In his letter to the Thessalonian church, Paul says he sent Timothy to them to "strengthen you, to encourage you in your faith," (1 Thessalonians 3:2). WE live in interesting and challenging times. Jesus spoke of a great falling away by some from the faith. Today we are seeing that happen right before our eyes. People who used to be so faithful and committed in their relationship with the Lord, and diligent in the things that keep us strong, have become more and more apathetic and indifferent to godliness. The letter Paul ...
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In his letter to the Thessalonian church, Paul says he sent Timothy to them to "strengthen you, to encourage you in your faith," (1 Thessalonians 3:2). WE live in interesting and challenging times. Jesus spoke of a great falling away by some from the faith. Today we are seeing that happen right before our eyes. People who used to be so faithful and committed in their relationship with the Lord, and diligent in the things that keep us strong, have become more and more apathetic and indifferent to godliness. The letter Paul wrote to the Philippians was aimed at keeping them encouraged in the midst of a culture that was not Christian. Many are telling us that we are now living in a post-Christian era. Having said this, I cannot overemphasize the importance and value of encouragement. The dictionary defines encouragement as; to inspire with courage, spirit, or confidence. When someone encourages us, it lifts us from the depths of despair to the heights of faith. Inspiration literally means to breathe into. When we encourage one another, we cheer them on. We call for the courage that's in them to surface. In every triumph, we are always in need of being inspired to courage. In times of calamity, and crisis, tragedy and trepidation, we have a constant battle with the forces of darkness who always seeks to diminish our faith and incite fear in us. He seeks to drain us of our courage and confidence in the God who inspired us from the very beginning. Our relationship with our heavenly Father should be deepening with every adventure of faith. Instead for many, every tragedy doesn't turn into triumph. Every dark cloud doesn't manifest a silver lining. And every midnight isn't followed by the morning star. Why? Because when we are not encouraged, the temptation to quit is almost too much to overcome. I pray that the inspirations of this book will provide you with courage to stay confident in our God who is FAITHFUL! As you read, know that every word is prayed over and intended to lift you. Allow them to challenge you to keep your faith in what God accomplished through Jesus. Let them remind you that HE WHO STARTED A GOOD WORK IN YOU IS FAITHFUL AND DILIGENT TO COMPLETE IT. The collection of inspired thoughts of this book will inspire you to courage that is already in you. May your faith be ever increasing as you read the words. And may you not only be encouraged, but encourage others. Be blessed. Ron Shaw
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