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the stone...

12/31/2017

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      The Stone…
To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ (1Peter 2:4-5).

To be a rough, smelly fisherman with no pedigree or diploma of higher learning, Peter suddenly becomes an architect of the highest order. He’s a master of the Hebrew and Greek and a solemn authority. I suspect it’s because God is sitting close behind him and whispering to him what to say.

THE BIBLE SOMETIMES USES FIGURES OF SPEECH to increase the reader’s understanding of a subject at hand. We must be careful in discerning if it is a figure of speech or a literal statement. Jesus said He was the door of the sheep (John 10:7,9). He did not mean that he was a wooden barricade or one of our doors today with hinges and a door knob. He simply meant that He was the one means of access.

HE CALLED US HIS SHEEP ND HIMSELF A SHEPHERD. This does not mean that saved people are all covered with wool and equipped with sheep-looking ears. It does mean that we are sheep-like in how dumb we are at times and how dependent we are on a caring and all-wise shepherd to take care of us These figures of speech are obvious.


IN OUR RELATIONSHIP TO HIM, we have been called sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.  Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.  (Galatiansl 4:6-7) This is not a figure of speech. We ARE the sons of God and the Spirit of God has cried through us to the Father, calling Him, Abba (Daddy!).

IN TODAY'S TEXT WE ARE COMING TO AN UNUSUAL STONE, a metaphor (figure of speech). It is a living (lively) stone. The living stone is Christ. It is in the context of a stone building. Christ is a stone and then the writer says: “ye also.” Christ is a living stone. We (also) are stones, built into a spiritual house. JESUS IS FLESH AND BLOOD, (Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.  (Luke 24:39)  AND JESUS IS A STONE. We are flesh and blood, and we are stones. Our flesh and blood are literal. Our being stones and a living house is a figure of speech.
​

I DON'T WANT TO GO OVERBOARD ON EXPLAINING THIS, since the use of a figure of speech is to reduce the number of words as well as to increase the power of the phrase. However, I have observed much confusion among Christians who have not sorted out the use of figures of speech in the Bible. For example, the rich man in Hell (Luke 16) is considered by some as being a parable and not literal. You can get him out of Hell and keep from going to Hell yourself by simply making that into a parable instead of a literal reference to Hell. (That is not my subject today.)

THE BIBLE BURDENS ITSELF TO SHOW US THE STRENGTH, security, and permanence of who God is and our relationship to Him, now and in eternity. It is characteristic of the Bible to explain it one way and in case we missed the point, to explain it in different terms so we are sure to get it. God wants us to know things. You will find this purposeful practice scattered throughout the Bible.

“A LIVING STONE - The allusion in this passage is to Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.” (Isaiah 28:16) That is, the stone is so solid and secure that the one standing upon it will feel no dread or fear and no inward impulse to run someplace else for safety in the time of trouble. A prophecy of the coming Jewish Messiah.

 We are also drawn to: “The stone which the builders disallowed is become the headstone of the corner.”Psalm 118:22 “The reference is to Christ as the foundation on which the church is reared. He occupies the same place as a foundation-stone does to the edifice that is reared upon it.” (Barnes) (It appears that the presence and properties of the foundation stone and the corner stone are run together, here.)

Jesus continues the reference to the stone: Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not; for it was founded upon a rock.  (Matthew 7:24-25)

PAUL PICKS UP THE STONE LANGUAGE: As it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed (Romans 9:33).

Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; (Ephesians.2:19-20).
 
In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit. (Ephesians. 2:21-22).
 

A DIFFERENT KIND OF TEMPLE: This is not a temple made of stone, overlaid with gold, enhanced with expensive timbers and impressive doors. It is a temple of redeemed people that is built to be inhabited by the Spirit of God. “…a habitation of God through the Spirit.”
It is awesome that the Spirit of God should dwell in our bodies! But that is exactly what these verses say. Not only so, but we are told that He gives us “living water” (John 4:10). 

CHRIST IS THE FOUNDATION STONE,
 we are the upper stone structure of God’s Temple, and Christ imparts life to the whole spiritual temple. (The commentaries are word-rich about these verses because the Word of God is word-rich about the stone and the cornerstone rejected of men.) Are you part of God’s Temple?

This old hymn is appropriate here: “My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but firmly lean on Jesus’ name. (Chorus) On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand.” (Edward Mote – 1834) Please play it below. Ω
 
Read Through the Bible in a Year

 JANUARY 1, 2018 - MONDAY
 A.M. Genesis 1-2   P.M. Matthew 1
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

A Good Verse to Memorize:
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.  (Jeremiah 29:11)

Song for Today:
The Solid Rock (4:04) (United Meth. Ch. Winfield, Iowa)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IdAZmwQ2xY (4:04)
Note: I went through about 15 versions of this song to find this best version.
(You may have to adjust the volume and delete an ad.
 
 
 
 

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The milk diet...

12/28/2017

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            The Milk Diet…
Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:  If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious (1Peter 2:1-3).

The New Year is the right time to think through some things. God likens new believers to newborn babes. When we are born again by the Spirit of God, we have new life, a new destiny, a new appetite…and new problems.

Sometimes new Christians don’t do well; do not have the things that will cause them to grow. Some people have been saved 40 years that are still babes in Christ. That is not a slur but a fact. The milk of the Word is in contrast to the meat of the Word
(1Cor.3:2) Meat is suitable only for Christians that have grown in the Lord and are able to digest heavier food.

God places something before the milk of the word.  Before we can have success in Bible living, God lays out five things that have to be shucked off like removing a jacket in a hot room. We are to lay aside malice, guile, hypocrisies, envies, and evil speaking.  Talk about going on a crash diet! Some of these things are as tasty as Snicker bars.

