A daily, Bible-based message of hope and encouragement.
 A daily, Bible-based message of hope, encouragement and exhortation. The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber. <Previous Message · Archive edition Friday, July 27, 2012  We enjoy this peaceful scene of a windmill and barn with the backdrop of a nearly cloudless blue sky  Listen to this message on your audio player."Taking A Faithful Stand" "If I perish, I perish" (Esther 4:16). Many of you know our daughter is named Ester, spelled a bit differently than the Bible reference and pronounced Astaire (or as we like to explain, "Astaire as in the dancer/actor Fred Astaire"). We were at Boston Children's Hospital six years ago where Ester had an operation for a heart pacemaker. We met a Jewish rabbi's wife who was serving as a volunteer. She inquired about Ester and when she heard us call her by name she informed us that we pronounce her name the way it would be pronounced in Hebrew, which is the language of the Old Testament. (In reality we pronounce her name like the Spanish since she came originally to us at 3 months of age from Guatemala and that is the way they pronounced it.) Esther is one of two Bible books with a woman's name, the other being Ruth. Esther lived at the time of the Persians and was providentially given a role in which she could make a significant impact. The Biblical Esther demonstrates extraordinary faith during a time of great despair and today's brief text is one of the great expressions of faith in the Bible. Esther was taking a risky stand on a matter and knew that she faced the possibility of dire consequences. We are assuming some familiarity with Esther's predicament which can be read in Esther 4. With resolution she took a faithful stand and concluded with, "If I perish, I perish." All over the world since people began to take a stand for God's truth they have been paying a price. Sometimes they "perish" in the sense of giving up their life. This happened in the Bible with people like Stephen, James and many others. It certainly has happened all through church history, including our own day, though it is under reported in the record books. In other cases "perish" may be paying a price such as the confiscation of property, imprisonment, separation from loved ones or the loss of a job. But we can be confident of ultimate deliverance. Sometimes deliverance results in more time on this earth; other times it's being ushered into the presence of Almighty God. Because of the work of Christ on our behalf we are assured that though we may perish in this life we will not face the ultimate and dreaded penalty of those who perish for all eternity. Be encouraged today and take a faithful stand no matter the outcome! Stephen & Brooksyne Weber  Daily prayer: Father, help us to keep the eternal perspective ever before us when weighing choices in this temporal life here below. It seems the gap is widening between those who accept the truths of the Bible taught since the beginning of time and those who are increasingly accepting of a secular society that trumps human wisdom over divine wisdom. But You call us to account for our allegiance and our actions. If taking a stand for You on this side of eternity causes us to perish, we are assured that on the other side we will inherit eternal life. Keep us faithful and trusting no matter what comes our way. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.Yesterday I passed a church with a changeable message sign that announced the message for the coming Sunday titled "Living In Philadelphia". I was intrigued by the title and since we live relatively near the US city in Pennsylvania I wonder if it might be a report by someone who lived there, perhaps doing mission work. But it got me thinking concerning the original Philadelphia, a city in Asia Minor and one of the seven churches in Revelation. Perhaps the pastor will draw an analogy between this city and our current living conditions. It sure does make me consider that approach with several of the cities and the similarities to our own time. Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne. |
 Stephen and Brooksyne Weber Our 36th anniversary photo (Click on photo to enlarge) "We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update (Revised 4/12)  Are our daily encouragement messages a blessing to you? Each weekday morning Brooksyne and I prepare these messages and distribute them at no cost to you and many others all over the world. We ask you to consider supporting Daily Encouragement Net so that we can continue to prepare and provide this daily resource which is accessed by believers and seekers all over the world. Daily Encouragement Net relies solely on the generosity and financial support of its readers and podcast listeners. See here for more information on supporting this ministry. Gifts are tax deductible. 2012 financial offerings to Daily Encouragement Net as of 7/26/12: $9,281.00. We express thanks to all who support our ministry!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. These messages are 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. 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 2012 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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