Category: Encouragement

Hebrews 10:24,25             Encourage Each Other

(Sonrise—the Son, Jesus, the Light of the World, is about to return!)

“We should keep on encouraging each other to be thoughtful and to do helpful things.  Some people have given up the habit of meeting for worship, but we must not do that.  We should keep on encouraging each other, especially since you know that the day of the Lord’s coming is getting closer” (CEV).

 

When I read these two verses, I see two slightly different connotations for the word “encouraging.”  In verse 24, “encouraging” is specific, to two things.  We are encouraged to be thoughtful of each other, and we are encouraged to do helpful things for each other.  It is important that we do those two things.  When we do them, we bless our friends and family.  It is also important that we do these two things as a normal part of our lives so that others may notice and wonder or even ask why are we different from the world.

In verse 25, I get the idea that we are to be encouraging because of the condition of the world, or because of difficulties others may be experiencing.  Living today can certainly be stressful, and satan uses every opportunity he can to raise doubts, worry, and fear in the hearts of many.  Because we daily experience the love and care of our Lord, we are in a position to encourage many with the Good News of Jesus Christ, that He cared for each one of us enough that He died on a cruel wooden cross to offer eternal life and love to any who will accept it.

Even our Christian brothers and sisters need periodic encouragement because of the stresses and anxieties present in our lives here on the earth.  Nations are fighting nations or threatening to attack other nations; crime on the streets is up to the point of concern about safety even in our own homes; many of todays’ entertainment offerings are violent or sexually explicit; disparagement of the founders of our nation is rampant; and disdain for our God is evident in many of today’s public utterances.  We need to encourage each other with the many promises written in the Holy Bible for our enlightenment.  (I like “light” in the middle of “enlightenment” because it points to the Light of the World, Jesus.)

Deuteronomy 6:5                                            Thoughts to Ponder(3)

“You shall love the Lord  your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (NKJV).

 

I will wait upon the Lord with faith and trust and joy and peace, for He is good, and He cares for me.

God sent His best.  Jesus gave His all.  The least I can do is praise Him every day.

If I were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict me?

Do I have the welcome mat out for Jesus today?

Would someone guess that I was a Christian by my actions?

When the heat of life drives the bad stuff to the top, let God skim it off.  He knows where and how to get rid of it.

My salvation doesn’t depend upon my goodness.  It depends upon the mercy of God.  THANK GOD!

Every day, find time to be alone with God.  He always has time for you.

Think about and pray for one different person every day.

Today might be the last chance you have to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior.  Take it!  You’ll be glad you did.

PRAISE BE TO GOD!

John 3:16                                              Thoughts to Ponder(2)

For the nexr two days I will be posting ten thoughts a day.  Hopefully, one or several, will give you something to think about or pray about.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (NKJV).

 

Lord, help me approach this week of work as if I were working directly for You.

Do I look forward to Jesus’ return as much as He does?

Jesus loves me as much on my bad days as He does on my good days, and He expects as much from me on my bad days as He does on my good days.

Lord, show me how to make a difference in someone’s life today.

Sin in my life must be replaced by something.  Lord, fill me!

No one will ever love you as much as Jesus Christ does.

I am not the general manager of the universe., but I know the one who is.

Keep a folder of favorite Scriptures at hand.

Be the last one to speak.  By then you have heard everyone else’s opinion and have had time to pray about yours.

Some of the best conversations my wife and I have had have not been particularly long, but they were heartfelt and filled with love, care, and appreciation for each other.

PRAISE BE TO GOD!

 

 

Genesis 1:1                                              Thoughts to Ponder(1)

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (NKJV).

 

For the next three days I will be posting ten thoughts a day.  Hopefully, one or several, will give you something to think about or pray about.

Even on my worst days, when I am most ashamed of myself, Jesus still calls me His friend, and He speaks to the Father on my behalf.

When the lines of communication are broken between God and me, guess who is at fault, and guess who is ready, willing, and able to re-establish the connection at a moment’s notice.

When Jesus returns, will I be glad to have Him see what I am doing?

Whenever I question who I am, I just have to remember whose I am.

To whom have I shown the love of Jesus Christ today?

When I walk toward Christ, I walk away from sin.

I study to make myself worthy.  I strive to make myself worthy. I work really hard to make myself worthy.   But I can never become worthy of Jesus’ love on my own.  Jesus asks me to accept Him.  As soon as I do, I am already worthy  because He is worthy.

Do you have a Christian heritage in your family?  If so, thank God.  If not, thank God that you are beginning one.

Take time to listen when I pray.  It’s a two-way conversation.  God’s words are more important than mine.