MALICE is an evil-spirited attitude toward someone that’s just looking for an opportunity to snipe and growl. Guile is speaking something that sounds good but covers up something harmful underneath. Hypocrisy is playacting. Playing a character as in a play on a stage; not really that person. Envy is a feeling of covetousness of another person's position or success.  Evil speaking is the habit of running people down, backbiting.

We can immediately determine to rid ourselves of these things. In practice, it may take time to change our habits; going back to the Lord repeatedly to ask for His forgiveness and strength to conquer these sins. We must do it if we want to grow from the milk of the Word.


Sixty years ago, I memorized verses 2 and 3 as part of the Navigator’s course. For several years I never noticed verse 1. I reviewed and quoted verses 2 & 3 hundreds of times. One day when I was just reading that chapter and saw verse 1, it was sobering. Spiritually, it was like getting struck by lightning! I kept coming back to it and realized increasingly that without making the changes in verse 1, it was virtually impossible to make any progress in verses 2 and 3.

God saves us free of charge, but He wants us to eventually be like His Son. He saves us in our sins, but He will not leave us in our sins. If we want to grow from the milk of the word of God He requires a radical change in our lives. If we have laid aside the repulsive five garments and acquired a desire for the simple milk of the word of God, then we will have tasted that the Lord is gracious. The Lord, whose nature it is to be gracious in His dealings with us.

Our text follows important verses in chapter 1. I urge you to read 1Peter 1. We are going on a journey in these verses right on through chapter two. You will be blessed greatly if you will take the time to read the first two chapters to review your relationship to the Lord and then you will be in good shape to move on to chapter 3, into human relationships.

I’ve spent many years of my life listening to sad tales from hurting people and handing Kleenex to catch the tears. We pay an awful price trying to get through life on our own without getting these things in order. We humans want other people to change their lives, so we won’t have to. We like anger and selfishness and being in charge and it’s the very set of things that God wants to change in our lives.

Nothing will help us as quickly as dying to self, humbling our hearts, and a daily diet of the Word of God. Today is a good day to start.  (Photo at top is Henry Hampton, son of Matthew and Jamie Hampton.)


 Read Through the Bible in a Year         
DECEMBER 29, 2017 - FRIDAY

 A.M. Zechariah 10-12   P.M. Revelation 20
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

A Good Verse to Memorize:
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.  (Jeremiah 29:11)


Song for Today: 
Rock of Ages (4:03) (Vestal Goodman, The Martins and Gaither Group)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2W7Elmao3c
 (You may have to adjust the volume and delete an ad.
 
Note: I won’t be surprised to hear this song in Heaven! Who will sing it? Who won’t be allowed to sing it?
 
 
 



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following god this year

12/26/2017

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      Following God This Year
But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.  My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.  Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food. (Job 23:10-12)

The Magi decided in a far-away land that they would follow after God. That basic decision determined everything that followed in their lives. They would never be the same again because of the decision they made. I’m asking you to decide to follow Jesus this year. The Christmas season is a time when we sort of disjoint ourselves from routine and pursuit. It’s a good time to pause and take stock of what we would like to do this coming year.

Let’s follow the Wise Men, the Magi who sought God by laying aside other things and followed the star God showed them. We don’t have to ride a camel to a far-away place to follow God. Follow Him right where you are. He’s there and He will direct your steps if you want to be directed.

They followed the star when no one else saw it or showed the slightest interest in their silly ‘ole star. They pursued God’s plan, alone. And, they did not pursue the star empty-handed. They expected to find a God-King and went prepared to give Him appropriate gifts.

They were not the first people to follow God with little knowledge to go on. Job was like that, who afterward wrote a book in our Bible that bears his name. Job is the oldest book in the Bible, older than the writings of Moses which include Genesis and the story of creation.

Job was not before creation, but his writings are supposedly older than the writings of Moses who wrote about creation.  That bit of information brings us immediately to the question of just what did Job have in hand from God? Job refers to
his way and the commandment of his lips.

Job testified that he was aware of God’s knowledge of him and his manner of living. He had so little in the way of formal knowledge. There was no Old Testament to study. No Hebrew or Greek to pore over by candle light. No library or collection of books; no newspapers; no seminary or Bible college that he could refer to. But without any of those things Job had some things from God that he knew he was accountable for.

My foot hath held
his steps, his way have I kept…neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips. His steps, His way, His lips, His mouth.

We have heard and read a lot of things against Job’s self-righteousness as though we are free from that today since we have become so educated and refined. We know a lot more than Job knew; we smell a lot better than Job smelled. He was not known for being bathed and perfumed. One time in his lengthy book he says If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean;  (Job 9:30)

Hundreds of years later, the prophet Jeremiah challenged the people of his day: For though thou wash thee with niter, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord GOD. (Jeremiah 2:22)  The writer of Proverbs mentions: Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: …. (Proverbs 27:9)

But Job does not dwell on bathing or perfuming as we do in modern times. I think soap and perfume are wonderful things. Brother Roloff used to say: “If you’re so wonderful, how come you’ve got a bath tub in your house?”  Job did not consider those things the primary focus of his life. He had been struggling hard to align himself with God’s will for his life. He had treasured the words of God’s mouth more than his necessary food.

As we pick up speed down the runway to take off into the new year of 2018 we’re going to do a lot better if we will fly by the instruments and stay on God’s flight plan. The modern “political correctness” is not from God’s lips and mouth. Staying on course within His plan for our lives is the best way to go. There is no substitute for being faithful in gathering with God’s people for encouragement and mutual comfort and for corporate hearing and discussion of the Word of God.

