“Fault Tolerance”
September 27, 2016
A horse keeping an eye on the passing traffic.This open barn door is on an Amish farm on Kraybill Church Road down the road from our house.
“Fault Tolerance”
Listen to this message on your audio player.
“For the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete” (Genesis 15:16).
Engineers apply science to meet practical needs. In virtually every sphere of modern life engineers are involved. You are likely reading this on a computer, tablet or phone. A lot of engineering went into that. If you are reading it on a piece of paper someone designed the printer and paper mills have engineers.
In several companies we visit with engineers, programmers and other technical designers. It’s amazing what they do on their computer screen using Computer-Aided Design (CAD). Some now have up to three monitors open at once and I asked a lady this morning if she used all three at the same time and she replied “definitely”. I suppose a lot of it is multi-tasking.
However they also work with the physical product. The other day I came across Amos and Daniel who were examining a disassembled regulator. They were having a problem with a gasket. I quizzed them as to what was the most famous O-ring failure (an O-ring is a type of gasket) and Amos immediately stated the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. Indeed a fault in the O-ring design was determined to be a major factor in causing the horrific crash. It may have been a relatively small part of the massive space shuttle but it was vitally important.
An interesting engineering concept that has a spiritual counterpart is “fault tolerance”. Fault tolerance is an engineering term describing the property that enables a system to continue operating properly in the event of the failure of one or more faults within some of its components.
Thankfully fault tolerance is part of the design in any product. It’s similar to the factor of safety, that is, a product is typically overbuilt. If a bridge is designed to have a ten ton weight limit it won’t necessarily collapse if that is exceeded by 1 pound. In fact it can very likely withstand considerably more than ten tons but there is still a limit.
In yesterday’s message we wrote how the Bible is like a tech manual for life. We sure see a lot of abuse toward God’s tech manual. Life has been devalued and millions of unborn babies have been aborted. God’s Word states, “Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.” Many have determined they can ignore God’s design and directions regarding marriage. God specified in Genesis 2:24, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” The latest frontier of radical disobedience is in regard to the fundamental creation of sexuality, Genesis 1:27 states, “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
It may seem hard to grasp but on both an engineering level and spiritual level fault tolerance is a blessing. What would the world look like if every deviation from the intended design, no matter how small, was catastrophic?
We had an experience the other night when we were in Lancaster City that illustrates the blessing of fault tolerance on the individual level. Now we are not city folks and I doubt if we would be described as “street-wise” (we have other forms of wisdom we are pursuing).
At 10:00 PM we walked back over to the Convention Center to pick up Ester, following the Newsboys concert, when a pitiable man quaking in what was surely some type of need for a fix approached us. Realizing that he had startled us he quickly informed us that he was not violent which was hardly reassuring. Do violent people honestly disclose that they are violent?
He pleaded for ten dollars, which is pretty specific and even rather greedy for a pan handler! I had ten dollars and could have easily given it to him but I’m virtually certain as to how it would be spent. I would have merely been aiding and assisting him in his own self-destruction. I told him where he could find help at the Water Street Mission just a few blocks away. We prayed for him as he rejected our advice and moved on. He appeared to be familiar with the Mission, perhaps he had already utilized their services. But he didn’t want that kind of help as we spoke to him. We wondered aloud, how long had this man been using alcohol or drugs? He was still living but just barely. Just how close was he to the fatal overdose that is all too common now. But up to the point we saw him fault tolerance was still in effect.
Just how much can mankind ignore the spiritual tech manual and still go on? Just how much fault tolerance has the Master Designer built into His created order?
The Lord spoke to Abraham in a vision concerning the future of what would happen to his descendants (Genesis 15:12-16). Before Isaac was born God spoke to him and looked ahead to when his descendants would be slaves in Egypt. “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there.” But they would return to the land of Canaan and the present inhabitants would be judged.
Genesis 15:16 is a rather obscure verse that illustrates fault tolerance and its limits. “For the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” The NLT puts is this way: “Your descendants will return here to this land, when the sin of the Amorites has run its course.” Now that’s a remarkable concept to consider. The time would come when it would be complete and history records the time they faced the consequences.
Another example of this in Scripture was in the waning days before the Babylonian exile. The people continued to sin and for a time it might seem they were getting away with it. This was the period of fault tolerance. But there came a time, there always will come a time, when that fault tolerance is exceeded and then comes judgment.
As individuals we must never take God’s mercy for granted and choose to continue in willful sin. It may seem as if we are getting by without any consequence but the time will come when we exceed His fault tolerance. Let us always keep our accounts short with God through repentance and consecration.
Finally, we wonder, on a national level, just how close we are to exceeding God’s fault tolerance?
Be encouraged today and stay faithful,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Father, as we consider the fault tolerance designed in products by engineers many times the items are used in less than perfect circumstances. We consider Your fault tolerance in relation to Your chosen people. We are forgiven of our sins as we receive Your redemptive love and forsake our sinful ways, yet we falter from time to time and don’t measure up according to Biblical standards on many occasions. Still Your mercy and love is just as powerful and available to us as when we first surrendered our hearts to You. Yet when we choose to sin or take on a pattern of sinful behavior we are dealt the consequences of such rebellion toward You. We see the disastrous choices people make who are not believers, but we also see it among some who claim to believe. The consequences are the same for believer and unbeliever. You may not call the believer to account immediately, but the fall-out from sinful choices can follow us the rest of our days on earth and spill over to many that we love and have opportunity to influence. Father, we ask for Your help as we make daily choices to stay within Your Biblical boundaries so that we can enjoy Your blessing and not risk being unprepared to meet You should we be called out of this world without warning. Jesus told His followers to “Be ready” for He could come back any day. So I want to be ready for His unannounced return or for my unexpected departure through death. Amen.
