Cold? Indifferent? Unconcerned? Things going good for you? Feel God's blessings and just want to lay back and relax? Spread the love. There were some strangers who spent several years looking for the King of the Jews. All they had to go on was a star. Apparently nothing else mattered to them but finding this king so they could worship him. (It's in Matthew 2.) How do people of today compare to these men who were searching, searching, searching?
The wise men were men of some position. The trip from the east couldn't have been cheap. They brought expensive gifts so they weren't poor. They weren't Jews and yet they knew the story of the Christ who was King of the Jews. And they saw the sign, the star that led them. And they weren't willing to give up and go back home. Their quest was to find HIM. How is it that so many then and so many now don't mount their own quest to find HIM? Surely these men who were not among the chosen of God, and yet they believed, was and is a sign in itself.
Have the blessed of God become "pew warmers" or don't even show up in church at all? The prophet Amos warns in Amos 6:1, "Woe to them that are at ease in Zion...". It's not good for God's people to be preoccupied and unconcerned about spiritual matters. God won't wait forever. Each day is one day closer. Those that are unconverted know the story of God's promises for those that believe on Him. We are finite people. Our days will come to an end. None of us are guaranteed the next year, the next month, week, hour or minute. Where will the soul spend eternity? The question that should take the forefront of our minds.
The passage for the service was taken from Proverbs 3:5-10, It's a well-known passage that speaks of not leaning on your own understanding and not to be wise in your own eyes. The Sunday School class discussed the wise men. After reciting the passage, our beloved pastor said, "How can we be wise men today?" After some length he took one of those pauses. It's just a short interlude where he looks at you and you sit up a little straighter. He picked a verse from the beatitudes, Matthew 5:6, "Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." Then he said, "The world is not righteous because they don't want it." It's the kind of statement that sucks the air out of your lungs because you know he's right. It's just that nobody ever says it.
So, what's to happen to us? Luke 18:10-14 is a little story about two men who go to the temple to pray. One is a Pharisee and the other a publican. The Pharisee prays and talks about how he's doing everything that he should. He even goes on to say that he's not like other folks. Blah, blah, blah. Off in the corner is the publican. He is so covered in shame that he looks down, pounds his chest and begs for mercy because of the sinner that he is. It's a good reminder of how to approach a just, holy, and righteous God.
There are plenty of things to learn in the Bible. It's a roadmap for anyone to follow who wants to find their way to God and his Son, Jesus. Start today. Don't wait until tomorrow. It may never come.
The wise men were men of some position. The trip from the east couldn't have been cheap. They brought expensive gifts so they weren't poor. They weren't Jews and yet they knew the story of the Christ who was King of the Jews. And they saw the sign, the star that led them. And they weren't willing to give up and go back home. Their quest was to find HIM. How is it that so many then and so many now don't mount their own quest to find HIM? Surely these men who were not among the chosen of God, and yet they believed, was and is a sign in itself.
Have the blessed of God become "pew warmers" or don't even show up in church at all? The prophet Amos warns in Amos 6:1, "Woe to them that are at ease in Zion...". It's not good for God's people to be preoccupied and unconcerned about spiritual matters. God won't wait forever. Each day is one day closer. Those that are unconverted know the story of God's promises for those that believe on Him. We are finite people. Our days will come to an end. None of us are guaranteed the next year, the next month, week, hour or minute. Where will the soul spend eternity? The question that should take the forefront of our minds.
The passage for the service was taken from Proverbs 3:5-10, It's a well-known passage that speaks of not leaning on your own understanding and not to be wise in your own eyes. The Sunday School class discussed the wise men. After reciting the passage, our beloved pastor said, "How can we be wise men today?" After some length he took one of those pauses. It's just a short interlude where he looks at you and you sit up a little straighter. He picked a verse from the beatitudes, Matthew 5:6, "Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." Then he said, "The world is not righteous because they don't want it." It's the kind of statement that sucks the air out of your lungs because you know he's right. It's just that nobody ever says it.
So, what's to happen to us? Luke 18:10-14 is a little story about two men who go to the temple to pray. One is a Pharisee and the other a publican. The Pharisee prays and talks about how he's doing everything that he should. He even goes on to say that he's not like other folks. Blah, blah, blah. Off in the corner is the publican. He is so covered in shame that he looks down, pounds his chest and begs for mercy because of the sinner that he is. It's a good reminder of how to approach a just, holy, and righteous God.
There are plenty of things to learn in the Bible. It's a roadmap for anyone to follow who wants to find their way to God and his Son, Jesus. Start today. Don't wait until tomorrow. It may never come.
