Be Encouraged

“Those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so they will not believe and be saved. Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; these have no firm root; they believe for a while and fall away in time of temptation. ” (Luke 8:12–13) Trust is so simple yet challenged by every waking moment. The s...

“And He said to the woman, ‘Your faith has saved you; go in peace.’” (Luke 7:50) Mary, blessed God incarnate. Jesus, at a Pharisee’s table, knew the difference between being a guest compared to being accepted and treated as Lord. Mary invested her savings in some costly perfume. By washing Jesus’s feet with all she had, the perfume, she said she wanted nothing but Christ to satisfy her life needs....

“Seeing their faith, He said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven you.’” (Luke 5:20) Sin is not having the Father’s trust in the blood of His Christ as all-sufficient. There is a difference between having trust in God and having the trust of God. The imperative, “Have the trust of God,” is a decree, a declaration. We can trust we have been united in Christ’s death. We can trust we have been united in...

“And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.” (Luke 1:45) . The serpent has asked, “Has God really said, ‘Look on my Son, trust Him, and you shall live?’” Reply, “Yes, I please God by looking to Jesus and trusting Him.”The serpent continues, “It is written in the Law it is up to you to choose Christ, exercise your will to please God...

Dear friends, the fundamental call upon our lives is to love one another, as the source of love springs from God. Embracing and practicing this love becomes a testament to our divine lineage and a profound understanding of God. God's essence can be summed up as love; He showcased this incredible love by sending His only Son into the world. The purpose behind this act was to bestow upon us the gift...

Life is the common thread tying us together. It can be seen as a powerful force that works against us, creating challenges and obstacles. At times, it may feel like life is mysterious, leaving us uncertain about what it has in store for us. However, everything changes when life is viewed as an embodiment of love. Love becomes the central and unifying force. it is the very essence of life itself. I...

“And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.” (Luke 1:20) Now, here is inescapable evangelism. God has sprinkled the nations with the blood of His Son. They stand dumb on account of His overcoming victory. Even those who have not been told will see and hear Jesus...

“Afterward He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table ; and He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen. ” (Mark 16:14) What a shock! The disciple’s dead best friend appears to them in His bodily form and reproaches their distrust. Picture this. They’re kicking back and having din...

“Afterward He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table ; and He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen. ” (Mark 16:14) What a shock! The disciple’s dead best friend appears to them in His bodily form and reproaches their distrust. Picture this. They’re kicking back and having dinn...

“They went away and reported it to the others, but they did not believe them either.” ( Mark 16:13) It’s a choice. You can trust the message that Christ has risen or not. Even those prepared by Jesus to receive Him after His death could not trust the report He was alive. First dead, three days later, and now alive! Like incredulous! But what does it cost to trust this story? Nothing. What is the b...

“When they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they refused to believe it.” ( Mark 16:11) They refused to trust the news of Christ having been resurrected. Okay, the idea of a resurrected person is incredible. Such things don’t fit into our everyday life experiences. Three days dead and no one standing over Him praying, He gets up, walks through stone, and plays in His revitalized ga...

“Let this Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, so that we may see and believe!” Those who were crucified with Him were also insulting Him.” (Mark 15:32) There’s nothing like kicking someone who is down. How about feeling tall just because you are standing on someone else’s toes? That works, too. Right? Even those who had ripped Jesus’s beard out beat Him, and then drove nails...

Our current understanding of Christ can be likened to a blurry reflection in a mirror. However, we will have a clear and direct understanding in the future. At present, we only grasp certain aspects of the truth, Christ, but eventually, we will comprehend it in its entirety, just as we are fully understood. Amid it all, we are bound to three of His essential qualities: faith, hope, and love. Among...

In a distant realm, Queen Inara embarked on a quest for the grandest attire to set her apart. One fateful day, she encountered a wise person who shared a parable about the King of Kings and His most exquisitely dressed Queen. This divine tale unveiled a secret to Inara - she bore the King's essence, radiating His love, compassion, and wisdom. Discovering that true greatness is not in splendid garm...

“And then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ’; or, ‘Behold, He is there’; do not believe him ;” ( Mark 13:21) There is no new Christ on the horizon. To choose another Christ is to be an anti-Christ. Receiving the Christ of history is as hard for us today as it was for the people of His day to receive Him as the One prophesied. God has promised we will all see Him. We are not to go...

“They began reasoning among themselves, saying, ‘If we say, “From heaven,” He will say, “Then why did you not believe him?”’” (Mark 11:31) We have been gifted the ability to trust or distrust, exercise faith in a person or not, and even believe or disbelieve some declaration. Those testing Jesus’s authority had already actively distrusted John the Baptist’s message concerning Jesus. Now, they were...

“Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.” (Mark 11:24) Here is the key: understanding what the will of God is. This is the will of God; we are to love everyone with His love indiscriminately. What we pray for are the specific expressions of that love. We can trust that before we ask, we have the answer. The a...

“And Jesus answered saying to them, ‘Have faith in God.’” ( Mark 11:22) Can it get simpler than this? We either trust or distrust what Jesus just said. In an instant, we can trust His accomplished work of perfecting us and being the perfect One living out His Spirit through us. Many wrestle with the idea God loves them. Go deeper yet, the yah-hoo is that He reproduces His life by living it through...

“And Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has made you well.’ Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road.” (Mark 10:52) Trust in God makes us well on all levels. Trust in self makes us ill on all levels. Trust builds up. Distrust tears down. We are meant to tear down every act perpetrated by the flesh and build up every act performed by the Holy Spirit. Wholeness comes fro...

As the perfect life, we embrace the Fruit of the Spirit, love revealed. Through this intimacy, we live a life filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We embody and express the life of Christ, shining as beacons of light in a world that often seeks to extinguish love. Embracing the Fruit of the Spirit is not a call to imitate Christ bu...

The world sustains us. Praise God for this gift. In this, a great contemplation arises.

“Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, ‘I do believe; help my unbelief.’” ( Mark 9:24) Once, I took an ambulance ride. Apparently, I was passing a vengeful kidney stone. The EMTs did nothing but mask the pain. The Doctors did nothing but suggest I drink tons of water. Apparently, all I needed was more water and the ability to withstand pain. I sought help from these professionals but di...

“And Jesus said to him, ‘If You can? All things are possible to him who believes.’” (Mark 9:23) Jesus is saying that if you have been gifted with the trust of God, you know everything is possible to God. You move from having to be the author of your trust to being the recipient and expression of His trust. You get to speak and act on that gift. In 1994, we hosted an intercessory group. Two couples...

“And He answered them and said, ‘O unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to Me!’” ( Mark 9:19) Jesus trusted his Father. If his Father said, “We are having a picnic.” Jesus would tell his disciples, “We are having a picnic with Father.” The wise disciples salivated. Their circumstances did not dictate the outcome of the promise. We who tr...

“But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, said to the synagogue official, ‘Do not be afraid any longer , only believe.’” (Mark 5:36) Jesus came to set free those who, through fear of death, have been subject to that fear all their lives. When we trust Jesus rose from death, we escape death. How? We have died with and in Him. It is a done deal. We, now in Him, live His living. We skipped the e...