A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation.
Home About Us Archives Free email subscription
Listen
to these
messages
Text only
for
printing
See here
for more info.
<Previous Message Next Message>
Monday, October 29, 2012
Our friend Sandy (yes, that's her name) sent us this photo of steps they have taken in preparation for the coming storm from Hurricane Sandy. They live along a creek and last year had significant damage from flooding. They were unable to return to their home for two months.
Listen to this message on your
audio player.
"Discerning The Times"
The Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and testing Jesus, they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven. But He replied to them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?" (Matthew 16:1-3). "None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand" (Daniel 12:10b).
We have a major storm, "Sandy", now arriving on the East coast of the USA and coming our way. Yesterday there were large signs along the highway warning of the storm and we received an ominous recorded message on our cell phones from the power company advising us that we will likely lose power. "Storm could cause severe, widespread damage resulting in power outages lasting several days." Our TV stations have practically wall to wall storm coverage (mixed with scores of political ads!).
I first heard of the impending storm last Thursday morning. It's being described as "a hurricane wrapped in a Northeaster". We've had plenty of advance warning giving us ample time to get ready. On Saturday Brooksyne and I "battened down the hatches", moving anything that might blow away and filling water containers, since we have a well that depends on power to run. We even caught up on all our laundry! We will run the dishwasher shortly.
Modern forecasting can look ahead many days in the case of a storm. In ancient times forecasting was not as sophisticated of course but they nevertheless had short-term ways of forecasting weather and Jesus uses such a method today to correct the Pharisees and Sadducees who had come to Him, not as earnest seekers, but rather to test Him. They asked Him to show them a sign from heaven.
Jesus, during the course of His ministry, demonstrated many signs and wonders but in this case he gave a weather lesson. “When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.' And in the morning, 'There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.'" This expresses an ancient folksy weather observation, “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in morning, sailor’s warning.”
But Jesus really wasn't giving a lesson on weather. He continues: "Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?" He went on to rebuke them: "A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah." Although Jesus did perform signs and wonders for earnest seekers he didn't oblige these Pharisees and Sadducees. Essentially He seems to point to His death and resurrection as the ultimate sign when he used the phrase, "the sign of Jonah."
Initially it seems to me the failure of the Pharisees and Sadducees to "discern the signs of the times" resulted in their inability to understand or interpret that Jesus the Messiah was indeed among them.
But today I also consider the phrase "discern the signs of the times" in another sense. A wonderful verse in an obscure portion of the Old Testament refers to the "Men of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do" (1 Chronicles 12:32). These men had insight concerning the times in which they lived resulting in a plan of action.
We need to be able to discern the signs of the times in which we live. Discernment is defined as "the activity of determining the value and quality of a certain subject or event, particularly the activity of going past the mere perception of something and making detailed judgments about that thing. As a virtue, a discerning individual is considered to possess wisdom, and be of good judgment; especially so with regard to subject matter often overlooked by others."
Daniel wrote, "None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand" (Daniel 12:10b). As we receive instruction from the Word of God and the Spirit of God may we have prayerful insight to discern the times and perceive things from an eternal and spiritual perspective.
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer:
Father, You have given to some the spiritual gift of discernment, and
for others it's the years of reading the Scriptures, listening to godly
teaching and walking in obedience to You that discernment has
characterized our faith journey. We want to be observant,
understanding, and discerning about our times, so that we are prepared
to do battle with the enemy and show others the way to eternal life.
Amen.
The science behind red sky forecasting:
Red sky at night, sailors delight. When we see a red sky at night, this means that the setting sun is sending its light through a high concentration of dust particles. This usually indicates high pressure and stable air coming in from the west. Basically good weather will follow.
Red sky in morning, sailor’s warning. A red sunrise reflects the dust particles of a system that has just passed from the west. This indicates that a storm system may be moving to the east. If the morning sky is a deep fiery red, it means a high water content in the atmosphere. So, rain is on its way.
Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
<Previous Message Next Message>
Monday, October 29, 2012
Our friend Sandy (yes, that's her name) sent us this photo of steps they have taken in preparation for the coming storm from Hurricane Sandy. They live along a creek and last year had significant damage from flooding. They were unable to return to their home for two months.
