Just Follow The Star!

"... the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy." (Mat 2:9-10)

The magi (wise men) saw a star that signified the birth of the Messiah-the King of the Jews. It is likely that they were familiar with the prophecies of the greatest wise man of them all…the Hebrew prophet Daniel who spent his life in captivity in service to the Babylonian and Persian monarchs. Daniel’s explosively precise prophecy concerning the Messiah (Christ) was probably studied intensively by these magi and influenced them in their decision to pay homage to this remarkable king whose birth was signified by a peculiar star.

On arriving in Israel it was probably an obvious decision to go to the palace to meet the King! After all where else would a king be born but in a palace?! Alas, however, it seemed as if they were the only ones who were interested in a new born king since all Jerusalem was troubled and perplexed along with Herod the king.

And how wrong we can also be in our assumptions that we should follow what seems the logical and accepted rule, which would in fact result in much confusion and distress. Confusion in the minds of people who ought to have known better since it was their scripture and their promise from Yahweh! It is amazing how sometimes we can be so blind and obtuse even though we have the Eternal Word of God with us yet fail to observe what is written there. Distress to ones like Herod, who sees a threat to security in every gentle breeze which stirs the dust on Jerusalem’s dirty streets.

If the magi had not assumed the obvious but instead simply followed the star they would have continued on a direct course to the Christ. Herod would have remained in ignorance and the children would have been spared.

In spite of varied explanations of the star it remains a mystery since it is recorded that after departing from Herod the magi saw the star which went before them until it came to the place where the Messiah was and remained hovering there. And “when they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. “(Mat 2:10)

It reminds one of the Glory of God that led Israel in the wilderness!

For a moment the magi lost sight of the star resulting in the creation of confusion with tragic consequences when Herod ordered a mass murder of children in Israel.

Today it is so easy to lose sight of the Word which is ever present to guide and direct us. Instead we depend on our own logic and assumptions not remembering that all our wisdom is foolishness in God’s sight. We reason with our own wit and wisdom and ignore the plain directions in the Word. We make decisions without looking to our guiding star - the Word of God

Remember what Peter said: “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:"(2Pe 1:16-19)

When the Word seems contrary to all reasoning it is then that we need to follow the Word. Let us not be sidetracked from our purpose by petty controversies, grievances and worldly counsel and wisdom. Let us not be so engrossed in following our own logic that we lose sight of the Christ. His WORD is a Lamp unto our feet and a Light unto our path Psa 119:105. Trust it!

AN OBAMA PRESIDENCY???

MY PROBLEM WITH AN OBAMA PRESIDENCY. As a Christian and a conservative, I confess that I have a big problem with Barack Obama’s run for president. WHY? Here’s why.

1. Obama’s aggressive abortion agenda.He was asked a very pointed question at the Saddleback forum by Warren“…I know this is a very complex issue. Forty million abortions, at what point does a baby get human rights, in your view?” Obama’s response? “Well, you know, I think that whether you’re looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity, you know, is above my pay grade.”

Above his pay grade…Obama either does not know or refuses to make a definite statement about it. Yet he still presumes to approve and support laws and rulings that aborts and destroys life! He will pursue an aggressive agenda of embryonic destruction! What do you as a Christian or a Jew who believes in Yahweh think? Who makes the decision about life? GOD!!! …and what does God have to say about this? Let’s see:

Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV) 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Here is a definite statement of foreknowledge before birth even before conception. Jeremiah’s birth was ordained. His mother would not have known that! What if she had an abortion by her choice?!

Psalm 139:13, 16 (NIV) 13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb… your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. `

“Yahweh called me when I was in the womb, before my birth he had pronounced my name.” Isaiah 49:1

(Luk 1:44) For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy.” John leapt for joy at the sixth month of pregnancy!!…in the womb!!

Obama would not want his daughters to be punished with a child.

Does a woman really have a right to take a life and call it her choice because it’s her body? The fact is, at conception that which is formed in her is no longer her body. She also did not form it alone! The embryo takes on a unique life of its own The only choice that she had was before indulging herself or allowing herself to become pregnant.

Obama's statement at the Planned Parenthood meeting: “The first thing I’d do as president is sign the Freedom Of Choice Act.”
I could go on but with what I see where Obama is going, we will have a Manasseh effect as stated in 2 Kings 21:16 Moreover, Manasseh also shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem from end to end—besides the sin that he had caused Judah to commit, so that they did evil in the eyes of the LORD.

Which brings me to a second concern:

2. Obama as a Christian. Obama has portrayed himself as a Christian, but how much does he know about what it means to be a Christian with a Christian’s assurance? Chicago Sun-Times columnist Cathleen Falsani, interviewed Obama for her book in 2004, “The God Factor: Inside the Spiritual Lives of Public People “and asked him specific questions about his religious beliefs.

Here’s Obama’s answer: “I’m rooted in the Christian tradition. I believe there are many paths to the same place, and that is a belief that there is a higher power, a belief that we are connected as a people.” Not surprising for one who cavorts around with the likes of O. Winfrey! Whatever happened to:

Jn 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.

Acts 4:12 Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

and 1Tim 2:5?!! For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

If there was any other way to God why was it necessary for Jesus to die?!

3. Obama’s non-Christian Nation!Obama has said that the USA is no longer a Christian Nation but a also a Jewish nation, a Buddhist nation a Muslim nation a Hindu nation ….. If you mean the US is made up of all these many religious groups I agree with you but we know that’s not what you meant.

