How God Perfectly Orchestrated The First Christmas

The first Christmas, the birth of Jesus, did not just randomly unfold. All the events leading up to it and surrounding it were perfectly orchestrated. This was done by the great Mastermind (God). To make sure the plan was executed, God did not leave it up to man alone. That would not have worked. You know as well as I do that things would have gotten messed up! Instead, God intervened at each step, making sure everything went according to His will.

If you read through the scriptures concerning the Christmas story (Mathew chapters 1 & 2, Luke chapters 1 & 2) you will see God not only making things happen, but jumping in just at the right time using miracles, angels, and dreams, depending on the circumstance. All this perfectly demonstrates God's providence and sovereignty. 

Let's look at 3 aspects of the Christmas story that show how God perfectly orchestrated the Christmas story. 

A)THE PLANNING

From the foundation of the world, God planned the first Christmas. 

1 Peter 1:20

God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake.

All throughout the Old Testament, there are hints, predictions and prophecies of the coming Messiah. There are even specific Old Testament scriptures that foretell the birth of Jesus in detail.

Isaiah 7:14

All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’). Isaiah lived approximately 700 years before Jesus was born! He predicts the virgin birth.

Micah 5:2

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past,  will come from you on my behalf. This even predicts that Jesus was to be born in Bethlehem.

B)THE TIMING

 When everything was in place -- the Roman rule and execution method, the Greek language to accurately write the New Testament, the presence of cities such as Bethlehem, the existence and condition of the Jewish Pharisees, etc. -- then the timing was perfect for Jesus to come into the world.

Galatians 4:4

But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law.

C)THE ARRIVAL

It’s amazing to see the extent of God’s providence in the events surrounding the birth of Jesus. It’s easy to see that God leaves nothing to chance. Here we go......

THE ANGEL GABRIEL

First, the Angel Gabriel appears to Zechariah (Luke 1:11-17). Then the Angel Gabriel strikes Zechariah dumb (Luke 1:19-22). 

A MIRACLE

God allows Elizabeth, Zechariah’s wife, who was barren to become pregnant (Luke 1:23-25). 

THE ANGEL GABRIEL AGAIN

Next, the Angel Gabriel appears to Mary (Luke 1:26-37) to announce that she is the chosen one. 

MORE MIRACLES

Mary miraculously becomes pregnant (Luke 1:38). Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:39-45). Zechariah’s speech miraculously returns (Luke 1:57-66).  Zechariah speaks prophecy (Luke 1:67-79). 

MORE ANGELS

An Angel appears to Joseph (Matthew 1:18-25). An Angel announces the birth of Jesus to shepherds (Luke 2:1-12).  A multitude of Angels appear to the shepherds (Luke 2:13-20)

PROPHETS

Simeon speaks prophecy when baby Jesus is brought to the temple (Luke 2:21-35). Anna speaks prophecy acknowledging Jesus (Luke 2:36-38)

MORE MIRACLES

The miraculous star appears to the the Wise Men and leads them to Jesus (Matthew 2:9-11). Their gifts provided the way for Mary and Joseph to bring Jesus to Egypt and live there until Herod died.

DREAMS

The Wise Men are warned in a dream to escape from Herod (Matthew 2:12)

MORE ANGELS

An Angel appears to Joseph to tell him to escape to Egypt (Matthew 2:13-18). An Angel appears to Joseph to tell him to return to Israel (Matthew 2:19-21)

DREAMS

Joseph is directed in a dream to bring Jesus to Nazareth (Matthew 2:22-23)

Baby Jesus, like any other human baby, was unable to fend for Himself. He was totally dependent on others. But as you can see, in His case, the "others" was not only his parents, but the Father in Heaven, who protected Him and provided for Him with angels, miracles, and dreams.

The bottom line is this: the Messiah had come and nothing was going to stop Him. Christmas is a time to reflect what God has done and celebrate His plan to rescue us and save us. It's truly a time to worship Him. Hallelujah!!

Belief vs Faith

There is a specific miracle that is recorded in John chapter 9 that is found nowhere else in the other Gospels. It's a case where a man who was born blind is miraculously healed. Jesus"spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 'Go,' he told him, 'wash in the Pool of Siloam' (this word means 'Sent'). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing." (John 9:6-7)

It makes you wonder --  why didn't Jesus just heal him right there on the spot? He healed many people immediately, and no doubt He could do it. Why, this time, did He go through all the steps of making mud, placing it on the man's eyes, and telling him to go and wash the mud off? 

A possible reason is that Jesus did this to see if the man actually believed Jesus could heal him. Perhaps Jesus was checking the man's belief -- his faith. The words, "belief" and "faith" are very similar, and sometimes used interchangeably in the Bible, depending on the context. But there can be differences. One way to look at it is that belief, at least in the worldly sense, involves the intellect -- a conviction. But sincere spiritual belief manifests itself into a confident trust that leads to action and obedience -- faith. 

The difference between belief and faith can be illustrated by the experience I once had driving in the city of Annapolis, Maryland. It seems that every time I drive in that city I get lost. So I made sure I had my GPS on. It took me into the city to my destination flawlessly. When I got ready to leave the parking lot, I pulled out and went to the stop sign where it told me to turn right. But I was sure I came in the opposite way! For a moment I hesitated. Should I turn left, which was my gut feeling, or blindly follow the GPS? I sat there for a few seconds and then made my decision -- I turned right. I wasn't sure where I was going, but sure enough, it led me right out of the city and on my way home. 

I always had belief in GPS technology -- I believed that it was accurate and had the ability to give the correct directions. But it was only when I actually turned right and began driving into the unknown, totally trusting that it would correctly lead me, that my faith in GPS was demonstrated. 

The same is true with the blind man. He may have believed, in a worldly sense, that Jesus had the ability to heal people, but his confident faith was shown when he got up, walked off, found the pool of Siloam (remember he was still blind), and washed the mud off his eyes. 

In this instance of healing the blind man, Jesus was looking for faith. As a matter of fact, Jesus is always looking for faith. He is looking for our faith too. Let's always walk through this life with a confident, trusting faith in the Lord.

My Mother's Greatest Lesson

I was 10 years old when I received my mother’s greatest lesson. That was 61 years ago. I remember it vividly, like it was yesterday. 

The night was cold and snowy in the hills of upstate New York, and only my mother and I were home at the time. I can’t quite recall how he got there, but my uncle must have been dropped off at our house by another relative (no doubt as a result of my mother’s coaxing). I had overheard an earlier phone call that my mother received informing her that he had gotten drunk once again, getting his car stuck in the ditch trying to come up the hill to his house which was a few doors down from ours. He was found laying nearly frozen to death in the snow next to his car, totally intoxicated, with the car door open, and the car still running with its lights on. 

My most vivid memory of that night resulted from what I saw as I slowly peeked around the corner of the hallway into the living room. Neither my uncle nor my mother realized I was silently watching. The first glimpse made me instantly angry. I whispered to myself, “Ma, how could you be doing this?”, wishing I was brave enough to say to him, “What is wrong with you? Why do you keep getting drunk?"

My uncle was sitting on our couch, completely inebriated, freezing, with towels wrapped around him. He could barely sit up. Ma had dried him off and was trying to keep him warm. Every now and then he would very loudly and abruptly yell something totally incoherent. Every time he did it would startle me. His booming voice scared me and I was afraid he would see me. But I continued, unnoticed, to spy on what was going on in the next room, barely moving and making not a sound.

There was Ma, kneeling at his feet with tears rolling down her cheeks, trying to keep him comforted. Instead of raising her voice, she had only kind, reassuring words. “You’ll be alright”, she kept gently saying over and over again.  A small tub of warm water was sitting in front of her on the floor, and she had one of my uncle’s feet in her hands, and had a white towel wrapped around his other foot. I couldn’t understand her attitude. She stayed on her knees, softly crying while rubbing his feet, patiently trying to warm him up and get him sober.

In later years, I realized what I had secretly captured in that instance was the greatest teaching I would ever receive, although at the time I didn’t understand it. Now, every time I read John 13:5-7, I am reminded again of that evening. 

“After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." (John 13:5-7)

I firmly believe that the most powerful form of teaching is given by example. Throughout her life, Ma taught me many important things through her words. But in that one moment, no words could have been so powerful or convincing or lasting. Looking back on that cold, awkward night, I learned a three-fold valuable lesson.

First, my mother demonstrated the meaning of love. On that evening, she had shown me that true love was unconditional and sacrificial -- that love is a choice. At the time, that was the last thing I could think of -- to have any love for my uncle in that condition. That was the first thing she thought of! She loved her brother regardless of his condition.

Secondly, my mother demonstrated the meaning of forgiveness. My reaction was condemnation. Not Ma’s. I knew she did not approve of anyone being drunk, but yet she forgave her brother. It would have been easier to hate him for it, but she did what was harder – to forgive him. She always had hope that this would be the last time he would be drunk, and she believed that change was possible for him as well as anyone.

