Tag: Encouragement

⁵⁸ Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. ~ 1 Corinthians 15:58

Paul is encouraging the Corinthian church to be steadfast, which means to be unchanging, as in a firm and fixed foundation. Then he reiterates with another adjective, immovable, which means basically the same thing: firm, unshaken, and steady. So, here we get the idea that Paul is really trying to emphasize something to them. He is trying to encourage the Corinthian Christians not to be weaving and swerving in their faith but to be steadfast as a sure foundation and as immovable as a Royal Palm that grows in the Cayman Islands.

Many years ago, there was an accident in the Cayman Islands where a car traveling at a very high rate of speed with four men in it hit a Royal Palm Tree. The car was actually broken in two, and three out of the four men were killed on impact. The tree, however, was not noticeably damaged. The next day, after all the wreckage was cleared, no one could even tell that there was a triple fatality there. Only a small brown spot, which could have been caused by anything, served to mark the spot, and you had to look closely to even notice that.

This is the steadfast, immovable faith Paul is encouraging the Corinthian Church to have. He is encouraging them to never let anything disrupt their faith. Just like that palm tree withstood the impact of an event that should have caused more damage than it did, they, too, must stand firm when all sorts of trials and temptations come against them.

Those words were not written to them alone, but, by extension, they were written for our benefit as well. We are to be steadfast, immovable, without swaying to the left or to the right, but with our eyes steadfast on Jesus, we are to run our course; we are to finish the race with all perseverance. It is not easy, or even possible, for us to do if not for Jesus, but through Jesus, all things are possible for us. Therefore, we can and will finish the race and win the prize as long as we stand steadfast and immovable in Jesus’ mighty Name.

When we are steadfast and immovable, things that would knock a regular person off their feet will only bounce off of the Christian whose hope and faith is in the LORD Jesus. He is our firm foundation and with Him and through Him all things are possible for us, and all adversities are overcomeable for us.

Thank you, LORD Jesus, that You are our firm foundation, and through You, we are overcomers. We are steadfast and immovable, just like Your great faithfulness and love, and the race is winnable. I give You praise, Almighty God because there is none like You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

¹⁴ For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. ~ Habakkuk 2:14

Can you imagine a time when peace will reign, and the glory of the LORD will Cover the whole earth, and Jesus Himself will be in charge to extend true equity to everyone? What a glorious day that will be.

God has not forsaken us, nor has He left us defenseless. He will come in our time of trouble, for He has promised that the whole earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

There is coming a time when the LORD will say enough is enough, and He will return for His people. Every tear will be wiped away, and every heartache healed in the presence of the LORD. Peace will reign, and Jesus will sit as king.

Here’s the thing, though, only those who choose to follow Him now during a time of chaos and tribulation will enter into this rest. This time of peace that is promised. So, don’t be discouraged by the times; they won’t last. They won’t be forever. Paul said that these are just light afflictions compared to all that God has in store for those who love Him.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Look For His Glory.

²³ I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. ~ 1 Corinthians 9:23

Listen, the Gospel is not a selfish ambition or a one-sided effect where only one person benefits. Paul said that in a secular race, everyone runs the race, but only one person receives the prize. But it is not so in Christianity. Everyone shares in the blessings. Jesus said in Matthew 10:41 that if anyone receives a prophet because he is a prophet, that person will receive a prophet’s reward. To share in the prophet’s reward, all we have to do is to receive them. That is what Jesus said.

He even went on to say that if anyone gives a cup of water to a little child, they will receive a reward. So, the kingdom of God is about rewards and consequences. People only focus on the consequences. Oh, if God was so good, why would He send people to hell? Well, first of all, He doesn’t, it’s all your choice. You must choose to go there or not; it’s all up to you. Second, why not focus on the rewards and strive for those instead of throwing the baby out with the bathwater? I can’t serve a God who would do that. Well, how about serving a God who blesses and rewards everyone who participates? One who gave His very life so that you do not have to go to that awful place. Serve Him.

