"Our Ultimate Goal"

RSS Podcast feed A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. Home · About Us · Archives · Donate · Podcast · Free email subscription <Previous Message · Easy read/print edition Friday, August 31, 2007 A scene off the coast of South Africa. Photo taken by Mike Stillman Click here to listen to us read this message on your audio player. "Our Ultimate Goal" "So we make it our goal to please Him" (2 Corinthians 5:9). Generally my competitive athletic days are over but I still have the competitive spirit at times. The other evening I played a makeshift round of Frisbee golf in our front lawn and alongside our country road with Jim Losey, a friend of mine. We determined the goal one "hole" at a time. As it got dark we were tied and agreed that whoever won the next hole would be the winner and, lo and behold, Jim hit the designated goal and won the round. I was devastated (only for a brief moment, of course.) There are a lot of goals in life. The term is used a lot in sports but we also speak of financial goals, career goals, and so forth. Today I want to consider the ultimate goal we are to have as Christians. Ravi Zacharias challenges followers of Christ to follow the model of many corporations and local churches and develop a personal mission statement. Many years ago I formulated my own. The difficulty for me in this matter is staying succinct. There are so many Scripture verses that I want to incorporate that I tend to lose the brevity and focus that characterizes a mission statement. Here's the one I have used for many years. "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and I 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." The daily verse is a goal that the Apostle Paul had for both himself and his readers. Notice the first person plural pronoun "we". I believe as part of the Holy Scriptures this includes us. It is one of the first verses of Scripture I memorized as a young man. "So we make it our goal to please Him." That's a great single phrase mission statement! The word translated "goal" means "to devote one's self zealously to a cause." It suggests eager, continuing efforts for something that is good. I believe the Amplified Bible expresses this sense well: "we are constantly ambitious and strive earnestly to be pleasing to Him." A great pursuit in life for the redeemed is finding out what pleases the Lord. By God's grace it remains a simple expression of my outlook on life. The quest to find out what pleases the Lord is ongoing. Although God's written revelation in the Bible regarding what pleases Him is unchangeable, new challenges in different contexts are always set before us. Doing the right thing requires discernment and building a solid foundation so that you know that which God prohibits and that which pleases Him. Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:10, "find out what pleases the Lord." That remains a very worthy goal! Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Jesus, I make it my goal to please You. So many goals I make only last for a season, but when I set goals for righteous living the rewards will last not only for this life, but for all of eternity. In setting my goals help me to be willing to lay aside that which hinders and the sin that so easily entangles so that I can reap a future harvest of righteousness and peace. I want my primary goal to be that of perseverance so that no circumstances in this life will deter me from my eternal destiny. Amen. Yesterday we stopped by and visited with Jesse and Anna and their children for a few minutes on their farm near Strasburg PA. They were rejoicing at the birth of a heifer earlier in the day. The mom cow was a bit wary of my presence! Jesse and Anna are our Amish friends and former neighbors who recently started up a dairy farm about 25 miles from where we live. They now have about 35 cows and are milking for market. They expect to add about 15 more cows to fill their dairy barn. Yesterday one of our friends had his 60th birthday and the employees had quite a time teasing him. They made this makeshift rest area between buildings. Today's suggested music: "Take My Life" (Audio) "Holiness" (Audio) Send an email message to Stephen and Brooksyne

Administration Information The Weber Family Stephen, Brooksyne & Ester "Our family wants to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update We share our hearts with you as we go forth in this online ministry. Each weekday morning Brooksyne and I prepare these messages and distribute them at no cost to you and many others all over the world. Would you please consider a financial offering to support us in this encouragement ministry? Thanks! See here for details. Join: To receive these free "Daily Encouragement" devotionals each Monday-Friday through email see this page to subscribe. You can also subscribe to the rss feed. Cancel: To remove your address from this mailing list merely use the link placed by the mailing list software at the very bottom of each message. Weekly Version: The weekly version is designed for those who do not check their email regularly. It is merely the Friday message with a link to previous messages. To receive the free weekly version, send a blank email to this address. (To change addresses cancel your old address and then join again using your new address.) Please feel free to pass this message on! Daily Encouragement Net is an affiliate of Christianbook.com (Any orders placed to Christian Book Distributers using this link or a specific product link to a recommended resource in a daily encouragement message will help the Daily Encouragement ministry through a small commission.) Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and I make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and to prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity." How to become a child of God 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. Used by permission; and the King James Version. © Copyright 2007 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved Daily Encouragement Net 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 Contact us "Living securely today anchored in God's solid foundation" www.dailyencouragement.net

