 A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. <Previous Message · Archives ·  Archive/print editionTuesday, December 16, 2008  Each Christmas season we enjoy passing this wreath on an old stone barn on the Strasburg Pike.  Listen to us share this message on your audio player."God's Infinite Understanding" "He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit" (Psalm 147:4,5). How are you doing with your Christmas shopping? Are you having trouble getting just the "perfect" gift? I am a very poor shopper and struggle getting the right gift for my wife. Well, for several years now I've been hearing about a very different gift. The International Star Registry allows you to name a star and will send you an official certificate! Whoever came up with this has a pretty good business model since the current estimate among astronomers is that there are a billion stars, and of course they'll probably always be discovering a few million more. However there is a problem for the enterprising business entrepreneur who devised this scheme. The mighty God we serve and who sent His only Son to this little planet earth has already taken care of naming all the stars. He has determined their number and calls them each by name. He made them all (Genesis 1:16) and has them all accounted for. The prophet Isaiah, in proclaiming the mighty greatness of God, declares "Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing" (Isaiah 40:26). This is the great God we serve today! Yesterday we wrote of the increasing evidence of mass apostasy (falling away) as modern man sits in judgment of God and His revealed truth in the Holy Scriptures. On issue after issue we are told by modern experts that we've had it all wrong. Author Rod Dreher writes concerning this viewpoint, "Truth is not determined by emotion, as I see it, and certainly I find it epistemologically arrogant to assume that an early 21st-century white American bourgeois male can stand in judgment of Scripture and the Church." I am quoting Rod Dreher here but I would emphatically remove the qualifying phrase, "as I see it." Truth is not determined by emotion. Period! "His understanding has no limit." How extremely limited my understanding is. The very brightest minds understand only a tiny, tiny fraction of all there is to understand. Each person's culture, location, and life experience will have a significant bearing in what he comes to know and apply to his understanding. How distorted that is. The NASV translates this phrase describing God's attribute as, "His understanding is infinite." Time, location, and culture are not factored into God's understanding for He has always existed and His understanding far exceeds our skewed vision and earth-based experience. God's infinite frame of reference springs forth from His eternal character. In His unshakable kingdom God's infinite understanding is applied not just here and now but will also be revealed in the future kingdom. Today let us again resolve that we will stay true to the faith once for all delivered to the saints even while we humbly acknowledge our own very limited understanding in light of God's unlimited understanding. Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily Prayer: Father, we are mindful that we not only fall short of Your glory, but we also fall short of understanding. Understanding all that You want to teach us in this life and the life yet to come. But we draw near to You with a sincere heart as we study Your truths and seek to apply them with understanding to our minds and hearts. This comes about as we read the Scriptures, as we meditate in prayer, as we contemplate Your holy character, and even as we make wrong decisions that force us to reaccess our actions and go back to Your infinite wisdom and understanding. As we do so we hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for You are faithful in all You say and in all You do. We bless You, Lord, at all times and give thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord, for Your infinite wisdom. Amen. Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources (Click on the link to open and play. In some cases you may also need to click again to start the song.) "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" Audio Resources for Christmas Celebrations It is our desire to share resources that may be a blessing to families and churches during this Christmas season. We will continue to post these resources through Christmas Day. Looking for a very special Christmas gift for your parents? Here's an idea! The best gift you can ever give your parents Looking for a very special Christmas gift for your children? Here's an idea! Christmas Memories Here's a collection of Christmas memories sent in by daily encouragement readers several years ago, along with an opportunity to share your own story. "In Remembrance of Me" pdf This is a passion-filled Scripture reading for two adults. Stephen and I have used this reading with great receptivity during Christmas Eve services. We suggest, if possible, a musical background as the message is read. It is also a great lead-in to a Communion service. It should be thoroughly practiced and read with great feeling. "When Christ Was Born" pdf This is an adaptation to the tune of "How Great Thou Art". It's a great song to sing as a congregation since most are familiar with the tune. Responsive Christmas Scripture readings for church or family: John 1:1-18 pdf "O Come Let Us Adore Him" pdf My First Christmas In Heaven This is a blessed reminder for all who lost a loved one this year. Christmas Knowledge Test We have also posted two Christmas carol quizzes here (scroll down). Are you Christmas shopping online?  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 considering using these links when purchasing online through CBD! Tip: If you are regular CBD customer consider bookmarking this link and using it whenever you shop. It is our desire to offer this site as a free service to readers all over the world. If you find value in our ministry, you can help! One of the special features of this web site are recommended resources related to the topic designed to enhance your spiritual growth. If you decide to purchase any of the titles you see listed, simply click on the book title or book photo and you will be transported to CBD's giant online catalog. Everytime you make a purchase directly from our site links (providing you do not leave our site prior to ordering) we get a small percentage of the total sale as a CBD affiliate member. This will over time help offset some of the costs involved in growing and maintaining this ministry. |
 Stephen and Brooksyne Weber "We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update Revised 10/21/08  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 12/15/08: $19,351.00) SUBSCRIPTION INFO  Were you forwarded this edition of Daily Encouragement Net? If you desire you can receive your own free! To receive these "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 from the list immediately. To remove your address 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" - A blog simply posting the daily prayer. We keep this up each day since it's merely the prayer from the Daily Encouragement Net message! "Clear Minded" - Longer, periodic articles on specific issues impacting the faithful believer and church. (Actually this is my intent but I haven't done much with it!) "A Little Foolishness" - A humor/satire blog (a great outlet for non-serious writing but at times with a subtle message!) I haven't had time or "inspiration" for this for awhile but it has several stories that get regular page views. "Hymns of Hope" - Brooksyne along with two friends made a CD using classic hymns. Brooksyne tells the background story of the 11 hymns. We are distributing this CD without charge in our ministry. All of these songs are also available for download on the site. If any reader in this series would like a CD merely write us and request one. 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, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. 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 |
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