The Magi-The Ultimate Gifts For The Ultimate Gift-Giver

It is only two days until Christmas. If you are not done with your shopping, it may be because you are looking for that "perfect"gift for someone who has everything. I am not done because I like Christmas Eve shopping. I like the crowds. I like the excitement of everyone trying to find that one "perfect" thing. 
There were some men who knew exactly what the perfect gifts should look like. Even for the One who truly had EVERYTHING.
These men are often referred to as wise men. 
I believe, in fact, that they were, very wise indeed.

 
Men who were seeking the King of Kings.


Arrived prepared to honor and worship King Jesus.


Gave extravagantly with no thought of anything in return.


Individuals who found Jesus because they were looking for Him, and knew He was coming.

Matthew 2:1-12

 ¹ 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 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 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 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.

These men brought gifts that have very special meanings.
The gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh were also prophetic, speaking of our Lord's offices of king, priest, and savior. Gold speaks of His kingship; frankincense was a spice used in the priestly duties; and myrrh was an embalming ointment anticipating His death.

Costly gifts for a humble King.
A king who would give the most costly gift to the the entire world, His life.

If you have accepted this extravagant gift, what are you giving back out of thankfulness?
Will the gifts you give this years have any eternal impact on those around you?
The best gift of all, was paid for almost 2000 years ago, and is waiting to be shared by YOU with others this Christmas season.
And there is no need to go to mall to get it.

Give the gift of Jesus this year so someone can receive true joy and the everlasting hope of eternal life!

Chasing After Hearts,
Glenda Johnson

The Manger

As I ponder the Christmas story today, I think of the manger. The place where a young mother laid her baby. These are the thoughts that come to my mind as push the animals out of the way and peek into the manger.

Made by man, to hold the maker of man.

Animal feeder holding the bread of life.

No room anywhere in the world for this baby, except here.

Giving a resting place for the One who would be peace and eternal rest.

Entrance into a world for the King of Kings.

Rough edges of a bed that would become the rough edges of the cross.

 

Luke 2:12

"This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

What do you see today?

Chasing After Hearts,

Glenda Johnson

Daily Devo- Psalm 78:1-7 "What Is Important Today?"

Psalm 78:1-7

1  A maskil by Asaph. Open your ears to my teachings, my people. Turn your ears to the words from my mouth.
2  I will open my mouth to illustrate points. I will explain what has been hidden long ago,
3  things that we have heard and known about, things that our parents have told us.
4  We will not hide them from our children. We will tell the next generation about the LORD'S power and great deeds and the miraculous things he has done.
5  He established written instructions for Jacob's people. He gave his teachings to Israel. He commanded our ancestors to make them known to their children
6  so that the next generation would know them. Children yet to be born would learn them. They will grow up and tell their children
7  to trust God, to remember what he has done, and to obey his commands.

It is Sunday morning. In our home, that means we will go worship Jesus with the Saints in Easton, Md. There is no question in my children's minds about what what we will do today. We serve Jesus as a family, we worship as a family, we strive to make our family's focus Jesus.

The first seven verses of the 78th Psalm talks about teaching our children about the Lord. It is so important that we teach our children who God is and what He has called us to do.

Now lest you think I have always done this perfectly, or do this perfectly now, let me say without reservation that I do not. But I try. It has taken many years , like 28 to be exact, to get our family focused on Jesus.

I had to be fully focused on Jesus before I could begin to lead and teach our children to put Him first in their lives. I had to work on me for years. I have to work on me daily. I have to remember verse 7:
7  to trust God, to remember what he has done, and to obey his commands.


So it is Sunday. You have two choices. You can begin, or continue to , point your children to Jesus, or you can make something else more important. Trust me, I have done both. Jesus is the better choice. It is the only choice today that will have ETERNAL benefits, or consequences. Everything else just lasts for a brief time.


The nice thing is, just because you didn't focus on Jesus yesterday, doesn't mean you can't make a different choice for today. Your children are looking to YOU and my children are looking to ME to show them what God has in store for us all.

Today, chase your children's hearts for God. You will never be sorry you did!