"Fan Into Flame"

RSS Podcast feed A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. Home · About Us · Archives · Donate · Podcast · Free email subscription <Previous Message · Easy read/print edition Thursday, August 30, 2007 Our outdoor fire last night. Click here to listen to us read this message on your audio player. "Fan Into Flame" "I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God" (2 Timothy 1:5,6). Last night we gathered around an outdoor fire in our backyard. I suppose since my Boy Scout days in the mid-sixties I have enjoyed outdoor fires and Brooksyne enjoys them as well. Although it was still warm last night I gathered broken branches across the road from our house and started a fire. We expect to enjoy these times talking around the fire all throughout the fall! As I sat and stared into the fire it brought back a remembrance of a verse that I committed to memory early in my Christian walk. In fact one of the very first sermons I ever preached was based on this passage, in part due to the phrase, "fan into flame." Last night's fire, because of the design of the fireplace, as well as the dry, dead kindling-type wood really needed no fanning. But I recall when I went camping, getting up early in the morning and throwing some wood on the embers of the fire from the night before and fanning it into a hot flame. Yesterday I received a note from Doug Matangelo, a young man who grew up in one of the churches I pastored. He is presently studying at Moody Bible Institute. He informed me that he was taking Greek so for Doug (and all who may read this) I'll give a little Greek background. The key word is "anazopuro" which is in the present active indicating a continuing action. The sense is to stir up smoldering embers into a living flame. A study Bible makes this note: "Gifts are not given in full bloom, they need to be developed through use." Other Bible versions vary slightly in the way they translate this word. The NASV states, "kindle afresh", the Amplified uses the phrase, "stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning)" while the KJV merely states "stir up", which reminds me of when I would take a long stick and stir up the fire early in the morning! Paul is urging Timothy to a necessary spiritual discipline. In the course of life the fire can burn down a bit (or at times a lot!) due to people rejecting our message, disappointments, setbacks, etc. We need to continually be mindful of this and keep fanning into flame the gift of God. Elsewhere Paul writes in Holy Scripture, "Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord" (Romans 12:11). The phrase "spiritual fervor" literally means "in spirit burning." Many years ago Keith Green wrote a song with this line: Oh Lord please light the fire, that once burned bright and clear. Replace the lamp of my first love, that burned with holy fear. Today Brooksyne and I want to serve the Lord with renewed zeal and keep the fire burning in our hearts so that we are continually on fire for Christ as we serve Him. We urge each reader to do the same! Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Father, I consider the depth of one's faith and how far-reaching it can be when fleshed out in one's life. Timothy came into faith due to the influence of a godly grandmother and a devoted mother. He himself was fully committed to Your cause. As we stay in communion with You through prayer and Your Holy Word would You keep the flame burning in our hearts so that not only our present but also our future generation will know You personally. May the light of Your Word be revealed through our message and lived out in our actions. May it be vibrant and inviting to others so that they will be drawn to You, Father. Amen. Brooksyne's Note: Stephen's mentioning his childhood days of camping out took me back to our early years of marriage where we camped out often. We usually camped in an unpopulated forested area in Northern Pennsylvania. I recall how hard it was for me to fall asleep at night which made it extra difficult to awaken early in the morning. But the whiff of a raging fire and the popping sounds of kindling being sucked into a raging flame would make it so inviting to crawl out of the tent and sit around the ring of fire. A cup of coffee in my hand and I was ready for another day of hiking and exploring. Twenty five years later, it's not as easy for us to get snug and comfortable in a tent, but sitting around a fire makes me think about doing so again! Yesterday's photo was taken at Acadia National Park in Maine. Interestingly (and not surprisingly) several readers guessed US west coast locations. The coast of Maine, especially above Portland is absolutely beautiful. The photo was taken by Greg Schneider, a professional photographer and self-described lighthouse chaser. I spoke to Greg yesterday and he is going to get some more photos to me from a recent trip through the Northeast. He is pleased that his photos are a blessing to others through this internet site. Technical note: Yesterday several wrote and said they couldn't view the photos on yesterday's message. The website was cutting in and out several times in the afternoon. The photos are not in the email but on the website so even if you get the message it still needs the website up to show the photos. Also several ISP's have you choose to see the photos and by default turn them off. A sure sign of pending Autumn! Today's music: I was unable to find an online audio of the Keith Green song, "Oh Lord, You're Beautiful". Keith Green died 25 years ago this summer in a plane crash. He was among my favorite musicians as a young Christian. Among the many mysteries of providence I have experienced in life is seeking to understand why the Lord took him home early. Oh Lord please light the fire, that once burned bright and clear. Replace the lamp of my first love, that burned with holy fear. I wanna take Your Word and shine it all around, But first help me, just to live it Lord! And when I'm doing well, help me to never seek a crown, For my reward is giving glory to You "Let The Flame Burn Brighter" (Audio) Graham Kendrick Yesterday I came across an online version of old hymn that has always mightily blessed me. "Hallelujah, What a Savior!" (Audio) I wonder if we'll sing this song in eternity!!! (I don't know who the musicians are.) Send an email message to Stephen and Brooksyne

