The Encourager Newsletter - Vol.4 Issue 2 - February 12, 2010 - A Lot of Love Goin' On - Matters of the Heart

A Lot of Love Goin’ On

Everybody's talkin’ about love. Anybody know what love is? Is love a warm fuzzy feeling? Long ago somebody said that love is when we get shot with an arrow from Cupid’s magical bow. Young people (and some older) ask me: “How do you know when you’re in love?” Short of a lightning strike, what is it? What is love?

The Greeks discussed love 2,500 years ago in the Koine Greek (ancient form of Greek spoken by the common people) and some of their love words found their way into the New Testament and modern America. There’s phileo, to be friendly, the base word for Philadelphia, the city of Brotherly Love. That’s a very important kind of love. It makes one civil and cooperative and makes civilization work and projects to get done.

Then there’s eros, a love dominated by sexual passion. This was God’s idea and it belongs in marriage between a man and woman who have vowed to be loyal to each other until death. Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. (Hebrews 13:4)

Eros love is portrayed by Hollywood as acceptable, impromptu entertainment. But this is the scarlet sin that messes up the minds and lives of so many people; the sin that produces poverty, disease, death, and empty, unhappy people especially the resulting children. Millions of unwanted babies are then murdered or displaced and deprived. It was not God’s will that eros love should result in untold suffering and deprivation.

A third Greek word is agape which is the unselfish love coming from the Spirit of God. … the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. (Romans 5:5) Most people know nothing about agape love and how many who know about it actually allow God to love through them? This is the kind of love that makes a little cottage with cotton curtains to be a piece of heaven.

Remember this verse? Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith. (Proverbs 15:17) God knows lot about what will make a happy home. The dogs and the neighbors will notice it. The children are the first to notice it.

A young man was accused of treason and was to be executed the next day upon the ringing of the bell in the church tower. The accused was led by the soldiers to the place of execution and waited for the bell to ring. The bell ringer went to his post to ring the huge bell. They waited…and waited….and waited. What they did not know was that the church custodian in charge of ringing the bell was deaf from many years of service.

The young bride had followed the bell ringer up the ladder. Quickly she reached up and then leaped as high as she could to grab hold of the clapper, pulling herself up inside the bell. As the bell ringer pulled hard on the big rope, the bell swung up to beat against the clapper. Instead, the bell housing struck against her body. But she padded the clapper and prevented the bell housing from striking it. Back and forth the bell turned and beat against the body of this valiant, determined woman.

At last the bell ringer stopped, tied the rope to its anchor and went down the ladder. The soldiers and their commander were waiting and watched the bell ringer come out of the building. A detail of the soldiers hastened into the church, up the ladder into the tower. There on the floor lay the motionless, bloody body of the bride-to-be. She appeared to be dead.

Then she moved slightly. The soldiers carried her to their commander. Her dress was red with blood and she was barely breathing. The Captain was summoned and looking upon the scene was so moved by the love of this brave, young woman that he gave the order to cut the prisoner down and to let him go. The bride-to-be would live but would be long in recovering and the several broken bones might not grow back straight. This is love. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13) Ω

Matters of the Heart—Barbara Carr

Valentine’s Day! A day to remind those we love how much we really love them. We send cards, flowers, candy, have a special dinner or do all three. We all enjoy this attention and show of affection. These things are jut to remind our loved ones that we do love them. A good Bible chapter for us to read on real love is Corinthians 13. This is known affectionately the world-over as the great love chapter, where love is defined and encouraged.

The universal symbol for Valentine’s Day is a heart—chocolate hearts, message hearts, heart shaped cakes, etc. The prominent color is red—red hearts, red paper, red roses and on we go. Now, we can send all our friends messages on the internet. We use the word “heart” in our everyday sentences. For example: “that touched my heart.” “My heart goes out to her,” and “those words were from the heart.”

Years ago during a discussion with a good friend of mine, the phrases “feelings of the heart” and “heart felt” were used. She immediately explained to me that the heart was only a muscle that pumped blood through our circulatory system; that the heart had no capacity to feel. I knew what the heart’s job entailed, but I also knew that I had feelings that seemed to come from the heart area.

In 1981 my son, Doug died at age 24. From the day he was born, he was the center of my life. Maybe I loved him too much. The week following his burial, my heart hurt so badly. It felt like it would burst from my chest; like I was having a heart attack. My brain was not hurting. It contained all the events leading to death, but it was not hurting. I knew then without a doubt that the heart does have feelings.

