Daily Encouragement (10/31/14) "Being A Shining Light"

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The on line Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber 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     Follow Daily Encouragement on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn          See here for more info. <Previous Message       ·       Archive edition Friday, October 31, 2014 Today we drove on Route 322 over a ridge in northern Lancaster County and see many of the trees have lost all their leaves for the season. Note: Due to a very busy day a podcast was not prepared for this message. "Being A Shining Light" "The light shines in the darkness" (John 1:5). "Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them" (Ephesians 5:11). For about 7½ years in the 1990's we lived in New England, where I pastored a church about 35 miles south of Boston in Taunton, Massachusetts. Salem, about 16 miles north of Boston, is a historic town best known for the witch trials held in the late 1600's. It is still a center for witchcraft and other deeds of darkness. In fact it proudly promotes its reputation as the "witch city". I recall sensing the spiritual darkness even as we walked through the city on one occasion. As best as I can determine there are several Bible-faithful churches in the city and certainly more in the surrounding area. Last night I communicated with a pastor in Salem who is standing true for Biblical Christianity. What a mighty job he and his congregants have in letting the light of Christ shine through them to the darkness that pervades that area. Halloween is a very significant day for witchcraft and satanic activities in Salem (and elsewhere), and yet the true church will have mission outreaches. I read about ministries that especially seek to share Christ at the the annual Halloween festival. The light of Christ will shine as they expose the fruitless deeds of darkness. May the Lord bless these worthwhile efforts! Thankfully, God has a light shining in the midst of this darkness and the true church has seen many people turn from worthless deeds of darkness to God's marvelous light.  The first daily verse fundamentally speaks of Christ. He is the Light and indeed He shines in the darkness. Wherever you live there is darkness, although some places are certainly much more spiritually dark. We noted such a difference in this regard when we moved from Northern Pennsylvania to New England and now to Lancaster County. However, wherever you live there is spiritual darkness, since the prince of darkness resides among us, but we thank God that he does not reside with us who have declared allegiance to the King of light. The verb "shines" in the first daily text is in the present tense and can be understood as "the light keeps on giving light." Jesus teaches His followers, "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:14-16). Today, all over the world serious believers are allowing the light of Christ to shine through them. This light exposes the fruitless deeds of darkness and this is the essence of spiritual warfare. Darkness hates the light. Yet faithful followers of Christ will continue to let their light shine, essentially reflecting the Light, who is Christ. In our second daily verse the Apostle Paul makes a very unambiguous statement: "Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them."  It's a call desperately needed in our culture and increasingly so in the Church. By obeying it will subject us to ridicule among many who "love the darkness rather than the light" (John 3:19). In fact the world wants to silence those who speak out for truth exposing darkness by the Light of His Word. You see, when we get used to the darkness it just may not seem as dark anymore.  Remember the childhood phrase, "my eyes got used to the dark." I believe that can be true of our spiritual eyes as well. As the old song says we must "in the light of His presence continually dwell." Today, all over the world serious believers are allowing the light of Christ to shine through them. This light exposes the fruitless deeds of darkness and this is the essence of spiritual warfare. Darkness hates the light. Yet faithful followers of Christ will continue to let their light shine, essentially reflecting the Light, who is Christ. May each reader today shine brightly the light of the world which is Jesus! Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Father, You created us to be people who function and thrive by light.  Your placement of the sun by day and the moon by night is the way You provide for our physical needs enabling us to see clearly as we carry out our multitude of duties.  As important as light is for the eyes to see, it is even more essential that the eyes of our heart see the magnificent light of Your glory.  As we walk in Your light we will be able to discern that which is evil from that which is good.  We know that goodness cannot partner with wickedness for there is no harmony between You and the devil so help us to be consistent not only in what we speak but the manner in which we live so that the fruit of light is evident in all we do.  In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. This morning we bought two neck pumpkins weighing nearly 60 pounds! Miners Village near Cornwall in Lebanon County PA. These were built as company homes in 1865 for miners and furnace workers at a nearby quarry and iron furnace. Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources "Shine Jesus, Shine"  Video  Congregation at Royal Albert Hall, London "Shine On Us"  Video  Philips, Craig and Dean "This Little Light Of Mine"  Video  The Kingston Trio "Table Of Grace"  Video  Phillips, Craig & Dean 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. 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. 2014 YTD offerings to Daily Encouragement Net: $10,697.00 SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION If this email was forwarded 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. 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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Daily Encouragement (10/30/14) "Shun The Wrong And Do The Right"

Daily Encouragement Net
A daily, Bible-based message of hope and encouragement. Having trouble reading this message? 
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The on line Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber 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     Follow Daily Encouragement on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn          See here for more info. <Previous Message       ·       Archive edition Thursday, October 30, 2014 Fall scene in Minnesota Photo by Georgia Listen to this message on your audio player. "Shun The Wrong And Do The Right" "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good" (Romans 12:9). "Abstain from every form of evil" (1 Thessalonians 5:22). "Find out what pleases the Lord" (Ephesians 5:10). Our pastor and his wife were out of town this last Lord's Day and Milford Brubaker was our guest speaker. He is an older man who had pastored for 53 years and still enjoys getting out to preach. He preached an old-fashioned type message that we both appreciated. In recent years he has become legally blind and told us he had a hard time even seeing any faces out in the congregation, but he was certain we were there. We commend his faithfulness. Something he did, which seems to be a thing of the past, especially warmed our hearts when he spontaneously broke into an old chorus. Of course many of the younger people and those young in the faith had no idea what the lyrics were so they listened while the "old-timers" which includes us broke into song with Pastor Brubaker. We sang an old song which I hadn't heard for many, many years. A line struck me as being such a missing element in so much of today's music and frankly in many cases preaching. I know the Lord will make a way for me, I know the Lord will make a way for me, If I live a holy life, shun the wrong and do the right, I know the Lord will make a way for me. For many years we have enjoyed a song "God Will Make A Way" that has a similar message of assurance. But as we sang the song this last Sunday the line, "If I live a holy life, shun the wrong and do the right" caught my attention. It's a message the people of God need to hear. We join those who hold God's Word as a standard. His Word declares that there are people who do good and live upright and there are people who do evil and live godless lives. Our first daily text states, "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good". The Psalmist wrote, "You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with You the wicked cannot dwell." We are called to "hate what is evil".  This can be misunderstood, so let me elaborate.  We rightly acknowledge love to be a fundamental Christian virtue. Thus there is a tendency to believe that hate of any kind must be forbidden. Yet the apostle Paul commands the early believers in Rome to "hate what is evil".  In the early chapters of the book of Revelation the church in Ephesus was commended by Jesus for a specific hate which He also felt: "You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate" (Revelation 2:6). The Scriptures are very clear: We are to hate evil. We are to hate evil practices such as the scourge of intoxicating alcohol and drugs, sexual immorality and other sins of the flesh. We are to hate evil religious systems which lead men to hell. We are to hate the vile pornographic industry which has snared scores of men and women in its pernicious grip thereby destroying families and increasing sexual crimes. However we are to be agents of God's love and truth to those who are entangled in these horrific evils. They're among the people Christ died for. From each of these backgrounds there are scores and scores of people who've come to trust in Jesus Christ, repented of their sin, and are now our brothers and sisters in the true faith. Just consider a word regarding the redeemed who had come out of a life of sin in 1 Corinthians 6, "such were some of you". We are also "to cling to what is good". Hating evil and clinging to good will surely include a strong stand for that which is truth which includes calling good; good and evil; evil. Let's not invent new words to replace old definitions reflecting the permissive times we live in, such as "love affair" which sounds more acceptable than adultery, or redefining marriage from the clear Scriptural pattern established by God and the list goes on. A powerful verse states, "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil" (Isaiah 5:20). Today may the Lord give us a resolute will to live a holy life, shun the wrong and do the right! Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Father, we cannot remain neutral but must stand for that which is good or we will fall for that which is evil.  Help us, as believers, to cling to that which is good even when it comes at great sacrifice. With the aid of Your Holy Spirit, we will be keenly discerning of the spirits of this age. Philosophies of this world must never trump principles from the Word. We look to You alone, for "There is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." In the name of Jesus we pray.  