During this holiday season you may be invited to a party or two. Parties can be lots of fun, but there’s one party you really should avoid.
On this short video (3:12) I point out the one party to avoid this year. And I also give you some good advise in case you happen to find yourself right in the middle of one of those parties!
Enjoy the video.
Leave A Comment! We’d love to hear what you think. Please type your comment below.
[The Bible is an “Eastern” book. It was written many years ago in the “East” which today we refer to as “The Middle East.” As such, there are many customs and idioms that are not familiar to the “Western” mind.]
This time of year, many Christians all over the world remember the birth of Jesus Christ. The story is re told in a variety of ways. There are nativity scenes, plays, sermons, etc. There is an element of the story that has been a bit misunderstood by some, and that is the “swaddling clothes.”
Most people are familiar with the verse, “…and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” If you are familiar with the account, then you know that Bethlehem was rather crowded that evening and all the “hotels” were full.
It is not within the scope of this article to examine exactly what the manger may have looked like and where it was located. it is significant to note, however, that the savior of the world, the most important human being ever born, had some very humble beginnings. The king of kings was laid in a manger.
There are some who assume that because he was laid in a lowly manger, 
instead of a big fancy hotel fit for a king, that the swaddling clothes must have been some type of rags, or at best, some cheap clothes to keep him warm. Once again, an understanding of the customs of the East brings great insight to this great event.
The material itself was long strips of cloth, usually linen, perhaps two inches wide. Had Jesus been born in the best lodging available in Bethlehem, he would have still been wrapped in swaddling clothes. They were not rags, and certainly not used by poor people to wrap their babies because they couldn’t afford anything else.
I remember hearing someone teach that Joseph and Mary were so poor that they could only wrap Jesus in rags to keep him warm. Joseph and Mary couldn’t stay in an inn because they were poor, but because there was no room. And God, who handpicked them, would have certainly not picked the poorest people of Israel to raise His Son.
In the Eastern culture, whenever the son of a king or of a prince was born, they were always both salted and swaddled. I have read that there are still places today in the East where sons of kings or princes are both salted and swaddled. The salting of a newborn is in reference to the salt covenant.
The newborn baby would be washed with water that contained a small amount of salt. The salt represented truth and honesty. It was symbolic that the child would be raised so that he would grow up and have his words “salted,” that is, that he would say what he meant and mean what he said. He would speak truthful words.
While the Biblical account of the birth of Jesus only mentions the swaddling clothes, it is understood to the Eastern mind that he was both salted and swaddled. In the East, a child born to nobility or royalty would always be salted and swaddled, never just one and not the other. In fact, there is a verse in the Bible, an insult actually, concerning not being salted and swaddled.
Ezekiel 16:4:
And as for your nativity, in the day you were born thy navel was not cut, neither were you washed in water to supple you; you were not salted at all, nor swaddled at all.
Right after washing the newborn in water containing salt, the baby would then be swaddled. They would take the strips of cloth, in most cases linen, and wrap the baby from head to foot, leaving his face uncovered so that he could breathe. Because he was wrapped in this manner, the baby’s arms and legs would be held very straight.
The custom of swaddling represented that the child would be raised to be “straight” before the Lord, meaning that his life would be free from “crookedness.” You can probably now understand the great insult in Ezekiel 16:4. To say that a person of nobility was not salted and swaddled was to say that they were dishonest, crooked and had no integrity.
Swaddling clothes were only left on the baby for a short amount of time. It 
would be anywhere from fifteen minutes to two hours. During that time, the parents would pray and offer their vows to God concerning the child that God had blessed them with. At the end of that time, the swaddling clothes were removed and the normal baby attire would be put on the child.
You can certainly understand now why the Bible says that the shepherds went in haste to see the savior. The angel had told them that Christ had been born in Bethlehem. They were also told that they would find the babe lying in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes. They knew that they needed to get to the city quickly if they were to find and see the savior of the world.
It is absolutely amazing to think that the birth of God’s only begotten Son, the Messiah, the Christ, the savior of all of mankind, the king of kings and lord of lords, was laid in a manger at his birth. God chose to reveal this wonderful occasion not to people of great stature and importance, not to the high priest in Jerusalem or to any religious or political leaders.
He sent an angel to announce the birth of His Son to some humble shepherds. They were just living their lives, doing their jobs, and doing the best that they knew how to do. The Bible is true when it says that God is no respecter of persons.
One might have thought that the savior of the world, the long awaited Messiah, would have been born in Jerusalem instead of some little town south of the main city. One would have thought that it would have been a very momentous occasion celebrated by the entire nation. One would have thought that everyone would be aware of this great and wonderful event.
