I am the Light of the world!

Mandy, Christine, Betty in Lichfield Cathedral

Give thanks to God for the light has come
a light in a dark stable
a light for darkened lives
a light which shines in every place
the light of eternal truth

Give thanks to God 
for the truth has come
truth that challenges the proud
truth that lifts up the lowly
truth that brings justice and hope
the truth of eternal life
Peter Trow
Taken from Shine On, Star of Bethlehem
Copywrite Chritian Aid 2001, 2002, 2004

In John, we read that Jesus spoke to his disciples saying, “I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) 

2 Clean Christmas jokes!

1 Christmas Spirit
It was just before Christmas and the magistrate was in a happy mood. He asked the prisoner who was in the dock, 'What are you charged with?'
The prisoner replied, 'Doing my Christmas shopping too early.'

'That's no crime', said the magistrate. 'Just how early were you doing this shopping?'

'Before the shop opened', answered the prisoner.

2 Father Christmas Calls

Alex was five; all his Christmas presents were always signed, 'from Father Christmas.'

A little while after Alex had opened all his presents on Christmas morning, we became aware that he was looking quite down in the mouth for no obvious reason.

'What's the matter, Al?' I asked.

'Ummmm, 'replied Alex slowly, 'I really hoped that you and Mummy would give me something for Christmas.'

Nativity paintings...do you have a favourite?

Nativity paintings...do you have a favourite?:

In my Father's house, Corrie ten Boom

Two weeks ago, I ordered that book, In My Father's house written by Corrie ten Boom on Amazon and it came a few days ago. I was over the moon because I knew it was going to be a great read. And it is! 

10000 reasons, Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Such a beautiful song of praise by Matt Redman

10000 reasons
by Matt Redman
(with Lyrics)

Be encouraged!

My God shall supply

all your need

according to his riches

in Glory 

by Christ Jesus

Philippians 4:19

Christian actor Hugh Jackman's interview.

When actor Hugh Jackman takes on the role of Paul in the upcoming biblical epic Apostle Paul, he’ll be performing material that he’s already intimately familiar with. In an interview with Parade magazine this fall to discuss his role in Pan, Jackman opened up about his marriage, his career and, notably, his faith. Asked about when he knew he would become an actor, he told the magazine, “I’m a Christian. I was brought up very religious. I used to go to different evangelists’ [revival] tents all the time. When I was about 13, I had a weird premonition that I was going to be onstage, like the preachers I saw.
Read more here 

Picture copyright click here.

All the people greatly rejoiced!

Nehemiah 8
9 And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. 

10 Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” 

11 So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.” 

12 And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.

Who was John Wycliffe?

http://www.prbm.com/interest/biblesenlang1.php

John Wycliffe (1330 - 1384) was a scholar, preacher and social reformer in England who wanted to make the Bible accessible to the common people instead of just the few scholars and clergymen who could read Latin. 

Wycliffe cared deeply for the poor and common folk and railed against the abuses of the Church. The Church owned over one-third of the land in England. Clergy were often illiterate and immoral. High offices in the church were bought or given out as political plums. But the problems went even deeper. Wycliffe, a devoted student of the Bible, saw that some of the doctrines of the church had departed from biblical moorings. Based on his study of the Scripture, John wrote and preached against the teachings about purgatory, the sale of indulgences, and the doctrine of transubstantiation.

Even John's highly placed political friends deserted him. Church authorities had him banished from his university teaching post at Oxford. But his exile turned into a kind of liberation. Some of his students joined him at the parish church in Lutterworth. There they undertook the monumental task of translating all the Scriptures into English, working from a handwritten Latin translation that was over 1000 years old. And they continued John Wycliffe's practice of training "poor preachers," known as Lollards, who took the Word out to the common people across the land.

Find out more, click here!

Christmas celebrations in the Kerygma bus!

Ems baked a delicious ginger house!

