On Sunday afternoon in Carringtons Restaurant, The Atlantic Hotel, Tenby, the pastor, Rev. Peter Richmond, led the third service of Advent.

He quoted the prophecy from Isaiah 7: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel."

In context, this was a prediction about how quickly Assyria would deal with two nations who threatened Israel, but the angel who visited Mary made it clear that this had also been a prophecy about the Messiah.

Although Jesus was born as a baby, it was said of him that his origins were of ancient times, and once when he was questioned, he told his listeners: "before Abraham was, I am!" Jesus was fully man and fully God. Perhaps the only way this was possible is if he were born of a virgin.

The earliest prediction concerning Jesus is found in Genesis 3, where he is referred to as the woman's offspring (or 'seed'). Although the Hebrew word for a virgin may also mean 'unmarried young woman', there is no ambiguity in the Greek language of the New Testament. Certainly Luke, a doctor, makes Mary's virginity very clear in his account of the Christmas story.

Deny the virgin birth and you contradict Jesus himself, for when he was 12 and Mary and Joseph found him in the temple, he said to them: "Didn't you know I have to be in my father's house?"

When Jesus prayed, he always addressed God as 'Abba', meaning 'Father' (or more idiomatically, 'Daddy'). This does not seem remarkable today, but Peter quoted a Lutheran pastor, who pointed out: "Do you realise that in the history of civilisation, nobody had ever called God 'Father' in prayer until Jesus of Nazareth did?"

The fellowship continue to pray for Mick, who was taken to hospital following a heart attack and has been undergoing a week of tests in Swansea.

This coming Sunday, Hesed and friends will be sharing a Christmas meal in Carringtons and then having an earlier service. If you would like to attend, please telephone 01646 681805 to check arrangements.

To find out more about the life of the church, visit the website, http://www.hesed.co.uk">www.hesed.co.uk