Matthew 2:11 ESV 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.”

Ever had difficulty finding the perfect gift? But when you find it, you know it…

The Magi brought specific gifts for their recipient…

Gold, The Gift For A King 

Magi recognized Jesus as a king - Matthew 2:2 (ESV) 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.”

Magi brought Jesus gold, the customary a gift from one Kingdom’s King to another.

• Queen of Sheba visited king Solomon and brought him gifts, including 120 talents of gold, or 7936lbs or $186,273,792

How much gold would the wise men have brought Jesus? Gold is currently $1467 oz. An iPhone 5 size would be $47,000.

John 18:33, 36–37 (ESV) So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”  Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

Revelation 19:11–16 (ESV) Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.  His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself.  He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.  And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses.  From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.  On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. 

The gift of gold was the perfect gift for our King, Jesus!

Frankincense, The Gift For A Priest

Frankincense is an aromatic gum resin. Produced by scraping the bark of certain. When burned as incense, it creates a strong and beautiful aroma.  The cost of frankincense precluded it from being common. It was burned to worship God.

Exodus 30:34–37 (ESV) The Lord said to Moses, “Take sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum, sweet spices with pure frankincense (of each shall there be an equal part),  and make an incense blended as by the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy.  You shall beat some of it very small, and put part of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting where I shall meet with you. It shall be most holy for you.  And the incense that you shall make according to its composition, you shall not make for yourselves. It shall be for you holy to the Lord.

Hebrews 4:14–16 (ESV) Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

The gift of frankincense was the perfect gift for our Priest, Jesus!

Myrrh, The Gift For A Sacrifice

Myrrh is a fragrant spice derived from the sap of a tree native to the Near East.

Like frankincense, it can be used as incense,

It also had wider usage as a perfume, anointing oil, balm

John 19:38–39 (ESV) After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body.  Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight.

Myrrh, the perfect gift for our sacrifice, Jesus,

Jesus, the Perfect Gift For Us

No other gift is so uniquely fashioned for each and every one of us!

John 3:16–17 (ESV) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Matthew 26:26–28 (ESV) Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.”  And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you,  for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.  

AMEN, a customary statement at the end of a prayer or during preaching to express agreement with what is said. But, AMEN is much so much more than that…

AMEN Is:

• My Declaration: I Agree With What God Says.

• My Expectation: I Anticipate His Word Will Come To Pass.

• My Participation: I Will Do My Part So He Can Do His.

Ezekiel 37:1,4-7 (ESV) The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.” Ezekiel 37:7 (ESV) So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied…

Mountains are the highest places on earth. In the Bible, they are symbolic of strength, accomplishment and victory. They are iconic places where God met with man, as was the case for Moses on Mt. Sanai or Elijah on Mount Carmel. Mount Zion is symbolic of God’s dwelling place with His chosen people, Israel, and specifically the location of the temple in Jerusalem.

• Psalm 48:1–3 (ESV) Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God! His holy mountain, beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King. Within her citadels God has made himself known as a fortress.

One of the iconic New Testament mountains was the Mount of Transfiguration

• Matthew 17:1–3 (ESV) And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.

Valleys are the low places on earth. In the Bible, they are symbolic of waiting, difficulty, battle and even death. These are times and places where God is often seen as absent.

• Psalm 23:4 (ESV) Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me

One of the most iconic Bible Valleys was The Valley of Hinnom:

• During the reign of King Ahaz - (2 Chronicles 28, 33) the valley was used by Baal worshipers to offer their children in their furnaces to their god Molech.

• During the time of Jeremiah - (Jeremiah 7, 19) referred to the valley as "The Valley of Slaughter."

• During reign of King Josiah - (2 Kings 23:10) proclaimed "defiled" and no one was allowed to use it for any purpose.

• During ministry of Jesus - valley evolved into a garbage dump. Trash was burned around the clock, as well as the bodies of dead animals, criminal corpses. It was a well-known hangout for lepers and the sick. There was continual smoke, stench, maggots and flies. At night, dogs could be heard fighting over the trash. Eleven out of twelve times that Jesus talked about HELL, He used the Greek word "GAHENNA." "GAHENNA" comes from the Old Testament word, "HINNOM" which was a valley south of Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 37:1–2 (ESV) The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry.

• hand of the Lord was on Him

• brought into the middle of a valley

• by the Spirit of the Lord

• not just a valley, it was full of bones, many bones! Dry bones!

Ezekiel 37:3 (ESV) And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

• you can end up in a Valley filled with many dry bones as a result of:

  • life happens

  • the enemies attack

  • your own actions – ignorance, stupidity, foolish, sin, rebellion

  • the leading of the Holy Spirit

• However you got there, the question now is “Can these bones live?”

• The answer: YES

Ezekiel 37:4 (ESV) Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.