This morning I had breakfast with Ron Hoover (right in photo) and several other friends at a company we serve. I told Ron, who has a PhD in Electrical Engineering, what I was writing on today and he informed me that his PhD thesis was on “Fault Tolerance In Asynchronous Sequential Networks” and gave me an engineering perspective on fault tolerance which is “designing enough redundancy that you can mask around the fault. But if there are multiple faults this creates multiple consequences. You will eventually reach the limit that you can no longer rely on the built in fault redundancy. In other words there is a finite amount of faults you can have because you cannot have infinite redundancy.”
Another interesting interaction this morning was when I mentioned the O-ring failure in the space shuttle and Sean, another younger engineer, told us that he was in fourth grade at the time of the Challenger disaster and his teacher was the alternate for Christa McAuliffe, the teacher who died that day.
The horse in today’s lead photo is peeking out of this barn, which in previous years had these mums for sale in front of it.
This is the name of a tattoo shop on Queen Street in Lancaster. We know there’s a lesson here but haven’t developed it yet. We expect to have a future message based on the lie of “beautiful sin”. Do any of our readers have thoughts on this?
Congratulations to a friend
Frank Lewis, a chaplain friend of mine has been named 2016 Pennsylvania Prison Chaplain’s Association (PPCA) Correctional Chaplain of the Year. When Frank Lewis was just five years old, his grandfather took him to pass out toiletries to the inmates at Greene County Jail in Waynesburg, PA. His grandfather’s simple action planted a firm conviction in Frank’s heart that those in prison are never to be forgotten and are deserving of God’s care. I took the photo above several years ago at Lambert’s Cafe, home of the throwed rolls, near Springfield MO.
“I Want To Be That Man” Video Brian Free & Assurance
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
We want to thank all who financially support our ministry. We realize there are many fine ministries and causes requesting support but if the Lord would lead you we surely need and appreciate the financial support from our readers and listeners. Our ministry labor is comprised of half our time to Daily Encouragement and the other half to our chaplaincy ministry to companies for which we receive a fee (of course this percentage of time varies week by week). Each of these ministries essentially is the same as a part-time job (20+ hours weekly) for each of us. Our goal for many years is that each phase would provide half of our ministry expenses and income. If you would like to make a donation to our ministry see here for more information. Donations through my chaplaincy endorsing ministry are tax deductible and will be receipted directly by them. Thank you!
Please Note: Our chaplain agency is unable to provide a receipt if the donation is made through PayPal. However we provide this option due to the convenience, international supporters, and for those who may not be concerned regarding receiving an official receipt. Click here to donate using PayPal.
“The Tech Manual Of Life”
September 26, 2016
Friday evening we took Ester to the Lancaster Convention Center where she worked at a Newsboys concert. We moseyed about the city and had dinner together before walking over to pick Ester up after the concert. It’s an impressive sight, the way they made our Convention Center, maintaining a portion of an abandoned department store.
“The Tech Manual Of Life”
Listen to this message on your audio player.
“You have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15).
We regularly visit with a variety of engineers in the course of our chaplain service. Due to the nature of what our companies produce we see mostly mechanical engineers but we also see electrical and agricultural.
General Electric has a series of short video ads titled “What’s the Matter with Owen?” in which Owen, a young engineer right out of college, goes to work for GE. He tries to explain what he does to his parents and friends, who just don’t understand the value of his work. His parents can’t understand that that he won’t be using a hammer (video) and his friends consider his work unexciting (video), especially compared to another young man who works at “Zazzies” which makes an app that places digital hats on animals (video)
We sure appreciate the work of engineers and realize how crucial their work is for modern life. This week we want to share about some of the engineers we’ve met in the course of our ministry and some lessons from engineering concepts and how they apply to the Bible.
Tom, a chaplain friend, told me about an engineer he met who had gone from “riches to rags” due to a series of difficult events in his life. One morning Bob, the engineer, was so despondent that he was unable to go to work. The next day he went to work wondering if he would even have a job but the owner of the company expressed compassion and this led to the chaplain’s involvement.
Tom began sharing Biblical truths with Bob, who previously had no interest in spiritual things. He shared the plan of salvation but Bob wasn’t yet ready to make that decision so Tom gave him a Bible identifying it as a “tech manual”, a rather clever way to connect with a secularized engineer.
Sometime later Bob left a voice mail for Tom indicating that he had asked Christ into his life. He thought the chaplain would be pleased to know this. And I can tell you for sure that Tom was very pleased!!!
Have you ever thought of the Bible as a “tech manual”? In engineering, the tech manual is prepared by the engineers who actually design the product and covers underlying design issues. The tech manual is much more detailed than the owner’s manual, which deals mostly with function. The Bible is both a tech and owner’s manual.
The word technical comes from a Greek word technitēs found in the New Testament. The most interesting occurrence (to me anyway) is in Hebrews 11:10 regarding the city of faith “whose architect and builder is God.” In fact you can see the word “tech” in architect. Of course an architect is at the very heart of any building program and the blueprints provide the detailed directions for construction.
