SEEKING GOD?

WISE MEN STILL SEEK HIM!

     Please join us in this month's Quiet Time, as we round up this year's Quiet Time, by remembering the 

     birth of Jesus Christ, with many of His followers all over the world. 

     But we are not going to simply celebrate Christ's birth as a baby, and then forget all about Him until

     next Christmas. His birth was not an ordinary birth, neither was Christ an ordinary man. 

     Jesus Christ is God. He is God the Son.

     God, His Father, sent Him to Earth as the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world. He came

     and was conceived, and delivered as a baby by a Virgin woman, through the power of the Holy Spirit

     of God, to redeem His lost people from their captivity in sin and death. Adam fell after his 

     creation in God's image after His likeness, and all hmanity fell with him. Genesis 3.

      Christ has become a Saviour to anyone who believes in Him from all nations. When He gave us His life,

     and died our death, He finished the redemption work His Father had sent Him to earth to do, to bring

     lost humanity back to God. So Christ took the repented sinners out of their pit of eternal punishment,

     condmmnation for sin and death, and puts them in His place; to receive His Full and Free Salvation.He 

     Forives, Frees them from sin and death, giving them Full Access to God, and permission, to have God's

     Love, Grace, and Mercy, and to inherits Christ's Everlasting Life.

     Blessed is anyone thus transformed, helped by the Spirit of God, who remains faithful to Christ,

     as favoured by God; who are commitmed to obeying, and serving the Lord Jesus Christ to the end. 

     As having forsaken sin and death, to follow Jesus, their lives are hid with Christ in God.

     Because, when God looks at this recreated in His Spirit persons, He sees Christ's in them.

     God sees Christ's Blood, and Rightousness, covering them like a Cloak; not sin and death.

     As Christ opens His Door of Mercy to the Kingdom of Heaven to them to enter, God Pass Over

     them. Forgiven. He accepts them as His Adopted Children. So Christ is the only Access Door to 

     God. By Him if any one enters in, that person will be saved. Because Christ is the Way, the

     Truth and the Life. No person can come to God except through Him.

     The redeemed person has God's everlasting Inheritance of sonship, to be God's Adopted Child,

     through Christ's death, when He shed His innoceent Blood for him or her at Calvary's Cross.

     This New Creation person, filled with God's Holy Spirit, shares God's rights of sonship, with

     Jesus Christ, and beomes co-heirs with God's only begotten Son, Joint heir with Christ of God's

     Kingdom of Heaven forever.

     So the Blood of Jesus is what humanity require to cleanse us from sin, and its dead sentence,

     as He 'sprinkles our hearts from an evil conscince.' Hebrews 10.22; to purify it, our souls 

     and lives, making us right with God..

      As the Holy Scriptures says,

          'If the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinling the 

           unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh; How much more shall the 

           blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot

           to God, purge your conscience from dead wors to serve the living God.

            Hebrews 9.13-4

           ''The blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel'

           Hebrews 12.24.

           'We have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,

           according to the riches of his grace.

           Ehesians .7.

           'When Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law,

           he took the blood of calves, and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool,

           and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,

            Sayiing, This is the blood of the testament which God has enjoined unto you.

           Moreover he sprinkled...with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vesels of

           the ministry. 

           And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding 

           of blood is no remission.

           It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should

           be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better 

           sacrifices than these.

            For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are

           the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the 

           presence of God for us:

           Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priests entered into

           the holy place every year with blood of others.

            For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but

           now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the 

           sacrifice of himself.

            And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement:

           So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look

           for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

            Hebrews 9.19-28 

     And because Christ has suffered and shed His Blood for our sins, the Just dying for the unjust,

     our will and lives, belong to Christ, Who nailed our sins with Himself unto His Cross. Now, 

     dead with Him, to sins and dead sentence, the live we now live is Christ's and God's, His

     Father and our Father, Who now live in us, as we continue to obey and keep His commandments.

