Christmas is a time of excitement but not a lot of joy. It can be a very selfish time of year. We tell our children to ask Santa for the desire of their heart, but soon that shiny new toy has lost its appeal or is broken to bits. The joy is gone. Or maybe the neighbor child got a better toy, so your own toy looks cheap. Santa, or should I say Dad and Mom, should have put more money on the credit cards in order to get you the best gift possible. Sadly, this attitude is encouraged by parents who make sure little Johnny or little Betty know that Santa will bring them things.

Parents continue the lie of Santa, and worry their child is growing up when the child realizes Santa isn’t real. Those same parents don’t worry whether or not their child believes in Jesus. “Things” become more important than what will truly bring joy. That eternal joy can only come from a personal faith in Jesus Christ, but we tend to forget it’s His birth we celebrate on Christmas. The joy that comes from the Lord is everlasting and won’t break or become outdated.

“[[To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David]] The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!” (Psalm 21:1).

Of course, David is speaking of himself as being the one who shall have joy. King David loved the Lord in whatever circumstances he found himself. He started as a shepherd boy who spent much time watching the flocks. Now, that’s a very important job, but it doesn’t require a lot of thought. It would have been easy for him, as a young boy, to get complacent and lose his focus. Not David. He honed his skill with a slingshot and paid attention to the wandering nature of his flock. These simple tasks taught him to be a powerful military commander and a wonderful king. He learned to trust God and to serve Him.

When King Saul’s army was hiding in the hills in fear of the giant Goliath, it was David, armed with a slingshot, who faced this evil giant and killed him. Don’t ever look at anything in your life as being trivial. You may only watch a flock of sheep, but that chore can teach you many important skills. David also used that time with the sheep to draw nearer to the Lord.

This psalm of David is one of joy and praise for God. He was never slow to sing the praises of his Lord. “Thou hast given him his heart’s desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah. For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness; thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head” (Psalm 21:2-3).

The Lord gave David the desires of his heart because David desired what the Lord desired.

Do you feel as if you’re missing out on blessings? Do you feel as if everybody has received great things from the Lord while you struggle to get by? Maybe the desires of your heart aren’t in tune with God’s desire for you. Perhaps there’s a reason you are stuck in a job you see no future in, or in a marriage with no mutual respect. David made the most of what God blessed him with…a flock of unruly sheep…and David used that blessing to make himself suitable for the next blessing from God…King of Israel.

Desire what God desires, and don’t get confused by what the world offers you. One day, all Christians will stand before the Creator of the universe, and our service to the Lord will be judged. That judgment will be for rewards, not to see if we are worthy of salvation. Faith in Jesus made us worthy for salvation and not works we’ve done. The rewards for our works will be handed out at the Bema Seat judgment. We will receive crowns for what we’ve done. Those crowns will be a joy to us but a gift we can give back to Jesus because He has done all for us. I want a crown – not one to parade around with pride in my own self – but joy in Christ and what He has helped me to do for His glory.

David is an example of a man who trusted God even in the worst of circumstances. His son wanted to kill him, but David trusted the Lord. King Saul wanted to kill him, but David trusted the Lord. “He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him even length of days for ever and ever” (Psalm 21:4).

The Lord gave David life, even when it seemed as if his life was in danger. David was a special man in the eyes of the Lord. When the Apostle Paul was speaking in the synagogue in Pisidia, he gave a history lesson to the people there. Paul spoke of King Saul and of David. “And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will. Of this man’s seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus” (Acts 13:22-23).

David wasn’t perfect, but he was deeply repentant of his sins. If you think that your sins are too great for God to forgive you, read David’s story. God didn’t condemn him because He humbled himself before the Lord and earnestly repented. That was David’s nature and love for the Lord. The desire of his heart was to please God.

God did give him life for ever and ever. Jesus Christ was born from the lineage of David. When Gabriel came to Mary to announce that she had been chosen to give birth to the Son of God, he told her, “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:32-33).

And so, it happened. David’s throne is forever. David was a man who looked forward to the coming Messiah with all his heart, and he will live eternally. David always seems a little amazed that God gave him so many blessings. That’s the way we should all see Jesus. He loves us and has given all who believe eternal life. No matter what happens in this life, there is hope for eternal life through Jesus Christ.

David knew that his greatness wasn’t through his own great deeds but was God’s greatness in him. “His glory is great in thy salvation: honour and majesty has thou laid upon him. For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou has made him exceeding glad with thy countenance” (Psalm 21:5-6).

Again, David is talking of himself in the third person when talking of what God has done for him. We can all have that same joy in the Lord if we see the great things God has done for us. David was made a king, but so are we. When Jesus dictated letters for John to send to seven churches, John sent greetings from himself and Jesus. “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen” (Revelation 1:5-6).

