This is written on December
8th of this year (2019): “Join us Friday, Saturday or Sunday
evening, December 13th, 14th and 15th to
launch the Christmas Season! The Musicale draws nearly 3,000 people each year
and is a spectacular celebration of Christmas with music, drama and over 50,000
lights. This year’s production is sure to put you and your family in the
Christmas spirit.”
“A live-stream viewing of the production will be broadcast Saturday,
December 14th.” The live-stream on
December 14, 2019 will begin at 7:00 PM Eastern Standard Time. If you are able please do not miss this as it
will bless your heart.
SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/8/2019
8:00 PM
My Worship Time Focus: PT-2 “Magi
from the East”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Matthew
2:1-2
Message of the verses: “1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the
days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,
2 "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in
the east, and have come to worship Him.’”
We will
quote more from John MacArthur in this SD as he continues to talk about the
magi.
“Because
of their combined knowledge of science, agriculture, mathematics, history, and
the occult, their religious and political influence continued to grow until
they became the most prominent and powerful group of advisors in the
Medo-Persian and subsequently the Babylonian empire. It is not strange, therefore, that they often
were referred to as ‘wise men.’ It may
be that ‘the law of the Medes and Persians’ (see Dan. 6:8, 12, 15; Ester 1:19)
was founded on the teachings of these magi.
Historians tell us that no Persian was ever able to become king without
mastering the scientific and religious disciplines of the magi and then being
approved and crowned by them, and that this group also largely controlled
judicial appointments (cf. Ester 1:13).
Nergal-sar-ezer the Rab-mag, chief of the Babylonian magi, was with Nebuchadnezzar
when he attacked and conquered Judah (Jer. 39:3).
“We learn
from the book of Daniel that the magi were among the highest-ranking officials
in Babylon. Because the Lord gave Daniel
the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream—which none of the other court
seers was able to do—Daniel was appointed as ‘ruler over the whole province of Babylon
and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon’ (Dan. 2:48). Because of his great wisdom and because he
had successfully pleaded for the lives of the wise men who had failed to
interpret the king’s dream (Dan. 2:24), Daniel came to be highly regarded among
the magi. The plot against Daniel that caused
him to be thrown into the lions’ den was fermented by the jealous satraps and
the other commissioners, not the magi (Dan. 6:4-9).
“Because
of Daniels high position and great respect among them, it seems certain that the
magi learned much from that prophet about the one true God, the God of Israel,
and about His will and plans for His people through the coming glorious
King. Because many Jews remained in
Babylon after the Exile and intermarried with the people of the east, it is
likely that Jewish messianic influence remained strong to that region even
until the New Testament.”
Today’s quotation from “Love in Action” is what David
Jeremiah wrote about Isaiah 40:28-31.
“The Lord promised that those who hope in Him shall gain
new strength and be renewed. He may use
a supernatural means to fulfill this promise.
It is possible, though, that He might want to use a human instrument? Might He want to use…you?”
12/8/2019 8:19 PM
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