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Wed Mar 30 20:29:41 UTC 2011

From: Daily Encouragement [mailto:no-reply at wordpress.com] 
Sent: Monday, March 28, 2011 11:54 AM
To: mlwartenbee at gmail.com
Subject: [New post] "Spiritual Fitness"

"Spiritual Fitness" 
Stephen C. Weber | March 28, 2011 at 12:54 pm | Tags: Christianity,
Devotional, Encouragement, Jesus Christ, Religion | Categories: Christanity,
Devotional, Encouragement, Faith, Jesus Christ, Religion, Uncategorized |
URL: http://wp.me/p31av-w1 
Monday, March 28, 2011

A view at dusk along Donegal Creek
"Spiritual Fitness"

"But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying
in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously
for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life" (Jude 1:20,21).
Brooksyne and I enjoy shopping at a discount store named Ollies. Ollies
makes no pretense of being sophisticated or classy. No one tries to impress
others by carrying a shopping bag that has "Ollies" logo on it. Our Ollies
shopping card has wild colors with a wacky character and certainly isn't
as distinguished looking as our American Express card.
It's worth walking through just to read the witty signs posted throughout
the store such as "Don't Wake Up The Employees", "If You Don't See What You
Want
 Look For Something Else" or "Keep America Beautiful - Please wipe your
feet before leaving" (posted at the exit)!
We were shopping at Ollies in the Harrisburg area Friday night where there's
a long aisle of nutritional supplements. Powders and mixes that build your
body up such as "Muscle Milk" are of special interest especially to young
men. It brought to mind a "problem" I had many years ago when I happened to
find these products of interest.
When I was in high school I was very skinny and recall hearing Aunt Mary
tell my parents, "You need to take that boy to the doctor." I recall trying
nutritional supplements to put on weight and build myself up. I was still
skinny when I got married but over time with 35 years now under my belt the
other "problem" has surfaced and the belt has expanded several sizes as it
accommodates the “problem”!
When seeking to stay physically fit the healthiest method is diligently
practicing the incremental disciplines of diet and exercise and the same is
true for those who want to maintain spiritual fitness.
Today's text from Jude leads to the conclusion of the small book intended as
a warning against false teachers. Jude begins a short section with the
emphatic phrase, "But you, beloved." This is a pointed reminder regarding
our personal responsibility in regard to spiritual fitness and includes four
lifelong components that lead to good spiritual nutrition and fitness:
1) Building yourselves up on your most holy faith
2) Praying in the Holy Spirit
3) Keeping yourselves in the love of God
4) Waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life
Many years ago I read a small book by Jay Adams titled "Godliness Through
Discipline". He made a point pertaining to this matter that has stuck with
me for years:
"The Bible is very plain about how godliness does come. Paul wrote about
godliness to Timothy. In his first letter to that budding young minister, he
said, in contrast to all of the ways that will fail (mentioned in the first
part of the verse), "Timothy, you must discipline yourself for the purpose
of godliness" (I Timothy 4:7). Discipline is the secret of godliness. The
godly man leads a life that reflects God. Godliness is the goal of the
Christian life; we must please God by being, thinking, doing, saying and
feeling in the ways that He wants. If you are going to learn discipline, you
must first learn patience. Discipline means work; it means sustained daily
effort. The word Paul used is the one from which the English words
"gymnastics" and “gymnasium" were derived. It is a term clearly related to
athletics."
Today we encourage you, faithful followers of Christ, to practice the
spiritual disciplines and build yourselves up in your most holy faith.
Be encouraged today!
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer:  Father, we know that our faith is increased and strengthened
as we pray often in the Holy Spirit, as we keep ourselves in Your love
instead of the love of the world. We direct our hearts to You in faith,
prayer, and love as we anxiously await eternal life which is the greatest
gift given to the believer because of Christ’s sacrificial death on our
behalf. Keep us faithful and ever looking to the prize of the high calling
we have through Christ Jesus our Lord, in whose name we pray. Amen.
________________________________________

The meal was held at Yoder's Restaurant east of New Holland PA and on the
way through town we were slowed down by a buggy hauling a load of hay before
it finally turned left.

Charlie and Hazel Sensenig are readers from here in Lancaster County I
periodically see at events like this. Charlie is a retired truck driver and
often responds when I have a note or question about local trivia such as
identifying a Santa Claus in a photo a couple of weeks ago and anything farm
related. I also appreciate Charlie informing me that the form on our contact
page didn't work. I fixed that Saturday night.  We request that any readers
inform us of broken links. Please just use the form on the contact page that
now works! (Thankfully the email link worked and we were not inaccessible).

David and Laura Hertle are friends from Omaha Nebraska where David serves as
a chaplain at a TFC chapel at the Sapp's Truck Stop. I stopped by to see him
several years ago when we passed through that area. He is a colorful man who
surely fits in well with the trucker culture. I wrote a message and posted
some photos about that visit here.

It was after dark when we left the banquet Saturday. We followed a buggy
out, likely a young Amish couple who had come to the banquet on a date.
We heard an outstanding testimony at the banquet that was also shared in our
church service yesterday. ________________________________________
Beginning Sunday, April 3, 2011 we are encouraging Daily Encouragement Net
readers to read/listen through the entire New Testament in 40 days. This
will take about 30 minutes per day. We will provide a direct link to the
Scripture portion to be read and listened to each day (and several links for
the weekend daily readings).
The daily encouragement message for each weekday during the forty day period
will be based on a portion of the text in the Bible reading for that day.
See Bible.is for an online Bible with audio player and additional apps that
you may find useful. For international readers there may be a version
available in your native language. Just click on the ESV tab to access all
languages available.
Join our Daily Encouragement Bible reading group on Facebook
A schedule for the entire reading period is here.
Here is what the daily reading reminder will look like:
For Sunday, April 3 read Matthew 1-7 beginning here.
This Bible reading plan is a partnership of Daily Encouragement Net and
Faith Comes By Hearing, a ministry which provides Bible listening resources
all over the world. We will share more about this ministry in future
messages.
________________________________________
Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
"More About Jesus"  Video Metro Singers from Hyattsville, MD   Very nice!
"Oh, I Want To Know You More"  Video Steve Green
"Knowing You"  Video
I was pleased to see that the Jay Adams book I referred to in the message is
still available! I heartily recommend it.
Godliness Through Discipline By Jay Adams / P & R Publishing
Here is a practical booklet for anyone who wants to become a more godly
person. In it Jay Adams shows clearly that, while there is no such thing as
instant godliness, genuine and lasting holiness is indeed possible.
For the curious: "Ollies Bargain Outlet" Good stuff, cheap.  I see that it's
a bigger chain than I thought and they just might have one near you!
"The Grace Card"  Friday evening (before we went to Ollies!) we went to see
this movie followed by dinner ar Crackerbarrel. We recommend it to others as
it has a clear redemptive story.  See here for information.
Finally: A good thought for preachers and all earnest followers by RC
Sproul: You are required to believe, to preach, and to teach what the Bible
says is true, not what you want the Bible to say is true.
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
________________________________________

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