Far too often, even Christians will focus on the consequences instead of the unsearchable, unknowable, and surpassing good things that God has in store for those who love Him. God is not out to get you; if He wanted to get you, He would get you. Because who can deliver out of His hand? Or who can intercede for you against God? Therefore, let us focus on the good rewards, encourage others in the race, and share the Gospel with others, for there will be a great reward to share for those who win souls.

God is not a bad paymaster; He will give to each what they have earned because God is no man’s debtor. So, share the Gospel and so share in the blessings.

Thank You, Father, that You are not mean and stingy, but in fact, You are a generous God who loves to give good gifts that are pressed down, shaken together, and running over. Your blessings are exceedingly and abundantly more than we can even imagine. Thank You Father that You are kind and generous, and help me to always remember that so that I may grow to be like You, in Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

Back to Encouragement?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ~ Galatians 2:20

Paul said he had been crucified with Christ, not at all meaning literally crucified, but spiritually crucified. His life now belongs to Christ, that is, all of his desires, his wants, and his ambitions. It is no longer his life because his old life had been crucified with Christ. He goes on to say that the life that he now lives is by faith in Jesus, the Son of God. And why? Because Paul is convinced that Jesus loves him and died for him, now he has no other choice but to faithfully serve Him.

Over this past weekend, I went to the grocery store with my wife to pick up a few items. I placed my phone and my glasses on the little stand next to the credit card machine. I thought to myself, I better not forget these here, and so said, so done. I walked right out of that grocery store, leaving my phone and my glasses sitting right there on the little stand.

When I went to drive out of the parking lot, the radio came on because it could not connect to my phone, which alerted me that I had left my phone in the store. I quickly parked again and ran inside. The nice lady who had checked me out had my phone and glasses, and when she saw me looking for them, she came over and said, “Are you looking for these?” I felt a real relief that she had found my phone and glasses and held them for me. I felt much appreciation for her kindness of holding them for me.

Have you felt indebted to someone? Paul is feeling that way. He said, I have chosen to be crucified with Christ by my own free will, and now He lives in me. Therefore, I no longer live for myself; I live to please Christ because He loves me so much that He freely chose to suffer and die for me, and because of that, He has given me eternal life.

Jesus did not just do that for Paul alone, but He did it for all of us as well. Each and every one of us. In turn, we must now live for Him.

Father, thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to die for me. Help me to live as if I have been Crucified with Christ so that He can live in me. Thank You for loving me and caring for me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

Back to Encouragement?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

⁴⁵ Immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He dismissed the crowd. ⁴⁶ And after He had taken leave of them, He went up on the mountain to pray. ⁴⁷ And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and He was alone on the land. ⁴⁸ And He saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, ⁴⁹ but when they saw Him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, ⁵⁰ for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” ~ Mark 6:45-50

Have you ever been in a storm and have been praying and seeking God, but He just can’t seem to be found? Have you ever cried out to Him all night but just didn’t feel His presence? Like He was nowhere around? Well this was the place the disciples found themselves in. But I’m here to tell you, when you feel all alone and feel abandoned when there is nowhere to run or no one to run to, when there is nowhere to hide, and Jesus doesn’t seem to be anywhere around, do not be dismayed, neither be discouraged but rather, be encouraged because the Scripture says He ever lives to intercede for us. Therefore, rest assured, Jesus knows where you are in your storm.

In your midnight hour, when you feel all alone, and no one is there. Family is not there; they don’t understand what you’re going through. Pastor is not there; he is not able to be in all places at once. Friends just don’t understand. They have their own problems. Co-workers, well … they don’t even believe in God or even care, some of them. Your Mama’s prayers just don’t seem to be working in this storm. Children aren’t much comfort either; the storm is too great, and maybe they themselves are the cause of your storm.

