“Going Home”
February 27, 2015
This morning we passed this beautiful farm in southern Lancaster County.(Click for larger photo)
“Going Home”
Listen to this message on your audio player.
“We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it” (2 Corinthians 5:7-9).
By nightfall how weary I’d grown
Father’s arms would slip around me and gently he’d say
My child we’re going home
I don’t have a lot of childhood memories of long trips. We lived in the Midwest and almost all of our travel were in states adjacent to Missouri. But we made two long trips. Once with my Mom and little sister to see our older brother Mike in California. He and his wife had just had a baby, the first grandchild, and we took the train out while my dad stayed home to work.
The other trip was in a car with my mom and dad to see our other older brother Pat who was in the military and stationed in South Carolina. Looking back on that trip it’s hard now to imagine how many miles we travelled. My mom didn’t drive and my sister and I were too young to drive so Dad did all the driving. The last day we visited Washington DC and stayed in western Virginia that evening. Early the next morning we got up and headed home. Dad drove all the way about 900 miles so he could go to work the next day. I can’t recall anything about that leg of the trip and assumed I slept a good part of it (Please note: Photo is for illustrative purposes only and is not really my sister and me in 1967!)
“Who wants to go home?” is a question we often ask following a long trip or certainly after a stay at the hospital. Home generally conveys a message of comfort, warmth and safety where we envision just being ourselves, relaxing and shutting out the busyness of the world. Home for many of us is a haven. “It’s great to be home!” is what we say after being away for a while.
We love our home. Sure we enjoy our rural location and the house we live in, but primarily it’s the family God has given us that brings warmth and comfortable acceptance to our home. We hope many of our readers share that same sentiment.
Last Sunday afternoon I opened the service at Longwood Manor by sharing a story that took place shortly after we moved to Lancaster County in 2001. An employee had asked me to visit her grandmother who was dealing with cancer and lived in “Landis Homes” (one of the many huge senior housing complexes in our area). I located her room number and knocked on her door. She warmly welcomed me into her room where the Bible laid on her table which caught my eye immediately. After visiting a few minutes I shared a Scripture from her Bible and prayed with her.
Like so many of the elderly, she expressed how much she missed her own home but she made a great statement of faith with a contented state of mind. As we visited in her very modest, but tastefully decorated room, I complimented her living arrangements. Afterward she said with a tone of acceptance: “This is fine for now… after all, it’s not my permanent home.”
I knew what she meant. She didn’t anticipate returning to her own home or ever moving into a bigger apartment. Clearly when she referred to her “permanent home” she meant her eternal home in heaven. What a healthy spiritual outlook and example of contentedness! Although I have long lost contact I am quite sure she is likely in her permanent home.
There is nothing to hold me here
I’ve caught a glimpse of that Heavenly land
Praise God, I’m going home
We should all have a longing for our permanent home. Paul refers to it in our daily text as his preference: “To be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”
He’s including other believers in his statement (notice the personal pronoun “we”). We are both confident we will be and indeed would prefer to be at home with the Lord. Paul is contrasting this with our present physical life where “we are at home in the body” (v. 9).
Bible teacher Erwin Lutzer writes concerning our arrival home with the Lord, “At death we cross from one territory to another, but we’ll have no trouble with visas. Our representative is already there, preparing for our arrival. As citizens of heaven, our entrance is incontestable.”
Lord, I get homesick, the farther I roam
But the Father has led me each step of the way
And now I’m going home
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Father, we’re abundantly grateful for our earthly dwellings where we find pleasure, companionship, comfort, rest and sustenance. If we’re not intentional, we will give more time and affection to our temporal home than our future eternal home. Perhaps it’s because we’re living in the here and now and the future seems so distant and unfamiliar. Help us not to fear the future nor foolishly think it will not come, but to embrace it so that we are prepared when that moment comes. May our heart’s yearning, our primary focus, and our physical labors also have heavenly goals each day as we seek to live for You daily. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
Obfuscation: Yesterday I shared a message about obfuscation and the need for discernment. I purposefully began with a true but misleading story to illustrate what obfuscation is (making communication confusing, willfully ambiguous, or harder to interpret”). I truly know Robert Grant, who is a friend from college and it is true that Robert Grant wrote the hymn “O Worship The King”. However as astute, discerning readers noted it is not the same Robert Grant!!! The first Robert Grant is my age while Robert Grant (photo to right), the hymnwriter, was born in 1779.
David Penley, a Texan friend and careful reader elaborates: “I have been a Southern Baptist from the cradle roll in my first church, and we have sung “O Worship the King” as long as I can remember. It is one of my most dearly loved hymns. So I wondered how the Robert Grant you knew could have written it. I did further research. What can I say? I’m a professor. It’s what I do. I can’t help myself. I have in my library a book entitled “Handbook of the Baptist Hymnal” which relates the story behind every song in our hymnal. The song was indeed written by Robert Grant – Sir Robert Grant. He was born in 1779, was a member of the British Parliament and Governor of Bombay when India was under English rule. He wrote the song in 1833, the year before he became governor of Bombay and was knighted. He died in India in 1838.”
