A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope,
encouragement and exhortation.
Daily
Encouragement on
Monday, March 4,
2019
This morning we have a bright sun over the fresh coat of
snow from last night's storm.
Click on
photo to enlarge
"I
Stand Amazed In The Presence"
Message
summary: The
atoning death of Christ
on the cross is the
supreme demonstration of
God's love.
Listen to our
message on your audio
player.
"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
Yesterday
we sat in front of Barb
Musser, a producer at our
local Christian radio
station, WDAC, who has
processed our one minute
Daily Encouragement
radio message for nearly
17 years. She was there,
along with many
grandparents, to hear the
Kings Kids choir, an event
that always boosts
attendance.
The children
know their music well and
lead effectively, thanks
to their director, Cheryl
Noel, and a large team of
volunteers who work with
them through the month, in
preparation. Upon careful
observation you can pick
out the timid singer or
the distracted one.
Yesterday one young boy
got a little off message
while showing off to the
girl next to him. She
wasn't paying any
attention but boys will be
boys. Included in their
three song set was a
glorious old hymn, "I
Stand Amazed In The
Presence".
I stand amazed
in the presence
Of Jesus the Nazarene,
And wonder how He could love me,
A sinner condemned, unclean.
Of Jesus the Nazarene,
And wonder how He could love me,
A sinner condemned, unclean.
For nearly 2,000 years now men and women, boys and girls from all nations, races and tribes have been turning to Jesus Christ, believing the Gospel and being saved. A minuscule percentage of those people were actual eyewitnesses to the Greatest Sacrifice. What an experience that must have been to literally behold the Lamb slain from the foundations of the world, wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, seeing Him bear our sorrows and the stripes that bring our healing. All who have believed since that time have heard the message but are not eyewitnesses.
The daily verse should cause us to stand amazed and in awe of what God has done in love's supreme demonstration. So many events of life concern us today; from our unique personal and family problems to the rapid decline toward absolute moral decadence (particularly here in America it seems), to various explosive international situations. We must be intentional in keeping our hope fixed on Jesus lest these troubling matters lead us to despair.
Watchman Nee became a Christian in mainland China in 1920 at the age of seventeen. In 1952 he was imprisoned for his faith and remained in prison until his death in 1972. Before his departure, he left a piece of paper under his pillow which had several lines of big words he had written with a shaking hand. He wanted to testify to the truth and did so in his freedom as well as his captivity - until his final breath. That truth is—"Christ is the Son of God who died for the redemption of sinners and resurrected after three days. This is the greatest truth in the universe. I die because of my belief in Christ. Watchman Nee."
Today let us consider the supreme demonstration of God's own love for us. The underlying Greek word that is translated "demonstrate" is "sunistasin" which is in the present indicative active. This connotes a sense that God's demonstration of love is ever a present event, although Christ's literal death on the cross was a "once for all" atoning sacrifice; "Christ died for us". The demonstration of His love is ever present, but the sacrificial death of Christ is final and complete. We now look to "Him who sits on the throne and who lives forever and ever" (Revelation 4:9).
The atoning death of Christ on the cross is the supreme demonstration of God's love resulting in:
• Our
redemption from sin
• Our reconciliation to God
• Our restoration to wholeness
• Our reconciliation to God
• Our restoration to wholeness
This week we will be examining each of these three "r's".
How marvelous!
How wonderful!
and my song shall ever be;
How marvelous! How wonderful!
is my Savior's love to me!”
and my song shall ever be;
How marvelous! How wonderful!
is my Savior's love to me!”
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father,
how marvelous
is Your
love. So
many things in
life are
unobtainable,
just beyond
our grasp, but
You make Your
love available
to everyone
who calls on
the name of
the Lord. Your
love and
tender care
mends the
broken heart;
it cleanses
the sin-filled
heart, and it
encompasses
the empty
heart. How
utterly
amazing that
You would pour
out Your
sinless,
extravagant
love on the
vilest of
sinners who
truly
believes.
