The Star led them to Christ

"Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him."
Matthew 2:2

The main thing about the star in this passage was that it led men to Christ, that was it's purpose. It led these wise men until they found Christ and then you don't hear anything more about it. 

In Philippians 1:12-18 Paul talked about how some people preached Christ out of selfish ambition wanting to be noticed. The stars only purpose was to lead men to Christ.

In this coming year in your personal arena my prayer for you is that like the star you will shine and bring glory to Christ alone and for His pleasure. 

As soon as He was approaching, near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen, shouting:

“Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord;
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.”  But Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!”

Luke 19:37-40

A Blessed Inconvenience

The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord,
Like the rivers of water;
He turns it wherever He wishes.
Proverbs 21:1

I was meditating on how the heart of all authority is in the hands of the Lord and how it turns it whatever way He wishes. Think back to the time when Caesar Augustus called for the census in Luke 2:1 and what an inconvenience it must have been for Joseph and Mary. 

Mary was very with child and they had to pack up the donkey and make the arduous trek to Joseph's hometown of Bethlehem. There weren't roads back then like we have today and travel was difficult, making it a major hassle for the couple to endure the journey.

So many times we read through these stories and we forget they were people just like us. They must have questioned the decree..."Why does he want to count everybody anyway?" "Why now, Mary, at the time when your pregnant?"

All the while God was the one orchestrating the circumstances to fulfill prophesies from long ago. How many times in our lives do we complain about the inconvenience of things? We find ourselves complaining without realizing that God is guiding things to achieve His glorious eternal purposes and we are a part of that! 

Think of Mary being told by the angel that she was going to be the mother of the Messiah. What a life changing experience! Her response was the acceptance of God's will without reservation. 

We can trust God's guiding hand even in the inconveniences of life and joyfully trust that He is involved in our circumstances.

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it happen to me according to your word.”
Luke 1:38

At thy Word

And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.
Luke 5:5

The Word of God is not just a mile marker to mark certain parts of your life, it's an intersection. Over and over again it will bring you to a place of choice. You'll have to choose between adhering to the Word or choose your own human reasoning.

  In Luke 5:3, Jesus got into a boat and began to speak to the multitudes. I believe that even though he had been working all night, Peter's heart was being touched by the word. Jesus turned to him and told him to take the boat back out and lower his nets. Peter told Jesus, "We've been working all night, but at your word, I'll do it." Peter had begun to recognize Jesus as the Son of God. Isn't it interesting how often God leads us in ways we do not understand. I remember as a young man in college the Lord spoke to me and said, "It's time for you to go." The decision to leave college was huge but I knew I had heard the Lord clearly. All I knew to say was, "Yes Lord." No one else agreed with me but I knew I had to obey the word the Lord was speaking to me.

  When was the last time the word of the Lord shed light upon your path? Do we still delight in the word of the Lord or do we want God on our own terms? I am reading through the book of Proverbs with one of my son's every day before he goes to school and today we read, "Cease from your pursuit of wealth and prize wisdom above gold and silver." When was the last time you heard that? If a preacher can use the word to manipulate you to give money to them,  they can take advantage of you. God wants you to delight in His word and let it teach you and counsel you and renew your mind. Why do you think John said in 1st John 2:27 that the anointing of the Holy One abides in you and you don't need anyone to teach you. The Holy Spirit wants to teach you and lead you into all truth. The five fold ministry was not set apart to be the mouthpiece of God for you. Their purpose is to cultivate within the body of Christ the ability to hear God and do what He says. When you are rightly related to the headship of Christ you can hear God and obey Him for yourself.

  Faith is not going to grow in your heart until you learn to obey Him. Peter heard the word of God and was transformed inside by it. When Jesus asked him to cast off and go out fishing again he didn't try to talk Jesus out of it, he obeyed and experienced a miracle. When God is speaking we want to hear His voice for ourselves and obey Him.

  Consider 1 Kings chapter 13 where a young prophet is sent by God to Bethel to speak a word of judgement. God gave Him specific instructions to speak the word and then to leave and go back home. He was told not to eat with or stay with anyone but to return immediately by a different way. An older prophet heard what had happened that day and he went and told that young prophet that an angel told him he should come and eat with him and stay with him. The young prophet did not listen to what God told him to do and instead listened to the old prophet that was lying to him. Because he didn't listen that young prophet was eaten by a lion. What a picture for us today!

  Jesus told us that in the last days their will be false teachers and many will be lead astray. It says because lawlessness has increased people will be deceived. They will be unwilling to die to self and false prophets will tell them it's okay to live lawlessly. If you listen to the counsel of this world it's not going to keep you! When the storm comes you can only stand on the truth of God's word.

I want to challenge you today to spend time in God's word. Even if you read just one scripture a day it can build you up in your faith. The Bible is not made just for colleges and seminaries. The Holy Spirit wants to break it open for YOU and provide direction for your life.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Psalm 119:105

At the Cross

For You have smitten all my enemies on the cheek;
You have shattered the teeth of the wicked.
8 Salvation belongs to the Lord;
Your blessing be upon Your people! Selah.
Psalm 3:7-8



One of the great hopes that keeps us moving forward is Christ's victory at the cross.

The spiritual battle is going on all around us and the Lord is teaching us to fight and to walk victoriously.

I want to encourage you today that the Lord has shattered the teeth of our enemy at the cross!  As we look and keep our attention upon that cross we know that Jesus is able to do in us, that which we are incapable of doing ourselves. 

Our part is to continue to come to the light and agree with Christ.  We must trust the Lord and agree with Him as He teaches us how to overcome. He is faithful to help us to walk in freedom in every area of our lives.

 Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?

 But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.

 And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.

Isaiah 49:24-26

Engaged in the Battle

        The Lord God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this,
Cursed are you more than all cattle,
And more than every beast of the field;
On your belly you will go,
And dust you will eat
All the days of your life;
And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her seed

Genesis 3:14-15

  Obviously we know what the word says about the temptation that took place with Satan in the Garden of Eden. We could go through a study of that temptation, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life. The part where Satan told them, "you shall be like God,"...and the tearing down of the nature of God, He doesn't love you...He's withholding something good from you and all those things...

However, what I really what to talk about is Genesis 3:14-15, this war against the church. There is a spiritual battle between the Spirit of Life and the spirit of darkness and the enemy. We are facing a "war against the church," and I ask you, why would God use that terminology if it was not happening? The more you actually see it in the word, the more you will be able to see it everywhere in the scriptures, all the way through. 

  Today as you read this I hope you will become more aware to waking back up and spiritually engaging in the battle. Lord help us to spiritually engage today. The enemies goals are to divide our hearts, (through idolatry,) and break up our relationships. If you are not engaging in the battle you are losing it.

    In second Corinthians 10 we are encouraged to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Whether it's thoughts of anger or resentment, fear, lust or self pity, when we begin to listen to those lying thoughts we begin to give them place. We begin to listen and agree with lies and the only thing real about lies is the credibility we give them. 

Satan is the father of lies, there is no truth in him and we have to recognize and take those, "fiery dart thoughts," captive to what God's word says. You can't be free until you recognize the battle and then God can show you how to overcome it. 

Let me clarify, there is no battle in the heavens, God versus Satan because the word says in Colossians that Jesus made a public display of the enemy, triumphing over him. 

It's when we believe the lies of the enemy that it begins to change the course of our lives. The enemy lies that our lives are out of control but I lift the shield of faith that says, "All things are working together according to the counsel of His will." Remember, God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and a of a sound mind!

  Our mind must be renewed by the word of God and we must answer the enemies lies with the truth of the word of God.

 Engage in the battle with your eyes upon the Lord. He is faithful and wants to show you how to take thoughts captive as you spend time with Him. There are two voices out there, which one will you listen to today?

Wisdom has built her house,
She has hewn out her seven pillars;
 She has prepared her food, she has mixed her wine;
She has also set her table;
 She has sent out her maidens, she calls
From the tops of the heights of the city:

“Whoever is naive, let him turn in here!”
To him who lacks understanding she says,
 “Come, eat of my food
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
 “Forsake your folly and live,
And proceed in the way of understanding.”

Proverbs 9:1-8

Let Him Who Thinks He Stands...

For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea;  and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea;  and all ate the same spiritual food;  and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness.

 Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play.”  Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day. Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents.  Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer.Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.  

1 Corinthians 10:1-12

As I began to think about this, there are times in your life when you become aware that your life is a vapor. I know that I want to finish well and pleasing to the Lord. 

For the prodigal son, the pig trough was a place that he had ended up where he realized he had wasted his life. That journey to the pig trough didn't happen overnight. It started with discontent in his heart about his situation. That discontent was the first step toward the pig trough. Satan is crafty and subtle in leading us off of the path of life. Paul told the Corinthian church...

But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. 

2 Corinthians 11:3

Paul points out here that the serpent is crafty! He doesn't say, "Hey, today I'm going to deceive you!" It's subtle over time that you can be led astray as you run from work to home and hurdle to hurdle. We are so busy that we miss the signs as we leave the path and begin the journey to the pig trough.

If you find yourself in this place today, begin to cry out, "I want to finish well, so Lord help me to start by dealing with the seed of discontent." Begin to cry out to the Lord in thanksgiving and for grace to help you stand. 

 Listen folks, you don't have to go to the pig trough. You don't have to come to the place of public exposure and humiliation. You can deal with discontent and sin one on one with the Father before it brings destruction to your life. 

The prodigal didn't realize how good he had it until he was at the pig trough and had lost everything. If you already find yourself there, return to the Father in repentance and you will find He is rich in mercy.  

 Lord help us submit to our trials and let them have their work in us. Let us love you with all our heart and love our neighbor as ourselves. Help us to cast aside discontentment and begin anew with a grateful heart of thanksgiving. Lord this life is just a vanishing vapor, help us to finish well. In Jesus name, Amen.

Trials Are Working For You

For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,  while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:17-18

    Pain is the precursor to change. We can stubbornly resist pain or we can ask God, what are you trying to teach me through this? I don't want to stiffen my neck Lord, what are you wanting to show me? When we submit to our trials  they can have their perfect work in our lives and achieve their divine purpose.

  The father of lies tells us God is not for us and we've made a mistake that has caused these trials, or afflictions. What are these momentary light afflictions? Walking through a painful marriage? Having to trust God with our kids? Financial problems crushing in on us? An unexpected illness? We are all going through the same trials but in different ways.

  John the Baptist ended up alone in a prison after preparing the way for Jesus and he sent word to Jesus asking if He is the one we have been looking for or not? The trials he was walking through and I believe, the voice of the enemy,(Where is your God?), had challenged his faith. Jesus sent word back about all the wonderful things that were happening and told John, "Blessed is the man who is not offended in me."

We get offended in the way God runs his business. We are suddenly in a humbled place, unnoticed and disregarded and we begin to question God's plan.

When we let go and serve others and don't try to exalt ourselves but submit to God in our trials, then Christ will be glorified in us and have his way in our hearts. Then we will find peace in the midst of our trials and will be conformed to God's image and nature. That should be our ultimate goal....to be like our heavenly Father. Think about that as you begin your day, meditating on the fact that your trials are working for you and God is not playing games with your life.

 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.  But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.
James 3:16-17

This Word Is Not For You

Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves.  Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification.  For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.”  For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
Romans 15:1-4

The enemy, the father of lies is speaking to many of our lives saying, "You can't understand the Bible. It's not for you. Well I'm here to tell you that even Satan uses the word of God to try to condemn the saints. I remember reading the verse, 2nd Corinthians 4 which says...

 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,  in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 

...and I used to think that must be me because I read the Bible and I can't understand it. I used to believe the lies that the enemy was speaking to my mind. The only power Satan has is when we listen to his lies and give them credibility. During those days when I was struggling with understanding the word, like Peter I would cry out in prayer to Jesus, "Where else can I go Lord? Only you have the words of eternal life." 

I encourage you today to do what I did back then and commit to reading just one verse a day. As I did that, God was faithful to open the word up to me and give understanding to me. 

If you get nothing else from this blog entry, I hope you get this....

The Bible is NOT an intellectual book. Its a spiritual book and Jesus said it's meaning is hidden to those who trust in their intellect. It's revealed to the tender in heart who humble themselves and cry to God to understand it's meaning.

In this coming year, God wants to speak to you. Are you willing in the privacy of your own life to commit to know Jesus and to seek Him? Commit to understanding His word and obeying what light He gives you. Just start with one verse a day, like I did and God is faithful to counsel you and bring understanding. His word and His Holy Spirit are our counselors and He wants you to walk in liberty and freedom.

How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered!
 How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit!

 When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away
Through my groaning all day long.
 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summerSelah.
 I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I did not hide;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”;
And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.
 Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found;
Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him.
 You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble;
You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.

 I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go;
I will counsel you with My eye upon you.

Psalm 32:1-8

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