Message from the Overseer

Written by

Bishop Jesse Yanez, Dec 10th 2012

The Miraculous visit of Emmanuel, God with us!

The Birth of Jesus Luke 2:1-12 NIV

2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”  

“The land of Israel was under Roman occupation during Octavian's reign as emperor. To be counted in the census, Joseph and Mary had to travel the eighty miles from their home in Nazareth to Joseph's ancestral home of Bethlehem. When they arrived, Joseph's name, occupation, property, and family were recorded by the imperial census-takers.”[1]  

It hardly seems possible to imagine the divine making an appearance to this sinful world.  Nevertheless, He did and in the way He did is not anything short of a miracle, It was a “miracle”. 

It was and is called an “virginal conception”, in which man had nothing to do with God intervening with a young virgin to receive His only begotten Son as hers as well. His purpose was not only to create a heavenly hosts “Christmas Carol” or start the author of Silent Night to write the song as he did, but in fact his true purpose was to Be our Savior!

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10 NIV

He didn’t get lost in the crowd that sang Hosanna to Him or to the many that brought gifts of “frankincense; myrrh and gold.”

He came to this earth with a purpose not to be mistaken for a quest of good people, for in reality there was not one.

It might seem possible that in the hustle and bustle of this Christmas season, we might very well get sidetracked by the commercialization of this yuletide season and possibly forget to place the attention on the “Reason for this Season”. 

We may have to purposefully sit our families down at supper time and read to them the message of Christ-mas, the reason for Jesus coming to this earth, as a real gift. Under the beautiful Christmas tree with all of its grandeous décor, I am wondering how many homes will find His gift as the angel told the shepherds that they would find Him “wrapped” in swaddling clothes.  But the “wrapped” I am speaking about is God’s gift to us.  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosover believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  John 3:16

His purpose for His Visit sometime between September and December, whatever may be the true date of His birth, had an eternal purpose, and that to provide for each and everyone of us the gift of salvation.  

John 3:17  (NIV) 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  

May the blessings of His visit enrich you and your family this season, and may He fill you with the Joy, Peace and Love, which He purposely came to bring.  

On Behalf of Isabel and myself may each and everyone who reads this have a:  

Very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!  

 Bishop Jesse & Isabel Yañez

 [1] Where Was Jesus Born? by Jeffery Donley, Ph.D.; article    The Everything History of the Bible Book,