reality_of_christ

The Reality of Christ

A 'Testimony' Will Not Suffice

A Message Preached September 29, 1999

We will look tonight at the relationship that grew between a King and a Queen; a relationship that is set for eternity in 2 Chronicles chapter 9. The King in this Biblical account is none other than King Solomon, and the Queen is the Queen of Sheba, whom he meets.

In the not-so-obvious sense, there is a spiritual relationship that this scripture depicts as well, and it is this crucial spiritual relationship that I will lay alongside the actual scripture and, hopefully, use to illuminate a wonderful truth.

The King in this passage is also our Lord and our God. It is Jesus in all his finery and regal beauty, in His Heavenly splendor. The Queen is our Lord's Bride -- the Church, those who are the "true believers" and lovers of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, our Husband, King, and Redeemer. The relationship is one, initially, of an intrigued seeker of the truth coming to the King for the answers of life. One who is coming with questions that a pastor or a book or a tape series can not answer. The Holy Spirit has drawn this one and wooed them into the presence of the Lord. It is here, in the Lord's presence, that a true would-be believer sees the reality of Christ in a way that eclipses all of the hearsay and testimony that can be generated. The reality of Christ will change your life, and keep changing it until you are in His presence for eternity.

Turn to 2 Chronicles chapter 9, and let's begin. (Read thru the entire chapter completely, then we will examine each verse individually.)

The Reality of Christ:

2 Chronicles 9:1-12 (KJS) And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to prove [test] Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great company, and camels that bare spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart [all that was on her mind].

Prior to her search, the queen hears second hand testimony from witnesses of the greatness and grandeur of this King. She hears testimony of His wisdom, of His vast riches, of His kingdom, and of all that is within His mighty realm. Accordingly, she brings an offering, obviously not because the King needs cash to keep the kingdom running, but out of admiration and respect and a 'rightness' in her own heart. (Does God tell us to give offerings only if we feel the church is doing what we think is proper, or only if we feel the church is needy?) To the queen, second hand testimony was not sufficient. She had to meet this King face to face -- in person.

* Can we also bring various "hard questions" to Jesus?

* Would you rather hear about Jesus from others who might have seen Him and spoken to Him, or would you prefer to meet Him in person? [Nicodemus did in John chapter 3, even though his nocturnal visit told of his fear of the Jews. Likewise did Zacchaeus in Luke chapter 19, who felt compelled to climb a tree merely to glimpse Jesus as He walked past.]

The queen asked the King all that was on her mind and heart. She "communed" with Him, that is she simply talked with Him, but at great length, and about everything -- intimate details as well as commonplace. Obviously she felt comfortable with this King, and knew that she was free to ask anything that she wished.

* Are you as comfortable with Jesus as the queen was with the King? If not why?

Verse 2. And Solomon told her all her questions: and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not.

Again, the King answered every question well. Nothing is hidden from the eyes of our King; nothing is too hard for Him to answer. It is important to understand that the queen had to seek the King personally in order to ask these questions. Why?
Because a testimony from someone else would not suffice.

* Do you have questions? Whom are you asking? Have you asked all the questions that are on your heart?

Verse 3. And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built,

Verse 4. And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel; his cupbearers (butlers) also, and their apparel; and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her [she was overwhelmed].

Now notice the queen's "vision" (spiritual vision) begins to expand, to take in all there is of this King. She is also refining her focus of His awesome-ness and majesty as she takes in the largeness of this King and His Kingdom. In v4, we see that the queen had "no more spirit in her," that is no more "breath", or as the NIV characterizes it, "she was overwhelmed." This is seen in all the 'ands' that are piled on in her presense. She was innundated with the King's wisdom and His house and His well-provisioned table and the many servants He had at His disposal and the many helpers for His guests and the luxurious clothes His staff wore and even the regal majesty with which He proceded to His seat at the table and . . . whew! She was certainly overwhelmed with the entire scene. The sheer magnitude of this King, our Lord, including all that belonged to Him, was completely transforming her perspectives about life.

