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Message notes by Kenton Beshore, December 12 2021
’THE WONDERFUL LIFE OF LOVE’
CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS
THE FIRST ADVENT…”THE ARRIVAL”
456 PROMISES MADE AND FULFILLED
…the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means 'God is with us'). Isaiah 7:14
LIVING WHILE WAITING
Jesus replied, "'You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.'…A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'..." Matthew 22:37,39
THE FIRST ARRIVAL
The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! Luke 2:11
THE SECOND ADVENT
316 PROMISES MADE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
"Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me…I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” John 14:1-3
LIVING WHILE WAITING
Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations… Matthew 28:19
And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come. Matthew 24:14
THE SECOND ARRIVAL…HOPE
…"Look, God's home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever." And the one sitting on the throne said, "Look, I am making everything new!"… Revelation 21:3-5
LESSONS FROM THE FIRST ADVENT
At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David's ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant. And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. Luke 2:1-7
MESSY TIME, PEOPLE AND PLACE
GOD SHOWS UP IN THE MESS
FEAR NOT
But the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said… Luke 2:10
…perfect love expels all fear... 1 John 4:18
GOOD NEWS OF GREAT JOY
…"I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.” Luke 2:10
A SAVIOR…A BABY
The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger." Luke 2:11-12
SHOW AND TELL
They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. Luke 2:16-17
"For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16