Daily Encouragement Net - A daily, Bible-based message of hope and encouragement.
 The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. <Previous Message · Archives · Archive edition Friday, July 9, 2010  Lancaster County Covered Bridge Click here for a larger desktop version of this photo along with a Scripture verse.  Listen to this message on your audio player."Spiritual Opt-in" "Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12). Apparently some new law has passed dealing with overdraft protection. I received a letter from my bank informing me that if I choose to do so I can "opt-in" to have this protection placed on my bank account.  For many years the term opt-in has been used in email publishing. "Opt-in" describes a process where you choose whether you want to receive email and then initiate the subscription by "opting-in". That is the way this daily email perspective works. (The highest standard is actually double or confirmed opt-in, which requires that after opting in you confirm that you really want to, which we use on our email list.) By contrast "opt-out" describes a method of where you receive email (often completely unsolicited) unless you "opt-out". This is the method preferred by spammers and in some cases by sincere people who want to rapidly build up an email list.* In regard to spam I understand in many cases by opting out you are merely verifying that you have an active address and to expect more of the same! The term "opt-out" is also applied to privacy statements in which banks and other institutions will sell personal information about you they have gleaned unless you tell them otherwise. "OK", you may be thinking, "what does all this have to do with spiritual things?" Actually there is a vitally important principle here. God's Kingdom is opt-in (although the word trivializes the seriousness of this decision). But many live as if the Kingdom is opt-out. In their minds everyone is a part of God's family and goes to heaven and only the most wicked and those who purposefully reject God will not make it. The daily verse is one of many that teach the truth of spiritual opt-in. The great apostle John is writing late in his life and reflecting on the ministry of Christ in the prologue to his gospel. He writes of Christ as the "true light" that came into the world He had made. Yet He was not recognized and His very own did not receive Him. "Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12). The word "all" indicates the marvelous extent of this offer. Regardless of one's religious, ethnic or racial background the offer stands. Our part is to receive, to believe in His name. We subscribe to His Lordship. Most certainly this itself is an act of grace. As a great line in an old hymn states, "I know not how God's wondrous grace to me He hath made known, nor why, unworthy, Christ in love redeemed me for His own." But I do know my call is to receive Him, to believe in His name and today I again do so, reaffirming a decision I made nearly forty years ago as a teenager in 1971 in the old Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. Most of you reading this today have also received Christ and I welcome you to join me in reaffirmation. However some of you haven't. Perhaps you've been under the mistaken notion that you're automatically in. You may be relying on your religious heritage or good works. I urge you to trust in Christ today! Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Jesus! I do now receive You, more than all in You I find. You have granted me forgiveness, I am Yours, and You are mine. (Adapted from hymn "Jesus What A friend Of Sinners") Spiritually opting-in: Have You Heard of the Four Spiritual Laws? Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne. |
  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.2010 YTD financial offerings as of 7/8/10 $7,678.00 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 through feedburner.Cancel: We respect and value your time and privacy. If you no longer desire to receive these messages you can remove your address from the list by merely using 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 or who may desire less frequent mailings. 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. Reader Survey: Please take a few minutes to assist us in improving our ministry effectiveness by filling out this online reader survey. To take the survey click here. 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. All of these songs are also available for download on the site.  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 2010 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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