Note:
Due to the big storm resulting from Hurricane Sandy that is expected to
arrive in our area tomorrow morning we are going to get our message out
this Sunday evening! Based
on the weather forecast and possible power outages we may or may not be
able to post messages in the coming days since any combination of cable
and/or electric outage puts us out of internet access.
Listen to this message on your
audio player."Discerning The Times"
The Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and testing Jesus, they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven. But He replied to them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?" (Matthew 16:1-3). "None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand" (Daniel 12:10b).
We have a major storm, "Sandy", now arriving on the East coast of the USA and coming our way. Yesterday there were large signs along the highway warning of the storm and we received an ominous recorded message on our cell phones from the power company advising us that we will likely lose power. "Storm could cause severe, widespread damage resulting in power outages lasting several days." Our TV stations have practically wall to wall storm coverage (mixed with scores of political ads!).
I first heard of the impending storm last Thursday morning. It's being described as "a hurricane wrapped in a Northeaster". We've had plenty of advance warning giving us ample time to get ready. On Saturday Brooksyne and I "battened down the hatches", moving anything that might blow away and filling water containers, since we have a well that depends on power to run. We even caught up on all our laundry! We will run the dishwasher shortly.
Modern forecasting can look ahead many days in the case of a storm. In ancient times forecasting was not as sophisticated of course but they nevertheless had short-term ways of forecasting weather and Jesus uses such a method today to correct the Pharisees and Sadducees who had come to Him, not as earnest seekers, but rather to test Him. They asked Him to show them a sign from heaven.
Jesus, during the course of His ministry, demonstrated many signs and wonders but in this case he gave a weather lesson. “When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.' And in the morning, 'There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.'" This expresses an ancient folksy weather observation, “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in morning, sailor’s warning.”
But Jesus really wasn't giving a lesson on weather. He continues: "Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?" He went on to rebuke them: "A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah." Although Jesus did perform signs and wonders for earnest seekers he didn't oblige these Pharisees and Sadducees. Essentially He seems to point to His death and resurrection as the ultimate sign when he used the phrase, "the sign of Jonah."
Initially it seems to me the failure of the Pharisees and Sadducees to "discern the signs of the times" resulted in their inability to understand or interpret that Jesus the Messiah was indeed among them.
But today I also consider the phrase "discern the signs of the times" in another sense. A wonderful verse in an obscure portion of the Old Testament refers to the "Men of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do" (1 Chronicles 12:32). These men had insight concerning the times in which they lived resulting in a plan of action.
We need to be able to discern the signs of the times in which we live. Discernment is defined as "the activity of determining the value and quality of a certain subject or event, particularly the activity of going past the mere perception of something and making detailed judgments about that thing. As a virtue, a discerning individual is considered to possess wisdom, and be of good judgment; especially so with regard to subject matter often overlooked by others."
Daniel wrote, "None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand" (Daniel 12:10b). As we receive instruction from the Word of God and the Spirit of God may we have prayerful insight to discern the times and perceive things from an eternal and spiritual perspective.
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer:
Father, You have given to some the spiritual gift of discernment, and
for others it's the years of reading the Scriptures, listening to godly
teaching and walking in obedience to You that discernment has
characterized our faith journey. We want to be observant,
understanding, and discerning about our times, so that we are prepared
to do battle with the enemy and show others the way to eternal life.
Amen.The science behind red sky forecasting:
Red sky at night, sailors delight. When we see a red sky at night, this means that the setting sun is sending its light through a high concentration of dust particles. This usually indicates high pressure and stable air coming in from the west. Basically good weather will follow.
Red sky in morning, sailor’s warning. A red sunrise reflects the dust particles of a system that has just passed from the west. This indicates that a storm system may be moving to the east. If the morning sky is a deep fiery red, it means a high water content in the atmosphere. So, rain is on its way.
Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
Are
our daily encouragement messages a blessing to you? We ask you to
consider making a donation to Daily
Encouragement Net so that we can continue to prepare and provide this
daily resource which is accessed by believers and seekers all
over the world. Daily
Encouragement Net relies solely on the generosity and financial support
of its readers and
podcast listeners. See here
for more information on
supporting this ministry. Gifts are tax deductible.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 2012 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA