Monday, December 11, 2017


Our view early Sunday morning after our first seasonal snow.

"The Way Of Peace"

Note: Today's message is a bit later getting posted due to a dental appointment Brooksyne had this morning. Stephen is much stronger, for which we are thankful, but his voice is still weak. We greatly appreciate your prayers.

Message summary: Today our prayer as His followers should always be, "Guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Listen to our message on your audio player. (Mostly Brooksyne!)

"To guide our feet into the way of peace" (Luke 1:79).


This morning Ester ran down and told us to turn on the news, something we have come to dread, when presented in such a way, since mass slayings and terrorism is way too familiar these days. It was another Islamic-inspired bombing in New York, something in a sad way we have almost come to expect. Ever since Cain killed his brother Abel humans have been in conflict with one another. Mankind has also been pursuing peace for ages but peace seems so elusive.

Yesterday was the second Sunday in Advent. In our messages this week we will give consideration to the Advent theme for this second Sunday, which is peace. Peace is a major focus of the Christmas story and is reflected in a number of the great Christmas hymns. Saturday evening at the Gaither Homecoming concert we attended in Reading the group sang "O Little Town Of Bethlehem". We thought Bill made an interesting point when he highlighted just the phrase, "The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight."

Zechariah's voice had been silenced from the time of the angel's revelation that he and his long barren wife Elizabeth would bear a son. But following John's birth he again spoke and made a powerful prophecy in Luke 1:67-79. This prophecy concludes with the line from our daily text, "To guide our feet into the way of peace."

Zechariah's prophesy was given when his son John was born and 6 months before Christ was born. The first part of the prophesy deals with the role John would have as the forerunner to the Messiah, "And you, child (John), will be called the prophet of the Most High; For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways" (Luke 1:76).  This role is expressed in a quote from Isaiah in the beginning of the Gospel of Mark, “Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way" (Mark 1:2).

But Zechariah also referred to the Divine Mission of the then 3 month old Child growing in Mary's womb.

"Because of the tender mercy of our God, with which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, to shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Today our prayer as His followers should always be, "Guide our feet into the way of peace.”




Be encouraged today,


Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Father, it is our daily prayer, that You guide our feet into the way of peace, just as Zechariah prophesied over 2000 years ago. The world offers no lasting peace so we follow after Your Son, the Prince of Peace, who promises us peace within our hearts and a future peaceable kingdom for all eternity. But for here and now we are called to be peacemakers so that we can walk in harmony with those of like faith and guide others to the way of peace through Christ Jesus our Lord, the ultimate Peacemaker. It is in His name that we pray. Amen.

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Special Year-end Financial Appeal: We want to thank all who have financially supported our ministry this past year (and some for many years!). 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. Like many ministries, we typically see a spike in giving at the end of the year for which we are most thankful.

Our ministry labor is comprised of approximately half our time to Daily Encouragement and the other half to our chaplaincy ministry to companies for which we receive compensation. 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 would provide half of our ministry expenses and income.

If you would consider making a donation to our ministry see here for more information.

To donate directly online here. This will open to a page that designates the offering to: WEBER,STEPHEN CHAP, Specialized Chaplaincy Ministry ID: 700001-237376

Please Note: We also provide this familiar option due to the convenience, for international supporters, and for those who may not be concerned regarding receiving an official tax deductible receipt. Click here to send an offering using PayPal. This will open to a page that states "Brooksyne Weber"

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"Hymn Of Praise"  Video  Gaither Vocal Band  This song really touched both of us with such a moving melody and rich lyrics. I wish we'd have known about this song during the Thanksgiving season.

"Mary Did You Know"  Video  Mark Lowry is the comedian at the concerts and Ester just adores him. It's hard to imagine if you have heard his silliness that he could write such a thought-provoking, serious song as Mary Did You Know!

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Last week our theme was hope and we had an exposition on a verse that began "Joyful in hope" We also dealt with the second phrase "patient in affliction" so thought we should finish with "Faithful in prayer" (Romans 12:12). (This is from a Daily Encouragement message about 7 years ago.)

Prayer is a foundational expression of faith. We speak but cannot see the One to whom we speak. We listen, not with our sense of hearing, but rather the inner heart. Scripture says, "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth." The effects of our prayers are often not immediate and at times seem ambiguous, at least from our perspective. Bluntly we may wonder if prayer really does any good.

In Colossians 4:2 Paul offers a similar verse to today's text: "Devote yourselves to prayer." In fact in the Greek it is the very same phrase. The sense of "devote" implies a strong attachment, allegiance, and affection for someone or something; in this case prayer and the act of praying. It would include one's passion, time, and needed resources. One who is devoted is passionate in his commitment and consistency and will not be disloyal, inconsistent, or indifferent. This description should give us a mental picture of one who is devoted to prayer.

"Faithful" is in the present imperative which denotes that we are to continually, habitually follow this command! It is to be one's continual way of life (lifestyle). This Scriptural call is not a suggestion but a command to make it our habitual practice. Remember that whatever God commands of us He also provides for us the grace and empowerment through His Spirit to carry out.

Someone has well said that "Prayer is the breath of the Christian life and almost nothing decays so fast in the fallen human heart as the desire to pray." In other words, nothing is more vital than prayer in Christian existence, and few things are more vulnerable to neglect. We must come back to it again and again and stoke the fire lest, out of neglect, it becomes nothing more than useless cold embers.

Most Christians will confess the difficulty of maintaining a regular and effective prayer life. The reason is not difficult to discern. If Satan can keep us out of touch with God, he will not have to worry about any trouble we might cause for his evil kingdom.

Believing friend, when we are prayed up the allurement to sin is far less appealing, the spirit is strengthened, and our communion with God becomes our anchor that holds us steady in the daily stresses and major events of our life.

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Finally today: