When Jesus Was an Embryo / Gratitude / Probably Not a Silent Night

December 25, 2024

We wish you a very Merry Christmas from Canton, Georgia!

In the final bulletin of the year:

  • When Jesus Was an Embryo (Ruth Bancewicz)

  • Probably Not a Silent Night (Malcolm Cox)

  • IBTM summary (and multiple thank-yous)

  • Remaining financial needs (your help still needed!)

Upcoming in Q1 2025: Jesus in the Apocalypse, Webinar: Israel & Palestine, THC Gummy Bears, Resilience training (upcoming opportunity, Feb 2025) 

When Jesus Was an Embryo        

Ruth Bancewicz (the Faraday Institute)

"This Christmas, think about how our wise, loving, patient God entered the ancient Middle East—’Taking the very nature of a servant’—and trusted himself to the developmental processes that had been created through him." Click on the image to read the article.

scienceforthechurch.org/2019/12/10/when-jesus-was-an-embryo/

Probably Not a Silent Night

A communion reflection by Malcolm Cox

Was it really a silent night — as the popular carol claims? Or is that an inaccurate description of events?

I am a fan of the creativity and music of Caroline Arends. The material for today's communion is taken from one of her advent reflections called “Probably Not a Silent Night.”

Her song on the same topic can be found HERE.

I think he cried the way that babies do
I think his mama might have cried a little too
I bet you Joseph didn’t have a clue

What to do—he was new at fatherhood
So I don't think it was a silent night
I kinda doubt that all was calm that night
But there were those who heard about a light
They saw the sight and they understood:
It was a holy, it was a holy, it was holy night

Perhaps you have participated with your children in holding a lit candle at a church service while singing “Silent Night.” We did this many times at my father’s church during their carol service.

When our children were young we tried to keep them quiet during the song. We did not want to disturb the peace. However, try as we might some disruptions occurred — including the time a candle set light to our daughter’s fringe!

I bet they thought it odd
That such a poor and broken place
Should be a home for God
And did they gasp to see him shiver
Cold and hungry in our skin?
Did they tremble, did they wonder
How we deserved a gift like Him?
Oh, but just the same
The baby came …

Consider this scripture as worthy of meditation this Advent:

Though he was in the form of God, [he] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:6-8).

Questions for Reflection

  • Do you ever find yourself idealising Christmas?

  • Do you ever find yourself idealising life with God?

  • Is it time to open up a “messy” space in your life to Jesus?

Malcolm Cox (Watford, UK)

IBTM 2024 Summary

It’s been an action-packed year in the International Bible Teaching Ministry. The bullet items below should provide a quick overview.

Real-time teaching

  • Reykjavik, Iceland — Where Is God in this Crazy World?

  • European School of Missions (Paris, by Zoom)—World Religions (4 sessions in Q1)

  • San Antonio, TX — Teleios Conference: Spirituality & Scripture

  • AIM North America — 4 Saturday sessions, 4 Q&A sessions (online)

  • Watford, UK — AIM UK-Ireland — 4 Saturday sessions

  • Zoomunion — 52 Sunday sessions (33 guest speakers)

  • Saudi Arabia & United Arab Emirates (Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, & Kuwait online)

  • Milan, Italy — Sunday sermon on Nicodemus

  • Istanbul tour

  • Antioch Seminar (First Missionary Journey), Turkey & Cyprus

  • The Afterlife: Atlanta Braves Senior Staff

  • RMSMT: Apologetics (master's students, distance learning)

  • Colombo, Sri Lanka — The Apocalypse

  • iFaith Asia (underground) visit

  • Christians in Science Conference, Birmingham UK

  • The Gifts of the Spirit, Birmingham UK

  • Friends of the Teaching Ministry Retreat, Windermere UK

  • San Diego, CA — Evangelical Theological Society, Society of Biblical Literature, Institute for Biblical Research, Tutku Educational Travel

  • The Afterlife: Atlanta Braves Senior Staff

Ministries helped (books, consults, website subscriptions, Bibles)  

  • Bahrain / Bangladesh / Cameroon / Colombia / Estonia / Ghana / India

  • Ivory Coast (medical needs) / Jamaica / Jordan / Kuwait / Lesotho

  • Nepal (school uniforms & special ed teacher) / Nigeria / Oman

  • Pakistan / Philippines / Qatar / Saudi Arabia / Sierra Leone

  • Sri Lanka / Trinidad / Turkey / Uganda / United Arab Emirates

Thank you for your generous support!

