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, June 13, 2013  These colorful petunias cover an old bike at a roadside flower stand we passed here in Lancaster County.  Listen to this message on your audio player. "Not A Slippery Rock!" "He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand" (Psalm 40:2). "For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 3:11). I visited the other night with Gary Zigner, a man who was raised in Tower City, Pennsylvania. Knowing it was near a town named FearNot PA I asked him if he knew how that town got its name. He didn't know but since he went to Slippery Rock University, he asked me if I knew how it got its name. Well, I didn't. Now, for any who may think I am kidding, that is the real name of a college here in Pennsylvania. It's named after a creek running through the small northwest Pennsylvania town that to this day has slippery rocks. The team mascot is "The Rock" Legend has it that the name derives from an incident during the pioneer days when soldiers were being chased by Seneca Indians. Wearing boots the soldiers were able to cross the creek without falling while the Indians, wearing their moccasins, slipped on the rocks and fell into the creek as the soldiers got away. The Indian name for the creek is "Wechachochapohka". Thank God today for a firm place to stand! Sometimes in the course of walking the Pilgrim pathway the road gets slippery. An old hymn speaks of a condition many of us can identify with, "When all around my soul gives way". Periodically we are battered by conditions that shake us greatly. But that phrase for those who know hymn lyrics goes on to state, "He then is all my hope and stay." The Psalmist David so graphically describes such a condition in his own life. He begins Psalm 40 by declaring, "I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry." I am so thankful today that the God of the ages continues to incline toward us and He hears our cries! He is a very present help in times of trouble. The specific situation David is going through in his life is unknown, but I feel he is speaking of some period of deep despair. His words ring with the pain and desperation of the situation, "He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire". Have you ever felt as if you were in a slimy pit of mud and mire? I sure have. What great assurance for believers of all ages is found in David's simple description, "He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand." We may find this assurance in the broadest sense describing our salvation or in a narrower, specific sense describing deliverance from the difficult, seemingly hopeless situations we encounter in life. Let us rejoice that we, along with the Psalmist, who served God some 3,000 years ago, can declare with confidence, "He has set my feet on a rock". We need to be reminded of our position in Christ and the wonderful unshakable God we serve. Today as the earth groans and we witness the effects of the Fall on man and nature, let us early fortify ourselves with God's Truth. The Psalmist was reminded of where he came from and who delivered him, "He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire". Thank God today for His amazing grace. You are reading this and have an interest in spiritual things because of God's mercy and grace. Pause to thank God for that rich blessing right now! Today, I urge you to continue to cry out and wait patiently on the Lord! The immutable God continues to set the feet of His children on the rock and provide a firm place to stand. I'm standing on the Rock of Ages, Safe from all the storm that rages, Rich but not from Satan's wages, I'm standing on the Solid Rock. Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber  Daily prayer: Father, it seems that each new day brings changes, some of which we welcome but others that bring uncertainty and even dread. How wonderful to know that You are our Rock and our Shield upholding us with Your gracious right hand. No night is so dark that the light of Your Son, Jesus, does not penetrate the darkness that would otherwise over take us. Keep us joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.Today's Indian name for the Slippery Rock Creek reminded me of another Indian name for a lake in Massachusetts which happens to be the longest place name for any geographical place in America. Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg. It means "you fish on your side, I fish on my side, and no one fishes in the middle." It's also known as Webster Lake and is near Southbridge Massachusetts where two longtime friends of ours, Wayne and Yvette Gallagher, are planting a church. However although churches are using many types of new names we do not suggest this one!"The Solid Rock" Video Guy Penrod "The Solid Rock" Video Glad (acappella) "I'm Standing On The Solid Rock" Video Homecoming Singers "No More Night" Video David Phelps David Fisher is a Canadian friend who for many years was the chaplain for the Toronto Bluejays. He wrote a blogpost titled "This Pilgrim Pathway" in his Pilgrim Scibblings blog. "For centuries hymnwriters have referred to the Christian life in terms of pilgrimage. During the night several hymns/gospel songs came to mind and I found myself singing them over subconsciously. The common expression in each was the word "pilgrim". Let me share a few of them with you." |
 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 6/12/13: $9,418.00 SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION  If a friend forwarded this to you, you can subscribe here.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 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: These messages are only sent from us to people who request it; please accept our apologies if it reached you in error. You can unsubscribe from this list at any time. 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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