The 'Big Picture' Perspective:

Let's step away for a moment and look to the book of Numbers. I want to give you another scriptural example that illustrates how we will be overwhelmed, when once we see all the Lord is to us, or has for us. Ready? Numbers chapter 22, beginning with verse 38. As a bit of review, Balak was the current King of Moab. He was in office just as Israel, under Joshua's rule, was taking over the Promised Land. He had recently witnessed the destruction of two of his neighboring kings, and had been an eyewitness to the power of this new nation strengthened by Jehovah.

Balak had hired a well-known and respected prophet named Balaam to curse these Israelites, and so, hopefully, preserve his kingdom and way of life. As they were conducting their business, they both had several glimpses of God's people that will prove to be as life-changing as the view the queen beheld in 2 Chronicles 9.

Numbers 22:39-41 Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath Huzoth. Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and gave some to Balaam and the princes who were with him. The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal, and from there he saw part of the people.

Again, from another vantage point, they view only a portion of God's people.

Numbers 23:13 Then Balak said to him, "Come with me to another place where you can see them; you will see only a part but not all of them. And from there, curse them for me."

Finally, just as the queen was "overwhelmed" with the vastness and majesty of the King's kingdom, Balaam also was equally "overwhelmed" by the size and might of the people of God. As with the queen, he also took on a new perspective of the God they called Jehovah, as he sang His praises.

Numbers 23:27-24:9 Then Balak said to Balaam, "Come, let me take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me from there." And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, overlooking the wasteland. Balaam said, "Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me." Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not resort to sorcery as at other times, but turned his face toward the desert. When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe [he saw all of Israel, how vast and awesome they were], the Spirit of God came upon him and he uttered his oracle: "The oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of one whose
eye sees clearly, the oracle of one who hears the words of God, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened: How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel! Like valleys they spread out, like gardens beside a river, like aloes planted by the LORD, like cedars beside the waters. Water will flow from their buckets; their seed will have abundant water. Their king will be greater than Agag; their kingdom will be exalted. God brought them out of Egypt; they have the strength of a wild ox. They devour hostile nations and break their bones in pieces; with their arrows they pierce them. Like a lion they crouch and lie down, like a lioness--who dares to rouse them? May those who bless you be blessed and those who curse you be cursed!"

When we are allowed to "see the Lord," we too will be filled with a vision that transforms us. It redefines for us who we are in Christ and what life truly means.

You can't get that kind of vision and focus from a testimony!

Back to Solomon and the Queen:

Verse 5. And she said to the king, [It was] a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom:

Verse 6. Howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen [it]: and, behold, the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me: [for] thou exceedest the fame that I heard.

Testimony is certainly valid (v5), but as v6 states, until your eyes see Him, only a fraction of the Lord's greatness can be described with mere words. The testimony the queen received was indeed true, but it could not hold a candle to the REALITY of the presence of the King.

Let's depart once more from our story and look at some key Biblical examples of transformation in the Lord's presence:

Isaiah 6:1-5 (KJS) In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, [is] the LORD of hosts: the whole earth [is] full of his glory.

4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

5 Then said I, Woe [is] me! for I am undone; because I [am] a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.

Ezekiel 1:26-28 (KJS) And above the firmament that [was] over their heads [was] the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne [was] the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.

27 And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.

28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so [was] the appearance of the brightness round about. This [was] the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw [it], I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.

Luke 5:3-8 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."

5 Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."

6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.

7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!"

Revelation 1:12-17 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands,

13 and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest.

14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.

15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.

16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.

John 19:38-40 Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body away.

39 He was accompanied by Nicodemus [a former coward who sought Jesus under cloak of darkness], the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.

40 Taking Jesus' body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs.

Luke 19:1-10 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.

2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.

3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd.

4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today."

6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.'"

8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."

9 Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.

10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

Aren't these great examples of how a vision, a glimpse of our King has a life-changing effect on us, His children!

Back yet again to the King and Queen:

Verse 7. Happy [are] thy men, and happy [are] these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom.

Those who stand in the presence of the King, even His servants, are 'happy,' literally 'blessed' continually.

* Do you believe you will be forever blessed if you are in the Lord's presence?

* How do you place yourself in His presence? [Prayer -- true prayer!]

Verse 8. Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne, [to be] king for the LORD thy God: because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore made he thee king over them, to do judgment and justice.

