As we celebrate Christmas, what we learn is that when a prophecy comes forth, it shall be fulfill. Whatever prophecy you have ever received over your life, it will come to pass.
Isaiah, Micah, Samuel and Jeremiah… all over the Bible, they all prophesied about the coming of the Messiah. You might be believing God for something and it looks as through it might have delayed, but it is a sure thing, it will happen.
God spoke to Simeon that he will never die until he go to see the Messiah. That was fulfilled also. Whether it is a general prophecy, or an individual prophecy, it will be fulfilled in your life. Christmas is a celebration of fulfillment of Bible prophecy.
I also want us to focus particularly on Anna, the prophetess from Chapter 2 in Luke.
“And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.”
What does the Bible say? She was fasting and praying for the coming of the Messiah. Hear me Child of God, just because you received a prophecy does not mean you just write it down, or record it, and say, ‘Let the prophesy come to pass.’
When prophets foretold the Birth of Jesus Christ, God put a special lady at the temple called Anna, and a special man called Simeon. Their job was to pray for the coming of the Messiah. And when the Messiah came, Simeon said, ‘Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.’
I want to submit to you today that Christmas is all about prayer. Don’t quit on praying. Whatever God said about you, whether He spoke to you directly, or through a prophet or a teacher, it shall come to pass, but water it with prayer.
Divine delays
John the Baptist came to prepare the way of the Lord. Who were his parents? Zachariah and Elizabeth. Did they have a Child for sometime? No. They received a child in old age. The Bible says they were all descendants of Moses, they were Levites. They lived holy lives but still had a problem.
I want to submit to you today that John the Baptist could not come before his time. His birth had to be in sync with the man who he was meant to prepare a way for to be born.
Child of God, sometimes we go through delays and begin to question our faith wondering what is it that we have not done. I want you to understand that the Christmas story tells us that some delays are God ordained.
Some delays are accepted by God, that is why you have done everything but that delay is still there.
God is about to do something very soon. He is about to send an angel very soon. When the Messiah was about to be born, Zachariah and Elizabeth had a child. Child of God, your delayal may be divine, but very soon, everybody is going to be surprised. Matthew 11:11 says, ‘Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist…’
Why Jesus had to go to Egypt
In Matthew 2:13-23, Joseph was warned by an angel in a dream to take Jesus and Mary to Egypt to escape King Herod’s wrath. They continued living there until one night when an angel appeared again to Joseph in a dream. “Get up, take the young child and his mother,” the angel said, “and go into the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the life of the young child are dead.”
As we celebrate Christmas, I want you to learn that there are certain things that are going to remain. But God is going to separate you from those things. He will hide you. Some of you don’t know that you’re ready in hiding. That’s why the world is not seeing you yet, but God is about to remove you from there.
Micah 5:2 says, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
There is greatness coming out of you. No one could sing about Bethlehem before. But now, it is a song in all languages and tribes. Receive that impartation of greatness. May you shine throughout this Christmas season, and may you shine throughout 2020.
This article an extract from Dr Godfey Kamese’s sermon on 25th December, 2019. He is lead Pastor of Praise Cathedral – Ntinda.
