Daily Encouragement Net
The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation.

Join our email list!
About Us     ListenListen to these messages    Archives


Mobile users: Visit Daily Encouragement on your mobile browser, hit "Add to home screen" or "Add page shortcut." This creates an instant Daily Encouragement App!

Donate to Daily Encouragement Net

Search Daily Encouragement
A new message is updated most weekdays usually by Noon Eastern Time (USA).
(Click refresh or reload for current message)

<Previous message                  Next message

Tuesday, February 22, 2022

Sunset over Chickies Creek
Sunset over Chiques Creek where it flows into the Susquehanna River.
Click on photo to enlarge

"Flee and Pursue"

Message summary: We all need to flee from sin and pursue godliness through Christ.
 
Listen to audio message
Listen to this message on your audio player.


"Flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart" (2 Timothy 2:22).

As I noted the date for today I noticed the rather unique numeric sequence 2/22/22 which some are referring to this day as Happy Twosday.  In fact you probably weren't awake for this but early this morning there was a precise second that was 2:22:22 on 2/22/22. The same numbers in a sequence occurs quite rarely but not as rarely as the last time all six were used for one day on December 12, 2012 (12/12/12). However a thousand years ago there was a 12/12/1212 but that probably didn't get much attention on social media.

Based on this date I am using a rather unconventional way of determining the text, a place in the Bible (among several) that is a Chapter 2 verse 22 (2:22).

I chose 2 Timothy 2:22, a word to Timothy and through Scripture to all of us, "So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart".

This Twosday let us consider two vital disciplines in the life of a faithful follower of Christ, the call to flee and the call to pursue.

Tomorrow morning I will be having breakfast with Tom, a pastor whose testimony background includes alcohol, drugs, and partying. He walked into a church with his girlfriend and got saved. His life was changed forever by the power of God. In fact they both accepted Christ at that time and got married on the following Valentine’s Day. He went on to study for ministry (at the same Bible College Brooksyne and I attended) and is now pastor of a local church in our area. In fact I just met him this last Sunday when we went to the church he pastors to see Brooksyne's missionary cousin we shared about yesterday.

What a joy to see a changed life and serious response to God's call!

Today's verse was originally directed to Timothy. His age is not known but Paul writes, "Flee youthful passions". Actually that's a good word for all, regardless of age. There are people who are far from young who still need to heed this word. In fact all of us do!

"Flee" means to move quickly from a point or area in order to avoid presumed danger or difficulty. To run away. To seek safety by flight. To run or move hastily from danger.

We will all have tests in life in which we must flee. Those times when we are faced with the crossroads of obedience or disobedience. Joseph (OT) was a man who victoriously passed the flee test while Samson woefully failed with Delilah as did David in regard to the bathing beauty, Bathsheba.

We are to flee youthful passions and "pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace". "Pursue" means to follow or press hard after, with earnestness and diligence in order to obtain. It is in the present imperative which is a command calling for this action to be our way of life, to be continual, to be our habitual practice.

"Along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart."  This sure speaks to the need to be in fellowship with one another. Not only must we flee ungodly companions, we also must find godly companions. The servant of the Lord must find some "iron sharpening iron" relationships (Proverbs 27:17) if his or her life is to maintain a cutting edge for the kingdom. This means that we ought to be very careful whom we choose as our most intimate friends.

Our pastor made a point concerning this in his message this last Sunday: "The company you keep and the content you consume have more impact on our life than almost anything else."

We all need to flee from sin and pursue godliness through Christ.


Be encouraged today, (Hebrews 3:13)


Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Praying manDaily prayer: Father, I ask you to help me to be serious about fleeing from worldly passions and dealing with everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles me. Help me not to play around with these matters that hold me captive and bring destruction. Put to death any desire or behavior which resurrects my earthly nature. Help me to be serious in pursuing that which pleases You. I want to be separated from that which is evil and wholly consecrated to You. It is in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.



Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources

"I Got Saved"  Video  Selah

"Take My Life and Let It Be"  Video  Generations Gospel Choir



We got out yesterday for our first bike ride of the year together on the Susquehanna River trail from Riverfront Park above Marietta to the Rt 30 bridge in Columbia, a 12 mile round trip. It was 60 degrees but still a bit chilly for Brooksyne. She got an opportunity to try out her new bike.

Chickies Rock
Riding alongside Chiques Rock a large rock bluff with the Susquehanna River to our right.
Click on photo to enlarge

Railroad tunnel
The rail trail includes a long abandoned tunnel which was rather chilly, a bit icy, wet and dark!
Click on photo to enlarge

Susquehanna River sunset
Sunset over the Susquehanna River.
We finished our ride just before sunset and the temps were rapidly dropping! When we got home Brooksyne heated up some chicken soup and took her place right next to our coal stove to warm up.
Click on photo to enlarge

Contact Us

Winter photo
About Us

"We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!"

 
Personal Ministry Update

Sign up to receive our free

Daily Encouragement email!

(each weekday)

We respect your email privacy


To receive the "Daily Encouragement" each Monday-Friday use our sign-up form or this page to subscribe to our free email list. You can also subscribe to the Wordpress rss feed or through a Wordpress email subscription. (See the email subscription on the top right side after opening this page.)



Daily Encouragement on:
Daily Encouragement on LinkedInWordpress


Daily Encouragement on iHeart radio iHeart radio



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.



Donate to Daily Encouragement Net
We want to thank all who financially support our ministry. We realize there are many fine ministries and causes requesting support but if you would like to make a donation to our ministry see here for more information.

To donate directly online click here. This will open to a page that designates the offering to: STEPHEN & BROOKSYNE WEBER - 700001-237376 SERVING IN SPECIALIZED CHAPLAINCY

Make A DonationPlease Note: If you desire you can donate directly through PayPal using this link. This will open to a page that states "Brooksyne Weber".  We keep this option available due to the familiarity, convenience, international supporters, and for those who may not need an official receipt. You can also set up for recurring donations. You can also use PayPal on this link. 

Thank you,

Stephen & Brooksyne

2022 YTD offerings to Daily Encouragement Net: $1,645.00



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 2022 Stephen C. & Brooksyne Weber - All Rights Reserved
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552  USA


dailyencouragement.net

Contact Us

"Living securely today anchored in God's solid foundation"