Daily Encouragement (7/20/20) "Constantly Serving"
Published: Mon, 07/20/20
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A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber.
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 Strasburg Pike Farm View
Many shades of green are visible in the summer months.
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"Constantly Serving"
Message summary: By the grace of God with a resolute heart let us be faithful to His cause even when we’re in the minority or if there are those seeking to cancel us. After all it’s been that way throughout the generations, so why do we expect it to be different for us today? Hasn't every generation tried to cancel Jesus including our own generation! But Jesus can't and won't be canceled as
He is Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. In agreement with the Psalmist I pray in earnest, “Oh that my ways may be established to keep Your statutes!” (119:5). Won't you join us?
 Listen to this message on your audio player.“When he (King Darius) had come near the den to Daniel, he cried out with a troubled voice. The king spoke and said to Daniel, ‘Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you constantly serve, been able to deliver you from the lions?’” (Daniel 6:20). "As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good" (2 Thessalonians 3:13). David is a local business friend who is under attack for holding on to a Biblical moral standard on sexuality and marriage that is now deemed unacceptable by the ever changing moral relativism. The attacks have come from social media by a mob of social justice "warriors" seeking to "cancel" him and ruin his business. He has paid a price but is standing firm in his biblical convictions and responding to his attackers in a very loving way. Sadly, as we believe is often the case, so many of the cancelers are just unthinkingly following the crowd.  Cancel is one of those old words now loaded with a new meaning. We considered this last month in a message title "A Blessed Cancellation". Essentially the word now has a
meaning of "to dismiss something or somebody; to reject an individual or an idea". As our culture plunges into deepening spiritual darkness true Christians will face more intense degrees of cancellation which, due to the impact on one's livelihood, has become a form of persecution.Today let us consider a Bible character who faced cancellation by his opponents all through his life. Daniel is one of the sterling characters of the Bible who consistently served God in his worship and lifestyle as characterized in the phrase from the daily text, "Your God, whom you constantly serve". What a remarkable testimony from the lips of an observant secular king! Daniel had spent his entire adult life in the service of a series of secular kings and had acted with absolute integrity. In Daniel 6 a trap was set by his jealous coworkers. His enemies were unable to bring a charge of any dereliction of duties for "they could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent" (Daniel 6:4). They finally devised a plan to trap him in his religious convictions by making it illegal to pray. In a horrible example of collusion we read that, "All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions" (Daniel 6:7). Yet Daniel faithfully passed the test with a most telling verse, "he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously" (Daniel 6:10). He willingly faced a hungry den of lions rather than compromise his lifelong, steadfast walk with God. He was thrown into the lion's den and yet was unharmed. That's where today's main verse comes in with Darius examining the den, “When he (King Darius) had come near the den to Daniel, he cried out with a troubled voice. The king spoke and said to Daniel, ‘Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you constantly serve, been able to deliver you from the lions?’” (Daniel 6:20).  Today, let us especially take note of the phrase, "your God, whom you constantly serve". Daniel had been faithful to the king in regard to his employment.
But the king noticed an additional character trait. Daniel had demonstrated his faith in God by his constant service for God. This was toward the end of Daniel’s long life, after being removed from his homeland during the Babylonian exile. His early resolve not to defile himself with the king’s food (1:8) established a pattern of
lifelong, uncompromising obedience to God’s commands.How do others observe your choices and habits? Are you steadfast in your walk? Is your testimony consistent with your lifestyle or are you like a chameleon trying to blend into every setting. By the grace of God with a resolute heart let us be faithful to His cause even when we’re in the minority or if there are those seeking to cancel us. After all it’s been that way throughout the generations, so why do we expect it to be different for us today? Hasn't every generation tried to cancel Jesus including our own generation! But Jesus can't and won't be canceled as He is Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. In agreement with the Psalmist I pray in earnest, “Oh that my ways may be established to keep Your statutes!” (119:5). Won't you join us? Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber  Daily prayer: Father, though there are many ups and downs, highs and lows one thing we hope others observe about our life is that we are continually serving our Lord and Savior no matter what, like Daniel during the good times and the very bad times. May we never sell out to appease others or due
to fear of the consequences of our public stand for You. More important than what is spoken about us on this side are the words we long to hear You say on the other side, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter into the joys of heaven…” How we look forward to that future blessed event, through the saving mercy of Jesus our Lord in whose name we pray. Amen. Saturday afternoon we stopped by the Country View Farm Market on Rt 743 south of Elizabethtown for a chicken bbq meal. The enterprising Amish farmer has the chicken bbq's every Saturday during the summer. People come from far and near for a tasty meal which includes their own applesauce, baked potato with a nice spicy spud rub, homemade rolls, homemade root beer. There are also many tempting pastries such as shoofly pie, whoopie pies and
other irresistables made by the Amish women.
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 Two trailers like this are used to grill the chicken. A lot of chicken is prepared and often sold out before the day is over.
Click for on photo for larger view  These goats have found a nice resting place.
Click for on photo for larger view Has your faith found a resting place? See here
Here is the mission statement for David Abel's business that set off the cancel mob attacks mentioned in the first part of today's message.
Finally today:
 Last night we had a guest couple who are traveling from Springfield, MO. John and Joan are longtime friends through daily encouragement. Shortly after this online writing ministry started in 1996 John came across a message and has been a reader ever since. We have occasionally visited through the years but this is the first time they've visited our place. Brooksyne made our summertime favorite, Tomato Pie. It was a first for the Wisemans and
as usual seconds were enjoyed by all! If you've got too many tomatoes try this recipe.
We first had tomato pie at the eponymously named Tomato Pie Cafe in Lititz PA
 Brooksyne’s Tomato Bacon Pie
9” or 10” Pie Crust Approx. 4 large or 6 medium Tomatoes (Sliced), salt & pepper ½ Medium Onion (Thinly sliced or chopped) Garlic, chopped (according to taste)
Fresh Basil, several leaves cut in strips (optional)
¾ C. Mayonnaise 1/2 C. Greek Yogurt 1 C. Shredded Cheddar Cheese ¼ C. shredded parmesan Cheese (optional) ¾ C. Bacon Crumbs 1 Sleeve of Ritz Crackers, crushed, or 1 plus cup of crushed tortilla chips 3 Tbsp. Butter, melted • Prepare Crust. (I pre-bake mine.)
• Slice tomatoes ahead and lay out on paper towels to drain juice as you prepare your crust, etc. Lightly salt and pepper tomatoes. • Mix Mayo, Greek Yogurt & Shredded Cheese & set aside. (I use Greek yogurt in place of additional mayonnaise since it tastes great in recipe, fewer calories, and adds protein.) • Spread half of sliced onions, garlic and bacon crumbs over bottom of prebaked crust. • Layer half of tomatoes over onions, garlic and bacon.
• Carefully spread half of mayonnaise mixture with spatula over tomatoes. • Repeat steps above for tomatoes, onions & garlic, bacon crumbs and mayo mixture. • Sprinkle crushed crackers or tortilla chips over top of tomato pie, drizzle butter over crackers or chips. • Bake at 350 degrees approximately 30 minutes or until crackers are lightly browned. • Let pie sit for about ten minutes so it sets up when cutting. (So far I have not had a soggy tomato pie, so be sure to drain tomatoes carefully as directed above.) Note: Fresh corn is delicious with this pie or you could add it to the recipe as well. Also this makes an excellent leftover dish, assuming you have leftovers.   Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
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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." © Copyright 2020 Stephen C. & Brooksyne Weber - All Rights Reserved
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