Join me, if you would, in your
Bibles. We'll be looking at both the handout and in our Bibles.
I want to look at this couple of verses here in Matthew chapter
2. We looked last week at Joseph
considering the leading of the Lord and leading Joseph to marry
his wife, a very difficult thing for any man of that time to marry
a woman, to go ahead and take a woman for marriage who was
already pregnant and you knew she wasn't pregnant by you. We
considered the power of God in leading his people, and that's
exactly what God was doing. He was leading his people. And
tonight we look in Matthew chapter 2, verses 1 and 2. Now, when
Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the day of Herod the
king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem. 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. Now join me, if you would,
in our handout for a moment. Our first consideration of this
text is, once again, the drawing power of the Most High. the Lord
of all creation causing some men, and I want to stop there
for just a second where it says pause here for a moment. We don't
know how many men there were. I was talking to Brother Norm
Wells, as a matter of fact, I was talking to him. And I just blurted
out the three men, the three wise men from the East. And he
goes, we don't know that there were three, John. You error,
because you didn't say that. But I was. I was an error because
I did not know the word. I did not know the scripture
properly. And as I looked at it there,
we see that we do not know how many men there were. For the
word of God does not tell us. Back in our handout, that top
paragraph. Man in his imagination has implemented their understanding
and declared it to be three. But God has not revealed that
number to us through his word, so let us ever keep in mind to
look to his word for our truths without our fleshly knowledge
interfering. And that's not easy to do, folks.
That's not easy to do at all. He caused some men to search
him out to worship him, is what happened here. He caused some
men to seek him out and worship him. What a blessed thing to
ponder is I am not of the Jewish blood. Therefore, being a Gentile,
as these men were from the east of Jerusalem, where Gentiles,
there is hope for us Gentiles as well. Hope for a savior, hope
for a king, A king who is truth, as we read in John 14, Jesus
saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man
cometh unto the Father but by me. We know that the word of
God is the Lord Jesus Christ himself, as it says in John 1.
He chose some men from the east who were not of the Jewish blood
and who were magos. That's the word wise. That's
the word that's used there for wise, been translated for wise. And I'm not quite sure why, because
magos doesn't mean wise at all. The word here in our text is
translated wise, but it's only translated wise here in Matthew,
where it is used three times referring to these men from the
east. In the book of the Acts of the
Apostles, this word magos is used twice describing one man
and not in a very good way. Look over at Acts chapter 13
with me if you would real quick. Turn over to Acts chapter 13.
Let's see how this word is used. I want you to read it for yourself. Acts chapter 13. and we'll read
5 through 10 and see where this word is used here. In verse 5
of Acts 13, we read, And when they saw Solomus, they preached
the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews, and they had also
John their minister. And when they had gone through
the isles of Pappos, they found a certain sorcerer, That's magos,
it comes from the word, it's derived from the word magis,
m-a-g-i-s, m-a-g-i-s, but in this particular case it's magos.
Sorcerer, a false prophet. A Jew whose name was Bargesis,
which was the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man
who called for Barnabas and Saul, had desired to hear the word
of God. But Eleamus, the sorcerer, and there we go, we see that
word again, magos, for so is his name, by interpretation,
withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. Then Saul, who is called Paul,
filled with the Holy Ghost, set eyes on him and said, O full
of all subtlety and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou
enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the
right ways of the Lord? So we see this word magos is
used as wise men over in Matthew, but it's definitely not wise
men according to what we read here in the book of Acts. Folks,
there's one thing we know for sure from this. Wherefore, as
by one man sinned and entered into the world, death by sin,
and so death passed upon all men, for all have sinned. That's what we read in Romans
5.12. That applies to this very thing. These men who came from
the east of Jordan to Jerusalem, they came as sinner. Wherefore, as by one
man sinnered into the world, and death by sin, and so death
passed upon all men, for all have sinned. So they came as
sinners. Or as we read it in Romans 3.23, for all have sinned
and come short of the glory of God. These men from the east
were sinners who were brought by the irresistible grace to
seek and find the one true God, Jesus Christ. Page 2. Now the
Lord's Word tells us this in Romans chapter 9, verse 15, For
he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy,
and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth,
but of God that showeth mercy." That's on the top of page two
of your handout. This time we are looking at was,
as some commentators have said, about two years after the birth
of Christ in that manger, in Bethlehem. And in that time,
God has only given us two times where others have come seeking
the Lord. And I want you to look at that
with me over in the book of Luke. So turn over to Luke chapter
2, and let's see the other two points, the other two points
of time where the Lord gives us someone who is coming and
seeking the Lord Jesus Christ. In Luke chapter 2, beginning
at verse 8, We read these words, 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. I wonder how many shepherds were
out and about in the fields around the earth at that time. But yet
there is one here, there were some who were in the same country,
abiding in the field, and the angel of the Lord came upon them. Not everyone, but upon them.
