A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. <Previous Message · Easy read/print edition Wednesday, October 17, 2007  Photo by Doris High.  Click here to listen as we read this message on your audio player."Changed Livers" "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17) David Fisher is a Canadian friend of ours who also writes messages over the internet and has for many years had a powerful ministry of encouragement through writing notes and letters. He told me about a typo he once made in a newsletter: "I wrote of the many 'livers' that have been changed through our letter-writing ministry. I didn't realize that I was into the organ transplant business!" Isn't it amazing how one letter of the alphabet can change the meaning so much. Of course he meant to spell the word, "lives."  Well that brings to mind Bruce and Cindy Jack, long-time friends from our church in northern PA. Bruce is a man of vibrant faith and high energy but his life changed several years ago when he went through two liver transplants. We just got a good report that he is doing well physically and recent medical tests have been excellent. He may be the only person we know who has in reality "changed livers." But thankfully we know many people who have experienced changed lives!Lives are changed as the power of God uses a multitude of supernatural and human means. In fact generally we all see the human cooperation with God as we consider changes in our own lives. The Apostle Paul had a testimony of direct intervention from God when he was converted on the road to Damascus. However, from the very beginning God used His people to affect change in Saul beginning with Ananias, Barnabas and many others, including the unnamed "ropeholders" mentioned in Acts 9:25. As we consider our own testimony, all of us can see the cooperative efforts of Christ's followers at work in our pre-conversion, conversion and post-conversion discipling growth. Although we recognize the actual change is a result of Christ's work, we see that God also uses many others. Now, as His followers, we are all called to cooperate in God's life-changing power in the lives of others. The daily Scripture text is one many of you have memorized. Thank God for His change in our lives and for the many others he uses to affect this change. Now we all have a call to cooperate with God in seeing His change affect others. Let us be faithful! Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Father, I thank You for the ropeholders in my faith journey; intercessors who uphold me in prayer when I am doing battle with the enemy; messengers whose words of support brighten my darkened path and helpers who come to my side when I am in need of their assistance. May I also be faithful to do my part in reaching out to others who are in need of my prayers, my encouragement, or my assistance. The real test of love was proven as John tells us in his first epistle, "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers (3:16)" This seems like an impossible test of genuine Christian love, but when I live in the light of eternity I am able to make the ultimate sacrifice if this is required of me. Even as my life has been changed I want to see those now living in darkness turn to Jesus, the Bright and Morning Star, who continues to change lives. Amen.  Doris High's photo blog David Fisher's encouragement blog Here is a testimony of one of our close friends who attends the church we pastored in New England. Yvette is an example of the way God continues to change lives. Now she is being used to reach out to others who struggle and need God's changing power in their lives.  Today's suggested music: "Change My Heart O God" (Audio) "How Great Is Our God" (Audio) |
Administration Information  Stephen and Brooksyne "We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update We share our hearts with you as we go forth in this online ministry.  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 encouragement ministry? Thanks! See here for details.Join: To receive these free "Daily Encouragement" devotionals each Monday-Friday through email see this page to subscribe. You can also subscribe to the rss feed. Cancel: To remove your address from this mailing list merely use the link placed by the mailing list software at the very bottom of each message. Weekly Version: The weekly version is designed for those who do not check their email regularly. It is merely the Friday message with a link to previous messages. To receive the free weekly version, send a blank email to this address. (To change addresses cancel your old address and then join again using your new address.) Please feel free to pass this message on! 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. Used by permission; and the King James Version.  © Copyright 2007 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved  |
