✝ Daily Encouragement (7/12/23) "Are You 'Woke' or 'Based'?"
Published: Wed, 07/12/23
A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber.
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Wednesday, July 12, 2023
The Old Windmill Farm welcomed a newly born
colt on Monday!
"Are You
'Woke' or 'Based'?"
Message
summary:
Let us build our house on the rock and be
based!
Listen to our message on your audio player.
"They invent ways of doing evil" (Romans 1:30). "So that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried
about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes" (Ephesians 4:14). "He has now reconciled in His body of flesh by His death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before Him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister" (Colossians
1:22,23).
I am always a bit late when it comes to understanding popular culture since that is not my main aspiration in life. My major was the Bible in
preparation for vocational ministry. (That aspiration is expressed in Matthew
6:33.)
I'm not sure when "woke" first became a part of my vocabulary, but it was probably when I was 3 or 4 and looked for my mom after
waking up in the morning. I probably found her working in the kitchen and reported, "Mom, I woke
up".
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But in more recent years "woke" has come to have another meaning, now being defined as "aware of and actively attentive to important
societal facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice)". By this definition, I agree that a follower of Christ should be woke in this sense, "aware of and actively attentive to important societal facts and issues". We certainly shouldn't be oblivious to these
issues!
However the word "woke" has come to connote someone who accepts every crazy notion that comes down the pike and has no deeply held
convictions or beliefs. Let me illustrate with a currently "hot topic", the crazy notion of men who are pretending to be women* demanding to play in women's sports or use their facilities. Some ten years ago if I were to have said this was coming I would have been considered a crazy! In fact those "woke" at that time would probably have said, "That's absolutely ridiculous! That's never going to happen!" Then it happens and they eventually go along with
it as OK, (though it often depends on their source of information or their upbringing)! To "go with the flow" is the sense of having no
convictions.
Some 15 years ago politicians even liberal ones, were actually stating their conviction that marriage was exclusively between a man and woman. But
many abandoned that "conviction" for political expediency. We have a few regular associations who are woke
in this
sense
(that we are aware of) and those who are we sort of avoid confrontational speech although it certainly doesn't lead to having a very deep relationship. But then we are essentially on different
sides.
Scripture accurately describes this sense of "woke" with the phrase in Romans 1:30,
"They invent ways of doing evil". Or in Ephesians 4:14 as those
"tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of
doctrine".
"Based"
is another word that I've heard more recently that pertains to this subject matter. "Being 'based' means that someone has a strong base of morals that usually leans towards conservativism". Often these are people like me that never fell for the "woke" nonsense but also describes many who finally
genuinely wake up and see the nonsense of contemporary wokeness. This sense is actually one of the definitions for "base" in the 1989 Webster's Unabridged
Dictionary.
Scripturally being based is described with words such as stable, steadfast, grounded, having a foundation, etc. The text from Colossians expresses
this:
"Continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard."
The based person does not get
"tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of
doctrine."
Perhaps the best illustration of the contrast between "woke" and "based" is the story Jesus concluded with on His Sermon on the
Mount in Matthew 7:24-27. It contrasts the foolish man who built his house on the sand and the wise man who built his house on the rock. Let us build our house on the rock and be
based!
Be encouraged today, (
Hebrews
3:13)
Stephen & Brooksyne
Weber
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Four Firm Foundations That Will
Stand!
1) The firm foundation of Biblical authority.
"The grass
withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever" (Isaiah 40:8).
2) The firm foundation of Jesus Christ. "According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 3:10,11). 3) The firm foundation of the church. "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord" (Ephesians 2:19-21). 4) The firm foundation of the apostolic doctrine. "They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer" (Acts 2:42). "Contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints" (Jude 3).
Our friend Richard Dresselhaus
shares a daily message each day
on his blog "One For The Road"
and this one fits today's theme
well:
The plain reading. That’s the best way to understand
Scripture.
Familiarize yourself with the historical content. Seek to grasp the meaning intended by the author. Then you can discover the plain meaning of Scripture. The temptation is to read into Scripture what is not there. Instead…ask the Holy Spirit to open the Word to your heart. Sometimes arrogance takes over…and people impose their own ideas into Scripture -- and hope to impress others with their intellect…creativity…and profound understanding. Peter speaks of the abuse of Paul’s writings – “...which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.” Here is another good test. Is this understanding of Scripture validated by the historical understanding of a passage of Scripture? Correctly divide the Word – that’s always the goal.
* Of course I am aware the worldly made up word for this pretending or identifying as a member of the opposite
sex is "transgender", a word so new it is not even in the 1989 unabridged dictionary let alone in the Bible! Interestingly the only word beginning with transg...is transgression!
Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
"How Firm A Foundation"
Click to listen on
YouTube Sovereign Grace
Music
"The Solid Rock"
Click to listen on
YouTube Sovereign Grace
Music
"Firm Foundation"
Click to listen on
YouTube Cody Carnes This is one the newer songs that is getting a lot of playtime at least till the next newer song comes out! The lyrics
state:
Christ is my firm foundation
The rock on which I stand When everything around me is shaken I’ve never been more glad That I put my faith in Jesus ‘Cause He’s never let me down He’s faithful through generations So why would He fail now He won’t, He won’t
I’ve still got joy in chaos
I’ve got peace that makes no sense I won’t be going under I’m not held by my own strength ‘Cause I’ve built my life on Jesus He’s never let me down He’s faithful in every season So why would He fail now
Regarding the Old Windmill Farm colt seen
in our lead photo: On their Facebook page the family is requesting names and have received these suggestions among many others: Socks, Boots, Oreo.
Some scenes from a bike ride in our neighborhood
yesterday
![]()
We've had some nice rains that have really
greened everything up. I came upon these children playing in a swollen Donegal Creek yesterday bringing back memories of how I liked to play in the creeks near Belton MO back in the 60's. This is a River Brethren family and the mothers are gathered around a tree in the background.
(Click on photo to enlarge) ![]()
Moses and his brother Ben were cutting hay on
Trout Run Road. Both are newly married and establishing their households. They also grow herbs for market and Ben showed me a large greenhouse filled with basil. Every year Brooksyne grows a number of basil plants since she likes to make basil pesto and use basil with dishes that include tomatoes.
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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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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