Bethlehem Star

As David and I were heading to the airport on Tuesday to catch a flight to Florida, we passed a certain community building that never fails to tick me off...not the building but the sign on the outside. They have a little portable marquis that prides itself in offending believers...not the marquis but the "spiritual leader" who puts the sayings on the marquis.

Have you figured out who I am talking about yet?

This time the marquis read: The story is a myth. The message is real.

Now, being Christmastime, I don't think it's a stretch to assume that they are referring to the Christmas story.

(Wait a minute...I need to let my blood pressure settle down...)

Twenty-four hours later, I found myself sitting in a room full of women, listening to my mother teach on the wisemen, and she touched on one of the supposed myths - the star of Bethlehem. Here's what she said:

"The heavens were declaring something specific to these men. Perhaps it was a comet, a light appearing in the midst of a conjunction of Jupiter, Saturn and Pisces (occuring every 805 years), a supernatural light that the Chinese astronomical tables record with no explanation, an interpretation of the constellations (lost to us today), or the Shekinah Glory that departed years before from the Temple...travelling to the east. This light came back from the east to the west. It might have been an angel (often referred to in Scripture as stars) because it was pretty specific when it stood over the place where Christ was."

Though the whole study was fascinating, this particular picture of an angel standing over the place where Jesus was has stuck with me. By the time the wisemen show up on the scene, Jesus is most likely a few years old. Mary and Joseph are living in a house. Can you imagine the wisemen and their entourage entering tiny Bethlehem and a spectacular, somber angel suspended above their home, with a stately outstretched finger pointing the way, as if to say, "Hey, guys, He's right here!"?

Matthew 2 tells us that the star stood over the place where Jesus was - sounds like a being, doesn't it?

It really doesn't matter to me what the star was. The fact that the star was really there and that the story is not a myth but true is what matters to me. There is a movement within Christianity that is trying to move away from the literal interpretation of the scriptures and join that certain man from Spring Lake in saying that even though the Bible is full of myths, it contains a great message.

I'm just not falling for it.

I choose to walk by faith, whether I can fully understand things or not, if God said it, then I believe it.

Truth be known, I have no idea which part of the "story" he thinks is a myth. I might be way off in my assumptions and if that is the case, I apologize for misinterpreting his sign. But if not, friends, study and know the Word so that you can be ready, in season and out, to defend it.

Spiritual Candy - 3

Okay...how 'bout this one:

"So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:11

There are some sentences in scripture that are so rich and full of doctrine that my mind can barely contain their fullness. This is one of them. Now, I need to share with you the three verses beforehand so that you can have a running start into its truths: (You may actually be surprised at which verses come before this one...)

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are My ways your ways," declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:8-11

So here's what I glean for starters:

*God's Word produces exactly what God intends for it to produce

*God's thoughts and ways are different than my thoughts and ways

*When He sends the rain, it is to water the earth so that the earth will produce

*Just like the rain does its job, so do the Words of God

*When God speaks, He speaks for a purpose and His desires are always accomplished

So, who's in control? God.

Who accomplishes anything good? God.

Who makes the Word effective? God.

Who gets credit for changing lives through His Word? God.

Who doesn't have to bear the burden of not being eloquent enough or clear enough or patient enough or wise enough when sharing the gospel, so as to possibly turn people away from the Lord to everlasting punishment? Me.

Why? Because God always accomplishes what He desires, I just need to be obedient.

Yum - I like this one!

As for the boomerang, when I was a child I tried to throw a boomerang. It never came back.

Just another visual example of how His ways are not my ways - this verse tells us that His boomerangs always return...

Spiritual Candy - 2

Here's another little treat for you today:

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord." I Corinthians 15:58

Every get weary?

It's that time of year when lists abound - grocery lists, address lists, shopping lists, christmas decorating to-do lists...just when you check an item off of one list, four more seem to appear. When you've had a particularly productive day, the exhaustion is good - but on frenzied days, the exhaustion only adds to the wear and tear.

