EPIPHANY – January 6 – ALL KINGS DAY

I have come to the end of my commitment to write in my blog through the Christmas season. 

Today is Epiphany. I have no idea why it has that name! It is best known as All King's Day - or in Spanish Dia de Los Reyes - the day set aside to celebrate the arrival of the Wise Men from the East. They were astrologers who watched the stars and one night in the night sky they discovered a new star - a special star that somehow they knew to be the star of a new king, and they followed the star. It has never occurred to me before this morning that when they set out on their journey they had no idea how long the journey would be - they were just compelled to follow, curious to know where it would lead them and determined to honor this new king. 

Ultimately it led them first to Jerusalem - where they asked Herod where the newborn King of the Jews was so they could worship him. Herod summoned the wise men to meet with him privately, and asked them when the star had appeared. That was very important information for him to know. He lied about wanting to go worship him, too. 

After the astrologers left Herod, the star led them to Bethlehem - and it stopped right over the house where the young child was living! 

There is sooooo much to wonder about! How many men were there in this entourage? How long did the trip take? Did others join them as they traveled and pointed out the phenomenon? Precisely where were they from? How did they know this was the star of a King, and particularly the King of the Jews? And what compelled them to follow it? What kind of star was this - that could lead them, and could hover over the specific location where the young child was living when they arrived?

It was an "epiphany" for me when I first paid attention that they visited Joseph, Mary, and Yeshua in a house. The astrologers were not there at Jesus’ birth. There were no camels "from the East" and their riders beside the manger - but the star that arose at his birth was what led them to the house where the little family was living. The astrologers were certainly anticipating finding this baby King, but I have to assume Mary and Joseph didn't know they were coming. We are not given any information that would lead us to that conclusion. 

The wisemen went into the house - and brought expensive gifts - and worshipped the little boy who would grow up to save ALL people who were willing to accept God's offer of salvation. Then, being warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they left to go back home via a different route than they had come. 

That night, after the astrologers left the house, and Mary & Joseph had fallen asleep, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him to take the child and Mary and flee to Egypt, for Herod was about to search for the child to destroy him.

And Herod did try. He was absolutely furious that the astrologers didn't come back and report to him precisely where he would find this child who was to be king so he could kill him, but since he had learned from them when the star first appeared, he had every little boy age 2 and under killed to "be sure" he killed this one who was to become king. That is the heartbreaking part of the story.  

Another epiphany was when I realized that the way this family managed financially to flee to Egypt and survive there until after Herod died, was those expensive gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh were all costly, and valuable as items to sell to get what they needed. God met their needs in an incredible way. 

While we celebrate the arrival of the multiple 'kings, wisemen, astrologers' (as they are alternately referenced) we celebrate most of all the One who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords and get to marvel at the miracles of protection that surrounded him. 

THE TWELFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS – January 5: The Fruits of the Spirit

Today is the Twelfth Day of Christmas. It is not a tradition I grew up with in my evangelical protestant faith - but it does provide a time of transition and "waiting" for us as we anticipate Epiphany, which was another event we didn't pay attention to in my family. Still, I like the times of anticipation. 

Today it reminds me of the GIFTS God has given to us - and continues to give us and grow in us if we are willing to cooperate.  My thoughts are specifically on the Fruits of the Spirit. Love, Joy, Peace, Long-suffering (most often listed as Patience or Patient Endurance), Goodness, Kindness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-control. Can you imagine how different the world would be if people loved the Lord and sought to operate in the gifts that he so freely gives to those who seek him and ask for his gifts to grow in them?

LOVE - an action verb, not a warm, fuzzy feeling. Treating others the way God would treat them. Feeding the hungry, binding up the wounds of those who are injured, meeting the needs of the broken-hearted, putting others needs above our own.

JOY - knowing the JOY of having the Lord in our lives - and that if we leave this world with him as our Lord and Savior we are RICH! Nothing else is more important than our relationship with him. 

PEACE - a PEACE that can come only by knowing God. Jesus didn't come to bring peace to the world - but an inner peace to those who accept him as Savior - and they become the ambassadors of his "peace on earth" poured out to others.

LONG SUFFERING - with God as our model. Exercising patience for God's plan to unfold. Waiting for the fruition of the seeds planted - spiritual seeds, not those of vegetables, fruits, and flowers. Waiting for the Lord’s will to be accomplished even when we can’t see it happening. 

GOODNESS - being good as a reflection of Jesus in us - and we can't do it without him and the power of the Holy Spirit working in our lives.

KINDNESS - being kind and thoughtful to everyone, no matter how much we disagree with them or are offended by their behaviors, beliefs, or words.

FAITHFULNESS - being faithful! That's huge! God demands our faithfulness. It is not an option! It requires being intentional and takes discipline, discipline, discipline.

GENTLENESS - this is a huge one for me! Quite a few years ago the Lord spoke to me and said, "We are going to work on your gentleness."  "Great, I thought! God's going to make me gentle as he wants me to be." Not! What he did was throw multiple experiences and opportunities my way in which to practice 'gentleness'. It was one thing after another - and I got a lot of practice! It is still an area I deal with often. God is still working, and I am still trying.

and, last of all:

SELF CONTROL - this is soooooo important, and so terribly lacking in our world. People have lost their plumb line for being metered and measured with their word, their actions, and their expectations of others. We need ALL of the Fruits of the Spirit, but we definitely need a big dose of self control.

Years ago it was a fad to wear a bracelet that had the letters WWJD on it. I didn't happen to have one - but I appreciated the reminder: What Would Jesus Do? It is a reminder for just slowing down before I speak or act, and think about being like Jesus. What would he do? 

He was not a pacifist - as was clearly demonstrated when he threw the money-changers unceremoniously out of the temple and overturned their tables because they were greedy and taking unfair advantage of those who needed that service provided. 

He also called the religious leaders a den of vipers, and told them they were white-washed tombs. He didn't pull punches or sugar coat his words for those who claimed to be pure and weren't. 

Even so, he exhibited all the Fruits of the Spirit - and doesn't ask us to do anything he didn't do himself. The difference is: he was God, and we're not, so we need his help to accomplish his will in our lives, even in the way we relate to others at the most basic level. 

Lord, keep nudging! Keep reminding! 

THE ELEVENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS – January 4: Obedience, not sacrifice

At 40 days Jesus was brought into the temple to be dedicated to the Lord, as was customary for all first male children to be. Joseph and Mary were obedient to all that the Law required. They were devoted to following God, as we see in the account of Jesus' life when we learn that he was in the temple at the age of 12 discussing with the religious leaders. And, of that trip to celebrate Passover it was stated, "as their custom was." Jesus was in Jerusalem for the appointed feasts during his growing up - but his very first visit to the temple as a human was when he was a baby. 

Jesus obediently came to earth to become the ultimate sacrifice. When people sacrifice their lives out of obedience and sacrifice their desires out of obedience, they are truly reflecting the kind of love Jesus taught. But it is the OBEDIENCE part of that equation that matters. Sacrificing after failure to be obedient - out of guilt - doesn't cut it. If we want to walk in God's will and if we want our lives to reflect him, we have to be obedient. Not easy all the time, and not possible unless we have the Holy Spirit's help in nudging us the right direction. 

1 Samuel 15:22

22 And Samuel said,

^w“Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,

as in obeying the voice of the LORD?

Behold, ^xto obey is better than sacrifice,

and to listen than the fat of rams.

Hosea 6:6

6  For ^kI desire steadfast love¹ and not sacrifice,

^lthe knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

Micah 6:6–8

What Does the Lord Require?

6  ^b“With what shall I come before the LORD,

and bow myself before ^cGod on high?

Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,

with calves a year old?

7  ^dWill the LORD be pleased with¹ thousands of rams,

with ten thousands of rivers of oil?

^eShall I give my firstborn for my transgression,

the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”

8  He has told you, O man, what is good;

and ^fwhat does the LORD require of you

but to do justice, and to love kindness,²

and to ^gwalk humbly with your God?

Matthew 9:13

13 Go and learn ⁱwhat this means: ^j‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For ^kI came not to call the righteous, ^lbut sinners.”

Matthew 12:7

7 And if you had known ^ewhat this means, ^f‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’you would not have condemned the guiltless.

THE TENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS – January 3: Partnering with God

Having the goal of actually partnering with God instead of just asking him to bless our plans is a challenge for an organizer like me. But KNOWING that he also is an organizer - and that his plans are always going to be better than anything I can imagine helps a lot. It just requires a little patience and a lot of listening. 

I'm quite certain that I have gotten ahead of God a number of times - though just one leaps out at me at the moment. Getting ahead of God and following our own plan is characteristic of mankind. Abraham did. His wife couldn't give him the son that God had promised them, so she took matters into her own hands and gave Abraham her maid servant to essentially be a surrogate mother and bear a child for them. The result was Ishmael. (And family drama!)

God still kept his promise. Sarah had a baby boy in her old age. Really old age! She was ninety. A miracle. It seems that Isaac had to be a miracle for it to be obvious that he was God's plan. 

So - as I ponder and wonder - I wonder what God has in store for 2024 - and I truly want to partner with him, and have him be my guide - not develop my own wonderful plans and hope he approves! 

It will be exciting to see what develops. 

The entourage of wise men partnered with God - and they had the absolute joy of being led to the Christ child - and having angels direct their paths! 

THE NINTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS – January 2

Barely awake - and wondering. That was how my morning began. What if?

What if there is a god who is beyond our wildest imagination - a god that wasn't merely the god of thunder, or god of lightning, or one of the many gods of Greek mythology, the following just being the primary ones the Greeks believed in, worshipped, and prayed to:

Zeus - Greek god of the sky and king of Olympus, whose temper affected the weather; and who (in Greek culture) was ruler over all other gods and goddesses

Poseidon - Greek god of the sea, whose temper controlled the seas, so sailors prayed to him for safe passage

Ares - Greek god of war, and son of Zeus and Hera, a cruel god who was not even liked by his own parents

Aphrodite - Greek goddess of love and beauty; also goddess of fertility

Hera - (wife of Zeus) Greek goddess of women, marriage, and queen of the gods, also goddess of families and birth, who took her vengeance our on other goddesses and on mortals

Demeter - Goddess of harvest and agriculture, controlled seasons and crops

Athena - Greek goddess of war and wisdom, and patron God of Athens

Apollo - Greek god of the sun, music, poetry, art, dance, archery & healing

Artemis - Greek goddess of the hunt and the wild; twin sister of Apollo

Hephaestus - Greek god of fire, metalworking, and sculpture

Hermes - The messenger god, who became messenger of the gods, as well as being the protector of travelers and merchants

Dionysus - Greek god of wine, theatre, and fertility

These are just the primary gods who were worshipped by the Greeks. They built altars to them, sacrificed to them, believed that all of the terrors that befell them were because of them. 

The internet cites that Hindus have twelve primary deities: Vivasvan, Aryaman, Tvashta, Savitr, Bhaga, Dhata, Mitra, Varuna, Amsa, Pushan, Indra, Vishnu (in the form of Varnana). But other Hindu deities are also mentioned: Brahma, Ganesha, Shiva, Lakshmi, Krishna, Shiva, Hanuman, Saraswati, Indra, Rama, Agni, Ardhanarishvara, Durga, Nataraja, Parvati, Trimurti, Bjairava, and Shakti.

Native American tribes have a total of 73 deities listed in Wikipedia. Mind-boggling! 

Throughout time man has created many different images of his own making because deep inside there is a need to worship something greater than ourselves - to have something we can believe in whose will for life here on earth is beyond our control. In ancient Biblical times we can read about the god Baal, and the Asherah poles, which were a representation of the goddess Asherah. Even in our era, there are images of Buddha that are part of worship for those who follow Buddhism, and in India cattle are revered as holy. (The more I dig to try to learn more, the more I realize I do not know about ancient religious cultures.)

Even though this is just a cursory glance into the creation of gods throughout time, it is enough to make me wonder "What if?"

What if there is a  god who is so amazing that he could speak the world into existence? A god so close that he cares about each one of us? A god who loves humanity enough to come die for us so we can be in a relationship with him? Not a religion, but an actual relationship? What if there is a god who actually hears our prayers, loves us in spite of our failures? What if?

The good news is: THERE IS!

And in Exodus 20:3 God - the Almighty God who created the entire universe - tells us in the very first of the 10 commandments: You shall have no other gods before Me! Not other gods that are represented by carvings or statues. Not our children, or sports, or cars, or position in life, or wealth, or beauty.  Nothing is to come before God - but when we put him first, he is generous and gracious, and honors our heart's desires unless they will dishonor him or become a stumbling block to us. 

There is only ONE God - the One who created the entire universe - and you! And me! And he alone deserves our praise and adoration!

THE EIGHTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS – January 1, 2024 NEW BEGINNINGS

I have grown to appreciate "do overs":  to face the recognition that my first attempt was either totally wrong or ill-advised - and re-engage to start again and try to get it right. 

I also love New Beginnings: a new day, a new week, a new month - and especially, a new year. Each provides an opportunity for "starting over", and that is especially true with a fresh New Year. What will it bring? What new pages will be written in our lives and our personal histories, as well as the history-in-the-making of our world. It's exciting - and creates some trepidation! But thank God, he takes away fear and invites us to lay our burdens and cares on him - because he cares for us.

Today - being the eighth day of Christmas would mean this is also the day we acknowledge the naming of Jesus. That was part of the circumcision ceremony that was prescribed to occur 8 days after birth. 

So, Jesus' parents went to the temple as was the Jewish custom, to have Jesus circumcised and to give him the name the angel had told them: Yeshua, which means 'salvation'.

And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus (actually Yeshua), the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. (Luke 2:21 ESV)

Luke 2:22-38 tells the story of that event. How Simeon had been told by God that he would not die until he saw the Lord's Christ, i.e., God's Messiah. How Anna, the prophetess came at that very hour and she also witnessed to seeing the Messiah. 

Yeshua's birth was a New Beginning for our world. 

2024 is a new beginning for us. What will I do with it? Will I honor my commitment for daily Bible reading and prayer? Will I seek reconciliation? Will I seek to be the person God create me to be? Will I both seek and follow His will, not mine?  Will I be intentional about making the most of the life God has given me? Will I make a difference? We shall see!