What have you been waiting for?

     This year I have the opportunity to portray Simeon in our Church's Christmas program.  Now most people would not naturally link Simeon or Anna, both who were prophetic people, with Christmas.  Even though, the fact is that in as far as the Christmas narrative goes, they both appear upon the scene after the actual birth of Jesus.  But then again, if we are looking for biblical accuracy, the Three Kings ( the Magi) didn't show up to the actual event either.  Yet our traditions have them there.  Then there's the little drummer boy, who knows where he came from?  ( though I must admit, "The little drummer boy is MY favorite Christmas show, though I hate it when the lamb gets hurt)       In Luke 2: 25 -38, Mary and Joseph are at the Temple giving the proper offering for a first born child, and dedicating Him to the Lord.  This is only days after the actual birth.  This is where Simeon comes upon the scene.  For most of his adult life, the Holy Spirit has told this man that before he dies, he will get to see the long awaited Messiah ( Christ) . He is now very old, and has waited for all of his life holding this promise in his heart.
     Simeon lived quite some time never having the opportunity to see even a hint of what God had shared with him come to pass or full fruition.  Can you relate to him?  Imagine living 60, 70 years or more,never seeing what you believe will happen because God told you it would happen?  He spoke it to your heart.  Yet, year in and year out, never seeing it come to pass.  That is living by faith and not by sight!
     As I play this individual in a few days, I will have to convey both the longing and the actual fulfillment of seeing prophecy come to pass before your very eyes.  The joy of 60 years of pent up hope released by seeing and holding a baby. The scriptures speaks his words this way,

                                 "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace.
                                  according to thy word:
                                 for mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
                                 which thou hast prepared before
                                the face of all people.
                                 a light to lighten the Gentiles
                                and the glory of thy people Israel"

     Simeon's words fill my heart with both joy and sadness.  He was able to endure and apprehend what he had lived his whole life not seeing.  Facing the possibility of ridicule every time he would share his innermost faith with others.  Wrestling with unfulfilled desires as each year passed by with no new hope in sight, while tyranny's oppressive shadow blotted out the sun of a bright future.  Lingering doubt, bearing hard upon the solid rock of an inner knowing; that only a Spirit spoken word can create within your heart.  Imagine, living a long life with these feelings weighing upon your psyche?  That is Simeon.

     Then that day arrives.  The Holy Spirit spoke to his heart , and told him to get down to the Temple that morning.  How many false starts had he had before, when his mind had gotten ahead of his spirit?  But today was not one of those promptings, it was different!  This was the day that he would see, speak to, and handle the promise of all the ages.  Yet, deep down he knew that he would not live to see the Messiah in all of His earthly glory, that that day would come for him in the far distant future.  How would you handle that?
     When I look at Simeon I see all of us.  I am challenged to wonder if I would have lasted as long holding on only to a longheld promise with so little forward momentum to show for it?  Would I have aquiesced, and become absorbed into the futility  and despair of the world around me?  How about you?
     May I suggest that you take the time this year to start a new tradition ?  This year begin to add Simeon and Anna into the calvalcade of characters that you bring into your Christmas traditions.  Two faithful people who came just days after the birth, to bear witness that the babe was the fulfillment of prophecy.  Two people who show us that sometimes the wait is just as much a part of recieving the gift, as the gift itself.
    

Are Stars for signs and wonders?

                         the heavens declare the glory of God,

                         the skies proclaim the work of His hands.

                         Day after day they pour forth speech;

                         Night after night they display knowledge.

                         There is no speech or language,

                         Where their voice is not heard.

                         Their voice goes out into all the earth,

                         their words to the ends of the earth.

                                                                                     Psalm 19:1,2

     Recently,  in  church we watched an enlightening video called, "The Bethlehem Star".  the movie is a very thorough examination of the detailed account of the Christmas Star.  It is presented through the lens of scientific inquiry.  Though the author is not a scientist, but rather a lawyer; he uses his deliberative abilities to lay out line by line all of the astrological evidence that he's discovered to corroborate the account in the Book of Matthew.

   With the use of modern computer programs, graphics, and ancient texts; he is able to portray to the audience just what was seen by the Magi of the East at the time of Christ's birth.  The video is highly informative and would be well worth the hour of your time that it would take to view it.  It will certainly create for you a picture of a God who is much more involved in the mechanisms of the universe than you may have surmised Him to be in the past based on what you have been taught.
     Now with all of that being said, please indulge me to take you on a tangent of the aforementioned line of thought.  Here you will more than likely fall on either one side or the other of a theological fence.  God will either become very large to you in a way that he has never been before, or you will simply discount the scholarly work that I would encourage you to read as rubbish.  And keep God in a box of a size that you find most comfortable in which to house Him.
     The book that I would suggest that you take the time to read is an old one.  But, with the link that I have posted on the left side of my blog page you can access a PDF file of it for free!  It is located at http://www.levendwater.org/ on the web, look under Bullinger.
     As I said, this book is an old one that was written at the end of the 19th Century.  It was written by a well respected theologian named E.W. Bullinger.  The work is called " The Witness in the Stars".  I was so impressed with his work that I have taught it's precepts to two of my children, who in turned used it's concepts for science projects at their schools.  I find nothing in scripture to deny it.  Yet, the richness of his findings do nothing but make God seem bigger and more glorious to me than I could have ever imagined.  The Word of God states that, "the heavens declare His glory".  So, what could be more astounding than if we found that the gospel story was prewritten in the stars by our Maker, long before it was ever played out?  What IF we could find that people like Abraham and Seth could actually share God's word because, " night after night they display knowledge".  I know that for some this may be pushing it, that is why I say read the book and decide for yourself.  There is not enough space here to go into all of the detail.  Yet, wouldn't it be so grand if you knew that from Virgo ( the virgin) through Leo ( the lion of the tribe of Judah) it was all there all along.  That the final gesture of the story in the sky is the lion stepping on the Dragon or serpents head?  A constellation that encompasses about one third of the night's sky.  See the connection?

     Anyway, check it out for yourself, and you be the judge.  The Bible does show God as being proud of His creation.  Part of that wondrous work are the constellations as evidenced in: Job 9:9, Job 8: 31-33, Amos 5:8.