40 Days Closer to Christ

What if they decided to hold a concert and every member of the orchestra showed up with their instruments tuned anyway they wanted? I’ve been to a few middle school concerts and I have to tell you that it wouldn’t be good. There must be some standard to which all the instruments are tuned, or else you end up with a cacophony. But not only do the instruments need to be tuned, but they need to be tuned to a Master note.

In my house I have three guitars. (Actually since my kids played rock star with one of them only two are playable, but for illustration purposes lets suppose all three can be played.) If I tune one of them to with a pitch pipe or with an electronic tuner than I am pretty sure that it is conditioned for optimal performance. Now I can go to the second guitar and tune it by the first one. And I can get around to tuning the third one by using the second. Theoretically, all three should be tuned up just right. But if I strum a note on the third one, and check it with the tuner, more than likely it will be a little flat or a little sharp. It is just not quite in tune. No matter how good my ear is, a little variation sneaks in as they get tuned down the line. All three guitars have different tones and pitches but if they are all tuned with the electronic tuner and to the same standard then they sound good together.

It is the same way with us. We can get pretty close to where we should be in our spirituality, in our righteousness, and in our walk with God by sharpening ourselves against each other, but we will always be a little off. We need to go back to the Master to make sure that we are where we need to be. It is Christ alone who is the standard by which we measure ourselves. And it is by Him alone that we will be able to perform as we should. That is why we take forty days leading up to Easter and use it to draw closer to Christ and to reestablish our discipleship.

Forty days is the optimal period to form a new habit, to establish a new practice, and to change the pattern of your life. 40 Days – Closer to Christ is an activity (we won’t use the word program) that can change your life.

Forty is a significant number in the scriptures. When God brings about change, the scriptures often represent a significant event as having a forty day duration. Noah’s world was changed forever in forty days. Moses saw God face to face and in forty days received the word which is still the basis for law and government. The city of Nineveh repented in sackcloth and ashes and turned away God’s wrath in the space of forty days. David became a hero after all Israel cowered under Goliath’s forty day challenge. Elijah lived by faith for forty days after God sustained him with one meal. The disciples were given the mysteries of the kingdom as they were taught by the Lord during an intensive forty day seminar after the resurrection. Jesus prepared with a forty day fast for a ministry which culminated in the salvation of mankind.

We can grow closer to the Savior as we study His life and His appearances throughout scripture. We become the people we should as we strive to lead a life of diligent discipleship. In these forty days we can review and renew the vital things that bring us to the Lord. We can refresh our memories and recall the eternal truths of who God is, who we are, and how we can have a close relationship with Him. 40 Days – Closer to Christ is an opportunity to more fully develop that relationship, so that we may see as we are seen and know as we are known.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Day 34 ~ Bright and Morning Star (Revelation 22:16)


Of all of God's creations and designs, perhaps none have captured the imaginations of men more than the stars. They are a wonder. Mankind has watched the heavens since Adam. Even today, when we have moved our entertainment indoors we still are fascinated with the stars. Most "experienced" people can remember where they were when astronauts walked on the moon. Younger members of society have been fascinated with Star Wars and Star Trek. We want to reach out to the stars, even though they remain so very far away.

Have you ever stood outside on a clear night and looked up at the heavens? The stars can be so magnificent. They are so bright and so captivating. As your eyes adjust to the darkness you can see more stars in the spaces between the really bright ones. After a moment or two more, you can see more stars behind those ones and in the space between those. Soon you see the whole sky as a wonderful mosaic of twinkle and light.

So how many stars are there? Well, if you can answer that question then you can answer how many grains of sand are on the beach, or how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. We don't know. NASA is currently mapping the position and brightness of 100 million stars. That sounds like a lot. But it really is only a drop in the cosmic bucket. Physicists estimate that there are about 400 billion stars in our Milky Way. Science offers numbers in the field of 3 thousand million billion stars (that's a 3 followed by 16 zeroes) in the universe. NASA alleges that there are zillions of uncountable stars. Yes, they actually use the word - zillions.

As you look into the beauty of the heavenly scene it is hard to not think of God's mighty hand, and of how truly small we are in the face of such majesty. Stars keep us humble. Have you ever seen that picture of the Milky Way with a little arrow pointing to a little insignificant speck on the edge of the swirl of galaxies. The arrow reads "You are here." We feel very small. We should. We are insignificant in the cosmic dance of the universe. Yet the spirit cries out to us the mind-numbing reality that we are God's children and all that we see was created for us. It is a staggering reality. Yet there it is - an object lesson of galactic proportions. So it should seem no wonder that as the Father gave unto us the gift of His Son, that He would publish it upon the grand easel of the heavens.

Samuel the Lamanite prophesied unto the city of Zarahemla of the coming of Christ into the world. He gave signs of His coming, among which we read in Helaman 14:5 "And behold, there shall a new star arise, such an one as ye never have beheld; and this also shall be a sign unto you." How big and how bright was this new rising star which was greater than any they had ever beheld? Did the entire world see the Star of Bethlehem and wonder at its appearance? When Christ returns at the ushering in of the Millennium He shall appear as the Bright and Morning Star which heralds in the coming of a new and brighter day. The dark night of ignorance, wickedness and despair will be shattered in the brilliant light of brand new day. The whole world will behold the brightness of that star.

At Christmas we remember the magi, or wise men, who followed a star so hopefully and so faithfully to their determined but unknown destination. They saw a phenomenon in the heavens and it led them on. As we remember that star we can also remember the purpose served by all the stars. They stir our hearts to wonder and to ponder and to praise. They lift our minds and hearts and imaginations toward God. The star of Bethlehem shone brightly on those nights. But it was not the only star or the most important star. The wise men also had a star within that enabled them to see the star without. Though it is no longer manifest in the heavens, that star still exists today. Today we may still follow a brilliant star - the star in our heart that leads us to Christ.
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