Daily Encouragement

The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation.

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Thursday, March 13, 2025

A Time To Plow

We picked up eggs at our neighbor's farm and Aaron was heading out to the fields with his team to plow.

Click on photo to enlarge

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Septic Tank
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Note: We had a busy day yesterday and thus did not post a message. We had a community Lenten luncheon and when I mentioned it to Brooksyne around 9:00 AM she gasped. She had agreed to bake treats for dessert and then forgot all about it! So in the next two hours she was busy in extra high speed mode preparing a large batch of pecan squares and was able to pull out an orange slice loaf of bread for a group of some 60 people. And yesterday morning I had the septic cleaning service described in the message. After afternoon visits we just postponed the message

Message summary: Today we encourage you to again consider God's call to purity and holiness, to make a renewed commitment that I will keep myself pure. Empty the septic tank of your life!

Listen to our message on your audio player.

"Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you" (James 1:21).

We live out in the country and have two home features we suppose most of our readers don't have. We have a well to supply water rather than any type of municipal system. For 23 years we've never had a problem with our well or needed service. Of course that could change anytime!

We also have a septic tank to handle the outflow rather than being on a municipal sewer system. This does require periodic maintenance. Every 4 or 5 years we have the tank pumped out and cleaned. Yesterday morning a truck came to perform the service, the friendly young man doing work I suppose few would aspire to, but absolutely essential. If your tank gets overflowed you have no outflow and the waste backs up in the house. NOT GOOD!

Our bodies are made that way. If you have a problem with either the inflow or outflow system you need help fast. NOT GOOD!

Spiritually we also have inflow and outflow. We need to see that we have wholesome input into our lives and get rid of the unwholesome bluntly described in our text as "all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent".

Several years ago Netflix was in the news due to a vile program they were airing concerning children, specifically young girls. The almost always insightful satire site "Babylon Bee" had this headline, "Awesome: Netflix Will Now Just Pump Septic Waste Straight Into Your Living Room".

Well, our septic waste went into a truck where it will be properly disposed of. We certainly wouldn't want it in our living room! We want to get rid of it.

“Getting rid of” is vitally important in the spiritual realm. As followers of Christ, and as a result of our call to live “the righteous life that God desires" (James 1:20), we are to “get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent".

This is a vivid word picture. James is in effect saying, “Take off your filthy attitudes and actions (moral defilement) just as you would soiled, smelly garments!” Or, in keeping with our opening illustration, empty the septic tank of your life.

Pastor Steven Cole writes,

“We all bring baggage from our old way of life over into the Christian life. Usually, we’re blind to much of it. We don’t realize that we’re displeasing God by our thoughts, words, or actions. As we begin to read God’s word, it convicts us of areas that we didn’t even know were sin. When this happens, the receptive heart cleans out the crud of sin and puts on the clean clothes of new life in Christ. If you don’t do this, the crud will prevent you from growing as a Christian.”

There is a process in which the Holy Spirit works in our lives:

First, the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins, “And when He comes, He will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment” (John 16:8). Our consciences are pricked leading us to confess and repent of our sins.

Secondly the Holy Spirit guides us into all truth revealing those areas in our lives where we need to “get rid of” ungodly thinking, attitudes, and behaviors that dishonor God, that is, “all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent".

Thirdly, the Holy Spirit wants every believer to “humbly accept the Word planted in you, which can save you". When we get rid of the detrimental stuff in our life we make room for that which is helpful and beneficial to our spiritual growth. So, let us separate ourselves from all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent in the world then saturate ourselves with the Word that is planted in us!

Be encouraged today! Hebrews 3:13

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Father, as we humbly receive the Word planted in us through Your Spirit we put off the old self. Help us to get rid of anything that stimulates our old way of thinking that will in time affect our actions. Help us to reject that which is detrimental to our spiritual growth and to embrace that which saves us from the evil that is so prevalent in our world. Keep our hearts soft so that we are quick to confess and repent of that which dishonors You. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources

"Purify My Heart" Watch on YouTube Brian Doerksen

Awesome: Netflix Will Now Just Pump Septic Waste Straight Into Your Living Room (Babylon Bee article referenced in message)

For the terminally curious, like me, this is what the septic tank clean-out looks like but I will spare any more detail!

Following our luncheon yesterday we stopped to visit our friend Nick who happened to be cleaning his storm door window. He told me he likes to clean glass because there are people who have no glass to clean (and even volunteered to come clean ours). I applied that principle to our septic tank cleaning. Although it's likely everyone reading this has some type of home plumbing which we take for granted. But Nick's comment brought to mind the way many people live who do not have modern plumbing such as in Makoko, Nigeria's slum on water. See video This slum is so large you can see it on Google maps.

We've had warm weather the last several days and took our first trail bike ride together this year. We were on the Lebanon Valley Rail Trail from Lawn Road to the old iron railroad bridge in Cornwall which Brooksyne is approaching in the photo. It is sure nice to be out together again!
Click on photo to enlarge

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Stephen and Brooksyne Weber

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Stephen & Brooksyne

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How to become a Christian: https://twowaystolive.com/

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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