Probably someone you love needs to hear you express that love today.

PRAISE BE TO GOD!

 

1 Peter 4:10                                             Everybody Is Big League

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (NIV).

 

This was the home field of the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, a triple A affiliate of several major league baseball teams.  The players’ next step was the major leagues—the Big Time.  They were all playing hard to get their shot at the big time or to get back to the big time.  They were good players; some would make it and some would not.  Major league teams have a roster limit of 26 players, which means that any time one of these guys got called up, someone else was sent down.  Elation and heart-break are frequent emotions for these men.  While some will become long-time major leaguers, most will, at best, play a few years in the major leagues, and some will never make it.

What a difference there is on God’s team!  First of all, there are no minor leagues.  Everybody is on God’s all-time all-star team.  “For God does not show favoritism” (Romans 2:11 NIV).  Everyone on His team is a starter.  God expects each of us to do the job that he or she has assigned, and no one’s job is more important than anyone else’s.   We do not have to worry about being “sent down” because we have not performed as well as God may like.  God depends upon us, but He is very patient with each of us.  There is no roster limit for God’s team.  We get to choose to join God’s team, and when we do, He assigns us a position, one in which we can serve Him best.  We are not waiting for our “shot” at the big time.  Once we are on His team, we are already in the big time.

Thank you, Lord, for giving me the opportunity to be a big part of your team.  Help me to do my best.

 

Matthew 6:4                                    Even Little Things Matter to God

“…so that your giving may be in secret.  Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (NIV).

 

This little waterfall adds little to the flow of the mighty Snake River in Idaho, and very few people even see it.  It’s back a poorly marked dirt road with barely a wide space in the road for parking.  We drove past it, even knowing it was there, but we did go back and find it.  It was worth the effort we made to see it.  To most people who drive by on U. S. route 26, it doesn’t even exist.  We were rewarded for making the extra effort to find it.  God, of course, knows where this sparkling gem is located, and He appreciates it.  He created it to be right where it is, and it fulfills its purpose of adding to the flow of the Snake River (and its secondary purpose of adding beauty to its surroundings.)

Those little things you do for the Church, the unnoticed things, may not be noticed by many, but God notices them.  He takes note of them, and He lays up rewards in Heaven for each of them.  It’s not just the small things you do for the Church; it’s the little things you do for your neighbors, your friends, and even strangers.  God notices them all, and He appreciates the heart that thought enough to perform these little things.  Often the person who is the recipient of the small favor does not even know who did it, but he or she appreciates it also.  He or she may even say a short prayer of thanksgiving and blessing upon the thoughtful person.  So don’t give up doing the small things.  They are noticed and appreciated, and rewards are laid up in heaven for the doer of them.

May God bless you greatly for all the small, thoughtful things you do.

Ecclesiastes 3:1                                          A Season for Everything

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens….” (NIV)

 

As a former teacher and a photographer, my seasons have been somewhat confused.  Spring is a time of new birth as I witness trees sprout leaves, flowers begin to bloom, and even baby animals frolic through the fields, a great time for a photographer.  Fall, on the other hand, is the beginning of a new school year, and as a teacher the excitement of a new group of students and sometimes a new subject to teach.  The vibrant colors of the leaves as they change excite the photographer’s creative juices as much as the surging of spring.

Summertime is the time of preparation for me as a teacher to prepare for the coming school year, but it is also the time when we explore God’s beautiful creation.  Of course the photographer in me enjoys the longer days, the lingering sunsets, and the stirring sunrises throughout this fantastic creative work of God.

During the winter many animals hibernate, the trees rest, but the teacher is hard at work plying his trade, the nurturing of young minds.  The photographer deals with special challenges with light as the snow falls and confuses the camera, but many of my favorite photographs have been taken in this challenging time.

So, what does all this talk about teacher and photographers have to do with “a season for every activity under the heavens?”  Annual seasons affect all of us in different ways according to our life situations, and lifetime seasons can easily be seen in each life.  Is it time for me to reflect on my spiritual life, my life of work for our Lord, and see how productive or non-productive I have been so far?  Is it time for me to realize that I may have wasted the time of preparation for the harvest?  Will my harvest be as full as it could have or should have been?  These are cogent questions, but we should rejoice over the lives we have affected for Christ, the lost we’ve helped find Jesus, the Christ followers we have helped grow, and the children, our own and others, we have nurtured with the faith.  We know that the angels in heaven rejoice over every soul saved, that’s right EVERY ONE, none more so than any other.  So, don’t be discouraged but rejoice with the angels whatever your season of life.