Monday 2 December 2013

Fly on the Wall

“I wouldn’t mind being a fly on the wall there today!”  I wonder if you’ve ever used an expression like that.  Perhaps you wanted to be a witness to the moment two people were meeting up, or when somebody was being told a particular piece of news.  As a fly on the wall you would have a great view of the event, but more importantly an unnoticed one.  We’re all a bit inquisitive – nosy – aren’t we, so if we haven’t said it, we’ve probably thought it.

    When we think about it, it is actually a daft thing to wish for.  Who would really want to change places with a fly?  They don’t seem to have much of a life do they?  And in most of our houses that life wouldn’t last long as we’d soon get out the fly spray, or clobber the insect with a rolled up copy of the Argus.  It’s far better to be a human being.  To become a fly we would have to give up our intellect, skills, emotions, thought processes and so much more.

    It’s Christmas time again, and so we as Christians are beginning once more to celebrate the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ.  When we think of what the true message of the season really is, we are reminded just what an amazing truth it is.  God became man.  Without for a moment letting go of His God-ness, the Son of God chose to become man.  He took a frail human body and came to live on the planet that he had created.  The One who was eternal became a helpless infant.  He gave up the glory of life in Heaven with His Father, a life He had enjoyed eternally.  He gave up the worship of the countless angels that live there – worship that was rightfully his.  He came into a world spoilt by sin, a world of pain and death, and suffered the rejection of men and women who would not believe in him, and who eventually would execute Him. 

    For you and I to become a fly would be a major thing, but we would be simply exchanging one created form for another.  Though man is the highpoint of God’s creation, he is but a creature, made in the image of God.  But at the first Christmas the creator stepped into the world He had made.  God became man, a far greater transformation than you becoming a fly! That should really blow our minds.  It should cause us, along with the shepherds, their angelic visitors and the wise men, to adore and worship.

    That is particularly so because of the purpose of the incarnation.  The Lord Jesus Christ came into the world “to save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).  The incarnation happened for our salvation.  You and I have fallen short of God’s glory and broken His perfect law.  Because of that we are rightly under His condemnation.  Nothing we can say or do can change that.  It took the incarnation and the atonement on the cross that follows to give us a hope.  He came from Heaven to earth, so that we might go one day from earth to heaven.

    So don’t get lost this December amongst all the tinsel, turkey and TV!  Thank God for the incarnation, and worship the One it’s all about.

Sunday 1 December 2013

A Special Star

Something special - a bright star. Someone special - the Christ child. But what did the Wise men see? Early Chinese astrologers recorded a brilliant star about this time. A super nova, many times brighter than the brightest star.  What is the brightest star you know Venus, Jupiter,  bright as they all shine they cannot give any amount of useful light. 

Balaam prophesied 'A Star shall come out of Jacob' NUM 24:17. Isaiah said 'Arise shine for your light has come...' ISA 60:1. 'The people who walked in darkness have  seen a great light those who dwelt in the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined'  ISA 60:2.
Peter speaks of 'the morning star arising in your hearts' 2PET 1:19. Jesus claimed to be the light of the world JOHN 8:12; 9:5, and revealed Himself to John as ‘the Bright and  Morning star' REV 22:16.

Notice in MATTHEW 2:4-6 The chief priests and scribes KNEW where Christ was to be born v5. Now they should have been the ones seeking Jesus, they should be the ones worshiping Him, but they do not.
Instead we find (Gentiles) the Wise men seeking with intent to find, to worship, Him.

How did these men from the East learn of this great event. It is possible they were aware of the Messianic prophecies, for they came seeking the one 'born King of the Jews' MATT 2:2. Suffice to say they believed their source, and followed the star.
We are blessed with Gods sure word, the Bible, but like the chief priests and scribes although many men 'know of’ Christ, there are few who seek Him, and fewer follow Him. The Wise men came not just to find Him they came to worship. And they came  with gifts, that their  worship may be acceptable.

The gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh are symbolic - Gold, royalty kingship. Frankincense - deity - God. Myrrh - death, mortality, passion and burial.
Note these are costly gifts - we are to give Him our all. He still requires a gift from us as he required of Israel of old. What can we bring Him? These words from a  children's hymn simply but completely answers that question.

        What can I give Him poor as I am?
        If  I were a shepherd I would bring a lamb,
        If I were a Wise man I would do my part,
        Yet, What can I give Him? Give my heart.


Each time we come to worship, and no less at Christmastide. Our hymns, our songs, our carols are empty and meaningless unless we give ourselves to Him. Indeed Paul writing in ROMANS 12:1 says it is our reasonable service to present to God our bodies as a living sacrifice to Him.

However, presenting their gifts and worship was not the end of their encounter with God. For we read in v12 'Then, being divinely warned (instructed) in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed to their own country another way'
Here we note they obeyed God. Now this is very important. God spoke, they obeyed. It is often debated as to whether or not the Wise men became true believers.
On the evidence of this verse, they did. For they obeyed God.

This is surely the mark of a believer, not only does he seek God, not only does he worship God, but that he obeys God. If this is true of us, then we can agree with Peter 'The morning star has arisen in our hearts'. The true light has shed its radiant beams into our darkened souls.

The Wise men believed what they had learned concerning Jesus and they diligently sought the one they had learned about. They worshiped with costly sacrificial gifts. Then they were obedient to the word of God. Their message to us is clear we may search for God we may follow His star, we may even find God, we may even worship God. But unless we obey God Then His star has not arisen in our hearts and we are yet in the darkness of our sins.

May you truly experience His star in your life this Christmastide.