Hello, if you have come to this site looking for moi – Fiona Veitch Smith the writer – then you need to know that I now have a new website http://fiona.veitchsmith.com Drop by if you want to know all about my latest books and activities. Also, if you would like to contact me personally, please do so from the new website. This ‘old’ website will remain up however as there are lots of interesting articles that attract regular visitors. So by all means, have a look round before you head over to the spanking new site.

Thanks for visiting,

Fiona

I have just published the first in a series of children’s picture books on the childhood of King David. David and the Hairy Beast is out now and David and the Kingmaker will be published in October. Both will make ideal Christmas presents. Future titles include: David and the Giant, David and the Prince, David and the Grumpy King and David and the Everlasting Kingdom. Visit Crafty Publishing to view an excerpt from the book and to order your copies.

My first devotional series for Inspiring Women Every Day (CWR) is now available to order.  In this daily reading booklet, Wendy Bray will take you through Psalm 22 in January and I will be helping you face your fears in February.  For the rest of the year a host of women writers will encourage and inspire you. Booklets may be ordered through the CWR website.

The whole New Age and Self-help movements are geared towards one thing: finding and keeping inner peace. What these movements miss is that the prerequisite for peace with ourselves is peace with God – the external, objective, personal, creator God. Any religion or philosophy that says we can have peace with ‘God’, the ‘Universe’, ‘Humankind’ or whatever simply by accepting who we are and being kind to other people is rooted in Humanism, a belief that all that we need to live a successful life may be found within. But what happens when we look inside and do not find those resources? Then maybe it’s time to look somewhere else.

Peace with God

What does it mean to have peace with God? Peace is the absence of enmity or discord. Nothing stands between us: no grudges, no guilt and no unfinished business. The result of that peace is an easy relationship where we are comfortable in God’s presence.

 This wonderful state of being, this Fruit of the Spirit in our lives, is a result of our reconciliation to God through Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. (Romans 5:1-2)

When we ask Jesus to come into our lives and free us from all the stuff that stands between us and God (aka ‘sin’) the slate is wiped clean and we are at peace with God.

When the peace doesn’t hold

Unfortunately, the slate doesn’t stay clean. As human beings we are prone to sin and put at risk the peace we have with God. How many times do we have to push Him before the peace treaty is revoked? I wonder the same whenever I hear that North Korea has tested yet another nuclear device. How long will the peace hold?

How far can we push God? There is a theological debate about whether or not we can lose our status of ‘being saved’ if we continue to sin without repenting (see for example Hebrews 10:26 – 29 which warns us not to push God too far). But that’s a discussion for another article. What I will say here is that if we confess our sins God will wipe the slate clean again and again (see 1 John 1:9). A lifestyle that seeks to be at peace with God is one that reflects true Salvation. Once you’ve tasted peace, do not let it go.

The peace of self-knowledge

With that sermon out of the way let me backtrack and say that the New Age and Self Help movements have got something right: accepting who we are is to be found on the path of peace, but this is a result of peace with God not a cause of it. It is the Holy Spirit who shows us who we really are. The ugly, sinful parts need to be repented of. But there are other parts that need to be loved. I will never be a tall, leggy modelesque beauty. I need to accept that and love little old me just as I am. I’ll never be a great athlete. I’ll never be good at mathematics. I’ll never be a gifted pianist. Some of these things are genetic, some due to lack of opportunity (or application!) as a child. I cannot spend my life regretting who I am not nor yearning for who I might have been. That is not the road to peace.

Let us not be like the man who looks in the mirror then immediately forgets what he looks like (James 1:23-24). Let us see ourselves for who we really are: the good and the bad. Let us love what needs to be loved and hate what needs to be hated and ask God to grant us the peace to be who He created us to be.

Bringing peace to others

But it doesn’t stop there. Once we have peace with God and peace with ourselves, we need to bring peace to others.

Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God (Matthew 5:9)

Peace on earth is one of God’s goals. This peace will only be fully established when the Lord’s Kingdom rule is extended throughout the world at His second coming, when evil will once and for all be defeated. Until then, there will be pockets of peace, as the angel proclaimed, in men on whom his favour rests (Luke 2:14).  It is the job of every Christian to extend the peace that is ours to influence the world around us.

