Daily Encouragement

Friday, April 26, 2024

Yesterday after our visit to the Old Windmill Farm we ate lunch at AGAPE Cafe just down the road from Sight and Sound near Strasburg, PA. We are always blessed by this sign at the entrance.

"God's Chosen People"

Message summary: Today we consider God's chosen people.

Listen to our message on your audio player.

“For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for His treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth" (Deuteronomy 7:6). "I ask, then, has God rejected His people? By no means!" "So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace" (Romans 9:1,5).

During Passover the Old Windmill Farm normally has many Jewish guests that come down from New York and New Jersey. This year they had fewer than normal, we think in part due to the recent spike in antisemitism we addressed in yesterday's message. Nevertheless they had quite a number of Jewish guests and I conversed with several.

I was especially touched by a conversation with one man who had come from New York with his son and daughter, a regular visitor to the farm. Anna Ruth told me they come monthly to the farm during the warmer months.

He was visibly very sad and told us that he had family members, one who was killed and the other kidnapped, during the October 7th Hamas terrorist attack in Israel. I asked him how the community was doing, especially in view of the recent spike of antisemitism and he responded, "We are fearful, anxious and depressed. Everyone hates us".

I assured him that was not the case for many love and are supportive of the Jewish people. But he specifically alluded to the hatred from the Muslims to which I could not disagree, despite the constant politically correct designation of being a "peaceful people". I told him nobody seems to know about or demonstrate against the horrible atrocities taking place in Nigeria and many other places with Muslim aggression.

I talked to several others and we took a hay wagon ride with an orthodox family. The father seemed somewhat reluctant to talk to me but if you know me personally you know I am persistent (I get that from my very outgoing mom). I wonder if his reservation was in part due to the current events (but of course it may have just been his personality). However when we stepped down off the wagon he turned his attention to us and said, "Thank you for welcoming us".

As I left the farm I saw the first man I had talked to sitting with his children on a brick retaining wall, lingering his stay at the farm, and wondered if it was in appreciation of the kindness and peacefulness he was experiencing.

In the "Fiddler on the Roof" movie Tevye is a Jewish milkman living with his wife in the village of Anatevka in rural Russia and raising five daughters. The Cossacks have been raiding nearby towns and villages, forcing their residents to flee to America and eventually the edict comes to Anatevka as well.

The play ends with the residents of the town scattered to the four winds, hoping for a better life in the future... and the Fiddler himself follows, indicating that they will always have their faith.

But an ending scene is particularly gripping when Tevye says, "Dear God. Did you have to send me news like that today of all days? I know, I know we are the chosen people. But once in a while, can't you choose someone else?"

The designation "chosen people" for the Jews goes back to our first daily text in a message from Moses, “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for His treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth" (Deuteronomy 7:6).

Yesterday we wrote about the amazing endurance of the Jewish people in spite of so much opposition. Ethan, a local reader, recalls his preacher grandpa saying, "How do you know the Bible is true? The Jew!"

Let us continue to pray for the Jewish people and for Israel.

Be encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Father, as we read through the Old Testament book after book, chapter after chapter we read of numerous leaders including two women that You raised up to be rescuers of the Israelites who got into trouble time after time, most often after their hearts wandered off to other idols instead of the one true God. But the people of Israel are Your chosen possession, out of all the people on the face of the earth, so You intervened time and time again to save them from their own self-imposed demise. Today we come against their enemies, those such as Hamas and other proxies who are determined to make the Jews extinct. Because they are Your chosen people we pray that they will not only be people who follow the God of the Old Testament but follow God incarnate through the person of Jesus Christ revealed to us in the New Testament. May they come to know, accept and love Him as their Messiah and personal Savior. Just as You raised up men and women in the Old Testament period to rescue the Israelites from extinction, You raised up a Rescuer through Your Son Jesus to rescue the Jews and all peoples groups from eternal damnation and instead provide eternal life. Amen.

Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources

"Sha'alu Shalom Yerushalayim | Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem" Watch on YouTube Shae Wilbur and Paul Wilbur

"Chosen people scene" from Fiddler On The Roof Watch on YouTube (30 seconds)

The satire site "Babylon Bee" has some interesting insight on the current campus demonstrations that probably have more truth than satire:

Hamas Thanks College Student Supporters By Promising Them A Quick Death During Global Intifada

Sad: College Student So Caught Up Harassing Jews He Forgot About Term Paper On Inclusion

Yesterday morning I spoke at a Men's Bible Study at Calvary Homes retirement center and afterwards visited with Eric Crichton, a retired pastor from the church we presently attend. Pastor Crichton recently celebrated his 103rd birthday. He is still "sharp as a tack" (really) and approached me to express appreciation that I had shared a message supporting the Jewish people. (My message was based on yesterday's daily encouragement on antisemitism.)

Here is an interview from 3 years ago when he turned 100. You can see that he really is sharp as a tack! Something I learned yesterday is that he moved into Calvary Homes in 1984, 40 years ago, more than likely the place where he has lived the longest.

These orthodox Jewish boys enjoyed a visit from the goats.

We hopped on board the haywagon with farm visitors for a hay ride. Anna Ruth does a tremendous job as a tour guide exuding such friendliness. The little girl sitting next to her is from an orthodox Jewish family and she guided Jack and Jane on the path with Anna Ruth supervising her. Turning a horse or mule is a little different than turning the steering wheel of a car.
Click on photo to enlarge

Old Windmill Farm horse and 5 day old foal

This filly was born on Sunday.
Click on photo to enlarge

Brooksyne never wearies of holding baby goats. This one is about two weeks old.
Click on photo to enlarge

As we headed home we drove on this quintessential Lancaster County highway. An Amish farmer was hauling this corn planter on a skid loader driving backwards across a very busy Rt 30 intersection!

A repeat from yesterday if you missed it:

WETA, the PBS station in the greater Washington DC area, just presented a "Get Out Of Town" travel show about Lancaster County, including a segment about the Old Windmill Farm. Brooksyne and Ester was invited to the farm that day to be part of the guests. To watch click on the photo above or here. The Old Windmill Farm segment starts at 11:50 and last about 4 minutes. It features a mother and daughter but you may also see a few glimpses of Brooksyne. Also note they included a prayer prayed by Jesse before they eagerly dug into the freshly churned butter and homemade bread.

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