The Encourager Newsletter - Vol.5 Issue 1 - January 28, 2011 - The Snow & The Woman I Want To Be

The Encourager Newsletter

Toward Knowing God and Walking With Him

A FREE WEEKLY PUBLICATION with a BIBLICAL WORLD VIEW –

Volume 5 Issue 1 – January 28, 2011 Dan Carr, Editor

The Snow

Ava Holcomb is enjoying the snow at her home in Flat Rock, Alabama. Lots of snow this year:  seven inches, nine inches, one inch. Ava is our grand-niece and lives on the very edge of Sand Mountain.

The Bible mentions snow 24 times. One of King David's "Mighty Men" was Benaiah who slew a lion in a pit in the time of snow (2Samuel 23:20).

After King David sinned with Bathsheba and had her husband, Uriah, killed to cover it up, he was a miserable wretch. After God sent His prophet, Nathan to confront David, he wrote Psalm 51 which contains this:Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.  (Psalm 51:7). How dirty and despicable David was. He prayed for God to apply the blood of atonement to him with the aid of a sprig of hyssop.

 

The Book of Job is the oldest book in the Bible. Job commented about how he could possibly be clean in the sight of God. He said, "If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean; 

Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.  (Job 9:30-31)

 

To Job, the cleanest thing he could think of was to wash himself with snow water. But he knew that his own righteousness was as dirty and foul as the water in a ditch which would make him smell terrible. This was not a declaration that God would throw him in a ditch but was a figurative picture of the trouble he was in. He was as dirty as a stinking ditch and even washing himself with snow water would not make him clean.

 

Isaiah had observed himself and all the people around him and realized that none of them were in any condition to stand before a Holy God. He confessed:

 

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.  (Isaiah 64:6-7)

 

Isaiah had thought it over and concluded that the filthy things people avoided touching were a picture of how they were inside themselves. This figure of speech used by Isaiah under the anointing of the Spirit of God is offensive. Several commentators, who dare go the whole distance to tell the truth, can only say one thing: they are "menstruous rags."  Matthew Henry says we are like the rags that have been used to wrap the oozing sores of lepers. No one is as holy as God but are we that bad? It all comes down to whether we want to know what the Prophet Isaiah said about us.

 

The Apostle Paul takes up the theme of righteousness before God. He says his personal righteousness is as dung. The vilest thing imaginable, fit only to be thrown to wild dogs; the worst dregs purged from silver; excrement of the worst sort. Paul counted his personal righteousness as fit only to flush down the toilet.

 

Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 

And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:  (Philippians3:8-9)

 

A mother worked all morning scrubbing the family's white shirts, blouses, underwear and sheets. She used her best homemade soap and added some bleach to make sure they were clean. It was really rough on her hands. She wet-wiped the clothesline to make sure it was clean.

 

She wrung the clothes out of the second rinse water as good as she could with her hands and hung them on the clothesline in the back yard by the kitchen window. At last the clothes were on the line to dry. She went into the house and took one last look through the kitchen window at her morning's work. She could be proud of herself and proud of the clothes that would be ready for her family.

 

She fixed herself a snack, poured some coffee and retired to the living room to put up her tired feet to rest. She ate her sandwich and drank her coffee and laid her head back—and dozed off. After a couple of hours she awakened and hurried to the kitchen window. Looking out the kitchen window, she opened her mouth wide in disbelief at what she saw! Snow had covered the ground and she looking at her clean sheets and shirts against the background of pure white snow. Her clean clothes now looked dingy and yellow compared to the snow. Then she understood why the Bible and the church hymnal talked about "whiter than snow."

 

The Woman I Want To Be—Barbara Carr

 

"There is a woman I want to be, Lord . . . 

She never doubts your existence or strays from your ways.  She never fails people or herself, or you. She is an ideal wife; A perfect mother; A neighbor and friend everyone loves and respects.  Yet she is all this without sacrificing her own dreams.

  

I keep thinking this woman will turn up some day, God—wearing my clothes—wearing my face.  But somehow she eludes me.  I catch only glimpses of her.  I see just enough of her now and then so that I don't despair entirely. Lord, dear patient Lord—thank you for showing me at least these fragments of the woman I want to be!"  (From the book Hold Me Up A Little Longer Lord by Marjorie Holmes)

  

The woman I want to be is showcased by four women in the Bible.

Naomi was a faithful witness and godly mother-in-law.  It is true that she joined her husband in leaving Israel during a time of famine. But, look at what she went through in the loss of her husband and two sons and her courageous decision to go back home and face familiar people and the ruins of her deserted farm and home. Naomi had lost face with her kin people who had stayed in their homeland and toughed out the famine.

 

She drew Ruth to cling to her in loyalty and love and to accept her God (Jehovah) over the Moabite god, Chemosh. Naomi did not brow-beat her daughter-in-law to follow her or her God.  Naomi never lost sight of the Lord Jehovah and faithfully spoke of Him and reflected the law of God in her daily living. Naomi is the kind of woman I want to be.

 

Ruth was willing to go with Naomi to live with people who believed in Johovah.  Ruth was blessed in her decision by giving birth to Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. Ruth cheerfully abandoned her own country.  She was determined to cling to the one true God even to death; to trust totally in Him and worship Him. Ruth is the kind of woman I want to be.

 

"And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:"  (Ruth 1:16) 

 

Esther was not only a Persian queen but has proven to be a queen of influence on millions of women around the world through many centuries. A book of the Bible bears her name. I hope you will read it.

 

"And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter."(Esther 2:7)  (Hadassah was her Hebrew name, which means Star. Esther was her Persian name.)

 

Esther was the daughter of Abihail, the uncle of Mordecai, so she would have been Mordecai's cousin.  Under the instructions of her Cousin Mordecai, Esther showed her loyalty to God and her people, the Jews.  More than once, she risked her life by advising the King in making the right decisions.  She was afraid at times, but continued to sway the King's favor to her people.

 

The book of Esther doesn't mention God, prayer or religion.  However, you can feel the strong faith of Mordecai and Esther.  As you read, you can see God working behind the scenes and keeping His chosen people safe.

Esther obeyed in faith and was rewarded. Esther is the kind of woman I want to be.

 

"And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her."  (Luke 1:38) 

 

Mary, a virgin, was chosen by God to be the mother of Jesus.  The Bible says she was "highly favored and blessed among women." (Luke 1:28, 42)  She knew the Jewish law and understood at least some of the rejection and persecution she would receive.  Yet, her answer was "be it unto me according to thy word."

 

Later, the prophet Simeon told her: "… Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;  (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."  (Luke 2:34)  These words were not lost on Mary.

 

Jesus grew into manhood and began his ministry with the disciples he had chosen. Rumors spread about Jesus, how he was a threat to the Jewish priesthood and perhaps against the government of Rome:  Insurrection! Punishable by death!  Mary and her sons went to seek out Jesus.  Maybe, she could get Him to come home with her—to a safe haven.

 

Jesus' answer must have crushed her. Or, did she realize His answer was not a rebuke, but to show the people His love was the same to all believers?  Mary was a person who "pondered all these things in her heart" from the time the shepherds visited them in Bethlehem when Jesus was born. No doubt, she still pondered things in her heart.

 

"While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.  Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.   But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?   And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!"  (Matthew 12:46-49) 

 

Mary was very brave and obedient from a child of about fifteen to Jesus death on the cross.  I don't read in the Bible of her blaming God or losing faith. Mary is the kind of woman I want to be. Ω

 

 

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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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