Action4Canada - Christmas Service with Tanya Gaw & Pastor Dan Vachon, Dec. 18, 2024

00:00:00.000 Jesus Christ fulfilled the 300 prophecies.

00:00:06.980 It's all in God's word.

00:00:09.220 And those prophecies were given 500 years before Jesus Christ was even born.

00:00:15.720 And so I got to tell you, if you have any doubts in your heart today about who to serve,

00:00:24.400 you need to serve the one whose prophecies were fulfilled.

00:00:27.060 And the thing is, when the angel appeared and spoke to the shepherds,

00:00:37.800 and they spoke to those who heard the words of God,

00:00:41.760 they were told, and his name shall be called Emmanuel, which means God with us.

00:00:51.940 You see, if you need anything in this world today, is you need hope.

00:00:57.060 You need hope.

00:00:58.680 And the thing is, now, hope has a name.

00:01:03.640 And his name is Jesus.

00:01:06.020 We're so excited to share tonight's program with you.

00:01:13.180 If this is your first time with us, Tanya Gaw is the founder and leader of Action for Canada.

00:01:18.480 And tonight, Pastor Dan Vachon is joining her and will be sharing the most important and life-changing message you'll ever hear.

00:01:27.100 Hello, Tanya and Dan.

00:01:28.380 Hi, Heather.

00:01:30.820 Hi, Dan.

00:01:31.560 Boy, I'm looking forward to tonight.

00:01:34.160 Hi, Heather and Tanya.

00:01:36.100 You know what?

00:01:36.640 It seems like just a few months ago we were doing this Christmas special.

00:01:40.320 Time just seems to fly, doesn't it?

00:01:41.880 When I was sitting in the background here, Dan, I was actually thinking the same thing of how fast this year has gone.

00:01:48.820 I've been saying that for the last couple of weeks.

00:01:50.840 And I look back at how much has been accomplished in 2024.

00:01:56.200 And so I can just imagine what we're going to accomplish in 2025.

00:02:00.880 So I'm actually looking forward to the new year.

00:02:04.380 But I'm looking forward to tonight.

00:02:05.980 I know that you've put a lot of work into the message.

00:02:09.080 You've been very thoughtful about that.

00:02:11.120 And so, Heather, thank you as well for coming on.

00:02:13.880 And we have a special guest that's going to be joining us briefly, my very good friend, Danielle Pastille.

00:02:21.580 And Danielle has just become such a dear friend since 2020, since I met her in September at one of the first rallies I'd ever attended.

00:02:31.980 She had helped organize it.

00:02:33.940 And Danielle was actually very key in coming alongside me and really seeing a vision for the mission of Action for Canada and our legal action and helping me raise the funds that were needed.

00:02:46.460 And I'll be eternally forever so grateful to you, Danielle.

00:02:50.340 And then from there, you've actually become part of the Action for Canada team.

00:02:54.140 You're the chapter leader in North Vancouver.

00:02:56.440 And you're just such a valued part of our core team.

00:02:59.060 And I'm so excited to have you on tonight.

00:03:01.880 You had reached out and I understand that you want to pay a tribute to Action for Canada and the work we're doing.

00:03:08.820 So I just want to hand the floor over to you.

00:03:11.760 Oh, well, thank you.

00:03:12.780 And you're just as dear to me, Tanya.

00:03:14.860 And I don't even know where I'd be without a lot of your guidance these days.

00:03:18.260 So thank you for everything that you've been doing.

00:03:20.360 And yeah, so hello, Lions.

00:03:23.780 Good evening.

00:03:24.540 And I'm so, so grateful to have the opportunity to address everybody tonight before we begin this very special holiday episode.

00:03:33.360 So thank you for the time tonight.

00:03:35.380 On behalf of so many people across this nation, I want to take a moment to thank God for blessing our country with an extraordinary woman that I get the privilege of calling friend.

00:03:44.340 And that is the unstoppable Tanya Gaw.

00:03:46.220 If there is one word that comes to mind when I think of Tanya and Action for Canada, it is hope.

00:03:54.820 Let me take you back to a great afternoon in September of 2020 when Tanya stepped onto the stage of the Vancouver Art Gallery for the very first time where approximately 5,000 people gathered, feeling lost, discouraged and alone.

00:04:07.560 But searching for connection amidst, a world turned upside down.

00:04:13.480 Tanya's hands were trembling and her speech paper slipped to the ground.

00:04:17.000 And you could have heard a pin drop as she boldly declared, I would like to thank God and God alone for the ground that I'm standing on.

00:04:24.560 Her words carried a gravity that ignited so much excitement when she declared that she would be taking on the monumental task of holding our government accountable legally for the lies, division and propaganda.

00:04:36.120 That they had been unleashing upon us.

00:04:40.900 What happened next remains one of the most inspiring moments I think I've ever witnessed in my life still to this day.

00:04:46.920 After Tanya's announcement, a single person stepped up onto the stage holding up a $100 bill as an act of support for her vision.

00:04:54.760 This simple yet powerful gesture sparked an incredible response from what seemed to be a never-ending sea of people that came forward offering everything from spare change to $100 bill.

00:05:06.120 This incredible moment of collective action ignited a glimmer of hope that spread like wildfire.

00:05:13.860 It was a turning point reminding all of us of the immense power that we have when we come together for a common cause.

00:05:20.720 And thanks to Tanya's bravery and guidance, this shared experience literally transformed feelings of helplessness to empowerment.

00:05:29.340 She showed us that together we are so much more powerful than the 1% that have been trying to rule over us.

00:05:35.500 I think it is safe to say that Tanya quickly became a beacon of light during a time of darkness and uncertainty for many.

00:05:41.460 But Tanya's journey didn't end or even begin just in 2020.

00:05:47.500 Long before that pivotal moment, she was already a fierce advocate shining a light on the erosion of parental rights and speaking out about concerning changes taking place in schools and communities, as well as the immigration issues that have been plaguing our country.

00:06:01.880 Tanya has never been afraid to speak out about the most uncomfortable conversations that most people avoid, and she has consistently been ahead of the curve, warning us about significant issues that threaten the fabric of our nation.

00:06:16.180 Tanya's work has since progressed to new bold legal actions, and her lawsuit regarding all of the mandates is one of the few that are still active in the courts today.

00:06:27.860 Tanya has her thumb on the pulse of what is happening all over this country, acting as the eyes and the ears and the voice for so many of us who would have otherwise remained unaware, and has inspired countless people to get involved in advocacy work, myself included.

00:06:43.720 Because of Tanya's fearless leadership, thousands have been motivated to contribute their time, expertise, and connections, and financial support.

00:06:53.820 And without this collective effort, tackling these monumental issues would have been near impossible.

00:06:59.980 Additionally, there is a tight and mighty core team that has been volunteering their time, talents, to support Action for Canada, and to do all that they can to stand on the front lines and say, not on my watch.

00:07:12.540 Much like Gideon's army, it's not the size of the group that determines the success, but the strength, courage, and commitment of the people involved.

00:07:22.920 And as life regains some normalcy, we must not lose sight of the importance of staying engaged as the battles that Action for Canada takes on comes with significant costs, financial, emotional, and logistical.

00:07:34.980 From technical support and website maintenance, to massive legal fees, mail platforms, and print materials, these efforts require all of us to share the burden.

00:07:47.480 We cannot leave this responsibility to just one person or a small team.

00:07:52.040 If we expect change, we must be active participants in creating it.

00:07:56.820 Tanya, your hard work and unwavering determination inspire us all.

00:08:04.040 I know that this has not been an easy road by any stretch, but your courage and dedication have brought so much hope to so many.

00:08:12.400 And I want you to know how profoundly grateful many of us are that you continue to say, yes, God, to taking on all that you do to defend faith, family, and freedom.

00:08:22.000 To everyone here this evening, I urge you to reflect on the importance of staying involved.

00:08:29.880 Let's not forget the struggles that we've all endured, the lessons that we've learned, and the progress that we've made.

00:08:37.640 As we approach the holiday season, a time of generosity and reflection, I ask each of you to consider what can you do to support Action for Canada,

00:08:51.000 whether it's through volunteering your time, offering your talents, donating your treasures, or simply sharing this message.

00:08:58.580 Your contribution matters.

00:09:01.260 A wise man, David Lindsay, once taught me that advocacy is a generational task.

00:09:08.720 What you do today, make no mistake, your children and grandchildren are taking notice.

00:09:14.240 Involve them in what you're doing.

00:09:16.200 Talk about it at the dinner table, because every donation made, every moment volunteered, and every effort you give is not just a contribution.

00:09:25.420 It's a lesson to the generations that follow.

00:09:28.300 We're not just fighting battles.

00:09:31.940 We're building a legacy of courage and unity that will echo long after us.

00:09:37.260 The change that we all long for begins with each of us choosing to act.

00:09:43.700 And Tanya, thank you for being a beacon of light and hope and reminding us of what it means to stand firm in the face of adversity.

00:09:51.040 Because of you, we are reminded that even the smallest of acts of courage can spark a fire of hope, and together we can create a future where truth, freedom, and faith prevail.

00:10:01.940 So tonight, let's reignite that passion and determination that brought us together in the first place and ensure that 2025 is a year of renewed action, strength, and purpose.

00:10:14.460 And I would like to start that wave of support by offering the first $100 of the evening, and I hope that it will encourage others to step up and do the same.

00:10:22.540 And Tanya, the core team, and to all of the action for Canada volunteers, keep up the good fight.

00:10:30.400 This country needs you more now than ever.

00:10:33.080 You are an inspiration to those around you, and what you do is highly contagious in a good way.

00:10:40.180 Do not ever underestimate the impact of every little thing that you do.

00:10:44.720 Thank you for making this world a better place.

00:10:47.380 It does not go unnoticed.

00:10:49.700 Wishing all of you Fierce Lions a very Merry Christmas.

00:10:55.440 Stay blessed.

00:10:58.440 Thank you, Danielle.

00:11:00.220 I didn't know completely what to expect tonight, but I'm sitting here and just taking in all of your words.

00:11:10.580 And I love what you say about the generations and, you know, that they're watching us.

00:11:15.760 And how grateful I am to the past generations that fought for our freedoms, and we're in that position today.

00:11:22.300 And we just value you.

00:11:24.060 I thank you for taking the time to come on the show tonight.

00:11:27.280 I thank you for donating the first $100.