Thanks to all who replied. We’re pleased to see that we have many “Berean” readers/students.
An Amish farm in southern Lancaster County.
(Click for larger photo)
This Amish family was running out of firewood on these cold days.
(Click for larger photo)
A collie peacefully resting on this beautiful but cold day. Somehow this setting reminds me of what we might have viewed from the old series, “Lassie”. Make sure you click to see the old tire swing.
(Click for larger photo)
Amish buggy entering into White Rock Covered Bridge.
There’s the distinct sound of the clickety-clack of horseshoes on the wooden bridge deck!
“Going Home” Video Bill Gaither with some of the old-timers, several who have gone on to their permanent home.
“Home Where I Belong” Video Mark Lowry
This moving story took place about 100 years ago that makes us pause and consider where our home really is.
An old missionary couple who had been working in Africa for many years returned to New York City to retire. With no pension and broken in health, they were discouraged and somewhat fearful of the future.
They happened to be booked on the same ship as Teddy Roosevelt who was returning from a big-game hunting expedition. They watched the passengers trying to glimpse the great man, the crew fussing over him, photographers flashing their oversized cameras…
Back at the dock in New York locals squeezed into every available space, the band with their instruments positioned to break into celebratory music as the president departed the ship. Yet the missionary couple who had given their all to reach the African people for Christ slipped off the ship completely unnoticed.
That night, in a cheap flat they rented on the East Side, the man’s spirit finally broke. He said to his wife, “I can’t take this; God is not treating us fairly.” His wife, no longer able to cope with his agitated spirit, suggested he go into the bedroom and speak to the Lord about that which he was feeling.
A short time later he walked out of the bedroom with a brighter countenance. His wife asked, “Dear, what happened?”
“The Lord settled it with me,” he said. “I told Him how bitter I was that the president should receive this tremendous homecoming, when no one was present to meet us as we returned home. And when I finished, it seemed as though the Lord put His hand on my shoulder and simply said, ‘But you’re not home yet!'”
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“Discerning Good From Evil”
February 26, 2015
Steel wheeled hay wagon on an Amish farm
Due to some thawing yesterday we walked through quite a bit of mud on the farm where we visited with our friends yesterday.
“Discerning Good From Evil”
Listen to this message on your audio player.
“But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil” (Hebrews 5:14).
Today’s opening story is altogether true as well as an illustration.
Robert Grant is a friend we met in the Bible College we attended in Springfield, MO. He grew up in Connecticut where he still lives. We’re still in contact 40 years after we first met. Several years ago he stopped by our home to visit (photo to right). Many of you have sung a hymn that Robert Grant authored titled, “O Worship The King”. It begins with these stirring words,
And gratefully sing His wonderful love,
Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of days,
Pavilioned in splendor, and girded with praise.
We sure appreciate our association with Robert Grant along with his contribution to the church. *
Obfuscation and discernment are two words I’ve been considering a lot these last several weeks.
Obfuscation describes what is going on all around us, especially in government, education and media. The Merriam Webster dictionary defines obfuscate in this way: “to make (something) more difficult to understand”; “to be evasive, unclear, or confusing and uses this example, “Politicians keep obfuscating the issues.” Wikipedia describes it this way, “the hiding of intended meaning in communication, making communication confusing, willfully ambiguous, or harder to interpret.” Let me add that in many cases it’s outright lying, though we often hear the word, “mis-statement” in place of “lying”!
Discernment means “the ability to judge well”. In a Christian sense we apply discernment in obtaining spiritual direction and understanding. Bible teacher John MacArthur states, “In its simplest definition, discernment is nothing more than the ability to decide between truth and error, right and wrong. Discernment is the process of making careful distinctions in our thinking about truth. In other words, the ability to think with discernment is synonymous with an ability to think biblically.”
The daily text describes the spiritually mature as those “who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.” Other versions state, “have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil” (ESV) or “who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil” (NIV).
Conversion is the miracle of a moment, maturing takes a lifetime. As a maturing believer I want to be able to discern good from evil. The world is full of obfuscation and we so need discernment. We all have a part in this as we choose to regularly feed on God’s Word and apply it to everyday living. This is the sense of the phrase “who because of practice have their senses trained.”
The need “to discern good from evil” is ongoing and will surely increase as we deal with “a spirit of delusion” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12). Our source and guide must be the unchangeable standards of God’s Holy Word, not the fickle opinions of others. Going with the latter would be much like a dog chasing his tail in circles. Don’t we see this a lot in politics, the media, education and, dare I say, even in religious settings?
The Holman New Testament Commentary makes this point, “Christians are able to distinguish between good and evil. The terms ‘good’ and ‘evil’ may have both a moral sense and a theological sense. Christians are those who can spot moral evil and avoid it. They can see moral good and attach themselves to it. Christians also can distinguish between true and false doctrine. They will turn aside from the false and faithfully follow the true. Living the Christian life demands the spiritual skills of stamina seen physically in a long-distance runner. Unswerving, relentless applications of Christian truth and practice will equip us for a lifetime of usefulness which will continue into eternity.”
