In the Christmas story we see that God is in control.

James Greer: 00:01 Amen. Huh? Morning Journey Church. Hey, let's welcome Alexandria campus, Amen? Hey, let's let Darryl eat his heart out. He can't match that. Well isn't it wonderful to start off a service baptizing eight people, I mean five people in the morning. Amen. Yeah. And then they've got a Christmas to remember. It was freezing in there. I had waiters on, and it was cold. Yeah. But that's okay. We want it to be special for them anyway. Amen? Any of the rest of you all that hadn't been baptized, if you all want to be baptized, you all just come and we'll do it the next service. Amen?

James Greer: 00:56 Well, we're talking about a Christmas that could not be messed up. So, I want to tell you something. There's only one person who can mess your Christmas up, that's you. See, with Mary and Joseph, the government couldn't do it. Not having a place to stay couldn't do it. And the only person that can really mess your Christmas up is you. And what I mean by that is Jesus had a plan for, I mean, God had planned for Jesus' birth. Where it was going to be, and God had a plan for Jesus' death and how it's going to be. Listen to this, and everything and everybody in between the birth and the deaths were nothing more than pawns in the hand of God. Now, what you've got to understand, the same is true with you. Everything else that comes into your life from your birth to your death is nothing more than pawns in the hand of God. With Jesus, the darkness of the womb to the darkness of the tomb. God was still in charge.

James Greer: 01:47 See, I don't know what you're going through this morning. It could be like a great time of celebration, like it is during a birth or it could be a great time of darkness, like it is during the tune, but I know that God loves you and he wants to bring the light to your life. God wants you to know that he can take the greatest mess in your life and turn it into a miracle. Really almost, the message that we're going to talk about today, the Chrysalis story, even like Joseph and Mary, it looks like everywhere they turned, everything they did, it looked like people in situations as circumstances were trying to turn their miracle into a mess. But, God just kept turning around and he kept turning around to a miracle. That's what God can do and will do. Let's read a little bit about the story in Luke 2:1 and it said, and it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

James Greer: 02:42 It's almost tax season for us, too. Verse 2, and this taxing was first made by Syria, from the governor of Syria. Now verse three and all went to be taxed, everyone to his own city. See, the government couldn't stop Christmas. The government could stop the birth of Christ. See, the government couldn't mess up. Joseph's and Mary's miracle. I want to give you a few insights about miracles. First of all, you ready. Number one, before you can ever have a miracle, you have to have a situation in your life that looks impossible. So, if you're here today and you have a situation in your life, then it looks at possible. It can be financial, it can be emotional, it can be spiritual, it can be health. You're a candidate for a miracle. Amen? See, married getting pregnant by a Holy spirit and bringing the son of God into the world and, and Joseph not putting her away, that's a miracle. Amen?

James Greer: 03:42 Miracles are not all about getting your way. It's about doing it God's way in spite of how you feel wanting it your way. That's so important, because I believe so many people miss out on the miracles because something comes into their life and it's not the way they wanted it. I don't think that Joseph at first wanted his person he was engaged to get pregnant. I don't think at first, when Mary was getting ready to get engaged at first to get pregnant by the Holy spirit, and then she had to tell Joseph. But, the thing that they said is it's not about having my way. It's not about quitting ahead of time. It's about going on and not giving up. It's about doing it God's way. It's not quitting.

James Greer: 04:32 There's so many people that wanting to quit and give up today. But, if you're here today and you have what looks like an impossible situation, I want you to know that you're in good company and you're a candidate for a miracle. Number two, second insight I want you to know, I believe we should vote. Okay? I think if you're here, I think we should vote. Amen? I should vote. You should vote. We should all vote. Amen. But I want to give you a free insight about voting. Vote your convictions, but God's in control, not the president. There's so much going on in news. Everybody's watching, man. Is Trump going to be impeached? Is he not going to be impeached? I don't know if he's going to be impeached. I don't know if he's not going to be impeached. Can I tell you something? Trump's not in control. Pelosi is not in control. God's in control. So you can just relax.