And the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were
sore afraid. And the angel said unto them,
Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy,
which shall be to all people. Here we see the word of God being
applied to the hearts of men, telling them to be not afraid.
There's tidings of great joy. This is the gospel. For unto
you is born this day in the city of David, verse 11, a Savior,
which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto
you, ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in
a manger. And suddenly there was with the
angel a multitude of heavenly hosts, praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill
toward men. Verse 15, and it came to pass
as the angels were gone away from them into heaven that the
shepherds said unto one another, let us now go even unto Bethlehem
and see this thing which has come to pass, which the Lord
hath made known unto us. And they came with haste and
found Mary and Joseph. and the babe lying in the manger.
And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying
which was told them concerning this child. And all they that
heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds."
What drew these men unto him? We can say the same thing about
Joseph that we looked at last week. What drew Joseph to take
Mary as his wife? God. He's the one who makes us
to differ. not just once, not just when
he comes to save us, but every time. God leading his people
in the paths that he has purposed us to be on, that's what makes
us to differ. That's what made these shepherds
to leave their fields, to leave their sheep, and go into the
city and seek this one called Jesus. What drew these men unto
Him? God Almighty Himself. Under the
irresistible drawing power of God, these men believed what
the angel of God had preached to them, the gospel, the good
news of Christ the Savior. They believed and went searching.
That's what these men of the East were doing. They
were coming from the East. They weren't even coming from
the house of God. They were coming from outside the house of God,
the Gentiles. Let's look at this next one that
shows us that came seeking the Lord. Let's continue on, same
chapter of Luke chapter 2, verse 19. 21 And when eight days were accomplished
for the circumcision of the child, his name was called Jesus, which
was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
22 And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses
were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem to present him
to the Lord. As it is written in the law of
the Lord, every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy
to the Lord, and to offer, verse 24, and to offer a sacrifice
according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, a pair
of turtledoves or two young pigeons. And behold, there was a man in
Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, And the same man was just and
devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Ghost
was upon him. And it was revealed unto him
by the Holy Ghost that he should not see death before he had seen
the Lord's Christ. And he came by the Spirit into
the temple, and when the parents brought the child Jesus to do
for him after the custom of the law, then took he, Simeon, Him,
Christ, 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 hast prepared before
the face of all the people. going on and a light to lighten
the Gentiles and a glory of thy people Israel and Joseph and
his mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him
and Simeon blessed them and said unto Mary his mother behold this
child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel
and for a sign we shall be spoken against Yea, a sword shall pierce
through thine own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts
may be revealed. And there was one Anna, a prophetess,
the daughter of of the tribe of Azur. She was
of a great age and had lived with a husband seven years from
her virginity. And she was a widow of about
four score and four years, which departed not from the temple,
but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And
she coming in the instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord
and spoke of him to all them that looked for redemption in
Jerusalem. So we see here two other times
where somebody had come looking for the Lord Jesus. Isn't that
strange? Back in your handout, mid page. What we're talking
about here is irresistible grace. This is the irresistible grace,
gracious work of God. Only with a new heart, a new
spirit will one seek to worship God in truth. And folks, we must
worship Him in spirit and in truth. That's what we read. John
4, 23 through 24, but the hour cometh and now is when the true
worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth,
for the Father seeketh such to worship Him, God a spirit, and
they that worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." For nearly
two whole years, we're not told of anyone else
taking notice of the fact that God had come into the world in
human flesh. Could it be no one in Jerusalem?
For Bethlehem, for all of Judea believed the messages that Simeon
and Anna had declared? The messages that the shepherds had declared? Could
it be there was no one else? Joseph and Mary that they declared,
or the word of Joseph and Mary concerning the Christ of God.
And yet, here come men from the East, Gentiles from the Orient. The word wise means Magian, that
is, Oriental scientist, by implication, a magician, a sorcerer. The history
of these wise men and their visit to our Savior, like everything
else in Holy Scripture, is recorded for our learning and for our
comfort, for hope as we seek to glorify our God in this world. Page 3. In Romans 15.4, for whatsoever
things were written aforetime were written for our learning,
that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might
have hope. I'll tell you folks, this story
of these men who came from the East, this gives great hope to
me. I'm not of the blood of the Jews. I'm a Gentile. What hope this
gives for the men and women of the world who are not of Israel. physical Israel. We could still
be part of spiritual Israel. These men were chosen of all
that lived in the east of Israel. These came to worship him. Out
of all that live in North Highlands, California, John and Kathy were
called with irresistible grace to come and worship the true
and living God. Out of all the folks that live
in certain areas of the country, A few have been called to worship
the true and living God. Many spend lip service to a God
of their own imagination, but few are called from that darkness,
from that darkness that we all love so much. Few are called
to worship him. Isn't that what we read in Mark
7, 6? He answered and said unto them, well hath Isaiah prophesied
of you hypocrites, as it is written, this people honoreth me with
their lips, but their heart is far from me. In Matthew 7, verses
13 through 14, enter ye into the straight gate, it says. For
wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction.
And many there be that go in thereat, because straight is
the gate and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and
few there be that find it." Folks, I tell you, salvation is of the
Lord. True worship is of the Lord. These men came to worship
in spirit and in truth. God must overrule the old heart
of men. He must circumcise, remove the
stony heart, We all come into this world with, he must give
life where there is nothing but death. We must be born again,
as it says in the book of John. And that's the works of the spirit
of God. The irresistible grace of God,
the irresistible drawing power of God, drawing his people unto
him, not fighting and kicking, but making us willing in the
day of his power, in the day of his love. Listen to the words
of 2 Corinthians 4, 6, for God who commanded the light to shine
out of darkness hath shined in our hearts. Now, does it say
anywhere there where he's waiting for you to give him permission?
Does it say anything there that he's waiting for you to make
a decision or do anything else according to your will? No, it
says God commanded. Folks, when God commands, and
everything He says is a command. He provides all that He commands
to you and I, those that He's loved from before the world was,
but it still comes as a command. He commands the light to shine
out of darkness, and He shines it in our hearts to give the
light of the knowledge of glory of God in the face of His Son,
the Lord Jesus. We also see in this record of
Christ's birth, our Savior has many hidden ones. as spoken of
in Psalms 83.3. He's got many hidden ones in
the earth. We sometimes foolishly imagine that we know all that
God is doing in the world around us and that we either know of
or know about all of his people in the world, but nothing could
be more absurd or further from the truth. It's easy for us to
sit here in this little place and rescue and think to ourselves,
God must not have anybody else. I don't know of any other churches
who preach the truth in Sacramento and I don't, but that doesn't
mean they're not there. Just because I don't know, just
because John doesn't know, doesn't mean that the Lord doesn't have
people out there. I didn't know that those folks
over in the Philippines loved the Lord as much as they do until
one day they reached out to me. I don't even know how they found
out about me to be honest. I think they heard of Rescue
through Rick Warder because he also talks with Rick Warder,
so it might be through him. We just don't know. We just don't
know and don't ever try to sit there and think you do either.
Page four. Sinners like these wise men are
sometimes born of God in dark places. In the dark places of
the earth and made wise unto salvation. You know, there's
a movement, I want to stop there for just a moment again, because
there's a movement, I was going to tell you about this. There's a pretty good sized
movement moving around in Africa right now. There are men from
the states being called to preach in Africa right now by different
people from different tribes, different tongues, different
nations. Gabe Stonerker has three different
nations on the continent of Africa who have started calling upon
him to lead them and to teach them and to preach for them.