Obfuscation is all around us. How is your discernment today? Are you in regular training? Are you actively practicing your faith? Are you discerning good from evil?
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Father, just as we hunger and thirst for physical substance, intensify our hunger and thirst for godly discernment, spiritual knowledge, and righteous living. Jesus declared, “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness.” Only as we regularly nurture our spiritual appetite will we delve into the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God. Through the daily grind of life the inexhaustible truths revealed in Your Word brighten our outlook and make certain of our eternal hope, while they also teach us discernment so that we know good from evil, those who are genuine from those who are impostors. Jesus is the living bread for hungry souls so it is our prayer that we look to Him to satisfy our spiritual hunger. Amen.
* How did you react today’s opening story? Any thoughts? (Respond here) and we’ll likely share some more tomorrow.
Phillip Hughes, in his Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews, comments, “Good and evil should not be understood merely in an ethical sense here as signifying good conduct and evil conduct, but more particularly, as the context requires, in a comprehensive theological sense, namely, of good and evil, or true and false doctrine, which would include moral teaching. The power of discernment is something very necessary in those who are “mature” enough to be “teachers,” and something to be expected of those who, like the recipients of this letter, have been members of the Christian church for a number of years.”
Yesterday we stopped in with congratulatory gifts for the newest arrival in the Lapp family. Baby Sarah Beth is nearly two weeks old and her five siblings along with Mom and Dad were delighted to introduce their newest family member. Brooksyne took this photo from the window where the children gather and excitedly watch us come for a visit (if it’s cold outside). If you look carefully you’ll see the buggy parked right in front of the barn. We loaded boxes of goodies we brought along on the wagon in the forefront.
The cast iron coal stove is in the dining area added a warm hue and toasty comfortable temperature to the dining room.
Holding a Pompsky pup.
Because many of our readers tell us they enjoy reading about the Amish I (Brooksyne) include the following narrative about our visit yesterday:
“O Worship The King” Video
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Are our daily encouragement messages a blessing to you? We ask you to consider making a donation 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.
“Listening To God”
February 25, 2015
Winter view through our front windowListen to this message on your audio player.
This last Lord’s Day we heard Tim Heitz, a friend of ours, preach on “Listening to God” in which he shared a message from I Samuel 3:1-10. That’s when young Samuel was hearing the Lord speak. Tim began his message with an interesting illustration.
The young man filled out his form and sat down. After a few minutes he stood up, crossed the room to the door of the inner office, and walked right in. Naturally the other applicants perked up, wondering what was going on. They muttered among themselves that they hadn’t heard any summons yet. They assumed that the young man who went into the office made a mistake and would be disqualified.Within a few minutes, however, the employer escorted the young man out of the office and said to the other applicants, “Gentlemen, thank you very much for coming, but the job has just been filled.”The other applicants began grumbling to each other, and one spoke up saying, “Wait a minute, I don’t understand. He was the last to come in, and we never even got a chance to be interviewed. Yet he got the job. That’s not fair!”The employer said, “I’m sorry, but all the time you’ve been sitting here, the telegraph has been ticking out the following message in Morse Code: ‘If you understand this message, then come right in. The job is yours.’ None of you heard it or understood it. This young man did. The job is his.”The young man proved his worthiness for the job by having the ear to hear and understand the Morse Code. He did this amidst the cacophony of other noises in the busy office.We live in a busy world with a cacophony of sounds. Jesus in His teaching on truth in John 8 states, “Whoever is of God hears the words of God.” We so need to hear the “words of God” amidst the noise.
Jesus said to Pilate at His trial, “I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”
One of the great spiritual responsibilities we have is exercising discernment and teaching those whom we influence to do so as well. There is a cacophony of voices that call out to us to go against the truth. We are exposed to these voices at all ages, but our youth are particularly vulnerable. We need to constantly commit to hearing the voice of God, foundationally through His authoritative, inspired, and inerrant Word, the Holy Scriptures.
Tim finished his message with these words, “When we hear or study God’s Word, when we pray about direction in our life, when we pray about direction in the life of our church, we need to be asking, what could God be trying to tell me through this? Because the closer you get to the Shepherd, the louder His voice will be.”
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Loving Father, we who claim to be Your children recognize Your voice and choose to listen and follow You. Many other voices beckon and personalities charm but Your divine love surpasses all earthly images because of Jesus, the Great Shepherd, who laid down His life for us. Your love so amazing, so divine demands my soul, my life, my all. I lay it all down, take up the cross of Jesus and follow after You through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
“I Will Listen” Video Twila Paris “I don’t know the way to go from here, but I’ve already made my choice: this is where I stand, until He moves me on, and I will listen to His voice.”
“Open Our Eyes” Video Maranatha Singers (This song has the line, “Open our ears Lord and help us to listen”)
“Come and Listen” Video David Crowder Band
“Every Promise of Your Word” Video Keith and Kristyn Getty
“I Don’t Belong (Sojourner’s Song)” Video Buddy Green
“Voice Of Truth” Video Casting Crowns
“The Baby Box” Not related to today’s message but extremely moving. Hundreds of babies are abandoned each year in South Korea, prompting a pastor to build a special baby box for them to be left in. Video This remarkable story is also a 3 day movie coming out soon called “The Drop Box”.
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Are our daily encouragement messages a blessing to you? We ask you to consider making a donation 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.
“Tune My Heart”
February 24, 2015
Amish children playing Brooksyne’s piano“Tune My Heart”
Listen to this message on your audio player.
“Teach me Your way, Lord, that I may rely on Your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your Name” (Psalm 86:11).
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Streams of mercy never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise
Yesterday we had our piano tuned by Leavitt Keener who has tuned our piano since we moved to Lancaster County in 2001. Listening to a piano tuner at work, as a bystander in another room, one could mistakenly think that a child was banging on the keys one octave after another. I was tempted to holler up, “Stop banging on the piano!”
In tuning a piano he initially uses a standardized tuning fork set to a very specific tone. This forms the basis for tuning each note on the piano. If he begins with the wrong tone it will adversely affect his entire tuning job.
The tuner begins near the middle of the keyboard. It’s the starting point and standard for the piano tuner’s work. He gets the pitch from a metal tuning fork that vibrates at a frequency of 440Hz. Its pitch is constant; it is never out of tune. I noticed yesterday that Leavitt also used some type of meter.
As the tuning fork continued to vibrate sound throughout the house my thoughts were drawn to the first and second lines of a classic hymn. You surely know it and will probably want to break out into song at seeing these words, “Come thou fount of every blessing, tune my heart to sing Thy grace.” What an unusual descriptive phrase the songwriter uses to petition God for dealing with one’s heart. We think nothing of praying for a softened heart, an undivided heart, a steadfast heart, a renewed heart, a loving heart, etc.
Today let us consider the notion of having our hearts tuned. We speak of not only tuning a piano but also a motor in a vehicle. We get a tune-up with the purpose of restoring the engine to optimum performance.
Our hearts need regular tuning as we are confronted with conflicting tones in various settings all throughout life. The tones of this world can influence us and get us off kilter with our spiritual relationship with God, ever so gradually, so that we might even be unaware. Tuning up our hearts to the standard of God’s pitch is an essential exercise for all believers. The best tuning “fork” in the Bible is found in Hebrews 4:12, “The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any double edged sword. It penetrates, even to dividing soul and sprit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
I read that if you put two tuned grand pianos in a room and play a note on one of them the corresponding string in the other piano will start to vibrate. Since we don’t have two grand pianos we can’t check this out.* Blogger Patti Ann Burke writes, “I want the note God is playing to resonate in my heart.” And we say, “Amen”!
Today’s daily text is one of those treasures from the Psalms: “Teach me Your way, Lord, that I may rely on Your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your Name.”
We are especially gripped by the phrase, “Give me an undivided heart”. What a powerful description of a heart that is in tune with God’s heart!
When I (Brooksyne) was little my dad proudly brought home a second hand (probably third or fourth hand) radio console from the 1930’s era. It was solid wood and had the typical dial tuner. As a family we were pretty excited about the “antique” radio and right away we tried to find our favorite radio stations. The problem was we couldn’t hear our station clearly without nearby stations trying to butt in. We would try to fine tune it but then we’d run into static as we got further and further from the actual station we were trying to hear. But if we were patient and fine-tuned it sensitively, with much deliberation, we’d finally get the station we wanted. Of course, anyone who then messed with the dial was in big trouble.
Like the radio, when we tune into God’s voice and hear His message, there are other messages bombarding our minds and trying to take over or distort His clear, unambiguous message. I pray that I will regularly fine tune my heart to receive what God has for me which means I will not give ear to that which distorts, revises, or adds to the truth of God’s Word.
Sung by flaming tongues above
I’ll praise the mount, I’m fixed upon it
Mount of Thy redeeming love
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Father, I want my heart to be tuned to Your Truth and righteousness, for You are the Way, the Truth and the Life. I place my complete trust in You and reject the godless trends and vain philosophies promoted by the world. May Your words be embedded in my heart and mind through the faithful study of Scripture so that I might not sin against You and so that I will recognize truth from error. Since I’m often prone to wander, I ask You, Father God, to mount my soul on Thy redeeming love and tune my heart to all that is good, righteous, and holy so that my attitudes and actions are harmonious with the Scriptures, in the precious name of Jesus I pray. Amen.
When Jesus played the piano: Here in Lancaster County we are blessed to have Sight & Sound Theatre, sometimes touted as the “Christian Broadway”, which has been dramatizing adventuresome Bible Epics for over 35 years, complete with story, song, and spectacular staging. Currently Moses is playing at our Sight and Sound Theater. There’s also a Sight and Sound Theater in Branson, Missouri where we honeymooned in 1976.
We have enjoyed several of these outstanding presentations through the years and each one ends with a clear presentation of the Gospel. Of course, the actors are actually local “real” people known throughout the community and in area churches they attend.
A number of years ago Juanita, my mother’s longtime friend, shared the following story with us during a visit in her home located in the Branson, MO area. She and her late husband, Warren, had many contacts in the Branson area and were able to get us some free or discounted tickets to several shows and attractions. In fact in three days we attended five!
