Thursday, April 16, 2009

Daily Encouragement (04/16/09) "Stay Tuned On Truth"

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Thursday, April 16, 2009

Piano players
Kids "tuning" our piano!

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"Stay Tuned On Truth"

"You are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me" (John 18:37).

Piano tunerYesterday we had our piano tuned here at home and then the tuner, Mr. Keener, followed Brooksyne in his van, through the country to tune the piano at our church. It's interesting listening to a piano tuner at work. If you didn't know better you might think it was a child banging on the keys going from one end of the keyboard to the other.

In tuning a piano he initially uses a standardized tuning fork set to a very specific tone. This forms the basis for tuning each note on the piano. If he begins with the wrong tone it will affect his entire tuning job.

In the classic hymn "Come Thou Fount" there's a line that states "Tune my heart to sing Thy grace."  Indeed our hearts need regularly tuned as we are confronted with conflicting tones all throughout life.

George Washington Carver
One of my favorite historical characters was a black man by the name of George Washington Carver. He was able to see the hand of God in nature. Carver said, "I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station through which God speaks to us every hour if we will only tune in."


One of the great spiritual responsibilities we have is exercising discernment and teaching those whom we influence to do so as well. There is a cacophony of voices that call out to us to go the wrong way. We are exposed to these voices at all ages, but our youth are particularly vulnerable.  We need to constantly tune in to hear the voice of God, foundationally through His authoritative, inspired, and inerrant Word, the Holy Scriptures.

Today's Bible text is a portion where Pilate is questioning Jesus at His trial. He seems at one point to have the correct revelation that Jesus is a king when he said, "You are a king, then!"  Since Pilate's body language (which often speaks louder than words) is not described by John, did he say it in jest as he raised his eyebrows and grimaced while those who stood nearby looked on?  Whatever the circumstance, he certainly did not act appropriately and of course was instrumental in the false conviction of Jesus.

I am so enriched by what our Lord Jesus said to Pilate and through the Word He now says to us, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth."  Christ knew who He was and why He had come. He came to testify to the truth.

But let us consider the latter portion of our Lord's response. "Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."  I certainly want to be on the side of truth and thus I want to hear the voice of truth.  Lord, give us all discernment to truly tune in to hear, listen to and heed Your voice today.  Let us stay tuned on Truth!


Be encouraged today,


Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Father, I want my heart to be tuned to Your Truth and righteousness, for You are the Way, the Truth and the Life.  I place my complete trust in You and reject the godless trends and vain philosophies promoted by the world.  May Your words be embedded in my heart and mind through the faithful study of Scripture so that I might not sin against You and so that I will recognize truth from error. Keep me faithful and true.  Amen.



Old fashioned radioBrooksyne's Note: Our message today takes me back quite a few years ago when my dad proudly brought home a second hand (probably third or fourth hand) radio console from the 1930's era.  It was solid wood with a veneer finish and had the typical dial tuner.  As a family we were pretty excited about the "antique" radio and right away we tried to find our favorite radio stations.  The problem was we couldn't hear our station clearly without nearby stations trying to butt in.  We would try to fine tune it but then we'd then run into static as we got further and further from the actual station we were trying to hear.  But if we were patient and fine tuned it delicately and with much deliberation we'd finally get the station we wanted.  Of course, anyone who then messed with the dial was in big trouble.  Like the radio, when we tune into God's voice and hear His message, there are other messages bombarding our minds and trying to take over or distort His clear, unambiguous message.  I pray that I will regularly fine tune my heart to receive what God has for me which means I will not give ear to that which distorts, revises, or adds to the truth of God's Word.



Today's Suggested Music
and Supplemental Resources
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In some cases you may also need to click again to start the song.

"Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing"  Audio  This is the song that has the line, "Tune my heart to sing Thy grace."

"The Voice Of Truth"  Video
 
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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.


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