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&
Brooksyne Weber
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Tuesday, September
19, 2023
Some
of our ABF
class on a
bike ride this
last Saturday.
I asked Ed, a
builder in the
group, if he
saw much
promise for
renovation. As
we peered
inside we
could still
see a
stairwell
standing on
the right side
of the two
story house
but no one
wanted to see
if it would
support their
weight should
they climb the
steps!
Click on photo to enlarge
"Our
Temporary House"
Message
summary:
One day we
will be
transported to
our eternal
home and have
a new body;
one that won’t
grow stiff,
break down or
slow down due
to the aging
process
commonly
experienced on
this side of
heaven!
Listen
to our message
on your audio
player.
"We
know that when
the tent which
houses us here
on earth is
torn down, we
have a
permanent
building from
God, a
building not
made by human
hands, to
house us in
heaven" (2
Corinthians
5:1).
Yesterday
morning as we
were
completing our
message we
heard a loud
noise as if
something fell
off a truck
and it sure
got our notice
and the dogs
as well.
Initially we
thought it was
close by so
Brooksyne
walked through
the house and
I walked
around
outside. We
didn't find
anything amiss
so went about
our work.
Shortly
afterward we
heard a lot of
sirens, but at
the time we
made no
association
with the
noise.
Later
we learned
that a house
exploded west
of us and that
was the source
of the noise.
The video
(link below)
shows complete
devastation. Tragically
a 68 year old
man was killed
in the
explosion.
Just the day
before he and
his wife were
at the shore
with their
family
celebrating
the wife's
birthday.
Unexpected
events like
this
underscore the
uncertainties
of life.
Last
Saturday our
ABF class took
a bike ride
through
Swatara State
Park, which is
one of our
favorite bike
trails. (We
shared several
photos
yesterday).
There are two
parallel
trails on each
side of
Swatara Creek
or
as locals call
it, "the
Swattie";
one, a rail
trail and the
other a gravel
road closed to
vehicles
called the
Bear Hole
Trail, which
is where I
fell last year
and tore my
rotator cuff.
On our ride
Saturday there
were no
serious
problems
though one
fell due to
loose gravel
but was not
hurt badly.
Brooksyne
spoke to her
in choir on
Sunday and
learned that
she sore from
the fall but
not injured
for which we
are thankful.
Stephen's
note: At
one point
Brooksyne
began talking
with a bike
rider who was
pulling two of
his dogs in a
cart. Our
group was
ahead of her
and when we
made a turn
she didn't
notice which
trail we took.
At the
junction she
turned on
"Moonshine
Trail" (actual
name) which
was not the
way to go!
Thankfully she
got back on
the right
trail after
about 20
panicky
minutes.
Swatara
trail leads to
rustic Bordner
cabin, which
was built by
hand in 1939
by a local
high school
shop teacher,
Armar Bordner,
and some of
his students.
Our group
enjoyed
walking
through the
cabin and
seeing rooms
where once
Armar lived
along with his
wife and
daughter.
Along
the way I
asked the
group to pose
in front of a
dilapidated
house we pass
each time we
ride on the
Swatara Rail
Trail. (See
our lead
photo.) It's
right along PA
Rt 443 and
through the
years I have
taken a photo
about every
time we pass
it. It is
slowly
decaying,
demonstrating
the law of
entropy or 2nd
law of
thermodynamics.
That is "as
one goes
forward in
time, the net
entropy
(degree of
disorder) of
any isolated
or closed
system will
always
increase."
Today
let's consider
another house
that shows
evidence of
increasing
entropy and
will
eventually be
"torn down",
our mortal
body. David
wrote
concerning age
progression, "I
have been
young, and now
am old"
(Psalm 37:25).
Novelist
Joseph Conrad
described the
temporariness
of youth as:
“The feeling
that will
never come
back any more
–the feeling
that I thought
could last
forever,
outlast the
sea, the
earth, and all
men; the
deceitful
feeling that
lures us on to
joys, to
perils, to
love, to vain
effort –to
death; the
triumphant
conviction of
strength, the
heat of life
in the handful
of dust, the
glow in the
heart that
with every
year grows
dim, grows
cold, grows
small, and
expires –and
expires, too
soon, too soon
–before life
itself.”
Youth
is temporary,
but so is
infancy,
childhood,
middle age and
old age. The
Apostle Paul
is speaking of
our temporary
situation in
the daily
text: “For
we know that
if our earthly
tent which is
our house is
torn down, we
have a
building from
God, a house
not made by
hands, eternal
in the
heavens”.
That’s
a good verse
to hide deep
in our hearts.
Elsewhere we
read: “For
here we
do not have an
enduring city,
but we are
looking for
the city that
is to come”
(Hebrews
13:14). The
Apostle James
describes this
temporary
situation
quite
graphically: “What
is your life?
