1
00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:23,000
Isaiah 96 says, For unto us a 
child shall be born, to us a son

2
00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:25,000
shall be given. 
I'm reading out the amplified 

3
00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:28,480
and we, you know, we say this 
often here, a child is born, but

4
00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:30,960
a son is given. 
Notice a son is not born because

5
00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:36,480
the son always existed, because 
the son is God himself, the Son 

6
00:00:36,480 --> 00:00:39,360
of God. 
So a child is born, a son is 

7
00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:43,080
given, and the government shall 
rest on his upon his shoulders. 

8
00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:47,160
And so Jesus Christ did not come
to bring a religion called 

9
00:00:47,160 --> 00:00:52,600
Christianity, but came to bring 
the Kingdom back so that we 

10
00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:57,160
could function in that Kingdom. 
Hallelujah, it is a government. 

11
00:00:57,520 --> 00:00:59,520
Thank you Jesus, it's not a 
religion. 

12
00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:02,920
And so the government shall rest
upon his shoulders. 

13
00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:05,600
The shoulders are located in the
body. 

14
00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:11,280
Jesus is the head of the church,
so his government is expressed 

15
00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:13,920
through his body, which is the 
church. 

16
00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:16,880
Glory to God. 
So we are the government of God,

17
00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:20,480
Amen, because we are in a 
government and the government 

18
00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:22,800
shall be upon his shoulders and 
his name shall be called 

19
00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:26,240
wonderful counselor, mighty God,
the everlasting Father, Prince 

20
00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:28,760
of Peace. 
Verse 7 says, and they'll be 

21
00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:34,680
shall be no end to the increase 
of his government. 

22
00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:38,400
His government's growing. 
I said it's growing. 

23
00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:42,080
There are more citizens being 
added to his government. 

24
00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:45,600
Hallelujah. 
Aren't you glad you are a 

25
00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:49,320
citizen of his government called
the Kingdom of God? 

26
00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:52,640
So there'll be no end to the 
increase of His government or of

27
00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:55,560
peace. 
He shall rule on the throne of 

28
00:01:55,560 --> 00:02:00,360
David and over His what Kingdom?
To establish it, to uphold it 

29
00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:05,320
with justice and righteousness 
from that time forward and 

30
00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:07,600
forevermore. 
The zeal of the Lord of hosts 

31
00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:11,720
will accomplishes. 
This is something that he will 

32
00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:14,800
accomplish. 
It will come to pass. 

33
00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:18,640
Say it to come to pass. 
Say it will come to pass and you

34
00:02:18,640 --> 00:02:22,760
want to be in the Kingdom. 
You want to know that your first

35
00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:27,720
citizenship rights or that of 
the Kingdom of heaven or really 

36
00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:31,560
the Kingdom of God, that 
citizenship is way more 

37
00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:35,720
important than the natural born 
citizenship of the passport you 

38
00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:37,920
hold today. 
Amen. 

39
00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:42,000
And so when you were born from 
above or born again, you became 

40
00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:45,360
a dual citizen. 
If you weren't one before, if 

41
00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:49,280
you were a dual citizen, you 
received a third one or fourth, 

42
00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:52,520
whatever it may be. 
And but that citizenship is 

43
00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:57,080
premier. 
It is the one that we are to 

44
00:02:57,080 --> 00:02:59,600
acknowledge first. 
All right. 

45
00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:07,560
And so this child was bringing a
government, a government that 

46
00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:13,680
had global implications of 
global proportions. 

47
00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:19,800
This child, you know, if we 
don't watch out, we see this 

48
00:03:19,800 --> 00:03:23,440
child in a Manger. 
And it's been, you know, so 

49
00:03:23,640 --> 00:03:28,600
marketed and commercialized in 
the United States, so much so 

50
00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:34,200
that the very nativity is not 
even biblically accurate, right?

51
00:03:34,640 --> 00:03:37,400
It just is easier to package it 
that way. 

52
00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:41,640
But yet because people aren't in
the word, they assume that on 

53
00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:45,600
the day Jesus was born, not only
was Joseph and Mary there with 

54
00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:49,560
some shepherds, but the three 
wise men showed up as well. 

55
00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:53,400
And we know when we read 
Scripture, three wise men were 

56
00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:57,760
not there the day he was born. 
That is not biblically accurate.

57
00:03:57,920 --> 00:04:01,480
All right? 
And So what we do is we kind of 

58
00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:07,120
have commercialized, we've we've
consolidated and we do not grasp

59
00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:10,320
the full measure. 
So much so that we've 

60
00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:14,520
commercialized this nativity 
scene that we now have picked up

61
00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:19,480
doctrine to say that Jesus was 
so poor that he was born in a 

62
00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:22,160
Manger. 
Again, that's not biblically 

63
00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:26,920
accurate, but it wasn't that 
Mary and Joseph were poor and 

64
00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:31,440
could not afford a hotel, is 
that there were no rooms for 

65
00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:35,600
them to be able to pay for 
because of a census that the 

66
00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:37,640
Roman government had done in the
land. 

67
00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:40,320
That they were having to come 
back into a territory they did 

68
00:04:40,320 --> 00:04:43,640
not live in and they had to find
a place to stay. 

69
00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:45,560
But there was such a crowd 
there. 

70
00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:50,680
By the time they arrived, there 
was no more room, so the only 

71
00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:53,720
place they could go was the 
Manger. 

72
00:04:53,840 --> 00:04:59,160
And are the, you know, the the 
stable because and they needed 

73
00:04:59,160 --> 00:05:02,880
to get there because Mary is her
water has broken. 

74
00:05:02,960 --> 00:05:07,160
It's time to give birth and you 
can talk to any Mama. 

75
00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:10,520
When the water breaks, you 
better get back because 

76
00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:12,960
something's happening. 
Are you hearing me? 

77
00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:16,920
It reminds me of Reverend Marty 
Blackwelder, his wife. 

78
00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:21,600
Her water broke at the house. 
And so it took a little time for

79
00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:23,920
the EMT. 
And the next thing you know, the

80
00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:26,360
baby's coming. 
And he's on the phone and they 

81
00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:29,760
said, you know, Mr. Blackwelder,
you're going to have to deliver 

82
00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:31,840
this baby. 
He said, no, no, no, I cannot do

83
00:05:31,840 --> 00:05:34,960
this. 
He said, well, we're going to do

84
00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:39,880
it because we're not there and 
the child is coming. 

85
00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:44,480
And so he delivered one of his 
own children at the house. 

86
00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:47,480
We understand there. 
You didn't have to have a 

87
00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:52,360
hospital back in the day, right?
It's not technically required. 

88
00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:56,520
OK. 
Again, in our society, we think 

89
00:05:56,520 --> 00:05:58,360
if you're pregnant, you always 
have to have me at the hospital.

90
00:05:58,360 --> 00:06:00,520
You know what? 
People were doing this without 

91
00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:04,200
doctors a long time ago. 
And, you know, some can do them 

92
00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:06,760
even still to this day. 
Some countries are still doing 

93
00:06:06,760 --> 00:06:10,800
it this way, people. 
All right, so this child's 

94
00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:14,240
coming and they're like, we just
need to get her in a soft place 

95
00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:16,920
and the state. 
It's not about being broke. 

96
00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:23,440
It's not about Jesus's humble 
means of poverty is not act 

97
00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:28,000
biblically accurate. 
Jesus was not in a poor family, 

98
00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:31,200
was not in a broke family at 
all. 

99
00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:35,080
Hallelujah. 
So when we see the 

100
00:06:35,080 --> 00:06:38,640
commercialization of today, we 
really lose the scope. 

101
00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:41,640
And then when we don't realize 
that the Bible's about a king, 

102
00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:44,440
his Kingdom and his royal 
offspring, then we really lose 

103
00:06:44,440 --> 00:06:48,080
the significance of the child 
that was born. 

104
00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:51,240
Because the child that was born 
had a direct assignment. 

105
00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:55,120
And his direct assignment was a 
few things. 

106
00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:57,920
One, it was to destroy the works
of the devil. 

107
00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:02,280
Hallelujah. 
It was to bring salvation or 

108
00:07:02,280 --> 00:07:08,680
redemption back to mankind in 
order to put him back in a place

109
00:07:09,560 --> 00:07:14,560
that he was originally spoken to
be in Hallelujah. 

110
00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:17,160
And so this child brings the 
government. 

111
00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:20,440
For God said in the beginning, 
let us make man in our image 

112
00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:23,240
according to our likeness, and 
let them rule or have dominion. 

113
00:07:23,480 --> 00:07:27,280
So Jesus coming as a child to 
bring a government is so that we

114
00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:31,760
can be elevated back to the 
position of dominion and ruling 

115
00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:37,080
and reigning because Jesus is 
the king of who are those kings?

116
00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:40,520
We are those kings. 
So let's look at this account 

117
00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:45,280
because we need to understand 
there's expectations of the wise

118
00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:47,840
and this is applicable for us 
today. 

119
00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:51,400
And so let's pick up in Matthew 
chapter 2. 

120
00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:57,000
Now this is after Mary and 
Joseph have gone to Bethlehem in

121
00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:00,800
order to have the baby. 
They're, they're still there, 

122
00:08:00,800 --> 00:08:04,120
but they're, well, I mean, 
they're, they went there, right?

123
00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:10,080
And so this child was born there
in this Manger in the stables. 

124
00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:13,280
The shepherds have already come 
and visited and have left. 

125
00:08:13,480 --> 00:08:15,800
They are no longer hanging out 
in the Manger. 

126
00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:19,480
All right. 
They are now located in a home. 

127
00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:22,520
And it says in Matthew 2, one 
through 7, I'm going to read out

128
00:08:22,520 --> 00:08:24,600
the new Living translation. 
It says Jesus was born in 

129
00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:28,760
Bethlehem in Judea during the 
reign of King Herod, and about 

130
00:08:28,760 --> 00:08:33,320
some time about that time some 
wise men from eastern lands 

131
00:08:33,320 --> 00:08:37,240
arrived in Jerusalem asking 
where is the newborn king of the

132
00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:40,720
Jews? 
We saw his star as he it rose, 

133
00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:44,320
and we have come to worship him.
King Herod was deeply disturbed 

134
00:08:44,320 --> 00:08:47,600
when he heard this, as was 
everyone in Jerusalem, and he 

135
00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:50,120
called a meeting of the leading 
priests and teachers of 

136
00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:53,200
religious law and asked, Where 
is the Messiah supposed to be 

137
00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:55,680
born? 
In Bethlehem, in Judea? 

138
00:08:55,680 --> 00:08:58,640
They said, For this is what the 
prophet wrote. 

139
00:08:58,760 --> 00:09:03,120
And you, O Bethlehem in the land
of Judea, are not least among 

140
00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:08,120
the ruling cities of Judea, for 
a ruler shall come from you who 

141
00:09:08,120 --> 00:09:11,080
will be the shepherd of my 
people, Israel. 

142
00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:14,640
Then Herod called for a private 
meeting with the wise men, and 

143
00:09:14,640 --> 00:09:19,160
he learned from them the time 
when the star first appeared. 

144
00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:22,400
The first thing I want to do is 
bring your attention to verses 2

145
00:09:22,720 --> 00:09:26,400
and verse 4 and verse 2. 
It it mentions that the wise men

146
00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:31,280
said we have come or asked where
is the newborn king of the Jew? 

147
00:09:31,280 --> 00:09:35,760
This word king is literally one 
who has absolute authority with 

148
00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:40,560
a particular in it within a 
particular area and is able to 

149
00:09:40,560 --> 00:09:43,200
convey this power and authority 
to a successor. 

150
00:09:44,960 --> 00:09:50,160
This is what King Herod heard 
when they said, where is the 

151
00:09:50,160 --> 00:09:54,880
newborn king of the Jews? 
That's what he heard. 

152
00:09:55,640 --> 00:09:59,000
Notice the wise men did not come
and say where's the savior? 

153
00:10:00,920 --> 00:10:04,080
Now He is savior. 
Don't get me wrong, He is 

154
00:10:04,080 --> 00:10:07,560
savior. 
But they are looking for a 

155
00:10:07,560 --> 00:10:11,560
government. 
They're looking for government 

156
00:10:11,760 --> 00:10:16,960
and they're looking for one who 
has absolute rule, has absolute 

157
00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:21,280
rule, has absolute rule, and can
transfer. 

158
00:10:21,280 --> 00:10:29,520
Come on in verse 4, Herod upon 
hearing about this one who would

159
00:10:29,520 --> 00:10:37,160
rule in absolute power equates 
it with a term or a title that 

160
00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:41,080
is within their culture, the 
Jewish people. 

161
00:10:41,800 --> 00:10:45,520
And that is when he pulled in 
the teachers and the the 

162
00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:48,200
Pharisee scribes, you know, the 
religious leaders. 

163
00:10:48,480 --> 00:10:54,760
He said where does it it say the
Messiah will be born? 

164
00:10:55,520 --> 00:10:59,960
So notice he heard that we want 
to know where the newborn king, 

165
00:10:59,960 --> 00:11:05,160
the one who has absolute power 
and will rule and reign, where 

166
00:11:05,160 --> 00:11:08,640
is he? 
And he said, well, that can only

167
00:11:08,640 --> 00:11:12,320
be the Messiah. 
Are you hearing me? 