There is no substitute for personal daily Bible reading, prayer and family devotions in our homes. No substitute for memorizing several verses of Scripture and reviewing the verses you know. A garden will become hard and covered over with weeds if it is not plowed and cultivated.  The book of Job is pretty high on the shelf, but it is good reading and I hope you will read it through this year...again. Ω

Read Through the Bible in a Year
 DECEMBER 27, 2017 - WEDNESDAY
 A.M. Zechariah 4-6   P.M. Revelation 18
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

A Good Verse to Memorize:
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.  (Jeremiah 29:11)

Song for Today: 
I Have Decided to Follow Jesus (2:39) (Gaither Group)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehuBXUD5h8U
You may have to adjust the volume and delete an ad.)
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 


 
 

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where's the line to see jesus

12/25/2017

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Where’s the Line to See Jesus?

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.  
And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.  (Luke 2:15-17)

TO LEARN THE MOST ABOUT CHRISTMAS, we study the prophecies, the people, and the proclamations of “The Greatest Story Ever Told.” Many of the “traditions of Christmas,” yes, and of the Christmas celebration itself, were formed over a long period of time and have taken on their own peculiar shapes. Some of them are good and some are, well, not so good.

I’m not happy about the almost universal combining of the visit of the shepherds and the visit of the Magi (the Wise Men) on the same night. (The Magi visited Jesus several months later after Joseph and Mary and the baby Jesus were living in a house, not a stable.)
​

When they had heard the king (Herod), they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.  (Mat 2:9-11)

THIS INFORMATION SHOULD BE COMBINED with the infamous decree of King Herod to kill all the boy-babies in and around the little town of Bethlehem. Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men. (Matthew 2:16)

IN THE SCRIPTURAL ACCOUNTS of who visited Jesus at His birth, we first have only the uneducated and unwashed shepherds who were chosen by God to know about Him. The angel did not direct the shepherds to go see the baby-Jesus. That’s important, I think. The angels said: “Ye shall find the babe…” That’s it. There is no command for the shepherds to go find the baby. They talked it over among themselves and collectively decided they should go find this baby the angel (and then angels) were talking about. God’s contact with the Magi was at a time that would “enter” the Magi onto the stage later in Bethlehem.
 
The angel talked to the shepherds about a baby in a manger (a strange place for a baby to be, even in that primitive culture). God’s stirring of the hearts of the Magi in far-away Babylon or Persia (Iraq or Iran) was focused on the stars. Could there be any greater difference in the kind of people God contacted and the subject of their attention? Look at the baby and look at the stars!
 
It’s like somebody getting saved today by reading he book of Proverbs. And yet, people today have been brought under conviction and brought to repentance by reading the book of Proverbs. I read of that recently. In the New Testament, the Book of James is called: “The Proverbs of the New Testament.” Why didn’t James dwell on the plan of salvation in the book by his name? And yet, James was the powerful prayer warrior who was nicknamed: “Camel-knee James” because he prayed so much on his knees they were calloused like the knees of a camel.
 
I don’t want to see James for a long time when I get to Heaven. He might ask me to show him my knees. So, I better not criticize him for not including the gospel in his New Testament book, the first book written in the New Testament. God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts and He thought it good to tell the lowest class, the shepherds, first about the birth of His Son. The Magi would get there, but not first. Very important, I think.

It’s because of this feature that I got in on being a witness for Him. I’m with the shepherds, not one of the Wise Men. I would be more at home riding a donkey than a camel. When I hear the donkey bray in the mornings in the field behind our house, I’m reminded that he’s in my class. Donkeys and mules, I’m at home with, but not with a camel. I qualify as weak, base, despised, and things which are not, and not as “the mighty.”

That’s the way God does things. Paul said: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but
our sufficiency is of God; (2Corinthians 3:5) If a man ever thinks he can do it without God, he is ruined!

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:  That no flesh should glory in his presence.  (1Corinthians 1:27-29)

So, where’s the line to see Jesus, today? I suppose it’s like it was when Jesus was born. There was no line to see Him; just the lowly shepherds, and then a handful of regal-minded men in a camel caravan. That’s all. When Jesus played in the streets with the other boys, they didn’t know they were playing games with God in the flesh. When Jesus’ brothers were bothered at times with the strangeness of their older brother in the home, they didn’t know they were troubled at the presence of God in their home. Mary and Joseph knew; but not his brothers. It was probably never discussed. Things unfolded one page at a time until “the fullness of time” brought about the identity of who this carpenter was.

Where’s the line to see Jesus? No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.  (John 6:44)

Someone sent me a link to the song I’ve posted for today: “Where’s the Line to See Jesus?” I don’t know the singer, Becky Kelly, and I had never heard the song before today. She is dressed modestly and appears to be serious about what she is singing. That’s all I know. My favorite musical forms run from bluegrass I was raised on, to Handel’s Messiah.

Some of the other musical forms are not my favorites but sometimes carry a message that penetrates. A little boy in a shopping mall asks the singer: “Where’s the line to see the Jesus?”  THAT PENETRATES! And, that…. touches my heart. See what you think. Ω

Read Through the Bible in a Year
 DECEMBER 26, 2017 - TUESDAY
 A.M. Zechariah 1-3    P.M. Revelation 17
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

A Good Verse to Memorize:
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)

 
Song for Today: 
Where’s the Line to See Jesus? (3:50) (Becky Kelly)

 https://www.youtube.com/embed/OExXItDyWEY   
 (You may have to adjust the volume and delete an ad.)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 


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the mad man of christmas

12/24/2017

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 The Mad Man of Christmas
Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.             (Matthew 2:16).

TODAY'S PICTURE: The Massacre of the Innocents, from The Life of Jesus Christ by J.J.Tissot, 1899 – In the painting, a soldier has snatched a toddler from its mother. She is lying on her back on the wall with her white clothing unfurled. Her arms are stretched up toward the soldier who has raised her child above his head ready to kill it. Note the size of the child which is old enough to walk. In the next arch are another soldier and child.

THE STORY CONTINUES....
Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not (Matthew 2:17-18).
 

