So you finally began a New Year

Many people determine at the New Year to make changes in their lives

Some, who are already believers, determine to live more fully for Christ

Some, after deciding to examine Christianity, have actually become believers

For everyone, once a decision is made, what does that actually look like?

I want to do better but what does that actually mean in my everyday walk?

This is another chance for you to be perfect

Perfect? That isn’t even possible!

Before we get to the topic of perfection, let’s look at vs 44-45

In these verses we are called to do something that is not natural

“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”

The world would say NO!

Look again at verse 45

This is possible through our Father in Heaven

Understand that this verse means that God loves ALL people, even your enemies

Perhaps, when we strive to love them and pray for them, we will learn about them

Maybe they shouldn’t be our enemies, but we haven’t given them a chance

Maybe they are our enemies because of something we have done

Maybe they have never felt the love of God that you know

When we decide that we need to make a change, the place we start is with us!

But I’m a nice person, just ask any of my friends

See, being nice and loving those who love you is easy

It is really truly striving to LOVE those who persecute you, that is so HARD

This is how you make that change that you decided to make.

This is your first step as a new believer and as a believer that wants to live better

We must strive to be perfect by living like our Father in heaven, not the world

This verse is clear, we are to be perfect, even if, as humans, we know that is impossible

The perfect that we need to be, is to live like Jesus every day

In our own strength, it is not possible, but God’s love is perfect, so will you live in that love every day?

Every day is another chance to be perfect. Will you take that opportunity every day?

First, you must give your life to the perfect Father.

Will you take that step today?

What does a New Year make you think of?

All the things you didn’t do last year that you wanted too?

All the things you want to strive for in the new year?

It always makes me think about a chalk board

No matter how many things are written on it, they can always be erased; and you are left with a brand new space

Old things have passed away and all things are now New

As a believer in Christ, there is a verse that comes to my mind

The old has passed away and the new things have come; just as 2021 is gone and 2022 is here.

The great thing about a new year, is that it hasn’t been written yet. Everything you do is the first time this year.

“Now ALL things are from God”

“who gave us the ministry of reconciliation”

I’m sure that I’m not the only one that made mistakes last year

This is a new year for us to be reconciled again with God, and for us to reconcile with others because of God

One of the greatest barricades to destroying racism is the unwillingness to reconcile with the past

In order to be better this year, we need to be purposeful about reconciling with others

This means we must use the power that God gave us if we are ever to get there

He gave us the word of reconciliation, and, as we are reconciled with Him, we lead others to do the same

The only hope that we have for this world of ours is to show everyone Jesus is the ONLY answer

It is another year and another chance to be an ambassador for Christ

RA stands for Royal Ambassadors for Christ

You see, what we have another chance to do this year is be the child of the King that we are supposed to be

We can serve as an ambassador to show every person the way to the King and eternal salvation

He became sin that we might become righteousness

Another year means another chance to lead people to Christ

Last year and the year before that I challenged you to strive to lead just one person to Christ

In order to lead one, you have to talk to many

I wonder how many actually met the challenge and led someone to Christ.

Another year, another chance

Last year, in this church, the baptismal pool remained dry

Let’s be His ambassadors this year and see that pool full often.

You can’t be His ambassador if you haven’t committed your life to Him yet

Over the last two weeks we talked about the gifts of Gold and Frankincense

Myrrh is a aromatic, sap-like resin derived from a small Commiphora myrrha tree

It was commonly used in perfume mixtures and especially for embalming a body during Jesus’ day

Today Myrrh is still used for many things:

Inhaled, it is used to help congestion, respiratory issues and coughing,

It is used topically to prevent hair loss, give younger looking skin

It can be use medicinally to heal wounds, stop infection, and calm inflammation, among other things

One of the most common uses was by the Egyptians, as they used it during the mummification process

Which is probably how it came to be used as embalming fluid

While Myrrh has so many positive qualities, this isn’t what I want you to know most about it

You see, myrrh would eventually be used to anoint Jesus’ body before burial

Perhaps the wise men, having learned the prophecy of the Messiah from Daniel, knew more than we thought

Myrrh certainly represents Jesus as the Savior through His death burial and resurrection

Perhaps, the wise men were just bringing gifts suitable for royalty

Either way, we know that these three gifts were more than just gifts; they were telling of the things Jesus would be

Jesus is the gift from God to save the world. His death burial and resurrection was the ultimate purpose of His birth

He came that we might have life and have it abundantly

He came into the world to save the lost

He is our King, and He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

He is our high priest that sits at the right hand of the Father and intercedes on our behalf

He came as a child, and died as the perfect sacrifice for your sins and mine

He is the ultimate Christmas gift, and I pray that you have received Him today.

