Tag Archives: Bible

Five Modern Lessons from the Birth of Jesus: Applying the Nativity Story to Today’s Challenges

Posted on by yolandaberry
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The birth of Jesus is painted like a sweet, fairytale Christmas story but in reality it was harsh, brutal series of events. The Christmas story is far from a glamourous one.

From the day of conception, Joseph contemplated the pregnancy of Mary until an angel appeared to him and told him not to fear. He was instructed to marry a virgin who would give birth to Jesus. The Messiah who would save the world from sin.

Mary, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, was also afraid until an angel appeared and told her, “Fear not.” Joseph wondered how he would explain this miraculous conception to the community. Can you imagine the amount of pressure Joseph was under? So he took Mary and hid her away from the judgement and scrutiny of the public.

From Humble Beginnings

Upon the time of delivery, Mary and Joseph traveled for three days on a donkey. Can you imagine being pregnant and traveling for three days on a donkey? They traveled from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into Judea, to the city of David, also known as Bethlehem. Luke 2:4

Once they arrived, they had no shelter. They were homeless. There were no hospital or midwife. There were no place to give birth except for a stable where animals resided. Can you imagine the unpleasant smell of herds of animals living in their quarters?

Deception of King Herod

King Herod inquired of the wise men to seek the location of Jesus so that he could come and worship him. The three wise men were led by a star directly to where Jesus was born. They fell down and worshiped the young child and offered gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Upon discerning the instructions within a dream, the three wise men departed in a different direction and did not provide details of where Jesus was born and avoided King Herod.

Escaping the Plans of Execution

After the wise men departed, an angel appeared in a dream and told Joseph to leave Bethlehem and to go to Egypt with Jesus and Mary because King Herod ordered and planned to slaughter all children under the age of two in Bethlehem. Matt 2:13-24

After King Herod died. Joseph received another dream directing him to leave Egypt and enter into Israel. Joseph was warned in another dream to move to Galilee and dwell in a city called Nazareth.

From Journey to Journey

In this timeline of events, there is so much that can be applied in our daily lives during these challenging times. The act of obedience, discernment, humility, grace, faith and courage have essential parts to play in the story of Jesus birth.

  1. Protection under Obedience

When we actively listen to God’s voice, He will lead us directly to where we need to be. It’s not by coincidence, accident, or luck. It’s a divine leading of the Holy Spirit. There is a divine covering of protection when you’re led by God whether by place, action, or deed. He will shield you in every circumstance that you encounter.

2. Discernment of Direction

With each act of obedience, you will receive discernment and direction. The decisions we make are much like a labyrinth with many different paths, decisions, choices and options but in the end when we follow the Lord, we will reach our destination and the designated place where the Lord desires us to be. We will also be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit and have a desire to please Him more than people.

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Jer 29:11

3. Gift of Humility

The precious gift of humility provides heart-felt appreciation, gratitude, and thanksgiving. When you go through the storms of life, you can understand the struggles, challenges, and obstacles you’re encountering and overcoming. You are humbled by your experiences, and you realize the cost and the Power of God working in your life. You understand that it’s not in your strength but in the strength of God.

4. Guided by Faith

Living by faith is not easy. Human tendencies want to know and experience the certainties of events that will unfold favor and comfort in our lives. Walking in faith is not a cake walk, but in reality we are living by faith everyday. It’s how we utilize our faith in difficult times to navigate through the pitfalls, setbacks, discouragement, heartache, loss and pain. Faith is a gift. It is an exercised skill granted by God. The level of faith is a gift which unwraps underlying fears and fills it with courage, strength, and power. You have greater access to unlock the secret things of God by operating in faith.

Call unto Him and He will answer thee and show you great and mighty things you do not know of.

Jer 33:3

When you tap into a deeper level of faith, you have no doubts or worry. You are building a stronger relationship with the Father who is unshakeable, unmovable and unstoppable. The Lord requires faith because He has need of you. When you tap into a deeper level of faith, you are limitless to the possibilities presented as mountains of obstacles that stand before you.

Faith is the evidence of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.