Let me encourage you today; Jesus sees you. He knows where you are in your storm. He sees you straining at the oars when the wind of this life is against you. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 7:25, “Therefore He, [referring to Jesus], is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.” Jesus sees you in your storm and He is interceding for you, just like He was interceding for His disciples.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Hold Your Peace In The Storm.

Back to Encouragement?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

¹ Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, ² but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the heir of all things, through whom also He created the world. ~ Hebrews 1:1-2

The author of the book of Hebrews starts the book by explaining that God didn’t speak to everyone. In fact, God didn’t speak all the time. There were times when the Word of the LORD was rare, such as during the time of Eli, recorded in 1 Samuel 3:1. There was even 400 years of silence, but when the day of Pentecost came, recorded in Acts 2, God poured out His Spirit on all flesh, fulfilling Joel’s prophecy recorded in Joel 2.

No longer does God only speak to His people through the prophets, but now He speaks to all of His people through His Son Jesus because Jesus is the one mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5). Does that mean we no longer have prophecies? Of course not! We still have prophecies today. Otherwise, we would have to get rid of any prophecy written after the day of Pentecost, which is every prophecy recorded in the New Testament after the ascension of Jesus. So, with that said, prophecy hasn’t disappeared. Prophecy is still here today. The only difference is that the prophets are not the only ones who can hear from God and commune with Him.

How encouraging is that? No longer do we have to go through man to hear from God. God speaks through anyone willing to be a vessel for Him because now His Spirit dwells in us. We are His temple. Yes, prophets are still important today, but no longer are they the only ones who hear from God. No longer is there a barricade between God and mankind. Now, there is only one step between God and mankind: repentance. All we have to do is repent, and the LORD will begin to change our lives. When we seek Him, we find Him. When we knock, the door is opened to us. The Spirit Himself dwells inside of us. We are no longer alone.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Enjoy The Spirit.

Back to Encouragement?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

¹ Observe the month of Abib and keep the Passover to the Lord your God, for in the month of Abib the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt by night. ~ Deuteronomy 16:1

The Passover is the foreshadowing of Jesus dying on the cross for all mankind. He is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world according to John the Baptist in John 1:29. In other words, Jesus is the fulfillment of the Passover. We do not need to sacrifice goats, or sheep, or bulls, or lambs any longer, because we have Jesus as our Passover Lamb according to Paul in 1 Corinthians 5:7. Jesus died for the sins of the whole world.

Passover was to be celebrated in the first month, which is in the Spring. Spring speaks of new life, new hope, new dreams, new beginnings, and that is exactly what Jesus did for us. He came that we would have life and have life more abundantly (John 10:10), meaning, that we can have all that was listed earlier, a new life, a new beginning etc. All we have to do is to accept Jesus as our personal LORD and Savior.

Then Egypt is indicative of sin. Just like God delivered the Israelites out of Egypt, the land of slavery, Jesus has delivered everyone who believes in Him out of slavery to sin. You don’t have to be burdened down with a load of care. The Scriptures say to cast your burdens and cares upon Him, for He cares for us (Psalms 55:22 and 1 Peter 5:7).

Everything you need for a victorious life in Jesus is bought and paid for for you. There is no good thing that He will withhold from you. Trust Him today, He has your best interest in heart.

Father, thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, to the earth to die for me. I accept your free gift of life. Help me to serve You and trust You wholeheartedly. Right now, I give You all my cares and all of my burdens. I give You all the things that concern me right now, and I lay them all down at Your feet. Help me to turn them all over to You and leave them all there with You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

Back to Encouragement?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

⁷ Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. ⁸ Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. ~ 1 Corinthians 5:7-8

The Israelites prepared for the Passover by cleansing the leaven out of their homes. This was a foreshadowing of the good and better things that have now come. Jesus, our Passover over lamb, has been sacrificed, and we overcome the world and its sin through Him.

No longer is it just a physical act; now, this action is also spiritual. We remove the spiritual leaven from our lives. The sins, false teachings and beliefs, strongholds, wrong relationships, etc. are all broken and cleansed from our lives through Jesus. This may not happen overnight, but it will happen through perseverance in Christ.

