Gifts of The Wise Men

 

GIFTS OF THE WISE MEN

Matthew 2:11

On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.

Most of the time only the material gifts are mentioned when people speak of the gifts the wise men brought. But gold, frankincense and myrrh are not the only gifts. 

The first gift given the newborn King is worship. It is the same type of worship Satan demanded for himself when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness. It is the same type of worship that Jesus refuted Satan with by quoting Scripture at him. (see Matthew 4:9-10)

Worship - to prostrate one's self in homage, to bend one's knees to; the willingness to do so. 

To worship is to willingly kneel or fully prostrate one's self in adoration to a superior, usually a king or deity. 

Where is our gift to the King? Where is our worship? Why aren't we willingly falling onto our knees in adoration? Have you seen Him? Do you know Jesus? 

Not everyone who falls to their knees will do so willingly. Isaiah 45:22-24  "Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. By Myself I have sworn; truth has gone out from My mouth, a word that will not be revoked: Every knee will bow before Me, every tongue will swear allegiance. Surely they will say of Me, ‘In the LORD alone are righteousness and strength.’ ” All who rage against Him will come to Him and be put to shame." 

A Scripture which Paul repeated when he wrote to the church in Rome: Romans 14:11 "It is written: “As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before Me; every tongue will confess to God.” Why will every knee bow? Philippians 2:9-11 "Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." 

Why? Two reasons. We will acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord and God will receive glory. Some will kneel willingly and remain with God and Christ in heaven. Some will not. 

Will you kneel willingly? Will you kneel now?

Terror At Christ's Birth

 

TERROR AT CHRIST'S BIRTH

Matthew 2:16, 18

Then Herod, when he saw that he had been outwitted by the wise men, flew into a rage. He gave orders to massacre all the male children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, in keeping with the time he had learned from the wise men.

“A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”

Not everything about Christmas is joyful or sung about for ages. In fact, some of it is completely overlooked because it is too painful to think about. 

But at the time of Jesus' birth, the king of the land wanted Him dead. However, because Herod didn't know where the new King was born. he ordered all the baby boys two years and under to be killed. 

Soldiers were dispatched to outlying towns and into people's homes. No-knock warrants having been issued by King Herod, new mothers saw their new baby boys and their toddlers snatched out of their arms and killed in the streets, which ran with the blood of their loved ones. 

What was there for them to be joyful about? How could they worship a new King when the one who currently sat on the throne had just murdered their children?

Indeed, how does a person praise God when such sorrow is in their hearts? With great Faith. Even through our tears we can praise God. It wouldn't be easy. We would also be seen as crazy. But having been through great sorrow, I do know it is possible, and that God will carry us through when we can't carry ourselves.

The Last Days Church

 

1. Just how prepared are American Christians to become the underground Church?

2. How prepared are we individually to gather together in secret when the time arrives here?

If we go by this year's statistics, not at all. I, myself, have missed being inside a church with my fellow congregationists. I have, however, attended several online services. Not just within my own church, either; for there are a couple other ministers whose sermons convict me and encourage me. 

LTW  Leading The Way with Dr. Michael Yousseff

IN TOUCH MINISTRIES with Dr. Charles Stanley

The Green Fir Tree

 

Hosea 14:8

"..... I am like a green fir tree, from Me is your fruit found.'

God is the source of all our blessings and benefits. We are to turn to no other entity in prayer for communion with wood/crystals/metals/nature cannot answer our prayers, cannot speak with us. 

God created the universe and everything in it but the universe cannot communicate with us either. Only in God can we find everything our heart desires for He is our desire.

When we grasp hold of His outreached hand and cling to Him, He will take us with Him wherever He goes. 

But why does He compare Himself to a green fir tree? The fir/juniper/cypress tree is home to birds, who nest in their branches or use their needles for nest building. It's shadow spreads across the land and covers all who live under it, not just draw near for shelter from the heat of the day. 

