Encouragement

To encourage is to:
· inspire with courage, spirit, heart or hope
· nurture, advance or support
· promote confidence in a positive outcome
· foster through the expression of approval
· provide tangible or moral assistance

Anxiety in a man's heart weighs it down, but an encouraging word makes it glad.
Proverbs 12:25

A glad heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken.
Proverbs 15:13

A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.
Proverbs 17:22

And you, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words; though briers and thorns are all around you and you dwell and sit among scorpions, be not afraid of their words nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.
Ezekiel 2:6

He shall not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is firmly fixed, trusting (leaning on and being confident) in the Lord.
Psalm 112:7

...The Lord is my Light and my Salvation--whom shall I fear or dread? The Lord is the Refuge and Stronghold of my life--of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 27:1

So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me?
Hebrews 13:6

In the day when I called, You answered me; and You strengthened me with strength (might and inflexibility to temptation) in my inner self.
Psalm 138:3

Then there touched me again one whose appearance was like that of a man, and he strengthened me.
Daniel 10:18

But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the [Gospel] message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was delivered out of the jaws of the lion.
2 Timothy 4:17

But charge Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him...
Deuteronomy 3:28

...Be strong and of good courage. Dread not and fear not; be not dismayed.
1 Chronicles 22:13

...encourage the timid and fainthearted, help and give your support to the weak souls, [and] be very patient with everybody [always keeping your temper].
1 Thessalonians 5:14

I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me with help and ministering care, I was in prison and you came to see Me.
Matthew 25:36

So [instead of further rebuke, now] you should rather turn and [graciously] forgive and comfort and encourage [him], to keep him from being overwhelmed by excessive sorrow and despair.
2 Corinthians 2:7

[For my concern is] that their hearts may be braced (comforted, cheered, and encouraged) as they are knit together in love...
Colossians 2:2

...Be strengthened (perfected, completed, made what you ought to be); be encouraged and consoled and comforted; be of the same [agreeable] mind one with another; live in peace...
2 Corinthians 13:11

That is, that we may be mutually strengthened and encouraged and comforted by each other's faith, both yours and mine.
Romans 1:12

And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.
Galatians 6:9

We are hedged in (pressed) on every side [troubled and oppressed in every way], but not cramped or crushed; we suffer embarrassments and are perplexed and unable to find a way out, but not driven to despair;
2 Corinthians 4:8

Do not let your hearts be troubled (distressed, agitated)...
John 14:1

Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]
John 14:27

Discouragement

To discourage is to:

· cause to lose heart (dishearten, dismay)
· deprive of hope, confidence, courage, or spirit (deject, depress)
· crush enthusiasm by the expression of disapproval (frown upon)
· hinder by intimidation or threat (daunt, frighten)
· hamper by persuasion or the raising of objections (dissuade, deter)
· obstruct by real or supposed opposition or difficulty (hinder, derail)

And some...shall be weakened and fall, [...will lose courage and become deserters. It will be a test] to refine, to purify, and to make those among [God's people] white, even to the time of the end...
Daniel 11:35

But as for the cowards... and the cravenly lacking in courage and the cowardly submissive... [all of these shall have] their part in the lake that blazes with fire and brimstone...
Revelation 21:8

He said, I heard the sound of You [walking] in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.
Genesis 3:10

So I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground...
Matthew 25:25

So I turned around and gave my heart up to despair...
Ecclesiastes 2:20

Why do you discourage the hearts of the Israelites from going over into the land which the Lord has given them?
Numbers 32:7

...and the people became impatient (depressed, much discouraged), because [of the trials] of the way.
Numbers 21:4

And He said to them, Why are you disturbed and troubled, and why do such doubts and questionings arise in your hearts?
Luke 24:38

And He said to them, What is this discussion that you are exchanging ( throwing back and forth) between yourselves as you walk along? And they stood still, looking sad and downcast.
Luke 24:17

ALSO [Jesus] told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not to turn coward (faint, lose heart, and give up).
Luke 18:1

And you, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words; though briers and thorns are all around you and you dwell and sit among scorpions, be not afraid of their words nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.
Ezekiel 2:6

Now My soul is troubled and distressed, and what shall I say? Father, save Me from this hour [of trial and agony]? But it was for this very purpose that I have come to this hour [that I might undergo it].
John 12:27

Courage

To be courageous is to possess the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face danger, pain, or other difficulties bravely. (Fearless, dauntless, brave, valiant, bold, daring.) (Not cowardly.)


