Daily Encouragement (05/30/08) "Praise the Lord!"

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A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. Home   ·   About Us   ·   ·  Podcast  ·  Free email See here for more info. <Previous Message  ·  Archives  ·   Archive/print edition Friday, May 30, 2008 Black locust blooms (Photo by Nancy Martin) Listen to us share this message on your audio player. "Praise the Lord!" "After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise Him for the splendor of His holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: 'Give thanks to the LORD, for His love endures forever'" (2 Chronicles 20:21). When you are in trouble and face a desperate situation what do you do? Do you worry and fret?  I readily confess that this is my built-in emotional default in response to troubles!  But when I go to the Faithful One who promises that "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" I suddenly remember that there is no obstacle too great or complex for me to overcome through His power. A fresh example of this came via email two days ago from a faithful reader and personal friend.  It blessed us and I believe David's message will touch your heart as well. We share the following story with his permission: My heart and prayers go out to you both as Brooksyne recovers. I thought that I might share a story. Seventeen months ago my wife Kelly was in a catastrophic car accident that crushed her hip and broke her pelvis in seven places. Kelly was in the hospital for three weeks. From the very first moments after I got word of the accident I felt devastated. Kelly and I have always been close and the thought of losing her seemed to be overwhelming. And yet as I look back I was remarkably calm - I had to be because at no point in our relationship had Kelly needed me more. As the days ground on into weeks and months I was called to serve Kelly as never before - giving her constant and intimate care. God used this time to deepen my love for her (I can't write this without my eyes welling with tears). As a result of this accident our relationship to each other and to God has deepened and we have experienced blessing as never before. Kelly recovered amazingly quickly defying the odds and the doctor's projections. She still has some lingering after-effects and occasionally walks with a slight limp - yet she states that she would gladly go through the pain and difficulty of the recovery all over again to experience the blessings that God has given us. Indeed God can and does use all things for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purposes. The obstacles and major challenges we face in life give us opportunity to trust God and not ourselves when we must go forward and conquer the problem at hand. The context of our Scripture text reveals a desperate situation faced by the people of God under King Jehoshaphat.  They stood opposite a vast army and, militarily, the situation seemed utterly hopeless. Jehoshaphat's response, prayer, and preparations are a great Biblical lesson for all of us when we face difficult situations.  Perhaps his strangest move militarily was to appoint singers to go before the army!  I would imagine to secular war planners this would be considered an insane military move (along with the conquest plans for conquering Jericho and the use of a sling for the mighty giant Goliath).  Earlier in the account, in a word from the prophet Jahaziel, God had declared, "You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you" (20:17). The singers were to proclaim, "Give thanks to the LORD, for His love endures forever." This strategy worked in a most unexpected way.  The very next verse states, "As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes…" (22). God in a marvelous, unexpected way affected deliverance. And that's how He works on our behalf as well. Consider the battles you are facing in life.  There's a great principle in today's text.  When we praise the Lord as an act of faith and obedience, we get our eyes off the situation and onto God.  We have an oft repeated promise in the Scriptures to claim, "The LORD will be with you." And indeed He will. The song, "Praise the Lord" sung by The Imperials was popular in the early 80's. Its theme compliments our message today and we have a link to a video version below.  May it bless and encourage you today. Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Father, when we face struggles with a confident heart instead of a cringing fear we give testimony to Your active power in our lives. There is nothing that we cannot overcome by Your grace as You work out the details and the timing.  A whining spirit only leads to self-pity while a thankful spirit visualizes a hopeful outlook. Our confidence grows as we look beyond the current crisis to You, our Great Deliverer, who has done so many wondrous works that the whole world is not big enough to contain the books that would describe Your miraculous, delivering power.  Amen. Brooksyne's note:  While reading this message for the podcast, suddenly I visualized a modern rendering of the Scripture verse. It would be similar to an army general preparing his men for battle. After months and years of strategic training to defeat the enemy they now stand opposite the fierce enemy.  Just before they plunge forward with all their latest powerful weaponry and skilled technique they're ordered  to sing out, "This Little Light of Mine, I'm Gonna Let It Shine." Can you imagine the disbelief and shock the soldiers would experience at such an order.  They'd certainly think their commanding officer had lost his mind since he was confusing the battle field with a Sunday School classroom.  Surely the soldiers in Jehoshapat's unit felt similarly, but nonetheless, they obediently followed the singers as they praised the Lord in a song of thanksgiving to God.  And, of course, the will of God prevailed and the Israelites conquered their enemy. Yesterday I heard this riddle: Methuselah was the oldest living man recorded in the Bible yet he died before his father.  How could this be?  Can anyone tell us?  The answer will be in Monday's message! The mountain laurel is Pennsylvania's state flower and covers the mountainsides acre after acre.  Generally you see them from a distance while driving along which gives you a stunning view. But up close they have a very beautiful flower, both in the prebloom and blooming stages. I took this photo today from the plant in our back yard. Today's Suggested Music  and Supplemental Resources "Praise The Lord"  Video  This is the song we referred to in the last paragraph of today's message and here is the classic Imperial version from that time set to photos. "Blessed Be Your Name"  Audio  This song also goes very well with today's message! "When The Tears Fall"  Video  This song has a wonderful message of faith and assurance. "Psalm 34"  Audio  Written and sung by Andrew Hostetler, a young musician from a church we spoke at several months ago. Several wonderful hymns of praise: "Praise To The Lord, The Almighty"  Audio   Audio version2 "Praise My Soul The King Of Heaven"  Audio  "Praise The Mighty Name Of Jesus"  Audio Today's photo: Galen and Nancy Martin have been our friends since we moved to Lancaster County over seven years ago. In fact they invited us for a meal in their 18th century farmhouse the very first Sunday we attended church here.  Next week their third son, Darrel, is getting married. Info about multi-media files used on daily encouragement. Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne.

Administration Information Stephen and Brooksyne Weber "We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update Revised 04/15/08 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? Donations are tax deductible and will be receipted directly by my chaplaincy endorsing ministry. Thanks!  See here for details. (2008 YTD financial offerings through 5/28/2008 $9,037.00) 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 automatically 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 Reader Survey We want to thank all of you who have taken a few minutes to fill in our online survey. Here's a brief summary of the results including some comments and tips regarding technical problems several mentioned having.  If you haven't taken the survey yet and would like to do so click here.  I will continue to monitor the results. Our other blogs: "A Daily Prayer" - The daily prayer from each daily encouragement message. "A Little Foolishness" - A collection of humorous and satirical stories drawn mostly from our years of ministry, as well as my sometimes fertile imagination. "Clear Minded" - Longer, periodic articles on specific issues impacting the church. 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 2008 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved Daily Encouragement Net Stephen & Brooksyne Weber 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 Contact us "Living securely today anchored in God's solid foundation" www.dailyencouragement.net

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Daily Encouragement (05/29/08) "Springs Of Living Water"

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A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. Home   ·   About Us   ·   ·  Podcast  ·  Free email See here for more info. <Previous Message  ·  Archives  ·   Archive/print edition Thursday, May 29, 2008 Our backyard fish pond Listen to us share this message on your audio player. "Springs Of Living Water" "For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their Shepherd; He will lead them to springs of living water" (Revelation 7:17). We have a small fish pond in a flower garden setting behind our house. We've photographed many of our visitors with the colorful flowers and pond in the background.  The previous owner had put it in and at the present time we have two small goldfish that seem to enjoy living at our place. One of the challenges in maintaining a small fish pond is keeping the water clear.  The algae are persistent and, if you don't stay with it, it soon turns the pond into a thick soupy green which is not at all appealing.  I pump the water through a filter and ultraviolet light. Several days ago I changed the configuration in order to get more water movement and now the filtered water discharges back into the pond at a rather forceful rate. So far this has improved the clarity and the fish seem to like it, being drawn to the specific churning spot where the water pours into the pond directly from the filter. It was then that Brooksyne and I observed a neat sight. We saw the small 4 inch goldfish jump out of the pond straight up into the stream of water nearly a foot from the pond surface!  Initially the stream was discharged close to the side of the pond and I was afraid the fish would jump all the way out so I moved the stream out further into the pond. The little fish just seem to exhilarate in the churning water as the stream enters. I suppose they like the movement or perhaps the oxygenation.  I wish I could capture the scene in a photo but, of course, they're just too quick and I don’t have the patience that good photographers need for such a shot. As we watched the fish an old hymn came to mind that I rarely hear anymore called "Springs of Living Water."  In fact as I hear the words of the song play in my mind I think of Pastor Howard and the little church I went to as a young Christian back in Independence, Missouri. The daily Scripture verse gives us a glimpse of heaven.  The Lamb (Jesus Christ) is at the center of the throne. This part of the verse really blesses me in my study. I don't recall noticing it before.  The Lamb who died for our sins on the center cross is now at the center of the throne! He is the Eternal Shepherd.  The first reference to God being our Shepherd is in Genesis where Jacob blesses his son, Joseph, with this testimony: "May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my Shepherd all my life to this day…" (48:15).   It's a consistent theme through Scripture ending with the daily verse. He leads to springs of living water.  Although this is a scene in heaven the living water is available right now to all who believe.  Jesus taught, "Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him" (John 7:38). Even as our goldfish seem to enjoy the living water from the stream flowing into our garden pond, so we will be refreshed and reinvigorated as we stay focused on the One at the center of the throne. Let us remain in the stream of God's living water and keep the Eternal Shepherd at the center of our attention! Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Father, I confess that there are times when my spirit becomes stagnant after I veer off course and am pulled into the murky waters.  Draw me to the cleansing fountain of Your saving blood which flows from the cross of Calvary. It is there that springs of living water quench my thirst and invigorate my spirit so that I am refreshed in the Holy Spirit and renewed in my resolve to follow You all the days of my life. Last night we had a long time friend stop by for a visit that lasted past midnight.  Rick Masciantonio, along with his wife Elizabeth and their three children, were a part of our church in New England. He taught Sunday School and periodically preached and has been in a prison ministry for 14 years, rarely missing his weekly Bible Study with the prisoners during that entire time!  He is a very diligent teacher and has been going verse by verse through Romans and is now into chapter 9.  He reminded me of how he got involved in prison ministry through, Floyd Miles, a mutual friend, who worked in the chaplain's office at the time. Floyd is now pastoring in Indianapolis and I will have the opportunity to preach in his church this August. Rick is now an associate pastor in his church and is down this way for a Banner Of Truth minister's conference at Messiah College. Several of Rick's sermons are posted on Sermon Audio and here is a streaming version of one of his messages titled, "Come Boldly To The Throne Of Grace" (Audio) Rick is a powerful Bible expositor and his messages aren't for the faint of heart! Today's Suggested Music  and Supplemental Resources "Drinking At The Springs Of Living Water"  Text with midi  This is the hymn referred to in the message. "Before The Throne"  Audio "Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing"  Audio Info about multi-media files used on daily encouragement. Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne.

