Burunche’s Blog

Revelation 14:4 – 5 “These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they are virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They have been redeemed from among men as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. And no lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.”

There have been all kinds of speculations about the mention of virgins, including references to various schools of philosophy that taught that the body was sinful, etc., etc. Barclay even goes so far as to suggest that perhaps a mistake was made when the passage was copied. I would like to suggest a different option.

Remember that the age in which John received this vision was one in which every sexual perversion imagineable was being practiced. Sexual perverts even preyed on small children. And consider the concept of first fruits. Offering first fruits meant offering the first part of the harvest, with no guarantee that there would be more. It was an act of faith. Men redeemed their first born sons by offering a lamb or turtle doves without blemish. Now think about Christian families who have been martyred recently in Africa and India and Asia. Even the children were killed. So it is not inconceivable that this group referred to might be child martyrs who have died for their faith. If you have ever encountered children who believe in Jesus, their faith is some of the purest faith you will ever witness. I feel that these are the children murdered by terrorists in the churches of Northern Nigeria and Sudan. These are the children murdered by extremists in rural India. Even when Jesus was here on earth, children were always flocking to Him. Why wouldn’t they surround Him in heaven? Now these precious little ones are safe and they are following the Lamb for whom they and their parents died.

Revelation 14:6-7 “Then I saw another angel flying overhead, with the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation and tribe and tongue and people. He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come. Worship the One who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and the springs of waters.”

2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.” The earth is nearing its very end and yet God is still sending an angel to preach the Gospel one last time! Mankind is being given one last chance to turn to the One True Living God and to escape hell. Truly, God does not send anyone to hell; people choose to go there!

Revelation 14:8-11 “Then a second angel followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, who has made all the nations drink the wine of the passion of her immorality.” And a third angel followed them, calling out in a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image, and receives its mark on his forehead or on his hand, he too will drink the wine of God’s anger, poured undiluted into the cup of His wrath. And he will be tormented in fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises forever and ever. Day and night there is no rest for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.” Here is a call for the endurance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”

Throughout history, there have been all kinds of arguments about the identity of Babylon – is it Rome? New York? But the concept of Babylon is bigger than an individual location. The point here is that throughout the earth, men who have become intoxicated with money or power or things and have worshiped the beast and have taken his mark and have not repented will suffer eternal torment. Those who have remained faithful to God throughout all these trials will be with Him forever. But as Barclay observes, “Behind all this remains the eternal truth that the nation or the man whose influence is to evil will not escape the avenging wrath of God.”

What are we to do with these verses? God is a loving Father who sent His only Son to die for our sins. The message of Christmas is that Jesus was and is Immanuel, “God with us.” But God does not force anyone to believe. We must choose to believe that Jesus has died for our sins and confess that we are sinners. We must then follow God throughout the rest of our lives. And we must be mindful of times and seasons. As things stand now, we could see the mark of the beast being encouraged or forced on the world within the next few years.

PRAYER: Father God, thank you for sending Jesus to live as a man and to die for our sins. Thank you that Jesus conquered death and the grave and that He rose again and is with you in heaven. Thank you for loving us so much that it is not your will that any of us should perish spiritually but that each one of us should have eternal life. Lord, help this to make sense to every one who reads this. In the mighty and precious Name of Jesus. Amen.

Luke 2:15 “So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made [f]widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.”

If you are a shepherd and you have seen angels and you have told everybody you could find about the angels and the baby lying in a manger, what do you do when you return to your sheep? One of our friends, Pastor Doug Hardin, recently wrote a piece called “One Lone Shepherd.” A practical – minded farm boy, Pastor Doug realized that somebody must have had to stay back and mind the sheep while everybody else ran into Bethlehem. How did they choose who stayed back? There must have been a discussion; probably the youngest shepherd had to stay while the other shepherds got to go into Bethlehem and then they allowed him to go in and see the Baby after they got back. But what must the shepherds have done after that?

First comes the question of credibility. How many people in Bethlehem believed the shepherds in the first place? After all, shepherds weren’t exactly upper class. And then perhaps some people thought the shepherds might have been drinking, except that they couldn’t smell any alcohol on their breath. Did the shepherds attempt to inform any religious leaders? And if the shepherds informed any religious leaders, did the religious leaders believe the shepherds? After all, this is the middle of the night. Perhaps the shepherds had simple friends and relatives they could trust and they informed those people, but if that’s the case, we never hear about more visitors to the Baby Jesus.

