A daily, Bible-based message of hope and encouragement.
 The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber. <Previous Message · Archives · Archive edition Wednesday, September 28, 2011  Doesn't this bench look like a great place to sit, enjoy a cup of coffee, and fellowship with a friend on a crisp fall day! "Whom I Serve" "Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, 'As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word'" (1 Kings 17:1).  Brooksyne has taught children since she committed her life to Christ in Junior High School. That's now a whopping 40 years and she's stored up many funny memories from the impromptu expressions of children.Once she was teaching on Elijah and, in describing Elijah, she told the children that he was a "bold man." Making sure that she was not talking over their heads, she asked her preschoolers what the word "bold" meant. Mandy quickly raised her hand and with much confidence answered, "He didn't have no hair." (Interestingly, Elisha, who followed Elijah, was indeed a bald man!) Elijah is certainly among the greatest characters of the Bible. We have no background information on him except for the information found in the daily text, "the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead", which is how he is introduced into the Biblical narrative. He served God during the notoriously wicked reign of Ahab and Jezebel. He is distinct in the manner of his exit from this world and for later standing with Jesus and Moses at the Mount of Transfiguration.  He is introduced in the Biblical record by boldly approaching the wicked, polytheistic king with an eternally true declaration: "As the Lord, the God of Israel lives." Today, some 2,850 years later we who follow Christ likewise proclaim, "The Lord lives". And He is alive forevermore!But it's the next phrase in the Scripture text that especially grips my heart as I prepare this encouragement; only three simple, monosyllabic words, "whom I serve." What a bold stand to take before the wicked and powerful king who made it very clear how he felt about the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. In our day we, as believers, often let fear drive us as we attempt to witness. We keep the message subtle so there is no fallout if the recipient rejects our witness. But Elijah took a bold, unambiguous stand for the living God. Prosperity, along with spiritual apostasy (falling away from the faith), characterized the reign of Ahab. This story is an interesting parallel to world conditions today, isn't it? Certainly I know that many in the world live in severe poverty and that here in America, as well as many other countries, we face economic uncertainty but I still assert, for the most part, we live in prosperous conditions.* Ahab, though a descendant of Abraham, didn't want to hear from this prophet and set out to kill him as a result of this prophecy of drought. And there are plenty today who don't want to hear anything from those who represent the living God. Today we need men and women, teenagers and children, all around the world, who like Elijah will unashamedly declare their faith in the living God. May we personally proclaim, "The Lord lives, whom I serve" and boldly confront our apostate culture. How can we go about doing that today? Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber  Note: We are traveling to New England this morning and will continue to post daily encouragement messages but not necessarily each weekday. * As our standard of living has risen so has our expectations and sense of entitlement to the "good life". When we do not receive what we feel we are entitled to, we may feel less than prosperous. This is a deception. Most all of us have indoor plumbing, electricity, a roof over our head and many other material blessings that others do not have. Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources "I Will Serve You" Video Instrumental version "The Longer I Serve Him" Video The Cathedrals "Lord, I Offer My Life To You" Video Don Moen "Today, I Choose To Follow You" 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 9/27/11: $9,631.00 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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