A daily, Bible-based message of hope and encouragement.
 A daily, Bible-based message of hope, encouragement and exhortation. Click here to support our ministry.The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber. <Previous Message · Archive edition Thursday, February 7, 2013  Stone wall in a Mount Joy, PA farmhouse (Photo by Nick Nichols)  Listen to this message on your audio player."Haven Of Grace" "Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ" (Ephesians 2:12,13).  We enjoy the name of our town, Mount Joy, which might seem to have a spiritual background but this is not the case. Mount Joy is often included in lists of "delightfully-named towns" in Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Also included are Intercourse, Blue Ball, Lititz, Bareville, Bird-in-Hand and Paradise. The name is often shortened to Mt. Joy but this is incorrect, since the "Mount" in Mount Joy does not refer to a mountain. The town's name Mountjoy, named after an Irish ship, was brought to the colonies by settlers from Ireland. Let's consider another interesting name for a town. Havre de Grace is a city in Maryland about 55 miles south of us situated at the mouth of the Susquehanna River and the head of Chesapeake Bay. It is named after the port city of Le Havre, France, which in full was once Le Havre de Grâce. This is French for "Haven of Grace".In our daily Scripture text the Apostle Paul is reminding the Ephesian believers where they came from before they entered their spiritual haven of grace. "Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world." One commentator makes this observation: The Gentiles are characterized spiritually by five "less" attributes:
 A major theme in Paul's epistle to the Ephesians is grace. A helpful acrostic explaining grace is "God's Riches At Christ's Expense". Thank God that we can point people without hope in the direction of a haven of grace! "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ."Consider our inheritance as a believer in Christ in the spiritual realm which is a result of God's grace. Our past is forgiven, our present is abundant life in Christ, and our future is heaven, forever with Him. What could be greater than those blessings. And grace upon grace is the fact that it's available to everyone including those whose lives are wrecked!  Now let's all spread the good news of our caring, loving God to a broken, hurting world and tell them of this haven of grace! There is no vessel too broken that God's healing touch can't restore. That which is impossible with man is possible with God!Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber  Daily prayer: Father, we limit our faith when we pray and then expect You to provide for our needs in the natural human way. But when we read the Scriptures we're reminded me that You are Omnipotent and You work in supernatural ways to restore broken lives and mend broken hearts. You do extraordinary things in ordinary lives who've plunged into desperate messes of their own making. We place our loved ones in Your hands and ask You to reveal Your immeasurable, not for sale grace to their lives, even as You have shown to us. Thank You for grace, God's riches at Christ's expense. Amen.Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources In Monday's message we considered the blessing of brothers and I listed times in the Bible when brothers are mentioned. I had forgotten to include the two brothers in the story of the Prodigal son. "A Place Called Grace" Video Phillips, Craig and Dean A powerful retelling of the Prodigal Son "When God Ran" Video Phillips, Craig and Dean "The Prodigal Son" Video Keith Green   These are articles we 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 we come across material that we feel may be of interest. (To see previous links use the archive version.)"Ex-Christians: Ways to Bring Back the Leavers" An interesting article by Steve Cable on the Probe Ministries website. Despite Iran's Lies, American Pastor Saeed Not Forgotten "During Monday's visit with family, Pastor Saeed expressed apprehension and concern about his fate, openly questioning whether efforts are still underway to secure his freedom. It appears the Iranian prison guards continue their lies – pushing propaganda to try and convince Pastor Saeed that he has been forgotten." See Hebrews 13:3 "Counseling and the Church" David Penley asserts that "Counseling takes place in the church all the time. In Sunday School classes, in worship services, in hallways. The church is where it should take place." We really believe this such as in our worship service Sunday when a man who will soon turn 90 stood up during the testimony time and began by stating, "I'm on the home stretch" prior to dispensing some wisdom for all ages. 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 2/6/13: $1,897.00. 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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