Perhaps the people who heard the shepherds’ story believed them, but their thinking might have gone like this: “Hey, Miriam! How much longer is this census supposed to last? Can you believe these huge crowds? These strangers are flooding into our small town of Bethlehem! I never knew there were so many people claiming to be descendants of David! Where have all these people come from? And how much longer are they planning to stay? The inns are full, food and water are running short, and even getting fodder for donkeys and camels is becoming a problem. And the Roman soldiers are plain ridiculous, marching down the center of the narrow streets like they own the place! Meanwhile, my next door neighbor just told me this weird story she heard from her crazy brother who is a local shepherd….Huh! Angels? Babies in stables? Incredible! Who knows? Perhaps we can check it out in a few days when things settle down.”

I like to think that there were people who visited Mary and Joseph and the Baby Jesus. Certainly, the children of Bethlehem were probably running all over the place, getting into things they weren’t supposed to. Little kids would have been fascinated by a baby lying in a manger in a cave that served as a stable. And children would have no problems believing in angels. Perhaps some of those children later followed Jesus in His ministry and even became some of the first Christians. We will never know this side of heaven.

And meanwhile, the shepherds have had to return to their stupid stinky sheep. Instead of angelic voices, all the shepherds are hearing now is “Baaa!” But for the shepherds, the angelic visitation was life – changing. For the rest of their lives, the shepherds would remember that night and glorify and praise God. And when they died, they would find that Baby now all grown up, welcoming them into heaven. All because they believed and remembered and continued to praise and glorify God.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please help us to have the same faith the shepherds had. Help us to search for you, to find you, and to hold fast to you. Thank you for coming, for living, for dying for us, and for rising to give us eternal life. Amen.

Revelation 14:14:2-3 “And I heard a voice from heaven like the sound of many waters and like the voice of great thunder, and the voice I heard was like the sound of harpers playing on their harps. And they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders, and no one was able to learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased for God from the earth.”

William Barclay describes this song:

(i) It was like the sound of many waters. Here we are reminded of the power of the voice of God, for there is no power like the crash of the mountainous waves upon the beaches and the cliffs. Waves pounding on a seashore make a thrilling sound that can be heard long before the ocean comes into view.

(ii) It was like the voice of great thunder. Here we are reminded of the unmistakableness of the voice of God. No one can fail to hear the thunder-clap.

(iii) It was like the sound of many harpers playing on their harps. Here we are reminded of the melody of the voice of God. There is in that voice the gentle graciousness of sweet music to calm the troubled heart. The mark of the Holy Spirit is peace, and that peace would certainly pervade such music.

The Lamb’s company were singing a song which only they could learn. Here there is a truth which runs through all life. To learn certain things a man must be a certain kind of person. The Lamb’s company were able to learn the new song because they had passed through certain experiences.

(a) They had suffered. There are certain things which only sorrow can teach. As someone made the poets say: “We learned in suffering what we teach in song.” Sorrow can produce resentment but it can also produce faith and peace and a new song.

“I don’t want to hear one more thing from someone who has not earned their Ph.D. in suffering!” I huffed to my friend. It was 1990 and we had been through some hellish experiences. Unfortunately, all too many acquaintances had offered meaningless platitudes that gave no comfort and only served to illustrate how little they understood our situation. The friends we learned to treasure the most were those who had also suffered great losses. That suffering had taught them humility and a willingness to listen rather than to jump to conclusions.

(b) They had lived in loyalty. It is clear that, as the years pass on, the leader will draw closer to his loyal followers and they to him; then he will be able to teach them things the unfaithful or spasmodic follower can never learn. Recently, one of our long – time friends died. This lady’s constant prayer was that she become closer to Jesus each day than she was the day before. Even though this lady had followed Jesus for most of her life, she continued to be a humble learner, grateful for any new insights that others might bring.

