True Seekers
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."
—Matthew 2:1-2
The story of Christ's birth is one of the Bible's most famous and loved stories, probably one that most people who are not even familiar with Scripture have heard at one time or another. And certainly a story we hear repeated every Christmas is the account of the wise men being led by the star to the place where the King was to be born.
Matthew's Gospel tells us these wise men came from the East (see Matthew 2:1). Skilled in astronomy and astrology, these men were highly revered and respected in their culture and were especially noted for their ability to interpret dreams.
Because of their knowledge of science, mathematics, history, and the occult, their religious and political influence grew until they became the most prominent and powerful group of advisors in the Medo-Persian and Babylonian empires. More than just soothsayers and magicians, they were dignitaries. And though they weren't kings, they were men of tremendous importance.
But even with all their knowledge, these wise men still had not found the answers they had been looking for in life. You might say they were seekers. We know they were true seekers, because God revealed himself to them in a special way when the star led them to the place where they could find Jesus: "When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy" (Matthew 2:10). Then they offered Him their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
God tells us in Jeremiah 29:13, "And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." If you are also a true seeker, if you want to know the true God, then He will reveal himself to you too.
The last few days of the year are a critical time at Harvest, as we seek to finish the year in the black financially—with all of our ministry expenses from this year met. We are currently a little behind where we need to be and are looking to reach that goal in these last days of December. Your year-end gift, no matter the size, will help to meet this last challenge of 2010.
Why support? Because: …you believe Matthew 28:19. That is the Great Commission, where the Lord told us to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every person. That is our mission.
...you care about those who are lost. You care about those who do not yet know Jesus Christ. And so do we.
…you value the teaching and encouragement you receive every day on A New Beginning. I read letters and emails from friends just like you who tell me how much the teaching of the Word of God means to them.
…you understand what it takes to spread the gospel. It takes many people, giving what they can, to reach as many as possible, using every means of technology available, with the only message that can change their lives for time and eternity: the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Can you send a gift of $35, $45, or more today, to help us meet this final challenge of 2010?
For the gospel,
Greg
Copyright © 2010 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Bible text from the New King James Version is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000.
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