[Faith-talk] Daily Thought for Thursday, May 9, 2013

[Lauren Merryfield]

Hi,
I am a little confused.  Was that Bill or Bob Patterson as the author of 
that very good article?
Thanks
Lauren
"Life and death are of supreme importance. Time swiftly passes by and 
opportunity
is lost. Each of us should strive to awaken. Awaken. Take heed, do not 
squander
your life."
~Dogen Zenji
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----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Paul" <oilofgladness47 at gmail.com>
To: <iccshare at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, May 09, 2013 2:37 PM
Subject: [Faith-talk] Daily Thought for Thursday, May 9, 2013


> Well folks, we're well into, as the old song says, "the merry merry month 
> of May." I hope that your day is going well or went well, depending on 
> what time of day it is when you read this.
>
> We conclude our series on the topic of encouragement with an article 
> written by Dr. Bill Patterson which originally appeared in the December 
> 11, 2011 issue of The Lookout magazine.  The title of his article is "Sons 
> and Daughters of Encouragement" and is rendered as follows:
>
> In my 20's I decided I didn't want to be a grumpy old man when I reached 
> my senior years.  I wanted to be a person of encouragement, a person not 
> wrapped up in self but in God and others.  Then it hit me:  grumpy old men 
> usually get their start as grumpy young men.  I needed to work at being a 
> God-yielded, encouraging young man because what I did that day and the 
> next would set the pattern for my later years.  I didn't want to end up 
> like King Saul, full of bitterness, envy and despair.  I wanted to end up 
> like Barnabas, a man who gave of his time, energy and resources to build 
> up others.
>
> A Biblical Encourager
> LeRoy Eims served as a campus minister at the University of Pittsburgh. 
> During his first year on the job a number of students came to know the 
> Lord.  Eims often checked on their Bible study, Scripture memory, and 
> Christian growth.  Some began to avoid him and gave him the name, "Old Mr. 
> Check-up."
>
> Eims wrote, "I soon learned it was hard to help a person grow in Christ if 
> he was avoiding me, so I changed and became known as "Mr. Encouragement." 
> The more I encouraged, the more things changed.  The new converts grew and 
> we had great fellowship."
>
> Can you think of times when an encouraging word or act helped shape your 
> life? Someone loved you, spoke kindly to you, gave you a chance or put an 
> arm around your shoulder and it changed you.  Their encouragement became 
> the cure for your grief, your discouragement or your loneliness.  You can 
> be that encourager for others in need.
>
> Barnabas was a Levite from Cyprus (Acts 4:36).  His name means, "Son of 
> Encouragement." The apostles gave him a name that matched his character, 
> and it stuck.
>
> Ways To Encourage Others
> We can learn a great deal about encouragement from Barnabas.  He 
> encouraged others through his giving.  The first time Luke mentions 
> Barnabas in the book of Acts, he records how Barnabas sold a field and 
> gave the money to the church in Jerusalem for the needs of others (Acts 
> 4:37).  Later Barnabas accompanied Paul to Jerusalem with the Antioch 
> Christians' offering for the poor.  Do you know some Christians or 
> churches in need? Can you encourage them by giving?
>
> Greater than giving his money, Barnabas gave of himself.  The name 
> Barnabas (_uios _parakleseos) literally means, "son called alongside." 
> Whenever there was a need, the early church could count on Barnabas to be 
> there.  We see it when he welcomed Saul, the Christian persecutor, after 
> his Damascus Road experience.  Other Christians were skeptical of Saul's 
> conversion, but Barnabas wrapped an arm around his shoulder, took him to 
> the apostles, and vouched for him (9:26-28).
>
> Do you know a new Christian you can encourage by sticking up for him or 
> her? Could you sit with someone in church and introduce him to other 
> members?
>
> Have you ever opened your car door, sat in the driver's seat, inserted the 
> key, but heard nothing? The battery had died and no cranking sound 
> emerged.  You needed a person with a live battery and jumper cables to 
> give your car a boost.  When we encourage others, we become their battery 
> charger.
>
> Learning by Example
> Barnabas encouraged others by recognizing their potential.  The church in 
> Jerusalem sent Barnabas as a missionary to Antioch.  The work was so 
> successful that he needed help.  Barnabas made the 80-mile journey to 
> Tarsus to persuade Saul (by then known as Paul) to join him.
>
> That kicked the apostle Paul's ministry into high gear.  Later he and Paul 
> went on a missionary journey from Antioch.  Barnabas led the group at 
> first and took his nephew John Mark along.  Although John Mark quit during 
> his first missionary journey, Barnabas didn't give up on John Mark and 
> carried him along on another mission trip.  By then John Mark was "up and 
> running" for the Lord.
>
> Some people seem especially gifted of seeing something of promise in 
> others.  All of this can practice this, however.  If you teach a Sunday 
> school class, is there another promising teacher you can use as an 
> assistant or a substitute? Can you teach others to witness by taking them 
> with you when you share the gospel? Can you take someone under your wing 
> and help her achieve her potential in the Lord? Why not pause right now to 
> ask the Lord to show you someone for whom you can be a Barnabas.
>
> More Lessons From Barnabas
> Barnabas also encouraged others by giving his time.  Often people need our 
> presence more than they need our money.  Barnabas went to Antioch when 
> there was a great need.  He preached the gospel there and led many to 
> Christ.  When the church at Antioch prayed, they felt led to set aside 
> Barnabas and Paul for mission work.
>
> Barnabas continued to give his time and energy.  He stretched beyond his 
> cultural background to reach out to others for Christ.  Is there a person 
