LEIGH BAPTIST CHURCH “MESSENGER” DECEMBER 2022
VERNON ST / CHURCH ST . LEIGH. WN7 1BH
Website : www.leighbaptistchurch.org.uk Contact: admin@leighbaptistchurch.org.uk
Pastoral Leader – Val Hulme ( Day Off Fridays)
email : pastoral.leader@leighbaptistchurch.org.uk TEL 07817142192
Check LBC website for updates and info also LBC FACEBOOK page
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Sunday 4th December 10:45 am Val Hulme
Sunday 11th December 10:45 am Miriam Simon and David Ward
Sunday 18th December 10:45 am Sunday Bible Study and Communion Val Hulme
Sunday 25th December 10:30 am Christmas Day "Show and Tell" Val Hulme
Wednesdays 7th, 14th and 21st December: Prayer Meeting 10:00 - 11:00 am Meet for tea/coffee/chat at 9:45 am
Wednesday 7th December: Christmas Concert 7:30 pm
Saturday 24th December, Christmas Eve: Carols by Candlelight 4:30 pm
Pensioners' Link will be using our building on Monday 19th December from 12:00 - 3:00 pm for one of their groups' Christmas Party.
It was decided at last month's Church and Congregation meeting that, apart from special services, we would meet in the Meeting Room to save on heating costs by not having to heat the whole building. It was also decided to continue our break from Coffee+, Toddlers and Memorable Melodies until March, to allow for recruitment of volunteers. Please continue to pray about these activities, as we seek God's will regarding them.
We have brought this month's Communion Service forward one week as the 4th Sunday is Christmas Day. Please also note that our service on Christmas Day starts at 10:30 am, 15 minutes earlier than usual. Bring along a present that you have received - either opened or unopened, the choice is yours - for showing and telling us about it during the service.
The Christmas Concert by All Singers Great and Small Community Choir is on Wednesday 7th December at 7:30 pm. Tickets £5.00 (see Val) or pay on the door. If you are able to help with refreshments on the day, provide cakes, or both, please see Val.
Our Carols by Candlelight Service on Christmas Eve will be at the earlier time of 4:30 pm.
Calendars for 2023 with art work by two of our fellowship, Linda Davey and Sandra Surridge, are now available at £6.00, or £7.00 if they need to be posted. See Val to purchase.
Our Pastoral Leader is on annual leave from December 26th - Tuesday 3rd January 2023.
Advance Notice
There will be no service on Sunday January 1st 2023.
The Sacrifice of Praise
“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, Goodwill to all men,”
As we come to the season of the year when we celebrate the birth of our Saviour, we sing many hymns and carols about that event. It is a time of rejoicing and celebration from the beginning of Advent until Epiphany, also known as Twelfth Night. In many schools children enjoy being in a nativity play with the visit of the shepherds and wise men to see the baby Jesus. Just to hear the Christmas music and to join in singing carols lifts our spirits and makes us feel joyful. In churches the Christmas Services are one of the highlights of the year. As we think about the birth of Jesus we are reminded that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. So we give glory and praise to Him.
Hebrews 13:15-16 GNB says, “Let us then, always offer praise to God as our sacrifice through Jesus, which is the offering presented by lips that confess Him as Lord. Do not forget to do good and to help one another, because these are the sacrifices that please God.”
According to the GNB introduction to it, the book of Hebrews was written to a group of Christians who were facing opposition because of false teachings getting into the church, and were in danger of losing their faith in Jesus They no longer agreed with the Jewish customs that certain foods could or could not be eaten, and they did not sacrifice animals as their substitute so that their sins could be forgiven. In verses 11-14 Paul explains that when Jesus died on the cross He had paid the penalty for their sins. This is true for all who come to Him in repentance, acknowledging Him as Lord. There is now no need for a High priest to sprinkle the blood of animals in the Holy of Holies in the Temple because Jesus, our High Priest, has shed His blood to cleanse us from sin. We need to offer different kinds of sacrifice in service to God.
Our God wants us to worship Him and glorify Him. In other words, offer the sacrifice of Praise (NIV). To do this we can use the words of many of the psalms, especially 95, 96, 98, 99. In Psalm 103 we read, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” It goes on to mention many things that we can give thanks to Him for. Psalm 104 praises God’s creation. “O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom You have made them all.” (v24) Psalms 105 and 106 praise God for the way He led the Children of Israel from the time of Abraham until they were living in the Promised Land, ending with the words, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say Amen!” “Psalm 100 tells us to “shout for joy to the Lord” and to “come before Him with joyful songs.” Verse 4 says, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise; be thankful to Him and bless His Name.” Parts of many other psalms remind us to “give thanks to the Lord.” There are many hymns and songs of praise. It is amazing how many different phrases can be used by different authors and of course they are set to some wonderful tunes to help us to sing joyfully to our God.
November 27th is Advent Sunday, when we remember that before Jesus ascended into Heaven He promised to return again. John 14:2-3 tells us that Jesus would come again to take back to His Father’s house all those who know him as Lord, so that we will always be with Him. The hymn, “Of the Father’s love begotten” comes to my mind as a hymn of praise to the God of Creation who, as promised by the prophets, came to live amongst His people and returned to heaven where angels continually praise Him. Revelation 4:8 tells how “four living creatures ----- never stop saying, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” And in John’s vision in chapter 7:9-12 He saw “a great multitude that no-one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne, and in front of the Lamb” They shouted with a loud voice, “salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” Angels also bowed down, and worshipped God, saying “Amen. Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honour and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”
These are all ways that we can give the sacrifice of praise to our God, as well as being grateful for every small blessing we receive. Let us also not forget the sacrifices of doing good and helping one another, especially at this time of year as we celebrate Christmas. Let us not forget all those throughout the world who are facing terrible problems because of wars, famines, floods and earthquakes amongst other things.
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus our Saviour let us lift up our voices in praise to Him and enjoy all the Christmas music.
Happy Christmas to you all, Kathie.
WISHING EVERYONE A BLESSED, HEALTHY AND HAPPY TIME OVER THE CHRISTMAS SEASON AND BEYOND. MAY THE NEW YEAR HERALD A FRESH START AND MANY NEW BLESSINGS.
LEIGH BAPTIST CHURCH “MESSENGER” DECEMBER 2022
VERNON ST / CHURCH ST . LEIGH. WN7 1BH
Website : www.leighbaptistchurch.org.uk Contact: admin@leighbaptistchurch.org.uk
Pastoral Leader – Val Hulme ( Day Off Fridays)
email : pastoral.leader@leighbaptistchurch.org.uk TEL 07817142192
Check LBC website for updates and info also LBC FACEBOOK page
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Sunday 4th December 10:45 am Val Hulme
Sunday 11th December 10:45 am Miriam Simon and David Ward
Sunday 18th December 10:45 am Sunday Bible Study and Communion Val Hulme
Sunday 25th December 10:30 am Christmas Day "Show and Tell" Val Hulme
Wednesdays 7th, 14th and 21st December: Prayer Meeting 10:00 - 11:00 am Meet for tea/coffee/chat at 9:45 am
Wednesday 7th December: Christmas Concert 7:30 pm
Saturday 24th December, Christmas Eve: Carols by Candlelight 4:30 pm
Pensioners' Link will be using our building on Monday 19th December from 12:00 - 3:00 pm for one of their groups' Christmas Party.
It was decided at last month's Church and Congregation meeting that, apart from special services, we would meet in the Meeting Room to save on heating costs by not having to heat the whole building. It was also decided to continue our break from Coffee+, Toddlers and Memorable Melodies until March, to allow for recruitment of volunteers. Please continue to pray about these activities, as we seek God's will regarding them.
We have brought this month's Communion Service forward one week as the 4th Sunday is Christmas Day. Please also note that our service on Christmas Day starts at 10:30 am, 15 minutes earlier than usual. Bring along a present that you have received - either opened or unopened, the choice is yours - for showing and telling us about it during the service.
The Christmas Concert by All Singers Great and Small Community Choir is on Wednesday 7th December at 7:30 pm. Tickets £5.00 (see Val) or pay on the door. If you are able to help with refreshments on the day, provide cakes, or both, please see Val.
Our Carols by Candlelight Service on Christmas Eve will be at the earlier time of 4:30 pm.
Calendars for 2023 with art work by two of our fellowship, Linda Davey and Sandra Surridge, are now available at £6.00, or £7.00 if they need to be posted. See Val to purchase.
Our Pastoral Leader is on annual leave from December 26th - Tuesday 3rd January 2023.
Advance Notice
There will be no service on Sunday January 1st 2023.
The Sacrifice of Praise
“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, Goodwill to all men,”
As we come to the season of the year when we celebrate the birth of our Saviour, we sing many hymns and carols about that event. It is a time of rejoicing and celebration from the beginning of Advent until Epiphany, also known as Twelfth Night. In many schools children enjoy being in a nativity play with the visit of the shepherds and wise men to see the baby Jesus. Just to hear the Christmas music and to join in singing carols lifts our spirits and makes us feel joyful. In churches the Christmas Services are one of the highlights of the year. As we think about the birth of Jesus we are reminded that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. So we give glory and praise to Him.
Hebrews 13:15-16 GNB says, “Let us then, always offer praise to God as our sacrifice through Jesus, which is the offering presented by lips that confess Him as Lord. Do not forget to do good and to help one another, because these are the sacrifices that please God.”
According to the GNB introduction to it, the book of Hebrews was written to a group of Christians who were facing opposition because of false teachings getting into the church, and were in danger of losing their faith in Jesus They no longer agreed with the Jewish customs that certain foods could or could not be eaten, and they did not sacrifice animals as their substitute so that their sins could be forgiven. In verses 11-14 Paul explains that when Jesus died on the cross He had paid the penalty for their sins. This is true for all who come to Him in repentance, acknowledging Him as Lord. There is now no need for a High priest to sprinkle the blood of animals in the Holy of Holies in the Temple because Jesus, our High Priest, has shed His blood to cleanse us from sin. We need to offer different kinds of sacrifice in service to God.
Our God wants us to worship Him and glorify Him. In other words, offer the sacrifice of Praise (NIV). To do this we can use the words of many of the psalms, especially 95, 96, 98, 99. In Psalm 103 we read, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” It goes on to mention many things that we can give thanks to Him for. Psalm 104 praises God’s creation. “O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom You have made them all.” (v24) Psalms 105 and 106 praise God for the way He led the Children of Israel from the time of Abraham until they were living in the Promised Land, ending with the words, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say Amen!” “Psalm 100 tells us to “shout for joy to the Lord” and to “come before Him with joyful songs.” Verse 4 says, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise; be thankful to Him and bless His Name.” Parts of many other psalms remind us to “give thanks to the Lord.” There are many hymns and songs of praise. It is amazing how many different phrases can be used by different authors and of course they are set to some wonderful tunes to help us to sing joyfully to our God.
November 27th is Advent Sunday, when we remember that before Jesus ascended into Heaven He promised to return again. John 14:2-3 tells us that Jesus would come again to take back to His Father’s house all those who know him as Lord, so that we will always be with Him. The hymn, “Of the Father’s love begotten” comes to my mind as a hymn of praise to the God of Creation who, as promised by the prophets, came to live amongst His people and returned to heaven where angels continually praise Him. Revelation 4:8 tells how “four living creatures ----- never stop saying, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” And in John’s vision in chapter 7:9-12 He saw “a great multitude that no-one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne, and in front of the Lamb” They shouted with a loud voice, “salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” Angels also bowed down, and worshipped God, saying “Amen. Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honour and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”
These are all ways that we can give the sacrifice of praise to our God, as well as being grateful for every small blessing we receive. Let us also not forget the sacrifices of doing good and helping one another, especially at this time of year as we celebrate Christmas. Let us not forget all those throughout the world who are facing terrible problems because of wars, famines, floods and earthquakes amongst other things.
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus our Saviour let us lift up our voices in praise to Him and enjoy all the Christmas music.
Happy Christmas to you all, Kathie.
WISHING EVERYONE A BLESSED, HEALTHY AND HAPPY TIME OVER THE CHRISTMAS SEASON AND BEYOND. MAY THE NEW YEAR HERALD A FRESH START AND MANY NEW BLESSINGS.
LEIGH BAPTIST CHURCH “MESSENGER” DECEMBER 2022
VERNON ST / CHURCH ST . LEIGH. WN7 1BH
Website : www.leighbaptistchurch.org.uk Contact: admin@leighbaptistchurch.org.uk
Pastoral Leader – Val Hulme ( Day Off Fridays)
email : pastoral.leader@leighbaptistchurch.org.uk TEL 07817142192
Check LBC website for updates and info also LBC FACEBOOK page
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Sunday 4th December 10:45 am Val Hulme
Sunday 11th December 10:45 am Miriam Simon and David Ward
Sunday 18th December 10:45 am Sunday Bible Study and Communion Val Hulme
Sunday 25th December 10:30 am Christmas Day "Show and Tell" Val Hulme
Wednesdays 7th, 14th and 21st December: Prayer Meeting 10:00 - 11:00 am Meet for tea/coffee/chat at 9:45 am
Wednesday 7th December: Christmas Concert 7:30 pm
Saturday 24th December, Christmas Eve: Carols by Candlelight 4:30 pm
Pensioners' Link will be using our building on Monday 19th December from 12:00 - 3:00 pm for one of their groups' Christmas Party.
It was decided at last month's Church and Congregation meeting that, apart from special services, we would meet in the Meeting Room to save on heating costs by not having to heat the whole building. It was also decided to continue our break from Coffee+, Toddlers and Memorable Melodies until March, to allow for recruitment of volunteers. Please continue to pray about these activities, as we seek God's will regarding them.
We have brought this month's Communion Service forward one week as the 4th Sunday is Christmas Day. Please also note that our service on Christmas Day starts at 10:30 am, 15 minutes earlier than usual. Bring along a present that you have received - either opened or unopened, the choice is yours - for showing and telling us about it during the service.
The Christmas Concert by All Singers Great and Small Community Choir is on Wednesday 7th December at 7:30 pm. Tickets £5.00 (see Val) or pay on the door. If you are able to help with refreshments on the day, provide cakes, or both, please see Val.
Our Carols by Candlelight Service on Christmas Eve will be at the earlier time of 4:30 pm.
Calendars for 2023 with art work by two of our fellowship, Linda Davey and Sandra Surridge, are now available at £6.00, or £7.00 if they need to be posted. See Val to purchase.
Our Pastoral Leader is on annual leave from December 26th - Tuesday 3rd January 2023.
Advance Notice
There will be no service on Sunday January 1st 2023.
The Sacrifice of Praise
“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, Goodwill to all men,”
As we come to the season of the year when we celebrate the birth of our Saviour, we sing many hymns and carols about that event. It is a time of rejoicing and celebration from the beginning of Advent until Epiphany, also known as Twelfth Night. In many schools children enjoy being in a nativity play with the visit of the shepherds and wise men to see the baby Jesus. Just to hear the Christmas music and to join in singing carols lifts our spirits and makes us feel joyful. In churches the Christmas Services are one of the highlights of the year. As we think about the birth of Jesus we are reminded that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. So we give glory and praise to Him.
Hebrews 13:15-16 GNB says, “Let us then, always offer praise to God as our sacrifice through Jesus, which is the offering presented by lips that confess Him as Lord. Do not forget to do good and to help one another, because these are the sacrifices that please God.”
According to the GNB introduction to it, the book of Hebrews was written to a group of Christians who were facing opposition because of false teachings getting into the church, and were in danger of losing their faith in Jesus They no longer agreed with the Jewish customs that certain foods could or could not be eaten, and they did not sacrifice animals as their substitute so that their sins could be forgiven. In verses 11-14 Paul explains that when Jesus died on the cross He had paid the penalty for their sins. This is true for all who come to Him in repentance, acknowledging Him as Lord. There is now no need for a High priest to sprinkle the blood of animals in the Holy of Holies in the Temple because Jesus, our High Priest, has shed His blood to cleanse us from sin. We need to offer different kinds of sacrifice in service to God.
Our God wants us to worship Him and glorify Him. In other words, offer the sacrifice of Praise (NIV). To do this we can use the words of many of the psalms, especially 95, 96, 98, 99. In Psalm 103 we read, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” It goes on to mention many things that we can give thanks to Him for. Psalm 104 praises God’s creation. “O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom You have made them all.” (v24) Psalms 105 and 106 praise God for the way He led the Children of Israel from the time of Abraham until they were living in the Promised Land, ending with the words, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say Amen!” “Psalm 100 tells us to “shout for joy to the Lord” and to “come before Him with joyful songs.” Verse 4 says, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise; be thankful to Him and bless His Name.” Parts of many other psalms remind us to “give thanks to the Lord.” There are many hymns and songs of praise. It is amazing how many different phrases can be used by different authors and of course they are set to some wonderful tunes to help us to sing joyfully to our God.
November 27th is Advent Sunday, when we remember that before Jesus ascended into Heaven He promised to return again. John 14:2-3 tells us that Jesus would come again to take back to His Father’s house all those who know him as Lord, so that we will always be with Him. The hymn, “Of the Father’s love begotten” comes to my mind as a hymn of praise to the God of Creation who, as promised by the prophets, came to live amongst His people and returned to heaven where angels continually praise Him. Revelation 4:8 tells how “four living creatures ----- never stop saying, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” And in John’s vision in chapter 7:9-12 He saw “a great multitude that no-one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne, and in front of the Lamb” They shouted with a loud voice, “salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” Angels also bowed down, and worshipped God, saying “Amen. Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honour and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”
These are all ways that we can give the sacrifice of praise to our God, as well as being grateful for every small blessing we receive. Let us also not forget the sacrifices of doing good and helping one another, especially at this time of year as we celebrate Christmas. Let us not forget all those throughout the world who are facing terrible problems because of wars, famines, floods and earthquakes amongst other things.
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus our Saviour let us lift up our voices in praise to Him and enjoy all the Christmas music.
Happy Christmas to you all, Kathie.
WISHING EVERYONE A BLESSED, HEALTHY AND HAPPY TIME OVER THE CHRISTMAS SEASON AND BEYOND. MAY THE NEW YEAR HERALD A FRESH START AND MANY NEW BLESSINGS.
LEIGH BAPTIST CHURCH “MESSENGER” DECEMBER 2022
VERNON ST / CHURCH ST . LEIGH. WN7 1BH
Website : www.leighbaptistchurch.org.uk Contact: admin@leighbaptistchurch.org.uk
Pastoral Leader – Val Hulme ( Day Off Fridays)
email : pastoral.leader@leighbaptistchurch.org.uk TEL 07817142192
Check LBC website for updates and info also LBC FACEBOOK page
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Sunday 4th December 10:45 am Val Hulme
Sunday 11th December 10:45 am Miriam Simon and David Ward
Sunday 18th December 10:45 am Sunday Bible Study and Communion Val Hulme
Sunday 25th December 10:30 am Christmas Day "Show and Tell" Val Hulme
Wednesdays 7th, 14th and 21st December: Prayer Meeting 10:00 - 11:00 am Meet for tea/coffee/chat at 9:45 am
Wednesday 7th December: Christmas Concert 7:30 pm
Saturday 24th December, Christmas Eve: Carols by Candlelight 4:30 pm
Pensioners' Link will be using our building on Monday 19th December from 12:00 - 3:00 pm for one of their groups' Christmas Party.
It was decided at last month's Church and Congregation meeting that, apart from special services, we would meet in the Meeting Room to save on heating costs by not having to heat the whole building. It was also decided to continue our break from Coffee+, Toddlers and Memorable Melodies until March, to allow for recruitment of volunteers. Please continue to pray about these activities, as we seek God's will regarding them.
