We reflect and pray about the shift from partners to friends we explored this week.
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CloseRyan Sim - December 31, 2013
Tuesday - Study It - The Night That Changed the Wise
Here’s the story of the Magi or wise men visiting Jesus: 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 saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. (Matthew 2:1-12 ESV) Here we have men of reason and knowledge visiting Jesus. They were astronomers or astrologers, the difference was less clear in Jesus’ day. Suffice it to say, they would have believed events in heavens connected with events on earth, and something told them that a King of the Jews was being born. They used their considerable resources, money, time to travel to Israel. They risk robbery on the road, or disappointment when they arrive. Once there, they gave their treasured gifts, and their worship. They gave their hearts, to a baby or child (this may have happened up to two years after Jesus’ birth). This was not a small thing, worshipping a baby. If they are wrong, and this isn’t God himself, they could be accused of idolatry, worshipping something on earth rather than God in heaven. They also risk embarrassment, intellectual ridicule, etc. Question: What practical risks are involved in following Jesus today? How do you calculate what risks are worthwhile? Reminder: We are reading the Bible in sync as one community - so check out today's reading here. Reminder: The best way to grow spiritually this year is to join our Christianity 101 in the Cafe Course in Pickering starting January 22nd. Register for you and a friend today! Reminder: We are reading the Bible in sync as one community - so check out today's reading at https://www.redeemthecommute.com/readingplan Reminder: The best way to grow spiritually this year is to join our Christianity 101 in the Cafe Course in Pickering starting January 22nd. Register for you and a friend today at https://www.redeemthecommute.com/events/!
Related Topics: Christmas, Herod, Jesus, Magi, Wise Men | More Messages from Ryan Sim | Download Audio
From Series: "The Night that Changed Everything"
In preparation for Christmas, our Daily Challenges are going to explore the lifechanging significance of Jesus' birth so long ago. It's more than a sentimental story, or a time for generosity, Christmas celebrates The Night that Changed Everything. We'll explore the original Christmas story from the Bible, and its impact on five kinds of people.
More Messages From Ryan Sim...
Jesus Is...Alive - Thursday | March 31, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Alive - Wednesday | March 30, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Alive - Tuesday | March 29, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Alive - Monday | March 28, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Crucified - Thursday | March 24, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Crucified - Wednesday | March 23, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Crucified - Tuesday | March 22, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Crucified - Monday | March 21, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Forgiving - Thursday | March 17, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Forgiving - Wednesday | March 16, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Forgiving - Tuesday | March 15, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Forgiving - Monday | March 14, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Love - Thursday | March 10, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Love - Wednesday | March 9, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Love - Tuesday | March 8, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Love - Monday | March 7, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Worth Following - Thursday | March 3, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Worth Following - Wednesday | March 2, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Worth Following - Tuesday | March 1, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Worth Following - Monday | February 29, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Transfigured - Thursday | February 25, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Transfigured - Wednesday | February 24, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Transfigured - Tuesday | February 23, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Transfigured - Monday | February 22, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Rejected - Thursday | February 18, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Rejected - Wednesday | February 17, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Rejected - Tuesday | February 16, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Rejected - Monday | February 15, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus is.... Teacher - Thursday | February 11, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus is... Teacher- Wednesday | February 10, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus is... Teacher - Monday | February 9, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus is... Teacher - Monday | February 8, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus is... Help - Thursday | February 4, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus is... Help - Wednesday | February 3, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Worth Following - Wednesday | February 3, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus is... Help - Tuesday | February 2, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus is... Help - Monday | February 1, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus is... Perfect - Thursday | January 28, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus is... Perfect - Wednesday | January 27, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus is... Perfect - Tuesday | January 26, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus is.. Perfect - Monday | January 25, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus is... God - Thursday | January 21, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus is... God - Wednesday | January 20, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus is... God - Tuesday | January 19, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus is... God - Monday | January 18, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Human - Thursday | January 14, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Human - Wednesday | January 13, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Human - Tuesday | January 12, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Jesus Is...Human - Monday | January 11, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Epiphany: New Learnings for the Wise - Friday | January 8, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Epiphany: New Learnings for the Wise - Thursday | January 7, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Epiphany: New Learnings for the Wise - Wednesday | January 6, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Epiphany: New Learnings for the Wise - Tuesday | January 5, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Epiphany: New Learnings for the Wise - Monday | January 4, 2016 | Watch | Listen | ||
Best of 2015 - God Is...Holy - Thursday | December 31, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
Best of 2015 - God Is...Encouraging - Wednesday | December 30, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
Best of 2015 - EPIC: Noah - Tuesday | December 29, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
Best of 2015 - EPIC: Adam and Eve - Monday | December 28, 2015 | Extra | Watch | Listen | |
God Is...Here - Thursday | December 24, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Here - Wednesday | December 23, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Here - Tuesday | December 22, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Here - Monday | December 21, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Coming - Thursday | December 17, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Coming - Wednesday | December 16, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Coming - Tuesday | December 15, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Coming - Monday | December 14, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Faithful - Thursday | December 10, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Faithful - Wednesday | December 9, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Faithful - Tuesday | December 8, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Faithful - Monday | December 7, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Good - Thursday | December 3, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Good - Wednesday | December 2, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Good - Tuesday | December 1, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Good - Monday | November 30, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Powerful - Thursday | November 26, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Powerful - Wednesday | November 25, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Powerful - Tuesday | November 24, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Powerful - Monday | November 23, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Transformative - Thursday | November 20, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Transformative - Wednesday | November 18, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Transformative - Tuesday | November 17, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Transformative - Monday | November 16, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Encouraging - Thursday | November 12, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Encouraging - Tuesday | November 10, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Encouraging - Monday | November 9, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Speaking - Thursday | November 5, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Speaking - Wednesday | November 4, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Speaking - Tuesday | November 3, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Speaking - Monday | November 2, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Unfailing - Thursday | October 29, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Unfailing - Wednesday | October 28, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Unfailing - Tuesday | October 27, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Unfailing - Monday | October 26, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Worthy - Thursday | October 22, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Worthy - Wednesday | October 21, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Worthy - Tuesday | October 20, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Worthy - Monday | October 19, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...One - Thursday | October 15, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...One - Tuesday | October 14, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...One - Wednesday | October 14, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...One - Monday | October 12, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Holy - Friday | October 9, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Holy - Wednesday | October 7, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Holy - Tuesday | October 6, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Holy - Monday | October 5, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Patient - Friday | October 2, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Patient - Thursday | October 1, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Patient - Wednesday | September 30, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Patient - Tuesday | September 29, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Patient - Monday | September 28, 2015 | Waterworks | Watch | Listen | |
God Is...Saviour - Friday | September 25, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Saviour - Thursday | September 24, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Saviour - Wednesday | September 23, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Saviour - Tuesday | September 22, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Saviour - Monday | September 21, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Generous - Friday | September 18, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Generous - Thursday | September 17, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Generous - Wednesday | September 16, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Generous - Tuesday | September 15, 2015 | Watch | Listen | ||
God Is...Generous - Monday | September 14, 2015 | Watch | Listen |