1 Thessalonians 5:11 (The Message)
9-11God didn't set us up for an angry rejection but for salvation by our Master, Jesus Christ. He died for us, a death that triggered life. Whether we're awake with the living or asleep with the dead, we're alive with him! So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you'll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind. I know you're already doing this; just keep on doing it.
There are many Scriptures about encouraging and loving one another. Hebrews 10:22-25 (Message Bible) "So let's do it - full of belief, confident that we're presentable inside and out. Let's keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps His Word. Let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching." It is a great joy to encourage and love one another. We should build up other believers by helping them serve others in Jesus name. It is also a great joy to minister to children, teens and even those who are college age. You know Jesus' ministry for the first year and a half was building relationships. He also built up His believers by helping them serve others in His name. He did this by expressing love through personal contact and support of people outside the immediate group.
I feel that we should have cooperation among believers and ministers. We should be multiplying and sending out more disciples to tell everyone the good news of Jesus. There are many believers who just want to stay within the four walls and instead of going out and reaching out to people who are hurting, they expect the hurt, broken people to come running to us. Instead of helping someone to go out and tell everyone the good news, they would rather sit in church and do nothing. I guess they feel as long as they are coming to church, then they're "good to go." But that's not what Jesus did. He went out among the people, the prostitutes, the homeless, the hungry.
So anyway, I feel the church needs to come together as a whole (all believers in Christ) and encourage one another, help one another to get the Gospel out, help each other out with outreaches such as fairs, feeding the hungry at a homeless shelter, helping out at women shelters, visiting the elderly at nursing homes. Anything that would be an outreach - help each other, encourage each other. So now let's get a little personal - are you an encourager of other believers? When they look to you, do they find someone who loves and supports them, or someone who is self-centered, arrogant or even critical? Pastor Mike has told us lately to look into our hearts and ask God to show us what is inside our heart. I have to admit, I have done that lately and I wasn't real pleased with what I saw. Now that I have done that, I can now ask God to help me fix my heart and to help me to encourage others, love others and "create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit in me."
