You Are the Modern Day Wise Men & Women of Our Time
I was watching something on Sunday, and I heard the Lord say, ''you and those you minister to are the modern-day Wise Men & Women of today and I want you to tell them. Of course, I immediately fell to tears for two reasons. The first of course is that hearing my Father's voice impacts me greatly each time and second because I understood it immediately and it really blessed me. We are the Magi and/or depending on what Bible version you read, the kings spoken of in the book of Matthew chapter 2 of today. It is quite interesting that this story is only told in the book of Matthew, but I believe it is an important story even for us today.
When I read the stories in the word of God, I always try to see myself in that story. Several months back I did a blog/article on seeing myself as the woman with the issue of blood and really pressing through. I can even see myself as Deborah, a great woman of God used as a Judge of Israel. I can see myself as a modern-day Esther willing to do whatever is necessary to save those I love. I literally step into the pages of the Bible trying to comprehend how Noah patiently built that Ark for over 100 years. He'd never seen rain. All he had was a word from God and the instructions of how to build it.
And then there are people I wouldn't want to be at all. One would be Jonah who although used as a prophet had a darkened heart and ended up no longer used because he did not understand that God warns because He loves and didn't want to destroy Nineveh or its people. Another one I would not want to be like was Korah who turned people against Moses and ended up having the ground open up under him and those with him and they were all swallowed up. And let's not forget Haman who built the gallows in front of his house so that he and his sons could watch Mordecai the Jew hang and yet at the last-minute God turned it all around and Haman and his sons hung on the very gallows he built.
Proverbs 16:18
Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.
However, I had never seen myself as a Wise Man/Woman until the Lord said this to me but once I did, I also saw it in all of you. Just like me all of you are awake. All of us are doing what the Wise Men did. We are the ones listening to the prophetic voices of our day. In Matthew 2:5 it actually says, for thus it is written by the prophet when speaking of the wise men. The very reason they were looking for the newborn King was because they'd read it. We too are watching for the signs that God has given us. In those days the wise men were looking for that sign which was that Star that would lead them right to the manger. In our day God has given us many more prophetic voices to speak to us which is completely understandable when you realize that today we have over 8 billion people on this earth. You and I are looking for things to happen in the earth, the sky, and even in our oceans. Of course, none of us realized that we would be doing this for so long but I'm guessing the Wise Men didn't realize it would take them so long to first of all find the Star in the Heaven's but then also to follow it until they came to the manger that wonderful day. Let's read the story...
Matthew 2:1-6
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His Star in the East and have come to worship Him.”
3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:
6 ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”
This tells us that they must have told Herod because in verse 8 he tries to deceive them into thinking He too will worship the newborn King if they come back and tell him where He is.
Matthew 2:8
And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”
They continued to follow that Star and I noticed something people often miss in the Lord. Not only were they aware of what God was going to do before He even did it. Not only were they being obedient to follow the Star to see the birthing of God's new plan for the world, but they did one other thing that many today are still not doing, and I am encouraging you NOW to do it. Get ready. Be excited. Take the time to fathom and comprehend that you, beloved, were born for such a time as this. You weren't born 500 years ago or even 1000 years ago. You may not have been there when the Ark was finished being built or walked on dry ground through the Red Sea, but you and I are here NOW, and we are witnesses to ANOTHER total transformation of our world.
A day like Noah being used as an Evangelist trying to turn the hearts of people toward the God that wanted to save them and used as a Prophet to warn them over and over that God wanted them to know, 'something called rain was coming' and would completely flood the earth. Sadly, all but 8 of humanity had to be wiped out because they were too wicked and would not listen for 100 years to what Noah was sharing with them. A transformative time like when the Word became flesh and dwelt among us for 33 1/2 years living a sinless life so that rather than having to kill lambs and bulls for their sins one spotless lamb would take the sins of all the world (for those who accept Jesus). A transformative time when after Jesus ascended the Holy Spirit would come to the people (those who believed and waited) in that Upper Room and changed them and the world forever with God's gift of being Spirit filled and never again having to live without Him on this earth.
There have been transformative times even outside the Bible. I would say that Hitlers rise and trying to wipe out the Jews yet finally being stopped transformed and changed everything just as other wars did as well. What about Abraham Lincoln's fight to free the slaves? Wouldn't that have been a transformative time in at least our Nation's History? I'm sure there must be many, but God has always done something BIG to show us how Big He is and that nothing is impossible for Him. Like a true Father, He wants us to realize that although things take time, He is ever working on our behalf and always intends to save us.
What was that thing that I mentioned above in this story that I feel people often miss in the Lord?
Matthew 2:10
When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.