(c) That is another way of saying that the company of the Lamb had made steady progress in spiritual growth. A teacher can teach deeper things to a mature student than to an immature beginner. And Jesus Christ can reveal more treasures of wisdom to those who day by day grow up into him. The tragedy of so many is static Christianity. Growing closer to Jesus Christ is an ongoing dynamic process. Married couples with strong relationships testify that a good marriage takes work and commitment; it is the same with our relationship with Jesus. When couples first marry, they are sure that they can’t love each other any more than they do on their wedding days. But after years of living together and facing challenges, these couples realize that the love they have now far exceeds the love they had originally because now their love has stood the test of time. If we are to follow Jesus, we must study God’s Word and pray. God has promised that when we pray, He will give us knowledge and understanding.

PRAYER: Lord, please deliver us from static Christianity! Help us to grow daily in our faith. Give us a desire to know you better and more deeply. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Psalm 30: 11 “You have turned my mourning into dancing for me; You have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, ¹² That my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.”

King David probably wrote this psalm while he was still herding his father’s sheep. Sheep make a wonderful audience; you can dance and look silly, and the sheep won’t care. Later when King David was bringing the ark into Jerusalem, he danced down the main street of town, leading the worship. Who knows? It’s quite possible that when the angels appeared to the shepherds, they might have been amusing themselves by playing on some kind of flute and singing. And when the shepherds returned from Bethlehem rejoicing? Why wouldn’t they have danced for joy then?

During the Middle Ages, many people were illiterate; if they were to hear the Gospel, it would have to be presented in art, in dance, or in productions known as “Miracle Plays.” Part of the reason for the magnificent stain glass windows in the cathedrals was to illustrate the stories of the Bible. St. Francis of Assisi is supposed to have initiated one of the first living nativity scenes so that everyone could see the Christmas story re – enacted.

The words copied here are part of a much longer song that portrayed the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. There are many movingly lovely versions on YouTube, but the link above is particularly good because it’s likely that this is what the production in the cathedral may have looked like originally. Listen to the music and allow the love of Jesus to fill your hearts with joy!

TOMORROW SHALL BE MY DANCING DAY

Tomorrow shall be my dancing day; I would my true love did so chance

To see the legend of my play, To call my true love to my dance;

Chorus

Sing, oh! my love, oh! my love, my love, my love,

This have I done for my true love

Then was I born of a virgin pure, Of her I took fleshly substance

Thus was I knit to man’s nature To call my true love to my dance. Chorus

In a manger laid, and wrapped I was So very poor, this was my chance

Betwixt an ox and a silly poor ass To call my true love to my dance. Chorus

Then afterwards baptized I was; The Holy Ghost on me did glance,

My Father’s voice heard from above, To call my true love to my dance. Chorus

Then down to hell I took my way For my true love’s deliverance,

And rose again on the third day, Up to my true love and the dance. Chorus

Then up to heaven I did ascend, Where now I dwell in sure substance

On the right hand of God, that man May come unto the general dance. Chorus

PRAYER: Father, today we need joy as never before! Many of us are facing bleak circumstances and problems that appear insurmountable. But Lord, you are the one who can turn our mourning into dancing. Today, please enter our hearts and fill us with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self – control – all the fruits of your Holy Spirit. And help us to rejoice in You! Amen.

Isaiah 61: 1-3 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; he has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; ² To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn, ³ To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

The Prophet Isaiah was given some of the most magnificent prophecies in the entire Old Testament, and this is certainly one of them! This prophecy speaks of the purpose and ministry of the coming Messiah. At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, just after Jesus had completed being tempted by Satan in the wilderness, Jesus returned to his home town of Nazareth. On the Sabbath, Jesus was invited to read the Haftorah and this was the section for that particular day. Jesus took this opportunity to announce the beginning of His ministry. (Luke 4:21 “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled…”)

After the Children of Israel reached the Promised Land, they broke their covenant with God. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that they annihilated their covenant with God! God had warned them to have nothing to do with the terrible religions practiced by the Canaanites and Philistines; however, holiness was such a drag and fertility cults were soooooo attractive. Although the Bible does not state it, Rabbinical tradition holds that evil King Manasseh killed the prophet Isiah by sawing him in two. As a result of this cumulative wickedness, both the Northern and Southern kingdoms were destroyed and many of their citizens carried off to Babylon. There in exile, the Jews began to take their own prophecies seriously and long for the coming of the Messiah. And the passage from Isaiah 61 was one of the best – beloved prophecies.

