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2009SCOTTWEBSTER MINISTRIES. Page 1 of 3

P r o p h e t i c B r i e f

The Christmas Story - Part 1

Last year I wrote two newsletters that wereferred to as The Christmas Story, andI have re-done them to send out again thisyear. I think you will agree that they

provide an entirely different look intowhat really happened at the firstChristmas.

I think most believers are very consciousof the fact that what is purported to be a

Christian holiday is much more aboutintense consumerism and corporate

profits than about the values of Christ.Last year there was intense anticipationof how consumers would respond onBlack Friday during the economic crisis,and retailers were not disappointed whenspending on the biggest shopping day inAmerica increased by 2.9% over 2007.As reported last year, a temporary workerat a Wal-Mart in New York was killedwhen he opened the doors at 5 am for2,000 shoppers who surged past him andtrampled him to death.

On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving

this year, CNN anchor SuzanneMalveaux teased an upcoming storyabout safety measures to avoid the repeatof that tragic stampede death. Twoseconds later, a commercial began withthese stern and excited deep-throatedwords: "Friday doorbusters at Joseph A.

Bank!''Its the nature of the beast, a beastthat got plenty of consumers up at 3 amto grab the deals early Friday morning.

Moving past the obvious errors andextremes of consumerism, many may not

be as aware of the reality that theemphasis of Christ being birthed into the

earth was not simply an act of individualsalvation but a violent clash of kingdoms.It is a tradition in many households togather around the Christmas tree and readthe opening words of Matthews gospelduring the holiday season. But let us takethis well known passage quoted often inDecember and look at it for what it reallyis: a clash of Kingdoms.

Matthew 2:1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time ofKing Herod, Magi from the east came to

Jerusalem 2 and asked, "Where is the onewho has been born king of the Jews? We

saw his star in the east and have come toworship him." 3 When King Herod heardthis he was disturbed, and all Jerusalemwith him. 4 When he had called togetherall the people's chief priests and teachersof the law, he asked them where theChrist was to be born. 5 "In Bethlehem in

Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: 6 "'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are byno means least among the rulers of

Judah; for out of you will come a rulerwho will be the shepherd of my people

Israel.'(NIV)

The events of Jesus birth and early yearsof life were couched within politicalintrigue, murderous plots, acts ofgenocidal rage, state intelligenceactivities, issues of immigration andcovert border crossings, a visiting

delegation of foreign dignitaries and the

census and tax decrees of an empire. Wemust be aware of the actual introductionof the King into the earth and the dramawhich unfolded in a political and socialcontext. The narrative actually openswith the empire conducting a census andlevying a special tax upon the colonies(Luke 1:21), an exercise intended not justto raise revenue from the province but asa way for Rome to conduct politicalsurveillance of a potentially dissidentcolony. The first Christmas wasnt aboutdays off of work, holly or jingle bells it

The AfghanistanBriefs

Afghanistan continues to be in the

news with new troops, a renewed

push against the Taliban and

increased deaths. The month of July

has seen the highest death toll of

American soldiers since the

beginning of the war in 2001, and

the total may increase still more

before the month is out.In a series of short video briefings,

S c o t t W e b s t e r a d d r e s s e s

Afghanistan from the perspective of

the Word of God. Included in the

video sessions are:1. Why Be Aware

2. The Formative Process

3.U.S. Involvement4. Key Players

5. What Does the Future Hold

6. Kingdom InsightsVisit scottwebsterministries.org,

where these videos will be available

for viewing soon.

ISSUE 211 DECEMBER 2ND 2009

Insight and Analysis for the 21st Century

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was defined by nations posturingthemselves.

Politics and the Church

Herods first action was to gather theleaders of the church and ask them for thelocation of the birth of Christ, andMatthew records that they provided thiswithout reservation. This is a churchwhich has a comple te lack of discernment; they are so blind, unawareand spiritually dull that they willingly

participated in a political process thatresulted in a bloody assault against theKingdom of God! We must wonder:where was the insight of the Churchregarding this fresh new Divine initiative

being birthed into the earth? Werent theyaware that a new move of God was athand and required their participation?Did they have no discernment regardingthe true nature of Herods request forinformation?

Certainly the political leadership knew ofthis King and took His presence veryseriously indeed, and Herods responsewas political and inherently competitiveand wicked. When Herod asked wherethe Christ was to be born, the churchquickly acquiesced and gave himintelligence for his murderous plot.

Politicians who feign piety, but whosetrue motivation is to extend their own political influence, have always existedand apparently they have always beenable to dupe that segment of the churchthat is enamored with carnal power.Perhaps these church leaders were happythat the political power structure wasasking their opinion, or maybe they choseto believe Herods actions were the

beginning of a national revival that would begin in the highest leve ls of government? I am only speculating here

since we are not told, although itwouldnt be surprising if this was the

case since these things can be seen in thechurch down through history and up tothe present day. This is a church thatmakes it clear that we need a reformationin the earth!