So, what is Frankincense?

Frankincense is the gum or resin of the Boswellia tree, used for making perfume and incense.

It was one of the ingredients God instructed the Israelites to use to make the sacred incense for the Holy place

Frankincense, itself, was also used in offerings to the Lord

Today, as we look at Frankincense, it is clear that it represents Jesus' status as a priest

He is our High Priest and the only one eligible for that role due to His holiness

In all His holiness, Jesus grew up and suffered for you, in order that you might have life

It has been said that these tears represent the torture Jesus suffered during His crucifixion

The sweet aroma of the Frankincense was pleasing to God as an offering

Jesus was a sweet sacrifice, pleasing to God

Today, Frankincense is no more

Oh wait, that is not true! You can even purchase Frankincense in an essential oil

It is used to promote relaxation, peace, and overall wellness.

As you consider today how God’s perfect plan unfolded so long ago, have you considered why?

It was to make a way for you to receive salvation.

This is the Christmas gift, will you receive it?

Many times people wonder about the gifts the wise men brought Jesus

Each of the gifts had specific meaning, and the wise men knew this

Gold, as a gift, was only given to those in a royal line

Kings were given gold, and this was a symbol of their royalty

Today, we know that Jesus is king of kings, but how did the wise men know this?

These magi were not from Jerusalem or Bethlehem or anywhere close by

Scripture says they were from the east. This is talking about the far east sometimes referred to as the orient

This area included the lands of Babylon and surrounding areas

Prominent Jew with much influence lived there and his name was Daniel

Daniel had been given the vision concerning the Messiah, so certainly he would have taught that

The magi were part of a group that Daniel would have had influence over

It is important to know that Jesus was born to be King

This prophecy clearly shows Jesus taking the throne of David and ruling forever

Jesus, Himself, during His earthly ministry, said He was King

You see, the wise men, who learned from Daniel, knew that Jesus was a King; so they gave the appropriate gift

For us today it is important to remember that, as Timothy said, Jesus is King of Kings

Our world is so crazy sometimes to stop and remember that God is still in control and Jesus is still King brings peace

Remembering that Jesus is King also helps us as we are faced with many things that want our attention

Matthew 6:24 says no one can serve two masters

This means for us to keep Jesus’ Kingship in mind and serve Him alone is paramount

We see Jesus as King in Revelation as well

When the end comes and the battle is over, Jesus is still King of Kings

The wise men knew this and celebrated this with the gift of Gold

Do you call Him King today?

You can!

The Prophecy:
Isaiah 7:14 NASB

The prophecy of a coming Messiah had been passed down for centuries before Jesus’ birth

While it may not have been an afterthought, it was truly a miracle

God chose to provide a sacrifice to pay the price of sin for every person

He provided His Son Jesus through a virgin so that all would know this was a miracle

He provided an earthly father to look after Jesus until His time had come

It was a miracle that Joseph listened to the angel instead of saving face with people

I want you to understand that every part of this familiar story is a miracle

A young woman’s miracle conception that she probably didn’t really understand

The fiancé that went against his instincts to protect them both and became an object of ridicule

All of this was done as God had designed

He made the preparation for man’s salvation from the moment He decided to give us free will

We say the words “From the manger to the cross” but sometimes it is hard to really grasp that reality

What if you were told you were going to have a child and that child’s purpose was to die

That would be unimaginable

But God

He loved the world so much that He gave His only Son

This miracle that we call Christmas is the celebration of the most important gift to the world

So I’m begging you all, this year, please don’t let the miracle of Christmas become an afterthought in your celebration

We decorate our homes, we buy wonderful gifts, we make delicious food and all these things are good

But what if the true miracle of Christmas becomes lost in the celebration

I saw a scene once that had all these giant secular objects to celebrate and off to the side a tiny manger scene

That is how the world sees Christmas if the manger exists in the celebration at all

The miracle that will never be repeated has been pushed into the background

By Christians

If we don’t actively celebrate the Miracle of Christmas the world will forget it was even a thing

The question for you today is, do you believe in the miracle called Christmas

If you believe, the scripture says you shall be saved by this miracle

Will this be the year that you truly celebrate the miracle of Christmas?