And then you find yourself asking yourself questions, like: why am I doing this? Why do I bother to send cards to people who I never see or talk to - do they even like me? Why am I buying her a gift? Why won't half the tree light up? Why do ornaments explode when they hit the tile floor? And soon the focus is off the celebration of our Savior and is wandering aimlessly down some half-decked halls whose boughs of holly look more like sticks of plastic greenery.

Okay - take a deep breath - move away from Christmas for a moment.

Sometimes in our daily lives we become a bit frazzled towards our call as believers. There are nursery schedules and conferences to organize, (did I fill out my membership application?), I am expected to turn every day simple discipline moments into spiritual lessons for my children, it's much easier to simply make the decision and deal with the fall out later than wait for HIM to make it, (have we given to the church this month?), I'm expected to be in a small group with people I don't even like, (why can't I find fifteen minutes a day to read my bible and what would I read anyway?), and I can't even remember the last time I didn't fall asleep while praying in bed - is any of this really worth it?

It's so easy to get caught up with lists of expectations and rules to live by, that we lose sight of our calling - we were made to bring glory to God and we are called to make disciples. Let's keep it that simple. I love this verse in I Corinthians because Paul has basically knocked the church in Corinth over the head with a baseball bat for fifteen chapters and then throws in this simple little sentence. Let's look at it a bit closer:

"Therefore (in other words, in light of what I have just written to you, now do this), my beloved brethren (loved by God and family in Christ), be steadfast (a settled conviction of an objective truth), immovable (fixed, unchangeable, not yielding to pressure), always (100% word) abounding (exist in large numbers or amounts) in the work of the Lord (committed service to the commands of Christ - remember in John 15 Jesus says that you are His friends if you keep His commandments), knowing that your toil (oh, so it's not easy work, huh?) is not in vain (producing no result) in the Lord (the three most important motivational words ever!)."

Bottom line - don't get discouraged or overwhelmed with life. Yes, there are lists, but there is something much greater behind everything - God. He loves you and wants you to stay focussed and immersed in His work. We do not labor in vain - faithfully pointing our children towards the Savior, submitting to the leadership of our husbands, service in the local church, giving, meditating on His word, prayer - all of these , when done in the Lord, have value. Eternal value.

So be steadfast, my friends - have that settled conviction of an objective truth - stand on the Word and continue the battle, knowing that God loves you, knows what is best for you and is in complete control.

Spiritual Candy

"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." Galatians 2:20

Which one would you take? These are old school candies - Bazooka gum, Lemonheads, Fireballs, Tootsie Rolls...I can remember that my mom used to buy these individually wrapped hard candies that were a creamy, coffee flavor. It was a real treat to get one of those from the bottom of her purse!

The great thing about gum or hard candy is that it takes a while to eat it - even tootsie rolls are tough to chew and then it seems like you are picking taffy out of your teeth for an hour afterwards.

It stays with you.

Well, I thought I'd give you a piece of candy to swish around for a while today. Galatians 2:20 was a verse I learned in AWANA years ago and I even know a song that goes with it. Right now, that song is in my head and it probably will be throughout the rest of the day.

This is a great little verse to mull over - the truth and the consequences are worth spending some time digesting:

*What does it mean in your life to be crucified with Christ?

*We claim to serve a risen Savior, but do we recognize that He is living within us?

*Flesh needs faith to live

*The flesh and the spiritual are inseparable

*Love drove Christ to sacrifice - what does my love drive me to do?

*He gave Himself for me and now He lives in me - fantastic!

We have been discussing in our Luke study that we are ambassadors for Christ here on this earth. We represent Him. This verse goes one step further and claims that we not only live for Him but He lives within us. We know that our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit, so that takes this to an even greater level.

For the person who is lonely, this verse must be a comfort. For the person who feels they are without direction, this verse must give them renewed sense of purpose. For the person who feels unloved, this verse should fix that.

It's a great treat that should stick with you for a while...hope you enjoyed it!