“You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right.  You are full of all kinds of deceits and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?” (Acts 13:10).

Today’s encouragement will be a bit different than most others. There’s a tendency to limit the word “encouragement” to the sense of heartwarming or positively inspirational.  And it is our desire that the vast majority of these daily messages come across that way.

However this ministry is fundamentally based on a simple command of Scripture. “Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness” (Hebrews 3:13).  The word translated “encourage” also has the sense of warn, admonish, urge.  The KJV translates it “exhort”.  The purpose of this is that the recipient of encouragement will not “be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”

Our hearts are hurting due to sin’s deceitfulness in our world and we have purposefully chosen a rather unusual verse to comment on today.  Please read it over in its context (Acts 13:1-10).

On his first missionary journey Paul and Barnabas were in the city of Paphos on the western tip of the island of Cyprus. Sergius Paulus, the proconsul (governmental official), summoned for Paul and Barnabas because he wanted to hear the Word of God.  What a great joy it must have been to have a leading government official with an earnest desire to hear God’s messengers expound on the Word of God.

“But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith” (Acts 13:8). What a rascal!  Just as the seed of truth was being planted in this man’s heart Elymas sought to pluck it out.

“Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas” (v.9). Timidity did not overtake him but  he  dealt with the opposing force with Spirit-filled boldness.

He forthrightly spoke out to the sorcerer, “You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right.  You are full of all kinds of deceits and trickery.  Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?” (Acts 13:10).

Today Paul’s words may sound so harsh and unkind to many. He didn’t undergo sensitivity training that embraces many schools of thought. Instead He was trained by the Holy Spirit with the Scriptures as His text book.  He didn’t practice the mealy-mouthed sensitivity, non-judgmental, tolerance and diversity toward Elymas and people like him so common in our own day.

But he was doing what preachers and all true men and women of God should do when confronting evil.  For the sake of Sergius Paulus and the other hearers and for the integrity of the Gospel Paul spoke the truth.  He called evil, evil in the boldest way.

We are distressed as we see so many being hardened by sin’s deceitfulness in our day and the impact of culture can readily be seen in the church.  There are so many Elymas-like people bearing these characteristics:
1) Children of the devil.
2) Enemies of everything that is right.
3) Full of all kinds of deceit and trickery.
4) Perverting the right ways of the Lord.

Consider these verses: The prophet Isaiah wrote, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil” (5:20).  Micah wrote of those “who hate good and love evil” (3:2) and the people during Malachi’s time had wearied the Lord with the convoluted notion that, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and He delights in them” (2:17).

May God help us to boldly stand firm and contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints.  We urge, exhort and warn you to be on your guard against the heart-hardening effect of sin’s deceitfulness. This is our exhortation to faithfulness.

Be encouraged (warned) today,

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Father, we learn from Paul’s experience that when Your hand is against the evil perpetrator, there are consequences.  When you temporarily blinded the sorcerer so that he could not see the light of the sun he came to rely not on his own guidance but was at the mercy of those who would lead him by the hand, perhaps even Paul. You used this harsh experience to bring the government official to faith, for he was amazed at the teaching You brought about. The teaching went beyond just theory but was revealed illustratively.  Help us not to fear our enemies, but to boldly speak the truth to them and then commit them to You for judgment.  In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Note: The prayer is based on “the rest of the story” as told in Acts 13:11,12).

“LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known” (Habakkuk 3:2).

On July 8, 1741 (268 years ago today) Jonathan Edwards stepped behind the pulpit and methodically delivered what many would consider the most famous single sermon ever preached in America. Few preachers have not heard of “Sinners in the hands of an Angry God” or read the account of the astounding conviction that came over the assembled listeners that day.

People wept and cried out to God for mercy and many were saved. It wasn’t because of his eloquence or his charismatic, slick sermon delivery.  Instead Edwards was described as “one who preached powerfully although lamely dependent on his manuscript, who delivered his sermons in a monotone, with his eyes never straying from the back wall of the church.”