This can take many forms. One way is to refuse to engage in any activity that spreads strife: refraining from sharing a juicy piece of gossip at the water cooler; choosing not to respond in kind when your irritated spouse snaps at you; biting your tongue and not having the last word in an argument; backing down from a ‘road rage’ incident – these are all ways in which the enemy of peace – enmity – can be stripped of its power.

Being a bridgebuilder

Another way is to be a mediator or bridge builder. The willingness to see both sides of an argument is something that should be cultivated. However, I’m disappointed to say that I rarely see it in Christians. The aggressive, uncompromising stance of much of the Church has done a lot of damage. Yes, we are called to be defenders of the truth, but more harm than good is often done in the way we do it.

People like this revel in the verse at the end of the Beatitudes: ‘Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.’ (Matthew 5:11)  But is it really because of God that people get their backs up in your presence, or simply because of you? We need to find the balance between being a defender of the truth and a peacemaker.

By God’s grace, we can compromise without compromising Him.

Finding a place of peace

The final aspect of peace I would like to look at is finding a place of peace. I was initially going to write an article on patience for this edition, but with the deadline only a few days away I felt God impressing me to change it to peace. God is one thing, but the editor is another! She was on holiday and I didn’t want to bother her, but I sent her a quick message. She responded by voicemail saying: ‘No probs to change the subject. Off for another boat ride on the Broads this morning then for a spot of retailtherapy@peace.com’. Ahh, that’s the life!

I missed my August holiday this year because my daughter had Swine Flu. We’re not even into September and I’m already feeling it. I need to find a place of peace to recuperate soon, even if it’s only for a long weekend. Build time into your lives to reclaim your peace. Yes, it needs to be done every day with God, but we need time away from all the pressures that threaten our inner peace too. Jesus needed it. Many times in the Gospels we read that he went off alone. This was the time he recharged his batteries, spent quality time with God and strengthened the peace within Him.

As a mother with a small child this ‘peace time’ is often difficult to find, so I need to be creative in how I do it. Sometimes just washing the dishes with a worship cd playing while my daughter watches Scooby Doo next door can give me an oasis of peace. When was the last time you were in a place of peace?

This article first appeared in Plain Truth, Autumn 2009, as ‘Peace Perfect Peace’

Star of Wonder?

Did the Star of Bethlehem actually exist? I will look at various theories surrounding the Star of Bethlehem and ask a leading astronomer from Durham University for his views.

Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.
(Matt 1:2)

Ever since Matthew the Apostle penned these words in the decades following Jesus’ death, the search has been on to link the Star to an actual astronomical event, even though only one of the Gospels even mentions it.

Evidence of the Magi

The Magi (or the Wise Men) were possibly astrologers from the region around present-day Baghdad or ancient Babylon. It’s unclear how many of them there were, as the mythical ‘three’ is related to the story that three gifts were given to the Christ Child – frankincense, gold and myrrh. In ancient times astrologers and astronomers were one and the same thing. It was widely believed that celestial bodies had both an influence on earthly matters and also foretold significant upcoming events – particularly relating to the lives of kings and rulers. As such, Magi were often in the employ of wealthy and influential potentates, keen to know whether the gods were smiling on them or not.

The Magi would have been tracking developments in the night sky as a matter of course, and anything unusual would have caught their attention. So when a ‘new star’ was spotted, it was an easy step to link it to the birth of a new king. But why a King of the Jews? One theory is that the star was spotted in the constellation of Pisces, which was believed to have particular astrological significance for the nation of Israel.

So the Magi would have packed their camels (or more likely, their servants would have done it for them), and they would have followed the projected trajectory of the star. This, with the astrological association of Israel, may have led them to Herod’s palace in Jerusalem – what better place to look for a new king? Despite what the song says, it’s highly unlikely that it would have literally hovered over a Bethlehem stable. That of course, is if it was an actual physical phenomenon.