168
00:11:13,400 --> 00:11:19,680
So when we hear Messiah, we must
hear in the same ears that King 

169
00:11:19,680 --> 00:11:26,000
Herod heard. 
Messiah is by the Greek called 

170
00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:29,440
the Anointed One. 
Now what does that even mean? 

171
00:11:29,560 --> 00:11:32,040
Well, this is what you did to 
kings. 

172
00:11:32,440 --> 00:11:37,160
When kings came into power, they
would anoint them with oil 

173
00:11:37,840 --> 00:11:40,080
Hallelujah. 
We see this in the nation of 

174
00:11:40,080 --> 00:11:43,400
Israel itself that when they 
rejected God in first Samuel 

175
00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:46,240
chapter 8, they went to the 
prophet. 

176
00:11:46,240 --> 00:11:48,960
The nation said we want to see 
our own king like the other 

177
00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:51,440
nations and the prophets like 
you do not want to do this. 

178
00:11:51,880 --> 00:11:54,240
God is our king. 
He's our ruler. 

179
00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:57,120
He's the one who allow who 
overcomes our enemy. 

180
00:11:57,120 --> 00:11:59,960
You do not want a man, but they 
said no, we want a man. 

181
00:11:59,960 --> 00:12:03,240
So he goes into prayer talking 
to the Lord, the creator of 

182
00:12:03,240 --> 00:12:06,320
heaven and earth and they said, 
listen, they're wanting a man 

183
00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:08,640
king. 
I know this is strong and God 

184
00:12:08,640 --> 00:12:11,840
says to him in the 8th chapter 
of First Samuel to the prophet, 

185
00:12:11,960 --> 00:12:14,320
he said give the people what 
they want, for they've not 

186
00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:17,280
rejected you, but they've 
rejected me as their king. 

187
00:12:17,840 --> 00:12:21,680
So he gave them a man of their 
own design and of their own 

188
00:12:21,680 --> 00:12:25,200
imagination. 
That's why Saul was taller than 

189
00:12:25,200 --> 00:12:27,040
everyone else. 
He was bigger than everyone 

190
00:12:27,040 --> 00:12:30,280
else. 
He seemed he looked kingly, but 

191
00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:33,040
him coming alone wasn't good 
enough. 

192
00:12:33,160 --> 00:12:38,760
So the Lord said, put an 
anointing on him, because if he 

193
00:12:38,800 --> 00:12:43,080
rules without an anointing, 
he'll be no different than the 

194
00:12:43,080 --> 00:12:46,000
rest of the nations that I do 
not want you all to even be a 

195
00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:49,000
part of. 
I don't want you to look like. 

196
00:12:49,520 --> 00:12:55,000
So Samuel anointed him with oil,
and the Spirit of the Lord came 

197
00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:58,560
upon Saul, and he began to 
prophecy like the prophets. 

198
00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:01,320
Are you hearing me? 
So when we talk about the 

199
00:13:01,320 --> 00:13:05,280
Messiah, they're talking about 
the one that is anointed by God,

200
00:13:05,280 --> 00:13:09,000
the creator of heaven and earth.
This is the one we're talking 

201
00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:11,280
about. 
And don't you know Jesus was 

202
00:13:11,280 --> 00:13:13,840
anointed? 
For Jesus said after he was 

203
00:13:13,840 --> 00:13:16,760
baptized in the Jordan of John, 
and he raised him up and the 

204
00:13:16,760 --> 00:13:19,600
heavens opened up and the Holy 
Spirit came upon him without 

205
00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:21,600
measure. 
And he said, the Spirit of the 

206
00:13:21,600 --> 00:13:25,000
Lord is upon me, for he has 
anointed me. 

207
00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:31,840
Glory to God, so he is the 
Messiah, he is the king, the 

208
00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:37,240
ruler with absolute authority. 
This child is born, this sun is 

209
00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:40,680
given, and the Kingdom is back 
in the planet. 

210
00:13:41,240 --> 00:13:45,960
Hallelujah. 
And so we recognize then that 

211
00:13:45,960 --> 00:13:49,920
these wise men, which are 
honestly just astrologers, they 

212
00:13:49,920 --> 00:13:53,400
are astrologers. 
They study the stars, but these 

213
00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:59,920
are some people that are very 
educated in from the government 

214
00:13:59,920 --> 00:14:04,280
that they're coming from. 
They are men of renown, OK, they

215
00:14:04,280 --> 00:14:08,960
are well respected, but yet they
are studiers of star of stars 

216
00:14:08,960 --> 00:14:14,520
because of something spoken in 
their land 500 years ago. 

217
00:14:15,040 --> 00:14:20,400
So we have a group of people who
have come into Jerusalem. 

218
00:14:20,600 --> 00:14:23,120
Now let me just go back and just
give you a little quick little 

219
00:14:23,280 --> 00:14:26,480
point here. 
It says that in verse three that

220
00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:30,440
Herod was deeply disturbed when 
he heard this and so was 

221
00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:32,960
everyone else. 
One translation says they that 

222
00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:35,640
they were in fear and all of 
Jerusalem. 

223
00:14:35,840 --> 00:14:39,240
Now why would the whole city be 
afraid of three people? 

224
00:14:46,320 --> 00:14:49,320
Nowhere in scripture doesn't say
there were only three wise men. 

225
00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:54,360
The only thing that Scripture 
says is it names three types of 

226
00:14:54,360 --> 00:15:00,280
gifts given frankincense, right,
Myrrh and gold. 

227
00:15:01,280 --> 00:15:03,640
And I don't know why we think it
came a little box. 

228
00:15:07,360 --> 00:15:10,880
In fact, there are some scholars
of which Rick Renner, who was a 

229
00:15:10,880 --> 00:15:15,360
scholar, believes, especially if
you receive his huge book that 

230
00:15:15,360 --> 00:15:18,520
he put out concerning the birth 
of Christ. 

231
00:15:19,360 --> 00:15:23,720
He goes into great detail how 
these individuals that were 

232
00:15:23,720 --> 00:15:27,600
coming from the East had such 
treasure with them because they 

233
00:15:27,600 --> 00:15:31,320
are giving to the king of kings.
And there are scholars that that

234
00:15:31,320 --> 00:15:34,680
if you study history, when you 
come before a king, you bring a 

235
00:15:34,680 --> 00:15:38,080
gift and they ranked kings. 
Some kings weren't as more 

236
00:15:38,080 --> 00:15:39,880
powerful. 
And how do you know how powerful

237
00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:42,800
a king is really? 
It was demonstrated by their by 

238
00:15:42,800 --> 00:15:46,400
their robe, because their robe 
demonstrated their territory 

239
00:15:46,440 --> 00:15:49,440
because typically, traditionally
speaking, that if a king went in

240
00:15:49,440 --> 00:15:53,960
and conquered a land, they would
take the robe off of the king 

241
00:15:53,960 --> 00:15:57,720
that they conquered and they 
would sow it into their train. 

242
00:15:58,560 --> 00:16:02,640
And so the longer their train it
was, the more territories. 

243
00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:05,560
This is why the Bible says that 
when the Lord came into the 

244
00:16:05,560 --> 00:16:11,520
temple, his train filled the 
temple. 

245
00:16:12,360 --> 00:16:18,600
Whoa, glory to God. 
So when you are ranking kings, 

246
00:16:18,600 --> 00:16:20,160
you're bringing gifts based upon
it. 

247
00:16:20,160 --> 00:16:24,960
And these wise men knew we are 
coming to the King of Kings. 

248
00:16:25,160 --> 00:16:28,200
We're coming to the one with 
absolute authority that the 

249
00:16:28,240 --> 00:16:31,440
throne that's going to be 
established forever and it'd 

250
00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:34,200
never have an end to it. 
We're coming to the government 

251
00:16:34,240 --> 00:16:37,040
that's taken over the planet. 
We're coming to bring our 

252
00:16:37,040 --> 00:16:41,000
allegiance to the one that we 
want to submit to for all 

253
00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:44,400
eternity. 
What kind of gift do you think 

254
00:16:44,400 --> 00:16:48,880
those people were bringing? 
Well, historians and scholars 

255
00:16:48,880 --> 00:16:55,560
alike believe unlike the United 
States version, they came with 

256
00:16:55,560 --> 00:16:59,280
an entourage. 
In fact, an army would have went

257
00:16:59,280 --> 00:17:02,920
with them to protect that which 
they were bringing. 

258
00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:10,079
In fact, Rick Renner says that 
Joseph of Arimathea was actually

259
00:17:10,079 --> 00:17:14,960
related to Jesus and the reason 
he was so wealthy is because he 

260
00:17:14,960 --> 00:17:20,960
became the caretaker of the 
wealth that came to Jesus When 

261
00:17:20,960 --> 00:17:25,920
the wise men showed up because 
Mary and Joseph had to flee all 

262
00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:29,360
of a sudden to Egypt because 
King Herod wanted to kill their 

263
00:17:29,360 --> 00:17:34,960
child and he became the 
caretaker of the estate. 

264
00:17:36,920 --> 00:17:40,680
The Bible is very clear about 
Joseph Arimathea, that he was an

265
00:17:40,680 --> 00:17:46,000
extremely wealthy man. 
Hallelujah. 

266
00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:50,360
Are you hearing me? 
And so they were in an uproar 

267
00:17:50,360 --> 00:17:54,280
because this army comes up with 
a group of people that are 

268
00:17:54,280 --> 00:17:57,800
bearing gifts. 
They list the wealthiest or the 

269
00:17:57,800 --> 00:18:02,240
probably the most expensive, but
many believe that they probably 

270
00:18:02,240 --> 00:18:08,000
brought fabrics and all kinds of
other stuff to the king as well.

271
00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:11,800
Now why are they coming? 
Why is a group of people showing

272
00:18:11,800 --> 00:18:15,160
up well 500 years earlier in the
land of Babylon? 

273
00:18:15,520 --> 00:18:23,280
Daniel chapter 2 verses 37 to 45
is the interpretation of a dream

274
00:18:23,280 --> 00:18:25,160
that he gave to King 
Nebuchadnezzar. 

275
00:18:25,840 --> 00:18:28,600
This is after the nation of 
Israel has been conquered by 

276
00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:31,640
Babylon, and Babylon has been 
able to conquer Israel because 

277
00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:36,120
Israel has been rebellious to 
God and time and time again He 

278
00:18:36,120 --> 00:18:39,440
has wanted them to serve Him. 
He has given them His Word for 

279
00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:42,960
them to serve Him. 
He's already promised to them 

280
00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:45,560
that if they obeyed His word, 
they would be blessed coming in 

281
00:18:45,560 --> 00:18:47,000
and blessed going out. 
They'd be the head, not the 

282
00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:48,240
tail. 
Their enemy would come before 

283
00:18:48,240 --> 00:18:50,200
them one way and flee before 
them seven ways. 

284
00:18:50,440 --> 00:18:53,480
However, if they did not obey, 
then these curses would come 

285
00:18:53,480 --> 00:18:55,240
upon them, and the curses came 
upon them. 

286
00:18:55,240 --> 00:18:59,400
And God is a God of His word. 
And so after much 

287
00:18:59,400 --> 00:19:04,160
long-suffering, after much 
mercy, after much patience, God 

288
00:19:04,160 --> 00:19:09,000
had to enact His word concerning
disobedience to the nation of 

289
00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:10,400
Israel. 
And they were conquered by 

290
00:19:10,400 --> 00:19:13,920
Babylon. 
And so Daniel, who is one of the

291
00:19:14,680 --> 00:19:19,400
young men from Israel that was 
captured and became one of the 

292
00:19:19,400 --> 00:19:25,880
wise people in the courts of 
King Nebuchadnezzar, he has a 

293
00:19:25,880 --> 00:19:28,320
dream and he needs it to be 
interpreted, but he will not 

294
00:19:28,320 --> 00:19:32,360
tell people the dream. 
And since the wise people at at 

295
00:19:32,360 --> 00:19:37,880
the hearing of this decree said 
give us the dream, he said, no, 

296
00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:40,120
you interpret it for me because 
I need to know that you know 

297
00:19:40,120 --> 00:19:43,040
what it is so that I can trust 
your interpretation. 

298
00:19:43,320 --> 00:19:45,280
They said, no king has ever 
asked this. 

299
00:19:45,280 --> 00:19:47,720
It's impossible. 
Only God could do this. 

300
00:19:47,840 --> 00:19:50,520
He says, then why do I need you?
And so he issued A decree. 

301
00:19:50,520 --> 00:19:53,960
Unless someone can't do what I'm
asking, then all the wise men 

302
00:19:53,960 --> 00:19:57,240
die. 
That includes Daniel and his 

303
00:19:57,240 --> 00:20:00,680
three friends that we know as 
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. 

304
00:20:00,960 --> 00:20:03,840
OK. 
And so they come to Daniel to 

305
00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:07,960
seize him. 
And his friends, in order to be 

306
00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:13,520
executed, of which now Daniel 
says to the soldier, what's the 

307
00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:17,480
haste, What's going on? 
I wasn't there, can you tell me?

308
00:20:17,480 --> 00:20:20,480
So he relays, he said, go tell 
the king, I'll bring the 

309
00:20:20,480 --> 00:20:22,800
interpretation. 
Now he said that by faith. 