Administration Information The Weber Family Stephen, Brooksyne & Ester "Our family wants to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update We share our hearts with you as we go forth in this online ministry. Each weekday morning Brooksyne and I prepare these messages and distribute them at no cost to you and many others all over the world. Would you please consider a financial offering to support us in this encouragement ministry? Thanks! See here for details. Join: To receive these free "Daily Encouragement" devotionals each Monday-Friday through email see this page to subscribe. You can also subscribe to the rss feed. Cancel: To remove your address from this mailing list merely use the link placed by the mailing list software at the very bottom of each message. Weekly Version: The weekly version is designed for those who do not check their email regularly. It is merely the Friday message with a link to previous messages. To receive the free weekly version, send a blank email to this address. (To change addresses cancel your old address and then join again using your new address.) Please feel free to pass this message on! Daily Encouragement Net is an affiliate of Christianbook.com (Any orders placed to Christian Book Distributers using this link or a specific product link to a recommended resource in a daily encouragement message will help the Daily Encouragement ministry through a small commission.) Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and I make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and to prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity." How to become a child of God 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. Used by permission; and the King James Version. © Copyright 2007 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved Daily Encouragement Net 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 Contact us "Living securely today anchored in God's solid foundation" www.dailyencouragement.net

"The Ultimate Blood Donation"

xml Podcast feed A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. Home · About Us · Archives · Donate · Podcast · Free email subscription Previous Message · Easy read/print edition Wednesday, August 29, 2007 Greg Schneider, a friend of ours took this photo. Does anyone recognize where it was taken? (Click on photo to enlarge to desktop size) Click here to listen to us read this message on your audio player. "The Ultimate Blood Donation" "For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross" (Colossians 1:19,20). John Wiseman is a friend of ours in Springfield, Missouri who works for the community blood bank. In that area they are now having blood collection drives in churches on Sundays. I understand the collection period generally follows the service but John tells me at times it's during the service and the pastor will ask the people to sit near the back until they are called out. For several years our church in northern Pennsylvania hosted the community blood drive but it was during the week. I thought it was interesting that these drives are now held in conjunction with services and as a pastor I can sure think of some interesting thoughts I would use to encourage people to participate! Brooksyne and I have participated in these blood drives since our college days. I still find it fascinating and somewhat inspiring to join ten to fifteen others from all walks of life laying on flat, skinny tables and giving blood (though most now use reclining chairs). We're willing to accept the small pain and inconvenience knowing that our blood may very well save another life. When Ester was little I took her with me and was able to explain to her what this all meant since she had benefited many times from donors because of her multiple heart surgeries. We prayed for the people that would be receiving the blood and we talked about an infinitely greater blood donation. This blood donation involved God's Son and was certainly not a source of minor pain or inconvenience. He agonized in great pain and died a horrific death when he voluntarily gave His blood for us. When we give our blood at best we will extend another's life for a few bleeps in the span of eternity. The blood of Christ was instrumental in the reconciling of all things and the making of peace between man and God. In order for my blood to do any good a recipient must accept it through a transfusion. It won't be effective just sitting in a warehouse. Now Christ's shed blood has already brought millions into reconciliation and peace with God who have by faith willingly accepted this provision. Have you? What can wash away our sins? What can make us whole again? Nothing but the blood, Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can wash us pure as snow? Welcomed as the friends of God. Nothing but Your blood, Nothing but Your blood King Jesus. Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Jesus, it is only through Your sacrificial blood that my sins are forgiven. Through Your fountain of forgiveness my guilty stains are plunged into the bottom of the ocean to be remembered no more. All the adjectives in the dictionary cannot adequately describe the depth of my gratitude for such a selfless act of love. Thank You, Jesus, for paying the price for my redemption. Amen. Last night we had a picnic at our place with our small group from church. We ranged in age from 6 weeks to 87 years! Red Salvia Today's suggested music: "Nothing But Your Blood" Listening through my headphones this song came on yesterday while I was mowing the lawn and I was so blessed. Contemporary version (Webpage with lyrics and audio) (Audio only) Traditional version instrumental piano (audio) Traditional vocal (Audio) "My Life Is An Offering" (Audio) This morning is the first time I ever heard this song. It's a great expression of dedication in light of what Christ has done for us! Notes: 1) This is not an interactive ministry in the sense of reader comments (and counter-comments) being available for all to read although it would be a neat feature and I enjoy it on other blogs. Due to the nature of this ministry (daily messages) this would take way to much time to maintain since generally it would need moderated. However some messages get a lot more response than others and two did so last week, "Preach The Word" and "The Value Of Old" Here's a sampling that came through the mail concerning the message "The Value Of Old": My husband and I became members of our church over fifty years ago. He passed away 7 years ago. We have always been very active and visible in our church. Your dailyencouragement of August 23 really hit home. Our church is experiencing the same problem you wrote about. Our pastor is mostly interested in the youth and I'm all for that, but not to the exclusion of our older members. 2) The music I use on this site (unless otherwise noted) is from other sites and i merely place a link to the resource. Generally I find the appropriate music related to the daily topic by using the av.com search engine which allows a search limited to audio files. These files may not play on all computers and audio files tend to be more temporary than text so later it may not be available. All I can say is that it worked on my computer the morning I send the message out! Send an email message to Stephen and Brooksyne

Administration Information The Weber Family Stephen, Brooksyne & Ester "Our family wants to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update We share our hearts with you as we go forth in this online ministry. Each weekday morning Brooksyne and I prepare these messages and distribute them at no cost to you and many others all over the world. Would you please consider a financial offering to support us in this encouragement ministry? Thanks! See here for details. Join: To receive these free "Daily Encouragement" devotionals each Monday-Friday through email see this page to subscribe. You can also subscribe to the rss feed. Cancel: To remove your address from this mailing list merely use the link placed by the mailing list software at the very bottom of each message. Weekly Version: The weekly version is designed for those who do not check their email regularly. It is merely the Friday message with a link to previous messages. To receive the free weekly version, send a blank email to this address. (To change addresses cancel your old address and then join again using your new address.) Please feel free to pass this message on! Daily Encouragement Net is an affiliate of Christianbook.com (Any orders placed to Christian Book Distributers using this link or a specific product link to a recommended resource in a daily encouragement message will help the Daily Encouragement ministry through a small commission.) Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and I make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and to prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity." How to become a child of God 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. Used by permission; and the King James Version. © Copyright 2007 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved Daily Encouragement Net 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 Contact us "Living securely today anchored in God's solid foundation" www.dailyencouragement.net

"Never In A Panic"

