Encouraging The Sick And Brokenhearted

The most important attitude that we can impart to someone who is sick or troubled in life is simply, our own hope. Proverbs 18:14 says this concerning someone who is sick or has a crushed spirit, “The human spirit can endure a sick body, but who can bear it if the spirit is crushed? Romans 15:13 says this about hope, “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit”. God’s Word teaches us that hope is something that we cannot see, but it’s biblical foundation is reflected in our faith in God and not our circumstances. Hope then is the antidote for despair. Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” It is our faith that enables us to have hope. Acts of kindness is a another way to encourage someone who may be sick or downhearted as in Acts 2:42, “ They spent their time in learning from the apostles, taking part in the fellowship, and sharing in the fellowship meals and the prayers”.

 

The early Christians are our role models. Bringing someone in need a prepared meal, praying with them, reading the Bible to them and sharing good conversation are all very encouraging. Another way to encourage them is to remind them not to focus on the future of all the, “what ifs” and “maybes”, but to stay focused on today, moment by moment seeking God for their healing and the will of God to be revealed to them through their situation. Matthew 6:33-34 tells us this, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Jesus Himself, said not to worry about the future! We are all terminal beings, no one lives forever and everyone has trials and tribulations. Encourage them to focus on today, doing the right things and making the best out of their current situation. God designed each of us with a kind of survival instinct and wants us to have a nature that is optimistic and hopeful. Those who have it enjoy a better quality of life, do more good for others and often live longer. The book of Job teaches many lessons, including what not to assume or say if we want to encourage someone. Job's suffering was so devastating it is hard to imagine. Satan killed all of Job's children and most of his servants and caused him to lose all his possessions.

 

Later he was personally afflicted with a terrible disease that caused painful boils all over his body. Of all Job's supposed friends, it appears that only three and a fourth one later on in the story, cared enough to visit Job and spend considerable time with him to "mourn with him, and to comfort him" in Job 2:11. But Job understandably complained that they were "miserable comforters" in 16:2 and said, "How long will you torment my soul, and break me in pieces with words?" in 19:2. These three friends seemingly had good intentions to give comfort and advice to Job, but they had mistakenly assumed that Job's suffering was God's punishment for disobeying His laws. They also assumed in their wrong theology, that God always rewards good and punishes evil in this life, with no exceptions. They saw no purpose for suffering other than retribution and punishment. So in spite of their possible good intentions, Job's three friends primarily gave him added mental and emotional distress. So I would conclude that we should be very careful before we try and analyze someone’s illness. The Bible has much to say about the power of words. It's sad that Job's friends were using their words to discourage instead of encourage. After all, "The tongue of the wise promotes health" Prov 12:18 and, "A wholesome tongue is a tree of life" Prov. 15:4. May we all continue to grow in understanding about how to be effective helpers and encouragers in this new year!

Hold Fast,

Bren

WHAT SIN ARE YOU CLOAKING?

 

 

 

This morning as I went before the Lord, one of the things that was revealed to me concerning sin in my life was the fact that I was harboring criticism in my heart. Criticism that I had been cloaking as petty issues. I find that often times when the Lord has revealed to me an area of sin in my life, if I am not careful, I can easily skip over them as petty and use them as reasons of excusing myself instead of doing the radical invasive surgery on my heart that is needed. My natural tendency is to rationalize which often times leads to excusing myself, which leads to no change and I wonder why nothing changes. Oh how I pray, that the Lord will help me to be different and not pretend that nothing is wrong in my heart. For if I do, the old nature in me will grow stronger and make it harder the next time I want to be real and transparent with the Lord. I pray that He will open my eyes to see the things in my heart, that breaks His heart and keeps His grace from overflowing in mine. I must do the nessacary heart surgery needed to cut out every inkling of pride that keeps me from total surrender. He is so good and merciful to keep lingering over me and because of that, I choose to die to my pride and embrace His life in me. What are you struggling with today my friend? Are you cloaking deeper issues in your life with petty questions and answers? Is your criticism, jealousy, bitterness, envy or resentment only a covering for an unforgiving heart? Things can spill out of us that on a better day, when we are walking with the Lord and focused on what is right, we would never choose to say, think or do. However, when we choose to embrace sin in our lives, we are actually exalting ourselves over others and the Lord. It takes the focus off ourselves and can give us a false impression that we are right and others are wrong. It is not wrong when we notice areas in the lives of others where there is room for growth and their personal dynamics can improve. But if your heart is humble, loving and willing to look past their personal flaws, you will have a decidedly different approach in your dealing with and judging their shortcomings. You will find that through the proper love for them, you will begin to cover them with prayer and aggressively encourage them with the kindness that God offers and shows us. Critical words spring from a critical heart. How’s your heart today?  “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you”. Ephesians 4:31-32

 
Hold Fast,

Bren

WHAT NEEDS MORE ATTENTION

 

Often times we can appear to be all right in the general sense of our walk with Christ. But more often than not, there are still areas that need some attention. Those areas in which we are careless and lazy and not as mindful to as other areas that we do not struggle in. The little things, those petty sins, we might call them. These are the remnants of our carnal nature that always fights for control and will always lead us to being careless. I feel sure that my personal carelessness is an insult to God's Holy Spirit that lives in me, as a child of God. I also know this from what the Word of God teaches as well as my own personal experience. When I grieve the Holy Spirit, I have a strong sense within me that lets me know that something is not right and beckons me to search until I figure out what is wrong. God will allow nothing to escape. Our lives are under His scrutiny. He sees over every detail until He has finished His good and perfect will in us. The outcome will be up to us, as to how and what we allow Him to do in us and through us. If we will not change or rectify that thing that God has His finger on in our lives, He will continue to bring us back in countless ways to the same point over and over again. He never tires, until we have learned the lesson that He is teaching us. His great and only purpose is, to produce His finished product. With the most persistent patience, God will bring us back to that one particular point. Through this process, God is trying to impress upon us that one thing that is not entirely right in our lives. Today, I am pressing forward to find that thing in me that is not entirely right. How about you sweet friend? "Yet even now," declares the LORD, "Return to Me with all your heart, And with fasting, weeping and mourning;" Joel 2:12 "Let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." James 1:4

Hold Fast,

Bren

THE POWER TO SERVE AND LIVE

The scripture tells us that a person inherits God’s Divine nature at the moment they choose to come to Christ and repent of their sins. That is what being born again is all about. It is about the old life that was lived to please the carnal nature going away and inheriting the new nature that God gives them the moment they come to Him with a repented heart. This new nature causes the new believer to seek and strive to be more like God. They begin to look at their choices and decisions with a greater magnification of the consequences to their actions as to how they will reap from their choices, as well as how their decisions will bring honor or dishonor to the One who now lives within them. The effort that must take place, in the life of the Christian from that point on is, an effort of diligence, as they concentrate more on forming godly habits and working on a deeper, personal relationship with God, in their lives. 

None of us are naturally born or even supernaturally born with character; so we must work towards forming our character by how we choose to live. Nor, are we born with habits. We have to form them as well. Our expectations and love for God, is something that should lead us to a greater walk and commitment to His calling and choices for us. But, those expectations should never replace, the common stuff of ordinary life that exhibits the marvel of His grace and mercy.  One of the great hindrances in our spiritual life is when we look to the big things to do for God and forget to serve Him in the small things.  Remember that, "Jesus…took a towel,…and began to wash the disciples’ feet.” And this is how we are to serve and live as well.     

There are times when there will be no illuminations, no great vision or thrill, but just the daily ins and outs around our common task. Routine is often times God’s way of saving us, between our times of inspiration. We should not expect God to always give us His thrilling moments, but learn to live in the domain of drudgery by and through His power in us. The smallest details in which we obey, has all the omnipotent power of God’s grace behind it. If I do my duty, not for duty’s sake, but because I believe God is engineering my circumstances, then at the very point of my obedience and trusting Him is the whole superb grace of God in me. Nothing thrills me more than to hear that God is speaking to precious souls through the efforts of my encouragement. 

The thing about encouragement, is that it works both ways and works its best, when God gets the glory! Thank you sweet friends for taking the time to visit with me each week through the written word. I love each one of you and want nothing more than for you to experience and make contact with the Lord, in any moment that you may be experiencing discouragement. Keep running the race, no matter how hard it becomes and remember; though we are constantly being sleighed, yet will we serve Him. He is cleaning out in us that which keeps us from knowing and walking with Him on a Higher level. He is worthy, look to Him!

