✝ Daily Encouragement (4/29/24) "Waiting For Our Blessed Hope"

Published: Mon, 04/29/24

Updated: Mon, 04/29/24

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

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Monday, April 29, 2024

This 1939 John Deere tractor is for sale along the road in Berks County.

"Waiting For Our Blessed Hope"

Message summary: Devout believers who take the Bible seriously live their lives in anticipation of the blessed hope and the Lord's most certain return.

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"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works" (Titus 2:11-14).

Yesterday I taught a lesson on the blessed hope which is the appearing of the glory and future return of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

Our class of some 50 is generally 60+ and we grew up in the 60's and 70's. I (Stephen) accepted Christ in 1971 just before my 16th birthday and then began to learn about Bible truths. One that I never recall hearing about in the rather liberal type church my family attended during my childhood was the second coming.

A song that had a convicting influence prior to my conversion was "I Wish We'd All Been Ready" which spoke of being being left behind when Christ came with these words:

I wish we'd all been ready
There's no time to change your mind
The Son has come and

you've been left behind

A popular book at the time was "The Late Great Planet Earth" by Hal Lindsay and a series of films was popular beginning with "A Thief In The Night" based on 1 Thessalonians 5:2 "For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night".

Well, here we are over 50 years later and life is still going on, for me, for you and over 8 billion others! I still believe that Christ could return anytime (imminent) and still have the blessed hope that He will return in my lifetime. This was the outlook from the earliest days of the church.

Consider Paul in the great passage describing the rapture in 1 Thessalonians 4. He said, "Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air" (v.17). When he wrote this he clearly believed that he might be alive when Christ returned.

But there are those who scoff at this teaching which Peter alluded to even in his generation. "Knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:3,4).

There have been many in each generation who wonder and even fervently believe that Christ will return during their lifetime and this is a good and Scriptural outlook to have in life as we anticipate our Lord's return. But our call, whatever happens and whatever we may providentially be called to live through, is to heed these words:

Devout believers who take the Bible seriously live in joyful anticipation of our blessed hope and the Lord's most certain return.

I am holding onto faith
'Cause I know You'll make a way
And I don't always understand
And I don't always get to see
But I will believe it, I will believe it

That You were faithful then
You'll be faithful now
Oh, You were faithful then
You'll be faithful now

Be encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Father, I greatly anticipate the supernatural return of Your beloved Son at the sound of the trumpet call. Help me not to grow weary in the wait but remain vigilant in my Christian journey no matter the travail along the way. May I be found spotless, blameless and at peace with You as I seek to live a holy and godly life in this present age. Knowing of my deficiencies and failings, even as I pursue a godly lifestyle, I find great consolation in the tender mercies of a loving God who welcomes me to a new heaven and new earth. It is at this great transition that the battle of flesh vs. spirit finally ends and we will be fully righteous because of the great sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who died for us. Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus, come!

Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources

"I Wish We'd All Been Ready" Watch on YouTube The Hoppers

"When We All Get To Heaven" Watch on YouTube Casting Crowns (This is the traditional version. We sang this song in our class yesterday)

"One Day (When We All Get To Heaven)" Watch on YouTube Matt Redman

"Faithful Now" Watch on YouTube Vertical Worship

Brooksyne came home from the store with Turkey Hill Triopolitan BROOKIE and excitedly told me Turkey Hill made a flavor and used her nickname that some of her family members called her. We actually learned that Brookie stands for the combination of brownie and cookie, thus the name brookie. For 2½ years Brooksyne served as a chaplain at the Turkey Hill Dairy plant. I was her supervisor at the time and we got to sample any flavor we wanted right off the line as it was being poured into the ice cream carton. As Andy Griffith would say, Hmm Hmm Good!

During the warmer season we enjoy eating many of our meals outside on our deck under our gazebo. For the last several weeks we have been battling with a robin who insists on building her nest on top of a fan directly above our outside dining table. Again and again I've gone out and removed the start of a nest but she persisted and coming home from church yesterday we noticed she had completed it. I don't have the heart to remove it now. We just may need to move the table until the birds fledge and leave the nest.

Three deer crossing the road across from our house. Not a great picture but we were excited to capture them on camera anyway.

We followed this car into the church parking lot yesterday and appreciate the witness on the license plate! It's one of our favorite verses so it caught our attention right away. We actually parked beside her in the parking lot and she told us she recently moved to Lancaster from New Jersey. She also said Hebrews 6:19 is her life verse. From memory do any of you know what this verse is?

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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.

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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