The attraction that stood out most was the presentation of a drama called “The Promise” which powerfully presented the message of the Gospel. Randy Brooks, the actor who portrayed Jesus, did an outstanding job and is himself a devout believer. In a remarkable way he really fit the stereotypical art image we have of Christ.
Juanita told me they had taken their grandchildren to see the play one Saturday evening and the next day Randy attended their church and was playing the piano. Their grandson in wide-eyed amazement proclaimed, “Look, Grandma! Jesus is playing the piano!”
After I sliced the pumpkin with Jesse’s sharpened hunting knife he went right to work peeling the massive pumpkin.
Jesse looking on wishing he could do it all. It’s hard to give up jobs, you thought little of over the years, that require strong muscular hands unaffected by the weakness resulting from aging and arthritis.
Brooksyne is up to her neck in Neck Pumpkin. Only two neck pumpkins pureed into 72 cups of pumpkin so we’re happily sharing with neighbors since our freezer can’t hold it all. Otherwise we’d have pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pudding, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin butter, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin soup, you name it……let’s just say if we didn’t share our pumpkin with others that future photos of us might show us with orange skin coloring due to the orange-colored beta-carotene present in pumpkins and carrots. Too much of a good thing can be, well….too much!
“Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing” Video Buddy Greene and Jeff Taylor
“Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing” Video Sarah Noëlle
“Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing” Video David Crowder Band
“What Children Believe” Video Gold City
“If There Ever Was A Time” Video The Crabb Family
Finally today:
Jan, a reader who lives in Mississippi, shared this musical memory:
My funny experience happened in Bloomington, IL, at a Christian Missionary and Alliance Church. My son was recently graduated from college and he and I both worked at the local rescue mission. During church services he played the piano and I played my flute, sitting on a folding chair next to the piano bench. As with many church plantings, this body of believers met in an old building of the Soldiers and Sailors Children’s Home and our “altar” was a big platform about six steps up from the auditorium floor. There was a space of about 2 feet between the back of the platform and a brick wall. (You can see this coming, can’t you?)
Sure enough, one Sunday morning the congregation was standing, ready to sing and as I adjusted my chair (and to this day I don’t know how this happened) the back leg of the chair first fell into the opening, then SOMEHOW the chair folded up under me and I fell, posterior first, into the abyss. My first thought, as I seemed to be falling in slow motion, was to hand Eric my flute, heaven forbid if anything would happen to it! The final result was my hind end wedged between wall and platform….I was stuck, clear up to my armpits…..arms spread, legs spread eagle (wearing a skirt)…..the congregation standing, mouths agape, my son leaping to his feet and yelling “Mom!” and our pastor jumping to the platform to try to rescue me.
My life flashed before me………actually what flashed before me was the fact that I was stuck and it would probably take 8 fireman and the jaws of life to free me from my bondage. My son wanted to “pull” me up and I said, “Eric, I don’t think you can, I’m STUCK!” Finally, after an eternity, I asked him to take a hold of my hands and somehow I managed to get my legs under me and crawl out from behind the platform.
My jacket was torn from sliding down the brick wall, but my pride was damaged much worse than my jacket and my bleeding arm. I was shaking, but determined to climb back to my perch and play during worship. The best part was after the service when innumerable women came up to me and said, “I’m SOOO glad that was you and NOT me!!!” From what I understand, people still talk about the event, to this day.
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“Rejoice Or Complain?”
February 23, 2015
Yesterday our journey took us through rural eastern Lancaster County where we encountered many old-order “team” Mennonites driving home from their church service.Listen to this message on your audio player.
“He gives snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes. He casts forth His ice as fragments; who can stand before His cold?” (Psalm 147:16,17). “And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice” (Philippians 1:18). “Do everything without complaining” (Philippians 2:14). “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4).
Check-outs were mobbed by long lines that spilled out into the mains aisles at our local Giant Grocery Store on Saturday morning as shoppers prepared for the big snowstorm.*On Saturday morning we had a big snow storm forecast for our area and we were out to a local shopping area where I got a haircut. My “hair stylist” at Great Clips was a lady named Maria, who had a distinct accent. I asked where she was from and she answered Bethlehem which I assumed to be Bethlehem PA, a city about 100 miles northeast of us. However she informed me she was from BETHLEHEM. I can’t recall ever meeting anyone else from the original Bethlehem!
As many readers know the northeast part of the US has had plenty of snow (loads of snow in New England). This winter the plunging temperatures, icy and snow-covered driveways and roads, have left many folks around here grumbling about the hard, long winter. But we are not alone; Israel and other areas in the Middle East just had snow cover (see here for some stunning photos including one of Bethlehem).
However in the collection there is also a photo that presents a sobering perspective, a Syrian refugee camp in Lebanon. One “home” appears to be made from another’s “trash”, the cardboard box from a big flat screen TV amidst the frigid and wet snow landscape. Brooksyne and I looked at this photo together and considered how petty much of what we complain about really is, especially the weather.
