St Peters RC Church Hamilton

“For Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever.” (Matthew 6 v 13)

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder.” (Isaiah 9 v 6)

“And His name will be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9 v 6) an incomprehensible truth we accept by faith and trust in our Saviour Brother.

This one reading affirms the reality of the Trinity as Three Persons, yet One identity as true love and compassion. Jesus is sone with You dearest Everlasting Father, and the Holy Spirit, the Counsellor.

A mighty God is born to us, the Wonderful One, the Prince of Peace, Your word made flesh. Oh how marvellous this season of Christmas, this time of hope is.

You have exalted Your Son and given Him the name above all names, the name before which all people should bow. May the wondrous joy of Christmas, the miracle of the Nativity, lead us to worship.

The Messiah has been born to Mary, a prophecy fulfilled. May the world recognise and respond to this. “And He shall stand and feed His flock...” (Micah 5 v 4) Our Saviour is the Good Shepherd, safekeeping us by

the Holy Spirit.

We are fed on holy wisdom and truth as our Saviour is our Teacher and Preacher, Your living Word and offer of love eternal. Jesus comes to us “In the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of Your name, the LORD

His God,” (based on v 4) holy Father.

“And they shall abide” (v 4) for He is our forever Saviour, a hope and promise fulfilled, our family position about to be justified by a holy life of true love, the fullness of love we long for, for this is the direct connection between heaven and earth.

It seems we have to be bold and brave and courageous in making any New Year’s resolutions. For past years’ failures can be de-motivating, causing us to say ‘What’s the point? I always fail.’

But surely this is where the gift of receiving a Saviour signifies? We are no longer alone for we have the benefit of the Holy Spirit’s ever wise, all loving, uplifting encouragement. For He shares this with the mature

Christ Jesus.

We can then look forward to all the assistance we require to live an upright life, being readily given when we pray. May we start the year tomorrow expectant and hopeful.

The Lord Jesus fulfilling Your promise, we know Your love is faithful towards us, Father God. “ ‘I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth and He shall speak to them all that I command Him.” (Deuteronomy 18 v 18)

Thank You for this security, the Lord Jesus coming to us as Your Word made flesh, that we can recognise and respond to. What a blessing is given to us!

Our Saviour Brother, by the Holy Spirit, will enable us to draw closer to You than ever before. May the Spirit reveal Your plan for each of our individual lives, as well as guiding the Lord Jesus’ body on earth, the church.

Let us claim firmly this being the truth, “We will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever,” (Micah 4 v 5) for all thanks to our Saviour and the Holy Spirit our faith has become deeper, stronger and bolder.

We must own You as our Everlasting Father. “Before the mountains were brought forth, or even You had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God.” (Psalm 90 v 2) I

find this very reassuring as it speaks of Your constancy, Father God.

Your committed, constant love for us tells me that nothing is impossible to You. Therefore when I am faced with the impossible in my life, I must realise just as Mary did, that I cannot act alone. I need Your help!

I find Your ever supportive, most loving help in the friendship of the Lord Jesus and the input of the Holy Spirit. For this I truly thank and praise You, dearest Father. Perhaps this life is as joyous as we decide upon,

as we allow faith to make it.

Thank You that our Saviour Brother is the Alpha and Omega of our faith, committed, constant and true to You and to us. Together with the Holy Spirit and Your will, we are saved from the paralysis of fear and

doubt.

Such fear often arises from our faults and failings, for we know we deserve punishment and retribution. But mercifully You have dealt with all of this.

The Lord Jesus is born as the answer to all sinfulness. He took this to the † to wipe the slate clean.

Tomorrow really is a dated fresh start. May we as believers in the mercy Jesus won for us, take heart in a new beginning.

“Oh, sing to the Lord a new song” of belonging, of becoming more convinced by our faith in holy love’s saving power. “Sing to the LORD, all the earth,” (Psalm 96 v 1) sing with rejoicing.

We have a Brother who is our Saviour, One we can fully identify with, turn to, rely upon, be friends with, trust in. “Sing to the LORD, bless His name, proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.” (v 2)

Father God, we start the year in the alarming grip of the Coronavirus Pandemic. Many people are alarmed, despondent, bewildered, frightened. May Your Spirit of faith help us please, so we depend more fully upon Your mercy. I think we have a vital lesson to learn here.

“If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep His statutes,” (Exodus 15 v 26) then You promise to save us from disaster.

You plan to help us through making the Lord Jesus our Saviour. “ ‘For I am the LORD who heals you’,” (Cont) for Jesus is in You, You are in Him and You both are fully united in the Spirit of love.

“...love is of God...” (1 John 4 v 7) Let this truth be our New Year’s understanding, our reaching out in faith, our trust and full dependency. You are God in Three Persons, enabling us to be bold, brave and

courageous in all of life’s undertakings.

“May we understand the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.Then we will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from You, Father God.” (based on Ephesians 3 v 19 NLT)

Then, to You all glory ever be, for as the Trinity of love and mercy You are “...able, through Your mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” (based on v 20)

You are the God who works wonders! We have seen this in the Nativity. The Lord Jesus has been born to make us one family, redeemed and restored by Your ever loving grace and favour, pledged through the

redeeming blood of Jesus, shed at the † for us.

He is our joyous faith, our true happiness as He, together with the Spirit, are ever at work to ensure we make progress in all that is holy, upright, worthy of Your family, Eternal Father, our blessed peace in honouring

You, in delighting You.

May there ever be all glory to You in the church, in the entire world, throughout all ages, from one generation to another, forever, for we have the blessing of a Saviour, Christ the King, our rejoicing.

For the safekeeping I have enjoyed together with my family and friends, I thank and praise You, leaving mistakes to Your mercy and looking forwards to a better, brighter, holier New Year in which the love of

Christ Jesus is central to us.

“You open Your hands, they are filled with good...You send forth Your Spirit, they are created and You renew the face of the earth.” (Psalm 104 v 28, 30) All praise, all thanks, all glory ever be to the Almighty Trinity. Amen.

Images by Artist Christine Garwood 

http://www.christinegarwoodartist.co.uk/

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