xml Podcast feed A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. Home · About Us · Archives · Donate · Podcast · Free email subscription Previous Message · Easy read/print edition Tuesday, August 28, 2007 Roxie hanging onto some unwelcome slacks Click here to listen to us read this message on your audio player. "Never In A Panic" "Yet when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was two more days" (John 11:6). "'Lord,' Martha said to Jesus, 'if you had been here, my brother would not have died'" (John 11:21). Two nights ago our dog, Roxie, had a panic attack. I'll let Brooksyne tell you about it: Two nights ago I was awakened from a dream by Roxie whining (almost howling) rather loudly. I thought at first it was part of my dream but finally I fully awakened and thought she probably needed to make a trip outside in a desperate sort of way. I suggested to Stephen that he take her out and he willingly took on the dreaded job at 3 A.M. Surprisingly Roxie was not on the floor beside our bed where she usually sleeps so he followed the whining noise that was coming from downstairs. He came upon quite an unusual sight. Apparently Roxie had been sleeping on the couch in our living room. Roxie is rarely allowed on the couch due to her excessive shedding of hair. Aware that she might be caught she planned to resume her usual sleeping spot beside our bed but in the darkness of the night when she attempted the leap to the floor the ring on her collar latched onto the hook of a wooden hanger that I'd laid on the arm of the couch the previous night. Stephen's dress slacks were folded over the hanger and Roxie was quite a sight. She had dragged these black slacks all over the ceramic tile floor. You could say that she was doing a little housecleaning for me as the slacks picked up plenty of dust and pet hair that I'd missed in my cleaning. She was quite shaken by the entire ordeal and was trembling as a result of her entanglement. After we'd settled her down she happily returned to her little spot beside our bed for the rest of the night. The next morning when she was coming downstairs I decided to be ornery and picked up the hanger with the pants and showed it to her. Her head dropped and she immediately turned around and very slowly and sneakily climbed up the stairs. Clear evidence that dogs can experience guilt! Her punishment for nighttime misbehavior was having to pose for our story today! Warren and Juanita are long time friends from northern Arkansas. During one of our visits to their home in Arkansas I noticed a thought-provoking plaque in the kitchen which simply states, "God is never in a panic." That statement has stayed with me over the years. As I consider the character of God revealed in the Scriptures this is surely true. How reassuring to those of us who have felt clinching fear that is a direct result of panic. Panic is essentially intense and immediate anxiety. These are now called panic attacks but surely have been a part of the human experience from the beginning. I can recall several specific experiences of panic in my life and I know there have been many others that escape my memory. I am sure all of you have had similar experiences as well. John 11 records the story of the death and resurrection of Lazarus, who along with his sisters, Mary and Martha, were friends with the Lord who had often fellowshipped in their home. The entire account is in verses 1-44. * I just selected two verses from the account. The first shows Christ's response to the critical need. "Yet when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was two more days." That's sure not what we would expect or desire. If I called up my pastor about a critical need that needed immediate attention I sure wouldn't want him to delay two days. Why didn't Jesus rush right over to the home of Lazarus? Characteristically though, He shows no evidence of panic. In the preappointed time He would take care of the matter just as He purposed all along. The second verse indicates Martha's perspective, which is so similar to the way we react in regard to God's mysterious ways. "'Lord,' Martha said to Jesus, 'if you had been here, my brother would not have died.'" She felt if the Lord would have just listened to her and acted according to her expectations everything would be alright. But God doesn't always act according to our expectations and that's a critical test of faith, particularly when we face an occasion of panic. He is always in absolute control even when the situation we face seems contrary to that truth. Today I want to encourage each reader, especially those of you who are facing a panicky situation as you read this. May the Lord give you a deep and abiding assurance of His steadfast love and care as you continue to walk in faith. Tuck this faith verse in your heart's pocket and carry it with you at all times. "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). Indeed God is in control! Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily Prayer: Father, when we try to work out circumstances with human wisdom we lose sight of Your supernatural power that brings all things into conformity in Your appointed time and in Your sovereign ways. Whether our difficulties are of our own making or through no fault of our own, it is always Your desire to come alongside us and bear our burdens. Help us to trust Your ways and Your timing for all that concerns our hearts this day. Amen. * Today's Scripture portion John 11:1-44 Just prior to the second verse there's an interesting contrast profile. "When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home" (v. 20). In another occasion Mary sat and learned at Jesus' feet while Martha toiled with the preparations. (Luke 10:38-40) Personal note: This morning our daughter Ester began a program known as "school to work" that will help her with basic occupational skills and prepare her for a job. It will also connect her with community services that will help her to become more independent. For the first time she is taking a bus to the school, which is about 12 miles away. As we prayed together before she left and all went out together to meet the bus, I recalled my mom and her joy in taking the mini bus to the senior citizen center. She got all dressed up and would be ready for the van way before the scheduled time. Then she would get anxious that Tom, her beloved van driver, might not show up. We continually reassured her that he would be coming. Here's a photo with Mom and Tom taken about 2 1/2 years ago. (Click on photo to enlarge) Another photo we took of a Dahlia during a garden tour on Saturday. Yesterday we shared a photo of a bright, shiny purple leaf that appeared to be lit from within. An alert reader identified it as a Persian Shield (Strobilanthes Dyerianus). Since she's local and a friend she said she'd give Brooksyne a start, so displaying that photo worked in her favor! Today's suggested music: "God Is In Control" (audio) "Floodgate" This is a powerful recitation of various selections of the Holy Scripture by three students from Central Bible College, where we graduated from in the mid-seventies. We were so blessed when we watched this and considered the discipline needed by these three young men to memorize this much Scripture and share it so expressively. (video) Send an email message to Stephen and Brooksyne

