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Rev Enoch Thompson | JANUARY 3, 2023 | MATTHEW 2:1-2 KEY VERSE: Matthew 2:2 ..."Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him." The global value of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ required the input of other peoples, non-Jewish in the initial acknowledgement of His identity, and of allegiance to Him. The visit of the Wise Men is celebrated on the Church calendar as Epiphany, the day of the manifestation of the infant Christ to the Gentiles. The background to the search mounted by the Wise Men is the faithful narration of the Jewish expectation of a Messiah, carried along by the Jews in their Babylonian exile, and bought into by the philosophers of the Gentile nations among whom they lived then. Important as the event itself was, the striking issue for our reflection today is the revealing question that the Wise Men raised; "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." Matt: 2:2 (NIV) Their question revealed three things they believed about the Lord Jesus Christ in that infant stage when He had done no miracles yet. First, they acknowledged THE ROYALTY OF THE INFANT JESUS "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?" Next, they acknowledged THE UNIQUENESS OF THE KING “We saw his star in the east.” He was no ordinary person, His birth had been marked with the portent of a special star (for these men were astronomers, not astrologers and attached meaning to their science). They acknowledged THE DEITY OF THE KING “and (we) have come to worship him." As we commit to Christian discipleship, the new followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we sometimes became fixated on what the Lord has done for us as the reason for worshipping Him. The Epiphany teaches us to seek out who God in Christ is, and worship Him for that purpose solely. What He does for us, including the cross of Calvary happened and will happen because of Who He is. Like the Wise Men of old, let us follow Christ for His royalty, for His uniqueness and for His deity. Worship Jesus Christ for who He is. PRAY Lord help me to worship you not for what you have done but for who you are. Amen SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!

Rev Enoch Thompson | January 2, 2023 | Matthew 1:18-25 KEY VERSE: Matt 1:20 (NIV) But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. Our text Matt 1:18-25 narrates the circumstances of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ with reference to the relationship between Joseph and Mary. Joseph found himself in a difficult situation where the woman he was going to marry reported to have become pregnant because of an angelic message said to have come from God. Joseph needed to take a decision to terminate his relationship with Mary. He could have exposed her to public shame and punishment but chose to put her away quietly because of his fear of God. That was sound human reasoning and a conclusion which in this matter put Joseph in a good light, as a good man. After Joseph’s conclusion we are told that he received a DIVINE COMMUNICATION: 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." Matt 1:20-21(NIV) The divine communication changed Joseph's decision on the matter and led to a Foster-Father for the infant Saviour born at Christmas. Consequently, Joseph became a hero that countless thousands have been named after. As we move on into the year, we will face situations that demand one decision or another. Let us engage our God-given ability to reason and take decisions. But let us make a deliberate effort to ask God to speak to us. Human reason aided by divine communication will lead our decisions to the place where we can only be resoundingly successful. PRAY Lord help me to deliberately communicate with you in taking decisions throughout this year SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!

Rev Enoch Thompson | January 1, 2023 | Matthew 1:1-17 KEY VERSE: Matthew 1:1 1. A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ a. the son of David, b. the son of Abraham: Matthew presents Jesus Christ as the King of the people of Israel and by extension the Son of Abraham through whom all the nations of the world would be blessed (Gen. 12:3). The Old Testament records the genealogy of the first Adam in Genesis 5; it was a degenerative genealogy in that the summary of that genealogy shows that all in that line shared a common end of death, no matter how long they lived for. Our text in Matt.1:1-17 is one of the passages of Scripture that we will either skip or rush through because it is a list of names with no story to go along with it. It is however an important list since it gives us the genealogy of the Second Adam (1 Cor. 15:45), and the emphasis is on birthing, fathers giving birth to sons; there is a new emphasis to show that the line of faith in Christ produces the new life of God in the restored humanity who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ (Rom. 6:23). In verses 5 and 6 women of questionable character and record (Rahab and Uriah’s wife) are mentioned in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus Christ, without destroying the power of the emphasis on life in the genealogy. This is to show the regenerative power in the new genealogy, so that where we come from and our backgrounds and life circumstances did not limit what God intends to or is able to do in and through us. Believe in Jesus Christ, and become part of this new humanity-given life and transformed identity by the power of God. As a new year begins, let us thank God for the new genealogy of life which we have in Christ the King PRAY Lord help me to be thankful for my new life in Christ throughout the year. SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!