Jesus is our Star from Heaven, and that Star has the greatest voice that has ever been heard. Wonderful, divine words of wisdom and knowledge came through Jesus’ lips of clay when He walked the Earth as a man. The world was in great darkness until Jesus came and brought the light from Heaven for all. He said, I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness (John 12:46).

The Star of Jesus lives inside God’s children, and its Gospel light shines out through us to the whole world in this final hour. When people look at us, we must want them to see Jesus, the Star of salvation. Only through Him can people be forgiven of all their sins and be born new in the image of God to live in His righteousness and true holiness.

Follow the Star

The Star was born in Bethlehem 2000 years ago, and it brought the great message of salvation and redemption for all. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13).

When Jesus was born, three wise men from afar saw the Star; and they had never before seen a star just like it. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy (Matthew 2:10).

It took the wise men about two years to travel to where Jesus was, but they made that long journey because they were told a King had been born. And when the wise men saw the young Jesus, they had no doubt He was the little King they had been searching for. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:11).

The wise men left everything behind without counting the cost or considering the sacrifices they would have to make to travel all the way to Bethlehem. You too must leave everything behind and hear the Lord saying, Follow thou me (John 21:22). You are to follow the Jesus Star, but you will have to pay a great price.

Don’t Choose Darkness

The Jesus Star lit up the whole Earth when it appeared on the night of Christ’s birth, but many could not see that light. They willfully walked in the night so their sins would not be uncovered. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil (John 3:19).

People who live in darkness can’t see God’s glory or appreciate His miracles. The Lord says they are wretched and blind because they don’t have the love of God. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked (Revelation 3:17).

Jesus is the only Star that can shine through you so you can help light up this lost world. His Star is brighter than the sun, clearer than the moon and more brilliant than all the stars in the heavens. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star (Revelation 22:16). The dark nights will come, but the bright and morning Star will always be there to shine upon you; and its divine love, grace and peace will light your way. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path (Psalm 119:105).

The Star of Truth

Jesus is the very Star of Heaven, God’s own Son; and when it came to Earth, it was the brightest, most wonderful star that anyone could have ever imagined. It was the Star the angels worshiped and adored the night Jesus was born. Hear the voice of the Star saying, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me (John 14:6).

The Jesus Star is life. I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live (John 11:25). Paul knew that Star; and he said, I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20).

The Star is a guiding light that appears in every book of the Bible. In the Old Testament, the Star guided the Israelites through the wilderness as a pillar of fire by night and as a cloud by day. And the LORD went before them [the Israelites] by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people (Exodus 13:21,22).

In the New Testament, the Star appears as a grown man calling to those who were working by the seashore. And he [Jesus] saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men (Matthew 4:19). The Lord never calls idle people to work for Him; He only calls busy, active people because He knows they will get the work done. We must be busy doing God’s work, and we must finish it.

Deny Self

The first thing you have to do to follow Jesus is to deny yourself. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me (Matthew 16:24). Denying self is not self-control; it is Jesus Star-control. Jesus must be on the throne of your life, not self.

The Jesus Star has all the power you will ever need to control yourself when you get angry. He said, Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath (Ephesians 4:26). No matter how angry you might get, Jesus will be there with His divine self-control. You won’t speak words that aren’t pleasing to Him. Thus saith the Lord, you will have complete control that only comes from the Star.

When you let Jesus be in control and follow Him, you will listen to nothing but truth. You will not listen to people’s opinions, and you will recognize the devil and his tactics. You have to leave everything behind, and never let anybody hinder you no matter how close they are to you. You can’t even let your own husband or wife hinder you; you must follow the Star with your whole heart.

Walk with the Star

At one time, the Star, Jesus, actually dwelt among us. The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (John 1:14). Jesus came all the way from Heaven and walked upon the Earth as a man to destroy the curse of sin, but He was more than a man; and He walked the angry seas of life for you and me. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid (Matthew 14:25–27).

Jesus walked on the water, not only for Simon Peter and the disciples who were on board the boat that night but for all who will come to Him. To walk with Jesus, you have to get off your little boat of life and stop clinging to it in fear. When you let Him walk your angry seas, you have all the promises you need to walk hand in hand with Him; and you can walk without any doubts, worries or fears.

The Sermon on the Mount tells you that you have to build upon the true foundation, Jesus, or the storms of life will sink you. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And everyone that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it (Matthew 7:24–27).

A Miracle Star

When Jesus was here, people got close enough to the Star to hear His voice and witness the wonder of it all. The Star spoke to the blind, and they received their sight; He spoke to the dead, and they came to life. The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me (Matthew 11:5,6).

