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online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen
&
Brooksyne Weber
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Friday,
February 24, 2023
"Wise,
Discerning and
Walking
In
Righteousness"
Message
summary: All
this week we
are
considering
gems from the
book of Hosea
who prophesied
to the
northern
kingdom just
prior to its
destruction by
the Assyrians
about 2,700
years ago.
Today we
examine the
final verse
and pray for
each reader
and also for
ourselves, the
messengers,
that we will
be Biblically
wise, full of
discernment
and
understanding
so that we
will walk
righteously in
the ways of
the Lord.
Listen
to our message
on your audio
player.
"Who
is wise? Let
them realize
these things.
Who is
discerning?
Let them
understand.
The ways of
the Lord are
right; the
righteous walk
in them, but
the rebellious
stumble in
them" (Hosea
14:9).
Last
words are
often very
significant
and can be a
blessing from
those who have
lived by faith
in Christ.
- Reformer
John Knox
uttered these
piercing words
and then died,
"Live in
Christ, die in
Christ, and
the flesh need
not fear
death."
- Charles
Wesley, the
famous
hymn-writer
victoriously
proclaimed, “I
shall be
satisfied with
Thy likeness.
Satisfied!”
- Bible
commentator
Matthew Henry
said, "You
have been used
to take notice
of the sayings
of dying men.
This is mine:
that a life
spent in the
service of
God, and
communion with
Him, is the
most
comfortable
and pleasant
life that
anyone can
live in this
world."
But
not all live
by faith in
Christ. Thomas
Paine,
English-American
writer and
political
pamphleteer,
has these
final words
attributed to
him— "I would
give worlds,
if I had them,
if The Age of
Reason* had
never been
published. O
Lord, help me!
Christ, help
me! Stay with
me! It is hell
to be left
alone!"
Today
let us
consider the
powerful last
words of Hosea
(written in
the Biblical
book bearing
his name).
This is an
epilogue or
conclusion to
his book,
extracting the
general moral
lesson which
underlies it
all. The tone
and language
of it remind
us of the Book
of Proverbs.
"Who
is wise? Let
them realize
these things."
What are "these
things"?
Commentator
Adam Clarke
wrote,
"Those
which relate
to the
backslidings,
iniquity, and
punishment of
Israel; and to
the mercy and
kindness of
God in their
promised
restoration.
The things
which belong
to the work of
sin in the
heart; the
things which
belong to the
work of grace
in the soul;
and
particularly
the things
mentioned in
this wonderful
chapter."
Bible
teacher David
Guzik writes,
"The
wise man will
see the
message
throughout the
Book of Hosea.
He will
understand
that in His
mercy, God
offers a
wonderful
opportunity
for repentance
and
restoration,
and it is
dangerous and
foolish to
neglect that
invitation."
"Who is discerning? Let them understand." Discernment is the ability to properly discriminate or make determinations. It is related to wisdom. Being a discerning person is vitally important in light of all the deceptions we face in life, especially in the spiritual realm. Psalm 92:6 bluntly states, "Senseless people do not know, fools do not understand".
"The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them." This is a timeless truism. The term ‘the righteous’ occurs nowhere else in Hosea. Even in the midst of promised judgment, the wise and understanding man sees that the ways of the LORD are right, and that every announcement of judgment is an invitation to repentance. That is still true today!
"But
the rebellious
stumble in
them."
They did so
during Hosea's
time and they
still do
today. The
apostle Paul
wrote, "But
a natural
person does
not accept the
things of the
Spirit of God,
for they are
foolishness to
him; and he
cannot
understand
them, because
they are
spiritually
discerned"
(1
Corinthians
2:14).
Today
we pray for
each reader
and also for
ourselves, the
messengers,
that we will
be Biblically
wise, full of
discernment
and
understanding
so that we
will walk
righteously in
the ways of
the Lord.
Be
encouraged
today, (Hebrews
3:13)
Stephen
and Brooksyne
Weber
Daily
prayer:
Father,
we thank You
for the gift
of
discernment, a
kind of wisdom
that comes
with spiritual
insight, at
times from
learned
experience and
sometimes
developed from
prior mistakes
or poor
choices we've
made in the
past but after
choosing to
follow You and
walk in Your
ways we've
learned the
better way.
