Daily Encouragement (04/05/10) "Risen Indeed!"

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The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. Home · About Us ·· Podcast · Free email <Previous Message  ·  Archives  ·  Archive edition  Monday, April 5, 2010 Daffodil bloom (Photo by Doris High) Listen to this message on your audio player. "Risen Indeed!" "The Lord is risen indeed" (Luke 24:34). "But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead" (1 Corinthians 15:20). What a joy to gather yesterday with other believers and express the glorious truth and power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I still recall the powerful narration line in an Easter musical Brooksyne led years ago that declares, "It's not a fable nor a fairy tale but a true accounting of Jesus Christ, God's only Son." AMEN! Our church sang several of the traditional Easter hymns yesterday including "Christ Arose", "Christ The Lord Is Risen Today" and "He Lives", which we sang at the closing of our service. My favorite line in this hymn written by Alfred Ackley is, "You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart." In 1932 Ackley, a minister of the gospel, met a Jewish man to whom he began witnessing in evangelistic meetings, but the man resisted the Christian faith. He asked, "Why should I worship a dead Jew?" That statement played on Alfred's mind as he prepared his Easter Sunday message. Rising early to prepare for the day, Alfred flipped on the radio as he shaved and was astonished to hear a famous liberal preacher in New York say, "Good morning – it's Easter! You know, folks, it really doesn't make any difference to me if Christ be risen or not. As far as I am concerned, His body could be as dust in some Palestinian tomb. The main thing is, His truth goes marching on!" Alfred wanted to fling the radio across the room. "It's a lie!" he exclaimed. His wife rushed into the bathroom, asking, "Why are you shouting so early in the morning?" "Didn't you hear what that good-for-nothing preacher said?" Alfred replied. That morning, Ackley preached with great vigor on the reality of Christ's Resurrection and he did the same at the evening service. But later that night, he was still worked up about his friend's question and the morning's radio sermon. "Listen here, Alfred Ackley," his wife said at last. "It's time you did that which you can do best. Why don't you write a song about it and then maybe you'll feel better?" Alfred went to his study, opened the Bible, and re-read the Resurrection account from Mark's Gospel. A thrill went through him, and he began writing the words to "He Lives." A few minutes later he was at the piano putting it to music, not dreaming it would become one of the church's most triumphant Easter hymns. (Story from "Then Sings My Soul" by Robert J. Morgan.) The daily text is an ancient declaration of faith which can too easily become a mere cliché. However in just five words it expresses the bedrock truth of Christian faith, "The Lord is risen indeed" and we, like Ackley, need to feel it with strong conviction deep within our soul. This is especially important as true believers present the message of their resurrected Lord to the world. The Easter bunny, the tooth fairy and Santa Claus are thought of by many as wholesome children's tales and the story of the Lord Jesus can easily be reckoned the same way. Some may smile and say regarding the message of Christ, "That is a touching story isn't it?" Many have "Easter faith" expressed by those who "believe" when they attend church on Easter or other special occasions. But then they go about their lives ignoring God, at least until the next special church event! But authentic, saving faith is life transforming in the lives of believers 365 days a year - for the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a genuine, historical event, validated by clear accounts of eyewitnesses. The Scriptures strongly denounce any notion of it being merely a touching story. "And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith." Two early eyewitnesses declared to the disciples, "The Lord is risen indeed." For forty days after His resurrection, He showed Himself and gave many convincing proofs that He was alive (Acts 1:3). And many years later a mightily transformed Peter reminds his readers that, "We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty" (2 Peter 1:16). Today let us faithfully serve this risen Lord. Let us boldly declare to the world that our Lord is risen indeed as we walk daily in the resurrected power of our Lord Jesus Christ! Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Father, Your Word declares that Jesus rose from the dead. The eyewitnesses to this glorious miracle were initially in disbelief but when they were face to face with Jesus they were filled with jubilant hope. It is because You live that we live also. You've put our sin nature to death and raised our spiritual nature to life. And one day our physical nature will give way to death but because of Your power over the grave we will be resurrected to eternal life. Praise be to God, the Lord is risen indeed! Amen. One of the most pleasant farm sights for me is seeing cows out in the pasture. These cows certainly appear to be enjoying the Spring day yesterday. Here's a farm we pass during our walk. We often see sheep grazing in the meadow in the foreground. Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources Click on the link to open and play. (In some cases you may also need to click again to start the song.) "He Lives" (I serve a risen Savior)  Video  Instrumental piano version of the song in today's message. I was unable to find a suitable online vocal version. "Christ The Lord Is Risen Today"  Video "Christ Arose" (Low in the grave He lay)  Video  As I was searching for this song I came across this video and rejoiced that it is being sung in various languages. "He Lives/He's Alive"  Video  A new song (to me anyway) I came across. As we drove to church early yesterday morning through the beautiful Lancaster County countryside Brooksyne and I reminisced concerning several songs on the resurrection we enjoyed as young Christians.  I found recordings of them and they still touch our hearts. "He's Alive"  Video  Don Francisco "I'll Rise Again"  Video  Dallas Holm Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne

"We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update Each weekday morning Brooksyne and I prepare these messages and distribute them at no cost to you and many others all over the world. Would you please consider a financial offering to support us in this daily encouragement ministry? Donations are tax deductible and will be receipted directly by my chaplaincy endorsing ministry. Thanks!  See here for details. 2010 YTD financial offerings as of 4/4/10 $2,988.00 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. This newsletter is never sent unsolicited. It was sent to you because you either signed up to receive it OR a friend forwarded it to you. You can also subscribe to the rss feed. or as an email subscription update through feedburner. You can also subscribe to Daily Encouragement feed updates by email. Cancel: We respect and value your time and privacy. If these messages no longer meet your needs (providing encouragement) you can remove your address by merely use 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. It is merely the Friday message with a link to previous messages. To receive the free weekly version, send a blank email to this address. 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!) Last updated with the story of Mildred Swanson, who joyfully discovers her "spiritual gift" is sending forwarded emails! (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. Daily Encouragement Net is an affiliate of Christianbook.com. Any orders placed to Christian Book Distributers using this link or any specific product link to a recommended resource in a daily encouragement message will help our Daily Encouragement ministry through a small commission on the sale. Thank you for using these links when purchasing online through CBD! 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. © Copyright 2010 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 (04/02/10) "Good Friday"

Daily Encouragement Net - A daily, Bible-based message of hope and encouragement.
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The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. Home · About Us ·· Podcast · Free email <Previous Message  ·  Archives  ·  Archive edition  Friday, April 2, 2010 Listen to this message on your audio player. "Good Friday" "This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross" (Acts 2:23). Last night we partook of Communion in our church followed by a time of foot washing and prayer for one another.  We wanted to emphasize what Christ has done for us as we commemorate the events that took place on Maundy Thursday the night Christ was betrayed. Jesus said to the chief priests when He was arrested, "This is your hour--when darkness reigns" (Luke 22:53).  This hour of darkness appeared to be a hopeless situation for the followers of Christ, an excruciating time in the cosmos from our Lord's arrest to His final cry on the Cross; a time when our Lord Himself said, "Darkness reigns"!  But some 53 days later an empowered Peter stood boldly before the crowd on the Day of Pentecost and gave the first recorded sermon of the Church.  He who had days earlier cowered in fear as he denied knowing Christ, now emphatically addresses many of those same people who had a role in putting Christ to death. I find such richness in the entire daily verse but especially ponder one phrase, "By God's set purpose".  The KJV translates "the determinate counsel".  The atoning, sacrificial death of God's only begotten Son was no accident. Following Abraham's remarkable encounter with God on Mt. Moriah, when God provided a sacrifice for Isaac, "he called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, 'On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided'" (Genesis 22:14).  This verse contains the Hebrew description Jehovah Jireh for God. Many of us have sung the Jewish tune, "Jehovah Jireh, my provider, His grace is sufficient for me." We may take this Hebrew name to mean, "God provides for our everyday needs" but the greatest provision is in regard to our eternal salvation. Seven hundred years before Christ came to earth Isaiah spoke of the One who was "led like a lamb to the slaughter" (Isaiah 53:5).  As Jesus began His ministry John prophetically declared, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"  Even as He was arrested the narrative underscores His foreknowledge, "Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to Him."  And in the final book of the Bible we read about the "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." Today we, who are of the Christian faith, look back nearly 2,000 years ago to the Ultimate Sacrifice.  On this Good Friday we solemnly remember that at the ninth hour our Savior breathed His last at the hands of wicked men.  We also realize this day is good because God showed us the full extent of His love by making restitution for our redemption. Perhaps the merciful attitude expressed in Joseph's response to his wicked brothers, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives" would take on much greater fulfillment as Christ poured out His goodness on those who sought to do Him evil. Yes, surely God intended the Cross for good.  He even used evil hearts to bring about His set purpose.  He was not overcome by evil, but He overcame evil with good.   God's plan of salvation was divine in nature, but He also helps us daily in our overcoming evil with good.   We walk in newness of life and in the power of His resurrection as we battle the enemy. On this Good Friday let us indeed praise God from whom all blessings flow as we remember the greatest Sacrifice. Let us give deep, heartfelt thanks to God for His incomparable love and the demonstration of that love as seen in the One impaled on a bloody cross. Amazing love, O what sacrifice, The Son of God, given for me; My debt He pays and my death He dies, That I might live, that I might live. Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Father, the words that Jesus spoke to the chief priests upon His arrest, "This is your hour… when darkness reigns" would days later turn into the finest hour on the Christian calendar. Torture and death did not have the final say, for darkness dissipated and light broke through as Jesus rose from the tomb. We are joyful and victorious as we walk in the newness of life provided through the death and resurrection of our Savior. We are also reminded that evil and death have no permanent hold over us, for the former things have lost their power because Jesus defeated our greatest enemy. We give thanks to You, God, for Your indescribable gift of salvation through Jesus. Amen. Brooksyne's Note: Our custom is for the men and women to go into separate rooms for the footwashing ceremony. Following our foot washing last night Ester suggested we have a group hug. So the ladies gathered in a circle, from 21 years of age up to 84 years. We interlocked our arms together as we sang, "They'll know we are Christians by our love." Some verbally expressed their appreciation for the sisterhood in Christ as others received that warm message with nods and smiles. There's just something extra special that goes beyond my ability to adequately describe the depth of one's gratitude when joining with believers of like faith as we celebrate the wonder of Christmas and the triumph of Easter. The greatness of God clothing Himself in flesh and giving His all that we might live is heightened when we enjoy these celebrations with our brothers and sisters. If it were possible I'd like to have a group hug with all our listeners and readers of the Daily Encouragement. Wouldn't that be a picture beyond words… since we come from all over the world, speak in many different languages, and vary in age from children to seniors. Some have walked with God for 50 years or more while others only 5 years or less. Some have been raised in godly homes while others knew nothing of Christ until they came to faith as adults. The picture of our interconnection through this faith based website would be a marvel to see, but it's not going to happen on this side. So until we reach the other side we'll just stay connected through the power of the internet and give thanks for the Spirit that makes us one in Christ. Happy Easter to all our devoted readers! A sure sign of spring are the small Amish roadside flower carts which will soon dot the rural roads in our county. We saw our first one for the season yesterday near New Holland PA. Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources Click on the link to open and play. (In some cases you may also need to click again to start the song.) "What Love Is This?"  Video   "By His Wounds"  Video   "Lead Me To The Cross"  Video   "The Wonderful Cross"  Video   "It's Still The Cross"  Video "The Bridge"  Video  This powerful dramatic video illustrates the sacrifice God made in allowing His Son to die for our sins. Major Events of the Passion Week Here's an interesting chart from a Study Bible that may be helpful as you study the Bible this week. It sure helps me to have a sense of when the events took place and is inspiring to read these Scriptures in the daily sequence leading up to Easter. The four gospels cover the life of Christ, a period of about 33 years. But most of this material deals with just the 3½ year period of His earthly ministry.  However, an astounding 30 of the 89 accumulative chapters in the gospels cover the period beginning with Christ's triumphal entry through His resurrection and post-resurrection appearances.  Mathematically this means that approximately 33% of the written material in the Gospels deals with a mere .05% period of His life!  In the providence of God we have a much greater proportion of Scriptural revelation dealing with God's greatest act of mercy in providing our redemption. Sunday       Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem: Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:29-40; John 12:12-19 Monday       Jesus Clears the Temple: Matthew 21:12,13; Mark 11:15-17; Luke 19:45,46 Tuesday/Wednesday                    Jesus' authority challenged in the temple: Matthew 21:23-27; Mark 11:27-33; Luke 20:1-8 Jesus teaches stories and confronts the Jewish leaders: Matthew 21:28-23:36; Mark 12:1-40; Luke 20:9-47    Greeks ask to see Jesus: John 12:20-26 The Olivet Discourse: Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21:5-38 Judas agrees to betray Jesus: Matthew 26:14-16; Mark 14:10,11; Luke 22:3-6 Thursday The Last Supper: Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:14-20 Jesus speaks to the disciples in the upper room:  John 13-17 Jesus struggles in Garden of Gethsemane: Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46; John 18:1 Jesus is betrayed and arrested: Matthew 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-52; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:2-12 Friday Jesus is tried by Jewish and Roman authorities and disowned by Peter: Matthew 26:57-27:2, 11-31; Mark 14:53-15:20; Luke 22:54-23:25; John 18:13-19:16 Jesus is crucified and buried: Matthew 27:31-56; Mark 15:20-41; Luke 23:26-49; John 19:17-30 Sunday The glorious resurrection: Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-11; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-18 (This material is developed from an outline in the Life Application Bible) Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne

"We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update Each weekday morning Brooksyne and I prepare these messages and distribute them at no cost to you and many others all over the world. Would you please consider a financial offering to support us in this daily encouragement ministry? Donations are tax deductible and will be receipted directly by my chaplaincy endorsing ministry. Thanks!  See here for details. 2010 YTD financial offerings as of 4/1/10 $2,958.00 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. This newsletter is never sent unsolicited. It was sent to you because you either signed up to receive it OR a friend forwarded it to you. You can also subscribe to the rss feed. or as an email subscription update through feedburner. You can also subscribe to Daily Encouragement feed updates by email. Cancel: We respect and value your time and privacy. If these messages no longer meet your needs (providing encouragement) you can remove your address by merely use 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. It is merely the Friday message with a link to previous messages. To receive the free weekly version, send a blank email to this address. 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!) Last updated with the story of Mildred Swanson, who joyfully discovers her "spiritual gift" is sending forwarded emails! (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. Daily Encouragement Net is an affiliate of Christianbook.com. Any orders placed to Christian Book Distributers using this link or any specific product link to a recommended resource in a daily encouragement message will help our Daily Encouragement ministry through a small commission on the sale. Thank you for using these links when purchasing online through CBD! 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. © Copyright 2010 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 (04/01/10) "The Message Of The Cross"

Daily Encouragement Net - A daily, Bible-based message of hope and encouragement.
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The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. Home · About Us ·· Podcast · Free email <Previous Message  ·  Archives  ·  Archive edition  Thursday, April 1, 2010 Last night we had a beautiful walk and passed this farm pond with a barn in the background. I like the way the barn casts a reflection on the pond and our neighbor's friendly Saint Bernard adds to scene! Listen to this message on your audio player. "The Message Of The Cross" "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Corinthians 1:18). Perhaps you've seen the bumper sticker that states, "April 1, National Atheist's Day".  When I first spotted the sticker I was intrigued and a bit annoyed, but not necessarily surprised. After all, they have special days for about everything now. Then I moved my car in closer to read the small print.  It was actually an attempt to be a witness for the Lord, as it quoted Psalm 14:1, "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'"  It was then that I made the connection; "Oh yeah, Fool's Day is April 1st"!   I knew a pastor in New Jersey who officially opened a church on a Sunday that happened to fall on April Fool's Day (which is April 1 here in America). As I recall, his first message was titled, "I'm a fool for Christ, whose fool are you?"  Now I did some pretty unconventional things when I pastored, especially when I was young, but I never did this!  I have long appreciated the sentiment of missionary martyr Jim Elliot who wrote, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." To many the message of the cross is foolishness but we rejoice in the Cross, which is a demonstration of the love, wisdom and power of God!  The simple, yet profound words of the daily text are so wonderful this special week when we remember what Christ did for us.  In our daily verse the apostle Paul bluntly says, "The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing."  Indeed to so many the message of the cross is mocked and ridiculed.  Our Savior is cursed and blasphemed. Apostasy (which means a falling away from the faith) is growing.  Many are ignoring the redemption plan offered by God in the Bible and attempting to devise another one. Some, who claim to have a heritage in the church, have gone so far as to assert the message of the cross is unneeded in our "enlightened" age. "But to us who are being saved it (the cross) is the power of God." We rejoice in the cross, which is a demonstration of the love, wisdom and power of God! Its power continues to break the heavy chains of sin and bondage. I thank God that Christ's sacrifice on the cross is final and absolutely adequate to provide forgiveness for sins.  Christ died once for all on Calvary's Cross to redeem fallen mankind.  No better plan is needed. No updated, customized or modified version of the original account should be improvised. The mission of the effective church and faithful Christian is to steadfastly proclaim the salvation message of the cross through the teaching of Scriptures and through the way we live our lives. The apostle Paul said, "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world" (Galatians 6:14).  Today join me in proclaiming, "I love that old cross." On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, The emblem of suffering and shame; And I love that old cross, Where the dearest and best For a world of lost sinners was slain. So I'll cherish the old rugged cross, Where my trophies at last I lay down. I will cling to the old rugged cross And exchange it someday for a crown. Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Jesus, we consider everything that You went through was for our benefit.  Your tender response to betrayal and cruelty serves as an example to us when we are treated unjustly.  Your obedience in life and especially Your death on the cross shows us how to remain steadfast in the face of tremendous opposition.  You embodied the very teaching You delivered to Your followers as You carried out the will of the Father no matter the cost.  Each wound that tore Your flesh brought us spiritual and physical healing.   You were numbered with the transgressors so that we could be numbered with the saints.  Because Your death was redemptive in power, the dark cross of Calvary has a wondrous attraction where we witness Your divine sacrifice on our own personal behalf.  What wondrous, amazing love!  It demands my soul, my life, my all.  Amen. Today is Maundy Thursday, also referred to as Holy Thursday; a commemoration of the Last Supper. This is the setting where Jesus took the role of a servant and washed the disciples feet and warned them of what was about to happen.  A simple explanation of the word, "Maundy" is that it is a derivative taken from the Latin "mandatum" or mandate, command ("A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you").  Jesus showed "the full extent of His love" through serving the disciples. His servant's heart was visible as He washed their feet (John 13:12-17).  Churches of various backgrounds continue to practice this act of servanthood since Jesus told the disciples, "Now that I, Your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet" (John 13:14). Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources Click on the link to open and play. (In some cases you may also need to click again to start the song.) "It's Still The Cross"  Video "The Old Rugged Cross"  Video   "The Power Of The Cross"  Video "The Basin and the Towel"  Video  Michael Card "The Bridge"  Video  This powerful dramatic video illustrates the sacrifice God made in allowing His Son to die for our sins. I took the photo of the cross made from a rusty chain when I visited a chapel at a truck stop in Omaha, Nebraska several years ago. Here's Chaplain Dave Hertle holding the heavy chain cross. The links are welded together.  "The cross we carry is never as heavy as the chains from which we were freed." Yesterday I shared about a plaque I kept on my pulpit for many years. This prompted a memory from a reader. After reading todays message, I felt I had to tell you a story.  When I was a lad of about 10 I accompanied my dad to a mission point where he was asked to preach.  It was a very small church and the pulpit was in a corner with diagonal pews.  On the front of the pulpit, in hand carved letters, was the message, "Sir, we would see Jesus."  I was impressed and on the way home I remarked to my Dad that I thought it was neat.  He said to me, "Yea, but you didn't see the message behind the pulpit where I sat.  It said, "The sermon can be preached in 20 minutes."  My dad was 'old school' in that regard and seldom finished in less than 40 minutes.  We drove in silence for a few minutes when all of a sudden he said, "Humpf!! They want to see Jesus in twenty minutes."  We had no further conversation until we got home for dinner.  Ronn Moyer We passed this scene last night just as it began to get dark. Major Events of the Passion Week Here's an interesting chart from a Study Bible that may be helpful as you study the Bible this week. It sure helps me to have a sense of when the events took place and is inspiring to read these Scriptures in the daily sequence leading up to Easter. The four gospels cover the life of Christ, a period of about 33 years. But most of this material deals with just the 3½ year period of His earthly ministry.  However, an astounding 30 of the 89 accumulative chapters in the gospels cover the period beginning with Christ's triumphal entry through His resurrection and post-resurrection appearances.  Mathematically this means that approximately 33% of the written material in the Gospels deals with a mere .05% period of His life!  In the providence of God we have a much greater proportion of Scriptural revelation dealing with God's greatest act of mercy in providing our redemption. Sunday       Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem: Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:29-40; John 12:12-19 Monday       Jesus Clears the Temple: Matthew 21:12,13; Mark 11:15-17; Luke 19:45,46 Tuesday/Wednesday                    Jesus' authority challenged in the temple: Matthew 21:23-27; Mark 11:27-33; Luke 20:1-8 Jesus teaches stories and confronts the Jewish leaders: Matthew 21:28-23:36; Mark 12:1-40; Luke 20:9-47    Greeks ask to see Jesus: John 12:20-26 The Olivet Discourse: Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21:5-38 Judas agrees to betray Jesus: Matthew 26:14-16; Mark 14:10,11; Luke 22:3-6 Thursday The Last Supper: Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:14-20 Jesus speaks to the disciples in the upper room:  John 13-17 Jesus struggles in Garden of Gethsemane: Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46; John 18:1 Jesus is betrayed and arrested: Matthew 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-52; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:2-12 Friday Jesus is tried by Jewish and Roman authorities and disowned by Peter: Matthew 26:57-27:2, 11-31; Mark 14:53-15:20; Luke 22:54-23:25; John 18:13-19:16 Jesus is crucified and buried: Matthew 27:31-56; Mark 15:20-41; Luke 23:26-49; John 19:17-30 Sunday The glorious resurrection: Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-11; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-18 (This material is developed from an outline in the Life Application Bible) Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne

"We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update Each weekday morning Brooksyne and I prepare these messages and distribute them at no cost to you and many others all over the world. Would you please consider a financial offering to support us in this daily encouragement ministry? Donations are tax deductible and will be receipted directly by my chaplaincy endorsing ministry. Thanks!  See here for details. 2010 YTD financial offerings as of 3/31/10 $2,958.00 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. This newsletter is never sent unsolicited. It was sent to you because you either signed up to receive it OR a friend forwarded it to you. You can also subscribe to the rss feed. or as an email subscription update through feedburner. You can also subscribe to Daily Encouragement feed updates by email. Cancel: We respect and value your time and privacy. If these messages no longer meet your needs (providing encouragement) you can remove your address by merely use 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. It is merely the Friday message with a link to previous messages. To receive the free weekly version, send a blank email to this address. 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!) Last updated with the story of Mildred Swanson, who joyfully discovers her "spiritual gift" is sending forwarded emails! (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. Daily Encouragement Net is an affiliate of Christianbook.com. Any orders placed to Christian Book Distributers using this link or any specific product link to a recommended resource in a daily encouragement message will help our Daily Encouragement ministry through a small commission on the sale. Thank you for using these links when purchasing online through CBD! 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. © Copyright 2010 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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