Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
C'mon Mom
Brittany: "Look! Lights!"
Luke: "Look! Trees!"
Brittany: "I was trying to show you the Christmas lights on the houses Luke."
Luke: "I was just kidding mom."
Luke: "Look! Trees!"
Brittany: "I was trying to show you the Christmas lights on the houses Luke."
Luke: "I was just kidding mom."
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Behold the Lamb
Behold the Lamb
The prophet Micah foretold the birthplace for the coming Messiah seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus Christ. Micah said that the Messiah would be born in the little insignificant village near Jerusalem called Bethlehem. The actual location of the birthplace of Jesus Christ is also found in the prophecy of Micah, the location was Migdal Eder which in Hebrew is the “tower of the flock”.
“And you, O tower of the flock, hill of the daughter of Zion, to you shall it come, the former dominion shall come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.” Micah 4:8
“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.” Micah 5:2
Migdal Eder, the tower of the flock mentioned in Micah 4:8, is the watchtower where the priestly shepherds would watch over their flocks in the shepherd's fields there at Bethlehem.
This tower is where they would watch over their flock from the second story and where they birthed the newborn lambs in the lower portion of the two story tower there in the fields of Bethlehem. In the lower portion of this watchtower that the birthing of the lambs would take place, ewes were brought to give birth to the lambs. In this shelter the priests would bring in the ewes which were about to lamb for protection.
The shepherds would wrap the newborn lambs in swaddling clothes to protect the body of the lambs, keeping the new lambs without spot or blemish, they would then be laid in a manger until they had calmed down.
These were not just any flock and herd.
Migdal Eder was the watchtower that guarded the Temple flocks that were being raised to serve as sacrificial animals in the Temple. The shepherds who kept them were men who were specifically trained for this royal task. They were educated in what an animal, that was to be sacrificed, had to be and it was their job to make sure that none of the animals were hurt, damaged, or blemished.” These special lambs came from a unique flock which were designated for sacrifice at the temple in Jerusalem.
These lambs would be offered as sacrifice at the Temple just four miles away in Jerusalem.
With the establishment of Temple worship in Jerusalem, the fields outside of Bethlehem became the place where this special group of shepherds raised the lambs that were sacrificed in the Temple. Being themselves under special Rabbinical care, they would strictly maintain a ceremonially clean stable for a birthing place. The Tower of the Flock was used for birthing ewes, and the surround fields were where these shepherds grazed their flocks. These shepherds customarily kept their flocks outdoors twenty-four hours a day every day of the year, but brought the ewes in to deliver their lambs where they could be carefully cared for.
It was to this place that Joseph took Mary. It was in this special stable at “Migdal Eder” that Christ was born!
The "swaddling clothes" that wrapped the lambs was also used to wrap the Lord Jesus.
These priestly shepherds in their fields near Bethlehem on that Christmas Eve knew where to go to find the newborn Messiah, Jesus Christ. He would be found where the angel had told them, wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger in the lower floor of the tower of the flock, Migdal Eder
Luke 2:8-18 records that there were shepherds in the fields keeping watch over their sheep by night.
“And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night … And the angel said to them, ‘Be not afraid: for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.’” Luke 2:8,10,11
These shepherds were none other but the shepherds from “Migdal Eder”. The angels told the shepherds that they would find the Babe wrapped in "swaddling clothes and lying in a manger." There was no need for the angels to give these shepherds directions to the birth place because they already knew. These were the men who raised sacrificial lambs that were sacrificed in the Temple. When the angelic announcement came, they knew exactly where to go, as Luke 2 indicates, for the sign of a manger could only mean their manger at the tower of the flock!
Migdal Eder at Bethlehem is the perfect place for Christ to be born. He was born in the very birthplace where tens of thousands of lambs, which had been sacrificed to prefigure Him, were born. God promised it, pictured it and performed it at Migdal Eder.
It all fits together, for that's the place the place where sacrificial lambs were born!
The Lamb born at Migdal Eder was the Lamb to be sacrificed to take away the sin of the world.
You see our Lord Jesus was born in Bethlehem where all sacrificial lambs were born, and our Lord Jesus died in Jerusalem where all sacrificial lambs were killed.
John the Baptist proclaimed of Jesus,
"Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." John 1:29
Jesus is presented in the Bible as being “in type” as a sacrificial lamb. It was not by chance but by choice that Christ identified His death with the time of the observance of the Passover.
