A
daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and
exhortation.
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
Note: This week we are considering witnesses during the events of Holy Week that are rather incidental to the main story, but like each one of us, they each have a story.
Thursday,
April
9,
2020
Forry's
Mill Covered Bridge
(Click
on photo to enlarge)
This morning we ventured out from our home-bound condition to pick up some provisions. With shoppers wearing a variety of homemade masks it looked as though some came as bandits prepared to rob the store!
This morning we ventured out from our home-bound condition to pick up some provisions. With shoppers wearing a variety of homemade masks it looked as though some came as bandits prepared to rob the store!
"The
Two Criminals"
Listen
to this
message on your audio player.
"Two rebels were crucified with Him, one on His right and one on His left" (Matthew 27:38). "And with Him they crucified two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on His left" (Mark 15:27). "Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with Him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified Him there, along with the criminals—one on His right, the other on His left" (Luke 23:32,33). "There they crucified Him, and with Him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle" (John 19:18).
Pastor
Peter Silumula and his wife Helen have a ministry
to their fellow Indians. He has a Hindu background
but came to faith in Christ as a teenager in 1969.
After earning two degrees in non-ministry related
fields he decided to attend a Bible College to
increase his knowledge of the Bible, although he
had no intentions of entering the pastoral
ministry. Toward the end of his course of studies
he was required to preach if he wanted to
graduate. He informed the headmaster that he was
only there for the Bible knowledge and didn’t see
why a preaching assignment was important, but the
headmaster insisted the requirement was necessary.So Peter went into a forest intending to technically fulfill the requirement to preach but certainly not expecting to have any listeners. As he stood under the trees he preached about the two thieves on the crosses next to Jesus and even concluded his message with an invitation to receive Christ. As he was finishing his prayer he heard a voice from high up in the trees shout, “Don’t stop”. This of course startled Peter as he looked around wondering if it was a voice from God.
Then a man climbed down from the tree and confessed that he was a thief and murderer. He had been listening to the entire sermon and God had convicted his heart. He told Peter he went into the village at night to do his criminal business but climbed up and hid in the trees during the daytime! Peter prayed with him for salvation. His first convert!
Today let us consider the two thieves that hung beside Jesus when He offered His life as a sacrifice for the human race.
Even in death, He remembered
The thief hanging by His side
Then he spoke with love and compassion
And He took him to paradise
The thief hanging by His side
Then he spoke with love and compassion
And He took him to paradise
These two men had an absolutely unique vantage point distinct from anyone who ever lived. One was on a cross at Christ’s right side and another on a cross at His left. They represent the human race and the two responses to God’s act of mercy in redemption:
- Both were deserving of their punishment.
- Both had initially "heaped insults on Him" (Matthew 27:44).
- Both were dying in their sins.
But
sometime during that six-hour period of shared
agony a wondrous spiritual awakening occurred in
one of them. Luke alone records the brief exchange
of words:
"One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at Him: ‘Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!’ But the other criminal rebuked him. ‘Don’t you fear God,’ he said, ‘since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into Your kingdom’" (Luke 23:39-42).
I call to mind a verse in a great hymn that says, "I know not why God’s wondrous grace to me He hath made known; nor why, unworthy, Christ in love redeemed me for His own."
The redeemed thief could very well be singing this song in heaven, for he received an astonishing message of assurance from Christ. “Jesus answered him, ‘I tell you the truth, today you will be with Me in paradise’” (Luke 23:43).
Three men on three crosses;
* one dying in his sin,
* one dying with his sins forgiven,
* and One dying for the sins of the whole human race.
As we understand sin and the fall of the human race, we know that, like the thieves, we are punished justly and are getting what our deeds deserve. But Jesus, who has done nothing wrong, has died in our place. “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18).
Today our Lord continues to respond to the simple expression of faith, "Remember me". He continues to provide the wonderful gift of His redeeming grace as we earnestly call on His name. Let us all renew that call today and if you, as a reader, have never done so please call out to Jesus, "Remember me". *
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer:
Father, we see ourselves in the criminals who died
on the crosses next to Jesus. We recognize that we
were born with a sin problem, some of which we’ve
exercised at great length and the potential for
further sin is daunting. But You provided a way of
escape, a way to unfetter our attraction to sin
and lured our hearts instead to that which is holy
and righteous. The vilest offender who truly
believes in Christ’s salvation is instantly
pardoned and assured of eternity in heaven. Thank
You for paying in full my debt of sin! How
marvelous, how wonderful is my Savior’s love for
me! Amen.
* Here’s a common prayer that expresses faith in God’s plan of salvation. It’s often called "The Sinner’s Prayer". If you have not done so already we urge you to pray this prayer from your heart today. "Lord Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner. I believe that You came to this earth and died on the cross as a substitute for me. I place my faith in You and what You have done for me. I receive You into my life and choose this day to follow and serve You. Thank You for hearing my prayer."
"One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at Him: ‘Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!’ But the other criminal rebuked him. ‘Don’t you fear God,’ he said, ‘since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into Your kingdom’" (Luke 23:39-42).
I call to mind a verse in a great hymn that says, "I know not why God’s wondrous grace to me He hath made known; nor why, unworthy, Christ in love redeemed me for His own."
The redeemed thief could very well be singing this song in heaven, for he received an astonishing message of assurance from Christ. “Jesus answered him, ‘I tell you the truth, today you will be with Me in paradise’” (Luke 23:43).
Three men on three crosses;
* one dying in his sin,
* one dying with his sins forgiven,
* and One dying for the sins of the whole human race.
As we understand sin and the fall of the human race, we know that, like the thieves, we are punished justly and are getting what our deeds deserve. But Jesus, who has done nothing wrong, has died in our place. “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18).
Today our Lord continues to respond to the simple expression of faith, "Remember me". He continues to provide the wonderful gift of His redeeming grace as we earnestly call on His name. Let us all renew that call today and if you, as a reader, have never done so please call out to Jesus, "Remember me". *
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer:
Father, we see ourselves in the criminals who died
on the crosses next to Jesus. We recognize that we
were born with a sin problem, some of which we’ve
exercised at great length and the potential for
further sin is daunting. But You provided a way of
escape, a way to unfetter our attraction to sin
and lured our hearts instead to that which is holy
and righteous. The vilest offender who truly
believes in Christ’s salvation is instantly
pardoned and assured of eternity in heaven. Thank
You for paying in full my debt of sin! How
marvelous, how wonderful is my Savior’s love for
me! Amen.* Here’s a common prayer that expresses faith in God’s plan of salvation. It’s often called "The Sinner’s Prayer". If you have not done so already we urge you to pray this prayer from your heart today. "Lord Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner. I believe that You came to this earth and died on the cross as a substitute for me. I place my faith in You and what You have done for me. I receive You into my life and choose this day to follow and serve You. Thank You for hearing my prayer."
Today's
Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
This
week we have shared several videos from the Skit
Guys. Here's one that includes perspectives from
various characters beginning with the Last Supper. Video
"The Man In The Middle" Video Wayne Watson
"Thief"
Video
Third Day
(Click
on photo to enlarge)
We regularly pass this tidy farm on Colebrook Road. With all the changes, burdens, and feelings of loss over the past few weeks regarding the Coronaviris pandemic the lush green grass is such a vivid color of healthy life.
Several
weeks
ago we shared that Tommy Carpenter, a friend of
ours from Arkansas, has
a son who contracted the coronavirus. He gave us
an update yesterday:
"Thomas had been moved to CCU and was on a
ventilator, I went to my
Secret Place and prayed in the SPIRIT for the next
couple of hours.
From my old school raising, I remember how the
saints of GOD had three
points to their praying: “Pray through!” “Break
through!” and “Claim
the victory!” I can tell you, it still works. When
I went back to bed I
knew the LORD had the answer on way. “The prayer
of faith before the
throne of grace can cover anyone, anything and
anyplace.” Satan has
given me plenty of offers to waver in faith, but
the Blessed HOLY
SPIRIT rose up within me to destroy every thought
or imagination that
tried to defeat me."
We regularly pass this tidy farm on Colebrook Road. With all the changes, burdens, and feelings of loss over the past few weeks regarding the Coronaviris pandemic the lush green grass is such a vivid color of healthy life.
Several
weeks
ago we shared that Tommy Carpenter, a friend of
ours from Arkansas, has
a son who contracted the coronavirus. He gave us
an update yesterday:
"Thomas had been moved to CCU and was on a
ventilator, I went to my
Secret Place and prayed in the SPIRIT for the next
couple of hours.
From my old school raising, I remember how the
saints of GOD had three
points to their praying: “Pray through!” “Break
through!” and “Claim
the victory!” I can tell you, it still works. When
I went back to bed I
knew the LORD had the answer on way. “The prayer
of faith before the
throne of grace can cover anyone, anything and
anyplace.” Satan has
given me plenty of offers to waver in faith, but
the Blessed HOLY
SPIRIT rose up within me to destroy every thought
or imagination that
tried to defeat me."Missionary leader
Doug Clay stated that he was praying for a pandemic
of hope for our world.
