The online Bible
teaching ministry of Stephen &
Brooksyne Weber
A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation.
A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation.
About
Us Archives Free
email
subscription 
Listen
to these messages
Daily Encouragement on
Facebook
Twitter
Wordpress 
LinkedIn
Tip: Visit Daily Encouragement on your mobile browser, hit "Add to home screen" or "Add page shortcut." This creates an instant Daily Encouragement App!
Listen
to these messages Daily Encouragement on
Facebook
Twitter
Wordpress LinkedInTip: Visit Daily Encouragement on your mobile browser, hit "Add to home screen" or "Add page shortcut." This creates an instant Daily Encouragement App!
Search Daily Encouragement
A new message is updated each weekday usually by Noon Eastern Time (USA).
(Click refresh or reload for current message)
Friday,
January 18,
2019
Pennsylvania Bank Barn
Overnight we had snowfall with a storm forecast for this weekend.
We have milk and bread!
(Taken by our friend Greg Schneider)
"The
Consequences
Of Forsaking
God's Pattern"
Note:
Today's
message is
longer and
perhaps a bit
more mentally
challenging
than many
using an
illustration
from
engineering.
Message
summary:
Let
us renew our
resolve to
follow the
Lord and walk
in accordance
to His pattern
of belief and
His way of
life.
Listen to
our message on
your audio
player.
"He forsook the Lord, the God of his ancestors, and did not walk in obedience to Him" (2 Kings 21:22). "Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them" (Romans 1:28-32).
All this week we have been studying the concept of "pattern":
* God is pleased and honored when we follow His patterns.
* We are not to conform to the pattern of this world.
* Scripture provides a pattern for what we are to believe.
* Scripture provides a pattern for how we are to live.
Today
let us
consider the
consequences
of forsaking a
pattern and to
do so I use an
illustration
from
engineering.
We visit with
many engineers
and product
designers in
our role as
company
chaplains.
Presently,
most are
mechanical.
However, all
through my
ministry, I've
associated
with many
different
kinds of
engineers;
electrical,
chemical,
civil,
software and
others.
Engineers
apply science
to specific
functions and
products. I
suppose I
enjoy my
engineer
associations
because I have
found
engineers to
be usually
very sensible.
They are smart
but generally
not
pretentious. I
appeal to any
engineers
reading this
to give me
some slack if
my
illustration
below is not
precisely put
into the
proper terms
you prefer to
use.
We
serve as
chaplains at
Val-Co, a
company that
makes watering
equipment for
poultry. Some
tend to think
that getting
water to
chickens
wouldn't
involve any
more than a
farmer using a
hose and just
filling up
drinking
containers for
the
birds.
But in large
chicken houses
the birds get
their water by
tapping their
beak on a
drinker valve
that opens so
that a single
drop of water
comes out and
then the valve
closes
completely.
It's designed
so that the
bird gets
adequate water
without drips
which would
create
dampness in
the facility
conducive to
disease. Of
course
thousands of
these valves
are needed in
a large
chicken
growing
operation.
The
machine that
makes these
parts runs
very, very
fast producing
thousands each
hour yet each
single part
must stay
within the
design
tolerance
which prompted
me to discuss
with Tom the
importance of
this machine
making these
parts so
precisely.
The
engineering
specifications
(pattern) call
for a very
specific
measurement
but a very
slight
acceptable
deviation is
allowed. Yesterday,
when I was
visiting with
Tom, a
manufacturing
engineer, he
explained that
these parts
have a design
tolerance of +or-
.0005 of an
inch which is
less than the
diameter of a
human hair!
"Engineering tolerances are assigned to parts for manufacturing purposes, as boundaries for acceptable build. No machine can hold dimensions precisely to the nominal value, so there must be acceptable degrees of variation. If a part is manufactured, but has dimensions that are out of tolerance, it is not a usable part according to the design intent." (Wikipedia)
We believe in life there is a parallel. Of course none of us attain the precise design specifications as ordained by our Creator since we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Only Jesus completely lived entirely up to the design specs originally intended for the human race!
Today we want to consider the consequences of forsaking God's design specs (pattern). Both Bible and secular history abundantly demonstrate these consequences. Especially in the Old Testament we can easily recall the cycles of rejection and disobedience followed by renewal and obedience, repeated over and over. In secular history we observe the rise and fall of nations and kingdoms.
