✝ Daily Encouragement (3/14/23) "When Truth Hurts"
Published: Tue, 03/14/23
A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber.
You are receiving this email because you have signed up to receive our Daily Encouragement messages or it was forwarded to you. Don't forget to add [email protected] to your address book so we'll be sure to land in your inbox! Having trouble viewing this email? Click here.
You are receiving this email because you have signed up to receive our Daily Encouragement messages or it was forwarded to you. Don't forget to add [email protected] to your address book so we'll be sure to land in your inbox! Having trouble viewing this email? Click here.
Tuesday, March 14, 2023
Church sign in Bethel, PA.
The Blue Mountain ridge is in the background. This is the ridge the Appalachian Trail runs along in this part of the
state.
"When Truth
Hurts"
Message
summary:
Today let us receive the truth, primarily the Gospel truth, even if it does hurt! Let us hear and heed our Lord's words:
“If you abide in my word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will
set you free” (John 8:31,32).
Listen
to our message on your audio
player.
“Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?” (Galatians 4:16). “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31,32).
As we've mentioned often on daily encouragement we are genuinely blessed by the messages we read on church signs and private yards throughout
Lancaster and Lebanon County. We see a lot of them here in rural Pennsylvania. They can be thought-provoking and even humorous. Last week we passed the church sign in our lead photo in Bethel, PA which states, "If The Truth Hurts, Then It Is
Working".
For many years during the time I served as a pastor I had a small placard attached to the pulpit facing me as I preached with these words,
"Sir, we would see Jesus". It was visible as I stood in front of God's people and preached every Sunday reminding me that it's not me that the people came out to see, but Jesus, whom I solemnly represented. This is an extremely important truth for all ministers of the Gospel to keep in mind as they break forth the Word of
Life.
The venerable J. Vernon McGee also used this phrase on his pulpit reminding him of his serious duty but he writes:
"There is another verse I wanted to place on the audience side
of the pulpit, but I never had the nerve to do it. It is these words of
Paul: “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?” As you know, many folk today really don’t want the preacher to tell the truth from the pulpit. They would much rather he'd say something complimentary that would smooth their feathers and make them feel good. We all like to have our backs rubbed, and there is a lot of back-rubbing from the contemporary pulpit rather than the declaration of the
truth."
McGee died in 1988 so it's no telling how long ago he wrote this and it is even more true today in the age of "seeker-sensitive"
churches where a cardinal rule is "don't say anything that might offend someone".
Bible teacher A.T. Robertson quipped, "It is always a risky business to speak the truth, the whole truth. It may hit and hurt".
The phrase "truth hurts" means that the truth can be painful or uncomfortable to hear, especially if it conflicts with our beliefs,
expectations, or desires. It can also increasingly conflict with popular culture.
In the daily text Paul is addressing a drift away from the truth among the Galatian believers. A few verses earlier he wrote,
"Formerly,
when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?" (Galatians
4:8,9).
Truth can hurt when it challenges our beliefs. These Galatians had been exposed to false teachings. They had been persuaded of certain beliefs by
false teachers, hearing something, even something true, that contradicts those beliefs can be difficult to accept.
It can feel like a personal attack, and we may resist it because it threatens our sense of identity. This will be the case as our society
becomes
increasingly
Biblically
illiterate and rejects God's ways and many become ignorant of God's
truths.
Earlier in the book of Galatians Paul writes,
"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you in the grace of Christ
and are turning to a different gospel" (Galatians 1:6).
Our sinful nature makes us prone to exchanging truth for a lie. In Romans 1:25 Paul wrote of those who
"exchanged the truth about God for a
lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator".
Today let us receive the truth, primarily the Gospel truth, even if it does hurt! Let us hear and heed our Lord's words,
“If you abide
in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31,32).
Be encouraged today, (
Hebrews
3:13)
Stephen and Brooksyne
Weber
![]() Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
"Oh But God"
Click to listen on
YouTube Shane &
Shane
"Holy Forever" Click to listen on YouTube From our service this last Sunday at Calvary Church. Brooksyne and I found ourselves talking about this song and even singing the chorus throughout the day. She told me the thought came to her when we sang "You are holy forever" during the servicethat she considered how essential the word "forever" is when singing God's virtue of holiness. In Brooksyne's own words: I thought about Satan who was an angel enjoy the glories of heaven and all the privileges that angels enjoy, but then he became proud, was cast out and has caused destruction, mayhem and every other negative words I can think of in my vocabulary in addition toseeking to rob us of our soul. What if God's holiness wasn't forever, that He would take an abrupt turnabout with His omnipotence and then use it for evil. We would be hopeless, banished and never know the eternal glories that await those who are faithful followers of Christ. How futile and frightening. But I'm so glad we can rely on the promises in God's Word and sing with 100% conviction God is holy Forever! Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
To receive the "Daily Encouragement" each Monday-Friday through email see here to sign up for our email list. You can also subscribe to the Wordpress rss feed or through a Wordpress email subscription. (See the email subscription on the right side after opening this page.)
Permissions: Please feel free to pass on, reproduce and distribute any material on Daily Encouragement Net, in part or in whole, in any format, provided that you do not alter the wording in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. It is our desire to spread this material, not protect or restrict it. We do request that you keep the contact, copyright and subscription information intact.
We want to thank all who financially supported our ministry. We realize there are many fine ministries and causes requesting support but if you
would like information about making a donation to our ministry see here.
In considering support we are so pleased when we hear from you, our readers, that our messages are a source of teaching and encouragement to you. We also urge you to consider the mission aspect of these daily teachings that are freely available and read by many all over the world. ![]() ![]()
Thank you,
Stephen & Brooksyne 2023 YTD offerings to Daily Encouragement Net: $4,145.00
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 2023 Stephen C. & Brooksyne Weber - All Rights Reserved
|
Thanks for reading our message!
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
717-823-0592
Daily Encouragement Net
https://www.dailyencouragement.net
Mail service provider is aweber.com
495 Kraybill Church Rd
Mount Joy PA 17552
USA
Unsubscribe | Change Subscriber Options
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
717-823-0592
Daily Encouragement Net
https://www.dailyencouragement.net
Mail service provider is aweber.com
495 Kraybill Church Rd
Mount Joy PA 17552
USA
Unsubscribe | Change Subscriber Options