Saying Thanks

Here is a great link to say "thank you" to our troops that daily maintain our freedom.

Birds of the Bible - Fatted Fowl

Ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and an hundred sheep, beside harts, and roebucks, and fallowdeer, and fatted fowl. (1 Kings 4:23 KJV)

While doing a search with my e-Sword Bible program, I came across I Kings 4:23. It is in the midst of the daily provisions needed by Solomon for one day. I had not noticed the "fatted fowl" before and since today is Thanksgiving, it caught my interest. According to what I wrote yesterday about the Thanksgiving Turkey, the Wild Turkey, Ocellated Turkey, and domesticated turkey are from the New World. If Solomon had lived here, I might think that he was eating "turkey" or some fatted goose, duck, or chicken. However, Solomon lived in Israel. So, what was the "fatted fowl"?

According to Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries: Fatted = H75 - aw-bas' - A primitive root; to fodder: - fatted, stalled. Fowl = H1257 - bar-boor' -By reduplication from H1250; a fowl (as fattened on grain) - fowl. So the fatted fowl was possibly fed grain as was the fatted calf. Here are some of the other translations for the "fatted calf", fat fowls, geese, poultry, fattened birds, fattened fowl, fatted fowl, and fatted beast of the stalls.

Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary had this comment. "Solomon’s provision for one day — not for the king’s table only, but for all connected with the court, including, besides the royal establishment, those of his royal consorts, his principal officers, his bodyguards, his foreign visitors, etc. The quantity of fine floor used is estimated at two hundred forty bushels; that of meal or common flour at four hundred eighty. The number of cattle required for consumption, besides poultry and several kinds of game (which were abundant on the mountains) did not exceed in proportion what is needed in other courts of the East."

John Gill's commentary said, "and fatted fowl; such as we call capons (a); some Jewish writers (b), because of the likeness of sound in the word here used, take them to be Barbary fowls, or such as were brought from that country: there is a sort of birds called βαρβαροι, which were without a voice, that neither heard men, nor knew their voice (c).

So what was the fatted fowl? It is hard to be exact, but, Scriptures mentions the Quail, Chicken, Hen, and Partridge kinds as being "clean" and thereby they could be eaten. These have also been known to be fattened up. The Barbary fowl according to Wikipedia and others is a Barbary Partridge which looks very much like our Chukar here in North America. The partridge family brings us back to the Turkey, which is in that family. One thing we know for certain. God created the fowls (birds) and we are permitted to eat some of them. (Genesis 1:20 and Genesis 9:2,3).

Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. (2 Corinthians 9:11 KJV)

We hope you have a very happy Thanksgiving Day and that you spend time thanking God for all His blessings.

Barbary Partridge video by Josep del Hoyo

Photos - Chukar Partridge (Alectoris chukar) by Ian and Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus) by Nikhi

6 Things I'm Thankful For...

Happy Thanksgiving. Here are 6 things that I'm thankful for.

1. I'm thankful that I've been adopted by God. I wasn't born into His family. I had no right to be in His family. Yet, He reached down and chose me to be His son. I'm so thankful that He did.
2. I'm thankful for my Family. God has blessed me with a wonderful wife and two beautiful daughters. My children are so fortunate to have such an outstanding mother. I would truly be lost without her. I'm so thankful for my family.
3. I'm thankful for my Parents. Godly parents are becoming harder and harder to find. I am so thankful to have two of the godliest people I know as my parents. What an honor it is to be their son.
   
4. I'm thankful for my Job. 2009 has reminded me that jobs can come and go like the wind. I am so thankful for a job that allows me to provide for my family.
5. I'm thankful for my Pastor. He sets an example for me in so many ways: his marriage, his family, his personal life, his finances, his compassion, his patience, his character. He is such an example and an encouragement to me and I am so thankful for him.
6. I'm thankful for my Church. Being a member of Faith Baptist Church is a unique privilege that I have. It unites me with brothers and sisters who genuinely love me and my family. I am so thankful for my church.

What are you thankful for?

Thanksgiving Turkey

Tomorrow, many of us here in the United States will be eating turkey on Thanksgiving Day. Luckily, many turkeys will survive our holiday and continue to roam around. Here locally in Polk County, Florida, I see a "rafter" of turkeys (name for a group of turkeys - incorrectly called a "gobble" or "flock") from time to time. Near Bartow I have seen them many times in rafters up to 11 turkeys. Near Circle B Bar Reserve, I have seen other groups up to 8 turkeys.
The domestic turkey is a descendant of the Wild Turkey and features prominently in the menu of the Canadian and U.S. holidays of Thanksgiving and that of Christmas in many countries.