In the daily text the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy of “the Holy Scriptures”. We are all fearfully and wonderfully made but sin has broken us all. Yet God has provided a tech manual, the Holy Scriptures. This “data”, by far, is the most important type of wisdom we need.
Have you accepted the directions in the tech manual of life which are “able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus?” Please do so today.
Every one of us live in a world of need and will confront people with need. Let us faithfully share of our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and point people to life’s tech manual!
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Father, Your Word is a lamp to our feet and a light for our path. There is nothing You will ask of us that Your Word does not supply guidance, reassurance, and courage for us to follow. We thank You for the great examples of Biblical characters who model godliness for us. We are grateful also for the rascals in Scripture who remind us of the negative consequences that come to those who walk in disobedience to Your manual. Help us to read it, follow it and share its truths with those whom You put in our path. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Tomorrow’s message: Just how much can mankind ignore the tech manual and still go on. Just how much fault tolerance has the Master Designer built into His created order? Fault tolerance is an engineering term describing the property that enables a system to continue operating properly in the event of the failure of (or one or more faults within) some of its components.
The Newspaper Reader by famous sculptor J. Seward Johnson. I was reading the 1812 edition of the New York Times while glancing over this bronze man’s shoulders Friday evening! It’s taking him a long time to read since he was sculpted in 1975 and still has the same page open:) I was also impressed with his intricately designed tweed jacket in the life-sized sculpture.
This long window flower box on a building on King Street catches our attention!
The Fulton Opera House built in 1852 is the oldest working theatre in the United States.
These Amish girls are apparently avid Newsboys fans and stood on their chairs to get a better view (thankfully, it was the back row)! The Newboys have been around since the mid-eighties. We heard the final song on Friday, “God’s Not Dead” as we waited in the lobby. Concerts are a lot different than when we were young with strobe lights, fog, even a drummer on a spinning wheel (see video)!
Yesterday we visited a church near Harrisburg, PA where we served a six month role as interim pastor ten years ago. We like to periodically get back and visit the folks and are pleased to see the work continuing. We saw that many of the same folks are in the church, including several who read our daily encourgement messages, so they’ve stayed up with us. Lee and Tammy, hamming it up with Ester, invited us out to lunch after the service. For many years Lee did engineering and design type work for a connector company and has several patents.
At that season of life I was tinkering around with photoshop. People from the church got a real kick out of this “doctored” photo taken when several of us had breakfast together. Red, a grizzly old WW2 vet had a large white beard and I teased that the men are all “Red Wanna-be’s.” Can you identify the real “Red” in the photo? The actual photo is here.
Red and Elsie Garret
Red passed on to his eternal reward in 2010. He was on board a ship, the USS Hornet (CV-8), during World War 2 that was sunk and he survived for seventeen days clinging to a piece of timber before he was rescued. While we were there that small church had four living WW2 vets who saw serious action and very dramatic stories. They are now all with the Lord.
“He Reigns” Video Newsboys
Finally today:
Eric is a young engineer in one of our companies. He and his wife are expecting their first child and this is their photo announcement. Eric is an avid hunter and often has photos of his hunting dogs. They have chosen not to know the sex of their child till birth which is the way it used to be for all expectant parents! You just made the choice to be happy and love him or her no matter the sex – either are gifts from God!
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
We want to thank all who financially support our ministry. We realize there are many fine ministries and causes requesting support but if the Lord would lead you we surely need and appreciate the financial support from our readers and listeners. Our ministry labor is comprised of half our time to Daily Encouragement and the other half to our chaplaincy ministry to companies for which we receive a fee (of course this percentage of time varies week by week). Each of these ministries essentially is the same as a part-time job (20+ hours weekly) for each of us. Our goal for many years is that each phase would provide half of our ministry expenses and income. If you would like to make a donation to our ministry see here for more information. Donations through my chaplaincy endorsing ministry are tax deductible and will be receipted directly by them. Thank you!Please Note: Our chaplain agency is unable to provide a receipt if the donation is made through PayPal. However we provide this option due to the convenience, international supporters, and for those who may not be concerned regarding receiving an official receipt. Click here to donate using PayPal.
“Our Glory And Joy”
September 23, 2016
A Kraybill Church Road sunset across from our home
Photo taken by our neighbor, Doug Maxwell
“Our Glory And Joy”
Listen to this message on your audio player.
“But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at His coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy” (1 Thessalonians 2:17-20).
Consider how many people have touched your life. Some in significant, memorable ways, others in a lesser yet still impacting way. So many for the good while others not so much.
Each of you are also impacting other lives! And the greatest impact is when we influence others for Christ and eternity, most especially our family members but also beyond that. You may have impacted others through your faithful service as a Sunday School teacher, musician, nursery worker, pastor, college professor, church custodian and scores of other ways we serve the Lord. How gratifying to know of the difference we can make on this side, but in many cases we will never really know till the other side.
The apostle Paul had a brief but fruitful time of ministry in Thessalonica before being run out of town (Acts 17:1-10). He left a small congregation of believers and later wrote a letter to encourage them in their faith and gave them further instructions and even some correction.
In the daily text he turns away from any self-boasting of his spiritual accomplishments and instead turns the spotlight on the Thessalonian believers, those whom he influenced for the kingdom, and the very recipients of his letter. “For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at His coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy.”
Now we probably tend to read this text in a rather detached way. After all, we are reading a letter written to a church nearly 2,000 years ago. We properly read it as sacred Scripture, God’s Holy Word. We should seek application in each section.
But picture yourself sitting in the Thessalonian congregation about 50 AD. You are a newer believer since the gospel only came to your town a short time earlier when Paul and Silas came through. You may have been part of those first meetings or perhaps you are an even more recent convert. You don’t have a Bible in your hand and this was long before PowerPoint verses were projected on a screen.
But a church elder arose to read a letter written by your church’s founder, the Apostle Paul. You’ve heard Paul’s name mentioned often as he is greatly respected among the believers of Thessalonica. The room grows quiet giving careful attention to Paul’s words of counsel and instruction.
But you especially perk up when the elder reads the portion that is today’s text. He reads, “For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at His coming?”
The elder continues, “Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy.” He’s writing about you! You look around the room as people smile at each other heartened by the apostle Paul’s tender reference toward them.
When we stand in the presence of the Lord at His coming what will be our hope or joy or crown of boasting? Paul answers that question for himself regarding his ministry to the Thessalonians. I believe it would be representative toward all to whom he ministered. “Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy.” In our case it will be those whom we have blessed in the name of Christ.
Warren Wiersbe comments, “When the Christians at Thessalonica read this letter, it must have encouraged them tremendously. They were going through intense persecution and suffering, and perhaps some of them were tempted to give up. “Don’t give up!” Paul encouraged them. “Lay hold of the spiritual resources you have in Jesus Christ. You have the Word of God within you, the people of God around you, and the glory of God before you. There is no need to give up.”
A great source of joy in heaven will be the presence of those whom we, like Paul, have impacted for Christ. So let us keep His light shining today. At times you may see the immediate results of your work, but more often you will see the evidence in future years, and I believe in many ways the greatest results will be seen in heaven. Stay faithful!
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Father, we want to follow Christ’s example who made Himself nothing, taking on the very nature of a servant. He reached out to the rich, the poor, the powerful and powerless, the young and old, the weak and strong. Though their needs varied that could only be met through Christ each of them needed a relationship with You, our Father, and that is true of every generation no matter our ethnicity, our wealth or lack thereof, our educational background or any other factor. We have opportunity to impact people from all walks of life so we ask You to guide us to them as we give ourselves in ministry and service to others who desire to follow Christ. It is in His name that we pray. Amen.
The Strasburg Country Store in Strasburg, PA
We both enjoy the fall season decorations
The Strasburg Country Store is an old-fashioned country store with wood floors. The kind of store you just want to mosey through just for the simple ambience.
“God’s Been Good” Video Legacy Five
“He Will Carry You” Video Brian Free & Assurance
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
We want to thank all who financially support our ministry. We realize there are many fine ministries and causes requesting support but if the Lord would lead you we surely need and appreciate the financial support from our readers and listeners. Our ministry labor is comprised of half our time to Daily Encouragement and the other half to our chaplaincy ministry to companies for which we receive a fee (of course this percentage of time varies week by week). Each of these ministries essentially is the same as a part-time job (20+ hours weekly) for each of us. Our goal for many years is that each phase would provide half of our ministry expenses and income. If you would like to make a donation to our ministry see here for more information. Donations through my chaplaincy endorsing ministry are tax deductible and will be receipted directly by them. Thank you!Please Note: Our chaplain agency is unable to provide a receipt if the donation is made through PayPal. However we provide this option due to the convenience, international supporters, and for those who may not be concerned regarding receiving an official receipt. Click here to donate using PayPal.
“Somewhere Between Doubt And Believing”
September 22, 2016
Linden Grove School: Yesterday we passed this one room school house in a bucolic setting where the children are sitting in circles eating their lunches on the lawn near New Holland. As we passed by we painfully considered the turmoil in so many other places including Charlotte, NC.(Click to enlarge)
“Somewhere Between Doubt And Believing”
Listen to this message on your audio player.
“I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24).
We’ve been enjoying a song by a group called Legacy Five titled “Ask Me Why”. It tells the story of a lost soul that walks into church with, “a heart full of questions and a world torn in two, bearing the weight of years of regret.”
We can all get a picture of this scene. Last week Brooksyne shared about her ministry to a lady who recently died of a drug overdose. We regularly encounter people whose lives are so broken and many of you do as well. They’re are all around us and the degree of brokenness actually seem to be increasing.
The song has an intriguing line, “If you are somewhere between doubt and believing”. How many of you can relate to this “somewhere between” expression of faith? For some it may describe your experience prior to conversion, for others a faith test during your journey of faith. Some of you may even identify as you read this.
“Somewhere between doubt and believing” also describes a man in Jesus’ time who cried out in honest confession regarding his vacillating thoughts about God’s power to heal. When Jesus asked him about his belief he cried out: “I believe; help my unbelief!”.
The entire story is found here:
Today let us focus on the phrase, “Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, ‘I believe; help my unbelief!’” I’ve always appreciated the father’s candor. He didn’t make any pretenses; he was struggling. We might as well be honest since God knows our hearts anyway!
Rather than respond to this man vocally Jesus commanded the unclean spirit to leave the man’s son proving His earlier statement to be true, “All things are possible for one who believes.” He also had an instructive word for His disciples:
It actually seems that Jesus focused on the man’s faith rather than on his doubt.* That can be a source of encouragement to any reader who may be “somewhere between doubt and believing.”
One of the tips we give to those struggling with faith is to focus on the basics. As we exercise our basic faith in God it will grow and mature especially during trying circumstances.
