BETHLEHEM OF JUDAEA

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“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2 KJV). Today’s Scripture, written about 700 B.C., prophesies the exact birthplace of Israel’s Messiah. Notice the Bible is very specific: “Bethlehem Ephratah” pinpoints the Bethlehem in southern Israel (there was another Bethlehem, in Galilee, northern Israel). Bethlehem of Judaea, as today’s Scripture teaches, is “little among the thousands of Judah” (a little-known village). The Bible tells us that …

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WALKING WITH GREATER CONFIDENCE

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Many times we choose self-reliance over trusting God. But following the His guidance is a much better way to live Hebrews 11:1-31 (KJV) 11 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good report. 3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. 4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, …

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I want to live my life for God. How do I do that?

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Living for God is not a matter of following a set of rules. God commanded the Israelites to follow a system of sacrifices, but Samuel said to Saul, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams” (1 Samuel 15:22). In order for us to live for God, we must know what He wants. Jesus, in His High Priestly prayer during His Upper Room Discourse (John 13—17), gives us insight into what He wants. He …

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Jesus Claims to be The Messiah

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Jesus Reveals His True Nature and Mission to an Inferior Samaritan Woman   The Samaritan Woman at the Well by Annibale Carracci Cir 1560-1609 Some of the Bible’s and the Lord Jesus’ detractors say that He never claimed to be the Christ. Well He did and revealed himself to a lowly Samaritan woman not to the arrogant religious authorities of His day. John 4:1-4 1 When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, 2 (though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,) 3 he left Judea, and departed again into Galilee. …

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Who We Are in Christ

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1 Peter 1:1-7   1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not …

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German police raid asylum-seeker shelter after Berlin attack

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Reports say driver of truck that plowed through Christmas market, killing 12, is Pakistani man who entered country a year ago BY AP AND TIMES OF ISRAEL STAFF December 20, 2016 German police on Tuesday morning searched a large shelter for asylum-seekers in Berlin in response to a fatal attack on a Christmas market Monday. German media, citing unnamed security sources, reported that the suspect in the attack is a Pakistani man who entered Germany in late 2015 or early this year. Police said Tuesday that the driver who rammed a truck into a crowded Christmas market in the heart …

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“Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love.” Jeremiah 31:3

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Sometimes the Lord Jesus tells his Church his love thoughts. “He does not think it enough behind her back to tell it, but in her very presence he says, Thou art all fair, my love.’ It is true, this is not his ordinary method; he is a wise lover, and knows when to keep back the intimation of love and when to let it out; but there are times when he will make no secret of it; times when he will put it beyond all dispute in the souls of his people” (R. Erskine’s Sermons). The Holy Spirit is often …

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Why Did Jesus Have to Come?

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Introduction There are three main reasons Jesus Christ, the son of God and the second person of the Trinity, had to come onto the earth as a human being: Cleanse the sin from the Heavenly Tabernacle of God. Cleanse the sin from the earth. Fulfill the Abrahamic Covenant with the establishment of the Messianic Kingdom. Reason One The Cherubim have the most prominent role of all the created heavenly beings because: They are the closest to God in His heavenly throne room. They surround God in all His glory. They play a prominent role at God’s command in the Third …

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GOD’S LOVING DESIRE FOR YOU

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God loves us—everything He does is out of love—and it has nothing to do with who we are 1 Timothy 2:1-8 (KJV) 2 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5 For …

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Syria Daily: Russia-Iran-Turkey Confer in Moscow Today

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December 20,2016 Foreign and defense ministers of Russia, Iran, and Turkey will confer on Tuesday over the future of Syria. The talks, held in Moscow, spurred by the imminent occupation of all of Syria’s largest city Aleppo by foreign forces — including Iranian ground units and Iranian-led Iraqi and Afghan militia, supported by Russian airstrikes — alongside Assad regime units. Russia and Iran have been essential backers of President Assad since the uprising began in March 2011, while Turkey has supported the Syrian opposition and rebels. Relations between Moscow and Ankara were at breaking point in November 2015, after Turkish …

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Russia says killing of ambassador in Ankara is act of terrorism

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Published time: 19 Dec, 2016 17:30 The attack on Russian envoy Andrey Karlov, who died of gunshot wounds received during an official event in the Turkish capital, Ankara, is qualified by Moscow as a “terrorist act,” the Foreign Ministry says. Follow LIVE UPDATES on gun attack in Ankara Announcing Karlov’s death, the ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the “day is tragic in the history of the Russian diplomacy.” The ambassador was shot at a public event in the Turkish capital, the ministry confirmed, saying that he later died of his wounds. The topic of the killing of the Russian diplomat …

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The Wise Men

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Pete Garcia Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem,saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” Matthew 2:1-2 A first question that comes to mind is, how did these ‘Wise Men’ know about the birth of Jesus? What did they know about it? What does their visit mean for us today in the 21st century? Well for starters, let’s find out how they …

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