The Turkey is in the Galliformes Order and in the Phasianidae (Pheasants, Fowl & Allies) Family. There are two turkeys - Wild Turkey - Meleagris gallopavo and the Ocellated Turkey - Meleagris ocellata. The Wild is native to North American forrests and the Ocellated is native to the Yucatan Peninsula forrests. They are relatives of the Grouse family. Both Turkeys have a "distinctive fleshy wattle that hangs from the underside of the beak and a fleshy protuberance (flap of skin) that hangs from the top of its beak called a snood." Turkeys are the heaviest member of the Galliformes order. The females are smaller and duller than the males. The male weighs from 11-24 lbs (5-11 kg) [record=38lbs] and measures 39-49 in (100-125 cm). They also have from 20,000-30,000 feathers.

Congressional Proclamations from CreationWiki.
"The United States Congress set December 18, 1777, as a day of thanksgiving on which the American people "may express the grateful feelings of their hearts and consecrate themselves to the service of their divine benefactor" and on which they might "join the penitent confession of their manifold sins . . . that it may please God, through the merits of Jesus Christ, mercifully to forgive and blot them out of remembrance." Congress also recommends that Americans petition God "to prosper the means of religion for the promotion and enlargement of that kingdom which consisteth in righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.'"[1]
Congress set November 28, 1782, as a day of thanksgiving on which Americans were "to testify their gratitude to God for his goodness, by a cheerful obedience to his laws, and by promoting, each in his station, and by his influence, the practice of true and undefiled religion, which is the great foundation of public prosperity and national happiness."

Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; (Ephesians 5:20 KJV)

See:
WhatBird's Wild Turkey
Wikipedia's Wild Turkey and Ocellated Turkey
Video of an Ocellated Turkey and a Wild Turkey displaying on Internet Bird Collection

2009 Christmas Musical & Drama

We are proud to announce our upcoming Christmas Musical and Drama, Born to Die. Jesus Christ came to this earth over two thousand years ago as a tine babe in a manger, born of the Virgin Mary. But this Virgin born Son of God grew to be the Christ that was offered up as a sacrifice for the sins of the world on the Cross of Calvary, literally, He was Born to Die!

This message will be portrayed on December 19th & 20th at 6:00pm by our Adult Choir, Voices of Faith Youth Choir, Children's Choir, Orchestra and Drama Team. Admission is free and a nursery will be provided.

It is Well with My Soul

Today's the anniversary of my favorite song. See this link.

Birds of the Bible - Cuckoo II

And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind,
(Leviticus 11:16 KJV) and (Deuteronomy 14:15)

The verses above are interesting because the cuckow (cuckoo) is taken from the Hebrew word, " שחף or shachaph" (H7828), and is only used in those two verses. Some translate it as "cuckow" (KJV, Webster), "cuckoo" (YLT), "seamew or sea-mew" (ASV, JPS, RV), "sea-hawk" (BBE), and the rest "sea-gull or sea gull" (Darby, ESV, GW, MKJV, NASB, NKJV). From the Jewish Encyclopedia about the Cuckoo, "The A. V. rendering of (shaḥaf) in Lev. xi. 16 and Deut. xiv. 15. In both places it occurs in the list of unclean birds. This identification, however, is only a conjecture, and there is no certain tradition to support it. The Targum transcribes the Hebrew word. The Septuagint gives λάρος ("sea-gull"). The R. V. rendering is "seamew," which is accepted by Gesenius, Bertholet, and Driver in their commentaries, and by Baentsch and Lewyson ("Zoologie des Talmuds," p. 182). The cuckoo, however, is found in Palestine, where it passes the summer. Two varieties are met with—the common and the spotted cuckoo."

Whether it is in the cuckoo or the gull family, it is not clear. What is clear is that it was not to be eaten. For this article, I am going to concentrate on the Cuculidae Family which includes the Cuckoo, Ani, Roadrunner, Coucal, Coua, Malkoha, Koel, Drongo-Cuckoo, and Hawk-Cuckoo. All of these are in the Cuculiformes Order and all were created by the Lord.