James Greer: 05:17 In fact, can I tell you something? Proverbs 21 says, the King's heart is in the hands of the Lord, like the rears of water. He turns it whichever way he goes. God just turns it. You know what he means by that? The government, they couldn't stop the birth of Christ. God simply used them. What looked like something that was bad, taxes and traveling while she was pregnant, to simply accomplish what God had already prophesied. In fact, in Luke 2:4, he says this, so Joseph left Nazareth, the town of Galilee, and he went to the town of Bethlehem of Judea, known as the town of David. Joseph went there because he was from the town, his family of David.

James Greer: 06:15 Third insight is, you ready? You ready? Why if I asked you for it, why did Joseph go to Bethlehem? You'd say because the government told him to, wouldn't you? Wouldn't you use psychos, Garrett? He didn't go to Bethlehem because the government told him to. He went to Bethlehem because God told him to way ahead of time. See, the government was doing nothing but in the hands of God. God had already prophesied that he would go there a long time ago. He was just doing what the government, was just doing what God had already told him. Way back in Micah 2:5 it said, you are Bethlehem, through you little among thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to me and one of the rulers of Israel, whose going forth and from old forever last.

James Greer: 07:07 Matthew puts it this way. Matthew 1:22 says, and she shall bring forth a child and she shall call his name what Jesus. And he's going to do what? He's going to save his people from sin. So, all this was done that what it might fulfill, which was already spoken of the Lord through his prophet saying, behold, the virgin shall bring forth a child, and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which is translated God with us. So, what he said is why did he go to Bethlehem? Of course the government mandated it, but God had already mandated way before that. You know what's so important about that?

James Greer: 07:27 Fourth insight, whatever God said in his words, always is going to come out. If God said it, it's going to come true. See, I don't care what your mess is. I don't care what your need is. What you need more than anything else is God's promise in the matter. It's God's promise, it takes a mess and turns it into a miracle. 2 Peter 1:4 says, God gives exceedingly great and precious promises. Matthew 2:5 says this, and he says this, so they said to him, in Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophets, but you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah are of the what least among the rulers of Judah. For out of it shall come a ruler who shall shepherd my people. You know, in other words, I want you to say, so the fifth insight is Bethlehem is the least among Judah. You know why that's important? God can take the very least you have, and he can do great and mighty things. You know why I want to tell you that? Don't believe the lie of the devil.

James Greer: 09:00 Don't believe the lie of the devil. Don't believe the lie of the world. Don't believe it's all about what you have. That's not true. It's who you know. So many people come to Christmas and they say, man, if I only have this. This is what I have and it's what I have, what I have. No it isn't. Mary and Joseph, they had very little as far as monetary things, but it's who you know. See it's who. If you know Jesus Christ, he can take anything and everything and turn it around to something great. Amen? So, it's not what you have, it's who you know. Do you know Christ? Do you know him as your savior? Do you know that he can take anything and he can direct your path?

James Greer: 09:43 Sixth insight I want you to know, there's two things that never could mess up in the world. It was the birth of Christ and the death of Christ. He had to be born of a virgin and he had to die sinless life. Those two things had to happen. See, I don't know what you're going through. God can use it for our good. I don't care who you have to appear before. I have a lot of people say, man, I got to go to court today. I’ve got, maybe it's custody battles or maybe it's something else they've got to go to court for, and man, I always go back to that. The King's heart is in the hand of God. The judge is not really not in control. The president's not really in control. God is ultimately in control and he'll turn the hearts of the King whichever way it will. So, it's not who you appear before is who you have on your side. Amen? So it does matter. The relationship you have with God through Jesus Christ. It was your relationship with God that greatly determines the power in your prayers and the communication you have with God.

James Greer: 10:32 The reason that Mary and Joseph were able to travel 90 miles while she was nine months pregnant and then when she got there, didn't have a place to stay and they could still obey her. You ready? They did it with a certain amount of joy, is because they heard from God before they ever faced the problem. The most important thing you can do is hear from God on a day to day basis before you ever face a problem, and you have the assurance that he's going to see you through the problem. So, all that they went. That's why James 5:16 is so important when it says, confess your trespasses one to another, pray one for another, that you might be healed. The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Man, when you're right with God and you're right with other people, it's unbelievable the power of your prayers in your life.

James Greer: 11:25 Number two. Number two, we have to do what needs to be done even when it's not convenient, even when it's not comfortable doing what God's called us to is not always convenient and is not always comfortable in spite of the prosperity theology, which is the fastest growing religion today, is name it, claim it. If you've got faith and you're going to be rich, you're going to be healthy and you're going to be happy. The problem was if you look at the New Testament, they were martyred, they were killed, they were slaughtered, they were burned. They were putting all, Oh, it's not always convenient. It's not always comfortable to follow Christ. See many times, many times, listen, God allows me inconvenient and uncomfortable to build character. In fact, God's more concerned about character than he is comfort.

James Greer: 12:30 Even with Joseph in chapter two verse nine, Joseph wrestled with Mary to whom he was engaged and now pregnant. Now they had traveled and when they finally made it to Bethlehem, time came from Mary to have a baby. They traveled 90 miles, where she was pregnant and she gave birth to her first son because there was what? No room left for them. In the end, I was fortunate last year. I got to travel there. I got to go where they said that the baby was born. They believe in Bethlehem when it says there's no room in the end, you know why they traveled to Bethlehem? Because that's where his family was from.
James Greer: 13:09 They believed that he traveled there and he tried to go to his parent's house. They wouldn't let them come in. They believe because of the shame, he was engaged and she got pregnant, that they even show where they thought that Joseph parents inn was. It was a larger facility that had very many rooms in it. And they believe that Joseph and Mary came to that particular inn and they turned them away. Not just because there wasn't room like we're talking about, but there was not room in their heart, to let them come in. So they had to go to a stable where the baby was wrapped in pieces of cloth. Symbolic of she was poor, and tore pieces of cloth to wrap around the baby and put him in a feeding trough, because there was no room for him. That wasn't very convenient, that wouldn't too comfortable.

James Greer: 14:07 But, yet they pushed through. We call it today, sometimes God, you ready tests our faith. We've got to understand that God allows us to be inconvenient and uncomfortable to grow our faith so many times. Instead of growing our faith, we lose our faith. How do you respond when it's inconvenient and uncomfortable for you? 1 Peter 1:6 puts it this way, this means tremendous joy to you. Hmm. I know, even when you're temporarily harassed by all kinds of trials and temptations, it's no accident. God says it's no accident. It happened to prove your faith, your faith. God already knows what your, he proves it to you, which is infinitely more valuable even than gold. Gold as you know is going to perish. Must be purified with fire.

James Greer: 15:09 This proving your faith is planned to bring you praise, honor, and glory in the day of Jesus Christ reveals itself. Do you know what it's saying? Anything and everything you go through is filtered by the father. When you come to the point that you understand, even your trials and tribulations are no accident, says their father filtered. They grow our faith. God has a purpose. When God begins to have his will and his way, we cannot stop the miracles. Nothing you can do. You might have a trial, you might have a tribulation, but when it's father filtered, it grows our faith. And you cannot stop the miracle. That's what I'm telling you. Number three is you can do all you want. The world can do all. They cannot stop the blessings. They cannot stop the miracle. The government couldn't stop it.

James Greer: 16:05 Not having a place to have a baby couldn't stop it and you could stop it once you understand the government's not in control. When you understand that it's not always going to be convenient. It's not always going to be comfortable. But you do us right. Anyway, I love it. Luke two eight that night, what night? The night that they pushed through the night that they weren't allowed to come into the end the night that she had to have a baby in a stable, there were some shepherds and they were in the field nearby and they were watching their sheep and the angel from the Lord stood before them and said glory to the Lord was shying around them and they were very what? Frightened. And the angel said to them, I love this. Don't be afraid. I love this because every single Sunday it seems like God puts that on my heart.

