-

 Christmas - where is the proof and what is the importance? 


We have a little pond at the end of our garden. It is our view into another utterly different world – a water breathing and virtually gravity free one. Beings there can just fly up and down whenever they want. The roof of their world is the silver surface of the water. At certain angles they can see us - and we can see them. Our world must be as unbelievable to them as their world is to us. Both are real. They live below that silver ceiling and we live above it. This does not mean that their reality is any less real than ours. We have a silver ceiling of our own. Above us is a spiritual world

 

Death is our silver ceiling - We know for certain that human beings have spiritual identities which survive death. There is a vast body of literature and testimony from people who have had near death experiences and to have been revived after apparently fatal accidents – often on the operating tables. We know that while they were clinically dead, they could see without their physical eyes, hear without their physical ears and above all think without their physical brains.

 

Near death survivors become humane amphibians for minutes or hours or even days before their human body draws them back to our air breathing gravity bound world. For a short time, they become like some animals like frogs and toads in our pond - amphibians

 

Saints and prophets are spiritual amphibians They live in this world and the next. Our Lord was the supreme spiritual amphibian. Equally the events around his life were spiritually amphibious.

 

Everything about Christmas is amphibian – but is it too good to be true? What is the earthly events associated with the spiritual ones.

 

These are the things we know for certain about Christmas. We know for certain that Isaiah’s prophecies of around 600 BC were true. Equally we know for certain that Mary was a virgin and that she was visited by the Angel Gabriel. (Luke 1:26–38) that thanks to the Angel Gabriel, Mary knows that she was the bare child who was to change the world. Christianity did change the world

 

We know for certain that Mary went and stayed with her elderly and apparently barren cousin Elizabeth who was to give birth to John the Baptist. This was after her own a miraculous conception following her equally elderly husbands’ Zachariah’s vision in the temple

 

We know for certain that the Messiah was born in the Royal City of Bethlehem as was prophesied by Isiah and numerous other prophets.

 

We know for certain that shepherds were miraculously informed of the Christ Child’s birth by angels - as there are so many first-hand witnesses. (Luke 2:8-20)

 

We know that wise men travelled a great distance to worship Christ child and that brought prophetic gifts - gold for a king, frankincense for divinity and myrrh as a symbol of death.

 

We know for certain that the prophecies of Simeon and Anna were to be fulfilled. The Christ Child was to grow into a man who lived in both worlds, healing the sick, raising the dead and prophesied his own death and miraculous resurrection.

 

We also know for certain that miraculous dreams played a key role in the protection of the baby Jesus.

 

Joseph was warned in a dream to protect Mary as she was to give birth to our Saviour (Matthew 1:18-21).

 

Equally the wise men were warned in a dream not to tell Herod of the location of the Christ Child (Matthew 2:13).

 

Importantly Joseph was warned in a dream to emigrate to Egypt to avoid Herod’s massacre of the first-born sons in Bethlehem.

 

Lastly After Herod had died Joseph was again informed in a dream that it was safe to return (Matthew 2:19-23

 

We also know that Our Lord left a body of teaching to utterly change the world – as prophesied.

 

Our Lord created the ladder between earth and heaven that we call Christianity. This gives us all the opportunity to be amphibians – to escape the limited reality of our world.

 

Religion is not a nice to have – it is our birthright – the reason we live. If we follow the teaching Our Lord left us it not only enriches our earthly life but prepares us for the next world that we know for certain that we will all enter.

 

We can all be amphibians - just as our Lord was and so many of the people around him and who listened and practiced his teaching.

 

We can choose to share in that spiritual dimension here on earth.

 

This is why I have devoted my life to it and can recommend it to you all  

 

……. HAPPY CHRISTMAS

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

-
Could non-violence be the solution to modern war? My father served in the British Army, my grandfather was a general in the British Army my great great great grandfather was Admiral Rodney. For our family fighting for our country was considered honourable and necessary – and certainly not unbiblical. For many years I read the New Testament selectively. Most of us do. Most of it is immediately understandable and directly applicable to our lives. However, Passages like Matthew 5:38-40 – surely did not apply to us!   “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well”. (Really tough teaching!) Equally ‘Those who live by the sword will die by the sword.’ Matt 26:52 As we know Jerusalem suffered terribly by ignoring these teachings and Our Lord Prophesy. The Jews t...
Read more

Can declining churches revive? Answer is YES!

-
Image
Can declining churches revive? Answer is YES! I once helped start a business networking breakfast for a local Chamber of Commerce. It was based around four vital principles. These were that breakfasts were to be held when people were available, include business networking, a good breakfast and a relevant talk - to help people develop their businesses. It was an immediate success. Soon 30+ people joined us for every breakfast. However, after a couple of years a new Chamber team took over. They limited the networking time and replaced the business talk with a Chamber update (Yawn!) Within months we were down to half a dozen. Happily, the earlier format was soon restored and the buzzing breakfast was back to normal – to the great benefit of the business community. This proved that all four principles were vital for a business breakfast to be successful. Miss one at your peril!  After over sixty years in the pews and latterly as a Lay Minister I would suggest the similar principles app...
Read more
-
Image
Unbelievable truths associated with Easter and Holy week - and Jesus's ministry One of my favourite BBC 4 programmes is the amusing quiz game Unbelievable Truths. In it contestants deliver a short talk on a subject – but containing a string of falsehoods and fantastic untruths. The winner is the one who includes up to five unbelievable truths - which of course sound like lies.  For instance, it is said that Donavan swapped an Andy Warhol painting for a sofa – which was true! (The painting is now worth £850,000) I always think Holy Week would make and excellent subject for a programme - provided the participants were all atheists or unbelievers In short you couldn’t make up all the unbelievable but necessary truths associated with both Holy Week or indeed the whole of Our Lords Ministry ·        Who would have believed Our Lord’s detailed prophesy of His own death and resurrection ·        Who would have believed that he raised Lazarus after b...
Read more