Thirdly, my mother demonstrated compassion. At the time, I thought my uncle deserved what he got. Not Ma. She felt sorry for him. When seeing someone hurt or in need, she would often put herself in their place. Her concern for others was always evident, regardless of who was at fault. She was the most compassionate person I ever knew. 

The whole situation that I witnessed that night reminds me of Matthew 25:34-40.

 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ 

 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 

 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ (Matthew 25:34-40)

As often as I can, I try to live up to the teaching that my mother demonstrated to me by her example that night, and what I have found is that it is not an easy task. Her lesson of love, forgiveness and compassion are often taught by others in words alone. But to see it modeled so clearly and sincerely that night taught me a lesson that has lasted a lifetime. 

Thanks Ma, for your example and your inspiration.

The Ransom Of Captain Charlie Spade

The story of Captain Charlie Spade is similar to what happened to Captain Richard Phillips, the ship captain who was taken hostage by the Somali pirates in 2009 in the Indian Ocean, off the dreaded northeast African coast. Tom Hanks starred in the movie “Captain Phillips” about that event. Although Captain Charlie Spade is a fictional character, the story will demonstrate the concept of ransom and redemption.

Picture this... a ship, called the Estonia Emperor, with Captain Charlie Spade at the helm -- 950 feet long — a cargo container ship, cruising in the dark of night off the coast of Somalia, Africa. Things were going fine until they made a foolish mistake in judgment. The captain tried to make better time by taking a shorter route that brought them dangerously close to the shoreline, a practice that the shipping company didn’t condone. Nonetheless, Captain Charlie Spade and his crew took their chances, thought they could get away with it, and gambled that in the dark of night, while at full speed, they could avoid any possible pirate attack.

Sure enough, the worst case scenario unfolded. A small blip showed up on the radar, closing in fast. Armed pirates were chasing them down with the intent to board the ship, take the crew as hostages, and hold the ship until a large ransom was paid by the shipping company. Captain Spade tried to outrun them, but the huge vessel could only max out at about 28 knots. That's about 32 mph, no match for the pirate’s speed boat. 

The pirates reached the ship in no time. The crew had been alerted and was ready to try some evasive tactics such as turning on high power water canons which blasted water from the top of the ship toward the surface of the sea. However, the pirates were able to maneuver around that, and successfully throw hook and ladders to the side deck. Unlike the crew of the Estonia Emperor, who had no weapons on board, the pirates were heavily armed with machine guns, grenade launchers, and rifles. The crew had no recourse but surrender with their hands up as soon as the pirates came on board and spotted them. 

The pirates ordered Charlie to slowly bring the ship in close to the shore, anchor it, and wait for a ransom to be paid for the release of the ship as well as the crew. They were in trouble, not only because they were being held hostage, but also because they disobeyed company policy. The shipping company ended up paying a very large ransom...7 million dollars. After receiving the payment, the pirates released the ship and its crew, and they were set free. And even after discovering his illegal route, the shipping company reconciled their relationship with Captain Charlie Spade, and he continued to serve as a captain, and was determined to never disregard any shipping company policy ever again. 

The story of Charlie Spade is an illustration of Biblical redemption. What is redemption? It’s the transfer of ownership — gaining possession of something in exchange for payment. If you’ve ever redeemed a coupon in a store for something you know what I mean. Say you receive a coupon in the mail for a free bottle of hand lotion. When you bring that coupon in the store, you trade it in for the lotion as payment. In other words, you redeem to the coupon — you gain ownership of the lotion, and the store releases ownership of the lotion. 

The idea of a redeemer goes way back into the Old Testament. In the nation of Israel, if someone was forced to sell their land because of poverty and lose ownership of it, a relative could redeem that property or buy it back for the relative. In such a case, the one who pays the price is called the redeemer. There are a lot of other cases in the Old Testament of redemption as well, for example, the redeeming of houses or animals. You can see how God was laying the foundation of the concept of redemption early on, which would be ultimately fulfilled in Jesus becoming our redeemer.

Let’s look at the story of Charlie Spade and see how it’s a picture of redemption. To begin with, Charlie's disobedience got him in trouble, similar to how our sinful nature, early on in our lives, gets us in trouble. Charlie was held hostage. Similarly, we are held hostage by sin which can entangle us, shackle us, take us captive, and separate us from God. 

There's no way Charlie was going to be released by the pirates unless a ransom was paid. The definition of a ransom is this....."money that is paid in order to free someone who has been captured or kidnapped". In a sense, we are captured or kidnapped by sin, become separated from God, and there's no way to be released from sin except by God's own doing. We can’t do it on our own.

The shipping company paid the high ransom price which freed Charlie Spade. Likewise, God paid our ransom price - the price to free us from the bondage of sin. It cost God a lot. The payment that freed Charlie Spade redeemed him. To redeem is essentially to 'buy back' or better yet, to 'trade for payment', like redeeming a coupon at a department store. The one who pays the ransom price is the redeemer. Yes, the one who pays the ransom price is the called the redeemer.

Regarding the ship, the captain, and the crew -- the shipping company said to the pirates, "They are mine!" And the company was willing to pay the price. Regarding us, as sinners, God says, "You are mine!" And He is willing to pay the price.

God must see every person as extremely valuable, even when it may seem that we are undeserving, unworthy, and sinful. That's proven by the astronomical price that He is willing to pay. The price to purchase our freedom, the cost that God is willing to pay, is the life of His one and only Son.

He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. (Ephesians 1:7 NLT)

Jesus paid the ransom price and is our Redeemer. But we must accept God's offer of the ‘payment' for our sins. That's done through faith and obedience in Christ, committing our life to Him as our Redeemer, Savior, and Lord. If we accept the offer, Jesus trades His life for ours! 

Jesus pays the penalty for our sins — the ultimate sacrificial Lamb of God. His death, His blood shed on the cross is the price to free us from sin. The sacrifice of Jesus redeems us, frees us, forgives us, and reconciles us with God. His death is substitutionary — He takes on our punishment for sin instead of us paying the eternal penalty. 

Listen, we all sin and fall short of the glory of God. It's true of every human. Still, because of His love and His grace, God's payment of the ransom, through Jesus, is available to anyone. And just as Charlie Spade needed to be rescued, and just as his relationship with the shipping company needed to be reconciled, we can be rescued, and our relationship with God can be reconciled. Have you accepted God's offer to be redeemed, to be bought back? It doesn't cost you anything, but it costs God everything. If so, walk faithfully. If you haven't yet, will you accept His offer: the gift to pay your ransom?

One more thing — Jesus is our Redeemer, paying the penalty for our sin by dying on the cross. However, there’s more to the story. Jesus not only died on the cross, but He rose from the dead! And because he resurrected from the dead, there’s more to the story for us who are believers. You see Christianity is all about new life — resurrected life — in this life as we become Christ followers, and after we die, resurrected to live forever in paradise with the Lord — eternal life. What a gift! 

"For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake. Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory. You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart. For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God." (1 Peter 1:18-23)

Psalm 23: A Funeral Dirge or A Song Of Praise?

Psalm 23 is probably the most read Psalm in the Bible. Why? Because it is the Psalm that is traditionally chosen to be read at funerals. And that’s because Psalm 23 verse 4 says, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” And that in itself is fine. I have no problem with that. 

However, when you look at the entire Psalm 23 in it’s context, which isn’t very long, only 6 verses, it is clearly a song of praise to God for who He is and what He is able to do! In this Psalm, David describes God as a shepherd. And guess what? David knows well the role of a shepherd. After all, he was a shepherd before he killed Goliath, and before he became king! David knew very well the relationship between himself as a shepherd, and the sheep that he overlooked and took care of. 

And it is a close relationship — between a real shepherd in the field and his sheep. The shepherd knows his sheep, and the sheep know the shepherd’s voice. The sheep are totally dependent on the shepherd to be guided, protected, provided for, and cared for. 

So as we read Psalm 23, you will clearly see that David is boasting about God through the lens of a shepherd. This Psalm is a song of praise. After all, what is praise? How would you define it? I define praise as simply boasting about God — and that can be addressed to others (God is an awesome God) or addressed directly to Him (God You are an awesome God). Praise is shining the spotlight on God — for who He is and what He is able to do. 

Psalm 23, a song of praise, when read with sincerity, can be used as an expression of worship. If you want words to worship God, just use Psalm 23 as your words.

So here’s Psalm 23 in its entirety — only 6 verses long. This is the New King James version:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. \Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.

Here’s what I want to do — go through this Psalm and let Psalm 23 reveal the 5 things that God does for me. 

1) HE PROVIDES FOR ME. This is revealed in verse one.