This is also expressed in the hymn “Just As I Am”
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Yet I believe I speak for many, no matter how long we’ve walked with the Lord or the depth of our Biblical understanding, we still have unanswered questions which can lead to doubt. Our doubt will naturally lead us to unbelief if we’re not careful to “Guard our hearts, for everything else we do comes from it” (Proverbs 4:23). To fortify and grow our faith in God we must earnestly seek Him and listen to the Word of God.
“If we want to strengthen our faith we need to be hearing God’s Word preached which is taken from the context of Romans 10:17, “So faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God”. Realize that if we don’t hear people who teach true faith in the Word we are not going to build faith. We must also feed on the Word of God for ourselves. Jesus said “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Feeding on God’s Word builds faith. God’s Word is faith food. You must use the faith you have just like you must exercise a muscle for it to grow. Faith without works is dead.” – Pastor Darryl Baker
Back to the song mentioned at the beginning of the message. The preacher says, “Friend, I have answers, for all that you’re needing” and the chorus is a simple presentation of gospel truth.
Ask me how and I’ll say it’s the Blood
Ask me where and I’ll take you to Calvary
Ask me why and I’ll tell you it’s love
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Father, we thank You for Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He took away our sins through His shed blood on the cross. At thirty three years of age He completed the mission for which He came to earth, when He walked the Via Dolorosa all the way to Calvary where He would lay down His innocent life for the guilty sins of mankind. He did this because of His redeeming love for the human race. We know Who, how, where and why Jesus gave His all that we might be pardoned of our sin and receive forgiveness with the tremendous benefit of eternal life in heaven. Words are inadequate to express our gratitude for such wondrous, selfless, and redemptive love seen through Christ Jesus our Lord, so we express it in more than just words but with our very lives; for love so amazing, so divine demands my soul, my life, my all. Amen.
* “His disciples asked Him privately, ‘Why could we not cast it out?’ And He said to them, ‘This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.'” It’s interesting that the focus of the Lord’s correction is not on the father, who admittedly struggled with his faith, but rather on the disciples. There is a stream of popular false teaching, often called “name it, claim it” which puts the necessity of faith on the person needing a healing or some other need met. These preachers assert if the one with the need has enough faith he or she will be healed or experience prosperity. And too often they have put people under guilt if their prayers are not answered. Of course some of these preachers have become quite prosperous preying upon the gullible!
Now certainly I am not saying it’s not important to have faith when appealing to God to meet a need, but I have encountered preachers and ministries who are quick to pass judgment on the one having a need, with a sense “if you just had enough faith your prayer would be answered”. I think this verse teaches they should look to themselves! I’ve often thought if they really believed what they preached why don’t they just walk through and clear out all the hospitals! Another teaching that demonstrates this is the time when friends lowered a paralyzed man through a roof for healing. The text clearly states “And when Jesus saw their faith” (Matthew 9:2). That is, the faith of the men who did the lowering.
relieve my fears that I no more,
may doubt the love of Christ for me
Pumpkins everywhere!
Yesterday we passed this pumpkin wagon along the Strasburg Pike and then noticed many others as we traveled. Many use pumpkins for fall decorations but far more use pumpkins in food products and beverages, including a fall favorite pumpkin spice cappuccino. We enjoyed buttermilk pumpkin pancakes this morning with Brooksyne using this recipe
“Ask Me Why” Video Legacy Five This version includes gospel presentation and background:
sat on the last pew
A heart full of questions
and a world torn in two
Bearing the weight
of years of regret
She listened to the preacher
when he stood up and said
If you’re somewhere between doubt and believin’
Friend, I have answers
For all that you’re needin’
Chorus
Ask me who and I’ll tell you it’s Jesus
Ask me how and I’ll say it’s the Blood
Ask me where and I’ll take you to Calvary
Ask me why and I’ll tell you it’s love
Verse 2
It’s been years since she
found amazing grace
It’s been a long journey
but each battle she’s faced
Has proven God faithful
time and again
And the chance to tell others
who are right where she’s been
somewhere between doubt and believin’
God has the answers
for all that you’re needin’
“I Believe, Help Thou My Unbelief” Video Gaither Vocal Band
Finally today:
A couple of weeks ago I mentioned a rather mindless goof I made when I poured ashes from a fire the night before into my plastic wheelbarrow. It resulted in numerous melted holes funneling the ashes down on the grass.
Yesterday Dylan, a friend from one of our companies, gave me a scrap piece of sheet metal left over from a manufacturing process.
I attached the sheet metal piece with screws to the wooden handles covering the holes and now the wheelbarrow works fine. Had 15 years of life out of it already, perhaps I can get 15 more! (I suppose it’s a little like the orthopedic doctor attaching some metal and screws to a broken bone so one can make use of that bone again for many years. It’s been eight years since Brooksyne broke her ankle and benefits from such a repair, though it took her doctor many more years of schooling for his trade than mine of simply screwing sheet metal to a piece of lumber!)
