 A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. <Previous Messages · Archives ·  Archive/print editionMonday, June 15, 2009  These colorful petunias covered an old bike at a roadside flower stand we drove by Saturday here in Lancaster County.  Listen to us share this message on your audio player."A Stimulant to Wholesome Thinking" "Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking" (2 Peter 3:1).  Today each of us will be inundated with a variety of stimulations. We each had a cup of coffee as we prepared this message and that's a stimulant! The word "stimulate" often has a negative or fleshy connotation. As we get out and interface with the world we will face various types of stimulation; much of it appealing to the sinful nature.  Just driving the car to work in heavy traffic often provides stimulus for provocation of the flesh, if we're not careful, as we may be a recipient of road rage. The Apostle John calls these stimulations "the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life" (1 John 2:16).Peter provides a very concise purpose statement for his letter, "to stimulate you to wholesome thinking." This describes what we seek to do in these daily encouragements and what we want you to pass on to others. Each of us make decisions daily and regularly face various challenges often surrounded by negative stimulation. But we, like Peter, want to "stimulate you to wholesome thinking." The KJV translates this phrase "stir up your pure minds." There are two Greek words used in the phrase that bear a little more examination. The word for stimulate or stir up is "diegeiro", which is normally used for awakening from physical sleep when used in the Gospels. It conveys "awakening thoroughly, through and through." 2 Peter is the only epistle that uses it and it is done so in a figurative sense. We believe participation in church is a great way to be stirred up and hopefully many of you were stirred up yesterday. But the dulling, numbing, soul-slumbering influence of the world is very pervasive. The world's steady rhythmic blasting of Christian tenets can weary the believer to the point of feeling "What's the use? What's one voice among so many?" A spiritual sleep will soon follow such a mindset. Today let this brief word stir you up! Hide God's Word deep in your heart, let it pervade your mind, and move you into wholesome action this day! Peter wants to stimulate us to wholesome thinking so let's consider the word, "wholesome". The word "pure" can be interchanged with wholesome. The Greek word,"eilikrines" used for wholesome and pure is used elsewhere by Paul in Philippians 1:10, "that you may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ". "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things" (Philippians 4:8). Piety and true morality are inseparable. "Piety is love with its face toward God; morality is love with its face toward man" (Brown Commentary). May these virtuous qualities as listed by the apostle Paul be a wholesome stimulant to our hearts and minds this day! Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Father, those things which are true, honorable, right and pure stimulate us to wholesome thinking which not only purifies us within, but adhering to them also purifies that which is around us as we stimulate toward godly character. Remind us often that our words and actions give us opportunity to bring You glory as we reflect Your image. In Jesus' name, 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.) |
 "We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update Revised 05/08/09  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 6/14/09: $5,195.00)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 either signed up to receive it OR a friend forwarded it to you. You can also subscribe to the rss feed. or as an email subscription update through feedburner. Subscribe to Daily Encouragement Updates by EmailCancel: We respect and value your time and privacy. If these messages no longer meet 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. (To change addresses cancel your old address and then join again using your new address.) Weekly Version: The weekly version is intended 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. 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! "A Little Foolishness" - Humor/satire blog (a great outlet for non-serious writing but at times with a subtle message!) Last updated with the story of Mildred Swanson, who joyfully discovers her "spiritual gift" is sending forwarded emails! (Note: This material is satire!) "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!) "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  Endorsed chaplain "Living securely today anchored in God's solid foundation" www.dailyencouragement.net |
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