In scripture we find the word “bowels” being used to show compassion. When I read this word in the Bible, I always think of the heart. Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord. (Philemon 1:20) The word “heart” is used 765 times in the Bible. “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: ”(1Peter 1:22)

A couple of weeks ago, our son-in-law, Jim Cofield wrote an excellent article about the heart on his blog. With his permission, I would like to share a lengthy part of that with you. See: www.cpministries.wordpress.com

“Modern neuroscience makes some startling claims about the human heart. The organ beating in our chests is the major center of our intelligence. Since I’ve ’been in my head’ most of my life I find this fascinating … and unnerving. I’ve never been good with feelings!”

Apparently molecular biologists have discovered that the heart is the body’s most important endocrine gland. It produces and releases a major hormone that profoundly impacts every operation in the ‘emotional’ brain. Scientists say that 60 to 65% of the cells of the heart are actually neural cells, not muscle cells. They are identical to the neural cells in the brain.

What all this adds up to is this … there is literally a ‘brain’ in our hearts. It is linked to every major organ in the body and to the entire muscle spindle system that uniquely enables humans to express their emotions. About half the heart’s neural cells are involved in translating information sent to it from all over the body so that it can keep the body working as one harmonious whole. The other half make up an unmediated neural connection with the emotional brain in our head.

The heart of the matter? Our hearts organize and control the entire human system. This is why the heart is the first organ developed in the womb. It has to be there to oversee the baby’s development. And it never stops overseeing things. Literally!

One of the implications of this which scientists are noting is the priority and power of emotions. Somehow the heart’s involvement in emotional development is foundational to everything else about us (i.e. cognition, volition, memory, desire, etc.). ”It all begins with feeling unconditionally wanted, accepted, and loved.”

It’s no surprise that John 3:16 touches us as it does. And the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15). And why Jesus said the first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our heart (Matthew 22:37).

Guess it would do me good to spend my last years getting down to the heart of the matter … not simply feeding my brain but nurturing my heart.” John 3:16, Luke 15, Matthew 22:37,” (End of quote.)

“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” (Psalm 139:14)

I was right long ago in believing that the heart is the center of our emotions. Praise the Lord! We do feel things from the heart. I hope this makes our Valentine’s Day brighter and that we will yield our hearts to the Lord to love others through us. Ω

The Encourager Newsletter - Volume 4 Issue 1 - February 5, 2010 - One Another - The Door

One Another

How about a one-man baseball team? Or….a team with one player short? Team captains don't do that. God's main instrument of carrying on His earthly work is a team He calls "the church." But many church members want to sit in a comfortable pew and watch the pastor carry on the work of the church. When he doesn't measure up, whining sets in and they swap him off for one less tired. The ideal pastor is a 25-year-old with 50 years of experience whose family lives in royalty on a pauper's income, like the Children of Israel in the desert whose shoes never wore out. Many church members who claim to be Christians, have never found their Biblical place of spiritual labor in God's church.

The Bible has some things to say about carrying on the work in His earthly body which is made up of several millions of local assemblies in the world where two or three are gathered together in [His] name,….(Matthew 18:20). God's church is not a man-made organization—but a God-made organism—a world of difference between the two. An organism is a living thing. God said of His church that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18).

God knows a lot about making things and He made His church to be an interdependent team. No, you won't find "team" in the Bible but you will find words that mean the same thing. We find "member" and "body" and "one another."

One of our Bible memory verses at church is: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you (Ephesians 4:32).

In our family Bible reading Barbara and I came across: Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:12-13).

In one of our study Bibles we read: "There are many 'one another' passages in Scripture, and it is important to practice them daily. We should 'exhort one another daily,' 'edify one another; (1Thessalonians 5:5:11), 'pray one for another' (James 5:16), 'comfort one another' (I Thessalonians 4:18), 'be ye kind one to another' (Ephesians 4:32), and especially 'love one another' (John 13:34). There are many other such admonitions in Scripture." (The Morris New Defender's Study Bible, page 1896).

Praying for one another is the starting point. Then a telephone call or a dollar store get well card can make the difference in somebody's life. When there's sickness or death it is not a good idea to say: "If there's anything I can do just let me know." Unless you've been there, you can't know how frustrating and irritating that sentence can be. Find out from their family, friends, or neighbors what should be done and do it. It's ok if they never find out that you cleaned up their house from stem to stern and fed their dog. In our helping "one another" it must come out of love and genuine sincerity. That's the key.

Below is the verse I first memorized several years ago and it was through this passage that I saw from the Bible that it is everybody's business to make it their business about the welfare of other believers. Everybody gets down. Everybody gets sick. Everybody has a bad break. Everybody runs out of vitamins and loses too much sleep. Everybody's dog gets run over. Don't wait until somebody asks you to pick them up off the floor.

And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: (25) Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching (Hebrews 10:24-25).

