ISSUE 419

DECEMBER 14TH 2011

Prophetic Brief
Insight and Analysis for the 21st Century

The Christmas Story Part 1

New Video Series
2011 has been a great year at SWM. As we have continued to send out teachings and analysis in these prophetic briefs more people have recommended them to their friends and family members to the point that 40% of our list is new subscribers as of 2011. With so many joining in the last year, we are re-sending a two part article initially mailed in 2008 The Christmas Story. Have a great time with your family this holiday season. For many, Christmas evokes memories of childhood joy, opening gifts and feasting with family. Favorite family recipes, a break from school, the gathering of family and friends or the exchanging of gifts we all look at this holiday and time of year through a set of personal lenses. However we must look again and look more closely to get a biblically accurate account of history and a correct perspective. I think it is reasonable to say that most Believers in Christ are very conscious of the fact that what is engineered and purported to be a Christian holiday is much more about intense consumerism and corporate profits than about the values of Christ. In the midst of the economic crisis, including an unemployment rate edging up to 9.8 % in November, this year retailers have added even earlier and deeper discounts to draw out more consumers. In the race to get the best deals, one woman who was waiting with hundreds of others at Toys r us, ran to the front of the line. When confronted by fellow shoppers, she threatened to pull out a gun and shoot. She was later arrested by police but the spending this year was clearly not. Consumer spending at retail outlets on the same day as last year (Black Friday) was up by 4%, online sales increased by 15.9%. The day after Thanksgiving known as Black Friday and the Monday following known as Cyber Monday accounts for 25% of all holiday sales. Moving past the obvious errors and extremes of consumerism, there are many that may not be as aware of the reality that the emphasis of Christ being birthed into the earth was not simply an act of individual salvation but a violent clash of kingdoms. It is a tradition in many households to gather around the Christmas tree and read the opening words of Matthews gospel during the holiday season. But let us take this well known passage quoted often in December and look at it for what it really is: a clash of Kingdoms. Matthew 2:1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the
2011 SCOTT WEBSTER MINISTRIES. Page 1 of 4

We are living in an unmatched time in the earth; a time when crisis is erupting through natural disasters, political destabilization, and economic meltdown. Politicians and religious leaders are all weighing in on these events, but they dont seem to have the answers to a world in intense distress, and are rightly wondering:

What in the World is Going On?

In this series of Prophetic Briefs, Scott Webster addresses questions that are on peoples minds, and brings prophetic perspective to the events happening in the earth today, so that we can stand effectively in a day when so many things are falling apart. View the rst three episodes in the series What in the World is Going On at scottwebsterministries.org.

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DECEMBER 14TH 2011

Matthew 2:1-3
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."
time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ 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 by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'(NIV) The events of Jesus birth and early years of life were couched within political intrigue, murderous plots, acts of genocidal rage, state intelligence activities, issues of immigration and covert border crossings, a visiting delegation of foreign dignitaries and the census and tax decrees of an empire. We must be aware of the actual introduction of the King into the earth and the drama which unfolded in a political and social context. The narrative actually opens with the empire conducting a census and levying a special tax upon the colonies (Luke 1:21), an exercise intended not just to raise revenue from the province but as a way for Rome to conduct political surveillance of a potentially dissident colony. The first Christmas wasnt about days off of work, holly or jingle bells it was defined by nations posturing themselves.

Politics and the Church

Herods first action was to gather the leaders of the church and ask them for the location of the birth of Christ, and Matthew records that they provided this without reservation. This is a church which has a complete lack of discernment; they are so blind, unaware and spiritually dull that they willingly participated in a political process that resulted in a bloody assault against the Kingdom of God! We must wonder: where was the insight of the Church regarding this fresh new Divine initiative being birthed into the earth? Werent they aware that a new move of God was at hand and required their participation? Did they have no discernment regarding the true nature of Herods request for information? Certainly the political leadership knew of this King and took His presence very seriously indeed, and Herods response was political and inherently competitive and wicked. When Herod asked where the Christ was to be
2011 SCOTT WEBSTER MINISTRIES.

The events of Jesus birth and early years of life were couched within political intrigue, murderous plots, acts of genocidal rage, state intelligence activities, issues of immigration and cover t border crossings, a visiting delegation of foreign dignitaries and the census and tax decrees of an empire.
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ISSUE 419

DECEMBER 14TH 2011

born, the church quickly acquiesced and gave him intelligence for his murderous plot. Politicians who feign piety, but whose true motivation is to extend their own political influence, have always existed and apparently they have always been able to dupe that segment of the church that is enamored with carnal power. Perhaps these church leaders were happy that the political power structure was asking their opinion, or maybe they chose to believe Herods actions were the beginning of a national revival that would begin in the highest levels of government? I am only speculating here since we are not told, although it wouldnt be surprising if this was the case since these things can be seen in the church down through history and up to the present day. This is a church that makes it clear that we need a reformation in the earth!

A Developed PROPHETIC PERSPECTIVE

A fresh look at Prophetic Operations from a Kingdom Viewpoint.
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Statecraft
Whatever the churches shortcomings, Herod initiated a multi-layered operation against Christ by using standard systems of statecraft that we can recognize, including: A Need to Know Basis. Matthew 2:7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star appeared. The clandestine meeting was restricted to only those who needed to be involved in the discussion, and the limiting of information flows ensured that few would see into the kings true intentions. This was a clandestine operation that was managed very carefully by Herod. What is historically plain to see from the clarity of the Word of God was, at that time, a covert operation launched by the state which was known to very few. Syncretism Matthew 2:8 He (Herod) sent them to Bethlehem and said. Syncretism is a word that means a mixture of things that are opposed, and we see this when Herod tried to use the wise men for his political purposes. His arrogance is manifest when he joined his purposes (seeking to find and neutralize the child) to the divine mission of the men from the East. Politicians from all sides of the aisle commonly engage in this unholy mixture, and the church has so diluted the message of the Kingdom of God that many have come to believe that God and country are one. However, the Magi went to Bethlehem not out of obedience to Herod but because they had spiritual sight and were sent by God. Disinformation. Matthew 2:8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him." Herod lied about his true intentions, which is called disinformation when it is a deliberate attempt by the state to deceive. Herod told the men that he wanted to go and worship Christ when in fact his intention was to have the child murdered. The release of disinformation seeks to obfuscate in order to cloak true intentions and therefore to produce wrong action on the part of others. State Surveillance. Matthew 2:12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. The return of the wise men by a different route was done to evade the surveillance mechanisms Herod had ordered so that they would not be followed and coerced to give up the location of the Christ. This dream was part of Gods intelligence apparatus which outmaneuvered Herod (and the devilish source of his human actions) at every front. Genocide. Matthew 2:16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Herod used the power of his security forces (army & police) to conduct state sponsored genocide, something predicted by Jeremiah 700 years before when the prophet looked
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DECEMBER 14TH 2011

into the spirit realm and heard the sound of Rachel weeping and lamenting for her children, but unable to be comforted because they were no more (Jeremiah 31:15). Herod had in fact not been outwitted by the Magi, he was not aware that he was matching wits with the Eternal God. Herod was being used as a pawn by the power of darkness, which sought to abort the purposes of God from coming into the earth. The birth of Christ was a bold strike against the Kingdom of darkness, which responded with various schemes and mechanisms. God provided prophetic insight to His people in the earth in order for them to outmaneuver darkness. They were able to move the purposes of God towards completion because they were connected to the Lord and their actions in the earth were piloted from another realm. We will look at that prophetic intelligence in the next issue.

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The Church must have a heightened and more insightful view of the Word www.scottwebsterministries.org of God. Seeing the Bible as simply a plan for individual salvation is to 2010 Scott Webster Ministries. strip it of all of its richness, and this limited view has produced a people in All Rights Reserved. the earth who are narrow and whose lives are segmented into quadrants that produce internal conflict and separation. For instance, Christians today 2010 Copyright by SWM, copy and duplication without permission is prohibited. would look to the Word of God for answers about sin and salvation, but they would not have been taught to understand economic principles and political leadership from a Kingdom perspective. Therefore, they would be somewhat lost to speak to large aspects of life that are occurring all around them from a Kingdom perspective. Because of this, the church is (rightly) ignored by the earth when it comes to these issues, though that is changing. We are becoming a more insightful people who understand that Gods promises apply in every context of life!

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

2011 SCOTT WEBSTER MINISTRIES.

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