Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,

And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

 Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

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, and frankincense, and myrrh.

And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.

When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:

And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.

Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying,

In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,

Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child’s life.

And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.

But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:

And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

Matthew 2:1-23

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Luke 2:1-20

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.

But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:

And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

Matthew 1:18-25

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way.   When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.  And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.  But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.  Matthew 1:18-21

I am either reading through at present or have recently completed reading the following books.

• The Battle for the Beginning by John MacArthur

The following is a quote from the introduction:  Scripture, not science, is the ultimate test of all truth.  And the further evangelicalism gets from that conviction, the less evangelical and more humanistic it becomes.

 John continues on the back cover:  Everything in Scripture that teaches about sin and redemption assumes the literal truth of the first three chapters of Genesis.  If we wobble to any degree on the truth of this passage, we undermine the very foundations of our faith. 

This is a book to keep close in a hostile world.  It is a book for reference and for reading over and over again.

• Discovering the Joy of a Clear Conscience by Christopher Ash  

This book answers many questions about conscience.  Should we ever violate our conscience?  What if it has been calibrated to the wrong standard?  Should our conscience always be our guide?   What is the function of our conscience?  What does it do?  How do we retrain our conscience?  To what should the Christian conscience be calibrated?  What to do when our conscience condemns us?  What does the Apostle Paul mean when he refers to a conscience void of offense?

It is one thing to die with a clear conscience.  It is quite another thing to live with a clear conscience.  

And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.  Acts 24:16

• Called to Lead by John MacArthur

Twenty-six leadership lessons from the life of the Apostle Paul.

Is it enough to just declare oneself to be the leader?  How does one lead from the back of the line or from the bottom of the ladder?  Following Paul’s example, a Christian can lead from just about anywhere God puts him.

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. I Thessalonians 5:18

Thanks to God for my Redeemer,
Thanks for all Thou dost provide!
Thanks for times now but a memory,
Thanks for Jesus by my side!
Thanks for pleasant, balmy springtime,
Thanks for dark and stormy fall!
Thanks for tears by now forgotten,
Thanks for peace within my soul!

Thanks for prayers that Thou hast answered,
Thanks for what Thou dost deny!
Thanks for storms that I have weathered,
Thanks for all Thou dost supply!
Thanks for pain, and thanks for pleasure,
Thanks for comfort in despair!
Thanks for grace that none can measure,
Thanks for love beyond compare!

Thanks for roses by the wayside,
Thanks for thorns their stems contain!
Thanks for home and thanks for fireside,
Thanks for hope, that sweet refrain!
Thanks for joy and thanks for sorrow,
Thanks for heavenly peace with Thee!
Thanks for hope in the tomorrow,
Thanks through all eternity!

By August Ludvig Storm  (1891)

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.  Psalm 1:1-6

Thankfulness

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.  I Thessalonians 5:18

Giving thanks is not only the will of God, it is also listed as one of the characteristics of a Spirit filled believer in Ephesians 5.

Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;  Ephesians 5:20.

Submission

Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;

Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.

For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:  I Peter 2:13-15.

Does this mean that I should obey the laws of men,….every law?  Obeying the law is God’s will.  Obeying the laws of man is His will.   Why would God expect that?  It is because the powers that be are ordained of God.  When we disobey the laws of men, we despise the powers that God Himself has ordained.  

Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:

For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.  Romans 13:1&2

If we desire to do the will of God, we should start with the obvious.  The clear statements of Scripture indicating that this particular thing is the will of God must be reckoned with before asking for the finer details.  How are you doing with the obvious?

Note:  When the laws of men oppose the clear commands of Scripture, we should obey God rather than man.  When this occurs, we need to be willing to pay the cost.  This is not an endorsement of violence or civil disobedience.  Obeying God rather than man should be done in godly fear and with godly resolution.

Be sure to go back and read The Obvious Will of God dated October 30, 2017.

The Parable

Another parable put he (Jesus) forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
He said unto them, An enemy hath done this.  The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.   Matthew 13:24-30

The Explanation of the Parable

Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.

He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;

The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;

The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.

As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.

The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;

And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.  Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Moral Purity

Do you want to know the will of God concerning your life?  Are you obeying the things that God has clearly stated in Scripture concerning His will?

   I Thessalonians 4: 3-8 states; 

For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain (to keep oneself from) from fornication (illicit sexual intercourse, including adultery): That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel (exercise self-control) in sanctification (separation unto God through Christ as a result of obedience to His word) and honour (a valuing); Not in the lust (strong desire) of concupiscence (to set one’s heart upon in a bad way), even as the Gentiles which know not God: That no man go beyond and defraud his brother (stir up a desire in another that cannot be fulfilled biblically) in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger (judge) of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.  For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness (being set apart).  He therefore that despiseth (to reject or set aside), despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

Abstinence from fornication is clearly the will of God.  Unfortunately, I think Christian singles are susceptible to being “culturized”.  The Christian single may be tempted to justify certain physical behaviours in a dating relationship by saying or thinking; we are not having sexual intercourse.  In the mean-time participation in these certain physical activities is preparing the body for just that.

In the verses above the Apostle Paul not only forbids illicit sexual activity, but he goes on to admonish us to exercise self-control through separation unto God by obedience to His word.  He warns against following the culture (the Gentile unbelievers) and he warns against stirring up in another a desire that cannot be fulfilled biblically.

Paul warns us because the Lord is the Judge of all such.  He has called us unto holiness (being set apart).  Paul warns that to reject this instruction is not rejecting man, but God. 

Paul concludes the section above by reminding us that God has also given believers His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit indwells us and He is grieved when we sin.

If you are a Christian single who is dating, use some common sense.  Do not engage in intimate kissing and touching!  This is not love, it is passion!  This is not God’s will, it is self-will!  Genuine love will not defraud or stir up in another a desire that cannot be fulfilled biblically.  If you are dating, remind yourself of this daily.  The display of genuine love always seeks the best for the object of its affections.   If you are dating someone who is pushing physical intimacy, they do not have your best interests at heart.  In other words, they do not love you.

When dating, do not isolate yourselves from others.   Keep yourself accountable and visible to others.  If you have become engaged, be all the more diligent.  Until you exchange vows, you are NOT married.   Guilt can damage or destroy a relationship and it will affect your fellowship with God.  This is not the way to start a marriage and it is not the foundation upon which to build a marriage.

Keep in mind that whoever you marry becomes God’s will for you.  There is nothing you can do to change this past decision without sinning.  Marriage based on mutual attraction involving a physical type relationship is a poor foundation for choosing a life’s mate.  It is getting the cart before the horse.  Marriage decisions made under these conditions can lead to an unhappy marriage being God’s will for you.

If you do not know what to do…….please get biblical counseling from a Bible believing pastor.

……….and let the word of Christ dwell in you richly……..

Note:  If you do not know a Bible believing pastor with which to seek counsel, you may contact Leading Horses to Water by letter @ 48 Deer Run Trail, Climbing Hill, IA 51015.  

Note also:  Marriage as referred to above is defined as one man and one woman united together before God as one flesh.