I plan to print a set of Bible memory cards containing the "one another" verses—for myself— and for the "one another-minded" people that want to take this idea to heart. I'm behind on my card printing right now. Meantime write verses on any scrap of paper and stick it in your pocket. That's what Abraham Lincoln did.

The Bible teaches that God places people in groups and calls them churches. He imparts the Holy Spirit into the body and life of every believer and gives each one a special gift to use in ministry. As Christians, we need not only the Lord but also need each other. "One another" is God's idea and He did not set up the church as a group of people to sit in pews and watch the pastor carry on the work of the church until he looks like a bear rug on the floor.

It's your business to try to reach out to me if you see me stumble or taking a nap in the path of a big truck. Of course if you see the need to minister "one another" to me in my weak state, I would appreciate it if you will remember these verses:

And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, (25) In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; (26) And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. (2Timothy 2:24-26)

It's not always easy for me to be patient and gentle and to avoid striving when I'm on a "one another" mission. Those may be the hardest verses in the Bible. Your mess-ups are worse than my mess-ups. Do you ever feel that way? You and I both have a mandate from the God of heaven through His Word to discharge our responsibility to "one another." If I love "one another" and pray for "one another" and forgive "one another" then I'll be in a much better condition to exhort "one another" and teach "one another" and edify "one another."

Here is one of the greatest mandates in the Bible, I think:

And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. (9) Use hospitality one to another without grudging. (10) As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God (1Peter 4:8-10).

It has always been God's will for all of His children to be good at the "one another" game. God's people don't all have the same gift and we do not all have the same needs. We have not all grown to the same level in developing our individual gifts. Some are ahead and some are behind in development. Let's get on with our "one another"duties.Ω

The Door —Barbara Carr

I have always thought of Revelation 3:20 as a salvation verse. I may have written an article using this comparison. The sermons I've heard since childhood often pictured Jesus standing at the door knocking, asking to be allowed to come into our hearts for eternal salvation.

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Rev 3:20)

Dan and I are doing a study of the book of Revelation—again. We have studied it many times, but each time we learn more and see things we either missed or have forgotten. We use several commentaries to help us—Strauss, Morris, etc. Let's look at Revelation 3:20. "Behold I stand at the door"

Morris' comment on "come in to him" was new to me. "This verse is not a gospel verse, appealing to the unsaved to accept Christ. There is nothing in it about Christ's sacrificial death for sinners or about believing on Him for salvation, or any other gospel essentials. It is addressed directly to the neutralist, self-satisfied Laodicean church, calling them to repentance. In context, the Lord is calling worldly, compromising believers to allow Him back into their lives."

Wow! Our Lord is knocking on our heart's door telling us, as He did the Laodiceans, to stop being neutral and self seeking in this world. He is asking us to hear His voice and repent of our sins. Christian sinners! Christian sins! Our sins as Christians do not send us to Hell because He paid that debt on the cross once and for all. Legally, our sins were placed on Jesus at the cross and He paid for our sins—all of them.

But we retain the old sin nature with which we were born and which will be a part of us until we die. We close our eyes to the sins that somehow continue to flow from our old nature. The new man of the new birth does not sin but the old man can do nothing but sin and just keeps on urging us to sin. We think if we are not on a drinking binge or doing drugs or committing murder, etc that we are living a good Christian life.

That's not what Jesus was telling the Laodiceans. He was telling them that they were neutral, lukewarm. When we get to the point that we have to strain our brain to think of a sin we might be harboring, we better do a self-check. As Dan has said many times, "Our thoughts count, too." We have become so comfortable in our little world, our lifestyles, that we are actually "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind and naked" (Revelation 3:17)

"Come in to Him" The Lord is calling us careless and perhaps compromising believers to allow Him back into our lives. He will not force us to admit our sins and repent. He just patiently stands at the door and knocks. We believe that His coming is very near…do we not? Shouldn't we give up trying to be in control of our lives and allow Him to lead us? I often have to fall on my knees in tears and ask forgiveness. I could list why, but it would make the article too long. You don't get over sinning just because you are old. No, Satan continues to say, "Yea, Hath God said?" (Genesis 3:1)

"will sup with him and he with Me." Jesus loved the Laodiceans. He loves us. His desire is for us to meet with Him in Bible study and prayer. In verse twenty-one He shows His grace by inviting them to share His throne. We are forgiven. We are underneath the blood. All because God loved us enough to send Jesus that we might have eternal life. Let's love Him enough to obey him and serve Him. If He has been shut out of your life, He is at the door even now. Invite Him to come in and resume His place as the Lord of your life. Ω

The Encourager Newsletter - Vol.3 Issue 53 - 2009.12.18 - Our Religious Symbols (Part 3) - Hark! the Herald Angels Sing

The Encourager Newsletter

Toward Knowing God and Walking With Him

A FREE WEEKLY PUBLICATION with a BIBLICAL WORLD VIEW – Volume 3 Issue 53

December 18, 2009 Dan Carr, Editor

      Our Religious Symbols (Part 3)

The Christmas season produces an explosion of color, music, plays and pageantry, rich food, decorated trees and houses, and a plea for snow. It's a national holiday and families invest time and money to get together. Red and green are the dominate colors of which the Poinsettia is queen and is flanked by the red berries of Nandina and Holly. God is the author of color and celebration and even in our fallen state, there's something about Christmas that draws millions of people to its excitement. We want to enjoy color! We want to celebrate hope!

 

It's the most exciting time of the year and the loneliest time of the year. Suicide rates go up at Christmas time because people are reminded of their emptiness and loneliness and bad experiences they have tried to keep locked up. For them, Christmas overwhelms them with a feeling of failure and futility. No other time of the year has this much power to highlight excitement and despair—and debt!

 

Last week we looked at our incurable exercise of inventing and using symbols throughout our human activity. Industry and commerce is laced with its copyrighted logos and icons. Our computers depend on icons.

 

Status symbols are subtle but powerful and people will labor for them 'till they have a heart attack or kill another human being. These symbols cover clothing, hair styles, cars, houses, neighborhoods, clubs, occupations and our reading and viewing habits. In Detroit and New York City, police records have shown several killings to get the shoes from the feet of the victims because the shoes were coveted status symbols. Religious Symbols  are a small section of the world of symbols.

 

In the earliest days of Christianity the "sign of the fish" was an important part of communication. When Rome realized that Christians were not a mere branch of Judaism, Rome went after Christians to extinguish them. The Empire found it necessary to examine the various religions of the nations it conquered. If those religions would "give licit to Caesar," that is, if the religions would submit to the authority of Rome, they were considered to be licensed by the Roman government.

 

Christians would not "give licit" to Caesar and therefore were considered by Rome to be illegitimate.  Rome said "You can say that Christ is Lord if you are willing to say that Caesar gives you permission to make Christ Lord." Their supreme loyalty was to Christ as Lord, not to Rome as Lord. It cost them their lives.  Christians began meeting secretly and in some situations used the sign of the fish to point to their meeting places. They were also fishers of men, so the symbol was convenient and easy to use.

 

Another major symbol of early Christianity was the symbol of the cross. It was resisted at first but then began to be used.  The Apostle Paul wrote: But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world (Galatians 6:14).

 

Today, millions of gold necklaces are in use for the purpose of displaying a cross. The hymn: "In the cross of Christ I glory – towering o'er the wrecks of time" embodies the great feeling of this important symbol.  The cross remains the most widely used symbol of Christianity today.

 

Jesus established the greatest symbol: By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another (John 13:35). A gold cross necklace may or may not express who we really are. But love is impossible to fake and is the ultimate symbol of who we are.  …the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us (Romans 5:5).  …the fruit of the Spirit is love,…(Galatians 5:22)

 

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (2Timothy 1:7)

 

Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins (Proverbs 10:12). It is true that some people are hard to love. However, if I love you I am not going to blab your sins all over the neighborhood.

 

Paul had this to say: Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart (2Corinthians 3:2-3).

 

Christmas is a special holiday (Holy Day) that serves as a symbol. It is not in the Bible. Christmas comes from two words: Christ and Mass, of Catholic origin. Aside from the Catholic coining of the term, it means dismissal or mission. Christ's Mission. A Mass is usually a special program of music focused on a theme. The word: Christmas has escaped its Catholic birth and is in the mouth of millions of non-Catholics. The commercializing of Christmas has damaged its public celebration. The importance of snow and decorations and the mythical Santa Clause have kidnapped the birth of Christ and stuffed Him in a closet out of sight.

 

Nevertheless, there remains a very strong remnant of dedicated Christians who sincerely seek to honor the birth of Christ as the most important advent (arrival) in history to this present hour. We use music, pageantry (plays) special sermons and decorations and many kinds of festivities. The four weeks of the Advent Season prior to Christmas day gives a longer time to reflect on the history and meaning of Christmas celebration. Some do not use Christmas trees and other decorations because of their personal feelings about it and some do not exchange gifts and other symbols of Christmas. I have met many people through the years whose idea of Christmas was to soak themselves in alcohol and really get "plastered." They wake up broke and feeling like a truck has run over them.  I think I can get by without that.

