| Newsletter for the Week of 12/21/06- Why Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh? |
Good Morning,
There are only four shopping days left. Christmas it seems is quickly approaching! Ready or not here it comes!
As I prepare for family gatherings, church services and just getting to spend special time with my children and wife, it
leads me to think about Gift Giving and of course the Ultimate Gift that God sent for us. But have you ever stopped to
ponder the gifts that were given to the Christ Child? Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh were brought to Jesus by the
Wise Men when He was about two years old. These Gentile Men came to worship the Christ Child even though they
had been worshipping nature previously. Whether they were converted, we really do not know.
I do find it interesting that they didn't come until after the shepherds, who were Jews. This is of course a
foreshadowing of Jesus taking the Gospel to only the Jews for the 3 and a half years of His ministry and then the
Disciples preaching only to the Jews for another 3 and a half years. At the end of this time frame was when Peter and
Paul got the revelations to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.
The Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh have quite a few parallels and teaching applications, but as I was studying this, a
specific parallel stood out to me. The three gifts of course represent the Trinity of God the Father, Jesus the Son and
The Holy Spirit. The Father being represented by the Gold.
Gold is the most valuable when it is pure. This means that all of the dross (impurities) have been removed. The last
thing that is removed from dross is silver. Silver to us is very valuable and something that we would keep. However,
when you go before God the Father, even the things that seem very valuable to man, can not be taken with you. In
His Throne Room, purity is of extreme value. I have even heard it described that Holiness is not what we do or don't
do, but as we draw closer to God, the things in our lives are burned out. Holiness is our proximity to Him.
Frankincense of course is very valuable as well, but the significance of it is interesting. Unlike Gold, it is something
that we can smell, taste (probably not a good idea) and perceive with all of our five senses. This is just like Jesus.
John 1 describes Him as the Word or Logos. The manifestation of God that we can see, feel and touch. The part of
God that is understandable to us. One of the old philosophers even before Jesus birth, commented that he couldn't
comprehend God because He is intangible. Almost in response, John writes back, here is the Logos that we can
comprehend. Jesus goes on to not only be an example to us, but also to manifest, the Five Fold Ministry (Eph.
4:11-16), the Gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor. 12) and the Fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). This is truly miraculous when we
realize that He came to earth leaving His deity and walking only as a man. (In fact, it would not have been miraculous
at all had He done this as deity!!)
Last, the Myrrh. This is used in many ways but the way that stood out to me was that it is used as a medicine. This is
a true representation of the Holy Spirit. He is our greatest medicine, no matter what the malady. Whether it be in our
physical, mental or spiritual realm, He is always able to provide the answer. He comes along when we most need Him.
Even if it is something like friendship or companionship, He is right there for us. He is also our mentor, tutor, spiritual
tour guide, commentator for scriptures, the one that empowers us with our gifts and leads us in how to use them,
inspires us when to use them and manifests power through us.
As we look at the Trinity, they are our all in all. There isn't anything that we need that isn't provided by the God the
Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit. No matter what your passion is for ministry, you will not be as successful
with out them as you can be with them. The more of them and the less of us, the better we will be and the better the
people around us will be. Whether you are called to full time ministry or to minister to your neighbor, you will need the
Trinity. Whether you just got saved or if you have been saved for fifty years, the Trinity is still your source.
The gifts that were given to the Christ-Child were not only the fulfillment of prophecy but were prophetic in themselves
as they showed us the diversity of the Trinity that we would only later come to understand and appreciate. So as you
come together with family and friends, remember to thank our Heavenly Father for the Gifts that He gave us nearly
2000 years ago. These TRULY are the gifts that keep on giving!!!
Working while it is still day,
Pastor Jeff McCracken and the Kingdom Power Now Ministry Team
There are only four shopping days left. Christmas it seems is quickly approaching! Ready or not here it comes!
As I prepare for family gatherings, church services and just getting to spend special time with my children and wife, it
leads me to think about Gift Giving and of course the Ultimate Gift that God sent for us. But have you ever stopped to
ponder the gifts that were given to the Christ Child? Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh were brought to Jesus by the
Wise Men when He was about two years old. These Gentile Men came to worship the Christ Child even though they
had been worshipping nature previously. Whether they were converted, we really do not know.
I do find it interesting that they didn't come until after the shepherds, who were Jews. This is of course a
foreshadowing of Jesus taking the Gospel to only the Jews for the 3 and a half years of His ministry and then the
Disciples preaching only to the Jews for another 3 and a half years. At the end of this time frame was when Peter and
Paul got the revelations to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.
The Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh have quite a few parallels and teaching applications, but as I was studying this, a
specific parallel stood out to me. The three gifts of course represent the Trinity of God the Father, Jesus the Son and
The Holy Spirit. The Father being represented by the Gold.
Gold is the most valuable when it is pure. This means that all of the dross (impurities) have been removed. The last
thing that is removed from dross is silver. Silver to us is very valuable and something that we would keep. However,
when you go before God the Father, even the things that seem very valuable to man, can not be taken with you. In
His Throne Room, purity is of extreme value. I have even heard it described that Holiness is not what we do or don't
do, but as we draw closer to God, the things in our lives are burned out. Holiness is our proximity to Him.
Frankincense of course is very valuable as well, but the significance of it is interesting. Unlike Gold, it is something
that we can smell, taste (probably not a good idea) and perceive with all of our five senses. This is just like Jesus.
John 1 describes Him as the Word or Logos. The manifestation of God that we can see, feel and touch. The part of
God that is understandable to us. One of the old philosophers even before Jesus birth, commented that he couldn't
comprehend God because He is intangible. Almost in response, John writes back, here is the Logos that we can
comprehend. Jesus goes on to not only be an example to us, but also to manifest, the Five Fold Ministry (Eph.
4:11-16), the Gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor. 12) and the Fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). This is truly miraculous when we
realize that He came to earth leaving His deity and walking only as a man. (In fact, it would not have been miraculous
at all had He done this as deity!!)
Last, the Myrrh. This is used in many ways but the way that stood out to me was that it is used as a medicine. This is
a true representation of the Holy Spirit. He is our greatest medicine, no matter what the malady. Whether it be in our
physical, mental or spiritual realm, He is always able to provide the answer. He comes along when we most need Him.
Even if it is something like friendship or companionship, He is right there for us. He is also our mentor, tutor, spiritual
tour guide, commentator for scriptures, the one that empowers us with our gifts and leads us in how to use them,
inspires us when to use them and manifests power through us.
As we look at the Trinity, they are our all in all. There isn't anything that we need that isn't provided by the God the
Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit. No matter what your passion is for ministry, you will not be as successful
with out them as you can be with them. The more of them and the less of us, the better we will be and the better the
people around us will be. Whether you are called to full time ministry or to minister to your neighbor, you will need the
Trinity. Whether you just got saved or if you have been saved for fifty years, the Trinity is still your source.
The gifts that were given to the Christ-Child were not only the fulfillment of prophecy but were prophetic in themselves
as they showed us the diversity of the Trinity that we would only later come to understand and appreciate. So as you
come together with family and friends, remember to thank our Heavenly Father for the Gifts that He gave us nearly
2000 years ago. These TRULY are the gifts that keep on giving!!!
Working while it is still day,
Pastor Jeff McCracken and the Kingdom Power Now Ministry Team