Psalm 91:1

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 

Both Israel and the Church are God's extension of Himself to a lost and dying people who need saving, saving on God's terms. We are not here to judge each other's sins, nor to condemn each other for sin. John 3:17

For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

As representatives of Christ we are to be like Christ. God is Judge, we are not. We are the body of Christ: His hands, His feet, His eyes, His heart, etc. With our hands we hold, with our arms we cradle or embrace, with our legs we stand and lift, with our eyes we see what He sees, with our heart we love with His love.

John 13:34

A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another.

Only then will our families, our friends, our strangers and our enemies know that there is, indeed, a God who loves them. We are not to hate each other, for in hate there is no love; therefore the love of God cannot be extended to another when it is not in us in the first place.

1 John 4:20

If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.

We cannot love each other properly unless we have the Holy Spirit, for it is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that our love is truly an extension of God's love and mercy towards all of us. Think of Him as being the sap in the fir tree.  God is the Gardener: He not only created the Tree, He planted it. Christ is the Trunk. We are the branches. 

Unwrapped

 

 James 1:17

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness (change), neither shadow of turning. 

Acts 2:38-39

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise belongs to you and your children and to all who are far off—to all whom the Lord our God will call to Himself.”

Hebrews 2:3-4

"How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? This salvation was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, and was affirmed by God through signs, wonders, various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to His will."

Such a gift God above has given to us below! Everything God Is, Jesus Christ Is. John 1:1-5 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made. Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." 

For Jesus Is God's Living Word, God's Perfect Gift. 

John 1:9 "The true Light who gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. BUT to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, children born not of blood, nor of the desire or will of man, but born of God."

That's our Gift from God, salvation through Jesus Christ, by believing on the NAME of THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, we become children of God. What Is the NAME of THE LORD? Wherever you find a verse that reads THE LORD IS, that is His Name. Whenever you read I AM, that is His Name.

The first one that usually pops into mind is Psalm 23:1 "The Lord Is my Shepherd." Therefore The Lord's Name is Shepherd. And because I believe that Jesus Christ Is Lord, then I know that He Is my Shepherd, too.

There are many, many others of which I am still learning and studying up on. But here are a few of The Lord's Names to get you started:

• Exodus 15:2 The Lord Is My Strength and My Song
• Exodus 15:3 The Lord Is A Warrior
• Numbers 14:18 The Lord Is Slow to Anger Abounding in Love and Forgiving Sin
• Psalm 9:9 The Lord Is A Refuge For the Oppressed, A Stronghold in Times of Trouble
• Psalm 18:2 The LORD is my Rock, my Fortress, and my Deliverer. My God is my Rock, in whom I take refuge, my Shield, and the Horn of my Salvation, my Stronghold
• Psalm 118:6 The Lord Is With Me
• Hebrews 13:6 The Lord Is my Helper
• Isaiah 49:26 I The Lord Am Your Savior and Redeemer, The Mighty One of Jacob

God's Gift to us, all of us. Unfortunately, some will not receive this Gift. Some will pick up the Gift, look at the pretty wrapping and set it down. Some will hold the Gift in their hands, open it, look at, maybe set it out somewhere, and never think of it again. 

Some folks will not even look in the direction of the Gift, ignoring it completely. Some will not even see the Gift, their eyes wandering to other trappings, their ears hearing greetings other than God's Word calling out their names. Sadly, none of them will receive God's Gift to them until they believe that Jesus Christ is Lord.
These are the people God is trying to reach. To reach with His Love, the mighty Love that more than covers sin: this Love completely washes our sins away AND Forgets the sin that has been forgiven! What an amazing Gift God has given us! And He wrapped that Gift in flesh, which Mary then wrapped in baby clothes and blankets. Jesus. The Gift from God that keeps on giving. 

• Giving Joy Unspeakable (1 Peter 1:8). 
• Giving Peace Which Passes Understanding (Philippians 4:7)
• Giving Love (1 John 4:7)
• Giving Hope (Romans 15:13)
• Giving Faith (Romans 10:17)
• Giving Sight to the Blind (Luke 18:42)

Let us open this Glorious Holy Gift which God has so graciously extended to us and receive His Perfect Word, Jesus Christ, into our hearts and our lives, with Joy and Celebration!

Unwrap Me

 

For God so loved the world, that He GAVE His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Romans 10:13

I am a 'whosoever'. You are a 'whosoever'.