 

One word of caution. If someone has misused something, it doesn't mean that we can never use that item because its image is tainted. In my neck of the woods, bootleggers used glass pint jars to package their moonshine. My mother never stopped filling pint jars with jams and jellies because the bootleggers misused glass pint jars. Trees have been misused and made into wooden idols (Isaiah 40:20 and 44:19). But I have never seen anyone use a Christmas tree like that. Christmas trees symbolize many positive things about God and about us. We have the star of Bethlehem and green for eternal life and a lot of Christian history wrapped up in the symbol.

 

But, if your whole idea of Christmas is a Christmas tree and gifts and partying and artificial exuberance, then you have missed the whole point of Christmas. We use Christmas symbols because of the greater and deeper thing that has happened: Christ has come to die for the sins of the world and eventually to sit upon the Throne of David in Jerusalem to rule over a new world government for a thousand years. That's what all the symbols of Christmas are about. It's not about snow and trees and gifts and cookies.  Christmas is about Christ. He has come! He is coming!  Because He lives, you shall live also. Merry Christmas!

 

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

–Barbara Carr

 

Our last Christmas carol before Christmas Day is Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.  I have enjoyed looking up the history of several carols but these three are my favorites.

 

Hark! the Herald Angels Sing was written by Charles Wesley.  He was the younger brother of John Wesley the man who began the Methodist movement in the Church of England.  "Upon his conversion, he immediately began writing hymns, each one packed with doctrine, all of them exhibiting strength and sensitivity, both beauty and theological brawn. He wrote constantly, and even on horseback his mind was flooded with new songs. He often stopped at homes along the road and ran in asking for 'pen and ink.'"(R. Morgan)

 

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing was first published in 1739 in a book called Hymns and Scared Poems.The version of this carol we sing today is a compilation of the efforts of Charles Wesley, George Whitfield, Felix Mendelssohn and WH Cummings.

 

Wesley was protective of the songs he wrote.  He did not want the wording changed.  He is quoted as having said, "Many gentlemen have done my brother and me the honor to reprint many of our hymns.  Now they are perfectly welcome to do so, provided they print them just as they are.  But I desire they would not attempt to mend them for they are really not able.  None of them is able to mend either the sense or the verse.  Therefore, I must bet of them these two favors: either to let them stand just as they are, to take things for better or worse, or to add the true reading in the Margin, or at the bottom of the page, that we may no longer be accountable for the nonsense or for the doggerel of other men." (Morgan, 49)

 

However, Wesley's friend George Whitfield disregarded his friend's warning.  The first two lines were "Hark, how the welkin rings, Glory to the King of kings."  Welkin means "The vault of Heaven."  He changed these two lines to read, "Hark, the herald angels sing, glory to the newborn king."

 

Felix Mendelssohn composed a cantata in 1840 to celebrate the invention of the printing press.  The song was called "Festgesang" or Festival Song."  W. H. Cummings, an organist, adapted Mendelssohn song to the lyrics of Wesley's Hark, the Herald Angels Sing.  He organized the song into the ten-line stanzas that we sing today.  The final version was published in 1856.

 

Roy (Sonny) Gamble teaches our adult Bible Study on Wednesday evenings.  He has been teaching on the birth of Jesus.  Everyone has learned  and enjoyed this class.  In our last class, he quoted the first verse of Hark the Herald Angels Sing, stating that it is his favorite carol.  He commented that he wonders how many people sing the song without hearing the words.  In one of my early articles, I had said, "How many of you sing the hymns on Sunday and your mind is on something else?" We who have sung the hymns all our lives practically have them memorized. We can sing them and never hear a word.  Let's read the following words.  Have you really listened to them before?

 

Hark the herald angels sing "Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild God and sinners reconciled"
Joyful, all ye nations rise Join the triumph of the skies
With the angelic host proclaim:  "Christ is born in Bethlehem"
Hark! The herald angels sing "Glory to the newborn King!"

 

"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." (Luke 2:13-14) 

 

The Encourager may also be read at www.biblewalking.blogspot.com .

 

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The Encourager Newsletter - Volume 3 Issue 52 - Our Religious Symbols (Part 2) - O Holy Night - 2009.11.12

The Encourager Newsletter

Toward Knowing God and Walking With Him

A FREE WEEKLY PUBLICATION with a BIBLICAL WORLD VIEW – Volume 3 Issue 52

December 11, 2009 Dan Carr, Editor

      Our Religious Symbols (Part 2)

The Bible is full of symbols and it is God's idea. Symbols are endowed with meaning and are an outstanding teaching tool. John the Baptist saw Jesus walking and said: Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29).  The people listening to John knew he was talking about lambs that were sacrificed to Jehovah God.

