The Legend of The Fourth Wise Man Or Dont Wait for Christmas

Did you know there was a 4th Wise man who didn't make it? 

Long ago in the late 1800s a man named Eric Van Dyke wrote a short story about a "fourth" wise man (accepting the tradition that the Magi numbered three), a priest of the Magi named Artaban, one of the Medes from Persia.

Like the other Magi, he sees signs in the heavens proclaiming that a King has been born among the Jews. Like them, he sets out to see the newborn ruler, carrying treasures to give as gifts to the child - a sapphire, a ruby, and a "pearl of great price".

However, he stops along the way to help a dying man, which makes him late to meet with the caravan of the other three wise men. Because he missed the caravan, and he can't cross the desert with only a horse, he is forced to sell one of his treasures in order to buy the camels and supplies necessary for the trip. He then commences his journey but arrives in Bethlehem too late to see the child, whose parents have fled to Egypt. He saves the life of another child at the price of another one of his treasures.

He then travels to Egypt and to many other countries, searching for Jesus for many years and performing acts of charity along the way. After 33 years, Artaban is still a pilgrim, and a seeker after light. Artaban arrives in Jerusalem just in time for the crucifixion of Jesus. He spends his last treasure, the pearl, to ransom a young woman from being sold into slavery. He is then struck in the head by a falling roof tile and is about to die, having failed in his quest to find Jesus, but having done much good through charitable works. A voice tells him "Verily I say unto thee, Inasmuch as thou hast done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, thou hast done it unto me." (Matthew 25:40)[4] He dies in a calm radiance of wonder and joy. His treasures were accepted, and the Other Wise Man found his King.

This is a story, but isn't the fourth wise man like us? We want to worship Jesus in spirit and in truth but miss the bus so many times. However, as the wise man did, we can still use our time to be of service to our Lord, using the gifts we have, to lay at His feet, in His service. 

Sunday Quotes

          A whole Sermon can be compressed into a single quote 

The true call of a Christian is not to do extraordinary things, but to do ordinary things in an extraordinary way - Dean Stanley.

A real Christian is a person who can give his pet parrot to the town gossip - Billy Graham

A man ought to live so that everybody knows he is a Christian... and most of all, his family ought to know. - Dwight L. Moody

Being a Christian is more than just an instantaneous conversion - it is a daily process whereby you grow to be more and more like Christ - Billy Graham

As a Christian, Christ died so that we will have eternal life in Him in Heaven. What it looks like doesn't matter, what it smells like doesn't matter, as long as Christ is there it will be Heaven to me - T. D. Jakes

The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then only can i change - Carl Rogers.

You have to look at what a person does with his life. Anyone can say that he's a Christian, but you look at how they live. Franklin Graham

When a man becomes a Christian, he becomes industrious, trustworthy and prosperous. Now, if that man, when he gets all he can and saves all he can, does not give all he can, I have more hope for Judas Iscariot than for that man! - John Wesley

God of Small Things: Saturday Vespers

 

In our world of immediate gratification, success is measured by grandiose achievements. Yet, God delights in small, everyday acts and things, as He does in those grandiose achievements. For Him, it's the heart of the matter, not the outcome. So today we pray -

Heavenly Father, help us to see the value and significance of the small tasks we do every day. May we find joy in the ordinary and the mundane, knowing that you are present in every moment. Give us the strength to be faithful in small things trusting that you can use them in your Glory.

We thank you for the recovery of your servant in Australia and those who were sick and needed your intervention.

Today DeeSki asks for Gods help and says -

"Please god do not let her give up on me and this relationship. I am completely lost knowing I could losing her and my children. I’m asking for all of the prayers I can get and for somehow someway god to help me keep this relationship and family together."

David thanks God for His providence.

Esetarosa requests prayer for her "daughter Fu’a for a miracle in her life as she is now at home under Hospice care. We serve a loving God who hears our prayers. Thank you and God Bless!"

We pray for the wellness of the senior citizens in India - one with a severe back problem to give her strength and patience as well as relief from the pain; we also pray for a lady suffering from Parkinsons for relief as well as strength and patience to her caregiver daughter,

We pray for retired Pastor Benjamin in India for support as he and his daughter go through a very challenging time with his home breaking down and no finance to repair. We pray that efforts to organize financial support for them bears fruit.

Please pray for all these and other needs you may know of. In Jesus' mighty name. 

The Wise Woman's Stone: A Micro Story

Author Unknown

A wise woman who was travelling in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesitation. The traveler left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But a few days later he came back to return the stone to the wise woman.

when she asked him why he returned the stone, he said, "I've been thinking: I know how valuable the stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone."

In today's circumstances, sometimes it may make more sense and wisdom to give someone in need a skill, a tool or a job, rather than just money. It may have more impact. 