Statecraft

Whatever the churches shortcomings,Herod initiated a multi-layered operationagainst Christ by using standard systemsof statecraft that we can recognize,including:

A Need to Know Basis. Matthew 2:7Then Herod called the Magi secretly and

found out from them the exact time the star appeared. The clandestine meetingwas restricted to only those who neededto be involved in the discussion, and thelimiting of information flows ensuredthat few would see into the kings trueintentions. This was a clandestineoperation that was managed verycarefully by Herod. What is historically

plain to see from the clarity of the Wordof God was, at that time, a covertoperation launched by the state whichwas known to very few.

Syncretism Matthew 2:8 He (Herod) sent

them to Bethlehem and said. Syncretismis a word that means a mixture of thingsthat are opposed, and we see this whenHerod tried to use the wise men for his

political purposes. His arrogance ismanifest when he joined his purposes(seeking to find and neutralize the child)to the divine mission of the men from theEast. Politicians from all sides of the aislecommonly engage in this unholy mixture,and the church has so diluted the messageof the Kingdom of God that many havecome to believe that God and country

Matthew 2:1

After Jesus was born inBethlehem in Judea, during thetime of King Herod, Magi

from the east came to Jerusalem

2 and asked, "Where is the onewho has been born king of the

Jews? We saw his star in theeast and have come to worshiphim." 3 When King Herodheard this he was disturbed,and all Jerusalem with him.(NIV)

ISSUE 211 DECEMBER 2ND 2009

The events of Jesusbirth and early years of life werecouched with inpolitical intrigue,murderous plots,

acts of genocidalr a g e , s t a t ei n t e l l i g e n c eactivities, issues ofimmigration andc o v e r t b o r d e r crossings, a visiting

d e l e g a t i o n o f foreign dignitariesand the censusand tax decrees ofan empire.

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are one. However, the Magi went toBethlehem not out of obedience to Herod

but because they had spiritual sight andwere sent by God.

Disinformation. Matthew 2:8 He sentthem to Bethlehem and said, "Go andmake a careful search for the child. As

soon as you find him, report to me, sothat I too may go and worship him."Herod lied about his true intentions,which is called disinformation when it isa deliberate attempt by the state todeceive. Herod told the men that hewanted to go and worship Christ when infact his intention was to have the childmurdered. The release of disinformationseeks to obfuscate in order to cloak trueintentions and therefore to producewrong action on the part of others.

State Surveillance. Matthew 2:12 Andhaving been warned in a dream not to goback to Herod, they returned to theircountry by another route. The return ofthe wise men by a different route wasdone to evade the surveil lancemechanisms Herod had ordered so thatthey would not be followed and coercedto give up the location of the Christ. This

dream was part of Gods intelligenceapparatus which outmaneuvered Herod(and the devilish source of his humanactions) at every front.

Genocide. Matthew 2:16 When Herodrealized that he had been outwitted by theMagi, he was furious, and he gave ordersto kill all the boys in Bethlehem and itsvicinity who were two years old andunder, in accordance with the time he hadlearned from the Magi. Herod used the

power of his security forces (army & police) to conduct state sponsoredgenocide, something predicted by

Jeremiah 700 years before when the prophet looked into the spirit realm andheard the sound of Rachel weeping and

lamenting for her children, but unable tobe comforted because they were no more(Jeremiah 31:15).

Herod had in fact not been outwitted bythe Magi, he was not aware that he wasmatching wits with the Eternal God.Herod was being used as a pawn by the

power of darkness, which sought to abortthe purposes of God from coming intothe earth. The birth of Christ was a boldstrike against the Kingdom of darkness,which responded with various schemesand mechanisms. God provided propheticinsight to His people in the earth in orderfor them to outmaneuver darkness. Theywere able to move the purposes of Godtowards completion because they wereconnected to the Lord and their actions inthe earth were piloted from anotherrealm. We will look at that propheticintelligence in the next issue.

The Church must have a heightened andmore insightful view of the Word of God.Seeing the Bible as simply a plan forindividual salvation is to strip it of all ofits richness, and this limited view has

produced a people in the earth who arenarrow and whose lives are segmented

into quadrants that produce internalconflict and separation. For instance,Christians today would look to the Wordof God for answers about sin andsalvation, but they would not have beentaught to understand economic principlesand political leadership from a Kingdom

perspective. Therefore, they would besomewhat lost to speak to large aspectsof life that are occurring all around themfrom a Kingdom perspective. Because ofthis, the church is (rightly) ignored by theearth when it comes to these issues,though that is changing. We are

becoming a more insightful people who

understand that Gods promises apply inevery context of life!

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2009 Scott Webster Ministries.

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ISSUE 211 DECEMBER 2ND 2009

The Architecture of

the New Dimension

A revolutionary

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p r o p h e t i c

real i ty as i t

exists in the

21st century

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Releasing The New Prophetic Dimension Activating The Capacity To Build Obeying The Command To Finish

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