This dear ones is what we miss. This is the answer. This is how you walk in faith. They saw the Star (sign) again and they knew that God was still leading them. They rejoiced. They were excited. They celebrated. They weren't just laying off in a bed of tears with their heads under a pillow thinking it's over. No. They rejoiced exceedingly and this is how you will get your healing. This is how we can call our kids home or even for some, spouses back home. This is how we get out of debt. This is how we receive all that the Lord has for us. We must believe it. We must receive it. We must thank the Lord in advance for everything He is doing and everything He keeps telling us He desires to do for us and give to us, and we must learn to CELEBRATE AND REJOICE EXCEEDINGLY now. Don't wait until after it happens but celebrate even before it happens. We've been through a lot in the last few years but one thing I can say is we do celebrate in our home about what God is doing. In fact, when I even see something negative in the news I don't worry AT ALL. I know our world is in God's hands and I often find myself laughing. I get excited about it because God has shown me time and time again that everything the evil ones are doing just falls apart. Do they do evil things? Yes, they do but Roman's 8:28 says He works ALL THINGS together for the good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. So, we must choose to believe Him and His word.
Matthew 2:11 a
And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him.
You see. It was not until after they read the words of the prophet, saw the sign in the sky, followed that leading of the Lord all the way to the manger and then rejoiced along the way that they finally saw that prophecy be fulfilled. There are steps that God gives us, but we must follow what He has shown us.
Another interesting thing at least to me is that although the movies and the kids cartoons always show 3 kings, 3 Magi or 3 Wise Men, I myself don't see that specifically at least in the versions I would use to study but there were 3 gifts.
Matthew 2:11 b
And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
There were 3 different gifts. Yes, but I think we are just guessing if we say there were only 3 Wise Men, Magi or kings. The gifts themselves even though Jesus was so young had everything to do with not only his birth but also a foreshadowing of His death. He was to be seen as a King and therefore what would a King wear? A gold crown and maybe even a golden scepter. The gold as a gift proved His deity, but the frankincense and myrrh were used in burial. The Wise Men were wiser than we thought. They were there knowing that this child would one day willingly lay His life down for all of mankind. 😢
The Wise Men were warned in a dream not to return to King Herod and let him know where Jesus was born, so they returned to their land. Then Joseph has a warning dream as well...
Matthew 2:13-15
13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”
14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”
Now let's get back to why it may have taken them at least 2 years to follow that Star. God is not a drive-thru God. He doesn't do things in a microwave. He heals us, delivers us, saves us and helps us to grow slowly. Yes, there are miracles but to really grow takes time. Oh, how I wish I'd have had the wisdom I have today at 60 back when I was 20, right? Then in the next verses we see Herod doing something done in Moses' time as well.
Matthew 2:16
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.
So, because of the timing that the Wise Men gave Herod from when they first saw the Star had to have been about 2 years or why would Herod have had all the male children from 2 and under killed? Why not 1 year and under? Why not 3 years and under? Why not 6 months and under? Well obviously, because he was an evil king but also because like Pharoah trying to kill Moses or abortion of today the devil is always trying to kill the next Deliverer. Thankfully in our day we have been awakened to the fact that God uses man to bring forth His plans even sometimes when people don't understand or like the man He chooses to use. Men stood against Moses but that doesn't mean Moses wasn't God's man. Men came against Jesus and yet God's plans still came to pass. In fact, man walked right into every single plan that God set. He knows the end from the beginning, and He does still to this day.
In Luke chapter 2 Angels appear to the shepherds in the field and tell them about the birth of the newborn King. This too is wonderful and glorious, but to me the Wise Men had a calling. God gave them something to follow. Something to watch for and draw them towards Him. God wanted them there as witnesses all the way from a faraway land. God had them bring gifts or offerings such a long distance to provide for Joseph, Mary and Jesus. When I think about the Wise Men, I see several things. Commitment, faith, callings and gifts. You beloved have been committed to see this through with the Lord. You have grown so much in your faith seeing the prophecies being fulfilled right before your eyes and you must see yourself as called by God to use the giftings that He has given you to touch the lives of people near and far. God wants us to have eyes to see what He is doing today. He wants us to know what He is doing. He is excited that we are paying attention and that we hear Him. He is calling us to pray, decree, bind, lose and most of all BELIEVE. Put all of your faith and trust in Him. No matter what happens you must believe that your faith will be rewarded greatly.
And I will close by saying you and I are the witnesses to God's newest transformation of our world. We will live on the other side of it all like Noah and we will see the walls of Jericho fall just as Joshua did when he was finally able to lead the people into the promised land. We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation and His own special people as 1 Peter 2:9 tells us, and one final scripture which is my favorite and I speak over and over and over daily to remind myself that if I want to live in the blessings of God, I must take the time to speak it and I must truly BELIEVE.
Luke 1:45
Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”
Sheryl
America-Reimagined-Sheryl@proton.me
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