 

They also knew that there was a lamb-raising industry near Jerusalem that specialized in raising sacrificial lambs. It was more convenient to buy one of those lambs than to bring a lamb a hundred miles to be sacrificed at the Temple in Jerusalem. A lamb was small and relatively inexpensive. If a family was too poor to bring a lamb, they could bring a young goat or two turtledoves or two pigeons (Leviticus 5:7). The lambs easily attached themselves to the families that raised them, just like goats. They became "one" with their caretakers. I raised goats and milked them and know about the bonding. Sheep follow their shepherd. You do not drive sheep as you drive cattle. Jesus would be, in many points, like sheep.

 

The Bible speaks of …the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). Jesus was the perfect Lamb of God. He was bread, water, life, light, shepherd, the word, Son of Man, Son of God, the resurrection, priest, prophet, the I Am. The Bible itself was bread, water, milk, meat, light.

 

There are many symbols in the Bible. The Tabernacle in the wilderness was made up of parts that taught about God. The Table of Showbread, the Ark of the Covenant and covering and its contents; the lamp stands and the oil. Gold overlaid wood. The colors, the herbs for the incense….all of these things were of special significance. The Tabernacle is a virtual encyclopedia of meaning. It was an outstanding teaching tool that taught the people about God. God ordered that the Tabernacle (and later the Temple) were to be made a certain way. No committee designed any of it, including the tools and procedures for doing everything. It was a treasure house of symbols. This was in keeping with the way God made us.

 

In the New Testament Jesus ordained what we call "The Lord's Supper" or "Communion." He ordained water baptism. Those are very important symbols and He said to do them. In the Christian world we unconsciously love and use hundreds of religious symbols. We have designed and adopted symbols that we accept that we don't even think about.

 

The American flag and the Christian flag stand as silent sentinels in the auditoriums of thousands of churches. The cross is etched in stained windows and on church signs on the front lawn. Some churches have a red flame on their church doors and signs, a symbol of spiritual renewal. Probably the most commonly used symbol used by churches for public testimony is the steeple with the spire that points upward to Heaven. The Bible does not ordain it but neither does it condemn it.

 

If you open up Microsoft Clip Art on your computer you may be amazed at how many symbols are there for you to use. The Broderbund company has hundreds of religious symbols available to use in print shops and on computers to reinforce bulletins, tracts, handouts, weddings, funerals, etc. Few if any of these symbols that we use were ordained in the word of God.

 

The Bible does not require us to put crosses in our offering plates and windows and on our communion tables and our signs and bulletins and tracts and Sunday school literature. Neither does the Bible forbid us to use crosses on all of these things. God made the human race to be at home with symbols. Symbols can be good or they can be evil. A symbol is usually a visual shape in which is embodied meaning much greater than the symbol. But a symbol can be a sound or a pattern of activity. Not all symbols are religious.

 

The Babylonian Empire used the symbol of lions. Alexander the Great used the symbol of the eagle as did the Roman Empire and later Russia, Austria, Germany..

 

Industry would be barren without symbols. Our cars and trucks do more than go varroooom. Dodge trucks are not just Dodge trucks. They are Dodge Ram trucks. The car companies use names like Falcon, Pinto, Mustang, Thunderbird, Firebird, Cougar, and don't forget the Stutz Bearcat of 1914. My grandpa's 1929 Model A Ford sported a chromed greyhound radiator cap. It was polished regularly whether or not the car was ever washed. The greyhound radiator cap was supposed to make up for the low-power engine….I think.

 

In our food supermarkets many of the products we buy are marked with symbols. Margarine sports the Indian woman and an ear of corn. The box of soda displays an arm and hammer. Carnation milk comes from contented cows. Morton's salt pours when it rains. And there's the little Dutch boy on cleanser and other products. Kellogg's corn flakes always leave the store with a rooster on the box.

 

The outstanding symbols for Bible believing Christians are probably the Cross and the lamb. I've already mentioned the church steeple and its spire pointing to Heaven. But we also have seasonal symbols for special days and seasons such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. When using a symbol, it should be for the glory of God, should communicate, and should edify the body of Christ.

 

O Holy Night—Barbara Carr

 

Last week I wrote that Silent Night is my favorite Christmas carol.  But then, O Holy Night is number one also.  The history of its writing is interesting.

In 1847, Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure was known more for his poetry than his church attendance.  He was a commissionaire of wines in a small French town.

What is a commissionaire of wines?  After much searching, I found the answer in Wikipedia.  They are agents hired to negotiate prices with vine growers.  They were paid according to how low a price they could negotiate and some employed unsavory tactics to achieve their means—including violence and intimidation.

