A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. Previous Message · Easy read/print edition Monday, February 19, 2007  Bunny and Peg O'Hare  Click here to listen to us read this message on your audio player."Four Dimensional Love" "To grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ" (Ephesians 3:18). Dennis (Bunny) and Peggy O’Hare are good friends we met a number of years ago when we lived in New England. After Peg came to the Lord she prayed for her husband’s salvation year after year. In answer to her persistent prayers Bunny turned to the Lord after living a life of sin for many years. He now serves as a chaplain to the trucking industry. He and Peg are a dynamic ministry couple that exudes the love of Christ and energizes any setting they are in. It is not uncommon for Bunny to ask anyone he greets, “Has anyone told you today that Jesus loves you?” He tells a story of sharing this phrase regularly with a hardened ex-con waitress he and Peg met in a restaurant he frequented. Over a period of time he saw her heart soften and finally become receptive to the message of salvation. Bunny is joyful, bold, and unashamedly shares his faith with others. His earnestness is visible to both believers and nonbelievers and he serves as an example to those who desire to win others to Christ. He spent many years in vanity and pride but now wholeheartedly serves our crucified Lord. In Ephesians 3:16-21 (quoted entirely in the footnote) the Apostle Paul offers a written prayer for the Ephesian believers and, as part of the Scriptures, is intended for each one of us. It's not your typical prayer asking for a blanket blessing, but a rich exaltation of the character of God and a plea that we might really grasp this truth. Just one phrase from the prayer is chosen as our daily Scripture portion.  Paul prays that we might "grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ." Any attempt to comprehend these four dimensions can be very frustrating! In fact any attempt to describe the infinite God or any of His eternal attributes is ultimately inadequate. Any illustration is bound to understate the majesty of God, but can still be inspiring and helpful as long as we understand this. For several years this tremendous photo has been available and is a reminder of the awesomeness of God.I challenge each of you to walk by faith, and I want to be one who reminds you today that Jesus loves you. He loves each one of us. He loves us all today and everyday with an everlasting, redemptive love. He's always in the process of working things out for our good even though the "thing" we now see and experience may seem so undesirable and even unfair. Christ always "plans to prosper and not to harm you, He plans to give you hope and a future." Today may you indeed seek to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ for you. And whatever you feel you might be grasping spiritually, remember, you are only at the tip of the iceberg! Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily Prayer: Father, Your love reaches beyond the heavens and surpasses earthly dimensions. Your love surrounds us as You envelope us in Your fullness. Thank You, Father, that as we are rooted and established in Your love, we are empowered by Your Holy Spirit to soar on wings like eagles as we are renewed day by day. Your love flows through us so that others can see human lives impacted by Your love. To know the fullness of Your love is to know a love that has no boundaries or limitations. You do exceedingly more than we could ever ask or imagine. Give us grace to trust You even more. Amen. Brooksyne's Note: What a full weekend of enjoying fellowship with God's people. We met so many friendly and dedicated truck driver chaplains, many of them couples at the Transport for Christ Retreat. Also attending were truck drivers and their wives who enthusiastically share their faith as they travel from coast to coast making a living. We concluded our busy weekend on Sunday evening with the folks we've fellowshipped with over the past six months in our interim pastoral role. Partings are a regular part of this life, but never easy, and saying "good-bye" brings about emotions that make me realize how deeply I bonded with these dear people. I look forward to the day when farewells will no longer be a part of our lives, but until then we entrust those we love to God's eternal care.  Cerwin and Doris High are representative of the many dedicated servants for Christ we met this last weekend. Cerwin, now retired, devotes his time to building and upgrading TFC mobile chapels. Doris devotes her energies and expertise to communications. She has her own blog with excellent photography. Here's the entire text of the apostle Paul's prayer for the Ephesians and for us: "I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen" (Ephesians 3:16-21). We are very late getting this message out today. I've had some of those "pull out your hair" type computer problems and then we were delighted when our former pastor, Jim Gambini, stopped by to visit.  Pastor Jim and Ester, friends for life. Music - We searched for several songs related to our message today and this site really blessed us.This has a beautiful version of "O, The Deep, Deep Love Of Jesus" |
Administration Information  The Weber Family Stephen, Brooksyne & Ester "Our family wants to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" (Click on photo to enlarge)  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 consider a financial offering to support us in this encouragement ministry? See here for details. Brooksyne and I thank God for another year of service for Him through our internet ministry and welcome readers to view our 2006 ministry report. Join: To receive this free "Daily Encouragement" devotional through email use our form. Cancel: To remove your address from this mailing list merely use the link at the very bottom. (To change addresses cancel your old address and then join again using your new address.) Please feel free to pass this message on! 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 2007 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved  |