Loving on you today,

Bren

SPOKEN WORDS

Spoken words with the intent of guile, will only cause someone to withdraw, pull back or shut down. So, be sure to taste your words before you share them with someone else. There are times that it would be better to sew our mouths shut than to allow the temptation to speak ugly and hurtful words to someone, only to wish that we could take them back. Gracious words however, help people to open up, blossom and motivates them to reach for higher ground. Every word that we speak to others will either lift them up or bring them down. Those words can encourage them or get a hostile reaction if spoken in bitterness, hate, anger or jealousy. There are plenty of toxic people who care nothing about what comes out of their mouth. If there is a wrongful thing to say, they will say it with ease and give no thought to the consequences of how and who all it will effect. We each, must decide which kind of person we will choose to be, toxic or graceful. Col. 4:6 says, “Let your speech be always with grace.” The words we speak have enormous power to build up someone or destroy them. Scripture is very clear in its teaching on how the tongue is like fire and can be used to destroy if it is not brought under control. Paul told us to “Watch the way we talk, to say only what helps, according to Ephesians 4:29. Solomon told us that there is healing in the words of the wise in Proverbs 12:18. A wise man listens to instructions and obeys it. You will find that most people will reproduce the seeds that you sew in their lives, be it bad or good seed. If we are telling someone that they are worthless or incapable, they will probably strive to fail and prove us correct in most cases. However, if we are encouraging them in grace and praising the good in them, they will make every effort to strive to justify our confidence in them. One of the simplest ways to avoid doing harm with our words is to keep our mouths shut! Period. Do not make comments or offer advice in situations that you know you should not. Because if it is done with the wrong heart and attitude, those that you are making your comments to will not listen, but take offense and you will not only have done them a horrible spiritual service, but you will wreak havoc on yourself and often times your own family, especially if they hear you, or aware of what you have said. Simply put, we reap what we sow. Some good advice that we should hearken to is found in, 1 Peter 3:10-11 "If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies”. “Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.” If we are in Christ, we have no choice but to do what He says, if we do not, we will suffer the consequences of our actions.

 

Loving on you today sweet friend,

Bren

Making God Bigger, Makes Your Problems Smaller

Thank God that most of us do not encounter as many bad days as David did throughout his life. Once when he returned to his home in Ziklag and discovered that his enemies, the Amalekites, had destroyed and stolen everything that was important to him, including his family it was just about as much as he could stand. Along with everything else that had taken place, his own men blamed him and turned against him for all of their misfortune as well, according to 1 Sam. 30. There is a lot that we can learn and even imitate from David’s response when we face difficulties ourselves. But we must first confront our trouble with the strength and the right weapons in order to relinquish them. You see satan does not want a confrontation with strength; he seeks to exploit weakness and because he fights against our weakness, we must learn how to govern them along with our emotions that are tied to our troubles in order to retain steady peace in which God gives us and satan wants to take from us. Understanding that the joy of the Lord is the strength of the believer, the devil seeks to steal your joy, thereby reducing you to weakness. The believer who can retain their joy, is destined to overcome their situation. As David sat among the ruins of Ziklag with his angry men talking about stoning him, he had a choice. He could allow his grief and bitterness over his loss to overtake him and let his circumstances over shadow the Word of God that he had known in his past circumstances or, he could use his faith in God to fight back with the spiritual weapons that had given him aid in past times. As David looked all around him, he saw nothing but discouragement and downcast men. David had no one to encourage him, so he had to ,"encouraged himself in the Lord his God" 1 Samuel 30:6. From what we know about David in the Psalms, it is very easy to guess how David went about encouraging himself, because he sang about it. He took his harp, retreated to a solitary place, and began to sing songs of praise to God. No doubt David didn't feel like singing, but he did it anyway. It wasn’t the Blues he sang either! No, instead, he sang of the majesty and power of God. He sang of the Creator who had spoken the earth and universe into existence. He sang of the deliverer who had already given him past victories and showed favor to him as he conquered giants in the name of the Lord. Through praise and worship, David changed his focus. Upon every song he sang his spirit was lifted above his present circumstances into the presence of the One who is high and lifted up. "David encouraged himself in the Lord his God”. 

