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Monday, May 24, 2010

Horse and colt (Photo by Brenda Harry)
Horse and Colt in eastern Lancaster County, PA
(Photo by our friend Brenda Harry)

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"Power For Witness"

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8).

Yesterday churches around the world celebrated Pentecost Sunday. Before Jesus ascended into heaven He stated very clearly the purpose of the coming of the Holy Spirit in our daily verse.  It can be summed up in the phrase, "Power for witness."

Some 721,500 days have passed since the initial outpouring when God's Holy Spirit fell upon the 120 who gathered in the Upper Room. Yet today the Holy Spirit continues to empower men and women, young and old to touch people for Christ even to the ends of the earth.

Today you have left the spiritual comfort zone of your church and entered the mission field God has called you to.  Many of you are surrounded by people who curse and blaspheme God.  There are people who may mock and revile you because of your stand for Christ.  These are the people that God has empowered you to be a witness to! 

The rubber is meeting the road when you are in their presence.  The spiritually enriching, perhaps emotionally touching experience of yesterday was for this very witness.  God has called you to BE a witness (Gr. "martus").  Now this will certainly include the verbal defense and explanation of our faith. However it really involves all that we are; Christ's character being formed and demonstrated in our lives. 

It is God's plan to continue to fill His people with the Holy Spirit even as He did in the book of Acts.  Peter preached a great sermon following the initial outpouring in Acts 2 and 3,000 people were saved!  We certainly still need the power of the Spirit today.  In examining Peter's sermon we note that God gave Peter power to proclaim the Gospel message and he demonstrates four characteristics we need in our witness:
1) No one has power to proclaim unless the Lord gives him strength to stand up (Acts 2:14).
2) No one has power to proclaim who leaves the Scriptures unopened and unused. Notice Peter's use of Scripture in his sermon (Acts 2:17-21, 25-28 and 34,35).
3) No one has power to proclaim whose life is not centered on Jesus (Acts 4:13).
4) No one has power to proclaim unless the foundational message of the Gospel is shared.  Peter stuck to the basics.  In Acts the main things are the plain things (Believe, repent, be baptized, be filled with the Spirit, walk with Jesus).  Let this be true in our own life and witness. (Acts 2:42)
Today the power for being His witness is still available.  I pray that we will be filled with the Holy Spirit and bear a faithful witness for Christ!


Be encouraged today,


Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Father, as Your Holy Spirit empowers us we can effectively proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ through Scriptural teaching and through our godly example.  Help us to faithfully witness  in the mission field You've appointed us to.  In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.    



Flowers in trunk
Saturday evening we had a ladies banquet and we thought this was a colorful scene. I filled our car trunk with flowers to take to the banquet.  We prepared a "Name That Flower" quiz for the banquet (using Powerpoint) with photos of flowers. For those who may be interested here is a similar online edition of the quiz with a link to the answer key!

Brooksyne speaking at Ladies gathering 5/22/10Brooksyne shared a message at the banquet speaking on a gardening theme and growing in Christ with the ladies memorizing 2 Peter 3:18.

Her message included:

Three requirements for Growing Plants:

  • Bright Light
  • Fertile Soil
  • Adequate Moisture
She correlated these points to that of what it takes to be a growing Christian.














Persevering new growth through pavement
I am inspired by examples of perseverance in nature. This tiny plant keeps trying to pop up through the pavement in our church parking lot. Apparently a seed was covered over when some pavement was patched last fall and this tiny plant has a will to live!










Alberto Hernandez 5/21/10
Alberto Hernandez is a friend of ours and fellow chaplain. He is a native of Peru but has been in the states with his wife Jenny and their four children about ten years and is involved in church planting ministry throughout south-central Pennsylvania. He will be assuming a chaplaincy role at a large wholesale greenhouse near Reading Pennsylvania and will be considered the "farm chaplain". We met together with the owner on Friday afternoon and toured the large 200 acre farm with 240 greenhouses!




Ester with kids 5/24/10
This morning Ester has a role in watching David and Adoree.  They're somewhat captivated by the animated movie, "Cars."



Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
Click on the link to open and play.
(In some cases you may also need to click again to start the song.)

"The Comforter Has Come" Video In our view one of the most powerful expressions in Christian hymnody is a verse in this hymn. Here is a classic version by a Christian College choir which includes this verse.  

O boundless love divine! How shall this tongue of mine
To wond’ring mortals tell the matchless grace divine—
That I, a child of hell, should in His image shine!
The Comforter has come!

Here's a 
video version by Jars of Clay which is similar to the classic hymn but does not use all the verses.

"Spirit Of The Living God"  Video with lyrics  

"Draw Me Close"  Video  Oslo Gospel Choir

"Spirit Song"   Video  Maranatha Singers



Finally today:

For those who enjoy quizes here is another quiz Brooksyne prepared

Testing Your Gardening Knowledge

1.  _______________ is used to smother weeds, beautify flower beds and base of trees, and help retain moisture.

2. Old garbage can be turned into __________ which is used to enrich soil and stimulate plant growth.

3. What pesty insect has a problem with drinking beer, much to its demise?  ______________.

4. A product that helps plants grow in quality and quantity is called _____________________.

5. Name two early spring vegetables that will withstand light frosts.  __________________.

6. The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map shows your area to be in which growing zone? ________.

7. The process of the sprouting of a seed is called ________________.

8. The method of gardening utilizing only materials derived from living things (i.e. composts & manures) is called ______________________.

9. The process of digging up a plant and moving it to another location is called _______________________.

10. The science of growing plants in mineral solutions or water, instead of in soil is called ___________________.

11. A flower that only grows only one growing season is called an  _____________________.

12. A plant or ornamental that returns year after year is called a  _________________________.

We will post the answers to this quiz tomorrow!


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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.

Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and I make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and to prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."

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