The Gifts of the Wisemen.

Today we’re following up on the Wisemen, the Magi that visited the baby Jesus.  These wise men brought gifts; gold, frankincense and myrrh.  The gifts, symbolically, Jesus gives us today. 

Gold in those days was both tribute and currency.  It represents the value of good leadership; in this case leadership in our heart. 

Frankincense, a resin from a tree, was used in Jewish religious ceremonies for its fragrance and smoke, similar to incense today.  Symbolically it represents shows, via smoke rising up, that our prayers are lifted to heaven.  This also represents Jesus as a priest to people. 

Myrrh was used in anointing oil for burial purposes.  Jesus was born not just to live but to die.  His destiny was to give his life for you and for me.  Myrrh points to Jesus as a king and a Savior and points to the cross.

Today’s bible verses are found in Matthew 2: 11-12.

The wise men.

Today we’re examining the story of the Magi, the wisemen from Persia in the book of Matthew.  The magi’s (astrologers) were looking for Jesus, as they had seen his birth announcement in the stars.  The coming of the Magi was important for two reasons.  First, their arrival and questions challenged King Herod, who considered himself to be the King of the Jews.  Second, it showed the universality of Christ. He was not only the King of the Jews but the King of kings.

The wise men teach us that true seekers everywhere will honor Christ.  They were seeking peace.

Today’s bible verses are found in Matthew 2: 1-2 and Micah 5:2.

It was over, but it wasn’t over. 

Today Pastor Michael wraps up the long running series on Elijah and Elisha.  This series started in August and we’re in December so it’s been a prolific study.  This is a story that takes place after Elisha has died and his story appears finished but there is one more scene that tells us it has a better ending than we even thought.  After being attacked by the Moabites, the Israelites were burying a man and saw the raiders and through him in Elisha’s tomb: he touched Elisha’s bones and was revived.

Elisha in this story had a power that extended beyond his mortal death.  By the death of Elisha, another was brought to life.  The dead man wasn’t raised to life by any of his own efforts.  All of these point to the Old Testament showing Jesus through clues and similarities.  These connections are parallels between Elisha and Jesus, all messages that point back to the fact that God is there and God cares. 

Today’s bible verses are found in 2 Kings 13: 20-21.

Don’t be so quick to quit.

Today Pastor Michael continues our study on Elisha and we are at the end of Elisha’s life. 

The king, mourns over Elisha and recognizes that the Lord was the real power of Israel and Elisha was the man that was the conduit to God.  Elisha used a bow and arrow to guide the king, putting his hands on the king’s hands, a symbol of the hand of the Lord on the king.  If the king would just trust and face the enemies of his kingdom! 

Elisha was showing the king that an unbeatable enemy could be beaten by trusting the Lord; that he shouldn’t be so quick to quit. 

Today’s bible verses are found in 2 Kings 13: 14-21. 

A miracle of timing.

Today Pastor Michael continues our study of Elisha and our theme for today is “The Lord takes what the enemy meant for evil and turns it to good”. 

We find the Shunammite woman having just returned from seven years in exile, living with the Philistines during a time of famine in her home country.  Having survived the famine she found her land and home had been taken over, so she was going to the king to appeal for her land and home back.  In a miracle of timing, at the very moment Gehazi is talking to the king about Elisha’s miracles, in walks the very woman and her restored son!

How providentially perfect!

The king’s judgment was to return to the woman everything she owned including the land’s earnings during her absence. 

Our enduring hope of such judgment upon evil can help us to persevere in difficult times.

Today’s bible verses are found in 2 Kings 8: 1-6.

I’m “NOT” Fine.  

Today our theme is “It takes more courage to be real about your struggle than to pretend that everything is fine”.  As Christians, we need to realize, God is okay with us being real with our struggles.  And we need to be that one person that listens and cares and prays.  The one person that can be there for a person that they don’t have to be ‘fine’ with.  Let us be people that others can be real with.

Today’s bible verses are found in 2 Kings 4: 8-36. 

Don’t Be Salty.

Today Micheal gets back to the series on Elisha and Elijah. Elijah has gone on to be with the Lord and Elisha is in a city, likely Jericho, and dealing with a city with a bad water supply.  Elisha put salt in the water and declared the water healed.  This seems counterintuitive to making the water better but Elisha was doing the Lord’s will.  This salt healed the water and allowed the city to have crops and sustenance again. It also showed the Lord’s healing and lifting of Joshua’s curse.  

Contrast that with today’s meaning of ‘salty’ as someone angry, upset or agitated.  This is in sharp contract to the Bible’s use of ‘salt-of-the-earth’ a biblical sign of Christians who obey God and do his will to serve as a preservative of the human race and the earth by slowing down the moral and spiritual decay of the world around them. The takeaway here is, be like salt of the earth….not salty!  

Today’s bible verses are found in 2 Kings 2: 19-22 and 2 Corinthians 4: 6-7.

God and Caesar

Today Michael is comparing Jesus’ answers to the Pharisees and the Herodians and showing how much politics really hasn’t changed in 2,000 years.  Politics is the mess that has seeped down into everything, even church.  And along that line, change needs to start in our heart and we need to show Jesus’ love and not see people for their politics.  

We serve a Savior that is bigger than politics!

Verses today are found in Matthew 22: 15-22 and 2 Chronicles 7: 14.

The End is the New Beginning.

In today’s message, Michael is examining endings.  Endings can stop us from beginning and the ghosts of the past haunt our present.  Do you think God has a plan for beginnings?  Yes, look at Genesis, “In the beginning…”. 

But does He have a plan for endings?  Yes, look at Elijah in 2 Kings, when Elijah was called to Heaven.  God sees a new beginning in endings.  

Verses today are found in 2 Kings 2: 1-14.

Humility is a path to honor.

In today’s message, Michael is talking about humility.  Using King Ahaziah as an example, our lesson is about pride, which is unteachable and humility which grows and learns.  King Ahaziah put his faith in Baal-zebub on his deathbed and refuses to listen to Elijah, who had a message from the Lord that he would die.  Ahaziah died as a result of his misplaced faith and rejected the goodness of God.  

The most interesting figure in this story was the third captain that showed humility and was thus spared.  The two captains sent to retrieve Elijah from the mountain were killed along with their men, due to their pride and lack of humility.  

What is humility?  There are many definitions but Michael really pegged it with the following definition: “Humility is seeing ourselves as God sees us”.

Michael is in 2 Kings, Chapter 1, Verses 1 through 18, 1 Peter 5: 6 and 2 Chronicles 7: 14.