In times of uncertainty and upheaval, God was David's constant. Why? Because God doesn't change. No matter what the circumstance, God is above it, below it, around it and all over it and is seated upon the throne of sovereignty and holding the scepter of dominion. Through praise and worship, David changed his focus and by faith he beheld “El Shaddai”, the almighty God. Even on the worst days of his life, God was worthy of David’s praise. Just imagine David sitting in the ashes of what was once his home with his harp in his hand, singing these words: "I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears" Ps. 34:1-4.Then, David sang another line: "Oh, magnify the Lord with me." The word Magnify means "to enlarge or make bigger in perspective”. While it is impossible to make God any bigger than He already is, because you cannot increase the omnipotence of God, but, you can magnify your perspective of Him. And that is exactly what David did. Perspective has everything to do with whether you are encouraged or discouraged. A thousand years before David's problems, a young but wise Elihu, reminded Job who was facing his own worst day of his life at the time, that “God gives songs in the night”, Job 35:10. When times are the darkest, God will shed His light upon them. That is some pretty encouraging words. Paul and Silas in the New Testament did the same thing a thousand years later. They had been arrested for casting a spirit of divination out of a young slave girl. After a faulty trial, they were beaten with rods and imprisoned in the innermost part of a dungeon with their feet in stocks. They responded in a most remarkable way. At midnight, instead of despairing and blaming God, they sang hymns of praise to Him. Paul and Silas made the exceptional choice to encourage themselves by praising God. They were simply following in the footsteps of David. Luke tells us that while Paul and Silas sang, the other prisoners were listening to them. No doubt the prisoners were amazed at such surprising behavior from a couple of dudes in shackles. Today sweet friend, if you find yourself sinking into despair, simply exalt God in your life by making Him bigger than your situation and you will see that they are getting smaller by each whisper of Praise, as you sing praises over them. 'Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength' " Neh.8:10.

Loving on you today,

-Bren

  

THE PURPOSE OF THE STAR

There has been an ongoing debate that has been taking place for decades concerning a star that was in the night’s sky, a real cosmic event that got the attention of some very wise men, which caused them to go on a very long journey looking for a newborn baby, whom they believed was to be a great King. Yet, not just any King, but according to their limited information, a King, of the Jews? These Wise Men, or Kings are believed to have been based on the Magi, which were Persian sages, who believed that the stars effected and had influences on the earth. The kings were religious scholars of sorts and were revered Babylonian astronomers of their day. They studied the stars and planets interpreting the meaning behind the universe’s cosmic events. Anything that appeared unusual in their limited wisdom, was considered a sign that had some kind of meaning. In the case of the Bethlehem star, it’s appearance caused them to travel to Jerusalem, where they spoke with King Herod asking him, if he knew where the new King had been born.

Well, we know from scripture that King Herod was a terrible King himself and sought to kill the baby, out of jealousy and fear. Once his chief priest and scribes told him that according to Hebrew prophecy that the baby was to be born in Bethlehem, he passed on that information to the Wise Men in hopes that they would find the baby and lead Herod to him, as they returned to him with the information. However, the Lord was always a step ahead of Herod’s evil plan and warned the Wise Men in a dream what Herod's plan was towards the baby, and they returned to their own country instead.

Just think, God used one cosmic event to draw the world’s attention to what he was planning to do. While I have no idea as to how planets crossing in front of each other can cause other planets and orbits to do odd things or of what the birth of a new star or nova looks like when it is happening, I am, totally convinced, that the Creator of our entire universe and beyond can do, or change whatever needs to be done in order to accomplish His will; whether it was, or is with a very bright light, a big blast, a bang or simply turning a planet into a reddish color that appears to us on earth to be blood. I don’t struggle with these types of issues because my faith renders me peace in spite of all that I do not know or understand, and I simply trust!

As for the children of God, one of the great wonders of Christmas is the star that appeared around the time of the birth of Jesus. This star is known as the star of Bethlehem and it led the Wise Men from the East, to the site of the birth of Jesus according to scripture, in Matthew Chapter 2. Some folks like to debate if this event was an astronomical object or a supernatural object, such as a star or an angel.

It amazes me that people cannot grasp the fact that a Power that is great enough to create every nova, comet, pulsar, double eclipse, supernova, star, sky, cloud, rain drop and atom that exist, along with every cell, and every creature great and small, cannot create a simple bright star and place it in the sky to symbolize an event that He is bringing to pass and had already predicted would happen.

For me and mine, we will continue to place the star atop of our Christmas tree each year, to symbolize and celebrate the day that God sent His only Son Jesus Christ who was both fully God and fully human according to Hebrews 2, who knew no sin, to take the punishment of sin and death, so that we would not have to, according to John 1:29. He came to take away the sins of the world. “For he (God) hath made him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 2 Cor. 5:21. This is the true purpose of Christmas.

Merry Christmas,

Bren