 The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber. <Previous Message · Archives · Archive edition Thursday, September 15, 2011   Listen to this message on your audio player. Note: Podcast will be unavailable for this posting due to Brooksyne being out and Stephen having a persistent cough.)"Leading A Blameless Life" "I will be careful to lead a blameless life … I will set before my eyes no vile thing" (Psalm 101:2a,3a) "I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl" (Job 31:1). "Keep yourself pure" (1 Timothy 5:22). In our chaplain service a common issue we deal with is the peril of pornography. In fact we both have had this issue come up regardless of gender, although certainly men are more prone to this temptation and sin. It's always sad since it has so many dimensions of destructiveness. Today we want to challenge our readers to moral purity. Many years ago I used a rather graphic illustration that is admittedly quite distasteful. Skip the next couple of paragraphs if these things bother you. I have used many illustrations in my ministry, some better than others, but some were quite memorable.  I was speaking to a group of men at a retreat in the mountains. It was very rustic and there was one outhouse for the 40 or so men and boys who attended the camp. Prior to speaking I had asked one of the boys to collect some appropriate looking material from the muddy creek and place it in a big styrofoam cup.In my message I held up the styrofoam cup, showed them the contents and told the men that this was from the outhouse. I asked them if any would like to try it out and drink it. Now I know that's disgusting! Not surprisingly, no one at all tried it. (Of course I explained to them afterwards it was just muddy water.) I went on to challenge them that anytime they faced a temptation to pornography and sexual immorality that they recall this illustration. For partaking of pornography and sexual immorality is spiritually far more disgusting, destructive and devastating then even drinking the vile contents from that styrofoam cup! The daily verse is a portion of a Psalm of David. He expresses his heart's desire: "I will be careful to lead a blameless life." Leading a blameless life does indeed require great and persistent care. (And Scripture candidly records David's moral failure at one point in his life). The expression "I will set before my eyes no vile thing" is a powerful commitment for all ages but especially in our own, with vile images abounding. Job states, "I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl" (Job 31:1). These two verses provide a powerful deterrent to what is normally the first step into any sexual immorality, visual lust. In fact David's greatest recorded sin began when "he saw a woman bathing" (2 Samuel 11:2). Today I encourage all to again consider God's call to purity and holiness and make a renewed commitment that, "I will be careful to lead a blameless life." Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber  Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources "Refiner's Fire" Video Brian Doerksen |
 "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 9/14/11: $9,581.00 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! Our other blogs: "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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