Discernment
comes from
Your Holy
Spirit that
enables us to
determine the
true
assessment of
a situation,
person, or
opportunity.
We can be wise
in our
understanding
by having a
healthy and
respectful
fear of You,
for Your Word
says, "The
fear of the
Lord is the
beginning of
all wisdom".
Acknowledging
that You are
our Creator so
You know what
is best for us
enables us in
discerning
good from
evil, darkness
from light,
and so many
other helpful
insights all
along the way
that will help
us to have
greater
understanding
so that we
make wise
decisions.
Amen. *
The Age of
Reason and
other writings
of Thomas
Paine
advocated
Deism,
promoted
reason and
free-thought,
and argued
against
institutionalized
religions in
general and
the Christian
doctrine in
particular.
When he died
on June 8,
1809, only six
people
attended his
funeral, as he
had been
ostracized for
his ridicule
of
Christianity
and attacks on
the nation's
leaders.
Today's
Suggested
Music and Supplemental
Resources
"This
Is My Song" Video
Church on the
Move
We
shared about
this song
yesterday.
It's a modern
song but
alludes or
quotes from
older hymns.
We shared the
lyrics
yesterday and
wondered how
many songs the
songwriter
referenced.
Some readers
found more
than we did
but here's our
basic list:
In
Christ alone
my solid
ground
Amazing
grace how
sweet the
sound
On
that (old)
rugged cross
Jesus
paid it all
Because He lives
Because He lives
Peace
like a river
Love so divine (When I Survey the Wondrous Cross)
Love so divine (When I Survey the Wondrous Cross)
Blessed
assurance
Glory divine, Hallelujah, Jesus is mine (Heavenly Sunlight)
Glory divine, Hallelujah, Jesus is mine (Heavenly Sunlight)
Crossroads
class teaching
team
Yesterday
we had the
teaching and
leadership
team from our
Adult Bible
Fellowship
class (Sunday
School) over
to our house
for lunch
followed by a
meeting.
Brooksyne
instructed us
to line up for
a photo op
before she
would serve us
our lunch.
From the left:
former
missionary and
Bible College
teacher Don
Alban,
businessman
and class
leader Rick
Kirby, yours
truly,
businessman
and teacher
leader Gordy
Harrower,
former
minister of
music Ross
Weidman, and
Dennis
Shelley,
former
missionary to
Nigeria. Quite
a combination!
Yesterday
we wrote a message
about not
forgetting God
and received
this
interesting
perspective
from Ken, a
longtime
hospital and
hospice
chaplain, who
lives in
Kansas:
"As
I read DE
today, I am
reminded and
did pause to
consider
several times
in which I
have dealt
with patients
in the
hospital or in
hospice care
who experience
Alzheimer's
disease or
Dementia.
While
acknowledging
that there are
those times we
forget our
relationship
with God, I
always find it
interesting to
note that
those with
memory
impaired
conditions
are, a lot of
times, those
who will be
able to recite
with me and
their family
dozens of
Bible verses,
The Lord's
Prayer, The
Shepherd's
Psalm, and
sing hymns
that they had
learned
decades
previously.
Invariably I
also have
noticed that
when they are
able to do
this they are
able to smile
while reciting
or singing.
My
ponderings on
this dynamic
are few but
include:
1.
It seems that
the Lord has
implanted a
way for us to
remain in
relationship
with Him even
as our minds
begin to fade.
2. Isn't it a marvelous Work of grace for these memories to be able to be accessed in the midst of disease and provide comfort to those in need.
3. One has to wonder, why we are unwilling to work at remembering these important elements of our walk with God and the gifts of which we are the recipients.
2. Isn't it a marvelous Work of grace for these memories to be able to be accessed in the midst of disease and provide comfort to those in need.
3. One has to wonder, why we are unwilling to work at remembering these important elements of our walk with God and the gifts of which we are the recipients.
We have need to be more intentional about learning the written Word of God which leads us to actively experience the Living Word of God - The Lord Jesus Christ."
"Jesus
Revolution"
- I'm taking
Brooksyne out
this evening
to see "Jesus
Revolution", a
movie based on
the true story
of the Jesus
People who
entered into
the church
setting,
though
unwelcome by
many
congregations
in the 70's
during the
hippie era.
Here's the
trailer - Video
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Wordpress
iHeart
radioPermissions: 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.
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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