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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
Thursday, December 8, 2011
We often pass this tidy farm on Mount Pleasant Road
in southern Lebanon County, Pennsylvania
"Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son" (Genesis 22:13). "For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly" (Romans 5:6). "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). "But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons" (Galatians 4:4,5).
Consider all the tests we take in the course of life. All through our schooling years tests had a pretty specific purpose. I usually enjoyed taking tests and normally did pretty well. Brooksyne on the other hand dreaded taking tests although she normally did OK.
A verse that has great meaning in our times states, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:6). We certainly believe this would fundamentally be Bible knowledge so we prepared a Bible Knowledge test using a survey program that can be taken online. The link to get to this test is below this message in the footers.
But tests aren't all over after we complete our formal education! We have tests all through life, many of them far more difficult than those simply learned from reading a book and memorizing the answers. I suspect we will be thoroughly tested until we're called home to Heaven. In the movie "Courageous" one of the characters undergoes a test to determine his integrity and character. It's a memorable highlight in the storyline as to how he gets a passing grade!
But we also have tests from God, often called trials. "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance" (James 1:2,3). One of the most famous testings in the Bible is the one given to Abraham in Genesis 22.
Abraham's great test of obedience is so powerfully instructive and wonderfully inspirational as we consider the meaning of Christmas. After waiting so long for God's promise to be fulfilled in the birth of his son, Isaac, Abraham was now being asked to sacrifice this very son. Apart from the lessons of faith and obedience God taught him, I find a remarkable typological lesson for all of Abraham's children.
At the point of today's verse Abraham had dutifully obeyed God in taking his son Isaac up on the mountain at God's command. He was at the point of sacrifice, with his son bound, that he took the knife to slay his son. There's no indication that he was not prepared to follow through.
But an angel of the Lord intervened and called out from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!...Do not lay a hand on the boy. Do not do anything to him." Never was there a sweeter command spoken at just the right moment, nor an easier command to obey!
Abraham passed the test. At this point, "Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son."
A
ram is a male sheep. At just the right time God provided a
sacrifice in place of Isaac. Consider the words "instead of"
in the text. That's the heart of the gospel message! And that ram
is a powerful type of Christ, who, some 1,900 years later, would be
provided and die for our sins instead of us.
Consider the message of Christmas found in Romans 5:8, "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Indeed Christ died for us! Instead of us He was provided as the sacrifice and God fully accepted His payment on our behalf. How can we not respond by fully committing our lives to Him!
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
Prayer: Father,
thank You for sending Jesus to be an atoning sacrifice for our
sins. At just the right time, while we were still powerless and
dead in our trespasses, He died for us. Through His sacrificial
death we are reconciled to You, our loving Father. Just as many
in the human race died by the trespass of one man, Adam, how much more
has Your grace overflowed, through the one Man, Jesus Christ, so that
we live no longer as bond slaves to sin. Just as sin reigned in
death, so also grace
reigns through righteousness so that we have eternal life through Jesus
Christ our Lord. You're an on-time God sending Your
Son, Jesus, at just the right time, to save us from our sins which
would separate us eternally from You and the joys of heaven. In
the loving name of Jesus, we thank
You. Amen.
Note from Brooksyne: Genesis 22:1-18 is about Abraham's testing. As I was studying this very brief but extremely important portion of Scripture I considered the things that might be going through Abraham's mind after God told him to take his son, whom he loved, and offer him as a burnt offering. "What am I going to tell Sarah when I return home alone? How could she possibly think I heard this deadly order from You, God? Will she ever speak to me again?" I have little doubt that this sort of dialogue crossed his mind, so in reality he was not only offering the sacrifice of his son, but also the sacrifice of his marriage in his desire to obey God. Abraham's obedience is truly an inspiration when I am reluctant to obey God because the stakes are personally high for me.
An email we received last night from Josephine's son: I
went to your website and found the pictures of my Mom and Roxie - she
did enjoy having you and Stephen and Roxie visit her. We also are
thankful for your prayers for us and especially for my mother. She was
a Christian woman who was always helping others in their time of need.
