WEBVTT 00:00:00.020 --> 00:00:02.540 Hi, this is Steve Webb, your OG Godcaster. 00:00:02.940 --> 00:00:07.060 You're about to hear the LifeSpring Advent Calendar, which was recorded in 2006. 00:00:07.640 --> 00:00:10.300 It's a daily show which will run right up to Christmas Day, 00:00:10.640 --> 00:00:12.960 so be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode. 00:00:13.440 --> 00:00:17.520 Now, the story of Advent and Christmas is a timeless story, so it doesn't age. 00:00:17.620 --> 00:00:22.440 However, the links and the phone numbers mentioned on the podcast have all changed but one. 00:00:22.820 --> 00:00:25.240 WhyChristmas.com is still current and active, 00:00:25.400 --> 00:00:28.300 and it's the best Christmas information website on the Internet. 00:00:28.960 --> 00:00:39.420 LifeSpringPodcast.com now forwards you to LifeSpringMedia.com, and the phone number you'll hear on the show is changed to plus 1-951-732-8511. 00:00:56.560 --> 00:00:59.560 Hello and welcome to day three of the Lifespring Advent Calendar. 00:01:00.140 --> 00:01:01.620 I'm your host, Steve Webb. 00:01:02.320 --> 00:01:06.220 Now, although it's day three of the calendar, today is the official start of Advent, 00:01:06.530 --> 00:01:08.860 so I wonder what we'll find behind the door today. 00:01:09.660 --> 00:01:12.260 I did hear that we have a special guest today with James, 00:01:12.820 --> 00:01:16.640 Gold and Platinum Album winner and Dove Award recipient, Mr. Brian Duncan, 00:01:17.280 --> 00:01:19.920 whose music we're using for the Lifespring Advent Calendar theme. 00:01:28.880 --> 00:01:30.520 Now, let's open this door here. 00:02:00.380 --> 00:02:04.860 As you said Steve, it's the proper start of Advent today as it's Advent Sunday. 00:02:05.310 --> 00:02:06.500 So happy Advent everybody. 00:02:07.440 --> 00:02:09.700 The four Sundays in Advent have different meanings 00:02:10.179 --> 00:02:12.400 and different churches also give them different meanings. 00:02:12.950 --> 00:02:14.120 So that can get a bit confusing. 00:02:14.610 --> 00:02:18.859 But on our calendar, today represents the prophets in the Old Testament of the Bible 00:02:18.880 --> 00:02:20.920 who foretold the coming of Jesus. 00:02:21.440 --> 00:02:25.180 So let's light our first Advent candle and find out more about the prophets. 00:02:33.480 --> 00:02:37.000 The Old Testament is the part of the Bible written before Jesus was born. 00:02:37.680 --> 00:02:40.020 And although he's not specifically named in the Old Testament, 00:02:40.600 --> 00:02:43.060 God used many prophets to tell his people, the Jews, 00:02:43.540 --> 00:02:46.380 about the saviour of the world, his son, that was going to be born. 00:02:47.460 --> 00:02:50.000 You might have heard some of them read in churches at Christmas time. 00:02:51.100 --> 00:02:53.100 One of the most important prophets was Isaiah. 00:02:53.710 --> 00:02:58.280 He lived about 700 years before Jesus was born, but he still wrote about Jesus. 00:02:59.020 --> 00:03:02.040 Because in Isaiah chapter 7 verse 14 it says, 00:03:02.880 --> 00:03:05.140 Therefore the Lord will give to you a sign. 00:03:05.980 --> 00:03:10.840 The virgin will be with child and she will give birth to a son and he will be called Emmanuel, 00:03:11.700 --> 00:03:13.020 which means God with us. 00:03:14.440 --> 00:03:17.960 That's a major part of the Christmas story written a long time before it happened. 00:03:18.840 --> 00:03:23.280 In Isaiah chapter 9 verses 2, 6 and 7 it says more about the baby. 00:03:24.060 --> 00:03:26.580 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light. 00:03:27.280 --> 00:03:30.720 On those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. 00:03:31.380 --> 00:03:36.720 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. 00:03:37.620 --> 00:03:43.800 and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 00:03:44.680 --> 00:03:47.860 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. 00:03:48.580 --> 00:03:51.220 He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, 00:03:51.760 --> 00:03:57.320 establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. 00:03:58.160 --> 00:04:01.060 The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. 00:04:01.940 --> 00:04:04.120 Now that sounds like a very special baby to me. 00:04:04.920 --> 00:04:10.720 And in chapter 11 of Isaiah, it talks about the kind of man that the baby would grow up to be. 00:04:13.320 --> 00:04:18.640 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse, from his roots a branch will bear fruit. 00:04:19.320 --> 00:04:24.000 The spirit of the Lord will rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and of understanding, 00:04:24.720 --> 00:04:29.660 the spirit of counsel and of power, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. 00:04:30.460 --> 00:04:32.360 And he will delight in the fear of the Lord. 00:04:32.790 --> 00:04:38.800 He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes or decide by what he hears with his ears. 00:04:39.740 --> 00:04:42.360 But with righteousness, he will judge the needy. 00:04:42.940 --> 00:04:46.500 With justice, he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. 00:04:48.420 --> 00:04:50.820 Now you'll notice a branch and a shoot are mentioned in there. 00:04:50.890 --> 00:04:52.860 And they're signs of new life and new beginnings. 00:04:53.580 --> 00:04:59.660 So God was saying that this baby and man would become a new way of God working on earth today. 00:05:00.480 --> 00:05:00.720 Wow! 00:05:02.200 --> 00:05:06.080 Living about the same time was another Jewish prophet called Micah. 00:05:07.020 --> 00:05:10.360 He often also prophesied about a new beginning from God 00:05:11.020 --> 00:05:12.880 and even named the place that it would happen. 00:05:14.420 --> 00:05:18.200 In Micah chapter 5 verses 2 to 5 it says 00:05:18.840 --> 00:05:22.040 But you Bethlehem, though you were small among the clans of Judah 00:05:22.260 --> 00:05:26.419 out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel 00:05:27.100 --> 00:05:30.380 whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. 00:05:31.400 --> 00:05:37.020 Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor gives birth 00:05:37.320 --> 00:05:39.960 and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites. 00:05:41.080 --> 00:05:44.100 He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord 00:05:45.240 --> 00:05:47.240 in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God 00:05:48.120 --> 00:05:49.300 and they will live securely 00:05:50.160 --> 00:05:52.900 for then his greatness will reach the ends of the earth 00:05:53.500 --> 00:05:54.860 and he will be their peace. 00:05:56.320 --> 00:06:01.260 so we're not only told about the new beginning and king would be born to a virgin but we're also 00:06:01.520 --> 00:06:06.760 told it would be in the small town of bethlehem there are also many other prophecies about jesus 00:06:06.920 --> 00:06:10.800 is coming in the old testament but going through all of them would take quite a long time 00:06:12.500 --> 00:06:16.860 so when you hear the christmas story this year remember it didn't just take place about two 00:06:17.080 --> 00:06:22.859 thousand years ago but god had planned jesus is coming or advent for a long time before that 00:06:24.040 --> 00:06:26.500 thank you James and thanks Brian Duncan for helping us out today 00:06:41.700 --> 00:06:47.060 wow there was a lot behind that door today James Cooper and Brian Duncan quite a pair 00:06:47.680 --> 00:06:51.880 hey please come on back tomorrow to see what's behind the door then I'm Steve Webb and this has 00:06:51.820 --> 00:06:54.020 in day three of the LifeSpring Advent Calendar.