God's Gift of His Son to a lost and dying world is for everyone who believes, who is seeking, who is searching for something, someone to hold onto, to believe in, to hope, to be loved and give love to.

Every person ever born is a 'whosoever'. And, we each, on an individual basis, need to Unwrap the Gift of Grace through Jesus Christ which God has given. 

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the GIFT of God: not by works, so that no one can boast.                    Ephesians 2:8-9

GIFT according to Strong's Exhaustive Concordance: Offering, Sacrifice, Present

GIFT something given voluntarily without payment in return, as to show favor toward someone; something bestowed or acquired without any particular effort by the recipient or without its being earned

Every good GIFT and every perfect GIFT is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with Whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17

Did you see that last part? no shadows. There are no shadows in heaven, for God is the Father of Lights! I grin and grin and joy floods my soul! 

Do not neglect the GIFT that is in you, which was given you through the prophecy spoken over you at the laying on of the hands of the elders. 1 Timothy 4:14

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the GIFT of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control. So do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me, His prisoner. Instead, join me in suffering for the gospel by the power of God.      2 Timothy 1:6-8

Every GIFT from God needs to be kept alive, not just the GIFT of Salvation through Jesus Christ, but he GIFT of the Holy Spirit, which we also receive from God. If that flame goes out, like the five virgins mentioned in Matthew 25:1-13, then we will lose what we have not gained. 

With the great GIFT of Grace, of salvation through Jesus Christ, comes all the other GIFTS, many of which we might not think are gifts. But when we are called to salvation, we are called to all the pertinences of such a GIFT.

The GIFT of Salvation through God's GIFT of Jesus Christ

The GIFT of Suffering for the Gospel

The GIFT of Service to Others, thereby serving God

The GIFT of Sacrificing what we want for what God wants

The GIFT of Surrendering our will, our desires for God's will, God's desire.

The GIFT of Eternal Life

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the fruit you reap leads to holiness, and the outcome is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the GIFT of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:22-23

Let us unwrap this glorious GIFT which God has so graciously bestowed upon us! 

Support Beam

 

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. -- Galatians 6:2

BEAR - Take Up, Endure, Tolerate, Support

SUPPORT - To bear or hold up; To sustain or withstand without giving way; To undergo or endure with patience and submission; to tolerate

This is what happens when we pray for each other. We 'Lift them Up' to God and God does the rest. But when we LIFT up each other in prayer, we are Bearing Up beneath them to hold them up. We are the Support Beam that raises them when they begin to fail. 

We hold them up with the body of Christ in our hearts:

--with our eyes we see a need and lift it up

--with our hands we bring them in

--with our arms we embrace, encourage and strengthen

--with our shoulders we catch their tears

--with our legs we take a stance and hold them fast where we stand

--with our feet we remain in an immoveable position, without sliding or slipping

--with our head (mind, mind of Christ, we remember each other's needs

--with our tongue we speak the Word of Life

--with our lips we praise God

--with our heart we Love One Another as Christ has Loved Us

Thanks & Praise

 

THANKS AND PRAISE

Daniel 2:23

To You, O  God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, because You have given me wisdom and power...

Thanks - Yadah - throwing (your) hands up

Praise - Shout 

This is energetic, spontaneous worship to God, on Daniel's part, for not only what God has given him but for Who God is to him. 

And we have to ask ourselves: is my enthusiasm for answers to prayer as spontaneous and joyful as Daniel's? or have I become lukewarm and lazy in how I praise God for His many benefits and blessings which He bestows on me?

When we seek God's perfect will for the answer to our prayer, we are seeking an audience with the Creator of the universe. And He not only listens to our prayers, He answers them. If we think He isn't hearing us, then we are not close enough to hear or know the response to our prayers. Sometimes God answers us in ways we are not expecting. For instance, in Exodus 33 Moses asked to see God's glory, but God required him to stand in the cleft of the rock as God passed by; God covered Moses while he passed, but then removed His hand that Moses would see only the back of God after He had passed by. You have to be pretty near to God to get that kind of response.

At The Remembrance of His Holy Name

 

 AT THE REMEMBRANCE OF HIS HOLY NAME

Psalm 30:4

Sing praise to the LORD, you saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.

