Matthew 2:1 says, Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,  Jesus was born in Bethlehem.  We know that Mary and Joseph were there due to the census to be used for taxation purposes.  This was also the fulfillment of a prophecy.  God can even use ungodly governments to accomplish His purposes.  We are told that wise men came from the east seeking Jesus.  We are not told how many, nor are we given their names.  We normally say three wise men because later three gifts were given, but we cannot state this as a certainty.  We simply need to allow God's word to say what it says without adding to it.  Verse three states, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.  These wise men were seeking the One Who was born the king of the Jews.  We are not told when they came, but the star they were following led them to Jerusalem.  Going to those in power in the government was the wrong thing to do, since Jesus did not come to be an earthly King, but a heavenly King.  If we are truly seeking Jesus, God will lead us to where He is.  It is even more than that.  God will seek us and call us to salvation through Christ.  Verse three states, When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.  Instead of rejoicing at the news that the wise men shared, we are told that King Herod was troubled, and all of Jerusalem with him.  In those days, and some places in the world today, if the ruler is troubled, then because they are under his power all the people are troubled also because they do not know what he is likely to do.  Verse four states, And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.  King Herod brought the religious leaders to himself for answers.  He didn't just request an answer, but he demanded one.  We might think that God would have sent an angel to the high priest, but instead He sent an angel to a group of shepherds.  God has often had to work outside the established religious order to accomplish His will because the religious order, or leaders, have become corrupt.  Verse five states, And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,  The chief priests and scribes knew where the event was to happen, Bethlehem, but they did not know that it had happened, nor did they go to find out.  That is the problem with religion based on ritual rather than relationship.  A person may know the Bible backward and forward as the saying goes, but still not have a personal relationship with God.  Verse six says, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.  This was what had been prophesied.  There wasn't just a checklist of prophecies that had to be checked off, but all the prophesies about Jesus were fulfilled.  Verse seven declares, Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.  Herod asked the wise men privately when the star appeared.  We can assume that the chief priests and scribes were not that interested.  Herod was not interested so he could go worship Jesus, but so he could destroy Him.  When God's people aren't interested in worshipping Christ, we can be sure that the world is intent on destroying His gospel.  Verse eight states, And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.  Herod lied to the wise men about his intentions.  Many people in power today are not reluctant to lie to God's people about their reasons for wanting their support.  Hopefully, unlike the chief priests and scribes we will look beyond their words and look to God for understanding.  We must have a desire to always seek the will of God first, and never aid those who would destroy God's word or teachings..

Matthew 1:18 says, Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.  Maybe I should have waited to closer to when we celebrate Christmas to look at the birth of Christ, but we need to remember His birth all year, and not just on a particular day.  This verse tells us of the miracle of the conception of Jesus and a fulfillment of a promise of God.  Jesus, the Messiah, would be born of a virgin.  Mary was espoused to Joseph, which was more like a an even greater commitment than we have with an engagement, I believe.  Mary was expecting a child, but Joseph and she had not been together in a sexual relationship.  Verse nineteen states, Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.  This verse refers to Joseph as an honorable man who did not want to bring dishonor to Mary, but he had to have believed that she brought dishonor to him.  He was seeing only with a physical understanding and not a spiritual one.  Verse twenty says, But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.  God did not leave Joseph to his own understanding, but sent an angel to present the truth of Mary's pregnancy to him.  Mary was pregnant by the Holy Spirit.  We may not be able to really understand how this was achieved, but we can be certain that it did.  The God Who created all can certainly create one miraculous baby.  Jesus' physical life did not begin at birth, but at conception, as I believe all life does.  Verse twenty-one says, And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.  This was way before ultrasound, but Joseph was told by the angel that Mary was going to have a Son.  Joseph was also told that he was to name the baby Jesus, for He would save his people from their sins.  It is hard to imagine how difficult it must have been for Joseph to accept this.  The only way to do so would have been by faith in God.  Verse twenty-two says, Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,  The birth of Jesus, the Messiah, had been foretold by prophets of old, and that prophecy was now being fulfilled.  Verse twenty-three states, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.  This prophecy that was referred to is found in Isaiah 7:14.  Verse twenty-four declares,  Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:  Joseph could have just thought that he had a weird dream, but he put his faith in God's revelation into action.  It is not enough to just know what God wants us to do, but we must act on that knowledge.  Verse twenty-five says, And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.  Joseph married Mary, and did not have a sexual relationship with her until after the birth of Jesus.  I believe that only his faith in God allowed him to do this.  If God calls us to do anything, by our faith in Him we will be able to do it.

