Pete (The Virtual Vicar)

When Jesus was born a little over 2015 years ago the event was remarkable in many ways.  One way was that people from different backgrounds and beliefs all wanted to see him.  The Shepherds came from nearby, the Wise men came from far away.  This Christmas time for people close to God and those far away, it’s time for Christ to be born in our hearts.  The wise men came to the house where the baby was. They saw the baby with his mother Mary. The wise men bowed down and worshiped the baby. The wise men opened the gifts they brought for the baby. They gave the baby treasures of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. But God warned the wise men in a dream. God warned them not to go back to Herod. So the wise men went home to their own country a different way. (Matthew 2:1-12) The wise men came to offer their time and their treasure to worship Jesus.  God blessed them for this, kept them safe from real threats to their life and showed them the way forward. As, like the wise men, you give

" Each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself and the wife must see to it she respects her husband."   (Ephesians 5:33) We must take action to make a marriage work: a husband must love his wife, and wife must see to it that she respects her husband.  They say a wife and husband bit by bit Can rear between themselves a mighty wall so thick They cannot speak with ease through it. Nor can they see across it, it stands so tall. It's nearness frightens them But each alone is powerless to tear its bulk away And each, dejected, wishes he had known For such wall some magic thing to say. So let us build with master art my dear A bridge of love between your life and mine. A bridge of tenderness and very near. A bridge of understanding, strong and fine, Till we have formed so many so many lovely ties There never will be room for walls to rise .    (Anonymous) From the beginning of a marriage, working at love

"And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus."  Ephesians 2:6-7 Who are you? Do you find that you are defined by your job, by your qualifications, or by your title?  Do people call you old, young, fat, smart, athletic, attractive, unattractive, slim, too slim, too smart by half?  In reality it is God who defines who we are.  He says that in his rich mercy he has called us to be reconciled to him. Therefore, in accepting God's grace, he makes us Spiritually alive.  He reveals this truth to us and tells us that all the blessings of heaven are available to us.  We were dead in our sins but we are brough to new life by God's grace.  Undeserved riches and unearned at that.  But still they are riches and they are available to us as we trust in Jesus Christ. "To the church of God in C