A
daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and
exhortation.
Monday,
May
3,
2021
We regularly pass this stone mill on Habecker
Road south of Mount Joy. There are
many stone mills throughout Lancaster County that have
been well maintained by thoughtful caretakers but no
longer provide service as in the past. Where there's a
mill there's a stream of water (this one along Chickies
Creek) and the combination takes one's thoughts from the
hustle and bustle of today to a slower pace of time. View
this photo long enough and you can almost hear the faint
sound of wagon wheels and the clip-clop of horses’ heels
in the distance.
Click on photo to enlarge
Click on photo to enlarge
"Yonder
Sacred Throng"
Message
summary: Today
we consider that eventful moment when we will begin
singing God's eternal praises with the blessed eternal
"yonder sacred throng"!
Listen
to this message on your audio player.
"Because
You were slain, and with Your blood You purchased for
God persons from every tribe and language and people
and nation" (Revelation 5:9,10).
In
our Adult Bible Fellowship (ABF)
we are considering Christian persecution. The four week
series is led by Dennis Shelly, a 40 year veteran
missionary to Nigeria. He is using the Voice of the
Martyrs' book "I Am N".* The purpose is not only to
consider persecution in the church's long history but we
are looking at the current examples of believers in
Christ being persecuted for their faith. For me
personally it provides an even greater purpose for
arming myself for that which may come in my lifetime and
helps me to fight the premise, "That can't happen here"
or "it could never happen to me" or worse "I deserve a
persecution-free life".Last week
we shared on our site a lesson titled "Embedded Rock"
and considered places where people live under chronic
persecution like "North Korea, Sudan and northeastern
Nigeria and sadly many other places". A thoughtful
reader from Nigeria named Sunday reminded me:
"Please,
I want you to remember Nigeria (not just northeastern
Nigeria), as the insecurity crisis has spread over the
entire north, and is coming to the Southern parts now in
your prayers, that God should remove the evil crushing
rock ravaging our land and lives."
I had her
petition on my heart yesterday in our church service as
we sang "All Hail The Power Of Jesus' Name" especially
when we got to the final verse:
Oh, that
with yonder sacred throng
We at His feet may fall!
We’ll join the everlasting song,
And crown Him Lord of all!
We at His feet may fall!
We’ll join the everlasting song,
And crown Him Lord of all!
The three
words "yonder sacred throng" struck me in a special way
although I have sung it many, many times. What colorful
language in describing a future gathering when we will
join all the redeemed in a "yonder sacred throng" and
"join the everlasting song".
- The yonder sacred throng will
be comprised of the redeemed from all generations.
When the lyrics to "All Hail The Power Of Jesus' Name"
was written by Edward Perronet and first published in
1779, he was likely considering those who had gone
before him in that great throng, from the earliest
humans who placed their faith in God to his own
contemporaries who recently entered glory. But do you
suppose Perronet was also looking forward? Now, over
200 years have passed and many, many millions, likely
billions, have been added to God's Kingdom. And they will continue to be added till the
end comes!
- The yonder sacred throng will
be comprised of the redeemed "from every tribe and
language and people and nation". Imagine the
various worship styles blended together! Some churches
are rather stiff and formal, with little emotion
expressed. Others are very expressive and outwardly
jubilant. Yesterday we sang "Waymaker" a song which
originated in Nigeria but has been a blessing all over
the world and sung in many languages. Below we post to
a video of Nigerians singing it and what a blessing to
see the exuberant joy in their faces.
- The yonder sacred throng will
be comprised of the redeemed who lived in a wide
variety of circumstances here on earth; the very poor
and not so poor; those with relatively easy lives and
those who endured great trials; those who lived
peaceful lives and those who endured horrific
persecution. Some entered heaven beheaded and many
from other forms of dreadful death.
Today let
us resolve to stay faithful whatever circumstances we
might face now or in the future and find spiritual
strength to endure to the end, with the promise of one
day singing God's praises with the yonder sacred throng!
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father, we choose to follow You
faithfully on this side of glory until You bring
to pass that climactic event when we will join
the saints from every generation, from every
tribe and nation. We will blend in one accord
through music, praise, and worship in that
yonder sacred throng to lift up the name of
Jesus, to give unending thanks for all that You
have done for us and for all that You have
provided for us in our eternal dwelling place.
Amen.Today's
Suggested Music and Supplemental
Resources
"All
Hail The Power Of Jesus' Name"
Video This appears to be from
India or a similar country. Powerful!
"Waymaker" Video Sinach (Osinachi Kalu Okoro Egbu), who wrote the song. This power packed version is live in some type of huge Nigerian setting. I dedicate this song to Sunday and all of our other Nigerian readers.
"Waymaker" Video
Calvary Church worship team from our
service yesterday. (Comparatively
rather subdued!)
"Chain Breaker" Video Zach Williams "If you feel lost He's a waymaker" This is presented in dramatic form with a lady struggling with addiction and is very moving.
"Turn It Over"
Video
Zach Williams
Dedicated to those overcoming
addictions
Saturday we discovered our
backyard robin's eggs had hatched!
Click on photo to enlarge
By Sunday they had already
grown and were hungry!
Click on photo to enlarge
Mother
Robin has been busy gathering worms to feed her
young. I wonder if she got any from the cluster
of worms we discovered a few days ago and
mentioned in Friday's message.
Click on photo to enlarge
Click on photo to enlarge
Ed, a regular reader, sent this interesting
note regarding the photo: To us it may
look gross, but it really is fellowship to them.
Earthworms form clumps of balls together in
compost or when out in the open. One of the
reasons is because this is their form of
communication. The study has been published in
the journal of Ethology (study of animal
behavior) mentioning that worms use ‘touch’ to
communicate and influence each other's behavior.
(No mask mandate required in the ethology
kingdom - editor's observation)
Don't worry, I'm not gonna take
the worm this mom worked hard for to provide
food her hungry babies!
Finally today:
We
have some unusual traffic here in Lancaster
County!
(This
is a sprayer)
Send a
message to Stephen &
Brooksyne
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Weber".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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