Encouraging the Discouraged

“But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the comfort of my lips would relieve your grief” –Job16:6

Though we hope to encourage people who are suffering from their pain, trials and hardships, we are often quick to judge them. Perhaps they deserve what they are going through right now, maybe they have sinned and they are suffering from the consequence of it, or maybe God is punishing them for all the wrong they have committed. But is this really the way we encourage the discouraged?

            Job has been through a lot. But his friends who tried to comfort him end up discouraging him and make the matters worst for him. So in response he rebukes them and told them that if they would be in his place suffering the same things like him he can also criticize them and rebukes them of their “sins” but instead, if it were him, he would encourage them and would try to take away their grief (v.6).

Courage Under Fire

Help will be given

Read: Matthew 10 : 16 - 23

"Do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

Courage Under Fire

Time will come, as Jesus have proclaimed, that as a believer ,we will be persecuted regarding our beliefs.  We may be beaten, we may even have to defend in trials what we stand for, but this will be an opportunity to tell them, the rulers and the unbelievers, about Christ, the coming Kingdom and His gospel of Salvation (v.17-18).

Harvest Time

The Laborers are Few

Read: Matthew 9 : 36 - 10 : 4

" the harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest send out laborers into His harvest."

Harvest Time

About two thousand years ago, Jesus had clearly state that the harvest are plentiful but the laborers are few. Today is the same. The harvest are plentiful but the laborers are few. We can tell that it is harvest time when the crop is right for picking, we can tell if it is harvest time when we see people who are weary, lost and  wandering start looking for answers on the wrong places.

Be A Good Tree

A few Good Men

Read: Matthew 7 : 13 - 20

"Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

"Therefore by their fruits you will know them."

Being a Good Tree

Life is a choice. We can choose to be a good tree or to be a bad tree. Few people choose to be a good tree, for it is hard and full of trials. A good tree needs nourishment, needs trimming and needs grafting ones in a while. But a bad tree grows on its own, though it needs nourishment but it doesn’t requires trimming and grafting, it wants to be left alone on its own accord. He is the master of his soul, the captain of his ship. That's why many people chooses to be a bad tree rather than being a good tree.

Reason for Wilderness

Read: Deuteronomy 8:1-20

God often led us through our wilderness in His perfect time and will. For reasons we need to understand,  in order to enjoy the fullness of His blessings. Below are the reasons for such wilderness in our lives to happen.

Delegating Tasks and Developing People

(Moving from Addition to Multiplication in Your Ministry)

"Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, "It is not desirable that we should leave the Word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business."  (- Acts 6:2-3)

Unexpected Team Members

Beyond the Boundaries

ACTS 10:9-16 NIV

"About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter, kill and eat.""Surely not, Lord!" Peter replied. "I have never eaten anything impure or unclean." The voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean." This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven."

Building the Right Team

The Choosing of the Seven

Acts 6:1-7 NIV

"In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables, Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of Spirit and wisdom, We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word." This proposal pleased the whole group, they choose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit: also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas,  and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. So the word of God spread, The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and the large number of priests became obedient to the faith."