Psalm 23:1  The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 

The role of a shepherd is to lead, to provide, and to protect. David sees the Lord as his personal shepherd. And we should to! Jesus is our shepherd — “the good shepherd”. Jesus describes Himself that way.

(John 10:14 the words of Jesus) “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.”

Verse 1 ends with “I shall not want”. In other words, I have all that I need.

Matthew 6:33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.=

 So….

1) HE PROVIDES FOR ME  and also..

2) HE GIVES ME PEACE

This is found in verse 2. 

Psalm 23:2  He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.

This verse gives us a visual of beautiful green pastures and calm, still waters. It's the perfect picture of peace — the inner peace that only God can provide. So…

1) HE PROVIDES FOR ME

2) HE GIVES ME PEACE and also...

3) HE GUIDES ME

This is found in verse 3. 

Psalm 23:3  He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.

Actually I think “He restores my soul” should be part of verse 2. Remember in the original, there were no chapters and verses just one continuous letter. So it makes a lot of sense to say verse 2 like this: “He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters, He restores my soul.” Then verse 3: He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.

God guides us. How? Through the Holy Spirit that we have in us. The Holy Spirit prompts us, guides us, convicts us, and leads us. 

Galatians 5:25  Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

So….we learn in Psalm 23 that…

1) HE PROVIDES FOR ME

2) HE GIVES ME PEACE

3) HE GUIDES ME and also…

4) HE PROTECTS ME

This is found in verses 4 and 5. Notice that these verses are addressed directly to God.

Psalm 23:4-5  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.

This verse gives us the confidence that, though there may be danger around us, we don’t need to fear because God is right with us. David uses the visual of a rod and staff. A shepherds rod was like a “billy club” used to fight off any predators. The staff with a hook on the end was more for gentle prodding or guiding. Knowing that God is there to protect us gives us comfort and confidence. Even in the midst of danger, we sit at God’s table. 

So….we learn in Psalm 23 that…

1) HE PROVIDES FOR ME

2) HE GIVES ME PEACE

3) HE GUIDES ME

4) HE PROTECTS ME  and also…

5) HE BLESSES ME

Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever. 

This last verse is filled with confident hope —  of God's goodness, grace and mercy that is with us all the days of our lives. And with the hope of eternal life with the Lord. 

Let’s read Psalm 23, all 6 verses: This time I’m going to use the New Living Translation — same meaning, just a bit different wording. And you tell me — is this a funeral dirge, or a song of praise to be used for everyday life?

The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.

Jesus, UFO’s & Aliens

Are UFO’s real? Have you ever seen one? Do you think there are aliens out there somewhere in the universe? Do intelligent lifeforms exist and if so, do they even know that we exist? I’ve seen some strange things in the sky, like meteors and fireballs, but no UFO’s, at least that I can remember.

My mother tells me I was present when she saw one, but I was only about 3 years old and can’t recall that moment. It was in our back yard. My brother and I were playing in a sand box as my mother stood by. Suddenly my brother motioned for us to look up in the sky. My mother would later describe it as a flying saucer — a disk that was just hovering in the clear blue sky. It stood still for several moments, then suddenly shot straight up and disappeared! She often re-told that story to me.

As a young boy, growing up in the 50’s, I was fascinated by the idea of flying saucers. I watched all the 1950’s science fiction movies such as, “Invaders From Mars”, or “The Day The Earth Stood Still”. Today the question still remains, are UFO’s from other planets, or are they just natural phenomena? We are still trying to figure that out. Scientists scan the universe for distant radio signals and we're constantly monitoring outer space using telescopes and space probes trying to find the answer to the question: Is there intelligent life out there?

This past week the U.S. landed an unmanned, mechanical rover, called Perseverance, on Mars. According to NASA, the hope is to find evidence of ancient microbial life. To an evolutionist, a claim to discover ancient microbial life would be huge because they believe that’s how humans came into existence on this planet — evolving from microbes. They are still trying to figure out how life was created — how the universe was created, ignoring Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth”. 

“In the beginning” means before anything existed — before matter existed — before the physical realm existed. “In the beginning” God created the “heavens” and the earth — the “heavens” meaning the universe, the sun, the planets, the solar system, including the earth. Whether there is life on other planets or not, God is sovereign over all things in the universe. 

So, back to the question: what does the Bible say about intelligent life on other planets? Actually, it says nothing about it! The Bible is focused on our planet, and our species, the human race. And that Jesus, God taking the form of a human, died on the cross for our sins because the human race has been tainted by the original sin of Adam and Eve — the fall of human-kind. Jesus came to reconcile us — to make us right with God.