Administration Information Stephen and Brooksyne Weber "We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update Revised 04/15/08 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? Donations are tax deductible and will be receipted directly by my chaplaincy endorsing ministry. Thanks!  See here for details. (2008 YTD financial offerings through 5/28/2008 $9,037.00) 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 automatically 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 Reader Survey We want to thank all of you who have taken a few minutes to fill in our online survey. Here's a brief summary of the results including some comments and tips regarding technical problems several mentioned having.  If you haven't taken the survey yet and would like to do so click here.  I will continue to monitor the results. Our other blogs: "A Daily Prayer" - The daily prayer from each daily encouragement message. "A Little Foolishness" - A collection of humorous and satirical stories drawn mostly from our years of ministry, as well as my sometimes fertile imagination. "Clear Minded" - Longer, periodic articles on specific issues impacting the church. 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 2008 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved Daily Encouragement Net Stephen & Brooksyne Weber 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 Contact us "Living securely today anchored in God's solid foundation" www.dailyencouragement.net

Daily Encouragement is issued Monday-Friday  To make sure you continue to receive these e-mails in your Inbox (so they're not sent to a junk folder), please add scweber@dailyencouragement.net to your address book or safe sender list. You are receiving these recurring messages as a subscriber to Daily Encouragement Net because you signed up on our website or otherwise requested it.

You are currently subscribed to dailyencouragement as: stephencweber.dailyencouragement@blogger.com To unsubscribe click here or send a blank email to leave-10799232-33466174.1622b408c8791f1e7a13a83184c31c7d@zip.netatlantic.com

"Living By Faith"