That's amazing. We don't have that much stuff
going on here in California that we know about. Doesn't mean it's
not. It just means we haven't heard about it. Dark places. Who would have ever thought that
the paganism of Africa is being turned, but God can do such things? He has hidden folks, hidden ones,
in many dark places, and he's made them wise unto salvation.
They are the lords. They know Christ, and Christ
knows them, and nothing else matters. Nothing else matters
about them, where they're from or what. Let us never imagine
that God has left himself without a witness somewhere. In Romans
11, verses 1 through 5, we read these words, I say then, hath
God cast away his people? God forbid, aren't you thankful
he hasn't cast away all the people of rescue, all the people of
Sacramento, all of those who are in the earshot of the preaching
of the gospel in San Diego, in Marysville, the Dalles, Oregon?
I say then, hath God cast away his people? God forbid. Paul
goes, for I also am an Israelite of the seed of Abraham. of the
tribe of Benjamin, God hath not cast away his people, which he
foreknew? What ye not that the scripture
saith of Elias, how he maketh intercession to God against Israel,
saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and dig down thine
altars, and I am left alone, and they seek my life? But what
saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself. 7,000 men who have not bowed the knee
to the image of Baal. Even so, then, at this present
time also, there is a remnant according to the election of
grace. We must never attempt to measure
the length and the breadth of God's kingdom by our own yardstick. We must never imagine that God
is not working because we do not see Him work. Or that our
labor is in vain because we do not see its fruit. How many of
you recall the story of Ron Halsey and how he passes out our CDs
that we send him? A woman who picked one up one
day, came back the next week and picked another one up, and
she went through an entire series of messages that I'd given entitled,
The Characteristics of God's Grace. One was not recorded at
that time. Recording had a problem, had
an error in the recording, so we had number eight was missing.
And she called me up, she goes, I've worn out all of the other
CDs. Now, I don't know what happened
to her, but you talk about God's hidden people. This woman just
came out of nowhere. She wasn't attending any gospel
church that I knew about. She was a traveler. She had picked
up one of his CDs, God's CDs, and started listening, and just
loved him so much, she wore them out. She called me up, she goes,
where's number eight? She goes, where's number eight? I said,
well, we don't have it. I should have gone back and recorded
one for her, but I didn't. We never know how God's word
is going to go out into this world. We must never attempt
to measure the length of the breadth of God's kingdom by our
own yardstick, and we must never imagine that God is not working
because we do not see his work. Listen to 1 Corinthians 15, 58. Therefore, my beloved brethren,
be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the
Lord. For as much as ye know that your
labor is not in vain in the Lord. It says in Isaiah 55, 11, so
shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth, it shall not
return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please,
and it shall prosper in the thing whereunto I send it. We can also
see from this passage that as the scriptures constantly teach
that the least likely are often the most likely objects of God's
saving grace. These men were magos from the
east of Jerusalem, pagan astrologers, soothsayers, sorcerers, magicians,
wizards, fortune tellers. I'll tell you what the authority
John Reeves would have been seen as the most unlikely to believe
God. I don't even know if I could
express. Captain's over here, she's shaking
her head. Yep, she remembers. She remembers what it was like
when the Lord first called me and not her. She couldn't believe
it. She thought I was brainwashed. My mom, who knew the Lord, she
couldn't believe it either. It just blessed her heart to
no end that her son John, who she thought would never come
to the Lord, Well, if the Lord had left me to myself, she's
right, I would have never come to the Lord. These men would
have never come seeking the Lord if the Lord hadn't expressed
his irresistible grace upon hearts. Ephesians 2 verses 1 through
3. We read, well, let me start again up there at the top of
page five. But God, who is rich in mercy, chooses the most unlikely,
the adulterers, the fornicators, the murderers, the sinners, to
be merciful to. He didn't come to save the righteous,
those who need no physician. Ephesians 2 verses 1-3 And you
who were dead in trespasses and sins, wherein times past ye walked
according to the course of this world, according to the prince
of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the
children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation
in times past in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires
of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children
of wrath, even as others." Every child of the true and living
God sees themselves in those words and says, that's true. That was true of me. We're not told who these men
were. middle of page five, we're not told who these men were or
where they lived or how they learned of Christ, only that
they were from the East. Perhaps they had learned to expect
Christ from the 10 tribes who were once carried away into captivity,
or maybe some prophet had passed through their land expounding
from the words of Isaiah or Daniel or David maybe. We simply do
not know, but as Matthew Poole wrote, These were the first fruits
of the Gentiles owning Christ as King of the Jews, whilst he
came among his own and they received him not. Matthew Poole also writes,
nor do I know anything more worthy of our observation concerning
them. God often passes by those who
have the greatest privileges and opportunities and saves them
who seem to be on the reach of mercy. Luke 4 verse 25 to 27 we read,
and he said, Verily I say unto you, no prophet is accepted in
his own country, but I tell you of a truth Many, many widows
were in Israel in the day of Elias. When the heaven was shut
up for three years and six months, when great famine was throughout
all the land, but unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto
Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And
many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elijah the prophet,
and none of them were cleansed, saving Nahum the Syrian. We would have thought the scribes
and the Pharisees, those men who were so learned in the facts
of scripture and religion, would have been the first to go down
to Bethlehem as soon as the Savior's birth was rumored, but it was
not. In John 111, we read these words,
he came unto his own, and his own received him not. It's a
sad fact, folks, but fact that is often confirmed by experience,
that the hardest people on earth to reach with the gospel are
gospel-hardened rebels. Listen to 2 Corinthians 2, verses
14 through 16. Now thanks be unto God, which
always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest
the Savior of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are
unto God a sweet saver of Christ in them that are saved and in
them that perish. To one we are a saver of death
unto death, and to the other the saver of life unto life.
And who is sufficient for these things? Those who neglect the
privileges and the opportunities that are set before them to hear
the gospel and learn of God, they court reprobation and judgment. Look with me, if you would, at
Proverbs 1. Turn over to Proverbs 1. Beginning
at verse 23 of Proverbs 1, we read these words. Turn you at
my reproof. Behold, I will pour out my Spirit
unto you. I will make known my words unto
you. Because I have called, and ye refused, I have stretched
out my hand, and no man regarded. But ye have said it not, all
my counsel, and would none of my reproof. I also will laugh
at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh. When your
fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a
whirlwind. When distress and anguish cometh
upon you, then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer. They shall seek me early, but
they shall not find me. For they that hated knowledge
and did not choose the fear of the Lord, they would not of my
counsel, they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they
eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their
own devices. For the turning away of the simple
shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them,
but whosoever but whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely and
shall be quiet from the fear of the Lord." Folks, irresistible,
drawing grace. Oh how thankful we can be that
God draws us because He has loved us before the world was made. Back in your handout, mid-page
of page 6, God graciously saves those who are thought of by men
to be the least likely candidates for mercy. Look at 1 Samuel chapter
16. 1 Samuel chapter 16, we read verses 1 through 12. And the Lord said unto Samuel,
how long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected
him from reigning over Israel? Fill thine horn with oil, and
go. I will send thee to Jephi the
Bethlehemite, for I have provided me a king among his sons. Saul was a good-looking man. He was a fair man. He was a strong
king, a strong one to be a king, yet he's telling Samuel here,
how long are you going to mourn for him? I've chosen somebody
else. I've chosen this little guy over here, Jesse, the Bethlehemite,
for I have provided me a king among his sons. And Samuel said,
how can I go? If Saul hear it, he will kill
me. And the Lord said, take and heifer with thee, and say, I
am come to sacrifice to the Lord. And call Jesse to the sacrifice,
and I will show thee what thou shalt do. And thou shalt anoint
unto me him whom I name unto thee. And Samuel did that which
the Lord spake, and came unto Bethlehem. And the elders of
the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?