No longer does our sin have to separate us from God; now, through Christ, we are cleansed of our sin and forgiven. We are now reconciled to God. We are now a new creation being molded into the very image of Christ.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Clean Some Leaven.

Back to Encouragement?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

¹⁰ And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” ¹¹ 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.” ¹² 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 16:10-12

Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, all except for his youngest, David. The first was tall and strong; surely God must be pleased enough with him to make him king. But no, he was not chosen. The others passed in like manner, but they were not chosen either. Finally, Samuel asked, are these all of your sons? No one even thought about calling David. He is young, giddy-headed, just a keeper of sheep; he will never be chosen. These big sons of mine have fought in the army. They have followed Saul to war. Surely, God will choose one of them. But God did not choose any of them.

Sometimes, people, even your own family, may not see your potential; they may just think of you as a child keeping the sheep. They may see you as worthless, no good, or in the menial task you are performing now. That is because they only see the raw material, but the cool thing is that God sees the finished product. Maybe the CEO of a corporation, or the next senator, or President. Maybe the next successful small business owner with a huge outreach. He sees you for who you are, not where you are.

It does not matter where you are right now physically; it matters where you are spiritually. God wants to bless you and use you. So, continue tending those sheep to the best of your ability until your anointing brings you your crown. For if you are faithful, God will open the door of opportunity. Just be faithful in the little things, and God will give you big things in your time. That needed job or promotion you’ve been praying for is on its way. So, hold on, hang in there; your Samuel is on his way.

Father, bring peace and joy to the hearts of your people as they labor in the fields, waiting for their door of opportunity to open. We believe You are a faithful God who delights in giving His children good gifts. Thank you for hearing us today. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.

Back to Encouragement?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content

¹ Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. ² And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. ⁴ And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. ⁵ But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here, for He has risen, as He said. Come, see the place where He lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead, and behold, He is going before you to Galilee; there you will see Him. See, I have told you.” ~ Matthew 28:1-7

Early Sunday morning, the day we Christians call Resurrection Sunday, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to the tomb of Jesus. But they found an empty tomb. Jesus was not there; He had risen as He said He would. He lived, though He was dead, and now He is alive forevermore. Paul said that if Jesus indeed had not risen from the dead, then we have no salvation, and we are still in our sins, and we Christians are most to be pitied of all people. Not only that but they are found to be false witnesses about God because they testified that He raised Jesus from the dead.

Friends, I want to assure you that Jesus did die a physical death; He was buried and laid in the tomb for three days and three nights, and He did rise again, holding the keys of death and Hades in His powerful hand.

There is something else I want you to notice. The Scriptures declare that an angel descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. But the account does not say anything about Jesus coming out of the grave at that time. Instead, it says,

… the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, as He said. Come, see the place where He lay …”

Jesus had already risen by the time the angel got there. Because, after all, it was not the angel’s job to let Jesus out, but to let the believers in, and to prove to the world the empty tomb. If the angel had not rolled the stone away, the world would never know that the tomb is empty. But the soldiers saw the angel come down. They saw him roll the stone away. They saw that the tomb was empty but did not see Jesus emerge from the tomb, yet they had seen His dead body go into the tomb, and they feared greatly, so much so that they became as dead men. There was no denying that Jesus had risen from the dead. The empty tomb proved it for them.

You and I can rejoice in knowing that what we believe is true. What we hold on to is not a cleverly devised lie but the everlasting Truth. We can be assured that what was passed down to us about the Resurrection is an eyewitness account. So, rejoice in your salvation, and rejoice in the resurrection of your LORD and Savior.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, who was obedient to You and accomplished everything that You sent Him to accomplish. I accept His free gift of life, and I rejoice in the fact that He is alive forevermore and that He is coming back for me. Help me to live for You and to serve You wholeheartedly without becoming disillusioned or weary. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

Back to Encouragement?

Back to Daily Bread?

Similar Content