Hello, hello. You are tired? Yes? Good day in the House of Lords. Yeah. Thank you for all the people. It's a good job. We have a good day. And I say, Pastor, the next Sunday, like this. Yeah? No, this someone, no. No. OK. You like the gifts? Hulu, you like gifts? Yeah? Yeah, me, me too. I like gifts. Today, look in Matthew, please, look in your Bibles, Matthew chapter two, verse 11. I like a gift, but today the Lord put in my heart, talking about this verse, Verse 11, chapter two, Matthew, verse 11. You can read with me, please, all. One, two, and three. And when they were coming to the house, they saw the young child would marry his mother and fell down and worship him. And when they had opened their treasure, a present unto him gifts, gold, and franchesness, and myrrh. Let's pray, please. Thank you, Lord. Thank you for this day. Oh, we enjoy this day in your house. Now, open my heart, open my mind, We can hurt your work and put for a job, for making your work. Give me your power, please. I don't can, I cannot, nothing without you. Thank you, Lord, for this opportunity. I can give honor and glory in your name, in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Gifts for God. Prophesied by Balaam. This situation, this scenario, prophesied by Balaam in Numbers 24, verse 17, from Micaiah, in chapter 5, verse 2, announced by Michael, the bad lamb, yeah? You can imagine that some important people who are pastor, who are preacher, the persons to go for the children, for the God. These are persons, people from distant lands, first believe it. And because of that faith and the fulfillment of this prophecy, they made an incredible journey. journey follow a star, following a star. You imagine? Give me, you make a trip following a star? And in the sea, maybe, yes, in the sea, yeah? But can you imagine the investment for that trip? Yeah? The dangers along the way, food, water, water, water. But they were willing to arrive and they had presents. Yeah? In this journey of life, you and I, in our journey, we are going to reach an end, but you and I as Christians are guided by the same star, the same star. There will be ups and downs, difficult and dangerous, but I encourage you to continue. But don't forget, don't forget, we don't forget bring the gifts. When those wise men arrive at their destination, the Bible says that they saw the child and fell down and worship him and present him with their gifts. Yeah. By the way, One day, we will be before him at the wedding of the lamb. Don't forget the gifts. The gifts on this occasion were gold, What's it? Frankincense. Oh, I need to learn. Frankincense, yeah? In this occasion, gold, frankincense, and milk. Each with its meaning. Each with its meaning. Gold. What is the gold? Gold, common offering between sovereigns to show respect. a recognition of royalty, world power, like when they send gifts to Solomon. If you can look in the Bible, in 2 Chronicles 9, verse 13, the Bible says, now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 603 and 6 talents of gold. like a curious date, calculating how much this was, one tolling, one tolling is similar, between 20, 40 kilograms, yeah? Maybe the, some people say that one tolling is the same weight a person, yeah? But imagine 20 and 40 kilograms. Each kilogram, the cost is $385,350, American dollars. And you can make a cult. Wow, it's a lot, a lot of money. Maybe $200,000. Wow. But for Jesus, in this occasion, for Jesus, it was recognizing him as king. It's the most important. He don't need so much, like some of them, but in order to be able to travel to Egypt. Yeah? But frankincense, as a symbol of the divine, is used in religious ceremonies, rubber resin from trees in Africa, in Middle East. But the frankincense is a one tree particular. It's not other incensing. It's one. It's considered a luxury item in Mediterranean trade, an ingredient in perfumes and anointing oils, and for burning during religious ceremonies, yeah? You can maybe in Catholic, all the churches full incense, yeah? But it's not the purpose. It was recognizing the divine character of Jesus. This gave recognizing that Jesus is God, yeah? Imagine, this important people's magics go to the, before in the child, and he, I want to say he worship him and fell down. And the other give. is mirrored. Also, a type of gum resembles a commercial item used in perfumery, an incense burner, and embalming. With this gift, they recognize the human need of Jesus. These people know that he was 100% God, but also 100% man. Also, anticipating his sacrifice. Nowadays, when celebrating Christmas, we're seeing You can see that they celebrate everything. Gifts, food, good time with family, parties, trips, but less about celebrating who is the cause of Christmas. We take care of everything and everyone except spending time with the person being celebrated. I have seen festivals and celebrations where the main attraction or focus is a fat man dressed in red or how elegant and fantastic the lights were, or a tree, or anything else but except the Lord Jesus. They celebrate fantastic mythological beings, not existent, unreal, and not the living Jesus Christ. Celebrating Christmas is celebrating Jesus. The question is, now, who do you celebrate? God, remember, God? We recognize Him as our King and Sovereign? Yeah? Let's look at the builder on the cross, a thief. a sinner with a bad life, what was the difference this? Luke 23, verse 42. Look this. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. The villager recognized Jesus as king. This is a difference, this person. I think, go, woo. Joined Jesus to the heaven. Because this man recognized Jesus as king. In this verse, if you can look, in this verse, this person recognize your sinner. Yeah. Recognize Jesus as king and give father Please, you forgive my sinner. This is a difference. It's the same we need today for the people. Even his earthly mother recognized him as her Lord. You honor him surely as a preacher, the Bible says, with your assets. In Proverbs 3, verse 9, honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruit of all thine increase. You give honor him. Sure. It's my, my world, the street of my bro, say some people. Yeah. No, no, pastor. My, my fair fruits, my, my increase. No, it's my, the street of my bro. The Bible says that everything comes from him. If you can look, 1 Chronicles 29, verse 11. Thy, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty. For all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine. Thine is the kingdom. O Lord, as thou art exalted, ask help above all. In verse 14, say, but who am I? You and me, who am I? And what is my people that we shall be able to offer so willingly after this sword? For all things come of thee and of thine own have we given thee. Amen. Remember, God, remember. Frank is incensing. You recognize his divinity? How you tread God and his word? You believe that Jesus is God? I will be surprised if we don't, because even his disciples don't believe. Luke and John 14 verse 9, Jesus said unto him, have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me? Philip. He that hath seen me hath seen the Father, and how saith the thing? Show us the Father. When you praise God, do you praise Him or yourself? Or your flesh? Some people, when they praise God, when some God, Some people, some church, only praise for your flesh. You can, some church, oh, ah, ah, I feel good, I'm feeling, no. It's only your flesh. The Lord is holy, holy, holy. And Revelation chapter five, verse 13 say, and every creature which is in heaven on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea and all the earth, are in them heard and saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him the citadel of the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever. Know that us, Lord, say in Psalms 115, know that unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto the name give glory for thy mercy and for thy truth's sake, wherefore should be heaven saved, where is now their God. Many of us trade other things better. than God and his world. Or we simply play church, but we continue carry our idols their intermediary. Maybe, maybe people don't apart your idols in your heart. Maybe people say, God, I believe in you, but this part, this part from my life, don't touch, don't touch, it's mine. No, my life, my all life is from you. The Paul say in the Bible, renew your mind, Renew your mind. Let us examine ourselves and remove all foreign gods. And the last gift, mirror. Christ knew what the hell he was coming for. Christ knew. to give his life for us. He will suffer and die for all sinners, for all sins. He was willing from the beginning. I have a question. I want to ask, what are you willing to sacrifice for him? don't respond to Lord. In Philippians chapter 2, verse 5 to 8, it says, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought with no reverie to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant. Sorry. And was made in the likeness of man. The king, the lord, the creator coming to the earth like servant. It is time to change. Let ourselves be transformed by the Holy Spirit. Acquire convictions based on the Word of God. Biblical convictions. You and me need biblical convictions in our lives, in our homes, for my children, for my family, You and me need biblical convictions. We shall begin to change the sense of belonging. We belong to him, not God to us. We shall have a sense of gratitude towards him. We want a debt to God, not God to us. We shall offer gifts to God, not ask Him. Romans chapter 12, verse one, I visit you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your, what say? Your bodies, all bodies are living sacrifice. Not when you died. No, you don't convert and saint and holy when you die now. You and me need to living holy lives. The Apostle Paul say, your bodies and living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. We ourselves are his gift. He has already bought us at the price of blood. And a survey of 27, I want to finish with this. In a survey of 27 young students listened to, three questions were asked. And maybe you make it yourself, this is a question, yeah? The first was this. Think of a person important to you. Think. Don't tell me. You think in your mind. I got it? You got it? Okay? Some thought of their wife or husband, their children, their mother. their father, their grandparents, family, or friends. These are young, but you, you are a free thing, yeah? Then they were asked, what would you give that special person if you won the lottery? Many say a big house. You like a big house? Other youngs, a trip to a very impressive place. A fantastic trip. Beach, the Caribbean, Las Vegas, Paris. Wow. Tremendous. Other person say, a beautiful car. Wow, nice. Wow, I like the car. Other person, I don't look. Other person, the motorcycle of their dreams. It's a good gift. And many other gifts. won the lottery, what the gifts? You think? The final question was this. What would you give that special person if it were their last Christmas? If you know for this person, special person, is a last, last Christmas, what give? A big house? Special car? A new motorcycle? These young people, little by little, began to change their response. One say he will spend more time with her. Another say he will thank him and everything. He will value his presence more. Others say that this special person be sure of how he feels about her. Without a doubt, this last question changes everything. Finally, awakening what was truly important, life. Maybe you have a one person, special person, and maybe, maybe the last Christmas. Wow. I am not against gifts. I like gifts. But you and me, We have a special gift that we can give. And it is not material. Let's give life, eternal life. And you and I know where that life is, in Jesus Christ. First, this verse, finally, in First John, chapter four, verse nine. In this was show the love of God to us. That God sent his only begotten son. Into the world. That we might live through him. I am firmly convinced that if it were that special persons last Christmas, the best gift I could give, the best gift I could give them is Jesus Christ as their Savior. And for those witness of the Lamb. Remember, when you and me go to heaven and the witness of the Lamb, the best gifts we can give to our Lord and Savior will be saved souls. Don't forget the gifts. for your savor and your law. Merry Christmas. Let's pray.