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(Click refresh or reload for current message) Wednesday, March
1, 2023
"Blow
The Trumpet!"
Message
summary: Thank
God for the
remnant of
those who defy
the mindset of
the world and
fully embrace
the heart,
mind and soul
of God’s
truths and
thereby follow
His commands.
I trust that
you are among
the godly
remnant today!
Brooksyne and
I both renew
our commitment
to being in
the remnant
today.
Listen
to our message
on your audio
player.
“Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. It is close at hand” (Joel 2:1). “If the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?” (1 Corinthians 14:8). ![]() I
(Stephen) grew
up in Belton
Missouri, a
little town
(at the time)
outside of
Kansas City. The
tornado
warning consisted
of the police
riding through
town with
their sirens
blaring. The
safest thing
to do was to
get into your
basement and
huddle
together in
the southwest
corner till
the tornado
danger passed.
I’m not sure
just how they
informed that
“all is safe”
to those
seeking
protection!
Perhaps the
clear sky was
our sign.
Brooksyne’s
family, who
lived out in
the country,
would only
hear of the
warnings on
the news in
Tulsa.
Oklahoma is
well-known for
its killer
tornadoes (AKA
tornado
alley), yet
there was
really no safe
place to seek
shelter since
her house
didn't have a
basement
(oddly houses
with basements
in that state
are very
rare). After
Brooksyne left
home a tornado
did destroy
her parent’s
garage but
didn’t damage
the house or
injure any
family
members.
We deal with a lot of alarms in life. Some are intended to wake us up, some are annoying, and some we essentially ignore. But others, such as a tornado warning, are very important. Today let us consider spiritual alarms and a blowing of a trumpet we ignore to our eternal peril. Yesterday’s message dealt with the snooze feature found on many modern alarm clocks and phones. We addressed the need to “Wake Up”. That
study prompted
a
consideration
of today’s
first text and
the need to
“Sound The
Alarm”, in
part due to a
song based on
that text
titled, “Blow
The Trumpet In
Zion”.
“Blow
the trumpet in
Zion; sound
the alarm on
my holy hill."
Commentator Matthew
Henry comments
regarding this
passage: “The
priests were
to alarm the
people with
the near
approach of
the Divine
Judgments. It
is the work of
ministers to
warn of the
fatal
consequences
of sin, and to
reveal the
wrath from
heaven against
the
ungodliness
and
unrighteousness
of men.”
We
need to pray
for those in
our day who
blow the
trumpet and
sound the
alarm. It is
our way of
doing so in
sharing this
message with
you. We pray
that you are
sounding the
alarm as well!
These are types of alarms that many people would rather not hear, preferring instead to hear the "feel good", but misleading message that everything is OK. Yet the Bible and history teaches otherwise. God always judges sin according to His timetable (see Genesis 15:16, 2 Peter 3). ![]() Today
we need true
men and women
of God to
boldly blow
the trumpet
and sound the
alarm, to tell
the truth. We
need godly
discernment to
distinguish
between the
Zedekiahs and
Micaiahs of
our time (the
false prophet
Zedekiah who
falsely
prophesied
that which
would please
the king) and
Micaiah (the
true prophet
who prophesied
“whatever
the Lord says
to me”).
These two
prophets had
opposing
messages (see
1 Kings
22).
It's the same
today with
many
"religious"
voices.
This message is on my heart due to the hastening of the downward spiral of rebellion against God and His ways. (Note: We realize this is a theme we often use but believe it’s a theme we frequently need to be reminded of as well!) As the ancient boundary stones of historic Biblical morality are being abandoned, people are doing what is right in their own eyes or as man-made law dictates, more so than any other period in modern history. The Palmist wrote concerning the demolition of the foundations in Psalm 11, “If the foundations are destroyed...” When we set out to demolish we need to consider the consequences of such demolition. This is especially true in the spiritual realm. G.K. Chesterton once said, "Don’t ever take a fence down until you know the reason it was put up." There’s a lot of witless fence removal and demolition taking place these days. And it seems most never take the time to consider why the fence was put up in the first place! This societal demolition work is taking place without any regard for the short or long-term consequences. A blindness has covered the eyes of many and indifference has hardened their hearts. A powerful phrase from Hosea comes to mind, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). ![]() “The
notion that
ideas don’t
have
consequences
is utterly
foolish and we
are moving
into a world
where we are
soon going to
reap in a far
greater scale
some of the
consequences
of these
maligned
ideas.”
He goes on to state concerning his view of our current cultural condition,
“We’re in an
Augustinian
moment.
Augustine had
the privilege
and task of
living in a
pivotal
moment: After
800 years of
Roman
dominance, he
lived through
the siege of
Carthage and
the siege of
Rome. After
800 years, a
fall beyond
belief. The
world as
they’d known
it—gone. He
laid down the
vision of the
church’s
response that
was the bridge
that led
through the
Dark Ages and
eventually to
Christendom.
We’ve had 500
years of
Western
dominance, now
at its sunset.
I’m reading
now about
people who
lived at an
age when the
world they
knew had gone.
Daniel—after
centuries in
the Promised
Land living as
the chosen
people,
Israelites are
in a pagan
empire with
Jerusalem
destroyed.
Daniel serves
God even in
that pagan
empire. We’ve
got to engage
with
faithfulness
at the very
heart of
power, still.”
Thank God for the remnant of those who defy the mindset of the world and fully embrace the heart, mind and soul of God’s truths and thereby follow His commands. I trust that you are among the godly remnant today! Brooksyne and I both renew our commitment to being in the remnant today. Be
encouraged
today, (Hebrews
3:13)
Stephen
and Brooksyne
Weber
![]() Today's
Suggested
Music and Supplemental
Resources
"Blow
The Trumpet In
Zion"
Click
to listen on
YouTube
Gaither
Vocal Band,
Ernie Haase
&
Signature
Sound
"Asleep
In The Light"
Click
to listen on
YouTube
Keith Green
Regarding
yesterday's
message on
"Wake Up,
Sleeper":
Nick,
a local friend
had this
comment
regarding
snoozing:
I
could really
relate to the
temptation to
physically
"snooze."
Early in my
military life
I developed
the principle
that
"snoozing"
doesn't work
and have
continued to
this day to
honor the fact
that when the
alarm goes off
my feet hit
the floor. No
point in
trying to
pretend that
"just a few
more minutes"
would truly
make any
difference.
Your
encouragement
today has
prompted me to
apply now this
same principle
spiritually. I
need to stop
spiritually
snoozing and
continue to be
blessed with
God's abundant
and endless
Grace.
![]() "It
occurs to me
that the word
"woke" also
refers to a
kind of
awakening, but
it is a very
different kind
of awakening
than the
spiritual
awakening that
you described.
"Woke"
ideology
presents a
contrasting
understanding
of what people
are asleep to
and unaware of
(racial
injustice vs.
the reality of
sin), why they
are asleep
(systemic
inequities vs.
the world, the
flesh, and the
devil), and
how to address
the problem
("woke"
policies
promoting DEI
[diversion,
equity and
inclusion] vs.
living in the
Spirit). It
really goes to
show the
importance of
the words we
use!"
(This
note was
especially
encouraging
since Nigel
and his wife
Laifong were
the very first
recipients of
a daily
encouragement
message in
1996 and have
remained on
the list ever
since,
receiving some
6,760
messages.
Nigel has an
interesting
association
for students
in Christian
literature.
His
grandmother's
sister was
married to Watchman
Nee.)
![]() On
our chaplain
visit
yesterday
Stephen and I
stopped in
Audrey's
office and
greeted her
(L) along with
Janice (R) who
is her office
manager. I
took this
photo
capturing the
beautiful
amaryllis that
Audrey planted
at Christmas
time, and
surprisingly
it only
bloomed
recently.
There are two
blooms (one
hidden) and
there is yet
another bud
waiting to
open. You
might say the
ladies
photo-bombed
the beautiful
flower!
![]() After
our chaplain
visit
yesterday we
ate breakfast
at the Railroad
Diner in
Richland, PA,
one of our
favorite
eating spots,
since the food
is excellent,
the service is
amazing and it
sits right
next to the
railroad
tracks where
we watch
trains go by
as we eat.
It's also a
slice of
Americana.
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We want to thank all who financially support our ministry this past year (and some for many years!). We realize there are many fine ministries and causes requesting support at this time but if you would like information about making a donation to our ministry see here. In considering support we are so pleased when we hear from you, our readers, that our messages are a source of teaching and encouragement to you. We also urge you to consider the mission aspect of these daily teachings that are freely available and read by many all over the world. ![]() ![]() Thank
you,
Stephen
&
Brooksyne
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