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Monday, April 23, 2018
A hike along the Donegal Spring trail yesterday afternoon revealed we have some new young neighbors testing the waters! We spotted two young sets of goslings with their moms and dads. And at least one more batch still in waiting.
Click on photo to enlarge
"The Concert of the Ages"
Message summary: Let's praise God for what He has done, for what He is doing and for what He has in store for our eternal future.
Listen
to our
message on your
audio player."Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang: 'Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise.' Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: 'To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!'" (Revelation 5:11-13).
We are blessed to have lots of Christian concerts in our area. Ester volunteers with a group that gets her into the concert free as long as she serves in some capacity such as ushering, handstamping, loading in or out, etc. Friday night she went to a Sanctus Real concert and she's especially excited this next weekend to attend a Rend Collective concert. That's a group that seems to appeal to all generations. Last night Brooksyne attended a Lancaster Chorale concert, which appeals more to the older generation.
Early in our marriage we often attended a large annual outdoor festival in the central PA mountains called "Creation", hosting concert after concert of "big name" Christian artists over a three day period. We'd often tease another camper by saying "I feel like I walked all over Creation" since we really did over the three days we camped! As many as 50,000 to 100,000 attend annually according to wikipedia. At one time this was so exciting to Brooksyne and me, but not now; camping out in tents, among big crowds, and using portapotties is for a bygone era!
Several years ago we heard the group eponymously named "Phillips, Craig and Dean" which ended with one of their songs titled, "The Concert of the Age" speaking of God's display in His creation.
It's about a future concert where we will not be spectators but participants instead. The daily text presents a powerful preview of a concert the Redeemed through all the ages will not only attend but actually participate in. Read the Scriptural text again slowly and carefully. Every creature will sing!
We can all begin now to work on the lyrics, "To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!" You know what, I am already getting excited about this concert. What about you? Just imagine the most meaningful, touching, emotionally charged service or concert you've ever experienced on earth. I can recall many in my life.
But this "concert" will be something else altogether. Through this online ministry we hear from readers all over the world and that's so gratifying. Years ago a sister from Romania wrote and made a request that, "maybe in heaven Jesus will introduce us." I certainly believe that can be arranged! But we will be at that concert together. I hope to see all of you there. It will indeed be the concert of the ages as we sing along together in worship to the King of kings and Lord of lords, the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world!!
Revelation 4:8 is also an awe-inspiring picture of praise around the throne of God that never ceases. We usually delegate "Worship" to be an appointed time with others in a church setting, a Christian concert, and of course many of us enjoy worship during our time of devotions. Those times of praise create cherished moments as we worship our Father.
But consider praise that is not delegated to a segment of time or initiated by a gifted worship leader or instrumentalist. The four living creatures day and night, without ceasing, cry out "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty." May God instill that pictorial description of praise on our hearts so that as we go about our workday and life's routines we too can join with the living creatures now in declaring, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." Let's praise Him for what He has done, for what He is doing and for what He has in store for our eternal future.
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Father,
the concert of the ages, from eternity past to eternity future will
consist of a great multitude that no one can number, from every nation,
from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne
and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in
their hands, crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
All the angels will be standing around the throne and around the elders
and the four living creatures, and fall on their faces worshiping God,
saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever!" Amen
Revelation 7:9-12
Our lead photo today shows the Canada Geese couple with their goslings in the creek. This mother goose is still on the nest and cast a very wary eye across the creek as I snapped the photo. Father goose was nearby.
Lots of folks walk along our country lane.
We passed these three lambs along Flory Road near our house on the way home from a chaplain visit on Friday afternoon.
After a long walk Mollie plopped down beside these daffodils on Mansion Lane near Donegal Springs.
Our cat Mollie will soon have her 17th birthday. She has a peculiar habit of curiously checking out anything new to lay on or crawl inside of. Saturday I was prepping for lawn work and placed the grass catcher bag down on the driveway. I went about my work and then I see Dottie hiding herself under. The leftover tail was the dead giveaway!
Today's
Suggested Music and
Supplemental Resources
"Rescuer" Video Rend Collective, coming to Lancaster next weekend. We challenge you: Can you watch/listen to this video without smiling?
"How Excellent, Great In All The Earth" Video Calvary Church Choir These two songs were sang in our church yesterday, the first by the choir and then congregation. See if you can find Brooksyne!
Brooksyne's Note: "Great in all the Earth" was new to me since I've only sung in the choir since late last summer. I was moved by the words as we sang it congregationally yesterday. Even as the universe declares how amazing God is so do we, His creation, since He is our Creator, Sustainer, and Saviour. If you open the link you'll soon pick up on the melody and the words are posted for you to sing along.
"Concert Of The Age" Video Phillips, Craig and Dean This is the song mentioned in our message.
"Revelation Song" Video Phillips, Craig and Dean Another epic type song
Finally today:
Last fall a transmission drive belt on my riding tractor broke and it looked a bit too mechanical to fix for me (Actually a lot). I recalled Ken Cook, a friend whom I visited weekly at his work place about 15 years ago. He fixed lawn equipment and he graciously came over Saturday and fixed the mower. Mowed my lawn later that afternoon and it ran great cutting better than before, since it actually had the wrong belt!
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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."
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