The Martyrdom of The Baptist...

Description of Illustration: beheaded, the forerunner, the evil of Herod Antipas, daughter of Herodias depicted "Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.'' Matthew 14:8

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Even the archangel, exercises caution...

Description of Illustration: Michael fighting with the devil, sword drawn, wings, Good versus Evil, columns, ''But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" Jude 1:9

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A Soft Answer

        A drunken carter came into a Greenock (Scotland) train and sat opposite a clergyman, who was reading his paper. Recognizing the profession of his vis-a-vis, the carter leaned forward and in a maudlin way remarked, "I don't believe there's any heaven." The clergyman paid no heed. "Do you hear me?" persisted the carter. "I don't believe there's any heaven." Still the clergyman remained behind his newspaper. The carter, shouting his confession loudly, said, "I tell ye to your face, and you're a minister, that I don't believe there's any heaven." "Very well," said the clergyman; "if you do not believe there is any heaven, go elsewhere, but please go quietly." 

"A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness.'' Proverbs 15:1-2

Affliction Producing Virtue

 The editor of The United Presbyterian writes thus:

       On a recent evening during a severe hail-storm we opened our door to observe the progress of the storm, and were surprised to find the air laden with the odor of nasturtiums. There were porch-boxes containing nasturtiums, geraniums and other flowering and foliage plants. Beds of nasturtiums were by the street's side and at the side of the lawn, and into these the hail had fallen, beating down and breaking the vines until the porch floor and the ground beneath the boxes and the vines were covered with ends of broken sprays, leaves and bright bits of yellow and gold, scarlet and maroon of the mangled flowers. But the air was full of the sweetness of the crusht and wounded vines. They were returning good for evil in the misfortune that had come upon them. For every wound that the hail had made they were giving out the fragrance of a beautiful spirit. Tho bruised and broken, they were filling the whole atmosphere with an aroma which was in beautiful contrast to the adverse rain of hail that still rattled on the roofs and walks and fell among the prostrate vines. Blest is that life which can yield its sweetest fragrance when the storms are at their highest. We have all known men and women who, when lacerated with pain, prostrate under the hand of God, have made the very atmosphere of the sick-room redolent with the incense of Christian hope and trust.

Attributes of The Evil One... just a few among many.

Just in case some of you are no longer aware of what evil looks like. Here are just a few of the Devil's attributes from scripture:

• He is a liar. ''You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.'' John 8:44.
• He is an interloper. "So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disquise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds." 2 Corinthians 11:15.
• He is condescending, he mocks the frailties of others. "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.'' 1 Peter 5:8
• He is self-righteous only, he never depends upon the righteousness of God. "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which decieveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." Revelations 12:9 
• He never asks for pardon or forgiveness of past sins. He is proud of evil. "A worthless person, a wicked man, walks with a perverse mouth; He winks with his eyes, He shuffles his feet, He points with his fingers; Perversity is in his heart, He devises evil continually, He sows discord. Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly; Suddenly he shall be broken without remedy.'' Poverbs 6:12-19
• Both Satan and his followers and those whom he is able to deceive will always trade the life of the church or Christ himself for money. "Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus. They were delighted and agreed to give him money. He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present.'' Luke 22:3-6
• He makes human brothers fight one another. He seeks to divide God's house in particular. "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and waiting there unto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; and for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak." Ephesians 6: 10 - 20

The New Age

Frederick Lawrence Knowles writes this optimistic outlook for the future:

When memory of battles.
At last is strange and old,
When nations have one banner
And creeds have found one fold, 

 
When the Hand that sprinkles midnight
With its powdered drift of suns
Has hushed this tiny tumult
Of sects and swords and guns;  

 
Then Hate's last note of discord
In all God's worlds shall cease,
In the conquest which is service,
In the victory which is peace!

Age and Oratory

 This is the description of one who had the privilege of hearing Gladstone, in the autumn of 1896, make his last great oration in Liverpool:

       See the old man with slow and dragging steps advancing from the door behind the platform to his seat before that sea of eager faces. The figure is shrunken. The eyelids droop. The cheeks are as parchment. Now that he sits, his hands lean heavily upon his staff. We think, "Ah, it is too late; the fire has flickered out; the speech will be but the dead echo of bygone glories." But lo! he rises. The color mantles to his face. He stands erect, alert. The great eyes open full upon his countrymen. Yes, the first notes are somewhat feeble, somewhat painful ; but a few minutes pass, and the noble voice falls as the solemn music of an organ on the throng. The eloquent arms seem to weave a mystic garment for his oratory. The involved sentences unfold themselves with a perfect lucidity. The whole man dilates. The soul breaks out through the marvelous lips. Age? Not so! this is eternal youth. He is pleading for mercy to an outraged people, for fidelity to a national obligation, for courage and for conscience in a tremendous crisis. And the words from the Re- vised Version of the Psalms seem to print themselves on the listener's heart: "Thou hast made him but little lower than God, and crownest him with glory and honor."

