 A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. <Previous Message · Archives ·  Archive/print editionTuesday, January 20, 2009  This is the scene this morning of the Espenshade farm at the end of our road. Click here to enlarge today's photo. I have photos of this same scene in the spring, summer and autumn.  Listen to us share this message on your audio player."Our Advocate" "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool" (Isaiah 1:18). Today we woke up to a brisk 12 degree sunny day with a beautiful fresh cover of snow. My first requested chore this morning came from Brooksyne; "Stephen, could you turn up the heat on the coal stove?" The stove doesn't have a thermostat so somehow it's become my daily duty to keep up with the temperature changes and adjust our stove accordingly, doing so by leaning in and turning a small very inaccessible nut in the back of the stove. I really like snow and miss some of the heavier snowfalls we were accustomed to several times each season when we lived in northern Pennsylvania and New England. In northern Pennsylvania, during a youthful season of our lives, we both enjoyed getting out in the snow and cross country skiing. I recall a blizzard about 14 years ago in New England and repeatedly jumping off the church roof into the deep snow with a friend! I would have been around 40 when I had that kind of energy and sense of adventure. Now my interests in regard to snow are mostly walking and taking pictures! Today I managed to take the fourth photo in a Four Season landscape series of the Espenshade farm up the road from us. Scripture often uses the natural wonders of God's creation to illustrate His intricate work in our lives. The prophet Isaiah uses the picture of pure white snow as a description of God's cleansing work in our lives, exchanging our crimson sins for His pure driven snow. Isaiah uses vivid color, scarlet…crimson, to depict the shedding of innocent blood, ultimately the blood of Christ for our redemption. We see this spiritual teaching described by Isaiah as it is lived out in the life of David in his great prayer of repentance from adultery which resulted in a host of sins: "Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow" (Psalms 51:7). Since Israel is in a hot climate, it rarely snows. Yet Mount Hermon has a snow cap that can be seen throughout much of northern Israel. The promise made to the prophet Isaiah is ours to accept today. The great Judge of the universe says "Come now, let us reason together." The word "reason" is a legal term. The New Testament also uses a legal term to describe Christ's work on our behalf as our "Advocate." "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1). Our Advocate is motivated by AGAPE love. His advocacy on our behalf is impassioned and earnest. He paid the full price for our freedom. Our position is to accept this gift by faith. We bring nothing to the courtroom but absolute guilt. But our Advocate, Jesus Christ, paid the full price for our redemption, and meets us in His courtroom of grace. Live with this blessed assurance today and truly be encouraged! Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe; Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow. Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily Prayer: Father, I thank You for Jesus who entered the Courtroom of Justice with me as I sought favor with You. I went to relinquish my sins but I had no defense or gift to offer in exchange for them. I entered the Courtroom dressed in my very best as I presented to You my righteous acts one by one, but I quickly realized they were seen as filthy, crimson rags. They were like leaves that shrivel up when detached from the vine. But then Your Son, Jesus, my Advocate, took His robe of righteousness and lovingly placed it over my heavy shoulders. It was at that glorious moment that You looked away from my filthy, crimson rags that Jesus removed and You looked upon my new robe of righteousness. I was able to give You nothing but a heart full of crimson stains but You exchanged it for a surrendered heart that is now white as snow. I am wholly grateful that when You look at me You see Jesus' righteousness. He paid the full price, He paid it all. I owe Him everything and it will take all my days here and throughout eternity to express my love and gratitude for His incomparable love and sacrifice toward me. Amen. Brooksyne's Note: Isaiah refers to the crimson color of blood that has stained the hands of murderers: "Even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood; wash and make yourselves clean" (1:15b, 16). God's offer of forgiveness is conditional on the expectation that we forsake our life of sin: "If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken" (1:19, 20). I find it rather interesting that Isaiah who, inspired by the Holy Spirit of God, would write about those whose "hands are full of blood" (1:15C). He is quoted more often than any other prophet in the New Testament. A man of royal blood since he was the grandson of King Joash, yet being a child of an earthly king did not hold the same importance to Isaiah as being a child of the Heavenly King. Tradition that has been accepted as authentic by many early church fathers, states that, "Isaiah resisted Manasseh's idolatrous decrees, and was fastened between two planks and 'sawn asunder', thus suffering a most horrible death" (Halley's Bible Handbook). This brings to mind the Scriptures from Hebrews 11:35-40. Thank You: We are very pleased and grateful to God that total 2008 contributions to the Daily Encouragement Net ministry were $21,791.00. Brooksyne and I want to express thanks to all who supported this aspect of our ministry for Christ. Offerings came from over 80 separate sources from all over the world. Here's information about supporting our ministry and here's a current ministry update revised to 1/20/09. We have always been open in our pastoral ministry regarding the finances of our churches. We also practice this in our online ministry. Current 2009 YTD total offerings are placed in the footers in each of these posts. Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources "Whiter Than The Snow" Video While searching for an online version of the hymn "Whiter Than Snow" Stephen came across this powerful song with background photos. The words are so true to Scripture, original in their musical content. The singing is beautiful and the nature photos inspiring. We couldn't find the singer or song writer but I encourage you to take the time to listen to this at least once. It inspired me for the prayer today and transported me back to my experience of fully surrendering my life to Christ. "Whiter Than Snow" Video A nice local church arrangement of this beautiful old hymn. "Jesus Paid It All" Video This song came to mind due to the words, "Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow". This is a Fernando Ortega version. |
 Stephen and Brooksyne Weber "We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update Revised 01/20/09  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. 2009 YTD financial offerings through 1/18/09: $220.00 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 2009 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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