Evidence of modern astronomy

Developments in modern astronomy now allow scientists to map the night sky over Judea around the beginning of the First Century with great accuracy, and yet scientists are still divided as to whether or not the Star of Bethlehem actually existed.

One of these is Professor Richard Stephenson from Durham University, a Christian, and a leading academic in the field of applied historical astronomy. In his work, Professor Stephenson uses the early astronomical records compiled by the stargazers from the ancient world and applies them to modern science. He has written computer programmes that can map ancient astronomical occurrences with surprising accuracy. His main field of enquiry is into eclipses and supernovae and he has some very interesting theories about the eclipse that might have taken place at Jesus’ crucifixion. He has also done some research into the Bethlehem Star.

The evidence investigated

Investigation into the Star is nothing new. The Christian theologian Ignatius (Bishop of Antioch in the early 2nd Century) speculated that it might have been something akin to a comet. In 1285 in the Annals of the Abbey of Worcester it is suggested that the star effect may have been caused by the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. A similar theory was presented in 1604 by one of the fathers of modern astronomy, Johannes Kepler. After noticing a brilliant new star close to a conjunction of Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, Kepler calculated that a similar conjunction appeared in 7BC; thus, he suggested, the Bethlehem Star might have been something similar.

In modern times, the most prolific writer on the Star is David Hughes of the University of Sheffield (author of ‘The Star of Bethlehem Mystery’). Hughes, and those who agree with him, follow Kepler’s line that it may indeed have been a planetary conjunction. A planetary conjunction takes place when two or more stars ‘line up’ and appear more spectacular than usual. In this case, Jupiter and Saturn.

‘This is just one of many theories,’ says Professor Stephenson.

The bottom line is that there are a number of potential candidates or it may have been none. But the evidence does not seem to back up the planetary conjunction theory. Records show that a conjunction did take place late in 7BC, but Jupiter and Saturn were not particularly close together – only twice the moon’s diameter – so this would hardly have been a very spectacular event.

An eclipse of the planet Jupiter by the moon in 6BC has also been put forward, but as this would not have been visible in either Jerusalem or Babylon it could scarcely be described as a significant event.

Some years ago Professor Stephenson and fellow academics David Clark and John Parkinson, presented a theory that the Star of Bethlehem may have been a nova (the spontaneous explosion of a star) that appeared in 5BC (Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society, 1977).

Date of Jesus’ birth disputed

One of the problems in finding a suitable candidate for the Star is that the actual date of Jesus’ birth has long been in dispute. However, it is now widely accepted that King Herod died around the spring of 4BC as historical records mention his death coinciding with a lunar eclipse that modern research has confirmed took place at this time. As King Herod was alive when the Magi came looking for the Christ Child, the Star, if it existed, needed to have appeared before then.

Professor Stephenson and his colleagues searched the historical records around this period and discovered that Chinese astrologers noticed a ‘broom star’ that was visible for 70 days in 5BC. A ‘broom star’ usually referred to a comet, but, as no tail was noted, and the star did not appear to move, Professor Stephenson and his colleagues theorised that this could have been a nova that was also visible from Judea.

Contrary evidence

However, in recent years, Professor Stephenson has revised his theory. He finds it strange that the account in Matthew’s Gospel suggests that the ‘new star’ had not been observed by Herod’s court (which like any other court of the time would have been teeming with astrologers), and, of course, that the other gospel writers don’t even mention it.

The question of how a mundane event such as a planetary conjunction or comet could possibly lead a group of ancient Magi to Bethlehem precisely at the right time to see the infant Saviour has never been satisfactorily addressed. None of the theories appear to be adequate. No known astronomical phenomenon could possibly move in the way described by St Matthew – first seen in the east, then evidently disappearing for a while and finally stopping directly overhead. In particular, no planet can ever pass directly overhead at the latitude of Bethlehem,

Professor Stephenson concludes.

So is it just a fable?

So if no astronomical evidence supports a physical star, does this mean it’s a Christian fable, reinforced year after year through songs and Christmas stories? Not necessarily, Professor Stephenson believes.

