Daily Encouragement (11/22/21) "Three Apples That Changed The World"
Published: Mon, 11/22/21
A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber.
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Monday, November 22, 2021
![]() Friday evening sunset photo taken across Speedwell Lake near Lititz, PA (Click on photo to enlarge) "Three Apples That Changed The World"
Message summary: Today we urge all our readers to accept the divinely appointed means that God provided in Christ to deal with the problem we all have due to Adam's "apple". As we begin this Thanksgiving week especially let us thank God for His indescribably gift!
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"For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive" (1 Corinthians 15:22). "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" (2 Corinthians 9:15).
![]() Isaac's apple refers to Isaac Newton and the discovery of gravity. Legend has it that a young Isaac Newton was sitting under an apple tree when he was bonked on the head by a falling apple, a 17th-century “aha moment” that prompted him to suddenly come up with his law of gravity. That knowledge has certainly changed the world.
![]() But I wonder what the casual, Biblically uninformed reader thinks regarding "Adam's Apple" on the t-shirt? I bet there's more than a few that think it's part of the anatomy that typically protrudes from some men's throats! But we believe that Adam's apple alludes to the disobedience of Adam in partaking of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. Now to be sure the Bible doesn't specify that the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden was an apple, although for some reason that's what artists usually draw. As a child I recall wondering why we were permitted to eat apples if it was the forbidden fruit. Adam's apple drastically changed the world and had an impact far, far greater than Isaac Newton or Steve Jobs. The original record concerning Adam's disobedience is recorded in Genesis 3 but today let us consider a text in 1 Corinthians 15:22, "For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive". Adam's transgression indeed changed the world! Bible teacher William Newell writes, "We were so connected with the first Adam that we did not have to wait to be born, or to have a sinful nature; but when Adam, our representative, acted, we acted… The great truth of Romans 5:12-21 is that a representative acted, involving those connected with him (Romans 5)."
Theologians refer to Adam's fall as "original sin".
But the supreme act of God's love and mercy that Christ died to solve this problem expressed in this verse "so by the one man's (Jesus Christ) obedience the many will be made righteous". The late Stanley Horton, one of my professors in Bible College called this, "The Adam-Christ Parallel." Pastor David Guzik writes, "Only a sinless person acting on our behalf can save us, and it is fair for Him to act on our behalf because another man put us in this mess by acting on our behalf… The person who says, “I don’t want to be represented by Adam or Jesus; I want to represent myself” doesn’t understand two things. First, they don’t understand that it really isn’t up to us. We didn’t write the rules, God did. We
simply must choose to follow or ignore them. Secondly, they don’t understand that our personal righteousness before God is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6)."
Today we urge all our readers to accept the only divinely appointed means that God provided in Christ to deal with the problem we all have due to Adam's "apple". This Thanksgiving week especially let us thank God for His indescribable gift! One with Adam are we all,
One with Adam in his fall; But another Adam came— Fallen sinners to reclaim. D. De Haan Be encouraged today, (Hebrews 3:13)
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
![]() Other verses for consideration: "But God commends His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). "For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous" (Romans 5:19).
Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
"There Is A Redeemer" Video Selah
"A Might Fortress is Our God" (1529) and "O God Our Help In Ages Past" (1719) Video These ancient hymns speak of God who is our firm foundation, our fortress and our shelter from the stormy blast. It's good to be reminded of our eternal God and His watchful eye in these troubling times. The choir led us in worship yesterday. Since the choir sings in all three services they arrive by 6:45 am so Brooksyne goes in on her own. Ester and I join her for the second service.
"Yes, I Will" and "Be Enthroned" Video More contemporary song set from our service yesterday at Calvary Church. Both older and newer songs speak to hearts of believers. The choir has singers from all ages including a man who is 94 years old. We enjoy our inter-generational congregation where people of all ages worship and serve
together.
Brooksyne leading a "Name That Song" game at Audrey's Banquet. She played a single line on the piano from a Christmas carol and the audience had to guess the song.
During the holiday season we attend a number of banquets for the companies we serve. Friday night we went to one in Myerstown, PA for Audrey's, a home decor wholesale company we serve in Lebanon County. We enjoy these banquets for a variety of reasons but one is that we meet the spouses or other family members of the employees we regularly see.
Sitting next to us during the banquet was the spouse of an employee who has a job most readers have probably given little thought to. When asked what he does for a living he described his job as a "bull on wheels". We had to process that for a minute before he went on to explain that he visits dairy farms to artificially inseminate the cows, which is pretty much standard procedure in modern farming. He performs the procedure, up to as
many as 40 a day, and works very long hours since there is a shortage of people willing to do such hard work. It includes long hours, demanding time lines, and dangerous clients.
I was surprised to learn of the very narrow window (about 18 hours as I recall) as to when the cow is ready. That puts a lot of pressure on his timing. As we begin Thanksgiving Week let us consider with an attitude of gratitude the many contributions people make that we may have the life we have, especially those who have what we might call dirty work. Of course the ultimate focus of our thanksgiving should be on God, who
is the source of all blessings, "Praise God from whom all blessings flow".
"Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 5:19,20). I (Stephen) enjoy a certain genre of educational television that features stories about all the different ways people work and contribute to society. "Dirty Jobs" and "How America Works" both hosted by Mike Rowe are among my favorites. Another one is "American Built" in which Stuart Varney interviews renowned architects, engineers and historians about engineering marvels.
Finally today:
The doorbell rang last night after dark (since that comes early these days) and we were greeted by our new neighbors, Jewel and Burnell. Brooksyne had visited them back in September when they first moved into our neighborhood, but this time they came to visit us along with their young family and brought a food basket. During Thanksgiving season members of their church, Muddy Creek Mennonite Church, collects food items and compile food baskets for
distribution, along with a thoughtful Thanksgiving tract.
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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. 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." © Copyright 2021 Stephen C. & Brooksyne Weber - All Rights Reserved
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