Greater than the angels

The topic of Angels has become quite popular in recent times and of course the Bible refers to angels in many places. In fact, a quick search in BibleGateway will show 290 references to angels. Clearly God used angels as his messengers in many different situations, however the book of Hebrews reminds us that Christ is to be revered more than the angels. 

5 For God never said to any angel what he said to Jesus:
“You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.
God also said, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son.”
6 And when he brought his supreme Son into the world, God said, 
“Let all of God’s angels worship him.” (Hebrews 1)

Angels were seen as messengers of God, but they are never referred to as family - yet, Jesus is called God's Son. In essence, He is both the Message and the Messenger. 

Thought: Let us remember to give thanks for all God has created, but to worship only the Creator!

I also wanted to thank you for taking the time to read my posts - recently I noted that I have had over One Million views/reads on these posts. A lot of these are from folk like yourself who often read the posts - I truly couldn't do it without your support. Thank you. 

If you feel you would like to contribute towards this ministry, you can do so via my Patreon page. You can just click here to find out how. Thanks. 

Living in Grace

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What would it mean for you to hear these words?

What would it mean for you to hear a messenger of God speak these words into your life?

·       “God has heard your prayer…” - Luke 1:13

       I am sure that these words would fill our hearts with great delight, just as they must have encouraged Zechariah and Daniel. We pour out our hearts to God with the deep hope that God will answer those prayers, but there are times when we feel a little despondent in the slowness of God's action. 

      Can you remember a time in your life when you prayed and prayed for something, only for there to be a period of complete silence? What motivated you to keep on trusting in God's goodness? Was there someone who encouraged you to keep believing? 

      I am sure that Zechariah may have been close to giving up, but he held onto his knowledge of God's goodness. in the end he must have been ecstatic to hear the whisper: "God has heard your prayer my friend!"

      Living in Grace

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Share Peace

The voice of the angels initially caused a lot of consternation in the hearts of Zechariah and Mary. However, as they listened more and more to the message of Gabriel, so they moved to a place of peace. They understood that God's plan was unfolding right in front of their eyes, and that God had invited them to be part of that plan. 

Being at peace with God's plan is a great place to be in, but one that often takes time. Here is a lovely prayer that I came across and it fits in with today's message. Enjoy. 

Be people of peace.
Let peace live in your heart and share the peace of Christ with all you meet.
Share peace by acting out of compassion and not fear.
Share peace by listening to all sides of the story.
Share peace by praying for our world.
In this Advent season, we need to see, feel, and share peace.
As you go out into the wonder of God’s creations, share peace and hope with those you meet. Amen.

(www.liturgylink.net)

May we all seek to be people who share peace.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Cherubim - What comes to mind?

"The Lord reigns, let the nations tremble;
he sits enthroned between the cherubim,
let the earth shake." - Psalm 99:1

When we read about the cherubim in Psalm 99 what kind of 'being' comes to your mind? Angelic? Baby-faced? Peaceful?

If any of these comes to your mind, then I would have to agree with you. However, we would all be very wrong! According to biblical scholar Robert Alter, cherubim "are not the dimpled darlings of Christian iconography but fierce mythological beasts - with the body of a lion, large wings and a human face..."

So, as we picture the Lord sitting between these incredible beings, now we know why the earth will shake and tremble. 

Question: What part of God's personality leaves you feeling a little bit of 'holy fear'?

Living in Grace

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Angels from the realms of glory

 

James Montgomery (1771-1854) is often considered to be of the same ilk as hymn-writers, Isaac Watts and Charles Wesley, which is a huge compliment in my books. Many of our hymnals will contain a number of Montgomery’s songs, with Angels from the realms of glory sure to be in most of these.

British hymnologist J.R. Watson states, “James Montgomery was a well-known poet, highly thought of by his contemporaries such as Shelley and Byron.”

Montgomery’s father was a minister, and his parents served as missionaries to the West Indies at one point in their ministry. He remained in Yorkshire, and from age 6 was raised in a boy’s boarding school. James later said, “There, whatever we did was done in the name and for the sake of Jesus Christ, whom we were taught to regard in the amiable and endearing light of a friend and brother.”

It is believed that Montgomery began writing poetry from a young age (around 10). He was not so great with the rest of his academic schooling and dropped out of school at 14. He later found a job in 1792, working at the radical weekly newspaper, the Sheffield Register, which later became the Sheffield Iris. James served as the editor of this publication for 31 years.

“Angels from the realms of glory” was first published on Christmas Eve 1816 and is enjoyed for its sense of anticipation and excitement of the birth of Jesus (www.umcdiscipleship.org).

 

I am including the words of the hymn that mean the most to me at this point in my own Spiritual journey. Verse 3 speaks loudly to me today. May we echo the words of the Angels...

 

Angels from the realms of glory
Wing your flight through all the earth
Ye who sang creation's story
Now proclaim Messiah's birth

Gloria
In excelsis deo
Gloria
In excelsis deo

Verse 3

Sages, leave your contemplation
Brighter visions beam afar
Seek the great desire of nations
Ye have seen His natal star

Living in Grace

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34 - The Desperate Prayer

The word for today is simple and clear.

When we pray our desperate prayers, God makes sure that an Angel surrounds us and protects us.

"In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened;
    he saved me from all my troubles.
⁷ For the angel of the Lord is a guard;    he surrounds and defends all who fear him." - Psalm 34:6-7

You may not be feeling it today, but this verse teaches us that the Angel of the Lord is there. Let us believe it!

Living in Grace
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You are ...

In our modern cultures we have forgotten to see God in everyday things and ordinary people. Our ancestors were much better at taking time to see the Divine in their lives and thus were better off than us (in some ways). Here is another ancient blessing/prayer that may help us see 'Immanuel' with us this Advent season.

You are the peace of all things calm
You are the place to hide from harm
You are the light that shines in dark
You are the heart's eternal spark
You are the door that's open wide
You are the guest who waits inside
You are the stranger at the door
You are the calling of the poor
You are my Lord and with me still
You are my love, keep me from ill
You are the light, the truth, the way
You are my Saviour this very day. (Irish Blessing)

Hebrews 13:2 - Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

Living in Grace

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Rejoice - Advent word

"You have enlarged the nation
    and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
    as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
    when dividing the plunder." - Isaiah 9:3

When the Bible includes a word three times in a short space of text then we should stand up and take note. This is the technique that Isaiah uses in chapter 9 - he wants us to get to grips with the theme of Rejoicing. In a time when people were depressed and miserable, Rejoicing seemed unlikely, but certainly hoped for. The same could be said for many people today -  there is a lot of strife in our communities, but the longing to 'Rejoice' and be Glad can keep us going.

Luke 1:14 - He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth.

"There is not one blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice." - John Calvin

Living in Grace

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