Tag: truth

A Life Prepared for Climate Change

Climate change is coming and the life that is prepared for it will have great peace, now and also when it comes. There are three things you need to do to be ready for climate change and that is act, ask and acknowledge. If you will do these things then you need not fear. Faith and fear can not abide in the same vessel.

I John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

Everyone who is born of God overcomes the world. Faith is the victory that overcomes the world. Have faith in the Lord and do not fear.

Genesis 6:8,9  But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God.

The Lord declared Noah righteous because he trusted in the Lord and the righteous shall live by faith.

Romans 4:5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,

When the Lord flooded the earth because of the violence and sin on the earth by its inhabitants He did not destroy Noah and his family. He provided the ark for them. Noah had believed and acted on the Lord’s Words and was saved.

Genesis 7:1 Then the Lord said to Noah, “Enter the ark, you and all your household, for you alone I have seen to be righteous before Me in this time.

Noah did exactly as the Lord commanded him. Climate change also came during the days of Elijah but he also was prepared because he not only acted and lived by faith but he also asked the Lord to help him.

I Kings 17:1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”

It did not rain just as the Lord said. The climate really changed but the Lord took care of Elijah and he asked the Lord for rain and it rained.

James 5:17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.

Neither Noah nor Elijah were fearful because of the climate change because they trusted in the Lord and acted according to His Word. There is another climate change coming and it will not just be global warming but it will be global heat because the Lord says that He will destroy the heavens and the earth with fire and all who do not believe in Him and acknowledge Him as Lord and Savior.

II Peter 3:7 But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

All who acknowledge Him as Lord and Savior will be saved. We need to acknowledge that we need Him and that He alone is the Lord of lords and King of kings. We are sinners who need a Savior and Lord. One day every knee will bow before the Lord Jesus Christ but how blessed will be those who bow before Him now and call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Phillipians 2:9-11 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The Lord declares those righteous who acknowledge their sin and their need for a Savior and who call upon the Lord Jesus Christ. It is by faith that we are saved through God’s grace. We who have believed in Jesus Christ have nothing to fear concerning climate change.

Romans 1:16,17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.”

A Life that Is Not Afraid of Death

Death is a natural fear in all of us. In our natural being we are afraid of dying. However, the fear of death is one of the things that the Lord takes away from the one who believes in Him and has trusted Him for their eternal salvation.

Hebrews 2:14,15 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.

We are all appointed to die and then comes judgment. We have no control over our lives before and after death. We all will die.

Hebrews 9:27 And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,

We do not have to fear death if we belong to the Lord Jesus Christ because He died for us so that we will not have to experience the sting of death. When a bee stings a person it leaves it’s stinger in the person and is powerless to sting again. The bee can still fly around and terrorize a person but it can not hurt them. In the same way, Jesus took the stinger when He took the sting of death so that death now is powerless over us.

I Corinthians 15:55-57 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord has given us the victory over death so that we no longer have to fear death. If we have Christ then we have the victory and have been delivered out of death into life. For this reason, the Christian does not die but they fall asleep and wake up in the presence of the Lord when they pass from this earth.

II Corinthians 5:6-10 Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— for we walk by faith, not by sight— we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Since the Lord has delivered us from the power of sin and death we are to walk in a manner pleasing to Him and to make this our ambition so that when we do appear before the judgment seat of Christ we will be found pleasing to Him by the good deeds that we have done in His name and for His glory. Let us not lose heart.

Galatians 6:9,10  Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.

A Life that Desires the Truth

One of the changes that the Lord makes in a person is that after they become a Christian they want to know the truth. This is an evidence of their salvation because Jesus is the truth.

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

We are set apart from others because of the truth. God’s Word is the truth and is not a lie. The world can not distinguish between the truth and lies and they often believe a lie. Any explanation that takes God out of the picture is a lie and Satan is the Father of lies.

John 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.

One of the characteristics of a disciple of Jesus is that they will know the truth through His Word and the truth will set them free.

John 8:31,32 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

Jesus was full of grace and truth and as we grow in our relationship with the Lord then we also should be growing in grace and truth. Truth is what we receive into our lives to change us and grace is what we give to others who fall short of the truth.

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

The Father seeks those who worship in the Spirit and truth.

John 4:23 But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.

The Lord is near to those who call upon Him in truth. He wants us to pray His Words back to Him.

Psalm 145:18 The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.

All His commandments are truth. When we keep His commandments then we will be living according to His truth and we will be free from the snares of death. He came to give us life and this is how we experience His life, by keeping His commandments by His grace, which is His power to obey Him. He gives grace to the humble and He leads the humble in His truth.