We have been made kings and priests, so we all need to take that seriously. Shouldn’t we study Scripture and apply it in order to be the best kings and priests that we can be? We must begin our training now. Scripture is our guide. Our desires need to line up perfectly with God’s desires. When we fail, we need to truly repent.

The Apostle John saw 24 elders around God’s throne in heaven. These elders represent the redeemed. “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And has made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth“ (Revelation 5:9-10).

Kings and priests need to have their heart’s desire to be what God desires.

David trusted God, even when it was hard to trust. That’s just the way David lived his life. “For the king trusteth in the LORD, and through the mercy of the most High he shall not be moved” (Psalm 21:7).

That attitude needs to be a part of everybody who loves God. We can trust Him, even when we cannot see how He will work things for good. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Stephen was the first Christian martyr and was stoned to death while preaching truth to the Jewish leaders, who were very offended by his words. “And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep” (Acts 7:59-60).

I’m sure that when the stones hit him and the pain was intense, Stephen couldn’t see any good that could come from him standing firm on his faith. Yet, as the stones flew, a young man named Saul was standing there holding the coats of those who threw the stones. He heard Stephen’s words and saw his faith.

Years later, Saul was on a trip to Damascus in a rage at people who had come to faith in Jesus. It was there that Saul, later called Paul, met Jesus and fully understood what Stephen had said. Stephen trusted the Lord and was not moved. Just as King David had written long ago, Stephen and later Paul were steadfast in their faith and would not be moved.

Can we stand strong in our own faith? What about when a friend mocks God in front of you or when you are tempted to sin? Do you stand strong in your faith, or do you go along with the crowd?

The more you desire what God desires, the easier it is to stand against evil-doers and mockers. God knows who loves Him and who doesn’t. We all make a choice to accept or reject the free gift of salvation through Christ. If we accept Him, then we gain salvation and eternal life. If we choose to reject Him, then our choice is an eternity in the burning lake of fire.

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

David understood the consequences of being an enemy of God. “Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the LORD shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them. Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth, and their seed from among the children of men. For they intended evil against thee: they imagined a mischievous device, which they are not able to perform. Therefore shalt thou make them turn their back, when thou shalt make ready thine arrows upon thy strings against the face of them” (Psalm 21:9-12).

There is coming a day when there will be no chance of repentance. This day will be a time of great evil on the earth, and God will have no choice but to destroy the armies of Satan. Now is the time to repent and give your life to Jesus. Now is the time to desire what Jesus desires. Repentance of sinners so nobody will face the lake of fire and eternal damnation. Jesus entered His creation and shed His blood as the once-for-all sacrifice for everybody who will accept it. Then, come to know Him and desire what He desires. Be a witness to others so they can find salvation.

“Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power” (Psalm 21:13).

David desired what God desired long before Christ was born. As Christians, our desire should be to bring as many to faith as we can. You do that by drawing nearer to Christ and humbling yourself before Him. Just as Stephen stood firm and was able to find strength in the face of death, so should we. Find joy in God’s desire.

God bless you all

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

Recommended prophecy sites: All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

www.raptureready.com

www.prophecyupdate.com

www.raptureforums.com

If you would like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6).

Every Christian has a testimony. Some are very exciting, some don’t seem dramatic, but all are important. From the moment Christ was born, people sought Him, and each one had a testimony to share. We really don’t know what day He was born, but we have facts about His birth. Prophecy tells us that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem.

“But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2).

Bethlehem is also called “the City of David,” and prophecy also was clear that the Messiah would come from the line of King David. When a young virgin named Mary became pregnant with the son of God, she didn’t live in Bethlehem. She lived in Nazareth. When God gives a prophetic message to His chosen prophets, you can be sure it will happen.

“And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed” (Luke 2:1).

It was required that everybody had to go to their own city. Both Joseph and Mary were direct descendants of King David (Joseph through Solomon and Mary through Nathan), so off they went to Bethlehem. Mary was “great with child,” and that journey must have been hard for her.

Once in Bethlehem, there were others there because of the decree, and all the rooms at the inn were full. Joseph and Mary had to take shelter in a manger.

“And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:6-7).

I’m sure that the other children Mary gave birth to were born in more comfortable conditions, but Jesus, the Lamb of God, was humbly born in a manger. This history-changing event went unnoticed by most of the people in Bethlehem, including the religious leaders. It seems as if God would have been certain to make it known to the priests that the Messiah had arrived, but God’s ways aren’t our ways, and He chose to announce the birth of Jesus to the lowliest of people of the day…shepherds.

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid” (Luke 2:8-9).

I’m sure I would have been afraid, too. “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).

The shepherds were told where to find Jesus and how to identify Him. “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2: 13-14).

With all that commotion, I would think that someone in Bethlehem would have heard, or even Jerusalem, which was about 6 miles away. People of that day didn’t have earbuds in while glued to a video game. Only the shepherds were blessed to have been the first to hear the good news. They left their flocks and hurried to the manger where they found Jesus with Joseph and Mary. The shepherds were understandably amazed and wanted to tell other people.