That’s what the Magi thought when they arrived in Jerusalem. In the next Eastern Eye, we’ll take a closer look at who the Magi were.
Luke 2:7-18
And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
Mike Verdicchio
______________
Leave A Comment!
What do you have to say? We’d love to hear what you think. Please type your comment below.
Share This Article!
To share this article on social media, like Facebook, or, Twitter, there are buttons below. Or, if you are a subscriber receiving these posts by email, feel free to forward them to others.
Related Posts:
The Salt Covenant
(For more “Eastern Eye” articles, Click Here, or click The Eastern Eye tab above.)
There are a number of books that you can read to get insight on customs, manners, idioms and meanings from the Eastern culture in which the Bible was written. The best I know of were written by by Bishop K. C. Pillai. I have had the pleasure of listening to recorded teaching by him.
He wrote three books, and they are hard to find, and are usually over priced. But, if you want to you can check this link to see what Amazon has to offer. Light Through an Eastern Window
Another great resource that I have used for years is a book called, “Manners and Customs of the Bible,” by James Freeman. Mine was printed in 1972 and I know they have newer additions. For the newest edition, just click the link and it will take you to Amazon. The New Manners and Customs of the Bible (Pure Gold Classics)
Have you heard the phrase, “Everything happens for a reason?” I have. Sometimes people say, “That was just meant to be.” But is that really true?
Does everything really happen for a reason? I would answer that question both yes and no. I answer, “No” to those who mean that no matter what happens, God has a reason for either allowing it to happen, or, as some believe, making it happen.
I answer, “Yes” because there is a cause and effect. The result is the effect, and the reason it happened is the cause. Let me give you an example.
Almost every driver knows that for their car engine to operate properly it 
needs to have the proper amount of oil. If it runs out of oil, it will ruin the engine. So, if someone’s engine gets ruined for a lack of oil, was that just meant to be? Don’t things happen for a reason? Yes, and in this case, the reason was a lack of oil.
Hopefully, for that example, most will agree. But let’s try another example. I’ll stay with the automobile for this next example too.
Suppose you have a flat tire. Was it just meant to be? Everything happens for a reason. But, what if someone stops to help you with your flat tire and over the course of the changing of the tire, you say something to that person that really helps them?
Now there are some who will argue that the flat tire happened for a reason. They actually believe that God had a hand in it. Why? Because He wanted you to be at a precise location at a precise time so that you could say something to someone that would really help them.
To some people this sounds like a very godly and spiritual event. I disagree. With that kind of thinking, we have driven off the road and are now trying to drive in a lagoon. It’s a sinking theory, because it negates the free will that God gave us.
Suppose that you were so upset or distracted with the flat tire that you didn’t 
speak anything to the person helping you, other than, “Thanks for the help.” Did this event still happen for a reason? Did God really have a hand in it? Some people will argue, “Well God knows if you are going to speak to the person or not.
Now I know this debate has been around for a long time. And I am certainly not going to try to present a thesis on it in this short article. But regardless of what opinion you have on the subject, ask yourself this question: If God knows what I am going to do, and what I am going to say, then do I really have any choice in the matter?
If that is true, then indeed, everything is meant to be. And perhaps that’s the reason why everything happens; it is all just meant to be. But that leaves the door wide open for lots of unaccountability. “There must be a reason why I robbed the store; I guess it was just meant to be!”
Don’t get me wrong, I really do believe that God can and does get involved in the affairs of mankind. I also believe that His thoughts and His ways are far beyond the thinking of mortal human beings. I have seen God work in my life in remarkable ways. I am sure you have too.
I also know that God works in individuals on a personal level. His guiding is there. There are times that you just know you should do something, and other times that you shouldn’t.
Those who excel at this are those who, wherever they are and whatever they are doing, have a habit of asking God if there is something that they should or could do. I do understand that and I try to live that way.
But I just think we need to be careful about what we blame God for. The word “blame” may sound a bit harsh, but think about it. It’s all too easy to say, “That flat tire happened for a reason,” all the while thinking that it was God Who made your tire flat for a reason. If you are speaking on God’s behalf, you ought to be really certain that you are accurate!
We cannot just throw away the free will that God gave to us. In all of life we have choices. We can choose to be negative or we can choose to be positive. We can choose to help people or we can choose to ignore them. And we can choose to ask God if there is something special that He would have us do or say.
So, yes, everything does happen for a reason.
