Dear Father in Heaven. Thanks for all You do for us, and thanks for watching over us on a very busy day on the roads. Dear Lord, be with Dave, Duane, and Neil as they prepare for one very big night with all honor and glory going to You. Bless and keep safe all those coming to the event on Sunday evening. We love thee servants of Yours, Lord. Be with those traveling, and Lord, please touch Dolores and heal her. And Lord, give us strength to carry forth for You in all we do. I love You, Jesus, and now, dear Lord, please help me with the message and then help me dispatch it. And Lord, keep watch over Matthew. In Jesus' Name, I pray and give thanks. Amen.
Dear brothers and sisters, we just had another great day, very busy, but great and wonderful. Please pray for those who are "lost," those not knowing Jesus. And remember as we get ready to go into 2014, we, and I mean we, are the messengers of today for Jesus, let's get the Word of God out, let's get the Good News to all creation as ordered. With that said, let me get to the message, The Magi.
Friday, December 27, 2013, The Magi (We Three Kings), Day Two.
Matthew 2:7 - Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 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." 9 After they had heard the king they went on their way and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the Child with His mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts of gold and incense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. (NIV)
In Matthew 2:7 we see that King Herod called these Magi secretly. In other words, he did not want anyone else to know what he was up to. I would think that was a dead give-away that Herod was up to "no good." The Bible tells us Herod found out the exact time the star appeared. And since the Magi were NOT at the manger, think for a bit just when it went up and where. And on the birth of our Savior the Star was of course over the manger, over the stable, over our beloved Jesus who was not yet named.
Then in Matthew 2:8 we see the Magi were ordered to go and "search for the Child" and Herod wanted Jesus found and as soon as they found Him, He wanted to know about it. "Report back to me," Herod said. This was not just asking, it was a command from this king. After talking with the king, who was told that The Child was born in Bethlehem, the Magi started out on the trip. Now we really are not sure how many Magi took the three gifts, and yesterday I asked you what the gifts were. While my study Bible, the NIV, said told, incense, and myrrh, looking up the scripture in my King James Bible, it does say gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Now we know there were three gifts, but we are not sure how many Magi took them. I feel that it was more than one because Magi is plural according to old Webster, and one is spelled Magus, but who is really counting, and what difference would it make? It is the fact that gifts were taken to the Child. Even the term "wise men" was used, not "wise man." (I know, you ladies are still wondering just how they found even one "wise man," let alone more than that.)
Now I really love this part, this is so neat. When the Magi left Herod to search for Jesus (again, not yet named), they followed the star, and not only was the star bright as we talked about yesterday, but it moved, it traveled ahead of them. Then the star stopped over the place where the Child was, and the Magi were overjoyed. I would say they were excited, overwhelmed. In Matthew 2:11, the Bible tells us "on coming to the HOUSE, they saw the Child with His mother Mary." Yes, this bright star was leading them to their Savior, and of course our Savior. For again, Jesus is still the same, never changes. Then the Magi bowed down and worshiped Him, after which they opened their treasures and gave these gifts to Him, the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
In Matthew 12, it tells us that in a dream they were warned not to go back to Herod in their country so they went a different way. Okay, once again we see that the Magi were warned in a dream, and that once again shows me just how long it must have taken these Magi to get to the "house." They had to be resting down at night for this long trip. We also do not know if they walked or rode camels. I do know for sure they did not drive a car! (I just had to say that!) Please remember that it might have been up to six months after the birth of Jesus until the Magi arrived at the "house" where Jesus was.
Now just a couple of things for thinking. How nice it would have been to be there at the birth place or at the house where Jesus was located. However, would we have "bowed down" and worshiped Him? It is easy for we Christians, we who are "saved," "born again," to say yes, we would have. However, we have years and years of getting to know Him and even with that said, some people today are turning their backs on Him. Also not changing, like Herod wanted to find out where Jesus was as he wanted to kill Him and more than likely would have killed those messengers, the Magi. By the way, I more than likely should have been spelling Magi with a small "m", but since my Bible uses the large "M", I did also.
Today people are still being killed who follow Jesus. Missionaries are still being killed for speaking out for Jesus, and while that happens most often in other countries, it, I am sure, will be coming to America soon, if not already here, and we are just not being told. In fact, if my memory serves me still, I seem to recall a school girl in one of the first school shootings was shot in the head for standing up for Jesus. She was asked to deny Jesus and she would not. So again as I have so often asked, are you ready to be that messenger for the Lord? Are you willing to put your life on the line for Jesus? Our military folks are putting their lives and limbs on the line each day for our country's freedom, and of course Jesus put His life on the line for our "personal freedom" and died for that. But what about us? What about you and me? First, I know I would not have been down on my knees at the birth of Jesus, for it took me a lot of years to be really "born again," for I indeed was a "lost son," but I am with Jesus now and have been for a long, long time, and while I pray it never happens, I would not deny Christ. I also want to keep working for Him. I want to be a "messenger for life." How about you? Dave, Duane, and Neil, who are singing their last as The Couriers on Sunday evening, are not going to stop working for Christ. I know these men of God, and while they might stop traveling together to sing, they already have some plans to keep on keeping on for Jesus. Duane has already been here with us working on a cold snowy day being a prayer warrior on our driveway when we handed out food. So how about it? Are you saved? If so, are you ready to go to work for Jesus? Let's close out this message today by going to Christ to be cleaned, if you are "born again," pray to renew in Him, and if you are not "born again," please make today your day. If you are a new Christian, a new believer and you need a good church and people to talk to, you can call me on this, and here is my cell phone number ... 717 991 0754 ... for you to use for prayer or if I can help you find a good church, one that PREACHES, TEACHES, and works out of the Bible, all of it. Let's pray.
Dear Father in Heaven: I confess this day I am a sinner, and I pray for You to wash me clean this day. Lord, please use me since I am saved to help bring in the lost as commanded to do and I pray for others who are not saved to come to You this day. In the Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
Now for those who are not saved, please pray this with me. I cannot pray for you to be saved, it is between Jesus and you, it is personal, a personal relationship. However, I can get you started, so pray along with me. Then read John 3:16, John 14:6, and Romans 10:9/10.
Dear Father i n Heaven, I am a sinner and I confess that unto You this day. I believe You died for me and were risen from the dead. Please, Lord, come into my heart right now and help me walk each day with You. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
Next week, unless the Lord changes my direction, for I take my orders from Him, "The Great Escape." Now go forth sharing your blessings and knowing I love ya. Please pass on that love. Pastor Dan
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