We have brought this month's Communion Service forward one week as the 4th Sunday is Christmas Day. Please also note that our service on Christmas Day starts at 10:30 am, 15 minutes earlier than usual. Bring along a present that you have received - either opened or unopened, the choice is yours - for showing and telling us about it during the service.
The Christmas Concert by All Singers Great and Small Community Choir is on Wednesday 7th December at 7:30 pm. Tickets £5.00 (see Val) or pay on the door. If you are able to help with refreshments on the day, provide cakes, or both, please see Val.
Our Carols by Candlelight Service on Christmas Eve will be at the earlier time of 4:30 pm.
Calendars for 2023 with art work by two of our fellowship, Linda Davey and Sandra Surridge, are now available at £6.00, or £7.00 if they need to be posted. See Val to purchase.
Our Pastoral Leader is on annual leave from December 26th - Tuesday 3rd January 2023.
Advance Notice
There will be no service on Sunday January 1st 2023.
The Sacrifice of Praise
“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, Goodwill to all men,”
As we come to the season of the year when we celebrate the birth of our Saviour, we sing many hymns and carols about that event. It is a time of rejoicing and celebration from the beginning of Advent until Epiphany, also known as Twelfth Night. In many schools children enjoy being in a nativity play with the visit of the shepherds and wise men to see the baby Jesus. Just to hear the Christmas music and to join in singing carols lifts our spirits and makes us feel joyful. In churches the Christmas Services are one of the highlights of the year. As we think about the birth of Jesus we are reminded that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. So we give glory and praise to Him.
Hebrews 13:15-16 GNB says, “Let us then, always offer praise to God as our sacrifice through Jesus, which is the offering presented by lips that confess Him as Lord. Do not forget to do good and to help one another, because these are the sacrifices that please God.”
According to the GNB introduction to it, the book of Hebrews was written to a group of Christians who were facing opposition because of false teachings getting into the church, and were in danger of losing their faith in Jesus They no longer agreed with the Jewish customs that certain foods could or could not be eaten, and they did not sacrifice animals as their substitute so that their sins could be forgiven. In verses 11-14 Paul explains that when Jesus died on the cross He had paid the penalty for their sins. This is true for all who come to Him in repentance, acknowledging Him as Lord. There is now no need for a High priest to sprinkle the blood of animals in the Holy of Holies in the Temple because Jesus, our High Priest, has shed His blood to cleanse us from sin. We need to offer different kinds of sacrifice in service to God.
Our God wants us to worship Him and glorify Him. In other words, offer the sacrifice of Praise (NIV). To do this we can use the words of many of the psalms, especially 95, 96, 98, 99. In Psalm 103 we read, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” It goes on to mention many things that we can give thanks to Him for. Psalm 104 praises God’s creation. “O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom You have made them all.” (v24) Psalms 105 and 106 praise God for the way He led the Children of Israel from the time of Abraham until they were living in the Promised Land, ending with the words, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say Amen!” “Psalm 100 tells us to “shout for joy to the Lord” and to “come before Him with joyful songs.” Verse 4 says, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise; be thankful to Him and bless His Name.” Parts of many other psalms remind us to “give thanks to the Lord.” There are many hymns and songs of praise. It is amazing how many different phrases can be used by different authors and of course they are set to some wonderful tunes to help us to sing joyfully to our God.
November 27th is Advent Sunday, when we remember that before Jesus ascended into Heaven He promised to return again. John 14:2-3 tells us that Jesus would come again to take back to His Father’s house all those who know him as Lord, so that we will always be with Him. The hymn, “Of the Father’s love begotten” comes to my mind as a hymn of praise to the God of Creation who, as promised by the prophets, came to live amongst His people and returned to heaven where angels continually praise Him. Revelation 4:8 tells how “four living creatures ----- never stop saying, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” And in John’s vision in chapter 7:9-12 He saw “a great multitude that no-one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne, and in front of the Lamb” They shouted with a loud voice, “salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” Angels also bowed down, and worshipped God, saying “Amen. Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honour and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”
These are all ways that we can give the sacrifice of praise to our God, as well as being grateful for every small blessing we receive. Let us also not forget the sacrifices of doing good and helping one another, especially at this time of year as we celebrate Christmas. Let us not forget all those throughout the world who are facing terrible problems because of wars, famines, floods and earthquakes amongst other things.
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus our Saviour let us lift up our voices in praise to Him and enjoy all the Christmas music.
Happy Christmas to you all, Kathie.
WISHING EVERYONE A BLESSED, HEALTHY AND HAPPY TIME OVER THE CHRISTMAS SEASON AND BEYOND. MAY THE NEW YEAR HERALD A FRESH START AND MANY NEW BLESSINGS.
LEIGH BAPTIST CHURCH “MESSENGER” DECEMBER 2022
VERNON ST / CHURCH ST . LEIGH. WN7 1BH
Website : www.leighbaptistchurch.org.uk Contact: admin@leighbaptistchurch.org.uk
Pastoral Leader – Val Hulme ( Day Off Fridays)
email : pastoral.leader@leighbaptistchurch.org.uk TEL 07817142192
Check LBC website for updates and info also LBC FACEBOOK page
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Sunday 4th December 10:45 am Val Hulme
Sunday 11th December 10:45 am Miriam Simon and David Ward
Sunday 18th December 10:45 am Sunday Bible Study and Communion Val Hulme
Sunday 25th December 10:30 am Christmas Day "Show and Tell" Val Hulme
Wednesdays 7th, 14th and 21st December: Prayer Meeting 10:00 - 11:00 am Meet for tea/coffee/chat at 9:45 am
Wednesday 7th December: Christmas Concert 7:30 pm
Saturday 24th December, Christmas Eve: Carols by Candlelight 4:30 pm
Pensioners' Link will be using our building on Monday 19th December from 12:00 - 3:00 pm for one of their groups' Christmas Party.
It was decided at last month's Church and Congregation meeting that, apart from special services, we would meet in the Meeting Room to save on heating costs by not having to heat the whole building. It was also decided to continue our break from Coffee+, Toddlers and Memorable Melodies until March, to allow for recruitment of volunteers. Please continue to pray about these activities, as we seek God's will regarding them.
We have brought this month's Communion Service forward one week as the 4th Sunday is Christmas Day. Please also note that our service on Christmas Day starts at 10:30 am, 15 minutes earlier than usual. Bring along a present that you have received - either opened or unopened, the choice is yours - for showing and telling us about it during the service.
The Christmas Concert by All Singers Great and Small Community Choir is on Wednesday 7th December at 7:30 pm. Tickets £5.00 (see Val) or pay on the door. If you are able to help with refreshments on the day, provide cakes, or both, please see Val.
Our Carols by Candlelight Service on Christmas Eve will be at the earlier time of 4:30 pm.
Calendars for 2023 with art work by two of our fellowship, Linda Davey and Sandra Surridge, are now available at £6.00, or £7.00 if they need to be posted. See Val to purchase.
Our Pastoral Leader is on annual leave from December 26th - Tuesday 3rd January 2023.
Advance Notice
There will be no service on Sunday January 1st 2023.
The Sacrifice of Praise
“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, Goodwill to all men,”
As we come to the season of the year when we celebrate the birth of our Saviour, we sing many hymns and carols about that event. It is a time of rejoicing and celebration from the beginning of Advent until Epiphany, also known as Twelfth Night. In many schools children enjoy being in a nativity play with the visit of the shepherds and wise men to see the baby Jesus. Just to hear the Christmas music and to join in singing carols lifts our spirits and makes us feel joyful. In churches the Christmas Services are one of the highlights of the year. As we think about the birth of Jesus we are reminded that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. So we give glory and praise to Him.
Hebrews 13:15-16 GNB says, “Let us then, always offer praise to God as our sacrifice through Jesus, which is the offering presented by lips that confess Him as Lord. Do not forget to do good and to help one another, because these are the sacrifices that please God.”
According to the GNB introduction to it, the book of Hebrews was written to a group of Christians who were facing opposition because of false teachings getting into the church, and were in danger of losing their faith in Jesus They no longer agreed with the Jewish customs that certain foods could or could not be eaten, and they did not sacrifice animals as their substitute so that their sins could be forgiven. In verses 11-14 Paul explains that when Jesus died on the cross He had paid the penalty for their sins. This is true for all who come to Him in repentance, acknowledging Him as Lord. There is now no need for a High priest to sprinkle the blood of animals in the Holy of Holies in the Temple because Jesus, our High Priest, has shed His blood to cleanse us from sin. We need to offer different kinds of sacrifice in service to God.
Our God wants us to worship Him and glorify Him. In other words, offer the sacrifice of Praise (NIV). To do this we can use the words of many of the psalms, especially 95, 96, 98, 99. In Psalm 103 we read, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” It goes on to mention many things that we can give thanks to Him for. Psalm 104 praises God’s creation. “O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom You have made them all.” (v24) Psalms 105 and 106 praise God for the way He led the Children of Israel from the time of Abraham until they were living in the Promised Land, ending with the words, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say Amen!” “Psalm 100 tells us to “shout for joy to the Lord” and to “come before Him with joyful songs.” Verse 4 says, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise; be thankful to Him and bless His Name.” Parts of many other psalms remind us to “give thanks to the Lord.” There are many hymns and songs of praise. It is amazing how many different phrases can be used by different authors and of course they are set to some wonderful tunes to help us to sing joyfully to our God.
November 27th is Advent Sunday, when we remember that before Jesus ascended into Heaven He promised to return again. John 14:2-3 tells us that Jesus would come again to take back to His Father’s house all those who know him as Lord, so that we will always be with Him. The hymn, “Of the Father’s love begotten” comes to my mind as a hymn of praise to the God of Creation who, as promised by the prophets, came to live amongst His people and returned to heaven where angels continually praise Him. Revelation 4:8 tells how “four living creatures ----- never stop saying, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” And in John’s vision in chapter 7:9-12 He saw “a great multitude that no-one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne, and in front of the Lamb” They shouted with a loud voice, “salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” Angels also bowed down, and worshipped God, saying “Amen. Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honour and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”
These are all ways that we can give the sacrifice of praise to our God, as well as being grateful for every small blessing we receive. Let us also not forget the sacrifices of doing good and helping one another, especially at this time of year as we celebrate Christmas. Let us not forget all those throughout the world who are facing terrible problems because of wars, famines, floods and earthquakes amongst other things.
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus our Saviour let us lift up our voices in praise to Him and enjoy all the Christmas music.
Happy Christmas to you all, Kathie.
WISHING EVERYONE A BLESSED, HEALTHY AND HAPPY TIME OVER THE CHRISTMAS SEASON AND BEYOND. MAY THE NEW YEAR HERALD A FRESH START AND MANY NEW BLESSINGS.
LEIGH BAPTIST CHURCH “MESSENGER” DECEMBER 2022
VERNON ST / CHURCH ST . LEIGH. WN7 1BH
Website : www.leighbaptistchurch.org.uk Contact: admin@leighbaptistchurch.org.uk
Pastoral Leader – Val Hulme ( Day Off Fridays)
email : pastoral.leader@leighbaptistchurch.org.uk TEL 07817142192
Check LBC website for updates and info also LBC FACEBOOK page
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Sunday 4th December 10:45 am Val Hulme
Sunday 11th December 10:45 am Miriam Simon and David Ward
Sunday 18th December 10:45 am Sunday Bible Study and Communion Val Hulme
Sunday 25th December 10:30 am Christmas Day "Show and Tell" Val Hulme
Wednesdays 7th, 14th and 21st December: Prayer Meeting 10:00 - 11:00 am Meet for tea/coffee/chat at 9:45 am
Wednesday 7th December: Christmas Concert 7:30 pm
Saturday 24th December, Christmas Eve: Carols by Candlelight 4:30 pm
Pensioners' Link will be using our building on Monday 19th December from 12:00 - 3:00 pm for one of their groups' Christmas Party.
It was decided at last month's Church and Congregation meeting that, apart from special services, we would meet in the Meeting Room to save on heating costs by not having to heat the whole building. It was also decided to continue our break from Coffee+, Toddlers and Memorable Melodies until March, to allow for recruitment of volunteers. Please continue to pray about these activities, as we seek God's will regarding them.
We have brought this month's Communion Service forward one week as the 4th Sunday is Christmas Day. Please also note that our service on Christmas Day starts at 10:30 am, 15 minutes earlier than usual. Bring along a present that you have received - either opened or unopened, the choice is yours - for showing and telling us about it during the service.
The Christmas Concert by All Singers Great and Small Community Choir is on Wednesday 7th December at 7:30 pm. Tickets £5.00 (see Val) or pay on the door. If you are able to help with refreshments on the day, provide cakes, or both, please see Val.
Our Carols by Candlelight Service on Christmas Eve will be at the earlier time of 4:30 pm.
Calendars for 2023 with art work by two of our fellowship, Linda Davey and Sandra Surridge, are now available at £6.00, or £7.00 if they need to be posted. See Val to purchase.
Our Pastoral Leader is on annual leave from December 26th - Tuesday 3rd January 2023.
Advance Notice
There will be no service on Sunday January 1st 2023.
The Sacrifice of Praise
“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, Goodwill to all men,”
As we come to the season of the year when we celebrate the birth of our Saviour, we sing many hymns and carols about that event. It is a time of rejoicing and celebration from the beginning of Advent until Epiphany, also known as Twelfth Night. In many schools children enjoy being in a nativity play with the visit of the shepherds and wise men to see the baby Jesus. Just to hear the Christmas music and to join in singing carols lifts our spirits and makes us feel joyful. In churches the Christmas Services are one of the highlights of the year. As we think about the birth of Jesus we are reminded that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. So we give glory and praise to Him.
Hebrews 13:15-16 GNB says, “Let us then, always offer praise to God as our sacrifice through Jesus, which is the offering presented by lips that confess Him as Lord. Do not forget to do good and to help one another, because these are the sacrifices that please God.”
According to the GNB introduction to it, the book of Hebrews was written to a group of Christians who were facing opposition because of false teachings getting into the church, and were in danger of losing their faith in Jesus They no longer agreed with the Jewish customs that certain foods could or could not be eaten, and they did not sacrifice animals as their substitute so that their sins could be forgiven. In verses 11-14 Paul explains that when Jesus died on the cross He had paid the penalty for their sins. This is true for all who come to Him in repentance, acknowledging Him as Lord. There is now no need for a High priest to sprinkle the blood of animals in the Holy of Holies in the Temple because Jesus, our High Priest, has shed His blood to cleanse us from sin. We need to offer different kinds of sacrifice in service to God.
Our God wants us to worship Him and glorify Him. In other words, offer the sacrifice of Praise (NIV). To do this we can use the words of many of the psalms, especially 95, 96, 98, 99. In Psalm 103 we read, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” It goes on to mention many things that we can give thanks to Him for. Psalm 104 praises God’s creation. “O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom You have made them all.” (v24) Psalms 105 and 106 praise God for the way He led the Children of Israel from the time of Abraham until they were living in the Promised Land, ending with the words, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say Amen!” “Psalm 100 tells us to “shout for joy to the Lord” and to “come before Him with joyful songs.” Verse 4 says, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise; be thankful to Him and bless His Name.” Parts of many other psalms remind us to “give thanks to the Lord.” There are many hymns and songs of praise. It is amazing how many different phrases can be used by different authors and of course they are set to some wonderful tunes to help us to sing joyfully to our God.
November 27th is Advent Sunday, when we remember that before Jesus ascended into Heaven He promised to return again. John 14:2-3 tells us that Jesus would come again to take back to His Father’s house all those who know him as Lord, so that we will always be with Him. The hymn, “Of the Father’s love begotten” comes to my mind as a hymn of praise to the God of Creation who, as promised by the prophets, came to live amongst His people and returned to heaven where angels continually praise Him. Revelation 4:8 tells how “four living creatures ----- never stop saying, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” And in John’s vision in chapter 7:9-12 He saw “a great multitude that no-one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne, and in front of the Lamb” They shouted with a loud voice, “salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” Angels also bowed down, and worshipped God, saying “Amen. Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honour and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”
These are all ways that we can give the sacrifice of praise to our God, as well as being grateful for every small blessing we receive. Let us also not forget the sacrifices of doing good and helping one another, especially at this time of year as we celebrate Christmas. Let us not forget all those throughout the world who are facing terrible problems because of wars, famines, floods and earthquakes amongst other things.
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus our Saviour let us lift up our voices in praise to Him and enjoy all the Christmas music.
Happy Christmas to you all, Kathie.
WISHING EVERYONE A BLESSED, HEALTHY AND HAPPY TIME OVER THE CHRISTMAS SEASON AND BEYOND. MAY THE NEW YEAR HERALD A FRESH START AND MANY NEW BLESSINGS.
LEIGH BAPTIST CHURCH “MESSENGER” DECEMBER 2022
VERNON ST / CHURCH ST . LEIGH. WN7 1BH
Website : www.leighbaptistchurch.org.uk Contact: admin@leighbaptistchurch.org.uk
Pastoral Leader – Val Hulme ( Day Off Fridays)
email : pastoral.leader@leighbaptistchurch.org.uk TEL 07817142192
Check LBC website for updates and info also LBC FACEBOOK page
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Sunday 4th December 10:45 am Val Hulme
Sunday 11th December 10:45 am Miriam Simon and David Ward
Sunday 18th December 10:45 am Sunday Bible Study and Communion Val Hulme
Sunday 25th December 10:30 am Christmas Day "Show and Tell" Val Hulme
Wednesdays 7th, 14th and 21st December: Prayer Meeting 10:00 - 11:00 am Meet for tea/coffee/chat at 9:45 am
Wednesday 7th December: Christmas Concert 7:30 pm
Saturday 24th December, Christmas Eve: Carols by Candlelight 4:30 pm
Pensioners' Link will be using our building on Monday 19th December from 12:00 - 3:00 pm for one of their groups' Christmas Party.
It was decided at last month's Church and Congregation meeting that, apart from special services, we would meet in the Meeting Room to save on heating costs by not having to heat the whole building. It was also decided to continue our break from Coffee+, Toddlers and Memorable Melodies until March, to allow for recruitment of volunteers. Please continue to pray about these activities, as we seek God's will regarding them.
We have brought this month's Communion Service forward one week as the 4th Sunday is Christmas Day. Please also note that our service on Christmas Day starts at 10:30 am, 15 minutes earlier than usual. Bring along a present that you have received - either opened or unopened, the choice is yours - for showing and telling us about it during the service.
The Christmas Concert by All Singers Great and Small Community Choir is on Wednesday 7th December at 7:30 pm. Tickets £5.00 (see Val) or pay on the door. If you are able to help with refreshments on the day, provide cakes, or both, please see Val.
Our Carols by Candlelight Service on Christmas Eve will be at the earlier time of 4:30 pm.
Calendars for 2023 with art work by two of our fellowship, Linda Davey and Sandra Surridge, are now available at £6.00, or £7.00 if they need to be posted. See Val to purchase.
Our Pastoral Leader is on annual leave from December 26th - Tuesday 3rd January 2023.
Advance Notice
There will be no service on Sunday January 1st 2023.
The Sacrifice of Praise
“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, Goodwill to all men,”
As we come to the season of the year when we celebrate the birth of our Saviour, we sing many hymns and carols about that event. It is a time of rejoicing and celebration from the beginning of Advent until Epiphany, also known as Twelfth Night. In many schools children enjoy being in a nativity play with the visit of the shepherds and wise men to see the baby Jesus. Just to hear the Christmas music and to join in singing carols lifts our spirits and makes us feel joyful. In churches the Christmas Services are one of the highlights of the year. As we think about the birth of Jesus we are reminded that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. So we give glory and praise to Him.
Hebrews 13:15-16 GNB says, “Let us then, always offer praise to God as our sacrifice through Jesus, which is the offering presented by lips that confess Him as Lord. Do not forget to do good and to help one another, because these are the sacrifices that please God.”
According to the GNB introduction to it, the book of Hebrews was written to a group of Christians who were facing opposition because of false teachings getting into the church, and were in danger of losing their faith in Jesus They no longer agreed with the Jewish customs that certain foods could or could not be eaten, and they did not sacrifice animals as their substitute so that their sins could be forgiven. In verses 11-14 Paul explains that when Jesus died on the cross He had paid the penalty for their sins. This is true for all who come to Him in repentance, acknowledging Him as Lord. There is now no need for a High priest to sprinkle the blood of animals in the Holy of Holies in the Temple because Jesus, our High Priest, has shed His blood to cleanse us from sin. We need to offer different kinds of sacrifice in service to God.
Our God wants us to worship Him and glorify Him. In other words, offer the sacrifice of Praise (NIV). To do this we can use the words of many of the psalms, especially 95, 96, 98, 99. In Psalm 103 we read, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” It goes on to mention many things that we can give thanks to Him for. Psalm 104 praises God’s creation. “O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom You have made them all.” (v24) Psalms 105 and 106 praise God for the way He led the Children of Israel from the time of Abraham until they were living in the Promised Land, ending with the words, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say Amen!” “Psalm 100 tells us to “shout for joy to the Lord” and to “come before Him with joyful songs.” Verse 4 says, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise; be thankful to Him and bless His Name.” Parts of many other psalms remind us to “give thanks to the Lord.” There are many hymns and songs of praise. It is amazing how many different phrases can be used by different authors and of course they are set to some wonderful tunes to help us to sing joyfully to our God.
November 27th is Advent Sunday, when we remember that before Jesus ascended into Heaven He promised to return again. John 14:2-3 tells us that Jesus would come again to take back to His Father’s house all those who know him as Lord, so that we will always be with Him. The hymn, “Of the Father’s love begotten” comes to my mind as a hymn of praise to the God of Creation who, as promised by the prophets, came to live amongst His people and returned to heaven where angels continually praise Him. Revelation 4:8 tells how “four living creatures ----- never stop saying, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” And in John’s vision in chapter 7:9-12 He saw “a great multitude that no-one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne, and in front of the Lamb” They shouted with a loud voice, “salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” Angels also bowed down, and worshipped God, saying “Amen. Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honour and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”
These are all ways that we can give the sacrifice of praise to our God, as well as being grateful for every small blessing we receive. Let us also not forget the sacrifices of doing good and helping one another, especially at this time of year as we celebrate Christmas. Let us not forget all those throughout the world who are facing terrible problems because of wars, famines, floods and earthquakes amongst other things.
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus our Saviour let us lift up our voices in praise to Him and enjoy all the Christmas music.
Happy Christmas to you all, Kathie.
WISHING EVERYONE A BLESSED, HEALTHY AND HAPPY TIME OVER THE CHRISTMAS SEASON AND BEYOND. MAY THE NEW YEAR HERALD A FRESH START AND MANY NEW BLESSINGS.
LEIGH BAPTIST CHURCH “MESSENGER” DECEMBER 2022
VERNON ST / CHURCH ST . LEIGH. WN7 1BH
Website : www.leighbaptistchurch.org.uk Contact: admin@leighbaptistchurch.org.uk
Pastoral Leader – Val Hulme ( Day Off Fridays)
email : pastoral.leader@leighbaptistchurch.org.uk TEL 07817142192
Check LBC website for updates and info also LBC FACEBOOK page
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Sunday 4th December 10:45 am Val Hulme
Sunday 11th December 10:45 am Miriam Simon and David Ward
Sunday 18th December 10:45 am Sunday Bible Study and Communion Val Hulme
Sunday 25th December 10:30 am Christmas Day "Show and Tell" Val Hulme
Wednesdays 7th, 14th and 21st December: Prayer Meeting 10:00 - 11:00 am Meet for tea/coffee/chat at 9:45 am
Wednesday 7th December: Christmas Concert 7:30 pm
Saturday 24th December, Christmas Eve: Carols by Candlelight 4:30 pm
Pensioners' Link will be using our building on Monday 19th December from 12:00 - 3:00 pm for one of their groups' Christmas Party.
It was decided at last month's Church and Congregation meeting that, apart from special services, we would meet in the Meeting Room to save on heating costs by not having to heat the whole building. It was also decided to continue our break from Coffee+, Toddlers and Memorable Melodies until March, to allow for recruitment of volunteers. Please continue to pray about these activities, as we seek God's will regarding them.
We have brought this month's Communion Service forward one week as the 4th Sunday is Christmas Day. Please also note that our service on Christmas Day starts at 10:30 am, 15 minutes earlier than usual. Bring along a present that you have received - either opened or unopened, the choice is yours - for showing and telling us about it during the service.
The Christmas Concert by All Singers Great and Small Community Choir is on Wednesday 7th December at 7:30 pm. Tickets £5.00 (see Val) or pay on the door. If you are able to help with refreshments on the day, provide cakes, or both, please see Val.
Our Carols by Candlelight Service on Christmas Eve will be at the earlier time of 4:30 pm.
Calendars for 2023 with art work by two of our fellowship, Linda Davey and Sandra Surridge, are now available at £6.00, or £7.00 if they need to be posted. See Val to purchase.
Our Pastoral Leader is on annual leave from December 26th - Tuesday 3rd January 2023.
Advance Notice
There will be no service on Sunday January 1st 2023.
The Sacrifice of Praise
“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, Goodwill to all men,”
As we come to the season of the year when we celebrate the birth of our Saviour, we sing many hymns and carols about that event. It is a time of rejoicing and celebration from the beginning of Advent until Epiphany, also known as Twelfth Night. In many schools children enjoy being in a nativity play with the visit of the shepherds and wise men to see the baby Jesus. Just to hear the Christmas music and to join in singing carols lifts our spirits and makes us feel joyful. In churches the Christmas Services are one of the highlights of the year. As we think about the birth of Jesus we are reminded that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. So we give glory and praise to Him.
Hebrews 13:15-16 GNB says, “Let us then, always offer praise to God as our sacrifice through Jesus, which is the offering presented by lips that confess Him as Lord. Do not forget to do good and to help one another, because these are the sacrifices that please God.”
According to the GNB introduction to it, the book of Hebrews was written to a group of Christians who were facing opposition because of false teachings getting into the church, and were in danger of losing their faith in Jesus They no longer agreed with the Jewish customs that certain foods could or could not be eaten, and they did not sacrifice animals as their substitute so that their sins could be forgiven. In verses 11-14 Paul explains that when Jesus died on the cross He had paid the penalty for their sins. This is true for all who come to Him in repentance, acknowledging Him as Lord. There is now no need for a High priest to sprinkle the blood of animals in the Holy of Holies in the Temple because Jesus, our High Priest, has shed His blood to cleanse us from sin. We need to offer different kinds of sacrifice in service to God.
Our God wants us to worship Him and glorify Him. In other words, offer the sacrifice of Praise (NIV). To do this we can use the words of many of the psalms, especially 95, 96, 98, 99. In Psalm 103 we read, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” It goes on to mention many things that we can give thanks to Him for. Psalm 104 praises God’s creation. “O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom You have made them all.” (v24) Psalms 105 and 106 praise God for the way He led the Children of Israel from the time of Abraham until they were living in the Promised Land, ending with the words, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say Amen!” “Psalm 100 tells us to “shout for joy to the Lord” and to “come before Him with joyful songs.” Verse 4 says, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise; be thankful to Him and bless His Name.” Parts of many other psalms remind us to “give thanks to the Lord.” There are many hymns and songs of praise. It is amazing how many different phrases can be used by different authors and of course they are set to some wonderful tunes to help us to sing joyfully to our God.
November 27th is Advent Sunday, when we remember that before Jesus ascended into Heaven He promised to return again. John 14:2-3 tells us that Jesus would come again to take back to His Father’s house all those who know him as Lord, so that we will always be with Him. The hymn, “Of the Father’s love begotten” comes to my mind as a hymn of praise to the God of Creation who, as promised by the prophets, came to live amongst His people and returned to heaven where angels continually praise Him. Revelation 4:8 tells how “four living creatures ----- never stop saying, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” And in John’s vision in chapter 7:9-12 He saw “a great multitude that no-one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne, and in front of the Lamb” They shouted with a loud voice, “salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” Angels also bowed down, and worshipped God, saying “Amen. Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honour and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”
These are all ways that we can give the sacrifice of praise to our God, as well as being grateful for every small blessing we receive. Let us also not forget the sacrifices of doing good and helping one another, especially at this time of year as we celebrate Christmas. Let us not forget all those throughout the world who are facing terrible problems because of wars, famines, floods and earthquakes amongst other things.
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus our Saviour let us lift up our voices in praise to Him and enjoy all the Christmas music.
Happy Christmas to you all, Kathie.
WISHING EVERYONE A BLESSED, HEALTHY AND HAPPY TIME OVER THE CHRISTMAS SEASON AND BEYOND. MAY THE NEW YEAR HERALD A FRESH START AND MANY NEW BLESSINGS.
LEIGH BAPTIST CHURCH “MESSENGER” DECEMBER 2022
VERNON ST / CHURCH ST . LEIGH. WN7 1BH
Website : www.leighbaptistchurch.org.uk Contact: admin@leighbaptistchurch.org.uk
Pastoral Leader – Val Hulme ( Day Off Fridays)
email : pastoral.leader@leighbaptistchurch.org.uk TEL 07817142192
Check LBC website for updates and info also LBC FACEBOOK page
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Sunday 4th December 10:45 am Val Hulme
Sunday 11th December 10:45 am Miriam Simon and David Ward
Sunday 18th December 10:45 am Sunday Bible Study and Communion Val Hulme
Sunday 25th December 10:30 am Christmas Day "Show and Tell" Val Hulme
Wednesdays 7th, 14th and 21st December: Prayer Meeting 10:00 - 11:00 am Meet for tea/coffee/chat at 9:45 am
Wednesday 7th December: Christmas Concert 7:30 pm
Saturday 24th December, Christmas Eve: Carols by Candlelight 4:30 pm
Pensioners' Link will be using our building on Monday 19th December from 12:00 - 3:00 pm for one of their groups' Christmas Party.
It was decided at last month's Church and Congregation meeting that, apart from special services, we would meet in the Meeting Room to save on heating costs by not having to heat the whole building. It was also decided to continue our break from Coffee+, Toddlers and Memorable Melodies until March, to allow for recruitment of volunteers. Please continue to pray about these activities, as we seek God's will regarding them.
We have brought this month's Communion Service forward one week as the 4th Sunday is Christmas Day. Please also note that our service on Christmas Day starts at 10:30 am, 15 minutes earlier than usual. Bring along a present that you have received - either opened or unopened, the choice is yours - for showing and telling us about it during the service.
The Christmas Concert by All Singers Great and Small Community Choir is on Wednesday 7th December at 7:30 pm. Tickets £5.00 (see Val) or pay on the door. If you are able to help with refreshments on the day, provide cakes, or both, please see Val.
Our Carols by Candlelight Service on Christmas Eve will be at the earlier time of 4:30 pm.
Calendars for 2023 with art work by two of our fellowship, Linda Davey and Sandra Surridge, are now available at £6.00, or £7.00 if they need to be posted. See Val to purchase.
Our Pastoral Leader is on annual leave from December 26th - Tuesday 3rd January 2023.
Advance Notice
There will be no service on Sunday January 1st 2023.
The Sacrifice of Praise
“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, Goodwill to all men,”
As we come to the season of the year when we celebrate the birth of our Saviour, we sing many hymns and carols about that event. It is a time of rejoicing and celebration from the beginning of Advent until Epiphany, also known as Twelfth Night. In many schools children enjoy being in a nativity play with the visit of the shepherds and wise men to see the baby Jesus. Just to hear the Christmas music and to join in singing carols lifts our spirits and makes us feel joyful. In churches the Christmas Services are one of the highlights of the year. As we think about the birth of Jesus we are reminded that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. So we give glory and praise to Him.
Hebrews 13:15-16 GNB says, “Let us then, always offer praise to God as our sacrifice through Jesus, which is the offering presented by lips that confess Him as Lord. Do not forget to do good and to help one another, because these are the sacrifices that please God.”
According to the GNB introduction to it, the book of Hebrews was written to a group of Christians who were facing opposition because of false teachings getting into the church, and were in danger of losing their faith in Jesus They no longer agreed with the Jewish customs that certain foods could or could not be eaten, and they did not sacrifice animals as their substitute so that their sins could be forgiven. In verses 11-14 Paul explains that when Jesus died on the cross He had paid the penalty for their sins. This is true for all who come to Him in repentance, acknowledging Him as Lord. There is now no need for a High priest to sprinkle the blood of animals in the Holy of Holies in the Temple because Jesus, our High Priest, has shed His blood to cleanse us from sin. We need to offer different kinds of sacrifice in service to God.
Our God wants us to worship Him and glorify Him. In other words, offer the sacrifice of Praise (NIV). To do this we can use the words of many of the psalms, especially 95, 96, 98, 99. In Psalm 103 we read, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” It goes on to mention many things that we can give thanks to Him for. Psalm 104 praises God’s creation. “O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom You have made them all.” (v24) Psalms 105 and 106 praise God for the way He led the Children of Israel from the time of Abraham until they were living in the Promised Land, ending with the words, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say Amen!” “Psalm 100 tells us to “shout for joy to the Lord” and to “come before Him with joyful songs.” Verse 4 says, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise; be thankful to Him and bless His Name.” Parts of many other psalms remind us to “give thanks to the Lord.” There are many hymns and songs of praise. It is amazing how many different phrases can be used by different authors and of course they are set to some wonderful tunes to help us to sing joyfully to our God.
November 27th is Advent Sunday, when we remember that before Jesus ascended into Heaven He promised to return again. John 14:2-3 tells us that Jesus would come again to take back to His Father’s house all those who know him as Lord, so that we will always be with Him. The hymn, “Of the Father’s love begotten” comes to my mind as a hymn of praise to the God of Creation who, as promised by the prophets, came to live amongst His people and returned to heaven where angels continually praise Him. Revelation 4:8 tells how “four living creatures ----- never stop saying, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” And in John’s vision in chapter 7:9-12 He saw “a great multitude that no-one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne, and in front of the Lamb” They shouted with a loud voice, “salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” Angels also bowed down, and worshipped God, saying “Amen. Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honour and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”
These are all ways that we can give the sacrifice of praise to our God, as well as being grateful for every small blessing we receive. Let us also not forget the sacrifices of doing good and helping one another, especially at this time of year as we celebrate Christmas. Let us not forget all those throughout the world who are facing terrible problems because of wars, famines, floods and earthquakes amongst other things.
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus our Saviour let us lift up our voices in praise to Him and enjoy all the Christmas music.
Happy Christmas to you all, Kathie.
WISHING EVERYONE A BLESSED, HEALTHY AND HAPPY TIME OVER THE CHRISTMAS SEASON AND BEYOND. MAY THE NEW YEAR HERALD A FRESH START AND MANY NEW BLESSINGS.
LEIGH BAPTIST CHURCH “MESSENGER” DECEMBER 2022
VERNON ST / CHURCH ST . LEIGH. WN7 1BH
Website : www.leighbaptistchurch.org.uk Contact: admin@leighbaptistchurch.org.uk
Pastoral Leader – Val Hulme ( Day Off Fridays)
email : pastoral.leader@leighbaptistchurch.org.uk TEL 07817142192
Check LBC website for updates and info also LBC FACEBOOK page
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Sunday 4th December 10:45 am Val Hulme
Sunday 11th December 10:45 am Miriam Simon and David Ward
Sunday 18th December 10:45 am Sunday Bible Study and Communion Val Hulme
Sunday 25th December 10:30 am Christmas Day "Show and Tell" Val Hulme
Wednesdays 7th, 14th and 21st December: Prayer Meeting 10:00 - 11:00 am Meet for tea/coffee/chat at 9:45 am
Wednesday 7th December: Christmas Concert 7:30 pm
Saturday 24th December, Christmas Eve: Carols by Candlelight 4:30 pm
Pensioners' Link will be using our building on Monday 19th December from 12:00 - 3:00 pm for one of their groups' Christmas Party.
It was decided at last month's Church and Congregation meeting that, apart from special services, we would meet in the Meeting Room to save on heating costs by not having to heat the whole building. It was also decided to continue our break from Coffee+, Toddlers and Memorable Melodies until March, to allow for recruitment of volunteers. Please continue to pray about these activities, as we seek God's will regarding them.
We have brought this month's Communion Service forward one week as the 4th Sunday is Christmas Day. Please also note that our service on Christmas Day starts at 10:30 am, 15 minutes earlier than usual. Bring along a present that you have received - either opened or unopened, the choice is yours - for showing and telling us about it during the service.
The Christmas Concert by All Singers Great and Small Community Choir is on Wednesday 7th December at 7:30 pm. Tickets £5.00 (see Val) or pay on the door. If you are able to help with refreshments on the day, provide cakes, or both, please see Val.
Our Carols by Candlelight Service on Christmas Eve will be at the earlier time of 4:30 pm.
Calendars for 2023 with art work by two of our fellowship, Linda Davey and Sandra Surridge, are now available at £6.00, or £7.00 if they need to be posted. See Val to purchase.
Our Pastoral Leader is on annual leave from December 26th - Tuesday 3rd January 2023.
Advance Notice
There will be no service on Sunday January 1st 2023.
The Sacrifice of Praise
“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, Goodwill to all men,”
As we come to the season of the year when we celebrate the birth of our Saviour, we sing many hymns and carols about that event. It is a time of rejoicing and celebration from the beginning of Advent until Epiphany, also known as Twelfth Night. In many schools children enjoy being in a nativity play with the visit of the shepherds and wise men to see the baby Jesus. Just to hear the Christmas music and to join in singing carols lifts our spirits and makes us feel joyful. In churches the Christmas Services are one of the highlights of the year. As we think about the birth of Jesus we are reminded that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. So we give glory and praise to Him.
Hebrews 13:15-16 GNB says, “Let us then, always offer praise to God as our sacrifice through Jesus, which is the offering presented by lips that confess Him as Lord. Do not forget to do good and to help one another, because these are the sacrifices that please God.”
According to the GNB introduction to it, the book of Hebrews was written to a group of Christians who were facing opposition because of false teachings getting into the church, and were in danger of losing their faith in Jesus They no longer agreed with the Jewish customs that certain foods could or could not be eaten, and they did not sacrifice animals as their substitute so that their sins could be forgiven. In verses 11-14 Paul explains that when Jesus died on the cross He had paid the penalty for their sins. This is true for all who come to Him in repentance, acknowledging Him as Lord. There is now no need for a High priest to sprinkle the blood of animals in the Holy of Holies in the Temple because Jesus, our High Priest, has shed His blood to cleanse us from sin. We need to offer different kinds of sacrifice in service to God.
Our God wants us to worship Him and glorify Him. In other words, offer the sacrifice of Praise (NIV). To do this we can use the words of many of the psalms, especially 95, 96, 98, 99. In Psalm 103 we read, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” It goes on to mention many things that we can give thanks to Him for. Psalm 104 praises God’s creation. “O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom You have made them all.” (v24) Psalms 105 and 106 praise God for the way He led the Children of Israel from the time of Abraham until they were living in the Promised Land, ending with the words, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say Amen!” “Psalm 100 tells us to “shout for joy to the Lord” and to “come before Him with joyful songs.” Verse 4 says, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise; be thankful to Him and bless His Name.” Parts of many other psalms remind us to “give thanks to the Lord.” There are many hymns and songs of praise. It is amazing how many different phrases can be used by different authors and of course they are set to some wonderful tunes to help us to sing joyfully to our God.
November 27th is Advent Sunday, when we remember that before Jesus ascended into Heaven He promised to return again. John 14:2-3 tells us that Jesus would come again to take back to His Father’s house all those who know him as Lord, so that we will always be with Him. The hymn, “Of the Father’s love begotten” comes to my mind as a hymn of praise to the God of Creation who, as promised by the prophets, came to live amongst His people and returned to heaven where angels continually praise Him. Revelation 4:8 tells how “four living creatures ----- never stop saying, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” And in John’s vision in chapter 7:9-12 He saw “a great multitude that no-one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne, and in front of the Lamb” They shouted with a loud voice, “salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” Angels also bowed down, and worshipped God, saying “Amen. Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honour and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”
These are all ways that we can give the sacrifice of praise to our God, as well as being grateful for every small blessing we receive. Let us also not forget the sacrifices of doing good and helping one another, especially at this time of year as we celebrate Christmas. Let us not forget all those throughout the world who are facing terrible problems because of wars, famines, floods and earthquakes amongst other things.
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus our Saviour let us lift up our voices in praise to Him and enjoy all the Christmas music.
Happy Christmas to you all, Kathie.
WISHING EVERYONE A BLESSED, HEALTHY AND HAPPY TIME OVER THE CHRISTMAS SEASON AND BEYOND. MAY THE NEW YEAR HERALD A FRESH START AND MANY NEW BLESSINGS.
LEIGH BAPTIST CHURCH “MESSENGER” DECEMBER 2022
VERNON ST / CHURCH ST . LEIGH. WN7 1BH
Website : www.leighbaptistchurch.org.uk Contact: admin@leighbaptistchurch.org.uk
Pastoral Leader – Val Hulme ( Day Off Fridays)
email : pastoral.leader@leighbaptistchurch.org.uk TEL 07817142192
Check LBC website for updates and info also LBC FACEBOOK page
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Sunday 4th December 10:45 am Val Hulme
Sunday 11th December 10:45 am Miriam Simon and David Ward
Sunday 18th December 10:45 am Sunday Bible Study and Communion Val Hulme
Sunday 25th December 10:30 am Christmas Day "Show and Tell" Val Hulme
Wednesdays 7th, 14th and 21st December: Prayer Meeting 10:00 - 11:00 am Meet for tea/coffee/chat at 9:45 am
Wednesday 7th December: Christmas Concert 7:30 pm
Saturday 24th December, Christmas Eve: Carols by Candlelight 4:30 pm
Pensioners' Link will be using our building on Monday 19th December from 12:00 - 3:00 pm for one of their groups' Christmas Party.
It was decided at last month's Church and Congregation meeting that, apart from special services, we would meet in the Meeting Room to save on heating costs by not having to heat the whole building. It was also decided to continue our break from Coffee+, Toddlers and Memorable Melodies until March, to allow for recruitment of volunteers. Please continue to pray about these activities, as we seek God's will regarding them.
We have brought this month's Communion Service forward one week as the 4th Sunday is Christmas Day. Please also note that our service on Christmas Day starts at 10:30 am, 15 minutes earlier than usual. Bring along a present that you have received - either opened or unopened, the choice is yours - for showing and telling us about it during the service.
The Christmas Concert by All Singers Great and Small Community Choir is on Wednesday 7th December at 7:30 pm. Tickets £5.00 (see Val) or pay on the door. If you are able to help with refreshments on the day, provide cakes, or both, please see Val.
Our Carols by Candlelight Service on Christmas Eve will be at the earlier time of 4:30 pm.
Calendars for 2023 with art work by two of our fellowship, Linda Davey and Sandra Surridge, are now available at £6.00, or £7.00 if they need to be posted. See Val to purchase.
Our Pastoral Leader is on annual leave from December 26th - Tuesday 3rd January 2023.
Advance Notice
There will be no service on Sunday January 1st 2023.
The Sacrifice of Praise
“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, Goodwill to all men,”
As we come to the season of the year when we celebrate the birth of our Saviour, we sing many hymns and carols about that event. It is a time of rejoicing and celebration from the beginning of Advent until Epiphany, also known as Twelfth Night. In many schools children enjoy being in a nativity play with the visit of the shepherds and wise men to see the baby Jesus. Just to hear the Christmas music and to join in singing carols lifts our spirits and makes us feel joyful. In churches the Christmas Services are one of the highlights of the year. As we think about the birth of Jesus we are reminded that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. So we give glory and praise to Him.
Hebrews 13:15-16 GNB says, “Let us then, always offer praise to God as our sacrifice through Jesus, which is the offering presented by lips that confess Him as Lord. Do not forget to do good and to help one another, because these are the sacrifices that please God.”
According to the GNB introduction to it, the book of Hebrews was written to a group of Christians who were facing opposition because of false teachings getting into the church, and were in danger of losing their faith in Jesus They no longer agreed with the Jewish customs that certain foods could or could not be eaten, and they did not sacrifice animals as their substitute so that their sins could be forgiven. In verses 11-14 Paul explains that when Jesus died on the cross He had paid the penalty for their sins. This is true for all who come to Him in repentance, acknowledging Him as Lord. There is now no need for a High priest to sprinkle the blood of animals in the Holy of Holies in the Temple because Jesus, our High Priest, has shed His blood to cleanse us from sin. We need to offer different kinds of sacrifice in service to God.
Our God wants us to worship Him and glorify Him. In other words, offer the sacrifice of Praise (NIV). To do this we can use the words of many of the psalms, especially 95, 96, 98, 99. In Psalm 103 we read, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” It goes on to mention many things that we can give thanks to Him for. Psalm 104 praises God’s creation. “O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom You have made them all.” (v24) Psalms 105 and 106 praise God for the way He led the Children of Israel from the time of Abraham until they were living in the Promised Land, ending with the words, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say Amen!” “Psalm 100 tells us to “shout for joy to the Lord” and to “come before Him with joyful songs.” Verse 4 says, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise; be thankful to Him and bless His Name.” Parts of many other psalms remind us to “give thanks to the Lord.” There are many hymns and songs of praise. It is amazing how many different phrases can be used by different authors and of course they are set to some wonderful tunes to help us to sing joyfully to our God.
November 27th is Advent Sunday, when we remember that before Jesus ascended into Heaven He promised to return again. John 14:2-3 tells us that Jesus would come again to take back to His Father’s house all those who know him as Lord, so that we will always be with Him. The hymn, “Of the Father’s love begotten” comes to my mind as a hymn of praise to the God of Creation who, as promised by the prophets, came to live amongst His people and returned to heaven where angels continually praise Him. Revelation 4:8 tells how “four living creatures ----- never stop saying, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” And in John’s vision in chapter 7:9-12 He saw “a great multitude that no-one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne, and in front of the Lamb” They shouted with a loud voice, “salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” Angels also bowed down, and worshipped God, saying “Amen. Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honour and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”
These are all ways that we can give the sacrifice of praise to our God, as well as being grateful for every small blessing we receive. Let us also not forget the sacrifices of doing good and helping one another, especially at this time of year as we celebrate Christmas. Let us not forget all those throughout the world who are facing terrible problems because of wars, famines, floods and earthquakes amongst other things.
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus our Saviour let us lift up our voices in praise to Him and enjoy all the Christmas music.
Happy Christmas to you all, Kathie.
WISHING EVERYONE A BLESSED, HEALTHY AND HAPPY TIME OVER THE CHRISTMAS SEASON AND BEYOND. MAY THE NEW YEAR HERALD A FRESH START AND MANY NEW BLESSINGS.
LEIGH BAPTIST CHURCH “MESSENGER” DECEMBER 2022
VERNON ST / CHURCH ST . LEIGH. WN7 1BH
Website : www.leighbaptistchurch.org.uk Contact: admin@leighbaptistchurch.org.uk
Pastoral Leader – Val Hulme ( Day Off Fridays)
email : pastoral.leader@leighbaptistchurch.org.uk TEL 07817142192
Check LBC website for updates and info also LBC FACEBOOK page
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Sunday 4th December 10:45 am Val Hulme
Sunday 11th December 10:45 am Miriam Simon and David Ward
Sunday 18th December 10:45 am Sunday Bible Study and Communion Val Hulme
Sunday 25th December 10:30 am Christmas Day "Show and Tell" Val Hulme
Wednesdays 7th, 14th and 21st December: Prayer Meeting 10:00 - 11:00 am Meet for tea/coffee/chat at 9:45 am
Wednesday 7th December: Christmas Concert 7:30 pm
Saturday 24th December, Christmas Eve: Carols by Candlelight 4:30 pm
Pensioners' Link will be using our building on Monday 19th December from 12:00 - 3:00 pm for one of their groups' Christmas Party.
It was decided at last month's Church and Congregation meeting that, apart from special services, we would meet in the Meeting Room to save on heating costs by not having to heat the whole building. It was also decided to continue our break from Coffee+, Toddlers and Memorable Melodies until March, to allow for recruitment of volunteers. Please continue to pray about these activities, as we seek God's will regarding them.
We have brought this month's Communion Service forward one week as the 4th Sunday is Christmas Day. Please also note that our service on Christmas Day starts at 10:30 am, 15 minutes earlier than usual. Bring along a present that you have received - either opened or unopened, the choice is yours - for showing and telling us about it during the service.
The Christmas Concert by All Singers Great and Small Community Choir is on Wednesday 7th December at 7:30 pm. Tickets £5.00 (see Val) or pay on the door. If you are able to help with refreshments on the day, provide cakes, or both, please see Val.
Our Carols by Candlelight Service on Christmas Eve will be at the earlier time of 4:30 pm.
Calendars for 2023 with art work by two of our fellowship, Linda Davey and Sandra Surridge, are now available at £6.00, or £7.00 if they need to be posted. See Val to purchase.
Our Pastoral Leader is on annual leave from December 26th - Tuesday 3rd January 2023.
Advance Notice
There will be no service on Sunday January 1st 2023.
The Sacrifice of Praise
“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, Goodwill to all men,”
As we come to the season of the year when we celebrate the birth of our Saviour, we sing many hymns and carols about that event. It is a time of rejoicing and celebration from the beginning of Advent until Epiphany, also known as Twelfth Night. In many schools children enjoy being in a nativity play with the visit of the shepherds and wise men to see the baby Jesus. Just to hear the Christmas music and to join in singing carols lifts our spirits and makes us feel joyful. In churches the Christmas Services are one of the highlights of the year. As we think about the birth of Jesus we are reminded that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. So we give glory and praise to Him.
Hebrews 13:15-16 GNB says, “Let us then, always offer praise to God as our sacrifice through Jesus, which is the offering presented by lips that confess Him as Lord. Do not forget to do good and to help one another, because these are the sacrifices that please God.”
According to the GNB introduction to it, the book of Hebrews was written to a group of Christians who were facing opposition because of false teachings getting into the church, and were in danger of losing their faith in Jesus They no longer agreed with the Jewish customs that certain foods could or could not be eaten, and they did not sacrifice animals as their substitute so that their sins could be forgiven. In verses 11-14 Paul explains that when Jesus died on the cross He had paid the penalty for their sins. This is true for all who come to Him in repentance, acknowledging Him as Lord. There is now no need for a High priest to sprinkle the blood of animals in the Holy of Holies in the Temple because Jesus, our High Priest, has shed His blood to cleanse us from sin. We need to offer different kinds of sacrifice in service to God.
Our God wants us to worship Him and glorify Him. In other words, offer the sacrifice of Praise (NIV). To do this we can use the words of many of the psalms, especially 95, 96, 98, 99. In Psalm 103 we read, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” It goes on to mention many things that we can give thanks to Him for. Psalm 104 praises God’s creation. “O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom You have made them all.” (v24) Psalms 105 and 106 praise God for the way He led the Children of Israel from the time of Abraham until they were living in the Promised Land, ending with the words, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say Amen!” “Psalm 100 tells us to “shout for joy to the Lord” and to “come before Him with joyful songs.” Verse 4 says, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise; be thankful to Him and bless His Name.” Parts of many other psalms remind us to “give thanks to the Lord.” There are many hymns and songs of praise. It is amazing how many different phrases can be used by different authors and of course they are set to some wonderful tunes to help us to sing joyfully to our God.
November 27th is Advent Sunday, when we remember that before Jesus ascended into Heaven He promised to return again. John 14:2-3 tells us that Jesus would come again to take back to His Father’s house all those who know him as Lord, so that we will always be with Him. The hymn, “Of the Father’s love begotten” comes to my mind as a hymn of praise to the God of Creation who, as promised by the prophets, came to live amongst His people and returned to heaven where angels continually praise Him. Revelation 4:8 tells how “four living creatures ----- never stop saying, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” And in John’s vision in chapter 7:9-12 He saw “a great multitude that no-one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne, and in front of the Lamb” They shouted with a loud voice, “salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” Angels also bowed down, and worshipped God, saying “Amen. Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honour and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”
These are all ways that we can give the sacrifice of praise to our God, as well as being grateful for every small blessing we receive. Let us also not forget the sacrifices of doing good and helping one another, especially at this time of year as we celebrate Christmas. Let us not forget all those throughout the world who are facing terrible problems because of wars, famines, floods and earthquakes amongst other things.
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus our Saviour let us lift up our voices in praise to Him and enjoy all the Christmas music.
Happy Christmas to you all, Kathie.
WISHING EVERYONE A BLESSED, HEALTHY AND HAPPY TIME OVER THE CHRISTMAS SEASON AND BEYOND. MAY THE NEW YEAR HERALD A FRESH START AND MANY NEW BLESSINGS.
LEIGH BAPTIST CHURCH “MESSENGER” DECEMBER 2022
VERNON ST / CHURCH ST . LEIGH. WN7 1BH
Website : www.leighbaptistchurch.org.uk Contact: admin@leighbaptistchurch.org.uk
Pastoral Leader – Val Hulme ( Day Off Fridays)
email : pastoral.leader@leighbaptistchurch.org.uk TEL 07817142192
Check LBC website for updates and info also LBC FACEBOOK page
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Sunday 4th December 10:45 am Val Hulme
Sunday 11th December 10:45 am Miriam Simon and David Ward
Sunday 18th December 10:45 am Sunday Bible Study and Communion Val Hulme
Sunday 25th December 10:30 am Christmas Day "Show and Tell" Val Hulme
Wednesdays 7th, 14th and 21st December: Prayer Meeting 10:00 - 11:00 am Meet for tea/coffee/chat at 9:45 am
Wednesday 7th December: Christmas Concert 7:30 pm
Saturday 24th December, Christmas Eve: Carols by Candlelight 4:30 pm
Pensioners' Link will be using our building on Monday 19th December from 12:00 - 3:00 pm for one of their groups' Christmas Party.
It was decided at last month's Church and Congregation meeting that, apart from special services, we would meet in the Meeting Room to save on heating costs by not having to heat the whole building. It was also decided to continue our break from Coffee+, Toddlers and Memorable Melodies until March, to allow for recruitment of volunteers. Please continue to pray about these activities, as we seek God's will regarding them.
We have brought this month's Communion Service forward one week as the 4th Sunday is Christmas Day. Please also note that our service on Christmas Day starts at 10:30 am, 15 minutes earlier than usual. Bring along a present that you have received - either opened or unopened, the choice is yours - for showing and telling us about it during the service.
The Christmas Concert by All Singers Great and Small Community Choir is on Wednesday 7th December at 7:30 pm. Tickets £5.00 (see Val) or pay on the door. If you are able to help with refreshments on the day, provide cakes, or both, please see Val.
Our Carols by Candlelight Service on Christmas Eve will be at the earlier time of 4:30 pm.
Calendars for 2023 with art work by two of our fellowship, Linda Davey and Sandra Surridge, are now available at £6.00, or £7.00 if they need to be posted. See Val to purchase.
Our Pastoral Leader is on annual leave from December 26th - Tuesday 3rd January 2023.
Advance Notice
There will be no service on Sunday January 1st 2023.
The Sacrifice of Praise
“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, Goodwill to all men,”
As we come to the season of the year when we celebrate the birth of our Saviour, we sing many hymns and carols about that event. It is a time of rejoicing and celebration from the beginning of Advent until Epiphany, also known as Twelfth Night. In many schools children enjoy being in a nativity play with the visit of the shepherds and wise men to see the baby Jesus. Just to hear the Christmas music and to join in singing carols lifts our spirits and makes us feel joyful. In churches the Christmas Services are one of the highlights of the year. As we think about the birth of Jesus we are reminded that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. So we give glory and praise to Him.
Hebrews 13:15-16 GNB says, “Let us then, always offer praise to God as our sacrifice through Jesus, which is the offering presented by lips that confess Him as Lord. Do not forget to do good and to help one another, because these are the sacrifices that please God.”
According to the GNB introduction to it, the book of Hebrews was written to a group of Christians who were facing opposition because of false teachings getting into the church, and were in danger of losing their faith in Jesus They no longer agreed with the Jewish customs that certain foods could or could not be eaten, and they did not sacrifice animals as their substitute so that their sins could be forgiven. In verses 11-14 Paul explains that when Jesus died on the cross He had paid the penalty for their sins. This is true for all who come to Him in repentance, acknowledging Him as Lord. There is now no need for a High priest to sprinkle the blood of animals in the Holy of Holies in the Temple because Jesus, our High Priest, has shed His blood to cleanse us from sin. We need to offer different kinds of sacrifice in service to God.
Our God wants us to worship Him and glorify Him. In other words, offer the sacrifice of Praise (NIV). To do this we can use the words of many of the psalms, especially 95, 96, 98, 99. In Psalm 103 we read, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” It goes on to mention many things that we can give thanks to Him for. Psalm 104 praises God’s creation. “O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom You have made them all.” (v24) Psalms 105 and 106 praise God for the way He led the Children of Israel from the time of Abraham until they were living in the Promised Land, ending with the words, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say Amen!” “Psalm 100 tells us to “shout for joy to the Lord” and to “come before Him with joyful songs.” Verse 4 says, “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise; be thankful to Him and bless His Name.” Parts of many other psalms remind us to “give thanks to the Lord.” There are many hymns and songs of praise. It is amazing how many different phrases can be used by different authors and of course they are set to some wonderful tunes to help us to sing joyfully to our God.
November 27th is Advent Sunday, when we remember that before Jesus ascended into Heaven He promised to return again. John 14:2-3 tells us that Jesus would come again to take back to His Father’s house all those who know him as Lord, so that we will always be with Him. The hymn, “Of the Father’s love begotten” comes to my mind as a hymn of praise to the God of Creation who, as promised by the prophets, came to live amongst His people and returned to heaven where angels continually praise Him. Revelation 4:8 tells how “four living creatures ----- never stop saying, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” And in John’s vision in chapter 7:9-12 He saw “a great multitude that no-one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne, and in front of the Lamb” They shouted with a loud voice, “salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” Angels also bowed down, and worshipped God, saying “Amen. Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honour and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”
These are all ways that we can give the sacrifice of praise to our God, as well as being grateful for every small blessing we receive. Let us also not forget the sacrifices of doing good and helping one another, especially at this time of year as we celebrate Christmas. Let us not forget all those throughout the world who are facing terrible problems because of wars, famines, floods and earthquakes amongst other things.
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus our Saviour let us lift up our voices in praise to Him and enjoy all the Christmas music.
Happy Christmas to you all, Kathie.
WISHING EVERYONE A BLESSED, HEALTHY AND HAPPY TIME OVER THE CHRISTMAS SEASON AND BEYOND. MAY THE NEW YEAR HERALD A FRESH START AND MANY NEW BLESSINGS.