A
daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and
exhortation.
Tuesday,
September 21,
2021
"Our
Spiritual Lineage"
Listen to this message on your audio player. "I have been reminded of your sincere faith,
which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your
mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you
also" (2 Timothy 1:5).
Last
Saturday morning Glenn Musser stopped by for a
brief visit. Glenn leads a local prayer group that prays
for our community and schools and also leads our
National Day of Prayer event.
Glenn is a retired Penn State trained
agricultural engineer and shared about an invention when
he worked for a farm implement company that we all have
benefited from. Like so many beneficial inventions we
probably give it no thought at all. (It is an
improvement to the harvesting head of a combine to
increase productivity when harvesting beans that is now
widely used.)
There's a lot happening to the blessing and
benefit of others that we give little thought to. Most
people making these contributions are not famous. That's
true on the spiritual impact level as well.
Glenn
told me about his grandfather, Monroe Dourte, seen in
this photo. Years ago we often mentioned one of his
sons, Jesse and his wife Wilma, whom we came to love
while we served a small country church in Mastersonville
PA over ten years ago. They expressed such vibrant faith
up to their time of departure from this life into their
eternal resting place.
Glenn expressed esteem for his grandfather,
who is a part of his own spiritual lineage and Glenn is
now seeking to pass his faith on to his grandchildren.
Perhaps the photo will stir a memory for some of our
readers of one of your spiritual ancestors!
Here's a blunt confession: The older I get the less esteem I have for "famous" people, very few who seem to demonstrate a life lived worthy of respect. This is true in politics, sports, entertainment, even famous people in the church world. Frankly more than a few of the famous national preachers are an utter embarrassment to the Cause of Christ. In reality most of the beneficial and real eternal
impact made on our lives is not due to the input of
famous people but rather among those who know us and
live out their Christian faith in person before us,
similar to Timothy's grandmother and mother.
Interestingly in this case there's no mention of his
father and grandfather and some have speculated his
father was not a believer.
In the daily text the Apostle Paul is reminded
of Timothy's sincere faith. The word sincere conveys
unhypocritical, genuine, without show or pretense. This
sincere faith "lived" first in his grandmother and
mother, who apparently passed their faith on to Timothy.
Paul even calls them by name, "your grandmother Lois
and in your mother Eunice".
Paul was persuaded that this sincere faith lived in Timothy as well. "I am persuaded, now lives in you also". What a blessing when people who know us well, observe our life and are persuaded our faith is genuine. A few verses later, Paul commissions Timothy with this charge, "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others" (2 Timothy 2:2). Timothy had a lineage and was to be part of the lineage of others. Our spiritual lineage is a valuable part of who we are. For most of us on a personal level it's distinct to us and others in our immediate circle (family and church). Like Glenn's grandfather, those most valuable in passing their faith on to us would not be known to very many. They are likely little known outside this circle and are not famous. But they faithfully lived a genuine faith and passed it in to others. Now we devote our life to Christ and seek to pass our faith along to others. May all who come behind us find us faithful! Be encouraged today, (Hebrews 3:13)
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father, we thank You for those who
have shown us the way of salvation both by their
lifestyle and by the biblical principles they
espouse. Just as Paul was reminded of Timothy's
sincere faith, which first lived in his grandmother
Lois and in his mother Eunice and now was evident in
Timothy, may we also pass down to those whom we
influence the way to eternal life. Just as we have a
spiritual lineage we want to be a lineage to others
so that they may follow Christ all their days. In
the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
Today's
Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
"Find
Us Faithful" Video Let There Be
Praise Singers
We're
pilgrims on the journey of the narrow road,
and those who've gone before us line the way. cheering on the faithful, encouraging the weary, their lives a stirring testament to God's sustaining grace. After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone, And our children sift thru all we've left behind, May the clues that they discover, and the mem'ries they uncover, Become the light that leads them, to the road we each must find. Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, Let
us run the race not only for the prize,
But as those who've gone
before us let us leave to those behind us,
The heritage of faithfulness passed on thru godly lives. Refrain: O
may all who come behind us find us faithful,
May
the fire of our devotion light their way.
May the footprints that we leave, lead them to believe, And the lives we live inspire them to obey. Yesterday
we got a little exercise riding our bikes on the
Lancaster Junction rail trail after we dropped
Ester off for work at Fuddruckers.
The
trail is well maintained with a pleasant riding
stone surface. It's especially nice to ride over
fallen leaves.
It's
likely that an enterprising Amish child set up
this small produce stand on the trail!
(Click on photo for larger image) These
multi-color sheep are seen right off the trail
which runs through farmland on both sides of
the trail.
(Click on photo for larger image) Finally
today:
Yesterday we showed a photo of an unusual piece of farm equipment parked in the field across from our house. It was a huge pump used to pump manure from a dairy farm about 1/2 mile away to this tractor applying the organic fertilizer to the field last night. This method actually places the mix in the ground and covers it thus we have less odor! (Some forms of manure spreading is very malodorous as locals will attest!!!) David,
a reader from Ohio explains: Out here in
Northwestern Ohio, we have many, many large hog
confinement barns & quite a few very large
3000-5000 cow dairy farms, who use the services
of individuals who pump the manure from
underneath the confinement barns or out of
manure collection lagoons onto the surrounding
fields. I have a 1st cousin out in eastern
Indiana (Berne, IN), whose 2 sons do this
besides farming. They pump the manure out of a
barn or lagoon into a 4 or 5 inch diameter very
long hose, (dragline) & either spread it on
top of the ground or inject the manure
underground. Any manure spread on top of the
ground must be incorporated into the soil within
24 hours to minimize runoff into the ditches,
creeks & rivers to prevent pollution.
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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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