Pride of Our Inheritance

        Long ago there was quite a widespread discussion, in the public press, concerning a proposal to purchase as a public reservation Thomas Jefferson's famous home in Monticello. The scheme was thwarted at the very start by the refusal of its owner, Mr. Jefferson M. Levy, a descendant of the great commoner, to part with it. He said, when asked about the matter, that it was a matter of personal and family pride with him that Monticello be kept up, and that no sum of money could possibly compensate him for the loss of the estate. Some years ago "William M. Evarts, then Secretary of State, urged Mr. Levy to allow him to ask Congress to purchase Monticello. His answer was: " Mr. Secretary, if you offered me all the money this room [the Secretary of State's private office in the State Department] would hold, you could not tempt me." Mr. Evarts replied: "Well, Mr. Levy, I admire you, and do not blame you."
       There is no more striking figure under which the New Testament seeks to arouse our love and gratitude and righteous pride than St. Paul's declaration that the Christian is an heir of God and a joint-heir with Jesus Christ. We ought to be proud of our inheritance. If a descendant of Thomas Jefferson is to be admired for sacrificing many personal luxuries in order that he may keep up the family inheritance, how much more admirable are those who endure hardship with gladness, that they may keep the Christian name in honor before all the world! 

"The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and it children, then heirs-heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.'' Romans 8:16-17

Man Godlike

 Man Godlike

Swarming across the earthly crust,
Delving deep in the yellow dust.
Raising his ant-hills here and there.
Scoring the soil for his humble fare,
Braving the sea in his tiny boat -
Tireless he struggles, this human mote.

Tempests scatter his ant-hills wide,
Vainly he braves the boiling tide.
Fire will ruin his busy mart.
Famine stilleth his throbbing heart.
Trembles the earth and prone he falls,
Crusht and tombed by his pigmy walls.

Heir of the kingdom 'neath the skies,
Often he falls, yet falls to rise.
Stumbling, bleeding, beaten back,
Holding still to the upward track;
Playing his part in creation's plan.
Godlike in image - this is man!

God's Present Judgement

        A man, who had once been an officer in the army during the great civil war between North and South, recorded a story he witnessed one day as he was lying wounded on the field of battle, and suffering terribly from burning thirst, he saw another wounded soldier of the opposite army lying near him and he was drinking from a canteen. As he looked over toward him and begged him to give him a little of the precious water, his enemy raised himself on his elbow and aimed his rifle right at him, prepared to shoot. At that very moment a bullet penetrated his enemy's head and he fell back dead. The surviving soldier thought surely this to be God's judgment, for the battle had ended and all who remained where left to die alone or be collected by ''sawbones'' or ''butchers.''

''Though the mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind
exceeding small;
Though with patience He stands waiting, with exactness
grinds He all. - Longfellow.

Adversity

        The whole tenor of the New Testament inculcates the principle of resignation under adverse conditions, and more. For the follower of Jesus Christ must not be merely a passive sufferer but a strenuous and persevering- "ombatant against opposing force...
       Tourists along the shores of the Mediterranean express their surprise at the insipidity of the fishes served up for food. This flavorless quality is easily accounted for. The fish around the shores of Spain, Italy, Greece, and Asia Minor are mostly caught in the quiet lagoons or calm waters of protected bays and gulfs, where they swim lazily and slowly, or bask indolently in the quietude. How different is the life of battling with storm and tempest on the part of the creatures that inhabit the rough waters around the Orkneys, the Shetlands, and the Hebrides of Scotland! Fish caught there is always delicious. 

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trails of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.'' James 1: 2-4

Adaptability

       As an illustration of adaptability to circumstances and the willingness to take chances in order to achieve results of any kind, of the men who open up a newer country to civilization, a recent incident is instructive:

       A little schooner reached Seattle from Nome, on Bering Sea long ago. She had made the voyage down during the most tempestuous season of the year in the North Pacific, and had survived storms which tried well-found steamships of the better class. Yet there was not a man on board, from the captain down, who had ever made a voyage at sea, save as passengers, on a boat running to Alaska. There were no navigating instruments on board save a compass and an obsolete Russian chart of the North Pacific.
       These men wanted to come out for the winter, and there was no other way within their means to accomplish the trip. They got hold of the schooner and they started with her. They were not seamen or navigators, simply handy men who were accustomed to doing things for themselves. This was out of the routine, but they did it.
       The men who made the voyage down from Nome in a little schooner without any previous knowledge of seamanship probably saw nothing remarkable in the feat. They were used to doing things that had to be done with the material that came to hand, whether they knew anything about how it should be done or not.  Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.'' Romans 12:2