SLEW ALL THE CHILDREN. "Macrobins, a Heathen author, …reports that "when Augustus heard, that among the children under two years of age, whom Herod king of the Jews ordered to be slain, that his son was also killed.,  Macrobins said, it was better to be Herod's hog than his son.'' (Gill)

The point of this saying consists in this, that Herod, professing Judaism, his religion forbade his killing swine, or having anything to do with their flesh; therefore his hog would have been safe, where his son lost his life. (Clarke)

WITHOUT LAW... Herod unleashed his rage upon all the innocent male children in Bethlehem and the surrounding areas around the village. Bethlehem was never a big place. He acted unlawfully in tyranny. The wise men had told Herod the time when the star first appeared. From that, he knew about how old the new King Prince would be and gave the order to kill all the male children two years old and under.

In the end, it would be the soldiers estimating the age of the children they found, and they would live or die according to the judgment of the soldiers. The age of “two years” would have been a stretched estimate to make sure the Jesus child did not escape.  Herod probably did not expect him to be quite that old. Herod rounded up the chief priests and scribes in Jerusalem and demanded what they knew about an expected Jewish Messiah. They quoted him Micah 5:2, the same as in your Bible today.

The Jewish historian Josephus does not mention this incident. Barnes suggests three reasons why Josephus may not have written about the massacre at Bethlehem.
1. Josephus, a Jewish historian and a Jew, would not be likely to record anything that would appear to confirm the truth of Christianity.
2. This act of Herod was really so small, compared with his other crimes, that the historian might not think it worthy of record. Bethlehem was a small and obscure village, and the other crimes of Herod were so great and so public, that it is not to be wondered at that the Jewish historian has passed over this.
3. The order was probably given in secret, and might not have been known to Josephus. It pertained to the Christian history; and if the evangelists had not recorded it, it might have been unknown or forgotten. Besides, no argument can be drawn from the silence of the Jewish historian. No reason can be given why Matthew should not be considered to be as fully entitled to credit as Josephus. Yet there is no improbability in the account given by Matthew.

Herod was an odious and bloody tyrant, and the facts of his reign prove that he was abundantly capable of this wickedness. The following bloody deeds will show that the slaying of the infants was in perfect accordance with his character. The account is taken from Josephus, as arranged by Dr. Lardner.

Aristobulus, brother of Herod's wife Mariamne, was murdered by Heerod's direction at eighteen years of age, because the people of Jerusalem had shown some affection for his person. In the seventh year of his reign, he put to death Hyrcanus, grandfather of Mariamne, then 80 years of age, and who had formerly saved Herod’s life; a man who had, in every revolution of fortune, shown a mild and peaceable disposition. His beloved and beautiful wife, Mariamne, had a public execution, and her mother Alexandra followed soon after - Alexander and Aristobulus, his two sons by Mariamne, were strangled in prison by his orders upon groundless suspicions, as it seems, when they were married, and had children.

During Herod’s last sickness, a little before he died, he sent orders throughout Judea requiring the presence of all the chief men of the nation at Jericho. His orders were obeyed, for they were enforced with no less penalty than that of death. When they were come to Jericho he had them all shut up in the circus, and calling for his sister Salome and her husband Alexis, he said to them,

“My life now is short, I know the Jewish people, and nothing will please them better than my death. You have them now in your custody. As soon as the breath is out of my body, and before my death can be known, do you let in the soldiers upon them and kill them. All Judea, then, and every family, will, though unwillingly, mourn at my death.”

Josephus says that with tears in his eyes he conjured them, by their love to him and their fidelity to God, not to fail of doing him this honor. What objection, after this account, can there be to the account of his murdering the infants at Bethlehem? Surely there could be no cruelty, barbarity, or horrid crime which such a man was not capable of perpetrating (Barnes)
 
Herod, and the slaughter of the innocent toddlers in Bethlehem are part of the Christmas story.
  ●This article has been edited and reprinted from Good Morning! December 25, 2007.
 

Read Through the Bible in a Year
 DECEMBER 25, 2017 - MONDAY
 A.M. Haggai 1-2    P.M. Revelation 16
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

A Good Verse to Memorize:
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)

 
Song for Today: 
O Come All Ye Faithful (3:06) (Larry Ford and Gaither Group)

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sM1YEgtRZ08
 
(You may have to adjust the volume and delete an ad.)
 
 


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getting out of bethlehem

12/21/2017

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       Getting Out of Bethlehem
And when he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:  And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt have I called my son” (Matthew.2:14-15).

When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night.  He dreamed; he awakened; and apparently left in the middle of the night. Some suggest that perhaps he awakened in the morning, prepared all day and left the next night. Let’s remember that they didn’t have to pack a van and work through a lengthy check list of things to take; make sandwiches, etc. They could have placed everything they had on the back of their donkey in a few minutes and have been miles away before the sun came up.

Did they travel only by night? They left Bethlehem at night. The Israelites left Egypt by night and God kept every single dog from barking. But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.  (Exodus 11:7)

I have walked at night and the dogs at every house barked at me and disturbed the other dogs on that street. If God shuts the mouths of the dogs (as He did the mouths of the lions when Daniel was thrown into the lions’ den), then, barking dogs would not have been a problem for Joseph and Mary leaving Bethlehem by night. The Bible doesn’t say, but this is something to consider as we think it through.

They would have used a well-traveled road with houses along the road. Traveling a busy road in daytime would have made them safer from robbers along the way. They would have thought “natural” thoughts about safety and utility until the Lord told them to think otherwise. Did the angel of the Lord go along with them? If an angel was needed we can be sure of it but we do not read of any danger encountered by them for this trip.

