 A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. <Previous Messages · Archives ·  Archive/print editionTuesday, September 1, 2009  Laughlin Mill in Cumberland County PA This grist mill was built around 1763  Listen to us share this message on your audio player"Not In Vain" "Your labor in the Lord is not in vain" (1 Corinthians 15:58). Yesterday I made several hospital visits and spent some time at the bedside of a young lady in her teens who was in a serious car accident on Saturday. Her mother and grandmother were beside her gently stroking her hands assuring her of their presence and love. The mother updated me concerning her condition before I prayed over her and for the family. Effectively ministering to one in a coma or unresponsive state can be very awkward. Generally, our conversation flows easily when we speak, it's heard by the listener, and then given a response. We're usually able to determine the effectiveness of our visit. But when the patient gives no indication that they are even aware of our presence it becomes a very distressing time for visitors and the loved ones standing by.  One of our long-term favorite ministries is Joni & Friends. Joni is a quadriplegic due to her diving accident in the Chesapeake Bay at 17 years of age. But she has overcome her disability with such an incredibly positive outlook on life and has impacted scores of people around the world with the Gospel message she enthusiastically shares. She will soon be sixty and endures a great deal of pain day and night due to her disability. Yet she maintains the spunk and vibrancy of a much younger woman.My experience yesterday brought to mind a story Joni told of a couple who have a "coma ministry." This dedicated couple travels to hospitals and rehabs where patients, due to head injuries or strokes, are in comas. They sing with the accompaniment of a guitar, make physical contact with the patients, and over the period of 30 minutes worship God through song, Scripture reading and prayer. Some of the coma victims show slight responses to their compassionate ministry, but in most cases their impact is merely a matter of faith and obedience to God. I frankly marvel at this kind of ministry. I like to see immediate results in my service for Christ. I like to see souls saved, people encouraged, relationships restored, lives impacted. Today many of you are involved in service for Christ. Some of you are really seeing results. That's great! But some of you seem to be "butting your head up against a stump" (as a history professor would often say and sometimes demonstrate in my college years). Nothing seems to be happening and you may be enduring serious opposition. You may be discouraged. Today's Scripture portion is a timeless truth for servants of God. "Your labor in the Lord is not in vain." This dear couple with a ministry call to stroke patients is not wasting their time as they seek to obey the Lord. When the final accounting comes I believe we'll learn that they used their time far better than so many of us. Above all let us stay faithful to our call and leave the results to God, knowing indeed that our "labor in the Lord is not in vain." Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: "Father, thank You for the example of this dedicated couple who ministers to coma patients unable to communicate or make physical contact with those around them. What a tremendous blessing to know that You've given this couple the ministry of reaching seemingly unreachable individuals. When we look at the outward appearance we see only an unresponsive and often shriveled up shell. But we are reassured by Scripture that You look beyond the outward person and Your Spirit enters the inward heart. We pray for family members of coma patients reading our devotional today – that You would fill them with renewed hope. We are confident that Your spiritual touch surpasses any procedure or treatment that doctors or nurses can administer. Even in the midst of doing physical battle with our bodies our spirits can soar to places where the body cannot while abiding here on earth – in the very presence of Jesus. Would you minister Your healing to the broken-hearted as You bind up their spiritual and physical wounds. In the precious name of Jesus we pray, 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.) "It's Gonna Be Worth It" Video "No More Night" Video A powerful song about heaven with an intro by Joni. "I Stand Amazed In The Presence" Video Joni & Friends Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne |
 "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 8/31/09: $7,510.00)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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