Genesis 22:1-2 – “Some time after these things, God tested Abraham.  He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am!” Abraham replied.  ² God said, “Take your son—your only son, whom you love, Isaac—and go to the land of Moriah!  Offer him up there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I will indicate to you.”

Our God reigns!   As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word of God today, the thought of tests and trials filled my mind.  We have all had them, and almost nobody likes them.  We prefer ease, calm seas, and everything working perfectly.  We enjoy having plenty!

Abram, who became Abraham by promise, was 100 when his promise came.  As he grew accustomed to the presence of the promise and the relative ease of life, he probably thought, “I have arrived!”

Genesis 22:1-2 reveals a truth hard to grasp for most –“The greater the Promise, the greater the Test.”  The greater the mission and promise, the greater the need for total trust.  Total trust is demonstrated in the heat of the battle.

God said, “Take your promise and kill it on the altar of sacrifice to Me.” Let your promise, dream, vision, and hope die!  Most would have said, “Get behind me, Satan.” Abraham believed God!   He understood Covenant!  He believed in God’s integrity.  He believed in God’s power.  His words to the servants and to Isaac revealed his trust.  Imagine explaining to Sarah if God did not come through!

Later, having been through that demonstration of complete obedience and miraculous provision, Isaac learned to trust completely.  In Genesis 26, God gave Isaac instructions.   Stay in the place of difficulty, and I will provide.  Genesis 26:12 – Wait!  A hundredfold return sounds like a blessing, but the addendum tells us that the blessings far exceeded the hundredfold.  Great promises bring great trials from which flow great blessings.

But we have to trust and obey!  It’s more than verbal or mental assent; it is actually doing what we are told.  It requires sacrifice and faith.  If God doesn’t, we fail.  It may seem like the abandonment of reason.  God is either totally trustworthy, or He is not.

Genesis 26:20-22 reveals this truth.  Isaac dug wells that were named in a way to reveal the process.  (Aska) – difficulty.  (Satana) – adversary (Rehoboth) – enlarge.  First is need, followed by difficulty; then comes opposition, and persistence brings enlargement.  We reap IF we don’t quit!  We win IF we don’t stop.  We harvest IF we don’t quit.  So, don’t even think about quitting!  Total obedience brings total blessing!

LORD, help us to embrace our tests and trials and press forward into the fullness of Your reward!

Genesis 11:5-9 – “But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the people had started building.  ⁶ And the Lord said, “If as one people all sharing a common language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be beyond them.  ⁷ Come, let’s go down and confuse their language so they won’t be able to understand each other.”  ⁸ So the Lord scattered them from there across the face of the entire earth, and they stopped building the city.  ⁹ That is why its name was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the entire world, and from there the Lord scattered them across the face of the entire earth.”

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, I was reminded of how detailed God is in dealing with mankind.  He who knows everything intricately plans everything.  He dots every “I” and crosses every “T.” Nothing is left to chance.

God laces His accounts of history with powerful revelation.   In Genesis 11, in the story of the Tower of Babel, we immediately see the power of communication.  “The whole earth spoke one language and had one manner of speech.”  Even in the church today, we may speak the same language but do not have the same manner of speaking.  We say the same thing and use the exact words, but mean different things.  There is no unity because there is no common understanding.  In verse 6, God said, “They are one people, and they have one language, and they have reasoned to do this thing…”

Communication grounded in commonality enables reasoned plans to become anchors for the community.  God said that because of this, they can do whatever is in their hearts.

Alone, we may dream but are unable to implement the dream or vision.  But unified, nothing is impossible!  We can achieve to the extent we can dream.

The New Testament principle:  In unity, we are undefeatable.  Through communication, we overcome the limits of individualism.  Threefold cords are strong, but an entire community unified is undefeatable.

That’s why we need others.  That’s why the family unit is so important.  That’s why husband-and-wife teams (unified) are so formidable.  It is communication and unity.  When we are unified in Christ, operating in the power of the Holy Spirit, NOTHING is impossible!

We have a commission, a mission, and as a unit (if we die to self), we can bring the kingdom to earth.  Paul instructed the church to “say” the same thing.  We need to learn the language of the Spirit of God!  Access to the Unlimited is before us!

Observe and implement the revelations God gives daily and walk in His planned victory!

Matthew 25:35-40 –   ^“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’  ³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ ⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

Although my text is not a traditional Christmas text, I believe it embodies the true Spirit of Christmas.  As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word, I was reminded of more than a brief text allows to disclose.  There were multiple reminders that relate to life and this season (Christmas). 

God gave Israel a life principle that the church has forgotten – Handfuls on Purpose.   What am I talking about?  They were never to glean the corners of their fields and not go back to pick up what was missed in the first reaping. 

Why?  It was an act of benevolence to provide food for the poor, needy, and hungry.  It allowed people to receive help while maintaining a sense of dignity.  This was not begging. It was a benevolent provision.  God is concerned with people’s dignity and yet wants people to be productive.   Remember what Paul told the Thessalonians?  If anyone refuses to work, don’t feed them. 

Here at Christmas, we should remember the needy.  I know of people and businesses who employ the poor and needy to do odd jobs rather than just giving them a handout.  Some of those were inspired to continue the climb out of poverty with a sense of pride and dignity.   I’ve also known of those who just gave handouts, and many of the recipients became perpetual beggars.   Willing to be idle and provided for with no sense of pride. 

God trained Israel to help the needy.  The Psalms tell us that if we care for and give to the poor, God considers it a loan to Him, and He always repays.  He even said that doing that would cause us to be raised up from our sick beds.

They cared for others out of gratitude for God’s goodness and provision.  They also gave knowing that, in God’s Covenant, there was no lack.  They lived with no sense of lack.    They considered that Everything they had was God’s and was to be shared. 

The Aaronic blessing of Numbers 6 was their foundation. They believed that coventally, they could expect God to bless, protect, and keep them.

The face of God shining on them assured them of provision and reflected God’s approval. His countenance lifted up, bringing Shalom (more than peace but divine enablement to do and be), giving assurance of His person, power, and presence.

God’s name was put on them, a mark of ownership!  They belonged to The Living God!   The Owner, Creator, and Possessor of All Things.   With that mindset, they could live in total peace with absolute assurance that He was their sun and shield.  They were Kept!

In European castles, there is a place at the entrance with an open area and a balcony or platform where a few soldiers could hold off large forces around the walls.   That place was called The Keeps.    God is our Keeps, and for the enemy to reach us, he has to go through God.  Sounds pretty secure to me.

For the devil to touch us, he must go through God.  Unless God lifts His hand, NO weapon can prevail.  We abide in the inner sanctuary of God just inside the Keeps!  He is our Keeper!

To tie it all together, when we remember the needy, we open the door to God’s blessings and move into the Pavilion tent of protection and provision.   Remembering them might be more than monetary. It is sometimes compassion and encouragement.

I encourage everyone to purposefully leave handfuls on purpose for those in need, whatever they need.   Christmas is all about Giving.   It is not about receiving or exchanging gift for gift.  It is a selfless sacrifice.

Merry Christmas, and may the Aaronic blessing be fully realized in you!

“Jesus’ Star”

“Jesus’ Star”

Matthew 2:1-12 – “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” 3. When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

6 ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.'” 

7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”  9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 

12 Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.” NKJV

Here we are on Christmas Eve, and I’ve been thinking about the “Star” that the wise men saw, which led them to Jesus.  I am not suggesting that December 25^th is the exact date of Jesus’ birth, only that, because this is Christmas Eve, I have been thinking. 

The question that comes to my mind is, “What was it about this star that caused the Magi to leave their home country and travel to Israel and ultimately to Bethlehem to pay homage to the Messiah?”  It could not have been an ordinary occurrence that would not have compelled them to take this action.   It had to be something out of the ordinary and possibly something they had been watching for years.  Although we cannot fully answer that question, we know and can say some things about this star.

Who these three men were is unknown, but they must have been impressive, for they were given an audience with Herod very quickly, something not afforded to ordinary travelers.  They caught Herod’s attention with their reference to this star, for Herod knew the prophecies about Jesus and regarded this birth as a threat to his kingdom and power. 

This causes one to wonder about the star.  It had to be subtle in its appearance, for Herod had to ask when it appeared. If it had been some significant, spectacular occurrence, it would seem that Herod, a controlling despot ruler, would have known about it, but he didn’t.  One has to wonder why these men from the East came to worship a newborn Jewish King. 

It is quite possible that they were of Jewish descent and had lineage dating back to the time of Daniel and the Babylonian captivity. It is also likely that they were skilled astronomers. I did not say “astrologer,” for that was a capital offense in those times, but “astronomer.” 

I would suggest that they were also schooled in Biblical prophecies regarding the coming of the Messiah. The star did not follow the normal pattern of planetary rotation, as it remained over Jerusalem and Bethlehem throughout their travels.

There is biblical precedent for observing the heavenly constellations as a means of obtaining information about supernatural events.  David wrote Psalms 19:1-6 –“The heavens declare the glory of God, And the firmament shows His handiwork. 2 Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard. 4 Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world. In them, He has set a tabernacle for the sun, 5 Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, And rejoices like a strong man to run its race.   6 Its rising is from one end of heaven, and its circuit to the other end, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.” NKJV  

Jesus declared in Luke 21:25-26 – “”And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring;  26 men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” NKJV

Some historians suggest that the magi were from Babylon, which is East of Jerusalem, about sixty miles from Baghdad today. They suggest that on September 3 B.C., the magi would have looked toward the Western sky and observed the planet Regulus. 

Regulus was known to the Babylonians as Charu, interpreted as “king”.  The Romans called it Rex, which is also interpreted as King.  Thus, we have Regulus, which was known as the King Star.  The planet Jupiter was in close proximity to Regulus and passed it, moving toward the South on the horizon. 

Then Jupiter seemed to change its course in the sky and move back northward toward Regulus.  Jupiter passed Regulus three times.  This is called a triple conjunction, which is very rare among those two stars.  This motion is referred to as retrograde motion.  If you tracked the path of Jupiter on paper, it would look like three circles over Regulus, or, possibly, a better description, a halo, or a crown.  In simple terms, what the magi observed would have seemed to them that Jupiter was crowning the King Star, Regulus.

An interesting side note:  Jesus came from the tribe of Judah.  The symbol of the tribe of Judah is the lion. (See Genesis 49:9-10)  Regulus happens to be one of the stars in the constellation Leo.  It is the lower right star of Leo, or better yet, the paw of Leo.  Jupiter circled the paw of Leo, which is a lion, and a king’s scepter would be held symbolically by the lion’s paw.

In the Book of Revelation, we find in verses 1-5 the following:  “Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. 2 Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. 3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. 4 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. 5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.” NKJV

The Book of Revelation was written by the apostle John, and what he describes here is the birth of Jesus, as it is shown to him as being played out in the heavens.  I believe the child here is Jesus, fulfilling the prophecy of Genesis 49.  The woman then would beMary.  The dragon would be the devil in the spiritual, but in the natural, Herod the Great.  The magi observed this phenomenon in the western sky and chose to seek its source and find the prophetic king being born. 

To make this more or less complicated, the magi would have observed the next constellation rising in the sky after Leo, Virgo, or the Virgin.  Mary was a virgin about to give birth to the Messiah.  Virgo was a constellation rising in the western sky, and she was clothed in the sun, meaning that the sun was behind Virgo and shining brightly through the constellation.  The magi would have observed all this, and, with their knowledge of Biblical prophecy and astronomy, they would have deduced that it was highly significant, thereby inspiring their journey. 

On June 2 BC, the magi would probably still be in Babylon, watching the developments in the heavens and contemplating them. They would be focusing on Jupiter and Venus. Jupiter is known as the king planet, and Venus is the brightest star in the sky, with Jupiter being the second brightest. 

On June 2 BC, these two planets joined together to form a figure eight.  They sat side by side, creating the illusion that they were one incredibly bright star.  Viewed with the naked eye, it would have appeared that they were one star and the brightest anyone had ever seen!  This is likely when the magi began their trek to Jerusalem and then to Bethlehem.  

I submit that they did not arrive on the night Jesus was born, but months or years later, for Matthew says they came to the house, not the stable, where the young child, not the baby, was.

What is my point in all this?  Simply that through the study of history and events in the heavens among the stars, planets, and constellations, we have evidence of something incredible happening that corresponds with the time of Jesus’ birth. 

I say this to show that true science helps validate the Biblical report, though I need no further validation, for I know He lives because He lives in my heart, and I know the change that transpired in my life when I received Him as my Lord and Savior!  Yet, on this Christmas Eve, I believe it is good for us to consider the incredible events that took place surrounding the miraculous birth of Jesus, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.  The fulfillment of Biblical prophecy and the Hope of mankind!

So, as you look up to the heavens tonight, think about that star and what it meant to the magi, the shepherds in the field, the angels who rejoiced, and the untold millions who have lived since that event.  This event is of Eternal Consequence; without it, we would have no hope!  It is important because, without it, we would not have the sinless life of Jesus, the sacrificial death on the Cross, the resurrection, and the promised return of our Lord! 

So, as you prepare to celebrate Christmas, please REMEMBER THE REASON FOR THE SEASON and CELEBRATE JESUS on this night and tomorrow!  Set aside some time in your festivities to recognize what Christmas is really all about! 

May God bless you richly is my prayer, and may you have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and an incredibly HAPPY & PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!  Looking forward to 2026 and beyond, should the Lord tarry His coming!  We are living in exciting times and the time of the End!

Amos 2:12 –  “But you made the Nazirites drink wine; you commanded the prophets, ‘Do not prophesy!’”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, the Last Days, Judgment, Restoration, Renewal, and Revival filled my mind and heart.  Where are we on God’s timetable?  I believe we are in the last of the Last Days!

How much time do we have left?  If we use God’s clock, what do we see in the visible moments?  If we use man’s, who knows, maybe we have decades or more.   When is less important than the what.  The intermediate is the focus.

God is incredibly patient and long-suffering.  His patience has a limit.  His judgments are more about obtaining repentance than punishment.  There will be a time when punishment is the result, but until then, God is seeking our repentance to restore us.

The prophet Amos spoke powerfully about these times and God’s purposes.  In Amos 2:12, we see an attack on religious faith and a silencing of the prophetic.  I see something interesting in that for our day—the desire of the secular to exclude anything of God and the religious system to silence the prophets.  The attack or resistance comes from inside and outside the church.  The Last Days!

The Last Days Revival will see a Restoration of God’s authority and power.  An incredible harvest of souls will characterize it.  And Israel’s final planting will transpire.  1948!  That generation will see the prophetic fulfillment of Jesus’ decree about the Last Days.  

How long is a generation?  Some say 40 years, but there are places in the scripture where it is 100 years.  However, since one day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day, human calculations are pointless.  Just know we are witnessing the signs of the times, and those signs point to the Return of Jesus.

Right now, God’s plumbline is testing lives, nations, and churches.  Anything out of alignment is being exposed.  Remember, God’s purpose is ALWAYS Restoration.  We judge, criticize, ostracize, and vilify, but God seeks repentance and restoration.

The harvest is to be our focus, not the purging.  May God break our hearts over sin (in us and others).  May God cause us to have the heart of Jesus and always regard others with the Cross in mind.  If I see others, the world, and life through the filter of the Cross, I will see as God sees, and everything changes.  My change will affect others positively!

Look up; redemption is near!

LORD, help us to discern the Times and know what time it is on your Timetable!