Instant Action

       'I have seen ten years of young men who rush out into the world with messages, and when they find how deaf the world is, they think they must save their strength and get quietly up on some little eminence from which they can make themselves heard. "In a few years," reasons one of them, "I shall have gained a standing, and then I shall use my power for good." Next year comes, and with it a strange discovery. The man has lost his horizon of thought. His ambition has evaporated ; he has nothing to say. The great occasion that was to have let him loose on society was some little occasion that nobody saw, some moment in which he decided to obtain a standing. The great battle of a lifetime has been fought and lost over a silent scruple. But for this the man might, within a few years, have spoken to the nation with the voice of an archangel. What was he waiting for ? Did he think that the laws of nature were to be changed for him? Did he think that a "notice of trial" would be served on him? Or that some spirit would stand at his elbow and say, "Now's your time?" The time of trial is always. Now is the appointed time. And the compensation for beginning at once is that your voice carries at once. You do not need a standing. It would not help you. Within less time than you can see it, you will have been heard. The air is filled with sounding-boards and the echoes are flying. It is ten to one that you have but to lift your voice to be heard in California, and that from where you stand. A bold plunge will teach you that the visions of the unity of human nature which the poets have sung were not fictions of their imagination, but a record of what they saw. Deal with the world, and you will discover their reality. Speak to the world, and you will hear their echo.' John Jay Chapman.

"For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints..." Hebrews 4:12

Absorption

       The Italian mothers get for nurses the most beautiful persons, because they believe that by constantly looking into such faces the infant will unconsciously take on some of the beauty of the nurse.
       This may be a fiction; but we do know that where there is mutuality of interest and deep affection, persons thrown closely together, in the process of the years, take on traits each of the other.

''Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Philippians 4: 8-9

Certainty of the End of this World

        The Word of God holds up before mankind two great days-the first day and the last. The first was when He spake this earth into form; the last, when it shall be dissolved. The world we inhabit had a birth-day; it will have a death-day. As the body we occupy was born, and must die; so this planetary body had its cradle, and will have its grave. As our frames testify to the presence of diseases that can destroy them, so this goodly frame of earth testifies to the presence of diseases that could instantly and easily destroy it. Sir Charles Lyell said once, "In view of the activity of these elements, the wonder is, not that the earth will be dissolved, but that it exists for a moment."

''Immediately after the distress of those days ''the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' Matthew 24:29

Daily Duty the Preparation for Judgment

        An eclipse of the sun happened in New England in 1806. The heavens became dark, and it seemed by many that the Day of Judgment was at hand. The Legislature of Connecticut happened then to be in session, and as the darkness loomed a member moved the adjournment of the House, on which an old legislator, Davenport of Stamford, rose up and said that if the last day had come, he desired to be found in his place and doing his duty; for which reasons he moved that candles should be brought, so that the House might proceed with its business. Waiting at the post of Duty was the maxim of this wise man, and he carried his motion!

"So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. 'Put this money to work,' he said, 'until I come back.' Luke 19:13

Similitude of the Last Judgment

        There is a machine in the Bank of England which receives sovereigns, as a mill receives grain, for the purpose of determining wholesale whether they are of full weight. As they pass through, the machinery by unerring laws throws all that are light to one side, and all that are of full weight to another. That process is a silent but solemn parable. Founded as it is upon the laws of nature, it affords the most vivid similitude of the certainty which characterises the judgment of the great Day. There are no mistakes or partialities to which the light may trust; the only hope lies in being of standard weight before they go it.

Need of Watchfulness

        During the French and Indian War, a period of seven years, the English and French fought against each other in North America, both of them used the Native Americans wickedly to help them fight in battle. The English army was encamped on a certain plain: it was autumn and the nights were long. The sentinels were set all around the camp, with their watchfires, as usual, to give alarm in case of any attack. One morning the sentinel at a particular post was found dead, stabbed in the back with a native's knife. Next morning the same thing happened. On the third morning also the sentinel was found dead. A young officer volunteered to take this post of danger, and in the night he saw, as he thought, one of the black hogs common in that country, rooting amongst the trees. As he watched, it drew closer and closer to him, and at last he fired at it. With a wild yell a native sprang up and fell dead on the spot. He had disguised himself in a hogskin, and so contrived to get behind the unsuspecting sentinels and stab them. 

"And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch .  After two days was the feast of the Passover, and of the unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death." Mark 13:37 and Mark 14:1

Thou Shalt NOT Preach This!