James Greer: 17:00 Because somebody came here this morning and you're afraid and God has a message for you and the message is, guess what? Do not be what? Afraid. You know why I am bringing you, what? Good news. That you will be a great joy to what people, all the people. I love it because God says I've got some good news for you. And that good news is to bring great joy to you. And then I love the very next verse today, your savior was born in the town of David and he is the Christ our Lord. He is the savior. He is the deliver. He's the one that either, you all ready? He'll either remove the problem or he'll give you the strength to go through the problem, or he'll bring you home and he we're here have and you'll never have another problem.

James Greer: 17:45 He said, I am the savior. He said, I'm the Christ. I am the Lord. You know why he said I'm the Christ, I'm the Lord? He said, I'm the one that's ultimately in charge, nobody else but me. And so he was telling you who he is that I'm the one, despite what everything else you saw in the world that he was saying the government wasn't in charge, those people, those people at the end, they weren't in charge. He was saying, I'm in charge. So there was a process that they had to go through. They had to have a situation that was impossible in their life and sometimes you're going through those situations that look impossible and Matthew 19 says, what Jesus said to them, with men, it may be impossible me, all things are possible. You have to have some things that are not convenient and they're not comfortable. Sometimes those things are simply to make things right with God. Sometimes just to forgive somebody. Sometimes it's to not be so selfish. Sometimes it's not to give up. Sometimes it's to spend time with God.

James Greer: 18:50 Third, you need a word from the Lord. They had both heard from God. God told Joseph early on, take Mary. She's going to give the son. He told Mary, you're going to bring forth the son. They had heard from God. When is the last time you personally heard a word from the Lord? God has a promise for you. You need to find it. You need to claim it, and fourth, you need to believe it. Romans 11:6 says, without faith it's impossible to please God. You know why? God is a rewarder of those that believe him and diligently seek him. Fifth, you've got to learn how to wait on God in the word. You got to learn why you're waiting. You got to learn to wait on God in the word. This is the hardest thing. You take verses like Roman 8:28 and it says, all things work together then love the Lord called according to his purpose.

James Greer: 19:47 You’ve got to take Psalms 127:1 says, the Lord is the light. He is my strength. Whom will I fear? The Lord is a strength in my life. Who should I be afraid? Psalms 127:13, I have this written in my Bible. I would have found it out a quit. How to give it up out of stop, but you ready, unless I believe that I'd see the goodness of the Lord, you ready, in the land of the living God. I love that verse because when I quote that verse, I said, God, I'm going to see it while I'm still alive. And so as I say, I just start quoting the scripture. I start claiming the promises and light becomes an out of darkness and light becomes, and there's some of you all today that need light in the middle of darkness. Some of you all that have a mess and you need a miracle, and God's here to give it to you today. Amen? So as you stand, let me pray with you and to pray for you.

James Greer: 20:48 God, you're such an awesome God. What a great time to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Some of them need to have a rebirth. They need Christ in their heart for the first time. Some have impossible situations and today is the day they you spoke to them. God, some of us have been inconvenient, some people have given up, some people have quit, some of them on the job, some of them in relationships, some financially, and God today that you've just encouraged us to get back in the fight, get back into battle. Some of them just need comfort, God. Comfort our people, God, comfort them says Isaiah, I pray for that comfort. Some saw people getting baptized a while ago and they're saying I need to do that. Whether it's today or next week, and you just want to come. Some of them have been visiting and you say, today's a day. I need to come. I need to come and join church. Some of you all came and you were fearful and God has a word for you today. He said, don't be afraid. Don't be afraid. I have good news for you. I have good news for all the people. He said, I'm the Christ. I'm the savior. I'm the Lord. I'm the one who is in control. I'm above the government. I'm over the world. I can take any situation, any circumstance, everything else in the world they are just pawns in my hand. It may be inconvenient, it might be uncomfortable, but I can turn it around. I can accomplish my purpose. I can accomplish my will. Quit looking at the problem. Look at my promise. Whatever God's called you to do today, I pray that you let him have his will in his way in your life. It's in the precious name of Jesus. I pray. Amen.



Recorded in Pineville, Louisiana.