The next several years our country experienced a revival known as “The Great Awakening.”  The meeting house itself where Edwards regularly preached burned down in 1775 and only a small, engraved stone now marks the spot where it stood in Enfield, Connecticut.  Brooksyne, Ester, and I prayed at that spot several years ago and renewed our commitment to serving God in our generation.

In our daily encouragement series we emphasize the aspect of daily choice and commitment a lot.  Each one of us has an apportioned amount of time to live on this earth known only to God.  We are physically designed to die.  Each day approximately 150,000 people die worldwide. The Bible forthrightly states, “It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

What matters most is the decision to follow God.  Habakkuk stood up for God in his day.  Jonathan Edwards stood up for God in his day as have millions through the church age.  Now it’s our turn.

Habakkuk is one of the lesser known and read Biblical books, among a collection known as the Minor Prophets. The basic theme of his book is living by faith. He wrote at the time of Jeremiah when the nation was under judgment and his focus was to encourage the godly remnant to fully comprehend God’s ways in regard to their sinful nation and His impending judgment.  He greatly desired that they were to live their remaining days exalting God and witnessing His awesome deeds.

Our daily Scripture portion has two elements:

“LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD.” As the people of God, let us rejoice in hearing the fame of God far surpassing any human fame that exists for only a season and touches relatively few.  May our Lord’s supernatural deeds keep us in a state of awe and wonder of His great power and His message that  spreads to the uttermost parts of the world.

“Renew them in our day, in our time make them known.” My, how an awareness of and appreciation for God’s fame needs renewed in our day!  How desperately we need a restoration of awe for His deeds.  Consider the incredible moral confusion and idolatry demonstrated in the last week. Consider how God’s Name is all too often trampled, cursed, and used as a mindless exclamation instead of reverenced and held in awe by those who speak it.  My heart grieves at the apostasy and spiritual blindness sweeping our land.  Good is called evil and evil is called good.

Today, join Brooksyne and me among others with a steadfast heart who declare, “Lord I lift Your Name on high, Lord I love to sing Your praises!”  “In our day, in our time”, may the Lord use you and me and each faithful follower of Christ to make His fame and deeds known!

Be encouraged today,

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Father, we want to be a shining light to the nations, to bring a word of hope to the peoples of this earth so that the whole world will know there’s salvation in Your name, there’s awe in Your supernatural deeds and there is eternity to be gained in exchange for a temporal world.  We don’t want to take for granted Your awesome deeds recorded in Scriptures or things done for us in the past.  Would you do it again, Lord!  Reveal Your power anew and make it known in our time, we pray.  Amen.

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If you care to do so you can read Jonathan Edward’s sermon here.

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Early this morning we took a four mile walk through our rural neighborhood. Here’s a Google map of our route. We thought we would share several photos today from our neck of the woods.

These horses are along Trout Run Road.
They wear these screen-like masks to protect their eyes from flies.

Our Amish neighbor is already cultivating his corn.
Just up the road a bit they were getting ready to bale wheat straw, then spread manure! (using modern equipment).

Todays photo at the top is of the Country Log House Bed and Breakfast, a local “agri-tourism” destination.

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand” (Ephesians 6:13).

Rev. Dudley A. Tyng was a dedicated young minister of the gospel who served our Lord in the mid 1800’s. He had a well-respected ministry among fellow pastors of various denominational backgrounds who detected his earnest walk with Christ. He was instrumental in a revival that swept Philadelphia and the northeast in 1857.

Every generation deals with the mysteries of God’s providence; that is, why God allows certain things to happen.  On Tuesday, April 13th, 1858, Rev. Tyng went from the study of his country home to the barn floor where a mule was at work treading a machine for shelling corn.  As he patted the animal on the neck a loose sleeve became caught in the cogs of the wheel, wrenching and lacerating his arm, from the neck down, in a dreadful manner.  Amputation, performed on the Saturday following, did no more than postpone the end.

It being perceived that he was dying, he was asked if he had any messages to send, among others, to the band of clergymen so devoted to him and the work.  When able to rouse himself sufficiently, he responded with a short message, beginning with the words: “Tell them, ‘Let us all stand up for Jesus.’”    Rev. Tyng died on Monday, April 19th, 1858.

As result of this challenge a fellow laborer in Christ, George Duffield, wrote the beloved hymn, “Stand up, Stand up for Jesus” which many of us continue to sing in our churches to this day. (In fact we closed our service with this hymn yesterday.)

Standing up for Jesus is also a Biblical challenge.  In Ephesians 6 the Apostle Paul urges Christ’s followers to “put on the full armor of God.” Putting on the full armor of God is a daily exercise for believers in every generation. It is never optional for the Christian who desires to be effective in their Christian witness and live in victory.

“So that when the day of evil comes.” We all face the day of evil and in so many ways it seems our young people face degrees of evil that my generation was never exposed to.  I read an article about the extent of sexual perversion that is actually being taught and affirmed as “good” in schools and of course this evil is spreading. Godly parents, students and ministers who seek to take a stand against it are reviled by the powers that be.

For many years I have been intrigued by the final phrase in our daily text, “you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” Paul’s repetition of “to stand” is added for emphasis. We must, by God’s grace and the appropriation of His appointed armor, keep standing in the midst of the evil and adversity we will most certainly encounter.

Today I pray for each of you, however old you are or wherever you may live, to have a holy boldness in appropriately expressing your faith. I find depth of wisdom in the saying, “Those who stand for nothing will fall for anything.” Indeed, let us all courageously stand up for Jesus!

Be encouraged today,

Stephen and Brooksyne Weber

Daily Prayer: Jesus, I want to be vigilant in equipping myself today as I battle the spiritual forces of evil.  Though I wage war in this present and evil generation I have a body guard in the presence of the Holy Spirit Who gives me power over the enemy of my soul.  Today, I stand against the devil’s schemes because I take on the full armor of God; the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.  As I prayerfully take on this spiritual armor I am fully equipped with the necessary provisions to overcome discouragement and defeat.  Instead I am a conqueror who stands triumphant by Your grace, Lord Jesus Christ!  Amen.

An article about the revival of 1857.

I read the lead story in today’s message in an old book titled “Studies of Familiar Hymns” by Louis F. Benson ©1921. In doing further research I came across this book “Stand Up for Jesus” by T.H. Stockton ©1858 available free to download (pdf)

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“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). ”They are a nation without sense, there is no discernment in them” (Deuteronomy 32:28).

Tomorrow is Independence Day here in America with many beginning to celebrate today and throughout the extended weekend.  I realize many readers live outside of the USA but you can also apply today’s brief challenge to the nation in which you live. In fact. in one way or another there’s nowhere on earth this message would not apply.

Proverbs 14:34 describes two contrasting outlooks concerning the state of a nation in God’s reckoning:

1) “Righteousness exalts a nation.” Righteousness in this case refers to people seeking to live according to God’s holy standards as expressed in His Word. As people seek to live this way a nation is exalted or elevated; it is upright. By “nation” we may think of a present day political subdivision but the sense here is a people group.

2) “But sin is a disgrace to any people.” A great definition of sin is from the Westminster Catechism, a helpful learning tool developed during the Reformation which taught the faith with questions followed by brief answers. What is sin? “Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God.”  Sin is a disgrace or, as translated in many versions, a “reproach”. It stains, separates, and brings shame to the transgressor.

Consider the disgrace of rampant sexual immorality, violence, idolatry, dishonesty, greed and so many other evidences of sin in our land.  It seems day by day this disgrace increases and the pace has certainly accelerated here in the USA in recent years, and is even more visible in recent months.  A depraved entertainer dies and the media and masses practically deify him. June was declared by our president a month to celebrate sexual perversions. Here in my state (Pennsylvania) our governor is an ardent gambling proponent and in the last several years casino gambling has been approved as a means of urban renewal and tax relief!  A state-sponsored ad promoting gambling speaks of the players as “investing”.  What a sad, pathetic condition this land is in.

