A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope,
encouragement and exhortation.
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
Monday, November 18, 2019
Friday
afternoon we drove through Miner's Village near Cornwall
in southern Lebanon County. These factory houses were
built in the 1860's for iron ore miners.
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
"The
Most Important Reminder"
Message summary: Today let us all be reminded of this victorious truth; The Lion of Judah who conquered the grave is David's root and the Lamb who died to ransom the slave. He is worthy!
Daily
prayer: Father, it is good
to be reminded of many truths that Your word has
taught us through the years, including the words
of the apostle John who gives us a glimpse of
worship in heaven, when it was revealed to him
that the Lion of the tribe of Judah, of the Root
of David, was found worthy to open the scroll
and its seven seals. When no one in heaven or
earth could open the scroll or look into it
Jesus was declared worthy to do so; He is worthy
of all praise, glory, honor and thanksgiving!
Not only is there worship in heaven at such
glorious news, but we worship here below to know
that we serve a victorious risen Savior who has
conquered sin, death and the grave securing an
eternal home for us in heaven. Amen.
Message summary: Today let us all be reminded of this victorious truth; The Lion of Judah who conquered the grave is David's root and the Lamb who died to ransom the slave. He is worthy!
"And I saw a
mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, 'Who
is worthy to open the scroll and break its
seals?'" (Revelation 5:2).
Yesterday in our church service we sang a newer song we have both really come to appreciate since Brooksyne first learned it in choir last year. By now many are familiar with Andrew Peterson's song, "Is He Worthy?" since it is often played on Christian radio and is on YouTube. It's a very moving song that uses an interesting format with a soloist asking a series of questions followed by a response from the choir and congregation. (A link to a video is placed below. Listening to the song will enhance the message we share today.)
Yesterday we were especially moved by the phrase, "Is it good that we remind ourselves of this? (It is)." Brooksyne was singing this song with choir members and I was singing it with the congregation, but as we talked together after church, we both spoke of how much this very same line spoke to us and then considered the verse from 2 Peter 1:12, "Therefore I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you."
Yesterday in our church service we sang a newer song we have both really come to appreciate since Brooksyne first learned it in choir last year. By now many are familiar with Andrew Peterson's song, "Is He Worthy?" since it is often played on Christian radio and is on YouTube. It's a very moving song that uses an interesting format with a soloist asking a series of questions followed by a response from the choir and congregation. (A link to a video is placed below. Listening to the song will enhance the message we share today.)
Do you feel the
world is broken? (We do)
Do you feel the shadows deepen? (We do)
But do you know that all the dark won't stop the light from getting through? (We do)
Do you wish that you could see it all made new? (We do)
Is all creation groaning? (It is)
Is a new creation coming? (It is)
Is the glory of the Lord to be the light within our midst? (It is)
Is it good that we remind ourselves of this? (It is)
Do you feel the shadows deepen? (We do)
But do you know that all the dark won't stop the light from getting through? (We do)
Do you wish that you could see it all made new? (We do)
Is all creation groaning? (It is)
Is a new creation coming? (It is)
Is the glory of the Lord to be the light within our midst? (It is)
Is it good that we remind ourselves of this? (It is)
Yesterday we were especially moved by the phrase, "Is it good that we remind ourselves of this? (It is)." Brooksyne was singing this song with choir members and I was singing it with the congregation, but as we talked together after church, we both spoke of how much this very same line spoke to us and then considered the verse from 2 Peter 1:12, "Therefore I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you."
If we
ask, "Why do you go to church?", we'd get a lot of
different answers.
But one
good reason we attend is because we gather with other
believers to be taught and reminded of God's timeless
truths. The focus later in life, for those who have
walked with the Lord over the years, is more often
being reminded of that which we've already learned
than hearing it for the first time.
But of
course even children and young people need reminded.
Reminding is a perpetual necessary form of ministry
for all ages, presented by sermon, testimony or song.
