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January 6, 2008

Feliz Dia de los Reyes!

Hola amigos y Hello Friends! I hope you are having an excellent Epiphany, or Three Kings Day as it is known in many countries around the world. January 6th is traditionally celebrated as the day the Wise Men arrived to offer gifts to Jesus, the newborn King.
In Spain, January 6th is the most celebrated day during the holidays. Dia de los Reyes is when Spanish children leave shoes sitting out for the three kings to come by and leave presents in them. In most Spanish cities the three wise men walk through the streets and throw out candy to everyone waiting on the sidewalks; heck, for weeks beforehand you can even get your picture taken with the three kings at the mall! They're everywhere, those wisemen.

As Pastor Stulac pointed out today in church, Ephiphany shows that the kings offered more than just gold, frankincense, and myrrh. In fact, we can learn from how they responded to the arrival of Christ. According to the second chapter of Matthew, the three wise men were joyous, they worshipped, and as mentioned before they offered gifts. In this time when the birth of Jesus is still on our minds, let's remember the grace given to us!
He sought and found us dead to our sin. He pulled us to Him and had us accept responsibility for our sin. He helped us accept our sinful flesh and our need of One who would atone for our pollution and guilt. Jesus died on the cross a sacrifice that is final...no need for a lamb anymore. He was the final sacrifice that God gave for us! We are now free to live without the need to perform tasks, we are now free to live lives without bondage to addictions or vices, we are now able to sift through the muck of life in order to discover who we are...and to be proud of that! This is what the Lord has given to those who seek Him! Like the first wisemen who came to visit little baby Jesus, it is ours to respond with joy and worship; to respond with faithful hearts who offer our time and talents, and financially as well. May you have a wonderful Three Kings Day! Buen Fiesta!

| By Nathan Gemayel | 3:28 PM

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