Major Nicholas J. Samuel

John 1:14 NIV The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. Merry Christmas.

Looking for a verse to be your guidepost for the new year? Alistair explores stirring words from the prophet Zechariah. This familiar verse will point you to God's Spirit for empowerment so that you can turn from earthly concerns and live for His kingdom. bit.ly/3GJwhWR

What would it look like if the disciples valued worship and community like many believers do their church gatherings? Peter - "My mother-in-law came in for the weekend." Andrew - "I was up kinda late last night." James (the son of Zebedee) - "Really needed some 'me' time." John - "I was there last week. Besides, I'm not really being fed." Philip - "Finally had a sunny day to hit the lake." Bartholomew - "Had brunch scheduled with my Uncle Zed." Thomas - "I doubt it would have been any good today." Matthew - "I had to get my taxes done." James (the son of Alphaeus) - "My dad (Alphaeus) wanted to fish today." Thaddaeus - "The kids needed a rest day." Simon - "I didn't hear my alarm. Because I didn't set it. Because I don't have one." Judas - "Getting tired of hearing the same old message." Going to church is not about checking a religious box off your "make God happy" list. It's about being invested in the lives of others. Participating in the mission of the gospel. Loving and being loved. Following Jesus was never meant to be a solo experience. Pull up a seat at the table. It is a level table and there is room for all of us. - author unknown

The Beating Heart of Psalm 23 Psalm 23 has 55 Hebrew words in it. What’s fascinating is what forms the numerical center of this psalm. At the heart of Psalm 23 are the words, “For Thou art with me.” There are 26 Hebrew words before that phrase, and 26 words after it. What’s more, in the verses leading up to that phrase, the poet speaks of God in the third person: “he” does this and “he” does that. But when we get to this numerical center, the psalmist transitions into speaking to God directly, in the second person: for “Thou” art with me, “Thy” rod and staff, “Thou” dost prepare. The abiding presence of the Shepherd with us—whether we’re in the valley of the shadow of death or surrounded by enemies—is the beating heart of the poem.

Unpacking the Confession, "Jesus Christ is Lord," from an Old Testament Perspective A fundamental Christian confession is four simple words: Jesus Christ is Lord. On the surface these words appear relatively clear. And they are. But they are also of indescribable depths when viewed in light of the Old Testament. The Hebrew equivalent of the Greek name for Jesus, Ἰησοῦς, is Yehoshua (or in a shortened form, Yeshua). We spell Yehoshua as “Joshua.” The name means "Yahweh saves" or "Yahweh is salvation." When Moses died, the OT Yehoshua led Israel across the Jordan into the Promised Land. Likewise, the NT Yehoshua leads us through the Jordan of our baptism into the land of saving rest. Moses, who embodied the Law, couldn’t get us there, but Yehoshua/Jesus does what the Law was incapable of doing. “Christ” is not Jesus’ last name but his title. It means "anointed one.” Its Hebrew equivalent is Mashiach, which is written in English as Messiah. There were various "messiahs" in the OT, such as priests and kings who were anointed to set them apart for divine service. Jesus is The Anointed of God who is set apart to do the Father's work of rescuing us. What about Lord? The Greek word for Lord is Kyrios. It is the title the Jewish translators used to render the Hebrew divine name YHWH (=Yahweh) in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament. Jewish readers of the Septuagint would have encountered the title Kyrios over and over in the Scriptures where the Hebrew has the name Yahweh. The one true God, the God of Israel, is Yahweh. The Son of God is Yahweh, even as the Father is Yahweh and the Spirit is Yahweh. One God, three persons. Jesus is Yahweh in flesh and blood. Therefore, if we were to unpack the confession, "Jesus Christ is Lord" from an OT perspective, we would say something like this, "This new and greater Joshua, who is the anointed one of God, is the Lord himself, Yahweh in the flesh, who as both God and man won salvation for us and leads us into our salvation rest through his life, death, and resurrection."

What would Paul think of the church today? Here is what @ntwrightonline had to say.

In honor of #NationalPuppyDay, please reply with a pic of your puppy (every dog is a puppy) ❤️

'Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord' Romans 8: 39

Happy New Year!

@DrJohnClifton @callummckenna @MissionLatte

Reply to all Xmas edition!! Who’s gonna go first? @callummckenna @MissionLatte

@theisb1891 @wainygooner @paul_sharman It’s an honour to be included in the programme. Thank you, @theisb1891 . Hope the evening goes well.

2/3 The concert also marks the launch of the band's latest CD ‘Powerhouse’. The title track, by Kenneth Downie, will be featured in the first part of the concert alongside new works by @wainygooner, @NicholasJSamuel, @paul_sharman and Steven Ponsford.

Join us for Sunday worship and the Word, 11am at The Salvation Army London Citadel (Ontario, Canada) online: youtube.com/channel/UCwarn…

@GeneralBPeddle @rosaliepeddle @SalvArmyIHQ Happy Easter! Blessings to you!

An Easter greeting from @rosaliepeddle and me. #easter #victory #faith #triumph #celebration #rejoice #faith @SalvArmyIHQ

@SalvArmyIHQ Our family will watch together the livestreams from THQ in Toronto and our corps in London ON. youtube.com/channel/UCwarn…

How will you worship this Sunday? On your own? With your family? With friends via video call? Through an online stream or gathering? Let us know!

I didn’t think I’d ever get such a response to this little tryout! Here I am in my own self-isolation. The song that came out on top was ‘All I Ask Of You’ - ALW

“In a world so torn apart by rivalry, anger, and hatred, we have the privileged vocation to be living signs of a love that can bridge all divisions and heal all wounds.” Henri Nouwen #quote #leadership

An ensemble from our very own @LCB_can playing at #HopeInTheCity Breakfast this morning.

8th Annual @TSALondon ‘Hope in the City’ breakfast, with guest Jim Kyte. #HopeInTheCity

Many who gather for worship today will pause and remember the tremendous cost of the pursuit of peace. Generations past paid dearly and yet the same pursuit remains for generations today. God help us to remember while seeking your peace in our time. @SalvArmyIHQ

#operationmobilizinghope is featured on RogersTV’s ‘Giving Back’. Many thanks to Jennifer and Kim for their support. @TSALondon @CitadelLondon rogerstv.com/media?lid=237&…