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 Tuesday, August 21, 2012  Seen in the Church Foyer  Listen to this message on your audio player."Tychicus" "Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord" (Colossians 4:7).  No one would be impressed by my camera, an old point and shoot with scotch tape holding the battery cover on. I am an old fashioned type and the new cameras of this type lack the viewfinder, which I am accustomed to using. I can take photos with my phone and do so occasionally but have a hard time getting used to turning a phone into a camera!I almost always have my camera with me ready to snap a photo that might be used on daily encouragement. I walked into church Sunday morning and saw a simple sight which wouldn't necessarily be photogenic. Yet the sight warmed my heart. Several boxes of fresh corn with a simple sign "Help Yourself" brought in by a local farmer. It got me thinking of a series of photos of the actions of ordinary people who follow Christ. Let us consider Tychicus today. You've read his name, which is found only five times, as you read through the New Testament, but I really doubt if most have paid much attention. It can be determined from these few references that he had a chronologically long and geographically varied ministry. Tychicus and Paul had worked together a long time. We first find him referenced in Acts 20:4 when he was traveling with Paul on a missionary journey. We have no record of his background or time of conversion, although he was from the province of Asia. One resource indicated that tradition teaches he died a martyr. Tychicus is one of the many ministry associates that Paul worked with. Paul wrote "He is a dear (literally "beloved") brother, faithful minister and fellow servant". These are impressive credentials coming from Paul, who is always sending him out as a faithful messenger (see Ephesians 6:21, 2 Timothy 4:12, Titus 3:12). In the daily passage and in Ephesians 6:21 we note that the express purpose was to take information about Paul's condition and to encourage the recipients of the letters. I suppose you could say Tychicus was a pretty ordinary person, but I would add that since he did his work heartily as to the Lord, God made him of extraordinary use to the kingdom. A good messenger delivers the message without distorting it. He has no personal agenda that might cloud the message. He doesn't get delayed by his own personal interests, nor does he get into petty distraction or engage in gossip. Would your credentials hold for this duty?   Yesterday Brooksyne and Ester attended the funeral of Virginia Miller, who at 93 years of age received her glorious promotion. For many years we have visited with Ginnie in the course of our chaplain service at a local personal care center. She had a delightful positive outlook even though she endured much suffering. At the service her pastor spoke of still seeing in his mind's eye the years Ginnie drove up during the week in her blue car. She'd pick up the church bulletins, take them home and return them folded for Sunday's Worship Service!Are you weary in your walk today? Or do you sometimes think, "What's the use? What can I do with what little I have to offer?" Listen, watch, and pray. God will show you or He might just speak to you through another Christian leader about a duty that you are able to meet. Be faithful in whatever God lays on your heart, just as Tychicus was. In Paul's final letter we find his name in a brief but telling verse. Others had abandoned him, but Paul writes "I sent Tychicus to Ephesus" (2 Timothy 4:12). Tychicus had his bag ready. Faithful! That's the kind of people Christ's Kingdom needs today. Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber  Daily prayer: Father God, we thank You for our brothers and sisters who, because of Your redemptive love, share together in the work of furthering the kingdom of God. Thank you for those who see a need and are quick to respond. We also know of those who see the need but feel inadequate for the task. Would You empower and embolden them to take a step of faith by moving in the direction You're leading to the point of commitment. We're mindful of Tychicus' example of faithfulness in his duties and his loving spirit toward Paul and his fellow servants. We also want to be faithful in our thoughts, our conversation, and our duties this day. We pray to You through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.Note: Paul sent Tychicus from his prison, writing from a damp cell with his own earthly future very uncertain. Yet he is considering the needs of others before his own. Mount Gretna PA Yesterday we shared some photos from the Mount Gretna Outdoor Art Show. Today we share some photos of the village. Mount Gretna is a small village about 15 miles from our home that reminds us of the mountains of northern Pennsylvania where we lived for nearly 16 years. It had been a summer camp but now many of the residents live there year round. It lies in a mountainous area at the very southern tip of Lebanon County. See here for map.  Most homes have colorful wraparound porches with string lighting.  Hard to see this photo but I like the effect. It's from the inside of the still used tabernacle showing the many homes that surround it. A choral concert was planned for the evening.  A favorite place on the grounds is the Jigger Shop for ice cream treats!  I like the green ivy climbing up many of the trees.  Many took photographs of this "green" cottage/home. If you look carefully you might just see a few of the bubbles in the right top middle of the porch that were blowing in the air. They must have had a bubble machine since there were bubbles all afternoon!  The front porch railing on this home is made of tree limbs.  Here's one more photo from the art show! What an ornery little monkey this fella was, but isn't that what we like about monkeys (as long as someone else is taking care of him.) This little guy brings a lot of money to his owner as he gives out wet kisses to those who hand him a dollar bill. Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resource 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 8/20/12: $10,556.00. 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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