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Tuesday, April 3, 2018
On Sunday afternoon we passed through the Hunsecker Mill Covered bridge here in Lancaster County. On May 16, 2005 the bridge was damaged and closed after, believe it or not, a tractor-trailer truck attempted to pass through it! As I recall the truck got stuck but they were able to pull it back out and repair the bridge.
"This God Is Our God!"
Message summary: Consider those who have walked faithfully with God and impacted your own life. Some are now with Christ; others still labor here below. Let us together with one heart and one voice declare, "This God is our God forever and ever! He will be our guide even unto death."
Listen
to our
message on your
audio player."For this God is our God forever and ever: He will be our guide even unto death" (Psalm 48:14).
Yesterday we shared about our visit with the Lapp family in Strasburg for our Easter
meal along with Jim and Dorothy Schmidt who celebrated their 62nd wedding
anniversary yesterday.
We first met Jim and Dorothy (Dottie) about twenty years ago at a conference in Boston. They were from Ocean City NJ at the time. We each had a display in an exhibition hall sharing about our ministries. At that time Jim was retired from his vocational career but serving with a mission agency called "Send". They apparently signed up to receive Daily Encouragement at that time and we've been connected ever since.
Two years ago Jim and Dorothy moved to Lancaster County to live in "Calvary Homes" one of our many fine retirement communities so we get to see them more often. They now live in a setting with many retired missionaries and have shared the blessing of fellowshipping with these elderly servants.
Sunday they shared a story that really illustrates the blessing of having a living faith perspective. They were visiting with an older lady who had served for many years as a single missionary. She told them that she was excited as it was her first day of being placed in hospice care which really caught their attention. A week later when they saw her she told them how blessed she was that she was getting worse and closer to her permanent home. By the following week she had moved on to her eternal residence!
Some might see her attitude as rather morbid but she was really expressing a faith outlook that many admire. Bill and Gloria Gaither wrote "Because He Lives" in the early 1970's and the third verse begins with these words,
And then one day I'll cross that river,
I'll fight life's final war with pain;
I'll fight life's final war with pain;
For most "crossing the river" from this life to the next involves pain, some much more intense and/or long-lasting than others. But with a living faith we can face this painful passage being confident of God's presence and guidance even unto and through death on this side into life everlasting beyond that river.
Psalm 48 begins with the phrase, "Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised". This Psalm is written by a group of singers known as the "Sons of Korah". Most likely these were temple singers who lived during the period of the divided kingdom.
This Psalm extols God for His greatness, His deliverance, His unfailing love and other divine attributes. It includes a virtual Google Earth-like tour around the wall of the Holy City. "Walk about Zion, go around her, count her towers, consider well her ramparts, view her citadels, that you may tell of them to the next generation" (12,13).
But the Psalm ends with our daily text which empowers us as we transmit the life-changing message of God's truths to our own generation. Let us examine just this text today, consider its relevance, and receive its assurance:
"For this God is our God forever and ever." This is our great eternal God! This God is our "Maker, Defender, Redeemer and Friend." Consider His great acts throughout history. Consider the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, of Moses, Joshua, Samuel and David; the God of Ruth, Esther, Mary, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Daniel; the God of Peter, Stephen and Paul. Martin Luther, John Wesley, D.L. Moody, Jim Elliot, Billy Graham and countless others who endured the inevitable tests of life and finished well. The God of those, not recorded so much in history books but in the memory files of your own heart, who have stood firm in the faith toward God to the very end.
"He will be our guide even unto death." What a great blessing His guiding Hand is.
Consider those who have walked faithfully with God and impacted your own life. Some are now with Christ; others still labor here below. Let us together with one heart and one voice declare, "This God is our God forever and ever! He will be our guide even unto death."
I'm so glad I learned to trust Him,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend
And I know that He is with me,
Will be with me to the end.
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend
And I know that He is with me,
Will be with me to the end.
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer:
Father, when we consider the saints throughout history and
the marvelous saving power portrayed in their lives we're encouraged by
their bold example and their consistent enduring walk with You.
We recognize these "greats" of the past and those in our own generation
who are faithful and powerful examples. They do not build their own
kingdom or take credit for their accomplishments. Instead they
recognize that it is God alone who deserves our truest praise, no
matter our own personal sacrifice. We gratefully declare in our
own hearts and to others, "This God is our God! He will be
forever
and ever! He will be our guide even unto death." Keep us faithful to the very end. Amen.
More Amish traffic from this last Sunday. These young men are likely heading for a youth meeting. It was a pleasant day and they had their spring wagons out. For us that would sort of be like getting the convertible out!
(Click on photo to enlarge)
This was probably a youth group gathering. The black bench seat coverings for the spring wagons give the appearance of sporty vehicles.
(Click on photo to enlarge)
Saturday afternoon we picked Ester up at the Baltimore airport after her return from visiting her aunt in Texas over the past three weeks. We went down a couple of hours early to walk around the Inner Harbor and have lunch. It was a pleasant but quite busy day since that evening the Baltimore Orioles baseball team had a game in nearby Camden Yards.
Brooksyne sitting on an anchor next to the Constellation, a sailing ship commissioned before the Civil War.
One aspect I enjoy of cities is to see how they can take a building that surely looked gritty and long past its prime and renovate it to be an interesting property. This was the city power plant from 1900 to 2000. I am glad they left the smokestacks!
Today's
Suggested Music and
Supplemental Resources
"Because He Lives" Video At the Billy Graham memorial service Old-timers!
"Because He Lives" Video Jedidiah Horca Live at 401 Youth!
"Because He Lives (Amen)" Video West Coast Choir Absolutely beautiful! This is a song that Brooksyne sings in her choir but this is sure an interesting version!
"Big Enough" Video Clark family
Finally Today:
We often mention how our border collie Mollie likes to play. Her favorite is the frisbee catch (I throw, she catches). But she also likes her triple rings, which is susceptible to getting caught up in the tree. She will bark fiercely till I retrieve it!
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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 make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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