They are called the three wise men. Their story is told in Matthew 2:1-12. They came from the east, seeking the newborn king so they could worship Him. They had seen His star and could not resist the tag on their hearts - He deserved their worship.Why are they called wise men? One they read the stars and understand things many will take for granted. It takes skill to read the stars and I confess that on a dark night the white dotted skies hold no meaning for me whatsoever.Secondly, when they see a King, they know what to do. They come to worship. Wise people know how to respond in whatever situation they find themselves. They do not need to be prodded. And they knew where to go asking - Herod’s. Besides what is wiser than to worship the KING?Today we all know where the King is. If you are a Christian, He is in your heart. And if you are wise, you will worship Him right from your heart.That is the point. The wise still worship Him.The question is, how do you respond to the King today? Do you pay Him lip service? Do you acknowledge Him? Or do you worship Him? The apostle Paul defines the spiritual act of worship as the offer of our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. In the heat and rush of our modern world, where pleasure and possessions are the driving forces, where knowledge and selfishness are they cutting edge, where we are so bombarded with information and noise we can hardly hear or see the King. Our spiritual senses are dulled and the King is pushed to the recesses of our hearts. We have become the new king. The devotion is to self. The adoration is to self. The reverence is for self. The worship is now for self and the True King receives but lip service.As Christmas turns the corner again and the church remembers the coming of her saviour, let us look up and see his star. Let us follow his star with joy. We will be wise to emulate the Maggi from the east. We will be wise to come bow down and worship Him. As we celebrate Christmas, let us reflect on our lives as worshippers. Let us endeavour to present our lives as a sacrifice to Him. A sacrifice that is pleasing and Holy to God. Then we can confidently call ourselves wise because the wise still worship HIM. 

Habakkuk 3:17-19

Testimony time is one of my favorite times in church. For one it breaks the liturgical monotony. It is also spontaneous on subject matter. Folks testify to financial breakthrough, promotion and opportunity in job place, healings, divine provisions and safety from danger, travel opportunities, news from or on long lost family members etc… oh! I cannot afford to leave out love and marriage.

In Luke 10:17 –18, 72 disciples return from a mission trip with much joy. They had seen even the demons submitting to them in Jesus’ name. Jesus justifies their testimony with the declaration that He had seen Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

But should we only testify when things are looking up? Does Satan fall only when the skies are blue, and the sun is bright? Can we remain committed and grateful even when the evidence is to the contrary?

Habakkuk ends his short book with a prayer. His prayer demonstrated the resulting convictions of his dialogue with God. Habakkuk had asked God why evil people prosper while the righteous suffers. He couldn’t understand why a just God will allow so much evil to go unpunished. God answered that they won’t; not in the long run. God answered Habakkuk’s struggles with words of hope. That is what inspired his prayer at the end of the book, and more so at the end of his prayer.

Failed crops and dead animals would devastate Judah. It couldn’t get worse than that. But Habakkuk affirmed that even in the period of starvation and loss, he will still rejoice in the Lord. It is true his affirmation does not make sense. Yet his feelings were not controlled by the events around him but by faith in God’s ability to sustain him. When nothing makes sense, when troubles strangle you, when it seems to get more than you can bear, remember that God is the One who sustains. Take your eyes off your difficulties and look to God.

In Luke 10, after Jesus affirms the disciples’ testimony, He continued in verse 20, “However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” NIV.

In Romans 8:18, Paul says, “I consider that our present suffering are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” NIV.

If we take our eyes off the things we see and hear and feel, if we focus our sights on eternity and the God of our salvation, then we will cause Satan to fall from heaven not once not twice but always.

God will give His followers surefootedness through difficult times. They will run like deer across rough and challenging terrain. At the right time, His justice will be seen and the world will be rid of evil. Meanwhile, as God’s people, we need to live in the strength of His Spirit and the power of His Word.

I’m not moved by what I see

Halleluyah!

I’m not moved by what I hear

Halleluyah!

I’m not moved by what I feel

Halleluyah!

I’m only moved by the word of God

Halleluyah!

Charles Swindoll inspired me when I read the following. See if you will be inspired too.

I know no greater need today than the need for encouragement and joy. Just look around-ours is a world of bad news and sad faces. Our stooped shoulders and deep frowns convey the heaviness of our hearts. If music and films are the pulse of society, then little more needs to be said. Our plays and movies and television dramas depict despairing messages and themes. Watch any late-evening newscast. Read tomorrow morning’s newspaper. Pick up the majority of best-selling novels. Listen to a radio talk show. Believe me, for every positive, joyful sound you hear there will be dozens of depressing and discouraging messages coming through loud and clear.

The longer I live the more convinced I become that the most magnetic quality of the Christian is not faith or mercy or courage or loyalty or even love, but joy. Those other qualities are often seen more clearly after we’ve gotten to know another person, but joy is the contagious magnet that draws people to one another. Joy takes the grind out of life. It is the oil of the machinery of life. Joy is the main quality that keeps the missionary on the field. The missionary without a sense of humor is the one who must come back often for furlough. There is nothing like a superlative sense of humor to get you through the day-to add joy and various dimensions of happiness to life. A joyful person is a balm of healing to hurting hearts. This is an important message for those Christians who sometimes seem to look and act more like basset hounds on the way to the pound than heaven-bound saints on their way to glory.