Christmas 2019 - The Word

The Gospel of John presents the Lord Jesus Christ as the eternal Son of God and as “the Word”.  In John ch 1 v1& 2 he said, “in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God”.  He uses this title on four occasions each one directing us to a specific location.  In the verse above he directs us to heaven and the pre-incarnate existence of the Son, along with the Father and the Holy Spirit. John ch 1 verse 18 says “no man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared Him.”  And John 4 v 24 “God is a Spirit”

Coping through Tough Times

We are living in interesting times. The world continues in a state of recession. The season of abundance seems to have come and gone and now the season of recession seems to be entrenching itself. People are finding that times are difficult and the effects of this difficulty seem to be affecting the whole world. Economies are shrinking and jobs are being lost. As I was contemplating these issues, I began to realize that there is a story in the Bible about a similar situation that took place.

Europe - a place where God is blessing people

    

When God made the heavens and the earth everything was perfect.  The stars and the planets were in their correct order and location and everything was ‘on the move’.  Planet earth, the sun and the moon each were set revolving in an orderly manner.  

The earth revolves around the sun at 67,000 miles per hour.  

The sun orbits at 492,000 miles per hour.  

The moon orbits Earth at a speed of 2,288 miles per hour and completes its circuit in just less than 28 days.  

But note the following:

1. We have no sensation of movement of any kind, other than we can see the moon in different positions in the sky.  
2. We can trust and depend upon the stability of this order and mariners can plot their course by fixing their location in relation to the North Star. 
3. We don’t have to worry when we go to bed at night that the sun will rise in the East and bring all the benefits to planet Earth that it requires to sustain life.  

The enthronement of Emperor Naruhito & Empress Masako

Today in Japan, The Prince of Wales attended the Ceremony of Enthronement of His Majesty Emperor Naruhito on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen. This is quite an occasion in light of the changes that have taken place in Japanese society since the last set of ceremonies in 1990. Emperor Naruhito, 59, acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne in May after his father, Emperor Akihito, became the first Japanese monarch in more than two centuries to abdicate. But, after a series of traditional rituals inside the imperial palace in Tokyo, his ascension has now been formalised. The ceremony comes as Japan reels from the effects of Typhoon Hagibis, which left almost 80 people dead.