Daily Encouragement (01/08/13) "Going On"

Daily Encouragement Net
A daily, Bible-based message of hope and encouragement.

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A daily, Bible-based message of hope, encouragement and exhortation. The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber. Home · About Us · Archives · Podcast · Free email ·   ·     ·    Click here to support our ministry. <Previous Message       ·       Archive edition Tuesday, January 8, 2013  Produce Truck at the Pennsylvania Farm Show The sign on the truck door says, "Hopkins Fancy Always Busy Farm" Listen to this message on your audio player. "Going On" "Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the LORD and worshipped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate" (2 Samuel 12:20). "The LORD will fulfill His purpose for me; Your love, O LORD, endures forever" (Psalm 138:8). There's a peace I've come to know Though my heart and flesh may fail There's an anchor for my soul I can say "It is well" I have a friend on my heart who recently faced a very hard blow, a loss that seemed unimaginable prior to the reality. But he's seen God's grace at work in his life. Last week we visited for a few minutes in his office and He shared how he is dealing with the inevitable grief and the "whys" as he overcomes. In a memorial service we attended last Saturday the pastor shared a thought that held my attention. In reflecting on the lady who had passed away he said, "The richest lives are those who experience great highs and deep lows." Now most of us would prefer just the great highs but in our hearts we realize the deep lows are also a part of God's plan. These deep lows are sometimes a result of our own sin, disobedience and bad choices. Other times they are a result of something completely out of our hands. We don't understand, we can't begin to comprehend. It may make no sense at the time and not even later in some situations. We will understand it better by and by. David got himself into his own sin-filled mess recorded in 2 Samuel 11 and 12. It is one of the most famous sins in the Bible and a lesson all through. But today let's look together at the aftermath. The prophet Nathan courageously confronted him and David finally confessed his sin to God and received assurance from the prophet that God would forgive him, "The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die" (2 Samuel 12:13). But there was a price (sin always has a price tag, but often tucked out of sight). The prophet proclaimed that the child born to David and Bathsheba would die and the child was struck with an illness. O, how David pleaded with God for a different outcome. He fasted, laying on the ground night after night.  Finally he received the report that his child with Bathsheba had indeed died.  His servants had been very reluctant to even tell him for fear that he might do something desperate. But what David did, summarized in the daily text is very instructive: "Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the LORD and worshipped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate" (2 Samuel 12:20). This is a powerful illustration of "going on". There's a day that's drawing near When this darkness breaks to light And the shadows disappear And my faith shall be my eyes Many of you know what I mean by the expression "going on". You've faced a hard blow of one sort or another. Some people deal with such circumstances by withdrawing from activities and the view of others. When possible they go into "hiding" until the storm is past. There's a time to plead and earnestly petition God for the outcome we hope for and so often our prayers are answered accordingly. But there are times when they are not, and in spite of the deep, painful, lingering questions that may follow us to our grave, we must, like David, get up, learn what God has to teach us, seek His forgiveness if needed, and move on. We do well to focus on God's eternal purpose as we go on. Our eternal God spoke through David, "The LORD will fulfill His purpose for me; Your love, O LORD, endures forever." By God's grace many can testify that they are indeed "going on".  May you and I be two of them today! And I will rise when He calls my name No more sorrow, no more pain I will rise on eagles' wings Before my God fall on my knees And rise, I will rise Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Father, we know that life is full of ups and downs for everyone, even the most diligent spiritual warrior. Help us to work through these jolts of the unexpected and unwelcome interruptions that bring sadness, disappointment or a change of perfect plans. It's how You work Your purpose in our lives as we overcome and work through major obstacles that affect us. We seek to remain steadfast, moving forward in our Christian walk as we experience the inevitable heartaches of life. At times we bring about our own grief and troubles because of our ungodly actions. We thank You for Your forgiveness in these matters. You enable us to get up, take off the sackcloth, and brush off the burnt ashes from doing things our own way. And You give us fresh resolve to trust and obey You through Christ Jesus our Lord in whose name we pray. Amen. In reading today's podcast this part of the verse especially jumped out at me: "He went into the house of the LORD and worshipped." 2013 Pennsylvania Farm Show In early January we usually visit the Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg, a huge indoor agricultural exposition similar to state fairs in other states. Ester and Brooksyne know this is something I just like to do. Ester checking out the mystery vegetables. She was hesitant and I admit it was a bit creepy! A bike frame made entirely of wood! Mr. Potato Man made of real potatoes! "Please do not put your hands into the stall" but if you do... For many years trial lawyers have been begging for business. We found this advertisement on a livestock stall especially opportunistic! We will share several more Farm Show photos tomorrow. The Pennsylvania Farm Show runs through this Saturday. Ten dollars to park the car and then it's free admission to the show. Several hours+ of wholesome family entertainment, Don't miss the Food Court and a steaming bowl of creamy portabella mushroom soup! And, yes, we recommend the milk shakes to help support our milk farmers (even as it pleases our taste buds)! Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources "I Will Rise"  Video  Chris Tomlin This is the song we share the lyrics to throughout the message. We especially encourage our readers who are overcoming and going on to listen to this song! "I Feel Like Going On"  Video  Amen! "Who Shall Separate Us"  Video   Wayne Tate "If My God is For Me" Romans 8:28-38  Video  David Delgado "Blessings"  Video  Laura Story 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. 2012 financial offerings to Daily Encouragement Net as of 12/31/12: $24,891.00. (Note: Our final 2012 accounting of total gifts will not be available until we get our final report for offerings given directly to our chaplaincy account.) 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. © 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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Daily Encouragement (01/07/13) "Better The House Of Mourning"

Daily Encouragement Net
A daily, Bible-based message of hope and encouragement.

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A daily, Bible-based message of hope, encouragement and exhortation. The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber. Home · About Us · Archives · Podcast · Free email ·   ·     ·    Click here to support our ministry. <Previous Message       ·       Archive edition Monday, January 7, 2013 A trip to northern PA Saturday gave us an opportunity to drive through the Sam Wagner Covered Bridge which is over the Chillesquaque Creek on the Northumberland/Montour County line. Listen to this message on your audio player. "Better The House Of Mourning" "It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart" (Ecclesiastes 7:2,3). "Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him" (Hebrews 9:27,28). On Saturday we drove up to northern Pennsylvania to attend the Memorial Service for Marian Myers, the mother and grandmother of friends of ours. The service was very uplifting and honoring to God from beginning to end. Though we had never personally met Marian, her pastor interweaved many written tributes by her children and grandchildren, so that we began to feel like we knew her personally. The recurring theme of written and spoken tributes described Marian as a godly woman, tenderhearted, and strong in Christian character. An older pastor made some comments at the beginning of the service and shared a Scriptural thought I had not previously thought about. He merely alluded to a verse without giving the reference so I did some searching to see if it was really in the Bible! It is and it's expressed in the first daily text: "It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart." Notice that Solomon, writer of Ecclesiastes, states, "It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting."  This begs the question, in what sense is it better? Actually, on first instinct, I would much prefer the house of feasting. Consider the family gathered around the table for a big Thanksgiving meal or joining together with friends to watch the Super Bowl and inevitably feasting on addictive snack foods such as guacamole dip with chips, chicken wings or spicy meatballs. We look forward to church fellowship dinners, especially the potluck variety, or a group of friends joining us for a cookout. But let us consider the sense in which the "house of mourning" is better than the "house of feasting". The Scriptures are so insightful. They go way beyond skimming the surface to exploring the depths of who we are and how our greatest needs can be met. The reasons that mourning is even more essential than feasting is listed in the following two phrases in the text. In retrospect as I consider the times we have experienced the "house of mourning" I fully understand the writer's premise. 1) "For death is the destiny of every man." In other words, death is inevitable. It's part of the grand plan of how things work as a result of the original fall. Each time we go to the house of mourning this universal reality confronts us. We are reminded that life on this earth is temporary and that we all have an expiration date. Otherwise we might get so caught up in the "here and now" that we don't make adequate plans for the "there and later". 2) "The living should take this to heart" The "house of mourning" helps us to consider our heart's condition and the state of our soul. Of course most of us have been to a variety of house of mournings, yet the tone of the memorial service and the variety of people who gather can make the setting as different as night and day. I have attended memorials for those who lived outside of Christ where no hope in Christ was presented. I recall one with "Grateful Dead" music being played throughout the gathering. I found that experience to be a spiritually dark place! Anyone attending who might be giving thought to their eternal destiny would surely not find the proper answers to life beyond the grave in a setting like this. However we consider the blessedness of being in the "house of mourning" of one who lived for Christ. In the service Saturday we heard godly music that lifted the soul, a pastor reminding all in attendance of the need to prepare for their eternal destiny (as requested by Marian who planned her own funeral service). Verbal tributes included a granddaughter who overflowed with tear-filled joy as she gave thanks for Grandma Marian who gave her a Bible and took her to church, where at 16 years of age, she surrendered her life to Jesus. The second daily text also deals with the destiny of death but describes how Christ has made a way through His atoning sacrifice: "Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him." Keep living for Him who bore our sins and keep looking to Him who brings our salvation. Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Father, we rejoice in the feasting periods and reflect in the mourning periods of our life. The richest experiences that shape our character are from the great highs and the deep lows we encounter over a lifetime. Not only do we spend time reflecting, studying, and learning from these experiences, but they speak to us of the importance of who we are in the midst of those circumstances. In the house of feasting we rejoice in our accomplishments and those of others from year to year. But in the house of mourning we consider the lives of those who go before us, seeking to mirror the good we witnessed or experienced from their lives. It prompts us to assess our own hearts. Are we ready should You call us to our eternal destiny? We know that planning for this life is important, but planning for the next life is absolutely essential. We want to be ready by receiving Jesus into our life and living according to Your plan as revealed in the Bible. By Your grace we can do so through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. We have very little snow here in Lancaster County but traveling north we saw a lot more. This expansive farm in Northumberland County is near Milton, PA. Here's a larger view. We enjoy interesting sights when we travel and passed this boat parked in the snow. Seems like a pretty good price assuming it actually floats in water! We thought of Geno, a friend of ours who is looking for a used fishing boat and asked us to be on the lookout in our travels. This is the first we spotted! No photo available, but yesterday we came up behind an Amish buggy with a small tag, kind of like a license plate stating, "I'd rather be riding a train" Our friends Ray and Vickie Mancini visited us Friday afternoon. They came down to Lancaster County to celebrate their 43rd wedding anniversary. They are originally from Queens, New York but for many years have lived in Phillipsburg, NJ. Yesterday our pastor preached on the second coming of Christ and referred to a longtime church member who passed away at 105 years old shortly after we moved to this area. Cecelia Wolgemuth has an interesting and very unusual distinction of living in three separate centuries (note the dates of her birth and death! Notice the powerful Scripture inscription, "For Me To Live Is Christ, To Die Is Gain" Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources Today we will share a larger than usual assortment of music dealing with today's topic. "When It's All Been Said And Done"  Video  Robin Mark "Faith Of Our Fathers, For The Beauty Of The Earth"  Video  Leaman family. Marian's granddaughter along with her two young daughters played these hymns so beautifully. I believe the girls are 8 and 10 years old. They're remarkable musicians for their age. "Amazing Grace"  Video  Chris Tomlin   "All My Tears" Video Selah "Going Home"  Video  Mark Lowery "What A Day That Will Be!"  Video  Gaither Vocal Band "Save A Place For Me"  Video  Matthew West "If You Could See Me Now"  Video  Truth 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. 2012 financial offerings to Daily Encouragement Net as of 12/31/12: $24,891.00. (Note: Our final 2012 accounting of total gifts will not be available until we get our final report for offerings given directly to our chaplaincy account.) 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. © 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

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 (01/04/13) "We Are The Reason"

Daily Encouragement Net
A daily, Bible-based message of hope and encouragement.