Joy, Sarah and Brian

Tonight, thanks to Colin and his team, the youth in Hixon had a great Christmas celebration. There were games, a quiz, gifts and carols. We all had a great evening! We had party food and delicious deserts. One of the game had a twist, somebody would call out a card, i.e. the queen of club and if you had it you could retrieve a gift that someone had, but it was not yours because somebody else could get it back ...so those gifts were only yours at the very end of the game! The children were very excited and keen to get their gifts back, the most popular were those, funny big plastic glasses, chocolate orange and a big box of chocolate bars (I can't remember the name now, oups!)
Have a lovely evening and God bless you! Remembers the Lord loves you so much, He is a loving Father and is looking after you. :)

Oats and chocolate bar!

Oats and chocolate bar. 

Just waiting for my oats and chocolate bar to set in the fridge.  Here is the recipe I followed and I found it pretty easy to do.
I was inspired to bake them when last week, a colleague, Sacha gave me one of her own breakfast bars and told me that she got the recipe on the Nigella Lawson website. And sure I found the recipe but I did not have all the ingredients. It'll be for another time.

Fixing our eyes on Jesus

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 is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:2

Fixing our eyes on Jesus, our beautiful Saviour who died for us,  is something that I should do all the time. I'd like to say, yes I do that Time after time, I wish I had fixed my eyes on Jesus, our saviour full of compassion and gentleness and also our King. So why not?

1 - I get distracted. When an annoying situation arises, instead of giving the burden to my Lord straight away, I try to sort it out myself on my own efforts..needless to say that it does not take long to realise that it is not working and none of it will be sorted. In fact, time after time, the Lord has shown me that it's only when I quit and i ask him to help me that the mountain disappears, for His glory. Just like that, yes but let us not forget the timing! In the Lord 's timing!

This takes us to number 2.

I forget about the timing. Essential, crucial. The Lord's timing is not ours. Why? well because we are not living in our final Kingdom. Though we are heirs with Christ, we are still in the world. 

3 A question of faith. Have you noticed that on some matters, we do not have any doubt, whereas on others, we are not sure at all. At the same time, someone in your family or among your friends will feel very different about the same matter. Their faith will be stronger than ours. Why? They believe what they read in the Word of God, they take it in their hearts and it's theirs forever. Not only that, they share it with us. It is so encouraging to meet godly people like that. You can tell they are on the rock. What they say does not move and they can explain it to you. When they say, the Lord is moving in this area of my life or in this town, you believe them. The Lord is at work in your life. Do you know it? Are you aware that the Lord is moving people, He is transforming others and all you have to do is to respond.

If you were in the valley of shadows, wake up, look forward, the time is coming when beautiful things are going to happen in your life, in all areas of your life. Trust in Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith. 

Have a blessed week-end in Jesus-Christ Amen.

Alive in Jesus

All Around Me"

My hands are searching for you
My arms are outstretched towards you
I feel you on my fingertips
My tongue dances behind my lips for you

This fire rising through my being
Burning I'm not used to seeing you

I'm alive, I'm alive

I can feel you all around me
Thickening the air I'm breathing
Holding on to what I'm feeling
Savoring this heart that's healing

My hands float up above me
And you whisper you love me
And I begin to fade
Into our secret place

The music makes me sway
The angels singing say we are alone with you
I am alone and they are too with you

I'm alive
I'm alive

I can feel you all around me
Thickening the air I'm breathing
Holding on to what I'm feeling
Savoring this heart that's healing

So I cry
(Holy)
The light is white

(Holy)
And I see you

I'm alive
I'm alive
I'm alive

And I can feel you all around me
Thickening the air I'm breathing
Holding on to what I'm feeling
Savoring this heart that's healing

Take my hand
I give it to you
Now you own me
All I am
You said you would never leave me
I believe you
I believe

I can feel you all around me
Thickening the air I'm breathing
Holding on to what I'm feeling
Savoring this heart that's healed

Was Jesus countercultural?

The Parable of the Tenants

9 He went on to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time.10 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. 12 He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out.
13 “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.’
14 “But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 15 So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
“What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.”
When the people heard this, they said, “God forbid!”
17 Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written:
“‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone’?
18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”

19 The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.