He may have been taken by surprise when the parish priest asked him to write a poem for Christmas Mass.  The poet was pleased to be asked to share his talents with the church.  While traveling to France's capital city, Roquimaure began to think upon the request.  Taking out his Bible he used Luke as his guide.  As he read and thought about actually being present on that blessed night, he was inspired to write.  By the time he reached Paris, he had completed O Holy Night.

Roquimaure was moved by his own work and decided this was not just a poem, but a song and needed a master musician to write the music.  He asked Adolphe-Charles Adam for help.  Adam's father was a classical musician and Adam had studied in Paris.  He accepted this as a challenge.  Adam was of Jewish ancestry; therefore, these words represented a man he didn't view as the son of God.  However, he set to work and wrote a beautiful musical score for O Holy Night.

At first the song was accepted by the church of France and the song quickly found its way into many Catholic Christmas services.  But when Roquemaure walked away from the church and joined a Socialist movement and the leaders of the church also discovered that Adam was a Jew, the song was denounced by the church.  The leaders of the French Catholic church deemed O Holy Night as unfit for church services.

And, yet the French people continued to sing it and a decade later an American writer brought it to America.  John Sullivan Dwight thought this wonderful Christmas carol needed to be introduced to America.  Dwight was an abolitionist and the verse: "Truly he taught us to love one another; his law is love and his gospel is peace.  Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother; and his name all oppression shall cease."   Dwight was an owner and publisher of a magazine.  In his magazine he translated O Holy Night and it quickly became one of America's favorite carols.

As I read the history of O Holy Night, I was reminded of how God can use people--people that don't know Him or believe in Him or in some way "not straight as an arrow."  As we see in this story, the Lord used two unlikely men to create a beautiful carol to honor and glorify Him.

A study of Cyrus, the Persian king shows how the Lord used this king as His instrument.  "Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying," Ezra 1:1

Long before Nebuchadnezzar knew the Lord these words were penned:  "Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations."  (Jeremiah 25:9) 

If you haven't read all the verses to O Holy Night, please do.  It is a very worshipful song.  Did these writers know the Lord? We cannot see in their hearts as only the Lord can see. It is obvious that they were given words and music; telling the story beautifully.  We as His children need to obey and praise Him because He sent Jesus that we might have eternal life.  We have memorized Ephesians. 4:31  so let's obey this verse and this Christmas be free of everything that might mar our relationship to our Lord and Savior.

 

"O Holy night!  The stars are brightly shining, It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.

Long lay the world in sin and error pining.  Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices! O night divine, the night when Christ was born;

O night, O holy night, O night divine!"

 

The Encourager may also be read at www.biblewalking.blogspot.com .

 

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The Encourager Newsletter - Volume 3 Issue 51 - 2 009.12.06 - Our Religious Symbols - Silent Night

Our Religious Symbols

There is something univerally built into the human race, like breathing, that compels us to express our inward feelings outwardly so that other people can see them at a glance. In every nation and every century this is true. The way we dress, the way we wear our hair, the cars we drive, the associations of people we join or shun, the flags we salute, and the uniforms we wear. Our music and art and pastime says a lot about who we are. It's part of being human. National holidays are important. God appointed holidays (holy days) for Israel because in God's sight they were important.

For several nations of the world, Christmas is an important time of the year. It is now tarnished and degraded from its original meaning like the human race is tarnished and degraded after being made in the image of God. Even so, we maintain some likenesses of God even in our fallen state. Christmas is like that. In recent years we have seen intense public struggle over Christmas trees and Holiday trees. What appeared at first to be a decision of little consequence, Target and Walmart stores and many others, decided it would be less offensive if they sold Holiday trees. Big mistake!

The Christmas tree issue was greatly underestimated. The executives were there to turn a buck for the stock holders and their own CEO paychecks. "Don't offend people. It's time to get rid of Christmas trees. People will be broadminded and buy holiday trees and give holiday gifts, and go to Grandmother's house for the holidays." This year I've seen Target ads for Christmas shopping at Target. Walmart got the message the very first year and pulled back. "Come on over to Walmart…we've got lots of Christmas gifts at Walmart!"

So, with all of America's corruption, we are not yet ready to give up Christmas—whatever that is. I'm sure that Grinch could not possibly steal the real Christmas which is about the Christ child in the manger who came to die on a cross to save sinners and who will one day rule the world from the throne of his father David in Jerusalem as the angel promised Mary and as God spoke to Joseph.

And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end (Luke 1:30-33).

But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife; for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:20-21).