And he said, Peaceably I am come to sacrifice unto the Lord. sanctify
yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified
Jesse and his sons and called them to the sacrifice. And it
came to pass, verse 6, when they were calm that he looked unto
Eliab and said, surely the Lord anointed the Lord's anointed
is before him. But the Lord said unto Samuel,
Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature,
because I have refused him. For the Lord seeth not as a man
seeth. For man looketh upon the outward
appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. Then Jesse called
Abednadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither
hath the Lord chosen this, Then Jesse made Shammah pass by, and
he said, neither hath the Lord chosen this. Again, Jesse made
seven of his sons to pass before Samuel, and Samuel said unto
Jesse, the Lord hath not chosen these. Samuel said unto Jesse,
are here all thy children? And he said, there remaineth
yet the youngest, and behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel
said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him, for we will not sit down
till he come hither. And he sent and brought him.
Now he was ruddy and with all of a beautiful countenance and
goodly to look to. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint
him. For this is He." So we see the
Lord chooses the most unlikely people to save and to use as
His prophets, as His tools, as His ministers. Folks, I can't
express to you in stronger words of how unlikely that I would
have thought the Lord would have used me just to minister His
Word. It still boggles my mind. I still
repeat what Paul says. Who is sufficient for such things? How can I be sufficient for such
things? Look over at 1 Corinthians chapter
1. Let's look over there and see how the Lord chooses the
most unlikely to be saved. 1 Corinthians chapter 1. In 1
Corinthians chapter 1, we read in verse 26, for you see your
calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh,
not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God hath chosen
the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God
hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things
which are mighty. Wow. That just hit me like I'd
never read that before. I've read it hundreds of times. He's chosen the weak things of
the world to confound the things which are mighty. You know, just in what I know,
of the sovereign grace churches around the country and around
the world, which is very, very few. And I know there's more
than just the ones I know, but they don't compare anything compared
to the religions of the world. The religions of the world are,
I mean, if you put them all together in one basket of works, religion,
which you can, they outnumber Everything. There's more religious
people in this world than there is of anything else at all. Everything
else combined. He has chosen the weak things,
the small churches that he has throughout the world, to confound
the things which are mighty. Verse 28, and the basings of
the world and things which are despised hath God chosen, yea,
and things which are not. to bring to naught things that
are, that no flesh should glory in His presence, that no flesh should glory in
His presence. But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who God has
made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.
I thought about that verse as I was reading that verse there
in Matthew of the wise men. As children of God, they were
wisest among the world, weren't they? I know that word, I pointed
out how that word isn't referred to anywhere else other than here
as wise or wisdom, and the words that are used in Scripture for
those meanings are completely different. But if you stop and
think about the wisdom that you and I have, look at how we look
at the world so differently now than what we did before we knew
the Lord. When we were counting on things
like luck and stuff like that, mother nature, lady luck, all
those kinds of things, now we know who controls everything.
Look at the way we see the world now compared to what we used
to. That's what makes us wise. It's not our wisdom. It's Him. It's knowing who He
is. It's being given that revelation
of who God is, what He's done for us, where He is right now. That's our wisdom. Not us. I'm not smarter than I was before.
Other than the fact that I know who rules all things now, and
I didn't know him before. Other than that, I'm the same
John Reeves. These men from the East, their
only wisdom was the wisdom of God drawing them in to come and
worship Him. He passed by self-righteous Pharisees
and self-complacent scribes and saved some pagan magicians from
the far eastern land. That's exactly what he did to
John Reeves and to all of his people. He passes by others because
he's loved us from before the world was. I just couldn't help
but put this in here. I had to close with these verses.
What shall we then say to these things? If God before us, who
can be against us? You got problems going on in
the world around you? In the flesh that you walk in?
If God before us, who or what can be against us? 832, he that spared not his own
son. Folks, God shed his blood for us. How shall He not give
us all things? He spared not His own Son, but
delivered Him up for us all. How shall He not with Him also
freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies. Who
is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea,
rather, that is risen again. Who is even at the right hand
of God who also maketh intercession for us? Who shall separate us
from the love of Christ? I'm thankful. I'm thankful, so
thankful that God's grace in drawing me to Him was irresistible
because if it was resistible at all, I would have resisted
it.