Have you forgotten Who the LORD your GOD is? He Is The ALMIGHTY GOD. He Is The Great I AM. He Is The CREATOR OF EARTH AND THE UNIVERSE and everything in them. He Is HOLY and His Name Is HOLY.

HE IS.

He Is REDEEMER, SAVIOR, HEALER.

He Is JOYBRINGER, HEARTBREAKER, TEARWIPER. He Is SINGER, SONG, MUSICMAKER.

HE IS.

He Is all of this and so much more. Come, come to the cross and see the One Whom God has Chosen to Save your souls from destruction.

Come, hurry, let us run to the cross and see this JESUS. 

• THE LORD ALMIGHTY - 2 Corinthians 6:18; Revelation 4:8
• I AM THAT I AM - Exodus 3:14
• CREATOR - Exodus 20:11; Acts 4:24; Nehemiah 9:6 
• HOLY - Psalm 111:9; Luke 1:49; 1 Chronicles 16:10
• REDEEMER - Isaiah 44:6; Isaiah 43:1; 
• SAVIOR - Isaiah 33:22; Matthew 1:21; Acts 4:12
• HEALER - Exodus 15:26; Ezekiel 47:8-10 (cf. Matthew 13:47, 4:19, John 21:6;  Jeremiah 30:17
• JOYBRINGER - Zephaniah 3:17
• HEARTBREAKER - Ezekiel 11:19; Ezekiel 44:7; Jeremiah 24:7
• TEARWIPER - Isaiah 25:8; Revelation 21:4
• SINGER - Zephaniah 3:17
• SONG - Exodus 15:2; Psalm 118:17
• MUSICMAKER - 2 Chronicles 7:6; 2 Chronicles 5:12-13
• THE ONE WHOM GOD HAS CHOSEN - John 3:16

And why must we hurry? 2 Corinthians 6:2  For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation. (NLT)

Tomorrow is not promised; there is only today. And the days are shortened, time is getting away from us. So hurry, hurry to the cross and repent of your sins, turn away from the wicked devices of the heart and surrender yourselves to God through Christ. Come and receive forgiveness through the blood which Christ has shed to wash away sins ( as if they never were for God not only forgives sin but Forgets sin). 

Come, and believe that this Jesus Christ is God's only begotten Son who died to make you free and bring you with Him to the place which He has prepared for you, where He lives and reigns with His Father. 

Come, let us go; let us go now. Hurry, hurry; before He leaves without us. Let us go and see Jesus in the garden, for He conquered death, hell and the grave. See the keys in His hand? Come, let us seek Him out, let us follow Him wherever He may go. Hurry, hurry.

Private Worship

 

PRIVATE WORSHIP

Daniel 6:10

Now when Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house, where the windows of his upper room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

The document referred to here is the one forbidding worshiping anyone other than the king who ruled the land in which Daniel lived. He knew the punishment for disobedience was death. Yet, he immediately went into his own room, dropped to his knees, prayed and worshiped God as if it were any other day. No manmade law was going to discriminate against his love for his God.

Nor should we allow the dictates of this world in which we live to deny us the privilege of meeting God in prayer, of thanking Him and worshiping Him in our own homes. 

He knew they would be coming for him; he didn't care. Like water off of a duck's back, the cares of the world were nothing to him: he was in the presence of his God and they were communing together: friend with Friend.

Have we lost that intimate relationship with God? Did we ever have it to begin with? Which half of the ten virgins waiting for their Bridegroom are we in? Is there Oil in our lamps or have we let the wick burn out and the oil run dry? 

Or is our relationship stronger than ever? Are we in constant communion with God? Have we allowed the Holy Spirit to mold us into pliable, loving servants of God? 

These are questions that must be answered on an individual basis. And privately, in our secret place, on our knees in prayer with God, thanking Him for Who He Is, how He works and His great love for us; worshiping Him from deep within our hearts and not just singing along to the worship music that might be playing while we meet Him.

Someday we will all meet God face to face. For some it will be the first time and the last time. For others it will be meeting an old Friend and coming home at last to rest.