Finally
today:
As we were preparing
to read our podcast for this message a fierce storm
swept through with heavy rain and winds just as the
recycle truck was picking up our recyclables. What
an effort these men went to in picking up debris
from our blown over recycle bins! Thankfully, we
were able to reload our bin before their arrival so
as not to add to their workload. As the truck pulled
up to our neighbors to wait out the storm the Lord
prompted us to quickly prepare a care package with
goodies to bless them before they went on their way.
Major Events of the
Passion Week
An astounding 30 of the 89 accumulative chapters in the four gospels cover the period beginning with Christ's Triumphal Entry through His resurrection and post-resurrection appearances. Mathematically this means that approximately 33% of the written material in the Gospels deals with a mere .05% period of His life! In the providence of God we have a much greater proportion of Scriptural revelation dealing with God's greatest act of mercy in providing our redemption.
Here's an interesting chart from a Study Bible that may be helpful as you study the Bible this week. It sure helps me to have a sense of when the events took place as I read these Scriptures in the daily sequence leading up to Easter.
Sunday
Triumphant
Entry into Jerusalem: Matthew 21:1-11; Mark
11:1-10; Luke 19:29-40; John 12:12-19
Monday
Jesus
Clears the Temple: Matthew 21:12,13; Mark
11:15-17; Luke 19:45,46
Tuesday/Wednesday
Jesus'
authority challenged in the temple: Matthew
21:23-27; Mark 11:27-33; Luke 20:1-8
Jesus teaches stories and confronts the Jewish leaders: Matthew. 21:28-23:36; Mark 12:1-40; Luke 20:9-47
Greeks ask to see Jesus: John 12:20-26
The Olivet Discourse: Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21:5-38
Judas agrees to betray Jesus: Matthew 26:14-16; Mark 14:10,11; Luke 22:3-6
Jesus teaches stories and confronts the Jewish leaders: Matthew. 21:28-23:36; Mark 12:1-40; Luke 20:9-47
Greeks ask to see Jesus: John 12:20-26
The Olivet Discourse: Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21:5-38
Judas agrees to betray Jesus: Matthew 26:14-16; Mark 14:10,11; Luke 22:3-6
Thursday
The
Last Supper: Matthew 26:26-29; Mark
14:22-25; Luke 22:14-20
Jesus speaks to the disciples in the upper room: John 13-17
Jesus struggles in Garden of Gethsemane: Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46; John 18:1
Jesus is betrayed and arrested: Matthew 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-52; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:2-12
Jesus speaks to the disciples in the upper room: John 13-17
Jesus struggles in Garden of Gethsemane: Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46; John 18:1
Jesus is betrayed and arrested: Matthew 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-52; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:2-12
Friday
Jesus
is tried by Jewish and Roman authorities and
disowned by Peter: Matthew 26:57-27:2, 11-31; Mark
14:53-15:20; Luke 22:54-23:25; John 18:13-19:16
Jesus is crucified and buried: Matthew 27:31-56; Mark 15:20-41; Luke 23:26-49; John 19:17-30
Jesus is crucified and buried: Matthew 27:31-56; Mark 15:20-41; Luke 23:26-49; John 19:17-30
Sunday
The
glorious resurrection: Matthew 28:1-10; Mark
16:1-11; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-18
(This material is developed from an outline provided in the Life Application Bible.)
Send a message to
Stephen & Brooksyne
To receive the
"Daily Encouragement" each Monday-Friday
through email see this
page to subscribe to our email list. You can also
subscribe to the Wordpress rss feed or
through a Wordpress email subscription.
(See the email subscription on the right side
after opening this page)
We want to thank all who
financially support our ministry. We
realize there are many fine ministries and
causes requesting support but if the Lord
would lead you we surely need and appreciate
the financial support from our readers and
listeners. 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 consider making a donation 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
If you would consider making a donation 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".Permissions:
Please feel free to pass on, reproduce and
distribute any material on Daily Encouragement
Net, in part or in whole, in any format,
provided that you do not alter the wording in
any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of
reproduction. It is our desire to spread this
material, not protect or restrict it. We do
request that you keep the contact, copyright and subscription
information intact.
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."
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."
© Copyright 2020 Stephen C. & Brooksyne
Weber - All Rights Reserved
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA