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 A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. Home About Us Archives Free email subscription  Listen to these messages  Text only for printing  See here for more info. <Previous Message · Archive edition Friday, June 6, 2014  We visited Fisher's Greenhouse near Strasburg PA, an extremely tidy operation ran by an Amish family, not only the neatly arranged plants but even the clothes hanging on the line. Click on photo for a larger view. "The People Who Know Their God" Listen to us read this message on your audio player."He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action" (Daniel 11:32). "God’s Spirit specifically tells us that in later days there will be men who abandon the true faith and allow themselves to be spiritually seduced by teachings of the devil" (1 Timothy 4:1). "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith" (1 Peter 5:8,9). From the time of the successful seduction of Adam and Eve the enemy has sought to continue the seduction in each of their descendants. And from the very beginning flattery has been one of the most effective tools in Satan's diabolical arsenal. In the Garden Satan appealed to their pride declaring, "You will be like God" (Genesis 3:5). Today the great spiritual war rages on. I ask you to consider the cosmic struggle underlying all that we see with our eyes. So many are being seduced by the teachings of the devil.  The latter portion of Daniel is a series of prophetic messages dealing with events that stretch from his time (about 550 BC) through the various historically verifiable world empires to the present and beyond. It can be a tough read requiring much concentration.The flattering "he" in the daily text is a king whose modus operandi is to "seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant". Although the specific "he" in the text may not be Satan, surely it represents his ongoing, persistent attempts to seduce God's people through the likes of such people as this king. Any violation of a covenant results in further seduction if there is no repentance offered. As the apostle Paul stated, "a man reaps what he sows" (Galatians 6:7). But the focus of this daily encouragement is the latter part of the text, which has such an application for all times. "But the people who know their God." In every generation God has called out a people who know Him. Not in the sense of merely knowing about Him nor through the experiences of others, but in their own experience and through a deepening of understanding and a more fully surrendered heart. The apostle Paul wrote many years after his conversion experience when he initially came to know Christ, "I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death" (Philippians 3:10). This surely speaks of an ongoing aspiration to know God in a greater and deeper way. When we walk in the resurrection power that comes from Christ we will experience and overcome the sufferings that also come to the believer as we share in His sufferings. Too often we want the resurrection power, but resist the suffering that comes to those who identify with Christ in His death. "Shall stand firm and take action." This growing knowledge of God will equip us as His people to unyieldingly resist the ploys of Satan. It is so easy to be seduced and led astray if we are not aware of Satan's tactics. We can learn about them since they are revealed all throughout the Scriptures. In my heart I have such a deep sense of the urgency of this warning and remind our readers to "be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.". Fellow believer in Christ, today let us pursue a growing knowledge of God as we surrender ourselves fully to His control, and let us firmly resist the enemy of our souls. Let us determine that we will keep our covenant with God and truly be a people who know our God and stand firm and take action. Oh, I want to know You more, Deep within my soul I want to know You, Oh, I want to know You; To feel Your heart and know Your mind. Looking in Your eyes stirs up within me Cries that say, "I want to know You, Oh, I want to know You more, Oh, I want to know You more." Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber  Daily prayer: Father, deep within our soul there is a yearning to know You more, to identify with You in Your power, and even in Your suffering, and also in Your victory over Satan. What a powerful example You give us as You were tempted in the desert for 40 days and 40 nights. Satan had a plot, but You had a plan to refute every scheme he laid out by responding with Scripture. Scripture that was spoken and recorded long before the wilderness battle ensued. Help us to be like-minded, to learn and embrace the Scriptures, so that we will do battle with the enemy not by our might or strength that might actually be weakened in the midst of it, but in the powerful strength that comes through the inspiration of Your Holy Word meant for all time. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.Fisher's Greenhouse Strasburg, PA  For some time I have been intrigued by these vertical planting surfaces. I observed carefully and found that these plants' roots are woven through cocoa matting. On the other side of the cocoa matting is soil about 3 inches deep enclosed in a steel frame. The result is the frame can be hung on a wall and the plants grow vertically.  Lots of containers  Lots of interesting plants.  The greenhouse had many folksy signs like this one.  At our Amish friends place we saw a plant from Fisher's Greenhouse where she shops in the spring and summer season.  Last night our friends Chris and Gena joined us for dinner and we took them on our favorite Donegal Creek walk Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources "Oh, I Want To Know You More" Video Steve Green "Knowing You" Video This is a great song of aspiration that many of you have sung in a church service.  Yesterday's photo: We shared this photo yesterday and inquired why the buggy had "10" written on the side. Some may have wondered if Jesse drove his buggy in the NASCAR race in Dover DE this last Sunday. (But everyone knows the Amish would never race on Sunday.) Some may also surmise that Jesse in marking "10" on his buggy is showing support for his favorite NASCAR driver but this is not the case either and if it was his wife would not be pleased. Actually his grandmother died last week and Jesse was a pall bearer. The buggies are numbered for the funeral procession. Several readers answered the question properly. Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne  Stephen and Brooksyne Weber (Click on photo to enlarge)About Us "We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update (Revised 10/21/13) 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. 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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. Your answers are anonymous and I we are unable to respond. If you want to send a personal message use the 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 2014 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved Daily Encouragement Net Stephen & Brooksyne Weber 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552  Endorsed chaplain "Living securely today anchored in God's solid foundation" www.dailyencouragement.net |
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