310
00:20:23,960 --> 00:20:26,600
And he said that by faith, 
because he believed that the God

311
00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:34,960
of covenant, the God of covenant
would deliver his nation and him

312
00:20:34,960 --> 00:20:38,560
in that nation. 
And so he appealed to God for 

313
00:20:38,560 --> 00:20:41,480
the dream and the interpretation
of which God did so. 

314
00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:44,360
All right. 
And so here he is standing 

315
00:20:44,360 --> 00:20:46,640
before Nebuchadnezzar. 
He gives him the dream. 

316
00:20:46,640 --> 00:20:49,360
This is the interpretation 
starting in verse 37. 

317
00:20:49,360 --> 00:20:51,240
He said, O king, you are the 
king of kings. 

318
00:20:51,240 --> 00:20:55,480
Now this is of notice. 
It's a little K, not a capital 

319
00:20:55,480 --> 00:20:57,880
K. 
He is the King of kings of the 

320
00:20:57,880 --> 00:21:01,600
earth at that time. 
All right, He says, to whom the 

321
00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:04,440
God of heaven has given the 
Kingdom the power, the strength,

322
00:21:04,440 --> 00:21:06,040
and the glory. 
In essence, He said. 

323
00:21:06,520 --> 00:21:10,040
He's saying because the Father 
had to step away from the nation

324
00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:15,560
that he loves, that He wants to 
see blessed and wants them to 

325
00:21:15,560 --> 00:21:17,760
acknowledge them. 
But because they've gone after 

326
00:21:17,760 --> 00:21:20,800
other gods, he has to step back,
and he's given you the ability 

327
00:21:20,800 --> 00:21:23,920
to overtake them. 
He goes on to say in verse 88, 

328
00:21:23,920 --> 00:21:27,240
And whomever the and whoever, 
the sons of men dwell, or the 

329
00:21:27,240 --> 00:21:29,840
beasts of the field or the birds
of the sky, he has given them 

330
00:21:29,840 --> 00:21:32,600
into your hands and has called 
you to rule over them all. 

331
00:21:32,720 --> 00:21:35,880
You are the head of gold. 
After you though, there will 

332
00:21:35,880 --> 00:21:40,840
rise another Kingdom inferior to
you, then another 1/3 Kingdom of

333
00:21:40,840 --> 00:21:43,840
bronze which will rule over all 
the earth. 

334
00:21:44,120 --> 00:21:47,000
Then there will be a fourth 
Kingdom as strong as iron in so 

335
00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:49,120
much as iron crushes and 
shatters all things. 

336
00:21:49,120 --> 00:21:53,120
So like iron that breaks into 
pieces, it will crush and break 

337
00:21:53,120 --> 00:21:55,920
all these in pieces. 
So these are your succession of 

338
00:21:55,920 --> 00:21:59,560
kingdoms, not religions. 
We're talking about governments 

339
00:21:59,560 --> 00:22:02,880
here, all right. 
This is what he saw, Verse 41, 

340
00:22:03,080 --> 00:22:07,200
in that you saw the feet and 
toes partly of Potter's clay and

341
00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:09,760
partly of iron. 
It will be a divided Kingdom, 

342
00:22:09,760 --> 00:22:14,840
and it will have, but it will 
have in it the toughness of iron

343
00:22:14,840 --> 00:22:17,400
in so much as you saw the iron 
mix with comic clay. 

344
00:22:17,400 --> 00:22:21,560
Verse 42 As the toes of the feet
were partly of iron and partly 

345
00:22:21,560 --> 00:22:25,800
of pottery, so some of the 
Kingdom will be strong, and part

346
00:22:25,800 --> 00:22:29,000
of it will be brittle. 
And in that you saw the iron 

347
00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:31,160
mixed with common clay. 
They will combine with one 

348
00:22:31,160 --> 00:22:35,160
another in the seed of men, but 
they will not adhere to one 

349
00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:37,520
another, even as iron does not 
combine with pottery. 

350
00:22:37,520 --> 00:22:43,520
But verse 44, in those days, say
in those days, in those days, in

351
00:22:43,520 --> 00:22:47,000
the days of those kings, OK, the
God of heaven will set up a 

352
00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:50,840
Kingdom which will never be 
destroyed, which will what? 

353
00:22:51,760 --> 00:22:54,320
Which will what never be 
destroyed. 

354
00:22:54,480 --> 00:22:57,280
And that Kingdom will not be 
left for another people. 

355
00:22:58,160 --> 00:23:04,760
It will crush and put it into 
all these kingdoms, but it 

356
00:23:04,760 --> 00:23:09,440
itself endures forever. 
It itself endure forever. 

357
00:23:10,080 --> 00:23:14,040
He goes on in so much as you saw
that a stone was cut out of the 

358
00:23:14,040 --> 00:23:16,080
mountain without hands. 
Who is that stone? 

359
00:23:16,640 --> 00:23:20,280
Come on, who is that stone? 
Who is that stone made without 

360
00:23:20,280 --> 00:23:24,560
hands? 
Jesus Christ is a man without a 

361
00:23:24,560 --> 00:23:28,720
father in the earth. 
He was born of the Virgin Mary. 

362
00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:31,800
He was made without hands. 
The Holy Spirit came upon a 

363
00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:35,160
virgin and caused the child to 
be born. 

364
00:23:35,280 --> 00:23:38,640
The Son was placed within that 
skin suit. 

365
00:23:38,840 --> 00:23:44,240
And we see this rock, this 
cornerstone, right? 

366
00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:48,440
And that it is what cut out a 
mountain without hands, and it 

367
00:23:48,440 --> 00:23:52,400
crushed the iron, the bronze, 
the clay, the silver, the gold. 

368
00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:58,160
Whatever Kingdom exists, his 
Kingdom reigns, says the great 

369
00:23:58,160 --> 00:24:01,320
God made known to the king of 
what will take place in the 

370
00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:05,320
future, so that the dream is 
true and its interpretation is 

371
00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:07,160
trustworthy. 
Hallelujah. 

372
00:24:07,720 --> 00:24:10,280
And this was spoken over 500 
years ago. 

373
00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:16,800
It was so profound in the spirit
that it impacted ungodly people,

374
00:24:17,960 --> 00:24:21,040
pagans that worshipped other 
gods. 

375
00:24:21,320 --> 00:24:27,080
It was so impactful the legacy 
and lineage of Daniel's name, 

376
00:24:27,160 --> 00:24:31,360
the man of God who went through 
multiple administrations and 

377
00:24:31,360 --> 00:24:36,080
kingdoms. 
So powerful was this word that 

378
00:24:36,080 --> 00:24:41,840
it could not leave the oracles 
of their writings that 100 years

379
00:24:41,840 --> 00:24:45,200
came and went and and 
astrologers are wise men 

380
00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:51,120
believed was longing for was 
looking for was looking for this

381
00:24:51,120 --> 00:24:52,880
Kingdom that Daniel talked 
about. 

382
00:24:53,040 --> 00:24:56,360
But they lived and died and did 
not see it and passed it on to 

383
00:24:56,360 --> 00:24:59,360
the next generation. 
And the next generation picked 

384
00:24:59,360 --> 00:25:02,640
it up and began to look and was 
looking into the stars and 

385
00:25:02,640 --> 00:25:06,160
looking into the sky and was 
waiting for this moment of when 

386
00:25:06,160 --> 00:25:10,720
is this child going to show up. 
And they lived and they died, 

387
00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:13,400
and they passed it on to the 
next generation. 

388
00:25:13,720 --> 00:25:19,120
And then then a third, the 300 
years, 400 years, 500 years. 

389
00:25:19,120 --> 00:25:22,920
Then all of a sudden, this same 
tradition of a belief that had 

390
00:25:22,920 --> 00:25:30,200
been written, these people look 
up and lo and behold, a night 

391
00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:36,000
came and the stars were alive 
and the Star of Bethlehem took 

392
00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:39,360
shape in the earth and they 
knew. 

393
00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:47,680
He is here, He's here, He's 
here. 

394
00:25:48,240 --> 00:25:55,800
That Kingdom has arrived. 
Oh my gosh, they have arrived. 

395
00:25:56,280 --> 00:25:59,360
So how can we learn these things
from the wise? 

396
00:25:59,560 --> 00:26:03,680
How can we have into our today 
the expectation of the wise? 

397
00:26:03,680 --> 00:26:07,680
Well, the wise believe that the 
king will come according to what

398
00:26:07,680 --> 00:26:10,560
is written and spoken concerning
him. 

399
00:26:10,840 --> 00:26:13,280
Do you still believe that the 
king is coming? 

400
00:26:14,920 --> 00:26:20,040
Are you living every day? 
And let me say something, just 

401
00:26:20,040 --> 00:26:24,520
because people have believed 
that and have died does not mean

402
00:26:24,560 --> 00:26:28,400
it's not true. 
And there is a generation that 

403
00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:30,840
will see the king coming in a 
cloud. 

404
00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:36,360
Hallelujah. 
What's that say in Hebrews 

405
00:26:36,360 --> 00:26:39,320
Chapter 11, verses 1 and 2? 
Now faith is the assurance of 

406
00:26:39,320 --> 00:26:41,560
things hoped for, the conviction
of things not seen. 

407
00:26:41,680 --> 00:26:43,960
For by it men of old gained 
approval. 

408
00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:47,560
They believe God, it is written 
word, they believe God of the 

409
00:26:47,560 --> 00:26:50,200
things spoken through the 
prophets and the law. 

410
00:26:50,200 --> 00:26:53,720
Verse 13 says all these died in 
faith, without receiving the 

411
00:26:53,720 --> 00:26:57,200
promises, but having seen them, 
and having welcomed them from a 

412
00:26:57,200 --> 00:27:00,160
distant, and having confessed 
that they were strangers and 

413
00:27:00,160 --> 00:27:04,120
exiles on the earth. 
For those who say such things, 

414
00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:08,080
make it clear that they were 
seeking a country of their own, 

415
00:27:08,200 --> 00:27:10,640
and indeed, if it had been 
thinking of that country which 

416
00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:13,760
they went out, they would have 
had opportunity to return. 

417
00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:17,960
But as it is, they desired a 
better country, that is, a 

418
00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:20,920
heavenly one. 
Therefore God is not ashamed to 

419
00:27:20,920 --> 00:27:25,400
be called their God, for He had 
prepared a city for them. 

420
00:27:25,400 --> 00:27:31,360
Hallelujah, they never saw it. 
Verse 39 says, and all these, 

421
00:27:31,560 --> 00:27:36,120
having gained approval through 
their faith, did not receive 

422
00:27:36,120 --> 00:27:38,880
what was promised. 
They were believing the King's 

423
00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:41,880
coming, the King's coming, a 
child's going to be born, their 

424
00:27:41,880 --> 00:27:44,240
Messiah is going to be here, the
King's going to come. 

425
00:27:44,360 --> 00:27:47,520
And they lived and died with 
this great expectation of faith 

426
00:27:47,640 --> 00:27:51,720
that the, the King of kings, the
Lord of Lords, the Savior of our

427
00:27:51,720 --> 00:27:55,040
lives, he's coming. 
And they lived and died in 

428
00:27:55,040 --> 00:27:56,600
faith. 
And because they lived and died 

429
00:27:56,600 --> 00:27:59,880
in faith, they gave them the 
right to be in paradise, to be 

430
00:27:59,880 --> 00:28:03,400
where the righteous dead live. 
And then the king came. 

431
00:28:04,560 --> 00:28:08,520
He was born, he was raised, He 
went to the cross, he went to 

432
00:28:08,520 --> 00:28:11,840
the grave. 
And all those that never saw his

433
00:28:11,840 --> 00:28:16,120
coming were in that place called
Paradise, and he led captivity 

434
00:28:16,120 --> 00:28:19,280
captive. 
Whoa, glory to God. 

435
00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:26,080
And they all came up out of the 
grave and ascended with Him into

436
00:28:26,080 --> 00:28:30,600
the heavens and now are in the 
heavens as witnesses to us. 

437
00:28:30,720 --> 00:28:34,600
And don't you know, they're 
saying be a wise one and expect 

438
00:28:34,600 --> 00:28:38,480
his return, 'cause he's coming, 
He's coming again, He's coming 

439
00:28:38,480 --> 00:28:41,240
again. 
Well, I know Grandmama and great

440
00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:44,680
grandma and great grandpa, they 
were believing that and they 

441
00:28:44,680 --> 00:28:47,120
came and went. 
Jesus didn't come, but I'm 

442
00:28:47,120 --> 00:28:48,880
telling you, there's a 
generation. 

443
00:28:52,360 --> 00:28:56,240
There's a generation. 
But if you're not keeping your 

444
00:28:56,240 --> 00:29:01,280
eyes up, if you're not keeping 
your eyes focused on the signs, 

445
00:29:01,520 --> 00:29:03,440
you're going to miss some 
things. 

446
00:29:03,560 --> 00:29:05,840
Are you hearing me? 
Which brings us to our next 

447
00:29:05,840 --> 00:29:08,880
point. 
The wise keep watch and are 

448
00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:11,640
waiting for the signs of his 
appearing. 

449
00:29:11,800 --> 00:29:15,000
You know, the Bible has all 
kinds of things about the return

450
00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:18,520
of Christ, not only of the 
catching away of the church, but

451
00:29:18,520 --> 00:29:22,200
of his second return where he'll
put his foot down on a mount of 

452
00:29:22,200 --> 00:29:24,920
olives and he splits that thing 
wide open. 

453
00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:29,720
And man, he comes physically to 
rain on the earth for the first 

454
00:29:29,720 --> 00:29:33,080
thousand years of eternity. 
Are you hearing me? 

455
00:29:33,480 --> 00:29:36,760
But there's a day that will be 
caught up together with him in 

456
00:29:36,760 --> 00:29:39,400
the air, and you have to know 
the signs. 

457
00:29:39,400 --> 00:29:42,400
And if you're being wise like 
wise men, you can't be saying, 

458
00:29:42,400 --> 00:29:45,240
well, they've said that people 
came out. 

459
00:29:45,240 --> 00:29:47,200
They believe that. 
You know what? 

460
00:29:47,200 --> 00:29:49,640
I don't know if it's gonna, if 
that's where you're at, then 

461
00:29:49,640 --> 00:29:52,360
you're not looking. 
But a wise person's got 

462
00:29:52,360 --> 00:29:55,640
expectation. 
A wise person's always looking 

463
00:29:55,640 --> 00:29:57,280
to the sun. 
Look what it says. 

464
00:29:57,280 --> 00:30:01,200
In Luke chapter 21, verses 25 to
28, he said there'll be signs in

465
00:30:01,200 --> 00:30:04,560
the sun and the moon and the 
stars on the earth, dismay among

466
00:30:04,560 --> 00:30:07,440
nations in perplexity at the 
roaring of the Seas and the 

467
00:30:07,440 --> 00:30:09,280
waves. 
Men feigning from fear and the 

468
00:30:09,280 --> 00:30:12,400
expectation from things which 
are coming upon the world for 

469
00:30:12,400 --> 00:30:14,160
the powers of heaven will be 
shaken. 

470
00:30:14,440 --> 00:30:17,920
Then they will see the Son of 
Man coming in a cloud with power

471
00:30:17,920 --> 00:30:20,160
and great glory. 
But when these things begin to 

472
00:30:20,160 --> 00:30:23,320
take place, what's it say? 
Straighten up, lift up your 

473
00:30:23,320 --> 00:30:27,800
heads, because your redemption 
is drawing near. 

474
00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:32,320
Man, if here's never been a 
time, there is the time that 

475
00:30:32,320 --> 00:30:34,520
things are happening in the 
earth right now. 

476
00:30:34,640 --> 00:30:38,040
That the child that was born, 
that we are celebrating this 

477
00:30:38,040 --> 00:30:42,440
season is on the verge of 
hearing a trumpet and coming 

478
00:30:42,440 --> 00:30:49,760
back in a cloud. 
Whoa, Hallelujah, glory to God. 

479
00:30:50,640 --> 00:30:53,160
Is this the expectation of the 
wise? 

480
00:30:53,160 --> 00:30:56,280
You bet. 
The wise are hungry and thirst 

481
00:30:56,360 --> 00:30:59,200
and are like looking. 
It can be tomorrow, it can be in

482
00:30:59,200 --> 00:31:00,960
my lifetime. 
It can happen. 

483
00:31:01,040 --> 00:31:04,480
Maybe I'll never put on death. 
Maybe I'll never see a grave. 

484
00:31:04,600 --> 00:31:08,400
Maybe I'm the one who's going to
put on immortality in a moment, 

485
00:31:08,480 --> 00:31:11,640
in the twinkling of an eye, 
because all the signs are saying

486
00:31:11,640 --> 00:31:15,880
it and I'm watching. 
That's what the wise do. 

487
00:31:16,240 --> 00:31:19,200
And that's what these wise men 
did. 

488
00:31:19,320 --> 00:31:24,000
They did not let the future 
generations of expectations that

489
00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:28,040
did not see it come to fruition 
hamper their expectation. 

490
00:31:28,360 --> 00:31:32,760
They refused to be named among 
those who lacked faith. 

491
00:31:34,920 --> 00:31:40,840
They refused, as we could say it
in modern day description, is 

492
00:31:40,840 --> 00:31:43,000
that their love did not wax 
cold. 

493
00:31:44,680 --> 00:31:49,560
They stayed confident and bold. 
The king is coming again and I'm

494
00:31:49,560 --> 00:31:52,800
going to see the king. 
I'm going to see the king. 

495
00:31:53,360 --> 00:31:57,520
Well, the wise then also prepare
to visit the king. 

496
00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:01,960
Man, are you in preparation? 
Well, what's it say concerning 

497
00:32:01,960 --> 00:32:04,280
that? 
Hebrews chapter 10, verse 24 to 

498
00:32:04,280 --> 00:32:06,320
25. 
The amplified says it this way. 

499
00:32:06,600 --> 00:32:10,480
This is preparation for a 
visitation with the king, he 

500
00:32:10,480 --> 00:32:13,280
says. 
So let us consider thoughtfully 

501
00:32:13,480 --> 00:32:17,440
how we may encourage one another
to love and to do good deeds, 

502
00:32:18,880 --> 00:32:23,040
not forsaking our meeting 
together as believers for 

503
00:32:23,040 --> 00:32:26,760
worship and instruction, as is 
the habit of some, but 

504
00:32:26,760 --> 00:32:29,840
encouraging one another. 
And all the more say all the 

505
00:32:29,840 --> 00:32:35,280
more and all the more faithfully
as you see the day of Christ's 

506
00:32:35,280 --> 00:32:39,040
return approaching. 
Well, if you're a wise person, 

507
00:32:39,080 --> 00:32:42,400
you're looking at the signs. 
You're like, my gosh, man, I 

508
00:32:42,400 --> 00:32:44,480
believe what has been written 
about him. 

509
00:32:44,560 --> 00:32:46,760
I believe what has been spoken 
by the prophets. 

510
00:32:46,760 --> 00:32:48,600
I believe what Jesus said about 
himself. 

511
00:32:48,760 --> 00:32:51,040
I believe he's coming. 
And I have great expectation. 

512
00:32:51,200 --> 00:32:53,680
I'm watching the signs. 
I'm looking at the signs. 

513
00:32:53,800 --> 00:32:55,800
I'm seeing them and they're ever
present. 

514
00:32:55,840 --> 00:32:58,960
And you know what? 
I need to be in preparation for 

515
00:32:58,960 --> 00:33:02,080
this visitation. 
I need to stay in preparation. 

516
00:33:02,120 --> 00:33:04,120
I am not forsaken. 
The assembly, another 

517
00:33:04,120 --> 00:33:06,640
translation says it this way. 
Very powerful. 

518
00:33:07,360 --> 00:33:10,560
Another translation says 
discover creative ways to 

519
00:33:10,560 --> 00:33:14,120
encourage others and to motivate
them towards acts of compassion,

520
00:33:14,360 --> 00:33:17,040
doing beautiful works as 
expressions of love. 

521
00:33:17,040 --> 00:33:19,920
Stop right there for a second. 
What does the Bible tell us? 

522
00:33:19,920 --> 00:33:22,480
The Bible tells us in Ephesians 
chapter 2 that we are born 

523
00:33:22,480 --> 00:33:25,280
again, not of our own works, 
lest any man should boast, but 

524
00:33:25,280 --> 00:33:27,680
of the gift of God. 
It's a gift to us. 

525
00:33:27,680 --> 00:33:30,000
It's free to us. 
In the context it did, we did 

526
00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:33,880
not earn it, or could we do 
anything of our own personal 

527
00:33:33,880 --> 00:33:37,760
nature to be right with God? 
But Christ, while we were yet 

528
00:33:37,760 --> 00:33:40,800
sinners, died for us. 
And so by the grace of God 

529
00:33:40,800 --> 00:33:43,600
through faith, we become born 
again. 

530
00:33:43,800 --> 00:33:48,160
And that's verses 8-9 of 
Ephesians chapter 2. 

531
00:33:48,240 --> 00:33:52,280
But there's a verse 10 and the 
reason says that we are born 

532
00:33:52,280 --> 00:33:55,120
again. 
The reason why this free gift 

533
00:33:55,120 --> 00:33:57,920
has been given to us, that we 
received the grace of God 

534
00:33:58,120 --> 00:34:01,080
through faith to become active 
in our lives so that we can 

535
00:34:01,080 --> 00:34:05,000
become children of God is so 
that we can be workmanship 

536
00:34:05,240 --> 00:34:10,800
created for good works. 
We are a demonstration of our 

537
00:34:10,800 --> 00:34:17,480
Father in heaven by our actions 
of how we live and navigate in 

538
00:34:17,480 --> 00:34:20,080
the earth. 
We are preparing for the visit 

539
00:34:20,080 --> 00:34:24,040
of the King by always hearing 
from the home country through 

540
00:34:24,040 --> 00:34:27,480
our assembling of ourselves 
together and all the more and 

541
00:34:27,480 --> 00:34:28,719
then encouraging. 
Why? 

542
00:34:28,719 --> 00:34:32,080
Because the Lord says times are 
going to get so tough that it 

543
00:34:32,080 --> 00:34:35,120
will discourage you to want to 
continue to walk in the 

544
00:34:35,120 --> 00:34:37,400
direction you are. 
But don't be those people. 

545
00:34:37,560 --> 00:34:40,480
Don't be ones that when the Lord
comes back, will they find faith

546
00:34:40,600 --> 00:34:43,639
or when the Lord comes back, 
many hearts will wax cold. 

547
00:34:43,760 --> 00:34:46,159
No, you want to be the one 
that's pressing, the one that's 

548
00:34:46,159 --> 00:34:48,840
wise, the one that's in 
preparation, the one that's 

549
00:34:48,840 --> 00:34:50,639
hearing. 
Because again, you can't even 

550
00:34:50,639 --> 00:34:53,239
know the signs if you're not 
hearing about the signs. 

551
00:34:54,199 --> 00:34:57,400
Listen, the signs will take care
of themselves. 

552
00:34:57,520 --> 00:35:00,440
But if you're not participating,
then you might not be 

553
00:35:00,440 --> 00:35:06,360
participating. 
Faith is a participation. 

554
00:35:08,520 --> 00:35:13,240
It's tangible. 
God knows if you're in faith or 

555
00:35:13,240 --> 00:35:20,200
not, and the knowledge of God 
isn't faith because the demons 

556
00:35:20,200 --> 00:35:24,240
know God and tremble, yet do not
live by faith. 

557
00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:29,200
In fact, the bet the devil can 
quote scripture probably better 

558
00:35:29,200 --> 00:35:33,000
than most people in this room, 
but he can't live by that which 

559
00:35:33,000 --> 00:35:36,240
he quotes. 
So quoting Scripture does not 

560
00:35:36,240 --> 00:35:41,120
mean you have faith. 
Faith is tangible. 

561
00:35:41,240 --> 00:35:44,680
It's a substance. 
God knows when it's active, and 

562
00:35:44,680 --> 00:35:51,200
only you can activate it. 
He gives you His word, which 

563
00:35:51,200 --> 00:35:53,920
produces it, but you have to 
activate it. 

564
00:35:54,640 --> 00:35:57,840
All right, so wise men are 
prepared. 

565
00:35:57,840 --> 00:35:59,120
Let's go back to this verse 
here. 

566
00:35:59,120 --> 00:36:01,360
We're going to stir each other, 
encourage each other. 

567
00:36:01,360 --> 00:36:04,960
Listen, we got to be here in the
house to hear from the home 

568
00:36:04,960 --> 00:36:07,360
country because the King's 
coming. 

569
00:36:08,240 --> 00:36:13,400
Verse 25 says it this way. 
This says this is not the time 

570
00:36:13,400 --> 00:36:18,480
to pull away and neglect meeting
together as some have formed the

571
00:36:18,480 --> 00:36:21,280
habit of doing, because we need 
each other. 

572
00:36:22,040 --> 00:36:26,640
In fact, we should come together
even more frequently, eager to 

573
00:36:26,640 --> 00:36:30,840
encourage and urge each other 
onward as we anticipate that day

574
00:36:30,840 --> 00:36:33,160
dawning. 
I've said to our staff for 

575
00:36:33,160 --> 00:36:37,160
years, it's going to be more 
church and not less because I 

576
00:36:37,160 --> 00:36:39,120
believe that he could come in my
lifetime. 

577
00:36:39,600 --> 00:36:42,800
And if I believe that, then I 
need opportunities for us to 

578
00:36:42,800 --> 00:36:47,240
meet a symbol to to navigate our
lives, to receive instruction, 

579
00:36:47,400 --> 00:36:51,760
to know how to live godly in a 
wicked and perverse generation. 

580
00:36:52,720 --> 00:36:55,520
Oh, glory to God, we've been 
made righteous. 

581
00:36:55,600 --> 00:36:58,480
We've been sanctified in the 
Spirit, but we got to renew our 

582
00:36:58,480 --> 00:37:03,840
minds to walk this thing out. 
Hallelujah and wise the wise. 

583
00:37:03,840 --> 00:37:07,560
They prepare for the visit with 
the King. 

584
00:37:08,480 --> 00:37:11,200
Are you hearing me man? 
I think our modern day 

585
00:37:11,200 --> 00:37:13,080
Christianity is not ready for 
the King. 

586
00:37:13,480 --> 00:37:17,520
Now why do I say that? 
Because his own nation was not 

587
00:37:17,520 --> 00:37:20,960
prepared for they had missed 
that he would be the suffering 

588
00:37:20,960 --> 00:37:25,360
servant. 
Yet it was in the scripture. 

589
00:37:25,360 --> 00:37:29,440
All the while Paul articulate 
would articulate this so 

590
00:37:29,440 --> 00:37:33,840
eloquently, a study of the law. 
You would not know the law 

591
00:37:33,840 --> 00:37:36,880
better than Paul or Saul of 
Tarsus. 

592
00:37:37,840 --> 00:37:41,960
Yet when he was confronted with 
Jesus, all of a sudden he saw 

593
00:37:41,960 --> 00:37:46,320
the lamb that was slain. 
He saw the big picture that it 

594
00:37:46,320 --> 00:37:50,040
was beyond just his own nation. 
It opened up to the world that 

595
00:37:50,040 --> 00:37:52,800
this rock that would made 
without hand would crush the 

596
00:37:52,800 --> 00:37:55,640
foot of that idol and all those 
other governments. 

597
00:37:55,640 --> 00:37:59,120
And then it goes on and says it 
became a big mountain that went 

598
00:37:59,120 --> 00:38:03,080
over the whole planet. 
The Kingdom of God is a global 

599
00:38:03,080 --> 00:38:08,280
takeover that only those 
citizens will remain forever 

600
00:38:09,800 --> 00:38:11,760
with Him and His Kingdom. 
Amen. 

601
00:38:12,720 --> 00:38:15,520
The next thing that we can learn
is that the wise seek the king. 

602
00:38:16,840 --> 00:38:20,800
It says in Matthew 633, it says 
but seek first His Kingdom and 

603
00:38:20,800 --> 00:38:23,240
His righteousness and all these 
things will be added to you. 

604
00:38:23,720 --> 00:38:26,800
If we would just do that, then 
everything that the world or the

605
00:38:26,800 --> 00:38:29,520
Gentiles are seeking after it 
just comes to us. 

606
00:38:29,520 --> 00:38:34,280
It shows up as a byproduct. 
The world has made it their 

607
00:38:34,320 --> 00:38:40,120
effort to obtain wealth, fame, 
notoriety, success. 

608
00:38:40,880 --> 00:38:44,400
Yet the Bible tells the wise 
those who are children, he said 

609
00:38:44,400 --> 00:38:47,600
just seek the Kingdom and and 
righteousness. 

610
00:38:47,600 --> 00:38:50,720
My way of doing things and 
everything else that everybody's

611
00:38:50,720 --> 00:38:52,360
seeking and putting all their 
effort in. 

612
00:38:52,400 --> 00:38:56,520
It'll just come to you what you 
need so that you can accomplish 

613
00:38:56,520 --> 00:38:58,600
the assignment I have for you. 
I'll bring it to you. 

614
00:38:59,200 --> 00:39:04,440
No worries, no stress, just 
trust. 

615
00:39:06,120 --> 00:39:09,800
Just trust. 
Just trust. 

616
00:39:10,600 --> 00:39:15,280
If you're worrying, it's a trust
problem because it's sure not a 

617
00:39:15,280 --> 00:39:17,760
God problem. 
Are you hearing me? 

618
00:39:18,160 --> 00:39:20,800
James 121 to 22 says it this 
way. 

619
00:39:20,800 --> 00:39:25,480
So get rid of all uncleanliness 
and all that remains of 

620
00:39:25,480 --> 00:39:29,560
wickedness and with a humble 
spirit receive the word of God, 

621
00:39:29,560 --> 00:39:33,280
which is implanted, actually 
rooted in your heart, which is 

622
00:39:33,280 --> 00:39:37,040
able to save your soul. 
Now you're born again, you've 

623
00:39:37,040 --> 00:39:40,120
been made righteous. 
Everything within you is there, 

624
00:39:40,360 --> 00:39:45,040
ready to be released if you will
recognize what it is within your

625
00:39:45,040 --> 00:39:48,120
mind, your soul realm, your 
emotions that are still tied to 

626
00:39:48,120 --> 00:39:51,160
this world. 
And you crucify, get rid of it, 

627
00:39:51,160 --> 00:39:53,920
pluck it out, have nothing else 
to do with it. 

628
00:39:54,160 --> 00:39:56,840
And you're empowered to do this 
because of the new spirit you 

629
00:39:56,840 --> 00:39:58,680
are. 
But it does not happen 

630
00:39:58,680 --> 00:40:01,040
automatically just because 
you're born again. 

631
00:40:01,200 --> 00:40:07,400
It happens with effort, study, 
intentionality, and it happens 

632
00:40:07,400 --> 00:40:11,120
by faith. 
Hallelujah. 

633
00:40:11,880 --> 00:40:14,280
And there's an expectation. 
But then verse 22 says, But 

634
00:40:14,280 --> 00:40:18,280
prove yourself doers of the 
word, actively and continually 

635
00:40:18,280 --> 00:40:21,840
obeying God's precept, and not 
merely listeners who hear the 

636
00:40:21,840 --> 00:40:26,880
word but fail to internalize its
meaning, deluding yourself by 

637
00:40:26,880 --> 00:40:29,720
unsound reasoning contrary to 
the truth. 

638
00:40:30,640 --> 00:40:35,360
I put on my task to do a 
particular thing on a daily 

639
00:40:35,360 --> 00:40:43,520
basis and I found myself not 
doing the task, so I have to 

640
00:40:43,520 --> 00:40:46,920
delete it. 
The reason I have to delete it 

641
00:40:47,160 --> 00:40:50,600
is because if I will not do what
I'm reminding myself to do, I 

642
00:40:50,600 --> 00:40:54,480
will condition myself to not do 
what I hear and read. 

643
00:40:55,840 --> 00:40:59,400
It is dangerous to assign 
yourself a task that you look at

644
00:40:59,400 --> 00:41:02,160
daily and then don't do because 
you'll eventually apply it to 

645
00:41:02,160 --> 00:41:06,760
the word. 
Because for every task you don't

646
00:41:06,760 --> 00:41:09,600
do that you put out there and 
that you say I'm going to do 

647
00:41:09,600 --> 00:41:12,360
this, then you don't do it and 
make an excuse. 

648
00:41:12,720 --> 00:41:14,080
You're going to do it with the 
word. 

649
00:41:16,360 --> 00:41:20,320
It's better for you to not have 
the goal than for you to have 

650
00:41:20,320 --> 00:41:23,440
the goal that you refuse to do 
Now. 

651
00:41:23,440 --> 00:41:26,560
I would say it's better to 
actually have the goal and do it

652
00:41:27,400 --> 00:41:32,240
because then you have the 
confidence that I will do what 

653
00:41:32,240 --> 00:41:43,240
is said because in order to do 
it, it's discipline, it's 

654
00:41:43,240 --> 00:41:49,200
submitting. 
It is a it's the smallest form 

655
00:41:49,440 --> 00:41:56,920
of developing submission because
if you can't submit to your own 

656
00:41:57,120 --> 00:42:04,240
tasks that you make up, then 
don't fool yourself, brothers 

657
00:42:04,240 --> 00:42:08,960
and sisters, that you going to 
follow God that you cannot see. 

658
00:42:12,840 --> 00:42:18,920
Amen. 
So again, the wise seek the 

659
00:42:18,920 --> 00:42:21,680
king. 
That means they're going to be 

660
00:42:21,680 --> 00:42:23,200
doers. 
You're seeking to find. 

661
00:42:23,200 --> 00:42:28,440
You're not seeking to seek. 
This is not a perpetual, you 

662
00:42:28,440 --> 00:42:30,560
know, looking for something 
that's not being found. 

663
00:42:32,280 --> 00:42:38,600
This is finding this is seek to 
find, not to open ask to 

664
00:42:38,600 --> 00:42:41,240
receive. 
Hallelujah. 

665
00:42:41,720 --> 00:42:45,520
It's amazing. 
Now in this passage that we've 

666
00:42:45,520 --> 00:42:50,400
read, first the first 7 verses 
of Matthew 2, we can also learn 

667
00:42:50,400 --> 00:42:53,560
this that is applicable for the 
wise today. 

668
00:42:53,720 --> 00:42:57,880
The wise share about the King's 
coming Mark 1615. 

669
00:42:57,880 --> 00:43:00,280
And then verse 20 it says, and 
he said to them, go in all the 

670
00:43:00,280 --> 00:43:02,880
world and preach the gospel to 
all creatures, it says, and they

671
00:43:02,880 --> 00:43:05,360
went out and preached everywhere
while the Lord worked. 

672
00:43:07,360 --> 00:43:12,160
Verse 20, they went out and 
preached everywhere while the 

673
00:43:12,160 --> 00:43:19,000
Lord worked for them. 
He's not your slave. 

674
00:43:23,960 --> 00:43:26,200
Well, the Lord's going to do it.
I'm not your slave, but I'll 

675
00:43:26,200 --> 00:43:29,720
work with you. 
See, we're Co laborers with 

676
00:43:29,720 --> 00:43:32,160
Christ. 
This is that word that everybody

677
00:43:32,160 --> 00:43:35,760
hates called work. 
So then let's just say Co labor,

678
00:43:36,520 --> 00:43:39,520
which is the same thing. 
You doing your part. 

679
00:43:39,520 --> 00:43:43,480
God does his part. 
God always does his part. 

680
00:43:44,080 --> 00:43:47,640
Are you doing your part? 
Because you do have a part and 

681
00:43:47,640 --> 00:43:52,400
it says and the Lord worked with
them, and confirm the words by 

682
00:43:52,400 --> 00:43:56,880
the signs that followed. 
God worked the Kingdom through 

683
00:43:56,880 --> 00:43:58,320
them. 
You know what? 

684
00:43:58,320 --> 00:44:01,440
People were healed through the 
laying on of hands. 

685
00:44:02,080 --> 00:44:06,120
If they had not laid hands, some
would have not been healed. 

686
00:44:06,600 --> 00:44:09,360
For the instruction was to lay 
hands on the sick and they 

687
00:44:09,360 --> 00:44:12,040
shall. 
Which means when laying on of 

688
00:44:12,040 --> 00:44:16,120
hands was required, then healing
only came through the laying on 

689
00:44:16,120 --> 00:44:19,160
of hands. 
And it wasn't God's hand, it was

690
00:44:19,160 --> 00:44:21,760
your hand. 
But it's not the power in your 

691
00:44:21,760 --> 00:44:24,800
hand, it's the power of God 
working through your hand 

692
00:44:24,800 --> 00:44:29,240
because he's working with you to
demonstrate his Kingdom. 

693
00:44:30,080 --> 00:44:34,080
You're casting out devils not at
your name, but at his name. 

694
00:44:34,920 --> 00:44:38,840
And that's God working with you.
But it's not God's vocal cords. 

695
00:44:38,840 --> 00:44:42,600
It's your vocal cords saying 
shut up and come out in the name

696
00:44:42,600 --> 00:44:48,480
of Jesus, Amen. 
He's not coming in you and 

697
00:44:48,480 --> 00:44:54,640
speaking through you in His 
voice like demons do in humans. 

698
00:44:56,720 --> 00:44:59,480
He's working with you. 
He's allowing your voice to have

699
00:44:59,480 --> 00:45:05,160
His authority. 
Hallelujah, glory to God now God

700
00:45:05,160 --> 00:45:10,760
did it that way in that amazing 
but wise people they share about

701
00:45:10,760 --> 00:45:12,560
the King's coming. 
Are you sharing about the King's

702
00:45:12,560 --> 00:45:14,280
coming Now let's go back to 
Matthew chapter 2. 

703
00:45:14,640 --> 00:45:18,680
Let's go verses 8 through 10. 
So this is after they've come to

704
00:45:18,680 --> 00:45:21,200
Herod they've told him they're 
looking for the king. 

705
00:45:21,560 --> 00:45:23,520
He says, where does the king 
come from? 

706
00:45:23,520 --> 00:45:27,040
Found outcomes back to him, 
meets with them Providence say 

707
00:45:27,040 --> 00:45:29,920
hey, go find him, and when you 
find him, come back and tell me.

708
00:45:29,920 --> 00:45:32,480
So I'm worship him. 
We're going to see this in verse

709
00:45:32,480 --> 00:45:34,000
8. 
So then he said, go to 

710
00:45:34,000 --> 00:45:37,080
Bethlehem, search carefully for 
the Child, and when you find 

711
00:45:37,080 --> 00:45:39,680
him, come back and tell me so 
that I can go and worship him 

712
00:45:39,680 --> 00:45:41,640
too. 
After this interview, the wise 

713
00:45:41,640 --> 00:45:46,000
men went their way and the star 
they had seen in the East guided

714
00:45:46,000 --> 00:45:48,800
them to Bethlehem. 
It went ahead of them and 

715
00:45:48,800 --> 00:45:50,760
stopped over the place where the
child was. 

716
00:45:50,840 --> 00:45:55,160
And when they saw the star, they
were filled with joy. 