Let me ask you a candid question. Have you complained about anything thus far today? I’m not only speaking of verbal murmurings expressed to others, but inner complaining within your own heart. (Aren’t you glad you don’t have to answer that question, at least where others might hear!)
Life is jam packed with opportunities to complain if we so choose. I suspect this is true wherever we live; regardless of what situations we endure or conditions we live under. However each day, really, each moment we have a major outlook choice; we can rejoice or complain.
Jim Gambini, a longtime friend of ours, made an interesting observation when he pointed out in a sermon, “Essentially, complaining is accusing God of not doing it right.” Think about Jim’s statement in light of God’s providential dealings in your life. Isn’t the traffic jam ultimately under God’s control? What about that annoying associate? If God is really in control (and I sure believe He is), complaining is essentially accusing God of not doing it right. It’s like telling God, “You got it wrong the first time. How about doing it this time the way I want it, so that You can get it right?”
We wouldn’t dare say those words, but our attitude often conveys such a disrespectful discourse, when we find ourselves grumbling to God. It’s easy to criticize the Israelite’s frequent murmurings and thankless hearts as they journeyed to the Promised Land, but we do the same, far more often, as we journey to our promised land.
I encourage you to read this Scripture carefully: “The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks” (Acts 16:22-24).
Try to imagine, even empathize with Paul and Silas’ ordeal; physically, emotionally and spiritually. Their exterior circumstances in this single experience is a more traumatic trial than I’ve known in 60 years of life. Look at the key words describing their situation: attacked, stripped, beaten, severely flogged, thrown in prison, guarded carefully, inner cell, feet fastened in stocks. This injustice took place in Philippi.
If anyone ever had uncomfortable and unwarranted conditions to complain about Paul and Silas sure did! Did they appeal to the human rights commission? Did they threaten a personal injury lawsuit if medical staff refused to doctor their potentially infectious wounds? Of course we know they didn’t and likely would not if these options had been available in their time period. In fact the very next verse tells us just what they did: “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them” (Acts 16:25).
Paul later wrote a letter to the church in Philippi and gives two simple straightforward commands: “Do everything without complaining” (Philippians 2:14) and “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4). He sure had the credibility to make these statements!
It’s very easy to make super-heroes out of these disciples of Christ, but they were human just like us. The Scriptures do not speak of their complaining or murmuring, but it’s possible that they did initially (we really don’t know). But we do know that any attitude they might have had led them to conclude that God is worthy of our praise no matter how miserable the circumstance! We are to glorify God in the good and bad, for “no one lives unto himself”. Onlookers see our countenance and hear our attitudes which provides for us an opportunity to glorify God and serves as a witness to others of the positive difference Christ makes in our lives.
Today we all have an outlook choice. “This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!” It’s a proclamation every single one of us can make this day and every day!
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Father, we’re told to do everything without complaining, so that we shine like stars in the universe. We know that people are drawn to light where brightness is present and warmth is extended. Help our conversation to be full of grace, tenderness, light, and truth so that we will positively affect those around us. May we be as a sweet aroma to You and those whom we meet on our life’s journey. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
* The big snowstorm: It indeed started to snow late Saturday morning while we were shopping at Giant but compared to other snow storms in the past and the type they are experiencing in New England it really wasn’t much and ended early Sunday morning.
Friday evening we had some friends over for a New England fish dinner, salmon and cod. Don and Kathy Eaton (originally from Massachusetts) to our left; Rick and Rachel Caldwell to our right.
Driving to Tim and Julie’s home from their church we passed through a beautiful section of the county populated with old-order “Team Mennonites”. (“Team” describes this group of plainly dressed Mennonites who walk, ride bicycles, or use horse and buggy for their transportation as opposed to Amish who walk, ride country style kick scooters, or horse and buggy in the Lancaster County area.) This group is easily confused with the Amish but is a distinct group. Rather than meeting in homes they meet in plain meeting houses; the women sitting on one side, the men the other. It is one type of church we have never visited but we have a standing invitation from Elvin Martin, a man we work with, who is a member of this type of Mennonite.
In spite of the snow storm and many churches in our area canceling Sunday morning we were able to get out to church. We visited a rural congregation in eastern Lancaster County where Tim Heitz, a friend we see in our chaplaincy ministry, is preaching for several weeks in a fill-in type role. Tim preached a sermon regarding listening for God’s voice that will be used as illustrative material in a message later this week. Following the service we had a nice time of fellowship and lunch with Tim and his wife Julie in their lovely home.
We had a cute moment at church yesterday and a good idea for any church. As we departed the sanctuary following the service a little girl was standing at the back holding a basket with little pieces of paper in it. I assumed people were leaving prayer requests and walked by. The little girl boldly informed me that I had to take one and it turns out it was a prayer request for someone else. Today we prayed for who we presume to be an elderly couple who are both dealing with chronic medical conditions.
Following our lunch with Tim and Julie we drove to Longwood Manor in Maytown, PA to lead a service for the residents. We were joined by a Russian youth group.
The Russian youth from Lititz blessed the folks at Longwood Manor as they sang, played their instruments, recited inspirational poems, and encouraged the residents as they individually visited with them.
The youngest musicians were about ten years old.
