✝ Daily Encouragement (3/20/24) "Enough Of The Old Life!"
Published: Wed, 03/20/24
A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber.
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As we headed toward Lebanon County at 7 am yesterday the sun was brilliantly
illuminating all the landscape as we started our 50 minute drive. This farm photo is on preserved farmland on Grandview Road due north of Mount Joy.
Click to enlarge "Enough Of The Old
Life!"
Message
summary:
We live in an age with a flood of dissipation. "Enough Of The Old Life!" All will give an account to God. Are you ready?
Listen
to our message on your audio player.
"Therefore, since Christ suffered in His body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you. But they will have to give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead" (1 Peter 4:1-5). ![]()
He was essentially raised by his grandmother who was a woman of faith as his
mom and dad both struggled with addictions. He remembered a childhood influence was a bus ministry by God's Missionary Church in Lebanon, a church we have visited and know the pastor and where several of our friends attend.
I shared today's verse with Mike and urged him to live daily for Christ
in overcoming the temptations to his old way of life. He has wasted too many years of his past living the wrong way. God wants to restore that which the devil had destroyed.
This verse is especially helpful for those recently starting on the path of
righteousness but is really a good life-long verse as well.
I have learned that regardless of age, in one way or another, there's always the pull of the world! As the old hymn "I Must Tell Jesus" candidly expresses, "O how the world to evil allures me, O how my heart is tempted to
sin".
In our daily Scripture reference the apostle Peter is writing to a group of
first century believers undergoing persecution. This passage (1 Peter 4:1-5) was very meaningful to me as a new Christian teen in the seventies. I had accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior, but for over a year I lived with nominal commitment to His cause.
At that time in my life (late teens) the pull of the world was a persisting
peril.
I still wanted to have my associations with the world as I continued to put one foot in the world and one foot into my new Christian walk. What a miserable way to live! In my senior year of high school I put both feet into a Christian ministry (Campus Crusade for Christ) after a committed believer sat down with me and boldly shared this passage and the Holy Spirit did His wonderful work of
enlightening and convicting my heart.
Peter forthrightly tells his initial readers and all who heed the sacred words of Scripture, “For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles” (v.3). However old you are this statement applies; you've spent enough time in living in the ways of the world.
David Guzik writes, "Sadly, many Christians (in their heart of hearts)
think that they have not spent enough time doing the will of the ungodly. They want to experience more of the world before they make a full commitment to godliness. This is a tragic mistake and takes a path that leads away from eternal life".
Today let us all heed Peter's call,
"
You have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do".
Let us heed Paul's command,
"I appeal to you therefore,
brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:1-2).
Have you dealt with it yet? The apostle Paul wrote that “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10,11). We can greatly rejoice today if we have taken care of this accounting and you can join me in boldly declaring, “Jesus is my final answer.” If you have not made this decision I urge you, please delay no longer. Here is a sample prayer that expresses belief and commitment to Jesus Christ:
“Jesus, thank you for loving me. I confess that I am a sinner. I
believe You are the promised Messiah who came to die for my sins. Please forgive me of my sin and come into my life. I receive You as my Savior and will follow You as my Lord and Savior for the rest of my life. Thank You for hearing my prayer. Amen”.
Be encouraged
today,
Hebrews
3:13
Stephen & Brooksyne
Weber
![]() Further study on today's
passage:
Peter goes on to make a list of sinful behavior that sounds very familiar to
what pagans still choose to do in our day.
(See here for this verse in a variety of translations.)
1) “In regard to these"
The sick six from verse 3,
"lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries", a veritable sewer of sin often resulting in headline news after destruction of property or life while under the influence.
2) "they (your friends from your old way of life) think it strange" CH Spurgeon notes, "How strange this world is! It speaks evil of men because they will not do evil. Yet it has always been so. Those of whom 'the world was not worthy' (Hebrews 11:38) have been the people, like Paul, of whom the worldly said, 'Rid the earth of him! He’s not fit to live!' (Acts 22:22). The world’s verdict concerning Christians is of little value." Warren Wiersbe comments, "Unsaved people do not understand the radical change that their friends experience when they trust Christ and become children of God. They do not think it strange when people wreck their bodies, destroy their homes, and ruin their lives by running from one sin to another! But let a drunkard become sober, or an immoral person pure, and the family thinks he has lost his mind!" 3) "that you do not run with them” Genuine transformed believers do not run with, consort or hang out with unbelievers in the same way they once did:
Thanks to Calvary I am not the man I used to
be
Thanks to Calvary things are different than before. 4) "in the same flood of dissipation" . Dissipation is rarely a word we use these days! Other versions translate this, "reckless, wild living" (NIV), "excesses of debauchery" (NASB), "wild and destructive things" (NLT). In sum, the picture here is of a large crowd running together in a mad, wild race—a melee pursuing sin. 5) This resulted in them (those from your old way of life) "speaking evil of you" an irony considering the actual evil they practiced! This is translated from the Greek “blaspheme”. Indeed the early believers encountered abuse and so do we in various ways. This abuse may be verbal ridicule from a fellow worker, the writings of a pagan “intellectual” or for some of our brethren, physical torture and death. Peter makes the solemn statement found in the final portion of the daily text: “But they will have to give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead” (1 Peter 4:5). This account will be our final answer and by far it is the most important.
Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental
Resources
"I Got
Saved"
Watch on YouTube
Selah
"I Must Tell Jesus"
Watch on YouTube Canton Junction
Early yesterday morning
we saw that an
Amish family is preparing for a wedding! (My Amish friend speculates it will probably be this Thursday.) This is the bride's home where the weddings are held. The service is held in the white temporary structure in the front with the curved roof. The canopy tent
type in the back is for the horses. Today family members converge to prepare a large meal for the wedding guests.
Click to enlarge ![]()
We try to take the backroads whenever we can do so. We passed this imposing
structure
in Berks County
yesterday on the way to Cracker Barrel. It is the Spannuth Mill
built in 1891. We were especially intrigued by the cupola
that really sticks out on top of a decaying flat roof.
![]()
We had lunch yesterday at Cracker Barrel with Pat and Laverne, Stephen's
brother and wife. Although we live about 100 miles apart we try to get together every couple of months. The fireplace with the gigantic hearth is always inviting over the cool months at Cracker Barrel.
![]()
While at Cracker Barrel we were surprised at seeing Kathy, a friend we
hadn't seen in years. Kathy and Don Eaton owned a 200 acre nursery full of beautiful shrubbery and trees where we often visited them in Leesport. They retired a few years back and we lost touch so it was wonderful to reconnect. The Eatons moved from Massachusetts along with their five children some 25 years ago to build a beautiful tree nursery from which we and many others benefited. They and their family are devout in their faith and a great blessing to
many.
![]()
Another surprise visit with a friend while at BJ's last week; I
(Brooksyne) became good friends with Natalie Yakinov while she was employed at Val-Co in New Holland where we served as chaplains for 12 years. She and her family immigrated to America from Russia (or one of the other countries in the former Soviet Union). Natalie adopted a precious Navajo baby nine years ago and it has been fun watching her grow up under the loving care of Natalie along with the support of other family members. The Lord led Natalie to attend Charis Bible College in Colorado a
few years ago and we lost touch except in reading her inspiring biblical messages she posted on facebook. She may attend again in the future but is back home for now and owns a vacation rental cleaning service.
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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