In this video, let’s take a few moments together to consider the greatest gift ever given—Jesus Christ. We read in 2 Corinthians 5:19 “that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not putting their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” God was in Christ, reconciling us to Himself. Here we have an amazing picture of the plan of salvation—it is a picture of a God who takes the initiative to restore the relationship that He once had with human beings, a loss keenly felt when mankind chose to separate themselves from their Creator. Imagine that night, so long ago, in the hillside town of Bethlehem. A baby is born—not in a comfortable bed, but in a barn—a stable, surrounded by creatures He Himself designed. He was both fully human, and fully divine. We see God in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself through the helplessness of an infant, through the innocence of a Child, by the faithfulness of a Young Carpenter, through the compassion of a Great Healer, in the wisdom of a Respected Teacher, and through the humility of an innocent Man turning the other cheek. We see Him on the cross, arms outstretched, seeking to reconcile the world to Himself. God seeks reconciliation with us. That’s what He wants—more than anything. He longs for us to be with Him—not only in the future, but now. His work of reconciliation did not end at the cross—it continues still, as He serves as our High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary, ministering in the holy of holies, pleading His blood on our behalf. Christ is actively participating in this important ministry right now. How wonderful it is to know that the God of the universe, who was willing to humble Himself and come to this world where He experienced our trials and sorrows, is the same Jesus who is now our advocate and high priest ministering for us in a real heavenly sanctuary. We are all called to this special ministry, and God has empowered us through the Bible. It is through His word that we find the keys to reconciliation with one another—confession, forgiveness, hope, and healing. Whatever difficulties, disputes, frustrations, we are now facing, the Lord has made a way for reconciliation, for unity among His believers.
His humble yet focused life, His selfless ministry to others, His amazing sacrifice, are examples for us, encouraging us to set aside anything that keeps us from being reconciled to Him, and to each other. As we think about our wonderful Savior, whose birth we remember in a special way this time of year, let’s reflect on His ministry of reconciliation. God is the same today as He was yesterday. He is still in Christ, reaching His hand out in reconciliation, healing wounds, making people whole, offering each of us the opportunity to be united together in Him. And one day very soon, angels will again appear in the sky as they did so long ago above the hills of Bethlehem—this time not to herald the birth of the babe, put to accompany the King in his glory, coming to take His people home. Even so, Come, Lord Jesus! 00:00 Greetings
00:36 The greatest gift ever given
01:38 Imagine that night
02:16 Pastor's Sermon
07:53 Pastor's Prayer To follow our official social media accounts, just follow the links below:
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What is it about this season that makes it so special? Well, let's go behind the scenes to understand the background as to why people are focused upon Christ as the baby who came to Bethlehem. Well, what is it about this season that is really so unique in terms of the presence of Jesus? It is the incarnation. Jesus willing to descend from heaven, to save us, to redeem us; His creation, His people, and to die for us as our Savior. That is the reason for the season. In the Book of Romans Chapter five, we read in verse six: "For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." You see, the Lord, in His graciousness has died for those who at times don't even know that He has given His life for them. And then when they awaken and realize what Jesus has done and they give their hearts to Him because of what He has done, that is the new beginning, the awakening in a person's life that yes, Jesus is my Savior. Well, it says in verse seven, "For scarcely for a righteous man will one die;" I mean, somebody might give their life or risk their life to save someone who's drowning. If that was a good person. "Oh, I don't want my loved one to die. Let me help them." But then it says here, "yet perhaps for a good man, some would even dare to die." Then it says, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners– while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." And so, here we were, sinners. We are sinners in need of a Savior. And even though at times we reject Christ, it's a sobering thought. But we reject Him every time we do our own will and not the will of the Heavenly Father. Even in those situations, Christ died for us. "Much more then," verse nine "having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him." His blood covers us with His righteousness. That's justification. Well, it goes on to say in verse ten, "For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son." In other words, we were rebellious, sinful people, "…much more having been reconciled we shall be saved by His life." His perfect life. His magnificent life. His life without sin. He died for you and for me that He might take on our sins and we might take on His righteousness. This is the magnificence of Christ becoming incarnated into a human being and being fully human, fully divine. Now, I can't explain that, but He is fully human and He will maintain those special characteristics throughout eternity. We will identify with this one that has come to take us into eternity by His grace. The incarnation of Jesus Christ is the reason for the season and I thank God for Jesus