Their greatest danger was in the immediate vicinity of Bethlehem. By leaving the greatest danger zone, they would have been free to travel during the daytime for the rest of the journey. The map in my Bible looks like it’s about 150 miles from Bethlehem to Alexandria, Egypt.  If they traveled twenty miles a day, it would have taken about a week. With a toddler on-board, they could not have been fast travelers and may not have traveled but ten miles a day. That would have been two weeks, or so.

When Jacob went back home to meet his brother Esau, he said to him:  My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me: and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die. Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir.  (Genesis 33:13-14)

If the wise men came around the end of December, made a short visit and left, it would have been warmer for Joseph and Mary and Jesus to have traveled by day. They would have slept at night on the ground. Even so, we are told today by modern travel agencies on the Internet that the climate there is not unbearably cold except in the highlands.
Departed into Egypt:

“The Jews say that Jesus went to Alexandria in Egypt, and which is probable enough; since this was a place greatly resorted to at this time by Jews, and where provision was made for their sustenance; " (Gill)

AND WAS THERE UNTIL THE DEATH OF HEROD..... Which was a very short time; “for Eusebius says, that immediately, in a very little time after the slaughter of the children at Bethlehem, the divine vengeance inflicted diseases on him, which quickly brought him to his end; so that, according to the learned Dr. Lightfoot, Jesus was not above three or four months in Egypt. (Gill)

So, the time that he remained in Egypt was not long. Herod died of a most painful and loathsome disease in Jericho. See Josephus, Ant. xvii. 6. 5. (Barnes).

That it might be fulfilled ... - This language is recorded in Hosea 11:1. It there evidently speaks of God’s calling His people out of Egypt, under Moses. See Exodus 4:22-23. It might be said to be fulfilled in his calling Jesus from Egypt, because the words in Hosea aptly expressed this also. The same love which led Him to deliver His people Israel from the land of Egypt, now led him also to deliver His Son from that place. The words used by Hosea would express both events. (Barnes)

This too, is part of the Christmas story. Just for the record: Santa Claus did NOT go with Joseph and Mary and Jesus down into Egypt. Sorry if there is a misunderstanding. Ω

   ●This article has been edited and reprinted from Good Morning! December 24, 2007.

  Read Through the Bible in a Year
 DECEMBER 22, 2017 - FRIDAY
 A.M. Nahum 1-3    P.M. Revelation 13
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

A Good Verse to Memorize:
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)

 

Song for Today: 
Beautiful Star of Bethlehem (3:41) (Ben Speer and Gaither Group)

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sM1YEgtRZ08
 
Note: This is one of those songs I could sing every day. We plan to have a trio sing it Sunday morning at Sulphur Springs. My mother loved it. I hope our great-grand-children will know it and love it.
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god warns the magi and joseph

12/20/2017

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    God Warns the Magi and Joseph
And being warned of God in a dream that they [the Magi] should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. And when they [the Magi] were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.  (Matthew 2:12-13)

IN A DREAM. God warned the Magi in a dream not to go back to Herod who had pretended he wanted to worship the child king born to Mary.  The baby from Heaven is now residing somewhere in Bethlehem, as the Prophet Micah had said (Micah 5:2).  God is the great communicator and when it serves His purpose, He communicates through dreams.

Today’s main communication from God is His written word and the active leading of the Holy Spirit who dwells within the body of every true believer of Christ. But if God wants to lead someone through a dream today, who is going to tell Him that He cannot do that? Not me.

So, the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, telling him to take the young child and his mother and flee into Egypt and stay there until He tells them different. We notice that immediately after the words “gold, and frankincense, and myrrh” (v.11), the next words are “and being warned of God in a dream.”  All the commentators have practically nothing to say about this sudden change of words or about the warnings coming in a dream.

Dreams in general are of great interest to Bible students and writers. I counted at least 21 times where dreams appeared in the Bible text. Joseph, the son of Jacob, was known as “the dreamer.” We all know what dreams are and today’s experts have spent a lot of time researching dreams and still don’t know much about them.  It is sufficient to know that God does as He pleases and gives an answer to no one if He doesn’t want to.

In our day some people have saved their lives by being troubled by dreams. I once saw a captured film clip of NAZI Germany’s Adolf Hitler pacing the floor back and forth with his hands behind him. He had had a troubling dream the night before and because of it, he delayed his decision about production of their new weapon: The Buzz Bombs; the forerunner of jet fighters. Because of the dream, Hitler delayed several months, according to the narrator of the film.

I DO NOT TRY TO RUN MY LIFE BY DREAMS. But, if a dream is strong, it’s probably a good idea to give it some thought and to ask the Holy Spirit about it. The Lord certainly warns and leads His children today by His Spirit. The Holy Spirit has a variety of means by which He can communicate with us.

Most often His leading comes to us when a verse of Scripture jumps off the page and arrests our attention. We should pay attention to the “heavier than usual” attraction we have to a Bible verse or Bible phrase within a verse. He also may use a dream or a circumstance or the words of a child or some similar device that will strike hard. Watch the unusual things that occur, day, or night. God is in the business of leading His children.

The Lord spoke to Balaam through the mouth of a donkey and to Peter through a rooster. Let’s be careful about putting God in a box and telling Him what He can and cannot do. We’re little people and He is a big God who does what seems best to Him. I can tell you this much: if God is speaking to you about something, it will be clear enough for you to understand your duty.

The fact that God spoke to the Magi in a dream and they immediately obeyed, gives us a clue as to how close these men were to the Lord and how pliable their hearts were to obey Him. We don’t know how the Lord told them to follow a star to the child Jesus, but we do know how the Lord told them not to go back to Herod.

We notice that the Lord spoke to Joseph in a dream “saying.” It wasn’t fog! It was substance. It was substantial. It was sufficient. “Get up and go to Egypt and stay there ‘till I tell you otherwise…BECAUSE Herod will kill the baby.” Joseph didn’t need to enroll in a Bible class to understand that, so he obeyed and began a long journey of about 150 miles. There was no Cracker Barrel or Days Inn along the way. They went alone, just the three of them on a donkey.

