Today we are celebrating A Rad Event. Learn more about A Rad Event and how to celebrate friends on this special day.
Show Notes
Who needs an illuminating discovery to brighten your day? Though we can’t gather in person, we can still gather online with friends to celebrate Living Rad-iantly!
Births, baptisms, and deaths are normally commemorated with friends and families. Jesus’ birth, baptism, and death, resurrection, and ascension were days filled with friends and family. I would say each occasion was A Rad Event! What about you?
At Jesus’ birth – A Rad Event – #1: Astronomers, magi, or wise men, who were Abraham’s family had studied the stars, along with scripture to find, A star shall come out of Jacob. (—Numbers 24:17 ESV) They celebrated when they realized three planets: Jupiter, Saturn, and Venus would soon align with one another to form a bright light, called The Star.
God changed the Jacob’s name mentioned in Numbers to Israel (meaning, triumphant with God) because God used Israel (the man and his family) to bring redemption to humans. The following scriptures expound on “A star shall come out of Jacob.”
I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. (—Isaiah 42:6-7 ESV)
I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth. (—Isaiah 49:6 ESV)
And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. (—Isaiah 60:3 ESV)
“I will raise up a Branch of David, and he shall reign as king. (—Jeremiah 23:5 ESV)
The King coming as a light, The Star, intrigued the wise men. It was the first time in over 3000 years since any planets had aligned. The magi studies proved Jupiter (meaning, Shining Father) and Venus (meaning, Mother planet) would align in the heavens as one with the third star known as The King Star. This King would be born in their day who would be a Light to the world.
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, 7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and (asked) ascertained from them what time the star had appeared.8 the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.11 (—Matthew 2:1-12)
The wise men went to Herod and shared their findings, “Nations and kings would come to The King Star, this Light!” “Herod was troubled.” He had declared “Only one king exists and I am he!” Fear gripped Herod from thoughts of invading forces who would replace him as king.
The wise men kept the place where Jesus was born a secret from Herod. They traveled to see this King, born of the Jews! “When they saw the star, they celebrated and rejoiced with great joy.” They followed the star and located the King, born in a humble place sheltering flocks of animals. At exactly the right time, Jesus, the bright morning star was born.
Their worship included laying gifts at Jesus’ feet: gold for the King of Kings, frankincense for the High Priest of priests, and myrrh for the sacrifice of all sacrifices. Myrrh was used for women at childbirth. So, Mary would benefit from these gifts. Joseph would trade portions of the gifts to supply for their daily needs as they traveled to Egypt to escape the wrath of Herod.
Later in the New Testament, we find Jesus standing in the Temple reading from Isaiah’s Scroll. He read the same scripture the wise men had read. This is the account as recorded by Luke:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. (—Luke 4:18-20 ESV)
You may wonder, why were eyes fixed on Jesus? The seat where Jesus sat was reserved for the One who would fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy as the Light for the nations, as the King, as the One who would proclaim good news and liberty to captives, to recover spiritual sight to the blind, and to free the oppressed. And the One whom Israel referred to as the Anointed Savior, or Messiah. He sat down in that seat to reveal He was the One!
On December 21, 2020, we experienced another phenomenon of Jupiter and Saturn aligning to become known as, The Christmas Star. Perhaps the Light of the World was letting us know, “I am still the King Star and I am with you!”
I, Jesus. . .am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star. (—Revelation 22:16 ESV)
We have seen from Numbers through Revelation how Jesus is the Light, the bright morning star. Jesus is found on every page and in every story of the Bible.
When did Jesus’ love and light become an illuminating discovery to you? Celebrate as A Rad Event to share with us in our private FaceBook Living In His Radiance Group @ https://www.facebook.com/groups/surgebiblestudygroup
Baptisms are also spent with friends and families. Jesus spent the day with family and friends at his baptism. Christians in some places commemorate the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River and is seen as the manifested Son of God to the world by John the Baptist.
At Jesus’ baptism, A Rad Event #2, the Holy Spirit came and remained on Him.
When Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”.(—Matthew 3:16-17 ESV)
And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.John 1:32-33
In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit stayed for short interludes of time. Now, His Spirit had come to rest and remain. Then, the Father revealed to the world, “This is my Son in whom I am well pleased,” making it a bright sunny day spent with friends.
