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"Will You Be The One?"
"For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness (Romans 12:4-8).
On Sunday we heard an interesting message in our church that began with
a powerful testimony. We first met Debbie Hollinger and her husband
David over ten years ago when I served as chaplain for several years at Four
Seasons Produce, the company David started. In fact we recall joining them
for a meal shortly after we moved to this area in 2001. It turns out
that Debbie is a longtime friend from childhood with Faithe Keefer, our
Pastor's wife.
Debbie shared about "Home International" a ministry she started in India due to a burden God placed on her heart for orphaned girls. A recurring theme in her message was, "Will you be the one?" as she encouraged the congregation to step out in faith in serving the Lord in whatever way He may be leading them.
In illustrating this concept she shared about a little girl named Emily who grew up in the coal region of Pennsylvania during the great depression in a home steeped in sin, which gave no consideration whatsoever to God. Mrs. Coons, a neighbor lady, invited five year old Emily to attend her church where she got saved. She stood alone in her walk with God throughout her childhood and teen years persevering in her faith. Emily grew up, married a preacher and became mother to Debbie and her siblings. She raised her family to serve the Lord.
Debbie was sharing the transmission of her faith going back to Mrs. Coons. All who believe have a similar story although perhaps not as dramatic. In our church I have a friend who can trace back his spiritual heritage for many generations but at some point a believer reached out to someone in his family and led them to faith. I suppose there may be some who have an unbroken chain of faith in their family all the way back to the establishment of the church but I've never heard that testimony!
The work of the Lord certainly includes some famous preachers. But I believe the greatest part of God's work is due to devoted lesser-known people like Mrs. Coons, who faithfully serve God in their sphere of influence. That's something we all can do. Today we need to heed God's call. Al Denson wrote the song "Will you be the one?" It begins with this thoughtful verse,
May the Lord help us to be faithful to God's calling in whatever specific way He leads us. "The story of the Gospel is simple. The grace of the Gospel is glorious. The sacrifice of the Gospel is incomprehensible. The victory of the Gospel is eternal. The core of the Gospel is Christ." (unknown source)
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father,
You've called us all to a life of obedience. This includes the
command that we are to raise our families in such a way that they will
come to know You and grow in godliness in accordance to their
individual faith. We also have opportunity to influence others for
Jesus as we follow the great commission in reaching out to those who
don't know Him, whether it's our neighbor, co-worker, team member or
the homeless living on the streets. We want to make a difference in our
world, one person at a time, since You touch individual hearts for the
kingdom one at a time. We want to faithfully do our part through Christ Jesus our Lord in whose name we pray. Amen.
"Will You Be The One?" Video Al Denson This song came to mind when I heard Debbie speak this last Sunday. I haven't heard it in years but managed to find an original Al Denson version.
"Little Is Much" Video Ernie Haase & Signature Sound
"Going Home" Video Ernie Haase & Signature Sound
Home International
Note: We actually prepared this post earlier this week and have set it to deliver to our email list on Thursday morning. I am attending a "Watchmen On The Wall" briefing in Washington, DC along with my Pastor, John Keefer, and my brother, Pat Weber, who is a pastor in the Lehigh Valley about 100 miles northeast of us. We do not expect to post on Friday.
The "Watchmen On The Wall" pastor's briefing in Washington DC encourages pastors to be a "watchman
pastor", standing up for Biblical values against the tide of evil
that is sweeping our land. The conference is so very important due to a sense of urgency regarding the state of our land. This conference will challenge
pastors to take a strong, uncompromising stand for Biblical truth.
Our basic commission in this regard is to:
Pastor friends: I urge you to examine this ministry and join me in being a "Watchman Pastor".
Lay people: Consider sending this message to your pastor with a note asking him to look into this.
What is a Watchman Pastor? The name is from Isaiah 62:6: "I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest." A Watchman Pastor is called to do the following:
* Watch what is going on in the culture.
* Pray for wisdom to engage Biblically, courageously, and winsomely.
* Sound the alarm from the pulpit.
* Take a bold stand with others to defend and advance faith, family, and freedom.
