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online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen
&
Brooksyne Weber
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encouragement and exhortation.
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Tuesday, May
16, 2023
We
enjoyed the
sunsets over
the Pacific
Ocean out in
San Diego but
it sure is
good to have
our country
sunsets again.
Farmers
planted the
corn across
the road which
is always
interesting to
watch - the
sowing,
growing and
harvesting.
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
"A
Well-Worn Bible"
Message
summary: A
well-worn
Bible is a
sign of a
spiritual
well-being,
for the Living
Word gives
spiritual
life.
Listen
to our message
on your audio
player.
"For
you have been
born again,
not of
perishable
seed, but of
imperishable,
through the
living and
enduring Word
of God" (1
Peter 1:23).
After
our church
service Sunday
we stopped by
to see our
long-time
friends Jim
and Dorothy
Schmidt. We
first met them
at a
conference in
Boston nearly
25 years ago
and then over
the years
visited them
several times
at their home
near Ocean
City, New
Jersey. About
seven years
ago they moved
to Lancaster
County to live
at "Calvary
Homes", one of
our many
retirement
communities.
They
are
experiencing
the inevitable
progression of
aging with
increasing
health
problems and
so forth. At
this time they
are in
different
parts of the
facility due
to Jim needing
a greater
level of care
so Brooksyne
and Ester
visited
Dorothy while
I visited Jim.He
seemed pleased
to see me and
we chatted for
a few minutes.
He will soon
turn 89 and
told me he
would really
like to make
it to 90 but
has assurance
of his
salvation and
destination no
matter when
God calls him
home. He
showed me his
well-worn
Bible and
indicated that
it is wearing
out. I told
him a
well-worn
Bible is a
sign of
spiritual
well-being,
especially if
the reader not
only reads but
meditates,
memorizes and
applies the
Living Word to
his spiritual
life.
However
the most
well-worn
Bible I've
ever seen
belongs to
Sherry
Hoffman, who
served for
several years
as the
secretary in
the church I
pastored in
northern
Pennsylvania.
We gave it to
her before we
left that
church in 1993
and she still
has it. She
has a practice
of saving
notes,
devotional
booklets and
other
supplementary
scriptural
writings in
her Bible and
it is now 4 or
5 times
thicker than
the original
sizing. I am
amazed that
the binding
holds up!
Sherry
certainly
treasures her
Bible!Early
in my ministry
Brooksyne gave
me a Thompson
Chain
Reference
Bible that's
now nearly 40
years old.
For many years
it was both my
study Bible
and my
preaching
Bible so it is
also pretty
well-worn.
The binding is
coming apart
and the pages
are yellowed
and somewhat
tattered. However
for the last
20+ years in
chaplain work
I have not
preached as
much and I
tend to use
the Bible
online when I
study so my
paper-bound
Bibles don't
get as much
use as they
once did.
Through
the years I
have often
used the daily
verse in
regard
especially to
the term "born
again".
But today
let's consider
the phrase "living
and enduring
word of God".
Note
these two
powerful
qualities of
God's Word:
1) The Word of God is living. The writer of Hebrews uses this very phrase when he says "The word of God is living" (4:12). The living God imparts spiritual life through His living Word. It came to life to me this morning even as I pondered on these phrases. I read a story about a street evangelist who placed his hat on the ground and drew a crowd by pointing at it and shouting excitedly, "It's alive". After a group had gathered around him he lifted up his hat to reveal a Bible!
2) The Word of God is enduring. The Psalmist wrote, "All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal" (119:160). No other written work comes even remotely close to the Bible in its enduring qualities. Today we join hundreds of millions of believers around the world who will be reading it and applying its truths to their lives. And today scores of highly dedicated translators will be working in the remotest areas of the world to translate God's Word so that all might know the person of Jesus and the gospel message of salvation.
Praise God for the "living and enduring Word of God"! Continue to subject yourself to its life-giving qualities! Indeed, a well-worn Bible is a sign of spiritual well-being, for the Living Word gives spiritual life when one begins to trust the Author and receives His plan of salvation.
1) The Word of God is living. The writer of Hebrews uses this very phrase when he says "The word of God is living" (4:12). The living God imparts spiritual life through His living Word. It came to life to me this morning even as I pondered on these phrases. I read a story about a street evangelist who placed his hat on the ground and drew a crowd by pointing at it and shouting excitedly, "It's alive". After a group had gathered around him he lifted up his hat to reveal a Bible!
2) The Word of God is enduring. The Psalmist wrote, "All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal" (119:160). No other written work comes even remotely close to the Bible in its enduring qualities. Today we join hundreds of millions of believers around the world who will be reading it and applying its truths to their lives. And today scores of highly dedicated translators will be working in the remotest areas of the world to translate God's Word so that all might know the person of Jesus and the gospel message of salvation.
Praise God for the "living and enduring Word of God"! Continue to subject yourself to its life-giving qualities! Indeed, a well-worn Bible is a sign of spiritual well-being, for the Living Word gives spiritual life when one begins to trust the Author and receives His plan of salvation.
Be
encouraged
today, (Hebrews
3:13)
Daily
prayer: Father,
we are
grateful for
the prophets
through whom
You spoke Your
unchanging
Word.
Each from age
to age
proclaimed
You, the one,
righteous
Lord. In
this world of
despair and
turmoil, You
are the one
firm anchor
holding us
fast.
You are King,
Your throne is
eternal; You
are the First
and You are
the
Last.
You spoke
through Christ
Jesus, Your
everlasting
Son, Light of
Light, to
earth He
descended,
Christ as God
in human form.
God, You
continue to
speak by Your
Spirit in Your
ageless Holy
Word
expounding
Your own
message, now
as then.
Though all
hell should
endeavor to
shake this
firm
foundation we
have built
through Your
Holy Word, we
will never
forsake it,
for the
darkened veil
will soon be
lifted and we
will see You
face to face
in the
fullness of
Your glory.
Praise be to
God! Amen.Today's
Suggested Music and Supplemental
Resources
This
last Saturday
afternoon we
went over to
the Country
View
Greenhouse, a
large
Amish-owned
business for
our flowers
that Brooksyne
enjoys
planting each
year. We are
scaling back a
bit as we age
but it's still
something she
still very
much enjoys
and this year
we have been
working
together more
than usual.
She does the
planting and I
do the digging
so we both get
dirty
together!
Country View Greenhouse is located here on Google Map
At
the greenhouse
we saw this is
a sign we are
accustomed to
in our area.
The Plain
people treat
these days as
special and
close their
businesses
which we
certainly do
respect.
Even
spell-check
wouldn't have
necessarily
helped here
but I'm pretty
sure what they
mean is this
plant is good
to keep ants
away. Perhaps,
but extremely
unlikely, they
had seen this
commercial (Video)
Lamar
Dourte took
this photo and
we feature it
today since it
actually looks
like a drawing
or painting
rather than a
photo. Seeing
the mules in
the foreground
indicates that
this is an
Amish farm.
Many farmers
do not put
their cattle
out to pasture
so we take
special notice
when we see
cows or steer
grazing in the
pastureland.
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WEBER -
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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.
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)
If
you desire you
can also
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,
for
international
supporters,
and for those
who may not
need an
official
receipt. You
can also set
up for
recurring
donations.
Thank
you,
Stephen
&
Brooksyne
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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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