A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. <Previous Message · Easy read/print edition Friday, November 9, 2007  Lapp farmhouse Yesterday afternoon following our chaplain visitation we visited with our Amish friends Jesse and Anna Ruth Lapp and their three children on their dairy farm in eastern Lancaster County.  Click here to listen to this message on your audio player."God's Up To Something" "All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5:19). We sat around our dining room table with a group of fellow ministers and began talking about different ways God was working in our ministries. One shared how he saw three people talking around a table outside of a hospital room. A woman in that circle recognized him as a minister, approached him, and said, "I think God might be up to something over here." She had been sharing with an individual who appeared to be ready to hear the message of salvation and was recruiting the pastor to help her at this point. "I think God might be up to something." That's an interesting expression, and although I don't question the earnestness of the individual, there is a tendency to place restrictions on God's activity based upon our own experience. For sure that day, today, and every day the omnipresent God is indeed up to something! The daily verse succinctly describes what God is up to. I have always found it interesting and frankly a bit annoying when people speak of finding out what God is doing, as if He's always changing! God is doing what He has always been doing. He is reconciling the world to Himself through Christ. Specific methods change but the overall plan remains the same. And He has committed to each one of us the "message of reconciliation." Today all over the world, in large settings and in small, God is using His reconciled children to proclaim the glorious message of reconciliation. He's definitely up to something! The question for each of us is, "How am I proclaiming that message?" Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Jesus, we want others to view the message of reconciliation as it is lived out in our attitudes, actions and daily conversation. Because You reconciled us to the Father through Your sacrificial death on the cross we want others to experience this wondrous reconciliation when we were delivered from the evil one and transported into the Kingdom of God. What great joy it is to share this message with others, see them respond to Your Spirit, and take them alongside us in this journey of grace. Keep us faithful in proclaiming the life changing message of reconcilation. Amen.  Jesse had a good harvest and he was quite pleased to point out that the corn crib is almost full! I helped him get the cows in and feed them. Farm work feels like good, wholesome work. (Now if I worked at it day in and day out I might feel differently! But I do have a great respect and admiration for those who are full-time farmers.) Sunday is a special day of prayer for the persecuted church. International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church Voice of the Martyrs Today's suggested music: "Amazing Love" (Audio) "How Deep The Father's Love For Us" (Audio) Here's a very creative video story based on a harvest parable of Jesus. Info about multi-media files used on daily encouragement. |
Administration Information  Stephen and Brooksyne "We want 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 any specific product link to a recommended resource in a daily encouragement message will help our Daily Encouragement ministry through a small commission on the sale. Thank you for using these links when purchasing online through CBD!) 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. "A Little Foolishness" - We invite daily encouragement readers to visit our new blog which is a collection of humorous and satirical stories drawn mostly from our years of ministry, as well as my sometimes fertile imagination. We also welcome submissions from readers. © Copyright 2007 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved  |
