A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope,
encouragement and exhortation.
Wednesday,
December 5, 2018
An
easily observable
condition to this day,
regardless of where we
live or our ethnic
background, is the
natural and unashamed
nakedness in the animal
kingdom. Our three pets,
two dogs and a cat, run
around all day without a
stitch of clothing and
think nothing of it, nor
do we. However, Ester
likes to place hats on
the dogs for Christmas
though they really don't
like it! But she does
this every Christmas,
for her "photo session"
with them.
If animals are clothed it's due to a novelty for humans such as putting sweaters on dogs or perhaps an assumption that they need additional warmth in severe climates. Even the "higher" animals, those that evolutionists claim are "more related" to us, do not clothe themselves. The need to clothe and the ability to do so is distinctively human and goes back to a consequence of the fall.
At the very moment of Adam's transgression (interestingly not Eve's) their eyes were "opened, and they realized they were naked" (Genesis 3:7). They crudely sewed fig leaves together to make coverings and sought to hide from God. But God initiated the very first search and rescue mission. The first question God asked fallen Adam was, "Where are you?". Of course God knew where they were and why they were hiding!
He proceeded to pronounce judgment for their disobedience. But God also acted redemptively in serving as the first custom tailor. Consider the provision in the daily text: "The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them" (Genesis 3:21).
Where did the
"garments of skin"
come from? Up to this
point there had been
no death in the
Garden. Surely an
animal or animals were
slain to provide these
skins. Blood was
shed. Perhaps it
was a lamb, though it
is not specified.
Did you notice the two verbs so rich in meaning in Genesis 3:21: God "made" and God "clothed". There's another wonderful covering God provides for all mankind mentioned in Isaiah 61:10. Isaiah proclaimed and so can we today, "I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness" (Isaiah 61:10).
We fast forward to the birth of Jesus Christ when Almighty God became the supreme expression of Deity to all humankind: "And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger." Charles Wesley, in his first published hymn text, "Hark The Herald Angels Sing" reveals God's greatest Gift to the world in the following words:
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer:
Father, my soul
rejoices in the
wondrous Gift of Your
Son, Jesus, who
descended from the
sinless atmosphere of
heaven and clothed
Himself in the garment
of humankind. Prior to
this marvelous
undertaking You spoke
to us through the
prophets who revealed
only a partial and
preparatory revelation
of the Triune God. But
the perfect revelation
of who You are is
revealed in the Person
of Jesus Christ which
is made visible and
understandable in
human terms. For
the Son is the
radiance of Your
glory and the exact
representation of
Your Being. As
we have come to know
Jesus, the Son of man,
we also know You,
Father, because Your
character and power
are revealed in the
life and works of Your
Son, Jesus. Thank You
for mercifully
adopting us as Your
children and clothing
us in robes of
righteousness, for
without this clothing,
we cannot enter
heaven. Amen.
Brooksyne's Note: Many references from Scripture come to mind regarding the clothing that is not an outward adornment bringing glory to oneself. Rather I'm thinking of the clothing that dresses the inner self where the character of Christ is revealed to others as we converse and mingle with others throughout the day. Consider I Peter 3:1-6 where Paul speaks to wives regarding their inner dress. In Colossians 3:1-12 Paul tells believers to clothe themselves with humility, compassion, kindness, etc. Ephesians 6:10-17 reminds us of the ensuing battle of the enemy and the only way we will be victorious is by clothing ourselves in spiritual armor.
"Hark The Herald Angels Sing" Video Boyce Vocal Band We are so blessed to see so many great recordings coming out of colleges with enthusiastic young people such as "Carol of the Bells" by The Voices of Lee Video or "Behold Our God" by the CBU University Choir and Orchestra Video
"The
Garments Of Salvation"
Message
summary:
God
made and God clothed.
Listen to our
message on your audio
player.
"The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them" (Genesis 3:21). "I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness" (Isaiah 61:10). "And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger" (Luke 2:7).
What
type of garments
distinguish you? Of
course the answer will
vary depending on
where you live, your
customs, tastes, the
climate and so forth.
Here in Lancaster
County we have various
sects of old-order
groups that can be
distinguished by their
clothing. It would be
interesting to have a
group photo of Daily
Encouragement readers
from all around the
world and note the
wide variety of
colors, clothing, and
still the basic
similarity!
I (Stephen) regularly wear three articles of clothing that distinguishes me; suspenders and when it's colder, a vest and hat. Brooksyne is a little less predictable but her wardrobe often includes a colorful vest or scarf. This photo on the right was taken last month at Longwood Gardens. One thing you can be sure of; you won't ever see us wearing fig leaves!
The very first immediate consequence of the fall was that Adam and Eve became aware of their own nakedness and need for a covering. The Bible describes their pre-fallen condition as "naked and not ashamed".
"The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them" (Genesis 3:21). "I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness" (Isaiah 61:10). "And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger" (Luke 2:7).
What
type of garments
distinguish you? Of
course the answer will
vary depending on
where you live, your
customs, tastes, the
climate and so forth.
Here in Lancaster
County we have various
sects of old-order
groups that can be
distinguished by their
clothing. It would be
interesting to have a
group photo of Daily
Encouragement readers
from all around the
world and note the
wide variety of
colors, clothing, and
still the basic
similarity!I (Stephen) regularly wear three articles of clothing that distinguishes me; suspenders and when it's colder, a vest and hat. Brooksyne is a little less predictable but her wardrobe often includes a colorful vest or scarf. This photo on the right was taken last month at Longwood Gardens. One thing you can be sure of; you won't ever see us wearing fig leaves!
The very first immediate consequence of the fall was that Adam and Eve became aware of their own nakedness and need for a covering. The Bible describes their pre-fallen condition as "naked and not ashamed".
An
easily observable
condition to this day,
regardless of where we
live or our ethnic
background, is the
natural and unashamed
nakedness in the animal
kingdom. Our three pets,
two dogs and a cat, run
around all day without a
stitch of clothing and
think nothing of it, nor
do we. However, Ester
likes to place hats on
the dogs for Christmas
though they really don't
like it! But she does
this every Christmas,
for her "photo session"
with them.If animals are clothed it's due to a novelty for humans such as putting sweaters on dogs or perhaps an assumption that they need additional warmth in severe climates. Even the "higher" animals, those that evolutionists claim are "more related" to us, do not clothe themselves. The need to clothe and the ability to do so is distinctively human and goes back to a consequence of the fall.
At the very moment of Adam's transgression (interestingly not Eve's) their eyes were "opened, and they realized they were naked" (Genesis 3:7). They crudely sewed fig leaves together to make coverings and sought to hide from God. But God initiated the very first search and rescue mission. The first question God asked fallen Adam was, "Where are you?". Of course God knew where they were and why they were hiding!
He proceeded to pronounce judgment for their disobedience. But God also acted redemptively in serving as the first custom tailor. Consider the provision in the daily text: "The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them" (Genesis 3:21).
Where did the
"garments of skin"
come from? Up to this
point there had been
no death in the
Garden. Surely an
animal or animals were
slain to provide these
skins. Blood was
shed. Perhaps it
was a lamb, though it
is not specified. Did you notice the two verbs so rich in meaning in Genesis 3:21: God "made" and God "clothed". There's another wonderful covering God provides for all mankind mentioned in Isaiah 61:10. Isaiah proclaimed and so can we today, "I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness" (Isaiah 61:10).
We fast forward to the birth of Jesus Christ when Almighty God became the supreme expression of Deity to all humankind: "And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger." Charles Wesley, in his first published hymn text, "Hark The Herald Angels Sing" reveals God's greatest Gift to the world in the following words:
Veiled in
flesh the Godhead
see,
Hail the Incarnate Deity.
Pleased as man with men to dwell,
Jesus our Immanuel.
Hail the Incarnate Deity.
Pleased as man with men to dwell,
Jesus our Immanuel.
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer:
Father, my soul
rejoices in the
wondrous Gift of Your
Son, Jesus, who
descended from the
sinless atmosphere of
heaven and clothed
Himself in the garment
of humankind. Prior to
this marvelous
undertaking You spoke
to us through the
prophets who revealed
only a partial and
preparatory revelation
of the Triune God. But
the perfect revelation
of who You are is
revealed in the Person
of Jesus Christ which
is made visible and
understandable in
human terms. For
the Son is the
radiance of Your
glory and the exact
representation of
Your Being. As
we have come to know
Jesus, the Son of man,
we also know You,
Father, because Your
character and power
are revealed in the
life and works of Your
Son, Jesus. Thank You
for mercifully
adopting us as Your
children and clothing
us in robes of
righteousness, for
without this clothing,
we cannot enter
heaven. Amen.Brooksyne's Note: Many references from Scripture come to mind regarding the clothing that is not an outward adornment bringing glory to oneself. Rather I'm thinking of the clothing that dresses the inner self where the character of Christ is revealed to others as we converse and mingle with others throughout the day. Consider I Peter 3:1-6 where Paul speaks to wives regarding their inner dress. In Colossians 3:1-12 Paul tells believers to clothe themselves with humility, compassion, kindness, etc. Ephesians 6:10-17 reminds us of the ensuing battle of the enemy and the only way we will be victorious is by clothing ourselves in spiritual armor.
