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Monday, March 4, 2013
We stopped by Friday to visit our Amish friends. Anna Ruth was making home-made bread and using the old cast iron radiators to assist in the bread's rising. She suggested I take a photo so I stood on a chair to include the straw hats hanging on the hooks on the wall.
Listen to this message on your
audio player.
"The Home Stretch"
"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace" (Acts 20:24). "Run in such a way as to get the prize" (1 Corinthians 9:24).
Jesse
and
Wilma Dourte are a dear older couple who attend our church. We belong to
a small country-type church that has about 120 in attendance (that's a small church
to some and a good size church to others depending on your reference
point). We enjoy attending a church where you personally know the
pastor and congregation and have occasional opportunity to share
testimonies as time permits.
It was during a recent testimony service that Jesse Dourte lifted his hand indicating he had something to say so Pastor John made his way toward him with the wireless microphone. I found myself anticipating what might be on his heart, because he and Wilma always have a good word to share with the congregation. Jesse slowly rose from his pew as he pulled himself up by the back of the pew in front of him, and began his testimony by saying very matter of factly, "I'm on the home stretch now", prior to dispensing some godly wisdom for all ages.
In doing so he acknowledged, like the Apostle Paul, that the time of his departure is nearing. The Mirriam-Webster dictionary indicates that the "homestretch" is the part of a racecourse between the last turn and the winning post.
Of course the precise time of our departure is known only to God but what a healthy, faith-filled outlook to approach what we consider to be the "last turn" of our human condition with an assurance of God's love as we joyfully anticipate our final destination. The majority of mankind would rather avoid the topic of death altogether. Many live as though they're invincible and death will never darken their door; this being especially prevalent among the youth. Give them a few years and they'll see young and old departing this life and reality will awaken them to the inevitable truth.
Paul’s
life goal was to finish life's race and complete the task the Lord
Jesus had
given him—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace. We may
slow down physically due to our age progression, but the task of
faithfully giving a witness for Christ and His amazing grace should
fill our hearts and be the message on our tongues until our dying day.
Life, in light of eternity, is but a vapor but since it’s all we know it can seem an unending race, similar to a marathon. Jesse who turns 90 in June is indeed on his home stretch and longs to hear our Lord’s commendation, "Well done good and faithful servant."
All of us will one day come to the end of our earthly pilgrimage. What a waste it would be to have run our marathon aimlessly. Instead let us be inspired daily by keeping as our chief goal the Lord's future commendation, "Well done, good and faithful servant....Enter into the joy of Your Lord" (Matthew 25:23 NKJV).
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer:
Father, we testify today to the marvelous grace of Christ Jesus our
Lord. His loving grace exceeds our sin and our guilt, making it
possible for us to have our sins completely forgiven. What He did on
Calvary brought hope from despair, and turned the gloom of death into
the brightness of eternity. When our walk on earth seems long or
dreary, precious Lord, linger near as You uphold us with Your mighty
right hand. Amen.
Friday
morning we stopped by to visit with Ira Wagler, the general
manager of a building company here in Lancaster County. We wanted to meet him and express
our appreciation for a book he wrote titled "Growing Up Amish".
The
story of his childhood is very interesting and gives a glimpse
into the Amish culture although he told us, "It is my story"
and is not necessarily representative of all Amish. Ira tells the story of his conversion to Christ at 26 years of age.
Here's a description from the book cover: One fateful starless night, 17-year-old Ira Wagler got up at 2 am, left a scribbled note under his pillow, packed all of his earthly belongings into in a little black duffel bag, and walked away from his home in the Amish settlement of Bloomfield, Iowa. Now, in this heartwarming memoir, Ira paints a vivid portrait of Amish life - from his childhood days on the family farm, his Rumspringa rite of passage at age 16, to his ultimate decision to leave the Amish Church for good at age 26.
"Growing Up Amish" is the true story of one man's quest to discover who he is and where he belongs. Readers will laugh, cry, and be inspired by this charming yet poignant coming of age story set amidst the backdrop of one of the most enigmatic cultures in America today - the Old Order Amish.
Ira Wagler also blogs here and you can also find information about the book. He has a very interesting writing style!
Here's a close-up of the rising bread from our photo above.
Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
"I Want To Be That Man" Video Brian Free & Assurance There are those who will listen to this and consider their own father and that is such a blessing. However I also consider faithful old-timers like Jesse, who was mentioned in our message today, a brother in the faith and former pastor. Younger generations need to see and interface with these elderly who have lived faithfully for Christ, especially since so many really don't have that model in their own family.
"What A Day That Will Be" Video Gaither Vocal Band
"Does Jesus Care?" Video Guy Penrod & George Beverly Shea From Guy Penrod's new CD "Hymns". George was a young 103 at the recording of this song. Well worth the listen and a great blessing for one who is bereaved or enduring great trial.
"If We Never Meet Again" Video Booth Brothers
"A heartwarming story of true sportsmanship" Video I know there's a spiritual lesson to this story!
To receive the "Daily
Encouragement" each Monday-Friday through email see this
page
to subscribe to our email list. You can also subscribe to the Wordpress rss feed
or through a Wordpress email subscription. (See the email subscription on the right side after opening this page.)
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."
© Copyright 2013 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA
<Previous Message Next Message>
Monday, March 4, 2013
We stopped by Friday to visit our Amish friends. Anna Ruth was making home-made bread and using the old cast iron radiators to assist in the bread's rising. She suggested I take a photo so I stood on a chair to include the straw hats hanging on the hooks on the wall.
Listen to this message on your
audio player."The Home Stretch"
"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace" (Acts 20:24). "Run in such a way as to get the prize" (1 Corinthians 9:24).
Jesse
and
Wilma Dourte are a dear older couple who attend our church. We belong to
a small country-type church that has about 120 in attendance (that's a small church
to some and a good size church to others depending on your reference
point). We enjoy attending a church where you personally know the
pastor and congregation and have occasional opportunity to share
testimonies as time permits. It was during a recent testimony service that Jesse Dourte lifted his hand indicating he had something to say so Pastor John made his way toward him with the wireless microphone. I found myself anticipating what might be on his heart, because he and Wilma always have a good word to share with the congregation. Jesse slowly rose from his pew as he pulled himself up by the back of the pew in front of him, and began his testimony by saying very matter of factly, "I'm on the home stretch now", prior to dispensing some godly wisdom for all ages.
In doing so he acknowledged, like the Apostle Paul, that the time of his departure is nearing. The Mirriam-Webster dictionary indicates that the "homestretch" is the part of a racecourse between the last turn and the winning post.
Of course the precise time of our departure is known only to God but what a healthy, faith-filled outlook to approach what we consider to be the "last turn" of our human condition with an assurance of God's love as we joyfully anticipate our final destination. The majority of mankind would rather avoid the topic of death altogether. Many live as though they're invincible and death will never darken their door; this being especially prevalent among the youth. Give them a few years and they'll see young and old departing this life and reality will awaken them to the inevitable truth.
Paul’s
life goal was to finish life's race and complete the task the Lord
Jesus had
given him—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace. We may
slow down physically due to our age progression, but the task of
faithfully giving a witness for Christ and His amazing grace should
fill our hearts and be the message on our tongues until our dying day.Life, in light of eternity, is but a vapor but since it’s all we know it can seem an unending race, similar to a marathon. Jesse who turns 90 in June is indeed on his home stretch and longs to hear our Lord’s commendation, "Well done good and faithful servant."
All of us will one day come to the end of our earthly pilgrimage. What a waste it would be to have run our marathon aimlessly. Instead let us be inspired daily by keeping as our chief goal the Lord's future commendation, "Well done, good and faithful servant....Enter into the joy of Your Lord" (Matthew 25:23 NKJV).
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer:
Father, we testify today to the marvelous grace of Christ Jesus our
Lord. His loving grace exceeds our sin and our guilt, making it
possible for us to have our sins completely forgiven. What He did on
Calvary brought hope from despair, and turned the gloom of death into
the brightness of eternity. When our walk on earth seems long or
dreary, precious Lord, linger near as You uphold us with Your mighty
right hand. Amen.The
story of his childhood is very interesting and gives a glimpse
into the Amish culture although he told us, "It is my story"
and is not necessarily representative of all Amish. Ira tells the story of his conversion to Christ at 26 years of age.Here's a description from the book cover: One fateful starless night, 17-year-old Ira Wagler got up at 2 am, left a scribbled note under his pillow, packed all of his earthly belongings into in a little black duffel bag, and walked away from his home in the Amish settlement of Bloomfield, Iowa. Now, in this heartwarming memoir, Ira paints a vivid portrait of Amish life - from his childhood days on the family farm, his Rumspringa rite of passage at age 16, to his ultimate decision to leave the Amish Church for good at age 26.
"Growing Up Amish" is the true story of one man's quest to discover who he is and where he belongs. Readers will laugh, cry, and be inspired by this charming yet poignant coming of age story set amidst the backdrop of one of the most enigmatic cultures in America today - the Old Order Amish.
Ira Wagler also blogs here and you can also find information about the book. He has a very interesting writing style!
Here's a close-up of the rising bread from our photo above.
Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
"I Want To Be That Man" Video Brian Free & Assurance There are those who will listen to this and consider their own father and that is such a blessing. However I also consider faithful old-timers like Jesse, who was mentioned in our message today, a brother in the faith and former pastor. Younger generations need to see and interface with these elderly who have lived faithfully for Christ, especially since so many really don't have that model in their own family.
"What A Day That Will Be" Video Gaither Vocal Band
"Does Jesus Care?" Video Guy Penrod & George Beverly Shea From Guy Penrod's new CD "Hymns". George was a young 103 at the recording of this song. Well worth the listen and a great blessing for one who is bereaved or enduring great trial.
"If We Never Meet Again" Video Booth Brothers
"A heartwarming story of true sportsmanship" Video I know there's a spiritual lesson to this story!Send
a message
to Stephen &
Brooksyne
To receive the "Daily
Encouragement" each Monday-Friday through email see this
page
to subscribe to our email list. You can also subscribe to the Wordpress rss feed
or through a Wordpress email subscription. (See the email subscription on the right side after opening this page.)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."
© Copyright 2013 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA