The God Of Endurance And Encouragement

Let's not underestimate the power of encouragement. The right words at the right time mean so much when they are personal and wise.

I think if God appeared to us this morning and spoke to us like we speak to each other He would encourage us and build us up.

"May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." - Romans 15:5-6 ESV

"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." - 1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV

If you started something with the intention of glorifying God then please don't quit. If you love some wholesome thing then don't stop. Don't let years go by and then say later, 'Why did I stop?' don't live with regrets that you didn't do what was set before you to do.

"Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart." - Psalm 37:4 ESV

It is my conviction that when we delight in God He puts desires in our heart and then gives those things to us... but none of these things happen in a vacuum. God uses people in His process.

I have a goal this week.

I am going to look for ways to encourage people. I am going to pray that God would open my eyes to who needs a word of encouragement and how to say it creatively so it will be received. My goal is to do that to as many people as possible. I want to use all the tools in my tool belt. Humor, wisdom, inquisitiveness, simplicity... whatever it takes.

I'm also going to keep putting one step in front of the other in the things I love. How can I tell others not to quit if I have quit on what I love?

"...And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." - Matthew 28:20b ESV

God is with us. He isn't leaving. He is for us.

Even if it is just one little thing scheduled everyday.

Don't quit.

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A Special Brand Of 'Don't Quit!'

'Don't quit!'

I love to hear that phrase but at the same time I understand as I get older that there are several kinds of attitudes that can make living that phrase a reality.

Pride has a kind of faithfulness and steely strength that won't bend, move or stop because it will lose something or being lessened in someone else's eyes. Pride just won't be the first one to quit because it thinks it is better.

But, There is another kind of 'don't quit' this one is gentle and draws no attention to itself at all.

"For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord." - Ephesians 5:8-10 ESV

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit." - Galatians 5:22-25 ESV

I want my 'yes' to be 'yes' and my 'no' to be a big fat 'no'. I for one want to quit everything that is dark and keep in step with what is in the light. Pride won't let me quit but I must. God has given me something wondrous to say 'yes' to.

Faithfulness is the 'don't quit' I desire to live in. But, I've seen the faithfulness born or pride and not born as a fruit of the Holy Spirit. It is arrogant. If I point the finger anywhere it isn't going to be outward. I am the man. I am the bull who sometimes goes but knocks people over going. I am the one who won't quit because he doesn't want to be a quitter.

Oh, But then I see Jesus.

He is just over there. He is just behind the closed door. He Is worshiping in the chapel. He is standing in the place where we don't have a church yet. He is in each room looking at people and loving them. He Is with me but He Is also just over there... a few steps past me... love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control are just over there waiting to born into the world.

I can't quit. I want to be there with Him. My wife needs a husband. My mother needs a son. My sister needs a brother. People need a preacher. That place needs a Church. A dead building on each corner won't cut it. They need a living Church. People need to see Him and then some will also drop their nets and follow Him once they see the power that is there in Him.

Jesus the eternal One never quits because He would have to affected by time and space and to do that. He would have to change or be discouraged and He never does either of those things. He Is ever and always faithful. Basking in His light we never need to stop. There is new life in every step.

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Put On A Clean Shirt And Go Soul-Winning

When things don't go the way we want in life and we feel like we have had a spiritual 'setback' we can always study and rehearse verses about grace and go soul winning.

"As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." - 2 Timothy 4:5 ESV

Some might think this is a program of some kind. No. It is a return our roots. It is us going back to realizing that this life is not about us and our expectations. This is a seek and save that which is lost age of history. At it's roots Christianity is reaching souls with grace and truth.

Others might say, 'I don't do this now. I never have. Why start now... especially now when I am depressed?'

Do you want to see the supernatural right before your eyes? Grab some tracks and grab a spiritually hungry young person (or old person) and go somewhere armed with the Gospel on your lips. You will see light and dark manifested right quick as you open your mouth.

Here is an old testament passage that illustrates the newness that can happen when we face down disappointment wit this kind of 'revenging disobedience with obedience'.

"The LORD said to Samuel, 'How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.'

And Samuel said, 'How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.'

And the LORD said, 'Take a heifer with you and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.' And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. And you shall anoint for me him whom I declare to you.'

Samuel did what the LORD commanded and came to Bethlehem.

The elders of the city came to meet him trembling and said, 'Do you come peaceably?' And he said, 'Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.'

And he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice...

Then Samuel said to Jesse, 'Are all your sons here?'

And he said, 'There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.'

And Samuel said to Jesse, 'Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.' And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome.

And the LORD said, 'Arise, anoint him, for this is he.'" - 1 Samuel 16:1-5, 11-12 ESV

Samuel grabbed a lamb and went to sacrifice. We have a lamb that has already been slain. We grab a message and go. Maybe it is on slips of paper. Maybe it is something else we give out or a shirt we wear or a sign we hold but we go. We go looking for someone to anoint. We go on purpose to speak words of life.

It is amazing who those words will connect to when we go.

Or you can just stay home depressed that king Saul (representing the carnal man) didn't work out as planned.

"And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet." - Matthew 10:14 KJV

"Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed [himself], and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat." - 2 Samuel 12:20 KJV

'Put on a clean shirt, say a quick prayer and go soul-winning.' That's what I say. It is amazing how newness can be ushered in because someone who is hurting gets encouraged by the words of hope you are saying purely by faith.

I am convinced that God will arrange such appointments when we determine in our heart to function just this way. Let's face it... how many people are willing to do this?

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