00:11:30.360 We pray that that will be many more, and that people will see the vision for the mission of what Action for Canada is doing and accomplishing going into the new year.

00:11:39.300 So, God bless you so much, and Merry Christmas.

00:11:42.120 God bless you, too.

00:11:43.080 Thank you, everybody, for what you're doing.

00:11:45.320 I'm going to just show how you can actually take part in this donation.

00:11:49.900 If you go to our main webpage here, you see all kinds of little buttons on top here.

00:11:54.140 If you go to the very last one to donate, and if you click on donate, one of the easiest ones is through an e-transfer.

00:12:01.580 And you can just simply add Action for Canada as a payee on an email.

00:12:07.300 Now, there's two things you need to know here with regards to e-transfers.

00:12:10.720 If you want to just give generally to Action for Canada, the email is call2atactionforcanada.com.

00:12:18.420 That just goes in our general fund.

00:12:20.080 If you wish to support our legal action, then the email is legalactionatactionforcanada.com.

00:12:26.200 You can also donate monthly by credit card, MasterCard, Visa, Discover, or American Express.

00:12:32.660 You can also donate.

00:12:35.320 There's two tabs here with regards to donating monthly and donating to legal fund.

00:12:41.020 You would choose one of those by donating by credit card.

00:12:45.340 And if 2% of our people on our email list would say, I'll give a dollar a day, we'd be blown out of the water.

00:12:54.140 But that's how great our God is.

00:12:56.800 If you would like to send a check in the mail, then you would go to the far box on the right, and you would make it out to Action for Canada, Inc.

00:13:04.680 Very important to include that INC at the end, otherwise the check would not be capped.

00:13:09.040 We still do things the old-fashioned way.

00:13:10.660 Now that Canada Post is back on the job, then we can receive checks.

00:13:16.140 And if you'd like to send a monthly check or a one-time donation, that'd be great.

00:13:18.900 Now if you'd like to send some silver coins or some gold bullion, maybe send us an email at call2atactionforcanada.com and we'll gladly figure things out with you.

00:13:29.660 Or maybe you've got 100 acres by the wayside and you'd like to donate that to Action Canada.

00:13:34.520 You know what?

00:13:35.300 Whatever the Lord lays on your heart.

00:13:37.200 We have so many volunteers across the country that literally donate, you know, 10, 15, 20, 30, even 40 hours a week of their time to do the work that we do.

00:13:46.560 There's lots of emails, there's phone calls, there's campaigns, there's delegations, and they do it all for free.

00:13:52.380 And they give up their time, and we're accomplishing great things.

00:13:55.460 So I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart.

00:13:57.940 Thank you, Danielle, for taking that initiative.

00:14:00.280 And I just, before we get into our Christmas program tonight, let me take a moment and just pray.

00:14:05.800 As I said, we're an organization, but we're also a ministry.

00:14:08.300 And I believe that God will honor the seed that you may plant.

00:14:13.860 I'm also a farmer.

00:14:14.980 When I put a seed in the ground, I expect a plant to come up and it to produce more than one seed that came up.

00:14:20.760 I expect to produce more.

00:14:23.320 So, Heavenly Father, will you touch the hearts of our listeners, not only tonight, those that will watch the reporting,

00:14:29.180 and that they would be open to just giving out of the generosity of their heart.

00:14:33.760 I know times are tough.

00:14:35.020 I do.

00:14:36.120 We're all struggling.

00:14:37.280 But, Lord, if you would only touch the hearts of those that are meant to give, that they would receive a blessing in return.

00:14:45.040 And that, Lord, through that, that Action for Canada could expand its ministry, can expand its campaigns,

00:14:51.660 and its ministry to others, that we can help even more Canadians, Lord.

00:14:55.700 We would be eternally grateful.

00:14:57.520 And I ask this in Jesus' name.

00:14:59.680 Amen.

00:15:01.180 Amen.

00:15:02.100 Amen.

00:15:02.760 Thank you, Dan.

00:15:03.700 And, again, thank you to Danielle.

00:15:05.040 Anyways, I'm looking forward to the Christmas service.

00:15:07.720 So, Dan, I'm just going to hand that on over to you.

00:15:10.180 Thank you.

00:15:10.540 Okay, well, yeah.

00:15:12.480 So, this is prerecorded in my little shop that I have next door.

00:15:15.920 And so, I just pray that it's a blessing to you.

00:15:17.940 And when it's all done, I will come back and just wrap it up.

00:15:21.420 So, enjoy.

00:15:22.260 Merry Christmas to all.

00:15:30.020 All I want for Christmas.

00:15:31.520 Today is December the 18th, 2024.

00:15:37.480 And exactly 57 years ago today, to the day, my father died.

00:15:43.740 Now, I was just a young fellow, and I don't really remember him.

00:15:47.080 But I do know that my father was a pastor.

00:15:49.400 He was a missionary.

00:15:50.940 And he was very loved by many people.

00:15:53.500 My mother was six months pregnant when my dad died, and the shock of it sent her into some shock, and she lost the child that she was carrying.

00:16:04.380 My father was a very talented man, and he played 11 instruments.

00:16:09.800 I play one, and sometimes I play the radio, although I know that doesn't count.

00:16:14.340 But in the memory of my father in 1980, my grandmother had this huge Bible given to me in memory of my dad.

00:16:26.280 And it's inscribed in the front with a little epitaph for my dad, and I cherish this Bible very much.

00:16:32.800 And so, since we are in the season of Christmas, as a family tradition, every year, just before we would get into the gifts and the food,

00:16:42.720 I would sit down with my children, with my little clan, and we would go through the Christmas story.

00:16:49.440 And we would talk about what it really means to celebrate the Christmas season.

00:16:55.320 Now, Christmas may mean different things to some of you.

00:16:57.940 And for some, well, it's just an extra few days off.

00:17:02.180 Perhaps it's, if you're stuck working, you know, it means extra pay.

00:17:06.800 But for some of you, it may be a time of extreme anxiety.

00:17:10.400 It may mean a time of pain, suffering.

00:17:14.760 Maybe 2024 has been an extremely difficult year for you.

00:17:19.260 And maybe some of you at this time are thinking about Christmas, and, you know,

00:17:23.460 you're at a point where you can't even make rent, or your mortgage payment, or your vehicle payment.

00:17:29.420 Some of you may still be looking for a job, and you can't find that ever-elusive job that you've been looking for.

00:17:36.400 You can't find work.

00:17:38.060 For some of you, it may be family problems.

00:17:40.580 For others, it could be health-related.

00:17:43.060 Maybe you found out this year you've got cancer.

00:17:45.540 For others, maybe you're going through a separation or divorce.

00:17:48.160 And you're hurt, and you're broken.

00:17:51.640 Maybe you've got some family issues and troubles, and your family's just continuously being torn apart.

00:17:57.780 Whatever your situation is, for some of you, this year, Christmas, is a very difficult time.

00:18:05.080 And if I were to ask you, what do you want for Christmas?

00:18:08.760 You'd say, are you serious?

00:18:10.460 I'm just looking forward to get through the end of this year, and I just want it to be over with.

00:18:14.160 What I want to do this evening, if you're joining us live, or if you're watching this later on, as it's been recorded,

00:18:24.600 I want to show you the real and true meaning of Christmas.

00:18:30.020 And how it didn't just start now.

00:18:32.500 How it's not just a new phenomenon.

00:18:35.140 But I want you to leave, after we're done this presentation, with an opportunity for real hope.

00:18:42.140 And I want you to leave different than when you came.

00:18:46.380 So if you came with all kinds of hurt, different types of baggage, or different types of burdens,

00:18:52.700 I'm going to give you a chance at the end, so that you can answer the question,

00:18:59.740 All I want for Christmas is peace, joy, happiness, a purpose in life.

00:19:06.920 So we're going to get into the Christmas story, like I used to share with my kids.

00:19:11.900 This is going to be a very interactive Christmas presentation.

00:19:15.360 And I'm going to show you some photos.

00:19:17.460 We're going to go through a historical timeline, and there's going to be a few videos.

00:19:21.780 Okay?

00:19:22.560 So let's get into it.

00:19:24.340 This is going to be fun.

00:19:26.260 So our story begins at the very, very beginning.

00:19:29.200 And to do that, we have to go all the way back to the book of Genesis.

00:19:33.200 All the way back to the Garden of Eden.

00:19:36.060 As you know, God put Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, told them to attend the Garden,

00:19:40.160 and they had free reign of the entire Garden.

00:19:42.460 It was a perfect place.

00:19:44.480 Matter of fact, the Bible tells us that every day, at the cool of the day,

00:19:47.320 God himself would come down and fellowship with Adam and Eve.

00:19:50.340 And he would fellowship with them.

00:19:52.300 God had one stipulation.

00:19:53.660 Of the tree, of the knowledge of good and evil, God said,

00:19:58.300 Do not touch it, or you shall surely die.

00:20:00.640 And the devil, the old serpent, came along and said to Eve,

00:20:03.380 Did God really say, You shall surely die?

00:20:06.420 And as you know the story, Eve partook of the fruit she gave to Adam, her husband,

00:20:10.780 and they discovered they were naked.

00:20:14.300 God came down and couldn't find them that day.

00:20:17.480 And long story short is, they admitted that they had taken of the fruit.

00:20:21.600 And so God pronounced a judgment upon them and a curse.

00:20:26.640 The earth was then cursed.

00:20:28.460 But here's what I want to share with you, because with the curse came a promise of redemption.

00:20:34.420 In Genesis chapter 3, beginning at verse 14,

00:20:39.140 Then the Lord God said to the serpent,

00:20:41.720 Because you have done this, you are cursed.

00:20:44.400 More than all the animals, domestic and wild,

00:20:47.660 you will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live.

00:20:51.600 And I will cause hostility between you and the woman,

00:20:56.180 and between your offspring and her offspring.

00:21:00.020 He will strike or crush your head, and you will strike his heel.

00:21:06.860 Now, embedded there in the Hebrew language is the curse, but also the promise.

00:21:12.620 You see, God so loved Adam and Eve, even though they sinned,

00:21:17.200 even though he was placing a curse upon them,

00:21:20.060 that God was also giving them a promise of redemption someday.

00:21:24.100 And what happened because of the curse, is God had to expel them from the garden,

00:21:28.760 because also in the garden was the tree of life.

00:21:31.960 And if they had partaken of that fruit, the tree of life,

00:21:34.940 they never actually would have physically died.

00:21:36.960 But they would have lived forever in sin.

00:21:40.560 And so God promised to Eve that out of her would come a Savior, a Deliverer.

00:21:46.820 Now, there's a lot to unpack there, and we're not going to go there at this time.

00:21:50.600 But God promised a Deliverer, a Savior, would come from Eve.

00:21:56.140 And all throughout the Old Testament, again, there's a lot to unpack,

00:22:00.100 there are over 300 promises in a space of 500 years

00:22:06.240 that God spoke the hearts to the hearts of prophets.

00:22:09.840 500 different prophecies that would point to one Savior,

00:22:14.560 one Messiah that they had to look forward to.

00:22:18.040 And God made true to his promises, you know.

00:22:21.060 And so there was a great time of anticipation that God would send a Savior.

00:22:26.800 Now, we're going to get to the New Testament at this time.

00:22:29.340 And the books of Matthew and Luke share the story of the birth of Jesus Christ.

00:22:35.340 And they write to a different audience.

00:22:37.520 But we're going to show you some details that have to do with the birth,

00:22:42.380 the announcement in the birth of Christ that maybe you didn't know about.

00:22:45.940 But they lend very well to the narrative of the birth of Christ.

00:22:49.820 So we're going to start with the book of Luke in chapter 1.

00:22:54.000 And we need to break the story down a little bit.

00:22:56.800 So in Luke chapter 1 in verse 5, it says,

00:22:58.880 In the time of Herod, king of Judea.

00:23:02.540 Now, let's talk about this Herod just for a moment.

00:23:05.780 This King Herod was born in 72 BC and he died in 4 BC.

00:23:11.260 And here's a photo of what it's depicted that King Herod would have looked like.

00:23:15.380 Now, you may think, oh, wait a minute now.

00:23:16.940 He died in 4 BC, before the Christian era?

00:23:19.280 I thought Jesus would have been born at the time of zero.

00:23:22.980 You know, that's kind of like the pivotal point.

00:23:25.100 Well, most historians believe that Jesus was born around 4 BC.

00:23:30.140 And so that historically puts it right around the right time.

00:23:34.260 This Herod was known as, get this now, the King of the Jews.

00:23:38.640 Now, those of you that are familiar with the story of Jesus, this would ring true.

00:23:43.240 Because when Jesus was crucified, Pilate had an inscription put on the cross that said,

00:23:49.740 King of the Jews.

00:23:51.840 But this is also an important thing that will come to play here in just a few more verses.

00:23:56.580 Now, he was known as King of the Jews, even though he was only half Jewish.

00:24:00.660 He began an extensive renovation of the second Jewish temple around the year 20 BC.

00:24:07.560 This temple that was originally built by Zerubbabel around the year 516 BC.

00:24:14.200 And here's a few photos of the temple and the temple mount that Herod prided himself in doing.

00:24:21.460 This is why he won such great favor with some of the Jews living in Israel and Jerusalem,

00:24:26.940 particularly at that time.

00:24:28.600 This Herod is also the one who built the refuge fortress of Masada,

00:24:34.460 where in 73 AD, 960 Saqqari rebels committed suicide in defense of the Romans.

00:24:42.840 They were the last stronghold.

00:24:45.480 And the Romans laid siege to Masada.

00:24:48.400 And eventually 960 of them committed suicide.

00:24:52.540 It is said that there were two survivors, a woman and her child.

00:24:55.660 And today, Masada is a place that you can go and visit, this historical place.

00:25:00.520 Now, something very important happens at the very, very end of the Old Testament in the book of Malachi.

00:25:09.760 In Malachi chapter 4, verses 5 and 6, God gives a promise, a prophecy.

00:25:15.180 And he says,

00:25:16.320 See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.

00:25:23.540 He will turn the hearts of their parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents,

00:25:28.820 or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.

00:25:32.740 The book of Malachi is the very last book of the Old Testament.

00:25:37.580 And these two verses are the last two verses of the entire Old Testament.

00:25:43.400 After that is a period known as the Intertestamental Period,

00:25:46.980 where God was silent for 400 years.

00:25:50.660 God didn't speak to any prophets.

00:25:53.080 And so the Jews living in the time of Christ's birth had been waiting for 400 years for a sign.

00:25:58.460 They'd been waiting for 400 years for God to reveal anything, any news to them at all.

00:26:04.280 So they were living in great times of expectation.

00:26:07.720 Then at the very start of the New Testament, this very promise in Malachi is fulfilled.

00:26:14.160 In Luke chapter 1, verse 17, now get this, there's a promise.

00:26:20.020 And it says here,

00:26:21.180 And he will go on before the Lord.

00:26:22.500 Now this is Zechariah.

00:26:23.720 Let me put this in context.

00:26:24.760 God appears to Zechariah while he is a priest.

00:26:30.020 And he's offering sacrifices to the Lord in the Holy of Holies, in the temple.

00:26:34.280 And an angel appears to him.

00:26:36.100 And he tells him that his wife, Elizabeth, who had been barren all her life, will have a child.

00:26:41.600 And he's talking about this child who will be a forerunner of the Messiah.

00:26:46.920 And in describing this forerunner child, he says,

00:26:51.020 And he will go on before the Lord in the spirit and the power of Elijah,

00:26:56.600 to turn the hearts of the parents to their children,

00:27:00.680 and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous,

00:27:03.900 to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

00:27:09.500 That's how the Old Testament ended.

00:27:12.060 And this is how the New Testament ends.

00:27:14.620 And so with that, we see that Zechariah, you know, gets this news,

00:27:21.300 that his son will be a forerunner for the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.

00:27:26.860 Now, it continues in Luke chapter 1, verses 26 and 27.

00:27:30.800 In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy,

00:27:33.880 God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,

00:27:37.960 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph,

00:27:42.160 a descendant of David.

00:27:43.620 And the virgin's name was Mary.

00:27:47.080 Again, that's one of the 300 prophecies listed in the Old Testament.

00:27:52.560 Now, here's a photo of Nazareth, what it looks like today.

00:27:56.980 Again, Nazareth is a very, very small place.

00:28:01.180 And if you look very closely,

00:28:03.800 you might even see that there's a McDonald's there, right?

00:28:06.460 There wasn't one in the days of Jesus.

00:28:08.240 In Matthew, now we go back to the book of Matthew,

00:28:13.140 chapter 1, verses 2 to 16, we're not going to read all that.

00:28:17.460 But it lists the genealogy of Jesus all the way down to Abraham.

00:28:23.340 It was prophesied that the Messiah would come from the line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

00:28:29.820 Forty-two generations are listed there.

00:28:32.980 If we go to Luke, chapter 3, it lists the genealogy of Jesus all the way back to Adam.

00:28:40.080 Seventy-six generations.

00:28:41.560 In Matthew, chapter 1, verses 18 to 25, I want to read to you this part.

00:28:50.220 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about.

00:28:53.920 His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph.

00:28:57.260 But before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.

00:29:01.480 Let me explain something to you.

00:29:13.480 In the Jewish culture, when a man and a woman were betrothed to each other,

00:29:18.420 or pledged to be married, to them that was as binding as marriage itself.

00:29:23.760 And so that's why it says that Joseph put in his heart to divorce her quietly,

00:29:29.140 because to them it was like they were already married.

00:29:31.480 Okay? Just so you understand a little bit of that culture.

00:29:35.260 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,

00:29:40.280 Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife,

00:29:44.480 because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

00:29:48.480 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,

00:29:52.720 because he will save his people from their sins.

00:29:56.800 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet,

00:30:02.640 the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son,

00:30:06.320 and they will call him Emmanuel, which is God with us.

00:30:11.900 How is it even possible that a virgin will conceive?

00:30:17.120 How is it even possible that in the Old Testament,

00:30:20.260 God would speak to a prophet, receive this revelation, and pen it down,

00:30:25.180 and not think this is utterly ridiculous and impossible?

00:30:28.280 And yet hundreds of years before, 450 years before,

00:30:33.600 it was predicted that this would happen,

00:30:36.020 and here it is happening.

00:30:39.880 If you're on the fence about whether or not this Christmas story is real, true, and for you,

00:30:45.440 I hope you're starting to put the pieces together.

00:30:47.500 And when Joseph woke up, it continues in verse 24,

00:30:52.980 he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him,

00:30:55.240 and he took Mary home as his wife.

00:30:57.460 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son,

00:31:01.160 and gave him the name Jesus, just as the angel had said.

00:31:08.200 Going back to Luke chapter 2 and verse 3,

00:31:10.540 In those days, Caesar Augustus issued a decree

00:31:14.960 that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.

00:31:19.800 This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria,

00:31:25.040 and every went to their own town to register.

00:31:28.900 Let's talk about this Caesar Augustus for a moment.

00:31:32.860 And here's a photo of what a depiction is of what he would have looked like.

00:31:36.480 So Caesar Augustus was born in September in 63 B.C.,

00:31:42.380 and he died in August in 19 A.D.

00:31:48.900 Caesar Augustus' uncle, his great-uncle, was Julius Caesar,

00:31:54.380 and most of you would be familiar with him.

00:31:56.780 We had the unfortunate pleasure of having to read through

00:32:00.160 some of his writings in high school, or at least I did.

00:32:04.540 The first census was when Quirinius was governor in Syria, around 4 B.C.

00:32:11.540 In Luke chapter 2, verses 4 to 7, the story continues.

00:32:16.820 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea,

00:32:21.620 to Bethlehem, the town of David,

00:32:23.980 because he belonged to the house and the line of David.

00:32:26.940 Again, another prophecy fulfilled.

00:32:29.900 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him,

00:32:33.520 and was expecting a child.

00:32:36.140 Now let me show you on this map exactly what this means and what happened here,

00:32:40.160 because it was quite a long trek for Joseph and Mary to travel

00:32:43.660 from Nazareth all the way to Bethlehem.

00:32:47.480 And as you can see, just going by the roads today,

00:32:50.360 it's probably around 150 kilometers.

00:32:52.720 Now, men that are listening to me today,

00:32:56.920 do you remember those days when perhaps you were married

00:32:59.960 and you had a spouse that was in her third trimester,

00:33:03.200 maybe even in her nine months,

00:33:05.060 going on a trip and having to make numerous stops,

00:33:09.820 and, you know, for potty breaks.

00:33:12.680 And you had to find McDonald's,

00:33:15.280 Tim Hortons,

00:33:16.780 or a facility place where your spouse had to go and use the restroom.