Incredible to
comprehend,
but nothing in
all creation
can separate
us from Your
gracious and
compassionate
love. Thank
You, Precious
Father, for
loving me.
Amen.More
about Watchman
Nee. "Nee
Shu-tsu was
exceptionally
intelligent.
From his
entrance into
elementary
school through
his graduation
from the
Anglican
Trinity
College in
Foochow, he
ranked first
in his class
as well as in
his school.
With many
grand dreams
and plans for
his future, he
could have
been a great
success in the
world. In 1920
at the age of
seventeen and
after
considerable
struggle, Nee
Shu-tsu was
dynamically
saved while in
high school.
At the moment
of his
salvation, his
plans for his
future were
entirely
abandoned. He
testified,
“From the
evening I was
saved, I began
to live a new
life, for the
life of the
eternal God
had entered
into me.”
Later, when he
was called by
the Lord to
carry out His
commission, he
adopted the
English name
Watchman and
the Chinese
name To-sheng,
which means
“the sound of
a watchman’s
rattle,”
because he
considered
himself to be
a watchman
raised up to
sound out a
warning call
in the dark
night.
Through
the weekend we
had more snow
including a
fresh coat
through the
night
Brilliant
sunshine on
our
snow-covered
oak tree
Click on photo to enlarge
Click on photo to enlarge
The
same view last
night
I
stepped out
about 11:30
last night and
was taken back
by the new
thick coat of
snow that had
fallen during
the evening
hours.
Click on photo to enlarge
Click on photo to enlarge
Our
backyard
dogwood.
Click on photo to enlarge
Click on photo to enlarge
Mollie
loves to play
outside
regardless of
weather
conditions day
and night. You
can see how
she's trampled
down the snow
in our
backyard.
Today's
Suggested
Music and Supplemental Resources
Brooksyne's Note: Yesterday's children's choir also prompted our Daily Encouragement radio message sent to WDAC for Tuesday:
The King's Kids Choir
leads our church in worship
several times a year. They do a
great job, though an occasional
child gets stage-shy or the
extrovert may show off among the
200 plus children. Yesterday,
included in their song mix, was
the hymn classic, “I Stand
Amazed”.
They sang it heartily, including the last stanza: “When with the ransomed in glory His face I at last I shall see, ‘twill be my joy through the ages to sing of His love for me.”
While singing my mind drifted to my childhood days when I sang in the Booster Band in a small church in rural Oklahoma. I still sing some of those songs, now in my sixties. The words “’twill be my joy through the ages to sing of His love for me” brought a smile to my face and a raised hand to the Lord as an expression of thanks that, through the ages, these songs still bring joy to my heart. For more encouragement visit dailyencouragement.net.
They sang it heartily, including the last stanza: “When with the ransomed in glory His face I at last I shall see, ‘twill be my joy through the ages to sing of His love for me.”
While singing my mind drifted to my childhood days when I sang in the Booster Band in a small church in rural Oklahoma. I still sing some of those songs, now in my sixties. The words “’twill be my joy through the ages to sing of His love for me” brought a smile to my face and a raised hand to the Lord as an expression of thanks that, through the ages, these songs still bring joy to my heart. For more encouragement visit dailyencouragement.net.
Finally today:
Driving through
Lancaster County you never know
what peculiar site you may
encounter! Friday afternoon while
returning from our chaplain visits
we first heard what sounded like a
siren or train whistle on Long
Lane, several miles south of our
home. So we looked for emergency
vehicles so as not to be in their
way when they got closer, but
instead we came up behind this
strange vehicle. As we
passed it we found out it was a
steel-wheeled, steam-powered
tractor! Two Amish men in straw
hats were driving it but Brooksyne
(who takes photos as we drive
along) couldn't capture that image
as we passed.
But here's a video she
took!
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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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