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
We want to thank all who financially support our ministry. We realize there are many fine ministries and causes requesting support but if the Lord would lead you we surely need and appreciate the financial support from our readers and listeners. Our ministry labor is comprised of half our time to Daily Encouragement and the other half to our chaplaincy ministry to companies for which we receive a fee (of course this percentage of time varies week by week). Each of these ministries essentially is the same as a part-time job (20+ hours weekly) for each of us. Our goal for many years is that each phase would provide half of our ministry expenses and income. If you would like to make a donation to our ministry see here for more information. Donations through my chaplaincy endorsing ministry are tax deductible and will be receipted directly by them. Thank you!Please Note: Our chaplain agency is unable to provide a receipt if the donation is made through PayPal. However we provide this option due to the convenience, international supporters, and for those who may not be concerned regarding receiving an official receipt. Click here to donate using PayPal.
“Grace To The Vilest Offender”
September 21, 2016
Yesterday on our way home from a chaplain visit we passed this small farmstand on Harvest Road north of Mount Joy.
“Grace To The Vilest Offender”
Listen to this message on your audio player.
“Though grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness; even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil and regard not the majesty of the LORD” (Isaiah 26:10).
Vile is a word you don’t hear much these days. For many folks, it sounds too judgmental. But you still hear it if your church sings hymns. This last Lord’s Day we sang the old hymn, “There Is A Fountain Filled With Blood” which has this stunning confession,
And there may I, though vile as he, wash all my sins away.
Our daily verse presents an interesting and often overlooked Biblical truth. “Grace is shown to the wicked.” The grace of the almighty God of the universe is abundantly demonstrated in His loving care to our world, even to the most vile. Theologically speaking this is referred to as “common grace.”
This demonstration of common grace goes on moment by moment in a multitude of ways to all, even the vilest offender; the air we breathe, the livable climatic conditions, food and water. Even the most ardent unbeliever and professed atheist is a recipient of this grace, however stridently he may deny it. Consider what this world would look like in the next 30 seconds if God removed all the oxygen from the air! Jesus expresses this concept of common grace when He told His listeners that God “causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45).
Special grace, on the other hand, is the grace by which God redeems, sanctifies, and glorifies Himself through His people. This special demonstration of grace is extended to us through Jesus for our eternal salvation: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). This grace is available exclusively for those who earnestly believe in Jesus and accept His gift of salvation. This gift of grace far exceeds the worth of all other gifts given to us by God! It has eternal ramifications.
Unbelief and ingratitude have blinded many to this marvelous grace so that the vast majority of the world’s peoples “do not learn righteousness” which is evident in those walking in His grace. In our New Testament understanding they reject God’s grace through Jesus Christ. “They go on doing evil and regard not the majesty of the Lord.” Is this not a picture of so many?
How do we, as God’s chosen people, regard the grace of God today? The Scriptures state, “The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:11-14). That is the nature of the amazing grace; transformation from the vilest offender to one pardoned and restored.
* Let us thank God for His amazing grace and never cease to be amazed by it.
* Let us “learn righteousness” and live our life in a manner that pleases Him.
* Let us regard the majesty of the Lord and reverently declare His praises daily.
To every believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Father, Your abundant grace is poured out on humankind like showers of blessings, both for believer and unbeliever alike. Yet it is only as we appropriate Your saving grace that we turn away from evil and walk in the ways of righteousness. Many leaders and rulers have come and gone, but You, Father, are the eternal One whose kingdom knows no end. We humble ourselves in the light of Your majesty as we bring honor to Your holy name and live as a people who are eager to do what is good. Amen.
“There is a Fountain” Video Selah
“To God Be The Glory” Video Royal Albert Hall Audience and Stage Choirs
“That’s Just What Grace Does” Video Brian Free & Assurance
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
We want to thank all who financially support our ministry. We realize there are many fine ministries and causes requesting support but if the Lord would lead you we surely need and appreciate the financial support from our readers and listeners. Our ministry labor is comprised of half our time to Daily Encouragement and the other half to our chaplaincy ministry to companies for which we receive a fee (of course this percentage of time varies week by week). Each of these ministries essentially is the same as a part-time job (20+ hours weekly) for each of us. Our goal for many years is that each phase would provide half of our ministry expenses and income. If you would like to make a donation to our ministry see here for more information. Donations through my chaplaincy endorsing ministry are tax deductible and will be receipted directly by them. Thank you!Please Note: Our chaplain agency is unable to provide a receipt if the donation is made through PayPal. However we provide this option due to the convenience, international supporters, and for those who may not be concerned regarding receiving an official receipt. Click here to donate using PayPal.
“Shining Ever Brighter”
September 20, 2016
Sunrise on Cadillac MountainAcadia National Park, Maine
“Shining Ever Brighter”
Message Summary: As followers of the one true God we are on the “path of the righteous.” The world is spiritually dark yet as we “keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25b) we are moving forward toward the light. We can be assured, in our hearts, on the veracity of God’s Word that “the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.”
Listen to this message on your audio player.
“The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day” (Proverbs 4:18). “Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in Him and you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining” (1 John 2:8).
We enjoy living out in the country. Around 5:30 this morning I, Brooksyne, stepped out on the deck to let the dogs out and to get an early peek of the new day. We finally got an inch of rain yesterday and I was somewhat hopeful for more evidence of rain in the form of an overnight shower. There was not but I caught a glimpse of the fading moon as the dawn would soon break. The temperature was a comfortable 70 degrees which felt wonderful as I took a deep breath.
I lingered on the deck and began to recite a familiar Scripture verse, “Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in You. Show me the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul” (Psalm 143:8). Just as I was completing the verse I was accompanied by the morning cry of our neighbor’s rooster, “Cock-a-doodle-doo”*. I smiled as the rooster crowed his uplifting “Amen” to the verse I had just quoted. Due to ground fog we did not have a visible sunrise, nevertheless the sun did rise!