717
00:45:55,760 --> 00:45:58,800
What can we learn for today, 
being wise, is that the wise are

718
00:45:58,800 --> 00:46:02,960
guided by the light. 
I said we are guided by the 

719
00:46:02,960 --> 00:46:04,880
light. 
And here's the thing, the lights

720
00:46:04,880 --> 00:46:10,840
not in the world. 
The light that we are following 

721
00:46:10,840 --> 00:46:14,720
is not in the world, just as the
light they were following were 

722
00:46:14,720 --> 00:46:19,000
not was not in the world. 
Psalms 100 and 19105 says this. 

723
00:46:19,000 --> 00:46:23,880
Your word is a lamp to my feet, 
a light to my path. 

724
00:46:25,760 --> 00:46:29,920
Are you hearing me? 
This is why I do not care what 

725
00:46:29,920 --> 00:46:35,600
sector of society exists. 
Do not care. 

726
00:46:37,240 --> 00:46:43,800
I do not care of all their 
titles and their expertise Do 

727
00:46:43,800 --> 00:46:48,720
not care They do not have the 
final say on anything. 

728
00:46:51,240 --> 00:46:54,960
Which means when I go to a 
sector of society and hear their

729
00:46:54,960 --> 00:47:02,200
report, it is always subject to 
the report of my father because 

730
00:47:02,200 --> 00:47:06,560
my pathway is not their report, 
it's his report. 

731
00:47:08,640 --> 00:47:12,680
Which means I have to have 
enough ability to hear by the 

732
00:47:12,680 --> 00:47:16,760
Spirit what the word is saying 
of how I should navigate. 

733
00:47:18,800 --> 00:47:22,240
I do not go to the financial 
sector of society, the banking 

734
00:47:22,240 --> 00:47:27,120
industry, business, for it to 
tell me how to prosper. 

735
00:47:30,000 --> 00:47:34,800
They do not have the final say. 
My King has the final say. 

736
00:47:35,440 --> 00:47:38,840
He is the lamp unto my feet, the
light unto my path. 

737
00:47:40,720 --> 00:47:46,320
I've been rejected by financial 
institutions, yet God's plan 

738
00:47:46,400 --> 00:47:49,080
always produced what was 
necessary. 

739
00:47:50,080 --> 00:47:53,920
Are you hearing me? 
So they never have the final say

740
00:47:54,560 --> 00:47:57,200
in my life. 
Education does not have the 

741
00:47:57,200 --> 00:48:01,480
final say in my life. 
It cannot say if you do not have

742
00:48:01,480 --> 00:48:08,200
a degree you can't attain here. 
They don't have that because if 

743
00:48:08,200 --> 00:48:11,000
you follow the path of the Lord 
you, it could. 

744
00:48:11,000 --> 00:48:15,400
He can put you in places that 
even the educational 

745
00:48:15,400 --> 00:48:19,120
institutions would have to give 
you an honorary degree for the 

746
00:48:19,120 --> 00:48:22,200
wisdom that is upon your 
shoulders and on your mind. 

747
00:48:22,960 --> 00:48:26,280
They would have to recognize it.
Are you hearing me? 

748
00:48:26,560 --> 00:48:30,360
The the medical field does not 
have the final say to my pathway

749
00:48:30,360 --> 00:48:34,960
to healing does not have it. 
And I do not have to do their 

750
00:48:34,960 --> 00:48:40,360
course if they say this is the 
path, but my king says another 

751
00:48:40,360 --> 00:48:43,400
one. 
I'm following His because the 

752
00:48:43,400 --> 00:48:48,560
wise are not led by the words of
men, but the Word of God. 

753
00:48:49,120 --> 00:48:53,280
It is the path that light. 
I cannot allow myself to be 

754
00:48:53,280 --> 00:48:57,040
constrained to what's being 
spoken in this realm. 

755
00:48:57,200 --> 00:49:01,240
I have to allow the light to 
penetrate me with His wisdom. 

756
00:49:01,520 --> 00:49:05,560
And the wise will do that 
because if the wise do it, they 

757
00:49:05,560 --> 00:49:10,160
will see the next step and 
they'll see the end. 

758
00:49:10,160 --> 00:49:12,320
This was so great about His 
word, just this one verse. 

759
00:49:12,600 --> 00:49:15,160
His word is a lamp into my feet.
You know what the word's going 

760
00:49:15,160 --> 00:49:18,560
to do, give you this step. 
But you know what else did it 

761
00:49:18,560 --> 00:49:20,120
do? 
It'll be a light to your path 

762
00:49:20,120 --> 00:49:21,720
which will show you the end 
results. 

763
00:49:21,960 --> 00:49:24,120
Now you may not see the rest in 
between. 

764
00:49:25,560 --> 00:49:27,760
Again, it's called a light at 
the end of the tunnel. 

765
00:49:29,240 --> 00:49:34,120
It's down there and I can see 
it, but it's not shining so 

766
00:49:34,120 --> 00:49:36,520
bright that it's lighting 
everything else. 

767
00:49:37,120 --> 00:49:39,120
That's why His Word is this 
step. 

768
00:49:40,160 --> 00:49:44,400
And the and here's the thing. 
God's Word being a lamp means if

769
00:49:44,400 --> 00:49:48,080
you don't take this step, the 
lamp can't illuminate. 

770
00:49:51,680 --> 00:49:54,280
And some of you aren't taking 
the first step. 

771
00:49:54,280 --> 00:49:57,840
You want 5 steps down. 
And the Lord's like, well, I 

772
00:49:57,840 --> 00:50:00,160
can't illuminate the next step 
'cause you're not even doing the

773
00:50:00,160 --> 00:50:04,600
first step. 
And if you don't do the first 

774
00:50:04,600 --> 00:50:09,680
step, you can't get the next 
step because eventually as that 

775
00:50:09,680 --> 00:50:12,480
lamp and you take steps closer 
to the light. 

776
00:50:12,680 --> 00:50:15,440
Well, guess what? 
The light as you get closer 

777
00:50:15,520 --> 00:50:19,280
penetrates more of that 
darkness, which means now it'll 

778
00:50:19,280 --> 00:50:22,040
show you the clear path that 
you'll just be walking in all 

779
00:50:22,040 --> 00:50:24,240
the way. 
You'll see the clear picture of 

780
00:50:24,240 --> 00:50:29,160
the rest of the way through. 
And many of us, we don't watch 

781
00:50:29,160 --> 00:50:33,760
out will allows allow ourselves 
not to be wise because we make a

782
00:50:33,760 --> 00:50:35,840
demand like the whole thing. 
I want to see how it's done 

783
00:50:35,840 --> 00:50:39,640
before I even step out. 
In fact, do it first, then I'll 

784
00:50:39,640 --> 00:50:42,160
believe it. 
That's not faith. 

785
00:50:43,600 --> 00:50:48,040
Psalms 4330 send out your light 
and your truth. 

786
00:50:48,280 --> 00:50:51,320
Let them lead me. 
Let them bring me to your holy 

787
00:50:51,320 --> 00:50:53,840
hill and be your dwelling 
places. 

788
00:50:53,840 --> 00:50:58,800
So the light and truth let it 
lead you all right the next 

789
00:50:58,800 --> 00:51:00,920
thing we can learn from this 
passage of Scripture from 8 to 

790
00:51:00,920 --> 00:51:05,200
10 is the wise persevere to be 
in the presence of the king. 

791
00:51:07,920 --> 00:51:11,840
One translation says that when 
they arrived at the house and it

792
00:51:11,840 --> 00:51:13,520
could be as we when we get to 
read it. 

793
00:51:13,840 --> 00:51:16,520
Yeah a little bit further. 
The next verse is going to tell 

794
00:51:16,520 --> 00:51:19,080
us that he was a child, not say 
he was a baby anymore. 

795
00:51:20,400 --> 00:51:25,360
And we know based upon Herod 
recognizing that they did not 

796
00:51:25,360 --> 00:51:28,080
come back to him, he issues a 
decree. 

797
00:51:28,080 --> 00:51:33,840
King Herod does kill every child
to and under in Bethlehem. 

798
00:51:35,240 --> 00:51:37,960
I don't know which one it is 
that's the king that's 

799
00:51:37,960 --> 00:51:44,000
threatening my power, but 
killing kill them all and they 

800
00:51:44,000 --> 00:51:46,600
went through. 
That's why Joseph and Mary fled 

801
00:51:46,600 --> 00:51:52,520
to Egypt. 
So Jesus was not in a Manger 

802
00:51:53,560 --> 00:51:59,720
with wise men. 
He was walking at the time and 

803
00:51:59,800 --> 00:52:05,840
probably was toilet trained as 
well. 

804
00:52:08,880 --> 00:52:11,560
Could very well be. 
He was a very wise child. 

805
00:52:14,080 --> 00:52:15,880
He was like I'm not doing this 
again. 

806
00:52:19,040 --> 00:52:22,800
Praise God. 
Mary's like this is if all my 

807
00:52:22,800 --> 00:52:24,920
children turn out like him, this
is going to be amazing. 

808
00:52:26,960 --> 00:52:30,400
Acts 1422 says this, 
strengthening the souls of the 

809
00:52:30,720 --> 00:52:34,080
disciples, encouraging them to 
continue in faith and saying 

810
00:52:34,280 --> 00:52:37,160
through many tribulations we 
must enter the Kingdom of God. 

811
00:52:38,800 --> 00:52:41,560
Why the wise persevere to be in 
the presence of the King. 

812
00:52:42,120 --> 00:52:45,200
Our society has made everything 
so quick. 

813
00:52:48,920 --> 00:52:54,280
We label things now ADHD, 
attention deficit disorder. 

814
00:52:54,280 --> 00:52:55,720
We say people can't hold their 
attention. 

815
00:52:56,360 --> 00:52:57,440
And you know what? 
That's fine. 

816
00:52:58,040 --> 00:53:00,920
But you know what's even worse 
than all those is that a 

817
00:53:00,920 --> 00:53:07,360
believer cannot believe more 
than a couple of hours. 

818
00:53:09,920 --> 00:53:13,120
Now why do I say that some of 
them can't even believe an hour?

819
00:53:14,160 --> 00:53:16,600
How do I know this is true? 
Because they cannot be in a 

820
00:53:16,600 --> 00:53:22,240
service longer than an hour. 
Come on, come on. 

821
00:53:22,240 --> 00:53:25,200
They're already bored. 
Don't want to hear anything else

822
00:53:25,200 --> 00:53:26,720
from the preacher. 
They're ready to eat. 

823
00:53:28,080 --> 00:53:30,640
They're not hungry for the word 
of God, hungry for the presence 

824
00:53:30,640 --> 00:53:33,520
of God, hungry to be trained. 
They're like, OK, I did my due 

825
00:53:33,520 --> 00:53:34,480
dealings. 
I got to go. 

826
00:53:36,120 --> 00:53:38,920
Oh, your faith just stopped. 
Oh, OK. 

827
00:53:38,920 --> 00:53:40,360
I didn't realize you had 22nd 
faith. 

828
00:53:42,200 --> 00:53:45,320
And if you don't get in 20 
seconds, then forget about it. 

829
00:53:46,240 --> 00:53:47,200
We'll go ahead and abandoned 
God. 

830
00:53:47,200 --> 00:53:53,920
We'll just go do it our own way.
Yet the Bible says you got to 

831
00:53:53,920 --> 00:53:57,200
persevere. 
And these wise men held to a 

832
00:53:57,200 --> 00:54:01,200
word that they set out on the 
day he was born, loaded the 

833
00:54:01,200 --> 00:54:06,240
camels and took off nowhere in 
scripture. 

834
00:54:06,480 --> 00:54:12,600
In fact, there is more scripture
to refute this fantasy idea that

835
00:54:12,600 --> 00:54:17,040
they jumped on their camels and 
the skies were nice and sunny. 

836
00:54:17,040 --> 00:54:21,040
In fact, it was so awesome that 
God brought a cloud to cover 

837
00:54:21,040 --> 00:54:23,920
them by day and a pillar of fire
by night to carry them. 

838
00:54:24,040 --> 00:54:26,000
Nowhere does it say that He 
offered that. 

839
00:54:27,120 --> 00:54:29,920
In fact, more than likely they 
hit sandstorms. 

840
00:54:30,040 --> 00:54:33,560
They had issues, they had all 
kinds of probably challenges. 

841
00:54:33,560 --> 00:54:35,320
They may have even been 
attacked. 

842
00:54:35,320 --> 00:54:38,080
We just don't even have record 
of it because they had a group 

843
00:54:38,080 --> 00:54:39,640
with them to protect the 
treasure. 

844
00:54:41,400 --> 00:54:43,520
It could have been known, heard 
about that. 

845
00:54:43,520 --> 00:54:46,400
There's this entourage traveling
in the desert going somewhere 

846
00:54:46,520 --> 00:54:48,200
and there's great wealth and 
riches. 

847
00:54:48,320 --> 00:54:50,960
Obviously, they're in an uproar 
because they've shown up now. 

848
00:54:51,160 --> 00:54:53,240
It could have been that there's 
been a testimony of something 

849
00:54:53,240 --> 00:54:56,120
heading in this direction. 
I mean, you understand, in the 

850
00:54:56,120 --> 00:54:59,600
last administration when people 
were leaving, you know, El 

851
00:54:59,600 --> 00:55:03,720
Salvador and Nicaragua and 
coming up, we would have cameras

852
00:55:03,720 --> 00:55:06,640
watching a whole entourage of 
people coming to the border. 