     Our Obedience, and Surrender to God of our lives and will, are a Sign of our love for God. And 

     His Seal of His Testimony, Commandments, now written in our hearts, by Christ, is a Mark of

     God's Ownershiip of us, on our foreheads, minds, so we do not forget we are His Own Children, 

     Citizens of Heaven. And so that we do not forget to obey His Living WORD of God, Christ Himself

     and obey His Holy Scriptures, the Written WORD of God, that Christ will open on Final Judgement.

     We cannot claim to love Christ if we ignore His Commandmnts.

     As Christ says, 'if you love me, keep my comandments.' John 14:15; John 13.34; John 14; 

     He lives in us, by His Holy Spirit, so His image of Righteousness, Holiness, Obedience, Purity, Meekness, Godliness, all His

     Divine Virtues, now inhabit us, and His Everlasting Life, to live forever with Him.

     He has put His Light in us, to Radiate and Shine for Gdd, as the sun, with Him forever. This is

     God's Everlasting Covenant with all people forever, everywhere, who believe in Christ, and Obey

     God His Father, and our Father.

     (JOHN 3:16 ).

      This is why a few chosen, annointed, men and women of God, from different generations, since

     creation, lived for God. Thier spirits and lives were transformed by God, filled with His 

     Spirit, for Divine Services, in all their generations. Christ's Spirit enabled, and empowered

     them to walk with God, such as:

     Abel, E-noch, Me-thu-se-lah, Noah, Abraham Isaac, Israel, and the Old Testament Prophets, Kings, and

     Messengers of God; and the New Testament Apostles of Jesus Christ, God the Son Himself; the Second Adam, 

     Whose Divine Conception, Birth, Nativity and Childhood and Ministry, Life on Earth, we now remember.

     Matthew 1.Luke 1;2;3. And the Generation of Jesus Christ, are recorded in the Holy Bible, Matthew 1;1-25;

     Luke 3;21-38; 1-24.

     The first Adam, son of God (Luke 3:30), was the first created man. HE fell into sin and death with us.

     But Jesus Christ, God's begotten Son, Second Adam, sent to earth from heaven by His Father, lived a

     sinless live on Earth. He conquered the Devil and sin during His Temptation, death and hell at His 

     death, and resurrection from the dead, and set us free.

     Therefore, Christ is the only One Perfect Sacrificial Lamb of God, the great High Priest,

     in heaven, holy, righteous to redeemed all humanity, once and for all from their sins and dead

     sentence. He makes intercession before God for His Children.

     There is No more need for any, or regular sacrifices of unblemished and spotless bulls and goats

     by priests, who spinkled their blood in the tabernacle, to remove the sins of God's people, 

     cover them, to prevent sinners from being destroyed by a holy God, Who cannot look at sin. 

      Ezekiel 18.1-4 KJV.

     God introduced sacrifices to Himslf, to His Children of Israel, to keep them Safe, Alive, Protected.

     This happened in the time of Moses, God's Prophet, Leader, after their miraculous Exodus, Escape from 

     the land of Egypt. God Who Loved them, and still Loves His Children, knew this evil will befall

     them, told His Prophet and Friend, the Father of Faith, Abraham about it; many Centuries before it 

     happened in GENESIS 15.12-14. When God appeared to him in a dream and justified him by faith.

     God promised him a seed, through whom all nations of the earth will be blessed; while making a 

     sacrifice to God, which says,

           "And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon

           Abram; and lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.

           And he said unto Abram, Know for a surety that thy seed 

           shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and 

           shall serve them; and they shall afflict thmm four hundred

           years;

           And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge:

           and afterard shall they come out with great substance.

           And thou shall go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be

           buried in a good old age.

           But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again:

           for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full."

         Genesis 15. 12-14 KJV.

     Knowing that no human could free them from afflictions in the land of Egypt, and no one cared

     for them except their heavenly Father, God Freed them Himself, by His Great Power and Might.

     He led them out by the hand, from Pharaoh, who refused to listen to Moses and Aaron Gods

     Messengers, Exodus 4.21-23

         ' And the LORD said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return to into Egypt; for all

          the men are dead which sought thy life.

          And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he

          returned to the land of Egypt; and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.

          And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see

          that thou do all those wanders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine

          hand; but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.

          And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, 

          Thus saithh the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn;

          And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me; and if thou

          refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.'

  God sent Aaron to represent Him along with his brother Mosees.

  After Moses briefed Aaron on God mission to Pharoah, and they had told the leaders of Israel, and

  the people of God's plans for their freedom after 400 years of bondage in Egypt, they both went to 

  Pharoah. God made Moses a god to Pharoah, and Aaron his prophet. Exodus 7.1.

  Exodus 5.1-2 says,

         'AND afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD

         God of Israel, let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the

         wilderness.

         And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go?

         I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.'

 So, knowing that he would not Listen to Moses, His Messengers, the God of Israel, Visited the whole land

 of Egypt with Diverse Plaques, yet Pharaoh's heart was hardened by the God he did not know.

 God warned Moses and Aaron to tell His Children to prepare to leave Egypt.

 EXODUS 12.21-23.  They were adviced to kill spotless lambs, and to sprinkle teh blood on

 the lintels of their doors, to stay indoors, to be safe when the angel of death passes by at night,

 in the land of Egypt, to slay the firstborn of Egypt. Also to have a feast before leaving Egypt.They

 obeyed. And advised to remember all these deliverances God gave to them.  Exodus 12.

  After the last Plaque on Egypt, that He warned PHaraoh, through Moses and Aaron, would happen, of

 slaying his firstborn, if He refused to free His firstborn son. God gave His People their Freedom. 

 He took them away from Egypt.

 The Wind of God's Holy Spirit, blew all night, over their Greatest Obstacle, the Red Sea. And

 He made a way of Escape on the sea bed, and they crossed the Red Sea on dry ground. Pharoah changed

 his mind, went after them, but the Presence of the Most High God, closed the Red sea on all the Horses,

 their Chariots, and their Riders, who drowned inside the same sea that Freed God's people. Exodus 14.

 GOD saved them with a migty Power. He gave them water from a rock, fed them with Manna from heaven,

 and quails, for 40 years in the wilderness, as they murmured aginst Moses, God lenghthen their journey

 back to the promised land in Canaan; after 400 years of Slavery by wicked rulers of Egypt, who did not

 know Joseph, nor his God. 

 God still loves His People. He wants them to know that Christ's Sacrifice is for them, all people,

 and is final. To prepare for His Return, and the judgement. As all people fell into sin and eternal 

 death with our first father, Adam, but anyone who comes to Christ will receive free Salvation,

 by faith in Him, and be saved. 

     Genesis Chapters 1-10; Matthew 1-25; 2- 1-23; 3;4; John Chapters 1-21; Luke Chapters 1-24;

     Mark Chapters 1; 16; Hebrews 11; 12. (JOHN 3:14-16). Ephesians 5. 

     REVELATION 1;2 3. (ROMANS 8 ). JOHN 19:28-30 says, Isaiah 53; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21.

 So Jesus Christ bought our Salvation, Redemption, Justification, Sanctification, and our Glorification, 

 when we are changed into His Glorios image, at His Return to take us Home, so we can be where He is for

 ever. 2 CORINTHIANS 11:2 NTL sums up Christ's divine enduring love relationship with us His Church,

 '...FOR I PROMISED YOU AS A PURE BRIDE TO ONE HUSBAND, CHRIST.' And our lives on earth should reflect

 this truth at all times.

     Christ was at Creation of man and all other creation, with God His Father. Everything was made by Him

     and for Him, and without Him was nothing made, that is made (GENESIS 1; 2); JOHN 1). 

     Christ lives in His Father, and His Father lives in Him. When we see Him, we see His Father. We will

     be like Him when He comes for us. (COLOSSIANS 2:9-15; JOHN 14:1-31 KJV).

     He Is The Great I AM, and always will be. (EZEKIEL 1:26; 1 TIMOTHY 2:1-7).

     He is not a mystery Legend to be celebrated and remembered once a year. He is God and REAL to all

     His people on Earth, and all His Heavenly Hosts. (PHILIPIANS 2:5-11 KJV).

