The Magi by Robert Morgan

From Robert Morgan

If, as I believe, the Wise Men of Luke 2 were Babylonian disciples of the prophet Daniel, did they ascertain the timing of Messiah’s birth by studying Daniel 9? I believe it’s possible.

The last part of Daniel 9 is one of the most important and pivotal passages in all the Bible regarding the Great Tribulation and the return of Christ. It’s the famous passage about the seventy weeks, or the seventy periods of seven. Daniel9:25 says:

Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One (literally, the Messiah), the ruler, comes, there will be seven “sevens” and sixty-two “sevens.” It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. After the sixty-two “sevens,” the Anointed One (literally, the Messiah) will be put to death….

When Daniel received this prophecy, his city of Jerusalem lay in ruins. It was rubble. It has been destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC. But Daniel was told that a decree would shortly be issued to rebuild Jerusalem, and that decree would start a sequence of events. The clock would start ticking. There would be seven periods of seven years, followed by sixty-two periods of seven years. So here’s a little chart.

7 x 7 years = 49 years

62 x 7 years = 434 years

434 + 49 = 483 years

So Daniel predicted that one of the Gentile rulers would issue a decree for the rebuilding of Jerusalem, and 483 years later the Anointed One, the Messiah, would come into the city and be put to death.

There are various ways of calculating this, but here’s the simple version: The order to rebuild Jerusalem was issued by King Artaxerxes in the book of Nehemiah. And 483 years later, Jesus Christ was crucified in Jerusalem. Hundreds of years in advance, the book of Daniel predicted that the city of Jerusalem would be rebuilt, that the Messiah would enter it, that He would be put to death, and that it would happen 483 years after the decree to rebuild the city.

If the Magi were the spiritual descendants of Daniel, they might have had a powerful clue as to the general time of Messiah’s birth, which would have heightened their interest in the Star of Bethlehem.

People who are truly wise know the Signs of the Times.

The Rest Of The Story Matt 2:12 By Gene Kissinger

The Rest of the Story Redeeming the time brothers podcast by Gene Kissinger and Norman Kissinger, two brothers who spent their lives in ministry and raising large families. Our desire is to provide a digital place for those who long belong. As always, we want to leave a nightlight on for that nightlight is in Matthew chapter two and verse 12. 

'And being warned of God and a dream that they should not return to her that departed into their own country another way."

This is the wise men after having presented their treasures to the baby Jesus, they go back to their own country after having been warned off from going back and talking to King Harold by God.  Let me explain this to you about the rest of the story. 

One of the most famous voices on radio Paul Harvey began his broadcast career when he was just a teenager living in Oklahoma. His personal style made him a fixture on radio stations across the nation. One of his best known features was a series of broadcasts called the rest of the story, which ran for more than 30 years, Harvey would tell part of a well known story without revealing all the details, then he would fill in the background information that explained what people knew and reveal whose story it was. Now, you know the rest of the story, he would conclude.

I think sometimes when we look at the Christmas story, we're missing the rest of the story. You see a wicked king like Herod, who's trying to manipulate the wise men and the scribes and the Pharisees to gather information so that he can stop Jesus from even really being born and growing up. And God circumvents that in a supernatural way. All of his machinations turn to nothing, because he gives a revelatory dream to those wise men. And they go home another way they don't go back to Herod.  Take Caesar, who in Luke two is sending out a decree to tax the world. And that taxing literally ends up fulfilling Bible prophecy. So that Jesus is born in Bethlehem in answer to a prophetic word of God in the Old Testament, so Caesar and Herod are used by God to accomplish the Christmas story. It's the rest of the story. And whether it's the shepherds that are just out watching their sheep at night, or it's the common people that are sort of wandering ariund hearing these amazing stories. They're all part of God's supernatural agenda. They don't know what's going on. But God knows exactly what's going on. God can work through the woof and weave of the fabric of our life and accomplish His sovereign purpose. Even when politicians are crooked, even when we don't understand and acknowledge what's going on. Even when it seems like everything is dark, God is about to shine a bright light in the midst of it. And that's the rest of the story. God caused a light to shine in a region of darkness. And that's what Christmas is all about. And it's not just the star that shines, it's the light of the gospel, shining into our dark sin cursed world. And Jesus brings the victory and the rest of the story.

