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 The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber. <Previous Message · Archives · Archive edition Wednesday, July 13, 2011  This silo along Route 322 in Lebanon County, PA has an interesting Scripture witness! Click here for larger version of Scripture text.  Listen to this message on your audio player."Spiritual Myopia" "All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them" (Hebrews 11:13-16). "For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come" (Hebrews 13:14). I began to wear glasses when I was about twelve years old. I was near-sighted, meaning that I could see OK up close but distant views were blurry. I resisted wearing them at first but soon realized I really did see better with them. Near-sightedness is also called myopia. In my forties I started needing bifocals, since I now need correction both for close-up and distance. Let me illustrate today's message with a wonderful Creator-designed capability we all have and probably have never even considered. I am sitting at my desk in my home office with a clear view of my computer screen and close-up items on the desk. My eyes are automatically focused to this view. I can raise my head and look out to a distant farm field view. Automatically, without any conscience effort on my part, my eyes refocus when I move from the close-up to the distant view. What if we were created with an adjustable knob on the side of our head that had to be turned each time we wanted to refocus, much like looking through a set of binoculars! I concur with David's thoughts he penned three thousand years ago, "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well" (Psalm 139:14). I can purposefully not refocus when I move from a close-up view to a distant one but it's really hard. Look out to a distant view and stare at your hand and see how blurry and out of focus the distance is at the periphery. Try to move your hand and keep your eyes focused the same as the close-up, although you are looking at a distance. For me it's next to impossible. My eyes just automatically refocus! Today I want to consider a condition that many of us have which I'll call "spiritual myopia". We may have a focus on the close up view but have trouble seeing and focusing on the bigger picture spiritually; that which is at a distance. It seems that spiritually speaking having a distant "faith" focus does not come automatically. I have to very purposefully focus on that by faith. Hebrews 11 is known as the Faith Chapter and is a great commendation of men and women who lived by faith. "This is what the ancients were commended for" (v.2). Hebrews 11: 13-16 is an incredible interjection by the divinely inspired author of Hebrews. Prior to this Scripture passage and afterward Abraham is the focus, but this section broadens the scope using the phrase, "all these people", which may mean those who were with Abraham, or it may be referring to all the people of faith mentioned in this chapter. Either way you consider it, this powerful portion is certainly true of all people of faith. But the part that grips my heart is the phrase concerning the "things promised" they had not received at the time they died. "They only saw them and welcomed them from a distance." They did not have spiritual myopia. In overcoming our tendency to being diagnosed with spiritual myopia: 1) We must have divine correction. 2) We must train our eyes for distant focus. 3) We must train our will to focus on the distant future. 4) We must place our affections on that which is yet to come. I struggle with spiritual myopia when I am not focusing on God's promises that are yet to be fulfilled. I am not seeing them and welcoming them from a distance. In fact the spiritual distance may become invisible since my focus is fixed upon that which I see without effort. Like the people who long ago lived by faith I need to regularly confess, "I am an alien and stranger on earth." Like them I want to be "longing for a better country—a heavenly one." May the Lord give each of us a distant heavenward focus! "For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come." Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber  Daily prayer: Father, so much of what I need to do today and in the near future consumes my time and energy. The commitments and problems I face can easily crowd out the solemn moments that helps redirect my attention and focus upon the future You have planned for me. My soul is refreshed and my hope renewed when I consider that all of heaven with its splendor, majesty, absence of sin, and the presence of Jesus is mine to receive. You prepared it all and promised it as an inheritance for all who live by faith. Though my eyes cannot presently see, my heart believe by faith all that You have in store for those who are looking for the city which is yet to come, our eternal dwelling place. Amen.Personal note: Yesterday Stephen had a troublesome tooth extracted and has found blessed relief!  Yesterday our journey took us through Lebanon County, a rural area directly north of us. Wheat harvest is complete and we passed many of these large stacks of straw bales on Mount Pleasant Road. They will be used for animal bedding and perhaps landscaping.  We passed this scene on Echo Valley Road here in Lancaster County. I like red barns and I like buggies. I especially like the open swinging door to the loft!  Across from the red barn these team horses congregated waiting for their next field assignment. Not sure why, but it looks like the middle horse has a hat on its head. Didn't notice it when I took the shot! Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources "Be Thou My Vision" Video Robin Mark A newer rendition of a great old hymn! "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" Video Michael W. Smith I enjoy the violin intro to this version as well as the congregational expression Additional resource: A subscriber, after reading yesterday's message, sent this interesting photo gallery titled, "What The World Eats" A very interesting perspective! Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne. |
 "We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update (Revised 12/31/10)  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. 2011 financial offerings to Daily Encouragement Net as of 7/12/11: $6,745.00 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 by us 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 Friday's message with a link to previous messages. To receive the free weekly version, send a blank email to this address. Daily Encouragement on Facebook and Twitter:  The daily message and prayer on Facebook. The daily message and prayer on Twitter.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 2011 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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