Heb 11:1

5. Under God’s Grace

The grace of God is upon you during the most difficult seasons of your life. He will rest upon you with peace. He will be patient and gentle. The Lord is faithful. He is a loving God and cares for your well-being. He will extend His kindness and mercy upon you. God does not fail. He desires the best for you. He will strengthen and teach you. His hand is upon your life when you walk in obedience with the Lord. His hand is upon you when you fail, make mistakes or do wrong. He is a forgiving God. God does not lie. He will contend and fight your battles.

28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

Acts 17:28

The five lessons from the Nativity provide helpful guidance on how to navigate through the rough terrain of life. Just like Joseph and Mary, who carried baby Jesus through the devasting attacks upon His life. They journeyed with miraculous protection, direction, and grace. Jesus, who saved the world through His gift of Salvation, provides an eternal hope for our future. Emmanuel, “God with us” surrounds us in this present moment despite the challenges, difficulties, distractions and obstacles that we face in today’s world.

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Bible References

Isaiah 9:6-7

Isaiah 7:14

Matt 1:19

Matt 2:7-12

Luke 2:1-20

Luke 1:30-33

The Miraculous Power of the Resurrection

Posted on by yolandaberry
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Jesus carrying cross

We will never be able to comprehend the betrayal, rejection, persecution and physical pain that Jesus endured. After such a brutal beating and mocking, He was led to carry a cross by Himself to His death. The ultimate torture lead to the ultimate sacrifice for us.

The complete darkness of the age was blinded that He was the Son of God. They discredited the works of His hands and the miraculous miracles to deliver and heal the sick, cast out demons and raise the dead.

The resurrection power of Christ to defeat death and the grave and transcend to life embodies the everlasting hope and faith of the ultimate love for the remission of sins. Jesus paid the price and penalty for our freedom and redemption to escape all forms of bondage, sickness, sin and death in exchange for eternal life and abundant living.

May the hope and freedom of His resurrection encourage you to rise above any circumstance and face any challenge with a fresh level of faith towards the future understanding the cost of His sacrifice for the gift of life. May the renewal of this season breathe new life in every area of your soul.

The Resurrection Prayer

Thank you, Lord that you paid the ultimate sacrifice on the cross for my sins. You transformed darkness into light. May your Spirit illuminate my mind, body and spirit with understanding and wisdom as I continue down an unknown path as you continue to guide me along the way. I receive extraordinary faith, peace and power to rise above my present circumstances and to rebuke any challenges, obstacles or distractions that block your plan and purpose for my life. I pray for endurance to fight the good fight of faith and to carry the love of Christ in my heart and to expose the darkness and transcend to light in this world by your Spirit. To God be the glory!

In Jesus name, Amen.

Related Scriptures

Luke 24 – The Whole Chapter

Eph 1:7

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s

Eph 1:17-20

17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[a] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,

Eph 2:8-9

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

Eph 2:11-13

11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)—12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Eph 2:20-22

20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Luke 21:36

Matt 16:24-26

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him sent himself and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

For what profit Aman if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

The King is Coming

Posted on by yolandaberry
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“Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.” Matt 21:5

And a great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

They cried out saying,

And when He had come into Jerusalem all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?” So the multitudes I said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.” Matt 21:10

Hosanna

The words that the crowd shouted, “Hosanna” derives from Hebrew meaning “Save now” or “Save us, we pray,” in which the long awaited time of the Messiah was finally here to bring Salvation and set up God’s Kingdom.

Unfortunately, the masses were seeking political restoration and not spiritual Salvation, much like the people of today whose interest are political, economic and social power of influence.

In that time, the majority of the population did not know or understand that Jesus was there to save them from their sins and to be the living sacrifice for the world and the coming Kingdom.

This was the beginning of the miraculous sacrifice of His love demonstrated for us all.

“Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna, in the highest!“ Mark 21:9

Hosanna only appears in the Bible twice. Once in Matt 21:9 and the other in Mark 11:10.

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Bible References

Psalm 118:26

26 Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord: we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord.

Isaiah 53

53 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lordhath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lordshall prosper in his hand.

11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Luke 19:10

10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

Heb 9:22

Acts 1:11

11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

Matt 24:30

30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Titus 2:13

13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;