Seeking God – Part 1
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:1-2
Notice two things about the wise men: 1) Who they were. Astrologers. Jews considered astrology to be a counterfeit to true prophecy. Be careful; there are people whose lifestyles you may disapprove of, who are honestly seeking God. So be gracious in your dealings with them. The Greek philosophers on Mars Hill had a pantheon of gods. Was Paul shocked or put off? No. He commended them for being willing to search for God, adding, ‘He is not far from each one of us’ (Acts 17:27). Don’t jump to conclusions and write people off. In God’s eyes every weed is a potential rose and every loser is a potential winner. And you should be glad about that! 2) How far they travelled. They left their families and the comforts of home to travel hundreds of miles in order to find God. Their round-trip journey took two years, and ended in a Jewish village where they were cultural outcasts. Meanwhile, leaders who had access to the prophecies of Christ’s birth wouldn’t expend the time and effort to check them out. We often quote Jeremiah chapter 29, verse 11: ‘“The plans I have for you,’’ says the Lord… “are plans for good…to give you a future and a hope.”’ But don’t stop there, read on: ‘When you pray, I will listen. If you look for Me wholeheartedly, you will find Me’ (vv. 12-13). Poet Julie Carro wrote, ‘Now wise men still seek His face as they did in days of old; to give the Lord their hearts, more precious than silver and gold.’How far are you prepared to go in your search for God?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, although You are not lost many times I am. Help me recognize and see You! No matter what the cost! In Jesus’ Name, Amen
I had always thought of the Maji as astronomers rather than astrologers. Please clarify
…and yet we as a church continue to rail against homosexuals, pro-abortionists, supporters of drug legalization…instead of openly, eagerly, lovingly reaching out to them. In this devotion the Jews were polite and accommodating to those seeking the Lord and allowed them to find Him. In our day, the Church, instead of being identified as the body of Christ by our love, is known for its steadfast damnation of those who are on the “wrong side” of SOME of God’s laws. We accept womanizers, viewers of pornography, adulterers, alchoholics, thieves, cheaters, abusers…accommodating all sorts of sinners…with open arms to our congregation to bring them to the Lord. The alcoholic can come to out worship every Sunday still reeking of booze, the adulterer with his new wife, the abuser directly out of prison… If a pair of homosexuals walk in however…they will not be allowed to even begin their walk toward Christ until they have purged themselves of THAT sin. WE will dictate that this one is the abomination to God…just read the scriptures…but ignore all of the related abominations like tattoos and piercings…since WE can accept those they’re OK.
Christians…find people where they are and love them NOW. walk with them on the path towards knowing and loving God. Remember there is NOTHING that they have to do 1st. Just take their homosexual or aborting hand and tell them, “God loves you and wants to know you. Come and learn who he is”