"The Cuckoos are medium to large birds some with a long tail; species range in lenght from 6.6-28 in. (16-70 cm). The bill of all species is basically the same, varying only in size: fairly short, strong or stout, and slightly decurved". (Complete Birds of the World, National Geographical) They are generally medium sized slender birds. The cuckoos feed on insects, insect larvae and a variety of other animals, as well as fruit. Many species are brood parasites, laying their eggs in the nests of other species, but the majority of species raise their own young.

"One of the most important distinguishing features of the family are the feet, which are zygodactyl, meaning that the two inner toes pointed forward and the two outer backward. There are two basic body forms, arboreal species (like the Common Cuckoo) which are slender and have short tarsi, and terrestrial species (like the roadrunners) which are more heavy set and have long tarsi. Almost all species have long tails which are used for steering in terrestrial species and as a rudder during flight in the arboreal species. The wing shape also varies with lifestyle, with the more migratory species like the Black-billed Cuckoo possessing long narrow wings capable of strong direct flight, and the more terrestrial and sedentary cuckoos like the coucals and malkohas having shorter rounded wings and a more laboured gliding flight."

Below are photos of some of the birds in the Cuculidae Family in IOC 2009 order.

See Also:
Birds of the Bible - Cuckoo
Cuckoo

Photos: Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Common Cuckoo, Asian Emerald Cuckoo, Zygodactyl arrangement of toes

Worship Matters

I'm currently reading through a book entitled Worship Matters by Bob Kauflin. He blogs at Worship Matters. Bob is the director of worship development for Sovereign Grace.

I recently finished a section where Kauflin gave 6 ways that worshiping God on Sunday should transform the way we live the rest of the week (p. 143-150):

1. Worshiping God should make us Humble.
2. Worshiping God should make us Secure.
3. Worshiping God should make us Grateful.
4. Worshiping God should make us Holy.
5. Worshiping God should make us Loving.
6. Worshiping God should make us Mission-Minded.

Maybe as we leave church on Sunday mornings we should be asking ourselves:

1. Am I more Humble?
2. Am I more Secure?
3. Am I more Grateful?
4. Am I more Holy?
5. Am I more Loving?
6. Am I more Mission-Minded?

What are you thinking about when you leave church on Sunday mornings?

Your Word

O Lord,

Your Word is full of promises,

flowers of sweet fragrance,

fruit of refreshing flavor, when culled by faith.

May I be made rich in its riches,

be strong in its power,

be happy in its joy,

abide in its sweetness,

feast on its preciousness,

draw vigor from its manna.
Lord, increase my faith.

- The Valley of Vision, adapted

Missionary Update - Gene Bryant

Missionary: Gene Bryant
Retired in Ohio

• Pray for the salvation of Clay. He is 25 and wanting to join the Marine Reserves. Has been over for dinner but Gene has not really been able to get into the plan of salvation with him. Pray for direction in his life and that he would come to trust Christ.
• Pray for the salvation of Gene’s friend Meir and his family. He has not heard from him recently because of the High Holy Days. Gene is very much concerned for him and his family.
• Pray for Jay. He is struggling in several ways, but he is growing in the Lord. He is on overload from work, school, family and transitions.

View the Bryant missionary page

Missionary Update - Joe & Debbie Tassell

Joe & Debbie Tassell – Ohio
Board- Faith’s 100

• Had a fall festival on the November 7th.
• Planning a Thanksgiving community dinner on Thanksgiving day.
• Musical practice is going on now for their Christmas musical. It will be held 3 nights in December.
• They were informed two weeks ago that their new youth leaders will have to step down. Pray for wisdom for Joe and Debbie. They are at a total loss as to what to do and where to turn for new youth leaders. They know the Lord has all the answers and our praying for wisdom in this situation.
• Pray for Joe as he prepares sermons and wisdom for day to day things that arise.
• Pray for Debbie as she leads AWANA. Also, be in prayer for her mom as she is in rehab to regain strength in her legs. They are praying for a speedy recovery. Pray for her dad not to become discouraged and for strength to keep up day to day tasks.
• Pray for David as he might have an opportunity for a full-time job. This would help he pay and continue at BBC.
• Pray for Luke as he tackles the 10th grade. He is a great help to the youth leaders.

