The Encourager Newsletter - Vol. 4 Issue 18 - December 10, 2010 - Prohecies of Jesus' Birth

In the 1800's there was established a tradition that in the British navy a scarlet thread was woven through the center of every size and every foot of every line and every rope that belonged to them. No one else made a rope that way. Though a rope was cut into pieces, every inch could be recognized as belonging to the British government.

A Google search revealed over 15 pages of more than 200 references to this tradition from the writings of government, scientific and religious sources beginning about 1865. The "red thread" is now intertwined into our literature beyond the writings of Christian sources such as D. L. Moody, A.T. Pierson and Sunday school journals. It occurs in dictionaries, university publications and political and educational writings.

Today, I want to continue that long tradition of reference: "Like the scarlet thread running through the lines and ropes of the British navy," there is a scarlet thread running all through the Bible—the blood of the promised Messiah who was to come and did come to save the world from its sin. The whole Bible points to Christ. He is the Bible's scarlet thread!

At Christmas time, we read in Christian magazines and Christmas cards of the prophecies of Jesus birth. Let's look at some of them.

●Jesus was to be born of a virgin. "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14)

This prophecy reaches forward to the virgin birth of the Messiah. Some Bible versions have omitted the word "virgin" and reduced it to "young girl." But this is not good scholarship. Not only is it not good scholarship, it is also poor Bible doctrine. When you take away the virgin birth, you take away the miracle of Jesus birth. A virgin conception would require a mighty act of creation by God Himself . Mary is called a virgin by both Luke and Matthew. Luke 1:27 and Matthew 1:20.

●To be Born as a Human. "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this." (Isaiah 9:6-7)

The words in these verses elaborate further on Immanuel, the child to be born to the virgin. The virgin's child will also be the royal Son of David, with the legal right to the Davidic Throne. See Matthew 1:21 and Luke 1:31-33, 2: 7-11)

"The Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name" (Isaiah 49:1) "And now saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be His servant, (Isa 49:5)

The Messiah/Servant will be a human being, born as others are of a woman, yet virgin born as we read in Isaiah 7:14 and Luke 1:20-33.

●To be born in Bethlehem Ephratah. "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. (Micah 5:2)

Let's look at Ephrathah. J. Vernon McGee gives us this interesting summary. "But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah"—since there were two Bethlehems, the word ephratah, meaning "fruitful", is added to distinguish between them. Micah named the place where Christ was to be born seven hundred years before He was born there. After seven hundred years, with so many intervening events, there was little likelihood that one in the line of David could be born in Bethlehem. It was almost entirely out of the question. The odds were against it.

No members of the family of David were living in Bethlehem any longer. They were scattered. The Dispersion had driven them from the land. There was one family in the line of David living in Nazareth; yet Bethlehem must be the place where the Son of God was to be born, according to Micah. This prophecy was the sole basis on which the scribes directed the wise men to Bethlehem. The scribes quoted from the prophecy of Micah because they believed that it was the place where He would be born, although they didn't believe it would be fulfilled at that time." (McGee)

Inspired by God, Micah prophesied of the birthplace of the coming Messiah. Bethlehem was a small village, hardly the place for a king to be born. Yet the prophet foresaw, over 500 years in advance, the unlikely village of Bethlehem as Jesus birthplace. "From of old, from everlasting," speaks of eternal God's incarnation in the person of Jesus Christ. It points to His reign as King of Kings.

●To be born at a predetermined time. "But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." (Galatians 4:4-5)

The time agreed and fixed between God and his Son from all eternity, when the Son of God should assume human nature. It was diligently searched out by the prophets, and was revealed unto them. This would be before the civil government ceased from Judah, and before the destruction of the second temple. This was prophesied by Daniel in his prophecy of the "seventy weeks." For and in-depth study go to Daniel 9:24-27.

The fact of God's sending His Son to redeem us who were under the law (Galatians 4:4), and sending the Spirit of His Son into our hearts (Galatians 4:6), confirms the conclusion (Galatians 3:29) that we are "heirs according to the promise."

Does that make you want to sing the Hallelujah chorus? After reading all these prophesies, We as "heirs" should be filled with joy to read again of the plan our Creator had for us before the foundation of the world. Ω

The Encourager Newsletter - Vol.4 Issue 17 - November 19, 2010 - Worship God with Thanksgiving & A Thanksgiving Message

The Encourager Newsletter

   Toward Knowing God and Walking With Him

  A FREE WEEKLY PUBLICATION with a BIBLICAL WORLD VIEW –

 Volume 4 Issue 17 – November19, 2010 Dan Carr, Editor

 

Worship God with Thanksgiving

I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call

 

upon the name of the LORD.  (Psalm 116:17)

 

Going to the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem to worship God in Old Testament days was a big occasion and it always included thanksgiving. Families, especially the men, made the trip three times a year from all parts of the nation. They prepared food for the trip and slept on the ground along the way. From the north, some traveled over 200 miles one-way, and many from all over traveled over 100 miles one-way.