“And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds” (Luke 2:18).

The shepherds had a wonderful testimony, and they shared it with others. If you heard the story that the shepherds told, would you believe them? Would you go looking for Jesus?

Life went on, and there were important things that needed tending to. The Law was specific about what was to be done after the birth of a son, and sacrifices that were to be made. Joseph and Mary didn’t have much money, so they were only able to offer a pair of turtledoves. The temple, of course, was in Jerusalem. That’s where they encountered a very devout man named Simeon. Simeon had been looking for the Messiah.

“And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ” (Luke 2:26).

Simeon was led by the Holy Spirit to be at the temple when Joseph and Mary were also there with Jesus. “Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou has prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel” (Luke 2:28-32).

Nobody should depart this life without finding Jesus. Simeon was looking for the Messiah and found Him. Why did Simeon recognize Jesus when the religious leaders were so blind? The answer to that question may be found in the fact that Simeon desired to see the Messiah and was devoted to God. The Pharisees and other leaders were happy with their own positions of power and didn’t want to share that power with anybody, even if that meant closing their hearts to the Messiah. Simeon had a testimony. Did he share this with others? Did they just think he was a crazy old man? Don’t miss Jesus because you would rather be blind. Listen to the testimony of others and find Jesus.

Anna was another one in the Temple that day and found Jesus because she was looking. She was a prophetess and had been a widow for many years. “And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day” (Luke 2:37).

Anna must have been a lovely person to know. She was devoted to God and was always at the Temple. Anna understood who the baby was, and she told everybody who was looking for the redemption in Jerusalem. She had a testimony and wasn’t ashamed to tell others. Have you found Jesus? Do you speak of Him to others? Anna and Simeon were both blessed to have their eyes and hearts open to finding Jesus.

There was another group who found Jesus. They came from far away and brought gifts. These men were the wise men, sometimes called the Magi. It must have been a marvelous sight to see when they entered into Jerusalem and stated their purpose. “Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him” (Matthew 2:2).

Magus (Magi) is a name given by various nations, including Babylon, to wise men, teachers, astrologers, seers, etc., and many scholars believe they were from an order that was established by Daniel in Babylon. Notice their choice of words. For instance, “born king.” A royal son is normally born a prince and then becomes a king when his parent dies. Prince Charles wasn’t born a king but became king when his mother died. The wise men said they had seen “his star.” Not just any star but “his star.”

What was this “star”?

There is much speculation, but we really don’t know. Some say it was a comet or a conjunction of planets. My feeling is it was a special sign from God. God gives us prophecies and signs, but if we don’t understand them, we miss a lot. Whatever it was, they followed that star to Jerusalem, then lost sight of it. So, they went to visit King Herod. It’s too bad they didn’t talk to the shepherds who had gone to the manger after seeing the angels, or Simeon or Anna. These people would have given a better testimony.

Herod had no idea, so he called the chief priests and scribes and asked them where Christ was prophesied to be born. It seems as if these priests and scribes were guilty of the same thing people today are guilty of. They had Scripture but didn’t care to understand it. Prophecy was being fulfilled, but they were oblivious to it. Much like many Christians today.

The priests and scribes found the answer in Micah 5:2. Herod then questioned them about when the star appeared. This gave him an idea of how old Jesus was. “And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also” (Matthew 2:8).

Notice that Herod sent them to find the “young child,” not a baby. This wasn’t the night Jesus was born but sometime after His birth.

When the magi left Herod, they saw the star again. “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gits; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way” (Matthew 2:11-12).

They found Jesus in a “house” (Greek word oikia) and not a manger (Greek word phatne). They gave gifts to the young child (not to His parents but to Jesus). The gold, frankincense, and myrrh were expensive treasures, which more than likely were sold in order to pay for the trip to Egypt. Also, notice they worshipped Jesus, not Mary.

“And when they were departed, behold the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him” (Matthew 2:13).

The magi had searched for Jesus and found Him. They honored Him with gifts, then went on their way. Herod also was searching for Jesus but not to honor Him. Herod wanted to kill Him. Not everybody who seeks Jesus does so with good intentions.

Have you looked for Jesus? Did you find Him? Many Christians who claim to know Him are like the chief priests and scribes. They’ve read through Scripture and go through the motions but haven’t truly found Jesus. Jesus chose to enter His creation as the blessed Lamb of God who would eventually allow Himself to be crucified to take our sins away. Before that would happen, Jesus called twelve men to teach His ways so they could teach others. They shared the Good News, and their faithfulness has given us the way to find Jesus. Now it’s time for us to share our faith and testimony with others.

God bless you all

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

Recommended prophecy sites: All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

www.raptureready.com

www.prophecyupdate.com

www.raptureforums.com

If you would like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (Psalm 122:6).