So what can we speculate about the possibility of other species, or other intelligent life, on other planets? And what would that do for our faith in Jesus, as Christians, if other intelligent life existed? The answer is that it should do nothing to diminish our faith.

You see, God came to earth in the form of a human (Jesus), specifically for humans, to save us humans from eternal condemnation because of our sins against God. This is true whether we are the only intelligent life in the universe or whether there are other aliens out there. 

Jesus existed as “the Word” before man was created and before He came to earth as a man. So in the beginning, God was still 3 in 1: the Father, the Word (who is Jesus to us humans), and the Holy Spirit.  

John 1:1-3

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

Through “the Word” all things were made. John 1:14 says, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”. Before the Word took on the form of Jesus on planet earth, He was involved in creation of all things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible!

Colossians 1:15-19

 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 

These truths simply tell us that God has complete dominion and supremacy over all things created including everything and everyone in the universe, visible and invisible. Whether it’s humans on planet earth, or aliens somewhere else, or angels, or demons, God has authority and sovereignty over all. 

So let’s speculate about the possibility of other intelligent life in the universe. What if they were created and didn’t fall away from God as Adam and Eve did? That would be incredible — they would be sinless and possibly live forever, that is if we compare them to our spiritual reality as we know it. They would have no need for the Word to become their “flesh” to save them. 

But what if other intelligent life existed and they did fall away from God as Adam and Eve did? Then I suppose they would need the Word to become whatever type of species they were to offer salvation to them in whatever way God planned.

I was thinking — perhaps if aliens do exist, then maybe God doesn’t want us to meet. It would be too diverse spiritually, let alone perhaps physically. Could it be that the reason the universe is so expansive — so deep — is to simply keep us apart by God’s design? Maybe so.

I’m not saying there is intelligent life on other planets. We may be the only ones. And maybe the vast expanse of the universe was created only for God to demonstrate how big He is. All I’m saying is that the Bible doesn’t address the issue of alien life, and who knows, maybe one day we will find out.

What if there are aliens, and what if Heaven is filled with not only humans but other beings as well? Would this mean that Heaven is like some Star Wars scene? HaHa. Or will we be all the same spiritual body?

Let’s hold up for a moment. I’ve talked about some crazy scenarios, some of them may be not feasible or not even reality but just food for thought. And there are so many other things to speculate about. We could spend our whole life contemplating such things, but let’s get back to what’s really important as human beings on this planet earth in this solar system in this universe.

Here’s what we know as true. We, as humans, are God’s creation. Because sin entered our world, mankind is tainted by sin, which separates us from God. God, only through His grace and mercy, offered a plan to reconcile us humans back to Himself and forgive us of our sins, saving us from eternal condemnation, which is the consequence for our sins, and offer us life after death in a paradise with Him. He is calling out to us through Jesus.

God’s plan was to come to planet earth in the form of a human being, and offer Himself as the supreme sacrifice — dying as payment for our sins. Why would He do such a thing. What was the motive? Love!  

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

God established the groundwork for His plan of sacrificing life to cover the punishment of sin though the Old Testament laws of offering the blood of lambs to cover the sins of the Israelites, God’s chosen people of that time. So Jesus, God in human form, came to earth to do just that — be the supreme sacrifice for sins, shedding His blood on the cross, offering forgiveness to all who accept His offer by believing in Him. 

The bottom line is we need to make sure that we are right with God — that we believe in Him, are baptized into Christ, and are Christ followers as we go through this life in a loving Father/child relationship with God. As a result, we have the promise of resurrection and eternal life in Heaven.

I’m not sure if there is life somewhere else, and if so, what God’s plan is for them. But I do know God’s plan for us humans, and hopefully you do too. So let’s be thankful for it and worship and praise Him, and live a life worthy of His calling.

A Joyful Heart Makes A Cheerful Face

Did Covid Take Away Our Smiles?

The pandemic has taken away a lot of things in this past year. For some, it’s even taken away loved ones —terrible, tragic, and sad. For most, it’s taken away our normal way of life — that’s for sure. Everyone is reeling from the effects of it in one way or another. Jobs are lost. Businesses are hurting and even closed. In many states, schools are closed. Churches, restaurants and stores have limited capacity if they are open at all.

We don’t know what to believe about the virus — is it as bad as they say it is,  or is it worse than reported? If I get it, will I die, or will it just be like a cold? Or will I have no symptoms at all? There’s fear — there’s uncertainty — there’s many unanswered questions and much confusion.

