Marry CHRISTmas

Matthew 1:18-23 says that the sign was not fulfilled when Jesus was born. “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” The sign was not fulfilled at this time, but it was given. The prophet has promised that God would give them a sign. God gave them this sign when He gave them Jesus there in Bethlehem's manger. A sign is not fulfilled when it is given. It is fulfilled when that which it points to comes to pass. That baby lying there in Mary's arms is the greatest sign God ever gave to the earth, and it shall not fail. That which it points to shall most surely come to pass. Glory to His Mighty Name! The angel spoke to the shepherds in the field on that glorious night. (Luke 2:10-12) “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” And then they went on to tell them where to find the child. In Luke 2, that old prophet of God, Simeon, came by the Spirit into the temple and there found Mary and Joseph with baby Jesus. Here we find hands being laid on Jesus and prophecy going forth over him at the tender age of six weeks. For Simeon took Him up in his arms and began to prophesy. Hear what the Spirit said about Him: “And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;” (Luke 2:34) Yes this child is for a sign. See what He says about Himself in Luke 11:29-30: “And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.” Now, Jonah was a sign pointing to the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. This sign was given to the Ninevites when Jonah came forth after 3 days in the belly of the whale. The sign of Jonah was fulfilled when Jesus came forth from the tomb. Jonah's sign pointed unerringly to the Truth, it did not fail. And now, a greater sign than Jonah is given. Let us hear Christ speak once again through the mouth of the Prophet. In Isaiah 8:18: “Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.” We discover in Hebrews 2:13 that the One who spoke these words was actually our Lord Jesus. “And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.” (Hebrews 2:13) And He says that He is for a sign and so are the children (Sons) that God hath given Him, those who are to be conformed to His image, the Body of Christ, the Overcomer. Hallelujah! Thank God for His eternal plan and purpose!

Now our minds begin to wonder... if Jesus is the sign, and the Scriptures most plainly show that He is, then who or what is the fulfillment of that sign? Our precious Lord does not leave us in doubt, for the Bible very plainly reveals this great mystery. This is the glorious mystery that was revealed to Paul the apostle, which he calls "my gospel". For it was Paul who saw the wonderful truth of the Body of Christ, the "Perfect Man", the Sons of God, the many membered Man that God was making after His own image. Men and women fit this “Perfect Man”, for God's Man is neither male nor female, Jew nor Gentile, bond or free... he is made up of many members, and we are all one in Him. And if you are called into this High Calling of God in Christ Jesus, chosen of God to be made in His image, and faithful through the fiery test of time, then you can be a member of the perfect Man regardless of who you are. You see, in Genesis 1, God began a creation. Even in the first day, we find the substance of which man was made was present. Yes, the dust of the earth and the breath of God were there; but man had not yet been formed. On the first day, daylight was given. It was the day of beginnings. On the third day, there was a harvest of fruit in the earth. Then on the sixth day God brought forth His Man to rule over the earth, and on the seventh day God rested while Man ruled. Now, we know that Jesus was the light of the world and John 1:9 tells us: "That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." Salvation, or justification, is the beginning of eternal life for us. This is pointed out beautifully in the types and shadows God gave in the Old Testament Law. At the time of the Passover, God said that this should be the beginning of months for them. Everything starts with the sprinkling of the blood on the doorpost. The death angel passes over them and the children of Israel are safe from the judgments of God. Then, in the third month, they are to bring forth the first fruits of the harvest, and on the fiftieth day following the Passover Sabbath comes the feast of Pentecost. Just as the Passover was fulfilled in Jesus spilling His own precious blood on Calvary and rising from the Tomb, just so was the feast of Pentecost fulfilled when He sent back the Holy Spirit upon the waiting Church, bringing forth a great harvest in the earth, a harvest which actually is only the first fruits of what God is going to do on the seventh day at the great Feast of Tabernacles. For in the seventh month, in the end of the civil year, comes the great feast which has never yet been fulfilled... the great Feast of Tabernacles, reserved for the end of this age. We are now in the sixth day when God is forming His Man, His Body in the earth, and bringing it to completion. The ministry of Apostles and Prophets is once more arising from within the Church for the perfecting of the Body, until we all come unto "a Perfect Man", unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Is there any wonder why the devil and all the forces of hell are joining forces in Communism, atheism, false religions, ecclesiastical systems, dead modernistic denominations, and much demon activity... trying to deceive the Christian as soon as he is reborn? Note how Herod tried to kill Jesus while still a babe. Yet, God protected Him.

Everything about the life of Jesus points to the Body of Christ, of which He is the Head, as well as filling the whole Body. He is the divine sign, and that which is coming forth to rule and reign with Him in God's Eternity must follow that sign, and fulfill it to the letter. Knowing and following the right sign will keep you from being deceived in this hour of tremendous and marvelous revelation, both real and false.

His coming is revealed in the written Word, the Bible, even the Old Testament Law. Beware of those who would tell you that because what they have is not spoken of in the pages of the bible, that the bible is a dead letter and no good to us today. Flee from them as you would from before a viper that would strike you dead. For they would do worse than kill you, they would steal your soul and destroy your hope in God. If it is not found in the bible, it is not true. Isaiah the prophet said: "To the Law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." (Isaiah 8:20) Yes, the mystery of the Body of Christ is hidden to them that are lost, but nevertheless, it is in the Word of God, and is now being made manifest to His saints; to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery.

Jesus was born of a virgin! You better believe this. It is very important, both to the nature of who He is, and also as a sign. For that which God is bringing forth is conceived by the Holy Ghost, and shall not come by the will of man or from the efforts of man, nor shall it come through any of the harlot systems of religion which are married to man and under man's headship. God is separating the woman now, a Church, and cleansing her even as a virgin. He will soon bring her into travail, worse than she has ever known in her young life, that she might bring forth the Man-child into the earth. The Man-child is even now a part of her, but has not yet been formed into the complete Body.

Notice how Herod, representing the world systems, Babylon, with the doctors of religion at his right hand, tries to kill this child Jesus, but to no avail. Hallelujah, the Angel of the Lord has been given charge over Him, and safely escorts Him to Egypt. But why Egypt? Because He was a sign, and the prophet Hosea had already spoken how God had called Israel, "my son", out of Egypt as a child. Matthew 2:15 says that Jesus had to go to Egypt "that it might be fulfilled" what the prophet spoke in Hosea 11:1. “And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.” (Matthew 2:15) “When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.” (Hosea 11:1) You see, before it could happen to us, it had to be foreshadowed in Old Testament Israel and fulfilled in the Son. God knew that in these last days He would find us in bondage, bound by these old earthly ecclesiastical systems of religion, ruled over by man. If you are to be in God's great purpose in these last days, you must separate yourself from false doctrine. “And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” (Revelation 18:4) This is God's plan, so let us follow the sign. I know that there was a mixed multitude that came out of Egypt, and many of them still were full of lust and sin. And so it is with the Move of God today... many are coming out of the religious systems, but are bringing a reproach upon what God is doing because of their sinful lives and their false doctrines and their greed and lust. This mixed multitude had to die out in the wilderness along with those they contaminated, but thank God there were Two Witnesses, true and faithful (Joshua and Caleb), and these went into the Promised Land to their inheritance along with God's new generation of wilderness born children of faith. Don't take lightly this part of the message, for it is very important. You may say, "But if I come out of the system and earthly organization I'm in, out from under the headship of man, then where would I go, what would I come into? The answer to that is that you'll come into a wilderness where you'll think you're going to die a hundred times, where you'll think you're going to starve, or wander forever. There are many others in this wilderness today; God will bring them together to help each other in truth! In fact, the old carnal man will die out there in the wilderness, but thank God, He provides bread from heaven and water from the Rock! But though the natural man is in continual confusion and separation from all that he held dear... yet the spirit daily will grow stronger and more dependent upon Him who leads us by the cloud and the fire. "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the Sons of God." (Romans 8:14) God didn’t promise a bed of roses, or that He will lead you where you would like to go, but He will lead you through the wilderness to a promised land of plenty, flowing with milk and honey, promised to the Seed of Abraham.

So you see the Christmas season is a season to realize what Jesus did for us… how His birth, His death and His resurrection made the way for us to follow him to that last Feast of Tabernacles! When Jesus was hanging on the cross He said it is “finished” … the war was won right there. Now we have to walk His walk so that His enemy’s will be made His footstool and we will enjoy that promised land of eternity! So as you look on the nativity scenes this Christmas remember what Jesus did for you and yours and worship Him as your Lord of Lords and King of Kings. Sing His praises and witness His love to others even when the stores are crowded, the traffic is bound up and horror of horrors someone whips into the parking space you have been circling for 15 minutes to get! Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!