     He came down to Earth from Heaven. Old Testaments prophets from Moses, Abraham, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeermiah,

     Daniel, King David's amazing Psalms, and his son, King Solomon's amazing Songs of Solomon, were writing

     under the annointing of the Holy Spirit of God, were The Gratest Love Songs about Christ and His

     Church.

     This same Jesus Who grew up among His people, became a man, and carried out the work His Father had sent 

     Him to do on Earth as Son of man, to die as God's Final Lamb of Sacrifice for Humanity's sins, among His own

     chosen children of Israel, will Return Again with all His Mighty Angels, in the same way He went back to 

     Heaven two thousand years ago.

     Concerning Christ Return for His Holy People, and then the Judgement, Paul the Apostle of

     Christ, warned believers in Christ, of the reward of ungodliness and unrighteous living,

     In Romans 1 verses 17 and 18, he says,

           "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: amd 

           it is written; The just shall live by faith.

           For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinss and

           unrighteosness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.

     In Romans 1:19-32, Paul clearly exposed the types of sinful practices that were prevalent in that time,

     and common in recent generations, and warned that God is no respecter of persons. He went on to remind

     believers in Christ of the Judgement Day of Christ. He says,

           "For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ; that everyone

           may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done,

           whether it be good or bad." Romans 2:2 KJV. 

     Jesus also, when teaching His disciples about what will happen when He Returns, shortly before His death

     says in in Matthew 25:30-31 KJV,

           "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him,

           then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered

           all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth

           his sheep from the goats." 

     Christ explained His parable of the tares of the field in Matthew 13, to His disciples who did

     not understand its meaning, as He used it to teach the multitudes who came to Him, later revealed 

     its meaning to His disciples; that it was about the judgement, and the kingdom of heaven, and what His

     faithful righteous people will be like there, in Matthew 13:37-43

     Romans 8.32 KJV says,

         "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elects? It is God that jstifieth.

         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." 

          Romans 8:1-6 KJV. REVELATION Chapters 1-22; MATTHEW 24;25 .

      Christ is real today, as when He was born. His Earthly Kinship, His lineage, and Place of Birth

     and generation are all recorded in the Gospel of MATTHEW 1:1-25.

     Christ's life and Teachings are Divine. As He did everything that His Father told Him to do to the end.

     All His miracles, healing of the sick, raising the dead, calming torbulence of a raging sea, casting out

     devils, binding the broken in heart, Forgiving sins, and setting sin captives free, His Amazing Teachings, 

     were all done by the Power of God His Father, and the Power of the Holy Spirit of God. (MATTHEW 5;6.7).

     His generation is also recorded in LUKE Gospel Chapter 2:23-28 KJV.

     He is a true example of humility and obedience to God His Father. He was Baptised by John the Baptist, 

     afterwards, the Holy Scripture records that He was taken by the Spirit to the wilderness to be tempted by

     the Devil there for fourty days; and He ate nothing throughot this period. Jesus Christ sinned not.

     Luke 3: 21-23.

     (GENESIS 3 KJV; 1 THESALONIANS 4:13-18; JOHN 3:14-17; JOHN 21; Revelation 1:17-18.

     He started His ministry by teaching His people in synagogues in the sorrounding regions in

     Galilee. He was born in Bethlehem in Judea, but He was raised at Nazareth, where He also went to teach

     His people, clearly explaining to them His mission on Earth in their synagogue, by reading the following 

     Scripture fron the book of the prophet E-sai-as, saying,

          "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath annointed me 

          to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the

          brokenhearted, to preach dliverance to the captives, and rcovering

          of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

          To preach the acceptable year of the Lord." (LUKE 4:18 KJV).

     In JOHN 10:9 He says,

         "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and

          shall go in and out, and find pasture." 

     Let us keep feeding from God's Word. It is only Him Who will see all of us and our loved ones through 

     the unpredictable future, from next year and beyond, till Jesus returns for His People.

     Whatever your circumstances, His permanent and lasting Love, Joy, Peace and Forgivenss are forever yours,

     which can never be found anywhere else, and from no one else, outside of God's Holy Presence 

     (PSALMS 46; PSALMS 91).