Chasing After Their Hearts,
Glenda Johnson

Daily Devo- Joshua 24:14-15 "Get Off That Fence!"

^{Joshua 24:14-15}

¹⁴ “Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. ¹⁵ But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” 

Have you ever sat on a fence? I mean a real fence. One that separates two yards? It is hard to sit there and not fall off. Depending on how the fence in constructed, it is a difficult task to keep your balance. 

When you fall off the fence, you never quite know which side you will end up landing on. Which could be a problem. Especially if there is a ferocious dog on one side. Or a neighbors yard, with a neighbor who doesn't like trespassers. Or a big mud pit with pigs. Get the picture.

Joshua was telling the people of that day, they needed to get off the fence they were sitting on. Choose whom they wanted to serve, because they could not balance on the fence and serve God and the false gods of the land. Make a choice he says. Or you will end up falling off the fence where you don't want to be.

The same thing applies to us today. Do you find yourself sitting on a fence. One foot dangling on the side of the world and the other on the side of the Lord?  You must make a choice. You WILL fall off of that fence, probably because the world will push you down, and you will not like the pit on that side you fall into. You, me, everyone MUST make a choice. We need to make it today. 

Throw away the false gods of this world and serve Jesus. Even if that is not the choice others make. We must serve the Lord. 

By the way, not choosing is a choice. You have chosen the world by default if you don't choose the Lord. 

So, as for me and my household, there will be NO FENCE SITTING! We will serve the Lord.

Chasing After Hearts,

Glenda Johnson

Daily Devo- Isaiah 7: 1-17 "The Timeless Message"

 

Isaiah 7

 ¹ When Ahaz son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem, but they could not overpower it.

 ² Now the house of David was told, “Aram has allied itself with Ephraim”; so the hearts of Ahaz and his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind.

 ³ Then the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out, you and your son Shear-Jashub, to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field. ⁴ Say to him, ‘Be careful, keep calm and don’t be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood—because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram and of the son of Remaliah. ⁵ Aram, Ephraim and Remaliah’s son have plotted your ruin, saying, ⁶ “Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it.” ⁷ Yet this is what the Sovereign LORD says:

   “‘It will not take place,
   it will not happen,
⁸ for the head of Aram is Damascus,
   and the head of Damascus is only Rezin.
Within sixty-five years
   Ephraim will be too shattered to be a people.
⁹ The head of Ephraim is Samaria,
   and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah’s son.
If you do not stand firm in your faith,
   you will not stand at all.’”

 ¹⁰ Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, ¹¹ “Ask the LORD your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.”

 ¹² But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the LORD to the test.”

 ¹³ Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also? ¹⁴ Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. ¹⁵ He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, ¹⁶ for before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste. ¹⁷ The LORD will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since Ephraim broke away from Judah—he will bring the king of Assyria.” 

I was led to this passage this morning, and was very surprised by what I found. I should not have been surprised , but I was. Let me share what I found.

Ahaz was a good king. He was having some trouble with some bad leaders. He was frightened, and struggling to know what to do. 

Ever been there? Trying to do right, and all you get is grief? People attack you, complain, just really wear you down, until you think you might just be unable to go on? Yeah, me too at times. That's where Ahaz is. 

God sees and knows what is going on with Ahaz. God sends Isaiah the prophet with a message for Ahaz. It is the message that surprised me.

This is the message:

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. 

Isaiah brought the message of Jesus! The coming of Jesus! Even approximately 500 years before His birth, Jesus was the message Ahaz needed to hear.

Now a little over 2000 years after His birth, Jesus is still the message we need to to hear! He will always be the message that brings perfect hope and peace all the time.

There is a song that really brings this thought home, it goes like this:

Lord, I lift your name on high Lord
I love to sing your praises
I'm so glad You're in my life
I'm so glad You came to save us

You came from heaven to earth
to show the way
From the earth to the cross
my debt to pay
From the cross to the grave
From the grave to the sky Lord,
I lift your name on high

(Music and words by Rick Founds)

So remember, no matter what you are walking through, the message of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus has all the answers and reassurances you will ever need!

Chasing After Hearts,
Glenda Johnson

From: http://www.musicbabylon.com