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Bible teaching
ministry of
Stephen &
Brooksyne
Weber
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Friday,
January 26, 2024
This
spacious farm
is located on
Herr Road near
Sight and
Sound Theater.
With the white
structures,
snow covered
roofs and sun
shining on the
snow covered
ground we
needed
sunglasses to
focus on this
extremely
bright farm.
Note" This
photo was not
taken today
since temps
have been
rising with a
forecast high
today of 65
degrees!
(Click on photo to enlarge)
(Click on photo to enlarge)
"Another
In The Fire"
Message
summary: The
fourth man in
the fire is a
reminder of
the truth that
God is with us
always. "For
He has said,
'I will never
leave you nor
forsake you.'
So we can
confidently
say, 'The Lord
is my helper;
I will not
fear; what can
man do to
me?'”
(Hebrews
13:5,6).
Listen
to our message
on your audio
player.
"Then
King
Nebuchadnezzar
was astonished
and rose up in
haste. He
declared to
his
counselors,
'Did we not
cast three men
bound into the
fire?' They
answered and
said to the
king, 'True, O
king.' He
answered and
said, 'But I
see four men
unbound,
walking in the
midst of the
fire, and they
are not hurt;
and the
appearance of
the fourth is
like a son of
the gods'”
(Daniel 3:24,25).
They
passed the
test,
remaining
faithful to
God, but were
thrown into
the fiery
furnace. They
had confidence
God could
deliver them,
assurance that
he would, and
overcoming
faith that if
He didn't they
would still be
ultimately
delivered.
They weren't
prevented from
being thrown
into the fiery
furnace but
were delivered
from any harm
by the fire's
impact.
This
understandably
surprised the
king who "was
astonished and
rose up in
haste".
After all, the
fire was so
intense that
the men who
threw
Shadrach,
Meshach, and
Abednego into
the fire were
killed in the
process.
"He
declared to
his
counselors,
'Did we not
cast three men
bound into the
fire?' They
answered and
said to the
king, 'True, O
king.'"
What
the king saw
should be so
encouraging to
us. "He
answered and
said, 'But I
see four men
unbound,
walking in the
midst of the
fire, and they
are not hurt;
and the
appearance of
the fourth is
like a son of
the gods'”.
The
Septuagint and
various Greek
OT versions
are
interesting in
that they add
the king
"heard them
singing
praises". If
this singing
in the furnace
did in fact
transpire, it
reminds us of
Paul and Silas
singing in the
midst of the
Philippian
jail (Acts
16:25). How do
you do at
singing
praises in the
midst of a
trial?
God's
encouragement
to Israel
through Isaiah
and perhaps a
promise that
the three
Hebrew lads
were aware of
(since Isaiah
prophesied
from 740-680BC
and the events
of chapter 3
most likely
take place
between
605-586BC). "But
now, thus says
the LORD, your
Creator, O
Jacob, And He
who formed
you, O Israel,
'Do not fear,
for I have
redeemed you;
I have called
you by name;
you are Mine!
When you pass
through the
waters, I will
be with you;
and through
the rivers,
they will not
overflow you.
When you walk
through the
fire, you will
not be
scorched, nor
will the flame
burn you'"
(Isaiah
43:1,2).
While
not everyone
agrees, most
conservative
commentators
interpret the
fourth figure
in the fire as
more than a
created
angelic
messenger, and
that this was
a
Christophany,
a visual
manifestation
of the Creator
Himself.
Warren Wiersbe
takes such a
stance writing
that, "the
fourth person
in the furnace
was Jesus
Christ in one
of His
preincarnate
appearances in
the Old
Testament."
The
fourth man in
the fire is a
reminder of
the truth that
God is with us
always. "For
He has said,
'I will never
leave you nor
forsake you.'
So we can
confidently
say, 'The Lord
is my helper;
I will not
fear; what can
man do to
me?'”
(Hebrews
13:5,6).
A
song that
expresses this
that was sung
in our church
this last
Sunday (link
below):
There
was another in
the fire
Standing next to me
There was another in the waters
Holding back the seas
And should I ever need reminding
Of how I’ve been set free
There is a cross that bears the burden
Where another died for me
Standing next to me
There was another in the waters
Holding back the seas
And should I ever need reminding
Of how I’ve been set free
There is a cross that bears the burden
Where another died for me
Be
encouraged
today,
Hebrews
3:13
Stephen
&
Brooksyne
Weber
Daily prayer:
Father,
there is great
assurance in
Christ's
promise that
He will never
leave us nor
forsake us,
that you are
with us in the
fiery trials
of life. You
work in
mysterious and
miraculous
ways, Your
wonders to
perform,
according to
the plans You
have for our
lives. Help us
to remember
You are there,
You are in
control, and
nothing will
happen to us
apart from
Your plan for
our good and
for Your
glory. In that
truth we can
find rest for
our souls and
faith in Your
overall good
plan for our
lives. Amen.
Yesterday
we received an
interesting
note from a
longtime
friend after
posting a photo
of a large
Sycamore tree
here in
Lancaster
County. Joe
Sherer is
currently the
pastor of the
Willow Street
Mennonite
church but for
many years
he pastored
here in Mount
Joy where we
met. In fact I
spoke at that
church over
twenty years
ago when he
was on a
Sabbatical.He
wrote, "The
sycamore tree
pictured today
stands on what
was my
grandparent's
farm where my
mother grew
up. My parents
were married
beneath this
tree in 1948.
It was the
largest
sycamore tree
east of the
Mississippi
River, and
people came
from other
states just to
see it. At
chest-height
it was 27 feet
in
circumference,
and had
horizontal
branches
bigger than
any trees
around. Later
my uncle and
aunt owned the
farm and I
played there
as a boy.
Jeremiah says
the one who
trusts in the
Lord will be
like a tree
planted by the
water that
thrives and
grows and
never fails to
bear fruit."
The
photo of Joe
with his wife
Mary Lou is
from last fall
when we
visited with
them after our
church
service. Joe
has also
provided some
content on the
Daily
Encouragement
site through
the years such
as Marks
Of People With
Integrity.
Today's
Suggested
Music and
Supplemental
Resources
"Another
in the Fire"
Watch
on YouTube
BrentwoodBenson
"Good
Plans"
Watch
on YouTube
Red
Rocks Worship
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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.
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Weber
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Mount
Joy, PA 17552
To
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(This will
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Stephen and
Brooksyne
Weber -
700001-237376
serving in
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Encouragement
is our
endorsed
special
chaplaincy
ministry).Thank
you,
Stephen & Brooksyne
Stephen & Brooksyne
2024
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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 and a variety of other versions.
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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