The Christmas Story (Part 3)

By Lori Bakker | | Filed in Teaching | Tags: , ,

The Wise Men

During the time when Jesus was born there was a very mean king who ruled the land, his name was King Herod.  Remember his name, because we will talk about him later.

Soon after Jesus was born,  wise men were traveling on their camels; one night they noticed a very strange star in the sky.  They knew that this star meant that the King of the Jews, the One who would save the world had been born.

When the mean King… (what was his name again?) Herod heard this he got very worried.

He called a meeting with all the other important people in the area and asked them where this special baby had been born.  The people replied, “In Bethlehem, because they heard that one day a special person would come from there and take care of all the people.”

Then King Herod called the wise men to a secret meeting and found out from them exactly where they saw the star.  He then told them, “Go and find this child.  As soon as you find him, tell me, so that I can go and worship him.”

After they had spoken to the King, the wise men left to find the baby.  They didn’t know exactly where the baby was, but at night they followed the star in the east.  They followed the star until it hung right over the very place where Jesus was.

When they finally had arrived they were very excited and happy.  They found Jesus laying in Mary’s arms, and they bowed down and worshipped him.

After that they opened the gifts they had brought Jesus.  They were gold, frankincense and myrrh.  These were very expensive gifts, gifts that you would give to a King, not to a baby.  Mary thanked them for bringing the gifts for Jesus, and the wise men went to find a place to sleep for the night.

As the wise men were sleeping, they each had the same dream.  They were not to go back and tell King Herod where they found Jesus.  King Herod didn’t want to find Jesus to worship him, he wanted to kill him because he was jealous that this baby would someday be better than him.

So the wise men went home another way so that Herod would not know where they had come from.  They also decided that they would not tell King Herod anything about what they had seen.

When the wise men had left, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream.  “Get up,” the angel said, “take Jesus and Mary and run away to Egypt.  Stay there until I come to you again, because Herod is going to search for Jesus to kill him.”

Joseph immediately got up and woke up Mary, and she gently picked up Jesus so he wouldn’t wake from his sleep.  They left in the middle of the night for Egypt, so no one would see them.

They were safe in Egypt, and after King Herod died an angel appeared to Joseph and told him could go to a place called Nazareth.  And that’s where Jesus grew up.

The Christmas Story – Part 1
The Christmas Story – Part 2
The Christmas Story – Part 4

 

When Kingdoms Collide

By Jim Bakker | | Filed in Last Days, Prophecy

The kingdoms of this world are colliding with something more powerful than money – they are colliding with the Word of God that prophesies of their demise throughout the history of time.  In the 11th chapter of Revelations, we see the end result of this collision:

“And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become [the kingdoms] of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” READ MORE →

Jesus Is Coming Again

By Jim Bakker | | Filed in Last Days, Prophecy, Teaching

The world has not seen the last of Jesus Christ.  He came once in human history, imploding into our world as a mere mortal, and He is coming again.  Jesus Himself promised that He will return at the end of the age.More than two hundred Scripture references spoke of His first coming. The Bible accurately predicted that Jesus would be born into the family of Judah; that He would be born to a virgin; that He would be born in Bethlehem; that He and His family would flee to Egypt; that He would heal the sick; that His own people would despise and reject Him; that He would be betrayed by a friend; that He would be sold for thirty pieces of silver; that he would be crucified with sinners; that His side would be pierced; that He would be raised from the dead; and that he would ascend to heaven.

Amazingly, every detail of the prophecies concerning His first advent came to pass.

If you are astounded that more than two hundred specific prophecies were fulfilled regarding the first coming of Christ, get ready for a surprise.

Over three hundred Scripture references point to the Second Coming. But when Jesus Christ returns, He will not come as the Babe in Bethlehem’s manger.

The first time He came to Earth, Jesus came as the Man of Sorrows; at His Second Coming, He will appear as Almighty God. He came first as the Lamb of God; when He returns, He will be the Lion of Judah.

At His incarnation, Jesus came as the Prince of Peace; when He comes again, it will be as King of kings and Lord of lords.

The world has not seen the last of Jesus Christ.  He came once in human history, imploding into our world as a mere mortal, and He is coming again. Jesus Himself promised that He will return at the end of the age.

More than two hundred Scripture references spoke of His first coming. The Bible accurately predicted that Jesus would be born into the family of Judah; that He would be born to a virgin; that He would be born in Bethlehem; that He and His family would flee to Egypt; that He would heal the sick; that His own people would despise and reject Him; that He would be betrayed by a friend; that He would be sold for thirty pieces of silver; that he would be crucified with sinners; that His side would be pierced; that He would be raised from the dead; and that he would ascend to heaven. Amazingly, every detail of the prophecies concerning His first advent came to pass.

If you are astounded that more than two hundred specific prophecies were fulfilled regarding the first coming of Christ, get ready for a surprise. Over three hundred Scripture references point to the Second Coming.But when Jesus Christ returns, He will not come as the Babe in Bethlehem’s manger.

The first time He came to Earth, Jesus came as the Man of Sorrows; at His Second Coming, He will appear as Almighty God.He came first as the Lamb of God; when He returns, He will be the Lion of Judah.

At His incarnation, Jesus came as the Prince of Peace; when He comes again, it will be as King of kings and Lord of lords.

The Christmas Story (Part 2)

By Lori Bakker | | Filed in Teaching | Tags: , ,

The Angels Visit the Shepherds

In those days the government decided that they should count everyone that lived in that area of the world. So Joseph had to take Mary to his town, Bethlehem to register.

It took Mary and Joseph a long time to get to Bethlehem.  They didn’t have cars back then, so it probably took them a lot longer to get there.  This was very tiring for Mary because she was soon going to have a baby.

When they reached the town, all the hotels were full and there was nowhere that they could stay.  Finally, someone felt bad for them, and offered them a place to stay.

The Bible doesn’t say for sure where they stayed but most people think that they stayed in a small barn where animals were kept.  In any case, doesn’t it seem strange that Jesus, the King of the Jews wasn’t born in a fancy palace or even a hospital?

Mary and Joseph were thankful that they at least had a place to lay down.  It was warm, and there was plenty of straw to lay on.

That night an exciting, wonderful thing happened.  Mary and Joseph had a baby!  But it wasn’t just any baby, it was Baby Jesus!  The creator of the whole world, the King of Kings, the one who would save the world.

The little baby boy fell asleep in Mary’s arms and she wrapped him in cloths and laid him in a manger on some clean straw.

Mary and Joseph soon fell asleep, they were so glad to have this special baby join their family.

Some shepherds who lived near Bethlehem, were out at night in their fields watching over their sheep.  They were worried a bigger animal might come and hurt the sheep, so that sat on a hill visiting and watching their sheep together.

Suddenly there was a bright light.  Now this wasn’t just any bright light, the light was so bright that they had to close their eyes for a minute because the light hurt their eyes.

When they opened their eyes to see what was going on, a beautiful angel was standing in the air just above them with his arms opened wide.

The shepherds looked at each other in disbelief, but realized it must be real, because they were all seeing the same thing.  All at once they were very afraid, but they didn’t run because they were too stunned to do anything.

Then the angel spoke to them.  “Do not be afraid.  I’m here to bring you good news for all people.  Today in Bethlehem a baby has been born, He is the one that will save the world.  You will know the baby because He will be wrapped in cloths, and laying in a manger.”

Suddenly, just as quickly as the first angel came, there were a large group of angels, and they said together, “Glory to God, and peace to all people on earth.”  After they spoke, they floated away.

The shepherds were amazed and excited, did everyone know this news, or just them?  They had to go see this baby the angels were talking about.

They ran as fast as they could, and soon found Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus.  The shepherds fell to their knees when they saw Jesus, they were filled with joy that they had found the Lord.

The shepherds only stayed for a few minutes,  they realized that Mary needed to sleep.  As soon as they left they began shouting in the streets and telling everyone they met about what they had seen, and about the arrival of baby Jesus.

Mary sat and watched Jesus sleep, she was so happy.  She was thinking about what it would be like when her son got older, and what an important person He was.

The Christmas Story – Part 1
The Christmas Story – Part 3
The Christmas Story – Part 4

The Christmas Story (Pt. 1)

By Lori Bakker | | Filed in Teaching | Tags: , ,

Hello Everyone!

Each year about this time, I like to remind families how important it is to tell the Christmas story to our little ones.  Even the older ones love to hear the true Christmas story about the birth of Jesus.  The Christmas story is paraphrased below from the New Testament Books of Matthew and Luke in the Bible.  It will be told here in 4 parts.  Be sure you print them and keep them to read to the children at your family gathering this Christmas!

The Christmas Story (Pt. 1)

The Story of Baby Jesus

A long time ago, in the town of Nazareth, lived a young woman named Mary.  Mary did her chores, was kind to others, and loved God very much.  She was engaged to be married to Joseph, who was a carpenter.

One day, while Mary was at home cleaning her room, an angel suddenly appeared.  Before Mary could say anything the angel told Mary that she was favored by God, and that God was with her.

Mary was surprised.  She was trying not to be afraid, but she had never seen an angel before.  After all, Mary was just a regular lady like you or I.  Why was this angel visiting her?  What did the angel want?

The angel quickly tried to reassure Mary, “Do not be afraid!”  the angel said.  “God has found favor with you.  You will have a baby boy, and are to give him the name Jesus.”

Mary was confused, she was not yet married to Joseph, so how could she have a baby?  The angel thought that this might concern Mary so he said, “The Holy Spirit will perform a miracle, and because of this your baby will be called  the Son of God.”

To Mary’s surprise the angel had more exciting news;  “Even your cousin Elizabeth is going to have a son in her old age.  Many thought that she couldn’t have children, but she is already pregnant.  Nothing is impossible with God.”

Mary couldn’t believe what she was hearing, she didn’t know what to say.  She realized that she was trembling, and knelt down.  When she was finally able to speak she said, “I am the Lord’s servant, and I hope everything you have said will come true.”

The angel then disappeared, and Mary was left alone.

Soon after, Joseph found out that Mary was going to have a baby.  Joseph was confused and upset by this. But an angel came to him in a dream and said, “Joseph do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife.  The child Mary is going to have is God’s son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.”

When Joseph woke up he remembered what the angel had said.  He knew that everything was okay, and he wasn’t upset anymore.

In those days the government decided that they should count everyone that lived in that area of the world.  So Joseph had to take Mary to his town, Bethlehem to register.

It took Mary and Joseph a long time to get to Bethlehem.  They didn’t have cars back then, so it probably took them a lot longer to get there.  This was very tiring for Mary because she was soon going to have a baby.

When they reached the town, all the hotels were full and there was nowhere that they could stay.  Finally, someone felt bad for them, and offered them a place to stay.

The Bible doesn’t say for sure where they stayed but most people think that they stayed in a small barn where animals were kept.  In any case, doesn’t it seem strange that Jesus, the King of the Jews wasn’t born in a fancy palace or even a hospital?

Mary and Joseph were thankful that they at least had a place to lay down.  It was warm, and there was plenty of straw to lay on.

That night an exciting, wonderful thing happened.  Mary and Joseph had a baby!  But it wasn’t just any baby, it was Baby Jesus!  The creator of the whole world, the King of Kings, the one who would save the world.

The little baby boy fell asleep in Mary’s arms and she wrapped him in cloths and laid him in a manger on some clean straw.

Mary and Joseph soon fell asleep, they were so glad to have this special baby join their family.

The Christmas Story – Part 2
The Christmas Story – Part 3
The Christmas Story – Part 4

What If…

By Jim Bakker | | Filed in Last Days

One day soon, we heard…

The voice of the local radio broadcaster was frantic: “It’s horrendous!  This cannot be happening, yet even as I speak, the situation worsens.  Tonight, approximately fifteen minutes ago, a gigantic fissure opened in the earth near Lake Crowley, otherwise known as the Long Valley Reservoir, in the Mammoth Lakes region of the eastern Sierra Nevada area. According to eyewitness reports from individuals who observed the lake from nearby higher ground, the lake seemed to heave into the air, virtually catapulting its contents out of the lake basin.  

Apparently coinciding with the earthquake—or perhaps causing it—is a volcanic eruption in the area, spewing lava, steam, and volcanic ash into the sky. According to the state’s Department of Water and Power, increased activity has been detected for the past several years, and although seismic activity has recently increased in frequency and intensity, nobody could have predicted this sort of disaster.

“State emergency officials are warning people in Southern California not to drink your tap water. Repeat: do not drink your tap water. It has been contaminated. Lake Crowley formerly rested in a twenty-by-ten-mile crater that is thought to have been formed by a volcanic eruption seven hundred years ago. The lake is one of Southern California’s main water supply sources, collecting mountain runoff, which flows hundreds of miles south by way of aqueducts to Los Angeles. But the catastrophic explosion caused massive amounts of toxic ash to fall into the water, thus contaminating the water supply. Adding to the problem, the volcano has caused rapid melting of snow in the mountains, and flash floods are ripping through the area even as I speak. The floodwater is teeming with potentially hazardous volcanic debris known as lahar. If at all possible, residents should avoid any unnecessary contact with the floodwater until its toxicity can be determined.”

The announcer took a breath and then broke from his professional protocol. “It’s awful,” he gasped. “This is the worst disaster I’ve ever seen. There is no electricity throughout most of the state. Water is rushing through the valley like the Johnstown flood, and our drinking water supply is contaminated. The earth is shaking beneath our feet, its pitch black outside, getting colder by the hour, and we still have nine hours before sunrise. God help us all.”

(From the book “The Refuge” by Jim Bakker)

A Drug Worse Than Marijuana

By Lori Bakker | | Filed in Last Days, Prophecy | Tags: , , ,

I know about the effects of drug use.  I know because I experienced those effects in my own life for a number of years.  Most of the drugs I ingested, like marijuana, put me in a stupor.  I liked the stupor – it shoved aside any resemblance of reality in my chaotic life and gave me a false sense of comfort.  It often made me sleepy and lethargic. 

Christians are doing drugs today, but their drug is not marijuana.  Today, we have an even more damaging drug that Christian people everywhere ingest every single day.  It is not illegal, but it should be.  It is freely distributed in our homes and even in our churches. 

It is a drug called “apathy”. 

Though the signs of the times are all around us, “Happy Home” and “Happy Church” lacks the motivation necessary to sound the alarm that we will soon experience changes in our lives and in our world that we must be ready for.  We are on the precipice of a huge alteration of our reality.   Some of us need to enter a spiritual ‘rehab’.

This ministry wants you to be prepared.  We are sounding the alarm.  Will you get free of this drug called “apathy” today?  Will you free yourself so that you can help your children and other loved ones be ready for Times of Trouble?

If you belong to Jesus, you are not appointed to His wrath.  We are assured of this.  But even those who are His are warned over and over in the scriptures to watch for the signs of His coming and be ready!

Don’t ingest the reassuring babble coming from our government, the media, and some pulpits.  Prepare yourself and your family and be ready spiritually and physically.

We love you, we really do!

~Lori

When You Think You’re All Alone…

By Lori Bakker | | Filed in Teaching | Tags: , , , , , ,

Thanksgiving is usually a time that friends and family gather together and enjoy one another.  That is, when there is peace in your soul and you have family and friends that care for you.  But I also know there are many without that peace and without family and friends to surround you. READ MORE →

One Day Soon

By Jim Bakker | | Filed in "Now" Words, Last Days, Prophecy | Tags: , , , , , , , ,

It may surprise some of  you, but the reality is that we are already in a war, a spiritual war, right here on Earth.  The kingdom of God is being viciously opposed by the forces of evil.  This war is real with very high stakes – the salvation of men, women, boys and girls all over the world.   As the Church, we are new soldiers in this very old war.

Every day we are moving closer and closer to the time of Jesus’ return.    This is not a time to sit on the sidelines and watch as a spectator.  We are entering a season of acceleration. READ MORE →

Motherhood (Pt. 7)

By Lori Bakker | | Filed in Motherhood | Tags:

A few years after Lori was born (we now call her “Little Lori”), the circumstances of life led us to a place where Jim and I could adopt this beautiful child.  She was and is my namesake, and she is beautiful, inside and out.

“Little Lori” is now 20 years old.  Not only is she an amazing human being, she is gifted in many areas.  She has done a wonderful job producing our television show in the past, and today she is studying and preparing for a career in fashion design. READ MORE →