Administration Information The Weber Family Stephen, Brooksyne & Ester "Our family wants to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update We share our hearts with you as we go forth in this online ministry. Each weekday morning Brooksyne and I prepare these messages and distribute them at no cost to you and many others all over the world. Would you please consider a financial offering to support us in this encouragement ministry? Thanks! See here for details. Join: To receive these free "Daily Encouragement" devotionals each Monday-Friday through email see this page to subscribe. You can also subscribe to the rss feed. Cancel: To remove your address from this mailing list merely use the link placed by the mailing list software at the very bottom of each message. Weekly Version: The weekly version is designed for those who do not check their email regularly. It is merely the Friday message with a link to previous messages. To receive the free weekly version, send a blank email to this address. (To change addresses cancel your old address and then join again using your new address.) Please feel free to pass this message on! Daily Encouragement Net is an affiliate of Christianbook.com (Any orders placed to Christian Book Distributers using this link or a specific product link to a recommended resource in a daily encouragement message will help the Daily Encouragement ministry through a small commission.) Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and I make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and to prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity." How to become a child of God 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. Used by permission; and the King James Version. © Copyright 2007 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved Daily Encouragement Net 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 Contact us "Living securely today anchored in God's solid foundation" www.dailyencouragement.net

"We Are A Vapor, He Is Eternal"