I believe that specifically being a ‘Christian Nation’ means that we uphold the Judeo-Christian principle of life and rule and allow it to influence our decisions in law making and governing. This is what made this nation great in the first place. This is what drew in so many people from all nations and walks of life to the shores of this great country! We hardly find people making so much effort to go to other nations. They come to America because it is a land of opportunity and freedom, made so by the very precepts and principles that some are now trying to destroy. It is not Hindu or Muslim religious principles that made this country great. In fact look at what is happening to freedom and religion in countries with such philosophies and beliefs.

To quote an extract from a previous blog of mine: (People come to the USA) “…for obvious reasons…a better life a life which would not have been possible if the founding fathers were not God-fearing men who framed a constitution based on the Bible. This has been the sole reason for America rising to the fore as a world power and it will also be the sole reason for this country to fall flat on its face which it seems eminently in danger of doing with all the activity ongoing to take God out of every one and everything. The nation that forgets God and His Word is doomed! Do NOT FOOL yourself. God told His people…Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. (Mat 5:13)

Your future and that of your offspring in this land DEPENDS on praying, preaching, practicing Christians, and if the system constantly erodes the right of Christians, (bear in mind such legislation only targets Christians, because they are the only ones who have the guts to stand up against unrighteousness and wickedness, and declare it for what it really is!), it portents a tragic and sad end for this land of the free and home of the brave!”

In conclusion any Christian who names the name of Christ should not have to be told where their choice should be. I am not fond of McCain either, but he is the lesser of the two evils and democracy would be preserved.

Some points in closing.

1. Despite how they try to hide it the truth is that many folks are voting for Obama because he is “black”. They are totally ignorant of his policies – it is just a racist thing.
2. Coming from a country where the regime propagated socialism, it is not hard to recognize its seeds in the ideology promoted by Obama, and bottom line is, it will spell disaster for any nation and result in suppression and totalitarianism. The majority of people who ‘escaped’ my previous country did so to get away from just such a policy. It would be totally stupid to invite a similar thing here.
3. What?! Obama claims that 95 percent of Americans will not see their taxes go up under Obama’s proposals? Get real!! When the taxes fall on the Obama-defined rich and their businesses…guess who the increased tax burden will pass down to when you pay for goods and services? Guess who will end up holding the short end of the stick? What do you think will happen next? Government price control? Government company control? Government owned…? Shades of Chavez, Castro and Burnham…!!!! I’d better stop now!

“IF MY PEOPLE WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME WILL HUMBLE THEMSELVES, AND PRAY AND SEEK MY FACE, AND TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS, THEN I WILL HEAR FROM HEAVEN, AND WILL FORGIVE THEIR SIN AND HEAL THEIR LAND. 2 CHRONICLES 7:14

GOD HELP AMERICA!!!

EVAN

I met him yesterday while waiting for a meeting. He was sitting with two dogs and a guitar on the sidewalk at the corner of 28th Street and 1st Avenue next to the Bellvue Hospital, NY. He looked like a bum sitting there and my first thought was to ignore him, but as I waited for time to pass for my meeting I felt the urge to speak to him. After walking pass him a few times I saw two women giving him what seemed to be money which he accepted. Encouraged I walked up to him and offered him a 5 dollar bill. He accepted it gratefully, thanking me. His name was Evan. I noticed his two eyes looked as though someone had hit them hard. They were black and blue and the whites of the eyes were laced with bright red as though bleeding. I asked what happened to his eyes. He said that he and his friend had been beaten up and his friend was presently in the hospital getting treatment. I remembered that there had been another person with him the first time I saw him when I was crossing the avenue. He was from out of state and was on his way back home.
He looked lost and I felt badly for him. Thoughts of my own children, nieces and nephews flashed through my mind. I asked him how he planned to get back home and he shrugged saying he did not know. I took out two more bills and gave it to him saying that it would help him on his way home. I remembered being reminded the day before of the need to speak out for Jesus. I told him that regardless of what happened he needed to remember that Jesus loved him. I told him God cared even though he may not realize it. He looked at me and looked at the tears that welled up in my eyes as I spoke to him. I asked him if he was hungry. He said no he had just ate something. Three young women had come up to him, apparently his friends as they addressed him by name. They said they were hungry in response to my question to them.
I accompanied them to the stand and awaited as they ordered. The vendor asked where is the money. I told him I would pay. He shrugged and served them. I paid him and left for my meeting thinking of the children I had just left and wondering what their parents were doing...if they missed them...if they knew where they were... if anyone cared for them.

What We Are Here For?!!!

We’re all about serving the LORD Jesus Christ and proclaiming his Word faithfully.

We believe that the church needs to get back to the Bible…to believe it, preach it and live it without compromise or fear!

We believe that when believing Christians pray, the devils tremble and are put to flight!

We believe too many Christians talk too much about nothing and too little about that which really matters!

We believe that if God’s people who are called by His NAME shall HUMBLE themselves and PRAY and SEEK His Face and TURN from their wicked ways…GOD WILL hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their Land!

NO amount of freedom marches and liberty speeches will produce results unless God is in it!

We believe that for too long the church has been struggling in its own puny strength and has failed to tap into the everlasting Almighty resource available to us! It’s Still Not by Might nor by Power but by My Spirit saith the LORD!!!

As a result of this, and much more, we pray and expect to make an impact slowly, but surely, as we continue to depend wholly on the LORD, and wholly follow the LORD!

God bless you as you join the spiritual warfare, fully armored and clothed in the spirit. Amen!!