I remember in 1942 we had a very bad flood in our home area (north of
Scranton). Our house was on a hill and Mom and Dad invited many people
from our village to come and stay at our house. The house was full of
people and Mom made them all feel comfortable. She cooked meals and
washed clothes for days until they could return to their homes. There
were many people in our village who would share their concerns with Mom
- she was like a counselor to them. She most likely could have been a
minister if she wanted to - she had that gift you all have.
Thank you, again, for all you did for Mom while she was a resident at Longwood, especially in her last days.
(Josephine went to be with the Lord in July this past year. Her son, Jim, visited her very faithfully - such an inspiration to us when we'd make our rounds. His above note is such a good reminder of what strengths, gifts, and kindnesses reside in a resident's heart though they are no longer able to carry them out due to their age and limitations. Jim and his wife was at his mother's side during her last moments on this earth. The residents continue to miss this dear woman and so do we. If Roxie were human, even she would say how much she misses her. Josephine absolutely adored her!)
Speaking of tests! Daily Encouragement Net Bible Knowledge Test: Here's a Bible Knowledge test we prepared using a survey program that can be taken online. Go to this page to take the test. (It will take awhile for most!) After you have taken the test the answer key is here. Enjoy!
"Come Thou Long Expected Jesus" Video Christy Nockels It's no secret that I have a personal preference for congregational singing that has minimal instrumentation or is sung Acapella. When I listen to this version I picture gathering with my brothers and sisters around the Communion Table during a Christmas Eve service, holding candles, and singing the great songs of our faith! This Charles Wesley hymn has one of the great phrases in hymnody: "By Thine all sufficient merit, raise us to Thy glorious throne."
"O Come O Come Emmanuel" Video Selah
"Jesus Paid It All" Video Aaron Keyes
Daily
Encouragement Net is an affiliate of Christianbook.com. Any orders
placed
to
Christian Book Distributers using this link
or any specific product link to
a recommended resource in a daily encouragement message will help our
Daily
Encouragement ministry through a small commission on the sale. Thank
you for considering using these links when purchasing online through
CBD! Tip:
If you are regular CBD customer consider bookmarking this link and using it whenever you
shop. This Christmas
many of our readers will be shopping for gifts that have
spiritual and lasting value as well as a means of witness and encouraging others.
We often pass this tidy farm on Mount Pleasant Road
in southern Lebanon County, Pennsylvania
"Instead Of"
"Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son" (Genesis 22:13). "For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly" (Romans 5:6). "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). "But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons" (Galatians 4:4,5).
Consider all the tests we take in the course of life. All through our schooling years tests had a pretty specific purpose. I usually enjoyed taking tests and normally did pretty well. Brooksyne on the other hand dreaded taking tests although she normally did OK.
A verse that has great meaning in our times states, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:6). We certainly believe this would fundamentally be Bible knowledge so we prepared a Bible Knowledge test using a survey program that can be taken online. The link to get to this test is below this message in the footers.
But tests aren't all over after we complete our formal education! We have tests all through life, many of them far more difficult than those simply learned from reading a book and memorizing the answers. I suspect we will be thoroughly tested until we're called home to Heaven. In the movie "Courageous" one of the characters undergoes a test to determine his integrity and character. It's a memorable highlight in the storyline as to how he gets a passing grade!
But we also have tests from God, often called trials. "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance" (James 1:2,3). One of the most famous testings in the Bible is the one given to Abraham in Genesis 22.
Abraham's great test of obedience is so powerfully instructive and wonderfully inspirational as we consider the meaning of Christmas. After waiting so long for God's promise to be fulfilled in the birth of his son, Isaac, Abraham was now being asked to sacrifice this very son. Apart from the lessons of faith and obedience God taught him, I find a remarkable typological lesson for all of Abraham's children.
At the point of today's verse Abraham had dutifully obeyed God in taking his son Isaac up on the mountain at God's command. He was at the point of sacrifice, with his son bound, that he took the knife to slay his son. There's no indication that he was not prepared to follow through.