xml Podcast feed A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. Home · About Us · Archives · Donate · Podcast · Free email subscription Previous Message · Easy read/print edition Monday, August 27, 2007 Saturday we toured the Stone Gables Estate near Elizabethtown, PA that had a magnificent dahlia garden. Click here for a larger image. Click here to listen to us read this message on your audio player. "We Are A Vapor, He Is Eternal" "You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away" (James 4:14). "But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God, the eternal King" (Jeremiah 10:10). We had a wonderful church service yesterday, with an extra special touch of the Lord's Spirit. A candid testimony of victory and overcoming by one of our youth who is heading off to college dovetailed into the morning's message. The testimony brought tears to many eyes and the pastor followed with a special call to sensitivity toward the Holy Spirit's leading in each of our lives. The next several songs were so appropriate in focusing praise to God and the congregation sang out with heartfelt enthusiasm. The praise team and congregation were visibly moved as the Spirit was working within our hearts. As we were being seated the pastor commented, "Our praise team's enthusiasm this morning is not a result of their eating Wheaties, but it is the moving of the Spirit." One of the songs, "Be Unto Your Name" especially moved us into grateful worship toward God. The following stanza transformed my heart as I contemplated God's time perspective in contrast to a finite earthbound way of regulating time. We are a moment, You are forever. Lord of the ages, God before time. We are a vapor, You are eternal Love everlasting, reigning on high. I suppose the one line that especially stayed with me even through this writing is, "We are a vapor, You are eternal." Songwriters, Lynne DeShazzo and Gary Sadler, share their thoughts about writing this song: "We started talking about how fragile and temporal life is ---that it's just a vapor or a moment and how our lives pass so quickly and yet God's life goes on and on forever. Juxtaposed against the vastness and eternity of God, all that we could say in the chorus of the song we wrote is what anyone would say when faced with that reality – Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty. It seemed to echo a heart expression of every believer – awe, humility and reverence in the light of One so great." James writes of this in the first daily text. "You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away." Based upon our present comprehension of time this may be hard to grasp although I notice time seems to move a lot faster as I'm quickly edging along in the life cycle. To seek another perspective of how quickly time flees take a walk through a cemetery. We walk past Kraybill Cemetery 1/3 mile up the road from our house almost everyday. Sometimes Brooksyne and I take a slow, thoughtful walk through examining the markers. As we do we're always reminded that life is indeed a vapor. Expressions of faith on some of the grave headings remind those left behind of the eternal dimension of one's life. A Scripture message we inscribed on my parent's marker sums up the entire reason for living as well as the reason for dying, "For me to live is Christ, to die is gain." What great assurance the short statement that comprises our second daily verse must have given Jeremiah and will also give us today. "But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God, the eternal King" (Jeremiah 10:10). Three words describe the immutable God of the universe; true, living and eternal. Consider each of these bedrock adjectives in light of the shifting sands of the world's value system. They are just as valid in describing God today as they were 2,600 years ago, for God does not change. They describe the One who said "I am the God of…" The present tense is always necessary in describing the true, living and eternal God. He always "is". The song I noted in the earlier part of the message goes on to proclaim, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty. Worthy is the Lamb who was slain. Highest praises, honor and glory. Be unto Your name, be unto Your Name. Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Eternal God, faithful throughout the ages, You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power. Great and marvelous are Your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are Your ways, King of the ages. How grateful we are for all Your works and for Your redemptive love that saves us from our sins. Amen. Some Fellow Overcomers Last Friday I visited with John Shetrzer, a friend I met shortly after moving to Lancaster County in 2001. Early this year he went through a very challenging work transition as he sought God's direction. I ran into him several months ago at 5:00AM at a WaWa market. At that time I was driving for my Amish boss and John was delivering papers. The Lord opened a great door for John and he is now the executive director of Black Rock Retreat, a Christian retreat center in southern Lancaster County. Of course in many ways I remain in transition (I probably always will by intent due to the itinerant nature of our ministry and our desire to have various ministry fronts!) Yesterday afternoon Chris Bert, a friend from our local church stopped by and we went on a four mile country walk, followed by a glass of iced tea on our deck. Chris has had some hard setbacks in life the last several years and has gone through a divorce and is now dealing with custody issues with his children. But he is seeking to stay faithful to God and daily draw closer to Him. Saturday Garden Tour Brooksyne and I went on a garden tour Saturday on the grounds of the Stone Gables Estate near Elizabethtown PA. The home was built 100 years ago by the founder of the famous chocolate company, M&M Mars located in Elizabethtown. It is now used by the Abel family who founded Brittany's Hope. They believe it is their purpose in life to advocate for children worldwide making it financially possible for loving families to adopt them. They have adopted many children into their family. What a delightful afternoon and very worthy cause! Brittany's Hope Cluster of Variegated Dahlias. There are over 500 varieties growing on over 2500 dahlia plants. What a sight to behold! I found this bright, shiny leaf intriquing. It appeared to be lit from within! I enjoy flowers but also leaves such as the Coleus that have deep hues of color and density. I'm not sure what kind of leaf this. Today's suggested music: "Be Unto Your Name" (audio) sample clip of the song we sang yesterday that I used in the message. "You are Holy - Prince of Peace" Here's the song we ended our worship set with yesterday. This is a highly produced version with lots of instruments in a concert setting. In MHO it sounded a lot better in our little country church with mostly vocals! (audio) Send an email message to Stephen and Brooksyne

Administration Information The Weber Family Stephen, Brooksyne & Ester "Our family wants to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update We share our hearts with you as we go forth in this online ministry. Each weekday morning Brooksyne and I prepare these messages and distribute them at no cost to you and many others all over the world. Would you please consider a financial offering to support us in this encouragement ministry? Thanks! See here for details. Join: To receive these free "Daily Encouragement" devotionals each Monday-Friday through email see this page to subscribe. You can also subscribe to the rss feed. Cancel: To remove your address from this mailing list merely use the link placed by the mailing list software at the very bottom of each message. Weekly Version: The weekly version is designed for those who do not check their email regularly. It is merely the Friday message with a link to previous messages. To receive the free weekly version, send a blank email to this address. (To change addresses cancel your old address and then join again using your new address.) Please feel free to pass this message on! Daily Encouragement Net is an affiliate of Christianbook.com (Any orders placed to Christian Book Distributers using this link or a specific product link to a recommended resource in a daily encouragement message will help the Daily Encouragement ministry through a small commission.) Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and I make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and to prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity." How to become a child of God 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. Used by permission; and the King James Version. © Copyright 2007 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved Daily Encouragement Net 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 Contact us "Living securely today anchored in God's solid foundation" www.dailyencouragement.net