Getting
back to Peterson's song and the two preceding verses
we need this reminding:
Is a new creation coming? (It is)
Is the glory of the Lord to be the light
within our midst? (It is)
We all
experience the broken world in different ways. As we
gather we may have numerous burdens we are bearing.
Some are personal, others common to all. At times the
shadows really do seem to deepen.
"But do we know that all the dark won't stop the light
from getting through?" (We do)
That's when we need a
focus on the eternal, transcendent truth of Holy
Scripture. Transcendent means "beyond or above the
range of normal or merely physical human
experience".
The song continues
with an allusion to Revelation 5:2 to a heavenly
dilemma, "Who is worthy to open the book and
to break its seals?"
The initial
assessment was "And no one in heaven or on the
earth or under the earth was able to open the
scroll or to look into it" (v.3). This
prompted despair "and I began to weep loudly
because no one was found worthy to open the
scroll or to look into it" (v.4).
Sometimes we are at
our own point of despair concerning the burdens we
bear; we just can't see a way out, let alone the
bigger picture.
We regularly need to
be reminded of the truth in the verse that
follows, "Weep no more; behold, the Lion of
the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has
conquered, so that He can open the scroll and
its seven seals." (v.5)
The song continues,
Is anyone worthy?
Is anyone whole?
Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll?
The Lion of Judah who conquered the grave
He is David's root and the Lamb who died to ransom the slave
Is He worthy? Is He worthy?
Of all blessing and honor and glory
Is He worthy of this?
HE IS!
Is anyone whole?
Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll?
The Lion of Judah who conquered the grave
He is David's root and the Lamb who died to ransom the slave
Is He worthy? Is He worthy?
Of all blessing and honor and glory
Is He worthy of this?
HE IS!
Today let us all be
reminded of this victorious truth; the Lion of
Judah who conquered the grave is David's root and
the Lamb who died to ransom the slave. He is
worthy!
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father, it is good
to be reminded of many truths that Your word has
taught us through the years, including the words
of the apostle John who gives us a glimpse of
worship in heaven, when it was revealed to him
that the Lion of the tribe of Judah, of the Root
of David, was found worthy to open the scroll
and its seven seals. When no one in heaven or
earth could open the scroll or look into it
Jesus was declared worthy to do so; He is worthy
of all praise, glory, honor and thanksgiving!
Not only is there worship in heaven at such
glorious news, but we worship here below to know
that we serve a victorious risen Savior who has
conquered sin, death and the grave securing an
eternal home for us in heaven. Amen.
Friday
evening we attended the first of several company
meals we will participate in during the next several
weeks leading up to Christmas. This was at the
Audrey's company banquet in Myerstown, PA
Click to enlargeSaturday
morning I assisted a friend who returned a van used by
his son-in-law and daughter during mission furlough.
The van is owned by a church in the State College area
where Penn State is located. We left early to avoid
game day traffic. Upon returning we saw the game
day traffic toward the Stadium in Happy Valley slow
down some 20 miles out in the Seven Mountains area.
We always
enjoy seeing a barn and a healthy supply of hay! I
wonder if the animals feel the same way when a large
supply is visible to their eyes. When we bring in a
new bag of dog food, all three of our dogs excitedly
gather around the opened bag as though they haven't
eaten for days.
Today's Suggested
Music and Supplemental Resources
"Is He Worthy"
Video
Andrew Peterson
Finally today:
I recall seeing
the above photo years ago
and thinking, "What in the
world is this all about?"
These are orphaned
babies which were placed in
cardboard boxes and airlifted
out of Saigon in 1975.
Suzanne, who was 5 months old,
was included among the babies
in "Operation babylift" and
she might be in this above
photo I found posted online.
Suzanne had a hard start in
life as a Vietnamese orphan
born at the end of the Vietnam
War. She came to the US in
April 1975 to be adopted by an
American family and has been a
part of the church we attend
ever since and has become our
friend. Yesterday she walked
down to greet us and gave us
permission to share her photo. We wrote a message
titled "A Brand New
Ending" about Suzanne
earlier this year.
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
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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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