Daily Encouragement (02/29/12) "Safe And Sustained"

Daily Encouragement Net
A daily, Bible-based message of hope and encouragement.

Having trouble reading this message?  Read mobile edition online

A daily, Bible-based message of hope, encouragement and exhortation. The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber. Home · About Us · Archives · Podcast · Free email ·   ·     ·     <Previous Message       ·       Archive edition Wednesday, February 29, 2012   This stately stone farmhouse is on Musser Road (one farm road east of us) Listen to this message on your audio player "Safe And Sustained" "I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me" (Psalm 3:5). "In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety" (Psalm 4:8). What is the best part of waking up? For many of us the old Folger's coffee jingle comes to mind upon hearing this question. Well, the coffee does taste mighty good and is almost always a part of our wake-up routine, but we feel sorry for those who would say it's the best part!  David wrote Psalm 3 when his own son Absalom was pursuing him. The rebellion in David's own home appeared to be a long-term consequence of his sexual immorality with Bathsheba. In fact the chapters following this account show the residual consequences to an act of sin. However David had repented and again had the assurance of God's presence. He wrote, "But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head" (Psalm 3:3). The part of the daily text I want to focus on this morning is a timeless truth that can be proclaimed this day by all of God's people.  It certainly should be our earliest awareness as we roll out of bed. "How blessed to be safe and sustained." Praise God for this aspect of God's love and care for His own!  Today may very well bring a new set of obstacles for some of us. For others an old set of problems quickly resurfaces that we continue to deal with and overcome. David still had his problems as he wrote the Psalm. In fact he begins it with this statement, "O LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me!  Many are saying of me, 'God will not deliver him'". But he was aware as he awoke that the Lord had provided safety and sustained him through another night. The Lord continues to grant us safety and sustain us as well, even when others paint a dismal forecast for our future. God will deliver the faithful who place their complete trust in Him. Let us rejoice today in God's safety and sustaining care over all His creation and over each one of us! Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily Prayer: Father, You sustain me by speaking peace to my heart even in the midst of troubling circumstances. Your unsurpassed peace cannot be defined by the absence of conflict but by the assurance that You will come alongside me in the midst of my conflict and make a roadway for me in the wilderness of my suffering. When I seek You I can be assured that You will hear me and deliver me from all my fears. Thank You for Your sustaining presence that lifts me from my slumber and helps me to trust You for another day.  Amen. Today is the first Wednesday on February 29th that we have ever prepared a daily encouragement message and will most likely be our last. The last time we had a Wendsday, February 29 was in 1984, over twelve years before we began writing these messages and the next Wednesday, February 29 will be in 2040 when we will be in our mid-eighties! Yesterday afternoon we took a long walk and visited with a farmer neighbor who was unloading 13 heifer calves. We use a muzzle on Mollie to restrain her barking in settings where she can't seem to control herself. She can still breathe fine and in fact eat and drink. However it's only nominally effective if she really wants to bark! When we returned from our walk a neighbor brought down a four week old Saint Bernard puppy and introduced her to Roxie. Two years we took our long trail walk along Donegal Creek and Roxie met up with Bruno, another very friendly neighborhood Saint Bernard, who joined us for part of our walk.  At that time we welcomed suggestions for captions and they are posted posted here (scroll down to footers). Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources For the curious our walk yesterday went this direction (Google map) Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne.

Weber family Christmas 2011 "We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update  (Revised 12/11) Are our daily encouragement messages a blessing to you? Each weekday morning Brooksyne and I prepare these messages and distribute them at no cost to you and many others all over the world. We ask you to consider making a donation to Daily Encouragement Net so that we can continue to prepare and provide this daily resource which is accessed by believers and seekers all over the world. Daily Encouragement Net relies solely on the generosity and financial support of its readers and podcast listeners. See here for more information on supporting this ministry. Gifts are tax deductible. 2012 financial offerings to Daily Encouragement Net as of 2/28/12: $2,035.00 We express thanks to all who support our ministry! 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! Our other blogs: "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!) (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. 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 2012 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

Daily Encouragement (02/28/12) "Rebuilding The Ancient Ruins"

Daily Encouragement Net
A daily, Bible-based message of hope and encouragement.

Having trouble reading this message?  Read mobile edition online

A daily, Bible-based message of hope, encouragement and exhortation. The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber. Home · About Us · Archives · Podcast · Free email ·   ·     ·     <Previous Message       ·       Archive edition Tuesday, February 28, 2012 The copper flashing on this church steeple in Mount Joy PA really shines since they've cleaned the copper! (Notice at the top where the green patina or technically, copper sulfate oxidation, has not been removed.) I took this photo on a somewhat overcast day. On a bright day the shining copper actually appears to be lit up! Listen to this message on your audio player "Rebuilding The Ancient Ruins" "Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; you will raise up the age-old foundations; and you will be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of the streets in which to dwell" (Isaiah 58:12). About a mile and ½ from our home behind the Cameron Inn Estate is an old farm with this unusual sight for Lancaster County. An old stone barn wall remains, standing for many years after the barn burned down or was otherwise demolished. (We first noticed this sight shortly after we moved to our home in 2002). Our region was settled in the 1700's so these barn ruins are nothing compared to the "ancient ruins" of the Middle East, yet the stone wall still brings to mind the daily verse which can be understood as the promise of rebuilding a torn-down Jerusalem. However, in a spiritual analogy, it can also be understood as those who follow the Lord and keep His precepts. They will be the devout followers who rebuild the ancient ruins and raise up the age-old foundations of Biblical truth.   I believe this refers to getting back to the old, correct ways.  Newer doesn't always means better. I am blessed by a verse in Jeremiah 6:16 that states, "This is what the LORD says: 'Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, 'We will not walk in it'". One commentator notes, "Those who serve God with sincere hearts and actions also accomplish things for God's kingdom. They rebuild and raise up, and are 'called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of the streets in which to dwell'. You can't build anything for God's Kingdom on the foundation of a superficial walk with God." How there needs to be a rebuilding and raising up of age-old foundations today! Alan Redpath, a British preacher who lived from 1907-1989 wrote, "We live in a broken world. In every direction there are breaches which are wide and deep. There are broken hearts and broken homes, and that which once was sacred is but a waste place. Whereas once there was a carefully guarded fence around the sanctity of family life, sex life, and the right to personal privacy, now there is just a waste place. The wall of protection is in ruins, and (for many) life has lost all its meaning." He surely wrote this a generation ago, yet his words are far more greatly evidenced today than at the time of his writing! A recent poll from the Culture and Media Institute shows that 74% of Americans believe our nation is in moral decline but only 36% believe we should live by God's principles of right and wrong. (This astounding statement will be the basis for a teaching message later this week.) Isaiah 62:6 states, "I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest." God is always looking for people to take up His cause of righteousness. The Biblical prophet, Ezekiel, lived for God at the time of the fall of Jerusalem and the first period of the exile in Babylon about 2,600 years ago.  His writings reveal the horrendous state of Jerusalem during its final days; they were desecrating the Sabbath, shedding innocent lives, sexually immoral, unjust, corrupt in leadership, and worshiping idols to name just a few of their serious offenses. Fast forward to our generation and consider how much our society parallels Jerusalem just before its fall. Modern man is desecrating the Sabbath, shedding innocent lives, sexually immoral, unjust, corrupt in leadership, and worshiping idols to name just a few of the present day serious offenses. May God grant us strength to be the faithful remnant in our age who remain true to His ways, so that we witness a restoration of the age old foundations as prescribed in the Bible! Be encouraged today and stay faithful, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily Prayer: Father, it is through devout godly people that You repair, restore and rebuild lives as they raise up the unchanging, ever relevant ancient words of Scripture.  It takes faithful watchmen who serve with great vigilance, untiring in their ancient message of salvation to a world that is continuously desecrating that which was once sacred. Father, help us to be watchmen for our families, co-workers, and friends as we carefully measure the principles of this world by the principles established in Scripture.  Grant us courage to speak out when the foundations are being shaken just as the watchmen were not silent night or day.  We do not stand in the gap alone but You, our Father, are with us and we stand in Your strength!  Amen. Chili recipe:  Thanks for the nice congratulations from our readers regarding our winning the community chili contest this last weekend. In response to the requests we have provided the chili recipe and notes on this page. Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources "This Little Child"  Video  Scott Wesley Brown  This song is some 25 years old but seems prophetic in light of how conditions have worsened. I belong to an organization called "Watchman on the Wall" which is championing pastors to transform America. I encourage my pastoral peers to look into this. They have a powerful conference each May in Washington, DC which I will be attending. What is a Watchman Pastor?  Answer. We get the name from Isaiah 62:6: "I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest." We believe that a Watchman Pastor is called to do the following: Watch what is going on in the culture. Pray for the wisdom to engage Biblically, courageously, and winsomely. Sound the alarm from the pulpit. Take a bold stand with others to defend and advance faith, family, and freedom. For the cartographically curious the stone barn wall shown in the message is here.  Google map  You have to walk the grounds behind the Cameron Inn to see it. Finally today: We received another comment from last Friday's message regarding disruptions in church from a friend: Your story reminded me of when Megan was a little girl and her "Woody" doll called out in church, "there's a snake in my boot".  Of course if you care to listen to Woody say it, here it is on YouTube! Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne.

Weber family Christmas 2011 "We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update  (Revised 12/11) Are our daily encouragement messages a blessing to you? Each weekday morning Brooksyne and I prepare these messages and distribute them at no cost to you and many others all over the world. We ask you to consider making a donation to Daily Encouragement Net so that we can continue to prepare and provide this daily resource which is accessed by believers and seekers all over the world. Daily Encouragement Net relies solely on the generosity and financial support of its readers and podcast listeners. See here for more information on supporting this ministry. Gifts are tax deductible. 2012 financial offerings to Daily Encouragement Net as of 2/27/12: $2,035.00 We express thanks to all who support our ministry! 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! Our other blogs: "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!) (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. 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 2012 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

Daily Encouragement (02/27/12) "Even When It Hurts"

Daily Encouragement Net
A daily, Bible-based message of hope and encouragement.

Having trouble reading this message?  Read mobile edition online

A daily, Bible-based message of hope, encouragement and exhortation. The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber. Home · About Us · Archives · Podcast · Free email ·   ·     ·     <Previous Message       ·       Archive edition Monday, February 27, 2012 We passed this colorful and well-preserved Chevrolet truck sitting out in the field on the way home from church yesterday. Scenes like this really make us smile! Listen to this message on your audio player "Even When It Hurts" "You shall not bear false witness" (Exodus 20:16) "but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ" (Ephesians 4:15). "Lord, who may dwell in Your sanctuary? Who may live on Your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue … who keeps his oath even when it hurts" (Psalm 15:1-4). On several occasions in this Daily Encouragement series I have drawn illustrative material from the movie "Courageous". A memorable scene is when Javier, one of the main characters, faces a very difficult test that will reveal to others his truthfulness and integrity, or lack thereof.  He passes the test and is awarded for his unwillingness to compromise.  In real life it doesn't always work out that way. I have a Christian businessman friend who told me about a previous job he had where he was pressured to falsify records and distort manufacturing specifications. He refused to compromise his integrity and as a result lost the job he had for many years.   Particularly painful to him were the attempts by the company to "justify" their actions by maligning him to other employees who were his close friends. This is a man who demonstrated the daily verse. His oath was acting with integrity in the business world because of His Christian convictions and, because he did so, he experienced significant injustice. But he was committed to telling the truth "even when it hurts". A childhood memory comes to mind regarding being on the other side of dishonesty. For a number of years my Dad had a heating and air conditioning business. At one point he sold a sheet metal brake he no longer needed and the purchaser apparently passed him a bad check. I still recall how hurt my dad was. The last part of our third daily verse speaks of one "who keeps his oath even when it hurts."  In life we find that many times being truthful really does hurt on the short-term and the untruthful appear to get ahead. Someone else got that job promotion because he was adept at misrepresentation. (In my observation falsified and misleading educational credentials are rampant in our society.)  A neighbor shares with a wink how he got a better deal on his insurance because of an incomplete disclosure. Mankind has been lying ever since the original sin and is becoming more and more skilled in ways of deception. In a meeting we had with the president and vice president of a large company we asked them, "How can we pray for you?" Without hesitation the president requested that we ask the Lord to help his company leadership to find other businesses of integrity in which they could work with. Then, in a sense of concession to current conditions, he asked for wisdom in dealing with companies that lacked integrity. Psalm 15 contains a list of characteristics required by God of the one who would dwell in God's sanctuary and live on God's holy hill (v. 1). In this present age these characteristics would surely apply to those desiring a close walk with God; those with a heart to live in His presence. The portion of the verse selected this morning is so very important and yet greatly lacking in our modern world. David is reminding us of the unchanging verity of the Ninth Commandment, "Thou shall not bear false witness." God wants us to keep our word and speak the truth even if it hurts.  