 

Some of the Psalms are called "ascension" Psalms, because they were sung by pilgrims as they climbed upward on their way to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. As they made the long journey from home, many of them used the time to recite all the Scripture they knew and carried on conversations about their God and their relationship to Him.

 

Not only were the Scriptures recited; they were also sung and if several were traveling together the sound could be heard a distance and perhaps other traveling groups caught the sound and joined in. The giving of thanks to Jehovah was a vital part of their journeying worship as well as when they reached the Temple. They brought offerings to the Temple and one of the offerings was "thanksgiving" as we see by the verse above. The Psalms gave structure to their thanksgiving. Some of our hymns today do the same thing as the Jewish Psalms.

 

The fall trip occurred about October at which time three feasts were observed: The Feast of Trumpets, The Day of Atonement, and The Feast of Tabernacles. These were memorial days for the Jews from the time of their leaving Egypt until they settled into the Promised Land. The Feast of Tabernacles reminded them of how their forefathers had lived in tents and hovels made of branches. But there is also great meaning for us today.

 

Jewish writers: Kevin Howard and Marvin Rosenthal say: "The three fall feasts portray events to be associated with Christ's second coming. The Feast of Trumpets depicts the Rapture of the Church. The Day of Atonement points to a great host of people, Jews and Gentiles, who will be saved when they see Him coming and appropriate the benefits of His death. The Feast of Tabernacles speaks of the day when the Messiah Himself will tabernacle among men, wipe away every tear, and bring in the utopian age or 'golden age' of which men have dreamed since time immemorial."

 

When Jesus visited briefly with the woman by the well in John 4:5-42 they talked about water from Jacob's well and the water of everlasting life springing up inside the believer, which was the indwelling Holy Spirit. Jesus told her that God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth and that God seeketh such to worship Him. Getting saved involves much more than eternity in Heaven. It's the entry gate into a continual fellowship or communion with God. Thanksgiving is always a great part of communion with God because He is our creator, redeemer and provider and we acknowledge those things.

 

There is such a thing as "praying in the Spirit" (Ephesians 6:18) and that prayer driven by the Holy Spirit will always acknowledge God for who He is and it will of necessity include thanksgiving to Him. Holy Spirit prayer will never allow us to brag about ourselves and how self-sufficient we imagine ourselves to be. The Bible is full of references of humble people giving thanks to God, being thankful to Him.

 

Those who truly know God understand that … in him we live, and move, and have our being;…(Acts 17:28), have no trouble understanding the essential element of thanksgiving and worship of the living God.

 

Warming a cold heart. When we stray away from our daily fellowship with God, our hearts are cold and calloused and we know it. No one has to tell us. Praying comes hard. There's nothing that will warm a cold heart like beginning to thank God for His blessings. Thank Him for everything you can think of because He made it all. After we remind ourselves of all the things He has already done for us, it's not so hard to realize that we should thank God and praise God for who He is and what He has done for us all of our lives.

 

When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings, name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

 

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?

Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?

Count you many blessings ev'ry doubt will fly,

And you will be singing as the days go by.

Johnson Oatman, Jr.  Ω

 

 

 

 

A Thanksgiving Message –Barbara Carr

 

"Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.  Serve the LORD

 

with gladness: come before His presence with singing.  Know ye that

 

the LORD He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves;

 

we are his people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates

 

with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto

 

Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all

 

generations."  Psalm 100:1-5

 

Presidential Proclamation. "Now, therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, do hereby appoint and set apart the last Thursday in November next as a day which I desire to be observed by all my fellow-citizens, wherever they may be then, as a day of thanksgiving and praise to Almighty God, the beneficent Creator and Ruler of the Universe.

And I do further recommend to my fellow-citizens aforesaid, that on the occasion they do reverently humble themselves in the dust, and from thence offer up penitent and fervent prayers and supplications to the great Disposer of events for a return of the inestimable blessings of peace, union, and harmony throughout the land which it has pleased Him to assign as a dwelling-place for ourselves and for our posterity throughout all generations.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.  Done at the city of Washington, this twentieth day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, and of the independence of the United States, the eighty-ninth."