Ministry Needs

In the annual course of the International Bible Teaching Ministry, I normally make 10 international teaching trips. IBTM also underwrites tuition, biblical tour expenses, and travel costs for a number of men and women teachers as they share the word in their own geographical regions. Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them... and teaching them... (Matt 28:19). Through mentoring, younger teachers are rising up worldwide. Entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others (2 Tim 2:2). Currently the circle of teachers affiliated with this ministry is about 80 persons in all.

Teaching and Training
Teaching shortfall (general fund)—$35,553
Training shortfall—$69,794

Outstanding material Needs
Philippines—$24
Uganda—$146
Jordan—$363
Sri Lanka—$389
Bangladesh—$441
Nigeria—$573
Nepal (school uniforms & special ed teacher)—$3366

This is our lowest-giving year in a decade. To support IBTM, please click HERE. All donations are tax-deductible for US citizens.

Much-deserved thanks

IBTM is hardly a one-man show. Scores of brothers and sisters around the world are connected to this ministry, whether by virtue of giving or receiving. I’m deeply grateful to all of you!

Carol contributors: Wendy Cavett (New York), Malcolm Cox (Croxley Green, UK), Kevin Darby (Raleigh), Katie Del Rocco (Nashville), Hannah DeSouza (London, UK), Tammy Fleming (Kyiv and London), Alex Gregorie (Atlanta), Joey Harris (Augusta), Jeff Hickman (Atlanta), Douglas and Vicki Jacoby (Morecambe, UK), Andrew Kitchen (Sydney, Australia): Brett Kreider (Jacksonville), Ross Lippencott (New York), Karen Louis (Dallas and Penang, Malaysia), Chase Mackintosh (Atlanta), Sherwin Mackintosh (Atlanta), LaToya Massey (Atlanta), Lin Ottenweller (Atlanta), Barbara Porter (Clemson), Josh Taliaferro (San Antonio), Nandi Traywick (Atlanta), Lia Willard (Atlanta), Byron Word (Atlanta)

Zoom communion speakers: Andy Boakye (Manchester, UK), Malcolm Cox (Watford, UK), Joey Harris (Augusta GA), Steve Staten (Triangle NC), David Pocta (San Antonio TX), Andrew Kitchen (Sydney, Australia), Jim & Lindsay Long (Atlanta GA), Pradeep Kutty (Kuwait City, Kuwait), John & Barbara Porter (Clemson SC), Brett Kreider (Jacksonville FL), Raghu Katragadda (Bangalore, India), Jeanie Shaw (Hartford, CT), Gilbert Kimeng (Lagos, Nigeria), Paul Smith (Dublin, Ireland), Triin Leesmann (Tallinn, Estonia), Raj Chandra (Dubai, UAE), Jorge Bittencourt (São Paulo, Brazil), Courtney Bailey (Kingston, Jamaica), William Auki Ochieng’ (Nairobi, Kenya), Jeff Hickman (Atlanta GA), Neil & Noel Trollip (Port Elizabeth, South Africa), Solomon Kganyago (Johannesburg, South Africa), Gordon Ferguson (Dallas TX), Bruno Ochman (São Paulo, Brazil), Emmanuel Emeh (Lagos, Nigeria), Arturo Elizararrás (Mexico City, Mexico), Tom Jones (New Orleans LA), Werner Reyneke (Johannesburg, South Africa), Moses Gad Kalala (Kinshasa, D. R. Congo), Carlos Santos (Madrid, Spain)

Principal webinar speakers and ministries: Rubel Shelly (webinar), Mike Licona (webinar), Denis Lamoureux (webinar) Risen Jesus, Stand to Reason, Tyndale House, Strength in Weakness, Common Grounds Unity, BioLogos, Christians in Science, the American Scientific Affiliation, Tutku Educational Travel

Fellow AIM teachers (biblical training): Jackson Cheng (AIM Pacific), Andy Boakye (AIM UK-I), Malcolm Cox (AIM UK-I), Joey Harris (AIM)

Fellow Board members of IBTM and the Athens Institute: Sandy Anjilivelil (Denver, CO), John Hanes (Atlanta, GA), Joey Harris (Augusta, GA), Alex Hunter (Atlanta, GA), Ron Sawhill (Athens, GA), Ronny Yttrehus (Oslo, Norway)

On to 2025!

May the Lord bless you during this holiday season.

Gratefully,
Douglas