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A daily, Bible-based message of hope, encouragement and exhortation. The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber. Home · About Us · Archives · Podcast · Free email ·   ·     ·    Click here to support our ministry. <Previous Message       ·       Archive edition Friday, January 4, 2013 Listen to this message on your audio player. "We Are The Reason" "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" (2 Corinthians 9:15). "For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that He might be the Lord of both the dead and the living" (Romans 14:9). "This is how God showed His love among us. He sent His one and only son into the world that we might live through Him" (1 John 4:9). As little children we would dream of Christmas morn And all the gifts and toys we knew we'd find But we never realized a baby born one blessed night Gave us the greatest gift of our lives Today's message relates to an experience I (Brooksyne) had yesterday in the course of our chaplaincy ministry in the workplace. Before we enter the worksite Stephen and I pray for opportunities not just to engage the employees in meaningful conversation, thereby strengthening our friendships, but we especially pray for the opportunity to present the message of Christ to those who don't follow Him. We often pray that we might plant a seed, just as many of you do in your workplace. Yesterday a door opened that I didn't anticipate and am most anxious to follow through. I love to be a seed planter and then pray for a full harvest. When I asked an employee I've known for quite some time how he celebrated his Christmas holiday he responded, "We don't celebrate Christmas." I remembered this from previous years but couldn't resist getting in a word about Christ's birthday even if it was mostly about the customs of the Christmas holiday. He indicated that he and his wife gave their son toys this year so he doesn't feel isolated when other children at school talk about their Christmas presents. That was a switch because I remember in past years that they didn't even do that. He further explained, "We don't celebrate Christmas because we don't understand it." My friend is from a southeastern Asian country but has lived here for the past couple decades. I've talked about Christianity in the past with him but he didn't choose to engage in conversation about it. I responded briefly to his earlier explanation: "Christmas in the secular world does not present the true message of Christmas that we as believers in Christ celebrate". I went on further to explain that Jesus was born of a virgin and came to this world to save us from our sins. But I quickly realized that much more needed to be explained and am working on that this very morning as I am in the process of obtaining literature from a Laotian pastor. I was relieved when the employee volunteered that, though he had a Buddhist background, he and his wife are not practicing Buddhists. He had not disclosed this to me in previous conversations so I concluded that he is more open than in the past. I talked with an Asian pastor this morning and he agreed with me that an explanation of the gospel from the perspective of one who has been raised in a Buddhist religion is most helpful, thus we will share literature with him that has been written with this in mind.  I am reminded from my brief conversation that Stephen and I will further engage with this employee that, though he is now practicing the custom of giving gifts to his son at Christmas, he is missing out on the most meaningful and only lasting Gift that God presents to all of His creation. The vast, vast majority practice the exchanging of gifts but do not receive the gift that God freely gives to all who will receive Him, a gift Paul calls "indescribable". Many of us gave and received gifts at Christmas, a custom that for so many is the main thing. The origin of giving gifts (at least in the Christian sense) probably goes back to the gifts the Magi presented to the baby Jesus.  But no gift we receive on this earth even remotely compares to the spiritual gift of our Lord Jesus Christ, the gift we can all receive and share regardless of where we live or how much of this world's possessions we have or don't have. Jesus Christ is certainly the greatest Gift and deserving of our highest thanks! Paul concludes a section in his second letter to the Corinthian believers by expressing appreciation to them for abounding in good works and for their generosity in supplying the financial gifts needed by the Jerusalem believers. He concludes his expression of thanks with today's marvelous exclamation of thankfulness, "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!"  Many years earlier Paul had been converted and had moved from an attitude of hateful rejection to grateful acceptance of God's gift of salvation through Christ. Through the years his gratitude to God grew and that's the way it should be for all of us. In this burst of praise he uses a very interesting Greek word to describe the gift. Linguists use the term hapax legomenon to describe a word or phrase that appears only once in a manuscript. The Greek word translated indescribable is used only once by Paul in all his writings. It essentially means, "not expounded in full." Other versions use phrases such as "beyond telling", "inexpressible", and "unspeakable". One words it this way; "a gift too wonderful for words!" Indeed that is the case with God's greatest gift, a gift too wonderful for words, but deserving of our highest thanks.  Today and each day let us join with Paul in thanking God for His truly indescribable gift of salvation through Christ Jesus our Lord! And the wonder of this indescribable gift is that: And we are the reason that He gave His life We are the reason that He suffered and died To a world that was lost He gave all He could give To show us the reason to live Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Father, You gave first and foremost as you selflessly gave of Yourself through the person of Jesus Christ. Your gift of grace defies human description, for the far-reaching effects in our lives is truly indescribable. It's too wonderful for words, but it brings unspeakable joy and glorious hope that makes our spiritual journey so worthwhile. We receive Your indescribable gift that brings forgiveness for our sins and reserves for us a home in heaven for all eternity.  Thank You, Father!  Amen. Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources "We Are The Reason"  Video  David Meece  We first heard David Meece sing this song at "Fishnet", a large outdoor Christian Festival near Front Royal, Virginia a year or two after we were married. We both still recall how it's message touched our hearts at that time and still does today. "We Are The Reason"  Video  Avalon "For God So Loved"  Video  Brian Free and Assurance 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. 2012 financial offerings to Daily Encouragement Net as of 12/31/12: $24,671.00. (Note: Our final 2012 accounting of total gifts will not be available until we get our final report for offerings given directly to our chaplaincy account.) 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. © 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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