The Jesus Star is full of miracles, and He wants to serve them to us. Man can’t re-create parts of people’s bodies, but Jesus can. All people can be healed if they will follow the Star and always look to Him. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2). The joy set before Him was the joy of seeing you and me saved.

The Star came with healing in His wings. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings (Malachi 4:2). Jesus came to heal all manner of sicknesses and diseases and to take away every plague from those who will look to Him and declare, With God all things are possible (Mark 10:27).

Jesus is the only Star that can shine upon cripples and make them walk. He can shine upon the blind and make them see. And great multitudes came unto him [Jesus], having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and he healed them…and they glorified the God of Israel (Matthew 15:30,31). The Bible says, And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up (James 5:15).

The Only Star You Need

The Jesus Star says, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28). You can take your burdens to Jesus and leave them there.

Jesus brought all the peace and love you need. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7). Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee (Jeremiah 31:3).

The Star says, I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys (Song of Solomon 2:1). He is the Star of Heaven’s greatness and the Bread of Life. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world (John 6:51).

Jesus is your source of supply. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). He is the only Star that can truly satisfy. For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness (Psalm 107:9).

Jesus is the Star of all wisdom and knowledge. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him (James 1:5).

Most importantly, the Jesus Star conquered death, hell and the grave for you and me. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory (I Corinthians 15:55)?

Let the Star Live Within

If you are not fully following the Star, start now. Hear His loving voice saying, “I love you; I died for you, and I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee (Hebrews 13:5).” God gave His whole heart and all of His love when He gave us Jesus, the Star of Heaven. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). If you won’t accept that love, Heaven has no more love to give you.

Jesus is your only way to Heaven, and He will change your life if you will just let Him shine into your heart. Say this prayer right now: Oh, God, save my soul. I am so sorry that I have sinned against you, but I have come home; and I am going to serve you the rest of my life. I believe that the blood of Jesus washes away all of my sins and all of my disobedience. I surrender all, holding nothing in reserve. I surrender all to the Star of Heaven and the Great I-Am. Come into my heart, Jesus! Come on in, Jesus!

If you meant that prayer, now you can say, Hallelujah! Jesus has come. Hallelujah! He is mine all the time.

The Star Heals

If you are sick and afflicted today, Jesus, our Star, will heal you. Lord, I come with your holy power that cures all deadly diseases. You came and conquered death, hell and the grave; and you have all power. I curse AIDS, diabetes, heart trouble, lung trouble, leprosy, cancer, strokes and all deformities. Heal and deliver the people now in the all-powerful, blood-name of Jesus! Heal! Let that healing power flow through you and make you whole all over.

Continue to follow the Star; and all the goodness, power, love and greatness of Heaven will be yours. Thank God for the Star of Bethlehem! Let it shine through your life brighter than it did on that wonderful night in Bethlehem so long ago.

Delivering the Gift of Jesus

By Steve Millar

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Jesus is the greatest gift anyone could ever receive; and if you have Jesus in your heart, you should want to help God deliver that gift to others.

The Christmas season is a busy one for most people. They do extra shopping, baking and decorating; and they participate in other activities that go along with the holiday season. They spend time with their loved ones and family to exchange gifts and celebrate Christmas, but I say again that the greatest gift anyone could ever receive is the gift of Jesus.

When God sent the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary, he said to her, Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word (Luke 1:31-35,37,38). At first, Mary didn’t know how this could be; but she was willing to be used by God to deliver Jesus to the world.

Today, it can be hard for us to understand how we are going to deliver Jesus to the whole world when there are over seven billion people in it; but through technology, God is making the way.

The Shepherds Saw the Gift

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, He was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. There were shepherds close by who were abiding in a field and keeping watch over their flock by night; and the angel of the Lord came to them and said, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people [meaning Jesus is for everybody]. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger (Luke 2:10-12).

The angel delivered the gift of Jesus to the shepherds; and when the shepherds received the message of Jesus, suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men (Luke 2:13,14). When we deliver the gift of Jesus to others and they receive Him, we should praise God just like the heavenly host did on the day that Jesus was born.

And they [the shepherds] came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child (Luke 2:16,17). When you really find Jesus, you want to tell others about Him; and that is what the shepherds did. We are responsible to deliver the gift of Jesus just like they did.

The Early Church Delivered the Gift

The Early Church had the responsibility of delivering the gift of Jesus, but that road was not an easy one. Acts 8 tells how Saul was wreaking havoc in the Early Church by entering into Christians’ houses and taking men and women to be thrown into prison. The early Christians were scattered abroad because of all the persecution, but they still went out and delivered the gift of Jesus.

Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them (Acts 8:5). As Philip prayed for the sick and afflicted, they were healed and delivered. Jesus paid the price so that we could have miracles and healings. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5). The blood of Jesus can deliver you from any bondage you may have in your life. He brought healing for soul, mind and body.

When Philip preached the things concerning the Kingdom of God, people were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ; and they received the greatest gift of all, the gift of Jesus Christ. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did (Acts 8:6). Philip had great success delivering the gift of Jesus to people.

Philip’s Unusual Journey

After Philip had preached to the Samaritan people, the Holy Ghost moved on him to go to Gaza, which is a desert area. One moment he was conducting a great revival, and the next he was called to a place of desolation. It would have been easy for Philip to want to stay in the place where he was having great success and where people were receiving the gift of Jesus; but the Bible says, For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8,9).

The Holy Ghost moved on Philip to deliver the gift of Jesus to a soul in the desert; and when you are led by the Holy Ghost, He doesn’t want you to hesitate. Philip left right away; and he went by faith, not by feelings.

In the desert, there was an Ethiopian man returning from his visit to Jerusalem; and he was reading the writings of Isaiah. He was an educated man of high standing, but he didn’t understand what he was reading.

Thankfully, Philip was yielded to the Holy Ghost, so he was in the right place at the right time to help that man. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him (Acts 8:29-31).

Philip Delivered the Gift

The Holy Ghost prepares people to receive the gift of Jesus, and God’s timing was perfect. The man’s moving chariot was passing by Philip at the exact moment he was reading the scripture about Jesus. The Holy Ghost knew the man was ready for salvation; and when Philip asked him if he understood what he was reading, the door opened for him to teach the man about Jesus.

After Philip had delivered the gift to that hungry soul, they passed by some water; and the Ethiopian man asked, Here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized (Acts 8:36)? Philip told him that if he believed with his whole heart, he could be saved. The man replied, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (Acts 8:37). That Ethiopian man had accepted the gift of Jesus, and Philip baptized him.

And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea (Acts 8:39,40). The Holy Ghost miraculously transported Philip to another city to deliver the gift of Jesus; and no doubt, the Ethiopian man went back to his country to deliver the gift of Jesus to others as well.

A Gift for the Devil Possessed

The gift of Jesus is a gift everyone can receive and deliver to others. One day as Paul and Silas were heading out for prayer, a girl possessed with a spirit of divination met them; and she followed them around crying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation (Acts 16:17).

She continued to hinder them like that for several days; and Paul became so grieved that he turned and said to the spirit possessing her, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour (Acts 16:18).

Paul knew the girl needed deliverance, but her masters were not happy about it at all because she had brought them a lot of money. Unsaved people are not always happy when someone receives deliverance and salvation, and it is usually because of selfish reasons. After I got saved, I no longer had much in common with my worldly friends; and they would have rather had the old me back. They didn’t understand the gift of Jesus.

The slave girl’s masters didn’t care about her soul; they were just angry about losing so much money, so they took Paul and Silas before the magistrates to complain. And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers, And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans. And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks (Acts 16:19-24).

Persecution Brought Salvation

It certainly didn’t look like things were going Paul and Silas’ way. They did a good deed, and then they were whipped and thrown into prison for it. Most Christians in their situation would have been asking why, but Paul and Silas were focused on souls; and they had perfect peace. They were not complaining or crying about how they had been beaten; they were singing praises unto God.

No doubt the Holy Ghost had placed them in the innermost part of the prison so everyone could hear them singing. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bands were loosed (Acts 16:25,26). That earthquake gave Paul and Silas an opportunity to escape, but they didn’t because they knew souls were hanging in the balance; and they took their directions from the Holy Ghost.

The keeper of the prison thought all the prisoners had escaped, and he was ready to commit suicide, but Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he [the keeper] called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house (Acts 16:28-31). Because Paul and Silas had their minds stayed on the Lord and trusted in God, the Holy Ghost was able to feed them God’s thoughts and direct them in how God wanted their situation to be handled.

Paul and Silas had been beaten, thrown into prison and endured a great earthquake; but the result of it all was that a young, devil-possessed woman who had been forced to do the devil’s work received her deliverance. Also, the keeper of the prison and his family received the gift of Jesus.

Accept the Gift of Jesus

I’m sure the keeper of the prison recognized Jesus in Paul and Silas and saw the difference in their lives, and that is why he and his family wanted to get saved. Do people see the gift of Jesus in your life?

Friend, if you don’t have the gift of Jesus in your heart, accept Him today; and you will have the best Christmas ever. Say the sinner’s prayer found on page 5 of this magazine right now. Then you must go on to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost so you will be ready to meet Jesus in the air when He returns for His Bride.

God bless you.