Sadly, after years of waiting for the Messiah to appear, many of the religious leaders failed to recognize Him when He actually came. The Jewish religious leaders expected the Messiah to be a triumphant military leader; in no way did Jesus fit their expectations. Today Jesus still comes in ways that we least expect. But the purpose of Jesus’ coming has not changed. Jesus still comes “to comfort all who mourn, ³ To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” Who among us does not need comfort? Who among us has not watched treasured hopes and dreams turn to ashes? Who among us has not suffered from a spirit of heaviness? And who among us can honestly state that he/she feels like a tree of righteousness?

Jesus came to heal, to restore, and to give us joy! But we cannot dictate terms; we cannot cling to darkness if we expect light to come into our lives. The speed of light is also the speed of darkness; darkness flees when light comes. Jesus came as the Light of the world. Today, let us open our hearts to receive Jesus’ Light and Joy!

PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, today many of us are sad. It has been a tough year. Many of us have lost loved ones, jobs, hopes, dreams, perhaps even our homes. Lord, you are the One who sent Jesus to comfort all who mourn. Please comfort us! Give us joy! And give us hope that with Your help, this coming year will bring new beginnings. Amen.

Revelation 14:1- 3 “Then I looked and saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him 144,000 who had His name and His Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of many waters and the loud rumbling of thunder. And the sound I heard was like harpists strumming their harps. And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders.”

These days, tattoos are very popular. Some people have one or two discrete tattoos on an ankle or a shoulder while others have extensive tattooing over most of their bodies. These tattoos are selected for their beauty or for their significance to the person receiving them. But the design and location of the tattoos are always a matter of individual preference. Here those who have followed the Lamb have His Name and His Father’s Name written on their foreheads for everyone to see. It’s possible that these marks glow with a holy light. Remember that when Moses would speak with God, afterwards his face would glow so brightly that he had to cover his face before people could stand to look at him. What do these marks indicate?

William Barclay explains:

(i) It could stand for ownership. Often the slave was branded with his owner’s mark, as sheep and cattle are branded. The company with the Lamb belong to God.

(ii) It could stand for loyalty. The soldier would sometimes brand his hand with the name of the general whom he loved and would follow into any battle. The company of the Lamb are the veterans who have proved their loyalty.

(iii) It could stand for security. Those who bear the mark of the Lamb can never be snatched away from Him. The company of the Lamb are those marked for security in life and in death.

(iv) It could stand for dependence. The great Arab chieftains had their humble clients who were absolutely dependent on them. Often the sheikh would brand them with the same mark as he used to brand his camels to show that they were dependent on him. The company of the Lamb are those who are utterly dependent on his love and grace.

(v) It could stand for safety. It was common for those who were the devotees of a god to be stamped with his sign… There was a temple in Egypt which possessed the right of asylum. Any criminal, slave or free man, was safe there from pursuing vengeance. When such a fugitive reached that temple, he was branded with certain sacred marks in token that he had delivered himself to the god and that none could touch him any more. They were the marks of absolute security. The company of the Lamb are those who have cast themselves on the mercy of God in Jesus Christ and are forever safe.

Above all else, it is clear that these Jesus followers belong to Jesus and are loyal to Him and depend on Him. Now and forever they are safe and secure. The question each of us must answer is this: whose mark will we bear? Will we choose to accept Jesus as Savior and Lord and follow Him, or will we choose to go our own way? There is no such thing as neutrality in the spirit world; either we serve Jesus or we serve Satan.

PRAYER: Father God, help each of us to search our hearts and to answer that question: whom are we serving? whom are we following? And if we must answer that we are not serving You, may we turn our lives around and seek Your light and your truth. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Revelation 13:16-18 “And the second beast required all people small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark—the name of the beast or the number of its name. Here is a call for wisdom: Let the one who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and that number is 666.”

In the vision, those worshiping Caesar had marks on their right hands and on their foreheads. Barclay comments, “This mark is another of the grim parodies which occur in this chapter; it is a parody of a sacred Jewish custom. When a Jew prayed, he wore phylacteries on his left arm and on his forehead. They were little leather boxes with little scrolls of parchment inside them on which were written key scriptures from the Torah.”

Marks and tattoos of various kinds were commonly used in the Roman Empire in a variety of ways. Again, Barclay comments, “The word for the mark of the beast is charagma, and it could come from more than one ancient custom.

(i) Sometimes domestic slaves were branded with the mark of their owner. But usually they were branded only if they had run away or had been guilty of some grave misdemeanor. Such a mark was called a stigma; we still use the word in English. If the mark is connected with this, it means that those who worship the beast are his property.

(ii) Sometimes soldiers branded themselves with the name of their general, if they were very devoted to him. This, to some extent, corresponds to the modern custom of tattooing upon one’s person the name of someone specially dear. If the mark is connected with this, it means that those who worship the beast are his devoted followers.

(iii) On every contract of buying or selling there was a charagma, a seal, and on the seal the name of the emperor and the date. If the mark is connected with this, it means that those who worship the beast accept his authority.

(iv) All coinage had the head and inscription of the emperor stamped upon it, to show that it was his property. If the mark is connected with this, it again means that those who bear it are the property of the beast.

(v) When a man had burned his pinch of incense to Caesar, he was given a certificate to say that he had done so. The mark of the beast may be the certificate of worship, which a Christian could obtain only at the cost of denying his faith.

 What form will the mark of the beast take in this present age? Chips or other implants would be very simple and the technology has existed for years. There might be other even more subtle forms of marking and tracking with GPS technology. The question will be the same as it was for the ancient Christians: will we be faithful to the death?

What can be said about the number representing the Beast? Theologians and philosophers have struggled with this for years, coming up with all kinds of codes. Using one numbering system, the Hebrew letters for Nero Caesar add up to 666. Does this mean that Nero will be reborn? Nero was a horribly evil man and was obviously inspired by Satan. Whether or not Nero himself were to return, the import of this statement is that someone every bit as evil as Nero will appear.

J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of The Lord of the Rings was a devout Catholic who truly believed in Jesus Christ. At one point in the story when things look particularly bleak, Frodo and Gandalf the magician are talking.

 “I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “

“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

Nobody is anxious to live during the time when the two beasts and the dragon appear and people are forced to take the mark of the beast or to die painful deaths. But we have no choice about that. What we can choose to do is to follow Jesus Christ as faithfully as possible and to beg God to help us so that we will be found faithful, no matter what.

PRAYER Father God, thank you for loving us! Thank you for sending Jesus to die for our sins and to set us free from Satan’s bondage. Lord, help us to follow hard after you all the days of our lives and to love you more each day than we did the day before. Help us to be faithful, no matter the circumstances. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Luke 2: ⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” ¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” ¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”

Sheep are really stupid and stubborn! Give a sheep any chance at all, and before you know it, the sheep will have wandered off following the next attractive clump of grass. There’s a meme that has appeared on Facebook showing a sheep standing on a small rock that is caught between two cliffs with a chasm below. When the Bible refers to us as sheep, it’s no complement! And sheep stink! There is a particular odor to the lanolin that comes off the wool of a live sheep. That stinky lanolin plus the grease from the sheep’s wool will come off on anybody who touches the sheep. What would shepherds who had to work with sheep and sometimes carry them smell like? And given the fact that there might not be a great deal of water out in a pasture, bathing might not have been a priority for shepherds either.

While the Scriptures may have spoken of King David as having begun as a shepherd and of the Messiah as feeding His flock like a shepherd, the religious leaders of Israel wanted nothing to do with real shepherds. Shepherds were low – class and poorly educated. Watching sheep leaves little time to study Torah. It’s likely that the Bethlehem shepherds had started as children and that herding sheep and goats was the only thing they really knew. And yet, here is the miracle, the mystery, the wonder of it! God sent angels to these shepherds! Angels! And moreover, the shepherds joyfully received the message the angels brought and obeyed immediately. When Zechariah, an educated priest, met the Angel Gabriel, Zechariah refused to believe the message and had to suffer as a mute for 9 months. But the shepherds had no such problem; they believed and acted instantly. What made the difference?

Shepherds lived outside much of the time, in all kinds of weather. Being a shepherd meant adjusting to whatever natural conditions prevailed and accepting the way sheep would behave. Meanwhile, the religious leaders had reached the point where they had everything dissected, cut, dried, itemized, and parsed. It’s possible that even had angels appeared in the temple, the religious leaders would not have recognized them but would have merely thought that there was an unusual amount of light for some reason. Later when Jesus was baptized and God said, “This is my beloved Son,” some people only heard thunder. Elizabeth Barrett Browning once wrote, ““Earth’s crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with God, but only he who sees takes off his shoes; The rest sit round and pluck blackberries.”

Today, God wants to send you joy! But are you willing to receive that joy? We are never told of the problems the shepherds were facing. We know nothing about their poor pay or their difficult living conditions. All we are told is that the shepherds received the angels gladly, they obeyed and found the Baby Jesus, and they told others. May God give each of us spiritual eyes to see the joy set before us!

PRAYER: Father, today we ask that you will help each one of us to stop wallowing in our problems and to see the joy that you want to give us. Thank you that you are going to give us special tokens of your love and care! Help us to recognize the common bushes aflame with God and take off our shoes in reverence and awe. Amen.

Luke 2:7 “And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”

John 16:21 “A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.”

Although I had good training in obstetrics as a medical student, I really learned midwifery in the middle of the Northern Ethnic Conflict of 1994. With no midwives available, I had to brush up on midwifery very quickly! Fortunately, the late Tani Alhassan had trained as a midwife. Tani would watch the pregnant ladies and do simple deliveries while I would handle the more complicated OB. With no electricity in Saboba, we had to use kerosene lanterns or flashlights (electric torches) for light for deliveries. When Bob was finally able to rig up a 12 – volt light for us that ran off a car battery, we thought we were in heaven! Over the years, I have probably delivered hundreds of babies. Two years ago, I had to do a delivery in the dark just outside our Children’s Ward because the poor lady couldn’t make it the last 50 meters to the Maternity ward. (I slid a rubber apron under the lady’s bottom and delivered the baby and placenta and then had to pinch the umbilical cord while our nurses came running to help. Mother and baby did fine.)

In each case, once the baby was delivered, the mothers were relieved and thrilled to have a healthy newborn baby. Many people have written about the Virgin Mary and what it must have been like for her to have to give birth away from home with no women to assist her or to perform the normal rituals. Ezekiel 16:4 describes the rituals surrounding a birth; newborn babies were rubbed with salt. “As for your nativity, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed in water to cleanse you; you were not rubbed with salt nor wrapped in swaddling cloths.”

Mary may not have had much water to wash the Baby Jesus, and there is no mention made of salt, so she might have had to settle for wrapping Him in swaddling cloths alone. But these cloths had an additional significance.

Have you ever wondered about “swaddling clothes”? Everyone knows that Jesus was born in a manger, and the 2nd chapter of the gospel of Luke says that he was wrapped in “swaddling clothes” and laid in a manger. In fact, even hospitals today use a cloth that they call a “swaddling” cloth. Unfortunately, it’s a misnomer that will soon be over 2,000 years old, because “swaddling clothes” have nothing to do with a child being born!

In the Middle East, people traveling long distances were often met with many hardships and trials on their journeys. In the event of a death in travel, the body could not continue to be transported for many days. For that reason, travelers wrapped a thin, gauzelike cloth around their waist many times. If someone died on the journey, the others would use this cloth, referred to as “swaddling clothes” to wrap the corpse in before burying them.

When Jesus was born, there was no room in the Inn, and so Mary and Joseph used a nearby stable for Jesus’ birth. With no other cloth to use, Jesus was wrapped in Joseph’s “swaddling clothes” – the cloth normally reserved for a person’s death. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords came into this world in a lowly manger and was wrapped with burial clothes – in truth, He was born to die. To die for the sins of all mankind. Source:https://christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/12197/what-is-significant-about-the-swaddling-clothes-with-which-jesus-was-wrapped-as

Many times, we must suffer before we can rejoice, but we must keep looking upwards. Discouragement is of the Devil, and it is so easy to become discouraged! Take heart! Even now, God is moving in your situation. Trust and look for signs of His working.

PRAYER: Father, thank you that even though we may have to endure pain, there will be joy at the end! And thank you that the King of Heaven and Earth was not born in luxurious surroundings, but in the lowliest place possible. And because Jesus came to live and die and rise again, some day we will have “joy unspeakable and full of glory.” Amen.