Mike Verdicchio
2009
Leave A Comment!
What do you have to say? We’d love to hear what you think. Please type your comment below.
Share This Article!
Do you want to share this article on your website or Blog? To share on social media, like Facebook or Twitter, there are buttons below.
Related Posts:
God Is Not In Charge
Is He Willing?
Do You Rely On Luck Or Fate?
The title of this short podcast (9:20) is the same as the title of an article I published last week in The Pep Letter. I thought it would make a good podcast too.
People use the word, “faith” a lot. But just what does it mean? It is certainly a word that is associated with spiritual things, but what does it really mean? Understanding its meaning can increase your confidence in God.
Enjoy the podcast.
Leave A Comment!
What do you have to say? We’d love to hear what you think. Please type your comment below.
Share This Podcast!
To share this podcast on social media, like Facebook, or, Twitter, there are buttons below.
Related Posts:
Make Something Happen
What’s Your Fate?
Opposite Thoughts
Look for more podcasts as well as more videos coming soon to Confidence And Joy!
[The Bible is an “Eastern” book. It was written many years ago in the “East” which today we refer to as “The Middle East.” As such, there are many customs and idioms that are not familiar to the “Western” mind.] 
A covenant is an agreement or a contract. Today it is very common for 
people to enter into agreements by signing what we refer to as a contract. 
Not so long ago, they did it with a simple hand shake. One of the oldest known covenants in the world is the covenant of salt.
Salt is a necessity of life. Since ancient times it has been used in many cultures as a seasoning, a preservative, a disinfectant, a symbolic part of ceremonial offerings, and as a unit of exchange. The Bible contains numerous references to salt. In various contexts, it is used metaphorically to signify permanence, loyalty, durability, fidelity, usefulness, value, and purification.
The covenant of salt symbolizes loyalty, honesty, and it represents that which is a lasting or preserved covenant. Some of the Eastern people still use the phrase: “There is salt between us.” In Bible times, they understood that the covenant of salt meant that they would keep their word at all costs.
The custom of pledging friendship or confirming an agreement or covenant by eating food containing salt is still retained today among some Middle Easterners. The Arabic word for salt and for, an agreement or treaty, is the same word. And so, the most common way of entering into a salt covenant was done by eating food containing salt.
Entering into a covenant of salt was never done lightly or haphazardly. In Bible times, guests would eat their meal while their host stood. If the host ate with his guests, then they would have entered into a salt covenant because the food contained salt.
Newborn babies were rubbed with salt symbolizing that they would grow up and say what they mean, and mean what they say. In other words, they would keep their word. There will be more about that in an upcoming Eastern Eye article concerning the birth of Jesus.
In the late 1970’s when Prime Minister Begin of Israel met with President 
Sadat of Egypt, Begin was greeted as he set foot on Egyptian soil. It was reported that the two men stopped to take bread and salt together.
To the Western mind, this may seem like an old fashioned custom, and one might think that it was a nice gesture, but it was much more than just a gesture. In their Eastern minds, they entered into a salt covenant. Sadat was communicating through his action that Begin would be safe while visiting Egypt and that he was willing to guarantee that safety with his own life.
Since ancient times in the Middle East, if you were traveling and needed shelter for the night, you could ask one of the Bedouin for his protection and help by asking if you could partake of salt together. He would ask for all your money and valuables and put them in his pockets. Next, he would feed you and give you a place to sleep. Finally, he would stand guard all night to make sure that no harm came your way.
In the morning, he would feed you once again, give your valuables back to you, and make sure you were safely on your way. He would never even consider taking any payment for his hospitality, because in the East, it is looked upon as an act of service to God.
Perhaps you have attended weddings where salt was involved in the service. In many of the weddings I have officiated, the couple, understanding the significance of the salt covenant, requested to partake in a salt covenant on their special day.
Symbolically this puts the marriage into the category of a lifelong, enduring covenant. It is a good custom. It is interesting that at the Last Supper, during a meal that would have included salt, Jesus said the words from the wedding ceremony; “I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
In the lands and times of the Bible, the penalty for breaking the salt covenant was death. One would die before he ever broke the trust of entering into a salt covenant. Perhaps that is why Jesus, speaking of Judas, said it would have been better if he would have never been born. Judas shared salt with Jesus on many occasions, including the Last Supper.
In some translations, the words that Jesus spoke before he ascended into heaven as recorded in the book of Acts indicate that he spoke them after eating with the Apostles. That would then make those words about the coming of the gift of holy spirit bound by the salt covenant.