But an angel of the Lord intervened and called out from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!...Do not lay a hand on the boy. Do not do anything to him." Never was there a sweeter command spoken at just the right moment, nor an easier command to obey!
Abraham passed the test. At this point, "Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son."
A
ram is a male sheep. At just the right time God provided a
sacrifice in place of Isaac. Consider the words "instead of"
in the text. That's the heart of the gospel message! And that ram
is a powerful type of Christ, who, some 1,900 years later, would be
provided and die for our sins instead of us. Consider the message of Christmas found in Romans 5:8, "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Indeed Christ died for us! Instead of us He was provided as the sacrifice and God fully accepted His payment on our behalf. How can we not respond by fully committing our lives to Him!
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
Prayer: Father,
thank You for sending Jesus to be an atoning sacrifice for our
sins. At just the right time, while we were still powerless and
dead in our trespasses, He died for us. Through His sacrificial
death we are reconciled to You, our loving Father. Just as many
in the human race died by the trespass of one man, Adam, how much more
has Your grace overflowed, through the one Man, Jesus Christ, so that
we live no longer as bond slaves to sin. Just as sin reigned in
death, so also grace
reigns through righteousness so that we have eternal life through Jesus
Christ our Lord. You're an on-time God sending Your
Son, Jesus, at just the right time, to save us from our sins which
would separate us eternally from You and the joys of heaven. In
the loving name of Jesus, we thank
You. Amen.(Inspired by Romans 5)
Note from Brooksyne: Genesis 22:1-18 is about Abraham's testing. As I was studying this very brief but extremely important portion of Scripture I considered the things that might be going through Abraham's mind after God told him to take his son, whom he loved, and offer him as a burnt offering. "What am I going to tell Sarah when I return home alone? How could she possibly think I heard this deadly order from You, God? Will she ever speak to me again?" I have little doubt that this sort of dialogue crossed his mind, so in reality he was not only offering the sacrifice of his son, but also the sacrifice of his marriage in his desire to obey God. Abraham's obedience is truly an inspiration when I am reluctant to obey God because the stakes are personally high for me.
Thank you, again, for all you did for Mom while she was a resident at Longwood, especially in her last days.
(Josephine went to be with the Lord in July this past year. Her son, Jim, visited her very faithfully - such an inspiration to us when we'd make our rounds. His above note is such a good reminder of what strengths, gifts, and kindnesses reside in a resident's heart though they are no longer able to carry them out due to their age and limitations. Jim and his wife was at his mother's side during her last moments on this earth. The residents continue to miss this dear woman and so do we. If Roxie were human, even she would say how much she misses her. Josephine absolutely adored her!)
Speaking of tests! Daily Encouragement Net Bible Knowledge Test: Here's a Bible Knowledge test we prepared using a survey program that can be taken online. Go to this page to take the test. (It will take awhile for most!) After you have taken the test the answer key is here. Enjoy!
Today's
Suggested Music
and Supplemental
Resources
"Come Thou Long Expected Jesus" Video Christy Nockels It's no secret that I have a personal preference for congregational singing that has minimal instrumentation or is sung Acapella. When I listen to this version I picture gathering with my brothers and sisters around the Communion Table during a Christmas Eve service, holding candles, and singing the great songs of our faith! This Charles Wesley hymn has one of the great phrases in hymnody: "By Thine all sufficient merit, raise us to Thy glorious throne."
"O Come O Come Emmanuel" Video Selah
"Jesus Paid It All" Video Aaron Keyes
Are
you Christmas
shopping online?
Daily
Encouragement Net is an affiliate of Christianbook.com. Any orders
placed
to
Christian Book Distributers using this link
or any specific product link to
a recommended resource in a daily encouragement message will help our
Daily
Encouragement ministry through a small commission on the sale. Thank
you for considering using these links when purchasing online through
CBD! Tip:
If you are regular CBD customer consider bookmarking this link and using it whenever you
shop. This Christmas
many of our readers will be shopping for gifts that have
spiritual and lasting value as well as a means of witness and encouraging others.Please
help us continue this free encouragement ministry
Sign up here for the free daily email encouragement.
Ministry Update (Revised 12/11)
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