How to Have a Merry Christmas

How to Have a Merry Christmas

Subject: Making Sure Our Attitude Is Right About Christmas

by Rick Welborne

Matt 2:1‑12 (NKJV)

1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 

2 saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him." 

3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 

4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 

5 So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: 

 6 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.' "  

7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 

8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also." 

9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 

10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 

11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 

12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.  

–Evidently there will, at least until Jesus comes back, those who have the spirit of Herod. Herod wanted to kill the Christ child because He was a threat to his kingdom. People want to kill babies.

–Obviously, people are still threatened by Jesus because they want Christ out of Christmas. Stores are omitting His Name while schools are calling the Christmas Holidays...the Winter Holidays or Winter Break.

–Make no mistake that the spirit of Herod is alive and thriving because of those who want no part of our Jesus...Planned Parenthood - selling baby parts.

--Thank God we have a president who is imploring people to not be robbed of saying Merry Christmas. He is encouraging all of us (not that he should) to say Merry Christmas!

–Again this year I implore you not to say happy holidays but to say “Happy Jesus’ Birthday!” Say it loud and say it with passion. That will leave no room for question of where you stand. 

–Jesus said it was impossible for offenses not to come. Let’s politely offend as many as possible.

Luke 17:1-5 (NKJV)
¹  Then He said to the disciples, "It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!
²  It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
³  Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.
⁴  And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him."
⁵  And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." 

–Whose responsibility is it to spread His Name anyway...Secular Businesses or the church of the Living God.  Before you complain about not having manger in town you put a manger scene in your yard.

–Maybe we should be like the shepherds and go and share the good news.

–I have a concern, not only about the spirit of Herod wanting to destroy the Christ child but those who within our own ranks (churches) want to kill the Spirit of Christmas.

–They complain about the commercialization of Christmas and all the lights and glitter. They complain that almost everybody gets a gift for Christmas except for Jesus.

–They complain about Christmas Trees and how pagan they are.

–Today hopefully I can give a view of Christmas that will set the saints free to make it a Merry Christmas.

–Let’s face it, if we aren’t merry during this time of year, there is a really good chance that we will not be able to help those who do not know Jesus.

–So how can we make this a Merry Christmas?

1. We can look at the lights and decorations in a different way.

--Christmas is so commercialized and businesses are making lots of money...but maybe the whole world is celebrating Jesus without even knowing why?

--Maybe the lights and decorations are an opportunity for the church to rise from its sleep and slumber and witness about the love of Christ to people.

--Isn’t this the time of year...more are depressed, suicidal, lonely, stressed, hurting, marriages shattered ...shouldn’t we be the light of the world?

--Lights aren’t to be hidden but to be displayed for those to see...we do want them to see don’t we?  Jesus said: We are the light of the World!

--Remember when the angels appeared to the shepherds:

Luke 2:8‑17 (NKJV)

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 

9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 

10 Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 

11 "For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 

12 "And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." 

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 

 14 "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"  

15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us." 

16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 

17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 

  

--The light and the glory came so they went and found Christ...they spread the word. We should too!

2. We can look at the Christmas tree in a way that will honor and glorify God.

--A few years ago I preached a sermon: Wake Up!  The gifts are under the tree!

--There will always be the dreadnaughts among us who say, No Christmas tree!

--But again I say, Wake up, the gifts are under the tree.

--Pastor Rick, the tree Jesus died on was not a beautifully decorated tree, it was an old rugged cross....it was beautiful when you think Who was on it and why! His blood washes away all our sin.

--Jesus is no longer on the tree but has ascended to the right hand of God.

--What was a symbol of death (the cross or tree) can, at Christmas, be a celebration of the resurrection and life of Jesus Christ.

–When we see the lights on the tree let us think: Jesus is the Light of the World.

–When we see the gold ornaments: Let us think of His majesty and Kingship.

–When we see the star: Let us think of the star the Magi or wise men followed.

–When the kid’s eyes light up: Let us remind them that it is Jesus’ Birthday.

1 Cor 1:18 (NKJV)

18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  

--Let’s look at the Christmas tree in a totally different light. Wake up the gifts are under the tree (the cross).