> of another geographical or cultural background to whom you can witness, or 
> with whom you can spend time and encourage in the faith?
>
> Barnabas planted churches in Jerusalem, Antioch, and all over Asia Minor. 
> His name is synnomymous with encouraging others for Christ.  Perhaps the 
> greatest way we can encourage others is to plant churches, witness, and 
> nurture others in the Lord.
>
> If you felt God leading you to plant a church, would you? If you felt Him 
> lead you to go on a mission journey or to give three years of your life to 
> help a new group of believers, would you?
>
> Barnabas never regretted giving his time, his presence, his witness, his 
> money, or his encouragement.  You and I will be glad we gave our time and 
> resources to encourage others, too.
>
> A Ministry of Encouragement
> When God begins a work, He usually starts with a human instrument.  Could 
> you begin a ministry of encouragement in your church? Choose a group of 
> like-minded people and begin to meet with them.  Seek God's help as you 
> consider how you can become sons and daughters of encouragement.
>
> What about writing a letter or sending a card to those who visit your 
> worship services? Studies show that within the first three months of 
> moving into a new area, a family will be much more open to an invitation 
> to worship.  Develop a group of people who have a "new member" 
> consciousness to reach out to new people with a welcome basket of goodies 
> and an invitation to church.
>
> How many families move to a new area, attend church a time or two, then 
> drop out because no one took the time to help them bridge the friendship 
> gap? People aren't looking for a friendly church.  They are looking for a 
> friend in church.  You can be a son or daughter of encouragement to them 
> through a phone call, a friendly visit, a word of welcome, a listening 
> ear, or a smile.  You might offer to meet with them to discuss how to do 
> the things necessary for life in a new neighborhood (water, trash 
> collection, schools, groceries, governmental services, and so on).  You 
> may be used of the Lord to raise up a person who becomes like Paul for our 
> day.
>
> A couple I know sat in a different area of the sanctuary each week.  They 
> chose their seat by standing in the back to observe the congregation.  If 
> a visiting family sat in one area, they would sit nearby and invite them 
> to lunch after the services.  With that kind of unexpected encouragement, 
> many guests became active members.
>
> If we have money in our pockets, we can encourage those in need of food or 
> clothing.  If we have any love in our hearts, we can fortify those in need 
> of acceptance.  If we have time on our hands, we can strengthen those in 
> need of Christian growth.  In a thousand ways we can inspire, cheer, 
> comfort, and give help and hope.  Like Barnabas, we can be sons and 
> daughters of encouragement.
>
> More Encouragement From God's Word
> "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so 
> that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement 
> they provide we might have hope.  May the God who gives endurance and 
> encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that 
> Christ Jesus had" (Romans 15:4, 5).
>
> "Therefore encourage one another with these words" (1 Thessalonians 4:18).
>
> "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact 
> you are doing" (1 Thessalonians 5:11).
>
> "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke 
> and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction" (2 Timothy 
> 4:2).
>
> "Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled" (Titus 2:6).
>
> "Encourage and rebuke with all authority" (Titus 2:15).
>
> "But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that 
> none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness" (Hebrews 3:13).
>
> "God did this so that ... we who have fled to take hold of the hope set 
> before us may be greatly encouraged" (Hebrews 6:18).
>
> "Let us consider how we may spur another on toward love and good deeds, 
> not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but 
> encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching" 
> (Hebrews 10:24, 25).  BP
>
> And there you have Bob's article which, I hope and pray, was of spiritual 
> benefit to you as the Lord led you to read and ponder what was written.
>
> aI'd like to close this message with a brief testimony of encouragement. 
> When the Lord led me to join my new church, Rosemont Community Church, it 
> was the third Sunday in August and their Communion Sunday.  Even though I 
> was a new member, they allowed me to partake of the elements.  The 
> pastor's wife, Lisa Cook, sat in the same pew with me and gave me pointers 
> about the order of service as well as a personal welcome.  After the 
> service was over one of the deacons, John by name, invited me to lunch at 
> an Italian style cafe and, what was more, he picked up the tab.  The 
> pastor would have joined us, but he was detained by more pressing and 
> necessary ministerial duties.  It was there that I met two wonderful 
> single Christians, Beverly and Pam, and, although Pam lived a distance 
> from my neighbborhood, we greet each other every Sunday, whereas Beverly 
> and I go out to lunch every Thursday at a local eatery.
>
> But, beyond all this and uppermost in my mind, Pastor Cook's messages each 
> Lord's Day are right on target, for which I am eternally thankful to God 
> and to him.  I only mention all this because, if some of you may recall, 
> you were praying that I'd find a good church, and your prayers produced 
> fruit.
>
> And now until tomorrow when, Lord willing another Daily Thought article 
> will be presented, may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just keep us 
> safe, individually and collectively, throughout this night or day and 
> especially in these last days in which we live.  Your Christian friend and 
> brother, Paul
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