Good Thoughts

Thoughts from our gospel meeting Sun, Jan. 11, 2015, 3:30PM: (not word for word)

Jerry B. - Mat 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! I thought of the protection of the chickens under the wings of the hen. When we were young at home, my mother had a hen with little chickens and she'd put them in a basket-like container and feed them and then put a cover on top. I like to think of
this as a double protection as we come to Him in meetings like these and other meetings where God teaches us and gives us our needs and protects us. Sometimes the little chicks would come out of the basket-like containers to feed outside. They are still small and they could get through the holes in the basket. This puts them in danger and so my mother would take each one and put them back inside the basket. We are only safe as we put ourselves under His wings and feed on the provision God gives.

Bill W. - Ex. 1:1, started with a list of the generation of Moses. In Mat. 1:1, we read of the generation of Jesus Christ. People who had the fear of God in their hearts were used by God. The midwives fear God more than the king of Egypt. In Mat. 1:19-20, Joseph feared God more than men so he obeyed what the angel told him to do. If we fear God more than men, this is our salvation.
Mat. 2:1-2, speaks about the wise men who came from the east looking for Jesus. They said, "for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. " No doubt, these wise men have read Isaiah 60:1-6. This is part of our service to God, our worship, Rom. 12. In v. 11, "...and worshiped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh."

Gold - speaks of submission. When the children of Isarael captured Jericho, it wasn't through their own might but through the power of God and they were told, Jos. 6.19, But all the silver, and gold, and vessels of brass and iron, are consecrated unto the LORD: they shall come into the treasury of the LORD. One man named Achan, did not obey but hid the gold in his tent and so he perished. Submission is our salvation and disobedience is destruction to our souls.

Frankincense - speaks of supplication in our prayers. Ex. 30:1. Moses was told make an altar and Aaron the priest will burn incense upon it morning and evening, vs.7-8. This speaks of our service to God in prayer, morning and evening. Frankincense is the main ingredient in the incense the priest burn in the altar, vs. 34-38. It is holy for the Lord. Our supplication is the main ingredient in our prayers as we serve or
worship God (1Tim. 2:1).

Myrrh - speaks of sanctification Ex. 30:23-32. Whenever the priest go into the holy place, the scent of myrrh also was smelled in their robes and the people would surely know that they had been to the holy place. It is the same with us as we come in communion with Him in prayer and in meetings. Can people around us notice that we have been to the holy place through our spirit? These are our offering as we come to Him to worship: our submission to His will as Jesus did, "Not my will but thine be done" ; our supplication (requests or entreaty for others and for ourselves); and sanctification(being made holy through the blood of Christ) - our part is to deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Him.