There was a large Jewish population in Egypt at that time, around Alexandria, especially. They would have been inconspicuous there, and welcomed by members of their own race. The Jews would have admired the toddler without knowing they were looking at God. Jesus probably played with other toddlers there and they would never know they had played games with God in the flesh. The gold given to them by the Magi would spend well on the journey and take care of their needs until Herod was dead. This is all part of the Christmas story, but I don’t think Santa Claus and the cash registers get into this part of Christmas.

So, what are you telling your children and your grandchildren about Christmas? The Supreme Court has not closed down Bible reading in our homes. We’ve done that all by ourselves. Don’t you think it’s time we take our Bible reading and study seriously? The New Year is coming up. Why not read your Bible through the coming year? Four chapters a day will do it.

Reading Through the Bible is not suitable for daily devotions with your family. You need Scripture that is shorter and more understandable to the family than lists of names and places and passages that have no immediate meaning. Reading through the Bible is for the individual and should be done in addition to your Bible study of shorter passages.
Family altar can be done in fifteen minutes a day with just a few verses.  Don’t kill it! Fifteen minutes a day, including five minutes of prayer. A hymn (2 verses) will fit in nicely. Ω
  ●This article has been edited and reprinted from Good Morning! December 23, 2007.
  
Read Through the Bible in a Year

 DECEMBER 21, 2017 - THURSDAY
 A.M.  Micah 6-7    P.M. Revelation 12
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

A Good Verse to Memorize:
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)

 
Song for Today: 
God Will Make a Way (5:29) (Janet Paschal and Gaither Group)

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tn17wDaHXTU

Note: I found this song recently. If you have not been through the valley, if you have not been crushed beneath a heavy load, the song may not mean much to you. But if you have been crushed, if you know the meaning of a dark valley, it might be a blessing to you. Listen carefully to the words of the first part to understand what is being said.  
 
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the angel and the shepherds

12/20/2017

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   The Angel and the Shepherds
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.  (Luke 2:8-11)

SHEPHERDS ABIDING IN THE FIELD. The birth of Christ is an awesome story! The role of the shepherds is bigger than it looks at first glance.  The shepherds have drawn the pens of many Bible writers because of their prominence while yet being clothed in obscurity.

Gill* writes one of the best summaries:

“To the shepherds, the first notice of Christ's birth was given; not to the princes and chief priests, and learned men at Jerusalem, but to weak, mean, and illiterate men; whom God is pleased to choose and call, and reveal his secrets to; when he hides them from the wise and prudent, to their confusion, and the glory of his grace: and this was a presage of what the kingdom of Christ would be, and by, and to whom, the Gospel would be preached” (Gill: 1697-1771. *Gill mastered the Latin Classics and learned Greek by age 11).

THE ANGEL OF THE LORD. God created many thousands of angels and organized them into hierarchies. It is a big subject but here we focus on “the angel.” This was an angel with a mission from God to suddenly appear to these backward shepherds whose knowledge was mostly about sheep. They were not leaders in their society and not particularly skilled with their hands such as carpentry or weaving. But without their skill with sheep, a lot of people would have been cold for lack of wool garments and perhaps without some milk and cheese and many would have had no lambs to offer to the Lord as a blood sacrifice. No one lacks importance.  It would be hard to prove that God ever made anyone without a purpose in His sight.

And here, a special messenger honors these lowly shepherds. The angel scared them speechless, no doubt. They were “sore afraid.” The first thing the angel had to tell these men was “fear not:” There’s just one angel here. This angel knew how much to tell these men. They knew all about “the City of David.” It was as much a part of them as their own fingers. They had known nothing else but the City of David. So, the angel did not have to explain that part to them. They probably knew a good bit about the One promised by the Lord to be born, and probably knew the prophecy of Micah 5:2 that designated Bethlehem as the birthplace of the Promised One.

Now for the new part they did not know: And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  (Luke 2:12) Hang on to the word: “manger.”

What did this have to do with them?  Why are they being asked to go see a new baby? Leave their sheep to go see a baby? Go where? A manger is not associated with sheep. A manger is associated with cattle and is usually in a covered place. Shepherds don’t look after cattle. Their sheep were out in the open, picking grass in the highlands above Bethlehem. Cattle and a manger may be above their pay grade.

As soon as the angel says the word: “manger,” this took place: 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)

THAT WAS NEW! As if to underscore the weight of the angel’s message, when the word “manger” is uttered, the record shows that the very next words were: “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.  And just as quickly as the angels had come, they were gone! Silence!  It reminds me of a huge orchestra playing and the kettle drums roar to a climax and suddenly stop! The silence is deafening!

If the angels sang, the Bible does not mention it. The angels “said.” I like to think that they were singing because I certainly like to sing the Hallelujah Chorus and all the great Christmas carols.  I love the Christmas carol: “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing!” And I intend to sing it as long as I live on this earth. But, the Bible just does not say that angels sang. To say that the angels sang is conjecture, but if we want to think the angels sing, I suppose the Lord won’t care. If they didn’t sing when they visited the shepherds, they sure missed out on a tremendous opportunity!

The multitude of the heavenly host have done their job and they’re gone into heaven. Out of sight. Not a sound. The shepherds quickly discussed it and left their sheep to go see the baby. Verse 17 says: “And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying that was told them concerning this child.” The shepherds are making known to everyone who will listen “the saying that was told them.”  The shepherds don’t mention anything about any singing. In verse 20 it says: “And the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.”  There’s still no mention of music.

We don’t have to sing in the choir or be a preacher behind a pulpit to tell a few simple, essential things about God’s gift to everyone who will listen. We don’t have to have a piano or organ playing in the background while we share the Gospel in the market place and the work place and at school.

