Daily Encouragement (01/31/13) "Distressed To Action"

Daily Encouragement Net
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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 ·   ·     ·    Click here to support our ministry. <Previous Message       ·       Archive edition Thursday, January 31, 2013 This winter cabin in the northern Pennsylvania mountains sure looks welcoming! (Photo by Greg Schneider) Listen to this message on your audio player. "Distressed To Action" "While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there" (Acts 17:16,17). Walking through Washington last Friday there was much to cause distress. Of course we were there for the March For Life and thus a focus for us was the matter of abortion. However we also consider the many ungodly and socially destructive policies coming out of the Capitol and in some ways, although not idols in the sense of those which distressed Paul, they are in a spiritual sense the idols of modern man rejecting God. However in a literal sense we were sadly amused and distressed at more than a few "public art" displays, no doubt paid for by taxpayer funds. Of course some art displays revealed a recognizable creative skill such as the stately sculptures but others appear to be rusting pieces of steel randomly stacked in an asymmetrical pile. I suppose you have to be a modern art "expert" to appreciate it but I've seen more attractive piles of metal in scrapyards! Yesterday, while visiting with our friend, Lee, we talked about a ministry located directly across from the Supreme Court Building. It seeks to provide a source of light and witness to that spiritually dark city. In fact there is a large stone engraving of the Ten Commandments in front of their building. Rob Schenck is a minister to elected and appointed officials in Washington, leading a ministry called "Faith and Action" which seeks to affect the hearts and minds of public policy makers in America with the mandate given by Christ in the two Great Commandments: "Love God With All Your Heart, Soul, Mind and Strength", and "Love Your Neighbor As Yourself". Athens was the intellectual and cultural center of the ancient world, a beautiful city that is a popular tourist destination to this day. In the providence of God Paul was led there and while waiting for his ministry associates, Silas and Timothy, he ministered to the people there in Athens. Redeeming the time while reaching out to others' spiritual needs is a shining example for us yet today.  But what struck Paul and was recorded by the historian was his being "greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols". When we walk in the light we should be distressed by darkness. The verses that follow reveal that this distress did not lead Paul to despair but to a bold proclamation of the truth that brings light. Paul saw the city from a spiritual perspective. Being grounded in his knowledge of the Law of God he was "greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols" (v. 16). I understand these idols are among the tourist attractions of Athens yet today but to Paul they were a stark reminder of man's ignorance and disobedience to God. Rather than being impressed Paul was distressed. As we walk with a spiritual perspective this should be our reaction as well, even to the many wonders of our modern day "Athens". Paul did not remain silent or intimidated, but "reasoned", first with the religiously inclined "in the Synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks", and then to everyone "in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there."  The word translated to "reason" is "dialegomai" from which we get "dialogue" in English.  It means "to say thoroughly, i.e. discuss."  We need to realize that in God's providence He has placed each of us where we are and His will is that we walk and speak out as His witnesses. Today boldly look for appropriate times to speak out and express your faith. Many will ignore or mock you. Others will say, "we want to hear you again on this subject" as they did in Athens (v.32).  But some will believe (v.34).  Today all over the world we encourage you to check your distress level at the darkness that surrounds you and like Paul boldly speak out letting God's light shine brightly through you! Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Father, there are numerous subject matters that are troubling to the believer as darkness continues to spread throughout our land. What a blessing to know that the darkness of sin cannot overcome the light of Truth revealed through Jesus who is the Way, the Truth, the Life.  But we, as believers, must be very careful not to distort, dilute, or digress from Your Biblical instruction. We ask that those walking in darkness will see the light of Christ shining through us. It is in Jesus' name that we pray. Amen. We've been praying for a dear family who is going through a difficult time so Brooksyne gave them a cake and used her rudimentary cake decorating skills to let them know of our prayers. But when I read over the message on the cake I realized it sounded as though we were praying for little people, when in fact, "Short" is simply their last name. Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources "Tell Them"  Video  Andrae Crouch "Endless Grace"  Video  Jonathan and Lisa New Feature: I would like to begin sharing articles I come across in the course of studying for these messages or just poking around the vast internet. In most cases they are not necessarily related to the daily message but may be of interest to our readers. These articles will only be posted once and there will be new ones each post assuming I come across material that I feel may be of interest. The Christian divorce rate myth (what you've heard is wrong) Encouragement in a time of fear A Little Leaven Chronicles the sad state of affairs in so many of the mega churches. I agree with a sentiment from Eternity Matters who wrote, "Please give me a 'boring' service in a plain building where the Bible is preached accurately verse-by-verse and theologically sound songs are done." I am reading this sermon titled, "FILLING UP THE MEASURE OF INIQUITY" by Charles Spurgeon in prep for a future message. Read it and imagine listening to this w/o the aid of PowerPoint!  And we think our generation is so much smarter than previous generations. Rob Schenk shares an interesting first hand, eye witness account of a service he attended in Washington last week. Pastor friend Joe Sherer has an excellent message about dealing with church conflict. audio Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne.