       To all ministers of God's words, God's Holy Word (The Bible), which may not , unfortunately be your own... It brings me great anxiety and grief that so many of you have fallen by the wayside given the political climate of this country. And for those of you who have a problem with me because I am a woman posting this opinion, look to the scriptures to see Deborah and the necessity of her life's struggle to understand where I am at this moment in my own life... I would have loved to have lived in a world where I could in good faith, live for my own interests without the burden of meddling in yours. I do not covet the minister's life; indeed I am very familiar with it. However, too many preachers have been silent for far too long.

1. You shall not preach to the masses that it is o.k. to worship at the altars of lesser gods. If God delivers your congregants from any other belief system or addiction, He does not want his flock to return to these over and over and over. He wants the cycle of addiction broken and he wants his sheep to worship only at a righteous and Holy altar. A listing of verses for those pastors who no longer understand that God, Jesus, and The Holy Spirit are Holy. (Leviticus 11:45, Deuteronomy 32:4, 1 John 3:3, 1 Peter 1:15-16 , 2 Timothy 1:9-10)
2. You shall not preach to the masses that it is o.k. to make idols of anything that is not God.
3. You shall not preach to the masses that it is o.k. to call on the name of the Lord in order to entertain or insult the most Holy God.
4. You shall not preach to the masses that it is o.k. to forget the Lord God on the day that has been set aside in the week to remember His blessings, to pray and worship and to also rest from their earth-bound labor.
5. You shall not preach that it is o.k. to forget to honor one's parents. Treat them with kindness and mercy until their deaths so that their children may prosper in the place of their birth or within the blessings God has given for their security on earth.
6. You shall not preach that it is o.k. to murder others. That includes people that you don't agree with or like.
7. You shall not preach that it is o.k. to commit adultery just because you or other people haven't learned to control your/their flesh. 
8. You shall not preach that it is o.k. to steal anything that doesn't belong to you. Give unto God what belongs to Him for the safe preservation of a soul. Give unto the government what belongs to them for the safe preservation of order. Mark 12:17, Matthew 22, Luke 20.
9. You shall not preach that it is o.k. to lie about your neighbor's beliefs or actions! Nor is it o.k. to lie about your own. Bearing false testimony is a sin against God.
10. You shall not preach that it is o.k. to look at your neighbor's stuff and want it enough to steal it for yourself. Ask God for His favor, if it is just and beneficial according to God's will, He will supply your needs. Your neighbor is everybody human on the planet.

and remember . . . 

Jesus has said, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another.'' This kind of ''love'' is called respect in English translated from the Greek.

Jesus' Night On The Mountain

Description of Illustration:  sepia print, Jesus praying on the mountain, landscape, rocks, trees, bird, night scene, this illustration is based upon Luke 6: 12-16

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Window from A Navel Chapel

Description of Illustration:  stained glass clip art, cross, star, dove, halo, 10 commandments, anchor, rose, rays of light, octagon shaped window, window design from a U. S. Navel chapel, transparent background added

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Dorcas, A Woman Full of Good Works

       Benevolent, compassionate, and devout woman that she was, Dorcas gave so generously of herself to others that her name today, almost 2,000 years later, is synonymous with acts of charity.
       More than any Bible woman of the early Christian period, she gave new meaning to the wise counsel of Lemuers mother, who in speaking in praise of the worthy woman said in part, '"She seeketh wool and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy'' (Prov. 31:13, 20).
       The motivating principle of Dorcas life is given in six words, ''full of good works and alms deeds'' (Acts 9:36). With her sewing needle as her tool and her home as her workshop, she established a service that has reached to the far corners of the earth. We can infer that Dorcas was a woman of affluence. She could have given of her coins only, but she chose to give of herself also.
       She lived thirty-four miles northwest of Jerusalem at the port of Joppa, an important Christian center during the years when the new faith was spreading from Jerusalem across the Mediterranean. The picturesque harbor was situated halfway between Mount Carmel and Gaza at the southern end of the fertile plain of Sharon. We can easily visualize her home. In all likelihood it was a mud-brick structure on a "whaleback'' ridge above the sandy beach. Let us suppose the house had a large roof guest chamber, reached by an outer stairway. From the roof outside this guest chamber Dorcas could observe Joppa's needy people as they wandered up and down the beach searching for rags swept in by the waters of the sea. To these poor people, without sufficient clothing, good rags washed up on the shore must have been like gold nuggets.
       It is easy to suppose that as Dorcas looked from her upper room down upon the shore and watched these destitute people she became stirred with the desire to help them. Out of this first work of hers grew the Dorcas Sewing Societies, now world-wide.
       Though the Bible does not record exact details, we can be sure that Dorcas, with her nimble fingers, stitched layettes for babies, made cloaks, robes, sandals, and other wearing apparel for poverty-stricken widows, the sick and the aged. Many of those in need were downcast because they had to wear ill-fitting rags, but once clothed in the well-fitted garments she made for them they went away renewed in spirit.
       Needs of the people of Joppa must have seemed perpetual, for in this seaport were many families who depended upon the sea for their living. In wooden boats the men would set forth on the Mediterranean, then called "The Great Sea'' and often their boats would be torn to bits when they hit treacherous rocks or were buffeted by the winter storms of the Mediterranean. History records that the bodies of early seamen were often swept into the churning waters and then sometimes back onto the shores at Joppa.
       Dorcas had great compassion for the widows and the fatherless, and people loved her because of her magnificent qualities of mind and heart. Her life suggests Paul's message to Timothy, in which he said that women should adorn themselves in "modest apparel, with shame-facedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works'' (I Tim. 2:9-10) .
       Doubtless the people she helped pondered on what would happen to them if she should die. One day, as the people had feared, Dorcas, amid her labors, was seized with illness. Death came suddenly.
       Saints in the Church and widows she had befriended made their way to her house, washed her and laid her in the upper room, probably the room where she had made garments for them. After they had given the ceremonial ablutions to their benefactress, they stood about her bier, weeping and planning her burial.
       In this age when Peter and other apostles were performing miracles, there were a few who had faith that Dorcas could be raised from the dead. About ten miles from Joppa in the fertile Plain of Sharon was Lydda, where Peter had gone to preach. The disciples sent two men to Peter to ask if he would come to them without delay. The salty, fighting hands of Peter had become the healing hands of a saint, and they believed that he could raise Dorcas from the dead.
       He knew perhaps of the good works of this woman of the Christian faith, and he left his preaching at Lydda and hastened on foot to Joppa and to the upper room of Dorcas, where she lay dead. Like Elisha, when he had healed the child of the Shunammite woman, Peter refused to recognize that Dorcas was ready for burial, even though the people stood around her dead body weeping.
       Dismissing the weepers, Peter knelt down and prayed over Dorcas. No conflicting doubts or fears disturbed him. In his own mind Peter must have seen Dorcas as well and whole again. Praying fervently, he laid his big hands on the head of the woman. In a positive tone of voice, using the Aramaic form of her name, he said to her, "Tabitha, arise‚'' (Acts 9:40).
       After Peter had spoken thus, the Bible says in dramatic but simple words, "And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up'' (Acts 9:40). Then he called the saints and widows and presented Dorcas to them.
       We can be sure that the shouts of gratitude to God when Peter "presented her alive'' were louder than had been the wails at her death. The people whom Dorcas had befriended sensed a new joy, such as only those who see the dead restored to life can experience. For the woman who had lifted up so many in body and spirit had now been lifted up herself.
       Nothing is recorded of Dorcas after her healing, but in all probability her service increased. And those who had witnessed her healing now believed more strongly in God, for they believed that the same God who could lift Dorcas from the dead could also lift them from poverty and squalor.

Abigail, A Woman of Good Understanding

''Abigail" one of David's eight wives.

       Because of her good understanding, Abigail might be called the earliest woman pacifist on record. Certainly of all the famous women in the Old Testament she was the wisest.
       Though she was to become David's wife after the death of her husband, Nabal, a drunkard, it is as the wife of the latter that her fine character comes into the sharpest focus. In this first picture of Abigail we come to know why David later was to have such faith in her wise counsel. From his first meeting with her David's life seems to have taken on a higher meaning and a stronger purpose. He is no longer a fugitive and outlaw but destined to become the great king of Judah and of all Israel.
       Abigail was one of David's eight wives. The others were Michal (I Sam. 18:27), Bath-sheba (II Sam. 12:24), Ahinoam, Maacah, Haggith, Abital, and Eglah (II Sam. 3:2, 3, 4, 5), but Abigail was the greatest influence for good and helped David to remember that he was God's anointed into whose keeping the kingdom of Israel had been entrusted.
       When David and Abigail chanced to meet, he was a shepherd  hiding from Saul in the wilderness of Paran, an extended tract along the southern border of Canaan adjoining the Sinaitic desert. He had gathered around him about six hundred followers, who constituted a bodyguard and voluntarily protected the flocks of many a herdsman from prowling thieves.
       In the sheep and goat country west of the Dead Sea, and not far from where David was, lay the town of Maon. Near by was the larger town of Carmel standing in mountainous country. One of the richest men in this area was Abigails' husband, Nabal, who had some three thousand sheep and one thousand goats. Their home probably was a pretentious place on a plateau that one came upon suddenly after leaving desolate brown limestone hills, bare valleys, and dry watercourses.
       It was sheep-shearing season at the home of Abigail and Nabal. Many guests had gathered, and there was much feasting. Abigail had provided abundantly for her guests, for she was a woman who had a reputation for gracious hospitality. We can imagine that her hospitable house, run efficiently and well, was a place where the stranger liked to tarry.
       On such feasting occasions let us picture Abigail in a dress of fine linen, probably a vivid blue, with a softly draped headdress of shell pink forming a flattering outline for her brown hair and her delicate features. The headdress probably fell into a sash around her slender waist.
       We have the Biblical record that Abigail was of a beautiful countenance as well as a woman of good understanding (I Sam. 25:3). But in the next phrase her husband, Nabal, is described as "churlish and evil in his doings‚'' (I Sam. 25:3). His most niggardly act was directed at David, who had sent ten of his men up to the hills to ask for a little food during feasting time. David's own provisions were running low. His request was polite and just, for ten men could not carry away much food.
       David and his men had helped Nabal's shepherds to protect their master's large herds of sheep and goats. It was quite natural that David's shepherds, who had befriended Nabal's man, would be welcome at feasting time. But Nabal, drinking too heavily, cried out contemptuously when he heard of David's request, "Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master'' (I Sam. 25:10).
       When word reached Abigail, through one of the workers on the place, that her husband had railed at David's messengers, she listened attentively. This worker, who evidently had confidence in his mistress' sagacity, reminded her that David and his herdsmen had been like a wall of protection to Nabal's herdsmen. And he added that they had come to the house in peace, asking for that to which they were justly entitled. We can be assured that Abigail possessed an innate dignity and had won the respect and faithfulness of the workers in her household.
       Wise woman, too, that she was, she lost no time, for she knew what happened when strong-minded men like David were angered. He was not one to let such an affront go unpunished. She also knew how rashly her husband acted when he was drunk. She wasted no time in lamenting the threatened danger or in making aspersions on her husband's character. Certainly she did not pause to discuss David's anger with her drunken husband.
       Instead she hastily made ready to prepare special foods for David's six hundred men. She asked no advice of anyone but went to work as judiciously and quietly as if she had had months to think over her actions and make preparations for the food. She supervised the baking and packing of two hundred loaves of bread. Also, she had five sheep dressed and five measures of grain parched, and she packed two skins of wine, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs (I Sam. 25:18). Then she had everything loaded on asses and mounted an ass herself. Let us imagine it was a white one, and as she mounted it, she beckoned to her helpers to ride before her with the food. 
       Only a capable and affluent woman could have made ready so much food in such haste. Only a woman of good understanding could have left so quietly, without informing her husband of her actions. If she had, she knew he would demand that she not give away his food to strangers. She knew, too, that the safety of their entire household was at stake.
       As Abigail came down under the cover of the mountain, David and his men rode toward her, and she heard David telling them of her husband's ingratitude and of how he had returned to him evil for good. She overheard David say that by morning all that Nabal possessed and all in his household would be destroyed.
       Abigail, unafraid, hastened toward David and alighted from her ass. In all humility she began to intercede for her husband and apologize for his bad actions. She admitted to David that Nabal was a base fellow and a fool. She then begged David to receive the food she had brought and to forgive her trespasses. She praised David, telling him that evil would not be found in him so long as he lived.
       She also predicted that he would be prince over Israel and that his soul would be "bound in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God.'' She confirmed that God's word was sure and that God would exalt him. Abigail's supplication to David runs through I Samuel 25:24-31. In not one word do we find her forgetting her own dignity. All of the greatness which she predicted would come to David she attributed to the only source of good, God Himself. And she helped David to know he was the object of God's love and care.      
      What but the unquestioning faith in God could have dictated such a humble petition? In it Abigail typifies woman in her noblest, purest character. Her actions reveal that she was a diplomat of the highest order and that she understood men and had tolerance for their bad behavior.
       When she had finished her mission, she did not loiter. She quickly mounted her ass and wended her way back over the hills. We can imagine that David watched her until she was lost in the distance. He probably had been impressed with her good countenance, and he was not to forget this woman who had brought all of this excellent food to his hungry men. His admiration for her one day would take on a deeper, richer meaning.
       When Abigail arrived home, she found her husband still feasting and drinking. But, wisely, she did not tell him of her journey until morning. When the sober Nabal learned from Abigail how near he had come to being slain by David and his men and what she had done to avoid such an attack, he became violently ill. Ten days later he died. He probably died of apoplexy when he realized the perilous situation in which he had placed himself.
       David, later to learn of Nabal's death, would affectionately remember the woman of good understanding who had come over the mountain on the ass, bringing food to appease his hunger. He was
now free to wed Abigail, and so he sent his servants, telling her that he wanted her to be his wife.
       She was now the petitioned and not the petitioner. She accepted David's invitation for marriage, but it was in humility and self-abasement. To his messengers she said, "Behold, let thine handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord'' (I Sam. 25:41). Though Abigail brought to David a rich estate and a new social position, she felt unworthy to become the wife of one whom God had singled out for His work.
       Abigail was just the wife that David needed, for he was willful and tempestuous, while she was humble and gentle. Probably she helped him to learn patience and forbearance and to put aside temptation. She also helped to inspire confidence in him.
       She dwelt with David at Gath and also went with him to Hebron, and there she gave birth to their son, Chileab, also called Daniel. Though little is recorded about Abigail after her marriage to David, we can be sure she was continually exposed to danger from the enmity of Saul and his followers and to captivity from neighboring nations. When the Amalekites captured Ziklag, she was taken captive but was rescued by David after he had defeated the enemy.
       In their years together, David probably said to Abigail many times, as he had said to her when she first rode up to him on the ass, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me: And blessed be thy advice‚.'' (I Sam. 25: 32-33).

Gladiolus Symbol for ''The Word Made Flesh''

The floral family of Iridaceae: Gladiolus,
Iris and Crocus is used to symbolize
the Incarnation.

       Somewhat less common than the lily, the Gladiolus was also a floral symbol used in earlier churches to signify the Incarnation. (according to Webber) Gladiolus sometimes where used in place of the iris because both are Iridaceae. Crocus are also Iridaceae and may be found in the margins of medieval illuminated texts/Bibles as well. All three flowers have three true petals, three sepals and three stamens. So it appears that the repetition of three is of greater significance in the choice of a blossom used to depict the incarnation, because the number three is also a reminder of the trinitarian nature of God.

Scriptures That Reference The Incarnation:

• ''Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.'' John 3:16
• ''So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father's one and only Son.''John 1:14
• ''Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe.'' Hebrews 1:1-2
• ''But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.'' Galatians 4:4-5
• ''All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will Give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means 'God is with us'). Isaiah 7:14
  
• This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: ''Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners'' - and I am the worst of them all. But God hand mercky on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst of sinners. Then others will realize that they too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unssen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen. 1 Timothy 1: 15-17

The Agnus Dei Symbol With 7 Seals

This symbol is in reference to events that take place on
 earth according to God's calendar. Whenever you see it, the
symbol, is referring to God's calendar of events
 given in the Book of Revelations.

       The Lamb of God is Christ Jesus who is marked with a halo and cross about it's head.

• ''I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!" Revelation 6:1
• "Thou, even thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry?" Psalm 76:7
  
• "And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever..." Revelation  11:15,18

The frame around the symbol with seven seals is merely
 decorative. It illustrates medieval tracery, carved from
stone and found in the architecture of churches/cathedrals. 

        The seven bindings wrapped around the book above, each marked with a tiny "+'' sign are the illustrated markers of the seven seals. The Lamb of God, who is Christ, sits on top of the book waiting to open each seal. In the following scripture narrator is John, who has the vision of the seven seals. He is the one speaking..."I looked"

The Daisy Symbol for A Chrismon Tree

The daisy reminds us of
the innocence of the
holy child, Jesus.

       ''The daisy symbol, usually shown in a slightly conventionalized form as it is above, is a symbol of the innocence of the Holy Christ Child.'' Webber

Scriptures To Learn In Reference to The Daisy Symbol: How do we know Jesus was born Holy as in consecrated to God? and also wholly as in fully innocent?

1. Isaiah gives prophecy of the Messiah in explicit details chapter 52-53. He says that his virgin mother will call her son Immanuel which means, God with us, quite literally. Isaiah then prophesied what only a holy child of God could even look like or do...

• But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5

2. The miraculous virgin birth is like no other because Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and of a human mother. He was born because God planned him to enter the world of the flesh that way. God gave Jesus a unique and original DNA.

• But the angel said to her, ''Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob's descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.'' Luke 1:30-33

3. Elisabeth's unborn child, John the baptist, recognized the Jesus for who he was before he was even born. He leapt for joy in his mother's womb and she, his mother, was filled with the Holy Spirit.

• When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Luke 1:41

4. God planned for him to die for the sins of the world. Only an innocent son could die for sin that belongs to someone else because . . .  he cannot die for sin he does not possess. The transference of guilt takes place. So happens, the blood atonement.

• ''For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.'' Leviticus 17: 11

5. Joseph stands corrected by an angel! God did not allow Joseph, Mary's betrothed to keep believing that her child was ordinary and conceived the way that a fallen Adam and Eve conceived their own offspring.

• But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ''Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.'' Matthew 1:20

6. Herod not acting in fear of evil but in fear of the innocent. Even a sinner like King Herod believed that only a special child would be predicted by the old prophets of scripture, to be born the Messiah. So he was forced to kill innocent babes in order to try and defeat Jesus. 

• When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Matthew 2:16

7. Only servants of a Holy Child, Jesus, could so boldly preach, participate in miracles and perform signs and wonders successfully. The disciples of Jesus were convinced beyond the shadow of a doubt that their leader could defeat evil in any person, demon or experience they were familiar with.

• ''By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of they holy child Jesus.'' Acts 4:30

Lilium Candidum Symbol of The Annunciation

       Over time many flowers have been used inside the church to designate something, an event or person in scripture. Both medieval scribes, and then much later the Victorians, maintained religious floral symbolism in their liturgical traditions, illuminations and paintings. One of the most consistently used floral symbols still used today is the lily.
       ''The Lilium Candidum'' is a popular symbol of the Annunciation. In many pictures of the Annunciation it is shown, either growing in a pot, or else held in the hand of the Virgin or the Angel Gabriel. As a rule it is stamenless, and my even have a tiny flame of fire resting upon it.'' Webber 

Scriptures To Learn In Reference to The Lily Symbol:

• ''And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin'a name was Mary. And the angel come in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee:blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.'' Luke 1:26-28

The painting of the Annunciation by Leonardo Da Vinci depicts an angel giving to Mary,
mother of Jesus, a lily. This is never described in the Bible, however, it is a very old
symbol designated by Christian artists in the church to symbolize the event. 

 

The Church As A Ship Symbol

The Church As A Ship Symbol.

             ''Closely allied to the Ship symbol is the Christ's Church. Usually a ship with a distinctly 'cross' shaped mass is preferred and the vessel floats upon troubled waters. This recalls the ship in which the apostles sailed across the Sea of Galilee, when Jesus stilled the tempest. It represents the Ship of the Church, tossed by the stormy waves of persecution, heresy and schisms; threatened with destruction by rationalism, by indifference, by negative critics and by false teachers who arise. But the presence of the Savior is a positive assurance of safety. 

Scriptures Reference for Ship Symbols:

• Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was engulfed by the waves; but Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke Him, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!" "You of little faith, " Jesus replied, ''why are you so afraid?" Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea,  and it was perfectly calm.'' Matthew 8:24-26
• One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, (Peter) and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. Luke 5: 1-11
• He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?'' "No," they answered. He said, "Throw you net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. John 21:5-6
  
• Later that night, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, but they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." Mark 6: 47-53
• For he and his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were his partners James and John, the sons of Zebedee. "Do not be afraid," Jesus said to Simon. "From now on you will catch men." Luke 5:9-10
  

An ancient ship with people on board.

       Sometimes the apostles are shown rowing the ship. Again they are shown seated in the ship, with Peter or Paul at the helm. In some examples to be found in the catacombs, the apostle Paul is seen preaching from the stern of the ship. An early lamp exists, made in the form of a ship, with one of the apostles steering it, and another preaching from it's prow. Other representations show the apostles aboard, with the hand of God extended over them, protecting the Church from schism and heresy. Many examples of the Ship of the Church exist in old sculptures and stained glass.'' Webber (edited)

Illuminated Scripture by Owen Jones

Description of Illumination: Psalm 100:1-5 "Oh be joyful in the LORD all ye lands: serve the LORD with gladness, and come before his presence with a song. Be ye sure that the Lord he is GOD: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves, we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.Oh go your way into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and speak good of his Name. For the LORD is gracious, his mercy is everlasting: and his truth endureth from generation to generation.'', full page illumination

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Symbols of Instruments for Music Inspired Chrismons

      Here the visual illustrations of what can only be heard to be experienced in a way that does it justice, the worship of God with instruments. Choose any of the posted for embroidery and to also inspire other developments of Chrismon ornaments cut from paper, sculpted with clay or painted renderings perhaps?

• See also the symbol of David's Harp here...
  

Scripture Reference for Worshiping God With Instruments:

• ''Sing to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of a psalm, with trumpets and the sound of a horn.'' Psalm 98:5-6
• ''Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD. Psalms 150: 4,5,6
• Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart . . . '' Ephesians 5:19
• 4,000 gatekeepers, and 4,000 shall offer praises the the LORD with the instruments that I have made for praise.'' 1 Chronicles 23:5

Hymns of Praise and Worship Using Instruments:

• Instrumental Christmas Carols
• Heavenly Instrumental Hymns
• Soothing Saxophone Hymns