The queen sings a doxology of praise to the King, and is a good example of praise that might come from our lips as well.

Verse 9. And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices great abundance, and precious stones: neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon.

This spice is a sweet smelling perfume, a sweet odor, a fragrant offering. The King possesses all things, but there is one thing He desires more than anything -- YOU!

Verse 10. And the servants also of Huram, and the servants of Solomon, which brought gold from Ophir, brought algum trees and precious stones.

Verse 11. And the king made [of] the algum trees terraces [steps or highways] to the house of the LORD, and to the king's palace, and harps and psalteries for singers: and there were none such seen before in the land of Judah.

Verse 12. And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside [that] which she had brought unto the king. So she turned, and went away to her own land, she and her servants.

These are wonderfully telling passages! The King responded to all the queen brought: her questions, her conversation, her fellowship, her praise and adoration, her lavish gifts and offerings. In addition to her questions, the queen also brought spices (v9) such as had never been bestowed upon the King.

Of all the King had and displayed and gave away -- this sweet

aroma of the spices offered by the queen was new to His kingdom!

This is a beautiful model of what our offerings (prayers, thanksgiving, love) are to the Lord as well; our own personal offerings of praise and prayer to the King of kings! What else can we give to God that is not a return of what He has blessed us with, EXCEPT our love, praise and fellowship of prayer.

2 Corinthians 5:15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ.

Testimonies and stories are wonderful! They help us to be emboldened in our faith; they help us to walk the walk of faith when times are tough. But they are merely the milk of our faith. To grow up completely in the fullness of Christ, we must partake of the meat, of solid food! That must be done face-to-face with Jesus. The Lord Jesus is the Bread of Life brought down from Heaven. He is all we need, but we must be with Him to partake of Him. Too many in the church today live their entire lives with only 'testimonies' of Jesus. Understand this -- He wants to meet you more than you can ever realize. Please don't disappoint Him.

As the queen realized, the reality of Christ is worth all we have to offer; with joy, sell all you have and purchase that field with the hidden treasure in it (Matthew 13:44). The King will also give to you "all you desire," just as He did for the queen.




	The Reality of Christ A 'Testimony' Will Not Suffice A Message Preached September 29, 1999 Bro. A. Madonio