Having insight into this ancient covenant brings greater understanding when 
one reads the Scriptures. Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth.” And Paul exhorts, “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt.”
I have put a number of verses below that make reference to the significance of salt and the salt covenant.
II Chronicles 13:5
Ought ye not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?Leviticus 2;13: [offerings]
And every oblation of your meat offering shall you season with salt; neither shall you suffer the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your meat offering: with all your offerings you shall offer salt.Ezekiel 43:24 [burnt offerings]
And you shall offer them before the LORD, and the priests shall cast salt upon them, and they shall offer them up for a burnt offering unto the LORD.Exodus 30:35 [part of the incense]
And you shall make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure [and] holy:Ezra 6:9 [Temple offering]
And that which they have need of, both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the appointment of the priests which are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail:Numbers 18:19 [to ratify a covenant]
All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto the LORD, have I given you, and your sons and your daughters with you, by a statute for ever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before the LORD unto you and to your seed with you.Matthew 5:13
You are the salt of the earth: but if the salt has lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.Mark 9:50b
Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.Acts 1:4 NIV
On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.Colossians 4:6
Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man.
(For more “Eastern Eye” articles, Click Here, or click The Eastern Eye tab above.)
Mike Verdicchio
______________
Leave A Comment!
What do you have to say? We’d love to hear what you think. Please type your comment below.
Share This Article!
To share this article on social media, like Facebook, or, Twitter, there are buttons below. Or, if you are a subscriber receiving these posts by email, feel free to forward them to others.
Related Posts:
Jesus Gave Judas The Sop
Please Pass The Salt
There are a number of books that you can read to get insight on customs, manners, idioms and meanings from the Eastern culture in which the Bible was written. The best I know of were written by by Bishop K. C. Pillai. I have had the pleasure of listening to recorded teaching by him.
He wrote three books, and they are hard to find, and are usually over priced. But, if you want to you can check this link to see what Amazon has to offer. Light Through an Eastern Window
Another great resource that I have used for years is a book called, “Manners and Customs of the Bible,” by James Freeman. Mine was printed in 1972 and I know they have newer additions. For the newest edition, just click the link and it will take you to Amazon. The New Manners and Customs of the Bible (Pure Gold Classics)
There have been many events that I have been a part of where I had an “access pass.” Most of the time these were “backstage” passes. They enabled me to go to specific areas to carry out my responsibilities.
On a couple of occasions I had an “all access Pass.” This pass was really cool in that it enabled to go anywhere at any time. In this short podcast ( ) I talk about a very special “all access pass.”
Enjoy the podcast.
[If you cannot see the player below, just click the title above]
Leave A Comment!
What do you have to say? We’d love to hear what you think. Please type your comment below.
Share This Podcast!
To share this podcast on social media, like Facebook, or, Twitter, there are buttons below.
Related Posts:
Is He Willing?
The Biggest Identity Thief
Do You Rely On Luck Or Fate?
What Does God Think Of You?
Look for more podcasts as well as more videos coming soon to Confidence And Joy!
On this short video (3:26) I talk about a little statement I say when I do my Reducing Stress at Work. presentation for employees.
People often base their self-image on things they do or fail to do. Your self-image and your self worth should never, ever, be based on what you do or what you don’t do.
Enjoy the video.
Leave A Comment! We’d love to hear what you think. Please type your comment below.
Do you have your free membership to Enriching Your Life Now yet? Details right below!
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day here in the USA. So, I first wanted to extend very warm wishes to you and your family for a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend.
I also wanted to tell you about something I did many years ago that relates to being thankful. It is about developing an attitude of gratitude. It is a very simple method that I used years ago.
Now of course it is only a method, and as you and I know, some methods work for some people and not others. So if it works for you, then that’s great. If you have another method, then please leave it in the comments below.
I thought about sharing this on the blog at this time of year because as I was thinking about Thanksgiving the other day, I thought about what a busy day it usually turns out to be. In so many cases it is a day filled with activities, like watching the parade, playing games, watching football, and, of course, enjoying a small feast. In fact, some even refer to it as “Turkey Day.”
There’s certainly nothing wrong with all the activities and festivities on 
Thanksgiving Day. I am planning on having a fun filled celebration with my children, their spouses, and other friends. Thanksgiving Day is not really a “day of thanksgiving,” but rather, it is more of a day of celebration.
But many will stop and give pause to thank God for all His blessings. Some will pray before the big meal. Others will join together in prayers of thanks sometime during the day. Many will remember to give thanks in their own way.
Years ago, I heard of a little method to help develop more gratitude in my life. I realized that there is more to being grateful than just saying, “Thanks.” I wanted to have a real, deep and genuine heart of gratitude for God. So I heard about this little method and decided to try it out. I didn’t realize at the time that there is a fantastic side benefit from doing this.
The exercise is very simple. At the end of each day, before you go to sleep, write down some things that happened during the day that you are thankful for. Then in the morning, read what you wrote the night before. Sounds simple, right?
But when I first started, it was a bit of a challenge. I sat there on the edge of the bed with my pen in hand, and my notebook on my lap and thought, “Okay, what happened today that I am really grateful for?” I drew a blank. I couldn’t remember anything that really stood out in my mind.
Well, I needed to write something. I mean, I couldn’t just go to sleep thinking that I wasn’t thankful for anything that happened to me during the day. So, I began writing a couple of general things, like that I had food to eat, and that I was healthy. Well, at least it was a start.
Then, the first thing in the morning, you take a look at what you wrote the night before. In other words, you are starting your day reminding yourself of what you were thankful for the night before. And here is where the side benefit starts to come into play.
Night after night I wrote in my notebook. Morning after morning I read what I wrote the night before. And the longer I continued to do this, the more of an attitude of gratitude I began to develop. I became more and more aware of God’s blessings in my life, and I became more consistent in thanking Him.
My focus began to shift from what I didn’t have to what I was receiving. Well, as he thinks in his heart, so is he. The result, the side benefit was that the blessings began to increase. Throughout the day I began to look for His blessings. In doing so, I began to expect more of His blessings. The result was that more and more of His blessings came into my life.
It was so refreshing to me to know that I was indeed remembering more of what He was doing for me, and thanking Him for it. The Bible says to not forget all His benefits because there is no way that we can remember them all. I discovered this great truth also.
On the first day of the month, I would take some time to sit down and read everything that I had written for the previous month. I was startled and surprised when I read some of my entries. I had actually forgotten a couple 
of things, and reading what I had written was a pleasant reminder. There were others that I read that just brought a big smile to my face.
This of course was magnified when I added one more step to this method. I decided on New Year’s Day to take some time and read everything that I had written for the entire year. I can’t tell you how exciting that was! There were things that I wrote that I had completely forgotten about. And being reminded of a year of some of God’s blessings in my life was humbling as well as inspiring.
I was reminded first firsthand of so many things that God had done for me during the past year. My attitude of genuine gratitude to God was deepening. And, my confidence in God to supply what I needed was growing.
I enjoyed doing this so much that I continued doing it for a number of years. I still have many of those notebooks in my desk. Every once in awhile I take one out and just read. It is so inspiring.
Try it yourself for a while. You’ll discover that you have more to be thankful for than you realize. You will really begin to see how God is indeed involved in your life every single day.
As you continue doing this you will be looking throughout the day for His blessings in your life. You will actually be expecting those blessings. A very big part of having confidence and believing God is expecting Him to bring His promises to pass for you.
At night and in the morning you will be consciously taking time to give God the thanks, appreciation and gratitude that He deserves. And, it will really be a great blessing to you on the first day of the month to read all the entries from the last month.
So, even though tomorrow is traditionally Thanksgiving Day, we can and we ought to give Him thanks each and every day.
Mike Verdicchio
Related Posts:
Expedition Africa – Finding Water
How Big Is Your God?
A Lack Of Confidence
Share This Video!
If you want to share this video on social media, like Facebook or Twitter, there are buttons below.
There is a lot of uncertainty these days. Many people are worried about what’s coming next. Who knows?
In this short video, (4:05), discover how you can face the unknown with confidence in someone who is worth having confidence in. And find out what keeps you from having confidence in God.
Enjoy the video.
Leave A Comment! We’d love to hear what you think. Please type your comment below.
In the latest edition of the Pep Letter, I published an article called, God’s GPS. This short podcast (7:52) is about using God’s GPS.
In life many times people just spin their wheels. They are uncertain about the future and how to get where they desire to go. They have an idea of where they want their lives to be, but many times have a difficult time getting there.
Why not use God’s GPS?
Enjoy the podcast!
[If you cannot see the player below, just click the title above]
Leave A Comment!
What do you have to say? We’d love to hear what you think. Please type your comment below.
Share This Podcast!
To share this podcast on social media, like Facebook, or, Twitter, there are buttons below.
Related Posts:
Send God A Text
Do You Rely On Luck Or Fate?
Make Something Happen
Have You Failed?
Look for more podcasts as well as more videos coming soon to Confidence And Joy!