“Well pleased”. The Enemy whispers to your mind words like, “You are displeasing to God, your Father! He doesn’t care anything about you.” Revelation 4:11 ESV tells us differently.
You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.
The first time I read this verse, I experienced an illuminating discovery to realize I am pleasure to God. My Father/Papa-God created me because He loves me and wants to pour His love into me. By receiving His love, I can release His love to others. God wanted me to exist to bring Him pleasure by being myself and who He created me to be.
What about you? Do you realize you are a pleasure to God, your Father?
When the Father sends His Spirit within and upon us, He comes to remain. He will never, ever, ever leave or forsake us. In Galatians 4:4-7 ESV, when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
We may quench His Spirit, which interrupts our fellowship or camaraderie with Jesus, but our relationship remains as Father and sons, Father and daughters. The Father, Papa-God created me for His pleasure to love me and helps me receive His love, so I can love Him and others. The Great Commandment is to love the Lord with all our hearts, souls, and minds and our neighbor as ourselves. Love comes first.
God is now our Father, Papa-God because He has adopted us as sons and daughters. By His Spirit, we may now call Him Papa-God, Father. A term of endearment because of an intimate spiritual relationship. Papa-God isn’t distant from His sons and daughters, but up close and personal—no longer slaves to sin and the devil, but sons and daughters of our Papa-God.
Celebrate this Rad Event of declaring, “My heavenly Father created me for His pleasure to love me, so I can love others. I receive His love, so I can release His love to others. My Father will never, ever leave me. He doesn’t tire of me or grow weary with my mess-ups and mistakes. My Father gives me rest when I see Him as my Papa-God.”
How is this realization of the Father creating you for His pleasure and will never, ever leave you A Rad Event? Share with us in our private FaceBook Living In His Radiance Group @ https://www.facebook.com/groups/surgebiblestudygroup
At Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension, another Rad Event – #3: Family and friends gathered to grieve and mourn His death. Yet, if you were anywhere in the region, you probably heard shouts of joyful celebrations among family and friends at His resurrection and ascension. Let’s highlight a few verses in Matthew 27 and 28: Over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews. . . .” Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out. . . . And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. (—Matthew 27:37-50 ESV)
Mary went to see the tomb. . .there was a great earthquake. . . .The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen. . . . Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead. . . . they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Jesus met them . . .and said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” Eleven disciples saw him and worshiped him. . . Jesus came said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (—See Matthew 28: 1-20 ESV)
Mary went to the tomb and the disciples gathered in Galilee because of their love for Jesus. The Great Commandment is to love the Lord with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths, and our neighbor as ourselves. Love comes first. The Father releases love to us, so we may release His love to others. Keep filling up on God’s love, so you may release His love and make disciples.
What a vast distance there is between knowing about God and loving Him!—Blaise Pascal
As I worship Jesus and receive His Love, He gives me love to release love to others. Making disciples comes natural and happens out of love not duty. When we love the Lord first, making disciples will follow because we can’t keep this love to ourselves. And we will make disciples with His authority and power.
Let’s receive His love so we take hold of His authority and power to make disciples by:
- Going to our areas of influence to make disciples.
- Baptizing believers in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- Teaching ways to live In His Radiance.
You carry His authority and power to make disciples. Start with receiving His love, so you may release His love to others. What illuminating discovery have you made about the Great Commission that will help you celebrate as A Rad Event?
Please share with us @ https://www.facebook.com/groups/surgebiblestudygroup
Let’s celebrate A Rad Event with friends today. At some point during the day, honor a friend who has influenced you toward Jesus and the difference she or he made in your life. Comment in our FaceBook Group: Living In His Radiance Community https://www.facebook.com/groups/surgebiblestudygroup your friend’s first name and what they mean to you. Then, CMM will host a Facebook Live Event @ 4:00 P.M. EDT to celebrate and share our stories about the following:
- God illuminated The King Star, Jesus, and chose me as His disciple.
- The Father created me for His pleasure to never, ever leave me.
- Jesus, by His Spirit, is still with me and has given me power to make disciples.
I pray the Lord give you the courage to take the time to celebrate with others and share their stories of finding you. I pray they come together for this much needed Rad Event to celebrate a bright sunny day with friends. In Jesus’ Name, Amen! May the Lord bless you and cause His Light and countenance and favor to shine upon you!
In our next episode, we will hear a devotional about My One Word For 2021 and our Exciting Upcoming Episodes.
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