and what He means to me. My Lord, my Savior, my soon coming King, Emmanuel, God with us. I appeal to each of you, to recognize that God wants you to humble yourself before Him. To be filled with His Holy Spirit, and to then proclaim this magnificent message to all those around you as we look forward to Jesus soon coming and proclaim those three angels messages in a powerful way through the Holy Spirit's power. The Lord will use you as you commit your life to Him, for He is the reason for the season. Let me pray with you. Our father in heaven, we pray for our dear believers, and workers and leaders, churches, teachers, health professionals, literature evangelists, publishing workers and so many more. Encourage them right now and help each one to say, "Yes, Lord, I will go. I will be part of the final proclamation. To tell people, about this incarnation and about Christ's soon second coming and about the three Angels messages helping people to turn back to the true worship of God." Lord, thank you for hearing us and thank you for the incarnation of Christ who will forever bear the marks of humanity and of His crucifixion, reminding us of what He has done for us, as the reason for the season. In Jesus' name, we ask it. Amen. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTvBfHo54z8

What is it about this season that makes it so special? Well, let's go behind the scenes to understand the background as to why people are focused upon Christ as the baby who came to Bethlehem. Well, what is it about this season that is really so unique in terms of the presence of Jesus? It is the incarnation. Jesus willing to descend from heaven, to save us, to redeem us; His creation, His people, and to die for us as our Savior. That is the reason for the season. In the Book of Romans Chapter five, we read in verse six: "For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." You see, the Lord, in His graciousness has died for those who at times don't even know that He has given His life for them. And then when they awaken and realize what Jesus has done and they give their hearts to Him because of what He has done, that is the new beginning, the awakening in a person's life that yes, Jesus is my Savior. Well, it says in verse seven, "For scarcely for a righteous man will one die;" I mean, somebody might give their life or risk their life to save someone who's drowning. If that was a good person. "Oh, I don't want my loved one to die. Let me help them." But then it says here, "yet perhaps for a good man, some would even dare to die." Then it says, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners– while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." And so, here we were, sinners. We are sinners in need of a Savior. And even though at times we reject Christ, it's a sobering thought. But we reject Him every time we do our own will and not the will of the Heavenly Father. Even in those situations, Christ died for us. "Much more then," verse nine "having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him." His blood covers us with His righteousness. That's justification. Well, it goes on to say in verse ten, "For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son." In other words, we were rebellious, sinful people, "…much more having been reconciled we shall be saved by His life." His perfect life. His magnificent life. His life without sin. He died for you and for me that He might take on our sins and we might take on His righteousness. This is the magnificence of Christ becoming incarnated into a human being and being fully human, fully divine. Now, I can't explain that, but He is fully human and He will maintain those special characteristics throughout eternity. We will identify with this one that has come to take us into eternity by His grace. The incarnation of Jesus Christ is the reason for the season and I thank God for Jesus and what He means to me. My Lord, my Savior, my soon coming King, Emmanuel, God with us. I appeal to each of you, to recognize that God wants you to humble yourself before Him. To be filled with His Holy Spirit, and to then proclaim this magnificent message to all those around you as we look forward to Jesus soon coming and proclaim those three angels messages in a powerful way through the Holy Spirit's power. The Lord will use you as you commit your life to Him, for He is the reason for the season. Let me pray with you. Our father in heaven, we pray for our dear believers, and workers and leaders, churches, teachers, health professionals, literature evangelists, publishing workers and so many more. Encourage them right now and help each one to say, "Yes, Lord, I will go. I will be part of the final proclamation. To tell people, about this incarnation and about Christ's soon second coming and about the three Angels messages helping people to turn back to the true worship of God." Lord, thank you for hearing us and thank you for the incarnation of Christ who will forever bear the marks of humanity and of His crucifixion, reminding us of what He has done for us, as the reason for the season. In Jesus' name, we ask it. Amen. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTvBfHo54z8

In this webinar designed for pastors everywhere, Pr Mark Finley shares unique insights on how to help everyone to understand Daniel and Revelation. Buy the book here:
https://adventistbookcenter.com/understanding-daniel-and-revelation.html THE WORLD IS FACING SOME EXTREMELY SERIOUS ISSUES: – The scourge of hate and prejudice – Instability in the Middle East – Rising nuclear threats in Iran and North Korea – The tensions between the United States, Russia, and China – An unstable world economy – Global warming – Rapidly spreading worldwide pandemics – International food shortages – And a host of other regional and global problems MILLIONS NERVOUSLY ASK, “WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?”
The prophecies of Daniel and Revelation hold answers for honest-hearted people seeking to understand the uncertainties of our time. Although the world may seem out of control, prophecy reveals a God who is still in control. And Mark Finley’s new book Understanding Daniel and Revelation contains the secrets to unlock these ancient predictions. But prophecies of Daniel and Revelation are not merely about mystic symbols, strange beasts, and cryptic images. Every chapter focuses on the living Christ and His ability to change lives. Daniel and Revelation will come alive to you as you carefully study each chapter. The Holy Spirit will enable you to see the truth from a new perspective and in a fresh way. You will understand the deep spiritual principles behind every prophecy and discover your place in the conflict of the ages. Your faith will be strengthened. And your relationship with God will be deepened. Understanding Daniel and Revelation is a chapter-by-chapter commentary of these two prophetic books, drawn from four decades of Mark Finley’s study of God’s Word. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3q1U66Ac4Y

Does it ever seem like the world is spiraling out of control? Do you ever get the feeling that the end of the world is almost here? The good news is that in the midst of all the chaos, you can be confident that God has a personal rescue plan for you. This plan is none other than the second coming of Jesus Christ! Why should we learn about what Jesus’ second coming will look like? About 2,000 years ago, the people of Jerusalem were left stunned and unprepared because Jesus’ first coming didn’t match their expectations. Rather than coming as a glorious conqueror, Jesus came meekly as a little baby, born to a poor family. Unlike Jesus’ first coming, you won’t have to wait to hear the news of His second coming—it will be impossible to miss! Still, even though Jesus’ Second Coming will be visible to every eye and audible to every ear, it makes all the difference to know how He will return. The Bible declares that at Jesus’ second coming, “. . . every eye will see Him . . .” (Revelation 1:7). His second coming will not be a mysterious event in a desert or a secret rapture. Although some say that Jesus’ second coming will be a secret, the Bible actually warned us in advance against the thought. In Luke 17:23, Jesus tells us that someday people will falsely say “. . .‘Look here!’ or ‘Look there!’ . . .”, but we should not follow them. This is because any person who claims to be fulfilling Jesus’ second coming, but meets privately with a group or an individual, is only an impersonation. As lightning is visible from all angles in the sky, so will His coming be visible from all directions (Luke 17:24). And don’t expect to see Jesus walking down the streets of New York or Tokyo, either. When Jesus returns, the righteous will “. . . meet Him in the air.” (1 Thessalonians 4:17)! Finally, Jesus reminds us that we must always be prepared, because no one knows the exact time of His coming (Matthew 24:36). Jesus’ second coming will be the climax of earth’s history. He will rescue His followers from death, pain, and disease. Those who have died following Jesus will come forth from the grave alive with new, indestructible bodies. The bodies of His faithful followers will be instantly transformed, as quickly as the “. . . twinkling of an eye . . .” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). Today is the day to choose to follow Him, because “. . . now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2). Your eternal destiny is hanging on the choices you make. In John 14:2, 3 Jesus promised, “. . . I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” Jesus has prepared a beautiful home for us in heaven, so beautiful that no one can fully grasp just how glorious it will be (1 Corinthians 2:9). The best way to find out is to be ready to meet Him when He comes! Have questions? Need prayer? Visit us at awr.org/bible MB012QDBU9GAXX7 Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-MLUI25QZc