      HAVE A BLESSED CHRISTMAS AND A JOYFUL VICTORIOUS NEW YEAR ! MARANATHA!

     The selected Books and Gospels detailed below, contain Words from God to us that we have studied 

     this year, and will continue to study next year by God's Grace, about Himself and His people, and 

     the New Testament Sriptures about Jesus Christ. Who He is, and why He came to this world. 

       The Book of Moses - GENESIS CHAPTERS 1 - 50; EXODUS CHAPTERS 1-40;

       MATTHEW CHAPTERS 1 - 27; MARK CHAPTERS 1-16; LUKE CHAPTERS 1-24; JOHN CHAPTERS 1-21. 

       ACTS CHAPTERS 1-28. 

      Please spend some time with us as we round up this years QUIET TIME Studies with some Christmas 

     Messages to bless us, using some lessons from an old publication from UCB, THE WORD FOR TODAY. 

     If you are still seeking Christ this message is for you. Yes, WISE MEN STILL SEEK CHRIST TODAY.

     He is waiting for you, to offer pardon, take your hand in His, and walk with you through this life.

     And after receives you into His glory, into God's holy presence, as He welcomes you into His Kingdom 

     of Heaven !

                CHRISTMAS EVE  DEC.24        SEEKING GOD (1)

         "'NOW when Jesus was born in Bethlehm of Judea in the days of Herod the king,

         behold they 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."'(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 prophesy. 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 NKJV). 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 comfort 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 outcast.

     Meanwhile, leaders who had access to the prophesies 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 NTL). 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?"

         BIBLE IN A YEAR   Gen. 42.43. Matt. 1:12-17. Ps. 117. Pr. 31:18-21

               CHRISTMAS DAY  DEC 25    SEEKING GOD (2)

         "When they had heard the king, they departed; and lo, the star, which they saw in the east,

        went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

        When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

        And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother,

        and fell down and worshipped: and when they had opened their treasures, they preseented

        unto him gifts; gold and frankincence, 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.

         And when they were departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared 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.

        When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:

        And was there until the death of Herod; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of

        the Lord by the prophet saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son."

         (Matthew 2:9-15).

   '"NOTICE TWO more things about the wise men: 1) How God guided them.'...The star which they had seen

   in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was...And when they

   had come into the house, they saw th young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshipped

   Him...'(vv.9-11 NKJV). Never limit God. And don't lock Him into a personal experience you had in the

   past where He guided you in a certain way. If God can move a star, He can rearrange any circmstance in

   your favour. How did the wise men know about the birth of Christ? Maybe because of an alignment of the

   planet, or because they were students of the Old Testament prophesy. We don't know. But one thing is

   certain: they were seeking God- and that's the point at which we must all begin.

   2) How God protected them. Herod wasn't happy about the news these men brought. Indeed, he was 

   downright enraged. Think: if he was willing to kill every Jewish baby boy under the age of two in 

   order to get at Jesus, what were the chances that these men would get out of town alive? Not great-

   until God stepped in!

   Then being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their

   own country another way. (v. 12 NKJV). The devil is real, but you don't have to be afraid, because

   Jesus has already defeated him. The main thing is: when your heart is set on seeking God, He will

   guide you, protect you and reward you.'"

          BIBLE IN A YEAR:   Isa. 7:14 Matt 1:18-25 Mica 5:2 Isa9:6-7

               A SOUL SEARCHING SONG

       1. 'Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing flood?

         Are you washed with the Blood of the Lamb?

         Are your garment spotless, are they white as snow,

         Are you washed with the Blood of the Lamb?

    Chorus - Are you washed, with the Blood?

         With the soul cleansing Blood of the Lamb?

         Are your garments spotless, are they white as snow?

         Are you washed with the Blood of the Lamb?

        2. Lay aside the garment that is stained with sin.

         And be washed with the Blood of the Lamb.

         There's a Fontain flowing for the soul unclean,

         O! be washed with the Blood of the Lamb.