Peter spoke of our redemption as wrought by the
"Precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot" 1 Pet. 1:19
and Paul told us that
"Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us" 1 Cor. 5:7
Even the first fulfilled type by which Christ is to be revealed in Heaven is as the Lamb (Rev. 5:6-13).
The baby grew up! He grew into a man to fulfill the plan for our salvation. He grew up to be the advocate, the intercessor, the "one mediator between man and God, the man Christ Jesus." (1 John 2:1, Heb 7:25, 1 Tim 2:5)
He grew up so that He could die, thereby offering a perfect, sinless life in sacrifice for our sins. He grew up to be raised from the dead, conquering death and instilling a living hope of eternal life in all who come to Him. He grew up so that he might become “the source of eternal salvation." (Heb 5:9)
I'm glad that Jesus was born. But I rejoice even more in the life He lived, the death He died, and the accomplishment of His resurrection! While the world remembers a baby in a feeding trough, let our remembrance of His death help us to look to the Man, the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ throughout the year.
Behold, the Lamb.
***************************************************
Credits/Sources for this article:
This is by no means "mine". It is very much a copy and paste along with some editing and my own bits pieced together.
I was first introduced to this subject through Brock and Bodie Thoene's historical fiction novel: "Jerusalem's Hope" . Which I loved, and highly recommend.
Within weeks of finished that novel for the first time I received my copy of Friends of Israel's magazine: "Israel My Glory" (the copy is Nov/Dec 2008 if you would like to request a copy from FOI). In this magazine there was an article (page 25) on this very subject! I was so excited! It was from there that my fascination really took off!
The Internet is a wonderful place to search to your heart's content and your time is your only limitation. I've included some of my preferred links if you would like to explore yourself, but many of the writers refer to the following as their "sources":
The Bible
The Mishnah
The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah
Links:
Jimmy's Prophetic Perspective on the News, Dec. 23, 2005
http://www.welcometohosanna.com/LIFE_OF_JESUS/4shepherdfields.htm
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?letter=E&artid=40
http://www.mayimhayim.org/Rabbi%20Mike/Migdal%20Eder.htm
http://www.searchgodsword.org/lex/heb/view.cgi?number=04029
http://www.biblehistory.net/newsletter/jesus_birth.htm
http://www.bible.ca/D-Xmas-story.htm
http://www.bible-truth.org/BirthPlaceofJesus.html
I hope you enjoy your explorations as much as I did.
-Brittany
The prophet Micah foretold the birthplace for the coming Messiah seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus Christ. Micah said that the Messiah would be born in the little insignificant village near Jerusalem called Bethlehem. The actual location of the birthplace of Jesus Christ is also found in the prophecy of Micah, the location was Migdal Eder which in Hebrew is the “tower of the flock”.
“And you, O tower of the flock, hill of the daughter of Zion, to you shall it come, the former dominion shall come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.” Micah 4:8
“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.” Micah 5:2
Migdal Eder, the tower of the flock mentioned in Micah 4:8, is the watchtower where the priestly shepherds would watch over their flocks in the shepherd's fields there at Bethlehem.
This tower is where they would watch over their flock from the second story and where they birthed the newborn lambs in the lower portion of the two story tower there in the fields of Bethlehem. In the lower portion of this watchtower that the birthing of the lambs would take place, ewes were brought to give birth to the lambs. In this shelter the priests would bring in the ewes which were about to lamb for protection.
The shepherds would wrap the newborn lambs in swaddling clothes to protect the body of the lambs, keeping the new lambs without spot or blemish, they would then be laid in a manger until they had calmed down.
These were not just any flock and herd.
Migdal Eder was the watchtower that guarded the Temple flocks that were being raised to serve as sacrificial animals in the Temple. The shepherds who kept them were men who were specifically trained for this royal task. They were educated in what an animal, that was to be sacrificed, had to be and it was their job to make sure that none of the animals were hurt, damaged, or blemished.” These special lambs came from a unique flock which were designated for sacrifice at the temple in Jerusalem.
These lambs would be offered as sacrifice at the Temple just four miles away in Jerusalem.
With the establishment of Temple worship in Jerusalem, the fields outside of Bethlehem became the place where this special group of shepherds raised the lambs that were sacrificed in the Temple. Being themselves under special Rabbinical care, they would strictly maintain a ceremonially clean stable for a birthing place. The Tower of the Flock was used for birthing ewes, and the surround fields were where these shepherds grazed their flocks. These shepherds customarily kept their flocks outdoors twenty-four hours a day every day of the year, but brought the ewes in to deliver their lambs where they could be carefully cared for.
It was to this place that Joseph took Mary. It was in this special stable at “Migdal Eder” that Christ was born!
The "swaddling clothes" that wrapped the lambs was also used to wrap the Lord Jesus.
These priestly shepherds in their fields near Bethlehem on that Christmas Eve knew where to go to find the newborn Messiah, Jesus Christ. He would be found where the angel had told them, wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger in the lower floor of the tower of the flock, Migdal Eder
Luke 2:8-18 records that there were shepherds in the fields keeping watch over their sheep by night.
“And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night … And the angel said to them, ‘Be not afraid: for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.’” Luke 2:8,10,11
These shepherds were none other but the shepherds from “Migdal Eder”. The angels told the shepherds that they would find the Babe wrapped in "swaddling clothes and lying in a manger." There was no need for the angels to give these shepherds directions to the birth place because they already knew. These were the men who raised sacrificial lambs that were sacrificed in the Temple. When the angelic announcement came, they knew exactly where to go, as Luke 2 indicates, for the sign of a manger could only mean their manger at the tower of the flock!
Migdal Eder at Bethlehem is the perfect place for Christ to be born. He was born in the very birthplace where tens of thousands of lambs, which had been sacrificed to prefigure Him, were born. God promised it, pictured it and performed it at Migdal Eder.
It all fits together, for that's the place the place where sacrificial lambs were born!
The Lamb born at Migdal Eder was the Lamb to be sacrificed to take away the sin of the world.
You see our Lord Jesus was born in Bethlehem where all sacrificial lambs were born, and our Lord Jesus died in Jerusalem where all sacrificial lambs were killed.
John the Baptist proclaimed of Jesus,
"Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." John 1:29
Jesus is presented in the Bible as being “in type” as a sacrificial lamb. It was not by chance but by choice that Christ identified His death with the time of the observance of the Passover.
Peter spoke of our redemption as wrought by the
"Precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot" 1 Pet. 1:19
and Paul told us that
"Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us" 1 Cor. 5:7
Even the first fulfilled type by which Christ is to be revealed in Heaven is as the Lamb (Rev. 5:6-13).
The baby grew up! He grew into a man to fulfill the plan for our salvation. He grew up to be the advocate, the intercessor, the "one mediator between man and God, the man Christ Jesus." (1 John 2:1, Heb 7:25, 1 Tim 2:5)
He grew up so that He could die, thereby offering a perfect, sinless life in sacrifice for our sins. He grew up to be raised from the dead, conquering death and instilling a living hope of eternal life in all who come to Him. He grew up so that he might become “the source of eternal salvation." (Heb 5:9)
I'm glad that Jesus was born. But I rejoice even more in the life He lived, the death He died, and the accomplishment of His resurrection! While the world remembers a baby in a feeding trough, let our remembrance of His death help us to look to the Man, the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ throughout the year.
Behold, the Lamb.
***************************************************
Credits/Sources for this article:
This is by no means "mine". It is very much a copy and paste along with some editing and my own bits pieced together.
I was first introduced to this subject through Brock and Bodie Thoene's historical fiction novel: "Jerusalem's Hope" . Which I loved, and highly recommend.
Within weeks of finished that novel for the first time I received my copy of Friends of Israel's magazine: "Israel My Glory" (the copy is Nov/Dec 2008 if you would like to request a copy from FOI). In this magazine there was an article (page 25) on this very subject! I was so excited! It was from there that my fascination really took off!
The Internet is a wonderful place to search to your heart's content and your time is your only limitation. I've included some of my preferred links if you would like to explore yourself, but many of the writers refer to the following as their "sources":
The Bible
The Mishnah
The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah
Links:
Jimmy's Prophetic Perspective on the News, Dec. 23, 2005
http://www.welcometohosanna.com/LIFE_OF_JESUS/4shepherdfields.htm
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?letter=E&artid=40
http://www.mayimhayim.org/Rabbi%20Mike/Migdal%20Eder.htm
http://www.searchgodsword.org/lex/heb/view.cgi?number=04029
http://www.biblehistory.net/newsletter/jesus_birth.htm
http://www.bible.ca/D-Xmas-story.htm
http://www.bible-truth.org/BirthPlaceofJesus.html
I hope you enjoy your explorations as much as I did.
