A daily, Bible-based message of hope and encouragement.
 The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber. <Previous Message · Archives · Archive edition Monday, December 19, 2011   Listen to this message on your audio player.Note: We were under severe time restraints today and the audio version acted up on us and thus will be unavailable at the time we send the email version out. I will try to record it again later this evening. "The Wonder Of His Great Love" "I call on you, O God, for You will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer. Show the wonder of Your great love, You who save by Your right hand those who take refuge in You from their foes" (Psalm 17:6-7). Yesterday afternoon after church we stopped by to visit our friends Joe and Beulah Snavely. Joe is a 5th generation Lancaster County farmer, who lost his dairy barn in a fire on Saturday. Joe shared that he now realized how much his identity was wrapped up in the 200 year old barn. He expressed his gratitude that no lives or livestock were lost and the property was insured (in addition to farming Joe also sells farm insurance!) He told the newspaper reporter "all my memories are in the old German bank barn where I once milked cows for 17 years… It's a piece of history," Saturday night he was surrounded by about 30 family members and neighbors who had come out in support.  Joe is standing on God's promises and plans to rebuild the barn and press on in his service for Christ. I gathered with Joe and his son near the still smoldering remains and prayed with them, just one of many prayers the family has received from caring brothers and sisters. We dedicate today's encouragement message to Joe, his wife Beulah, and their three children. May they be filled with the confidence that David had in God; the certainty of His faithfulness and seeing us through trying times: "I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer."The very heart of David's prayer request was, "Show the wonder of your great love." Now surely David knew of God's great love when he wrote this, yet he cried out to God for a greater revelation or perhaps he was really asking God to bring back the fresh "awe" and "wonder" that comes when the great love of God is first revealed to us. We also observe that it is during the hour of trial, such as the Snavely family is going through, that God's love is especially dear. All throughout the Scriptures we have an abundance of truth that discloses the love of God to us, yet we may want to make this our request today as well. The apostle John wrote much concerning this love: "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" (1 John 3:1). In whatever way you may have been hurt or experienced the meanness of this world, no matter what unexplained loss you may be undergoing this day, choose to rejoice in God's unsurpassed, eternal love and His abundant mercy. Nearly 300 years ago (in 1719) Isaac Watts wrote the classic Christmas hymn, "Joy to the World." When you sing or hear this classic Christmas Carol, take note of the glorious refrain that follows the fourth verse which magnificently expresses, "And wonders of His love, And wonders of His love, And wonders, wonders of His love." Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber  Daily Prayer: Father, we thank You for Jesus who died for us that we might be lifted from our sin and reconciled to You. Not only are we forgiven and reconciled to You, but we also are made joint heirs taking on our new identity as "children of God." What an incredible honor and selfless act of love that You would place us in Your Kingdom whose reign is for all eternity. This is the wonder of Your great love, indeed! Amen.Lancaster County Barn Fire  This is the same tractor seen in our to photo today. A valiant effort was made to save it but the fire was just too intense. Joe told me that as an insurance agent he had often been on the other end in losses like this but this sure gave him a new perspective on loss.  Here's an older arial photo of the Snavely farm (date unknown). The barn that burned down Saturday is in the center of the photo.   This fall I shared this photo of Joe and Tyler with a load of pumpkins. Here's an article about the barn fire in our local paper.Here's another neat photo of a happy farmer. Last week I shared a photo of Brooksyne playing the piano at a Costco store and quipped regarding a little known extended Weber family fact, that my cousin Joy is a concert pianist and played at a Neiman Marcus store in the Kansas City area. An alert reader (my older brother Mike) informed me that this would have been a Nordstrom store. Sorry for the confusion; we don't have these stores in Mount Joy or in Lancaster County for that matter. However it does prompt a memory: Years ago we had an exhibit for our daily encouragement ministry at a three day ministry conference in Boston. It was at the Hynes Convention Center in the Back Bay area (a rather affluent section of the city). We had a hotel and were planning to stay for several days when I discovered I had failed to pack underclothing, so Brooksyne set out to go shopping at the stores near the Center that had places like Neiman Marcus and Nordstom and found the only available underclothing was priced 3 or 4 times what we were accustomed to paying. We still chuckle about the "pricey underwear" when we see these exclusive department stores. Forty years ago I committed my life to Christ at a rally in Kansas City Missouri. The evangelist was Lowell Lundstrom, who is still living and faithfully serving the Lord. This last week his wife passed away and a thoughtful reader notified me and also sent me a link to Lowell Lundstrom's testimony. Video (10:55 minutes) Website Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources "Joy To The World" Video Traditional version "Joy To The World" Video Third Day The words are by English hymn writer Isaac Watts, based on Psalm 98 in the Bible. However it would seem to me the final stanza also alludes to the daily text. The song was first published in 1719 in Watts' collection; "The Psalms of David: Imitated in the language of the New Testament, and applied to the Christian state and worship." (How's that for a title!) Watts wrote the words of "Joy to the World" as a hymn glorifying Christ's triumphant return at the end of the age, rather than a Christmas song celebrating his first coming as a babe born in a stable though we almost exclusively associate it as a Christmas hymn. Resources for Christmas Celebrations (We will leave these resources posted below our daily messages through Christmas) Each year we share several online resources that we have used over the years and that may be a blessing to families and churches during this Christmas season. "In Remembrance of Me" pdf This is a passion-filled Scripture reading for two adults. Brooksyne and I have used this reading with great receptivity during Christmas Eve services many years. We suggest, if possible, a musical background as the message is read. It is also a great lead-in to a Communion service. It should be thoroughly practiced and read with great feeling. "When Christ Was Born" pdf This is an adaptation to the tune of "How Great Thou Art". It's a great song to sing as a congregation since most are familiar with and love the tune. Responsive Christmas Scripture readings for church or family: John 1:1-18 pdf "O Come Let Us Adore Him" pdf My First Christmas In Heaven This is a blessed reminder for all who lost a loved one this year. This is the poem that Brooksyne read and wrote about in this message. Christmas Knowledge Test We have also posted two Christmas carol quizzes here (scroll down). Are you Christmas shopping online?  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 considering using these links when purchasing online through CBD! Tip: If you are regular CBD customer consider bookmarking this link and using it whenever you shop. This Christmas many of our readers will be shopping for gifts that have spiritual and lasting value as well as a means of witness and encouraging others.Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne. |
 Our photo taken at the Bridge of Flowers in Sherburne Falls, MA Fall 2011 "We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update (Revised 12/11)  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 teaching 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 12/18/11: $15,121.00 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!) (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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