Revelation 13:11- 15 “Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. This beast had two horns like a lamb, but spoke like a dragon. And this beast exercised all the authority of the first beast and caused the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose mortal wound had been healed. And the second beast performed great signs to cause even fire from heaven to come down to earth in the presence of the people. Because of the signs it was given to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived those who dwell on the earth, telling them to make an image to the beast that had been wounded by the sword and yet had lived. The second beast was permitted to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship it to be killed.“

As if things weren’t scary enough, now there is a second beast reinforcing the power of the first beast. What’s going on? These visions frequently work on several different levels. How would John have viewed this vision? How might we view it? At the time of John, the Roman Empire was the greatest political power on earth and the Caesars had declared themselves gods. There was even a legend that the Emperor Nero would rise from the dead. Considering the Roman Empire as the first beast, Barclay suggests that the second beast is actually the organization that was set up to enforce Caesar worship throughout the Empire.

Barclay comments about this power:

(i) It produces signs and wonders, such as fire from heaven; it brings it about that the image of the beast should speak. Everywhere there were statues of the emperor in the presence of which the official act of worship was carried out. In all ancient religions the priests knew how to produce signs and wonders; they knew well how to produce the effect of a speaking image. Pharaoh had had his magicians in the time of Moses, and the imperial priesthood had its experts in conjuring tricks and ventriloquism and the like.

In Revelation 13:11 there is a curious phrase. This beast from the land is said to have two horns like a lamb; that is, it is a grim parody of the Lamb in the Christian sense of the term. But it is also said to speak like a dragon. It is just possible that that last phrase should be that” it spoke like the serpent.” The reference would then be to the serpent who seduced Eve in the Garden of Eden. The imperial priesthood could easily use seductive appeals: “Look what Rome has done for you; look at the peace and the prosperity you enjoy; have you ever known a greater benefactor than the emperor? Surely in simple gratitude you can give him this formal act of worship.” There are always excellent arguments why the Church should compromise with the world; but the fact remains that, when it does, Christ is betrayed again.

(ii) This beast brings it about that those who will not worship will be killed. That was, in fact, the law. If a Christian refused to make the act of worship to Caesar, he was liable to death. The death penalty was not always carried out; but, if a Christian had not the mark of the beast, he could not buy or sell. That is to say, if a man refused to worship the emperor, even if his life was spared, he would be economically ruined. It remains true that the world knows how to bring pressure to bear on those who will not accept its standards. Often still a man has to choose between material success and loyalty to Jesus Christ.

How are we to view this vision? Today there are many throughout the world who are pushing hard for a “One World Order.” Already in America, many churches and businesses have had to drastically operations due to the challenges of the COVID – 19 virus. Were someone to come out with a complete cure for COVID, how difficult would it be to encourage people around the globe to give allegiance to this person as a Savior? The chip technology has been used for years for pure bred animals. Already many people are questioning the possibility of keeping all one’s medical data on an embedded chip. What if financial data was added and you could only transact business if you had the proper code on your chip? And GPS technology also exists, making it very easy to track people through smart phones.

The question throughout the ages remains: whom shall we worship? Shall we worship the One True Living God and His Son Jesus Christ, who gave His life for our sins and who lives and reigns forever? Or shall we compromise, going along to get along?

The poet James Russell Lowell wrote a hymn. The words are worth considering.

1 Once to ev’ry man and nation 
Comes the moment to decide, 
In the strife of truth and falsehood, 
For the good or evil side; 
Some great cause, some great decision, 
Off’ring each the bloom or blight, 
And the choice goes by forever 
‘Twixt that darkness and that light. 

2 Then to side with truth is noble, 
When we share her wretched crust, 
Ere her cause bring fame and profit, 
And ’tis prosperous to be just; 
Then it is the brave man chooses 
While the coward stands aside, 
Till the multitude make virtue 
Of the faith they had denied. 

3 By the light of burning martyrs, 
Christ, Thy bleeding feet we track, 
Toiling up new Calv’ries ever 
With the cross that turns not back; 
New occasions teach new duties, 
Ancient values test our youth; 
They must upward still and onward, 
Who would keep abreast of truth. 

4 Tho’ the cause of evil prosper, 
Yet the truth alone is strong; 
Tho’ her portion be the scaffold, 
And upon the throne be wrong: 
Yet that scaffold sways the future, 
And, behind the dim unknown, 
Standeth God within the shadow, 
Keeping watch above His own.

PRAYER: Father God, help us to remain true to you, no matter how difficult things become! Give us the strength to follow, the grace to persevere, and the faith to see that you are there in spite of the difficulties. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.