3. We can look at this process of gift giving in a totally different way.

--They say, Everybody gets a gift for Christmas except for Jesus.

--Is that really the issue or is there something deeper in your heart, Scrooge? 

--If that is how you feel, then bring your best gift to the Church at Christmas time and let us use it to bless the Lord and the poor.

--If you really want Jesus to have a great gift...give Him yourself without all the baggage and complaining.

--Give the Lord something He can use this year...a life dedicated to Him.  Ouch!

--Of course giving can be done for the wrong motives and receiving can get to be about our selfishness but it doesn’t have to be that way.

--What if we looked at our gift giving as if we were giving to Jesus Himself.

1 Cor 12:12&27 (NKJV)

12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 

27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

--If we are Christians and we give to we another...we are giving as if we are giving to Jesus.

--If Jesus is in you and He is in me...when we fellowship together and bless each other...We experience Emmanuel...God with us...the greatest gift of all.

--What about all this feasting and celebrating during the holidays? Expanding my territory. We can and should celebrate all of God’s wonderful blessings. 

Mal 4:2 (NKJV)

2 But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall‑fed calves.  

--As we fellowship together we should anticipate that great day when we will sit with Jesus at the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Matt 26:29 (NKJV)

29 "But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom."  

Rev 19:4‑9 (NKJV)

4 And the twenty‑four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, "Amen! Alleluia!" 

5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying, "Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!" 

6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, "Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! 

7 "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready." 

8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 

9 Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!' " And he said to me, "These are the true sayings of God." 

--Let’s join with all those in heaven who worship Jesus and let’s make this a Merry Christmas!

Christmas – 2019 – Jesus – He Will Save His People

Christmas – 2019 – Jesus – He Will Save His People

Subject – Jesus Came to Save Us

by Rick Welborne

Matthew 1:18‑25 (NKJV) 

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 

19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 

20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 

21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." 

22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 

23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." 

24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 

25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS. 

–The Christmas story is so fascinating from so many aspects and it is so amazing to me what God has accomplished by sending His only begotten Son.

–We must keep in perspective that all of us look back to this glorious story but these characters were living them out in real time.

–I can imagine the excitement and happiness that Joseph must of had about being engaged to this sweet young Jewish girl.

–Can you conceive of his shock and disappointment to find out that his supposedly pure wife to be, was expecting a child and was blaming God. God gets blamed for so much!

–His love for her was such that he wanted to put her away secretly (lots to be learned here of how we deal with each other) ...what respect even in a bad situation. 

–An angel of the Lord -  "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.” 

–It is so cool to see the obedience of Joseph and Mary in the conception, the pregnancy, and the birth of Jesus in this story. Their heads and their hearts had to be spinning.

–The next verse is what the Holy Spirit laid on my heart for us to look at today:  

Matthew 1:21 (NKJV) 

21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." 

1. You shall call His Name Jesus.

–Mary shall bring forth a Son...the Son of God born of the Holy Spirit:

Luke 1:35 (NLT) 

35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.

–Get this picture in your mind...an angel shows up to Mary and Joseph and says to them that you are going to be the parents of the Son of God.

–He will be conceived by the Holy Spirit...the power of the Most High God will overshadow you with love and protection to make this happen. 

Matthew 1:21 (NKJV) 

21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." 

–You shall call His Name Jesus...you shall call Him “Immanuel” God with us! He will be called the Son of God

–His Name is Jesus! Gabriel provided the Name for the Son of God and that is probably a good thing because of the shock! Can you imagine trying to name God’s only Son!

–The closest thing I can compare to this was the birth of our daughter...having a son at 33 and another son at 38 Tricia and I thought for sure we were done.

–Nine years later my wife sits me down to tell me that she has had a visitation from an angel or something like that...she tells me that she is with child.

--And his or her name will be...even when we knew it was a daughter...such shock we let our sons name her. They named her Stephanie.

--Stephanie – French – Crowned – A dynamo of emotions. Trusted by everyone. Personality-When hearts are true, few words will do. Relationships – A few close friends is all she needs. She is always on the go; she takes life in the fast lane. Her happiness is tied to what she does. While not seeking fame, her future is in the limelight. 

