Merry Christmas – Stay Focused

Matt Miles • December 11, 2020

     This year has not gone like most of us had planned. 2020 will go down as a tough year for all of us in one way or another. Through navigating the COVID pandemic, political tension, and racial divides, we have seemingly experienced a year far from our control. However, the Lord remains in control and we praise Him as we end this volatile year. This Christmas, it is time to refocus on the important things that we can control – ourselves and our objects of worship.

     Some 2,000 years ago the Magi found themselves traveling to a foreign land in search of a newly born King. Most likely they had not planned for nor were they expecting this experience in their lifetime. They began their journey following a prophecy and a star. Their focus was on worshiping the King of the Jews, little knowing that their direction, as they headed home, would change because of a homicidal maniac’s desire for power and control. The distress and fear that must have been present during this time might not have been much different than ours. The Magi stayed focused by controlling one thing they could – keeping their eyes on their object of worship. And sure enough, the evil plans were thwarted, the True King was exalted, and He reigns on high today.

     Just as the Magi did, we too should stay focused on the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ. Even in turmoil that is out of our control, we can control our response with fervent worship of the Author and Finisher of our faith. Our challenge to you as we enter 2021 is Hebrews 12:2 as it reminds us to keep LOOKING UP to the One in control. Merry Christmas and may the Lord bless you abundantly in the coming year for His Glory!

“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

By Bob Dugas May 23, 2025
NS-29 Launch
By Matt Miles May 22, 2025
As many of you may know, I appreciate space. Not space around me, although the older I get the more I appreciate that as well. The things in the heavens fascinate me and have for a large chunk of my life. I love working with our telescopes, allowing people to see for themselves objects that the Lord made on the 4th day of history. When I was younger I followed our Space Shuttle program, and over the years I have had the opportunity to see a couple of those shuttles around the country. Now it is great to see all the renewed interest in exploring the heavenly creation. I know most of it is for evolutionary reasons, yet over and over again something is discovered that points to the trustworthiness of God’s Word. After all, we are to study His creation as Genesis 1:28 states. On a recent trip to El Paso, it occurred to me that Blue Origin’s launch facility is in west Texas somewhere. After some quick searching I realized we were within an hour and half of it, and there was a rescheduled launch window during the time of our meeting. So, with some persuading of my colleagues, we arose early one morning to make the launch. We made it with just minutes to spare. It was spectacular! The whole launch to just beyond the Karman Line (space boundary, 62 miles/100km) and return of the rocket and capsule is about ten minutes total. While Blue Origin is best known for its New Shepherd rocket that carries paying customers to space and back with the biggest windows ever in a capsule, this NS-29 launch was purely experimental with a payload of instruments to measure simulated lunar gravity. Even though it was not a Saturn V, Space Shuttle, Starship or Falcon launch, it was great to hear and feel a launch for the first time, from blast off to the sonic boom return. It has piqued my desire to see a bigger launch now. As I began to reflect on what I experienced, the Lord reminded me of His design. Earth, our home planet, is so well designed for life. There is literally nowhere in all the universe like it. Yet He gave us the ability to discover creation beyond it. The only reason we can launch rockets and do space exploration is because He set it up in an orderly way. Physics works because He established it to work in a predictable fashion. As much as we may never understand everything in the universe from our position here, it works on an ordered reality that is reinforced by God’s Word. This is what drove Sir Isaac Newton in his understanding of physics. He wrote, “The motions which the planets now have could not spring from any natural cause alone but were by an intelligent Agent.” Evolutionists may come up with theories about the origin of things in the heavens, but over and over again they are being shown through experimentation and observation to be wrong. The Lord set the order of everything in the beginning and sustains it by His Word (Hebrews 1:3). So as you look to the heavens tonight, gaze into the depths of space and observe the different facets the Lord placed up there for our eyes (Genesis 1:17). Peer through a telescope at the lesser light of the moon with marvel and anticipation of further human study in the coming years. Check out the amazing observations being made by the James Webb telescope from deep in space. All of these place a perspective of how awesome our Creator is and how much we depend on Him. Our design becomes more and more obvious with every discovery, yet in our universe we appear so minuscule and fragile. Thanks be to God that His infinite focus has, is and always will be here on us! Blessings.
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