The online
Bible teaching ministry of Stephen
& Brooksyne Weber
A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. Home About Us Free email subscription ![]() Daily Encouragement on ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() <Previous Message Next Message> Monday, June 26, 2017
![]() My cousin Georgia took this photo of an inviting walking path in Wisconsin "Rescued!" Message summary: If you come upon a person drowning you don't toss them a pamphlet titled "How To Swim". When someone is drowning they need rescued! Note: Today's opening illustration is longer than usual. Skip down to Scripture graphic for exposition only. ![]() "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen" (Galatians 1:3-5). O the blood, crimson love
Price of life's demand Shameful sin placed on Him The Hope of every man O the blood of Jesus washes me O the blood of Jesus shed for me What a sacrifice that saved my life Yes, the blood, it is my victory When I was in high school I took the Red Cross lifeguard training course providing me the opportunity to work as a lifeguard. I had occasion to apply the training a few times and it's rewarding to know I may have saved a life from drowning. It's a personal blessing to know I have the skills and I would hope that if someone called out "Help" while sinking in deep water I'd still be able to come to his or her rescue. Today we'll share a story about my most memorable lifesaving experience which took place about twenty years ago when we lived in New England. ![]() Ester, who couldn't swim at the time, slowly made her way around the large pool by moving her right hand along the side of the pool and holding onto a round inflatable raft with her left hand. She'd done this many times before so we were comfortable with the arrangement. Brooksyne and I were fully dressed having no plans to swim that cold January day. I was relaxing beside the pool in a lounge chair, half asleep while Brooksyne stood guard beside the pool reading an article in the newspaper. After a bit she lowered the paper and looked for Ester but couldn't find her. In a panic she screamed for all to hear, "STEPHEN, STEPHEN". It startled and fully awakened me so I immediately looked for Ester's whereabouts in the pool but couldn't spot her, only the inflatable raft she'd been holding onto. ![]() Ester was extremely frightened and dealt with severe stomach cramps and for several hours she threw up the ingested water but, thanks be to God, she fully recovered from this potentially tragic incident. The house maid arranged for us to use a dryer so I could dry out my soaked pair of pants, shirt and underclothes. My sopping wet hiking boots were a bit stiff and cold that I wore home later that day. But so what! The wallet was ruined but Ester still keeps it as a reminder. It was a life-saving rescue for Ester which prompts me to share about a lifesaving rescue for all people in our message today. ![]() He was preaching from our daily text and highlighting the glorious truth concerning "the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age." Thank God that Jesus did not send a "How To" pamphlet but rather gave Himself for our sins and rescued us from our penalty of sin which is separation from God for all eternity! J. B. Lightfoot writes that "the rescue strikes the keynote of Galatians. The Gospel is a rescue, an emancipation from a state of bondage to sin." Have you taken hold of the redeeming hand of Jesus who desires to rescue you from drowning in your sins? If not, please do so today. Be encouraged! Stephen & Brooksyne Weber ![]() Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources We'll share a larger amount of music today since we were blessed by both the singing in yesterday's church service and a concert last night! "O The Blood" Video The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir Yesterday we were mighty blessed to sing this song in our church service. This version includes the lyrics. "Redeemed" Video Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir "You Rescued Me" (Original song) Video "You Rescued Me" Video Geoff Bullock "Jesus Rescues Me" Video Southland ![]() Last night we drove over to Lebanon with our long-time friends, Galen and Nancy Martin, to hear the Collingsworth family, thus we are prompted to share some of their songs today. For many years we have enjoyed their gifted harmonic voices as well as their instrumental giftings; piano, violins and trumpet. "It Matters to the Master" Video Collingsworth Family "I Can Trust Jesus" Video Collingsworth Family "Wherever You Are" Video Collingsworth Family "Redeemer of the Rain" Video Collingsworth Family For local readers: On Sunday evening, July 9 The Brooklyn Tabernacle Singers will be in Lebanon, PA for the Music in The Park summer concert series. See here for info. This is a free concert! (A free-will offering is received) We plan to go over with some friends and perhaps we will see some of you. Here's a sample of Brooklyn Tabernacle Singers music. "I Won't Go Back" Video (The Singers are the travelling troupe of the more famous Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir) Finally today: Studying for these messages I often come across more material than used in the message itself and this study comment blessed me from the Precept Austin online commentary: Phillip Ryken observes four significant truths about Jesus' "rescue operation" on the Cross. First, it shows the willingness of Jesus to go to the Cross. The crucifixion was a voluntary self-sacrifice. Jesus gave the most precious gift of all. He "gave Himself" (Gal. 1:4). He "gave Himself up" (Eph. 5:25), or He "gave Himself for us" (Titus 2:14). No one took Christ's life away from Him; He freely gave it away: "I lay down my life"—Jesus said—"that I may take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord" (John 10:17-18). This is also emphasized in the Gospel of Matthew, where an unusual phrase is used to show that at the moment of his death Jesus "yielded up His spirit" (Matt. 27:50). Second, this verse shows the purpose of the Cross. The reason Christ gave himself away was "for our sins" (Gal. 1:4). A transaction took place on the cross. We were the ones who deserved to die because we owe God an infinite debt for our sin. But Christ took our place on the Cross. He became our substitute, our sin-offering. He gathered up all our sins, put them on His own shoulders, and paid for them with His death. Thus the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ was not merely an example of supreme sacrifice, but an actual atonement for sin. It enabled God to forgive us by satisfying His pure justice.... Third, this verse shows the effect of the Cross. Christ was crucified "to deliver us from the present evil age" (Gal. 1:4). When we think of the cross, we usually think first of the atonement. As we have seen, Christ died to pay for our sins. But Christ was also crucified to emancipate us from this evil age. The Gospel is a rescue, like being released from servitude or freed from prison.... Fourth, this verse shows the origin of the Cross. Christ died "according to the will of our God and Father" (Gal. 1:4). The execution of Jesus of Nazareth was not an unforeseen tragedy, a mere accident of history; it was part of God's plan for the salvation of sinners. The apostle Peter said as much to the very men who nailed Jesus to the cross. In his famous sermon in Jerusalem, he declared, "This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men" (Acts 2:23). (Galatians Reformed Expository Commentary- Philip Graham Ryken) Finally today #2: ![]() 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.) ![]() ![]() 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. We do request that you keep the contact, copyright and subscription information intact. 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 2017 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA |