JOY UNSPEAKABLE

HEBREW HONEYCOMB

William Andrew Dillard
JOY UNSPEAKABLE

“Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?” John 4:11.
So goes the question from the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well. Jesus had asked her for a drink. The woman was astonished that a Jew would ask anything of a Samaritan. It was then that Jesus offered her living water for the asking. Re-read the story in John chapter four, and think with me.
Who was this Samaritan woman? The answer is she was a descendent of Jacob. She was, with her forefathers, a worshipful woman. She knew that Christ was coming, and looked forward to learning what he would reveal. Was she morally upright? No. But I have noted a lot of church folks more knowledgeable than she are not as well. That does not make it right, but it is so.
So how does this end? There is no record of her being born again at this point, and the inference is that she already trusted in God, but to find the promised Messiah (Christ) was overwhelming beyond words. She immediately shared that knowledge in great joy with the men of the city. They, in turn, came to hear Jesus and implored Him to stay with them a while, which He did. The men of the city said in similar joy, “Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.” Hummm, it seems apparent that they knew about Christ, and they were looking for Christ which is not common among lost people.
So, the knowledge of assurance; of having seen and heard brought to them joy unspeakable and full of glory. Doubtless that joy led to others being born again that day and in the days following. The woman was static as she shared the good news, “He told all things that ever I did. . .” But it did not end there. Jesus shared with the people of Sychar some of the greatest news they could ever hope to hear as He abode a few days with them: news that would build throughout the age as individual disciples progress in knowledge, understanding, and maturity in the blessed Word. Joy gives way to joy as its waves of glory roll, as the hymn writer so marvelously wrote.
In 1900, Barney E. Warren penned the words to the great hymn , JOY UNSPEAKABLE. His understanding and experience is common to disciples of the age who are growing in Christ. He penned in the hymn, “I have found His grace is all complete. . . while I sit and learn at Jesus’ feet. I have found the pleasure I once craved . . . I have found that hope so bright and clear. . . I have found the joy no tongue can tell. . . it is like a great o’erflowing well, springing up within my soul. It is joy unspeakable and full of glory . . . Oh, the half has never yet been told.”

Point to Ponder

Point to Ponder

Tammy Mitchell Chastain

Christian Ladies and Cultural Dress

I know this won’t be very popular, but it is on my heart as it was part of my morning bible study today. I’m not perfect, but a work in progress. It seems that everywhere I go, I see women who feel the need to show too much of their bodies. I personally do not like to see down a woman’s shirt while I am in a restaurant or anywhere for that matter. Or, some woman wearing leggings that show everything and refuse to wear a shirt long enough to cover what needs to be covered. If they want to be attractive, that is not the way to do it. They have no godly pride whatsoever. Either the women don’t know better, or they do and just don’t care because it is all about them, or, they are trying to get attention and acceptance from someone…or anyone. Here are a few examples of why I feel the way I do about this issue.

When God was looking for a King to lead Israel, he turned down everyone who was focused on the outward appearance. God looks to see what is in our heart. (1 Samuel 16:7). Another example is 2 Timothy 2:9. The word modest means “well-ordered in a modest sense”. One of the main reasons this bothers me is the fact that Jesus said “If a man looks upon a woman to lust after her, he has committed adultery already in his heart”. (Matthew 5:28). Ladies, is the way we are dressing causing men to lust after us? You might say, well, if they do, that’s their problem. But, God is going to hold us responsible for our part as well.

We need to dress in a God honoring way that would reflect HIS character in us and we need to be examples to the younger generations. Our adornment should be humility, love, and grace, just to name a few. Beauty is on the inside. Right after Peter writes about wives submitting to their husbands, he says, “Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. ”(I Peter 3:3-4)

Wow. “In the sight of God of great price”. That ladies, should give us solid confidence to the point we don’t need to go out half-dressed just to get looks or comments or silent lusts. We don’t have to be of our culture. We are to be separate, and different. God has accepted me by His grace and Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. We who are Christians, need to accept that love from God and be secure in who we are in Him.

Eve’s Temptations

Genesis 3:1-7
“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat,” Genesis 3:6.
 
Temptations come in many forms and every one of us has a weakness or two. What are your weaknesses? Maybe you lack strength to resist the temptations of power, wealth, possessions, food or lust; whatever our weaknesses may be, it is important to remember that temptations do not come from God (James 1:13). Maybe you are thinking, Well, of course, God does not tempt me to sin! That is not too difficult to understand. The problem, however, lies in the fact that we are led astray by our desire to play the role of God in our own lives. When we sin, we decide to take control of our lives out of God’s hands because we think we know better than He knows.
Think about Eve’s temptation for a minute. What was it that led her and Adam astray in the garden? It was the idea that, somehow, God was cheating them by forbidding them to eat from one tree in the garden. There were thousands of trees from which they could eat, but only one that was forbidden, and that was the one they wanted. They were tempted by their own pride, desiring to be in control of their own destinies.
Every temptation we face begins in the same way. We think we know better than God, and, instead of humbly trusting Him, we venture down the path governed by pride, giving in to our own desires. What do we find at the end of that path? We find disappointment, discouragement and despair. Why? It is because we make terrible gods.
 
