| A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. <Previous Message · Archives ·  Archive/print editionThursday, September 11, 2008  Photo by Howard Blichfeldt (click on photo to enlarge)  Listen to us share this message on your audio player."The Forever Enduring Kingdom" "In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever" (Daniel 2:44). September 11 will never be the same again for those of us living here in America. No matter how you format the date, it immediately brings to mind the anniversary date of the horror, the hate, and the vile wickedness of a diabolical religious system that was unleashed upon thousands of innocent lives on this day seven years ago. Writing this devotional is a challenge.
Daniel lived during the period of the Babylonian captivity. As a youth he had seen the horrendous destruction of his country described in graphic detail by Jeremiah in his book of Lamentations. Surely, like we do today, he must have wondered, "Where is God in all of this?" Though unanswered questions surely filled Daniel's mind he stayed faithful to his God. Believers have always had to accept that some questions just won't be answered on this side of eternity. God calls us to live by faith as described in Hebrews 11:1: "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." In the second chapter of his book Daniel interpreted a dream that had tremendous prophetic insight into the future kingdoms from that point on. "In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever" (Daniel 2:44). "In the days of those kings" describes the Roman period. The kingdom which the "God of heaven will set up" is the Kingdom of Christ expressed in the first coming. (This prophecy was made some 550 years before the incarnation.) Note two descriptions of this glorious Kingdom in the daily text. It will "never be destroyed" and "it will itself endure forever." Sinking, shifting sand is an apt description of what we experience in the temporal kingdoms of this world. We saw that so graphically on 9/11. But the great God we serve is absolutely steadfast and His Kingdom will endure forever, for it has no end. Praise Him today and serve Him wholeheartedly! The words to the classic hymn, "Rejoice the Lord Is King", come to mind as we conclude today's message. His kingdom cannot fail; He rules o'er earth and heaven. The keys of death and hell are to our Jesus given. Lift up your heart; lift up your voice! Rejoice, again I say rejoice! Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Father, with solemn hearts and painful memories we remember the extremely wicked events that took place on 9/11/01. Though we witnessed mayhem and saw evil at its worst, mercifully, we also witnessed acts of goodness at their best. Help us to spread the overflowing, enduring hope that does not diminish in the midst of evil, but instead it directs our attention to the unseen future kingdom, the New Jerusalem. The New Jerusalem where Your presence is with Your people for all eternity. Where You will wipe away every tear from our eyes and there will be no more death, sadness, crying, or pain, because all the old ways are gone, and You will make all things new. (See Romans 15:13, Revelation 21:1-5)  Today's photo was taken by Howard Blichfeldt. Al Worthley, my chaplain representative, met Howard at a Christian service conference and suggested we collaborate since Howard wants to use his photography to honor God. He has given me permission to place his photos on this site. Today's photo is taken in the Grand Tetons. Howard's website is here.Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources Today I was unable to find a suitable online version of the hymn "Rejoice The Lord Is King" quoted in the message but I want to share three versions of another great classic hymn I found in the process of searching: "Praise To The Lord The Almighty" "Praise To The Lord The Almighty" "Praise To The Lord The Almighty" Info about multi-media files used on daily encouragement. Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne. |
 Stephen and Brooksyne Weber - May 6, 2008 "We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update Revised 04/15/08  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 daily encouragement ministry? Donations are tax deductible and will be receipted directly by my chaplaincy endorsing ministry. Thanks! See here for details. (2008 YTD financial offerings to Daily Encouragement Net through 9/10/2008: $14,669.00)SUBSCRIPTION INFO  Were you forwarded this edition of Daily Encouragement Net? To receive these free "Daily Encouragement" devotionals each Monday-Friday through email see this page to subscribe. This newsletter is never sent unsolicited. It was sent to you because you signed up to receive it OR a friend forwarded it to you. You can also subscribe to the rss feed. Cancel: We respect and value your time and privacy. If this newsletter no longer meets your needs we will be happy to remove your address immediately. To remove your address from this mailing list merely use the link automatically inserted 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 these messages on! "A Daily Prayer" - The daily prayer from each daily encouragement message. "A Little Foolishness" - A collection of humorous and satirical stories drawn mostly from our years of ministry, as well as my sometimes fertile imagination. "Clear Minded" - Longer, periodic articles on specific issues impacting the church.  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. © Copyright 2008 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved Daily Encouragement Net Stephen & Brooksyne Weber 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 Contact us  "Living securely today anchored in God's solid foundation" www.dailyencouragement.net |
