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ministry of
Stephen &
Brooksyne
Weber
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Thursday,
February 29, 2024
Ken,
a friend of
ours, shared
this photo of
a bicycle
built for
seven. His
wife, Audrey,
along with
Bonnie
(grandmother
on the other
side) got on
board this
specialty bike
in their
recent trip to
Florida with
their
grandchildren
in Pinecraft
Florida, AKA
the Amish
snowbird
community.
"Walking,
And Leaping,
And
Praising God"
Message
summary: Today
we consider a
joy-filled
response and
an example for
all of us as
recipients in
various ways
of God's
redemptive
work.
Listen
to our message
on your audio
player.
"Now
Peter and John
were going up
to the temple
at the hour of
prayer, the
ninth hour.
And a man lame
from birth was
being carried,
whom they laid
daily at the
gate of the
temple that is
called the
Beautiful Gate
to ask alms of
those entering
the temple.
Seeing Peter
and John about
to go into the
temple, he
asked to
receive alms.
And Peter
directed his
gaze at him,
as did John,
and said,
“Look at us".
And he fixed
his attention
on them,
expecting to
receive
something from
them. But
Peter said, “I
have no silver
and gold, but
what I do have
I give to you.
In the name of
Jesus Christ
of Nazareth,
rise up and
walk!” And he
took him by
the right hand
and raised him
up, and
immediately
his feet and
ankles were
made strong.
And leaping
up, he stood
and began to
walk, and
entered the
temple with
them, walking
and leaping
and praising
God. And all
the people saw
him walking
and praising
God, and
recognized him
as the one who
sat at the
Beautiful Gate
of the temple,
asking for
alms. And they
were filled
with wonder
and amazement
at what had
happened to
him" (Acts
3:1-10).
February 29 is a date that occurs every four years and as most all of you know it's called Leap Day (which makes the year a leap year). This day is added to the calendar in leap years as a corrective measure, because the earth does not orbit around the sun in precisely 365 days. Contrary to what one might think leap years do not always occur every 4 years, there are exceptions but that's another story.
Today is a time "leaplings" can celebrate their actual birthdays. Do we have any leaplings among our readers? Statistically we should have several. Brooksyne recalls a colorful grade school principal that was a leapling:
I
attended Jane
Addams
Elementary
School from
Kindergarten
through 6th
grade in
Tulsa,
Oklahoma.
Charles Coats
was the
principal, a
man in his mid
to late
forties, who
wore a suit
and bow tie
everyday. He
was a kind and
personal man
who was very
compassionate
to our family
when my older
brother,
Jerry,
suffered from
polio in his
latter
elementary
years.
What
I remember
best about Mr.
Coats was not
only his
kindness but
also the fact
that he was
born on Leap
Day. Being a
youngster
myself and
newly
introduced to
the idea of
Leap Year, at
first I
couldn't
understand how
he could be
only twelve
years old when
he would tell
us his age. He
got a kick out
of teasing us
regarding how
young he was.
Eventually he
would break
the "young"
age down and
multiply it by
four to give
us a more
accurate
number for his
age. I believe
he's the only
person I ever
knew that was
born on Leap
Day.
Charles Spurgeon preached a message on Leap Year based on 1 Corinthians 15:8 "One born out of due time".
I thought I would examine Bible texts that had the word "leap" in them, an unusual way to go about Bible Study but a method that just may force me to consider a passage I would otherwise tend to leap past. Today let us consider a Bible text that expresses victorious leaping, not a year but a person.
A
portion of
today's text
was a
children's
Scripture
chorus we sang
many years
ago. How many
of you recall
singing it and
if you
remember you
probably can
still sing it
by memory.
That's the
power of
teaching
children
Scripture set
to a musical
tune and is
true of adults
as well (Link
to song is
below if you
care to sing
along)This
is a glimpse
at the early
church life
immediately
following the
events of the
day of
Pentecost when
the church was
born. Prior to
this there is
no evidence of
hardship or
persecution
but it would
soon come.
Let's
focus on the
man. He was
crippled from
birth and
depended on
others to lay
him at the
temple gate to
beg for alms.
What a sad
existence.
When he saw
Peter and John
he wanted a
pittance
offering. The
text states,
he was "expecting
to receive
something from
them".
But he
received the
unexpected,
something that
perhaps he had
stopped hoping
for many years
ago. "Peter
said, 'I have
no silver and
gold, but what
I do have I
give to you.
In the name of
Jesus Christ
of Nazareth,
rise up and
walk!'”
"And
he took him by
the right hand
and raised him
up, and
immediately
his feet
and ankles
were made
strong. And
leaping up, he
stood and
began to walk,
and entered
the temple
with them,
walking and
leaping and
praising God."
"And
he took him by
the right hand
and raised him
up, and
immediately
his feet
and ankles
were made
strong. And
leaping up, he
stood and
began to walk,
and entered
the temple
with them,
walking and
leaping and
praising God."
Brooksyne
and I can
still walk,
thankfully,
but we don't
do much
leaping
anymore
(actually we
do no
leaping!), but
what a joy to
see children
leaping. This
man had never
walked so of
course he
never leaped!
Now he's
walking and
leaping and
praising
God.
What
a joy-filled
response and
an example for
all of us as
recipients in
various ways
of God's
redemptive
work.
Be
encouraged
today,
Hebrews
3:13
Stephen
&
Brooksyne
Weber
Daily prayer:
Father, our
hearts leap
with joy when
we consider
the greatness
of your power
to save, to
heal, and to
deliver all
who call upon
Your name. May
we also leap
with joy when
we are called
out as
Christians
because we
take a stand
against this
evil world.
Help us not to
be afraid of
being mocked
or ridiculed
because of our
faith in
Christ, rather
remind us of
the future
reward that
awaits the
faithful
so that our
hearts leap
with joy even
in the midst
of difficulty
and pain. In
the name of
Jesus we pray.
Amen.Today's
Suggested
Music and
Supplemental
Resources
"Walking
and
Leaping"
Watch
on YouTube
The Donut Man
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Stephen and
Brooksyne
Weber -
700001-237376
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Encouragement
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special
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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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