This young lady was playing the Dombra, a Russian folk instrument, similar to the dulcimer.
The young people loved visiting the residents in their rooms including Joe who plays the accordion. The musicians can pick up the key and play by ear just about any song. They’re amazing!
One young boy made friends with Ella Mae who recently returned after being out a couple months for knee surgery. She is a warm, loving, and godly woman that we missed and were delighted to welcome her return.
“The Joy Of The Lord” Video Twila Paris
“Rejoice In The Lord Always” Video
“Count Your Blessings” Video George Beverly Shea vocal
“Count Your Blessings” Video Smokey Mountain instrumental
“Count Your Blessings” Video Although this teaching is set to a seasonal theme (Christmas) it has a great perspective.
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“The Ultimate Lightning”
February 20, 2015
Yesterday we passed this old farm along Meadow Spring Road in Lancaster County.
“The Ultimate Lightning”
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“For the Son of Man in His day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other” (Luke 17:24).
We awoke this morning to bitterly cold temperatures with a realfeel* temperature of -27 degrees Fahrenheit. The projected high today is only 13 degrees. Today, for the first time this year, I dealt with some frozen water pipes in a section of our home subjected to the howling winds coming from the west. Thankfully I was able to easily unthaw the pipes. Yesterday I spoke to Jesse, an Amish dairy farmer, who is having a great deal of trouble with frozen pipes in his dairy barn. Now that is a real problem!
We indeed are in the extremely low temps of winter and many in our area long for warmer climes. But this season will soon pass as many locals remind themselves by counting down to spring (28 days)! In the meantime we resolve to enjoy the variety in God’s creation.
In the internet world becoming “viral” is highly sought after. That happens when an email, Facebook meme or video is forwarded on and on and on. For instance a viral video is a video that becomes popular through a viral process of Internet sharing, typically through video sharing websites such as YouTube, social media and email.
Early this week a video became viral of Jim Cantore, a weather reporter for the Weather Channel demonstrating his unrestrained excitement and marvel at snow thunder while reporting during a snowstorm in New England. We are quite sure some of our readers have seen it. (See below for link to view.) If you’ve ever experienced lightning and thunder during a snow storm you recall it is one nature’s marvels. Just last week Ester heard thunder during one of our snowfalls, a first for her, and she was excited to hear it. Cantore ends his report by exclaiming, “You can have your 500 million dollar jackpot in Powerball, but I’ll take this baby!!!”
Now that’s an interesting perspective but let us consider a far greater lightning show that awaits us who believe in and follow Christ. Let us consider it the ultimate lightning!
The subject of snow thunder got me to musing about future demonstrations of lightning and thunder. One day, with great certainty, I declare the Scriptural truth that there will be a cosmic event with lightning which flashes and lights up the entire sky from one end to the other. The first daily text is from a teaching where the Lord is proclaiming His second coming. The NASV heads the section, “Second Coming Foretold”.
When it comes to the end times earnest Christians may differ in regard to specific details. There are a variety of views that expound the way things will unfold. Based upon my studies I have a particular outlook, but I realize others who have earnestly studied these things may have a different one. The specifics are not something I am dogmatic about.
But with certainty we look forward to the glorious time when the event our Lord Himself describes in the daily text will take place. “For the Son of Man in His day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other.” It will happen, perhaps today. That’s a perspective we want to live with and encourage you to do the same! Weather reporter Jim Cantore was excited about snow thunder. How will we respond to the ultimate lightning described in our daily text! Will we be as excited?
A great hymn that we so enjoy is titled “One Day” and it goes through the life of Christ from His birth to His second coming. It has a triumphant final verse that declares:
One day the skies with His glories will shine;
Wonderful day, my beloved ones bringing;
Glorious Savior, this Jesus is mine!
Living He loved me;
Dying He saved me;
Buried He carried my sins far away;
Rising, He justified freely forever;
One day He’s coming, O glorious day!
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Lord Jesus, I want to live today in glorious anticipation of Your second coming. Because You buried my sin into the deepest part of the ocean I do not live in condemnation. Rather I am freely pardoned by Your completely selfless and merciful death upon the cross. It brings unspeakable joy because You have broken the bondage of sin that held me captive for years. I’m also overjoyed in knowing that You, Lord, will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God to take me to be caught up with You in the air. I am greatly encouraged in knowing that I will forever be with You in the presence of Almighty God and the saints who’ve gone ahead of me. Keep me faithful, trusting, and anticipating that great day. Amen.
Note from Brooksyne: I did not make a commitment to Christ until I was nearly 15 years old. I had been raised in church and was often reminded of the Lord’s second coming through the many sermons I heard from our pastor and evangelists. I was fearful that I would not be ready should the Lord return suddenly. I Corinthians 15:52 was quoted often that describes the Lord’s return as “a flash, in the twinkling of an eye…” In my immaturity (and youthful rebellion) I would practice the words, “Jesus forgive me” as fast as I could recite it while I blinked my eyes. I wanted to get into heaven…but just barely…because I wanted to choose my own way of life which didn’t always line up with the Bible. Now, if that’s not a rehearsed foxhole prayer I don’t know what is. What a tremendous burden was lifted when I finally surrendered my heart to the Lord at a youth camp. I no longer feared the Lord’s return nor did I continue to rehearse my quick exit line timed to the “blink of an eye”. Instead I have anticipated with great excitement the Lord’s second coming ever since.
* RealFeel Temperature® “AccuWeather’s exclusive RealFeel Temperature® combines more than a dozen factors to provide an accurate measure of how representative the current or forecast weather conditions really “feel” to an appropriately dressed person. In contrast, other indices such as “Feels Like” simply report either the Wind-Chill Index or the Heat Index, depending upon the temperature. Thus they only consider two weather factors: temperature and either wind speed or humidity.”
Tuesday I shared about my dad’s birthday and a special memory of a pickup truck. Yesterday I spoke to both of my older brothers and we reminisced about our own teenage vehicle memories. Mike recalls racing a car down a long stretch that ended in a T and how close he came to being unable to stop which would have taken him headfirst into a ditch. Pat recalls an older pickup and going out one day and having quite a good time making donuts until he looked up and saw Dad, who just happened to be driving by. He recalls really “getting it” when he got home! Those were new stories to me and made me chuckle. Maybe you have some lesser told stories to share with your siblings.
Yesterday we stopped by to visit some friends at a large trucking repair company and they had an interesting project, doing maintenance on an old fire truck!
“Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me)” Video Casting Crowns This is a modern version of the old hymn quoted today which we both really enjoy.
“One Day” Video Dallas Christian Adult Concert Choir A nice rendering of the traditional version
“Almost Morning” Video The Perrys
“Voice Of a Savior” Video Marshall Hall
“Mercy Said No” Video Greg Long
“What Salvation’s Done For Me” Video The Booth Brothers
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Are our daily encouragement messages a blessing to you? We ask you to consider making a donation 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.
“From The Rising Of The Sun”
February 19, 2015
Sunrise over rural Lancaster County, PA 2/18/15Click to enlarge.
Listen to this message on your audio player.
“From the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the Lord is to be praised” (Psalm 113:3). “As is Your Name, O God, so is Your praise to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is full of righteousness” (Psalm 48:10).
When we left for chaplaincy visits yesterday morning before sunrise the temps were below zero. Our first stop takes us across the County where we visit with employees at a home improvement company and laser shop. Before our visit we prayed for these hardworking employees who must work in harsh temperatures. As I was visiting with some roofers I looked out over a loading dock and viewed the sunrise in our lead photo. The snow sure makes for some nice landscape photos.
A reader from the Caribbean wrote that he had only seen snow in photos. I suppose many in our parts and certainly New England would now say, “We’ve seen all we want to see!”
The changing seasons, including wintery seasons of snow, present a variety in the landscape, the vegetation, outdoor activities, clothing attire, and extremes in temperatures. At this point many of us who’ve settled in for a few cold months are now ready for a thaw! This sign, “free snow” made us chuckle when we saw it alongside the road, although we doubt if there were any takers.The first daily Scripture is set to music. Perhaps you sing it and know it by memory: “From the rising of the sun to its setting the Name of the Lord is to be praised.” What an interesting way the Psalmist expresses the universal call to praise the name of the Lord to all the people on this planet.
This call is not limited geographically, for each part of planet earth experiences the rising and setting of the sun. This call is not limited to a specific time, for this event happens daily, and in fact is always happening. This call is not limited to a specific people, for all peoples on earth today live where the sun rises and sets. (Now, some astute observer will probably point out that there are certain times of the year when the sun never sets at the Polar Regions)!
We have many choices today. Some are relatively inconsequential, others are very important. The most important choice we make is to love and serve God. And one way we can do that is by joining millions of our redeemed brothers and sisters on this earth in praising the name of the Lord!
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Father, from the time we awaken to the time we lie down we declare that You are worthy to be praised! Your name is exalted far above the earth, Your worth much greater than any jewels. Help us not to be people who use the same tongue for cursing and praises. Instead we engage our mind, surrender our hearts and employ our tongue to praise You, our Lord and Father. Be glorified in our lives so that we bring praise and glory to You this day and each day. Amen.
Here’s another photo from a different direction of the red barns on Harvest Road we showed in yesterday’s photo. Click to enlarge.
Visiting the employees at a machine shop yesterday we saw 90 year old Gene walking his dog through the plant. He worked at the plant through his 90th birthday early last year and finally retired but still likes to walk through the plant to visit his friends. We were both glad to see him along with his grandson’s dog, Daisy.
With all the snow they are having in New England some have been “Blizzard Jumping” that is, jumping out of windows and off roofs into huge snow piles. Ester found this old photo from some twenty years ago of me blizzard jumping when we lived up that way in the mid-nineties. In this case I was jumping off the roof.
“From The Rising Of The Sun” Video Another version by Shane and Shane
“From The Rising Of The Sun” Video Maranatha Singers Country
“Your Name” Video Paul Baloche and Glenn Packiam
“He Reigns” Video Newsboys
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
Are our daily encouragement messages a blessing to you? We ask you to consider making a donation 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.
