting us, but also damaging those around us. We must always remember that there is still only the same number of hours in a day. The more we try to cram in, the more troubled we can become.

Our Lord foresaw this as He perceived His disciples finding it difficult to take in His teachings. He always kept them simple. If they wanted more information, He answered their question and no more. We can see examples of this when they asked about His authority, the resurrection, the payment of taxes, John the baptist and many other places in the Bible. He saw that they were becoming troubled at all this new information and gave them that wonderful advice that is still for us today, in John 14:1, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me.” If we do not heed this and allow our thirst for knowledge  to turn into greed, it is no different than a man’s quest for wealth, it can have the same consequences, we can become demanding to be told about everything, but half the time, we don’t understand and only get half the story, which our prejudices then only allow us to hear what we want to hear and often we are hearing distortions, exaggerations, gossip and even lies, all for the sake of knowing more than our fellow man.  We can easily let this greed over-shadow the good things in life, such as family life, friendship and faith and trust in our Lord. This greed has the same meaning as our Lord spoke in Mark 8:36, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul”. All the knowledge in the world will avail us nothing if we do not find the truth, for it is only the truth that will make us free. That truth can only be found in our Lord’s words and we must never let ourselves be distracted from attending where we hear this truth proclaimed, and must always make a permanent place for this truthful knowledge to be stored in our life. Our Lord has provided that for us as He told in John 14:16-17, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him: for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”

2nd Ref: Isaiah 9:6

On Christmas day we are once again given the opportunity for our Saviour Jesus Christ to find accommodation  in our hearts. The question is: “Are we ready for this magnificent event and will we remain a dwelling for our Lord and Saviour until such time He returns to fetch His chosen bride”?

During the period of Advent we went through a cleansing process of our hearts and minds, which is good. However, we have to always be in a cleansed state allowing God’s Grace in our lives, welcoming the Holy Spirit to Guide our ways and never forgetting that we were washed and cleansed in the Blood of the Lamb.   Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast”.

We must always remember that Jesus Christ our Wonderful Messiah and the Prince of Peace paid the highest price to allow us the opportunity to be saved. 1 Corinthians. 6:20, “For ye are bought with a price: therefore, glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s “.

As Apostolic Christian children of God, we have to be careful not to succumb or surrender to human foolishness and weakness that interferes with presence of our Lord and Saviour in our hearts. Romans 12:2, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Our Lord, the perfect Giver of Peace, Loving Kindness, Compassion, Charity, Forgiveness and Righteousness (to name a few) wants us all to share and live according to His example.  Ephesians 4:32, “And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you”.

Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

Forego high-mindedness, self-righteousness, hypocrisy, deceit, self-glorification and those things which are contrary to a true Apostolic Christian. Non-Godly human conduct often leads to judgmental behaviour and the absence of a forgiving heart.  Matthew 18: 21-22, “Then came Peter to Him, and said, “Lord how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times?” Jesus saith unto him, “I say not unto thee, until seven times: but until Seventy Times Seven.”

We often find it difficult to forgive and to make peace. It is clear that forgiving one another is vital to receiving forgiveness from our Heavenly Father. If it is good for the Lord to demonstrate peace, why is it not for mankind? Luke 6:37, “Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven”. Matthew 6:14, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you”.

Let us dwell in One-Accord with Jesus Christ, show Goodwill to all and labour in Harmony, Joy and Peace.  John 14:27, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let                             not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”