Peniel Pentecostal Holiness Church

3239 Rosebud Road Walnut Cove NC 27052
Pastor: Dr. Tim Nelson -  Church Office 336-591-36112
A Place To Encounter God Face To Face. Gen. 32:3

A Word From The Pastor Archives 2021
December 2021
 

"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.... Matthew 2:11

As was customary for royal visits, the wise men came bearing treasured gifts intended to honor the newborn king.  And as it is today, gold was a valued commodity in the ancient world.  Among the types of assets listed in the bible (e.g. precious metals, livestock, servants, gemstones, etc.), accumulation of gold was one of the chief measures of wealth (cf. Genesis 13:2, Ecclesiastes 2:8).  Because of its scarcity and immense value, gold was particularly associated with royalty and nobility, as is seen in 1 Kings 10 when the Queen of Sheba visits King Solomon bearing great quantities of gold as a gift.  By bringing a gift of gold, the wise men demonstrated their desire to worship this newborn child, as they showed that they did indeed consider Jesus a king.

What gift of worship might you give to Jesus, not just at Christmas, but throughout the year that shows that you do indeed consider Jesus to be the King O kings?

Adapted From:
https://www.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/christmas-and-advent/gold-frankincense-and-myrrh.thml

"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; FRANKINCENSE... Matthew 2:11

Frankincense was a common element of ceremonial worship in ancient cultures, this mix of spices and gum resin was made by scraping the bark off of trees and capturing beads of amber after they dried.  When burned, it released an aroma that was both beautiful and strong.  According to traditional Jewish law, the priest was to enter the temple twice daily and make an offering of incense, but it had to be of a pure and holy variety, just like Jesus.  Through the years, the rising of this aroma before God came to be associated with the prayers of His people, and it's presentation to Jesus by the wise men was symbolic of the fact that they recognized His deity.

Like the fragrance of incense, let us fill our life with offerings of prayer and praise to Jesus.  He has given you continual access to His presence through the power of His Holy Spirit, so you can call on Him any time of the day or night.  You have a friend who delights in hearing from and wants to help you as you navigate the challenges of life, so pour your heart out before Him.

Adapted from:  https://hourofpower.org/the-gift-of-frankincense/

"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; MYRRH... Matthew 2:11

Myrrh is a plant based substance and was less expensive than frankincense, but was still highly valued.  Myrrh is referred to seventeen times in the Bible and is first mentioned in Genesis 37:25, where it was being carried by camels in a caravan.  Myrrh was used for a variety of purposes in biblical times as perfume (Song of Solomon 1:13; 3:6; 4:6, 14; 5:1, 5, 13), an anesthetic, for burial embalming (John 19:39), as an ingredient in anointing oil (Exodus 30:23-25), and to deodorize clothes.  According to Esther 2:12, it was also used in a cosmetic for women.  John 19:39 records that myrrh was used in Jesus' burial.

Myrrh was a multi-use substance, good in life and death.  As the Magi presented the gift of myrrh, it symbolically reminds us that Jesus came to die, but it also reminds us that through Christ's death, we have life, eternal life, abundant life, life full of hope.  Therefore let us worship Him and adore Him, for He is Christ the Lord.

Adapted from:  https://www.neverthirsty.org/bible-qa/qa-archives/question/what-did-gold-frankincense-and-myrrh-represent/

Will you take the 21 DAYS OF PRAYER challenge?  It is hard to believe that 2021 is about to be a memory, a reflection of what has been.  Yet as we make this annual transition from the old year to the new year, Friday, December 31 at 12:00 midnight, will you make a commitment to make a focused effort to pray.  Will you commit to 21 days of prayer, January 1-21, 2022, praying each day for at least 21 minutes, praying for God's purposes to be realized in and through our Church and community?

Will you pray, asking God to send forth labors into the harvest, as we also pray for the unreached and unsaved?

Will you pray, God use me in 2022 to reach one person or one family to help them to know Christ as their Savior?

Will you pray 21 days and 21 minutes each day?  Look for a daily facebook prayer post on the Peniel Church facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/Penielchurchwc) January 1-32 as we pray for the harvest, healing, and help to fulfill our purpose as a people and congregation in the New Year.