...Fear not nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage...
Joshua 10:25

But... the men of Israel, took courage and strengthened themselves...
Judges 20:22

And when Asa heard these words... he took courage and put away the abominable idols...
2 Chronicles 15:8

Also Hezekiah took courage and built up all the wall that was broken...
2 Chronicles 32:5

Joseph... daring the consequences, took courage and ventured to go to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
Mark 15:43

...the Lord stood beside Paul and said, Take courage, Paul, for as you have borne faithful witness concerning Me at Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.
Acts 23:11

...Jesus... said to the paralyzed man, Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven and the penalty remitted.
Matthew 9:2

...And they called the blind man, telling him, Take courage! Get up! He is calling you.
Mark 10:49

Jesus turned around and, seeing her, He said, Take courage, daughter...
Matthew 9:22

Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring...
Psalm 27:14

...Do not be afraid of the enemy; [earnestly] remember the Lord and imprint Him [on your minds], great and terrible, and [take from Him courage to] fight...
Nehemiah 4:14

I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]
John 16:33

But instantly He spoke to them, saying, Take courage! I AM! Stop being afraid!
Matthew 14:27

Weird

I got called weird at church this week. Well, not only me, but most of my closest friends as well. It’s taken me a while to figure out what to do with that—being called weird, at church, for my personal theological convictions. It’s not as though I don’t accept that I might be a bit weird. But then, who isn’t? And am I weirder than most? Because of the way I pray?

So, just for kicks, I went online and Googled, “Am I weird?” (I figured just doing that was a pretty good indication.) Turns out there are plenty of quizzes out there that will tell you just how weird you are. Naturally, I took a few.

They all seemed to say that I’m pretty mildly weird, and I guess I have to agree in light of some of the questions they were asking. In the scope of the really scary-weird things that people think and say and do, my life suddenly seemed very tame.

Still, in the context of the Baptist church I attend, it’s likely that I register higher-than-normal on the weirdness scale. I’ve tried my best not to rattle sabres or nerves, but I guess it’s just in me to be weird. Even so, to be called weird for the way I pray? It’s not encouraging. And it has caused me to weigh, once again, the relative benefits of being considered weird in my current denomination against being accepted, possibly encouraged, in another.

Ultimately, all churches have the same problem—they are merely collections of flawed people. There is no perfect church. There are only people being perfected in Christ. And so my hope is not fixed on the church, but on Christ.

Weirdness is relative. I am Christ’s, and it is my intention to follow Him to the best of my ability, and in accordance with my personal convictions. If that makes me weird to some people, so be it.

2 Corinthians 4 (Part 2)

For the god of this world has blinded the unbelievers' minds [that they should not discern the truth], preventing them from seeing the illuminating light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ (the Messiah), Who is the Image and Likeness of God. For what we preach is not ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves [merely] as your servants (slaves) for Jesus' sake. For God Who said, Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts so as [to beam forth] the Light for the illumination of the knowledge of the majesty and glory of God [as it is manifest in the Person and is revealed] in the face of Jesus Christ (the Messiah). However, we possess this precious treasure [the divine Light of the Gospel] in [frail, human] vessels of earth, that the grandeur and exceeding greatness of the power may be shown to be from God and not from ourselves.
2 Corinthians 4:4-7

Unbelievers often describe God as silent, invisible. But the reality is somewhat the opposite. God is speaking, but we are deaf. He is visible, but we have been made blind. It gives one a better perspective of what is really going on.

And what is it that has been hidden from us? The illuminating light, light itself. Can you imagine, concealing light?

So, if sight is what unbelievers are lacking, understanding this helps us to pray for them. We can pray that they might see, that they might receive the illumination of their minds to the Gospel. We can pray that they will grasp the revelation of Christ as the manifestation of God.

And how sobering, to think that the treasure, this light, is being carried about in our mortal bodies. How wonderful, to consider that we possess this treasure. Whatever day-to-day drudgery we might find ourselves a part of, the reality is that if we possess Christ, we possess this light. We are light-bearers.

Lord, I am your messenger. Throw me like a blazing torch into the night.

Mary Skobtsova (took another woman's place in a Nazi gas chamber a day before the camp was liberated, Easter Eve, 1945)

2 Corinthains 4 (Part 1)

In the beginning God (prepared, formed, fashioned, and) created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and an empty waste, and darkness was upon the face of the very great deep. The Spirit of God was moving (hovering, brooding) over the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good (suitable, pleasant) and He approved it; and God separated the light from the darkness.
Genesis 1:1-4 (Amplified)

Today I read 2 Corinthians chapter 4, and was struck by the parallel between the “light” of the gospel referred to in this chapter and the light spoken into existence by God at the creation of the world.

For the god of this world has blinded the unbelievers' minds [that they should not discern the truth], preventing them from seeing the illuminating light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ (the Messiah), Who is the Image and Likeness of God. For what we preach is not ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves [merely] as your servants (slaves) for Jesus' sake. For God Who said, Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts so as [to beam forth] the Light for the illumination of the knowledge of the majesty and glory of God [as it is manifest in the Person and is revealed] in the face of Jesus Christ (the Messiah). However, we possess this precious treasure [the divine Light of the Gospel] in [frail, human] vessels of earth, that the grandeur and exceeding greatness of the power may be shown to be from God and not from ourselves.
2 Corinthians 4:4-7

In the context of this parallel, I find it amazing that the first recorded “command” of God is the creation of light. And it makes me ask the obvious question, “Was that intentional?" Did God already have His plan for our salvation in mind when He was forming the earth? Was the light of the world “The Light of the World”? (That is to say, was the light referred to in Genesis the person of Christ?) Is Christ aluded to before the foundations of world were begun? Before the animals? Before Adam? Well it only makes sense to say yes—but what a yes!

Cancer in the Church

Cancer is a unique disease. Apparently cancer cells are always present in the body. But then something happens that no one seems to be able to explain. Either the cells themselves are triggered, causing them to run amok, or the body’s natural defences are weakened to the point that they can no longer deal with them efficiently. Either way, the abnormal cells begin to overtake the healthy cells, and the results can be catastrophic.

I have heard that the reason cancer is so difficult to treat is because it is the body’s own defences that have become hostile. Generally when there is disease, medicines are used that will amp up the immune system in an attempt to coax the body into healing itself. Once the foreign material is identified, the body can deal with it. But in the case of cancer, the immune system loses the ability to differentiate between friend and foe. The body begins to attack itself.

I have been pondering the issue of division in the church, and cancer seems an appropriate analogy. It is a deep and difficult disease to cure, the people of God hurting one another. Perhaps it is due to protectionism, perhaps mere misunderstanding. I think that there must be at the heart of the matter an unwillingness to be wronged. And a willingness to be wronged is an essential part, I think, of living out the Christian life.

If we believe that Christ is in control, giving up one’s right to be right is not so difficult. (And just as often we are not right anyway.) Really, we have no rights. We invent them to cushion ourselves against what we perceive to be unjust. But there are many, many people in the world living without any rights at all. And those who have followed Christ throughout history willingly laid down their rights. Their defence was never for themselves, but for Christ, and they accepted (even rejoiced) in the loss of their own rights and freedoms for the sake of following Him.

Perhaps disunity, this cancer in the church, is always present to some extent. And perhaps it flares up occasionally due to a general unhealth in the body or perhaps it is triggered by some unknown force. Either way, when the body is unable to deal with it efficiently, the results can be catastrophic.

So, should we treat division in the church as doctors treat cancer? As a friend of mine recently put it, the cut, poison and burn methods? Do we cut out the bad bits, and poison and radiate the rest of the body as severely as we can without killing it in an attempt to eliminate all trace of whatever started the problem?

There has to be a better way.