These shepherds had not been to a college or seminary and apparently did not sing in anybody’s choir. But they sure did get hold of the message and spread it quickly. Maybe we should say: the message got hold of them!!!  One more verse (
18) And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.”  The Lord knows a lot about who to work through to get His work done. What does He want to do through you? Ω
      ●This article has been edited and reprinted from Good Morning! December 22, 2007.

 Read Through the Bible in a Year
  DECEMBER 20, 2017 - WEDNESDAY
  A.M.  Micah 4-5    P.M. Revelation 11
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

A Good Verse to Memorize:
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)
 
Song for Today: 
Until Then (3:40) (Janet Paschal and Gaither Group)

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbiAVnADFfg
 
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Anna, The prophetess

12/18/2017

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              Anna, the Prophetess
And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher: she was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow of about fourscore and and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem  (Luke 2:36-38). 

THERE WAS ONE ANNA. First, there were the shepherds; then Simeon; and now Anna. The Magi will arrive in a couple of years. (The Wise Men and the Shepherds did not all come at the same time.) God had His select group. He never forgets a name. McGee observes that Anna was of the tribe of Asher.

“I cannot refrain from saying that there are those who say there are ten lost tribes of Israel (that is, that the ten tribes which went into Assyrian captivity in the eighth century B.C. migrated north rather than returning to the land of Israel). If you search through the Bible from the time Israel returned to the land after the captivity, you can pick up practically all of the tribes. Here Anna is mentioned as a member of the tribe of Asher. Evidently Anna did not get lost!” (McGee)

He knows your name and knows the plan He has for your life. We do well to seek His plan and to listen all of our lives to His clear leadings. Listen, at times, His whisperings and sometimes the amazing things that may unfold in front of our eyes! God knows the hearts that earnestly yearn for His will and they are treated differently than those who are careless. God knows those who care nothing whatever about His will. They are not as brilliant as they might want us to believe.

We are not told why Anna was called a prophetess. She could have been the wife of a prophet or perhaps she was a prophetess herself whom God used to foretell certain things. Or, she may have been a “forth-teller” as much as a “fore-teller.” Some commentators jump on that bandwagon before they acknowledge the simplest facts. Fact number one: God had revealed to her that the coming of the Promised One was upon them. Fact number two: God revealed to her which baby he was.

This is more than Herod knew and more than the most learned scholars of the Jerusalem Temple knew. This is beyond the role of a “forth-teller.” It is in the role of a “fore-teller.” Anna was a genuine prophetess, although she wrote no books of the Bible. Many genuine prophets wrote no books of the Bible.
 

We do know she was a dedicated woman who spent all of her widowhood in prayers and fasting and visiting the Temple often. Some have suggested she may have been assigned a small room in the Temple because of her outstanding connection with the Lord and her continuous praise offered to God in the presence of others. She departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day  (v.37).

And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years - That is, she was about 84 years of age. It does not mean that she had been a widow for that long time.

NIGHT AND DAY - Continually - that is, at the usual times of public worship and in private. When it is said that she departed not from the temple, it is meant that she was “constant” and “regular” in all the public services at the temple, or was never absent from those services. God blesses those who wait at his temple gates. (Barnes.)

SPAKE TO ALL. (Luke 2:38) And she, coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. (Luke 2:28)

Anna (or perhaps Hannah) may have been the most powerful voice to make such a public announcement to those gathered at the Temple. Who did not know Anna? It seems that everyone would have known this woman or would have known about her. What a devout, steadfast testimony for the Lord!

Not everyone who came to the Temple was looking for the coming Messiah and not everyone was familiar or even interested in the Scriptures, just like today. But for those special people who were interested, Anna made it clear to them exactly who this baby was before their very eyes!

Anna had spent most of her life building her reputation as a genuine article. Her truthfulness was her coin. It must have been a tremendous experience for those special people who had been looking for the coming Messiah and to be told by this Spirit-empowered woman, That’s Him!

I must tell you that this story leaves a sob in my throat. The mere mention of Anna’s name, and Simeon’s name plows my field! There were such people as this, though extremely few in number, and I believe there are a few today that God breathes on and nudges.

Furthermore, I believe that role is open to more people than want to trouble themselves with it. She: “…spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.” Today, it is not a light thing that some speak of His name freely and some never mention His name. Paul declared: Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed:
and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.  (1Corinthians 12:3)

Anna had to wash her dishes, do her laundry, and sweep out her apartment like all the other women in Israel. But, I doubt if she spent much time watching the Soaps and keeping up with the daily gossip found daily in the streets. Would to God that we could bring ourselves to being more like Anna and Simeon. We might be amazed at what God would share with us if we would pore over His Word and bow before Him in praise and worship.
He’s coming again, as certainly as He came the first time.  Are you looking for Him as were Simeon and Anna? Ω
      ● This article is edited and reprinted from Good Morning! – December 20, 2007

Read Through the Bible in a Year
 DECEMBER 19, 2017 - TUESDAY
 A.M. Micah 1-3     P.M. Revelation 10
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

A Good Verse to Memorize:
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)
 
Song for Today: 
He’s Emmanuel (8:05) (Ladies’ Sextet – Calvary Memorial Church – S.Pines, NC)

                                                       https://www.facebook.com/100009410046480/videos/2063449207312061/       
 
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DRESSING FOR SAFETY AND SUCCESS

12/17/2017

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   Dressing for Safety and Success

I will…
that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, …(which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.  (1Timothy 2:8-10)

Today’s text is abbreviated. You may want to read all three verses in the reference. America is in a public storm over sexual harassment of women by powerful men in the work place. It is dredging up a lot of mud that suggests the problem is bigger than is being reported. It has roots.

This week, CBS presented an expert who advised women on how to dress at upcoming office parties. Two pieces of advice: 1. Avoid skin-tight outfits. 2. Avoid a plunging neckline. This advice was offered about the current news on sexual harassment of women in the work place. Google brings up CBS news articles on how women ought to dress that go back 20 years or more.

If you go to Google Image and type in “dress codes in the work place,” you may be amazed at how many hundreds of thousands of connections those words will bring up. If you type in School Dress Codes, you will get a long page of articles. 
 
I went to Google Images and typed in: “Modest Dress.” It brought up a long page of images of women attired in modest attire. I typed in “Modest school dress.” Then, I tried something else: I scrolled from top to bottom to find even one dress with a hemline that came above the knee. I didn’t see one. Google seems to believe that “Modest Dress” is a garment that does not come above the knee. Also, there was a striking absence of plunging neck lines and very few of the garments were tight-fitting. Google knows exactly what modest dress is. Christians would do well learn from Google, and the Bible.
 
Years and years ago, I read somewhere that a woman’s attire should be tight enough to show that she’s a woman and loose enough to show that she’s a lady. (Whatever that is.) If another axiom is helpful: “a woman should dress to draw attention to her face.”
 
Mary Kay Ash (Mary Kay Cosmetics) strongly believed that maintaining a professional image should always be a very important aspect of the Mary Kay business. My first encounter with that was in a random newspaper article. I thought: “Hmmmm. Mary Kay Ash knows some things. This article appeared when it was not fashionable to be taking her position. Not only did she believe her sales ladies should dress modestly; their modesty should look nice and business like.

Isaiah had a word to say about nakedness. What is nakedness? Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground: there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate.  Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers.  Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man.  (Isaiah 47:1-3) In that culture, in that time, exposing the thigh was commonly known as “nakedness.”  It was that way in America until the last generation or two.

Men and women do not think alike because they are not made alike. Men are attracted first by what they see. If a woman wants to be responsible, she will not dress to provoke men to lust after them. Notice what Jesus said: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.  (Matthew 5:28)

I have had to wait at the counters in auto parts warehouses, electrical supply houses and plumbing supply houses. At almost these places of business there were several large calendars hanging on the wall with large pictures of scantily-clad young women staring down at the male customers. It keeps the men from complaining about having to wait so long to be waited on.

During World War2 pin-up pictures of movie stars were everywhere in barracks, ships, submarines, and painted on the nose of bombers. They were in their “most attractive” poses. Nobody complained.

Many women do not understand what makes men tick and they dress for whatever looks good to them and sometimes they may dress to “show their womanhood.” Christian women, especially, should dress responsibly and modestly. Some women grew up as “touchers” and “huggers.” That’s ok when you’re little, but be very careful what you are communicating to the men in your work place.

We are told in Scripture: Salute one another with an holy kiss. (Rom 16:16) (See also: 1Cor. 16:20; 2Cor.13:12; and 1Thess.5:26)  Yes and no. It was a strongly-entrenched practice for the men to greet one another with a friendly kiss on the cheek. Judas kissed Jesus that way. We call it “The Judas kiss.”

In the Western World we greet one another with a hand shake, primarily. Maybe a hug. In Southern churches, especially, we do a lot of hugging and maybe even have the instruments to play a lively hymn while we greet one another. A lot of “howdy” and hugging goes on at that time. In all of that there may sometimes be an inordinate amount of “pressing of bosoms.” (I’m being plain here. Somebody needs to be plain.)

It has been American culture for a long time for the woman to take the lead in touching a man. If she offers her hand, then the man responds by extending his hand. If the woman proceeds to hug, then the man follows. That’s…..fairly safe, I guess….maybe. I determined years and years ago that I would not hug a woman outside the family front-to-front. If I see it’s going to happen, there’s no time to lecture the woman on how she ought to do her hugging. I grasp her arms at the elbow and lean over slightly to let her touch me as she will. But, I remain in charge to prevent a “close-in.”

Sometimes, I hug a woman by turning sideways and hug by reaching around her and squeeze her arm against me. But, more often than not, if it’s hugging time in church, I extend my hand and shake hands.

Someone may say: “Why are you getting into this in a devotional?” Because I need to. Because I have been seeing stuff going on for 60 years. Because I have been listening to sad stories in my office. That’s why. If you can profit from this paragraph, please be my guest.

BUT IN THE OFFICE…..IN THE WORK PLACE, you ladies don’t go around being forward and assume all the men will be understanding of your friendliness. You’ll get yourself into big trouble! And please!!!! Don’t pick out a man in the office to be your comfort zone in spilling out your woes and the short-comings of your husband. Have you lost your mind?  I’m as serious as a heart attack. Women must be wise, today. VERY WISE!  WISE WIVES! Don’t bring sexual harassment onto yourself. 
Please dress for safety and success. Ω
  
Read Through the Bible in a Year
 DECEMBER 18, 2017 - MONDAY
 A.M. Jonah 1-4     P.M. Revelation 9
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

A Good Verse to Memorize:
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)

 
Song for Today: 
Farther Along (8:05) (Joni Eareckson Tada – Vestal Goodman -  Gaither Group)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7h491ur_iAw
 
About This Song: Joni Eareckson Tada dived into a shallow pool over 30 years ago and was from that moment paralyzed. Hear her testimony as she leads the group in this song and is then joined by Vestal Goodman. You will be blessed by this testimony and song.  I let this play over the week-end and today.                             
                                                           
   (You may have to adjust the volume and delete an ad.)
 

 
 
 
 


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    Dan Carr is a "retired" pastor, writer, teacher and continues to write at this website. This blog and other articles are e-mailed free to anyone who wants them. Go to: 
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    Dan and Barbara live 
    at Flat Rock, AL between Chattanooga, TN and Huntsville, AL. on Sand Mtn.
    We enjoy gardening, reading, church, family and friends.

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