There is good news to tell, and as believers, we have it! Yet many seem to keep it a secret. There is a hurting world that needs to hear our good news. What did the Apostles do with the good news? They went out and told everyone they could and turned the world upside down. Now, we’re not talking about being an evangelist, orating on a soap box, or knocking on 100 doors a day. When the occasion arises, you only need to boldly tell of your love of the Lord and His love for you. You only need to share your personal story, which may be exactly what that person needs to hear. Unless you’re on a hostile mission field, there is little to fear because most people don’t get violent when you gently tell them a love story. As Paul said in Romans, “How can anyone believe in Him who they haven’t heard about and how will they hear about Him unless somebody tells them?” (loose translation) Isiah wrote, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the gospel of peace. Who bring glad tidings of good things.” So, the big question; Are you going to have beautiful feet or what?
Where do you seek counsel, look for wisdom? I never understood why people would go on a so called spiritual trek to find a half naked guy sitting on a hill in the lotus position to ask for his wisdom. Nothing in that scenario is wicked smaart. When Solomon died and his son Rehoboam became king, he sought counsel on an important matter. He first went to the elders that had counseled his father but he rejected their advice. He then went to the young men he grew up with, heeded their advice, and the nation eventually became split in two because of it. Wise elders or your homies? It takes us all time to admit wisdom comes with age and the wisdom of Godly older people is to be cherished. Need help with a tough decision? Ask a Godly older man or woman but don’t stop there. Check that their advice matches up with God’s word. Simple gauge for wise counsel. If it draws you closer to God – very good. If it draws you away from God – very bad. Here’s a free bit of wise counsel. Spend time alone in His Word, trust in Him and not your own understanding, acknowledge Him in all your ways, and allow Him to direct your path. That from the wisest writer in the Bible!
Everybody has faith. People have faith in their boats not to sink in the sea, faith in their parachutes to open, faith in ropes not to break while danging off of a cliff, faith in the chair they sit in to hold them up. But how many people have faith like a Centurion? A lethal commander of 100 hard nosed Roman soldiers had enough faith to ask Jesus to come and heal his sick servant and while being humble enough to know he was unworthy to have Jesus come to his home, he still had the overwhelming faith in Jesus that he knew Jesus only had to speak the word from afar and his servant would be healed! We come to God by faith, knowing that without faith it is impossible to please Him. Do you please Him or do you just mouth the words not really expecting anything to happen? We are to be a people of faith, trusting in Him, in His Son, His Word. It’s time for us all to have faith like a Centurion!
There is a political uproar in this country over the major discrepancy between the rich and the poor. Like this is something new? Throughout history, man’s greed has fueled way too many fires. Look at 1 King’s and how Ahab wanted Naboth’s vineyard. Ahab already had vineyards and he had more of everything he could ever need but he coveted Naboth’s vineyard and wanted to possess it. When Naboth wouldn’t sell it to Ahab, he threw a hissy fit until Jezebel got it for him at the expense of Naboth’s life. There is nothing wrong with being wealthy until your main goal becomes being the wealthiest. Oliver Twist wanting more was a legitimate request. Someone like Warren Buffet wanting more is greed. So the question again rises. Are you working to build treasures in heaven or on earth? Wise is the person that is doing both.
Jesus taught us to love one another. So, what does that entail? Being patient, being kind, not being jealous of someone because they are talented and/or beautiful/handsome. Not being egotistical and thinking of yourself first, being courteous, self sacrificing, not easily irked by others, and only wanting the best for others. If we truly want to be examples of Christ’s love, we need to exhibit all those traits, which will in effect, make us encouragers. You don’t need the gift of encouragement to be an encourager, you only need love. Encourage others in truth, help them to be their best, to learn to soar, and if need be, soar with them. When someone does a good job, tell them. When someone messes up, tell them they’ll do better next time. Let’s be a body of Christians that are known for our love and honest encouragement for one another.
As Paul tells us in Romans, we are all one body in Christ with many members but all the members do not have the same function. We are all given spiritual gifts, differing according to the grace that is given to us, and we are to use them. There is one gift that some people have an abundance of but it is also one we all are able to use, the gift of encouragement. It is a powerful gift that can start wheels turning or squash people in their tracks. A simple word of encouragement can brighten one’s day or bring on dark clouds. So, which are you, an encourager or a discourager? It takes little to no effort to say something encouraging. Think about Joses in the early church. He was such a positive guy the Apostles changed his name to Barnabas which means son of encouragement! Make it a goal to be a Barnabas to everyone you meet. You’ll not only be honoring the Lord, you’ll be somebody everybody wants to know!
There is good news to tell, and as believers, we have it! Yet many seem to keep it a secret. There is a hurting world that needs to hear our good news. What did the Apostles do with the good news? They went out and told everyone they could and turned the world upside down. Now, we’re not talking about being an evangelist, orating on a soap box, or knocking on 100 doors a day. When the occasion arises, you only need to boldly tell of your love of the Lord and His love for you. You only need to share your personal story, which may be exactly what that person needs to hear. Unless you’re on a hostile mission field, there is little to fear because most people don’t get violent when you gently tell them a love story. As Paul said in Romans, “How can anyone believe in Him who they haven’t heard about and how will they hear about Him unless somebody tells them?” (loose translation) Isiah wrote, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the gospel of peace. Who bring glad tidings of good things.” So, the big question; Are you going to have beautiful feet or what?
Where do you seek counsel, look for wisdom? I never understood why people would go on a so called spiritual trek to find a half naked guy sitting on a hill in the lotus position to ask for his wisdom. Nothing in that scenario is wicked smaart. When Solomon died and his son Rehoboam became king, he sought counsel on an important matter. He first went to the elders that had counseled his father but he rejected their advice. He then went to the young men
Everybody has faith. People have faith in their boats not to sink in the sea, faith in their parachutes to open, faith in ropes not to break while danging off of a cliff, faith in the chair they sit in to hold them up. But how many people have faith like a Centurion? A lethal commander of 100 hard nosed Roman soldiers had enough faith to ask Jesus to come and heal his sick servant and while being humble enough to know he was unworthy to have Jesus com