The Star of Bethlehem appears to have been seen only by the Magi. Perhaps the star represented a vision sent by God for them alone. I feel that today some investigators of the Star seem in danger of placing too much emphasis on pure astronomy – showing skill in the use of computer techniques – but ignoring the Divine aspect.

Does science contradict faith?

This seems an unusual view, coming from a leading scientist. But Richard Stephenson is first and foremost a committed Christian, and he sees no contradiction between faith and science:

Are we not simply being naïve trying to find a scientific explanation for what might have been an act of God? There are limitations to science – we could very easily be wrong.

This alarms me, trying to support Biblical texts with spurious scientific arguments. We don’t need to prove it; we need to accept that our knowledge is finite. It’s not for the pot to argue with the potter as to how he was made.

God has given us an insatiable thirst for knowledge. Scientists should try to be aware that we are discovering more of God’s world, by His grace. God should always be at the centre of any scientific investigation, but we should beware of forcing the facts to fit our beliefs.

So the jury is still out on the nature of the Star that will inevitably adorn millions of Christmas cards this season.

Further reading

• www.bethlehemstar.net presents a view in favour of the planetary conjunction
• www.kencollins.com suggests that the Star was only visible to the Magi, and
• www.doig.net/NTC08.htm examines the 5BC nova theory.
• ‘The Star of Bethlehem Mystery’ Hughes, David, (J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd., 1979)

Matthew 22:34 – 39

Love is our natural birthright as a Christian – it’s an internal evidence of the Spirit within us. But the doing is external evidence for the world to see. That is the Fruit of the Spirit. We have love in us because God is Love; it’s getting it out that’s the problem.

Jesus tells us that the greatest commandment is to love God with all our hearts, mind and strength and the second is to love others like we love ourselves. Sound easy? Oh no. There’s one big obstacle to that kind of love: our selves. To love like this means we have to put aside our own needs, wants and comforts for the sake of others. With a natural instinct for self-preservation built into us, that’s a hard thing to do.

That kind of love costs. If you want to know how much, look at what Jesus did on the cross. He considered our needs above his own – and it killed him! That’s pretty potent love.

Starting small

But did you notice that the first command is to love God? That’s because we cannot hope to love others unless we love God first and allow his love to flow through us. Love is a choice not a feeling, but you may find that the more you choose to put others first, the more you actually feel like doing it. Start small: leave the biggest slice of cake for someone else. Then work your way up to giving away things that really hurt. For me it’s time. If I’m resentful of it, I know that I’m not really acting out of God’s love in me. Are you?

Prayer: Dear God, help me to love as you love. Help me not to be content with mere feelings of love but to act upon them. Show me ways to put love into action and consider other people’s needs before my own. Thank you for your amazing love that cost you everything. Amen

This meditation is taken from a series in Faith Station. Published by King’s Cross Training.

Galatians 5:16-26

Manifesting the Fruit of the Spirit is something all Christians can and should do. It is not dependent upon our personalities. As someone who is socially confident and obviously gifted in creative and spiritual things, I used to believe that the opposite of me is what a Christian should be. Surely quiet, ‘background’ people are naturally more gentle, faithful, patient and self-controlled.
 

Performance

For many years I suffered with the belief that my overt giftedness was a curse that kept me from being a better Christian. Wasn’t ‘performance’ showing off? Didn’t it lead to pride?
But after some misguided attempts to deny that part of me, by refusing to exercise my gifts in public, I accepted that to do so was to deny who God had created me to be. I realised that if anyone else thought I was showing off, it was their issue not mine.

Free to be me

I’m finally free to see that the Fruit of the Spirit is not personality dependent. Because that wouldn’t be fair, would it? God created some of us with bright colours and others with pastels and he loves us both.

So what is the Fruit? In verse 22 it is referred to in the singular although there are multiple aspects of it (love, joy, peace etc.). This is because the Holy Spirit is an individual and the Fruit comes from one source. It also means that unlike the Gifts of the Spirit (eg I Cor 12) we should manifest all of the fruit – although different aspects may develop at different rates. Over the next weeks we will look at each of these in more detail.

This meditation is taken from a series in Faith Station. Published by King’s Cross Training.

Matthew 15:1-17

The cantelope pepper I told you about yesterday turned out to be a bit of a one hit wonder. It bore one gorgeous, tasty, fleshy red fruit, but that was it. Meanwhile, the little chilli took its time and finally produced a small, but significant crop. I had to decide between keeping the flashy pepper or the faithful chilli as the latter was slowly being strangled by the former. One needed to be cut back so the other could grow.
 
After nearly 30 years of being a Christian I’ve come to realise that real fruit takes a long time to grow. In fact it will take a life time. Now there’s nothing wrong with new Christians showing fruit early on, but the really good stuff often takes longer to mature. The fruit of the Spirit is God-grown. These are the things that reveal our true selves as God moulds us into the people he wants us to be.

Pruning through difficulties and trials

 
Often they grow out of difficulties, conflicts and trials. This is the pruning that Jesus talks about in today’s passage in Matthew 15:1-17. I must ask myself: Am I loving, joyful peaceful and kind? Am I gentle, patient, faithful and self-controlled? Are these the things that emerge in a stressful situation; when people and circumstances put me under pressure? If not, and often it’s not, then God’s got a bit more work to do with me. This garden is still a work in progress.

This meditation is taken from a series in Faith Station. Published by King’s Cross Training.

I once had a chilli plant growing in my kitchen. Year after year it produced the hottest little chillis you could imagine. And it was beautiful too. I loved my chilli plant and actually shed a tear when it died after my housesitter forgot to water it when I was away on a month-long holiday. Fortunately I had dried some of the chillis so I used them to replant. I prepared the soil with the best compost I could find, planted the seeds, watered them and put them on a sunny window sill.

About a month later the chillis began to grow. But one plant outdid its siblings: the shoots were greener, the leaves bigger and the first flower was enormous. It was only when the fruit began to form and became round and bulbous that I realised this wasn’t a chilli but a cantelope pepper. I now have a scrawny chilli plant in the same pot as this high achiever but because their root balls are so entwined I can’t separate them.

In Matthew 7:15 – 23 Jesus warns people about the fruit of false prophets. They appeared to be one thing but turned out to be something else. However, this principle can be applied more broadly to all people and all Christians. We will be judged not by our potential or what we claim to be, but what, in the end, we finally produce.  By their fruit you will know them.

This meditation is taken from a series in Faith Station. Published by King’s Cross Training.

Over the next few months I’ll be posting a series on the Fruit of the Spirit that I wrote for King’s Cross Training’s Faith Station devotional. This is the first…

A spiritual MOT

Metaphors are wonderful things. They are images that help us understand deep concepts and ideas. In this series we will be looking at the image of fruit to illustrate some characteristics of the Christian life. But before we do that, I thought it would be helpful to use another metaphor. Over the next few months you will be getting a spiritual MOT or ‘road worthy’. When you take your car in to be checked the authorised agent has a list of things that should work, which your vehicle is judged against. If your old rust bucket doesn’t pass the test it will not be allowed on the road as it would be a danger to other road users.

The check list

Our check list comprises qualities that a Christian should have in increasing measure as they mature in the faith. If you don’t have them or they’re not very evident in your life, you could actually be a danger to other people on the road of faith. A lack of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:21-22) will make you a dangerous and unpleasant person to be around and a bad advertisement for God.

An absence of these things will not leave a vacuum. Rather, where the good fruit don’t flourish, the weeds will: ‘sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissentions, factions and envy, drunkenness, orgies and the like.’ (Galatians 5:19-21).

Growing by grace

However, each of us grow at different rates and God deals uniquely with us. If you have not been a Christian for very long and the fruit is not too visible, have grace on yourself: God does. Getting back to the gardening metaphor: a seed has to be planted then nurtured. Fertiliser has to be dug into the soil and the right conditions of light and moisture need to be present. If things start growing in the wrong direction you will be pruned and brought back on track. If you have been a Christian for a long time and there is still no growth you need to take a serious look at yourself. But remember, this is not something you can achieve by hard work yourself, the Fruit are grown by God; you simply need to co-operate with Him. Happy gardening.