The music at the briefing will be led by Charles Billingsley, a musician I have long enjoyed. Here is a song I expect we will sing: "God Of The Ages" Video
To receive the "Daily Encouragement" each Monday-Friday through email see this page to subscribe to our email list. You can also subscribe to the Wordpress rss feed or through a Wordpress email subscription. (See the email subscription on the right side after opening this page.)
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.
Permissions: Please feel free to pass on, reproduce and distribute any material on Daily Encouragement Net, in part or in whole, in any format, provided that you do not alter the wording in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. It is our desire to spread this material, not protect or restrict it. I do request that you keep the contact, copyright and subscription information intact.
Text only version for printing: To make a text only version for printing (without photos or any of the supplemental materials)
1) Open the basic text editor that comes with all computers (known as wordpad, textpad, etc.) You can also use a program like Word and select paste text only.
2) Select and copy the text from the portion of the message you want to print.
3) Paste into the text pad. (The photos won't show up but you will have a brief text description of the photo which you can delete or just ignore.)
4) Format if you desire (change font, increase or decrease size, etc.)
5) Print!
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."
© Copyright 2013 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA
<Previous Message Next Message>
Thursday,
May 23, 2013
Dew-laced Purple pansies
(Photo by our friend Doris High)
Listen to this message on your
audio
player. Note:
Due to my quality microphone not working with Windows 8 the sound is rather poor and occasionally has
a very annoying feedback type noise. A new microphone has been ordered!
Dew-laced Purple pansies
(Photo by our friend Doris High)
Listen to this message on your
audio
player. Note:
Due to my quality microphone not working with Windows 8 the sound is rather poor and occasionally has
a very annoying feedback type noise. A new microphone has been ordered!
"Will You Be The One?"
"For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness (Romans 12:4-8).
Will you be the one
To answer to His call
And will you stand
When those around you fall
Will you be the one
To take His light into a darkened world
Tell me will you be the one
To answer to His call
And will you stand
When those around you fall
Will you be the one
To take His light into a darkened world
Tell me will you be the one
On Sunday we heard an interesting message in our church that began with
a powerful testimony. We first met Debbie Hollinger and her husband
David over ten years ago when I served as chaplain for several years at Four
Seasons Produce, the company David started. In fact we recall joining them
for a meal shortly after we moved to this area in 2001. It turns out
that Debbie is a longtime friend from childhood with Faithe Keefer, our
Pastor's wife.Debbie shared about "Home International" a ministry she started in India due to a burden God placed on her heart for orphaned girls. A recurring theme in her message was, "Will you be the one?" as she encouraged the congregation to step out in faith in serving the Lord in whatever way He may be leading them.
In illustrating this concept she shared about a little girl named Emily who grew up in the coal region of Pennsylvania during the great depression in a home steeped in sin, which gave no consideration whatsoever to God. Mrs. Coons, a neighbor lady, invited five year old Emily to attend her church where she got saved. She stood alone in her walk with God throughout her childhood and teen years persevering in her faith. Emily grew up, married a preacher and became mother to Debbie and her siblings. She raised her family to serve the Lord.
Debbie was sharing the transmission of her faith going back to Mrs. Coons. All who believe have a similar story although perhaps not as dramatic. In our church I have a friend who can trace back his spiritual heritage for many generations but at some point a believer reached out to someone in his family and led them to faith. I suppose there may be some who have an unbroken chain of faith in their family all the way back to the establishment of the church but I've never heard that testimony!