Psalm 119:151 You are near, O Lord, And all Your commandments are truth.

His lovingkindness and His truth will preserve you.

Psalm 40:11 You, O Lord, will not withhold Your compassion from me; Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me.

There are many other benefits of knowing the truth. The Lord says to buy it and not to sell it. The more you share the truth of God’s Word with others then the more it will become a part of you.

Proverbs 23:23 Buy truth, and do not sell it, Get wisdom and instruction and understanding.

Don’t seek to have your ears tickled by listening to what you “desire” to hear. The truth may not always be what you want to hear but you will be glad that you heard it and obeyed it. Over and over again, Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear”.

II Timothy 4:3,4 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

A Life that Waits on God

The soul that learns to wait on the Lord will experience great peace and learns to rejoice in Him. Also, those who learn to trust in Him will experience His lovingkindness. A human is made up of three basic parts, the spirit, soul and body. We become spiritually alive when we become a Christian. When we become a Christian our soul experiences His love and our soul is made up of our will, mind and emotions.

Psalm 33:20-22 Our soul waits for the Lord;
He is our help and our shield.
For our heart rejoices in Him,
Because we trust in His holy name.
Let Your lovingkindness, O Lord, be upon us,
According as we have hoped in You.

Although we become spiritually alive after we become a Christian, our soul can experience either life or death. Death to the soul is that sick feeling that we have when we sin, the guilt and the regret in our mind and emotions. We can also grieve the Spirit of the Lord, who lives within us and we will experience sadness because we have grieved the One who loves us. Christianity is a relationship with the living God through Jesus Christ our Lord. His Spirit comes and lives within us and we commune with God through His Spirit and His Word.

James 5:19 My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

We need each other because all of us have a tendency to stray from the truth, which is God’s Word. We need to constantly be pointing each other to the Lord through His Word. His Word will keep us from straying from Him and often when we stray then our sin will keep us from getting back into His Word.

James 1:21 Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.

When we learn to abide in His Word and let His Words abide in us then we learn to wait on Him. When we wait on Him then we learn to soar like the eagle. The eagle can fly the highest with the least amount of effort. The eagle is majestic in its flight.

Isaiah 40:31 Yet those who wait for the Lord
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.

Do you get tired in your journey or do you ever become weary? Learn to wait on Him. Learn to abide in the Lord. The Lord’s favor will be on you as you learn to wait on Him.

Psalm 147:11 The Lord favors those who fear Him,
Those who wait for His lovingkindness.

The Lord is good to the one who waits for Him.

Lamentations 3:25,26 The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the person who seeks Him.
It is good that he waits silently
For the salvation of the Lord.

As you learn to wait on the Lord then you will see that what He will do for the one who waits for Him is more than what you could have preceived, seen or heard. He will do far more than your highest dreams.

Isaiah 64:4 For from days of old they have not heard or perceived by ear,
Nor has the eye seen a God besides You,
Who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him.

What is the opposite of waiting on the Lord? It is being anxious and fretful. It will only lead to grief.

Psalm 37:7-9 Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
Cease from anger and forsake wrath;
Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.
For evildoers will be cut off,
But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.

The land is another word for the promises of God. Your inheritance is a rich one and is all of His promises to His children. Trust Him and wait on Him. He loves you and is waiting to show you His compassion and love. How blessed are those who learn to wait on Him and long for Him.

Isaiah 30:18 Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you,
And therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you.
For the Lord is a God of justice;
How blessed are all those who long for Him.

 

A Life that Does Exactly

If you really want to be blessed then learn to do exactly as the Lord has commanded you. The great men of God in the Bible did exactly as the Lord commanded them. Noah was one of the great men of God.

Genesis 6:22 Thus Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him, so he did.

Moses did according to all that the Lord had commanded him.

Exodus 40:16 Thus Moses did; according to all that the Lord had commanded him, so he did.

There is a temptation to twist God’s Word. In other words, we try to get it to say what we want it to say. Satan did this when he tried to tempt Jesus.

Matthew 4:5-6 Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning You’; and ‘On their hands they will bear You up, So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’”

However, the devil “misquoted” God’s Word and left out a crucial part. He left out the part that says, “to guard you in all your ways” because the devil did not want Jesus to do exactly according to God’s Word, which is God’s ways.

Psalm 91:11,12 For He will give His angels charge concerning you,
To guard you in all your ways.
They will bear you up in their hands,
That you do not strike your foot against a stone.

