We have noted in previous blogs that our Bible often speaks of “heaven” as the atmosphere above the earth where clouds roam and planets move around. We also discovered Scripture speaks of the plural heavens as three types of authorities in the earth: 1) rulers over our lives; 2) beginning ideas we’ve accepted that we struggle with; and 3) where God comes from, as though it is from above.
Individual stars provide specks of light to the earth, but gathered in the atmosphere above they create a beauty that one cannot. When God saw Abraham faithfully respond to His guidance, He promised: “I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven…by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.” (a) [See endnotes for Scriptures] So, who are the stars of heaven?
People of Faith
As Abraham entered Canaan, God promised his descendants would “be a great people…in you all families of the earth will be blessed.” (b) Four hundred years and seven generations later, (c) God spoke to Moses, saying: “I will bring you out…will deliver…then I will take you for my people.” (d)
Paul verified God’s promise was not to Abraham’s natural descendants, for he was to be known as “a father of the faithful.” (e) Most of the slaves in Egypt (over 2.5 thousand) that gravitated to the vision of living free and placed the blood of a lamb on their doorpost, became the people of faith.
The promise God made was to “people of faith.” They were to multiply as the collective stars of heaven and be a blessing to all nations. When the first people of faith chose to submit to a King and a two class system, (f) their collective light dimed. Eventually they ceased to shine as stars of heaven.
God renewed His call to faith in His oversight during the days of Jesus Christ, who said: “I am the Light of the world…he who follows Me…will have the Light of life.” (g) The Apostle John affirmed that in Jesus, His expressive word, “was life, and the life was the Light of men.” (h)
God’s clarifying example taught and illustrated what life is like in the Kingdom of Heaven. As people responded, they replaced the old order and began to “produce the fruit of the Kingdom,” (i) which is the “Fruit of the Spirit.” (j) As collective stars, people of faith began to shine brightly again.
Three centuries after the life and ministry of Jesus, people began to allow spiritual overlords. In 325 AD the overseers began gathering in a series of councils to decide what would be sanctioned beliefs. They also began to formulate a method of public worship. Soon the collective stars of heaven began to fade under the forceful control of the developing two-class religious system. When sacred writings were removed from public reading in 500 AD, the light of God’s Kingdom life faded again.
In 1500 AD, a Reformation began to revive God’s call to live free of a controlling religious system. People began to respond to God’s call; “Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead (your inactivity), and Christ will shine on you.” (k) The freedom to live, worship and prosper as God inspired, appealed to multitudes. Their faith was complemented by the creative works of their collective lives. (l)
As collective stars, people of faith began to shine brightly again.
Faith Expressions
Are people of faith perfect expressions of God’s love and light? Do they always reflect and resemble the heart of God? Of course not, but we are maturing into better expressions of God, daily. Despite our many short-comings, levels of immaturity, different customs and languages, we are arising and shining the light we have received, in fellowships, congregations, communities, States and Nations.
Annual surveys in the USA report 80 to 85% of the population identify as Christian, even though only 30 to 35% regularly attend services. The 50% acknowledging a belief in God and Jesus Christ that do not attend religious services are still people of faith. God blesses our collective lean toward right living, godliness, good works, and efforts to share our blessings with those in need.
When our imperfect faith functions as compliments, we are part of God’s wonderful stars of heaven. Our flawed faith, collectively becomes enlarged illustrations of God’s reigning influence in this earth: “You are the light of the world…Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (m)
God provides us the right to be free to worship and prosper as we sense He is leading. Since we are all a bit different and live in a variety of situations, God’s guidance can and will vary. Even though our understanding of God and His ways differ, when we do what is right, we shine as members of the collective stars of heaven. Many nations today are encouraging such freedoms.
God provides us the right to be free to worship and prosper as we sense He is leading.
Arise To Shine
The light of God-in-Christ is promised to “always” be with people of faith. (n) As promised, the presence of God-in-Christ is with us! For “God…when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ…and raised us up…and seated us with Him in the heavenly places.” (o)
Where are the heavenly places? They are experienced in this life when we live as people of faith. God “has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,” (p) “that the manifold wisdom of God might…be made known…to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.” (q)
Individual stars do not provide much illumination. However, when we partake of the values of God’s reign in our personal life, we become a part of God’s greater expression. This does not mean we think alike, we are just committed to God and His ways in our different fellowships, communities, and countries. People of faith are in all nations, speak various languages, and live in different cultures.
Scripture calls our collective communities of people of faith, “the body of Christ.” (s)
“We, who are many, are one body in Christ…individually members one of another.” (t)
“Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.” (u)
“Do you not know that your (collective) bodies are members of Christ?” (v)
“Gentiles (Greek – nations), are fellow heirs and…members of the body.” (w)
As we seek to do the “good, acceptable, and perfect (mature),” (x) in reality, we are the visible and active body of Christ in this earth. May we do our part and arise to shine as the stars of heaven. Let our individualities function as active parts of God’s greater purpose in our expressions as groups.
Let us express our voices as light-bearers of God’s way of life and elect representatives that support our freedom to follow the dictates of our God-leaning hearts!
May we do our part and arise to shine as the stars of heaven.
a) Genesis 26:4; b) Genesis 12:1-3; c) Exodus 1:1-5; 1 Chronicles 6:1-3) d) Exodus 6:6-7; e) Romans 4:12, 16-18; f) 1 Samuel 8:6-8; 12:12-14; g) John 8:12; h) John 1:4; i) Matthew 21:43); j) Galatians 5:22-25; k) Ephesians 5:14; 2:1, 5-6; l) James 2:18, 20, 26; m) Matthew 5:14-16; n) Matthew 28:20; o) Ephesians 2:4-6; p) Ephesians 1:3; q) Ephesians 3:10; r) Isaiah 60:1; s) 1 Corinthians 12:27, 20; t) Romans 12:5; u) 1 Corinthians 4:12; 12:12; v) 1 Corinthians 6:15; w) Ephesians 3:6; x) Romans 12:2, 21; 1 Thessalonians 5:14-18
Keith Carroll, “The Relationship Guy”
Relational Gospel Founder
Created To Relate author