We know the story about the shopping, the parties, the back ordered gifts sitting in a container ship off of the California coast. But do you know the rest of the story?  The real story? You can still have Christmas.  Gather with family and friends and dig into the “Rest of the Story” I read it every year to my kids before they touch a present.  You will find it in Luke 2:1-20 and Matt 2:1-12.  May you have a refreshing Christmas as you dig into the rest of the story.  I close with a 

Refresh of the song white Christmas by Russel Kelfer

I'm praying for a white Christmas

(Not like the ones we've always known)

But a time of reflecting,

When hearts are connecting,

With why that baby boy was born...

I'm praying for a white Christmas

Won't you join in praying, too

That God's great story

Will bring Him glory

As in men's hearts He's born anew

Russel Kelfer

Dear Lord God, I thank you for these dear ones. I pray that you bless them. Allow them to know that you love them and care for them and let them know that no matter what machinations Satan may be bringing against them, no matter what treacheries have taken place in the broader culture, we know that we can turn to you and trust in you because you're a God who can snatch a victory out of a place of defeat. You can bring light in darkness, victory out of defeat. Thank you for being who you are watching over us. God draws close to you. In Jesus most holy, precious and powerful name, amen. Hey, God bless you. I love you but Jesus loves you so much more. Have a great night.

Finding Your Song Again In The New Year by Gene Kissinger

Chuck Swindoll shared a newspaper story about a woman who had a rather traumatic experience. She was using a vacuum cleaner hose to clean some tight spots in her kitchen. It worked so well she thought she’d stick the hose in the bottom of her bird cage. It worked great—that is until her phone rang! The brief distraction caused her to flinch, she heard a thump and a screech and suddenly “Chirpy” (her beloved pet canary) had vanished.

The woman instantly shut off the vacuum, called his name and stuck her fingers down the hose. When that didn’t work, she opened the tank of her vacuum, sifted through the debris and found her dirty birdy alive but looking a little shook up. When the reporter asked the woman how Chirpy was feeling now, she replied “He’s fine physically, but come to think of it, he doesn’t sing much anymore.”

After 2021,  most of us can relate to Chirpy. We’re fine physically, but as we think about last year and look ahead to the new year, we don’t feel much like singing!

I like to use the last few weeks of each year to review my life.  Socrates said "the unexamined life isn't worth living."

It is so easy to pick up bad habits like... 

catastrophic thinking where you assume the worst in every situation. 

Complaining about everything and everyone.

Jealousies that divide our relationships.

Anxiety, we find ourselves always stressed out like poor little chirpy. 

As you identify the big troublemaker attitudes and actions in your life, partner with a friend and agree to hold each other accountable in a concerted effort to improve these areas.  When you do it will give you your song back.  It will take time, one swallow's song won't make it spring but it is a sign of positive change ahead, one day won't make a life but string enough good days together and you have a great life.

After Reflecting I like to focus on resting as much as possible.  Get some rest over this break. Say no to a few things so you can get some true downtime to recharge your batteries.  That will go a long way to getting your song back.

Along with Reflection and Rest, a third item for your agenda as you head into the new year is Risk. One song stealer for humans is drudgery without a dream. Humans can toil for an entire lifetime enthusiastically if they have an overarching adventure they are a part of.  Is there something on your bucket list you need to move toward this next year? Risk setting out to accomplish some of your dreams.  Become a world changer, you may not change the whole world but you can change the world of the people who you interact with on a daily basis. 

I leave you with this parable.

"Once upon a time, there was an old man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach every morning before he began his work. Early one morning, he was walking along the shore after a big storm had passed and found the vast beach littered with starfish as far as the eye could see, stretching in both directions. 

Off in the distance, the old man noticed a small boy approaching.  As the boy walked, he paused every so often and as he grew closer, the man could see that he was occasionally bending down to pick up an object and throw it into the sea.  The boy came closer still and the man called out, “Good morning!  May I ask what it is that you are doing?”

The young boy paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean. The tide has washed them up onto the beach and they can’t return to the sea by themselves,” the youth replied. “When the sun gets high, they will die, unless I throw them back into the water.”

The old man replied, “But there must be tens of thousands of starfish on this beach. I’m afraid you won’t really be able to make much of a difference.”

The boy bent down, picked up yet another starfish and threw it as far as he could into the ocean. Then he turned, smiled and said, “It made a difference to that one!”

adapted from The Star Thrower, by Loren Eiseley (1907 – 1977)

One Word by Gene Kissinger

Robert Louis Stevenson was one of the premier authors of his day, he had mega hits that made him a very wealthy writer, he wrote Treasure Island and kidnapped, he also had plays like The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and so many others that were massively successful. It was reported in a paper that he was worth one British pound per word. One up and coming author who was a bit jealous of the reviews and accolades that Mr. Stevenson was getting, ended up sending him a letter saying in which he put a pound note and said, It's reported that you get one pound per word, here's my pound, where's my word? , Mr. Stevenson sent back a reply with only one word on the page "thanks"! I know I've probably told you that before, but I want you to remember that even though Thanksgiving is over, Thanksgiving should still flow from our lips. If you had to buy each word that came out of your mouth, if it cost you, if it cost you $100 per word, you'd be wise to make them thankful words. If you want to change your life. One of the best ways to change it is at the end of each day, write down three things that you're thankful for that happened that day, because chances are many things happen that day, some good, some bad, but if you can focus on the things you're thankful for, it will elevate your mood and your spirit, you'll begin to find life getting a little better and a little brighter. And if you want to add to that, there's another life hack that you can try. Write down after those three things that you're thankful for one thing you're looking forward to the next day. That's a kind of Thanksgiving but it's also a sense of anticipation and excitement and you'll begin to find your mental state transforming your emotions being innervated by this simple concept. So if you had to pay one pound per word, make that word thanks,

Thanksgiving Prayer by Gene Kissinger

Contentment. "godliness with contentment is great gain was how Paul put it over 2000 years ago but this timeless truth is still a revolutionary reality  right now. Contentment doesn't mean that we don't want to better ourselves or out lot rather it is the realization that mere gain will not necessarily mean growth in our level of happiness. So if I can find joy in this moment, even if it is labeled a lack time in my life then I will also be happy if I am granted more. But if I am unhappy in my current situation I will most likely be unhappy even if granted "more".

Dear Father above we are so prone to grumble and quick to complain. Please forgive us and redirect our lips and lives to thanks and praise especially on this day.  Today as a nation we collectively gather to remember your goodness to us as a nation and in our lives. This great nation was founded to worship freely and you have blessed us beyond measure. We live in warm houses and have access to transportation.

    We want to pause our thanks to petition you to move in our national situation.  We ask for Jobs for the unemployed and housing for those who are homeless as well as healing for those who are profoundly sick from this virus and a host of other maladies. Guide out leaders to bring our nation back from the brink. Please awaken us to our need of you as individuals and as a nation.

 Thanks for even the hard things in our lives because they force us to grow. Be in a special way with those not able to gather around the family table as they are defending us or keeping us safe and secure, like the military, and first responders. Be with family that have lost loved ones this year we know these holidays can be hard on them, give a peace that passes understanding.  Help us all draw close to each other as we be never know how long we are loaned our loved ones. Most of all draw us all close to you we need you so much more than the stuff we will be buying during this next month. Help us find the truth godliness with contentment is great gain.

We ask this in the mighty name of Jesus

Amen.

Gene Kissinger #RTTBROS

A Steer In The Storm #RTTBROS

steer in the storm

 Redeeming the time brothers podcast by Gene Kissinger

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#NightLight

#NewMorningGlory

Points To Ponder

"Judge me, O Lord; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the Lord; therefore I shall not slide. Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my reins and my heart. For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth."

Ps 26:1‭-‬3 KJV

He's talking about character Chuck Swindoll has an amazing quote about character in his book, hope again, let me read it to you. 

"Nothing speaks louder or more powerfully than a life of integrity. Absolutely nothing stands the test like solid character. You can handle the blast like a steer in a blizzard. The ice may form on your horns but you keep standing against the wind and the howling raging storms because Christ is at work in your spirit. Character will always win the day as Horace Greeley wrote, fame is a vapor, popularity an accident, riches take wings, and only character endures. There's no more eloquent effective defense than a life lived continually and consistently in integrity. It possesses an invincible power to silence your slanderers integrity is something that we have to build in our lives. And we build it  moment by moment, keeping our word if we make a promise to do something, we do it, if we set out to develop habits and character traits, we develop them. And so it's something built block by block moment by moment in our lives. And it's a sense of consistency. 

Your reputation is what people think you are, your character is what you really are. And so as Christians, especially these last days, our task is to spend the bulk of our time building our character, building who we are before the audience of one, and that's God. And as we build well, then we have a life of integrity so that our slanderers can't say anything about us. Daniel was one such man, and we only aspire to be like him, nothing bad could be found in him. Joseph was another man that had almost nothing negative said about him. But boy, most of us can have negative stuff said about us. I know I can. And so let's work towards integrity. Let's make the trajectory of our life towards character and towards integrity and learn to develop that I know that's my goal. My mission for my life is to get there. Let's pray. 

Dear God, I thank you for these dear ones under the sound of my voice and I pray you would help all of us to do better in this area of integrity and help us to be like a steer in the storm. Help us God to brace ourselves against the storms that come that lead who we are in Christ to stand the test of time. Thank you for your grace to us and your mercy, that changes and transforms us. Let us walk in that integrity that you've granted to us in Jesus name. Amen. 

God bless you. I love you but Jesus, love you so much more. 

Laugh Line

There were these little people called the Trids, and they lived up at the top of a mountain in South America. One day a Rabbi went to help out the Trids.

Once he got there, a giant came out of his cave and started kicking the Trids around. The Rabbi had hid once the giant appeared, but when it went back into its cave, the Rabbi came back out and asked some of the Trids why the giant had not come after him.

One of the Trids said, "Silly Rabbi, Kicks are for Trids!!"

Classics Corner

Spurgeon

Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.”

John 4:48 

A craving after marvels was a symptom of the sickly state of men’s minds in our Lord’s day; they refused solid nourishment, and pined after mere wonder. The gospel which they so greatly needed they would not have; the miracles which Jesus did not always choose to give they eagerly demanded. Many nowadays must see signs and wonders, or they will not believe. Some have said in their heart, “I must feel deep horror of soul, or I never will believe in Jesus.” But what if you never should feel it, as probably you never may? Will you go to hell out of spite against God, because he will not treat you like another? One has said to himself, “If I had a dream, or if I could feel a sudden shock of I know not what, then I would believe.” Thus you undeserving mortals dream that my Lord is to be dictated to by you! You are beggars at his gate, asking for mercy, and you must needs draw up rules and regulations as to how he shall give that mercy. Think you that he will submit to this? My Master is of a generous spirit, but he has a right royal heart, he spurns all dictation, and maintains his sovereignty of action. Why, dear reader, if such be your case, do you crave for signs and wonders? Is not the gospel its own sign and wonder? Is not this a miracle of miracles, that “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him might not perish”? Surely that precious word, “Whosoever will, let him come and take the water of life freely” and that solemn promise, “Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out,” are better than signs and wonders! A truthful Saviour ought to be believed. He is truth itself. Why will you ask proof of the veracity of One who cannot lie? The devils themselves declared him to be the Son of God; will you mistrust him?

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The Great Stone Face Prov 27:19 #NewMorningGlory

Points To Ponder. 