For the next three weeks I would like to examine a few of the religious symbols of Christianity and Judaism. Someone has said: "the New Testament is in the Old contained, and the Old Testament is in the New explained." We'll begin today by including an untouched speech by President Obama before he pulled the switch to light the National Christmas Tree, a 40-foot Colorado Spruce, on December 3, 2009. This annual event began in 1923 and has continued every year by every president for 86 years. It continues as a national tradition. You can read the short speech printed below from the Los Angeles Times as provided to them by the White House, or follow the links to read the larger story from the Times or to watch the seven-minute video.

"In 1923, the Washington, D.C. Public Schools wrote a letter to the White House asking if they could put up a Christmas tree on the South Lawn. And First Lady Grace Coolidge said they could use the Ellipse. (Laughter.) And in the eight decades since -– in times of war and peace, hardship and joy –- Americans from every corner of this nation have gathered here to share in the holiday spirit.

Tonight, we celebrate a story that is as beautiful as it is simple. The story of a child born far from home to parents guided only by faith, but who would ultimately spread a message that has endured for more than 2,000 years -– that no matter who we are or where we are from, we are each called to love one another as brother and sister.

While this story may be a Christian one, its lesson is universal. It speaks to the hope we share as a people. And it represents a tradition that we celebrate as a country –- a tradition that has come to represent more than any one holiday or religion, but a season of brotherhood and generosity to our fellow citizens.

It's that spirit of unity that we must remember as we light the National Christmas Tree –- a tree that will shine its light far beyond our city and our shores to every American around the world. And that's why tonight our thoughts and prayers are with the men and women who will be spending this holiday far from home –- the mothers and fathers, the sons and daughters of our military who risk their lives every day to keep us safe. We will be thinking of you and praying for you during this holiday season.

And let's also remember our neighbors who are struggling here at home -– those who've lost a job or a home; a friend or a loved one -- because even though it's easy to focus on receiving at this time of year, it's often in the simple act of giving that we find the greatest happiness.

So on behalf of Michelle and Malia and Sasha and my mother-in-law, Mama Robinson -- I want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas. May you go out with joy, and be led forth in peace."

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2009/12/obama-national-christmas-tree-xmas-tree.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4uICocZ3sA&feature=player_embedded

Silent Night—Barbara Carr

Lord willing, we will publish three issues of the Encourager before Christmas. Christmas is a time for singing and praising our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The carols are so beautiful and we all grew up hearing and singing them. Today we have some beautiful Christmas songs that are not spiritual songs. We love Christmas carols played by Dino on the piano and Kenny G with his soprano saxophone. But we love best the old carols sung by choirs and carolers. We need to teach our children to love these carols because they teach about the birth of Jesus and all the glorious events at that time.

I am going to give a short account of how three of these carols came about. Silent Night is my favorite, so that is where I will begin.

The words to Silent Night were written December 24, 1818 by Joseph Mohr. Father Mohr lived in the Austrian Alps. He had planned a Christmas Eve program for the midnight service in the Church of St. Nicholas in Oberndorf near Salzburg. While he was going over the plans for the service, he discovered that the organ was broken. As he wondered and prayed about what he should do, these words came to his mind: "write a new song, a song that could be sung without the organ."

Father Mohr sat down and wrote Silent Night. He took the words to organist, Franz Gruber and explained about the organ and asked for his help. He wanted Franz to write a simple tune that could be sung with a guitar.

When Karl Mauracher came to repair the organ, they told him of the near disaster Christmas Eve. He asked for a copy of Silent Night and spread it through the Alpine region of Austria.

Silent Night was first published for congregational singing in 1838 in a German hymnbook. It was brought to America by German immigrants and was sung in their German speaking church services. Later it was translated to English in a book of Sunday school songs in 1863 in the middle of the American Civil War.

What Father Mohr considered to be a problem, turned into a great blessing that continues to this day. The song tells of a virgin giving birth to a son; it tells of the shepherds seeing the glory of Heaven and it tells of the Son of God. Father Mohr must have known the Old Testament scripture that reads:

"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)

God can use anything or anyone to bring glory to Him. In this case He used a broken organ.

With the angels let us say/sing, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." (Luke 2:14)

I have already begun preparing for Christmas—making & freezing breads, making candy and dragging out decorations. Which is a good thing, but the most important thing I can do is prepare my heart. I need to ask my Lord and Savior to cleanse my heart. My Sunday school teacher in Southern Pines has said, "If we had a movie screen at the front of the church and our thoughts could be projected onto that screen, how many of you would be willing for your thoughts to be projected there for all to see?" If we truly want a clean heart, it's confession time before the Lord.

"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." (Psa 51:10)

Supplementing material for the above article was taken from Then Sings My Soul written by Robert J. Morgan.