In our day of slippery words, half-truths, and embellished facts we need to keep our word even when it hurts. The pressures to violate the 9th commandment are great, but by God's grace and in His strength we can keep from doing so. God still "desires truth in the inner parts" (Psalm 51:6a), not the airbrushed version many display to impress others or promote themselves.  Jesus wants us to hear the truth, speak the truth, and live in the truth! Let us determine to do so "even when it hurts". Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily Prayer: Father, Your Word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against You, for it teaches me to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly before You. Even when it brings about hurtful circumstances help me to do the right thing in maintaining and maturing my spiritual nature as I walk in Your truth and speak the truth. May I not be found lacking in integrity but rather be characterized by my integrity as it honors my Father in heaven.  In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. A busy and enjoyable weekend! Saturday we participated in a Fire & Ice Chili Challenge here in Mount Joy with 12 other participants. We are pleased to report that Brooksyne's Chili came in as first prize as several hundred community folks came through to sample and vote for their favorite chili! This fun contest helped to support community events such as Fire & Ice since each vote cost $1.00 (we were unaware of the way the contest was held - samples were free but votes cost money). We did have some of our D.E. readers stop by and it was delightful to get to know them better. After the contest I managed to get Brooksyne to sit on the ice chair (one of many ice sculptures in front of businesses downtown).  She is holding a pewter serving bowl from Wilton Armatale, a local business that she received as a grand prize along with three local restaurant gift certificates.  Obviously that made our day extra special.  (Because of the very frigid cold weather, with wind gusts of 50 MPH, the event was moved indoors for which we were very thankful.) Knowing some of our readers will ask:  "What's the recipe?" I'll have Brooksyne write it up and we'll try to post it tomorrow. She didn't have a recipe so she will have to write out ingredients, measurements and directions and we'll post it once she's done. Ester with two of our local friends that we met when we both lived in Massachusetts.Dennis "Bunny" and Peg O'Hare stopped in for some chili. They serve as chaplains with Transport for Christ, a ministry to truckers. Finally on Sunday evening Brooksyne and Ester were volunteer ushers with the  CMI Productions which hosted a concert at Lancaster Bible College. They heard Bebo Norman and Point of Grace and came home last night quite pleased with their night out. Ester is posing with (L to R) Leigh, Shelley, and Denise, The Point of Grace "Girls". Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources "I Will Lift Up My Eyes"  Video  Bebo Norman  I (Brooksyne) enjoyed hearing this beautiful song last night by Bebo.  I've heard it on the radio numerous times and always appreciated it but didn't know who wrote or sung it until last night. "Turn Up The Music"  Video  Point Of Grace   This is a toe tapping happy song that reminds us that life is truly above the way we live from day to day! "There Is Nothing Greater Than Grace"  Video  Point Of Grace  A touching sing for those hurting. This is presently Ester's favorite song by Point of Grace.  We dedicate this to the Kokonaski family who said goodbye to their wife and mother, Beth Kokonaski.  She battled cancer for many years and joined the angels in heaven last week.  Ester thought of this hurting family as the women sang this song last night. This family was a part of a church we served over twenty years ago but through daily encouragement net we stay in touch. Some comments from Friday's message on "Sleeping In Church" *"At my church, the pastor says that anyone who has a ringing cell phone during service has to buy him a pizza!" Now that's a good idea! *Thank you for today's message. I really needed a laugh! Reminded me of not getting up in time for breakfast before church and having my stomach growl loudly during a quiet minute in the service!! Stephen's note: I recall my Mom made the loudest stomach growling noises in church which really embarrassed the family. "Jazz For Cows" The message spoke of attentiveness in church and an alert reader shared this video of some very alert cows enjoying an impromptu jazz concert!  Have a laugh! No relation to absolutely anything today but another funny video! For deeper study!  A careful reader reminded me I forgot to follow-up on a message several weeks ago.  I shared a message concerning "Finding Out What Pleases The Lord" and referred to seven things the Lord hates which included "a lying tongue" and "a false witness who pours out lies." There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers. (Proverbs 6:16-19)  We want to consider how we can find out what pleases the Lord based upon this Biblical revelation of what God expressly hates or is displeased by. However as students of Scripture we also consider what pleases the Lord based on what He hates with a correlating Scripture. The Lord hates: 1) A proud look but He is pleased in our dependence upon Him and humility, for "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6). 2 A lying tongue but He is pleased when His children "speak the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15). 3) Hands that shed innocent blood but He is pleased with the one having "clean hands and a pure heart" (Psalm 24:4) 4) A heart that devises wicked schemes but He is pleased when we seek to do the will of God from our heart (Ephesians 6:6) 5) Feet that are quick to rush in to evil but He is pleased by the "feet of those who bring good news" (Isaiah 52:7). 6) A false witness who pours out lies but He is pleased with a truthful witness giving honest testimony (Proverbs 12:17). 7) A man who stirs up dissension among brothers but He is pleased with peacemakers (Matthew 5:9). I find the same approach as used above concerning that which the Lord hates to be helpful with the Ten Commandments, eight of which are expressed as a prohibition. For those who may desire to dig deeper I encourage you to use the approach above for the Ten Commandments. I will express the heart of the commandment and encourage you to express a positive command as taught elsewhere in Scripture. (In the case of the two commandments expressed as a positive command find a correlating prohibition.) Below I  share what I came up with in this regard based on my study of God's Word and my ongoing quest in life to "find out what pleases the Lord."  1) "You shall have no other gods before Me."  "Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only."  (Jesus at His temptation in Matthew 4:10)  2) "You shall not make for yourself an idol."  I was unable to think of a positive way to express this prohibition. Any ideas from readers?  3) "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain."  Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen" (Ephesians 4:29).  Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name" (Hebrews 13:15)  4) "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy."  Elsewhere expressed as a prohibition in Nehemiah 13:17, "What is this wicked thing you are doing—desecrating the Sabbath day?"  5) "Honor your father and your mother." (Expressed as a mark of godlessness in the last times in 2 Timothy 3:2. "disobedient to their parents"  6) "You shall not murder."  "Love one another"  You can't murder somebody if you really love them!  7) "You shall not commit adultery."  "Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral" (Hebrews 13:4).  8) "You shall not steal."  "He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need" (Ephesians 4:28).  9) "You shall not bear false witness"  "but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ" Ephesians 4:15 10) "You shall not covet."  "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have." (Hebrews 13:5) Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne.

Weber family Christmas 2011 "We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update  (Revised 12/11) Are our daily encouragement messages a blessing to you? Each weekday morning Brooksyne and I prepare these messages and distribute them at no cost to you and many others all over the world. We ask you to consider making a donation to Daily Encouragement Net so that we can continue to prepare and provide this daily resource which is accessed by believers and seekers all over the world. Daily Encouragement Net relies solely on the generosity and financial support of its readers and podcast listeners. See here for more information on supporting this ministry. Gifts are tax deductible. 2012 financial offerings to Daily Encouragement Net as of 2/26/12: $2,035.00 We express thanks to all who support our ministry! 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! Our other blogs: "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!) (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. 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 2012 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