–I could not get the phrase out of my head: You shall call His Name Jesus! This is the Name Heaven sent and the angel brought...You shall call His Name Jesus. What a beautiful Name!

2. Jesus’ Name explains His ministry.

The Complete Biblical Library - Mary’s child was to be called Jesus (Yahweh-Jehovah is salvation) because His Name explains His ministry. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." This is His ministry!

–His Name implies both help and deliverance. It is His personal Name as Savior and Redeemer of His people.

Matthew 1:21 (NKJV) 

21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." 

–His liberation does not begin with the defeat of external foes (a common misconception among the Jews); rather, He provides freedom from the power, guilt, and penalty of sin.

Matthew 1:21 (NKJV) 

21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." 

–He also brings believers into living fellowship with God as His redeemed people. We belong to Him!

Matthew 1:21 (NKJV) 

21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." 

–No longer do Christians need to be bound by the corrupting power of evil that enslaves and drags people down to eternal destruction.

Matthew 1:21 (NKJV) 

21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." 

–Jesus saves from (literally away from) sin. Therefore, it is absurd for anyone to keep doing the same old sins and think Christ can be claimed as Savior.   

Matthew 1:21 (NKJV) 

21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." 

–Jesus takes believers out from under the dominion of sin and brings them into the freedom and joy of a life in the Spirit.

Matthew 1:21 (NKJV) 

21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." 

Acts 4:10‑13 (NIV) 

10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 

11 He is "'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone'. 

12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." 

13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 

--Salvation is found in no other Name but the Name of Jesus.

Matthew 1:21 (NKJV) 

21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." 

3. Our Christmas Message

--His Name is Jesus and Jesus is:

Isaiah 9:6 (NKJV)
⁶  For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 

–The Christmas message is this...He will save His people!  

Luke 15:13 (NKJV)
¹³  And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.

--The Christmas message is this…He will bring the prodigals home. Can I testify about Joshua?

--The Christmas message is this…He will save us from our sins! Any sinners here?

1 John 1:9-10 (NKJV)
⁹  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
¹⁰  If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

--The Christmas message is this…God loves us so much!

John 3:16-19 (NKJV)
¹⁶  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
¹⁷  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
¹⁸  He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
¹⁹  And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

--The Christmas message is this…Everyone seems to love Christmas lights. Jesus is the Light of the World.

John 1:1-14 (NKJV)
¹  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
²  He was in the beginning with God.
³  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
⁴  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
⁵  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
⁶  There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
⁷  This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.
⁸  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
⁹  That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.
¹⁰  He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.
¹¹  He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.
¹²  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
¹³  who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
¹⁴  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 

Christmas – 2019 – Fasting and Prayer

Christmas – 2019 – Fasting and Prayer

Subject – The Christmas Story Tied to Fasting and Prayer

by Rick Welborne

Luke 2:1‑20 (NIV) 

1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 

2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 

3 And everyone went to his own town to register. 

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 

5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 

6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 

7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 

9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 

10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 

11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 

12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." 

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 

14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." 

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." 

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 

17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 

18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 

19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 

20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. 

–Joseph and Mary take Jesus to the temple to present Him to the Lord...Simeon recognizes him as the Messiah and blesses Him.

Luke 2:36‑40 (NIV) 

36 There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 

37 and then was a widow until she was eighty‑four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 

38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. 

39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 

40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him. 

–As I prayed and sought the Lord about what to share...I am very aware that it is Christmas time but I am also keenly aware that we will be challenging you to fast and pray with us Jan. 1. 

--Fasting is probably one of the more difficult things we American Christians are asked to do especially after the abundant food we have during Thanksgiving and during all the Christmas season.

--Most of us declare or at least raise our hands when we are asked do we want God to send revival.

--It will not happen without fasting and praying with sincerity. We want the King of Glory to burst through the doors of Life Church with salvation and with healing in His wings. He is at the door waiting:

Revelation 3:20 (NKJV) 

20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. 

–It is time and especially here at Christmas that we open up or raise up the doors and let the King of Glory come in! Listen to King David:

Psalms 24:1‑10 (NKJV) 

1 The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein. 

2 For He has founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the waters. 

3 Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? 

4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully. 

5 He shall receive blessing from the Lord, And righteousness from the God of his salvation. 

6 This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face. Selah 

7 Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. 

8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle. 

9 Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. 

10 Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah 

–Fasting and prayer will be or can be the push that will swing open the door that we are praying for. God wants to so manifest Himself to His people.

2 Chronicles 15:1-2 & 12-13 (NKJV)
¹  Now the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded.
²  And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him: "Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. 

¹²  Then they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul;
¹³  and whoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. 

–Also, I believe Jesus wants us to know that our previous fasting, praying, and persevering have accumulated before Him and He was about to pour out Holy Spirit on Life Church…those who are hungry and seeking.

--Our fasting and prayer has to be sincere. It is not a weight loss program or just an adjustment to your diet. If you are not seeking God, your motivation is wrong. What miracle do you need from God?

–Ok, Pastor Rick, what does all this have to do with Anna and her declaration about Jesus and fasting and prayer?

Luke 2:37-38 (NIV) 

37 and then was a widow until she was eighty‑four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 

38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. 

–In these two verses I see three things that will help us to get ready for Jesus ( the door of the sheep) to come to us and we will see what Anna did as she waited...

1. To be ready for Jesus to come Anna had a dedication to God’s House...She never left the temple. 

--Church was not optional for her but she had a passion for God’s house.

Psalms 69:9 (NLT)    

9 Passion for your house has consumed me…

 Hebrews 10:24-25 (NKJV)
²⁴  And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
²⁵  not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

--Let me encourage you in this coming new year to make God and His House a priority. Please don’t tell me you want revival to show up at Life Church when you are not willing to be here to pray for it.

Mark 11:17 (NKJV)
¹⁷  Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'?”

--Anna was expecting the Messiah to be revealed and she knew the temple would be the greatest place for having an encounter with Him. The same is true for us. My house…God says…not your house!

--I am calling for a solemn assembly during our week of prayer January 5-10...Make it a major priority for you to be here...we all say we want Him to come...let us come seeking Him with all our hearts.

--With everything being shaken that can be shaken...get to God’s house...His refuge for us! Be faithful to be here to seek Him and to minister to others…exhorting one another. 

--If you are going thru a tough time...get to church...remember Simeon and Anna had an encounter with Christ at the temple. 

Jim Cymbala – Maybe the reason you are going through a tough time is because God wants to talk to you again. You want come to Him unless your life is disrupted. 

2. To be ready for Jesus to come Anna made a choice to worship God night and day. 

--Just an observation: those who make the choice to worship God night and day, thru the bad and good, thru blessed times and rough times...those individuals have peace with God and experience Him more often.

--It just stands to reason that if we have a love for God and His House and we worship Him continuously that everything will be alright! Let me remind us!

Psalms 34:1, 18‑19 (NKJV) 

1 I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. 

18 The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit. 

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all. 

--Don’t miss it...Anna saw Jesus because she was a worshiper. Worshipers encounter God because when you seek Him with all your heart…you find Him!

3. To be ready for Jesus to come we must be willing to fast and pray.

--Anna loved God’s house, she worshiped night and day, and she fasted and prayed.

--Your pastor and church leadership are admonishing you to join with us in fasting and praying beginning January 1. Fasting and praying should be a normal part of a Christian’s life.

--We are asking you to do a true biblical fast...fast food...you can fast TV, FB, watching sports, or other stuff but fast food in some way. It helps understand what it means to crucify our flesh.

--We deny our flesh something that it wants so that we can get what our spirit needs. 

Matthew 5:6 (NKJV)
⁶  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. 

--We know some of you have to be careful and some of you may have to check with your doctor but all of us can fast something for 21 days. So many different ways to fast. Daniel. Partial fast. Complete fast. 

--A lot of us will be ok because we have stored up like a bear going into hibernation. 

--We are asking for 100% participation...we are asking for you to especially join with us starting Monday, January 6 for our Annual week of Prayer.

--We are asking everyone who can to come out every night that week and join us in seeking after God for a sovereign move of His Spirit! Anna had an encounter because she was in God’s temple seeking.