 The Great Stone Face Redeeming the time brothers podcast by Gene Kissinger Proverbs chapter 27 And verse 19. It says “as in water face answer to face. So the heart of man to man,” Paul Chapelle in writing about this passage retells Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, the Great Stone Face. It's a short story about an unusual rock formation in New England, that looks exactly like a man's face and local legend had it that there would come a man who would be born who would look like that stone face, who would be one of the greatest of men that ever lived. One young man named Ernest, who grew up at the foot of the mountain, was continually looking for that great man to come. And a series of people come by, a great writer, a politician, a general and so on. Yet none of them are that great man, none of them look like that Great Stone Face towards the end of his life an older, wiser Ernest becomes a preacher and at sunset he is invited to preach a sermon outdoors, to the people of the community. While he's preaching, a look of love comes over his face and a poet in the crowd shouted out to look at his face and look at the face on the mountain. They look the same. Earnest didn't believe it, but the others believed that he was that great man. The thrust of the story is we become like what we focus on. When we focus on something or someone long enough, we end up becoming like them, we need to be very careful who we pay attention to. Our society is very bad about putting forward very bad people as role models, and they're lifted up, and even called idols. The problem is your idol will become something that shapes you, you and I need to find good godly mentors to help shape our life. We need to reflect on the great lives of past men and women who have lived godly lives so that we can emulate those character traits within our lives. We need to learn the lesson of the Great Stone Face and become like what we focus on, let's focus on God. Let's focus on godly character in men and women so that we can emulate those traits in our own lives. Let's pray. Dear Lord, God, I thank You that You have given us men and women who model what it's like to live out their faith in adverse times, whether it's a teenage Joseph who is standing against temptation, or an elderly Daniel, who is praying even though it means he'll be cast into a lion's den, Lord, or if it's Peter who's willing to get out and risk his life to walk on the water, or Paul who's willing to preach when it means he might be stoned to death, God, whatever the case, help us to learn the life lessons of these godly men and women who have fleshed out what the faith looks like in their biographies. Allow us God to find and follow that in Jesus' name. Amen. God bless you. I love you, but Jesus loves you so much more.

 Laugh Lines. 

 Aftertaking the exams and having my driver's license photo taken on a humid Florida day, I asked, "Could I get a better picture?" The officer replied, "If you bring a better face.

 Classics Corner.

 WALKING IN THE SPIRIT F.B Meyer "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh."-- Gal 5:16. WHEN WE walk in the spirit we shall be led by Him (Gal 5:18+, Ro 8:14+). In the early stages of life we are apt to be headstrong and impulsive, as Moses when he felled the Egyptian. But as we grow in Christian experience (2 Peter 3:18), we wait for the leadings of the Spirit, moving us by His suggestion, impressing on us His will, working within us (Php 2:13+) what afterwards we work out in character and deed (Php 2:12+, Php 2:14+). We do not go in front, but follow behind. We are led by the Spirit. The man or woman who walks in the Spirit has no desire to fulfill the lust of the flesh (Ed: Not exactly true! The desire is still there. The fulfilling of the desire is not.). The desire for the gratification of natural appetite will be latent in the soul, and may flash through the thoughts, but he does not fulfill it. The desire cannot be prevented (Gal 5:17+), but its fulfillment can certainly be withheld. When we walk in the Spirit He produces in us the fruit of a holy character (Gal 5:22-23). The contrast between the works of the fleshly--i.e., the selfish life (Gal 5:19-21).--and the fruit of the Spirit, which is the (super) natural product of His influence, is very marked. In works there is effort, the clatter of machinery, the deafening noise of the factory. But fruit is found in the calm, still, regular process of Nature, which is ever producing in her secret laboratory the kindly fruits of the earth. How quiet it all is! There is no voice nor language. It is almost impossible to realize what is being effected by a long summer day of sunshine. The growing of autumn arrives with noiseless footsteps. So it is with the soul that daily walks in the Spirit. There are probably no startling experiences, no marked transitions, nothing special to record in the diary, but every year those who live in close proximity witness a ripening wealth of fruit in the manifestation of love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control. PRAYER Gracious Lord! May Thy Holy Spirit keep me ever walking in the light of Thy countenance for the glory of Thy Son. May He fill my heart with the sense of Thy nearness and loving fellowship with Jesus. Order my steps in Thy way, and walk with me, that I may do the thing that pleases Thee. In Jesus' Name. AMEN.