 A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. <Previous Message · Archives ·  Archive/print editionFriday, January 30, 2009   Listen to us share this message on your audio player."The Power Of Touch" "And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to Him and begged Him to let the sick just touch the edge of His cloak, and all who touched Him were healed" (Matthew 14:35,36). About twenty years ago Brooksyne and I became foster parents to overseas children who had life threatening illnesses. They came to the U.S. for medical treatment after preapproval from a U.S. hospital and team of doctors who agreed to care for them. Ester was our fourth child from Guatemala and was also available for adoption – she came to us at 3 months of age, went through many heart operations and has been a great blessing to us since that time. About 18 years ago we went to Guatemala and visited the orphanage in Guatemala City where Ester spent her first three months. Babies, a number of them sick and abandoned by their birth mothers, lay in the orphanage day after day. Several were covered with scabies and needed major medical attention. We went from crib to crib and sought to stimulate each baby by speaking to them and holding them in our arms.  The haircutting line was long and it seemed the more she cut, the line continued to grow. Eventually she realized that the line kept growing because the children, after they got their haircuts, would go back and line up for another trim. They simply loved the individual attention and the human touch of a caring person. Though we couldn't speak their Spanish they craved the universal language of love. Unlike the leper who feels nothing due to nerve damage we are warmed by the touch of another. Unlike our other four senses (sight, taste, hearing, and smell) which are located in specific parts of the body, our sense of touch is found all over our body. Amazingly, there are over 3,000 touch receptors in each of our fingertips. Jesus invited the disciples to physically touch his hands and feet to feel the piercings from his crucifixion for further proof of His bodily resurrection. It wasn't enough just to see, they needed to feel the evidence as well (Luke 24:39). When Jesus went about healing the sick and performing great miracles, news about Him quickly spread throughout the region. People traveled great distances and brought their sick with them. They knew that huge crowds would gather and it would likely be impossible to have a one on one audience with this Miracle Worker. But they also knew that healing virtue flowed out from Him and just touching the edge of His cloak could restore them to wholeness. In fact all who touched Him were healed. I wonder what message we send to others by our touch? I like it when another person extends his or her hand toward me for a firm handshake. I enjoy it when my wife sitting in the passenger side of the car reaches over and laces her fingers through mine. I'm genuinely warmed by the hug of another brother who is expressing his brotherly affection for me. Today, will you join with Brooksyne and me in extending your hand to the oppressed, to the unloved, to those in need. Be intentional in seeking out that person in church who comes alone and is often overlooked by others. Shake his or her hand and make eye contact – more than just a dutiful or passing glance. Communicate to God's creation that they are special to Him and special to you. Why not ask if you can sit next to them? How about the homeless person or the mentally challenged? Those repulsed by the world are to be embraced by the godly. Our nursing homes are filled with people who long for a warm hug or a loving handshake. Giving a hand massage is a wonderful way to warm the heart while engaging the spirit of one who is lonely and just needs to know someone is genuinely interested in them. Will you be that person? O to be His hand extended Reaching out to the oppressed Let me touch Him, let me touch Jesus So that others may know and be blessed Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily Prayer: Father, help me to be Your hand extended to those in need. We so often complain about our own needs but in reality much of our own needs are met as we reach out to others in need. Your Scripture declares, "Those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed." Help us not to put off that which You lay upon our hearts. May our gentle and loving touch be the finger of God reaching down from heaven to earth. We were created in Your image and we desire to portray Your loving character as well. Amen.  Brooksyne's Note: When I volunteered to cut the children's hair it didn't cross my mind that these children might be covered with head lice. I had no experience with such a parasite and it took several haircuts before I realized what I was seeing especially behind the ears. I breathed a sigh of relief when we left several days later and there wasn't a sign of lice in my hair….. until a week after I was back home in the U.S. Kathy, a dear friend in our church, came over and pulled them out one by one, doused me in head lice shampoo, and cut my hair eliminating even more head lice. It was a small price to pay for helping these precious children. I experienced a temporary discomfort of what they experienced daily. Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources "The Touch Of The Master's Hand" Video This is a classic poem put to music years ago and sung by a choir. The story is acted out with an auctioneer and buyers. It is extremely well done! Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne."Touch Through Me Holy Spirit" Video The graphics and words of this song especially convey the message we wrote about today. It will touch your heart as you look at the images presented on this video of those who need the human touch. The touching pictures in this video brought to mind a visit I (Brooksyne) had at a Senior home this past week. I was going room to room making visits and it was nearing bedtime (7:00 PM) when I walked into Clara's* room and saw her fully dressed with the covers pulled up. When she saw me she began to ask repeatedly, "Where are my clothes? How am I going to get my clothes?" Though I tried to reassure her that an aid would soon be there to help her she couldn't hear me and became rather distraught. I spoke louder and again tried to reaessure her. Then I just sat on her bed and began to softly stroke her forehead and comb my fingers through her thin hair. As I did so I no longer saw her as one who is dull of senses and in the beginning stages of Alzheimers, but I began to imagine her as a little girl, a young woman, somebody's wife or mother. As I sat there unhurried and lightly massaging her scalp she began to rest and respond to the human touch. This song speaks to me today as a prayer, "Touch through me, Holy Spirit, touch through me." *Not her real name "He Looked Beyond My Fault" Video Location of Rio Dulce orphanage (google map) For the terminally curious.  We dealt with some interesting traffic yesterday as one driver was bringing home her groceries in her pickup truck. |
 "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 1/28/09: $545.00) SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION  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 these messages no longer meets your needs (providing encouragement) you can remove your address by merely use the link automatically inserted by the mailing list software at the very bottom of each email message. Weekly Version: The weekly version is designed for those who may 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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