please add scweber@dailyencouragement.net to your address book or safe sender list. Whitelist Us Trouble reading this email? Read current message online or see archives.
| RSS feed Podcast feed  A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. Monday, September 25, 2006  "Disruptive Diotrephes" "I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us" (3 John 9). We have both a cat and a dog. We've had our cat Dottie for over 5 years now and she clearly runs the house and easily has our much larger two year old dog Roxie under her control. If Dottie chooses to lie down on Roxie's pillow so be it. Roxie will lie down beside her watching timidly until Dottie decides to get up and leave. But Dottie likes to find creative new places to lie down. If I drape my jacket over the couch she has to check it out. I suppose she's assessing whether it might be just a bit more comfortable than all the other familiar places. On Saturday afternoon Brooksyne came into our home office and there was Dottie lying right across the laptop keyboard. Perhaps the keys had a therapeutic, comforting affect on her belly as she was sleeping. (Actually I imagine if I were able to lie down on a 6½ foot keyboard it might be rather comfortable in a strange sort of way!) Beginning Saturday evening I noticed several problems with the laptop. The screen was dark and the wireless would not work. Initially I made no association with the problem and Dottie's lying on the computer so I spent several hours troubleshooting the problem to my great frustration. Finally yesterday afternoon I discovered that the problem was related to Dottie's siesta on the keyboard. She had hit several key combinations disrupting the computer! Now Dottie is just a cat and I'm sure she wasn't trying to be disruptive but that's not always the case with people, who really should know better. Diotrephes is one of those interesting Bible characters who remind us that the early church had problem people just like churches in our own day and throughout the generations. But he was a real corker! His character is summed up in the phrase "loves to be first." Apparently he never learned the childhood concept expressed in the simple acronym "JOY" (Jesus, others & you, what a wonderful way to spell joy.) There are four rather obscure Bible characters whose names begin with "D" and Diotrephes is one of them. In the passage the beloved Apostle John goes on to say, "So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church" (v. 10). The descriptive adjective for this Bible character is "Disruptive Diotrephes". Now I have dealt with some troubled people through the years and a few real troublemakers as well, but really, no one at all like this Diotrephes! I sure don't want to be like Disruptive Diotrephes! I'd rather follow the example of Dedicated Demetrius, another obscure Bible character whose story is told in 3 John as well. "Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone—and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true" (v.12). Be encouraged today, Stephen and Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Father, I desire to honor You as I develop and maintain healthy relationships with others in the body of Christ. Help me to resist the temptation to always be first as I put to death my selfish nature. I want to apply Your love and grace toward others, especially in matters where I lack understanding or where I may express myself differently than those who have authority over me. Remind me to be quick to pray and slow to criticize so that I do not disrupt the work of the Holy Spirit in my life or in the life of the church. Amen.   Everyone welcome! Although we realize this invitation will only apply to a relative few who receive our daily encouragement messages and also live locally we would like to invite you to a Praise and Worship service on October 14 at my Amish neighbor's barn. We will also have another neighbor sharing a hay ride prior to the worship service. Brooksyne will be leading the worship. More details will be forthcoming. Brooksyne's Note: A portion of a song I used to sing with children has a tremendous message for all ages and is worth memorizing. It's a great little poem to share with your children or grandchildren as well. J is for Jesus, for He has first place O is for others you meet face to face Y is for you in whatever you do Put yourself last and spell JOY! Click here to take the Daily Encouragement Net Bible Knowledge test. Here is the answer key. (After you have taken the test!) |
| ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION  Each weekday Brooksyne and I prepare these messages and distribute them at no cost to you and many others all around the world. Would you please help us continue this encouragement ministry? As an expression of appreciation for your support we are offering our new "Encouragement" screensaver, a selection of photos with accompanying Scriptures, along with our desktop collection with each offering (available either as download or CD.) See here for details.Personal Ministry Update Join: To receive this free "Daily Encouragement" e-mail devotional use our form. New subscribers receive a link to free computer desktop background photos with Scriptures! Here's the welcome letter that comes with new subscriptions. Cancel: To remove your address from this mailing list merely use the link at the very bottom. (To change addresses cancel old address and then join again using new address.) Contact us Please feel free to pass this message on!  The Weber Family Stephen, Brooksyne & Ester "We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" 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. Used by permission; and the King James Version. © Copyright 2006 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552  "Living securely today anchored in God's solid foundation" |
You are currently subscribed to dailyencouragement as: stephencweber.dailyencouragement@blogger.com To unsubscribe (be removed from this email list) click on the following link (or copy and paste it into your web browser). http://zip.netatlantic.com/u?id=33466174P&l=dailyencouragement Note: Please do not use the above link if you are reading a pass-along copy of this message, because it will delete your friend's address.
