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Thursday, July 16, 2015
An old tree stump adorned with colorful petunias
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 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 2015 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA
<Previous Message Next Message>
Thursday, July 16, 2015
An old tree stump adorned with colorful petunias
"Remarkable Things"
Listen to this
message on
your
audio player.
"Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus (to be healed). When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus" (Luke 5:18,19).
In the course of our chaplaincy work we regularly visit with men in the roofing department at Smucker Home Improvement. Now roofing is hard work and when it's hot it can be brutal. But we all know (or should know) the blessing of a solid roof and the consequences of a leaking roof. However it's probably something we take for granted unless there's a problem.
Many years ago Brooksyne was teaching a Vacation Bible School class about the paralyzed man in our daily text. She's an imaginative teacher and thought it would be neat to illustrate the story by removing a piece of the suspended ceiling tile to give the kids a visualization of how they might have lowered the man into the crowded room.
She
climbed up on a chair to remove the ceiling tile and as she was
shifting the tile when all of a sudden, kerplunk! A big chunk of
concrete dropped from the ceiling and bonked her right on the upper
forehead! Thankfully she was not hurt, although she did let out a loud
scream. After seeing the size of the rock and its weight I was quite
surprised and thankful that
she wasn't hurt. (Note to builders and trustees: Do not leave concrete chunks above suspended ceilings).
I suppose her experience might have been more memorable than the Bible story
she was telling, due to the surprise personal illustration.
Today's Bible story
always brings a smile as I consider the circumstances, the setting, and the people involved. When I preach or write
from this passage I normally focus on the men above who lowered the mat through the roof (See this message). Mark informs us that there were four of them 2:3. They are the kind of friends who "have your back".
I see four descriptive character traits in them; faithful, loyal, resourceful and persistent. These are four character qualities we all need!
But in light of Brooksyne's experience I also consider the event from below
the roof in the room where Jesus and the people had gathered. The room was likely crowded and hot. Surely the operation was
not neat. I assume that it was a thatch type roof. Regardless some
debris surely fell on the people as the men used primitive tools to cut
the opening.
The noise from above would have distracted more than a few. I wonder if any heavy fragments or dropped tools might have hit someone on the head or if small pieces fell in their eyes as they observed the unusual distraction from above. I wonder how those who arrived early and waited their turn to be near Jesus felt about the major distraction? After working so hard to get into the crowded room were the early birds annoyed that they were now forced to make room for the "late ones?" I have also pondered the reaction of the homeowner. I sure wouldn't appreciate someone cutting a hole in my roof!
I wonder if Jesus smiled at this scene. (I think He did, perhaps He even laughed!)
But the focus of the story is not about the roof, rather the forgiveness and divine healing Jesus extended to the lame man and the praise He received. The story ends with this statement, "Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, 'We have seen remarkable things today'." May the Lord open our eyes today to see remarkable things. Surely He wants to use us like He used the four friends of the paralytic to bring about remarkable things! Are you willing?
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Father, when we consider
the zeal and creative way the paralyzed man's friends brought him to
Jesus we're challenged to do likewise. This man was helpless and unable
to reach the Healer on his own, but Jesus healed and saved him through
the effort and faith of his friends. They cared compassionately and the
barriers did not stop them from bringing him to his only Hope. Help us
to be persistent in reaching out to those whose only hope for salvation
is by bringing them to Christ. Amen.
Farewell Naomi
When we served in an interim pastorate in a small country church in Mastersonville, PA several years ago we became acquainted with a dear woman of God and featured her on our site several times. Naomi was a school teacher very much loved by her students and she was a devoted worker in the church. For the last ten years or so she has resided at the Messiah Village nursing home so we visited her there and she always brought out her photo album which included pictures of flowers she and her mother planted on the front bank of their lawn on Colebrook Road. Every year for over 50 years they selected a different spiritual theme and arranged the flowers to spell the message such as "HALLELUJAH!" As I recall they planted white allysum and marigolds. Many times I sat at the piano and played hymns while she accompanied me with her harmonica, seeming never to weary. A remarkable woman of God who was ushered into His heavenly kingdom yesterday at 91 years of age!
Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
Listen to this
message on
your
audio player."Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus (to be healed). When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus" (Luke 5:18,19).
In the course of our chaplaincy work we regularly visit with men in the roofing department at Smucker Home Improvement. Now roofing is hard work and when it's hot it can be brutal. But we all know (or should know) the blessing of a solid roof and the consequences of a leaking roof. However it's probably something we take for granted unless there's a problem.
Many years ago Brooksyne was teaching a Vacation Bible School class about the paralyzed man in our daily text. She's an imaginative teacher and thought it would be neat to illustrate the story by removing a piece of the suspended ceiling tile to give the kids a visualization of how they might have lowered the man into the crowded room.
She
climbed up on a chair to remove the ceiling tile and as she was
shifting the tile when all of a sudden, kerplunk! A big chunk of
concrete dropped from the ceiling and bonked her right on the upper
forehead! Thankfully she was not hurt, although she did let out a loud
scream. After seeing the size of the rock and its weight I was quite
surprised and thankful that
she wasn't hurt. (Note to builders and trustees: Do not leave concrete chunks above suspended ceilings).
I suppose her experience might have been more memorable than the Bible story
she was telling, due to the surprise personal illustration. I see four descriptive character traits in them; faithful, loyal, resourceful and persistent. These are four character qualities we all need!
But in light of Brooksyne's experience I also consider the event from below
the roof in the room where Jesus and the people had gathered. The room was likely crowded and hot. Surely the operation was
not neat. I assume that it was a thatch type roof. Regardless some
debris surely fell on the people as the men used primitive tools to cut
the opening.The noise from above would have distracted more than a few. I wonder if any heavy fragments or dropped tools might have hit someone on the head or if small pieces fell in their eyes as they observed the unusual distraction from above. I wonder how those who arrived early and waited their turn to be near Jesus felt about the major distraction? After working so hard to get into the crowded room were the early birds annoyed that they were now forced to make room for the "late ones?" I have also pondered the reaction of the homeowner. I sure wouldn't appreciate someone cutting a hole in my roof!
I wonder if Jesus smiled at this scene. (I think He did, perhaps He even laughed!)
But the focus of the story is not about the roof, rather the forgiveness and divine healing Jesus extended to the lame man and the praise He received. The story ends with this statement, "Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, 'We have seen remarkable things today'." May the Lord open our eyes today to see remarkable things. Surely He wants to use us like He used the four friends of the paralytic to bring about remarkable things! Are you willing?
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Father, when we consider
the zeal and creative way the paralyzed man's friends brought him to
Jesus we're challenged to do likewise. This man was helpless and unable
to reach the Healer on his own, but Jesus healed and saved him through
the effort and faith of his friends. They cared compassionately and the
barriers did not stop them from bringing him to his only Hope. Help us
to be persistent in reaching out to those whose only hope for salvation
is by bringing them to Christ. Amen.Farewell Naomi
When we served in an interim pastorate in a small country church in Mastersonville, PA several years ago we became acquainted with a dear woman of God and featured her on our site several times. Naomi was a school teacher very much loved by her students and she was a devoted worker in the church. For the last ten years or so she has resided at the Messiah Village nursing home so we visited her there and she always brought out her photo album which included pictures of flowers she and her mother planted on the front bank of their lawn on Colebrook Road. Every year for over 50 years they selected a different spiritual theme and arranged the flowers to spell the message such as "HALLELUJAH!" As I recall they planted white allysum and marigolds. Many times I sat at the piano and played hymns while she accompanied me with her harmonica, seeming never to weary. A remarkable woman of God who was ushered into His heavenly kingdom yesterday at 91 years of age!
Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
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 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 2015 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA