Peter N Millward

Sunday 31 December 2023

16:59

The Gate of the Year - 1939

In 1939, as the world was engulfed in war, King George VI faced a tremendous responsibility in leading his nation and empire through these challenging times. As the New Year approached, he sought to provide a message of hope and resilience to his people. Drawing from a poem given to him by his daughter, the future Queen Elizabeth II, he shared the poignant words of a poem written by Minnie Louise Haskins, published in 1912. during his Christmas broadcast. This little known poem, with its themes of faith and trust in the face of uncertainty, offered comfort and inspiration not only to his nation, but to all people everywhere and continues to inspire and which we do well to remember today. The world is in a precarious state...and there is only one place we can go to to find hope and comfort.

The King's decision to share these words was a defining moment, one that showed the gravity of the situation and the hope that God would bring them through. The full text of the poem below:

THE GATE OF THE YEAR

'God Knows'

And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:

"Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown".

And he replied:

"Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God.

That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way".

So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night.

And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East.

So heart be still:

What need our little life

Our human life to know,

If God hath comprehension?

In all the dizzy strife

Of things both high and low,

God hideth His intention.

God knows. His will

Is best. The stretch of years

Which wind ahead, so dim

To our imperfect vision,

Are clear to God. Our fears

Are premature; In Him,

All time hath full provision.

Then rest: until

God moves to lift the veil

From our impatient eyes,

When, as the sweeter features

Of Life's stern face we hail,

Fair beyond all surmise

God's thought around His creatures

Our mind shall fill.

Minnie Louise Haskins 1875 - 1957.

We cannot weigh how much comfort, hope, inspiration and faith those words would have given during those dark days - but they are still as relevent today as they ever were.

The digital image created with AI and photo edtiting.

Peter N Millward 0

Friday 29 December 2023

Christmas 01:53

A Christmas Carol

A picture for Christmas - A scene from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, The ghost of Jacob Marley visiting Ebenezer Scrooge. Perhaps the most significant blessing we can have this Christmas is the gift of repentance. It allows us to truly grasp the ultimate gift of all – the gift of God's Son, Jesus Christ. According to the Word of God, salvation hinges on repentance (Acts 3:19), a concept not widely embraced in our current culture, even among many churches. However, it remains a divine requirement.

Recently, our daughter Dorothy and I watched the 1984 film adaptation of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," featuring George C. Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge. This film they say, closely follows with the original book, was filmed in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, not far from where I used to live.

While "A Christmas Carol" is not overtly religious, it undoubtedly carries deep spiritual and moral themes. The tale of the selfish old miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, unfolds as a powerful allegory of repentance and redemption. Scrooge's transformation mirrors the essence of turning away from a life of sin and selfishness towards one marked by compassion, generosity, and genuine concern for others.

In Scrooge's journey, pivotal moments occur when he is granted a vision of the consequences of his actions and the true state of his heart. The ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come serve as instruments of revelation, exposing the impact of his choices on others and the emptiness of a self-centered existence. This process parallels the core of repentance – a departure from a life of sin towards a path marked by compassion and concern for others. Scrooge's metamorphosis aligns with the biblical concept of metanoia, a change of heart and mind that accompanies a choice to follow Christ rather than our own desires.

In a spiritual context, the story underscores that repentance is a divine gift; we cannot achieve it on our own. We rely on God to reveal our sins because only He can grant repentance (Acts 11:18; 2 Timothy 2:25). Redemption becomes possible for those willing to confront their shortcomings. Charles Dickens, while not explicitly religious, sought to emphasize Christ's teachings in "A Christmas Carol." The narrative captures the essence of repentance and the potential for a renewed and redeemed life.

This Christmas, I extend an invitation to you, dear reader. If you've never grasped the gift of repentance or turned to Jesus Christ, take a moment alone in your room. Pray, make peace with God through Jesus Christ, and ask Him to grant you repentance. "Lord, reveal my sin and grant me repentance because you love me." Let this prayer catalyze self-reflection and a deeper appreciation of the divine gift embodied in the birth of Jesus Christ and be prepared for God to answer your prayers....because He loves you.

May this Christmas season be one of genuine self-awareness, repentance, and a renewed understanding of the profound love encapsulated in the message of Christ for all of us.

Peter N Millward 0

Thursday 28 December 2023

Testimony 00:19

Run to the Light - John 8:12

An apocalyptic vision of the future, the darkness is approaching, many governments have rejected Christianity. Christian foundations and worldview are being overturned, many traditional church denominations have embraced heresy, wickedness and apostasy..... the only hope that exists in this broken, fallen world is still the Lord Jesus Christ, who said I am the Light of the World - John 8:12. And the Bible is still the place where people go to find comfort, hope and Salvation and People are still running to the light and finding that all who follow Jesus will never walk in darkness. Jesus said I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail. Matthew 16:18.

The inspiration for the picture? A few weeks ago I was watching a Derek Prince video on youtube, I must have dozed off as I had a heavy cold so was drowsy.....and then I woke up to a discussion amongst a group of well known intellectuals, discussing Christianity and the question Does God Exist? Listening to what was being said while still sleepy, made me reflect......then I had some kind of vision.......I saw in the vision small figures running away from the impending darkness that was descending upon the world, they were running as fast as they could....in the direction of light which was in the far distance. In the vision they were terrified at what they saw as the darkness approached. I understood what the vision meant - it was as though those who were discussing are terrified of a world without Christianity....and they are honest enough to understand that the world we see, civilisation has been built on Christian principles and foundations.....they understand they owe so much to Christianity. But the world which has been built with this worldview, the world and its framework is fast crumbling. The darkness is approaching, they see what's coming in the darkness....its terrifying. They are running as fast from it as they can.....

This was the video I woke up to Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson https://youtu.be/o2u54a1FL28?feature=shared Does God Exist? A Conversation with Tom Holland, Stephen Meyer, and Douglas Murray

The picture was created with a mixture of AI and edited in Photoshop.

Peter N Millward 0