Christmas Countdown: 2 days to go!

Three days until Christmas:

Three gifts, three meanings...
So the group of Magi brought Jesus three gifts. These three gifts showed three important things about Jesus:
-Firstly, gold. This showed that Jesus would be a king, as gold was given to royalty.
-Secondly, frankincense. This showed that Jesus was to be a high priest.
-Thirdly, myrrh. This showed that Jesus was an ordinary man, as myrrh was a common gift. This was also a sign that Jesus was born to die as myrrh was used to preserve bodies.
It's amazing how the Magi knew these three things about Jesus, from the prophecies that had been written about him.
Alice x 

Christmas Countdown: 3 days to go!

Three days until Christmas:

Shepherds, the reaction...
So the Shepherds decided that they had to go right away, and worship this tiny baby king. Their response to Jesus was several things:
-Firstly, it was immediate- they decided they needed to go and they needed to go now. How often do we put God on 'hold' and decide his work can wait until later?
-Secondly, they told people about it- they had some great news and didn't want to keep it to themselves. Can you think of a time you had an opportunity to share the gospel and didn't?
-And thirdly, it was worshipful- they brought a lamb to him, and for a poor shepherd, that would have been a lot of money. Do we always give Jesus the best of ourselves or just give him the leftovers?

Alice x

Christmas Countdown: 4 days to go!

Four days until Christmas:

Back to the wise men...
When the wise men found the geostationary location of the star, they must have been astonished. 'A place for keeping animals?! Dave, you must have put the wrong postcode in!' That is because Jesus was unexpected. He wasn't born where people expected him, or in the way that people expected, and he didn't save the world in the way that was expected of him either. God knew people were expecting an obvious king, a mighty ruler, a great revolutionist. So he sent a baby, a tiny, helpless baby, born out of wedlock to a teenager girl with her carpenter fiancée standing by. God invited shepherds to this event, but he also invited the well educated wise men to witness it too. The gospel is for everyone.
Alice xx

Christmas Countdown: 5 days to go!

Five days until Christmas:

Back to the shepherds...
So you're a poor shepherd, a social outcast, and you're out in the fields tending your sheep one night, just like any other, and BAM! Suddenly there's a bunch of angels kicking around! You must think your shepherd mates are playing some sort of trick on you, or have spiked your drink, because dude, that's not natural! But they're just as terrified as you. And then the angel has the cheek to say 'do not be afraid.' I mean c'mon, you're a glowing flying person and you've brought with you your whole orchestra and you're telling a bunch of shepherds not to be afraid?! However, the shepherds weren't afraid, they felt totally peaceful, and when they heard the news of Jesus, they got together for a little chat...
Alice xx

Christmas Countdown: 6 days to go!

Six days until Christmas:

A thought on the Innkeeper...
So it's census week and the whole town is filled with people from all over the nation, you'd think if you were a pregnant couple from miles away you'd have the sense to book a room now wouldn't you? Especially if you knew the baby was on it's way. So you can imagine the shock of the Innkeeper when he opened the door to his full-to-bursting Inn and saw a young man with his pregnant wife on the back of a donkey, asking for a place to stay! You have no room, but your heart goes out to these two, tired and travelled far, you think you can probably make some room in your stable, providing they keep quiet and don't disturb the other guests. Little did he know... 
Alice xx

Christmas Countdown: 7 days to go!

Seven days until Christmas:

A thought on Joseph...
Joseph was engaged to Mary, they were due to be married. So imagine his anger and disgust when she not only told him she was pregnant, but that of all things it was God who was the father! Joseph must have been very upset to hear that Mary had been unfaithful, but even more disgraced to see she had no remorse and even claimed that the Lord had impregnated her. However, one night when Joseph couldn't sleep due to all this emotional turmoil, an angel showed up, and told him that everything Mary said was true. I bet Joseph thought he'd eaten something funny at first, but then realised that this was all true, and he must stick by Mary no matter what came to be. A true man.
Alice xx

Christmas Countdown: 8 days to go!

Eight days until Christmas:

 A thought on Mary...
Teen pregnancy, making the headlines since 1BC. What happened with Mary would have been an outrage, getting pregnant before being married was unheard of in those times and certainly not acceptable. People would've thought that using 'God' as a cover up for having sex before marriage was blasphemous and have ridiculed Mary for her words. Imagine being 16 years old again, imagine being pregnant and knowing you hadn't had sex, but nobody believing you. Imagine all your friends turning their back on you in the time you needed them most to support you. Imagine the responsibility of carrying God's son within your body. Things weren't easy for Mary. 
Alice x