Even In The Darkest of Times
Every Christmas season we talk about the shepherds, the wise men, Mary and Joseph, but rarely do we talk about Simeon and Anna. These two seem to be missed most Christmases, but their stories are very important. Why? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he parallels our day and age with the days of the birth of Jesus in his Christmas message, The Quest For Christmas Pt. 3: Simeon & Anna’s Christmas Quest.
Each and every Christmas, we are given the choice to either follow the will of God or back down in fear. 2,000 years ago, 9 months before the birth of Christ, Mary was given that same choice. We often talk about Mary’s part in the birth of Christ, but do we truly understand the intensity of her decision? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he shows us the importance of Mary’s decision in his Christmas message, The Quest For Christmas Pt. 2: Mary’s Christmas Quest.
Two thousand years ago, Jesus came to earth as a helpless baby. This birth wasn’t just random; it was planned and prophesied for thousands of years before it happened. Who was this prophesied to? The Chosen people of God, the Jews. Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he refocuses us on the true meaning of Christmas in his Christmas message, The Quest For Christmas Pt. 1: Israel’s Christmas Quest.
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel. ~ Genesis 3:15
2,000 years ago, God set off His Godliness, took the form of man, and came to earth as a baby to save the world. This wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision. This was a well-planned rescue mission prophesied from the Garden of Eden. See, God created Adam in His own Image and then created woman because man could not be alone. His creation was perfect, and He would come, walk, and talk with His creation daily. Then suddenly, in an instant, His creation was completely corrupted.
So, what does God do? In the punishment of the tempter and deceiver, God prophesies the hope of all of humanity. See, the Serpent was the root of the fall of mankind, so not only was the Serpent punished, but the eventual undoing of all that he had done was prophesied. Let that sink in. The Serpent intended for the downfall of all humanity, but the LORD not only punished him but also told him how He (God) would undo his evil actions.
Let this be a reminder this Christmas season that even when the Devil tempts you successfully, God will be there to show all involved His plan of redemption. Be encouraged by this and let not your hearts be discouraged by the temptations of this world, for the LORD will also come to redeem those who love Him and whom He loves.
Peace. Love. Go Forth and Look For His Prophecies.
Every year on December 25th, Christians get together and celebrate the birth of Christ. We sing songs about His birth and read the majestic account of His sinless birth. But is the date of Jesus’ birth actually in the account of Jesus’ birth in the Bible? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he searches through the Scriptures to find the truth behind the date of birth of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, in his video, Was Jesus Really Born December 25th?
The age-old question is, was Jesus really born on December 25th? We believe you can find the answer to this question in the Bible, specifically when you put all the stories together—starting with the account of the Conception of John and ending with the Conception of Jesus.
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David, 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called Holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your Lord.” And the angel departed from her.
Luke 1:26-38
1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
Luke 2:1-7
2000 years ago, Jesus was born in the city of David, the town of Bethlehem, but why? Why did the Messiah have to be born in Bethlehem? What’s so special about Bethlehem? Does it have to do with the Messiah being the descendant of David? Or maybe it was just a perfect shot to Egypt? Join ArieRashelle as she searches through Scripture to find the answer in her video, Why Was Jesus Born in Bethlehem?
1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
Luke 2:1-7
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in the city of David.
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”
Matthew 2:16-18
To avoid the massacre that Herod ordered in Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph fled with Jesus to Egypt. This fulfilled the promise that the Messiah (the Descendant of David) would be called out of Egypt.
13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and His mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy Him.” 14 And he rose and took the child and His mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
Matthew 2:13-15
We’ve all read the prophecy of the coming Christ. We’ve read how He, Jesus, will be called Immanuel (which means God with us). We know the verses by memory, but do we fully understand them? Do we truly understand what the prophecy of Jesus being called Immanuel means? Join ArieRashelle as she searches through Scriptures for answers in her video, Immanuel: God With Us.
14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:14
20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).
Matthew 1:20-23
Immanuel means God with us. God has finally come to dwell with man forever and He will one day physically dwell on earth with His people.
16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
John 14:16-17
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.”
Revelation 21:3
The birth of Jesus Christ is an undeniable historical event. Though Christ’s birth, in itself, is undeniable, His sinlessness is often brought into question. So, was Jesus born sinless? And if He was born sinless, how is that possible? Join ArieRashelle as she searches through Scripture for the answer in our video, Was Jesus Born Without Sin?
The Birth of Jesus Christ
How was Jesus born sinless? Jesus was able to be born without sin because Jesus was born to a virgin and He was conceived from the Holy Spirit.
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.”
Luke 1:34-35
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).
Matthew 1:18-23
