This is why I, Paul, am in jail for Christ, having taken up the cause of you outsiders, so-called. I take it that you're familiar with the part I was given in God's plan for including everybody. I got the inside story on this from God himself, as I just wrote you in brief. As you read over what I have written to you, you'll be able to see for yourselves into the mystery of Christ. None of our ancestors understood this. Only in our time has it been made clear by God's Spirit through his holy apostles and prophets of this new order. The mystery is that people who have never heard of God and those who have heard of him all their lives (what I've been calling outsiders and insiders) stand on the same ground before God. They get the same offer, same help, same promises in Christ Jesus. The Message is accessible and welcoming to everyone, across the board. (Ephesians 3:1-6 MSG)

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In part 5 (click here to read part 5), we discovered that God chose to declare the birth of His son to wise men from the east and simple shepherds and not the religious leaders of the day.

[I]. The hierarchy of the Jewish priesthood having missed His birth, when Christ was ready to be circumcised, had the Pharisee’s discovered the newly born Messiah yet? Let us see:

1. "When the eighth day arrived, the day of circumcision, the child was named Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived. Then when the days stipulated by Moses for purification were complete, they took him up to Jerusalem to offer him to God as commanded in God's Law: "Every male who opens the womb shall be a holy offering to God," and also to sacrifice the "pair of doves or two young pigeons" prescribed in God's Law. In Jerusalem at the time, there was a man, Simeon by name, a good man, a man who lived in the prayerful expectancy of help for Israel. And the Holy Spirit was on him. The Holy Spirit had shown him that he would see the Messiah of God before he died. Led by the Spirit, he entered the Temple. As the parents of the child Jesus brought him in to carry out the rituals of the Law, Simeon took him into his arms and blessed God: God, you can now release your servant; release me in peace as you promised. With my own eyes I've seen your salvation; it's now out in the open for everyone to see: A God-revealing light to the non-Jewish nations, and of glory for your people Israel. Jesus' father and mother were speechless with surprise at these words." (Luke 2:21-33 MSG)

2. "Anna the prophetess was also there, a daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher. She was by now a very old woman. She had been married seven years and a widow for eighty-four. She never left the Temple area, worshiping night and day with her fastings and prayers. At the very time Simeon was praying, she showed up, broke into an anthem of praise to God, and talked about the child to all who were waiting expectantly for the freeing of Jerusalem." (Luke 2:36-38 MSG)

[II]. God has a way of getting information through to those who sincerely want to know. Once again, the top religious leaders of the day missed one of the most anticipated events of their time. Simeon had the following to say about the religious leadership of the day.

1. "Simeon went on to bless them, and said to Mary his mother, This child marks both the failure and the recovery of many in Israel, A figure misunderstood and contradicted-- the pain of a sword-thrust through you-- But the rejection will force honesty, as God reveals who they really are." (Luke 2:34-35 MSG)

[III]. To illustrate the way in which the insincere miss the obvious, consider the text below. If only they had cared to find out where Christ was born, they would discover that He was in fact born in Bethlehem. God is not interested in those who have their hearts darkened by the deception of man made religious institutions or those puffed up by their own sense of self -importance. He will only reveal Himself to those who seek Him in sincerity and humility.

1. "On the final and climactic day of the Feast, Jesus took his stand. He cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Rivers of living water will brim and spill out of the depths of anyone who believes in me this way, just as the Scripture says." (He said this in regard to the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were about to receive. The Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been glorified.) Those in the crowd who heard these words were saying, "This has to be the Prophet." Others said, "He is the Messiah!" But others were saying, "The Messiah doesn't come from Galilee, does he? Don't the Scriptures tell us that the Messiah comes from David's line and from Bethlehem, David's village?" So there was a split in the crowd over him. Some went so far as wanting to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him. That's when the Temple police reported back to the high priests and Pharisees, who demanded, "Why didn't you bring him with you?" The police answered, "Have you heard the way he talks? We've never heard anyone speak like this man." The Pharisees said, "Are you carried away like the rest of the rabble? You don't see any of the leaders believing in him, do you? Or any from the Pharisees? It's only this crowd, ignorant of God's Law, that is taken in by him--and damned." (John 7:37-49 MSG)

[IV]. Jesus was later to lament over His own people (according to flesh) ruing their missed opportunity.

1. "And when He had come near, even now at the descent of the Mount of Olives, all the multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works which they had seen, saying, Blessed is the King coming in the name of the Lord! Peace in Heaven and glory in the highest! And some of the Pharisees from the crowd said to Him, Teacher, rebuke your disciples. And He answered and said to them, I tell you that if these should be silent, the stones would cry out. And as He drew near, He beheld the city and wept over it, saying, If you had known, even you, even at least in this day of yours, the things for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come on you that your enemies will raise up a rampart to you, and will surround you, and will keep you in on every side. And they will tear you down, and your children within you, and will not leave a stone on a stone because you did not know the time of your visitation." (Luke 19:37-44 MKJV)

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Why praise Him?

Why Magnify Him?

He created everything

He is worthy

To receive glory, honour and power

The heavenly host declare it

From eternity past

To eternity present

I don't see them quitting

Through out eternity

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Why praise Him?

Why Magnify Him?

It's the only response

From those who behold Him

They can only declare

What they see

For by His will He created them

He is worthy

To receive glory, honor and power

They keep going

Through out eternity

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Why praise Him?

Why Magnify Him?

We join with the company

Of the enlightened

We declare as we see

He seats on the highest throne

He is truly worthy

To receive glory, honor and power

If we don't declare it

It won't change the fact

He is ever worthy

Through out eternity

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Why praise Him?

Why Magnify Him?

As we declare it

We see more of it

As we see more of it

We declare it more clearly

There is none greater than He

He is truly worthy

To receive glory, honor and power

Forever and ever and ever

Through out eternity

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(To be continued..)

Every Blessing

Breadoflife 

click here to read part 7

To view others instalments in the series, click here