Tassell Missionary Page

Missionary Update - David & Anora Totman

David & Anora Totman

Niger - Board- Faith’s 100

• Dave & Anora’s continue their responsibilities with Bible studies, outreach trips, community service, and music team. This year they add senior class advisors as well.
• Pray for Anora as she is taking courses in professional counseling from Liberty University.
• Ereina is in 2nd grade at Sahel Academy. Trey is attending a Christian Nigerien (French) preschool.
• Pray for the spiritual growth of the students. They have 105 students attending this year!
• Pray for staffing needs at Sahel. Many people are needed to fill these roles. Pray for God’s provision of the right new members to join the team.
• Pray for peace during the election season in Niger.

Totman Missionary Page

Birds of the Bible - Singing Birds

By them the birds of the heavens have their home; They sing among the branches. (Psalms 104:12 NKJV)

Savannah Sparrow by Ray

Many birds do their singing to either claim their territory, their partner, or sing because of their new young babies. Many just sing because God put a song in their heart.

According to R. A. Torrey's New Topical Textbook the above verse, birds "Have each their peculiar note or song." Whereas Nave's Topical Bible titles the verse as "Songs of, at the break of day." Referring to a bird singing both refer to Psalms 104:12, Ecclesiastes 12:4 and Song of Solomon 2:12. Not only has God created the different birds, but has given them various voices even amongst their own kind. Warblers, of which there are many kinds, have distinct voices. I have to admit that I enjoy some bird songs much more than others, as you do also.

From the commentaries about Psalm 104:12, here are some of their thoughts:
Albert Barnes' Notes - "Which sing among the branches - Margin, as in Hebrew, “give a voice.” Their voice is heard - their sweet music - in the foliage of the trees which grow on the margin of the streams and by the fountains. There is scarcely to be found a more beautiful poetic image than this."
Geneva Bible Translation Notes - "There is no part of the world so barren where most evident signs of God's blessing do not appear."
John Gill's Exposition - "By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation,.... Another use of the springs, fountains, and rivers of water; by the sides and on the shores of these, some birds delight to be, and on trees that grow here do they build their nests; and here, having wetted their throats, they sit, and chirp, and sing: to doves, by rivers of water, is the allusion in Son_5:12."
"Which sing among the branches; of trees that grow by the sides of fountains and rivers; see Eze_17:23. To such birds may saints be compared; being, like them, weak, defenceless, and timorous; liable to be taken in snares, and sometimes wonderfully delivered; as well as given to wanderings and strayings: and to fowls of the heaven, being heaven born souls, and partakers of the heavenly calling. These have their habitation by the fountain of Jacob, by the river of divine love, beside the still waters of the sanctuary; where they sing the songs of Zion, the songs of electing, redeeming, and calling grace."
Matthew Henry - " The birds. Some birds, by instinct, make their nests in the bushes near rivers (Psa_104:12): By the springs that run among the hills some of the fowls of heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches. They sing, according to their capacity, to the honour of their Creator and benefactor, and their singing may shame our silence. Our heavenly Father feeds them (Mat_6:26), and therefore they are easy and cheerful, and take no thought for the morrow. The birds being made to fly above the earth (as we find, Gen_1:20), they make their nests on high, in the tops of trees (Psa_104:17); it should seem as if nature had an eye to this in planting the cedars of Lebanon, that they might be receptacles for the birds. Those that fly heavenward shall not want resting-places.

Oh, give thanks to the LORD! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works! (1 Chronicles 16:8-9 NKJV)

To see the videos, CLICK HERE

Last but not least, we have a Song Sparrow singing by Tstormer on YouTube

The Incredible Claims that Jesus Made

Sunday evening, Pastor Osborne preached a message entitled The Incredible Claims Made by Jesus. It is posted on our website if you would like to listen to it.

In that message Pastor mentioned the book Loving God by Chuck Colson. In case you don't know who Chuck Colson is, here is a short bio. He is the founder of Prison Fellowship.

Hannah Osborne Update

Update from Hannah dated Nov. 9, 2009

Things here are going great! I'm really enjoying my flatmates and all the 'Aunties' I work with. In Baby House 1 ((where I am staying)) we have 3 departments of babies: Big Babies, Small Babies and Starfish which are babies with minor disabilities. I have mainly been working with the Big Babies of which there are 12. 3 have been matched for adoptions and will be leaving in the next couple of weeks so we will probably be getting some new babies here soon. My schedule also includes office/running days where I sort donations and run babies to hospital or little appointments they have other places. I've driven several times now and am becoming more comfortable with that. My flatmates and I are planning to go to Kruger Park next weekend which is a wildlife reserve so we'll see some African animals!! If there's anything else you'd like to know, just ask! If the internet continues to work I should be on for a while longer. Love and miss you!

See Osborne Missionary Page

The Battle for the Heart's Daily Worship

May this prayer from Scotty Smith challenge and encourage you as it has me.
*****
Heavenly Father, how I long for the Day when I will no longer be tempt-able, deceive-able, or even capable of worshipping any other “god” but you. I so look forward to an eternity of giving you the adoration, affection, attention and allegiance of which you alone are worthy. No one cares like you. No one understands like you. No one redeems like you. No one loves like you. No one restores like you. There is no God but you.
In Jesus, you have already given me a new heart and have placed your Spirit in me. In Jesus, you have already turned my heart of stone into a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:25-27). In Jesus, you have already given me a heart to know and love you (Jeremiah 24:7). In Jesus you have already written your law upon my heart (Jeremiah 31:33). In Jesus, you have already given me a perfectly forgiven heart.
YET, it is not a fully perfected heart. The battle for my heart’s daily worship continues, and will continue until the Day Jesus returns to finish making all things new. Thus, the warning to keep myself from idols has never had more meaning, Father. Help me discern which “idols of the heart” (Ezekiel 14:4) I am most susceptible to trusting in, rather than you. When I don’t think you are “enough,” where do I take the worship you deserve—where do I go for life, deliverance and salvation?
Sometimes the collaboration and conspiracy of the duplicity within me… the world around me… and the devil, invisible to me, is overwhelming… I need the gospel every minute of every hour.
I praise you for the assurance that I am already one of your “beloved children.” You cannot love me more than you already do, and you will never love me less, for you love all of your children just as much as you love your beloved Son, Jesus. Surely the gospel, this gospel, will win the day, my heart and the entire cosmos. So very Amen, I pray, in Jesus’ name.

Birds of the Bible - Wayside Sower Birds

By the Wayside - Brandt's Mountain Finch (Leucosticte brandti)

Have your ever listened to someone talking, but you really didn't hear them? Maybe your mind was on something else. Have you ever listened to someone, you were hearing them, but you just didn't get what they were saying? It just didn't make sense to you. Well, that is where our Bird of the Bible this week gets its food.

Among rocks - Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus)

I can see you now trying to find these "Wayside Sower Birds" in your latest, up to date, birding handbook. No, these birds are mentioned in the Bible, in the Parable of the Sower. These birds are not named specifically, so it could be any kind of bird that likes to eat along the wayside of a planted field. Let's look at what is being said about them.

Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: "Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. (Matthew 13:3-4 NKJV)
Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. (Mark 4:3-4 NKJV)
A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. (Luke 8:5 NKJV)

Among thorns - Citrine Wagtail (Motacilla citreola) by Nikhil

The parable goes on and tells of the seed landing on rocks, in thorn bushes and also on good ground. The Lord later explained it to His disciples as:

Therefore hear the parable of the sower: (19) When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. (20) But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; (21) yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. (22) Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. (23) But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. (Matthew 13:18-23 NKJV)

Good ground - American Yellow Warbler
(Dendroica aestiva) by J Fenton

May we all receive the seed (Word of God) on good ground and not be deaf to the truth of God, letting what you hear fall by the wayside.

Gospel Message

Letter to Bird Enthusiast

9Marks eJournal

The new 9Marks eJournal is now available. You can also download the entire journal as a pdf file.

9Marks is a ministry of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC.

Perfect Are Thy Ways

How perfect are Thy ways, Oh God!
How perfect are Thy ways!
Thy skies were cloudless in the blue above,
And my heart sang out its praise!
Sweet it was in green pastures to lie
And drink of the waters cool nearby,
To bask in Thy love and mercy and grace,
To know in Thy heart I was given a place.
Those were the picnic days of my life,
So thankful was I to be mother and wife.

And my lightsome heart sang out its praise,
"How perfect, Oh God, are all Thy ways!"

How perfect are Thy ways, Oh God?
How perfect are Thy ways?
When skies are darkened in the storm around,
Will my trembling heart still tell its praise?
Precious it is to remember Thy Word,
To drink deep of Thy goodness, Oh my God!
To be wrapped in Thy comfort, upheld by Thy arms,
I know Thou art folding me safe in Thy palms.
These are the days that cut like a knife.
Numbing my heart and dark'ning my life.

Still my sobbing heart whispers its praise,
"How perfect, Oh God, are all Thy ways!"

(written by my grandmother, Anne B. Simpson, in 1987)