A daily, Bible-based message of hope and encouragement.
 A daily, Bible-based message of hope, encouragement and exhortation. The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber. <Previous Message · Archive edition Friday, June 8, 2012  Life Saving Station in Lewes Delaware.  Listen to this message on your audio player."Throw Out The Lifeline!" "And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire" (Jude 1:23a).  Our trip to the Delaware shore brought back memories of several gospel songs we recall singing many years ago. In previous messages this week we wrote of "Like A Mighty Sea", "We Have an Anchor" and "Let The Lower Lights Be Burning". We actually found ourselves singing these songs together as we rode or walked along. Today we've chosen another old song from memory lane we both recall singing but probably never gave the lyrics as much thought until our recent visit to the lifesaving stations along the shore.Before leaving for home Wednesday afternoon we made a second visit to the Life Saving station in Lewes Delaware on Cape Henlopen. We were impressed as we learned about the terrific history of Life Saving Stations. Earlier in the week we had visited the Lifesaving Station Museum in Ocean City Maryland. The Life Saving Service was a United States government agency that grew out of private and local humanitarian efforts to save the lives of shipwrecked mariners and passengers. It began in 1848 and ultimately merged with the Revenue Cutter Service to form the United States Coast Guard in 1915.  To read of the heroic efforts of the Life Saving Crew at Cape Henlopen as they sought to rescue those lost at sea touched us deeply. The courageous motto of the Life Saving Stations was this: "Regulations say we have to go out, they say nothing about coming back." In preparing our message we found a parable that likens the Life Saving Station to the Soul Saving Station (church). The Parable of the Life-Saving Station On a dangerous seacoast where shipwrecks often occur there was once a crude little life-saving station. The building was just a hut, and there was only one boat, but the few devoted members kept a constant watch over the sea, and with no thought for themselves, they went out day or night tirelessly searching for the lost. Many lives were saved by this wonderful little station, so that it became famous. Some of those who were saved, and various others in the surrounding areas, wanted to become associated with the station and give of their time and money and effort for the support of its work. New boats were bought and new crews were trained. The little life-saving station grew. Some of the new members of the life-saving station were unhappy that the building was so crude and so poorly equipped. They felt that a more comfortable place should be provided as the first refuge of those saved from the sea. So they replaced the emergency cots with beds and put better furniture in an enlarged building. Now the life-saving station became a popular gathering place for its members, and they re-decorated it beautifully and furnished it as a sort of club. Less of the members were now interested in going to sea on life-saving missions, so they hired life boat crews to do this work. The mission of life-saving was still given lip-service but most were too busy or lacked the necessary commitment to take part in the life-saving activities personally. About this time a large ship was wrecked off the coast, and the hired crews brought in boat loads of cold, wet, and half-drowned people. They were dirty and sick, and some of them had black skin, and some spoke a strange language, and the beautiful new club was considerably messed up. So the property committee immediately had a shower house built outside the club where victims of shipwreck could be cleaned up before coming inside. At the next meeting, there was a split in the club membership. Most of the members wanted to stop the club's life-saving activities as being unpleasant and a hindrance to the normal life pattern of the club. But some members insisted that life-saving was their primary purpose and pointed out that they were still called a life-saving station. But they were finally voted down and told that if they wanted to save the life of all the various kinds of people who were shipwrecked in those waters, they could begin their own life-saving station down the coast. They did. As the years went by, the new station experienced the same changes that had occurred in the old. They evolved into a club and yet another life-saving station was founded. If you visit the seacoast today you will find a number of exclusive clubs along that shore. Shipwrecks are still frequent in those waters, only now most of the people drown.*
Throw out the lifeline! Throw out the lifeline! Someone is drifting away; Throw out the lifeline! Throw out the lifeline! Someone is sinking today. Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber  Daily prayer: Father, help us not to be like the Pharisees of old who were proud of their spiritual accomplishments, mingling only with those of like mind. You have called us to reach out to the lost and dying, to be examples of Your saving grace, to share the salvation message with those whose eternal future hangs in the balance. Just as we were rescued from the domain of darkness, we want to snatch others from that darkness as well. We throw out the lifeline of salvation through the cleansing blood of Jesus our Lord as we pull them to eternal safety. Amen.*Author unknown We arrived home Wednesday night from our trip to the shore and due to an early morning and full day of chaplain work on Thursday we were unable to post a message yesterday (June 7).   Lifesaving look-out tower in Ocean City MD.  Shell-covered mailbox post in Lewes, Delaware.  During an evening stroll in Rehoboth Beach we passed a candy shop, but turned back around when we caught sight of this freshly made roll of fudge topped with pecans. The smell of fresh chocolate was irresistible and the taste was even better. We only had a delicious pinch since we were already indulged too much on our mini vacation.  We stopped by the shore one last time before leaving. During our trip we walked along the ocean shore several times. Living some 150 miles from the nearest ocean this type of walk is a special treat! Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources "Throw Out The Lifeline" Video Table Singers Throw out the lifeline across the dark wave; There is a brother whom someone should save; Somebody's brother! Oh, who then will dare To throw out the lifeline, his peril to share? Refrain: Throw out the lifeline! Throw out the lifeline! Someone is drifting away; Throw out the lifeline! Throw out the lifeline! Someone is sinking today. Throw out the lifeline with hand quick and strong: Why do you tarry, why linger so long? See! he is sinking; oh, hasten today And out with the life boat! Away, then, away! Throw out the lifeline to danger-fraught men, Sinking in anguish where you've never been; Winds of temptation and billows of woe Will soon hurl them out where the dark waters flow. Soon will the season of rescue be o'er, Soon will they drift to eternity's shore; Haste, then, my brother, no time for delay, But throw out the lifeline and save them today. This is the lifeline, oh, tempest-tossed men, Baffled by waves of temptation and sin; Wild winds of passion, your strength cannot brave, But Jesus is mighty, and Jesus can save. Jesus is able! To you who are driv'n Farther and farther from God and from Heav'n, Helpless and hopeless, o'erwhelmed by the wave, We throw out the lifeline—'tis, "Jesus can save." This is the lifeline, oh, grasp it today! See, you are recklessly drifting away; Voices in warning, shout over the wave, Oh, grasp the strong lifeline, for Jesus can save. "Haven Of Rest" Video J. Ashley Milne "Shelter In The Time Of Storm" Video J. Ashley Milne "The Parable of the Lifesaving Station" Video Today's story set in a video format. |
 Stephen and Brooksyne Weber Our 36th anniversary photo (Click on photo to enlarge) "We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update (Revised 4/12)  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 supporting 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 6/7/12: $6,465.00. 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. These messages are 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 |
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