Wise men seek Christ. The question is: What are you seeking for? Is it fun, friends, fame and fortune? Popularity, prestige and power? Empty Boxes Have you noticed the impressive large Christmas trees set up in many shopping malls? Surely you have noticed the beautifully wrapped presents piled up under most of these trees? You will see many children’s eyes wide as they look at these bright, shiny, shimmering presents, often with attractive ribbons around them? Over the years, when my children were very young, they each asked: What's in those boxes? The answer is: Absolutely nothing! They are beautifully wrapped and attractively presented, but the presents under these Christmas trees in the shopping malls are all empty!
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“For we must all appear before the Judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” 2 Corinthians 5:10 Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii When the Apostle Paul was being transported as a prisoner to Rome, his ship docked to the south of Rome in the port city of Puteoli. Puteoli was a fashionable holiday resort with hot sulphur springs and many villas. Puteoli lay in the shadow of the great Vesuvius Mountain. This rugged mountain was actually a volcano, but as it hadn’t erupted in a thousand years, it was considered dormant. Shortly after the Apostle Paul passed by, Mount Vesuvius exploded. For forty hours Vesuvius erupted and, while Puteoli was spared, nearby Pompeii was destroyed. The 20,000 people of Pompeii were killed by the gasses and ash, then preserved by the molten lava volcanic destruction which rolled over them and hermetically sealed them in their gigantic tomb. Pompeii remained buried under 20 feet of hardened lava and when archaeologists finally excavated it, they found the best example of a perfectly preserved first century Roman city, frozen in time How must all those innkeepers of Bethlehem feel - that they turned away the Greatest Man ever to be born? They had no room for Emmanuel - God with us. They couldn't accommodate the Creator, the Eternal Judge before whom they will have to stand on the Day of Judgment. They missed the opportunity of all time. They could have welcomed the Holy family - but they missed out. Our Lord Jesus was born in a stable in a cave amongst farm animals Where Were the Priests? Wise men travelled great distances in order to worship the King of kings. The shepherds on the hillside came and worshipped. But where was the mayor of Bethlehem? There is no indication that any of the elders and leading citizens of Bethlehem acknowledged the greatest event ever to occur in Bethlehem, before or since. They missed out on the greatest opportunity and event ever. Where was the High Priest? Where was King Herod? It is extraordinary to note that the entire priesthood of Israel, all the thousands employed at the Temple missed the birth of the Messiah! There Was No Room for Him At His birth there was no room for Jesus in any of the homes or inns of Bethlehem. Today there seems to be no room for Jesus at the UN. Nor is there space for Jesus in most of the Xmas cards, in most of the schools and in most of the music. Even Nativity scenes are discouraged and banned in many cities around the world. Is there room in your heart for Jesus? "He came unto His own and His own received Him not." John 1: 11 "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6: 33 Dr. Peter Hammond "Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon." Isaiah 55:6-7 Seeking the Lord Wholeheartedly The Word of God teaches us that He rewards those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). We are commanded to look to the Lord and His strength, to seek His face always (Psalm 105:4). "God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him." Acts 17:27 "But if from there you seek the Lord your God you will find Him, if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul." Deuteronomy 4:29 "Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap the fruit of unfailing love and break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, until He comes and showers righteousness on you." Hosea 10:12 "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." Luke 11:9-10 Some churches have a sign over the inside of their doorway declaring: You are now entering the Mission Field! That is a good reminder that the church service is primarily for the building up of believers for works of service and evangelism in the world. However, if we assume that the Mission field is only outside the church, we would be mistaken. UnBiblical Christians Engage in conversation with some of the members of your local church and you may be surprised, probably even shocked. So far this year, I have spoken to a number of church -going people, who describe themselves as Christians, yet who believed in strange and unbiblical new age concepts such as re-incarnation and universalism. People who have described themselves as "a good person ", and "a dedicated Christian ", "born again " have, in all seriousness, told me that "everyone will go to Heaven, because God is all -forgiving "; "God will keep refining us through re-incarnation until we are ready for Heaven "; "All religions lead to God " and "People are basically good!" One man claimed that he had not sinned for over 30 years! One woman claimed that she had prayed and God had guided her to abort her child! “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is…you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” John 4:10 The man who pioneered mass production of motor vehicles, Henry Ford, said that the most successful person would be the one who would fill the greatest need the best. There is no doubt that Jesus Christ remains the greatest person who ever lived because He made the greatest sacrifice to fill the greatest need for the greatest number of people. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 We need forgiveness for sin and freedom from sin. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 We need life, love and light. “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10 The God who created the universe, and each one of us, is sovereign and ruler over all. He lovingly provides us with life, health, talents, gifts and opportunities and He justly commands each one of us to worship and obey Him. God will judge each one of us. He will punish the wicked and He will reward the faithful. An eternal hell awaits the unrepentant. A glorious Heaven is promised to all who truly repent of their sins, trust Christ alone for Salvation and follow the Word of God in obedience.
The Word of God warns us: “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderous, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Revelation 21:8 What is Wrong With Our World? Almost on a daily basis each of us is confronted by the reality of a world that is in rebellion to its Creator. The desecration of the Lord's Day, the proliferation of pornography, the escalation of crime and violence, the breakdown of moral standards, the legalisation of abortion, the break up of families and the explosion of child abuse all remind us that we live in a sinful society which has forgotten God. What is wrong with our world? Sin. Mankind is in rebellion against God. What is Wrong With the Church? Almost as often we wonder what is wrong with the church. Why has the church become so ineffective? How can it be that so many Christians in so many churches have such a diminishing effect on the moral climate of society? Can we honestly say that we have been praying and working against evil when we see evil increasing? (Matt 18:18-20; Psalm 94:16). Has the salt of the earth lost its saltiness? Is the light of the world being hidden under a bowl? (Matt 5:13-16). During the last 22 years of travelling extensively and ministering in 23 countries, I have had the privilege of witnessing several churches operating as God intended them to - in revival. Since experiencing the powerful presence and blessing of God in the revivals of Romania and KwaSizabantu it has been very hard for me, and other missionaries of Frontline Fellowship, to fit back into the shallow and half-hearted state of most churches in South Africa. |
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