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"A
Birthday
Lesson"
Message
summary:
Today,
regardless of
the price we
pay, let us
unashamedly
stand up for
Jesus!
Listen to our message on your audio player.
"On
Herod's
birthday the
daughter of
Herodias
danced for
them and
pleased Herod
so much that
he promised
with an oath
to give her
whatever she
asked.
Prompted by
her mother,
she said,
'Give me here
on a platter
the head of
John the
Baptist.' The
king was
distressed,
but because of
his oaths and
his dinner
guests, he
ordered that
her request be
granted and
had John
beheaded in
the prison.
His head was
brought in on
a platter and
given to the
girl, who
carried it to
her mother.
John's
disciples came
and took his
body and
buried it.
Then they went
and told
Jesus"
(Matthew
14:6-12).
Ester had her
37th birthday
on Monday. We
mentioned that
yesterday when
we went over
to the Shady
Maple for her
free birthday
meal.
Celebrations
of birthdays
are a
worldwide
experience and
why not, after
all, our birth
is something
we all share
of
significance!
There are
those likely
reading or
listening to
this message
who are
celebrating a
birthday. So,
we hope it's a
blessed and
happy one!
But the Bible
mentions only
two birthdays,
both
concerning
worldly
leaders.
Pharaoh in Genesis
40:20 and
Herod in our
daily text.
The focus in
both texts is
not on the
pagan's
birthday
celebration
but rather the
faithfulness
of God's
servants:
Joseph in
Genesis and
John the
Baptist in our
daily text.
Today let us
consider John
the Baptist.
As a child we
had a picture
of John the
Baptist in our
hallway. Since
I grew up in
the Methodist
Church I
recall in my
earlier years
reasoning that
John must not
have been a
Methodist but
rather a part
of the Baptist
church in our
community!
Of course no
single group
or
denomination
regardless of
name that can
exclusively
lay claim to
this faithful
servant. He
had a
relatively
short life and
a gruesome
death as
recorded in
our daily
text.
Beheading is a
particularly
violent form
of brutality
and was the
experience of
at least two
New Testament
believers
although there
were likely
others.*
Throughout the
Scriptures the
consequences
of sin and the
fall are quite
evident. We
still see
these
consequences
today. Just
watch the
news.
The daily text
records the
most prominent
beheading in
the Bible. It
matter-of-factly
states that on
Herod's
birthday he
was tricked
into beheading
John the
Baptist. It is
surely among
the harder
passages to
read, learn
from and
present
spiritual
application
for God's
people (let
alone
encourage).
Our first
reaction tends
to be, "Why
would God
allow this to
happen to a
man who served
Him so
faithfully?"
But it did
happen and has
happened many,
many times
since. It's
still
happening
today, the
most prominent
and a more
recent example
being the ISIS
beheading of
Christian men
in Libya
several years
ago.
The following
thoughts are
derived from
the fuller
context of
John's
beheading
recorded in
Matthew
14:1-12 and
Mark 6:17-29.
In these
passages we
find four
lessons (at
least):
2) Herod and Herodias (his unlawful wife) stubbornly rejected God's Word.
3) Herod was interested and liked to listen to John but spinelessly waffled in regard to God's Word, thus defacto rejecting it. When push came to shove he ordered the execution of John, whom he knew to be "a righteous and holy man" (Mark 6:20).
There
is an
interesting
passage toward
the end of
Revelation
concerning
faithful
witnesses for
the Lord. "And
I saw the
souls of those
who had been
beheaded
because of
their
testimony for
Jesus and
because of the
Word of God.
They had not
worshiped the
beast or his
image and had
not received
his mark on
their
foreheads or
their hands.
They came to
life and
reigned with
Christ a
thousand
years"
(Revelation
20:4).
Where do
you fit in
today?
Apart from
someone just
dropping in on
our site we
don't expect
to have many
readers that
live in
rejection of
God's Word.
However some
may be
interested or
might possibly
find our
writings
compelling,
but are still
at a
crossroads.
It's hard to
admit, but are
you
spinelessly
waffling,
still
undecided
about where to
place your
allegiance?
Join us in
faithfully
proclaiming
God's Word, in
unashamedly
standing up
for Jesus.
For some of
you this will
be literally
preaching, but
for most it
will be that
steady day by
day
proclamation
through our
lives and
words to
individuals
and small
groups. There
are millions
today who,
like John the
Baptist,
faithfully
proclaim God's
Word. And
frankly some
will be
beheaded or
otherwise die
due to their
stand for the
Lord. Today,
regardless of
the price we
pay, let us
unashamedly
stand up for
Jesus!
Be encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13
Stephen and Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer:
Father, we
confess that
we are weak
and fearful
people, apart
from Your Holy
Spirit who
makes us
valiant and
strong. The
conflicting
philosophies,
the indulgent
sinful
behaviors of
humanity, the
worship of
creatures
rather than
our Creator,
and the false
religions that
abound require
us to be
equipped daily
in Your
spiritual
armor. Our
struggle is
not physical
but spiritual
in nature as
the powers of
this dark
world and the
spiritual
forces in the
heavenly
realms battle
for our souls.
This conflict
will not end
until we unite
with You in
heaven, so
keep us
vigilant and
trusting as we
do battle with
Satan and his
evil legions
of demons. You
are the
captain of our
army and we
will be
victorious as
we follow Your
every command.
Help us to do
so we pray in
the blessed
name of Jesus.
Amen.
* In Acts 12
James is the
first of the
original
twelve
disciples
whose
martyrdom is
recorded in
Scripture. He
was "put
to death with
the sword"
also by Herod.
Presumably
this means he
was beheaded.
Consider how
martyrdom is
often used in
Islam (often
called the
"religion of
peace"
in Orwellian
speech) with
those who are
identified as
"martyrs" if
they die in
the process of
murdering
others. In
stark contrast
the sense of
Christian
martyrdom is
always a death
for the
witness of
Christ.
Associating
the term with
the killing of
others is
utterly
perverse and
essentially a
blasphemous
use of the
word "martyr".
Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
"Stand Up For Jesus" Watch on YouTube Sung by an Indian mass choir. May God give them special strength as they stand up for Christ in a hard place.
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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version and a variety of other versions.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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