 The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber. <Previous Message · Archives · Archive edition Wednesday, December 29, 2010  Two friends enjoying a quiet morning on Raystown Lake  Listen to this message on your audio player."The Blessing Of Friendship" "Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, 'Friend, your sins are forgiven'" (Luke 5:18-20).  Today we would like to consider the theme of friendship. We both continue to make friends and some will become lasting friends, added to our collection. Others have been friends for a long time, the longest being Dave Simpson, Stephen's neighbor from first grade, whom he has stayed close to for over 50 years now.The brief account recorded in our daily Scripture reading is such a vivid description of caring friends; the kind of friends we would like and indeed we do have. It's also a colorful depiction of the kind of friend we want to be! 1) They had a friend with a need – These men were determined to do something about it. He was a paralytic and, although the degree of his paralysis is not specified, he was immobile so he had to be carried from place to place. Will you consider today your friends that may be in need of some type. How can you help them? 2) They had a goal - They wanted to get their friend to Jesus. Word was spreading concerning Jesus' ability to heal the sick. These men had a goal to get their friend to Jesus where they believed he would receive healing. That should be our goal as well, to get people to Jesus. 3) They had obstacles – The healing service was likely in the daytime since they didn't travel in vehicles and nighttime would be very difficult, They likely sacrificed some pay for taking off time from their day job. They met up with a big crowd and a house with limited access. In one way or another it seems there are always obstacles of some sort. Genuine, lasting friendships are characterized by overcoming obstacles, one by one.  4) They had innovative determination – In spite of the obstacles they made a way. I can just see these daring fellows (Mark's account specifies there were four, each presumably holding a corner of the mat). Surely they were throwing out wild ideas as to how they could get their friend through the mass so that he could be within the touch of the Master's hand. Perhaps one threw out the idea just for a joke, "Let's just cut a hole through the roof!" Of course we don't know the circumstance but we do know that's just what they did. They lowered their friend down in the middle of the crowd right smack in front of Jesus. I wonder what the other people thought who had arrived earlier. Did they feel like we do when a person crowds in front of us in a grocery line!5) They had faith - But onto a more important and essential detail here: "When Jesus saw their faith." Note the plural pronoun, "their faith". These men had faith that their friend would receive help from Jesus and he did! We are so thankful for friends who have instructed and encouraged us in our journey of faith. 6) They had a caring Savior - A wonderful verse states, "Cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7). What a powerful assurance that we always have a caring Savior in Jesus! We hope you have lots of friends like these. We are sure thankful for each of our friends. There are times when we simply do not have enough faith that God will intervene in a matter. We are so grateful that we can enlist others to pray for us when we're in the midst of the "blues" of a difficult circumstance. Their faith is a source of encouragement to us and it strengthens us when we are weak, whether emotionally, physically or spiritually or sometimes all of the above! In the Christmas classic "It's a Wonderful Life" I'm always touched at the end when George Bailey receives the note from Clarence reminding him, "Remember, no man is a failure who has friends." That's so true. What a blessing to have friends! Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber  Daily prayer: Father, we are grateful that Jesus is the High Priest who hears our prayers, knows of our troubles and intercedes on our behalf. But there are times when we are in need of the compassion of a caring friend; one who will pray, listen, lend support, and interject thoughts or experiences that help us to bear our troublesome burdens. They do not sit in judgment, but instead they respond to our need, whether it's emotional, spiritual or physical. Thank you for caring friends who bear with us, lift us up out of despair, and help us discover solutions that we, by ourselves, cannot find. Help me to be that kind of friend, in the Name of Jesus. Amen.Personal note: As our internet ministry has grown through the years the majority of our readers of this encouragement series is not personally known to us. Most have signed up on the web page or perhaps after a forwarded message they received. Others know about us due to our 1 minute weekly radio broadcast or after reading about our web ministry in a news article. However there are so many of you that we have personally met and know. You are part of churches we served, business associates, relatives, chaplaincy contacts, fellow pastors and missionaries. You're all our friends and we thank you for being that. It's amazing how many people you meet through life's journey and each one has something to offer. If you think about it it's the same for you! 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.) "Old Friends" Video Bill Gaither and his many friends (more than a few who are now with the Lord!) "The Cares Chorus" Video Kelly Willard A great song reminding us of God's care for us. "I Must Tell Jesus" Video Candi Staton This song always blesses me and I suppose I recalled the line, "He is a kind, compassionate Friend." "Friends" Video Michael W. Smith Each church we served had this song sung during our farewell (in 1993 when we moved on from northern PA and again in 2001 when we left New England to move to Lancaster County). Thankfully we have many friends from each of these churches to this day and have collected many more along the way! "Old Friends" Video Growing up in the sixties in the Kansas City area, I enjoyed listening to Roger Miller songs along with my dad when we were in his work truck. He had a 65 Blue Chevy truck with "E.C. Weber and Sons" on each side even though my two older brothers had left home by then and I wasn't old enough to drive! This is not a spiritual song but has an interesting sentiment. I can still recall the old men sitting out on the benches visiting with one another in front of city hall in Belton Missouri, the little town I grew up in. Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne. |
 "We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update (Revised 10/21/10)  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 12/28/10 $18,734.00.We thank all who support our online ministry. You may contribute online or through mail. Note: In order to receive 2010 giving credit gifts must be received by December 31 so I can account to my chaplaincy credentialling agency by that date. (They issue the official receipt.) 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 by us 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 you no longer desire to receive these messages you can remove your address from the list by merely using 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 or who may desire less frequent mailings. It is Friday's 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 doneFather, unlike typical birth announcements that announce to others the birth of a child to its mother and father, the glorious pronouncement heralded by the angels was that the Christ Child was born to all people for all generations. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given.” We have been given the gift of salvation through the birth, death and resurrection of our Savior. Thank You for the free will given to us that allows us to reject or receive this "Jesus, who is called Christ." When given the choice we like Peter respond, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." We go to the Rock of our salvation, our hope for all eternity. Amen. 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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