Daily Encouragement Net - A daily, Bible-based message of hope and encouragement.
Trouble reading this message? Read online or see archives
Trouble reading this message? Read online or see archives
 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, October 28, 2010  The Great Smoky Mountains  Listen to this message on your audio player.Note: We are visiting in the Smoky Mountains. Since the internet connection is slow and we are sharing a single portable computer we are not posting messages daily. We're accustomed to using two computers as we prepare each morning so it essentially doubles the time it takes us to prepare in addition to the slow and spotty connection! "Mark My Words!" Micaiah declared, "If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me." Then he added, "Mark my words, all you people!" (2 Chronicles 18:27). Our last message was about a little-known prophet who took a stand for the Lord. Today we want to share another insight from the account. The kings had consulted the prophets regarding their battle plans. "Go," they answered, "for God will give it into the king's hand." In fact one of them by the name of Zedekiah added some flamboyant visual effects, similar to the style of some very showy evangelists of our time! But Micaiah stated, "As surely as the LORD lives, I can tell him only what my God says" (2 Chronicles 18:13). What God had directed Micaiah to say was certainly not well received. His prophetical word is summed up in this simple pronouncement: "The LORD has decreed disaster for you." That's certainly not what Ahab wanted to hear, yet his riches, his alliance with Jehoshaphat, and his kingly position did not change such a deadly pronouncement! After receiving Micaiah's news of disaster Ahab attempted to silence the prophet with these orders: "Put this fellow in prison and give him nothing but bread and water until I return safely." The king's order for imprisonment and food deprivation would surely force Micaiah to modify his original prophecy. And yet in his parting prophetic statement he boldly added: "If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me." Then he added, "Mark my words, all you people!" (2 Chronicles 18:27). Notice the responsibility Micaiah took. He forthrightly stated that if Ahab did not return safely, "the LORD has not spoken through me." Over my lifetime I have heard some who claim to speak for the Lord and miss the mark in situations that parallel our story today. Yet they make excuses or go on to try again and again. Guess enough on the issues and at some point they're going to get it right! This is true of astrologists as well. Ahab ignored the counsel and died on the battlefield, validating Micaiah's prophecy. An amazing detail about Scripture that intrigues me is that the very last we read about Micaiah is that he's in prison. There's no record of what happened to him after Ahab's body was recovered from the battlefield. Micaiah is one of the lesser known prophets that I want to talk to when I get to heaven. I'm anxious to hear "the rest of the story"! The main encouragement to end this message with is this: Let us be faithful in declaring God's Word regardless of the cost. Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Father, far too often we want quick fixes or to know the exact means in which You are going to work in our lives. But even as the Gospel is in ways a mystery unfolding, so is Your leading in our lives. If we had it all figured out and knew exactly how everything was going to fall into place, we'd be walking by sight rather than trusting by faith. We know that "faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we cannot see." Reassure our hearts as we keep the words of Solomon before us, "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." May Your Voice of Truth always be our guide in testing the spirits of those who are quick to say, "Thus saith the Lord" or "God told me…" If they are truly Your prophetic messengers their actions and words will be confirmed through Scripture. Amen. Read today's Bible story in its entirety online 2 Chronicles 18 We are in Pigeon Forge Tennessee in the Great Smokies and today we will share several photos of the area.  Many of our views are cloud covered due to the high elevation.  The beauty of tall stately trees along the winding paths is a beauty to behold whether we're walking or driving.  Fast moving mountain streams are abundant no matter what route we take through or near the park.  You have to look very closely on your screen to see this black bear nestled in the crevice of the two major branches of the tree. You have to wonder if the bear enjoys watching people make such a fuss over them. Many had pulled their cars over and got out to take photographs.  Yesterday we walked through Gatlinburg with Stephen's sister Genelle and her husband Cesar who joined us from their home in Greensboro, NC. We've been eating way "too good" including a meal in a Mexican Restaurant the other night where Cesar took a photo of us with sombrero hats. We are in this area making arrangements for our 2011 Steincross family reunion in August which my Mom's side will host.  The Old Grist Mill Restaurant is just above the falls where we've enjoyed eating breakfast the past couple days. Perhaps this looks like an insert of our faces with a background photo in a studio, but we are, in fact, standing on the bridge in front of the falls! Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources (Click on the link to play) 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 10/27/10 $11,809.00 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. Reader Survey: Please take a few minutes to assist us in improving our ministry effectiveness by filling out this online reader survey. To take the survey click here. 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 |
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 unless someone forwarded the message to you. If you desire to unsubscribe use the link below. However, please do not use this link unless your address is the subscribed address below as you will otherwise unsubscribe the person who forwarded it to you!
| You are currently subscribed to dailyencouragement as: stephencweber.dailyencouragement@blogger.com Add scweber@dailyencouragement.net to your email address book to ensure delivery Forward to a Friend | Manage Subscription | Subscribe | Unsubscribe |  |