It’s time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes
We both enjoy sunrises and sunsets. We tend to take more sunset photos since, due to the layout of our property, we don’t see a dramatic sunrise because of the tree line behind our home. However we often post sunset photos we view of the farm field across the street with an old stone farmhouse and silo in the distant background.
About twenty years ago we were on vacation in Acadia National Park in Maine and drove to the top of Cadillac Mountain that offers a stunning panoramic view. Many consider the view of a sunrise on top of Cadillac Mountain to be the point where “the first gleam of dawn” is visible in the United States. It’s a stunning sight drawing many out early for the spectacular view.
Today’s first text is from the Proverbs. I still recall a Bible College definition of a proverb being a “short pithy saying.” Now “pithy” is a not a word I ever recall using apart from this description, but it is in the Microsoft Office dictionary system with synonyms such as “terse, to the point, succinct.”
So let us consider today’s short pithy saying, “The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.” Isn’t that a descriptive verse? It’s both an observation and a promise from God’s Word.
It’s a universal physical observation. All around this terrestrial ball. the first gleam of dawn is the foretaste of the day’s coming brightness. Although it begins faintly it progressively brightens. When I am near the ocean I enjoy watching the sunrise. The sky gets lighter and lighter even before the sun rises. It can seem like a long wait. Then suddenly it appears on the horizon drawing our eyes to its brightness.
It’s a universal spiritual promise. The Proverb is illustrating the path of the righteous. This path is “like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.” The Biblical Illustrator commentary notes, “The essentials of a just man’s character have been in all ages the same. The path, the life-course of such a man, is like the shining light.”
There are two other Bible verses that seem to have a similar sense. 2 Peter 1:19 reads, “And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” 1 John 2:8 states, “Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in Him and you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.”
Consider the expression, “a light at the end of the tunnel.” As we journey through life we can experience times of intense darkness, particularly during a personal trial. The light is distant, small and barely pierces the overwhelming darkness. But as followers of the one true God we are on the “path of the righteous.” The world is spiritually dark yet as we “keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25b) we are moving forward toward the light. We can be assured, in our hearts, on the veracity of God’s Word, that “the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.”
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Father, as we walk in the path of righteousness we also walk in light. The world is full of darkness engulfed by the enemy’s presence but we, by faith, keep our sight fixed on You the invisible One. We persevere and overcome as we look ahead to our eternal reward. There truly is a light at the end of this world’s tunnel when the Son of God takes us by the hand and leads us to the Promised Land. What a grand and glorious day that will be! But until then we keep our eyes on You who shines ever brighter in a sin-sick world that is growing ever darker. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
For those desiring further study: Here’s an excellent online commentary collection with notes on today’s text: StudyLight
Photo from inside of abandoned Pennsylvania turnpike tunnel
“Sometimes I Wonder” Video Ernie Haas and Signature Sound
“That’s Why” Video Ernie Haas and Signature Sound
“Ten Thousand Reasons” Video Veritas
* Rooster Crowing Compilation Plus Video Just to bring a smile!
David, a British reader comments concerning yesterday’s message: I read your title: “There’s Too Much To Gain To Lose” too quickly. It reminded me of the words of a farmer some years ago, who used to welcome our youth camp of around 200 youngsters. After we had closed the camp down one year, I went to say good bye and thank you. He was harvesting and from the cab while stopping a few moments… he said: “Can’t stop, we are harvesting”. His words have remained as an incentive over the years. Guess these should be our regular comments… the Kingdom’s priorities are important.
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
We want to thank all who financially support our ministry. We realize there are many fine ministries and causes requesting support but if the Lord would lead you we surely need and appreciate the financial support from our readers and listeners. Our ministry labor is comprised of half our time to Daily Encouragement and the other half to our chaplaincy ministry to companies for which we receive a fee (of course this percentage of time varies week by week). Each of these ministries essentially is the same as a part-time job (20+ hours weekly) for each of us. Our goal for many years is that each phase would provide half of our ministry expenses and income. If you would like to make a donation to our ministry see here for more information. Donations through my chaplaincy endorsing ministry are tax deductible and will be receipted directly by them. Thank you!Please Note: Our chaplain agency is unable to provide a receipt if the donation is made through PayPal. However we provide this option due to the convenience, international supporters, and for those who may not be concerned regarding receiving an official receipt. Click here to donate using PayPal.
“There’s Too Much To Gain To Lose”
September 19, 2016
Friday afternoon we saw our Amish neighbor Eli and his family harvesting his field.Message Summary: Today we especially direct our message to those who have been in service for many years. Keep pressing on. We hope you hear some good reports, but we have a promise that has become my life verse. “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). Indeed, there’s too much to gain to lose!
Listen to this message on your audio player.
“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained” (Philippians 3:12-16).
too many trials are through
Too many tears help me to remember
there’s too much to gain to lose
Today I have been on this earth as a post-born entity for 22,621 days. The vast, vast majority of days I can’t recall what happened but there are those days that are especially memorable. Thirty-nine years ago Brooksyne and I left the Springfield, Missouri area where we had met in Bible College and headed to Pennsylvania to start a church. I was 22 and she was 21. We held our first church service September 18, 1977 without much fanfare. I recall there were 24 at that first service, most out of sheer curiosity, never to return again. However one young couple, Mike and Kathy Matangelo, attended who went on to be a formative part of that church plant and who have remained friends to this day.
September 18 is also Mike’s birthday so I called him last night and we caught up and reminisced some of our memories over the last 39 years. Their children are serving the Lord with two of their sons in ministry. But they have also generously poured into the lives of others and today both serve in prison ministry in North Carolina.
Mike shared a heartening story with me that will encourage other long-time servants as well. In the early 80’s we started a boy’s program in our church called “Royal Rangers” seeking to provide a wholesome activity for boys in the church but we also wanted it to be an outreach. Mike was the long-time leader. Like many boys programs, such as the Boy Scouts, the boys were taught knot tying skills using baling twine.
Early on, Jim, a young boy from outside the church began to attend. As I recall he had no spiritual background. But he stayed in the program all the way through achieving the highest award.
We moved from that area to New England in the early nineties and several years later Mike and Kathy moved to North Carolina. Jim also left that area after he grew up so contact was lost in the shuffle of moves. But the Matangelos received a letter from Jim with a report that he was doing well, raising a family in New Jersey (he is a volunteer firefighter and was involved in the 9/11 cleanup). He included a small piece of baling twine and informed Mike he was still serving the Lord.
Looking back on those we have encountered through the years we try to stay in touch with as many as we can. What a joy when we share mutual faith and they continue in the service of the Lord. Of course sadly some have dropped out of the race (Hebrews 12:1). And there are those we just lose track of. What a joy to hear a report like Mike received from Jim!
As we talked last night we alluded to our investment in God’s Kingdom and I told Mike we had too much to gain to lose. We acknowledge that we are on the latter part of our race, pressing toward the finish line, with many miles behind us. Certainly we are a lot closer to it than the starting line!
Today’s Scripture portion is one of my longtime favorites, especially the verse that states, “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
But today let us focus on a final challenge in this section, “Only let us hold true to what we have attained.”
Bible teacher L.O. Richards comments, “The picture that emerges as we connect these passages is an exciting one. God does have a high calling for Christians. But we attain it, not by self-reliant attempts to live by the law, but rather by humble commitment of ourselves to Jesus, asking and believing by faith that He will give us the power to follow Him.” *
Today we especially direct our message to those who have been in service for many years. Keep pressing on. We hope you hear some good reports like Mike did, but we have a promise that has become my life verse. “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58). Indeed, there’s too much to gain to lose!
Too many rivers my feet have walked through
And there’s too many treasures awaiting over yonder
And there’s too much to gain to lose
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Father, when the valley is deep, when the mountain is steep, when my body is weary, when I stumble and fall. When the choices are hard, when I’m battered and scarred, when I’ve spent all my resources and given my all, it’s in Jesus’ name that I press on. With the prize of eternal life, clear before my eyes, I find the strength and courage to press on and I can do so through Christ Jesus who strengthens me. Amen.
Another photo of our Amish neighbors. Looks like at least five of the children were helping Dad out, although one little girl paused to wave back at us.
Friday we joined many of the employees at Val-Co for their annual community service day. This year teams went to five separate locations to serve; two nursing homes, an inner city church, a shelter for abused women and a home for troubled children. Brooksyne took the photo of this group she worked alongside in a nursing home while Ester and I visited the various groups who were working elsewhere.
This team did work restoring a home that is used to provide services to troubled children.
On Saturday morning we participated in a “Walk Of Love” sponsored by “Brittany’s Hope” which aids abandoned children worldwide. We walked with the employees from White Oak Display, another company we serve as chaplains.
A beautiful walk through the woods near Elizabethtown, PA.
There were many other individuals and groups participating in the event including Sheldon Miller, seen here finishing a 5k race. Sheldon works at Smucker Laser. He and his wife Jenna recently adopted a little girl from Vietnam, receiving assistance from Brittany’s Hope.
Saturday afternoon we attended a company picnic with the employees of JK Mechanical. This company has a lot of young men who install heating and air conditioning. I regularly challenge the men to be good husbands and fathers.
“Too Much To Gain To Lose” Video Jake Hess This song just needs to be sung by an older voice and Jake provides that though he is now with the Lord.
“Press On” Video Selah
“Faithful One” Video Selah
* Richards, L O: Expository Dictionary of Bible Words: Regency
Finally today:
The nature of our work takes us out a lot so when we get home we normally don’t get out again for pleasure. But Friday night we ventured into Lancaster City, which has maintained a vibrant downtown and heard Sweetlife, a couple from our area. Here’s a video sample of their music.
We want to thank all who have financially support our ministry. We realize there are many fine ministries and causes requesting support at this time but if the Lord would lead you we surely need and appreciate the financial support from our readers and listeners. Our ministry labor is comprised of half our time to Daily Encouragement and the other half to our chaplaincy ministry to companies for which we receive a fee (of course this percentage of time varies week by week). Each of these ministries essentially is the same as a part-time job (20+ hours weekly) for each of us. Our goal for many years is that each phase would provide half of our ministry expenses and income. If you would like to make a donation to our ministry see here for more information or donate directly online through my chaplain account here. Donations are tax deductible and will be receipted directly by my chaplaincy endorsing ministry. Thank you!Please Note: Our chaplain agency is unable to provide a receipt if the donation is made through PayPal. However we provide this option due to the convenience, international supporters, and for those who may not be concerned regarding receiving an official receipt. Click here to donate using PayPal.