-Brittany
A Baby Changes Everything
Thank you Mrs. Langhans for posting this song.
I LOVE it! And now I'm sharing it with you.
"A Baby Changes Everything" sung by Faith Hill
Very moving song focused on Mary, mother of Jesus.
I LOVE it! And now I'm sharing it with you.
"A Baby Changes Everything" sung by Faith Hill
Very moving song focused on Mary, mother of Jesus.
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Friday, December 04, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Ahh...waiting...
"Waiting patiently is suffering through the present moment, tasting it to the full, and letting the seeds that are sown in the ground on which we stand grow into strong plants."
--Henri J. M. Nouwen
--Henri J. M. Nouwen
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Its been a while...
(For some reason Blogger won't let me space out my lines, hence the "decorative" dashes)
~
1) Music! All my favorites at my fingertips. I always have my Christian music playlist down at the bottom of this blog and I have recently added to it a little Rat Pack-ish collection. LOVE that.
~
A Pemberley series by Elizabeth Aston:
(not recommended for youth without a parent-read first)
~
1) Music! All my favorites at my fingertips. I always have my Christian music playlist down at the bottom of this blog and I have recently added to it a little Rat Pack-ish collection. LOVE that.
~
Along that line-online radio is the only way to go-check out http://www.accuradio.com/ and listen to ANYTHING you want. Right now I've personalized my own Christmas music station to include Christmas Country, Grownup Christmas, Celtic Christmas, Religious Christmas Classics, Old-Fashioned Christmas, and a few more! I love the mix-up of genre.
~
2) Experiencing music with my boys! I love when all the toys are cleaned up in the living room and we are spinning, dancing and singing. Joel even gets into it! Every now and then Luke wants me to explain a song to him-I am very thankful for that.
~
3) Thanksgiving in TX! I'll be thankful for this one in advance and after! A little warmer weather, visiting with a TON of family and friends! Luke keeps saying we are "going on a trip to Olivia's house for a party and the Christmas tree with ornaments!!" But, we are going to my parents' house-he is just so excited to meet his new cousin Olivia; the "party" is his idea of Thanksgiving with all the people we keep talking about; and, yes, we are doing a little Christmas stuff while we are there just to confuse all the children!
~
4) My Library Card-Books! (I know, I know, repeat-I'm still thankful okay?!) Lisa the Correspondent asked me what I have been reading: Mainly fiction...
~A Pemberley series by Elizabeth Aston:
(not recommended for youth without a parent-read first)
~
Mr. Darcy's Daughters-Few of the principal characters, focused mainly on the next generation...the 5 daughters of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and Mrs. Elizabeth Bennett Darcy. Different, but enough sprinkle of the familiar world of Jane Austen to be a fun read.
~
The Exploites and Adventures of Miss Alethea Darcy-story from the first book continues on, protagonist is the youngest Miss Darcy.
~
The Darcy Connection-Following in sequence of the next generation, this book is about Mr.(now Bishop) and Mrs. Collins' two daughters.
~
The True Darcy Spirit-Interestingly, here the 'heroine' is Lady Catherine de Bourgh's granddaughter.
~
The Second Mrs. Darcy-Twisting a sentiment from Emma: "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single woman in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a husband." This book follows the widow of a Darcy cousin. Main tie-in is the previously seen Caroline Bingley Warren's chip-off-the-old-block son. Apparently bitterness towards the Darcy/Bennett clan is multigenerational-aren't all feuds?
~
Those were interesting-I've been on a big Austen kick and that was a bit of the familiar with something new thrown in.
~
Also, I have reread Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
some very good quotes in there of course:
~
“Nothing ever fatigues me but doing what I do not like.”
~
“Selfishness must always be forgiven, you know, because there is no hope of a cure.”
~
“It will, I believe, be everywhere found, that as the clergy are, or are not what they ought to be, so are the rest of the nation.”
~
"It was a quick succession of busy nothings."
~
“I am worn out with civility,” said he. “I have been talking incessantly all night, and with nothing to say.”
~
"We seemed very glad to see each other, and I do really think we were a little."
~
I've borrowed a few more, I'll let you know how those work out. I'm moving from Austen to a different genre. Knights, Ladies, Dragons, Chivalry, Princesses, Court, etc. I may begin with Camelot? We'll see. If you have any recommendations-please let me know! I'm really more interested in the Juvenile rather than Adult category here...
~
5) Coupons in the Christmas shopping-yyeesss! Loving it. But, I can't divulge here-secrets,
secrets.
~
6) Snacks-cheerios and golden grahams...probably half of my kids' diets.
~
7) Joel walking! Well, sort of. Okay, it depends on how you define "walking". He takes up to seven steps, but he does it all the time! Hopefully we can get some video of this amazing feat up soon!
~
8) Watching my sons interact. They tickle, wrestle and rough-house and it cracks me up!
I'll give you an image: Me, mostly sitting on Luke, pinning him and tickling him-shrieking abounding as I shout: Joel! Come and get him! Joel races over, crawling, and then literally body-slams Luke. Then the dynamic shifts to my keeping Luke's feet and legs from injuring Joel while trying to direct Joel to slap at Luke torso, not his face. Oh it can get crazy and loud.
I will tell you this, I will not be putting a video of this online.
~
The last two are Luke's:
9) Luke is thankful for a "happy heart". Me too!
~
10) Luke is also thankful for Cubbies and his "church family". aww.
~
BONUS!!
11) Joel just waved at me from his high chair. The first time he has purposefully waved at me like that! YAY.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Knowing, Living, Forsaking
"Know who you are in Christ. Live who you are in Christ, and be done with who you used to be. That's what's being said here in Colossians 3. We have been crucified and raised with Christ, so we must put aside the practices of the past.
Let me read this list to you: fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth, and lying to one another. Not very pretty, it is? But that's who we were.
Outside of Christ we are capable of any and all sins. Did you catch what I said? Outside of Christ, which is not who we are anymore.
Know who you are, live who you are, and be done with who you used to be.
Listen to this next list, starting in verse 12: the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, forbearing on another, forgiving one another as Christ forgave us, charity, the peace of God ruling in your hearts, called in one body, and thankful. Wow. That's a tall order, but that's the goal.
I want to make sure you're aware of the verses that command all of this. Start in verse one where it says we have been raised with Christ. That's how we know who we are-we've been raised with Him.
Then in that same verse we're told to 'seek those things which are above'-live out who we are.
Now look at verse five where we are commanded to mortify the members which are upon the earth. In other words, be done with who we used to be.
Take some time this week and study these over-know them, remember then. And let's not forget to pray for each other all week and check with each other as we live this out and put aside who we used to be."
-"Hear me, I'm not dismissing the severity of your sin, but I understand the greatness of the cross. Your sin has been covered. It's gone. You're not that person anymore."
-"I think I'm starting to see. The cross is huge. It's why we're who we are."
Pastor Rylan Jarvik
fictional character
in The Big Sky Dreams series by Lori Wick
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
So True. I love this.
Ruth Bell Graham's headstone reads:
“End of Construction – Thank you for your patience.”
"I love that. The sanctification process was a life long construction project for Ruth Graham. And what a humble final epithet for a woman of fame and influence. It goes back to an observation I have made over and over. Maturity in Christ always results in humility. All of us should pray for grace as we undergo our own maturing process and especially as we watch others under construction.
...the process maturing into what is already true about me. I am righteous. That became my status when I put my faith and trust in Christ. My construction process is trusting that truth and building my life around that truth.
My own construction project has been erratic. It feels like I have spent a lot time leaning on my shovel and not making much progress. But then I look back and see a lot of work has been done over the years. Someday soon the construction project will, praise God, be finished. "
-Dave Burchett
“End of Construction – Thank you for your patience.”
"I love that. The sanctification process was a life long construction project for Ruth Graham. And what a humble final epithet for a woman of fame and influence. It goes back to an observation I have made over and over. Maturity in Christ always results in humility. All of us should pray for grace as we undergo our own maturing process and especially as we watch others under construction.
...the process
My own construction project has been erratic. It feels like I have spent a lot time leaning on my shovel and not making much progress. But then I look back and see a lot of work has been done over the years. Someday soon the construction project will, praise God, be finished. "
-Dave Burchett
Monday, October 26, 2009
Saving money!
Went shopping to Jewel with my mom while she was here...sales, couponing and catalinas!
$126.80 worth of groceries
Actually spent: $34.55!!
saved $92.25
approximately 73%
woohoo
AND all that at Jewel earned me .20 cents off every gallon of gas pumped at their station too! ........saving money.....
Friday, October 23, 2009
My Radio
Our Family
Valentine's Dinner 2011
The Boys
