Born in a Barn

Cold, winter weather always seems to produce a great number of perpetual "open-door" people. These are the folks who make their grand entries with open doors left gaping widely behind them. These are a strange breed of people. They never leave a door open in the summer, only when it is 40 below and the snow is blowing.

There is a slam that works better than the door on these people. It’s a classic! It asks gruffly: "Were you born in a barn?"

Now, asking a perpetual open-doorer if they were "born in a barn" is actually an insult to us country folks. Because most country folks are more thoughtful than that with their barns. Besides, a good barn really isn’t that bad.

I remember when I was a pre-schooler in Spokane, Washington, our family had some good friends who lived up in Grand Forks, British Columbia, Canada. They were sheep ranchers.

I used to look forward to our trips up there. Especially when the sheep were there, instead of out on the range. I remember the holding pens in the barnyard, and the runways between the pens, leading to the barn itself. Inside the barn were many small individual pens used during lambing time.

The sheep themselves are interesting animals. I used to like to reach through the fences and stick my fat fingers down into their incredibly thick wool.

Shearing time was also an interesting time to visit. I wish I’d been older so I could have remembered more clearly. But I can remember that the sheep acted almost like they were hypnotized when they were being sheared. I can remember that I was surprised that there wasn’t a terrific struggle. The sheep acted better than a little boy at a barbershop.

But of all the times we visited, I guess I was most excited at lambing time. It seems that the sheep rancher would pay close attention to the sheep, and when one was getting close to the time to give birth to a lamb, he would move her into one of the individual pens in the barn.

The barn was one of my favorite spots. The smell of the hay, the ewes watching as I wandered by, and the new-born lambs trying out their long, wobbly legs. I used to climb into an empty pen and pretend that I was one of those new-born lambs — "born in a barn!"

One of the most exciting parallels that the Bible cares to use is the comparison of Jesus to a lamb. It is a theme that carries from Genesis to Revelation.

One must go back to Genesis 20 and see the story of Abraham offering Isaac as a sacrifice on the very hillside that may have one day been named Calvary. You see a young man climbing the hillside, carrying the wood for his own sacrifice on his shoulders. You see a father willing to offer his only son. You see a son willing to lay down his life at his father’s bidding.

But suddenly there enters a third character — a sheep. And that third character becomes the substitute for the sacrifice. That substitute sheep was a perfect picture of the Lord Jesus Christ!

On into the New Testament the Bible carries the comparison. Look at His introduction, given by John the Baptist at the Jordan River. The Account of it is given in John 1:29, "The next day John sees Jesus coming unto him, and says, Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world!" What a way for Christ’s ministry to be introduced! "Behold the Lamb of God."

Yes, the Lamb of God! He is sent to become a substitute for the sins of a lost world. Sent to take the place of the sacrifice lambs offered for sin on the Altar of the temple. 1 Peter 1:19 describes Jesus as "a lamb, without blemish and without spot."

Yes, Jesus was to become the perfect substitute for sin’s payments. "Behold, the Lamb of God."

Then, is it any real surprise when the angels say to the shepherds "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; you shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." Luke 2:11-12

Where else would you expect a lamb to be born? Lambs are born in the barn! The parallel needed to be absolutely perfect. Any place other than the stable’s manger would have made the parallel incomplete!

From the manger to the cross, Jesus Christ remained the Lamb. The parallel must be absolutely perfect, so that there could never be any question about it! "Behold the Lamb of God!"

Yes, there He is shepherds, right there in the barn where you would look for a lamb to be born. Don’t you see — this must be why the angels came first to the shepherds! Wise Men and Kings would never have known where to look for a lamb! They had to call the shepherds first! God’s plan must be perfectly complete!

There, shepherds — right there where you would expect a lamb to be born. Yes, right there — next to the lambs destined for the temple altars! "Behold, the Lamb of God . . . wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger."

But to leave Jesus at the manger would create an incomplete analogy of the lamb. For the sacrificial lamb’s whole life pointed toward its sacrificial death. Even John’s introduction at the Jordan included Christ’s one purpose. "Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world."

Yes, from the moment salvation’s plan was born in the mind of God, the lamb was for sacrifice. Is it any wonder that Isaiah, hundreds of years before the manger, described the trial of Jesus before Pilate. Isaiah wrote, "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth." God’s plan had to be perfectly complete.

And it was completed by Jesus Christ on Calvary! Paul wrote in I Corinthians 5:7 ". . . for even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us." You see, at the very moment the priests in the temple sacrificed the lambs for the sin offering, Jesus Christ died on the cross! He became the perfect sacrifice lamb.

A sacrifice that still avails for sin today for those who will accept Jesus Christ to dwell by faith within them for the forgiveness of sin. "Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world . . . wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger."

Yes Sir, God’s salvation plan was absolutely complete in every detail. From His birth in the barn to His death at the moment of the temple sacrifices, Jesus was the Lamb of God.

How useless for you to search any farther for joy and peace than right here where you would expect a lamb to be born. "Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born . . . a Savior!"

CALLED: WONDERFUL!

This is the time of year when your mind runs toward Christmas — whether you want it to or not! Even a "SCROOGE" would have to wire the corners of his mouth down, to keep from reflecting the mood of every street corner. The season holds SO MUCH PROMISE — there are plans to be made, cookies to cook, and shopping lists to concoct.

Children drool over PAGES OF TOY-ADS — and dream of opening a package under the tree! Happy REUNIONS will fill airports and bus terminals. SCHOOL BOOKS will be forgotten — and COLLEGE FINALS will be only a sigh of relief! SHOPPING becomes a passion — even for those who normally despise such moments. Every store is BRIGHTLY DECORATED — bells ring from every street corner and every store doorway. Even the STREETS seem to glisten different when it rains — this time of year!

Suddenly every parking lot and supermarket look like FORESTS UP LAMBERT CREEK! There are thickets of heavy timber on every corner. And it never ceases to amaze us — how those THICK, FULL FIR SAPLINGS in the parking lot — end up being the lop-sided, scrawny tree in our living rooms!

But it’s a GREAT time of year! Even if you think Christmas has become ridiculously commercial — it’s hard NOT to get all "pumped up" with the excitement of it all.

There’s SO MUCH PROMISE with it — and you know, it’s been like this since the days of Isaiah! The Prophet Isaiah caught a glimpse of the PROMISE OF CHRISTMAS, and he WROTE THAT PROMISE DOWN to thrill our hearts, many hundreds of years later! He himself would never have the privilege of meeting this One during his lifetime — but Isaiah looked FORWARD by faith!

Isaiah 9:6 tells us:"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and HIS NAME SHALL BE CALLED WONDERFUL, counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

In the Hebrew, "wonderful" means that He shall be miraculous, and perform wonders! NO OTHER PERSON BORN ON EARTH HAS EVER BEEN SO WORTHY OF BEING CALLED "WONDERFUL."

It is no surprise when 1 Peter 2:7 proclaims: "Unto you therefore which believe — HE IS PRECIOUS!" Wonderful, wonderful Jesus! From the moment the angels and shepherds rejoiced — through the moment He disappeared in the clouds before His awestruck disciples — Jesus was wonderful.

He was "wonderful" in His Virgin Birth. Angels marveled, and shepherds worshiped because HE WAS THE SON OF GOD! He was FREE FROM SIN from birth — for He was conceived by the Holy Ghost in Mary, before her marriage to Joseph.

Jesus lived a life ABOVE REPROACH. He was wonderful in His character! Even His arch-rival, Satan, could not blacken the "Name that is above every name." NO SOONER did the Lord’s ministry commence with His baptism — when Satan stepped daringly in front of Him! One of the most significant things Jesus said about those devilish efforts was when He said in John 14:30, "For the prince of this world comes, and has NOTHING IN ME."

Even when He was put to TRIAL, His enemies could find no fault in Him! Jesus Christ — God’s Son — manifested love, kindness, understanding, and truth at all times — and in everything He did. Hebrews 7:26 proclaims: "For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens." And back in Hebrews 4:15, "For we have NOT an high priest which cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities; BUT WAS IN ALL POINTS TEMPTED LIKE AS WE ARE, yet without sin." Oh Hallelujah — "wonderful!"

Not only was He wonderful in His person, but He was also wonderful in His earthly ministry. He was wonderful during that ministry in His face-to-face conflicts with Satan. Jesus overcame the devil during an early PERSONAL CONFRONTATION for 40 days in the wilderness! Satan tempted Him with the major drives of humanity — HUNGER, SURVIVAL, AND POWER! Jesus met him HEAD-ON — and there never again was any doubt what the final outcome would be! Time after time, Jesus went on to DESTROY the works of the devil — and cast out demons from people that hell had controlled!

Throughout this earthly ministry, He was also wonderful in His TEACHINGS. The people had never heard such a teacher! Matthew 7:28 describes it this way: "When Jesus had ended these sayings (that is, the Sermon on the Mount), the people were astonished at His doctrine: For He taught them as one HAVING AUTHORITY, and not as the scribes."

Great crowds followed Him wherever He went. In John 6:68 Peter confessed, "Lord . . . you have the words of ETERNAL LIFE!" The "wonderful" teachings of Jesus interpreted the Old Testament — and reached men’s MORAL, PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL needs. It is NO SURPRISE, then, that this earthly ministry produced "wonderful" miracles!

Jesus caused the blind to see — the lame to walk — the deaf to hear — the lepers to be cleansed — and the dead to live. He healed the WHOLE MAN — body, mind, and spirit!

While we glory in the wonder of His earthly ministry — probably no where was Jesus quite so wonderful as in His death and resurrection. Who ELSE would die with a prayer on His lips — saying, "FATHER, FORGIVE THEM!" He who had done NOTHING BUT GOOD, died as a criminal! God hid the mid-day sun and shook the earth while His GIFT TO MANKIND hung on the cross! At the moment of His death, the Temple Veil — that guarded the Holy of Holies from ordinary men — was ripped from the ceiling to the floor! And a HEATHEN SOLDIER grasped the foot of the cross — and cried: "Truly this was the Son of God."

Yet that was not the end — but merely the BEGINNING — for He was truly WONDERFUL in His resurrection! He LIVED UP TO THAT NAME from His birth to His death, and even beyond! Remember the definition of "wonderful" declared that He shall be MIRACULOUS AND PERFORM WONDERS! He showed He was miraculous and able to perform wonders BY RISING FROM THE DEAD. In John 10:17, Jesus said, "I lay down my life, that I might TAKE IT AGAIN."

Christmas was only the beginning! "His name shall be called WONDERFUL, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." Oh yes — "WONDERFUL!"

"Unto you therefore which believe — He is precious!"

I lead you to this face-to-face encounter. His presence is TOO OBVIOUS to be ignored! He can make YOUR life wonderful, too! WHISPER "JESUS"!

"Fresh Mountain Breezes"

 

About once a week or so, we set down to the computer (high up in the mountains of north-central Washington) and write some words of faith, comfort, and encouragement for our friends.  Our mountain home is at almost 4,000 feet elevation, and just up the road we can see Wauconda Pass where Highway 20 winds its way eastward at an altitude of 4,375 feet.

After decades of ministry across America, we are mostly retired now.  We ARE available for a limited amount of weekend ministry, and for retreats, banquets, camp meetings and such.  Hard to teach an old warrior to just sit back and rock on the porch.

If these words of encouragement in “Fresh Mountain Breezes” is a blessing to you then it makes the effort worth while.  If you jus’ gotta send along a little blessing or offering it would always be well used and appreciated.  Any comments, contacts, or offerings can be sent to our home address at:

          Post Office Box 94
          Wauconda, WA 98859

We are always happy to hear from you!  Your words of friendship and encouragement are always received with gratitude.

Dan and Marty Womack

CHECK US OUT . . .

Wander around and get acquainted!  Let me tell you about what you're going to find here .

ABOUT US
Oh, well, this is about us . . . Dan and Marty Womack!  It tells about the retirement transition from our full-time traveling ministry in a big white bus, to life in a mountain cabin, with artist palette and paintbrushes in my hand.

"FRESH  MOUNTAIN BREEZES"
About once a week Dan sets up to his computer to write some words of encouragement, hope, and faith.  This is a devotional time which we hope will bless you as you read it.

DAN'S DEN
These are Dan's blogs.  He has been a writer for lots of years.  Dan is a story-teller, as you will quickly see.  So don't just read his latest blog, you need to read some of the earlier ones too!  Enjoy!

PHOTOS
Surprise, surprise!  A slide presentation of some random Womack pictures!

DAN'S ART
Dan is transitioning from being a "man of the cloth" to being a "man of the canvas".  Changing over from a full-time minister to a full-time artist is quite a change. These photos of some of his art work are pretty poor in quality, so we will have to pick up the pace here.  At least you get a glimpse of what he does.

MARTY'S CORNER
This is Marty's adventure into the world of writing.  You'll want to check out her blogs.  A warm woman's touch on this blog page is a great addition!  You'll like it!



So there you have it!  Wander around.  Visit us often.  Tell your friends.  Enjoy!