Deuteronomy 32:28 is taken from the context of a nation experiencing God’s judgment; summed up with this description, “without sense, no discernment”.

Today I write to the people of God scattered throughout the world and encourage you to pray and live out a godly life against the grain of popular culture.  In this great spiritual darkness Jesus continues to call His followers to “let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).  Calvin Coolidge observed that “the strength of a country is the strength of its religious convictions.”  It is obvious by the sin that abounds in our land that our spiritual convictions are very weak in our present day.

Let us, as Christ’s true disciples, be people of conviction who will stand up for righteousness.  May we be counted among those who exercise spiritual sense and discernment.  By doing so our righteousness will have a part in exalting this nation and help to bring about spiritual change in the lives of those living within our nation!

Be encouraged today,

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily Prayer: Father, we want to live above the fray of this world as a people of righteousness set apart for Your purpose.  We forsake the things of this world that bring disgrace to Your holy name and live for the purpose of bringing glory, honor and praise to You, our Father.  We pray for our nation, for the turning away from our sins and turning toward the abundant life we find in Christ our Lord.  You’ve called us to repentance and to share the good news of salvation to all who are lost.  Help us to seek a fresh calling upon our lives to be obedient in this commission from Scripture.  In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

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To all of God’s people who are interested in the study of His Word, in the development of their own Christian lives, in a revival of the spiritual life of the Church, in the conversion of sinners, and in the evangelization of the world:

Many thoughtful people have come to feel strongly that the hope of the church today is in a deep and widespread revival.  We are confronted with difficulties that can be met in no other way.  The enemy has come in like a flood – it is time for those who believe in a supernatural religion to look to God to lift up a standard against him.  Oh, for a revival of such power that the tide of unbelief and worldliness that is sweeping in upon us shall be beaten back; that every Christian shall be lifted to a higher level of life and power, and multitudes of perishing souls be converted to God!  Why not?  God’s arm is not shortened, nor His ear heavy.

The history of revivals proves that such a work must begin at the house of God.  Who can doubt that if somehow the Church could be thoroughly aroused – not a mere scratching of the surface of our emotions, but a deep heart-work that shall make us right with God and clothe us with power in prayer and service – this century would witness the mightiest movements of the Holy Spirit since Pentecost!

Let us break up our fallow ground, seek a fresh anointing of the Spirit, and then move forward, expecting great things of God.

(D.L. Moody wrote the above message about Spiritual Revival to Christian workers, inviting them to attend a Conference at Northfield, MA, in August of 1899 (four months before his death at 62 years.)  We include this message today because, though it was penned 110 years ago, its message is timely for our nation and our world.)

“Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you” (Philippians 3:1). “So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things” (2 Peter 1:12-15).

What do you think of when you hear the word “safeguard”? For many years it has been a popular brand of bath soap and we periodically use it in our home. I like the fragrance and supposedly using it is a “safeguard” against offensive body odors.  We also serve as chaplains at a company called Safeguard that, among other things, makes pet homes and thus the name.  But today’s first text deals with another type of safeguard, one we will call a “safeguard for the soul.”

For many as we get older we tend to be more forgetful and may speak of “senior moments” or as a friend shared in last night’s Bible Study, “data overload”.  This is generally short-term memory loss (like forgetting where we put our wallet, coffee cup, car keys, cell phone, etc.).  These are common sources of minor frustration in our home.

Apparently a different part of our brain is used for long-term memory and it is not necessarily related. When my mom’s fall resulted in a major head injury over ten years ago we were advised to expect the greatest impact would be her short-term memory and that proved to be true.  We need certain prompts to keep us on track, like some tying a string around a finger or post-it notes (we use a lot of those!).

Today we want to share about the most important memory prompts, reminders of spiritual truths.

I have on occasion taught a senior class.  Most class members have been believers for many years and are familiar with the teachings of the Bible.  I realize particularly with this group my function as a teacher is to remind and reinforce truths they already know and spur them on to faithfulness toward God.  Now certainly I hope that I periodically share a new insight or perspective on an old truth but I am fundamentally committed to “earnestly contending for the faith once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). I am not interested in “tickling ears” (see 2 Timothy 4:2-4)

Let me ask you a question as a maturing believer (if we are a believer we should all be in the process of maturing whether young or old in age).  How do you respond when you receive teaching that you are familiar with?  Among some I have noticed a critical spirit expressed by a cavalier, “I already know that” attitude, while many clamor after “new teachings”.  I so appreciate those who have a sweet, receptive spirit and accept the reminders of truth with joy. That’s how I want to be as I “mature” in years and Christian experience.  May old well-known truths bring reassurance and refreshing to my inner soul.

The daily texts, although written by two different apostles (Paul and Peter), are similar and express an attitude we should have when we are reminded of truths of which we are already familiar.  The apostle Paul was aware that he had shared the same things before with the Philippians but spoke of them as a “safeguard”.  That’s a great attitude for us to have as we receive unchanging truth in this day where the shifting sands of relativism abound.

Although Peter was confident his readers not only knew the truths he shared but were also established in them, he pledged to be steadfast in reminding them of these things. He was determined to “make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.” That’s a faithful minister!

Do you receive the reminders of truth with joy?  I recall the line in an old hymn that puts it this way, “I love to tell the story, for those who know it best, seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.”  That’s how I want to be!

Be encouraged today,

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Father, may our hearts reflect that of songwriter Catherine Hankey who found it a privilege to repeat the gospel message to all who would hear.  With each telling of the salvation story she found its message more wonderfully sweet within her own spirit.  May we never weary of the basics of the gospel and never lose the awe and wonder of seeing a life that is changed when redemption takes place.  We want to hunger and thirst after righteousness and never lose sight of the old, old story that will be our theme throughout eternity.  In Jesus name we pray.  Amen.

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An old memory! Brooksyne’s paternal grandpa, Elbert Sherrell, was one of the godliest men I ever met.  He and his wife lived in a very simple concrete block home on a desolate mountain ridge in northwest Arkansas which was reached after traveling about twenty miles of rugged dirt roads.  He didn’t drive and used a team of mules for farming.  He and Brooksyne’s grandma made a monthly trip to town with one of his children for food supplies.  He had a very simple but extremely earnest faith that set him apart as one who loved the fundamental truths of the gospel. Over thirty years later I can still hear his earnest voice as he prayed nightly for his children and grandchildren. He was mentally as sharp as a tack until he died suddenly of a heart attack while going about his farm work.

One night shortly after we married we drove down from the Springfield MO area and visited her grandparents. We thought it would be exciting (or perhaps I did) to go back into a corner of the property and sleep out under the black canopy of stars in the back of our little pickup. Brooksyne had heard many stories of weird things (unsolved mysteries) that had happened on the mountain since childhood which she began to speak of as we lay in the wide open space. The sound of the summer insects and wild animal sounds in the mountains was practically deafening. Needless to say we didn’t sleep very well.  It was very scary and we were most anxious to see the sunrise in the very early morning hours!  For the curious here’s a google map of the location.

“A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold” (Proverbs 22:1).

Last week we passed a sign in New Jersey that caught our attention. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a road named for Delilah and would find it interesting to learn of its origin. I wonder if it was named after a real person.  Did they have knowledge of the Bible character? (See Judges 16)

Normally when we name a child after someone, especially a Bible name, we consider the character of the person who bears (or bore) the name. I’ve met a lot of men with names like John, Mark or Paul and women named Mary, Sarah and Rachel.

But certain Biblical characters have few people or places named after them. They just aren’t “good names”.  I’ve never met a woman named Delilah or Jezebel, or a man named Nabal or Ahab.

“A good name is more desirable than great riches.” When I was younger I assumed this meant having a name one liked.  I’ve always liked my name since I am named after Stephen, a bold, uncompromising Bible character.  My middle name is Clark and I like that because I think of the explorers Lewis and Clark.

But frankly there are certain names I am sure glad my parents didn’t choose to name me.  I won’t mention these names, since it might actually be someone’s name and I certainly don’t want to offend!

But a “good name” in the text means a name that connotes a person of honorable character and good reputation.  For instance when we refer to a business that is known for honesty and integrity, we often say, “It has a good name.”

Having a good name is truly more desirous than possessing great riches which only have short duration. A good name is developed over time, really a life time, and the true judgment of success will not be known until this life is over and we personally meet the Lord. The highest standard will be to hear our Lord say these words directly to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Consider your name.  What do you suppose others think when they speak your name or hear it spoken in various group settings (home, church, work, neighborhood, etc.)?  Does it reflect a person who has a good name based upon integrity, truthfulness and godly character, one who is not self-absorbed but is concerned for the interests of others?

When you get right down to it, it’s not what we’ve accomplished or how much we’ve accumulated that counts in the end.  It’s who we are as a person that will determine whether or not our name is spoken in a favorable way.  Indeed, “to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.”

Be encouraged today,

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily Prayer: Jesus, Your name stands out above every name. When we speak Your name the demons flee, the sick are restored, the weak are strengthened, and those held captive to sin are freed. It is only in the name of Jesus that we find salvation, for there is no other name in heaven or on earth whereby we can be saved.  We, as Christians, take on the derivative of Your Messianic name, when we receive You as our Savior.  We want to honor You as we bear Your name before a cynical unbelieving world. May our actions and attitudes not bring blemish or present opportunity for the unconverted to mock and ridicule those who identify themselves as Christians.  Instead may our lives be set apart for Your glory like Daniel, who purposed in his heart, not to defile his God.  May we also have a good name like Daniel whose godless Babylonian administration could find no corruption in him because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. Though the world may not agree with our stand for You may we be seen as people who are honorable and trustworthy.  It is in the name of Christ that we pray.  Amen.

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Note from Brooksyne: Speaking of names, mine has always distinguished me from all the rest (in school, church, work, etc.).  People often inquire about the pronunciation and the origin as well.  Brooksyne is pronounced Brook-seen’.  I would be unable to count the number of times I’ve explained it and had to pronounce it since I was young enough to speak for myself.  My father’s name was Brooklyn and my folks were hoping for a baby boy, but surprise, I was a girl!  Mom had to come up with some derivative and thus the name “Brooksyne” originated 53 years ago.  In the past twenty-five years the name “Brooke” has become popularized and has made my name a bit less distinct.  I would have welcomed that as a child, but I’ve come to appreciate the distinctness of an original name.  But my heartfelt prayer is that my life will always reflect that of a person with “a good name” (not just because it’s unusual, not because I’m perfect cause I certainly am not, but because I have lived a life set apart for Christ and tried to honor Him in all my ways.)

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Stephen’s note: Today’s message causes me to ponder concerning a pet peeve I have concerning naming; that is naming a building or institution after yourself (or allowing others to do so) while you’re still alive. I recall in Bible College a church in Springfield where the pastor had named a new educational wing after himself, or at the very least allowed others to name it after him.

In my lifetime several have named colleges they founded after themselves and in some cases later took a hard and notorious fall.  I recall meeting a young man who had gone to one of these colleges and noted his embarrasment whenever someone asked him, “Where did you go to college?”

Now after you have passed away and finished the race faithfully if someone else wants to name something after you that’s a different story!

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Yesterday afternoon our longtime friends Ken & Nila came over and joined us for supper, along with their son David. Ken brought over a truckload of straw for our garden and David helped him unload it.

David is growing up quickly and learning to work and serve others just like his dad. He’ll soon have his second birthday. Here’s a photo I took on his literal birthday.