Special
Year-end Financial Appeal
We want to thank all who
have financially supported our
ministry this past year (and some for
many years!). There are many fine
ministries and causes requesting
support at this time but, if the Lord
would lead you, we surely need and
appreciate the financial support from
our readers and listeners. Like
many ministries, we typically see a
spike in giving at the end of the year
for which we are most thankful, and
have come to rely on.
Our ministry labor is comprised of approximately half our time to Daily Encouragement and the other half to our chaplaincy ministry to companies for which we receive compensation. Each of these ministries essentially is the same as a part-time job (20+ hours weekly) for each of us. Our goal for many years is that each would provide half of our ministry expenses and income.
If you would like to donate to our ministry see here for more information.
To donate directly online here. This will open to a page that designates the offering to: WEBER,STEPHEN CHAP, Specialized Chaplaincy Ministry ID: 700001-237376
Please Note:
We also provide this easy option due
to the convenience, for
international supporters, and for
those who may not be concerned
regarding receiving an official tax
deductible receipt.
Click here
to send an offering using PayPal.
This will open to a page that states
"Brooksyne Weber".
Thank you,
Stephen & Brooksyne
Our ministry labor is comprised of approximately half our time to Daily Encouragement and the other half to our chaplaincy ministry to companies for which we receive compensation. Each of these ministries essentially is the same as a part-time job (20+ hours weekly) for each of us. Our goal for many years is that each would provide half of our ministry expenses and income.
If you would like to donate to our ministry see here for more information.
To donate directly online here. This will open to a page that designates the offering to: WEBER,STEPHEN CHAP, Specialized Chaplaincy Ministry ID: 700001-237376
Please Note:
We also provide this easy option due
to the convenience, for
international supporters, and for
those who may not be concerned
regarding receiving an official tax
deductible receipt.
Click here
to send an offering using PayPal.
This will open to a page that states
"Brooksyne Weber".Thank you,
Stephen & Brooksyne
On
Sunday evening I had the pleasure of
attending the One A-Chord Choir
Concert at Mount Joy Mennonite Church,
only a mile from our home. This choir
is comprised of believers who unite in
song on the National Day of Prayer
which is how the choir came into
existence several years ago. The
singers come from all over the region
representing about 50 different
churches.
On
Monday, as Stephen was dealing with
his stomach virus, I had a ladies day
out with Ester and our dear friend,
Anna Ruth Lapp. We went to Calvary
Homes to "Women Connecting". Dorothy
Schmidt (pictured at the podium) is
another very dear friend who launched
a Women's Ministry at Calvary Homes,
where she is also a resident. It is
very similar to Christian Women's Club
in which she served as president in
the Ocean City, NJ area for many
years. In addition she recruited women
to serve as officers in CWC, lead
Bible Studies and form other CWC's.
This was "Women Connecting"'s second
program and it was a blessing to
attend with about 80 other women,
mostly residents of Calvary Homes.
Stephen
was taken back by the bright lights on
the Christmas tree that took center
stage on the platform. His mouth was
wide open as he took it all in as
though he were exclaiming, "WOW!"
Today's
Suggested
Music and Supplemental Resources
"Immanuel"
Video
Charles Billingsley
"Hark The Herald Angels Sing" Video Boyce Vocal Band We are so blessed to see so many great recordings coming out of colleges with enthusiastic young people such as "Carol of the Bells" by The Voices of Lee Video or "Behold Our God" by the CBU University Choir and Orchestra Video
Finally today:
After Christian Women's
Club Anna Ruth, Dorothy, Ester and
I went shopping at Costco and then
traveled to "Country Gift and
Thrift" in White Horse; a fun
thrift store where we find many
bargains and the funds are raised
for missions. As I looked out the
window of the upper floor into the
parking lot I noticed this "horse
and buggy". It was a rather cold
day so I hope the driver was
dressed warm enough for the ride
home!
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
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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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Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA