Having trouble reading this message? Read mobile edition online
 The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber. <Previous Message · Archives · Archive edition Tuesday, February 15, 2011  Oregon shoreline Photo by Howard J. Blichfeldt (used by permission) "I Am Persuaded!" "For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day" (2 Timothy 1:12).  Anyone who has sought to witness for Christ, whether one on one, or in a group setting has dealt with rejection or a lack of receptiveness to their message and appeal to renounce sin and follow Christ. Paul experienced this as well. In one notable Biblically recorded witness he was testifying before King Agrippa when the Spirit led him to pour his heart out and challenge Agrippa to become a Christian. Agrippa responded, "In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian" (Acts 26:28).* This is how the scene ends and we are left to wonder if Agrippa ever chose the way of Christ. Some 1900 years later songwriter Philip P. Bliss was assisting a preacher named Rev. Brundage. 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.” This prompted P.P. Bliss to write a hymn titled "Almost Persuaded."Today we pray that each of our readers will confidently declare, "I am persuaded" regarding the foundational truth of the Gospel, as expressed in verses like John 3:16. "I am persuaded" is one of the great exclamations of faith in the Scriptures. We see it expressed here in our text from 2 Timothy 1:12. Some versions use the word “convinced”. The Greek word means literally to persuade or induce by words to believe and conveys the sense of confidence, reliance, and hope. It is in the perfect tense indicating that Paul became convinced when he was saved by Christ and he remained convinced of His saving and keeping power. Paul had a settled, fixed assurance in Christ whom he had believed. Paul trusted his absolute security to God. He had been through years of relentless temptations, trials and testing, opportunities and hardships. He had seen the power of God at work again and again, both in him and through him and around him. As he nears the end of his life he is experiencing the wonderful confidence in God's keeping power. I believe Paul’s assessment mirrors the experiences of believers who go through the testings common to most and seeks to find answers to the many questions over one’s lifetime. As believers remain firm in their faith their confidence grows and the certainty of a future eternal home in heaven becomes far more endearing than the desire to linger here on earth. In the song "Whom Have I But You" written by David Ruis he states, Though questions asked, may never be resolved Whom have I but You, Whom have I but You Bible translator Kenneth Wuest writes, "Paul had come to a settled persuasion regarding the matter and was fixed in an immovable position. You could not budge him." How about you, dear reader? Do you vacillate in your thoughts regarding God’s keeping power in your life? Let us conclude with the charge Paul gave the Corinthians believers on more than one occasion, “Stand firm in the faith.” There will always be teachings, insinuations, and seducers of false doctrine that seek to chip away at that which the Bible has clearly persuaded us of, which is all the more reason we must stand firm and guard that which is entrusted to us. Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber  Daily Prayer: Father, on many occasions Paul was willing to suffer for the sake of Christ as he shared boldly the gospel message with townspeople, individuals, churches, prison guards, prisoners, kings and all to whom he had opportunity. It was his many trials and hardships that strengthened his faith and made the gospel more certain to his heart. May we likewise come to recognize that You sovereignly work in our hardships and disappointments of life to teach us more about Yourself. Help us to learn these powerful life lessons so that we are fully persuaded that You will keep that which we commit to You until we enter our eternal resting place. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.* Some translations word Agrippa's response to Paul as a question: “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?” Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources Click on the link to open and play."Almost Persuaded" Video Josh Turner Instrumental audio and lyrics "I Know Whom I Have Believed" Video This is set to a newer tune but maintains the same wonderful words. It is beautifully sung by a worship team in a local church. Here's a beautiful piano version of the same song using the tune we are familiar with. Audio All through our series of messages on 2 Timothy 1:12 we will be using this song as a background to our daily podcast. "Made Me Glad" Video Hillsong "Whom Have I But You?" Video Singer not identified "Who Shall Separate Us From The Love Of Christ" Video Wayne Tate. "I Am Resolved" Video Ernest Stoneman Illustrating the varied musical tastes I have this song has a great message and brings back to memory a service I had while in college at a mountain church in northwest Arkansas and earnest folks singing of their faith. I am resolved no longer to linger, Charmed by the world’s delight, Things that are higher, things that are nobler, These have allured my sight. I will hasten to Him, hasten so glad and free; Jesus, greatest, highest, I will come to Thee. I will hasten, hasten to Him, hasten so glad and free; Jesus, Jesus, greatest, highest, I will come to Thee. I am resolved to go to the Savior, Leaving my sin and strife; He is the true One, He is the just One, He hath the words of life. I am resolved to follow the Savior, Faithful and true each day; Heed what He sayeth, do what He willeth, He is the living Way. I am resolved to enter the kingdom Leaving the paths of sin; Friends may oppose me, foes may beset me, Still will I enter in. I am resolved, and who will go with me? Come, friends, without delay, Taught by the Bible, led by the Spirit, We’ll walk the heav’nly way.  If God Is Good . . . Faith in the Midst of Suffering and EvilBy Randy Alcorn / Random House, Inc Difficult times beg questions about God's goodness and power. Offering compelling true stories, fresh answers, and biblical insights, Alcorn challenges the logic of disbelief and reveals the big picture of who God is and what he's doing in the world---equipping you to share your faith clearly with those experiencing pain and fear. 432 pages, hardcover from Multnomah. Today's photo of the Oregon coast was taken by our friend Howard J. Blichfeldt. His website is here. Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne. |
 "We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update (Revised 12/31/10)  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. 2011 financial offerings to Daily Encouragement Net as of 2/13/11: $1185.00 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 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. Daily Encouragement on Facebook and Twitter:  The daily message and prayer on Facebook. The daily message and prayer on Twitter.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 2011 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 |  |