Matthew 1:1-16 says, The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. MAT1:02 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;  MAT1:03 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;  MAT1:04 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon;  MAT1:05 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;  MAT1:06 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;  MAT1:07 And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;  MAT1:08 And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;  MAT1:09 And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;  MAT1:10 And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;  MAT1:11 And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:  MAT1:12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;  MAT1:13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;  MAT1:14 And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;  MAT1:15 And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob;  MAT1:16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.  This is the beginning of the New Testament, the one based on faith and not works.  These verses link the promise of God, made to Abraham and David, to the fulfillment of that promise in Jesus Christ.  Matthew was a Jew by birth and a publican by trade, and he was with Jesus throughout His ministry. There is little to say individually about these verses, as they simply give the genealogy of Christ and prove the faithfulness of God to keep His promises.  Verse seventeen says, So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.  This was forty-two generations after God's promise to Abraham, broken down into three series of fourteen generations.  Some have attempted to use this as a reason to claim that there would be fourteen generations until the return of Christ, but since Christ Himself said He did not know the day of His return, I do not believe that the purpose here was to help us fix a time.  I am not even sure how many generations have passed since Christ first came to earth, but we can be certain that He will return, even if it is after forty-two generations or longer.

I will briefly review what I believe are some of the things the book of Amos tells us today.  As always, when we read the Bible, God's written word to us, we need to look for the message for us today.  First, we see that the people of Israel had become God's people in name only, and had no real relationship with Him.  Many today, in America, claim that we are a Christian nation, but our actions are often inconsistent with our words.  I am no longer sure that the majority would even claim this, but those who claim to be followers of Christ often live by the same standards as those who deny God.  The nation of Israel in Amos' day felt that they would be materially blessed simply because they were known as being God's people.  Some who profess to be Christians, God's people today, believe that this means that God will materially bless them.  Another thing we learn from Amos is that God has a great concern for the poor and helpless of the world and expects His people to help meet their needs.  At no point does God ask His people to be the judge of whether someone is worthy of help or not.  We, as followers of Christ, cannot simply ignore at best or look down on at worst those who are less fortunate than us today and claim they don't deserve help.  We never deserved salvation, and it did not come to us because we were worthy, but salvation was a free gift from God.  Just as we did not deserve salvation but God gave it to us freely, we must obey God's direction and help those who are physically in need today.  Helping the poor and needy is a consistent command to God's people throughout the Bible, and I don't believe this has changed today.  Also, Amos said the people would hunger and thirst, not for bread and water, but for the word of God.  We today need that same hunger and thirst. We have become an obese nation in America physically, but we seem to be starving spiritually and are not concerned.  Also, we are reminded that God does not accept empty, ritualistic worship that is not based on a personal interaction with Him.  Worship should always be our praising God, and He should be the focus.  As long as our focus is on God, we can worship Him wherever we gather in His name.

Amos 9:9 says, For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth.  God said that He was going to sift the house of Israel to separate those who were really His spiritually from those who were His in name only.  Not the least of the grain, those who were true to God, would be lost in the process.  If we are truly followers of Christ, we may be shaken and sifted as God shakes and sifts the world, but we will never be cast out.  Verse ten says, All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, which say, The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us.  All of the sinners of God's chosen people would be destroyed by the sword.  I do not believe that this means those who were occasionally guilty of falling short of God's standards, but those who had totally forgotten God and looked only to the world for guidance.  As followers of Christ, we are still capable of sin, but we will always be called back to God by the Holy Spirit.  Verse eleven states, In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:  We can look at this as the coming of Christ for the people of Amos'day, or now we can look at it as the second coming of Christ.  Jesus Christ did restore the kingdom of David and He Himself became the living tabernacle.  Verse twelve declares, That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this.  Those who would become followers of Christ when He came would be victorious over the heathen, not by their power, but by the power of God.  The kingdom of God would be expanded to include all who came to God through faith in Christ, Jew and Gentile.  Verse thirteen declares, Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.  I believe that we must see this as a promise of spiritual blessings, which will know no limit, instead of material blessings.  Though our material needs will be met as long as we are faithful to God, we are never promised the riches of the world.  Verse fourteen says, And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.  God was going to restore His people, but I believe that this is those who are His by faith, and not by fact of birth.  We do not need to check our DNA to see if we can be a part of God's restored kingdom, nor do we need to check what country we were born in.  Through Christ, we who accept Him as Savior and Lord, are all God's people and a part of His kingdom.  Verse fifteen states, And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.  Once more, we can see this as a physical kingdom on earth or a spiritual kingdom in heaven.  I believe that since we are told that this earth will pass away at the return of Christ that this speaks of a spiritual, everlasting kingdom.  Either way, whether this was a physical or a spiritual kingdom, God will one day give His people an everlasting kingdom.  More accurately, God has already made those who follow Christ a part of His everlasting kingdom.

Amos 9:1 says, I saw the Lord standing upon the altar: and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake: and cut them in the head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered.  The people of Israel had profaned God's altar, but now God was standing on His altar.  We may profane the things of God today and look everywhere for Him, but I believe that God will always be present if we look for Him.  The people of Israel were still not really looking for God spiritually.  Those who had turned their backs on God were to be destroyed.  If we are looking for God today, we must first come to Him through the cross of Christ.  God calls us there, and we can only respond to that call.  If we do not, then eternal separation from God is our destination.  Verse two declares, Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down:  No matter where those under God's judgment attempted to escape, from digging deep in the earth or fleeing to the highest mountain, they would not escape the judgment of God.  There is still no place we can go today where God isn't already there.  Verse three states, And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them:  Basically this tells us that there is no place to escape God.  The people of Israel had been searching for God's word everywhere except by looking to God, now they were attempting to hide from God.  When we do not accept God's word, then we ultimately will be attempting to hide from Him, but He will always find us.  Verse four states, And though they go into captivity before their enemies, thence will I command the sword, and it shall slay them: and I will set mine eyes upon them for evil, and not for good.  Even if the people of Israel were to be in captivity, they would no be escape God's judgment.  We may think that if we align ourselves with powerful people, even in a subservient manner, that we will be protected from God, but that is not the case.  God is in control of His universe.  Verse five says, And the Lord GOD of hosts is he that toucheth the land, and it shall melt, and all that dwell therein shall mourn: and it shall rise up wholly like a flood; and shall be drowned, as by the flood of Egypt.  God can indeed melt the land or send floods upon it.  Still, not all of these things are a result of God's direct action.  I believe that God sends a warning when He is going to punish someone or some group of people and does not just take credit for it afterwards. Verse six says, It is he that buildeth his stories in the heaven, and hath founded his troop in the earth; he that calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name.  Amos was making sure that the people of Israel knew or remembered Who God was.  God was the all powerful God, the only true God.  We today need to remember Who God is.  We serve a mighty God, the only true God that there is.  Verse seven asks, Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel? saith the LORD. Have not I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt? and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir?  Those who were supposed to be the people of God, His children, had become just like the children of the rest of the world.  When there is no difference between God's people and the world, we can be certain that God's judgment will come on them.  We are called to be a peculiar people, set aside from the world.  I know we don't like the word peculiar today, but it simply means that we are different from the world, those who do not know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.  Verse eight says, Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the LORD.  God's chosen people were called a sinful kingdom and were going to be destroyed, except for that remnant that remained faithful.  We cannot think that God has to always deliver us simply because we call ourselves His people.  We must be obedient to the leadership of the Holy Spirit in order to effectively follow God.  We must live by the standards of God and not the standards of the world.

Amos 8:8 says, Shall not the land tremble for this, and every one mourn that dwelleth therein? and it shall rise up wholly as a flood; and it shall be cast out and drowned, as by the flood of Egypt.  God said that even the earth would tremble when His judgment came.  When God's judgment did come on Israel, then everyone that dwelt there would mourn.  God does not treat sin, especially those committed by His people, to go unpunished.  This warning from Amos of the coming judgment should have caused Israel to repent, but it didn't.  Israel had lost their willingness to acknowledge that God was indeed the reason for their greatness.  We today, as followers of Christ, have the warning of the coming judgment of God, but does it really have meaning to us in our everyday life?  Instead of being simply a way to avoid the penalty for our sins, salvation through Christ calls us to live by the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  Verse nine says, And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord GOD, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day:  God said that not only would the earth shake, but even the heavens would be affected.  Matthew Henry says that when the people of Israel thought they had all afternoon to continue life as usual, that God would cause the sun to set at noon.  I believe that this is a warning to us today that we never know how much time we have left to make things right between God and us, whether as individuals or as a nation.  Verse ten declares, And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning of an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day.  The people of Israel may have been going through the motions of worshipping God, enjoying their feasts for their own benefit, but God said these feasts were about to become times of mourning.  God is never going to bless empty worship.  We cannot claim to worship God on Sunday and cheat our neighbors the rest of the week.  Following Christ is more than just a church commitment.  We are to follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit every minute of every hour.  Verse eleven states, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:  We usually think of famine and thirst in material ways, but God told Israel that there was coming a day when people would hunger and thirst to hear God's word.  We, as God's people, need that hunger and thirst for God's word today.  We cannot effectively represent God in the world if we do not know His word.  Verse twelve states, And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.  The people of Israel would look everywhere for the word of God, but they would not find it.  I believe that this is because they were looking everywhere but to God.  They had followed religious practices and not a relationship with God for too long.  When we seek God's word, we must look to God for that word.  I believe that when we earnestly seek God that He will speak to us.  Verse thirteen says, In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst.  Even the young people would not have enough strength to stand in that day.  Verse fourteen declares, They that swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, Thy god, O Dan, liveth; and, The manner of Beersheba liveth; even they shall fall, and never rise up again.  Those who had followed false gods would fall forever.  The only way that we can stand forever with God is by putting our faith in Christ while we are still living.  If we follow false gods or no god at all, we will be eternally separated from God.