The work of the Lord certainly includes some famous preachers. But I believe the greatest part of God's work is due to devoted lesser-known people like Mrs. Coons, who faithfully serve God in their sphere of influence. That's something we all can do. Today we need to heed God's call. Al Denson wrote the song "Will you be the one?" It begins with this thoughtful verse,
In a world full of broken dreams
Where the truth is hard to find
For every promise that is kept
There are many left behind
Though it seems that nobody cares
It still matters what you do
Cause there's a difference you can make
But the choice is up to you
The
difference you make by taking a bold, unswerving stand for Jesus may not be fully
disclosed in your lifetime. Before Emily passed away she could not have
foreseen that her daughter, Debbie, would raise up three Christian homes
where 61 orphans would find refuge from homelessness and abuse as well
as the gift of salvation through her missionary endeavor.Where the truth is hard to find
For every promise that is kept
There are many left behind
Though it seems that nobody cares
It still matters what you do
Cause there's a difference you can make
But the choice is up to you
May the Lord help us to be faithful to God's calling in whatever specific way He leads us. "The story of the Gospel is simple. The grace of the Gospel is glorious. The sacrifice of the Gospel is incomprehensible. The victory of the Gospel is eternal. The core of the Gospel is Christ." (unknown source)
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father,
You've called us all to a life of obedience. This includes the
command that we are to raise our families in such a way that they will
come to know You and grow in godliness in accordance to their
individual faith. We also have opportunity to influence others for
Jesus as we follow the great commission in reaching out to those who
don't know Him, whether it's our neighbor, co-worker, team member or
the homeless living on the streets. We want to make a difference in our
world, one person at a time, since You touch individual hearts for the
kingdom one at a time. We want to faithfully do our part through Christ Jesus our Lord in whose name we pray. Amen.Today's Suggested
Music
and Supplemental Resources
"Will You Be The One?" Video Al Denson This song came to mind when I heard Debbie speak this last Sunday. I haven't heard it in years but managed to find an original Al Denson version.
"Little Is Much" Video Ernie Haase & Signature Sound
"Going Home" Video Ernie Haase & Signature Sound
Home International
Note: We actually prepared this post earlier this week and have set it to deliver to our email list on Thursday morning. I am attending a "Watchmen On The Wall" briefing in Washington, DC along with my Pastor, John Keefer, and my brother, Pat Weber, who is a pastor in the Lehigh Valley about 100 miles northeast of us. We do not expect to post on Friday.
The "Watchmen On The Wall" pastor's briefing in Washington DC encourages pastors to be a "watchman
pastor", standing up for Biblical values against the tide of evil
that is sweeping our land. The conference is so very important due to a sense of urgency regarding the state of our land. This conference will challenge
pastors to take a strong, uncompromising stand for Biblical truth. Our basic commission in this regard is to:
1) Pray for our nation.
2) Preach the Bible without apology.
3) Partner with those who also hold Biblical values.
2) Preach the Bible without apology.
3) Partner with those who also hold Biblical values.
Pastor friends: I urge you to examine this ministry and join me in being a "Watchman Pastor".
Lay people: Consider sending this message to your pastor with a note asking him to look into this.
What is a Watchman Pastor? The name is from Isaiah 62:6: "I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest." A Watchman Pastor is called to do the following:
* Watch what is going on in the culture.
* Pray for wisdom to engage Biblically, courageously, and winsomely.
* Sound the alarm from the pulpit.
* Take a bold stand with others to defend and advance faith, family, and freedom.
The music at the briefing will be led by Charles Billingsley, a musician I have long enjoyed. Here is a song I expect we will sing: "God Of The Ages" Video
Send a message to Stephen
& Brooksyne
To receive the "Daily Encouragement" each Monday-Friday through email see this page to subscribe to our email list. You can also subscribe to the Wordpress rss feed or through a Wordpress email subscription. (See the email subscription on the right side after opening this page.)
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.Permissions: Please feel free to pass on, reproduce and distribute any material on Daily Encouragement Net, in part or in whole, in any format, provided that you do not alter the wording in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. It is our desire to spread this material, not protect or restrict it. I do request that you keep the contact, copyright and subscription information intact.
Text only version for printing: To make a text only version for printing (without photos or any of the supplemental materials)
1) Open the basic text editor that comes with all computers (known as wordpad, textpad, etc.) You can also use a program like Word and select paste text only.
2) Select and copy the text from the portion of the message you want to print.
3) Paste into the text pad. (The photos won't show up but you will have a brief text description of the photo which you can delete or just ignore.)
4) Format if you desire (change font, increase or decrease size, etc.)
5) Print!
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."
© Copyright 2013 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA