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Christmas is a Time to Keep Looking Up

Christmas is a Time to Keep Looking Up

How many Christmas stars do you think are made or commercially sold each year?

Who was it that followed, what they called, the Star in the East? You, of course, know the answer, and most of the world knows the story of the Wise Men from the East.

A good read is Matthew 2:1-12, from The Passion Translation:

Jesus was born in Bethlehem near Jerusalem during the reign of King Herod. After Jesus’ birthem>a group of spiritual priests from the East came to Jerusalem and inquired of the people, “Whereis the child who is born king of the Jewish people? We observed his star rising in the sky andwe’ve come to bow before him in worship.” King Herod was shaken to the core when he heardthis, and not only him, but all of Jerusalem was disturbed when they heard this news. So hecalled a meeting of the Jewish ruling priests and religious scholars, demanding that they tellhim where the promised Messiah was prophesied to be born. “He will be born in Bethlehem, inthe land of Judah,” they told him. “Because the prophecy states:

And you, little Bethlehem, are not insignificant among the clans of Judah, for out of you willemerge the Shepherd-King of my people Israel!”

Then Herod secretly summoned the spiritual priests from the East to ascertain the exact timethe star first appeared. And he told them, “Now go to Bethlehem and carefully look there for thechild, and when you’ve found him, report to me so that I can go and bow down and worshiphim too.”

And so they left, and on their way to Bethlehem, suddenly the same star they had seen in theEast reappeared! Amazed, they watched as it went ahead of them and stopped directly over theplace where the child was. And when they saw the star, they were so ecstatic that theyshouted and celebrated with unrestrained joy. When they came into the house and saw theyoung child with Mary, his mother, they were overcome. Falling to the ground at his feet theyworshiped him. Then they opened their treasure boxes full of gifts and presented him with gold,frankincense, and myrrh. Afterward they returned to their own country by another routebecause God had warned them in a dream not to go back to Herod.

I love this saying, “THE CHRISTMAS STAR REMINDS US THAT GOD NEVER FAILS TO GUIDE THOSE WHO KEEP LOOKING UP.”

They got off track for a few hours, but they were recalibrated when they once again looked up.

I believe in you and am praying for you and yours to have a recalibrated expectation this Christmas Season.

Your loving pastors,

Cleddie and GayNell Keith

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