The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
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Monday, August 16, 2021

The Steincross Farm
The Steincross Farm"
(click on photo to enlarge)

"Remembering the Days Of Old"

Note: The first part of today's message has some sentimental reminiscing that may not be of interest to all readers. If so, scroll down to Bible text graphic for exposition on the Bible text.

Message summary:  Today, let us indeed remember the days of old and consider the value and contributions of generations long past. Let us remember the wondrous works of the Lord; that He is gracious and merciful! Let us stop and give Him praise for great is His faithfulness.

Listen to this message on your audio player.

"Is He not your Father, your Creator, who made you and formed you? Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you" (Deuteronomy 32:6,7). "He has caused His wondrous works to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and merciful" (Psalm 111:4).

Saturday evening we joined with a group from our Crossroads Adult Bible Fellowship class (AKA Sunday School) for a gathering at a class member's dairy farm here in Lancaster County. Since Lancaster County was settled in the early 1700's many of these farms are quite old and it's not unusual to have farmhouses built in the 1700's still being occupied, in some cases by the same family. Several weeks ago we were at a farm that had been in the same family for seven generations.

Lancaster County farm laneDriving down the long lane to the farm where we had our class gathering was a bit like going back in time. Specifically for me (Stephen) it was like a visit to our family friends, the Willards, who had a farm down a long lane near Higginsville, MO. However I recall at that time it was down a long windy gravel road and you couldn't see the farm from the road.

Our lead photo today is the Steincross farm near Harwood Missouri where I have many childhood memories. This farm wasn't down any lane but was right on the main road and is still being used as a farm last we checked (see here on Google map).

The farm was established by the Steincross family in 1869 by my great grandfather, Godfrey Wilhelm Steincross, a first generation German immigrant who may very well have settled the property (I've been unable to determine this with certainty).

My grandpa, George Washington Steincross, was born in the farmhouse in 1882. It's significant that my great grandfather, whom I never met, named his son after our first president! He and my grandma had seven children who lived to adulthood, a son followed by six daughters, with my Mom being the next to the youngest.

During my childhood the third Steincross generation lived on the farm, Uncle Gentry Steincross and Aunt Dora. In 1976 the farm became a charter member of the newly established Centennial farms in Missouri, a program that was created to celebrate the U.S. Bicentennial. The Centennial Farm project awarded certificates to persons owning farms that had been in the same family for 100 years or more. According to the website,

"Century farms and ranches have shaped our nation and state. In every kitchen, behind every barn door, and in every soiled and calloused hand lie stories of those who feed our nation. The Missouri Century Farm Program celebrates the lasting contributions farmers and ranchers have made to our country’s and state’s heritage."

Among the very first people we met after moving to Lancaster County from New England in early 2001, was our neighbor Earl Martin. As we moved into our rented farmhouse he welcomed us to his neighborhood with a Shoofly pie his wife made for us. Not only did he introduce himself, but he prayed over me with a hand-written prayer.  He also invited us to his church just up the road which became our home church for many years.

Earl passed away just a couple of years later in 2003. At his service was a display about his life with photos and various clippings. I picked up a newspaper article written  in 1984 when his farm was recognized as a century farm. Earl was quoted, "The Lord's been good to us and the best crop we've raised here is our children." What an interesting description of ministry in the family and beyond. We remain friends with Earl's son Galen and his wife Nancy, who raised 4 children on the farm and their son continues farming operations! Above all the family continues to serve the Lord.

Deuteronomy 32:7Today's verse is in Moses' final sermon to the people before he died. It has promises of blessings for obedience and warnings concerning disobedience.

Today I am struck by the latter part of v.6, "Is He not your Father, your Creator, who made you and formed you?" Making sense of life begins when we enthusiastically affirm, "God is my Father, my Creator, who made and formed me!"

An essential component to building a solid foundation in life is looking back and reflecting on Moses' call to, "Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past."

What did this mean to the initial hearers? After all, for the previous 40 years they had walked in the wilderness and prior to that they had been in Egyptian bondage and of course prior to that the account of Creation would be presented through the time of the patriarchs. But they all had their unique stories as well.

What application does this have in our own lives? Specifically we certainly have various experiences regarding our immediate ancestors; some have a heritage of faith, others do not. But we can all look back and see God's faithfulness, His provision and His tender care. This gives us a faith lift for the situations we are currently facing. May the Lord help each of us to see the presence of His hand along our earthly journey until we all meet in the Promised Land. Above all, may we all be rooted and grounded in Him.

Today one of the great strategies of Satan is a blurring and de-emphasis of history, whether it be the extremely poor grasp of history evident among so many in this “living only in the now” age or the deceptions of the historical revisionists who essentially rewrite history to suit their own worldview and narrative. Sadly many in academia have fallen for this. If Satan can get us to lose perspective of the past or believe a false narrative of the past a trap is set for the lie of living only for the “Now.” Forget the past and we place little value on the future, supremely our eternal future.

“Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you.” Many, like us, can no longer literally ask our father (Stephen’s passed away in 1998 and Brooksyne’s in 2000). Increasingly many have not known the love of an earthly father, but we do well to inquire of our spiritual fathers and elders. Above all we learn from the elders in the Holy Scriptures.

Today, let us indeed remember the days of old and consider the value and contributions of generations long past. Let us remember the wondrous works of the Lord; that He is gracious and merciful! Let us stop and give Him praise for great is His faithfulness.


Be encouraged today, (Hebrews 3:13)


Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Praying man Daily prayer: Father, above all we thank You for Jesus who made the supreme sacrifice that we might enjoy our freedom from sin and from our arch enemy, Satan, for all eternity. We thank you for the days of old, for generations long past, and the great works accomplished in their lifetime. Your greatness is further demonstrated through ordinary people just like us in our lifetime. History in the past and history in the making is subordinate to Your sovereign work in the lives of Your people, and we are greatly blessed when we honor You and uphold Your commands during our brief journey here below. Amen.



Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources

"We Will Remember"  Video  Triumphant Quartet  

"Thank You Jesus for the Blood "  Video  Charity Gayle  This was the concluding song following Communion in our service yesterday at Calvary Church.

"Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me"  Video   CityAlight

"Believe For It"  Video  CeCe Winans



Lancaster County farm lane
Our class gathering was held on this spacious farm.

Crossroads class gathering 8/14/21
It was a pleasant evening for our class gathering down on the farm. The farmhouse was completely surrounded by corn and Bob Rohrer, the host farmer, reminded us to be careful what we say since we have lots of "ears" listening to us!

Sitting in such a peaceful setting I called to mind the turmoil is so many places on this terrestrial ball such as Afghanistan, Haiti, Nigeria and so many troubled countries. I consider the chaos in so many of our cities. May God remind us always to count our blessings!

Stephen's great grandfather and grandfather
Stephen’s great-grandfather Godfrey Wilhelm Steincross (left) and grandfather George Washington Steincross (about 1900)

I am so thankful for the pattern these two men set for me; hard work, responsibility, honesty, faithfulness, love for family

MaMa & PaPa
MaMa & PaPa at the age I remember them
George Washington Steincross and Nellie Mae Steincross (Charles)
Like Timothy (2 Timothy 1:5) faith was passed down through my grandmother.

Steincross cousins with Uncle Gentry (mid sixties)
Having fun on the farm!
One year we had some snow in southern Missouri at Christmas so Uncle Gentry took some of us kids out for a makeshift sled ride on his Allis-Chalmers tractor, pulling what appears to be a wood pallet in the snow. The tractor driver is my smiling cousin Steve and I'm in the photo standing on the back of the pallet. I think that's my sister Genelle sitting on the pallet. Uncle Gentry doesn't look like he's in a very safe place with a young driver at the steering wheel who could accidentally pop the clutch!

Uncle Gentry passed away in the 80's and his wife, Dora, lived on the farm alone for another year till she moved to town. The farm was sold since all the children located elsewhere.

Finally Today:

Jim and Dorothy Schmidt
Yesterday afternoon Jim and Dorothy Schmidt came for lunch. We met the Schmidts over 20 year ago in Boston at a conference. At the time they lived in Ocean City, New Jersey but about five years ago moved to Lancaster County and now live at Calvary Homes, one of our area's many senior communities.

Ride with grandpa
In our quiet neighborhood we have lots of golf carts and bicycles driving past our front yard. Our good friends drove by at dusk last evening and stopped to say hello. The four granddaughters were visiting and having fun riding with Grandpa at the wheel.



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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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