Later some new friends stopped by for an evening visit. Mike & Nikki are involved in ministry to motorcylists and lead the local Bikers For Christ chapter. We learned a lot about the biker culture and commend this couple for their efforts in reaching out to this people group. Here’s the site for the Susquehanna Valley Chapter that Mike leads.

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In today’s message we referred to a road sign in New Jersey. We pass this road sign in Centre County as we travel through central Pennsylvania.  We consider how it would be neat to live on Bible Road!

Many of you will recall a childhood song and if you’re like us you’ll immediately recall the words:

The B-I-B-L-E
Yes that’s the book for me.
I stand upon the Word of God
The B-I-B-L-E.

Here’s a second verse I found to the B-I-B-L-E song that I don’t recall singing as a child. I like it!
The B-I-B-L-E
Yes that’s the book for me
I read and pray, trust and obey
The B-I-B-L-E.

The B-I-B-L-E, yes that’s the book for me! (audio mp3)

“With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him” (Daniel 11:32).

From the time of the successful corruption of Adam and Eve the enemy has sought to continue the corruption in each of their descendants.  And from the very beginning flattery has been one of the effective tools in Satan’s diabolical arsenal.  In the Garden Satan appealed to their pride declaring that, “You will be like God.”

Today the great spiritual war rages on and as I prepare this message I consider this cosmic struggle underlying all that we may read about or see with our eyes.

Daniel faithfully served God about 2,500 years ago. The latter portion of his book is a series of prophetic messages dealing with events that stretch from his time through the various historically verifiable world empires to the present and beyond. It can be a tough read requiring much concentration. Today’s verse is power-packed.

The flattering “he” in the daily text is a king who “will corrupt those who have violated the covenant.” Although the specific “he” in the text may not be Satan, surely it represents his ongoing attempt to corrupt God’s kingdom.  Any violation of a covenant results in further corruption if there is no repentance offered.  But the focus of this daily encouragement is the latter part of the text, which has such an application for all times.

“But the people who know their God.” In every generation God has called out a people who know Him.  Oh, how I cry out today to know God!  Not in a static sense, not through other’s experiences, but through a deepening of my understanding and through a more fully surrendered heart.

The apostle Paul wrote many years after his conversion experience when he initially came to know Christ, “I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death”   (Philippians 3:10). This surely speaks of an ongoing aspiration to know God in a greater and deeper way.   When we walk in the resurrection power that comes from Christ we will overcome the sufferings that also come to the believer as we share in His sufferings.  Too often we want the resurrection power, but resist the suffering that comes to those who identify with Christ in His death.

“Will firmly resist him.” This growing knowledge of God will equip us as His people to unyieldingly resist the ploys of Satan.  It is so easy to be deceived and led astray if we are not aware of Satan’s tactics.  We can learn about them since they are revealed all throughout the Scriptures.  In my heart I have such a deep sense of the urgency of this warning and remind our readers to “be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings” (1 Peter 5:9).

Fellow follower of Christ, today let us pursue a growing knowledge of God as we surrender ourselves fully to His control, and let us firmly resist the enemy of our souls. Let us determine that we will keep our covenant with God.

Be encouraged today,

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Father, deep within our soul there is a yearning to know You more, to identify with You in Your power, and even in Your suffering, and also in Your victory over Satan.  What a powerful example You give us when Jesus was tempted in the desert for 40 days and 40 nights.  Satan had a plot, but You had a plan to refute every scheme he laid out when Jesus responded with Scripture.  Scripture that was spoken and recorded long before the wilderness battle ensued.  Help us to be like-minded, to learn and embrace the Scriptures, so that we will do battle with the enemy not by our might or strength that might actually be weakened in the midst of the battle, but in the powerful strength that comes through the inspiration of Your Holy Word meant for all time.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

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Yesterday we went berry picking. Along the back edge of our church property there is an abundance of black raspberries that I’ve been watching as they slowly ripened.

Some berries were easy to get to right along the edge and easy to pick, but the most plump and densely inhabited raspberries were deep into the patch, requiring considerable effort to pick.

Briars and thorn-covered branches taller than Brooksyne abounded, but as she picked she showed me a handful of the delectable juicy berries.

Roxie came along to warn us of any possible snakes that might make be hiding under the thick weed filled bedding of the berry plantings.

Here’s a photo of Brooksyne working deep in the berry patch getting the best berries and below is a handfull of reward!

We had fresh berries on home-made ice cream last night. This morning all three of us enjoyed black raspberry jam on our buttered toast.  Thanks to a generous friend who gave us 12 quarts in addition to our own picking Brooksyne canned over 22 cups of jams and jellies.  It’s more than we need for ourselves, but she enjoys making extra to give away.

Besides making jars of jam (which includes the pulp of berries), Brooksyne also made a batch of jelly where the pulp is separated and only the juice is used, as seen above with the pulp in the cheesecloth and the juice extracted for the jelly in the large bowl. With jelly you don’t have seeds getting caught in your teeth, but then you don’t get the full berry either.

“Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases to be. For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men” (Psalm 12:1). “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.  You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised” (Hebrews 10:35,36).

David expresses himself in our daily text in a way that we might also in our own day.  His cry for help is directed to the Lord.  His observation is that the “godly man ceases to be”.  David grew up during a time of great moral and spiritual apostasy.  Certainly Saul’s reign was not marked by spiritual revival or consistent obedience to God. It transitioned from the period of the Judges, which is summed up with the phrase “Each man did what was right in his own eyes.” However there was a remnant of God’s faithful followers during this period such as the prophet Samuel.

Thank God for those who remain faithful followers of Jesus Christ in our own day. Faithful ministers who preach God’s Word in an uncompromising manner, dedicated lay persons who live out their faith before an oft-scorning world, married couples who take their marital covenant seriously, parents who raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and church communities that continue to “forsake not the assembling together.”

Today’s verse is a great truth for all readers to memorize. We all deal with different temptations and issues in life as we seek to remain faithful to Christ.  The believers addressed in Hebrews were facing persecution and were tempted to go back to their old way of life.  Perhaps part of the temptation was that in doing so their persecutions might ease. There are many believers today under similar circumstances.

But going back to the old way of life remains a temptation in varying degrees for all believers, although for different reasons.  For many readers it may be the busyness of life, affluence, the persistent barrage of godless, secular teaching and other issues we confront daily that lull us into complacency or pull us back into the world.

One that I have noticed is the heavy load that people bear as they overcome the consequences of many years of disobedience to God.  It may be tobacco, drug or alcohol use, sexual immorality or indebtedness due to wasteful spending.  Turning to Christ does not immediately negate the long-term consequences of these past sins.  Though some receive miraculous deliverance, there are those who will endure weaknesses and temptations that require diligent prayer and daily overcoming.

The enemy of our soul may persistently murmur, “What’s the use?” and tempt us to just throw away our confidence and simply give up.  Sadly, I know some who have done just that.  A major theme throughout Hebrews is, “Let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.” The word translated “hold firmly” is in the present active and conveys the ongoing need to actively participate in this “holding on” to our faith.

But note the great promise in the daily text.  I have been blessed by it often and committed it to memory: “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.” Any earthly rewards pale in comparison to the eternal rewards our heavenly Father bestows on the faithful believer.   May the Lord’s present and future promises strengthen your faith today and fill you with anticipation for the future when you will be “richly rewarded.”

Be encouraged today,

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily Prayer: Father, You lead us through the valleys and mountain top experiences of everyday life.  Your ways are far superior to the path we might choose when guided by our own limited wisdom.  We’re so grateful for the strength and encouragement we receive from our brothers and sisters who bear our burdens and share in our joys.  When considering the choice of walking faithfully with you or turning to our old way of life, we join with Simon Peter who weighed the options and declared, “Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  We believe and know that You are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68,69).