FRIDAY December 22nd
I have deliberately left things to end this year with something from Paul’s letters to Timothy. And I am choosing just a few words from 1 Timothy 3:16 ‘Great indeed we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh’.
As we celebrate the birth of our wonderful Lord and Saviour over this coming few days, we join along with Paul in saying that great indeed is the mystery yet amazing fact that God was manifested in the flesh, born as a baby in Bethlehem, held in the arms of his mother Mary!
It can become too easy for us to overlook the wonder of what this incredible birth meant for the world and for us each individually as we allow ourselves to get caught up with all the trappings that have become attached to the season.
Joy to the world, the Lord as come! A saviour has been born and he is Christ the Lord.
So to end the devotions for 2023, I want to thank you all for taking the time to read the devotions or listen to them if you use the audio version and thank you for your support to me as the pastor over this past year again. It is almost a job to believe that this will be the 4th Christmas we will have been up here in the North East for! The first one was with all the restrictions of Covid, thank God we can now enjoy ourselves and celebrate without any restraints.
So I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a very happy New Year. I will have a break from doing the devotions over the holiday period and will recommence them from Monday January 8th where we will continue the theme based around the life and the ministry of the apostle Paul.
To end the year, ‘To God be the glory, great things he hath done’.
Now, I haven’t added a song for quite a long time, so here are the words of a carol which will be added as a song at the end of the audio devotion.
Hark the herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled”
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With the angelic host proclaim:
“Christ is born in Bethlehem”
Hark! The herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King!”
Christ by highest heav’n adored
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of a Virgin’s womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail the incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! The herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King!”
Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Ris’n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King!”