Scarlett leaves transform from green and yellow shades of foliage in the Autumn light. Brushed by the crisp air in the season where cinnamon and apples come back to dine with pumpkin and peppermint. They float under the sunlight as I look up at the deciduous trees around me. The leaves pirouette effortlessly like ballerinas and symphonic melodies. It’s the appearance of the first changed color that marks the beginning of Fall and signals the shift of the season. Where beauty abounding will unfurl in the forests waiting for the showcase of splendor. Daylight moves into the grandiose of midnight starlight. The leaves morph into evening wear, where gowns and bow ties adorn the ambiance of evening prestige. Maple, oak, chestnut, beech, sycamore, dogwood… a ballroom of many colors like confetti on the eve of New Years Day… like a rainbow in the kisses of island rain. It’s appearing now…

I love how it appears… when the light and sun and oxygen collide just right. It’s time. For beauty to herald with the news that goodness is upon us.

His goodness is upon us… with us… in us… for us… the King who appeared from far away. And comes to stay and lives to say I love you forever… I love you too my King.

“You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.” 1 John 3:5

Jesus is the sinless one… who takes away the sins of the world… my sins… your sins… were erased the day He chose you… empowered to become who He made you… enlivened to love how He wove you to love in your innermost being and pouring out of you to the uttermost parts of the earth awaiting His touch. Jesus… Your love for us is our greatest reward.

Jesus appeared… to the world. When the world needed Him… and we always needed Him. He came at a time when no prophets had spoken in 400 years. A void of God’s voice but never a void of God’s presence and planning because He knew what HE was going to do. Jesus strategized to appear… and live with us… and die for us… to bring us closer to Him in an unretractable relationship. So we can be His Beloved forever.

“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem ² and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:1-2

Where is He? they asked…

When Jesus appeared to the world… the ones waiting for Him wanted to find Him. His appearance was a prophecy unwaiting to unfold ever since the genesis of man when the fall tainted the world with sin and Jesus planned to come and take care of that on behalf of His Beloveds. He knows how to take care of it. The Bible says in Jeremiah 32:27, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all living; is there anything too difficult for Me.”

Nothing is beyond God’s power. He is the God of all the living of all creation and He is the God whom I trust in.

In verse 2, The Magi make it clear what their goal is: to worship Jesus.

Jesus is the only worthy object of worship.

When we worship Jesus, our hearts are recalibrated to its rightful reverence and we can receive love and relationship with God through our relationship with Jesus. When we worship Jesus, we sacrifice our lives to pursue being with Him. We give everything to get a glimpse of Him. To see His appearance. The Magi abandoned station and followed only a star to find Jesus and they found Him…

So often God appears when you least expect it. When you don’t hear a word from Him and you’re waiting for Him to speak… just like the people were. They knew the Messiah was coming… but they did not know when. So they waited… the ones who believed.

“When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.” Matthew 2:3

Wow… what an polarizing statement.

When Jesus appears… hearts are unveiled.

Are you disturbed when Jesus shows up in your life?

Or are you captivated with love?

King Herod was disturbed by Jesus’ appearance because it conflicted with his lifestyle of idol worship. He did not want Jesus to be God. But when you want Jesus to be God… you find that He is GOD and HE loves you… so much. We find our wholeness in Jesus Christ who gives life. But in this world, there is a spirit of darkness that comes against God and it has ever since Satan rebelled against God in Heaven. Don’t be worried though, beloveds. God knows and one day those dark spirits will be gone and His people free to be with Him forever.

In verse 2, the Magi ask ” Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?” Key phrase here: “King of the Jews.” The Magi assert an essential and vital truth here. That Jesus is the King of The Jews. Thus, Herod is not. But right now in this text, Herod is a king in this region. And not a good one. David was a good king. Solomon was a good king. But Herod is not and we see this reflected in his response to the news that the real King has just appeared. HE does not like it because it disrupted his own reign and kingship. Be careful that you never allow your own goals and ambitions to override your honor of Jesus as Lord. If Herod knew God intimately, he would have known that God loves to empower kings and queens to reign for Him with His power and kindness. But Herod was too busy looking at himself and his own power that he missed the invitation to have a relationship with God through Jesus. Thus he fails to be a good king. Let God be your King and you will be his co-heirs in the earth to reign for Him.