00:33:21.680 Now, imagine some 2,000 years ago,

00:33:25.380 having your spouse on a donkey or camelback or even walking

00:33:29.680 and having to go frequently for those potty breaks.

00:33:33.460 And let me tell you,

00:33:34.480 there were no fast food places to stop in those days.

00:33:37.380 As a matter of fact,

00:33:38.300 there were not too many porta-potties

00:33:39.760 on those long, dusty roads

00:33:41.740 to make those frequent stops.

00:33:44.060 So, 150 kilometers on camelback or donkeyback,

00:33:48.140 that took a long time.

00:33:50.520 It was not a fun trek.

00:33:52.420 But nevertheless,

00:33:53.820 that's the trek they did.

00:33:56.200 So, continuing on in verse 6,

00:33:58.720 And while they were there,

00:33:59.820 that's in Bethlehem,

00:34:01.280 the time came for the baby to be born,

00:34:03.360 and she gave birth to her firstborn son,

00:34:06.920 a son.

00:34:07.380 She wrapped him in cloths

00:34:09.300 and placed him in a manger.

00:34:11.740 And because there was no guest room available for them,

00:34:16.240 so was born the King of Kings.

00:34:37.380 To a place unexpected,

00:34:39.300 would you believe?

00:34:41.940 After all,

00:34:43.060 we've rejected

00:34:44.160 a child in a manger.

00:34:49.140 Lonely and small,

00:34:51.160 the weakest of all,

00:34:53.260 unlikeliest hero,

00:34:55.860 wrapped in his mother's shawl,

00:34:58.640 just a child.

00:35:00.240 Is this who we've waited for?

00:35:03.720 Because how many kings

00:35:08.840 stepped down from their thrones?

00:35:11.320 How many lords

00:35:13.040 have abandoned their homes?

00:35:15.640 How many greats

00:35:17.840 have become the least for me?

00:35:22.120 And how many gods

00:35:24.480 have poured out their hearts

00:35:26.620 to romance a world

00:35:28.540 that has torn all apart?

00:35:30.940 How many fathers

00:35:33.560 gave up their sons for me?

00:35:40.020 Bringing out gifts

00:35:41.840 for the newborn Savior

00:35:44.360 You're all that we have,

00:35:46.400 whether costly or meek,

00:35:48.480 because we believe.

00:35:53.680 Go for His honor

00:35:55.460 and frankincense

00:35:56.980 for His pleasure

00:35:58.820 and myrrh

00:35:59.720 for the cross

00:36:00.880 you'll suffer

00:36:02.280 Do you believe?

00:36:04.320 Is this who we've waited for?

00:36:07.140 Is this who we've waited for?

00:36:11.140 How many kings

00:36:13.200 stepped down from their thrones?

00:36:15.820 How many lords

00:36:17.480 have abandoned their homes?

00:36:20.140 How many greats

00:36:22.320 have become the least for me?

00:36:26.560 And how many gods

00:36:28.740 have poured out their hearts

00:36:31.000 to romance a world

00:36:32.960 that is torn all apart?

00:36:35.240 And how many fathers

00:36:38.060 gave up their sons for me?

00:36:42.340 Only one did that for me

00:36:47.240 Oh, for me

00:36:54.240 Oh, for me

00:37:07.980 Oh, for you

00:37:10.120 Oh, for me

00:37:12.140 Oh, for me

00:37:14.880 Oh, for me

00:37:16.720 Oh, for you

00:37:29.720 Oh, for me

00:37:34.380 Oh, for me

00:37:36.980 All for you

00:37:38.980 How many kings stepped down from their thrones

00:37:46.680 How many lords have abandoned their homes

00:37:51.080 How many greats have become the least

00:37:55.600 How many gods have poured out their hearts

00:38:00.060 The world that's a world that is torn all apart

00:38:04.320 How many fathers gave up their sons for me

00:38:10.380 Only one did that for me

00:38:16.720 Oh, for me

00:38:23.460 Only you

00:38:34.320 Micah chapter 5 verse 2

00:38:44.360 In the Old Testament says

00:38:46.080 But you, Bethlehem Ephrata

00:38:48.020 Though you are small among the clans of Judah

00:38:51.380 Out of you will come for me one who will be ruler of Israel

00:38:56.660 Whose origins are from old

00:38:59.500 From ancient times

00:39:01.700 Luke chapter 2 verses 8 to 20

00:39:06.020 Continues with the wonderful story

00:39:07.660 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby

00:39:11.180 Keeping watch over their flocks at night

00:39:13.440 I want to talk to you about Bethlehem a little bit

00:39:16.500 And about these shepherds

00:39:17.560 And before I do so

00:39:19.740 I'm going to blow you away with the fact

00:39:21.560 That perhaps some of you don't know

00:39:23.160 Some of you will

00:39:23.960 Jesus Christ was not born

00:39:27.720 Most likely on December 25th

00:39:30.560 And you might think

00:39:31.020 Well, why do we celebrate it on December 25th?

00:39:33.820 Well

00:39:34.260 In the 300s A.D.

00:39:37.240 When Christianity was legalized

00:39:39.300 That's the date that was kind of chosen to

00:39:41.880 Celebrate his birth

00:39:43.760 But Jesus was most likely born in the month of September

00:39:46.980 In that part of the world

00:39:48.060 Because that's when the shepherds would

00:39:49.660 Be out with their flocks

00:39:51.940 And sleep with their flocks

00:39:53.280 And I want to show you some photos

00:39:55.620 Of the area in Bethlehem

00:39:57.980 Just outside of Bethlehem

00:39:59.400 Where it's even today

00:40:01.360 Commonly seen

00:40:02.580 Where there are the fields

00:40:03.980 And I want you to see these photos

00:40:06.380 That exist even today

00:40:08.820 Of these caves

00:40:10.400 Where it's possible that the shepherds

00:40:12.780 Would take turns sleeping

00:40:14.260 While the other shepherds

00:40:16.280 Would actually watch their flocks

00:40:18.100 By night

00:40:19.180 I also want you to know

00:40:23.100 And see some details here

00:40:26.200 That we're going to unpack

00:40:27.240 As the story continues

00:40:28.900 Picking up at verse 9

00:40:32.240 In Luke chapter 2

00:40:33.300 An angel of the Lord appeared to them

00:40:36.100 And the glory of the Lord shone around them

00:40:39.460 And they were terrified

00:40:41.580 But the angel said to them

00:40:44.720 Do not be afraid

00:40:45.780 I'll bring you good news

00:40:47.620 That will cause great joy

00:40:48.940 For all people

00:40:50.420 Today in the town of David

00:40:52.260 A savior has been born to you

00:40:54.740 He is the Messiah

00:40:57.320 The Lord

00:40:58.560 And this will be a sign to you

00:41:00.680 You will find a baby wrapped in cloths

00:41:02.900 And lying in a manger

00:41:04.140 Suddenly a great company

00:41:07.100 Of the heavenly host

00:41:08.140 Appeared with the angel

00:41:09.080 Praising God and say

00:41:11.080 Saying

00:41:12.060 Glory to God in the highest

00:41:14.000 Sorry

00:41:15.760 Glory to God in the highest heaven

00:41:17.400 And on earth

00:41:18.500 Peace to those

00:41:19.580 On whom his favor rests

00:41:21.140 Now a few things

00:41:24.360 I want to set straight

00:41:25.520 On the record here today

00:41:26.560 The first one being

00:41:28.860 These angels

00:41:30.360 The Bible says

00:41:32.140 That a great host of heaven

00:41:34.040 Heavenly host appeared

00:41:35.720 For some reason

00:41:37.620 Somewhere along the lines

00:41:39.180 Things got a little bit confused

00:41:40.740 And we've got it confused

00:41:44.040 With a choir of angels

00:41:45.660 It says that the

00:41:47.080 That the shepherds

00:41:48.180 Were terrified

00:41:49.000 I don't know

00:41:50.260 Sometimes you go to a church

00:41:52.460 And there's a choir

00:41:53.880 And you know

00:41:54.720 You don't really get terrified

00:41:56.000 But if all of us

00:41:57.500 In an army

00:41:58.100 Were to show up

00:41:58.900 And walk in

00:41:59.560 That changes perspective

00:42:00.980 Just a little bit

00:42:01.720 You see

00:42:02.680 God did not send

00:42:03.820 A choir of angels

00:42:05.240 To announce his birth

00:42:06.260 He sent a mighty host

00:42:07.980 Of heaven

00:42:09.060 That my friends

00:42:10.340 Is the army of heaven

00:42:12.060 Showed up

00:42:12.920 To announce the birth of Christ

00:42:14.300 You see

00:42:15.260 God didn't just send

00:42:16.520 A bunch of angels

00:42:18.060 To sing

00:42:18.760 As a matter of fact

00:42:19.820 It doesn't say that they sang

00:42:21.520 It says

00:42:22.460 They said

00:42:23.660 And that's one of my

00:42:25.300 Pet peeves

00:42:25.840 Throughout the Christmas season

00:42:26.800 They didn't sing

00:42:28.380 They said

00:42:29.620 Glory to God in the highest

00:42:31.680 I mean

00:42:32.520 Come on

00:42:33.260 Imagine

00:42:33.800 You're in the field

00:42:34.740 You're talking

00:42:35.920 You know

00:42:36.280 It's late

00:42:36.820 Maybe the other ship

00:42:37.820 Went to sleep

00:42:38.500 In the caves

00:42:39.080 Or whatever

00:42:39.620 And all of a sudden

00:42:41.000 This angel shows up

00:42:42.580 And if that's not bad enough

00:42:43.820 His buddies show up

00:42:45.420 And they're warring angels

00:42:46.860 They mean business

00:42:48.240 And oh

00:42:49.240 You know

00:42:49.740 And so they were terrified

00:42:51.640 But they say

00:42:52.340 It's okay guys

00:42:53.140 We're on your side

00:42:54.740 And we're here to tell you

00:42:57.000 That the Messiah

00:42:58.580 The Savior

00:43:00.120 The Deliverer

00:43:01.620 That was promised

00:43:02.540 For 500 years

00:43:04.240 He's here

00:43:06.040 And they're like

00:43:08.280 Rubbing

00:43:08.720 You know

00:43:08.980 What?

00:43:09.940 He's here

00:43:10.620 In Bethlehem?

00:43:12.780 As someone else had said

00:43:14.640 You know

00:43:15.860 In scriptures

00:43:17.040 Can anything good

00:43:17.900 Come out of Bethlehem?

00:43:19.220 Really?

00:43:19.740 Bethlehem?

00:43:20.700 That doesn't make sense

00:43:21.620 But that's exactly

00:43:23.200 What happened

00:43:23.820 Okay?

00:43:25.500 So every time

00:43:26.680 You sing the song

00:43:27.640 Angels we have heard on high

00:43:29.260 Sweetly singing

00:43:30.500 Or the plains

00:43:31.380 They really didn't sing

00:43:33.700 They said it

00:43:34.720 As an army

00:43:36.200 You know

00:43:36.740 Picture the old time armies

00:43:38.400 You know

00:43:38.780 When they used to

00:43:39.540 Charge

00:43:40.360 You know

00:43:40.880 That's what they did

00:43:42.020 Okay?

00:43:42.560 So they got them

00:43:43.120 Riled up

00:43:44.080 So picking up from there

00:43:45.520 In verse 15

00:43:47.360 When the angels

00:43:48.500 Had left them

00:43:49.280 And gone into heaven

00:43:50.260 The shepherds

00:43:51.380 Said to one another

00:43:52.160 Let's go

00:43:53.200 It wasn't just

00:43:53.800 Oh

00:43:54.080 You think we should go?

00:43:54.980 Yeah

00:43:55.060 No

00:43:55.380 It was like

00:43:55.740 Let's go

00:43:56.600 Let's go to Bethlehem

00:43:58.340 And see this thing

00:43:59.380 That has happened

00:44:00.020 Which the Lord

00:44:01.080 Has told us about

00:44:02.040 So they hurried off

00:44:04.380 And they found

00:44:05.000 Mary and Joseph

00:44:05.760 And the baby

00:44:06.760 Who was lying in a manger

00:44:07.860 I could just feel

00:44:09.020 Their excitement

00:44:09.580 At this point

00:44:10.180 And when they had seen them

00:44:11.800 They spread the word

00:44:13.500 Concerning what

00:44:14.380 Had been told them

00:44:15.440 About this child

00:44:16.460 And all

00:44:17.240 Who heard it

00:44:18.360 Were amazed

00:44:19.460 At what the shepherd

00:44:21.000 Said to them

00:44:21.900 The next verse

00:44:25.360 Is important

00:44:26.020 But Mary

00:44:28.600 Treasured

00:44:30.280 Up

00:44:31.000 All these things

00:44:32.700 And pondered them

00:44:35.080 In her heart

00:44:37.320 All these things

00:44:49.180 Here we go

00:44:49.700 Mary, did you know that you're a baby boy

00:45:19.160 would one day walk on water?

00:45:23.760 Mary, did you know that your baby boy

00:45:28.640 would save our sons and daughters?

00:45:32.340 Did you know that your baby boy

00:45:38.340 has come to make you new?

00:45:43.360 This child that you delivered

00:45:46.820 will soon deliver you?

00:45:52.120 Mary, did you know that your baby boy

00:45:57.300 will give sight to a blind man?

00:46:01.440 Mary, did you know that your baby boy

00:46:06.900 will calm the storm with his hand?

00:46:11.200 Did you know that your baby boy

00:46:16.580 has walked where angels drop?

00:46:20.680 When you kiss your little baby

00:46:24.820 You kiss the face of God

00:46:29.580 Oh, Mary, did you know?

00:46:32.900 The blind will see

00:46:52.280 The deaf will hear

00:46:54.720 The dead will live again

00:46:58.380 The lame will leave

00:47:01.760 The dumb will speak

00:47:04.220 And the praises of the Lamb

00:47:07.700 Mary, did you know that your baby boy

00:47:18.560 is Lord of all creation?

00:47:23.560 Mary, did you know that your baby boy

00:47:28.040 would one day rule the nations?

00:47:31.880 Did you know that your baby boy

00:47:37.740 Is heaven's perfect land?

00:47:42.740 And the sleeping child you're holding

00:47:46.740 Is the great I am

00:47:49.740 And the shepherds returned

00:48:14.900 glorifying and praising God

00:48:16.680 for all of the things

00:48:17.840 that they had heard and seen

00:48:19.520 Which was just as they had been told

00:48:22.940 What child is this?

00:48:24.700 THE END

00:48:27.620 What child has faith?

00:48:32.000 And the Lord

00:48:33.500 is the treasure

00:48:38.920 And the love

00:48:41.760 Will you be the one

00:48:44.620 You are the one

00:48:50.480 What child is this who lay to rest on Mary's lap is sleeping?

00:49:03.480 Whom angels ring with anthems sweet, while shepherds watch are keeping?

00:49:17.480 This, this is Christ the King, whom shepherds hearts and angels sing.

00:49:30.480 Haste, haste to bring Him, Lord, the beckless Son of Mary.

00:49:43.480 While lies He in such meanest days, while ox and lamb are feeding.

00:49:56.480 The end of fear for those who hear the silent word is pleading.

00:50:09.480 Now the spirit shall pierce Him through, the cross be born for me, for you.

00:50:22.480 Hail, hail the word made flesh, the baby Son of Mary.

00:50:36.480 Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, haaa, haaa give up.

00:50:50.480 Away from nowhere, born who is the king of Israel.

00:51:03.480 So bring His exes, gold and gold,

00:51:10.580 For passing King to own Him.

00:51:17.480 The King of kings, salvation brings

00:51:23.480 A loving heart and on Him.

00:51:30.480 Praise the song of God,

00:51:36.480 Praise the song of God,

00:51:38.480 The curtain sings above the light,

00:51:44.480 The light of joy for Christ is born.

00:51:50.480 The babe, the son,

00:51:54.480 The babe, the son,

00:51:57.480 Of Mary.

00:52:09.480 The babe, the son of Mary.

00:52:17.480 So our story continues now in Luke chapter 2 verse 21 and on.

00:52:24.480 On the eighth day when it was time to circumcise the child,

00:52:27.480 He was named Jesus,

00:52:29.480 The name the angel had given Him before He was conceived.

00:52:33.480 Now I want to show you a photo of where Mary and Joseph would have taken Jesus in the temple courts.

00:52:39.480 This time for where the rest of our story continues.

00:52:43.480 And it would have been a place where there would have been a lot of people.

00:52:48.480 And so you need to know that Jesus would have been brought there on the eighth day.

00:52:54.480 And in the midst of the crowd, He didn't have a sign above Him.

00:52:58.480 He didn't have a halo above His head.

00:53:00.480 But this is what happened.

00:53:03.480 When the time came for the purification rites required by the law of Moses,

00:53:08.480 Joseph and Mary took Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord.

00:53:11.480 As it is written in the law of the Lord,

00:53:13.480 Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord.

00:53:17.480 And to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the law of the Lord,

00:53:21.480 a pair of doves or two young pigeons.

00:53:24.480 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon,

00:53:28.480 who was righteous and devout.

00:53:30.480 He was waiting for the consolation of Israel,

00:53:33.480 and the Holy Spirit was on him.

00:53:35.480 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit

00:53:38.480 that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Messiah.

00:53:42.480 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts.

00:53:46.480 And when the parents brought in the child Jesus for him to do

00:53:49.480 what the custom of the law required,

00:53:52.480 Simeon took him in his arms, and praising God, saying,

00:53:56.480 Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,

00:53:58.480 you may now dismiss your servant in peace.

00:54:01.480 For my eyes have seen your salvation,

00:54:03.480 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations,

00:54:06.480 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,

00:54:08.480 and the glory of your people Israel.

00:54:12.480 The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him.

00:54:16.480 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother,

00:54:20.480 This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel,

00:54:25.480 and to be a sign that will be spoken against,

00:54:28.480 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed,

00:54:31.480 and a sword will pierce your own soul too.

00:54:35.480 There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Penuel of the tribe of Asher.

00:54:40.480 She was very old, and she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage,

00:54:44.480 and then was a widow until she was 84.

00:54:47.480 She never left the temple, but worshipped night and day, fasting and praying.

00:54:53.480 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child

00:54:58.480 to all who were looking forward to the redemption in Jerusalem.

00:55:05.480 So now we have to go to the book of Matthew,

00:55:09.480 because the geography changes just a little bit,

00:55:14.480 and as does the timeline a little bit.

00:55:17.480 So Matthew 2, verse 1.

00:55:19.480 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod,

00:55:23.480 Magi came from the east to Jerusalem and asked,

00:55:26.480 Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews?

00:55:30.480 We saw his star when it rose, and have come to worship him.

00:55:34.480 Now remember I was telling you about the fact that

00:55:40.480 the fact that Herod was known as the King of the Jews.

00:55:44.480 So imagine to his surprise when these Magi who were wise men,

00:55:50.480 who came from Persia, announce,

00:55:52.480 Where is he that is the King of the Jews?

00:55:55.480 And he's probably thinking right here.

00:55:58.480 But then they say who was born King of the Jews.

00:56:02.480 Well, Herod wasn't born King of the Jews.

00:56:05.480 And then they say, For we have seen his star.

00:56:08.480 Oh, that's a great mystery.

00:56:11.480 Continuing on,

00:56:12.480 When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed, no doubt,

00:56:17.480 in all Jerusalem with him.

00:56:20.480 When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law,

00:56:24.480 he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.

00:56:28.480 In Bethlehem in Judea, they replied,

00:56:31.480 For this is what the prophet has written.

00:56:33.480 But you, Bethlehem in the land of Judah,

00:56:36.480 are by no means the least among the rulers of Judah.

00:56:39.480 For out of you will come a ruler who shall shepherd my people Israel.

00:56:45.480 Now I want you to understand something.

00:56:48.480 The chief priests and the rulers of the law in those days

00:56:52.480 absolutely knew where their Messiah was to be born.

00:56:57.480 In fact, they said so to Herod.

00:57:02.480 Isn't that interesting?

00:57:04.480 They knew it.

00:57:06.480 And yet some 30 years later,

00:57:08.480 when they investigated Jesus,

00:57:10.480 and they could trace his lineage,

00:57:13.480 and they could trace his ancestry,

00:57:15.480 and they could trace where and when he was born,

00:57:18.480 they still could not believe his claim that he was in fact the Messiah.

00:57:25.480 Hmm.

00:57:29.480 Our story continues in verse 7 from Matthew 2.

00:57:33.480 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.

00:57:40.480 This is important.

00:57:42.480 He sent them to Bethlehem and said,

00:57:44.480 Go and search carefully for the child.

00:57:46.480 As soon as you find him,

00:57:48.480 report to me so that I also may go and worship him.

00:57:53.480 After they heard the king, they went on their way,

00:57:56.480 and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them,

00:58:00.480 until they stopped over the place where the child was.

00:58:03.480 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.

00:58:06.480 On coming to the house,

00:58:08.480 they saw where the child was with his mother Mary,

00:58:12.480 and they bowed down and they worshipped him.

00:58:14.480 Then they opened their treasures

00:58:17.480 and presented him with the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

00:58:21.480 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod,

00:58:24.480 they returned to the country by another route.

00:58:28.480 Now, on gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

00:58:31.480 Before I get to that, I want to just point something out to you.

00:58:34.480 It says they came to a house.

00:58:36.480 A lot of our images and our photos and our Christmas pageants and that,

00:58:42.480 all picture them going to the manger.

00:58:45.480 But scripture says they came to the house.

00:58:48.480 The reason for that is because Jesus was no longer a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths,

00:58:53.480 laying in a manger when they came.

00:58:56.480 It also goes to why Herod, as we will see,

00:59:03.480 had every male child two years and under killed,

00:59:07.480 according to when the Magi first saw the star appear.

00:59:11.480 So, it could be that Jesus was as old as two years old at this point.

00:59:16.480 Now, on the gold, frankincense, and myrrh, what is the significance of that?

00:59:21.480 Well, there's a lot of significance.

00:59:22.480 First of all, the gold.

00:59:24.480 The gold represented kingship, wealth, royalty,

00:59:28.480 and it acknowledged that Jesus was, in fact, the king.

00:59:32.480 The king of kings.

00:59:34.480 The frankincense symbolized worship, prayer, and divinity,

00:59:39.480 reflecting on Jesus' divine nature.

00:59:43.480 And the myrrh was probably the saddest of all the gifts that Jesus was given.

00:59:48.480 And it represented death, mourning, embalming,

00:59:51.480 and this foreshadowed the crucifixion and the resurrection of our Lord.

00:59:57.480 Remember again that Herod was known as the king of the Jews.

01:00:03.480 And that is why the wise men warned in a vision not to go back through to tell Herod,

01:00:09.480 wisely did not go back through Jerusalem to head back to their home country.

01:00:14.480 Picking up again in Matthew 2, verse 13.

01:00:18.480 And when it had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream.

01:00:22.480 Get up, he said.

01:00:24.480 Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt.

01:00:27.480 And stay there until I tell you.

01:00:29.480 For Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.

01:00:32.480 Urgently.

01:00:34.480 Get up.

01:00:35.480 Go.

01:00:36.480 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night,

01:00:39.480 and he left for Egypt.

01:00:41.480 It was during the night.

01:00:42.480 They had to go quickly.

01:00:43.480 Where he stayed until the death of Herod,

01:00:45.480 and so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet,

01:00:49.480 Out of Egypt I have called my son.

01:00:52.480 In Hosea 11-1 we read,

01:00:54.480 When Israel was a child, I loved him.

01:00:57.480 And out of Egypt I have called my son.

01:01:00.480 Another prophecy fulfilled.

01:01:02.480 Now, I want to show you this map of where Bethlehem is and where Egypt is.

01:01:09.480 And I want you to see that even traveling today,

01:01:12.480 we don't know exactly where in Egypt Jesus would have been taken by his parents,

01:01:17.480 roughly inside the territory of Egypt, a safe distance.

01:01:21.480 You could see that it's roughly around 750 kilometers.

01:01:24.480 Keeping in mind the modes of travel back in those days were walking,

01:01:28.480 donkey, camelback.

01:01:30.480 It's not an easy feat.

01:01:32.480 You see, even when Jesus came,

01:01:34.480 he didn't have a very easy and cushy life.

01:01:38.480 It was difficult.

01:01:39.480 Plus they were running for their lives.

01:01:41.480 They didn't have time to pack up a whole lot of belongings.

01:01:44.480 So, on the prophecies and fulfillment,

01:01:48.480 there's something I need to share with you.

01:01:51.480 I've said before that there were over 300 prophecies

01:01:54.480 that were given in the Old Testament by numerous prophets.

01:01:59.480 Some of those prophecies at the time Jesus was born

01:02:03.480 were over 500 years old.

01:02:06.480 These are so important because, you see,

01:02:11.480 the nation of Israel were waiting for their Messiah to come,

01:02:15.480 and there had been 400 years of silence since the last time God had spoken to them.

01:02:20.480 The important thing is, if you're waiting for someone to come,

01:02:24.480 and you don't really know how they're going to present themselves,

01:02:27.480 you want as many markers as possible.

01:02:30.480 Now, how are you going to know?

01:02:33.480 How are you going to know that's the one?

01:02:35.480 So many people today are saying,

01:02:37.480 all religions lead to heaven.

01:02:38.480 All religions lead to God.

01:02:40.480 That is such a false statement,

01:02:43.480 because they don't.

01:02:44.480 They absolutely do not.

01:02:45.480 So, how do we know?

01:02:47.480 Well, let me give you an example.

01:02:49.480 Last Christmas we had Pastor Bill on our Empower Hour

01:02:53.480 on our Christmas program,

01:02:54.480 and we went through a little bit of this here,

01:02:56.480 but I need to refresh your mind to really show you,

01:02:59.480 to really bring the point home,

01:03:01.480 to really prove to you that Jesus Christ is who He said He was,

01:03:05.480 the Son of God, the Messiah.

01:03:08.480 And we can nail that down tonight so you would know for sure.

01:03:11.480 Because if you know for sure,

01:03:12.480 you can make a decision that will change your life.

01:03:16.480 So, the probabilities, we are told,

01:03:19.480 of one person fulfilling just eight of the 300 prophecies

01:03:24.480 is one out of ten to the 17th power.

01:03:29.480 Now look at the number down on your screen.

01:03:31.480 That's ten with seventeen sets of zeros,

01:03:36.480 or seventeen zeros at the end of it.

01:03:39.480 That's a pretty big number.

01:03:41.480 To put that in perspective,

01:03:43.480 let's say you take the province of Alberta,

01:03:46.480 and you cover the entire province of Alberta

01:03:49.480 with two feet deep in loonies.

01:03:53.480 I mean, you'd be rich, right?

01:03:55.480 But let's say someone takes one of those loonies,

01:03:58.480 and puts a big black X on it,

01:04:00.480 and tosses it anywhere in the province.

01:04:02.480 I mean in the mountains, in the plains,

01:04:04.480 in the swamps, in the forests, anywhere at all.

01:04:06.480 And you are given the task to pick out that one loonie first try.

01:04:11.480 Think you can do it?

01:04:13.480 Well, that's the chance of Jesus, the Messiah,

01:04:16.480 fulfilling just eight of those 300 prophecies.

01:04:20.480 Not so likely, eh?

01:04:23.480 Well, let's expand those odds just a little bit more.

01:04:26.480 Let's take forty-eight of the 300 prophecies

01:04:30.480 being fulfilled by just one person.

01:04:32.480 Well, we can't use loonies for that,

01:04:34.480 because those are way too big.

01:04:36.480 We would have to use the atom,

01:04:38.480 which is a lot smaller.

01:04:40.480 Now, in order to do that, you would need quite a bit of atoms.

01:04:43.480 As a matter of fact,

01:04:45.480 the chance of Jesus fulfilling just 48 of those prophecies,

01:04:51.480 you would have to take the atom,

01:04:53.480 and it would be 1 out of 10 to the 157th power.

01:05:01.480 So that's 10 with 157 zeros after that.

01:05:07.480 So let's put that into perspective.

01:05:09.480 The atom is really, really small.

01:05:12.480 So if you were to take the atom,

01:05:14.480 and if you were to stretch out a string of atoms

01:05:19.480 with this kind of number,

01:05:21.480 it would only stretch out to a line of about one inch long.

01:05:24.480 You'd think, well, that's not very big.

01:05:27.480 However, for you to count those atoms out,

01:05:32.480 if you were to count them 250 per minute,

01:05:36.480 it would take you 19 million years.

01:05:40.480 Yep, you got that right.

01:05:42.480 For one inch long.

01:05:46.480 However, for somebody to fulfill 48 of the 300 prophecies,

01:05:50.480 you would need a cubic inch of those atoms.

01:05:52.480 That means it would take you 19 million times 19 million times 19 million years.

01:05:59.480 Then you would have to have somebody mark just one of those atoms,

01:06:05.480 and pick out the right one the first time.

01:06:09.480 Do you get the point?

01:06:12.480 Statistically, it's impossible for one person to fulfill just 48 of those prophecies.

01:06:20.480 But listen now.

01:06:22.480 Jesus Christ fulfilled the 300 prophecies.

01:06:28.480 It's all in God's Word.

01:06:31.480 And those prophecies were given 500 years before Jesus Christ was even born.

01:06:37.480 And so I got to tell you,

01:06:40.480 if you have any doubts in your heart today about who to serve,

01:06:46.480 you need to serve the one whose prophecies were fulfilled.

01:06:51.480 And the thing is, when the angel appeared and spoke to the shepherds,

01:07:00.480 and they spoke to those who heard the words of God,

01:07:03.480 they were told,

01:07:05.480 and his name shall be called Emmanuel,

01:07:10.480 which means God with us.

01:07:13.480 You see, if you need anything in this world today,

01:07:16.480 is you need hope.

01:07:18.480 You need hope.

01:07:20.480 And the thing is, now, hope has a name.

01:07:25.480 And his name is Jesus.

01:07:28.480 There is a song, I know it well.

01:07:47.480 A melody that's never failed.

01:07:55.480 On mountains high and valleys low,

01:08:02.480 My soul will rest my confidence in you alone.

01:08:09.480 Hope has a name.

01:08:10.480 Hope has a name.

01:08:12.480 Hope has a name.

01:08:14.480 His name is Jesus.

01:08:17.480 My Savior's cross has set the sinner free.

01:08:24.480 Hope has a name.

01:08:27.480 His name is Jesus.

01:08:30.480 Oh Christ be praised

01:08:33.680 I have victory

01:08:36.480 There is a light

01:08:44.840 Salvation's blame

01:08:48.000 Christ undefeated

01:08:51.740 Trampled the grave

01:08:54.680 Come on!

01:08:55.280 Seen on the cross

01:08:59.220 Be lifted high

01:09:02.700 The light has come

01:09:04.920 The light has won

01:09:06.660 Behold the Christ

01:09:09.220 Hope has been made

01:09:13.360 His name is Jesus

01:09:16.280 My Saviour's cross

01:09:20.880 Accept this sin and free hope

01:09:24.660 Has been made

01:09:27.440 His name is Jesus

01:09:30.920 Oh Christ be praised

01:09:33.140 I have victory

01:09:36.140 We say

01:09:37.440 Hope has been made

01:09:41.580 His name is Jesus

01:09:44.920 My Saviour's cross

01:09:46.920 My Saviour's cross

01:09:48.400 I set this sin and free hope

01:09:52.900 Has been made

01:09:54.920 His name is Jesus

01:09:58.400 Oh Christ be praised

01:10:01.400 My Saviour's cross

01:10:03.400 I have victory

01:10:04.100 I have victory

01:10:05.100 Sing it!

01:10:09.800 There'll be a day

01:10:12.480 Come on

01:10:13.040 My hope complete

01:10:15.680 Every voice

01:10:16.780 Now home in glory

01:10:19.780 Now home in glory

01:10:20.260 Your face

01:10:21.980 I'll see

01:10:22.980 I'll see

01:10:23.980 My pain

01:10:25.460 No more

01:10:26.680 My fear

01:10:28.880 Will cease

01:10:30.920 I bow my life

01:10:33.220 I'll fix my eyes

01:10:35.020 On Christ

01:10:36.160 My King

01:10:37.900 I bow my life

01:10:40.460 I'll fix my eyes

01:10:42.100 On Christ

01:10:43.320 My King

01:10:45.940 Hope has been made

01:10:57.260 Hope has been made

01:10:58.780 His name is Jesus

01:11:01.420 My Saviour's cross

01:11:04.640 All you got in this place, come on.

01:11:24.220 Oh, as in name, his name is Jesus, my Savior's cross, has set the sinner free.

01:11:38.480 Oh, as in name, his name is Jesus, oh, Christ be praised, I have been to me.

01:11:50.820 Oh, Christ be praised, I have been to me.

01:12:11.240 Jesus came the first time as a suffering servant.

01:12:14.700 And the Jewish people were living under incredible oppression from the Roman soldiers, and they

01:12:22.080 needed a Savior to save them from that.

01:12:24.720 And the disciples of Jesus kept asking, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom

01:12:29.140 of God?

01:12:30.440 And the Lord said, no, not at this time.

01:12:33.400 But in Matthew 24, Jesus gave many indicators that he is coming back.

01:12:38.200 He's coming back as a conquering king.

01:12:40.900 Look around the world today.

01:12:42.360 Hey, look to see what's going on.

01:12:45.320 There are so many prophecies about the end times that have already come to pass.

01:12:51.520 And if the prophecies about his first coming have all come to pass, the prophecies about

01:12:56.700 his second coming are already and have already come to pass as well.

01:13:01.820 My friends, you need to know that Jesus Christ came the first time at Christmas as a gift to

01:13:09.520 reconcile you to God.

01:13:11.140 God, he's coming again as a conquering king.

01:13:16.060 In the meantime, the Lord said, I will never leave you nor forsake you in Hebrews 13, verse

01:13:22.340 five.

01:13:23.140 And that's a reiteration of what he said in the Old Testament.

01:13:26.480 It's written in the Old and the New Testament.

01:13:29.280 As a matter of fact, Jesus was having a conversation one day with a religious ruler who thought he

01:13:35.380 was a good person, but yet he realized he had some needs in his life.

01:13:39.900 And the conversation is recorded in John chapter three, beginning at verse 16.

01:13:44.640 And Jesus said, for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever

01:13:50.680 believes in him shall not perish or shall not die, but have everlasting life.

01:13:57.040 For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world

01:14:03.120 through him.

01:14:04.740 Whoever believes in him is not condemned.

01:14:07.800 But whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the

01:14:13.300 name of God's one and only son.

01:14:16.780 Now, whenever you're watching this, whether you're watching it live or you're watching

01:14:22.140 it after it's been recorded, let me tell you something.

01:14:24.580 You may think, I'm a good person.

01:14:25.940 I don't need this.

01:14:27.960 Adam and Eve were in a perfect garden.

01:14:30.620 There was no sin initially when they were there.

01:14:34.060 The Bible says that every day in the cool of the day, God himself came face to face and

01:14:39.060 fellowshiped with them in that perfect environment.

01:14:42.820 They still sinned.

01:14:43.780 And because of that, we all live in a cursed, filled world.

01:14:49.200 Did you ever tell a lie?

01:14:51.520 Do you still lie today?

01:14:53.660 Well, that makes you a liar.

01:14:55.560 Have you ever stolen anything?

01:14:58.140 That makes you a thief.

01:15:00.240 The Bible says that if you lust after someone in your mind, it's the same as committing adultery.

01:15:06.440 So, if you are a lying, thieving, adulterous person, you're not a good person.

01:15:14.380 As a matter of fact, that separates you from God.

01:15:17.900 But the good news is, God sent his son, as he said in the book of Genesis, a seed to reconcile

01:15:26.700 us to God.

01:15:27.820 And it's a free gift.

01:15:32.220 But you know what happens with a gift that you may put under the Christmas tree?

01:15:35.320 It's just going to sit there unless it is received and opened.

01:15:41.980 And I realize many of you this Christmas may be suffering, may be full of pain, physical

01:15:47.380 pain, emotional pain, spiritual pain.

01:15:50.280 And you may have debts way over your head.

01:15:54.640 You may not see any light at the end of the tunnel.

01:15:58.540 But you realize, just listening to this, that there is hope.

01:16:03.360 And it's in Jesus Christ.

01:16:06.520 I want to offer you this gift today.

01:16:10.120 All I want for Christmas is for you to make a little bit of space in your heart for Jesus

01:16:16.640 Christ.

01:16:17.100 Christ, the reason for this season, all your troubles won't go away.

01:16:25.420 But the purpose you exist is because he made you.

01:16:29.720 And he made you with a purpose and for a purpose.

01:16:34.020 And if you realize that you need Jesus Christ, this promised Messiah in your life today, he offers

01:16:40.300 you the gift of eternal life and salvation.

01:16:43.700 But you must receive this gift.

01:16:45.300 And just like Jesus spoke to Nicodemus in John chapter 3, you just simply need to pray.

01:16:52.140 The Bible says, repent, turn from your sins, acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the Son of

01:16:57.840 God.

01:16:58.560 Believe in your heart and you shall be saved.

01:17:02.640 So if that's where you're at today, will you simply pray with me?

01:17:06.740 Dear God, thank you for Christmas, for sending your son, for promising him for hundreds of years

01:17:17.320 and sending him to be born, to live and ultimately to die for my sin.

01:17:26.040 I accept the Christmas gift of Jesus Christ.

01:17:31.820 I know I'm a sinner.

01:17:34.120 Please forgive my sin.

01:17:35.600 I may not understand everything that entails in receiving Christ and in being a Christian,

01:17:45.060 but I want to walk the path you have for me.

01:17:48.500 I thank you for my life.

01:17:50.700 Help me to live it fully.

01:17:53.080 Thank you that you promise never to leave me or forsake me.

01:17:57.060 Please help me daily to understand how much you love me.

01:18:03.380 I receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.

01:18:07.320 And may this be the best Christmas ever and the best year to come in 2025.

01:18:14.060 In Jesus' name, amen.

01:18:16.840 If you've done this with all sincerity of your heart, we would like to hear about it.

01:18:24.820 If you need help getting a Bible or you need help understanding Scripture

01:18:28.840 or you would like some help with this newfound walk with you, we would love to help you.

01:18:33.520 Please reach out to us at the email that you see on your screen right now.

01:18:37.240 Just let us know a little bit who you are and what you need, and we would be glad to help you.

01:18:42.020 But let me leave you with this.

01:18:43.500 This doesn't mean that all your problems will be solved or go away,

01:18:48.040 but it does mean that you don't have to face them alone.

01:18:51.440 You have a family, a Christ-walking family to help you.

01:18:57.440 But you also need to know that God has promised to take care of His own.

01:19:03.080 He bears your burdens on His shoulders.

01:19:06.480 And I want to leave you with one last video.

01:19:08.640 No matter what you're going through, you are not alone.

01:19:12.360 So be encouraged.

01:19:14.800 And I pray you'll have a blessed Christmas.

01:19:17.580 So God richly bless you.

01:19:20.060 And God bless Canada.

01:19:22.340 Amen.

01:19:22.620 Amen.

01:19:26.720 I look up to the mountains.

01:19:29.840 Does my strength come from the mountains?

01:19:33.180 No.

01:19:33.680 My strength comes from God, who made heaven and earth and the mountains.

01:19:41.720 When confusion's my companion, and despair holds me.

01:20:11.700 For ransom, I will feel no fear.

01:20:17.520 I know that you are near.

01:20:23.500 When caught deep in the valley,

01:20:29.020 With chaos for my company,

01:20:32.840 I find my comfort here.

01:20:35.020 Cause I know that you are near.

01:20:47.720 My help comes from you.

01:20:51.280 You're right here pulling me through.

01:20:56.100 You carry my weakness, my sickness, my brokenness.

01:21:02.180 All on your shoulders, your shoulders.

01:21:07.020 My help comes from you.

01:21:08.020 My help comes from you.

01:21:10.840 You are my rest, my rescue.

01:21:16.300 I don't have to see to believe that you're lifting me up on your shoulders.

01:21:24.840 Your shoulders.

01:21:26.520 You mend what once was shattered.

01:21:34.220 And you turn my tears to laughter.

01:21:38.000 Your forgiveness is my fortress.

01:21:41.260 Oh, your mercy is relentless.

01:21:49.080 My help comes from you.

01:21:52.460 You're right here pulling me through.

01:21:57.340 You carry my weakness, my weakness, my sickness, my brokenness.

01:22:03.420 I don't have to see to believe that you're lifting me up on your shoulders.

01:22:25.240 I don't have to do it.

01:22:26.060 Your shoulders.

01:22:28.440 My help is from you.

01:22:31.560 Do I have to see to believe it?

01:22:33.260 My help is from you.

01:22:36.480 Do I have to see to know, cause I know it's true.

01:22:40.160 My help comes from you.

01:22:41.440 Do I have to see to believe it?

01:22:43.120 My help is from you.

01:22:46.400 Do I have to see to know, cause I know it's true.

01:22:50.240 My help comes from you.

01:22:53.700 You're right here pulling me through

01:22:58.580 You carry my weakness, my sickness, my brokenness

01:23:04.620 All on your shoulders, your shoulders

01:23:09.740 My help comes from you

01:23:13.280 You are my rest, my rescue

01:23:18.140 No, I don't have to see to believe that you're lifting me up

01:23:24.760 On your shoulders, your shoulders

01:23:29.320 My help is from you

01:23:32.800 Don't have to see to believe it

01:23:34.500 My help is from you

01:23:37.700 Don't have to see it cause I know it's true

01:23:40.500 My help is from you

01:23:42.520 Don't have to see to believe it

01:23:44.300 My help is from you

01:23:47.440 Don't have to see it cause I know it's true

01:23:50.160 My help is from you

01:23:52.360 Don't have to see it to believe it

01:23:54.100 My help is from you

01:23:57.240 Don't have to see it cause I know it's true

01:24:00.760 My help is from you

01:24:02.100 Don't have to see it to believe it

01:24:03.900 My help is from you

01:24:07.040 Don't have to see it cause I know it's true

01:24:14.300 www.ILHASMINRIMWAL.COM

01:24:44.300 wow

01:24:53.940 i feel like i've been on quite a journey dan

01:25:00.360 thank you for that you know you started out all i want for christmas and uh you know we know the

01:25:10.220 gift of the season that we're going into in the birth of jesus christ and for those who don't

01:25:15.760 know jesus as their personal lord and savior the whole purpose of of this message is uh that they

01:25:23.580 will discover that and that they will have life eternal so thank you so much for the the message

01:25:29.660 the songs the journey that you brought us through i'm just so grateful for um your investment in

01:25:37.020 action for canada and canadians and um as action for canada's beloved pastor uh the message that

01:25:44.460 you've provided today yeah well thanks tanya you know like i said at the very beginning

01:25:49.680 um and i want to emphasize this as i go you know christmas is not just something that happened a

01:25:56.860 long time ago uh i don't like to go out to public places a lot you know where there's lots of big

01:26:04.220 crowds and that you know i uh people that know me know you know i spent over 20 years in ministry

01:26:11.640 i spent 30 years as a paramedic you know so i tried to save lives uh eternally as a pastor i tried

01:26:18.920 to save lives as a paramedic i saw a lot of stuff in my life that was like life-changing for me but

01:26:25.260 you know um my father died 57 years ago today and he was buried uh december 23rd my mother was six

01:26:34.440 months pregnant and just the shock that she lost the baby so but for the believer you know this is

01:26:40.580 a special time of year because christ died to reconcile us to god so i have a lot to look forward

01:26:46.760 to you know and uh i have my mother said that the baby she lost was a baby girl now years ago um between

01:26:56.020 um my daughter uh uh my son keenan and my daughter hannah we had a miscarriage so uh you know i know that

01:27:06.640 i've got a little one in heaven and i've got my dad to look forward to meeting my dad someday because

01:27:13.660 i don't remember him i was just a year and a half old and uh for the believer we have that hope

01:27:18.620 and there's nothing that we hate more than christmas over but there's a gift left under the tree

01:27:26.240 and you wonder who's that for and we have the gift of eternal life so i don't want anyone to miss out

01:27:33.140 this christmas you know your life may be a shambles but god sent his son for you so don't miss out

01:27:41.020 this christmas just call out to him it's a free gift you know someone once said that the greatest

01:27:47.220 distance in eternity between heaven and hell is 18 inches it's maybe knowing in your head what you

01:27:53.660 need to do but you need to get it to your heart so it's been my pleasure to put this together i hope

01:27:58.940 it's ministry um to you but i also want to say can it's a pleasure working with you we have a lot of

01:28:05.500 fun together you know it's not all uh oh so serious you know we're we're tackling the world

01:28:10.840 and all the canada all the problems in it but you know we spend a lot of time on the phone together

01:28:15.280 we we laugh and we joke and tanya's got a real good sense of humor and i've got a good sense of

01:28:20.480 humor too and and uh you you folks can't see all the other core people on the on the top of our

01:28:25.540 screen but we got to keep all these people in line you know it's a full-time job but we have a lot

01:28:30.760 of fun together and this is a family for those of you that don't know we have a zoom prayer group

01:28:36.840 monday wednesday fridays that's an international prayer group really and we pray for action for

01:28:42.800 canada and these people are such precious folks and so we cover prayer requests as well and maybe

01:28:49.300 someone could put in the chat prayer request line if you need prayer this time of year we would love to

01:28:54.380 pray with you because we love you we may not know you but we will pray for you so merry christmas

01:28:59.600 everyone it's been a pleasure just to be part of this ministry for you and we're going to take a

01:29:05.820 break for a couple of weeks we're going to try to get tanya to take a break for a couple of weeks

01:29:10.840 we're really going to try to push her to take a break for a couple weeks she really needs it because

01:29:14.880 we love her we want her just to rest so thank you for being with us tonight and tanya i'm just going

01:29:20.660 to turn it over to you yeah thank you dan and i'll be going i will be doing a weekly news update but

01:29:26.960 it's going to be covering the new amended notice of civil claim that we filed i think it's very

01:29:32.820 exciting we're going to stick to that so it won't be a long update but i also just want to extend to

01:29:40.600 those who have lost loved ones this year as you know i lost my my uncle eddie was like a second dad

01:29:45.940 to me i lost my dad a long time ago and uh you know first christmases uh first birthdays first all

01:29:52.620 those firsts can seem uh you know uh like a burden but i know where my uncle ed is i know he loved the

01:30:00.820 lord and uh i just celebrate that because i know for sure i'll see him one day and as you said dan we

01:30:06.940 want everybody to have this gift of assurance it's not about being just a good person the bible is very

01:30:11.980 clear that you need to know the son of god which is jesus christ and receive him into your heart and give

01:30:17.440 him your life and then you too will be assured of of that and we'll see you there as well so

01:30:24.260 anyways um if you have questions like dan said you can reach out to the pastors at action for canada

01:30:30.920 our prayer team and we'd love to connect with you so just god bless you and thank you again dan

01:30:36.480 thank you god bless you and merry christmas merry christmas so the scripture today i love it i used

01:30:43.840 it last week ephesians 5 11 take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness but instead expose them

01:30:51.940 and this is what we are definitely willing and courageously willing to do without compromise we

01:31:01.260 don't care where the evil is coming from we're counting on the lord for his protection and we need

01:31:06.320 to speak it out loud and it seems to embolden others courage is contagious and so we're on the

01:31:13.120 front line of that and hope you're being affected now i found this today when i was looking for a

01:31:17.360 scripture it's by ann rand i've never known of this lady before it ends up she was an atheist so it's

01:31:23.700 very interesting to hear this quote it says what is morality she asked judgment to distinguish right

01:31:31.540 and wrong vision to see the truth and courage to act upon it dedication to that which is good

01:31:39.420 integrity to stand by the good at any price and i thought wow if there was anything to wrap up what

01:31:47.220 action for canada and our team are doing it is that we are an organization based on morality and ethics

01:31:55.260 and the truth and distinguishing between right and wrong and being able to speak out and willing to speak

01:32:02.060 out against the wrong because we believe that justice will prevail and that good trumps evil and

01:32:09.380 that we are on the winning side and of course that is because action for canada is god breathed everything

01:32:14.980 we do we commit to him and we believe we are and will win this battle so ecclesiastes 3 17 then says

01:32:25.480 i said to myself god will bring into judgment both the righteous and the wicked for there will be a

01:32:32.400 time for every activity a time to judge every deed and so i say again praise the lord to that i am

01:32:41.820 just so grateful i'll just stop sharing screen for a moment as i say you know my final words here and

01:32:48.420 it has just been such a pleasure for all of us to serve you in this last year and we look forward to

01:32:57.420 serving you in 2025 and we believe that god is 100 percent in control of everything that's happening and

01:33:06.180 there's a reason for our suffering and it is he is being gracious to bring us back to him as a nation

01:33:12.900 our battle is spiritual and in ephesians uh 6 12 it actually says i'm actually going to start at 10

01:33:22.000 it's talking about putting on the armor of god finally be strong in the lord and in his mighty power

01:33:29.440 put on the full armor of god so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes for our struggle

01:33:35.300 is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers against the authorities against the powers

01:33:40.160 of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms and so when it says

01:33:46.280 our battle is is uh not against flesh and blood what it means is that our battle is not against

01:33:52.460 justin trudeau uh mark miller or these uh david eby eb or bonnie henry they are empty vessels that have

01:34:00.760 made room for the devil to use them here on earth to do his bidding and the difference between them

01:34:07.760 and us and them and christians and christians are filled with the holy spirit of god and when you

01:34:13.560 are true to the holy spirit of god you can't possibly allow that kind of evil to exist in you

01:34:19.060 so we would never be able to behave in the way that they do and that's one of the reasons god says

01:34:25.880 pray for your enemy so we pray for justin trudeau and mark miller and christia freeland and david eby

01:34:33.840 and bonnie henry and all of these other evil entities that have been uh you know facilitating

01:34:40.020 this evil within their bodies right that they they have been entertaining them and allowing them

01:34:45.920 to take charge over them we pray that god would take charge over them and take this down and that

01:34:51.960 god would either raise them up and that they would fall to their knees in repentance or that god would

01:34:57.820 remove them and god have mercy on them because he will do far more uh to them to bring justice than

01:35:05.180 we could ever imagine that has happened throughout history and we know that when people commit treason

01:35:12.180 in the old days or when they harm children it was not unusual for them to go to the guillotines or be hung

01:35:19.920 and so we will leave that to the lord but we are going to pursue justice and continue to do that

01:35:25.940 into 2025 and we're going to look forward to you joining us on that journey so god bless you have

01:35:32.420 a very merry christmas and i'm going to wish you a happy new year i've already said lots about 2025

01:35:38.140 and make sure that you take time to rest and spend time with your family and friends

01:35:42.640 so again thank you for spending this time with us thank you

01:35:47.220 so

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Action4Canada - December 19, 2024

Christmas Service with Tanya Gaw & Pastor Dan Vachon, Dec. 18, 2024

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