Building Up Others

                                    Let us think of ways to motivate

one another to acts of love and

good works.

Hebrews 10:24 (NLT)

We live in some tough days right now. There are many folks who are unemployed while even those who are employed feel a pressure about keeping their jobs. Marriages are breaking up for any number of reasons. Child abuse is on the rise. Illness is rampant and those affected are scared to death they might not continue to have the health care they need. You and I both could add to the list.

These things and others are things that are happening in our churches among some of the finest of Christians. All of these things are affecting the unsaved and the saved and discouragement is all around us. One of the problems is that among fellow church members, there is a real lack of information because even our best friends who are having a hard time don't want anyone to know about it. Even though one of the greatest resources we can have, that being prayer, troubled folks don't even want to ask us to pray lest it let out the fact that they are struggling.

So what is our overall call...how are we to proceed?

Encourage each other. 

Live in harmony and peace.

Then the God of love and peace will

be with you.

II Corinthians 13:11

First must be a good look at a person's foundation of life. As Christians, our foundation is Jesus Christ and we know that with Him, all things are possible so we have a starting point to encourage and build up another. If a person in need has no spiritual foundation, building up such a one becomes more difficult. They will want to hear cliches of the world that don't hold much in the way of help that has meaning.

Next, we must be of a sincere spirit.

Folks who are going through a tough time are very sensitive to the attitudes of those who want to be of help. With senses heightened, such folks can tell a phony a mile away. If we aren't sincere, then we aren't honest in our concern. Short clever statements usually renders no help and at times makes absolutely no sense.

Before uttering a word to a struggler, if we haven't prayed for that individual prior to our approach, then back off until we can do that for him or her.

The one thing we have to offer is time spent in prayer for someone we're concerned about. Otherwise, any inquiry on our part comes across as our just being nosy, wanting information to pass along to the rumor mill. We should be able to honestly say to someone who needs building up, “I've been praying for you.” What an honor that someone would do that for me.

Just in everyday living and personal contacts, be complimentary.

Everyone like compliments but again, such statements must be honest. If we are to build people up, it does no good if the receiver knows for a surety that we were just making conversation.

One of the greatest gifts we can give another when called for is that of forgiveness.

When we've been on the “outs” with someone, nothing is more encouraging whether we have been offended or the offender is to apologize that we take steps to reconcile with the person. This says to the other person that we consider them worth the steps we have taken to make amends. You see, everyone wants to feel they are worthy of anothers friendship and consideration.

Write a note or say an encouraging word (which is preferable) but if not make a “thinking of you” call.

During this last year, I've gone through some low times after an accident. On a down day, I can't tell you what it's meant to me to have two things said to me: “How are you doing?” and

“I've been thinking about you.” To think that someone would take a part of their own personal time to think about me is a real morale booster.

One of the greatest means of building up another is in some way to share the Word of God with him or her.

This can be done with a greeting card or just an encouraging word from Scripture written on a 3x5 card. The Word of God itself builds and encourages so don't hesitate to share a verse or two. It will be twofold...the Word itself and the fact that you went to the trouble to share it however you choose to share it.

If so led, do something tangible for someone who might be dragging along day by day, feeling pretty hopeless.

There may be a need someone has that the Lord in His own way brings to our attention. There may be a neighbor, relative or fellow church member who doesn't want to reveal anything about their private feelings but with a kind and gentle spirit on our part, we can minister to those folks with something tangible. The most fun I've had in this area is doing something for someone in the way of a small gift or a small amount of money and not letting on to them that it was me who did it for them. We don't always have to reveal the things we do for others. Sometimes secrecy is fun as can be.

Above all, love is the key. In these days, we can't love others enough. Love is vital for anything and everything we do for others.

Jesus commanded us to: “Love one another...as I have loved you.” That would be more than a truck load of love. I may not be able to love another person as Jesus loved, but I can strive for that kind of love. Jesus didn't say that we would love as MUCH as He loved but we are to love AS He loved. How did He love...with all the stops pulled out, loved with abandon, with no holds barred, with no prejudice or partiality.

Love each other with genuine affection,

and take delight in honoring each other.

Romans 12:10

Do you need a kind word or a touch of encouragement from someone today. Let me suggest that you find a way to do something for someone today, perhaps from this list. Nothing will pick up our spirits like doing something for someone else. If it serves no other purpose that to take our minds off of our own difficulties, it will have been worth it.

Lord Jesus...I thank You today for the love You pour into my life and for Your encouragement that You send to me through others. May I be one of those “others” in someone else's life. Amen.

God's Steadfast Love

The steadfast love of the Lord

never ceases;

his mercies never come to an end.

Lamentations 3:22 (ESV)

He penned one of the major prophetical books in the Old Testament, but there isn't very much known about him. He is often referred to as being the “Weeping Prophet.” He was obviously a sensitive, caring and godly man who not only loved God deeply but loved God's people as well. His name...Jeremiah. Scholars give credit to Jeremiah for the writing of Lamentations based on content of the book that communicates in concert with the book that bears his name.

Jeremiah was called by God into His service probably when in his late teens, and later became a priest in the temple. With God's call to Jeremiah, God assured him that He had known before Jeremiah was born that he would serve as one of His prophets. Jeremiah kindly let God know of his own insecurities due to his young age. God assured Jeremiah that despite his age, he would go where sent and would speak what God wanted said.

Beyond that point, we know little of Jeremiah in a personal way. We see all through his signature book that he warned his people of God's wrath to come, speaking truth to all who would hear and even to some who didn't want to hear. Jeremiah understood that at the bottom of the problem was the sin of the people, thus he witnessed the worst of times that came down on his people. Not only did the people suffer death, captivity and destruction but the beloved temple was destroyed and desecrated. This was all very hard for Jeremiah to comprehend and accept and he went through a very sad time.

Sometime read the book of Lamentations...the book of laments...a portrait of the grieving heart of a prophet. (The book itself reads as a clarion call even to our country today.) Jeremiah went through his own share of physical and emotional suffering even to the point of imprisonment, but seeing all of the destruction was heartbreaking. Jeremiah's tears poured out as if ink on paper as he sorrowed over the events of his day. However, just about halfway through his writing, it's as if he suddenly stood up straight and tall, threw back his shoulders, and got a grip on things. He put one of the most heartfelt and encouraging grouping of words together into verse form that one can find in all of Scripture. Slowly read the following:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

his mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning;

“Great is your faithfulness. The Lord

is my portion,” says my soul,

“therefore I will hope in him.”

The Lord is good to those who wait for him,

to the soul who seeks him.

It is good that one should wait quietly

for the salvation of the Lord.
Lamentations 3: 22-26 (ESV)

Jeremiah also wrote:

The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying,

Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting

love: therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee.

Jeremiah 31:3 (KJV)

Especially in the book of Lamentations, is seen the Hebrew name for God...”Hesed Adonai” that simply means “God's Steadfast Love.” It is found in the above verses. The word “mercies” is a defining word for love in this book. We don't just see the love of God in Lamentations but in the book of Jeremiah as well.

I looked in dictionaries to find the meaning of the word “steadfast.” It isn't a word that is common in today's vocabulary. I'll just list a few of those meanings I found: firm, unchanging, faithful, unwavering, loyal, everlasting, constant, steady, stable, enduring....and the list goes on and on. Otherwise, God is all of these things wrapped up in the word “steadfast.” Just to think that God's love for us is this strong and sure.

I've been taking a good look at Jeremiah lately, this wonderful man of God. We don't go through nearly the tough times Jeremiah witnessed. We still go through times of discouragement though as we watch a government with no direction or even moral standards. We are watching a national economy affecting so many people in our nation, especially for the unemployed. The concerns boil down to where we live. Folks are facing problems we wouldn't have recognized 50 years ago. Back then, I had never (or hardly) heard of Alzheimers, Diabetes II, aneurisms, caregivers, crack cocaine, pornography, etc. We too could fall into depression as we view our nation and surroundings, but also if we should have to deal with some of these things in our own families.

Pour over the verses I've listed. Wherever you and I are in our lives, no matter the circumstances, God is still on His throne. His love for us is a steadfast love. It's a love you and I can count on with a surety we can't even understand. A steadfast love is an unwavering, steady and permanent love no matter the circumstances. That's the love God has for us in the good times and in the bad times we go through. We must never lose sight of the heart of God that beats steady and sure for you and me every moment we live and breathe. It's all wrapped up in the faithfulness of God. He remains faithful and steadfast to us come what may. I love the words of the following old hymn:

“Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father

There is no shadow of turning with Thee;

Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not;

As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.

Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see;

All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided;

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!”

                                                                            -----Thomas O. Chisholm

Dear Father...Thank You for Your steadfast love and faithfulness in my life. Forgive me when I take my eyes off of You and look to the cares of this life. You have everything in control. I rest in that fact and in Your love. Amen.

Prisoner By Choice?

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord,

beseech you that ye walk worthy

of the vocation wherewith ye are called.

Ephesians 4:1

Many years ago, I was on a special trip with a college group. We held evening services in various churches, so found interesting things to do during the day. Someone in our group arranged for us on a particular afternoon to take a tour of a very large state prison. I had never been in such a place and must admit to being a little nervous about the tour. I knew we would be safe, but it was just a new experience.

We were taken only to special places in the prison, of course, but there was one thing that we observed and it's something I've never forgotten. We were shown an empty holding cell and then the guard demonstrated the opening and closing of the cell door. I don't think I'll ever forget the sound as the loud, echoing clang-bang of the cell door closed. What struck me about that sound was that in many cases where prisoners are incarcerated for very long periods of time, whether coming or going, they hear that horrible sound frequently.

In the culture of Bible days, prisons were quite different. In fact, prisons were often referred to as “dungeons.” A dungeon was usually underground. A prisoner was often let down into it by guards. It was a filthy place with little if any light, and was filled with sewage and dirty water. At times guards would drop moldy bread down into the dungeon. If prisoners didn't catch it in time, it fell into the swill on the floor.

There were above ground prisons and in those, prisoners were usually chained or bound in some way. Most prisons didn't provide food or clothing so friends or relatives were relied upon for the basic needs of life. Most of the time, upon arriving at a prison for incarceration, prisoners were beaten with a lash, receiving 39 lashes across the back. That was the usual.

Some prisoners were treated with a little more care. There were those allowed to be under house arrest. These prisoners still were required to be chained or bound, often to a Roman soldier. These prisoners, too, had to be provided for with friends sending food, necessities and often were required to even pay a leasing fee for the house of the prisoners confinement.

In Scripture, we are told of familiar men who endured prison experiences. Joseph, of course, was imprisoned after being falsely accused by Potipher's wife. Jeremiah was imprisoned in a dungeon for simply telling the truth. John the Baptist was put in prison after speaking of the immorality of the kings family. Peter was imprisoned for preaching the Word of God, and later Paul and Silas were jailed for healing a possessed girl being used for money by evil merchants. In every one of these cases, each man was imprisoned unjustly. In Philippians, we find Paul under house arrest so he had more than one run in with authorities. In every case, each man was thrown in prison for either being right or doing right. They had no choice. No one in their right mind would choose to be a prisoner even in the most pristine of prisons if there was such a thing.

In most cases, however, the imprisonment of these godly men resulted in benefiting others in some way. Peter was released by an angel. Friends praying for him at the time were astounded and blessed all at the same time because of answered prayer for his release. Paul and Silas were blessings to other prisoners as they sang the praises of God in the late nighttime hours. They could have walked out of the prison after an earthquake shook the jail and a way was made for them to walk out. They didn't do that. They stayed and witnessed to the jailer who was saved along with his family. God used Joseph's prison experience to share wisdom with other prisoners and later after his release, was eventually elevated to second in command in the nation of Egypt. It all resulted in saving his family from starvation.

So how do we define “prisoner?” A prisoner is one who is usually guilty and being punished for some wrong doing but not always. A prisoner is deprived of liberty, is restrained usually in custody in a facility meant only for the incarceration of prisoners. No matter the official definition, a prisoner is one being held captive. When a prisoner, ones life is no longer her/his own. One's mind is totally occupied with being a prisoner when in prison. It's all-consuming.

I know some folks and have been one of them off and on who have found themselves (me included) prisoners. Oh, no crime has been committed but being this kind of prisoner for many is often on a voluntary basis. Satan delights when he can bind us up in circumstances of life, if in no other way. Let's face it, life isn't fair and Christians of all people aren't guaranteed a fair shake when it comes to life's circumstances. We look around and it would seem that the unsaved all around us seem to have things better than we do. However, we really don't know what others are experiencing so we will get no answers as we observe them. We can be prisoners of our own making apart from those things that come our way without asking. I know people who are prisoners to bad habits, unhealthy friendships, food, pornography, and the list could go on and on of those things people might choose to be a part of their lives, that eventually gets a hold on them.

But praise the Lord, there are times when we have choices regarding our freedom in Christ. We can be facing the very worst of circumstances and still walk in freedom. We do this as we hand over our circumstances to the Lord and rely on Him day in and day out for the strengthening we need in order to breathe free spiritual air. It's a choice. In their real prison cells, Paul, Silas, Peter, Joseph and others chose to make the best of their time as they sang, ministered and learned more of the things of God. We should do no less.

