A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope,
encouragement and exhortation.
"This
Is My Story"
Message
summary: Today,
consider your story and our altogether
reliable and abundant blessings from God.
Listen to our message on your audio player. "What more could have been done for My vineyard than I have done for it?" (Isaiah 5:4). “So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith” (Galatians 3:9). "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3). "On This Day" is an interesting website that lists significant birthdays, deaths and events that took place on specific dates. (See below for link.) Of course the site only deals with events deemed significant by the website editors. We each have many significant dates in our own story that won't make this list! I consider significant dates in my story. In early 1954 my story began when I was conceived, a highly significant event I have absolutely no recollection of. Later that year on October 14 I left the comfort of my mother's womb and was born the first time, another non-memory. I have had a number of significant dates since then; graduations, marriage, deaths of loved ones. Some dates are joyful, others painful, all part of the mosaic of my story. Today's date, August 22, 1971, doesn't really have that many significant events listed on the "On This Day" website and certainly does not list one of the most significant days in my story. On Sunday evening, August 22, 1971 I accepted Jesus Christ at a convention at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, MO. This experience is expressed by Jesus in John 3 as being "born again". Believing in, following, and seeking Christ has opened up an outpouring of God's spiritual blessings that are a very large part of my story. As you get older there's more looking back of course! In the physical realm blessings indeed vary among us. Some have better health than others, some have more of this world's goods, some have greater heartaches. Because we live in the physical realm we tend to focus on these matters. However these things can change very quickly! Any security we have in the physical is tenuous. That supposedly steady job can vanish. An accident or medical diagnosis can alter our plans instantly. We really have no guarantees of security in regard to the physical realm. One of the greatest perspectives we can have is a daily recognition of God's abundant spiritual blessings. In the spiritual realm our blessings are absolute with no deficiency whatsoever. These blessings are secure and abundantly adequate regardless of where we live or how "blessed" we happen to be in the physical. My Christian brother or sister reading this in the most destitute, impoverished parts of this world are equally blessed like me in the spiritual realm. In Isaiah 5 the Lord uses the parable of a vineyard to illustrate His care for His people and His perspective when His people fail to produce a harvest. How carefully He had prepared this vineyard on a fertile hillside, with adequate soil preparation and planting the choicest of vines, with a watchtower and even a winepress in anticipation of an abundant harvest. But the field only produced bad fruit. In verse 4 a powerful question is asked; "What more could have been done for My vineyard than I have done for it?" Of course the question anticipates a response of "nothing". Any deficiency we may perceive is never with God. Settle that deeply in your spirit. Today many of you are encountering a shaking that reveals the insecurity of this world. I have a friend going through a very difficult trial. Through these trials we are often providentially reminded that this world offers no real security. At times like this we need to especially focus on God's promises. "You can never break God's promises by leaning on them". Today, consider your story and our altogether reliable and abundant blessings from God. He is indeed "faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made" (Psalm 145:13) and "He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all--how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?" (Romans 8:32). This
is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long. This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long. Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily
prayer: Father,
You
have blessed me in the heavenly realms with
every spiritual blessing. You don't send me
blessings because I deserve them or because
I have earned them nor is it reserved only
for the upper echelon of the Christian
faith. All who have faith are blessed along
with Abraham, the man of faith, for You
redeemed us in order that the blessing given
to Abraham might come to us through Christ
Jesus. Thank You for Jesus who yielded His
life as an atonement for sin and opened the
life-gate that all, even the vilest offender
who truly believes, may go in. As an heir of
salvation purchased by You, I'm born of Your
Spirit, and lost in Your love. This is my
story, this is my song, praising my Savior
all the day long. Amen.
Have you been "born again"? We urge you to consider the state of your soul today. Here's a simple website that explains the plan of salvation and offers a simple prayer. Responding to yesterday's post "Perhaps Today", Rob, a reader from Vermont wrote, "I also have the same carved sign that I made for myself many years ago, just as a reminder that we are pilgrims just passing through enemy territory. They don't want us and they certainly don't want our Savior. That's why we don't drive our tent pegs down too deep, as we await the trumpet sound." Today's
Suggested
Music and Supplemental Resources
"On
This Day"
"This Is My Story (Blessed Assurance)" Video Homecoming Singers This video is set in an old-time tent revival service. The Pleasant View Community Chorus of Manheim and the Calvary Church choir will present a remake of the Old-Fashioned Revival Hour radio broadcast in a presentation on Sunday, Aug. 26, at 3 p.m. in the Calvary Church auditorium (here). The audience is invited to sing along with the choir on familiar songs from a bygone era. Admission is free, and tickets are not required. For more information, readers may call 717-509-6249. "Thank You Lord,
For Your Blessings On Me" Video
Gordon Mote & Jason Crabb
"Revelation
Song" Video Guy Penrod (We are looking forward
to hearing Guy Penrod in a concert in
Lebanon this coming Sunday evening. See here for info.)
Finally today: For the last two weeks Ester has been in Texas visiting her Aunt (Brooksyne's sister, Elaine) and other friends in that area. She was scheduled to return last night but her flight was canceled due to projected bad weather in Baltimore. As mentioned before Ester's dog, Mollie, is terribly afraid during thunder storms and that makes for a long night during our frequent storms over the past six weeks. Brooksyne posted this to Ester's Facebook page. (Ester is now scheduled to return Friday evening.) WHAAATTT!!
Mollie’s
uptight and irritated reply to you Ester
Weber when I told her about your delay in
returning home since your flight was
cancelled.
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