--We believe that as we are unified in this fasting and praying that God will reveal Jesus to us in a greater way. As I said we want a true Biblical fast with Biblical results: 

Isaiah 58:6-14 (NKJV)
⁶  "Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke?
⁷  Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh?
⁸  Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
⁹  Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.' "If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
¹⁰  If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday.
¹¹  The LORD will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
¹²  Those from among you Shall build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.
¹³  "If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, From doing your pleasure on My holy day, And call the Sabbath a delight, The holy day of the LORD honorable, And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, Nor finding your own pleasure, Nor speaking your own words,
¹⁴  Then you shall delight yourself in the LORD; And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the LORD has spoken." 

--Anna fasted and prayed in God’s temple and she found the One Who could do this…Jesus!

The King is Here

The King is Here

Subject – Christmas Program

by Rick Welborne

Matthew 1:18-25 (NKJV)
¹⁸  Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.
¹⁹  Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.
²⁰  But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
²¹  And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins."
²²  So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:
²³  "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us."
²⁴  Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife,
²⁵  and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.

--The angel of the Lord gave Joseph a very important message and I want you to hear the same message.

1. Do not be afraid!

--Joseph’s world seemed to be shaken…His girlfriend is pregnant and he is not the daddy. How hurtful…how embarrassing…how shameful. His whole world is upside down. 

--Maybe your world has been shaken by marriage problems, kid problems, health problems, finance problems, employment problems, or whatever…the message is the same. Do not be afraid. 

--What Joseph did not know…really could not know before this time…had no conception of what God was up to. God was just getting ready to say the King is here. 

--What seems to be bad news to you may just be God wanting to announce…The King is here. The King of kings and the Lord of Lords is on the way. Do not be afraid. 

2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)
⁷  For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 

--God does not want fear to be birthed in our hearts. He wants Christ to be born in our hearts by Holy Spirit. He wants us to declare everything is alright because the King is here.

2. Jesus will save us from our sins!

--We all come today to hear a Christmas program with good singing and quite entertaining. Maybe you came for a different reason. Jesus will save us from our sins.

--Maybe no one knows the loneliness and pain in your heart, they don’t know your sin or your addiction, they don’t know the darkness in your heart…the sin.

 --Jesus will save us from our sins. Oh, Pastor, you don’t know the depth of my sin. You’re right, I don’t know but Jesus knows and He still loves you! The King is here. He is here to save you and to set you free!

Ephesians 3:16-19 (NKJV)
¹⁶  that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,
¹⁷  that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
¹⁸  may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height--
¹⁹  to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

--The King is here to save you from your sins. He wants you to be introduced to His love.

3. Immanuel – God with us! The King is here!

Matthew 1:23 (NKJV)
²³  "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us."

--Immanuel – God with us! The King is here!

--So why did He come? He came for you and He came for me! The King is here to save you from your sins! He did this for Zacchaeus: 

Luke 19:9-10 (NKJV)
⁹  And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham;
¹⁰  for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

The King is here! He is here for you!

The True Christmas Spirit

The True Christmas Spirit

Subject -The True Spirit of Christmas – Overcoming Fear

by Rick Welborne

1. The True Christmas Spirit is birthed from the Holy Spirit and overcomes fear.

Luke 1:26‑38 (NIV) 

26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 

27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 

28 The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." 

29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 

30 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 

31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 

32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 

33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." 

34 "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" 

35 The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 

36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 

37 For nothing is impossible with God." 

38 "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her. 

Luke 1:30 (NIV) 

30 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.” 

–I believe Mary was really no different than you and I... she was troubled and she was afraid.

–When an angel from God says to not be afraid and tells you favor is coming your way...You can hear the message and overcome all anxiety.

–Please understand that this does not mean that she will not face more fears or even greater fears but what this does say is that God can handle it all for you! Each victory should build toward another. 

–Obviously none of us will be confronted by an angel and be told that we will give birth to the Son of God but we will be confronted by God to allow Christ to be born in us. And others.

–So what would a situation like this look like for us?  Good question.

–If you have ever wanted to see an example of the baptism of the Holy Spirit...this is it.

–As you seek Him...As He comes to birth something great in you (Christ)...Holy Spirit will come upon you...the power of God Himself will overshadow you.