When we twist God’s Word then it is no longer the truth and has been twisted to give a different meaning. We might take God’s Word and twist it to say what we want it to say so that we can do what we want to do. Another word for twisted is crooked. When we try to twist God’s Word then we become crooked and our actions are crooked.

II Timothy 4:3,4a For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth

Be on your guard that you do not try to conform God’s Word to you but that you become conformed to His Word. When this happens then your life will be transformed.

Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

When your mind is renewed through God’s Word then you will become transformed into what the Word is, which is Christ Himself.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Others will see Christ in you and it will not be your life but it will be the life of Christ manifested through you to the world. You will truly be able to say, “not I, but Christ”.

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

If you don’t do this but insist on going your own way and hearing what you want to hear from the Bible then the outcome will be that you will become twisted in your thinking. When you become twisted in your thinking then you become twisted in your actions. What is right will seem wrong and what is wrong will seem right. You might even feel clever in your own sight.

Isaiah 5:20-21 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness;
Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes
And clever in their own sight!

Your life will become rotten at the root and your outward beauty will disappear because you have rejected and despised the Word of the Lord.

Isaiah 5:24 Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes stubble
And dry grass collapses into the flame,
So their root will become like rot and their blossom blow away as dust;
For they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts
And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

 

 

 

 

 

A Life that Is Not Deceived

The nature of deception is that we do not realized that we are deceived, that is, until later after we have experienced the pain and despair of being deceived. How many times have we said to ourselves, “I was so deceived, I thought…” or “I trusted this person and they deceived me”. The Bible says that women are more easily deceived.

I Timothy 2:13 For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.

Women often are very trusting of people. This is a wonderful quality unless she trusts the wrong person. There is something within a female that wants to trust. However, the Lord has given us some help, a lot of help, so that we will not be deceived. Deception is the same thing as a lie but it is in a different form. It is a lie with a lot of appeal. One of the things that will help us to not be deceived is to know the truth. A woman who knows the truth will have a much greater safeguard within her to identify the empty deceptions in life that promise so much.

Genesis 3:1-3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’”

The Lord did not say anything about touching the fruit so Eve added to God’s Word. The Lord gives us grace to keep His Word exactly as He has told us. We are not to add to it or take from it.

Deuteronomy 4:2 You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.

Seek the Lord with all of your heart and put God’s Word in your heart so that you will not be tempted to sin but will do exactly as He has commanded you to do.

Psalm 119:10,11 With all my heart I have sought You;
Do not let me wander from Your commandments.
Your word I have treasured in my heart,
That I may not sin against You.

The next safeguard that the Lord has given to you is that a female is always to be under her God given authority. If Eve had gone to Adam and asked him what to do then she would not have been deceived. Adam was not deceived but Eve was. Eve thought she knew better and looked at the fruit. It seemed good to her.

Genesis 3:6,7 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.

One of the first consequences of sin is that you are now vulnerable. They were naked. Not only were their bodies were naked but their souls were made bare. They were also ashamed. We become not only fearful when we sin but we become vulnerable and ashamed.

Genesis 3:23 therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden,

Sin has a horrible cost to it. Sin brings rejection, defeat, shame, dishonor and death. Death to our spirit, death to our soul and ultimately death to our body. This very sad and destructive path begins with deception, then disobedience and then death.

James 1:14-16 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.

The word “lust” in the Greek literally means desire. A lust is a desire that is outside of the will of God. We are tempted when we are carried away by our own desires. We we give in to our desire, rather than trust the Lord, then we sin. When sin is accomplished it brings forth death.

James 1:16,17 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

The Lord is good and He wants to give you your heart’s desire but He wants you to trust Him and wait on Him to give them to you. Tell the Lord what is on your heart. Cast your burdens on Him for He cares for you. He loves you and longs to be gracious to you.

Matthew 7:11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

A Life of Faith and Love

The most exciting life is a life of your faith and His love. You will be amazed at His faithfulness and so in love with the Lord when you see Him be true to His Word. A life of faith is a prerequisite to seeing His faithfulness. When you declare, by faith, His lovingkindness in the morning then you will see His faithfulness at night.

Psalm 92:2 To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning And Your faithfulness by night,

A life of faith is taking Him at His Word. There is no limit to experiencing His love for you other than your unbelief. Fearing Him is respecting Him in an all consuming way where you believe His Word so much that you know that it is true and will do what His Word says to do. Fearing Him is obedience. You can fear Him now voluntarily by faith or you can wait until you see Him and how true His Word is to what He says will take place and then you will really fear Him but that kind of fear is one of a terrifying fear.

