Shine Like Stars in the Universe
By Dr. Bob Stouffer
“. . .my dear friends, as you have always obeyed – not only in my presence, but not much more in my absence – continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life. . . .” (Philippians 2:12-16a)
Welcome back to my website articles as we excitedly prepare for the 2004-2005 school year! God has blessed us so richly at DMCS, and I have faith that He has so much more in store for us in the upcoming year. Praise Him and Him alone that He brought financial resources ahead of schedule so that we can begin the Timberline construction project! For those who remember the past slogan, God’s timeline was not “Timberline in ’99,” and the disappointment of those unfulfilled promises has now faded. We truly will be at Timberline in 2005!!!
My first counsel for the new school year is for everyone to be very patient throughout the year! Essentially, all of us will be working double-time to account for all of the important details of a move from the Franklin Campus to the Timberline Campus, Early Education through Senior High. We must strive for unity! We will need the help of everyone! There will be challenges, frustrations, disappointments, conflicts, and problems! But we must, as God commands through Paul, count it ALL joy!
I have been memorizing Philippians 2:1-18 since mid-June. To-date (August 24, 2004), I have memorized through verse 16a. As I memorized these verses, God impressed me with great truth, messages which were not “accidentally” or “coincidentally” placed in my heart at this time.
As we start this new school year, we should be encouraged from our unity with Christ. We should find comfort from His love. We should have fellowship with the Spirit. We should be showing tenderness and compassion. We should be like-minded, have the same love, be one in spirit and purpose. We should do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but, in humility, consider others better than ourselves. Each of us should look not only to our own interests but also to the interests of others. Our attitude should be like that of Christ Jesus, who humbled himself and served and gave up His life as a ransom for many. We should obey, as we have always attempted to obey God’s commands. We should do everything without complaining or arguing,
Should. Should. Should. Due to my own sin and self-absorption, I so often fall short of the mark. I ask you and I ask myself, “Are we able to turn those shoulds into wills?” I ask all of us to make a covenant with the Lord and commit to the following:
We will be encouraged from our unity with Christ.
We will find comfort from His love.
We will have fellowship with the Spirit.
We will show tenderness and compassion.
We will be like-minded, will have the same love, will be one in spirit and purpose.
We will do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but, in humility,
we will consider others better than ourselves.
Each of us will look not only to our own interests but also to the interests of others.
Our attitude will be like that of Christ Jesus.
We will obey, as we have always attempted to obey God’s commands.
We will do everything without complaining or arguing, SO THAT WE MAY BECOME BLAMELESS AND PURE, CHILDREN OF GOD WITHOUT FAULT IN A CROOKED AND DEPRAVED GENERATION, IN WHICH WE SHINE LIKE STARS IN THE UNIVERSE AS WE HOLD OUT OF THE WORD OF LIFE!
I especially enjoy that wording from Paul, “we shine like stars.” I think of the brilliance of the stars in the pitch-black nighttime sky of Wyoming. Similarly, we growing, vibrant, sold-out, on-fire Christians stand out in dark times. Light illuminates darkness. Shining pure white light dramatically contrasts the black of crookedness and depravity. Our generation is no different than Paul’s generation.
But students and staff and teachers and administrators and families at Des Moines Christian School have the opportunity and privilege and honor to shine like stars in the universe as we hold out the word of life! Jesus is light! Jesus is truth! He is the word of life! I pray for all of you, brothers and sisters as we begin, afresh and anew, our school journey of academic and spiritual growth! I excitedly anticipate all of the accomplishments in our school family and, in advance, praise God in heaven for His abundance of blessings in our lives. To Him be all praise and glory! Amen!!