Tag Archives: Kings

Don’t be a Grinch trying to Steal the Hope of Christmas?

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a- grinch      Most of us are acquainted with Dr. Seuss’s Grinch, the Green grumpy creature, which is intent on ruining Christmas for the village of Whoville. Theodor (Dr. Seuss) Geisel’s written rhyme in 1957 has over the years been made into various movies. The green self-seeking creature is embedded in most of our memory as the one that would do anything to steal the joy, hope and blessing of Christmas. Though it is just a story full of humor and fun it brings out a message that we are faced with each and every year. There are always those who want to steal the message of hope during this incredible season.

Interestingly enough we read a very similar story in the gospel of Mathew. Even though there are no green monsters and the setting is not Whoville but Jerusalem. We read in Matt 2:1-3, “…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? …When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled”. Jesus had been born a couple years earlier and now the wise men of the east had come to Jerusalem looking for the child King, to worship Him. King Herod was agitated and was shaken to his core at the Wise men’s report. Keep in mind every since the angels had announced Jesus was born King of the Jews to the Sheppard’s years earlier, the news had spread throughout the social media of the day becoming common rumors in the region. (Lk 2:8-20)

For an insecure King this new development only threatened him the more. He had worked and managed to become the representing King over the Jewish people for the Roman Empire and now the reality of the Jewish prophecies, the talk of the city and now the Wise men’s intentions have come to haunt his self-ambitions. The news that the “King of the Jews” had been growing up amongst them is more than he could grasp.

This troubled Herod turned into a raging maniac that wanted to get rid of any threat to his kingship. It was after he deceived and lied to the wise men that he ordered every male child two years and younger to be killed around Bethlehem and the region in hopes of doing away with any future threat. (v.16) Herod was so self-adsorbed and fixed on doing whatever he wanted to do that he became obsessed in not allowing any other King to threaten his kingdom and therefore tried to destroy any hope for the people and the nation. He was the real life “Grinch” of the ages!

How often have you allowed your insecurities or selfishness to steal the hope of this season? Have you been troubled or threatened by the Lordship of Christ? The scripture says in Matt 6:24, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other”. We can’t serve King Jesus if we are living to our own pleasures. The “Rich Young Ruler” went away sad because he was unwilling to bow his knee to King Jesus. We are only troubled and agitated by the presence of the King when we refuse to live a surrendered life before Him. Jesus said, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me”. (Mk 8:34) It’s time to stop being the Grinch who is stealing others Christmas’s hope and surrender to Jesus’ Kingship and bow down and worship Him.

 

I am not some Grasshopper I am a Kings Kid?

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images-4There are only a few things that come to mind when I think about grasshoppers. They’re great bait, they were fun to catch when I was a kid and they make a horrific mess on the windshield. So what on earth would make ten distinguished representatives describe themselves as grasshoppers? There are certain profiles that depict our personalities and compare them to certain animals, but is a grasshopper really something that has any good features to compare us with? I choose to say no!

In the story of God’s children coming out of their bondage and come to the verge of their promised land, we find a very interesting statement that was made. Let’s look at a few passages in this story in Num. 13, 14.

First we are introduced in verse 2 where God tells Moses to have each of the twelve tribes pick out a representative to be a part of an exploration team to the land that God said He had given them. Remember, God had delivered His children from

Don’t “blow it” when finally arrive on the brink of your destination, your God given inheritance as a child of the King, which was divinely hand picked by God.

being abused slaves through demonstrating His power through incredible signs and wonders. God even wipeout the enemy that was pursuing them without even having the Israelites lift a finger. Now they are on the brink of arriving at their destination, a land that was abundantly blessed with God’s goodness! It was their inheritance as His children, which was divinely hand picked by God.

Now after forty days of exploring we read in Num.13:25-33 as they bring back specimens of the new land. The twelve give their report before all the people saying how great the bounty of the land was. But then ten of the twelve began to take a serious noise dive from the positive to a deep negativity spreading their fearful propaganda to all that listened, saying in vs. 30-33 that there was no possible way they could occupy this land of inheritance. They concluded with these words in vs 33, “There we saw the giants …and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” What? They’re calling themselves grasshoppers? If there is ever a bad confession that is it! The sad thing is this isn’t just a bad confession but is evidence of a much deeper problem. It wasn’t just a bad choice of words but was the results of not understanding or knowing who they were!

Jesus says in Luke 6:43-48 that the fruit of our lives come from our heart and specifically says in vs. 45, “For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

When you face difficult situations are you quick to declare “you are able” because of your confidence in God or that you’re nothing but a grasshopper?    

Also in verse 46 Jesus brings out that the people He was talking to were speaking words but they weren’t in their hearts, “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? Solomon says in Prov. 4:23, “Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.”

God had called these people His children (Ex. 3:10, 6:6-8) and confirmed it through fighting for them and showing His power in their behalf many times. Yet, ten of these men evidently were lacking that understanding in their heart. The result was it brought devastation and hindered them from receiving what was theirs.

Where do you stand? When you face difficult situations are you quick to declare like Caleb and Joshua in vs. 30 that “we are well able” because their confidence in God or that you’re nothing but a grasshopper? Do you realize that you’re a child of God (Rom 8:15-17) or just caught up in some sort of empty religion?