• At this moment we often make several mistakes with our lips

  • murmur, grumble

    • Exodus 15:23–24 (ESV) When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”

    • Exodus 16:8 (ESV) And Moses said… Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord.”

  • become victims: place blame, unforgiving, bitter, excuses, fear-filled verbiage, negative

  • wear it as your identity: everything in life becomes about this

  • become coroners – time and cause of death –faithless

• None of those mistakes brings about God’s desire – LIFE!!!

• You have to understand, words create our lives, our atmospheres

  • we live in them

  • those around us live in

  • the Holy Spirit has to live in - Ephesians 4:29–32 (ESV) Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

• Your atmosphere is the incubator for the future

• What should you do? Prophesy over the bones…

  • The bones are real, don’t act like they are not

  • Prophesy: declare out loud for you/others/heaven/hell to HEAR!

  • Prophesy is not a suggestion; it is a declaration.

  • It is authoritative: Heaven has called you to prophesy! God could come down and do it, but he’s sent you!

  • Prophesy: what God says – general things from the Word, things that you sense, things God has revealed

Ezekiel 37:5–6 (ESV) Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”

• There is and order and timing - You don’t get skin before you get flesh. You don’t stand to walk around before tendons are attached.

• The Word gets the ball rolling

• It’s important to understand that you might have work to do

  • “were just believing God for our finances

  • “were just believing God for our marriage

  • “were just believing God for our health

  • great, but what are you doing?

• Prophesy again, and again, and again!

• Valleys created by Hell will fight back!!! Prophetic warfare – bind and loose. Pray in the Spirit!!!!

Of course, the prophesy is fulfilled, and the outcome is an amazing army!

Holy Spirit, Transform Our Words!

• AMEN is a lifestyle of prophesying. It’s not going to come easily or quickly.

• taming the tongue is nearly impossible - James 3:6–8 (ESV) And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

• but it is a reality of the Holy Spirit - Joel 2:28–29 (ESV) “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy…

Luke 22:19–20 (ESV) And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. DO THIS in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

My first communions were like going to a viewing. Even after I became a Christian and better understood the symbolism, they were similar but now with mournful criers and the fear of dying due to unworthiness.

DO THIS: push reset to refresh!

Do this! Like an iPhone that starts working wacky after a lot of use and it refreshes after we reset, communion can accomplish the same things.

Jesus shared communion with the disciples in the middle of the craziest week of the disciples ministry lives. Miracles, amazing teaching, healings, a parade with crowds chanting Hosanna, death threats, Jesus flipping over tables in the temple, talk destroying and rebuilding it back in three days. Wins and losses. Fans and enemies. It was a crazy week! He pulled everyone in close to himself and hit RESET to come back to the main thing!

• Lamentations 3:22–23 (ESV) The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

  • new - chadash – to renew

We can get into a spiritual funk as a result of wins or losses, busyness or boredom but its so valuable to hit reset, like shaking an Etch-a-Sketch,

• Psalm 103:5 (ESV) who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

DO THIS: bring Jesus back into focus!

Communion is to create a moment of remembrance. Everything in this LIFE will fight for your attention – Jesus was saying “BRING ME BACK INTO FOCUS!”

• Matthew 17:7–8 (ESV) But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

This is something you will have to do again and again and again, not because there’s something wrong with you, but because you’re still here.

• Hebrews 12:1–2 (NIV) Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Ignoring the distractions and getting Him back into focus will actually help those other things that are fighting for your attention to work out better!

• Matthew 6:31–33 (ESV) Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Peter went back to fishing. Jesus reappeared. Peter got back to being a disciple.

Its important to FOCUS on more than just crucifixion!!! It’s about focusing on everything about Him.

DO THIS: cash in on His covenant!

Sometimes things on earth don’t align with Heaven. Communion is an opportunity to point review “the new covenant in my blood” to remind yourself of the promises with the expectation that they will align.

Covenant: a binding agreement between two parties

• Genesis 15:8 (ESV) But he said, “O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?”

• covenants were often sealed by severing of a costly prized animal in perfect condition.

  • Genesis 15:9–10 (ESV) He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other.

  • The Hebrew verb meaning to seal a covenant translates literally as “to cut.”

  • a sobering moment between parties as one party would have to kill something with His hands in the presence of the other to seal the agreement.

  • the implication was that the party who breaks the covenant will suffer a similar fate.

  • Genesis 15:17–18 (ESV) When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram…

God has made more than just promises, He’s made a covenant. Communion is the sales receipt, proof that not only the promises were made, but paid for.

Sometimes agreements lose traction, one party fails to keep up their end. Guaranteed, He’s not given up on His. It’s always a failure on our end to cash in!

DO THIS:

• push reset to refresh.

• bring Jesus back into focus.

• cash in on His covenant.