Embracing the Light: The Transformative Birth of Jesus

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I've witnessed God's faithfulness through this whole transition in a pretty fun way, in seeing how the communities actually come closer together. It could have been very simple, very easy for this church to just sort of fall apart and walk away. And we wouldn't be able to fault them for that because people are scared of change. [00:34:02] (24 seconds)


You see, Joseph picked up his family, and they began to move back out of Egypt, back to where they thought they would be safe. But that's not exactly. What happened? And actually, you know what we can do? We can read right from the Bible here in Matthew chapter 2, starting at verse 19. Verse 19 to 23. [01:05:08] (19 seconds)


After King Herod had died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead. So he got up, he took the child and his mother, and he went. To the land of Israel. [01:05:30] (23 seconds)


But when he heard that Archelius, who was reigning in Judah, well, that was like the son of King Herod. When he heard that the son of the king was reigning in Judah in place of his father, Herod, he was afraid there to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee. And he went and he lived in his town called Nazareth. [01:05:54] (24 seconds)


So was fulfilled what was said, he said through the prophets, he will be called a Nazarene. Isn't that awesome? Yeah, see, God had a plan the whole time. Joseph and Mary may not have understood everything all the whole time, but God shook it all up. But you know what? I am so excited to hear about what happened. Again, more prophecies being fulfilled, more truth happening. [01:06:35] (26 seconds)


You see, Jesus lived a life that he knew that if we believed in him and took him into our hearts, then we would be different. But he took some nails in his hands and in his feet. And when he did that, he died on the cross. [01:08:58] (14 seconds)


And by taking those nails in his hands and his feet, everybody thought he was older. Everybody thought that was it. That was the end of the story, and Jesus was gone. But that's not the exact answer, because you know what happens is there's a little surprise that happens when we have Jesus in our lives. When Jesus lives in your heart, something different takes place. [01:09:52] (23 seconds)


Oh my goodness, isn't that awesome? The thing is that we all can live in the light of Jesus. And now that's the whole plan. You see, the Christmas story wasn't about just Jesus being born. It goes beyond that. It goes way past that. It goes into the true meaning of who he was, what he's doing for us. [01:10:58] (18 seconds)


Maybe even one or two a day before Christmas. Hmm. I won't tell Santa, but you know what? There's one gift that maybe you've never gotten before. I want to give you a chance. It's the gift of Jesus right now. I want to do a prayer. And if you've never said this prayer, well, I want you to say with me. It's a, it's a prayer called the prayer of salvation. [01:11:59] (21 seconds)


Thank you, Jesus, for dying on the cross. Thank you, Jesus, that you didn't stay dead, but you rose again because you love us. Thank you, Jesus, for that ultimate gift that we can live forever in heaven with you. [01:12:17] (27 seconds)


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