Illustration of the end game

From Wednesday night's study (entitled "When was Christ Born?") at my church:

It’s always been a thrill to me to get the monkey off the back and say, “Wow, I really know what happened this time of year.”

By the way, would it surprise you that the Adversary and the religious system would try to plagiarize what God did? Try to corrupt what God did? I mean, why would they corrupt something else? Why wouldn’t they corrupt what God actually did and get your mind off of the truth?

In Luke 2 you’re looking at the nativity and in Matthew 2 it says, [11] 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; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

Jesus is not in a stable. He’s not a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes; He’s a little boy. They’re living in a town called Nazareth at this time.

When you have a creche, or a nativity scene, and you’ve got the shepherds and the star and the wise men, that’s just a bunch of religious baloney.

In Matthew 2, you have a bunch of Gentiles coming, looking for the Messiah and the last thing that happens, talking about the wise men:

[12] And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

Here you have God communicating with a bunch of Gentiles directly. That’s unheard of! What you have is an illustration of the end game of the prophetic program; that is the redemption of the Gentiles through the King of the Jews whom they seek. So, you’re seeing a dispensational kind of thing in Matthew.

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Romans 8: [18] For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
[19] For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Don’t tell me that the future doesn’t effect the present. Romans 12:12: [12] Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;

What’s creation waiting for? It’s waiting for what God’s going to do when He recreates.

I was in Arizona on a boat ride up through Canyon Lake and it’s a beautiful lake in the mountains and you see these canyons. You look at all the sediment of the rocks and it’s stunning.

People say how gorgeous the Grand Canyon is and I think, “You know, and that’s all after it’s been blasted by sin. That’s after the Flood came and just made a trench out of the ground. Sin-scarred and yet it’s so beautiful. Think of when it’s put back the way God intends it to be."

Acts 3:21: [21] Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

You think, “Whoa, that’s going to be something. That’s what creation is waiting for.”

Paul says “the glory that should be revealed in us.” The manifestation of the sons of God. The glorious liberty of the children of God.

[22] For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
[23] And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

 You know that because that’s what God’s Word tells you but you know, you know it because you live it.

Philippians 3:20: [20] For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

That’s our realm. We are a heavenly people. We’re blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. That’s our home; that’s where our conversation--that’s where our LIFE is. Not here; there.