Joseph puzzled,
message sent in dream,
child so specially conceived
by God’s Spirt is to be
Saviour of his people, he
will save them from their sins,
so Joseph was to name him ‘Jesus’
(which means ‘The Lord God saves’)
and as foretold, he’s ‘God with us’,
Immanuel, God now living human life,
and Joseph was to be his earthly father,
and mother Mary, Joseph’s wife.
(Matthew 1:18-25)
Advent Step 6) Announcement to Mary
‘You will be with child …’ Luke 1:31
Awesome message,
astounding privilege,
miraculous conception,
eternal King of human birth,
Spirit Holy bringing forth;
Mary willing, serving,
humble, no thought she was deserving,
glorified her Saviour,
for all his grace and favour.
Advent Step 5) Prophecy of the coming of John, the Baptist
‘I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me.’ ‘In the desert prepare the way for the LORD.’ Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3
A promised messenger to speak, prepare
the way before the coming King,
a calling voice, out in the wilderness,
‘Get ready, turn to him,
bear fruit that show repentance,
to welcome his appearance.’
No more ‘junk DNA’
The ‘brain’ of each cell
has DNA-genes,
chemical coding
builds, guides its ‘machines’.
“Ninety-eight percent
useless junk”, they thought,
“– evolution’s left-overs
it’s use is now nought”.
– “Mistakes of mutations”,
they used to say,
“in bringing its benefits,
has made junk DNA.”
*********
But now it’s revealed
it’s all much more complex:
amazed as they’re finding
that nothing seems surplus.
The control is more intricate
of all this ‘machinery’
than Dawkins predicted
from Darwinian theory.
‘We’re at the beginning
of a very long road
of finding the layers
of pathways untold.’
Geneticists say
they now are more humble.
– Upgrading a cell looks
an impossible gamble.
Mutations cause mischief
in genetic activity,
like a bug in my laptop
won’t improve its ability.
There’s plenty of scope
for small variation:
some struggle, some flourish
by natural selection;
but differences large,
of new, useful function,
have come from creation,
not random mutation.
Disastrous Self-Rule
Freedom from dominion,
foolish frustration
of ignorant self-domination —
freed, relieved, the bands, and bonds
cracked, removed, relief, release,
delighful acceptance of Lord and Saviour.
It’s time to pray!
(cf 2 Chronicles 20:12)
No prayer without a sense of need,
a sense of weakness makes us plead,
in bafflement we intercede,
and truly pray.
Do you believe he’ll hear and care?
does he delight to answer prayer?
in every problem, anywhere,
be sure to pray.
And has he power and wisdom, skill
his Shepherd purpose to fulfil?
do we desire he’ll work his will,
and have we prayed?
Be sure to turn each need and fear
to Him, they all to him are dear,
and our appeal he wants to hear,
our child-like prayer.
We do not know what he will do,
in ways unseen by me and you,
so look to him to see things through,
but always pray.
Tune: 888 4 eg In Memoriam (‘By Christ redeemed, in Christ restored … Until he come’)
Advent Step 4) He will be called…
‘The people walking in darkness have seen a great light … to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called …’ Isaiah 9:2-7 (and Matthew 4:14-16)
Those walking in darkness would see a great light,
Galilee would see the dawning from night,
a righteous Ruler would be born
freeing from oppression,
Wonderful Counsellor, perfect direction,
Mighty God, Sovereign with power
Everlasting Father, caring protection
Prince of Peace, peace in him, and in his kingdom,
eternally, righteously reigning.
Advent Step 3) Symbols
‘a Saviour has been born to you …’ (Luke 2:11)
‘Look the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’ (John 1:29)
Who could be sufficient
human, perfect,
to bear the wages earned by all
who for mercy, pardon call – ?
animal death depicts the problem,
could not purchase human pardon,
underlined the heart condition
of guilt, defilement,
need of cleansing, substitution:
fulfilment by the One who’d come
God’s Messiah, Christ, eternal Son.
‘The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming.’ (Hebrews 10:1)
Advent Step 2) ‘But you, Bethlehem, Ephrathah,…
Two and a half millenia ago
Christ’s coming was foretold,
that out of Bethlehem would come
a Ruler strong who’s from of old
from everlasting come to care,
to Shepherd those from all our sphere
who’ll be his flock, and follow, share
his peace, his majesty revere.
And so those wise who came from far
to find the newborn king, whose star
they’d seen, the prophet’s words were told,
– went on to Bethlehem with their gold.
‘But you, Bethlehem, Ephrathah, though you are small … out of you will come for me, one who will be ruler … whose origins are from of old , from ancient times. …shepherd his flock … he will be their peace’ Micah 5:2-5
The Great Flood
Catastrophic flooding, pouring, pushing,
40 days and nights still raining,
water underground emerging, rushing
sediment stirred up by crushing
rocks and soil and vegetation,
then engulfing
many creatures, fossilising
by pressured hardening
before there could be
damaging scavenging:
patterns petrified in stone:
footprints, feathers, bone;
Message had for long been known,
foretold to warn,
the refuge built, prepared,
but many chose to scorn,
refuse the offered ark;
such flood as this had been
would nevermore be seen
– the promise of the rainbow;
– but lesser floods may come and go,
and everyone of us face death,
but not this vast destruction of the earth;
so while we’ve breath,
we must not live as they did
in wickedness and violence,
rebelliousness, and malice,
corruption, misery, and lovelessness.
Be ready for the transient grave,
submissive to the pardoning God
who for eternity can save.
“On that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.” Genesis 7:11
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