Should I be getting the vaccine? Or is the vaccine dangerous? Will I eventually be required to have a vaccine to travel? Should I isolate myself? Should I go out to a restaurant? Should I fly in an airplane? 

Do masks work? Or are masks just a worthless exercise enforced by the government? We all have opinions on all these topics, but I’d like to focus on the mask for a bit. I’m not sure if the masks are effective, but here’s what I know about the mask. Every time I go into a business I’m required to wear one. And what I observed is this — wearing a mask has made everyone so impersonal! 

Everyone is scared of everyone else. Nobody wants to get close to another person. Everybody is paranoid!!!!! Everyone you see is suspect, and assumed to be a covid carrier. Everyone looks at you as if you have the virus and is scared to get within 6 feet of you. I’ve been in stores where people actually try to avoid being near me. The pandemic has taken away our ability to be cordial to one another — to be warm and friendly. Let me ask you…..is this the way to live?

Here’s the worst thing about the mask — it has taken away our smiles. You can’t tell if someone is smiling at you, and someone else can’t tell if you are smiling at them. Do you know how important a smile is?

We use smiles to be polite, to communicate friendliness. Smiles are even a sign of compassion and caring. I found a internet site called Logos Communications and the article said this about smiling: “When we smile, we signal our friendliness, openness to engaging, and interest in people. Smiling reduces stress hormone levels, and increases mood-enhancing endorphins. A 2010 study by Wayne State University even showed that smiling might help you live longer! Smiles are one of the few non-verbal communications that translates between cultures.” You may not speak another person’s language, but they understand a smile.

Just think if humans were created without the ability to smile. What a cold world it would be. Can you imagine? Thank God for giving us the ability to smile. Otherwise, everyone would be walking around with a stern, grumpy expression as their constant appearance!!! That’s not the type of world I’d like to live in. But guess what?? — that’s what the mask does! It takes away the smile.

So what do we do about it? Here’s a couple of suggestions. Even when you are wearing a mask, when you are out and about, try to at least smile with your eyes. Or try practicing greeting someone by at least nodding your head. How about doing something cordial for someone — say opening a door for them when you are going into a store or restaurant. We need to start showing some friendliness and compassion. 

Do you think God smiles? I do. Maybe we are created with the ability to smile because, as the Bible says, we are made in the image of God. And when God smiles on us, it’s a special blessing. How would you feel if you knew God was looking down at you with a smile? Maybe that’s something you should picture in your mind when you think of God. What would that communicate to you? What would that convey? I’m thinking that it would convey His loving relationship with you — His grace and unconditional love that He has for you.

There’s a popular Christian song out now called “The Blessing” and it’s based on the Bible verse, Numbers 6:24-26. The lyrics of the song say, “The Lord bless you and keep you. Make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.” The actual scripture, Numbers 6:24-26, says this, and I like the New Living Translation version:

May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.—Numbers 6:24-26. 

I urge you to take this scripture and highlight it in your Bible. Be reminded of it often. This scripture is a prayer for you. This scripture is my prayer for you. What a great prayer!! What a comforting prayer. It’s a prayer that is asking the Lord to give you all that is good for you. This simple prayer is asking for the Lord to bless you — for the Lord to protect you — for the Lord to smile on you — for the Lord to be gracious to you — for the Lord to show you His favor — and for the Lord to give you His peace — and who doesn’t long for that? Here’s a great idea… use this prayer as you pray for other people you know. 

You can be sure that Jesus smiled a lot when He was on earth. He must have used smiles many times - some simply compassionate expressions, and some simply laughter.   I’m sure Jesus had a great smile and that He used it often. The Bible doesn’t record those things about Jesus, but you can be sure they happened.

One thing about a smile — when you smile at people, they automatically smile back. Smiles are reciprocal. Smiles are a simple way to just connect with others, even if it’s just a passing, friendly, cordial glance. And personal connection seems to have been lacking lately. 

Even in this pandemic, we need to reach out to people, be kind to people, and connect with people. Do your best to smile when you can. Here’s a truthful statement — we cannot make it on our own. We need others in our lives and we need God in our lives. I don’t know how people can make it through this pandemic - through life’s trials - or through this life period — without the Lord in their life. He is our only true source of hope, peace, and joy. 

One more thing regarding smiling— as Christians, we have something to smile about. And that is our relationship with the Lord who is the giver of life, of grace, of peace, and of joy. Nothing can take away that joy, not even a pandemic. Our joy is internal - it’s in our hearts  - we have Christ with us and in us. I love Proverbs 15:13. It says, “A joyful heart makes a cheerful face”. A smile means a lot and can say a lot.

