Dear Father in Heaven: Please forgive me of my sins. I love You, Father, and I love You, Jesus. Please send the Holy Spirit over me right now and cause me to write this message for You and from You. Please help me to direct it to the hands of those who will read it and maybe even share it with others. Please, Lord, on this day we call Salvation Wednesday and the last one of those in the year of our Lord 2015, help us to bring the unsaved and the lost to the feet of our dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Thanks for yesterday, and Lord, thanks for trusting me to work the fields of Harvest for You. We in this household are "Born Again," washed in The Blood of Jesus believers and confess to You this day our sins. We do this in the Name of Jesus. Amen.
Dear brothers and sisters, can you believe it, another year has come and gone. Another year past with just two days remaining. On these last two days, the best thing you could do would be try your very best to lead someone to the Lord. Please remember we have Christmas only because of Jesus, and the only reason He was born here on earth was to love us and go to the cross and take our sins with Him. In other words, our Lord Jesus "WAS BORN TO DIE SO WE MIGHT LIVE!!!" I know that it seems sometimes and more so at the holiday period that we are all alone. Fear not, my brothers and sisters, our Lord Jesus will never leave nor forsake us.
Someone could just shout AMEN & PRAISE THE LORD.
So let me get right to the message. Today, more on those kings and gifts.
Matthew 2:1-12 New International Version (NIV)
The Magi Visit the Messiah
2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose 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 Messiah 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 shepherd my people Israel.'
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 search carefully for the child. As son 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 when it rose 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, frankincense 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)
The magi or kings brought forth their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh and presented them to Jesus who had been named Jesus by Joseph and Mary as told by the Angel Gabriel and recorded in our Bibles. By the way, do you agree with me on this one? Our Bible is the best history book of all history books barring none? Do you know that if man and woman would have lived by the commands of our God right from the start there would have been no pain at childbirth, no weeds in the garden, no need for the really big flood and there would have been no need for Jesus to have gone to the cross for you and for me? While it is known that Jesus is the reason for the season, we need to look closely in the mirror for we also are the reason for the season. Think about that, if I just came out and said that you and I are the reason for the season, people would laugh at us, but if you put it this way, why did Jesus come to this earth? To go to the cross and die for you and for me. Had we not been sinners, Jesus would not have had to been sent down to die for us. So are we or are we not a real part of the reason for the season?
As for the gifts, the greatest gift ever given was when God sent His Son Jesus to die for us and the gift occurred on the cross. Then the gift was risen from the dead so that someday we will be risen from the dead. As we give gifts to each other, regardless of when they are given and for what reason, the gifts should always come from one's heart. It is not the cost of the gift that counts but the reason why the giver gave it. As I said, the greatest gift ever given was the gift of Jesus to us and Jesus giving His life for us. Then after that all the men and women of our military and our police units and our firefighters who over the years have been willing to give it all up to and including their very own lives. So as we are about to go into a New Year, 2016, I want to give you something to really think about. A lot of people will make those New Year's resolutions about doing things. Lose weight, work out, stop smoking, etc. Well, how about this one? Why not getting together and trying to "walk in the light of Jesus" and live to be "more like Him"? How about being kinder to your parents, or your children, your neighbor, or maybe even your animals? Do you tie up your dog to a dog box in your yard? Go out tonight and sleep with the dog. Try, when giving gifts to others that you would give this one gift above all else. This gift is worth more than gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and if you do not know what that gift might be, I am going to tell you right now.
The greatest gift you can give another is ... The Gift of Love!!! And it will not cost you any money. It might cost you some time or it might cause you to say the word love and really, really mean it. How about it, will you join me next year in trying your best to Love more and to love all others as directed by our Lord Jesus in those great commandments? Will you?
Dear Father in Heaven: Please teach me to Love more and to love more in the name of Jesus. Help me to be able to love others, even those who might not even like me or might even hate me. Help me pray for others and walk in the light of Jesus so that people know that I am indeed a child of God. I ask this and pray in the Name of Jesus. Amen.
Now please go forth loving others and of course loving Jesus and singing these words today. Love ya.
Pastor Dan
Love Lifted Me (James Rowe, Howard Smith)
I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore;
Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more.
But the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry.
From the waters listed me! Now safe am I!
Love lifted me! Love lifted me!
When nothing else could help, Love lifted me!
Love lifted me! Love lifted me!
When nothing else could help, Love lifted me!
All my heart to Him I give, ever to Him I'll cling;
In His blessed presence live, ever His praises sing.
Love so mighty and so true merits my soul's best songs.
Faithful loving service too to Him belongs.
Love lifted me! Love lifted me!
When nothing else could help, Love lifted me!
Love lifted me! Love lifted me!
When nothing else could help, Love lifted me!
Love lifted me! Love lifted me!
When nothing else could help, Love lifted me!
Love lifted me! Love lifted me!
When nothing else could help, Love lifted me!
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