The
online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen
& Brooksyne Weber A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. Home About Us Archives Free email subscription ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() <Previous
Message
Next
Message Tuesday, December 6, 2011 Roxie greeting Josephine. Josephine & Arlene (looking on) are now with the Lord. "Spreading The Word" "When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them" (Luke 2:17,18). ![]() Brooksyne walks with Roxie through the facility as she greets residents and most of them as well as the staff enjoy seeing Roxie since she is really a friendly dog and mild-mannered. Roxie even wears a special collar for seasonal ministry! ![]() We feature Roxie in our opening illustration because she serves as a means of warming the hearts of residents who are pet lovers, who might not bother even talking with us as we seek to evangelize, if they have no interest in spiritual matters. This is the case in all types of outreach ministry. There are various ways we might stir the interest of nonbelievers as they connect with us in areas of similar interest, i.e. music, drama, object lessons, sports, flowers, or even our pets. But our main goal is "spreading the word" concerning our faith in Christ. The first evangelists were some pretty smelly, sun parched shepherds. They had witnessed the infant Jesus lying in a manger and heard the Gospel from a heavenly choir. Now they "spread the word." That's been the mission of believers ever since, commanded in the Great Commission and demonstrated in the Book of Acts. Jesus said, "I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." He's still building His church and all believers are a part of that building process. At the time of Christ's birth the Bible clearly states that after the shepherds had seen Jesus "they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child." We have no additional follow-up concerning these men after that eventful night. Like so many at that time, through the ages of the Church and in our own day, they likely had to overcome some deep hurts and losses to cling to their faith in Christ as they lived out the rest of their life on this earth. It's always been that way. We have a couple long-time friends whose wives have multiple sclerosis and are confined to wheelchairs. Both have had some unexpected bumps in life's road, but they continue to rejoice in God's grace and faithfulness! The shepherds were the first evangelists at the birth of Christ and we are all called to follow their example in spreading the word. All over the world, including your town and mine, this Gospel is bearing fruit and growing today. Our mission is to "Go tell everyone." Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, follow the shepherd's example and look for opportunities to spread the word. Go tell it on the mountain, Over the hills and everywhere, Go tell it on the mountain, Our Jesus Christ is born. Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber ![]() Bess loves animals and she looks amazing for a woman in her
mid 90's when this photo was taken! This photo was taken several years ago but looks the same as today except our other dog Mollie who was not with us at the time would be joining them. After a wearying time of ministry Roxie crashed in front of our coal stove, along with our cat Dottie who was glad her dog friend had made it home safely (we assume that's what she is thinking). It's the warmest spot in our house and they know it! We primarily heat our home with this coal stove, using Pennsylvania anthracite coal. I fill the hopper in the back and empty the ashes early each morning. From the hopper the coal is slowly, automatically fed to the burner, a white hot portion only about 4x3 inches but generally adequate to keep our entire house warm except for the coldest days. It has a glass door on the front so I can see the warm glow and verify that it's working. From a distance when I see the light I am confident the heat is there as well! Mollie
is not ready for "ministry" yet but will play "catch" all day long, in
this case catching her favorite rope toy. She rarely misses.
Ester took this photo. Today's
Suggested Music
and Supplemental
Resources "Go Tell It On The Mountain" Video Jacob Moon "Jesus Saves" Video Tony Derosa Outstanding! "Jesus Saves" Video In searching for a classic version of the hymn "Jesus Saves" I came across this stirring instrumental presentation. A lot of work went into this, the music is beautiful, and the simple timeless message "Jesus Saves" is seen in many places and various formats. "The Comforter Has Come" Video Jars of Clay (A newer arrangement but same powerful lyrics.) "Tell Me The Story Of Jesus" Video Carman Are
you Christmas
shopping online? ![]() Please
help us continue this free encouragement ministry Sign up here for the free daily email encouragement. Ministry Update (Revised 12/11) 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." Daily Encouragement Net is an affiliate of Christianbook.com © Copyright 2011 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA |