All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
Matthew 1:22-23 NIV
God is With Us
Royal tours can take more than a year to organize. The planning is coordinated by the Canadian Secretary to the King. The regions to be visited are decided by a rotational formula. Modern tours have run with a theme; for instance the visit of Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh in 2010 was intended to highlight “the Canadian record of service—past, present and future”. Themes are decided upon by the King’s secretary together with the Minister of Canadian Heritage and the Office of the Prime Minister.
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One of the special aspects of this season is that families gather together. Particularly after years of pandemic, it is so special when children come home to visit with parents and siblings around the activities of Christmas. That is appropriate. After all, the whole point of this holiday is that God Himself stepped out of Glory and came to be with us. Matthew 1:22-23 tells us: “All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’).” After millennia of promise, the Messiah had finally come. God had stepped into His world, and the world would never again be the same. More than anything else, the world needed a Redeemer – and when Jesus was born, He arrived. He is still Immanuel. He is still God with us. He has taken up residence in the heart of all who have repented of their sin and placed their faith in Him. Christmas isn’t complete until Jesus is born in your heart by faith. Invite Him to be.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley