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Now consider carefully what the Bible says about the wise
men giving gifts. It is in Mat. 2:1-11: "Now when Jesus was born
in Bethlehem of Judea 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?'" Notice, these wise men knew, and
exclaimed, that Jesus was BORN KING. "...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."
WHY did they present HIM with gifts? NOT BECAUSE IT WAS
HIS BIRTHDAY---for Jesus was already born before they started their
journey. It was now DAYS after His birthday! And they did not
EXCHANGE gifts among themselves!---no, they gave their treasures
and gifts TO CHRIST! But WHY?
Yes, WHY? Here's the answer. They were following an
ANCIENT CUSTOM of presenting gifts to a KING whenever---no matter
what day---they came into his presence. Just like the Queen of
Sheba brought gifts to King Solomon!
No, dear Co-Workers, the custom of trading gifts back and
forth is NOT CHRISTIAN---it has NO BIBLE AUTHORITY---it was never
done by the apostles or the TRUE Church of God in apostolic days
while it had the guidance of God's Spirit! Instead, IT IS A PAGAN
CUSTOM, which TAKES GIFTS AWAY FROM CHRIST AND HIS WORK!
Christmas has become a COMMERCIAL SEASON, stimulated by
every kind of ADVERTISING, to take money away from the WORK OF GOD,
and put profits into the pockets of store owners, salesmen and
manufacturers and jobbers and the commercial world. It is a custom
of modern "BABYLON" and God calls His people to COME OUT of
Babylon!
CO-WORKERS! In JESUS' NAME, and by HIS AUTHORITY, I now
come to you and appeal to you---DON'T LET THE PRECIOUS WORK OF GOD
LOSE OUT IN THIS CRISIS!
This year, while others are trading gifts among themselves,
and spending lavishly while they FORGET TO GIVE TO CHRIST, won't
YOU open up your heart, and your generosity as never before, and
give the biggest gift you ever gave to anyone TO CHRIST FOR HIS
WORK?
Many of you remember six years ago when, at this very
season, God's work faced its greatest financial crisis up to that
time. We had been thrown off of XEG that year, from April on. We
were about to lose our college property and our office building---
the headquarters of this great work. DO YOU REMEMBER?---I asked
ALL our Co-Workers to send in at least the widow's two mites. I
asked for a great DOWNPOUR of one and two-dollar offerings from
EVERY Co-Worker, and for those who were able to send in much larger
offerings.
Co-Workers, I then prayed to God for a MIRACLE---and I
shall never forget how you Co-Workers let God soften your hearts,
and how overwhelmingly you responded! It was a blessed MIRACLE!