Jesus would still be King despite how Herod and the Jewish people treated him.

Live vibrant in your faith regardless of how others receive you.

Live vibrant in your faith until it moves hearts to His lovingkindess.

Jesus wants to appear to others through you.

“But if we love each other, God lives in us, and His love is brought to full expression in us.” 1 John 4:12

Whose love? HIS Love!!!

Let God’s love be your definition of love. His love is the real pure thing… and it carries power. Learn from God and not the world.

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2

Some will be disturbed by your faith in Jesus.

Others will be drawn to it like a magnet… and filled with a peace and love they’ve been looking for and didn’t know they could find until Jesus showed up and gave them everything they longed for deep down.

The woman at the well knew this. A Samaritan woman. And yet a powerful woman of faith who abandoned everything to share of His appearance to her.

She says in John 4:25-26

“The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.” I am He. The One speaking to you…”

God will show up and speak to you when you don’t see it coming.

Be ready…

Just like she was.

She threw her water pitcher down… because she wanted His water more than the water from Jacob’s well.

“Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, ²⁹ “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” John 4:28-29

Jesus I want Your water the most. Your water is the substance of nourishment for my body. My whole existence hinges on you in me.

What do you need to leave behind to receive Jesus into your whole life?

Jesus is your deliverer. He is our greatest hope and strength. No other god exists but Jesus Christ. The Alpha and Omega and Beginning and End. He is the only one true Living God.

I love how this woman anticipated the appearance of the Messiah althought she was not born into the Jewish culture. She was a Samaritan… you don’t have to be born into the best family or in a Christian environment to know Jesus deeply. It’s about your heart and if you want God or not… Jesus can come to anybody. And ironically, the ones Matthew chapter 2 describes here, who knew the prophesices historically, were the ones who were most “disturbed” when it was said the Messiah had shown up. Don’t ever make assumptions about a people or a culture based on their history. People are individuals who are very complex and given the choices life grants them to choose being with God or not with God. And we must remember that every person needs to hear the gospel regardless of where they are from or what their upbringing is. Jesus’ appearance is meant to reach every person and sometimes the ones we think have already seen him may have not… so keep being Jesus to everybody so that no one is left out. Every Jesus follower is an evangelist in their own sphere and we are His lovingkindness to every person we encounter. Jesus wants to touch more hearts… I can feel it very strongly right now in the world…

Jesus… indwell the world with Your Spirit!

“For in Him, Jesus, the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.“ Colossians 2:9-10

Can you feel it…

The anticipation of Jesus indwelling you…

Let Him fill you to capacity…

and then running over with even more than you can hold…

You are like a teeming fountain meant to stream with abundance for your own heart and for every heart you come in contact with… Jesus has so much love to give you and to help you love everyone in your life.

bursting like a fountain

I feel my heart bursting

with love

with happiness

with joy

with smiles

I can’t keep from shining

because You made me

to flow with vibrant

life and freedom

again

because You appeared

again

to me

come and show me Your face

The fall leaves float slowly in the Autumn breeze by the rivers’ song,,. It’s trickling down the rocks that lead to the waterfall cascading over the mountain… I love the sound of it. The fresh water moving like silk threads spinning on a spindle. It’s churning something effortless and marvelous. Inviting to see and captivating to feel when it touches you.

The water does that… touches you… seeps into you like a cleansing of love’s rejuvenation. The waters of life… and He is… the water of Life. Jesus Christ.

I want to see You again Jesus… show me Your face every second.

Decorate every room under the glistening lights where… dawn upon us Autumn wind and usher in your royal delight.

He’s coming back and all will see the appearance of the King of glory…. When the Son of God appears at the culmination of love’s grand design in the Heavens now touching earth… The Kingdom of God is at hand! Let Your love come to earth as it is in Heaven…

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.” Matthew 13:45-46