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<Previous Message Next Message> Wednesday, November 11, 2015 ![]() Foggy autumn scene in Lancaster County (Photo by Doris High) "Veteran's Day Message"
![]() "Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God" (Leviticus 19:32). "I then, as Paul--an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus" (Philemon 1:9b). ![]() ![]() Have you ever considered the military veterans in the Bible? Here's a partial list of well-known veterans: Joshua, Gideon, Samson, Deborah, David. Of course there are many, many more and scores in which we don't have their names. I also consider Uriah, a good man who was purposely killed in action (see 2 Samuel 11:17). So we not only consider our veterans but also those who have died for our freedoms. As we look into Scripture we'd like to spotlight spiritual veterans. These are the men and women who have a long experience in spiritual warfare. A key difference is that spiritual veterans essentially remain in active spiritual warfare service till their call home. Many of these spiritual veterans have gone on before us and are now in what Hebrews 12 calls "a great cloud of witnesses". Others are still on this side, many in the senior years of life. They have faithfully served God in their generation and await their call home. We need to value these spiritual veterans and the wisdom and perspective they bring to our life. Although some may have a frail memory they also have insights which can be such a blessing. Today's first Scripture text is greatly needed. "Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God" (Leviticus 19:32). This expresses a powerful principle so neglected in an age when youth is glorified and many of the elderly are essentially warehoused. Respect for the elderly seems to be one of the many elements we're losing as we slide farther and farther away from Biblical truth. The last phrase of the sentence "revere your God" and how it relates to the first two phrases especially intrigues me. It seems to me that they are interrelated. By honoring the elderly we demonstrate reverence for God. Let us remember and honor the contribution made by the countless old spiritual veterans who have gone before us and are still among us. ![]() ![]() At the time Paul wrote this he was clearly a spiritual veteran having served many years for the cause of Christ. He is one of the first of scores of men and women through the history of the church who have taken great risks to the point of laying down their lives. They faced hardship and otherwise bear the scars of battle for Christ and for our souls. Our spiritual freedom was supremely paid by Christ's death on the Cross. However many others have paid a price to bring that message to us and help keep our flame lit. Let us honor these spiritual veterans and let us take our place in the line of the faithful! I'm sure you can think of some spiritual veterans who've influenced you greatly. Why don't you take a moment to thank God for them, and if you're able, give them a personal expression of thanks. You'll make their day! Finally, we all will become spiritual veterans should the Lord keep us on this side. Brooksyne and I state our determination to stay faithful and invite our readers to join us. Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful,
May the fire of our devotion light their way. May the footprints that we leave, lead them to believe, And the lives we live inspire them to obey. Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful. Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber ![]() A thought from Billy Graham concerning veterans: From time to time we have had the opportunity to visit veterans’ hospitals. After a service, we’ve gone from bed to bed talking and praying with the patients. Many of these people feel neglected. They have lost limbs, eyesight or health in service to their country. Some have been in the hospital for years and will remain there the rest of their lives. What a price they have paid for all of us. I once talked to a man who had lost a leg in World War II. When I remarked about the price he had paid, he said, “It was worth it, wasn’t it?” Let some veterans show you the scars that they have received in battle, and you will realize how much suffering, heartache and blood our freedoms have cost. Out of this comes a great lesson to Christians. The Apostle Paul said, “I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus” Galatians 6:17, NKJV. In other words, Paul said that he bore in his body the branding marks of a slave. When he called himself a servant of Jesus Christ, he did not mean a paid worker, as the word connotes today. He meant a slave, in utter subjection to the Master. But this subjection is borne out of love and devotion to Christ, and it ultimately brings liberty. Today's
Suggested
Music and Supplemental Resources
"Find Us Faithful" Video Let There Be Praise singers "We Will Not Forget" Video Mark Harris "When Love Comes Home" Video Matthew West "The Mission" Video Steve Green "One Pure And Holy Passion" Video The Passion Worship Band "Letters From War" Video Mark Schultz 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.) ![]() ![]() 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 |