This is a time to remember the true meaning and reason for this Holiday Season!

This is a time to remember the true meaning
and reason for this Holiday Season!
If you read nothing else this month please read the following-
Luke 2:1-21 (God's Word Bible)

Faith's 2004 Christmas Message:
A week ago if someone had asked me the question, "What's the most exciting thing in my Christian life?" I honestly do not think I could have answered it without some thought. Today that is different! For me, there are two things that are very exciting about being a Christian. The first would have to be any time The Lord uses me to help others come to know Christ as their savior. The second thing is what this message is mainly about though.
The second most exciting thing about being a Christian for me would have to be seeing how God will use what seems to be a very insignificant thing to help me grow in my Christian walk and maturity. Looking back over the last few years I can see several times when this has happened, sometimes they are related, the seemingly unimportant thing and the result. But other times they are very much connected. The secret I believe is first of all listening for God's messages…
The most resent event(s) that I've seen God doing this in my life involves two things related but yet separate. The first thing was "What to get my family for Christmas on a very limited budget?" The second thing which in the end I believe was God talking to me and resulted in solving the first question was "A Christmas message for the web site, byfaithonly.com".
I was drawing a total blank as to what my message should be about this year. As a 'last ditch effort' the day after Thanksgiving I posted a copy of Luke 2:1-21 - the story of the birth of Christ. It fit, after all that is truly what Christmas is about but there was a pulling at my heart that something was missing, it wasn't from my heart (Luke wrote it) and my Christmas messages for the last 4 years have always been from my heart. I can't say it was an actual voice talking to me. No one was saying, "This isn't good enough you have to do more." But instead a pulling at my stomach, deep inside me it wasn't what I was happy with.
Amidst my search for something else, something more to add to the Christmas page I was led to Matthew 2:11. "And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh."
The following is a collection of what I learned from this one piece of scripture - God's words to all of us.
This verse is referring to the "wise men" or "magi" (the Greek word from Strong's Concordance - magos; a Magian, that is, Oriental scientist; by implication a magician: sorcerer, wise man. Some translations even use the phrase 'learned astrologers')! Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord! When looking at the description of these men who "fell down, and worshipped him". It certainly doesn't sound like these were men who were followers of Christ all their lives! Is this possibly a hint at what is available to ALL?
What developed into a major search effort were the gifts themselves, gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. From the start I was pretty sure that gold is gold - even back in the days of Jesus' birth but I had no idea at all what the other two things were so the research started. Besides the assurance that all three were valued treasures, worthy of giving to Kings as gifts I learned a little more about each of the three gifts.
Gold - very little gold was found in Israel itself but it was imported from Eastern Egypt, Western Arabia, Armenia and Persia. Any king would have quantities of personal gold to send with his magi. Gold just as it is today was often shaped into objects or coins. I could not find any reference as to what form the gold was when it was given to Mary. Also no idea how much how much gold was given to her or what happened to the gold afterwards. What we do know that gold is mentioned in the bible from Genesis to Revelation (Genesis 2:11-12, Revelation 21:18,21)
Frankincense - a yellow gum that is collected by peeling back the bark of the frankincense-tree. The local source of this was from the plant boswellia sacra, found in in S. Arabia. When the wood is cut it oozes a yellow drop which hardens (several references stated the 'drop' is in the shape of a tear). These are then pulled off the wood. The resulting resin gives off a sweet scent when warmed or burned. It was one of elements used in the holy anointing oil (Exodus. 30:34), and was placed in purified form on the table in the tabernacle (Leviticus 24:7). The giving of this incense to Jesus has been interpreted as symbolizing his priestly office.
Myrrh - Like frankincense this is extracted by cutting and collecting the hardened sap. The stems and branches of the prickly shrub, Commiphora myrrha oozes an oily yellow/brown resin and is said to have a very bitter taste to it. This plant is native to S Arabia and adjacent parts of Africa. Myrrh was another ingredient of the holy anointing oil (Exodus. 30:23-33). It was used basically as a deodorant, along with aloes, to anoint a dead body. Mark 15:23 says, "And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not."
Some think there was significance in the three gifts. One I found was Gold, as a king, paying him tribute; Frankincense, as God, for they honored God with the smoke of incense; Myrrh, as a Man that should die. Another thought, Gold, represents the divinity of Christ; Frankincense, the sweetness of our Salvation; Myrrh, the trials and tribulations 'bitterness' of our lives. One thought that struck my mind but I did not find backing for was the "3" gifts! The number 3 not the actual gifts themselves - possibly representing The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit? Herod called a lot more than three men in to advise him before sending the "spies". Why then did he send 3 gifts rather than 2 or 4?
What is significant to me is everything in the bible is there for a reason. God is speaking to us! I do believe God chose these gifts for a reason, there was thought put into them. I'm sure God did not walk into Walmart and decide the first three things He saw would be good enough gifts for His Son. The gifts that were given were what were made available to the wise men via the king, Herod, who in reality wanted to harm Jesus not worship Him. The wise men did NOT go in debt for life to give these valued gifts (nor did Herod that we know of).
How does this all tie into my first 'problem"? The gifts I give this year will be within my means, they will come from my heart with special thought, and they will in some way represent the truth behind Christmas. No easy task as there are very few in my family who are born again believers but I must share my faith with those who do not know Christ - this will be my gift to Jesus this year and every year to come God willing.