A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. Home · About Us · · Podcast · Free email See here for more info. <Previous Message · Archives · Archive/print edition Wednesday, May 28, 2008 This stunning red maple is at the end of our country road. Listen to us share this message on your audio player. "Living By Faith" "But the righteous will live by his faith" (Habakkuk 2:4). Have you found yourself earnestly seeking God about a weighty matter over an extended period of time and yet it seems that He is silent. I recall a line from a song that Brooksyne used to sing that honestly expresses, "sometimes we wonder why." Whether it be on our own personal level or concerning the state of the world we certainly do have questions, some of thosel unanswered till the other side. Our daily verse is from the prophet Habakkuk, who served God by providing comfort and hope during one of the darkest periods of Judah's history; a time during which she suffered the deserved punishment for her sins. Judah had just experienced the exhilaration of the glorious days of King Josiah, marked by freedom, prosperity, and a great religious revival. The Assyrians, once the scourge of the Middle East, were phasing out as a world power. In their place, however, stood the Babylonians, (whom Habakkuk calls the Chaldeans, named for the region from which their rulers came.) The Babylonian armies were led by the ambitious Nebuchadnezzar, who would soon succeed his father as king. Habakkuk asked God questions and God eventually answered. He revealed that He was at work sending the Chaldeans as the instrument of His judgment (1:5-11). The prophet shrank from such an idea and posed another question which essentially asks: "Lord, how can you use someone more sinful than we are to punish us?" (1:12-17). When the answer was not forthcoming immediately, he took his stand in the watchtower to wait for it. It was worth the wait: "See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright-- but the righteous will live by his faith" (Habakkuk 2:4). God contrasts the proud and ungodly whose lives are not upright with the righteous who in the end will emerge victorious. Here the term "faith" has the sense of faithfulness or conviction that results in action. Habakkuk, in his experience of waiting, bluntly asked the Lord, "How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but You do not listen?" When God finally answered, it certainly wasn't the answer Habakkuk expected or longed for. You see, the Israelites had a "recurring cycle of sin, sorrow, supplication, salvation, and then sin again. The continuous repetition of this cycle obviously weakened the people's love for God and respect for His authority."* The godly remnant would emerge victorious as the wicked would undergo punishment. The Babylonians would eventually receive their just punishment in God's timing. Some 650 years later this phrase was taken by Paul as a central element in his theology (Romans 1:17 & Galatians 3:11). Some 1500 years after Paul's writings this passage came alive for an Augustinian monk named Martin Luther, setting off the Protestant Reformation, one of history's greatest and most significant religious upheavals. Thus a so-called "Minor" prophet had a major influence on those who followed him! Today we are all enriched and indebted to a relatively obscure but faithful man who served God. Are you living by faith today? Is your hope and confidence completely in the Lord? In over 2600 years the equation has not changed. Actually the equation was fundamentally clear to Adam and Eve but willfully broken in the garden. It was also very clearly understood by Abraham in Genesis 15:6: "Abram believed the LORD, and He credited it to him as righteousness." The righteous continue to live by faith, during the good times but also during times of judgment! Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Father, we know that without a fresh manifestation of Your Holy Spirit power in our lives, our faith will not prevail when evil abounds in our day. Just as Habakkuk pleaded for You to manifest Yourself to Him, we also pray for renewal in our spirit so that we remain a faithful remnant fully committed to You. We choose to rejoice in the Lord our God who enables us to hold tightly to our godly faith in the midst of enemy invasion. We pray for deliverance and sustaining power so that we emerge victorious during the battle. Amen. *Myrna Alexander "With Him in Life's Struggles" Brooksyne's Note: Many have asked for updates so this is the latest: Yesterday Stephen took me to the Orthopedic Surgeon to have the staples removed from the incision sight. I broke the fibula (outside bone) of my ankle three weeks ago today. It was nice to have the third heavy splint removed and see firsthand the progress of the healing. There is still much swelling and healing needed. I had hoped that I would receive a mid-leg aircast this time but the doctor wrapped my entire leg in a fiberglass cast and informed me that it would remain like that for four weeks. I sheepishly asked him about gardening and he suggested that my gardening this year be limited to reading gardening books. Any of you who garden know that only feeds the gardening fever and should be reserved only for winter months. So…..I am trying to learn patience and the benefits of this inconvenient waiting time. I've gone beyond admiring others who have physical limitations – I'm actually appreciating their overcoming spirit as I, for the first time in my life, have some understanding of what that means. Just trying to open a public door restroom, in the orthopedics building of all places, was a major ordeal yesterday (while Stephen was parking our vehicle.) He has been a great blessing to me and has stretched himself way beyond his normal self to tend to my needs. Ester has helped care for me as well. Thank you again for your continued prayers, cards, and well-wishes. Here is a descriptive narrative of the memorial service for little Maria Chapman as viewed through the eyes and ears of Steven Curtis Chapman's manager. It is a touching account and demonstration of overcoming faith. Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources "Farther Along" Video An old hymn of the church that has a great meaning for believers who struggle when seeing injustice along with the other day to day struggles. It reminds us that our view is limited at the present time. "You Are God Alone" Audio This is a powerful song of faith and this is a beautiful version. Here's another nice audio version. I found a Philips, Craig and Dean version as a video with great photos. Info about multi-media files used on daily encouragement. Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne.

Administration Information Stephen and Brooksyne Weber "We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update Revised 04/15/08 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? Donations are tax deductible and will be receipted directly by my chaplaincy endorsing ministry. Thanks! See here for details. (2008 YTD financial offerings through 5/26/2008 $9,037.00) 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 automatically 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 Reader Survey We want to thank all of you who have taken a few minutes to fill in our online survey. Here's a brief summary of the results including some comments and tips regarding technical problems several mentioned having. If you haven't taken the survey yet and would like to do so click here. I will continue to monitor the results. Our other blogs: "A Daily Prayer" - The daily prayer from each daily encouragement message. "A Little Foolishness" - A collection of humorous and satirical stories drawn mostly from our years of ministry, as well as my sometimes fertile imagination. "Clear Minded" - Longer, periodic articles on specific issues impacting the church. 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 2008 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved Daily Encouragement Net Stephen & Brooksyne Weber 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 Contact us "Living securely today anchored in God's solid foundation"