Amen. Some Further Reflections On Today's Message I recently heard a comment in a Sunday School class where a member similar in age to me was reminiscing about his childhood understanding of Christian faith as primarily obeying a list of "dos and don'ts". Many in my generation that read this may identify with him. Through most of my adult years in much of the church there has been a de-emphasis on "dos and donts", focusing instead upon the love and grace of God and I realize that has been my emphasis as well. That's good! However as so many in recent years have been essentially silent on the "dos and dont's" we have seen an increase in acceptance of sinful behavior even to the point of redefining what is sinful, even in matters which the Bible makes abundantly clear. In our area we have a current controversy where a local school district is set to bring in a speaker who will encourage the kids to sexual abstinence before marriage. Our very liberal local paper called this "controversial" and some vocal parents do not even want this presented, yet other Lancaster County districts are using evil, godless groups like Planned Parenthood to "teach" the students on these matters! And apparently this is not controversial enough to even make the news. Frank Rice, a longtime pastor associate, observes in a letter to the editor: "Let the young people hear what she has to say. Then let them make their own decisions. But remind them they are free to make their own choices but not to choose the consequences."* Yesterday afternoon I was visiting with my friend Mark, who also serves in chaplain ministry (in his case a hospice chaplain). We were discussing the breakdown in morals and especially our observation regarding of the poor choices so many young people are making. I told him about our church service on Sunday and shared the first line of the chorus we feature today. As expected he finished quoting the lyrics, like me recalling when songs like this were common. This is a subject I may develop into a longer article but it occurs to me there is a blessing in "do's and dont's" based upon the Scriptures. 1) Certainly we need to hear and heed specific Scriptural "do's and dont's" and there is no shortage of such lists and specific commands and prohibitions in the Bible. Consider the Ten Commandments or passages like this: 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Galatians 5:19-21, Ephesians 5:3-7. 2) Some "do's and dont's" are based on Scriptural principles yet may not be specifically identified in Scripture. In speaking of the fallen human condition in Romans 1 Paul writes "they invent ways of doing evil" (Romans 1:9). Think of all the new ways of doing evil that have been invented since the Bible was written! And think of how busy people are now in this kind of inventing! 3) Some "do's and dont's" are well-meaning boundaries or fences to keep us out of trouble. We need to be careful though in never saying "the Bible says" when the Bible doesn't address a matter specifically. This can lead to a loss of credibility and lead one to rebel. 4) Finally, and this is especially true in our area with the influence of the Plain or "old order" groups, some "do's and dont's" are a means of making distinctions among different religious groups and as an expression of separation from the world. To outsiders some of these "do's and dont's" can seem very peculiar and it seems to me some groups place a lot of focus on them. Since we have many friends in these groups we converse about this and it's not unusual that they have no idea why they have such a rule! While others recognize them as a "church rule" not a rule listed in the Bible. I am pretty sure my friend in Sunday School was primarily speaking of matters in the 3rd and 4th categories above but it seems to me that so many now have a hard time appreciating any notion of "do's and dont's", including those that are specifically in the Bible or those that have a basis in a Scriptural principle. In fact I believe many in the present age just don't want any mention of things being right and wrong. Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources "God Will Make A Way"   Video  Don Moen (This is the song many of us know well) "I Know The Lord Will Make A Way"  Video  Dennis Ruff This is the version we sang in our church this last Sunday. It is a song written by John T. Benson, Jr in 1950. See if you've ever heard it. "Jesus, I Come"  Video   Homecoming Singers "Glorious Freedom"   Video   Gaither Vocal Band * Frank Rice is a friend who served a church in northern Pennsylvania at the same time we lived in that area. He now serves a church here in Lancaster County and wrote a thought-provoking letter to the editor concerning the "controversial" abstinence speaker: "Maybe someone can clear up the confusion. The Warwick School District has invited a well-known and well-qualified speaker  to come and encourage young people to abstain from sexual activity and some folks, parents I assume, are upset about it? If I understand correctly, you want your young people to make their own decisions and not be influenced by this speaker. Yet our media constantly promotes sexual promiscuity. Many of these young people are influenced by their examples. Some would argue that you can't scare young people into decision-making. Then why do we see wrecked cars on the front lawns of high schools around prom time? Why do we try to scare them away from self-destruction via alcohol and drugs? Are these upset parents anti-abstinence? Let the young people hear what she has to say. Then let them make their own decisions. But remind them they are free to make their own choices but not to choose the consequences. By the way, do I detect a note of negativity from LNP staff toward traditional values? There sure doesn't seem to be any support of them coming off the press." 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. 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. 2014 YTD offerings to Daily Encouragement Net: $10,697.00 SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION If this email was forwarded 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. 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

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!

You are currently subscribed to dailyencouragement as: stephencweber.dailyencouragement@blogger.com Add scweber@dailyencouragement.net to your email address book to ensure delivery.

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