Abraham Lincoln. As we read this speech by Abraham Lincoln, our attention is drawn to these words: "Almighty God, the beneficent Creator and Ruler of the Universe."  Look at his recommendations:  "Humble themselves in the dust; offer up penitent and fervent prayer and supplication."  Much of our Christian heritage is left out of our children's history books today.  It is important to teach them about the Pilgrims.  The following is a short

History Lesson. "After enduring religious persecution in their native England and for twelve years in Holland, the pilgrims sailed for America. They were modest men and women with a great hope and inward zeal. They rested in the providence of God that He was leading them to a land of religious freedom to advance the gospel of the kingdom of Christ.

The voyage of the Mayflower took twice as long as Christopher Columbus' voyage, enduring several wintry storms. After arriving in their new land, they faced disease, famine, bitter cold and many dangers. However, when the Mayflower made its return voyage, none of the pilgrims returned with it.

Their first harvest occurred in the autumn of 1621. Their own seed had barely grown, but the Indians had shown them how to plant corn which yielded a huge harvest. On the first Thanksgiving, they celebrated God's goodness to them with a party of ninety Indians. Their Thanksgiving feast lasted three days and included a festival of sports."  (Taken from a Day Spring Card)

Let's remind ourselves and others of our many blessings that our merciful God has bestowed upon us.  We do not deserve these blessings, but He loves us and in His goodness gives blessings too many to count.  May you all have a blessed and bountiful Thanksgiving! Ω

This article can also be viewed at www.biblewalking.blogspot.com

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The Encourager Newsletter - Vol. 4 Issue 16 - September 3, 2010 -God's Patience with a Rebel & Burnt Biscuits

And when he (Manasseh) was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God. (2Chronicles 33:12-13) (See the chapter: 2Chronicles 33:1-23)

Manasseh was a smart-alecky king who had learned nothing from his Godly father, King Hezekiah. The surprising thing is that God was able to salvage him by bringing the King of Assyria against him and leading him off with a rope attached to a hook in his nose. Nothing is as helpful as a time of thinking things through.

It is the unappreciated mercy of God that arrests a man and allows him some time to think while he is uncomfortable or suffering. It is the mercy of God that reveals to a rebellious man that he has a deadly disease that is going to usher him into the presence of his maker to give an account of his life. One of my favorite commentators, J. Vernon McGee says of Manasseh:

"This man had a remarkable experience. I would have given him up, I'm sure, but God did not give him up. God sent trouble—and plenty of it—to him. He was carried away as a captive to Babylon. This should have been a warning to the nation that God was now getting ready to send them into captivity because of their continual sin.

"When Manasseh found himself in real trouble, he sincerely came back to God. God forgave him and restored him! Yet he was very much of a weakling, as such men generally are. When he returned to Jerusalem, he took away the strange gods and the idols out of the house of the Lord, and he repaired the altar of the Lord and sacrificed there."

The psalmist said: Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word. (Psalm 119:67). There is more: It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. (Psalm 119:71 Ω

Burnt Biscuits—Barbara Carr

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)

"My mama cooked biscuits, gravy, eggs and bacon for breakfast every morning. My daddy worked long hard hours at carpentry or the sawmill so he needed a sawmill breakfast. After retirement, she would make a big batch of biscuits and freeze them. If someone wanted a biscuit, she was ready even for a breakfast dinner.

The following is a story from the internet by an unknown author. As I read, memories flooded my mind— memories of Mama and Daddy in the kitchen cooking breakfast and the wonderful smells of coffee, bacon and hot biscuits. Make lots of memories with your children. You will never regret it. And now the story.

"When I was a kid, my mom liked to make breakfast for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work. On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burned biscuits in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his biscuit, smile at my mom and ask me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that biscuit and eat every bite! When I got up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my Mom apologize to my Dad for burning the biscuits. And I'll never forget what he said: "Honey, I love burned biscuits." Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, 'Your mama put in a hard day at work today and she's real tired. And besides, a little burnt biscuit never hurt anyone!' Life is full of imperfect things.....and imperfect people. I'm not the best at hardly anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries just like everyone else. But what I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each other's faults - and choosing to celebrate each other's differences - is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship. And that's my prayer for you today. That you will learn to take the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of your life and lay them at the feet of God. Because in the end, He's the only One who will be able to give you a relationship where a burnt biscuit isn't a deal-breaker! We could extend this to any relationship. In fact, understanding is the base of any relationship, be it a husband-wife or parent-child or friendship! So, please pass me a biscuit, and yes, the burned one will do just fine.!.!.!.!" I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did. Love and patience go hand in hand. Seeing fault in others and expressing our views on the matter is not God's way. We expect God to overlook our faults/sins and forgive us. He has been so loving and patient with me. Let's show that love to our family and others to whom we come in contact. "And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins." (1Peter 4:8) Ω