Editor’s Note
by Editor(s)

Recently on a Saturday in November, folks gathered in Boone to participate in a day long seminar called "Walk Through The Bible." A trained instructor led us through the Old Testament using signs, acting, teaching, songs and humor until at the end of the day everyone, young and old, had an overview of the first thirty-nine books of the Bible. One thing that became apparent as we "walked" through thousands of years was God’s giant blueprint for mankind. His plan was never foiled or derailed, no matter the seeming obstacles. Friend or foe, believer or rebel, all fit perfectly into God’s jigsaw puzzle of history, the out-come known and destined from the beginning. Joseph’s brothers’ evil scheme to sell him into slavery was God’s means of preserving His people. Sixty-six Jews entered Egypt and over two million came out. If Pharaoh would not bend to God’s will, good, he would be the perfect negative leverage for Moses’ positive faith. To Moses’ demand "Let my people go" he said a solid "No," only to be met with Moses’ triumphant "It shall be so!" and his (God’s) fierce determination that "Not a hoof will be left behind" (Ex. 10:26). And so it was. All through biblical history we see this principle: the apparent impossibility is an opportunity for God’s glory to be manifested. In the most bizarre circumstances, with the most peculiar twists and turns, with strange people and weird and unlikely details, God forges through the centuries, His plan pressed through the righteous and unrighteous alike, until at last in the fullness of time the promise made to Abraham comes about-all the nations of the earth are blessed by the coming onto the planet of one man Jesus.

In the vast panorama leading up to this event, no detail is unimportant, no matter how small, and every character is essential. In the genealogy of Christ is a general named Zerubbabel, through whom God rebuilds His temple around 500 BC. The temple was not just a building, but represents lives centered around and dedicated to God’s will, lives in His service, He indwelling His people. How would the temple get rebuilt? "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit!" saith the Lord of hosts. at of the difficulty and obstacles in the way? "Who are you, 0 great mountain? Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain" (Zech. 4:6). There we see our heritage of faith. How can we possibly fulfill our commission? How can we possibly say we have a message for the whole church of Christ? Impossible, screams our reason back. It shall be done! counters faith. "For who has despised the day of small beginnings?" All beginnings in the Bible looked small, from the first nail in the ark, to a little baby boy born in a small town in the Middle East. God used the small foolish things of the world to confound the wise. So we take our "small" place by faith, seeing our-selves, like these old, with a key role in God’s ever advancing plan.