853
00:55:07,800 --> 00:55:10,640
Do we think that they wouldn't 
have heard that there's somebody

854
00:55:10,640 --> 00:55:14,600
coming their way yet? 
What we do if we don't watch 

855
00:55:14,600 --> 00:55:20,280
out, we want to God to believe. 
We want no issue, no challenge, 

856
00:55:20,400 --> 00:55:23,440
no suffering, no heartache, no 
issue. 

857
00:55:23,520 --> 00:55:26,000
Yet he says, man, in this 
Kingdom you're going to have 

858
00:55:26,000 --> 00:55:28,600
some tribulations. 
And if you're a wise person, you

859
00:55:28,600 --> 00:55:34,920
persevere. 
You persevere first. 

860
00:55:34,920 --> 00:55:38,280
Peter, 412 and 13, says, 
Beloved, do not be surprised by 

861
00:55:38,280 --> 00:55:41,760
the fiery ordeals among you 
which come upon you for your 

862
00:55:41,760 --> 00:55:43,200
what? 
Testing. 

863
00:55:43,400 --> 00:55:45,760
As though some strange thing has
happened to you. 

864
00:55:46,840 --> 00:55:50,640
Quit looking in the mirror and 
saying, why is this happening to

865
00:55:50,640 --> 00:55:52,960
me? 
It's happening to everybody. 

866
00:55:55,400 --> 00:55:59,360
Quit getting online and looking 
for someone who's in your 

867
00:55:59,360 --> 00:56:04,640
problem. 
Everyone has had your problem. 

868
00:56:07,160 --> 00:56:13,200
Everyone has had your problem. 
You're a human being. 

869
00:56:13,600 --> 00:56:19,360
Welcome to the planet. 
And I don't have to get along 

870
00:56:19,360 --> 00:56:21,600
with you and tell you all the 
attacks. 

871
00:56:21,600 --> 00:56:24,000
I've had all this to identify 
with you. 

872
00:56:24,000 --> 00:56:27,040
The scripture already lets you 
know we are identifiable. 

873
00:56:29,080 --> 00:56:31,480
I want to talk about the I want 
to talk to the ones that don't 

874
00:56:31,480 --> 00:56:34,760
talk about it because that means
they're putting their trust 

875
00:56:34,760 --> 00:56:40,200
somewhere. 
It says first thing. 13 But to 

876
00:56:40,200 --> 00:56:43,440
the degree that you share the 
sufferings of Christ, keep on, 

877
00:56:44,720 --> 00:56:47,120
keep on what? 
And I know it's hard to rejoice 

878
00:56:47,120 --> 00:56:49,320
when it's troubling. 
I get it. 

879
00:56:49,400 --> 00:56:52,680
You have a gamut of emotions. 
I get it. 

880
00:56:52,800 --> 00:56:55,720
And God has no problem with you 
talking to him about it. 

881
00:56:56,960 --> 00:57:00,760
But again, if you'll talk to 
him, then he'll give you the 

882
00:57:00,760 --> 00:57:08,280
word you need to overcome the 
reason believers do not 

883
00:57:08,280 --> 00:57:10,520
persevere or do not function 
wise. 

884
00:57:10,600 --> 00:57:12,320
You don't you want to be among 
the wise. 

885
00:57:12,400 --> 00:57:14,600
The wise said OK, I can pursue 
this is tough. 

886
00:57:14,600 --> 00:57:17,320
It seemed like it's never going.
You just want to talk to the one

887
00:57:17,320 --> 00:57:19,760
that gets you through. 
He is the author and finisher of

888
00:57:19,760 --> 00:57:21,160
your faith. 
He'll take you through the 

889
00:57:21,160 --> 00:57:23,800
valley of the shadow of death. 
You can fear not. 

890
00:57:23,800 --> 00:57:27,480
What can man do to you? 
Greater is he that's in you than

891
00:57:27,480 --> 00:57:30,040
he that's in the world. 
He will cause you to triumph in 

892
00:57:30,040 --> 00:57:33,040
all things, no matter what trial
or tribulation comes. 

893
00:57:33,160 --> 00:57:36,440
You're overwhelmingly conquer. 
And I know you're not in the 

894
00:57:36,440 --> 00:57:39,200
finished picture yet, but know 
this, saith the Lord. 

895
00:57:39,680 --> 00:57:42,360
If you'll stay with him, he'll 
get you through and you don't 

896
00:57:42,360 --> 00:57:44,560
need to have somebody else's how
or when. 

897
00:57:44,680 --> 00:57:47,520
You already know through a 
scripture a how and when has 

898
00:57:47,520 --> 00:57:49,840
happened and they conquered, 
You'll conquer too. 

899
00:57:49,960 --> 00:57:53,960
Stay with the Lord. 
Now, I'm not discrediting 

900
00:57:54,120 --> 00:57:56,920
testimonies. 
I'm not trying to say that. 

901
00:57:57,040 --> 00:57:58,400
I'm not saying there's anything 
wrong. 

902
00:57:58,520 --> 00:58:03,800
But if you are hungering to hear
people feel like you feel so 

903
00:58:03,800 --> 00:58:08,600
that you cannot feel bad that 
you feel this way, you're not 

904
00:58:08,600 --> 00:58:14,160
looking for an answer. 
That's what you have to 

905
00:58:14,240 --> 00:58:21,280
safeguard yourself from because 
God can send people your way and

906
00:58:21,560 --> 00:58:25,720
let me say if someone's coming 
your way and identifying with 

907
00:58:25,720 --> 00:58:29,960
your pain and troubles and 
sufferings, but it's not but are

908
00:58:29,960 --> 00:58:35,040
not giving you biblical answers.
Overcome and leave you with this

909
00:58:35,040 --> 00:58:39,320
spirit in you that we got this I
can win then quit talking to him

910
00:58:40,920 --> 00:58:44,840
because the devil has sent them 
to keep you out of victory and 

911
00:58:44,840 --> 00:58:48,520
stay in your your your emotional
pain. 

912
00:58:50,640 --> 00:58:52,800
Has anybody in here never had 
emotional pain. 

913
00:58:53,760 --> 00:58:57,760
Thank you. 
We've all gone through it but 

914
00:58:57,760 --> 00:59:00,960
the Kingdom of God man, we will 
conquer. 

915
00:59:02,080 --> 00:59:08,400
We win because he wins and I 
don't revel in the tribulation. 

916
00:59:08,600 --> 00:59:15,320
I go through it and it doesn't 
feel good when someone's like, 

917
00:59:16,120 --> 00:59:22,520
you got joy and you're like, no,
but you know they're right and 

918
00:59:22,520 --> 00:59:24,520
you're like, I need to get some 
now. 

919
00:59:24,520 --> 00:59:28,240
Joy doesn't have to be laughing,
but it does have to be a sense 

920
00:59:28,400 --> 00:59:32,960
that brings peace to it. 
You know that you have a kick in

921
00:59:32,960 --> 00:59:36,400
your step about it. 
Your attitudes good it. 

922
00:59:36,440 --> 00:59:39,920
It'll become reflective when 
you're walking in joy and that 

923
00:59:39,920 --> 00:59:43,840
heaviness comes off. 
Cast your care on the Lord 

924
00:59:44,320 --> 00:59:47,200
before he cares for you. 
The wise persevere. 

925
00:59:47,200 --> 00:59:50,440
These guys persevere. 
They did not say, my gosh, man, 

926
00:59:50,440 --> 00:59:52,840
we've been away from our 
homeland for a year. 

927
00:59:56,720 --> 00:59:58,440
Where are we? 
And here's a they didn't even 

928
00:59:58,440 --> 01:00:01,160
know the town. 
It's not like they had GPS like 

929
01:00:01,160 --> 01:00:05,400
what we do. 
I'm going to Washington, DC, OK?

930
01:00:05,400 --> 01:00:07,160
It's going to take me. 
They didn't have that. 

931
01:00:07,320 --> 01:00:11,760
They're like, that's it. 
Well, he's not here. 

932
01:00:12,000 --> 01:00:16,280
Let's go towards the light. 
They wake up and they go towards

933
01:00:16,280 --> 01:00:17,880
the light the next day, there it
is. 

934
01:00:18,120 --> 01:00:21,120
And they do it again and they do
it again, not knowing an end. 

935
01:00:21,280 --> 01:00:25,800
They get a year in, they get it.
I mean, many can't even get 30 

936
01:00:25,800 --> 01:00:30,160
days in. 
God call you to a seven day 

937
01:00:30,160 --> 01:00:31,520
fast. 
By the second day you're ready 

938
01:00:31,520 --> 01:00:34,760
to eat. 
Say Amen. 

939
01:00:35,960 --> 01:00:39,840
It's perseverance. 
And so they 30 days in, they're 

940
01:00:39,840 --> 01:00:43,640
90 days in. 
They're six months in, don't 

941
01:00:43,640 --> 01:00:47,080
know where they're going, but 
that light is still there and 

942
01:00:47,080 --> 01:00:49,880
they're so convinced that 
they're not going to let the 

943
01:00:49,880 --> 01:00:55,360
elements or anything deter them.
I don't know how the bugs are 

944
01:00:55,360 --> 01:00:57,640
over there, but if they were 
coming through Florida, the 

945
01:00:57,640 --> 01:01:00,400
mosquitoes during the summer 
would have been like a reason to

946
01:01:00,400 --> 01:01:05,240
want to go home. 
There's probably had scorpions, 

947
01:01:05,240 --> 01:01:07,640
all kind of stuff going on out 
there in the desert. 

948
01:01:08,440 --> 01:01:13,440
But they persevered and they 
finally got into the town that 

949
01:01:13,440 --> 01:01:17,760
they believe he must have been. 
And they're like, man, here we 

950
01:01:17,760 --> 01:01:19,600
go. 
Where's he at? 

951
01:01:20,480 --> 01:01:22,640
Because this light's brighter 
than it's ever been. 

952
01:01:23,120 --> 01:01:24,560
And then they find out it's in 
Bethlehem. 

953
01:01:24,560 --> 01:01:26,440
They're like, we finally know 
the city. 

954
01:01:28,440 --> 01:01:31,080
And then the light shows them 
again and stops over the house. 

955
01:01:31,800 --> 01:01:36,200
Now that's some serious GPS. 
I mean, you're not even 

956
01:01:36,200 --> 01:01:38,560
guessing. 
It illuminates. 

957
01:01:39,000 --> 01:01:40,960
That's what some of y'all see 
when you pass Bucky's on the 

958
01:01:40,960 --> 01:01:47,120
highway. 
It's a sign from heaven. 

959
01:01:50,360 --> 01:01:51,280
I don't know what it is about 
them. 

960
01:01:51,280 --> 01:01:56,440
Buck teeth. 
I used to do a little thing with

961
01:01:56,440 --> 01:02:00,640
my children called Harry Buck 
Teefee, but I won't do it. 

962
01:02:00,640 --> 01:02:03,600
I'll save that for them. 
But I have a whole act and 

963
01:02:03,600 --> 01:02:08,560
everything. 
Matthew 2 verse 11 and 12 says, 

964
01:02:08,560 --> 01:02:11,680
yes, we're reeling it in right 
now, reel it in. 

965
01:02:11,720 --> 01:02:14,960
And they entered the house and 
saw the child with his mother 

966
01:02:15,120 --> 01:02:17,640
Mary, and they bowed down and 
worshipped him. 

967
01:02:18,880 --> 01:02:23,800
And then they opened their 
treasure chests, that's not 3 

968
01:02:23,800 --> 01:02:28,680
people, and gave him gifts of 
gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 

969
01:02:31,720 --> 01:02:33,680
And when it was time to leave, 
they returned to their own 

970
01:02:33,680 --> 01:02:36,480
country by another route, for 
God had warned them in a dream 

971
01:02:36,480 --> 01:02:41,560
not to return to Herod the Wise.
Bow down in worship to the king.

972
01:02:43,080 --> 01:02:46,760
How does that apply to us today?
Do you bow down in worship to 

973
01:02:46,760 --> 01:02:50,360
the king? 
You should physically bow down 

974
01:02:50,360 --> 01:02:53,160
every once in a while. 
You should. 

975
01:02:53,960 --> 01:02:57,000
The reason why we have a 
tradition of bowing down in 

976
01:02:57,000 --> 01:02:59,920
prayer. 
It's really a government thing 

977
01:03:00,040 --> 01:03:03,760
and I and we don't know this. 
It's really that well, I well, 

978
01:03:03,760 --> 01:03:06,760
I, you know, they say, you know,
I had my knees are worn out. 

979
01:03:06,760 --> 01:03:08,360
You know, that's like a sign of 
a golly. 

980
01:03:08,640 --> 01:03:10,520
And they're always talking 
about, you know, bowing down to 

981
01:03:10,520 --> 01:03:12,080
pray. 
Well, really it's because this 

982
01:03:12,080 --> 01:03:14,080
is a position you're in when 
you're before king. 

983
01:03:16,120 --> 01:03:19,080
We've made it a traditional 
position to talk to God, but 

984
01:03:19,080 --> 01:03:24,240
it's really a place of 
government respect and honor in 

985
01:03:24,240 --> 01:03:26,880
a Kingdom because he has the 
authority. 

986
01:03:28,240 --> 01:03:33,920
So you should periodically 
exercise why Isaiah? 

987
01:03:35,080 --> 01:03:40,680
What's Isaiah say? 
Isaiah chapter 45 or yes 23 says

988
01:03:40,680 --> 01:03:42,520
this. 
I have sworn by my own name. 

989
01:03:42,520 --> 01:03:45,520
I've spoken the truth. 
I will never go back on my word.

990
01:03:45,600 --> 01:03:51,240
Every knee will bend to me and 
every tongue will declare 

991
01:03:51,240 --> 01:03:54,240
allegiance to me. 
Look what else it says over in 

992
01:03:54,240 --> 01:03:57,920
the new covenant. 
Philippians 210 and 11 says so 

993
01:03:57,920 --> 01:04:02,760
that at the name of Jesus, how 
many knees come on how many 

994
01:04:02,760 --> 01:04:06,240
knees? 
Don't let your first be on that 

995
01:04:06,240 --> 01:04:11,720
day, because for many their 
first will be at the great white

996
01:04:11,720 --> 01:04:16,160
throne, and they'll bow before 
the king, and he'll cast them 

997
01:04:16,160 --> 01:04:18,120
into the lake of fire, which is 
the second death. 

998
01:04:18,320 --> 01:04:21,560
Because every knee will bow of 
those who are in heaven and on 

999
01:04:21,560 --> 01:04:26,800
earth and under the earth, under
the earth that are in the grave.

1000
01:04:27,240 --> 01:04:33,040
They'll bow and they will 
confess You are Lord, you are 

1001
01:04:33,040 --> 01:04:38,920
Lord, you are Lord, you are 
Lord, you are Lord. 

1002
01:04:39,640 --> 01:04:42,400
And he'll say, depart from me, 
I'll never knew you. 

1003
01:04:42,400 --> 01:04:47,680
And they'll confess that Jesus 
Christ is the Lord, the glory of

1004
01:04:47,680 --> 01:04:50,520
the Father. 
So we need to bow down 

1005
01:04:50,640 --> 01:04:54,440
physically, but we also need to 
bow spiritually. 

1006
01:04:54,960 --> 01:04:59,600
We need to bow emotionally. 
We need to bow intellectually. 

1007
01:05:02,600 --> 01:05:09,520
That is a act of submission. 
And worship him means whatever 

1008
01:05:09,520 --> 01:05:17,440
you say that I will do, that 
I'll do, because the wise bow 

1009
01:05:17,440 --> 01:05:22,520
down and worship the king. 
And we can still do that today. 

1010
01:05:23,040 --> 01:05:26,240
The last point is this. 
The wise recognize the worth of 

1011
01:05:26,240 --> 01:05:28,200
the king. 
This is it. 

1012
01:05:30,000 --> 01:05:32,080
We're bringing it in. 
This is why we're celebrating 

1013
01:05:32,080 --> 01:05:35,800
the season. 
A child is born, a son is given 

1014
01:05:35,800 --> 01:05:39,080
and he's brought the Kingdom and
the wise men have given us a 

1015
01:05:39,080 --> 01:05:44,920
great illustration of who what 
we are to do in this life, in 

1016
01:05:44,920 --> 01:05:48,680
this dispensation when 
encountering the king in our 

1017
01:05:48,680 --> 01:05:50,640
expectations. 
This is the expectation of the 

1018
01:05:50,640 --> 01:05:53,040
wise. 
We are to recognize the worth of

1019
01:05:53,040 --> 01:05:56,840
the king. 
Matthew 1314 to 4644 to 46 says 

1020
01:05:56,840 --> 01:05:58,920
that the Kingdom of heaven is 
like a treasure hidden in the 

1021
01:05:58,920 --> 01:06:03,840
field which a man found and hid 
again from joy. 

1022
01:06:03,840 --> 01:06:07,480
Over it he goes and sells all 
that he has and buys that field 

1023
01:06:07,480 --> 01:06:08,680
again. 
The Kingdom of heaven is like a 

1024
01:06:08,680 --> 01:06:11,880
merchant seeking fine pearls, 
and upon finding 1 Pearl of 

1025
01:06:11,880 --> 01:06:15,920
great valley, he went and sold 
all that he had and bought it. 

1026
01:06:17,080 --> 01:06:21,040
Matthew 1038 to 39. 
In the context of those parables

1027
01:06:21,040 --> 01:06:24,520
of the Kingdom of heaven, 
Matthew 103839 says, And he who 

1028
01:06:24,520 --> 01:06:27,320
does not take his cross and 
follow me is not worthy of me. 

1029
01:06:28,360 --> 01:06:31,800
He who has found his life will 
lose it, and he who has lost his

1030
01:06:31,800 --> 01:06:41,640
life for my sake will find it. 
The wise recognize the worth of 

1031
01:06:41,640 --> 01:06:45,920
the King, the message of Jesus 
Christ. 

1032
01:06:46,680 --> 01:06:51,640
It's not an escape theology. 
It's not do what you want to do,

1033
01:06:52,080 --> 01:06:54,840
get his forgiveness and go to 
heaven when you die. 

1034
01:06:56,320 --> 01:06:59,320
It is complete and total 
lordship. 

1035
01:07:05,640 --> 01:07:13,200
It's Lordship. 
A person marked with lordship to

1036
01:07:13,200 --> 01:07:18,040
Jesus doesn't have their own 
life anymore. 

1037
01:07:22,520 --> 01:07:26,360
In our nation, there's a lot of 
redefining of terms and how you 

1038
01:07:26,360 --> 01:07:29,240
can walk with the Lord. 
But I'm going to stay with 

1039
01:07:29,240 --> 01:07:33,040
Scripture, and the Scripture 
tells me what a person who has 

1040
01:07:33,040 --> 01:07:39,640
lordship looks like. 
Their life is not their own and 

1041
01:07:39,640 --> 01:07:42,440
as long as you have a part of 
your own life that you want to 

1042
01:07:42,440 --> 01:07:47,000
keep, then I questioned his 
Lordship in your life and can 

1043
01:07:47,000 --> 01:07:49,160
rightly do that. 
I'm not judging you, but I sure 

1044
01:07:49,160 --> 01:07:52,920
can't question your life because
you're not lining up to what he 

1045
01:07:52,920 --> 01:07:57,200
said. 
He said if I'm Lord, then you're

1046
01:07:57,200 --> 01:08:00,600
going to lose your life. 
You're not going to try to do 

1047
01:08:00,600 --> 01:08:02,160
your own thing. 
You're not going to try to walk 

1048
01:08:02,160 --> 01:08:03,480
your own way. 
You're not going to try to 

1049
01:08:03,480 --> 01:08:05,880
pattern your life based upon 
what you want to do. 

1050
01:08:08,280 --> 01:08:10,000
You're coming after me and me 
alone. 

1051
01:08:10,880 --> 01:08:12,560
Now that doesn't mean you're 
called to ministry. 

1052
01:08:13,040 --> 01:08:16,080
That just means you're doing 
life His way and you can do that

1053
01:08:16,080 --> 01:08:19,200
in every sector of society. 
Last scripture is this Matthew 

1054
01:08:19,200 --> 01:08:22,880
chapter 16 verses 24 to 27. 
Then Jesus said to his 

1055
01:08:22,880 --> 01:08:31,080
disciples, if anyone wishes to 
come after me, who's talking? 

1056
01:08:34,040 --> 01:08:40,720
I'm not saying this. 
I'm not saying this, so please 

1057
01:08:41,000 --> 01:08:44,600
take your task list off that 
you're not doing and try to 

1058
01:08:44,600 --> 01:08:47,399
justify your lifestyle from this
verse. 

1059
01:08:51,319 --> 01:08:55,399
Let's do what it says. 
Jesus then said to his 

1060
01:08:55,399 --> 01:08:59,760
disciples, are you his disciple?
Because if you're a disciple, 

1061
01:08:59,760 --> 01:09:01,800
then you're listening. 
But if you're, you know, a 

1062
01:09:01,800 --> 01:09:03,840
person that just wants to be 
saved, then maybe you're not a 

1063
01:09:03,840 --> 01:09:10,359
disciple. 
If anyone wishes to come after 

1064
01:09:10,359 --> 01:09:14,359
me, which means it's on you 
because he came after you. 

1065
01:09:15,680 --> 01:09:18,880
He's done his part. 
So if you wish to come after me,

1066
01:09:19,080 --> 01:09:30,319
he must deny himself. 
My wife and I, we've had this 

1067
01:09:30,319 --> 01:09:35,120
conversation periodically. 
I say periodically, it's not all

1068
01:09:35,120 --> 01:09:37,439
the time, but periodically, 
through the trials and 

1069
01:09:37,439 --> 01:09:39,560
tribulations of life, we have 
this conversation. 

1070
01:09:42,200 --> 01:09:52,479
Is it worth it? 
Is it worth it when you feel the

1071
01:09:52,479 --> 01:09:54,640
burden of Paul? 
Have I labored in vain? 

1072
01:09:57,480 --> 01:10:00,080
How can they act like that 
knowing what they know? 

1073
01:10:00,080 --> 01:10:09,440
That's good, Paul said. 
Demas has deserted me, he said. 

1074
01:10:09,440 --> 01:10:22,440
I stood trial all by myself. 
Paul looked at the elders, at 

1075
01:10:22,440 --> 01:10:23,960
Ephesus and says, now I'm going 
to leave. 

1076
01:10:23,960 --> 01:10:26,840
But I got people among you 
that's going to try to divide 

1077
01:10:26,840 --> 01:10:30,440
the flock. 
Now we know that Paul was right 

1078
01:10:30,440 --> 01:10:33,240
about these people, but the 
people running with those people

1079
01:10:33,240 --> 01:10:40,690
thought Paul was wrong. 
You know, like it's even worth 

1080
01:10:40,690 --> 01:10:45,370
it. 
You just deny, deny, deny 

1081
01:10:49,280 --> 01:10:52,840
without the word of my king. 
He must deny himself. 

1082
01:10:53,640 --> 01:11:00,120
Take up his cross and follow me.
What you're called to do, you 

1083
01:11:00,120 --> 01:11:03,840
must be willing to do it. 
And that's all you're pursuing. 

1084
01:11:05,520 --> 01:11:07,280
For whoever wishes to save his 
life. 

1085
01:11:07,280 --> 01:11:15,780
We'll lose it every time. 
Ron. 

1086
01:11:15,860 --> 01:11:19,380
My wife and I say let's just 
leave. 

1087
01:11:20,340 --> 01:11:24,000
We'll go start somewhere else. 
We'll go do this. 

1088
01:11:25,160 --> 01:11:32,000
It sounds good in theory, but we
know a life lived outside the 

1089
01:11:32,000 --> 01:11:41,280
will of God is hell. 
And we know this, that a life 

1090
01:11:41,280 --> 01:11:46,080
lived outside the will of God 
initially looks like heaven. 

1091
01:11:47,320 --> 01:11:52,240
Because the Scriptures already 
told me that Moses would not 

1092
01:11:52,240 --> 01:11:58,560
enjoy the pleasures of sin, but 
rather the sufferings in order 

1093
01:11:58,560 --> 01:12:04,120
to stay in the will of God, the 
pleasures of sin for a season. 

1094
01:12:08,320 --> 01:12:10,280
Does the devil know how to 
prosper the believer? 

1095
01:12:10,800 --> 01:12:13,000
You bet he does, right outside 
the will of God. 

1096
01:12:13,000 --> 01:12:15,040
And you say, how do you? 
How do you know that He was 

1097
01:12:15,040 --> 01:12:18,760
willing to give Jesus the 
kingdoms of the world to get out

1098
01:12:18,760 --> 01:12:23,680
of the will of God, make him the
wealthiest human on the planet, 

1099
01:12:25,120 --> 01:12:27,320
and all I had to do was bow down
and worship, give him the 

1100
01:12:27,320 --> 01:12:32,120
greatest position on the globe, 
I would surmise greater than 

1101
01:12:32,120 --> 01:12:39,800
Solomon's, just to not do the 
will of the Father. 

1102
01:12:40,440 --> 01:12:45,080
But what did Jesus say? 
It is written I deny myself. 

1103
01:12:45,080 --> 01:12:53,680
I'm going to take up my cross 
and I'm just following him and 

1104
01:12:53,680 --> 01:12:58,640
he knows The next time I see 
you, you're going to bruise me. 

1105
01:13:01,720 --> 01:13:07,040
The next time I see you, it's 
going to hurt my skin, my flesh.

1106
01:13:09,160 --> 01:13:13,600
The next time I see you, you're 
going to be bruising my heel. 

1107
01:13:15,920 --> 01:13:19,800
But after that, the next time 
you see me, I'm going to crush 

1108
01:13:19,800 --> 01:13:27,920
your head. 
So I'm going into 2026 like I've

1109
01:13:27,920 --> 01:13:34,200
gone into every year. 
I deny myself, I take up my 

1110
01:13:34,200 --> 01:13:41,280
cross and I follow Him. 
Let's be wise, let's learn a 

1111
01:13:41,280 --> 01:13:46,400
lesson from the wise men, and 
let's only do the will of God.