–What comes out of you when you are baptized in the Holy Spirit...the Son of God. Not Fear!

2 Timothy 1:6‑7 (NKJV) 

6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 

7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

2. The True Christmas Spirit is a spirit of obedience and sacrifice not fear.

Matt 1:18‑25 (NKJV)

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.

19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.

20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

21 "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."

22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:

23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us."

24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife,

25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.   

Matt 1:18‑25 (NKJV)

20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

A. Was it easy for God the Father to send His only Son to a cruel world?

B. Was it easy for Jesus to leave the majesty and honor of heaven and be robed in flesh?

C. Was it easy for a little teenage girl (Mary) to be pregnant out of wedlock?

D. Was it easy for her to hear the whispers behind her back as she carried Jesus?

E. Was it easy for her in a society of strict tradition to be a candidate for stoning?

F. Was it easy for her to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem while pregnant?

G. Was it easy for her to have her baby born in a cave (manger) instead of a room?

H. Was it easy for Joseph to find out the girl he was engaged to was pregnant?

I. Was it easy for him to endure the mistrust and ridicule for not putting her away?

J. Was it easy to process in his mind that his fiancée was carrying the Son of God? 

K. Was it easy to imagine how to raise this God child in a proper way?

L. Was it easy for Him to have to flee from Herod to save his son from death?

M. Was it easy for him to hear of all the children who died when his son was the target for death?

N. Was it easy for the wise men to come so far to see the King of the Jews?

O. Was it easy for the wise men to side track Herod in his plot to kill Jesus?

P. Was it easy for Mary to hear Simeon’s prophecy of her child and her eventual sorrow?

–There are always challenges that will strike fear into our hearts but as we trust Holy Spirit and:

Matt 1:24 (NKJV)

24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife,

3. The True Spirit of Christmas is a spirit of giving not the fear of holding back.

John 3:16 (NKJV)

16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  

A. God gave His Son.

B. The Son gave His life.

C. Mary gave up her reputation.

D. Joseph gave up his pride.

E. The shepherds gave their worship.

F. The wise men gave their time and their gifts.

G. What are we giving in comparison to these?

–Don’t be afraid to give and to bless the needy and poor...it leads to eternal life.

4. The True Spirit of Christmas is a spirit of reconciliation not fear.

2 Corinthians 5:17‑21 (NLT) 

17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 

18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 

19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 

20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 

21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. 

–This is so powerful...because we belong to Christ...everything is made new...the old unforgiving self is gone.

–God thru Christ has brought us back to Him...He has forgiven us and now we do not have to be afraid to forgive others...He wants us to bring them to Him.

--For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them...what a concept...no longer counting their sins against them.

–The Christmas message is a message of forgiveness...God forgiving us...and all of us forgiving each other.

Luke 19:10 (NKJV) 

10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." 

–Don’t be afraid to forgive the unforgivable...that is what Jesus did for you...we appeal...We plead with them...Come back to God! Ministry of Reconciliation. 

–Jesus had never done anything to have to be forgiven for but was willing to be the offering (the forgiveness) for our sin...so we could be made right with God.

–What a wonderful Christmas gift.

5. The True Spirit of Christmas is a spirit of joy not fear.

Heb 12:1‑2 (NKJV)

1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

–Caution: about a Worldly holiday spirits. Greed, stress, anxiety, loneliness, hopelessness, depression, pride.

–Think about how Mary and Joseph laid aside the spirit of pride to be the parents of the Son of God.

–They laid aside the weight of what people think, of what would it look like, of what will people say, of what tradition said...because of the joy set before them

–As in every case of overcoming fear...we must look to that Christmas child...the author and finisher of our faith and imitate His model for us...

–When we are faced with fear...fix your eyes on Jesus and for the joy set before you endure...eventually you will also be at the throne of God.

–A good Christmas starts with Jesus, flows with Jesus, and finishes with Jesus.

–When we have the Christ of Christmas we can endure unto the end and can overcome our fears. Don’t be afraid, Mary...why?

Luke 1:35-38 (NIV) 

35 The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 

36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 

37 For nothing is impossible with God." 

38 "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.