Introduction: We will look tonight at the relationship that grew between a King and a Queen; a relationship that is set for eternity in 2 Chronicles chapter 9. The King in this Biblical account is none other than King Solomon, and the Queen is the Queen of Sheba, whom he meets. In the not-so-obvious sense, there is a spiritual relationship that this scripture depicts as well, and it is this crucial spiritual relationship that I will lay alongside the actual scripture and, hopefully, use to illuminate a wonderful truth. The King in this passage is also our Lord and our God. It is Jesus in all his finery and regal beauty, in His Heavenly splendor. The Queen is our Lord's Bride -- the Church, those who are the "true believers" and lovers of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, our Husband, King, and Redeemer. The relationship is one, initially, of an intrigued seeker of the truth coming to the King for the answers of life. One who is coming with questions that a pastor or a book or a tape series can not answer. The Holy Spirit has drawn this one and wooed them into the presence of the Lord. It is here, in the Lord's presence, that a true would-be believer sees the reality of Christ in a way that eclipses all of the hearsay and testimony that can be generated. The reality of Christ will change your life, and keep changing it until you are in His presence for eternity. Turn to 2 Chronicles chapter 9, and let's begin. (Read thru the entire chapter completely, then we will examine each verse individually.) The Reality of Christ: 2 Chronicles 9:1-12 (KJS) And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to prove [test] Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great company, and camels that bare spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart [all that was on her mind]. Prior to her search, the queen hears second hand testimony from witnesses of the greatness and grandeur of this King. She hears testimony of His wisdom, of His vast riches, of His kingdom, and of all that is within His mighty realm. Accordingly, she brings an offering, obviously not because the King needs cash to keep the kingdom running, but out of admiration and respect and a 'rightness' in her own heart. (Does God tell us to give offerings only if we feel the church is doing what we think is proper, or only if we feel the church is needy?) To the queen, second hand testimony was not sufficient. She had to meet this King face to face -- in person. * Can we also bring various "hard questions" to Jesus? * Would you rather hear about Jesus from others who might have seen Him and spoken to Him, or would you prefer to meet Him in person? [Nicodemus did in John chapter 3, even though his nocturnal visit told of his fear of the Jews. Likewise did Zacchaeus in Luke chapter 19, who felt compelled to climb a tree merely to glimpse Jesus as He walked past.] The queen asked the King all that was on her mind and heart. She "communed" with Him, that is she simply talked with Him, but at great length, and about everything -- intimate details as well as commonplace. Obviously she felt comfortable with this King, and knew that she was free to ask anything that she wished. * Are you as comfortable with Jesus as the queen was with the King? If not why? Verse 2. And Solomon told her all her questions: and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not. Again, the King answered every question well. Nothing is hidden from the eyes of our King; nothing is too hard for Him to answer. It is important to understand that the queen had to seek the King personally in order to ask these questions. Why? Because a testimony from someone else would not suffice. * Do you have questions? Whom are you asking? Have you asked all the questions that are on your heart? Verse 3. And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built, Verse 4. And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel; his cupbearers (butlers) also, and their apparel; and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her [she was overwhelmed]. Now notice the queen's "vision" (spiritual vision) begins to expand, to take in all there is of this King. She is also refining her focus of His awesome-ness and majesty as she takes in the largeness of this King and His Kingdom. In v4, we see that the queen had "no more spirit in her," that is no more "breath", or as the NIV characterizes it, "she was overwhelmed." This is seen in all the 'ands' that are piled on in her presense. She was innundated with the King's wisdom and His house and His well-provisioned table and the many servants He had at His disposal and the many helpers for His guests and the luxurious clothes His staff wore and even the regal majesty with which He proceded to His seat at the table and . . . whew! She was certainly overwhelmed with the entire scene. The sheer magnitude of this King, our Lord, including all that belonged to Him, was completely transforming her perspectives about life. The 'Big Picture' Perspective: Let's step away for a moment and look to the book of Numbers. I want to give you another scriptural example that illustrates how we will be overwhelmed, when once we see all the Lord is to us, or has for us. Ready? Numbers chapter 22, beginning with verse 38. As a bit of review, Balak was the current King of Moab. He was in office just as Israel, under Joshua's rule, was taking over the Promised Land. He had recently witnessed the destruction of two of his neighboring kings, and had been an eyewitness to the power of this new nation strengthened by Jehovah. Balak had hired a well-known and respected prophet named Balaam to curse these Israelites, and so, hopefully, preserve his kingdom and way of life. As they were conducting their business, they both had several glimpses of God's people that will prove to be as life-changing as the view the queen beheld in 2 Chronicles 9. Numbers 22:39-41 Then Balaam went with Balak to Kiriath Huzoth. Balak sacrificed cattle and sheep, and gave some to Balaam and the princes who were with him. The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth Baal, and from there he saw part of the people. Again, from another vantage point, they view only a portion of God's people. Numbers 23:13 Then Balak said to him, "Come with me to another place where you can see them; you will see only a part but not all of them. And from there, curse them for me." Finally, just as the queen was "overwhelmed" with the vastness and majesty of the King's kingdom, Balaam also was equally "overwhelmed" by the size and might of the people of God. As with the queen, he also took on a new perspective of the God they called Jehovah, as he sang His praises. Numbers 23:27-24:9 Then Balak said to Balaam, "Come, let me take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God to let you curse them for me from there." And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, overlooking the wasteland. Balaam said, "Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me." Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bull and a ram on each altar. Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not resort to sorcery as at other times, but turned his face toward the desert. When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe [he saw all of Israel, how vast and awesome they were], the Spirit of God came upon him and he uttered his oracle: "The oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of one whose eye sees clearly, the oracle of one who hears the words of God, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened: How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel! Like valleys they spread out, like gardens beside a river, like aloes planted by the LORD, like cedars beside the waters. Water will flow from their buckets; their seed will have abundant water. Their king will be greater than Agag; their kingdom will be exalted. God brought them out of Egypt; they have the strength of a wild ox. They devour hostile nations and break their bones in pieces; with their arrows they pierce them. Like a lion they crouch and lie down, like a lioness--who dares to rouse them? May those who bless you be blessed and those who curse you be cursed!" When we are allowed to "see the Lord," we too will be filled with a vision that transforms us. It redefines for us who we are in Christ and what life truly means. You can't get that kind of vision and focus from a testimony! Back to Solomon and the Queen: Verse 5. And she said to the king, [It was] a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom: Verse 6. Howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen [it]: and, behold, the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me: [for] thou exceedest the fame that I heard. Testimony is certainly valid (v5), but as v6 states, until your eyes see Him, only a fraction of the Lord's greatness can be described with mere words. The testimony the queen received was indeed true, but it could not hold a candle to the REALITY of the presence of the King. Let's depart once more from our story and look at some key Biblical examples of transformation in the Lord's presence:

Isaiah 6:1-5 (KJS) In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, [is] the LORD of hosts: the whole earth [is] full of his glory. 4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 Then said I, Woe [is] me! for I am undone; because I [am] a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. Ezekiel 1:26-28 (KJS) And above the firmament that [was] over their heads [was] the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne [was] the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. 27 And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. 28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so [was] the appearance of the brightness round about. This [was] the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw [it], I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake. Luke 5:3-8 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch." 5 Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets." 6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" Revelation 1:12-17 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. John 19:38-40 Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body away. 39 He was accompanied by Nicodemus [a former coward who sought Jesus under cloak of darkness], the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. 40 Taking Jesus' body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. Luke 19:1-10 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.'" 8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount." 9 Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." Aren't these great examples of how a vision, a glimpse of our King has a life-changing effect on us, His children! Back yet again to the King and Queen: Verse 7. Happy [are] thy men, and happy [are] these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom. Those who stand in the presence of the King, even His servants, are 'happy,' literally 'blessed' continually. * Do you believe you will be forever blessed if you are in the Lord's presence? * How do you place yourself in His presence? [Prayer -- true prayer!] Verse 8. Blessed be the LORD thy God, which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne, [to be] king for the LORD thy God: because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore made he thee king over them, to do judgment and justice. The queen sings a doxology of praise to the King, and is a good example of praise that might come from our lips as well. Verse 9. And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices great abundance, and precious stones: neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon. This spice is a sweet smelling perfume, a sweet odor, a fragrant offering. The King possesses all things, but there is one thing He desires more than anything -- YOU! Verse 10. And the servants also of Huram, and the servants of Solomon, which brought gold from Ophir, brought algum trees and precious stones. Verse 11. And the king made [of] the algum trees terraces [steps or highways] to the house of the LORD, and to the king's palace, and harps and psalteries for singers: and there were none such seen before in the land of Judah. Verse 12. And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside [that] which she had brought unto the king. So she turned, and went away to her own land, she and her servants. These are wonderfully telling passages! The King responded to all the queen brought: her questions, her conversation, her fellowship, her praise and adoration, her lavish gifts and offerings. In addition to her questions, the queen also brought spices (v9) such as had never been bestowed upon the King. Of all the King had and displayed and gave away -- this sweet aroma of the spices offered by the queen was new to His kingdom! This is a beautiful model of what our offerings (prayers, thanksgiving, love) are to the Lord as well; our own personal offerings of praise and prayer to the King of kings! What else can we give to God that is not a return of what He has blessed us with, EXCEPT our love, praise and fellowship of prayer. 2 Corinthians 5:15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ. Testimonies and stories are wonderful! They help us to be emboldened in our faith; they help us to walk the walk of faith when times are tough. But they are merely the milk of our faith. To grow up completely in the fullness of Christ, we must partake of the meat, of solid food! That must be done face-to-face with Jesus. The Lord Jesus is the Bread of Life brought down from Heaven. He is all we need, but we must be with Him to partake of Him. Too many in the church today live their entire lives with only 'testimonies' of Jesus. Understand this -- He wants to meet you more than you can ever realize. Please don't disappoint Him. As the queen realized, the reality of Christ is worth all we have to offer; with joy, sell all you have and purchase that field with the hidden treasure in it (Matthew 13:44). The King will also give to you "all you desire," just as He did for the queen. Amen!

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