Remember: A little boy gave up his lunch to Jesus to be able to feed others. He never ever could have imagined his "one" lunch would feed 10,000. Similarly, we never know the impact one act of our kindness can have.

Kindness is a norm. Not an act.

What Have You With held from God ?

On thinking about the subject line one decided to research it and came across a beautiful and meaningful post about this. We could not help but share it with you, our readers.  

Withholding from God
By Erika in Symphony of Praise

“You did what?” My mouth dropped open as my husband told the story. I couldn’t believe it.
“God told you to sacrifice our son? Abraham, what is wrong with you? Where is Isaac? Where is my son?”
Abraham calmly replied, “He is outside with the servants tending to the animals. He is fine Sarah”.
“Okay, let me get this straight! You bound my son to an altar. You treated him like an animal. You lifted a knife to kill him, and you say everything is fine?”
“Sarah, what would you have me do? Disobey God? God told me to take our son . . . our Isaac . . . our baby . . . our heir . . . our life. Isaac was to be sacrificed as a burnt offering to God. I didn’t question. If God gave him to us, God can take him from us. Our son was God’s before he was ours.”
I saw Abraham speaking, but I could hear no words. He almost killed our son. Our promise. I could understand that he didn’t go through with it because God provided a ram. But still. This was too much for a mother to bear. A mother who waited over ninety years to see the promise of a child. A mother who tried to take matters into her own hands with Hagar and Ishmael . . . and paid dearly. A mother who held, and nursed, and loved that baby. How could my husband do this?
Finally, I heard Abraham. “Sarah, my love, what would you have done?”
“I wouldn’t have sacrificed . . . I wouldn’t have taken my . . . I wouldn’t have . . . “. I couldn’t get the words out.
“I don’t know.” I replied through angry and bitter tears. I could hardly look at the man. I don’t know what I would have done. Would I have disobeyed God? Would I have kicked and screamed? Would I have bargained with God?
“Abraham, I would like to think that I would have obeyed, but I just don’t know.” I cried on my husband as he held me close. Why wasn’t my faith as strong as his? Why couldn’t I be as confident that God was a God of mercy and grace?
Heck, I laughed when God told us that I would give birth to Isaac. I laughed in God’s face as if anything is too hard for Him. Forgive me, Lord.
I wiped the tears, came to my senses (a bit), and stared into the eyes of my husband, “Why did you do it, Abraham? Help me understand so that I can become a woman of faith. Teach me how you could obey God at any cost . . . including that of sacrificing our son. Why did you do it, my love?”
Abraham pulled me close into his strong embrace and whispered into my ear, “Because I will withhold nothing from my God.”.
- Genesis 22 -

Standing on Promises

There is a Hymn called Standing on the promises of God. Nice hymn though it leaves some questions which is how do you do that? What does it mean? 

We are so used to broken, partially broken or seldom kept human promises that we are conditioned to take promises with a pinch of salt. Yet we are told to stand on Gods promises. What does it mean?

Standing on the promises of God means having faith in God's promises and living in a way that is faithful to God. It also means being aware of God's promises and applying them to one's life

There are more than 8000 promises made by God in the Bible. Which ones do you claim? Which ones has God made good on, to you? Here is an E Book listing them out and you can download it here. Read it and see what the Lord has done for you and can do for you. After all....

"God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?"

Number 23:19

Sunday Quotes

                      

1. “If you sell your soul to the Devil, you will spend the rest of eternity trying to buy it back.” – Matshona Dhliwayo
2. “If Noah waited for signs of rain to build an ark, he would have been swept away by the flood.” – Matshona Dhliwayo
3. “Before you look for dirt in people, look for treasure.” – Matshoa Dhliwayo
4. "Wisdom is the capacity to see things from God's viewpoint." – Charles Stanley
5. "Do not judge others, we do not know the battles they face. Love and be kind, for it costs nothing.” – Henrietta Newton Martin
6. “One of the enemy's sneaky attacks against the joy of our salvation is to put us in the spiral of self-condemnation.” – Linda Evans Shepherd
7. “If you want to know your worth, look at the old rugged Cross.” – Gift Gugu Mona
8. “The fact that I'm a biker doesn't make me a different kinda Christian, but the fact that I'm a Christian makes me a different kinda biker.” – Dano Janowski
9. “Forgiveness brings us closer to those who have hurt us and helps them to experience the forgiveness and love of Jesus through us who forgives them.” – Omoakhuana Anthonia
10 “Shine your light at all times; you never know who you are leading out of the dark.” – Matshona Dhliwayo
11. "Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows; it empties today of its strength." – Corrie Ten Boom
12. "If you put your faith in yourself and your abilities, intellect and dreams, then your foundation is only as strong as you are." – Charles Stanley