A
daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and
exhortation.
Friday,
October
8,
2021
It's nice to see the barn all dressed up every fall! Many decorations are designed for interior but the fall harvest dresses up the exterior, making splashes of autumn color.
"Being Prepared"
Listen
to this message on your audio player.
“But in
your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared
to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the
reason for the hope that you have. But do this with
gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so
that those who speak maliciously against your good
behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander” (1
Peter 3:15,16).
Last
night I joined a group of friends at a banquet at the Shady
Maple sponsored by the Associates for Biblical Research, a
local apologetic ministry. Our speaker was John Stonestreet,
who leads another apologetics ministry called Breakpoint,
which some of our readers will recognize since it is
broadcasted daily on many Christian radio stations. Chuck
Colson was a frequent speaker before his death. Christian
author Eric Metaxas also speaks on this broadcast.
Last
night I joined a group of friends at a banquet at the Shady
Maple sponsored by the Associates for Biblical Research, a
local apologetic ministry. Our speaker was John Stonestreet,
who leads another apologetics ministry called Breakpoint,
which some of our readers will recognize since it is
broadcasted daily on many Christian radio stations. Chuck
Colson was a frequent speaker before his death. Christian
author Eric Metaxas also speaks on this broadcast.Last night
Stonestreet spoke on "Truth In A Postmodern World" and
shared the special challenges our society faces, especially
as it pertains to raising children.
Today’s
Scripture text from 1 Peter is a word much needed by
followers of Christ who in their “hearts set apart
Christ as Lord”. This is a moral imperative that holds
priority over all other decisions in life. This foundational
choice begets and controls all subsequent choices. Is He
really the Lord of my life?“Always be prepared to give an answer.” This Scripture teaches that we are to always be prepared with our witness for Christ and truth. Our witness is not something we should be able to turn on or turn off. Paul wrote that we are to “be wise in the way we act toward outsiders; making the most of every opportunity” (Colossians 4:5). The fact is you are witnessing every day, whether effectively or not. Paul wrote of the Corinthian believers, “You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody" (2 Corinthians 3:2). What are people “reading” from your life?
The word “answer” is the Greek word “apologia” from which we get the English word apology. But as stated above, it doesn’t mean that it is something we are sorry for! We also get the word apologetics, which is the defense of our faith against all false systems. In fact several versions use the word "defense" in this passage and this is what we are doing. We need to be always be prepared to defend our faith.
Although having a knowledge of the Bible and theology is important, the primary reason for defending our faith according to this passage is “to give the reason for the hope that you have.” This world needs the hope we have in Christ. Do you know the reason for the hope that you have? “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness!”
This is a big and growing responsibility with the dominance of secular humanism along with the preponderance of scores of competing religious systems vying for converts. Today know what you believe and why you believe it and stand unashamedly for the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Your life can be a message of hope for a world that is searching.
When Christ rules in our heart, our feet will walk in His ways.
Be encouraged today, (Hebrews 3:13)
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father, as we set You apart in our
heart from everything that is common, we begin to
lay hold of Your holiness, Your power and goodness,
justice and truth which also gives us an even
greater reason for the hope that we have in You. The
basis of our hope is in the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead, who conquered the enemy of our
soul. We defend our faith with gentleness and
respect lest we espouse a superior attitude or
reveal any attitude that is inconsistent with Your
compassionate and just nature. May Your indwelling
Spirit guide us in love and truth as we seek to
reach others with the message of hope and
forgiveness through Christ Jesus our Lord, in whose
name we pray. Amen.Further study:
Bible teacher Ken Boa has an interesting outline and notes for the passage today:
• “Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.” In other words, be certain Jesus is Lord of your life and affirm your utter dependence upon Him. Remember that when you are talking with someone embracing another worldview, this is a spiritual battle. Your task is to be faithful in proclaiming the truth. It is God’s business to change the person.
• “Always being ready.” Know God’s Word and know how and when to use it. In doing so, you will be prepared to correct misconceptions about biblical Christianity.
• “To make a defense.” Always keep the discussion focused on Jesus and His finished work on the cross. Stay away from minor issues and do your best to prevent the other person from focusing on his or her misconceptions. Stay focused in a friendly, God-honoring manner, and do not be sidetracked by the other person’s unique claims or errors.
• “To everyone who asks you.” Pray that God will give you opportunities to share your faith in this pluralistic culture. Above all, be a good listener and ask for permission to express your view in the discussion. Do not be pushy or arrogant.
• “To give an account for the hope that is in you.” It is your personal relationship with the living God that is the source of your power and strength. Do not be afraid to recount your personal experiences of all that God has done for you. He is your hope and strength.
• “Yet with gentleness and reverence.” Show patience, respect, and love as you talk. Always look for common ground and seek to develop a relationship of trust and confidence that God can use to bring that person to Himself. (From James P Eckman, The Truth About Worldviews)
Laifong
Lee, along with her husband Nigel, were the first
two recipients of my first daily encouragement
message in October 1996. They live in the Boston
area and twenty-five years later we still stay in
contact through daily encouragement! She now serves
in mission work with Wycliffe but at the at the time
was a molecular biologist working at a
Harvard-related hospital in Boston. Years ago she
shared a story of "always being ready": "I
have a story to share with you about the
unexpected ways in which God works: Yesterday
afternoon, I was doing a routine molecular biology
procedure called ‘running a gel’ to visualize some
DNA. I had done it countless times in the
past but for the first time, I forgot to add a
chemical which was required for the DNA to be
seen. That led me to seek the advice of Scott, a
graduate student in my lab, and in the course of
‘salvaging’ my experiment, we ended up having a
long discussion on morality. It was an
opportunity for me to get to know his views
better, and I even voiced my belief that there can
be no morality apart from God, and that the
inherent conscience that human beings have (for
something like murder) is due to the fact that we
were created by God and so reflect some of His
image. I’d been praying that God will give
me more of a burden to pray for my colleagues and
what happened yesterday is one way He has
answered. I was thinking and praying for
Scott on my way home from work. It was good
to be reminded that although my work is secular
work, God can use it for spiritual purposes.
Many years ago there was a radio program in Kansas City with George Westlake, a local pastor who had a Call-In radio show on Sunday evenings. Listeners could ask questions about the Bible and he would do his best to answer them. I suppose this was before the quick access you now have by using a computer. Yet Pastor Westlake had a deep knowledge of God’s Word and was ready to give an answer based upon Scripture.
Today's
Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
"In
Christ Alone" Video Shane and
Shane This was the concluding song in our
meeting last night.
"Living
Hope" Video Laudate
Mennonite Ensemble We sing this in our
church and it is often sung in a rather
contemporary style with lots of instrumentation
but in this version the vocals are dominant!
Listen and watch them sing out and praise the
Lord out in a farm field! Here's a Phil Wickam
(the composer) version. Video
Friends
who joined me at the banquet all of whom have
had an influence on my life in one way or
another, just a small portion of my lifetime
of influencers!
In our circles we rarely see a
clerical collar so I commented when I saw
this man, Shawn Riley last night (along with
wife and son). He is a Reformed Episcopalian
and is a dean at their seminary near
Philadelphia. He told me it's the oldest
seminary in America still holding to a
faithful Bible witness, pointing out how
Harvard, Yale and many other seminaries have
long abandoned their original mission of
teaching Bible truth.
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)
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.
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".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 2021 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