 

75 – March – 16 – THIS DAY IN BAPTIST HISTORY PAST

First white woman to see Japan
1907 – Lucy Ann (St. John) Knowlton, the first white woman to see Japan died on this day.  Few in the little white frame building that housed the First Baptist Church of Napoleon, Michigan would have ever though that one of theirs would have such honor.  Lucy was the daughter of a deacon who married Miles J. Knowlton, a missionary to China, and saw the land of the “Rising Sun” as they were bound for that land, having sailed for Ningpo, China on Dec. 10, 1853.  The Knowlton’s arrived in China as the civil war was raging in that country and it lasted for many years.  Knowlton’s efforts in evangelism met with great success over the twenty-one years that they spent in Ningpo.  However, as the war swept into their area, Mrs. Knowlton saw things that literally shocked her to the point that her health collapsed and they had to return to America for restoration.  In two years her health was improved and they were able to return and they enjoyed a blessed spiritual harvest.  At the conclusion of fifteen years, and Lucy’s health deteriorating again they took another two year furlough in the States.  It was his only furlough and during this time he lectured in several colleges and seminaries where he also received an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree.  He was also able to preach in his home church in Vermont where he saw the joy of seeing converts baptized.  In 1872 the Knowlton’s sailed again for Ningpo from San Francisco and this time it was only a trip of four weeks since they didn’t have to sail around the Cape Horn.  However, after two years Dr. Knowlton died of exhaustion.    Lucy lived on for twenty more years and was invited often to speak to ladies groups concerning the challenges of China.  She went to be with her Lord from their daughter’s home in Chicago.
Dr. Greg J. Dixon, from: This Day in Baptist History Vol. I: Cummins/Thompson /, pp. 107.
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Woman [and] Eve

 

’Iššāh [and] Chawwāh

 

Today’s words will not please the militant feminists of our day, but God has done more for women than the so-called “feminist movement” could even dream of. Adam actually gave two names to the woman that God provided for him. The first, of course, was Woman (Gen_2:23), the Hebrew ’Iššāh (H802), which Adam himself defined as “taken out of Man.” She is, quite literally, a part of man. (See February 8 for another use of ’iššāh.)

 

While Greek, Roman, and Jewish culture all held women in low regard, God and His Word hold them in the highest. The OT specifically teaches that women are spiritually equal to men. The Mosaic Law was given to all Israel, women as well as men (Deu_1:1). Both were to teach it to their children (Deu_6:4-7; Pro_6:20). The protection of the law applied equally to women (cf. Exo_21:28-32). Women had inheritance rights (Num_36:1-12). Men and women alike participated in the Jewish religious feasts (Exo_12:3; Deu_16:9-15). The single greatest spiritual vow, the Nazirite vow, was open to both men and women (Num_6:2). Women were involved in spiritual service (Exo_38:8; Neh_7:67). Nor did God hesitate to deal directly with women (Gen_3:13; Gen_16:7-13; Jdg_13:3).

 

The second name Adam gave this Woman was Eve, a name that should truly bless the heart of every woman. It is the Hebrew Chawwāh (H2332), which is related to chāyāh (H2421, “to be alive”) and Adam expounds as “the mother of all living” (Gen_3:20), as she gave birth (life) to the entire human race (Gen_4:1-2). What a truth! Every wife is both an ’iššāh, who is dependent on a man for her living, and a Chawwāh, on whom every man is dependent for his life. The warm-hearted Walt Disney movie The Lion King contained a song titled “The Circle of Life,” but what we see here is the real circle of life. And God did (and continues to do) all this through one institution, marriage.

 

To each dear, godly lady who might be reading this, may God richly bless you as you bring life into this world for His glory.

 

Scriptures for Study: Read the verses mentioned in today’s study, meditating on the place God has given women and the implications of that truth.

 

 

 

Make Your Days Count!

 

Psalm 90:10-12

 

“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom,” Psalm 90:12. 

 

 

 

In the middle of his anguish and loss, Job recorded these words about the brevity of life: “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not” (Job 14:1, 2).

 

I am sure there are days when you feel the same way about life. When things go wrong, it’s easy to remember how good life used to be and allow a feeling of despair and dread to come over you. But, if you are reading this, you are not done yet. God is not finished with you. As long as there is air in our lungs and blood coursing through our veins, there is work to be done. Surely, when our race is finished, God will bring us home to Him, but until then, we have a job to do. We do not accomplish that job by glorying in the past, but by hopefully marching toward the future on a wild ride of faith. Job did not give up, but pressed on in faith. God honored his faithfulness and blessed him with the resources he needed to glorify God on earth, restoring to him all that he had lost. A life of faith trusts God even in the dark days and vows to pursue God every day to make each day count. Your life may be short compared to eternity, but it is what you do with your life on earth that counts in eternity. Like the old hymn says, “Only what you do for Him will be counted in the end; only what you do for Christ will last!” (Raymond Rasberry, “Only What You Do for Christ Will Last”)

 

 

 

JUST A THOUGHT

 

Will you make today count for eternity?

 

 

 

Mark Clements

 

 

 

The Cab Ride I’ll Never Forget – Kent Nerburn

The Cab Ride I’ll Never Forget – Kent Nerburn.

MAN AND SOME MEANINGS

I want to take a look at the word man and how it is used in God’s Word. We will look at some definitions and take a look at some scripture and see how different definitions impact the meaning of scripture.

DEFINITIONS:
1. MAN – aner –
    1. with reference to sex
        1a. of a male
        1b of a husband
        1c. of a betrothed or future husband.
    2, with reference to age, and to distinguish an adult man from a boy.
    3. any male
    4. used generically of a group of both men and women.
Part of Speech: noun masculine.
Primarily and almost exclusively this word is used to refer to a male.

2. MAN – ANTHROPOS
    Of the Greek terms anthropos stands for man9kind0 generally – a human being (Matt 12:12; Mar 10:27); though it is sometimes used to indicate man in his imperfection and weakness (I Cor. 3:3,4), in such expressions as “to speak as a man” (Rom 3:5), and several other examples.

3. WOMAN – GYNE
    1. a woman of any age, whether a virgin, or married, or a widow.
    2. a wife
        a. of a betrothed woman
PART OF SPEECH: feminine noun.

Let us do a little scripture comparison. Ephesians 5:22 which most are familiar with relates a husband and a wife and their relationship and that relationship demonstrated between Christ and His Church. The word husband is the Greek word aner which is a male/husband according to the Greek. The wife is Greek Gyne which is definitely a female/wife. Now to infer that the term husband used here could refer to a woman would be blasphemous. It would be in direct contradiction to the instruction of Romans 1:26 where women and women came together. I know that those that say they worship God and trust in Jesus would never consent to changing this husband in these passages to mean a woman or the term woman to mean a man. By the way, Ephesians 5:25-27 pretty much corresponds with the passage in Revelation speaking of a pure bride. Here we have the church represented as a bride of Christ.

Now I will proceed to anger some to a great extent. Not because of a desire I have to anger, but I will be plain in what I say about this next passage and what it means and how it is applied and the bottle babies; those that are still on milk and not able to handle meat; those that are all wrapped up in emotion and its physical demonstration will choke on this passage. I Corinthians 14:34 is a passage that the word woman is gyne meaning, yes you guessed it – female/wife/woman. Notice the term – keep silence in the churches. Before you pass out from spiking blood pressure run quickly back to verse 33. Paul says “God is not the author of  confusion but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.” Just an aside hear – notice the plural word churches. Paul did not know of a universeral invisible church. He personally planted churches. Back to the subject – Paul was addressing a particular problem here in this church. Apparently people were getting emotional and calling it “being led by the Spirit,” and causing such a ruckus in the church that the message being preached could not be heard. Paul addressed the guilty ones. Paul make a clear statement to the women – God was not the author of what they were doing. Now go ahead and deny the word of God given to Paul. Say, Paul was not inspired here but in the previous chapter he was. Now this scripture is not to be taken as far as some have taken it, and yet it is clear in that it addressed women and their disruption of God’s worship. Notice verse 40 “Let all things be done decently and in order.”

One more verse for now will suffice to be an example of not mixing up the words that have been used in different scriptures. I Timothy 2:8 “I will therefore that men pray every where lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.” Yes I heard it too, the minds clicking shut because they don’t want to hear this. Today this is a personal passion for many people. That men – aner – male and you cannot substitute female here. It is male  that is to lift Holy hands. Ladies if it is your desire to do this then get a sex change operation so that you will at least outwardly be in compliance with this command. Follow this further. The term every where means every where. In the grocery store – lift holy hands. At the gas station – lift holy hands. In the the cafe – lift holy hands. Right now some of you want to lift “holy hands” and yet it says to do it “without wrath” and you are so angry over this that you cannot do it stay true to the Word of God. But then if staying true to the Word of God were that important to a person, they would quit doing what the scripture says to quit doing and they would do what the scripture says to do. Shame on you if you can’t be true to GOD’S WORD.Technorati Tags: man, woman, emotion, Paul, church