Even the "good" characters in the Bible forsook God's design specs at times, most notably David, in the Old Testament. Scripture records the life-long heartaches King David endured as a consequence of his sin. His family and others also experienced grief, conflict, and loss as a result which is often the case when a person sins. From the New Testament we consider Peter's denial of Christ, the guilt and shame it brought, and his blessed restoration.
Forsaking God's design specs always has consequences, some immediate but others delayed. Delayed consequences can lead to one's faulty thinking that it really doesn't matter since there appears, for a time, to be no negative consequence to one's choice.
One factor is how it seems as though there is a "grace allowance" (for lack of a better term) even for those who reject God's design specs, at least in the sense that life may still work and seems to be going OK. I struggle as I place these thoughts in writing lest I be misunderstood. The grace allowance for the human race is similar to the engineering tolerance. Life still works even when we don't match up to the divinely ordained specs. However, Scripture teaches us that there is a most certain judgment, if not now it will be at a future date!
Now let me seek to make a spiritual analogy: mankind as noted above has always (since the fall) failed to wholly live up to God's pattern. As Romans 3:23 famously states, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Grace provides a safety factor for those who repent and accept Jesus Christ as Savior and serve Him as Lord.
But I consider that there is also an allowable tolerance and failure factor to society as a whole even the unrepentant and those who willfully reject God in regard to God's design.
Looking at the human race as a whole we see more and more willful, open defiance of God's design specs on many issues. Consider marriage and the family, sexuality, truthfulness, responsible living, hard work and in so many other areas.
Of course the failure factor will ultimately be revealed in the final Great Judgment when Jesus separates those who receive His eternal inheritance in heaven from those who perish in hell. But since there is a delayed period between sowing and reaping many assume all is well even while charting their individual course that ultimately leads to eternal destruction.
The daily text is an obscure verse succinctly describing the life of King Amon, son of Manasseh. "He forsook the Lord, the God of his ancestors, and did not walk in obedience to Him." What a sad legacy King Amon left for all to read, right down to our own generation.
Let us renew our resolve to follow the Lord and walk in accordance to His pattern of belief and His way of life.
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
"Engineering tolerances are assigned to parts for manufacturing purposes, as boundaries for acceptable build. No machine can hold dimensions precisely to the nominal value, so there must be acceptable degrees of variation. If a part is manufactured, but has dimensions that are out of tolerance, it is not a usable part according to the design intent." (Wikipedia)
We believe in life there is a parallel. Of course none of us attain the precise design specifications as ordained by our Creator since we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Only Jesus completely lived entirely up to the design specs originally intended for the human race!
Today we want to consider the consequences of forsaking God's design specs (pattern). Both Bible and secular history abundantly demonstrate these consequences. Especially in the Old Testament we can easily recall the cycles of rejection and disobedience followed by renewal and obedience, repeated over and over. In secular history we observe the rise and fall of nations and kingdoms.
Even the "good" characters in the Bible forsook God's design specs at times, most notably David, in the Old Testament. Scripture records the life-long heartaches King David endured as a consequence of his sin. His family and others also experienced grief, conflict, and loss as a result which is often the case when a person sins. From the New Testament we consider Peter's denial of Christ, the guilt and shame it brought, and his blessed restoration.
Forsaking God's design specs always has consequences, some immediate but others delayed. Delayed consequences can lead to one's faulty thinking that it really doesn't matter since there appears, for a time, to be no negative consequence to one's choice.
One factor is how it seems as though there is a "grace allowance" (for lack of a better term) even for those who reject God's design specs, at least in the sense that life may still work and seems to be going OK. I struggle as I place these thoughts in writing lest I be misunderstood. The grace allowance for the human race is similar to the engineering tolerance. Life still works even when we don't match up to the divinely ordained specs. However, Scripture teaches us that there is a most certain judgment, if not now it will be at a future date!
Now let me seek to make a spiritual analogy: mankind as noted above has always (since the fall) failed to wholly live up to God's pattern. As Romans 3:23 famously states, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Grace provides a safety factor for those who repent and accept Jesus Christ as Savior and serve Him as Lord.
But I consider that there is also an allowable tolerance and failure factor to society as a whole even the unrepentant and those who willfully reject God in regard to God's design.
Looking at the human race as a whole we see more and more willful, open defiance of God's design specs on many issues. Consider marriage and the family, sexuality, truthfulness, responsible living, hard work and in so many other areas.
Of course the failure factor will ultimately be revealed in the final Great Judgment when Jesus separates those who receive His eternal inheritance in heaven from those who perish in hell. But since there is a delayed period between sowing and reaping many assume all is well even while charting their individual course that ultimately leads to eternal destruction.
The daily text is an obscure verse succinctly describing the life of King Amon, son of Manasseh. "He forsook the Lord, the God of his ancestors, and did not walk in obedience to Him." What a sad legacy King Amon left for all to read, right down to our own generation.
Let us renew our resolve to follow the Lord and walk in accordance to His pattern of belief and His way of life.
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer:
Father,
we seek to
honor You in
our lives. We
don't want our
lasting legacy
to go down in
the history
books like
that of King
Manasseh and
his son Amon,
who forsook
You, the God
of his father,
King Hezekiah.
Though he
repented late
in his reign
so many he had
already
influenced for
evil, went on
to influence
their children
and their
children's
children.
Instead we
want our lives
to reflect
that of King
Hezekiah who
trusted in
You, the God
of Israel.
Thank You,
Father, for
letting us
make choices
for ourselves,
but we dare
not trust our
own wisdom in
making these
choices. We
rely on the
wisdom of the
Holy Spirit to
establish the
desirable
pattern for
right living
here and now
for that will
also determine
our future for
all of
eternity.
Amen.
Randy
is inspecting
a part he just
made and
informed me
his tolerance
was also +/-
.0005. Being
within this
tolerance
means the part
is acceptable,
although of
course the
conscientious
machinist
strives to
precisely make
the part to
the exact
specified
dimension.However I suspect that the part would still "work" even if it was slightly lesser or greater than this accepted allowance, though there would certainly be a point when the part would fail. There's only so much margin; the next step is the failure factor.
Our
friend Joe
Ulicny, who
leads the
marketing
team, at
Val-Co took
this photo of
the part
mentioned in
today's
message being
used.
Brooksyne
visiting with
Baba who, for
many years,
has run the
machine that
"spits" out
the drinker
valves
designed for
the watering
systems in
chicken
houses. (In
many cases
with languages
we don't know
we learn their
names but
probably spell
them wrong!)
It's
great to see
people getting
along! Brian
is a
supervisor on
the second
shift who has
become great
friends with
Tan, a
Vietnamese
immigrant. Tan
calls Brian
his big
brother,
although they
are only a
couple of
months apart
in age. In
several weeks
they are both
going to
Vietnam to
visit Tam's
family.
Last
night we
joined the
Smucker team
for a
gathering that
included lots
of food,
bowling and
laser tag. We
didn't care to
display this photo
on the site
but for the
first time in
life we
actually
played laser
tag! This
photo shows
the prize
winners who
won gift cards
from a game
played during
bowling.
Today's
Suggested
Music and
Supplemental
Resources
"He
Has Shown You,
O Man, What Is
Good"
Video
Maranatha
Singers
Micah
6:8 set to
song
May the mind of Christ, my Savior,
Live in me from day to day,
By His love and power controlling
All I do and say.
May the Word of God dwell richly
In my heart from hour to hour,
So that all may see I triumph
Only through His power.
May the peace of God my Father
Rule my life in everything,
That I may be calm to comfort
Sick and sorrowing.
May the love of Jesus fill me
As the waters fill the sea;
Him exalting, self-abasing,
This is victory.
May I run the race before me,
Strong and brave to face the foe,
Looking only unto Jesus
As I onward go.
May His beauty rest upon me,
As I seek the lost to win,
And may they forget the channel,
Seeing only Him.
Stephen
and
Brooksyne
Weber
About Us
"We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!"
Personal Ministry Update
Daily Encouragement chaplaincy website.
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
About Us
"We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!"
Personal Ministry Update
Daily Encouragement chaplaincy website.
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
To
receive the "Daily
Encouragement" each
Monday-Friday see this
page to subscribe to our
free email list.
You can also subscribe to the
Wordpress rss
feed or through a Wordpress email
subscription. (See the email
subscription on the top right side
after opening this page.)
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 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.
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 easy 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"
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 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.
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 easy 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"
2018
offerings to Daily
Encouragement Net:
$21,409.00
(Final accounting) Thank
you to all donors!
2019 offerings YTD to Daily Encouragement Net: $525.00
iHeart
radioPermissions: 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. We do request that you keep the contact, copyright and subscription information intact.
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."
© Copyright 2019 Stephen C. & Brooksyne Weber - All Rights Reserved
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA