Daily Encouragement Net - A daily, Bible-based message of hope and encouragement.
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 The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. <Previous Message · Archives · Archive edition Thursday, May 20, 2010  I took this photo when I was on a boat with a friend on the Susquehanna River near Harrisburg, PA. I was intrigued by this lone tree, which has managed to grow on a long abandoned bridge pier; an example of perseverance!  Listen to this message on your audio player."Perseverance In Witness" "Then Agrippa said to Paul, 'Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?'" Paul replied, "Short time or long—I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains" (Acts 26:28,29).  I met with a group of chaplains in a Cracker Barrel restaurant and we were discussing our work together. One chaplain shared about a ministry opportunity he had immediately following our meeting. For some time he had sought to be an influence to a particular person but the man had been extremely resistant to any kind of Christian witness. But he had developed cancer that was determined to be terminal. My friend had felt led to call him that morning and see if they could get together. The man agreed and stated that he himself had actually intended to call the chaplain!Before we went our separate ways we prayed around the table that the Lord would give this man an openness to receive the Lord. We requested a call from the chaplain with a report back about how the meeting went. We had a long drive and when we were almost back we received word that the man had been receptive to the gospel message and had received the Lord as his Savior! We all have long term, "hard" cases don't we? These are the people (often family members and friends) whom we have witnessed to for years; those whom we earnestly long to see come to Christ. So many are resistant and hardened, so much so, that at times we just feel like giving up. But we must not. We must persevere!  The daily Scripture portion is an account of a personal witnessing opportunity that the Apostle Paul had. Paul had faithfully shared his testimony and sought to challenge Agrippa (and others listening) to believe and become a Christian. Agrippa's response is a reminder of how many people respond to the Gospel, "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?""Almost Persuaded," is a hymn written in 1871 by Philip P. Bliss which was inspired by a sermon he heard. During the sermon the evangelist quoted Acts 26:28 and declared, "He who is almost persuaded is almost saved, and to be almost saved is to be entirely lost!" Agrippa properly recognized that Paul was seeking to persuade him to be a Christian. That's significant. It wasn't a sneaky, back door approach that Paul used. Agrippa knew just what Paul was doing. That is our mission as we seek to impact others for Christ and His Kingdom. His Kingdom is never to be advanced by physical force, but rather by persuasion, as we demonstrate His love and care to a fallen world and present, as Paul did, the Gospel. Paul's missionary heart is so evident in the verse that follows: "Short time or long--I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains." Agrippa is never again mentioned in Scripture following this account. But what type of seed did Paul plant? How did this seed impact Agrippa in the days, months and years that followed? Who else had an opportunity to persuade him? Did he eventually become a Christian? What about others who were listening to Paul that day? We'll have to wait till heaven to hear the rest of this story. And that's really the way it is with so much of our attempted impact for Christ. So let us persevere in our efforts to persuade people to follow our Lord! Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Lord, help us as we share our testimony and Your message with the world around us. We find so many who are like Agrippa; uninterested, unpersuaded, and often times hardened. Help us to persevere and not give up or become discouraged. We pray that you would soften the hearts of those we seek to reach for You. Just like You did for Lydia open their hearts to receive our message of hope and salvation. In Jesus' name. Amen. Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources Click on the link to open and play. (In some cases you may also need to click again to start the song.) "Almost Persuaded" Audio and lyrics "Come To Jesus" Video Chris Rice "Come Just As You Are" Video  Those who regularly read this series know I enjoy both photography and old stuff. Part of the reason I like Cracker Barrel Restaurants (along with the country fried steak) is the old stuff hanging on the walls. Well, I found this special page on their website with photos of the stuff, along with an explanation of what it is. For those, like me, who are terminally curious see here.Finally today: Yesterday Brooksyne wrote about a humorous gaffe she made and Lou, a chaplain friend from New Jersey, sent this story: Not too long ago I called Home Depot and inquired about a special part I needed for a ceiling fan. I spoke with a man named John and he stated that he thinks he had what I was looking for and when I came to the store, I ask for him. I went to the store that afternoon and said to the greeter at the door, "Is there a John that works here?" She pointed me to aisle six and said "go straight to the back." When I got there is was the rest room. :) It's funny how what we say is not exactly what we mean. Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne. |
  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 daily encouragement ministry? Donations are tax deductible and will be receipted directly by my chaplaincy endorsing ministry. Thanks! See here for details.2010 YTD financial offerings as of 5/19/10 $5,318.00 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. This newsletter is never sent 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 these messages no longer meet your needs (providing encouragement) you can remove your address by merely use 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. 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. Please feel free to pass these messages on! "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!) Last updated with the story of Mildred Swanson, who joyfully discovers her "spiritual gift" is sending forwarded emails! (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.  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, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version. © Copyright 2010 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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