Stephen and Brooksyne Weber (Click on photo to enlarge) "We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update  (Revised 12/31/12) 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 an offering 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. Click here to donate online. 2013 YTD financial offerings to Daily Encouragement Net as of 1/30/13: $1,847.00. 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 to our email list. These messages are never sent by us unsolicited. It was sent to you because you either signed up to receive it OR it was forwarded it to you. You can also subscribe to the Wordpress rss feed or as an email subscription through Wordpress email subscription. (See the email subscription on the right side after opening this page.) 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. Other versions are also occasionally used. © Copyright 2013 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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Daily Encouragement (01/30/13) "A TPR For Anger"

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

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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 ·   ·     ·    Click here to support our ministry. <Previous Message       ·       Archive edition Wednesday, January 30, 2013 Our friend Doris High made a trip north and shares this winter barn photo on her blog. Listen to this message on your audio player. "A TPR For Anger" "Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming" (Proverbs 27:4). "A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control" (Proverbs 29:11). "Man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires" (James 1:20). "In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold" (Ephesians 4:26,27). Several weeks ago our Sunday School teacher, Stan Miller, was teaching on the subject of anger and used an illustration I had never considered before. I sure appreciate illustrations from the regular stuff of life which is how Jesus essentially illustrated when he spoke in parables. Stan spoke of needing something like a TPR valve when we deal with anger. Since my dad did plumbing I knew what he meant when referring to a TPR valve. TPR stands for "Temperature & Pressure Relief". It's a valve virtually all of you have on your hot water heater that is designed to open if the temperature or pressure exceeds a certain point. This is an important safety feature to prevent the hot water heater from exploding. I have never had a TPR open up in my home but I am thankful for this safety feature. Stan asked us to consider what might act as a spiritual TPR when we deal with anger. Well I've had over a week or so to consider this and want to share some thoughts. Anger is an ancient human condition first seen in Cain prior to the first murder. Throughout the Bible we see evidences of unconstrained anger and certainly it is a human condition all readers are familiar with. It gets a lot of attention in the media - whether it's road rage, anger in the workplace, anger in the home, or wherever one chooses to unleash his or her fury on others. However, as a follower of Christ and student of the Bible I believe there's a greater contributing factor to the increase of unconstrained anger. Through much of our history the teachings and principles of the Bible had a restraining impact upon our culture. This even impacted those who were not specifically followers of Jesus Christ. Most knew about the "Golden Rule" - it's just plain common sense. There was an unspoken understanding that we are to be kind and respectful to one another and practice self-control even if it was not reciprocated. But now with this restraint missing we see an epidemic of anger and rage in many forms. Presently there is much discussion about the increase in gun violence such as the horrible school shooting up in Connecticut last month. Politicians are taking measures to deal with it, but virtually no consideration is given regarding the spiritual reasons for this increase in violence. "In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold." In our third daily verse the apostle Paul is giving practical instructions on life to the Ephesian believers. He acknowledges that there will be times the believer is angry. Anger itself is not a sin. The Bible records several occasions when Christ was angry (see Mark 3:5). In fact I believe sometimes it would be unhealthy not to be angry! God included it in our emotional bank and there are times when it is the appropriate response. Yet in this text the Bible lists three vital constraints on anger. We can see these points as being like a TPR: "In your anger do not sin." This indicates there are to be self-imposed constraints on the extent of anger. Obviously harming other people in our anger is sin! (Excepting self-defense circumstances.) "Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry." This indicates there are to be self-imposed constraints on the duration of anger. This prevents the long term, harmful effects of seething anger that easily leads to destructive behavior or a bitter spirit. "And do not give the devil a foothold" This indicates there are to be self-imposed constraints on the ultimate source of destructive anger. If we allow anger to seethe and fervently gather evidence to support or justify our anger we are giving the devil a foothold on our emotions which in turn feeds our actions. Instead of a godly response it will produce a knee jerk reaction from the enemy who holds us down. Let God's Word saturate your life today: "My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires" (James 1:19,20). Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Father, when we are angry You tell us to stay above the fray and sin not. There are times when it is appropriate to be angry such as when we see a person harming another individual; when we have been lied to, when we have been unfairly accused or when we see the rotting decay around us due to the forces of evil. These circumstances along with many others stir up strong emotions with us and often require a response to the matter. Keep us prayerful as we are quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. May we respond as Jesus did to His many accusers, though innocent, He spoke not a word in His defense. And may we be careful not to keep a scoreboard of other's offenses. We pray this in the mighty name of Jesus who forgives us and does not count our sins against us, but rather took them upon Himself.  Amen. Here's an observation on the third constraint from Clarke's Commentary: Neither give place to the devil - Your adversary will strive to influence your mind, and irritate your spirit; watch and pray that he may not get any place in you, or ascendancy over you. As the word διαβολος is sometimes used to signify a calumniator, tale-bearer, whisperer, or backbiter; (1 Timothy 3:11; 2 Timothy 3:3, and Titus 2:3); here it may have the same signification. Do not open your ear to the tale-bearer, to the slanderer, who comes to you with accusations against your brethren, or with surmisings and evil speakings. These are human devils; they may be the means of making you angry, even without any solid pretense; therefore give them no place, that you may not be angry at any time; but if, unhappily, you should be overtaken in this fault, let not the sun go down upon your wrath; go to your brother, against whom you have found your spirit irritated; tell him what you have heard, and what you fear; let your ears be open to receive his own account; carefully listen to his own explanation; and, if possible, let the matter be finally settled, that Satan may not gain advantage over either. This word from Paul Popov of Door of Hope International: On January 27, we received word that Pastor Saeed Abedini was given an eight year prison sentence in the notorious political Evin Prison. He has been charged with planting house churches "that are intended to undermine Iran's national security." This verdict is a terrible blow to his wife Naghmeh who is devastated. "With today's development I am devastated for my husband and my family," she said. "We must now pursue every effort, turn every rock, and not stop until Saeed is safely on American soil." Please continue to pray for him, his wife Naghmeh and his 6-yr-old daughter and 4-yr-old son who need their daddy home in Idaho. To read more on this story please visit www.dohi.org Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources "All I Have Is Christ"  Video  Sovereign Grace Music "Man's Anger"  Video  An interesting selection of verses on anger. "The Fierce Fruit of Self-Control" article by John Piper Today's barn photo was taken by our friend Doris High in her photo collection titled "Going to Prison" Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne.

Stephen and Brooksyne Weber (Click on photo to enlarge) "We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update  (Revised 12/31/12) 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 an offering 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. Click here to donate online. 2013 YTD financial offerings to Daily Encouragement Net as of 1/29/13: $1,506.00. 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 to our email list. These messages are never sent by us unsolicited. It was sent to you because you either signed up to receive it OR it was forwarded it to you. You can also subscribe to the Wordpress rss feed or as an email subscription through Wordpress email subscription. (See the email subscription on the right side after opening this page.) 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. Other versions are also occasionally used. © Copyright 2013 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!

 

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Daily Encouragement (01/29/13) "A Lesson From A Pre-Born Baby"

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

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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 ·   ·     ·    Click here to support our ministry. <Previous Message       ·       Archive edition Tuesday, January 29, 2013 Snowy path We often share photos of the path along our favorite trail across from our house. It makes for a beautiful walk through the snow, especially when you make the first footprints in the snow! But today it's warming up and the snow will soon be gone. Here's a spring photo of the same trail which is located here (google map). Listen to this message on your audio player. Note: For several messages we have been dealing with the prolife issue. This will be the last message in regard to this (for now). "A Lesson From A Pre-Born Baby" "When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit" (Luke 1:41). "But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:15). In the course of our chaplain work I often visit with young men who inform me that their wife* is expecting a baby. Of course, for first time dads, they excitedly announce, "I'm going to be a dad." I generally place my hand on their shoulder, look them straight in the eye and say with a big smile, "You are a dad". Postmodernism has contributed greatly to the devaluing of life. Several years ago I read an article in "Consumer Reports" which candidly dealt with birth control and also touched on the subject of abortion, describing it as a procedure to remove "uterine contents." Is that a new low in Orwellian Speech or what! There's a powerful truth in our daily verses. Notice the phrase "how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures." Timothy had a godly mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5). They apparently made known the Holy Scriptures to Timothy even as an infant. The word "infant" is a very interesting Greek word, "brephos". This same word is used in Luke 1:41 and 44 to describe John while he was in his mother's womb. Being in a familiar narrative section read often during the Christmas season we may fail to see the doctrinal significance in it. The angel assured Mary of God's special plan for her (Luke 1:35) and she submitted to this plan (1:38). She also learned that her relative Elizabeth was with child as well and in her sixth month of pregnancy (1:36). After the angel's message she "hurried" to see Elizabeth and her greeting prompted the baby to leap in Elizabeth's womb. The Greek uses the word "brephos" for baby here. This word is used nine times in the New Testament for both preborn and infant children. No distinction is made between the two in New Testament Greek. This joyful baby was John who had another three months of prenatal development and security inside his mother's womb at the time of Mary's visit. Today babies are routinely slaughtered at this age and even older. An abortion is performed every 20 seconds in the United States alone. John was not considered by his mother to be "uterine contents" but a tiny developing baby, who grew up to make a mighty impact in fulfilling the purpose for which God made him. Timothy was impacted by the Holy Scriptures from infancy, which I certainly believe is prenatal development as well. Even many in the world recognize the intricate development that takes place in the womb, not only physically but in other ways as well. However, it's Elizabeth's response to Mary that is most interesting and instructive: "In a loud voice she exclaimed: 'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!  But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?'" (Luke 1:42-43). Notice Elizabeth's recognition of Mary as "Mother of my Lord".  How long had Mary been a mother?  Of course we don't know exactly but it would seem to be approximately three months after her miraculous conception. Yet Elizabeth calls her "the mother of my Lord".  Most all abortions are now performed after the point of Elizabeth's declaration that Mary was a mother! Today, friends, whatever Biblical issue is being assaulted in your corner of the world, keep standing for the truth. A lie, no matter how it is packaged, regardless of who repeats it or how often it's repeated, whether or not a majority holds to it, it is still a lie!  Let us commit to being people of truth in the midst of a world that redefines or "modernizes" truth to promote its own biased agenda. Be encouraged today, Stephen and Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Father, when You took the dust of the ground to form man and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life You had a purpose for his existence on earth. And You have a purpose for all human life. Forgive us for assuming that we know more than You, the Creator of life, in willfully choosing whether one is allowed to live and another is destined to die before one breathes his or her first independent breath. We thank You for the millions who take a visible stand for life, based not on a popular theme but on truths established in Your Holy Word. Help us to be vigilant in doing what is right and good in Your sight, even when it is inconvenient and costly to our personal lives. In our disposable society help us never to dispose of human life that You created or to dispose of truths that You intended for us to live by in favor of a political, intellectual, or financial agenda. We pray for those in the abortion industry who are motivated by financial gain by the taking of innocent life much like Judas who took the 30 pieces of silver as He handed Jesus over to those who would crucify Him. Like Joseph's brothers who took the 20 pieces of silver in exchange for selling their innocent brother. Father, we look to You in faith asking that You speak to the indifferent and bigoted hearts that cause innocent lives to be slaughtered every minute of every day.  We pray this impassioned prayer in the name of Jesus who said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life." Amen. * Far too often it's his girlfriend rather than wife Examples of misconceptions, stereotypes and outright lies about being pro-life (anti-abortion).  I hope any liberal leaning family members, friends or even seeking readers will read this extra portion. Pro-life people only care about the unborn fetus, they don't care about the mother or even the baby after it's born.  This is one of the most dastardly and frequent cheap shots that is blatantly false, yet due to it being drummed up constantly it is believed by many. Everywhere I have been pro-life people have supported programs for mothers and their children. Last week I stopped by an Amish farm to pick up some donations for mothers of newborn infants. This extended family determined that rather than giving gifts to each other this Christmas they would give to mothers and their babies. Every church I have been in has programs to support mothers and their children. Yet this becomes a strawman that even Christians have been seduced into repeating. Several years ago I was at a conference in Washington and heard a pro-life Democratic congressman speak. He said to the effect, "One side is good about caring for life before the baby is born, the other is good after the baby is born (implying that you couldn't do both). I still recall the verbal groans from the conference participants at such a faulty statement. An Iranian American pastor from Boise, Idaho has been convicted on national security charges in Iran. 32-year-old Saeed Abedini had been traveling back and forth to Iran for humanitarian reasons, most recently to build an orphanage. He was arrested in September for planting churches that the government claimed were undermining national security. The verdict was announced over the weekend: eight years in prison. His attorney is appealing the case. Pray that Saeed will be released to his eager family and that God will use this for His glory. Abortion foes are all Catholic. Certainly Catholics were dominant at the March For Life (I believe it's sponsored by the Catholic Knights Of Columbus. Catholics have commendably maintained a strong pro-life stand from their leadership although many practicing Catholics including politicians are pro-abortion.)   However there are many other religious groups that support the pro-life position and at the March for Life we saw signs stating "Presbyterians for Life" and so forth. I recall years ago seeing a sign at the March that stated "Atheists For Life". Both church affiliations I associate with hold a strong pro-life position. Abortion foes are violent, spurring on the murders of those who practice abortion. Pro-life people immediately and unambiguously condemn violence of this type and any violence for that matter. Abortion foes are bitter, hateful people.  Not the people I have met in nearly forty years of being in this cause. In the March Friday we did not see any counter demonstrators but they might have been there. We were instructed by the leadership not to engage with them but rather be pleasant, smile, and pray if confronted by a pro-abortion counter demonstrator. Let me also add that we were repeatedly instructed to pick up all our trash in contrast that to the despicable mess we witnessed personally by the Occupy Lancaster group who camped out in a park downtown turning it into a shanty town with tents and so forth. This is just a partisan political issue. Historically there have been both pro-life and pro-abortion politicians in each major party. At the rally we went to on Friday a Pro-Life Democrat congressman spoke from the podium and was treated with respect. (This was not the same one I heard at the conference mentioned above.) Abortion foes are anti-women, engaged in a "war on women". This is an example of the lies and demagoguery so prevalent in our political discourse. Of course we are not anti-women!!! Over half at the March for Life were women by my observation. And consider this: certainly worldwide and perhaps even in the states far more female babies are killed in abortions than male. Abortion foes hate women who have had an abortion. False. This is a matter we have dealt with in our churches and chaplaincy ministry. We can extend the promise of God's forgiveness and His healing. Scores and scores of  women do regret that they had an abortion. Abortion foes think if they can just stop abortion that everything will be fine. Some might think this but most realize the problems in our culture, as a result of forsaking God, are multi-faceted. Abortion foes are only concerned about their one single issue. Most abortion foes are concerned about many other issues as well. Those of you who read our materials regularly know that we sure are. Let me add that any time a public figure speaks out on this issue it is likely to be misconstrued. Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources Several readers sent interesting material on the topic of Pro-Life we've been considering the last several days. Alexander Tsiaras: Conception to birth -- visualized  A stunning video "They Said 'No!'" "What Happened When 12 Nurses Refused To Participate In Abortion." "A Morbid Anniversary"  Paul Hyle He ends his article with this: "How long will God put up with this tsunami of abortion — and the moral and spiritual depravity that fosters it? I don't know. But 40 years is a Biblical time of testing or probation. That time is now up. I fear for our nation. But I trust in our God."  Amen! Here's a perspective on the article in Consumer Reports referred to in today's encouragement. The specific phrase in the Consumer Reports article to describe the murder of the prenatal baby is "The uterine contents are sucked out using a manual or electrical pump while the woman is under local anesthesia." More Pro-Life songs: "Mary Did You Know"  Video  Mark Lowery "Meant To Be"  Video  Ryan Scott Bomberger  Ryan, who spoke at the rally, has a remarkable testimony of being conceived through rape. Watch the video if you want to see how God can raise up Ryan from from such horrible circumstances and use him for His glory. "Everything To Me"  Video  Mark Schultz  When Mark Schultz wrote the song "Everything to Me," the story of a young mother choosing to place her newborn baby into the care of an adoptive family, he had more than just a pro-life sentiment in mind. He had his life in mind. Because that young mother was his mom. (This was the song playing that we mentioned in one of the captions above.) "Choose Life"  Video  Big Tent Revival A prolife playlist  We have not listened to all these songs but it should give you an idea of suitable songs. "Those Who Never Were"  Video  Lindsey Thompson "Sanctity of Life"  Video  Musician not specified but beautiful song! "Let Them Be Little"  Video  Billy Dean "Give me A Chance"  Video   Karl Kohlhase "Stunning videos with musical background"  Video Here's a message we shared several years ago related to this topic titled "Being Hated" Here is info about the March For Life we participated in Friday. "Eternity Matters" is a blog I find insightful and provided the tip regarding the article on the liberal Daily Kos (which I don't regularly read!). Here's that post. Here's the original Daily Kos article along with comments which further demonstrate their hateful, virulent position. However to their credit there are several pro-abortion comment posters that do express their view that the article is way over the top. In the course of study I also came across this article which demonstrates the horrific blindness. "So what if abortion ends life?" Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne.

Stephen and Brooksyne Weber (Click on photo to enlarge) "We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update  (Revised 12/31/12) 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 an offering 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. Click here to donate online. 2013 YTD financial offerings to Daily Encouragement Net as of 1/28/13: $1,506.00. 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 to our email list. These messages are never sent by us unsolicited. It was sent to you because you either signed up to receive it OR it was forwarded it to you. You can also subscribe to the Wordpress rss feed or as an email subscription through Wordpress email subscription. (See the email subscription on the right side after opening this page.) 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. Other versions are also occasionally used. © Copyright 2013 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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