You are a mist
that appears
for a little
while and then
vanishes”
(James 4:14).
When Paul wrote, “For we know that if our earthly tent which is our house is torn down” he was underscoring the decay and temporal state of our present life. One day this old house will be torn down, a euphemism for death. Our physical bodies are examples of increasing entropy!
When Paul wrote, “For we know that if our earthly tent which is our house is torn down” he was underscoring the decay and temporal state of our present life. One day this old house will be torn down, a euphemism for death. Our physical bodies are examples of increasing entropy!
Billy
Graham put it
this way in
the book he
wrote at 93
years of age,
"Nearing
Home: Life,
Faith, and
Finishing
Well":
"I
never thought
I would live
to be this
old. All my
life I was
taught how to
die as a
Christian, but
no one ever
taught me how
I ought to
live in the
years before I
die. I wish
they had
because I am
an old man
now, and
believe me,
it's not
easy."
He
couldn't have
known at the
time he would
live to be 99
years old and
it never got
easier, that
we can be sure
of!
When this house is torn down our future house is described as “a building from God, a house not made by hands, eternal in the heavens".
The ongoing challenge for each of us is not driving the stakes too deeply in our present “tent”. We must be purposeful in not getting too settled nor should we ceaselessly strive for comfort on this side. That’s particularly true for those of us who live in peace and relative affluence, which can be such a seducing trap.
When this house is torn down our future house is described as “a building from God, a house not made by hands, eternal in the heavens".
The ongoing challenge for each of us is not driving the stakes too deeply in our present “tent”. We must be purposeful in not getting too settled nor should we ceaselessly strive for comfort on this side. That’s particularly true for those of us who live in peace and relative affluence, which can be such a seducing trap.
One
day we will be
transported to
our eternal
home and we’ll
have a new
body; one that
won’t grow
stiff, break
down or slow
down due to
the aging
process
commonly
experienced on
this side of
heaven!
Be
encouraged
today,
(Hebrews
3:13)
Stephen
&
Brooksyne
Weber
Daily prayer:
Father, we
look forward
to the
mysterious
moment when we
who follow
Christ will be
changed in the
twinkling of
an eye, when
the trumpet
sounds from
heaven. Our
perishable
bodies will
take on the
imperishable
and we will be
forever young,
no longer
plagued by the
moans and
groans, the
tears and
breaks of this
earthly body.
Until Christ
returns or
until You call
us home, we
remain
faithful,
hopeful and
vigilant in
our spiritual
pilgrimage, no
matter the
condition of
this flesh and
blood body. In
Jesus’ name we
pray. Amen.
Today's
Suggested
Music and
Supplemental
Resources
"This
Ole House/When
the Saints Go
Marching In"
Watch
video on
YouTube
Ernie Haase
and Signature
Sound One of
Brooksyne's
dad's favorite
songs that he
played on the
record player
over and over
when she was
growing up:
"This Ole'
House" written
by Stuart
Hamblen who
was on a
hunting
expedition in
the Sierras,
when he and
his fellow
hunter, actor
John Wayne,
came across a
hut in the
mountains.
Inside was the
body of a man,
and the man's
dog was still
there,
guarding the
building. This
inspired
Hamblen to
write "This
Ole House".
The song describes the last words of an old man living in an old house that has fallen into such disrepair that it is no longer structurally sound. The man tells of how the house "once knew his children" and "once knew his wife," but that he was not going to need it any longer nor did he have time to repair the house's numerous flaws because he is dying and going to heaven very soon ("ready to meet the saints"). [Wikipedia]
"I'll Have a New Life" Watch video on YouTube Gold City (dedicated to Tina Matangelo, who enjoys this group)
The song describes the last words of an old man living in an old house that has fallen into such disrepair that it is no longer structurally sound. The man tells of how the house "once knew his children" and "once knew his wife," but that he was not going to need it any longer nor did he have time to repair the house's numerous flaws because he is dying and going to heaven very soon ("ready to meet the saints"). [Wikipedia]
"I'll Have a New Life" Watch video on YouTube Gold City (dedicated to Tina Matangelo, who enjoys this group)
Scripture
sign in Big
Valley
We
passed through
a very remote
area known as
the Big Valley
last week on
the way home
from
Pittsburgh.
There are a
series of
signs on the
main road
through the
valley with
various
Scriptures.
Brooksyne
joined us as
we drove
across the
County to take
Moses home to
the Old
Windmill Farm
last Thursday
and we took
along Rosie.
She wasn't too
sure about
meeting a
horse face to
face!
It
was chore time
so little
Stephen gave
me a bottle to
feed a baby
goat.
Stephen,
who turns 6
tomorrow, just
couldn't get
enough "catch"
before it got
dark. It
brought back
memories of my
friend David
and me playing
catch till it
was too dark
to play back
in the 60's in
Belton, MO
where I lived
in my
childhood.
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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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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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