There will be some circumstances in our lives we just cannot change but we ourselves can change despite the impossibilities. May I suggest three keys that will open the lock of any prison we find ourselves in and all three are found in I Thessalonians 5:16-18. One by one, these keys are available to you and me among others presented in Scripture. These keys are:

• Rejoice always
  We have to pay attention to that word “always.” In the thick and thin of life's problems and even at times in a holding cell, we like Paul and Silas can rejoice and be people of praise. We don't have to understand the whys of our circumstances.
• Pray without ceasing
  “Without ceasing”...what does that mean? It means just what it says. You and I can be people of prayer all day long. We'll have our times of prayer that are lengthier but we can be in a spirit of prayer every waking moment. God loves to hear from us even through our tears when we just utter prayer sentences during the course of our day.
• In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
  There's another one of those words...”everything.” We can give thanks no matter what's going on, knowing it's God's will for us in Christ Jesus. Every ounce and crumb of our lives, God means for purpose.

Four words....”always, without ceasing and everything.” God has purpose in ALL that comes into our lives. Let's not allow circumstances to imprison us. We won't know until Heaven what these days down here have done to influence others for the cause of Christ. Let's drop the chains, rip through the ropes and slam prison doors behind us as we walk away in freedom and victory. We are living in these days not by accident but by Divine design. I pray, like Paul that our only desire will be to be a prisoner of the Lord and of Him only.

Thank You Father, for walking me through things of life for which I have no personal strength or energy. I know You won't bring anything into my life that's for nothing. You are working and I want to be a part of it and not hide behind prison bars when things get tough. I want to be Your prisoner only, held captive by Your love and Your will. I love You, Father. Amen

HELP!!!

God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble.

Psalm 46

Every one of us at one time or another is going to need help in some way. Most of us hate with a passion having to ask for help, even though in a moment of weakness or difficulty, we really need to reach out for it. Helping people fall into three general categories:

• those who need help
• those who give help, and
• the help only God can give.
  

A little over a week ago, I bruised up my right knee. It was the day before Brian was to return home from Texas. It was a Friday I did this. I usually run the church bulletin and other items on Saturdays but with Brian returning the next day, I wanted to get it finished on Friday. I knew from the soreness of my knee that I should stay home with ice on it. It took everything in me to arrive at that decision. I sent an e-mail to our pastor about my dilemma. You will never know how hard that was for me to do. He didn't answer my message...he and his wife jumped in their car and before I knew it, they were on my front porch. My hair was a mess and I wasn't in my usual attire although I was decent. (Talk about pride). They just wanted to make sure I was okay and graciously said they would take care of the bulletin. I was so grateful for their kindness and help.

Here's the problem...when we need help, no matter what kind, we don't have enough humility to ask for it. We know folks who would come to our rescue, but we feel that asking for help is a sign of weakness. WELL, it most often is a sign of weakness. Just the fact that we need help shows at the minute that we just can't function to full capability. The help we need most often may deal with small needs. We really feel embarrassed about putting someone to some inconvenience over little things.

Then there are those who are the helpers. What would we do without them. When recovering from a fall last October, there were folks who came straight to the hospital, brought food to the house and made themselves available to me for whatever I might need. But those are folks who will help me fold bulletins or set up tables and chairs for ladies Bible study. Being a helper, though, also takes a certain amount of humility. A helper may be asked to do some nitty-gritty things that are pretty unlovely. Remember how Jesus washed the feet of His disciples? That was rarely done in that day. Back then, you washed your own dirty feet. I realize, though, that His act was more of a spiritiual lesson.

Someone in the New Testament who has impressed me with his humility in this area is the Apostle Paul. Who would think that spiritual dynamo would ever need to ask for help of any kind. He spoke of people by name who had been a real help to him...Aquila, folks in the Philippian church who had aided him financially, Timothy and Epaphroditus and others. At times when ending a letter, he would ask someone to bring him parchments and even a cloak. He viewed all of those helpers as fellow ministers. Pride never entered into his life when serving others or being served.

The main area where I fall short, however, is in seeking the Lord's help. I'm not quick to ask for anyone's help but it's really bad when I feel independent from the Lord. He can call His forces to my side when I'm in need. He can lead someone right to me who just senses I have a need. God can do amazing things on my behalf. In His Word, He so heartily invites me directly or through those who have penned Scripture to call on Him for whatever I need. The following are some of these invitations and we should take full advantage of them:

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace,

that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help

in time of need.

Hebrews 4:15

For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I

not be confounded: therefore have I set my face

like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.

Isaiah 50:7

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed;

for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will

help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right

hand of my righteousness.

Isaiah 41:10

So, to summarize: A) Don't be too proud to ask for or accept help when needed; B) don't be too proud of being a helper, to come along side of someone in need of help. Know that the Lord will often lead you to someone out of the clear blue who needs you; and C) every need should be taken to the Lord even if someone is on hand already to help. He is the greatest help we can have in any situation.

Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper. Amen (Ps. 30:10)