Psalm 103:11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.

When you live by faith then His lovingkindness is what will describe your life. It will be the explanation for who you are and everything in your life because He loves you so very much but you must take Him at His Word to see that love.

Psalm 25:10 All the paths of the Lord are lovingkindness and truth To those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.

The Lord will be your boast and in Him you will glory. You will not be able to stop talking about Him and all of the incredible things that He has done for you.

Psalm 89:24 “My faithfulness and My lovingkindness will be with him, And in My name his horn will be exalted.

You will anticipate each new day and what His great lovingkindness holds for you. No matter how much you mess up the day before His lovingkindnesses and compassions are new every morning.

Lamentations 3:22-25 The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I have hope in Him.”
The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the person who seeks Him.

Everything that the Lord does for you is done in His faithfulness. Trust Him and let Him direct your steps. He is good.

Psalm 33:4 For the word of the Lord is upright, And all His work is done in faithfulness.

Underneath are the everlasting arms and He has destroyed the enemy from before you.

Deuteronomy 33:27 “The eternal God is a dwelling place, And underneath are the everlasting arms; And He drove out the enemy from before you, And said, ‘Destroy!’

Will you trust Him again as you did when you first became a Christian? Of if you have not yet trusted Him with your life then today is the day to begin. You can begin with the prayer that the person prayed, “Lord, I want to believe, help me in my unbelief.” He is more than willing to help you. He wants to give you this incredible life that is overflowing but first you must trust Him.

John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

There are only two choices in life…one of a life that is ultimately destroyed or a life that is saved. These two choices go into eternity but are made by you here on earth. Do you choose the destroyer or the Savior?

A Life of Quietness and Tranquility

What is the home of your thoughts? In other words, when you have nothing to think about then where do your thoughts go to? Where your thoughts go to is where your heart abides. For some their thoughts abide in anxiety. They always have something to worry about and when one worry is taken care of then they will just go to another worry. They live in a state of anxiety. The Lord wants you to live in a state of quietness, tranquility and peace. It is precious to the Lord and it makes you beautiful to others. It is true beauty that clothes, jewelry and makeup can not produce.

I Peter 3:3,4 Your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.

It will be life to you when you learn to live in tranquility. Once you learn to abide in this kind of life you will not want to go back to the restlessness of your soul.

Proverbs 14:30 A tranquil heart is life to the body, But passion is rottenness to the bones.

Prayer is a necessary requirement for a life of tranquility. Do you pray for your leaders, the righteous and the wicked? The Bible says to pray for all and does not distinguish between the good and the bad, for no one is good but God alone.

I Timothy 2:1,2 First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.

It will be your strength and will give strength to others.

Isaiah 30:15 For thus the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said, “In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength.” But you were not willing,

It comes when you do life right. If there is drama or a lack of peace and quietness then there is a lack of righteousness.

Isaiah 32:17 And the work of righteousness will be peace, And the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.

Do you listen more to God’s servants or more to the news?

Ecclesiastes 9:17 The words of the wise heard in quietness are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools.

What is your home like? If you have a roommate or if you are a young wife do those who live with you look forward to coming home? Many a man will think of an excuse of “things” he needs to do just to get away from the strife of a contentious wife or constantly fussing kids. A mother needs to teach her children that there is a time for quietness as well as a time for play.

Proverbs 17:1 Better is a dry morsel and quietness with it Than a house full of feasting with strife.

You will not be able to enjoy any of the good gifts that the Lord gives to you if you do not have quietness within. There will be no rest, security, peace or delight.

Job 3:26 “I am not at ease, nor am I quiet, And I am not at rest, but turmoil comes.”

Job 20:20 “Because he knew no quiet within him, He does not retain anything he desires.

How can we live in the peace and tranquility that the Lord has for us? There is only one way and that is the way of the Good Shepherd, for He leads us beside quiet waters and restores our anxious soul.

Psalm 23:1-3 The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

You will be glad when you come to that life of peace, quietness and tranquility. You will live in security and confidence and will be a comfort to those around you.

Psalm 107:30 Then they were glad because they were quiet, So He guided them to their desired haven.

Your spirit will be precious to the Lord and you will radiate the beauty of the Lord as you follow the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for you so that you might live life to the fullest.

John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

Don’t let the thief rob you of your peace, kill your quietness or destroy your tranquility. For the Lord Jesus has overcome Him.

 

 

 

A Life of An Encourager

We all need hope and encouragement brings hope and the courage to press on. Discouragement means that we have lost our courage. There are times in a person’s life when they want to quit. If you are an encourager you will never lack friends or a ministry. The Christian and the nonChristian will always need encouragement.

I Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build up one another,  just as you also are doing.

The Lord is the One who gives encouragement so that we might persevere and not give up. He wants us to be of the same mind with one another, that is, to have the mind of Christ.

Romans 15:5 Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus,

Today, when you have the opportunity, encourage someone. You may not get the chance tomorrow. Sin deceives and we need one another to keep from being deceived and falling. Encouragement to someone who is downcast is like giving a cup of cold water to one who is thirsty. Their soul is quenched and encouragement refreshes their soul.

Hebrews 3:13 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

Daniel was an encouragement to the one he worked for and was a blessing to him.

Daniel 11:1 In the first year of Darius the Mede, I arose to be an encouragement and a protection for him.

Barnabas was an encouragement to the Christians.

Acts 4:36 Now Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement),

Acts 11:22-24 The news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off to Antioch. Then when he arrived and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord; for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And considerable numbers were brought to the Lord.

Jonathan encouraged his best friend, David. Encourage your friends so that they might thrive.

I Samuel 23:16 And Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him in God.

Encourage the exhausted. Those who are in the battle for the Lord get weary and exhausted. They need you. New mothers need encouragement and young wives need it also. We all need encouragement.

Isaiah 35:3 Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble.

Encourage your leaders who lead you spiritually that they may be strengthened  in the Lord.

Deuteronomy 1:38 Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before you, he shall enter there; encourage him, for he will cause Israel to inherit it.

The Scripture was given to us to encourage us and give us hope. Read the Old Testament as well as the New Testament.

Romans 15:4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

When we take refuge in the Lord then we come away with encouragement.

Hebrews 6:18 so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.

The Lord gives us encouragement so that we also might give encouragement to others. When you look to Jesus then He will show you those around you who need encouragement. The world is filled with hungry and thirsty souls who need the encouragement and refreshment that you can give them.

Proverbs 11:25 The generous man will be prosperous, And he who waters will himself be watered.

If the Lord calls you to be married then your husband will desperately need your encouragement and so will your children. Learn now how to encourage others as a way of life. Learn from others who are an example to you in this area. As you learn to encourage your friends, family and leaders then all of you will be built up together in the Lord.

 

A Life as An Ambassador

The Lord wants you to be His spokesman and represent Him to the world.

Jeremiah 15:19-21 Therefore, thus says the Lord,
“If you return, then I will restore you—
Before Me you will stand;
And if you extract the precious from the worthless,
You will become My spokesman.
They for their part may turn to you,
But as for you, you must not turn to them.
“Then I will make you to this people
A fortified wall of bronze;
And though they fight against you,
They will not prevail over you;
For I am with you to save you
And deliver you,” declares the Lord.
“So I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked,
And I will redeem you from the grasp of the violent.”

When you turn to Him, He will restore you and use you. You will be able to stand before Him. The precious that is extracted in others is the image of God that is restored in all people who receive Him as their Lord and Savior. The Bible says the heart of the wicked is worth little and yet the Lord says that He wants to see them saved.

II Corinthians 5:20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

The Lord has sent you into the world. He has entrusted the message of salvation to us which is the Good News of the Gospel. He has made you to be His ambassador.

John 20:21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

 

The Lord has made it clear to us in His Word that He requires a life of faith and faithfulness of those who belong to Him. He has given each one of general commands and specific commands. We are all commanded to fulfill the Great Commission and to go and share the Gospel and make disciples. How blessed you will be if you are faithful.

Matthew 25:21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

.You will have to give an answer to Him who sent you. How blessed you will be if you have the right answers. The only way you will have the right answers is if you know His Word and do what He says in His Word.

Proverbs 22:17-21 Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise,
And apply your mind to my knowledge;
For it will be pleasant if you keep them within you,
That they may be ready on your lips.
So that your trust may be in the Lord,
I have taught you today, even you.
Have I not written to you excellent things
Of counsels and knowledge,
To make you know the truth of the words of truth
That you may correctly answer to him who sent you?

If you are faithful to represent Him to a lost and dying world then you will stand before Him when He returns.

Luke 21:36 But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

You will not shrink back in shame if you live by faith and have been found faithful.

Hebrews 10:38,39 And,“But my righteous one will live by faith.
And I take no pleasure in the one who shrinks back.” But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.