May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace. Numbers 6:24-26







 

Why Animal Sacrifice?

In the Old Testament, we find animals being sacrificed — thousands and thousands of them. Why did God allow that, or even condone that? I’m going to demonstrate how animal sacrifice was part of the big picture of God’s plan.

And I’m going to show that without the Old Testament, the New Testament wouldn’t make much sense. And without the New Testament, the Old Testament wouldn’t make much sense. Let’s start with an overview of the history of man.

In the Beginning, God made the heavens and the earth. And eventually made a man and a woman, Adam and Eve, and placed them in the perfect environment — the Garden of Eden. And everything was very good! The relationship between Adam and Eve and God was an intimate, beautiful one. That is, until Satan came along and tempted them to eat the forbidden fruit. At that point, sin came into the world.

Because sin entered the world, everything is tainted and affected. Because Adam and Eve sinned against God, all men and women are, in a sense, infected by sin. We will all sin, especially considering Satan’s presence and influence, still active today. 

In this time of a global pandemic with Covid, we can relate to an infection. And when it comes to sin, the entire population of the world is infected, and will always be infected, with sin. There is no one excluded. Sin is our default mode. 

Romans 3:23   “We all sin and fall short of the glory of God.”

When we look at the history of mankind right after Adam and Eve, evil and corruption overtook the entire known world to the point that God was sorry He even created humans and decided to wipe them all out! Well, God did wipe out the entire earth — through the great flood, except for Noah and his family, the only righteous ones. Through them, the earth was re-populated. 

However, sin was still in the world. It was time for God to begin initiating a covenant — a covenant that was established through one faithful man, Abraham. Through him, God promised a kingdom that would never end — the kingdom of the faithful.  Abraham had a son Isaac, and Isaac had a son Jacob. And Jacob had 12 sons, and they would eventually become the 12 tribes of the nation of Israel. 

Because of a famine, Jacob and his sons moved to Egypt where the nation grew very large and became a slave nation in Egypt. That's why Moses came along and led them out of Egypt, crossing the Red Sea, and escaping pharaoh. The nation of Israel remained in the desert for 40 years, but during those 40 years God’s law for the nation of Israel was established, including the 10 Commandments among others. That’s when animal sacrifices began. 

The purpose of offering animal sacrifices was to provide a sin offering, a guilt offering to God — a method of removing and forgiving sin from a person. Sin was actually transferred from a person to the animal to be slaughtered. When a person sinned, an animal, a goat or a lamb, with no defects, unblemished, would be presented to the priest to be slaughtered. 

This continued over the centuries until the time was right for God to send Jesus to earth. Through Him, a new covenant was about to be established that would remove the requirement for animal sacrifices and null and void the law, the Old Covenant, and replace it with a New Covenant of Grace. The New Covenant would be initiated at the Cross.

The old covenant of law and of the sacrifice of animals was a model for the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Jesus was, as John the Baptist put it, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”

Jesus is our unblemished (sinless) sacrifice, being in a sense, slaughtered on the cross, transferring our sins upon Himself, just as the lamb of the old covenant transferred the sins of a person onto itself so sins would be taken away.

At the cross, the new covenant of grace through Christ was established, and the old covenant was nailed to the cross. Someone enters into the new covenant by simply believing in Him, being baptized into Him, and being faithful to Him. Then we are adopted as sons and daughters of God, are welcomed into the Kingdom, and have the promise of forgiveness of sins, the resurrection from the dead, and eternal life in Heaven.

It becomes clear that God’s plan was consistent throughout time. He wanted from the beginning a right relationship with mankind. That finally was fulfilled through Jesus. You can see that without the Old Testament, the New Testament wouldn’t make much sense. And without the New Testament, the Old Testament wouldn’t make much sense.

If we just had the New Testament, the sacrifice of Jesus as the “lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world’ wouldn’t make any sense. Jesus dying on a cross as a blood sacrifice for our sins wouldn’t make sense. There would be no basis for it.

If we didn’t have the New Testament, the old covenant sacrifice of animals to remove sin would seem gruesome and inhumane. But when we see Jesus fulfilling that as the perfect sacrifice that takes away our sins, it makes perfect sense. Animal sacrifice in the Old Testament set up Jesus as our Savior who died as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 

1 Peter 1:18-20

For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake.