Kung Hey Fought Choi

Happy Chinese New Year!!!! It's the Year of the Rat!

Today is the start of a New Year for the Chinese according to the Lunar calendar. In Cantonese, everyone says "Kung Hey Fought Choi" to one another (Happy New Year). Since China is a day ahead of the US, they actually celebrated yesterday. It's the biggest holiday of the year for them. EVERYONE closes shop and goes home to contemplate and to just enjoy their heritage - their roots. Many go to the Buddhist Temples to seek blessings and direction. Dragon dances are held to bring joy and tangerines and oranges are eaten to symbolize sweetness and prosperity for a new future. (We didn't do any of these at our house today, but Nickelodeon did debut a special show that teaches preschoolers Mandarin Chinese and English, "Ni-Hao Kai Lan"... soooo excited about that for my daughter to learn the language of her grandparents!)

In addition, there are 12 animals in the Chinese Zodiac that repeat every 12 years that define what kind of a year it will be. (So whatever animal it was the year you were born, every 12 years you have a chance for it to be "your" year again). This year is the Year of the Rat. For Americans, the rat is seen as conniving, sneaky, and unappealing. But the Chinese view the rat as charming and smart. There have been many predictions for what kind of a year 2008 will be for the whole world. Some good and some bad. From what I understand, these predictions are made according to the Chinese Zodiac, Feng Shui, and I-Ching (not totally sure how it works). But all of these together form some sort of prophecy for the year. Again, from my observation, it seems that if the year happens to be the animal sign that you were born under, that you should particulary heed to the forecast.

I'm not a Rat, but I'll have to admit that I was interested to read what the Chinese had to say about the fate of 2008. Then, when I read it, my spirit became convicted that I should not waste my time reading such things, especially when I know the superstition and "magic" behind how these predictions come into being. I remember in ballet class as a child, another girl was having fun telling everyone what their fortune was according to the Zodiac and I was very disturbed in my spirit. I went home and asked my mom why it was bad for us to read our horoscopes and she said "Because you are a Child of God. He runs your future, not a horoscope." So, the next day when this girl pressed me to ask my sign, I told her I didn't want to read it. She couldn't believe that I didn't want to know what my future held for me and asked why I wouldn't listen. I told her, "Because I'm a Child of the Most High God" and something about how I wanted nothing to do with it. Of course, I was interested in my future... but not from my stars. Thinking back to that day, I am proud of my quick response and am disappointed that yesterday I allowed myself to entertain myself with what the 2008 forecast had to say. In fact, some of the things I read I knew weren't true or were slightly disturbing. And that's all a horoscope does for you. It makes you wonder. It makes you imagine what kind of doom could be headed your way. It makes you put your hope in something else than God and follow a blind path. It doesn't predict your future. And if it does, it was either luck or the Devil seducing you onto a detour.

Seducing you onto a detour! Isn't that interesting? I would think the reason why most people read their horoscope is to become more attuned to their lives. I just heard a Christian woman speak today who said that "a seducing spirit will give a feeling of danger to those who discern." That's exactly how I felt when I was reading the horoscope - a sense of danger. Here I've spent the majority of 2007 waiting on the Lord and clearly seeing his direction for my life and I go and flirt with danger.

My purpose today is to discourage others from flirting with danger lest you follow it, be made a fool, and lose time in getting back on track with your life.

I spent all of January 2008 trying to organize my thoughts and my life, press into God, and seek where He is taking me this year. I still don't totally know. But I know this. We are entering uncertain times in an election year. Our lives, our nation, and our world are all drastically entering change. America's economy is unstable... and it's all enough to make anyone have a nervous meltdown or just give up. But the Bible warns us in 2 Timothy 3 that there "will be terrible times in the last days." Are we in the last days? It doesn't matter if we are or we aren't, but that we follow God's Word when He warns us to "HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH" all of the people who "[have] a form of godliness but [deny] its power (and horoscopes do claim to possess a sort of godliness over your future).

Having nothing to do with evil sure eliminates a lot of pitfalls we could meet, but then, how do we know who and what is evil, when so much evil is often disguised as good?

The answer is in 2 Timothy 3:14-17:

14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

So we have two weapons to stay on the right course for our lives: stay away from evil and seek the wisdom of the Bible. But there is still a third weapon... notice how in verse 15, it says that the Holy Scriptures can MAKE you wise? As Christians, we know the Bible is God's word. But we cannot read the Bible without the Holy Spirit in us MAKING it alive to us. The Holy Spirit guides us. He directs us. He MAKES us wise. He gives us discernment. We need to look to Jesus and ask Him to fire up the Holy Spirit in us that He may open our eyes and MAKE us wise. We don't need fortunes. We don't need horoscopes. The Holy Spirit is better than all of that. Who needs something to tell you what "could" happen in your life, when you have a personal tour guide holding your hand and carefully guiding you on your personal path in life? It sure makes me rest easy.

And that's what I want to leave with you. If you're giving your life to the Holy Spirit and you're listening to Him, that's all you need. It may seem scary to go through life wondering if you've actually heard or felt the Holy Spirit in your life. After all, there are plenty of things the Devil will throw at you in life that will seem like they're from God, but are actually attempts to throw you off the path, hurt, and destroy you.

You can call me anything but a fool. I refuse to be deceived.

Matthew 24:24 says that we can be deceived by "false Christs and false prophets [who] will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect." But did you know that Satan can deceive us with our own circumstances and personal superstitions (you know what I'm talking about, finding a shiny penny with the head's side facing up will bring you luck).

That's what I've been going through lately. Towards the end of 2007, especially, I was noticing so many signs that were so specific to my life and directing me back to my roots, that it was apparent that God was showing me that I was on the right path. But lately, I've been realizing that there are also things happening in my life that seem totally from God, but may actually be stumbling blocks in disguise.

So what can we do if we're been shot at from all sides?

• Pray without ceasing for the Holy Spirit to guide your way.
• LET the Holy Spirit guide your way.
• Read the Bible!
• Test all questionable circumstances and problems in your life by reading the Word and praying it back to Jesus. The Holy Spirit will show you the way.
• Steer CLEAR from the temptation to be influenced by horoscopes, fortunes, or for that matter, ANY word brought into your thoughts or spoken into your life by another person. PROTECT your mind and heart from these potential curve balls.

Above all, don't be afraid! We are the Bride of Christ! We can rest in Him, because the battle has already been fought. We can all celebrate Kung Hey Fought Choi by going back to our roots in Jesus Christ. He grafted us in. He wants to show us the way, we just have to obey.

Don't be afraid!

Don't look back!

You can't look left or right!

Keep your eyes on the King!

Jesus Reigns!

Bless His Mighty Name!

~ Spoken from the Holy Spirit to The Bride in an excerpt from Reba Rambo and Dony MacGuire's, The Bride.