GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST III REST IN TIMES OF STRESS "THE GREAT GIFTS OF COMFORT AND JOY"

GOD REST YE MERRY GENTLEMEN FROM MATT. 2: LET'S READ IT OFTEN CALLED THE VISIT OF THE MAGI THEY ARE CALLED WISE MEN AND SOME REFER TO THEM AS KINGS TRADITION SAYS THERE WERE THREE OF THEM AND THEY WERE NAMED CASPER, BALTHAZAR AND MELCHIOR—THIS IS BECAUSE THEY BROUGHT THREE PRECIOUS GIFTS

WHAT WE REALLY KNOW ABOUT THEM THEY WERE FROM THE EAST PROBABLY MEMBERS OF AN EASTERN PRIESTLY GROUP MAGI ULTIMATELY BECAME THE WORD MAGIC THESE MEN WERE SKILLED IN ASTRONOMY AND ASTROLOGY THEY WERE WISE—THEY COULD SEE RIGHT THROUGH HEROD'S LIES AND EVIL SCHEMES TO KILL JESUS THEY ANNOUNCED COMFORT AND JOY IN A TIME OF STRESS

HEROD THE TROUBLE MAKER HE WAS A LIAR—MATT 2:8---"GO DILIGENTLY SEARCH FOR THIS CHILD AND I WILL COME AND WORSHIP HIM HE WAS A MURDERER—MATT 2:16---"HE ORDERED THE KILLING OF THE INNOCENTS (BOYS 2 YEARS OLD AND UNDER) MATT 2:18---"IN RAMA THERE WAS A VOICE HEARD, LAMENTATIONS, WEEPING AND GREAT MOURNING, RACHEL WEEPING FOR HER CHILDREN" (FROM JER. 31:15)

WHAT CAN WE LEARN THIS MORNING FROM THIS SONG? IN LIFE THERE ARE TIMES OF DISMAY, DISAPPOINTMENT, DISCOURAGEMENT- VS 1 AND FEAR – VS 4 CHRIST IS REAL AND HE IS STILL SAVIOR-VS 1 HE IS STILL SAVING US FROM SATAN'S POWER –VS 1—TEMPEST, STORM, WIND –VS 5 FEAR NOT THEN- VS 3 CHRIST HAS COME TO BRING REST, COMFORT, JOY-VS 1 SING PRAISES TO THE LORD-NO MATTER WHAT- VS 7

ARE YOU IN DISMAY THIS MORNING? ROMANS 8:35—"WHO SHALL SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF CHRIST, SHALL TRIBULATION OR DISTRESS, OR PERSECUTION OR FMINE OR NAKEDNESS OR PERIL OR SWORD? ROMANS 8:37—NAY, IN ALL THESE THINGS WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS THROUGH HIM THAT LOVED US

THE THREE GIFTS WE CAN BRING TO CHRIST PERSUADED FAITH-ROM 8:38--- "FOR I AM PERSUADED THAT I WILL BE OK" (MY PARAPHRASE) PASSIONATE PROCLAMATION- ROMANS 8:31---"IF GOD BE FOR US, WHO CAN BE AGAINST US" PATIENT PRAISE—ROM 8:25—FOR IF WE HOPE FOR THAT WHICH WE DO NOT SEE, THEN DO WE WITH PATIENCE WAIT FOR IT

THE WISE MEN TOOK AWAY MORE THAN THEY BROUGHT

THE GIFT OF RESTING IN CHRIST MATT 11:28---COME UNTO ME, ALL YE THAT LABOR AND ARE HEAVY LAIDEN, AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST

THE GIFT OF COMFORT IN CHRIST MATT 5:4—BLESSED (HAPPY, FORTUNATE, WELL OFF, FULLY SATISFIED) ARE THEY THAT MOURN FOR THEY SHALL BE COMFORTED ISAIAH 61:2-THE ANOINTING OF THE LORD COMFORTS THOSE WHO MOURN THE KEY IS CONFIDENT TRUST

THE GIFT OF JOY IN CHRIST MATT 25:21-WELL DONE GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT: THOU HAS BEEN FAITHFUL OVER A FEW THINGS, NOW I WILL MAKE YOU RULER OVER MANY THINGS: ENTER THOU INTO THE JOY OF THE LORD