The Weekly SERMON

Volume No. 2017Issue No. 29Date September 10, 2017

Publication of the BIBLE BAPTIST MINISTRY, Phone:

May God's blessing be upon you this week as you read and meditate on the message from Judges 2:7-13 on “How Soon We Do Forget.”To easily access the Weekly SERMON message go to and click on the link at the bottom of this page.

The dictionary defines encouragement as"the act of inspiring others with renewed courage, renewed spirit, or renewed hope."There was a day some 32 years ago, while I sat in my officefacing some very discouraging, and disheartening realities, when the phone rang. Being the only one in the office at the time, I answered it. On the other end of the line was a man’s voice that said,"Pastor I don’t want you to say anything, just listen."He went on to say,"I don’t know what is going on with you right now, but I want to call and encourage you and again say thank you for leading me to Christ years ago. God Bless you. Good By!"And he hung up without me being able to speak a word. But you know something? I didn’t have to say a word, because that simple refreshing thoughtful moment was all I needed to be encouraged.

In the New Testament, the word most often translated as encouragement is"parakalien."It comes from two Greek words:"para"meaning"alongside of"and"kaleo" meaning "to call."When people come alongside us during difficult times, to give us renewed courage, a renewed spirit, or renewed hope, that’s encouragement.An encourager is one who puts courage into the fainthearted, hope back into the spirit.Encouragement,illustrated in the New Testament, is an important ministry for us to develop and practice.

In Romans 15:4-5 we read,"For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort (encouragement) of the scriptures might have hope. Now the God of patience and consolation (encouragement) grant you to be like-minded one toward another according to Christ Jesus."People are encouraged by the Word of God. Listen, if you don’t get your encouragement from God’s Word, its effect may be only temporary.

When Paul wrote to Timothy, he reminded this young pastor of the critical importance of using God’s Word as a tool of encouragement. Remember II Timothy 4:2 says, "Preach the word; be instantin season , out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort (our word for encourage), with all long-suffering and doctrine."

In I Thessalonians 4:18 Paul gave the believer a great confidence about their future with God in Heaven. At the conclusion of that great sectionon the coming of Christ and the Rapture of the church we read,"Wherefore comfort (our word for encourage) one another with these words."Then in I Thessalonians 5:11 he concludes his message on the return of Christ by saying,"Wherefore comfort (our word for encourage) yourselves together, and edify one another as also ye do."

Encouragement is like a pebble thrown into the water, while there is always an immediate impact, the ripples continue indefinitely. Paul spoke of this when he wrote to the Corinthians in II Corinthians 2:3-4,"Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort(encouragement): Who comforteth(encouraged)us in all ourtribulation, that we may be able to comfort(encourage)them which are inany trouble, by the comfort(encouragement)wherewith we ourselves are comforted(encouraged)of God."When you have been encouraged, your first impulse is to encourage someone else. ENCOURAGEMENT is infectious; it begins a process which could go on forever.

Why not this week find someone to encourage. ENCOURAGEMENT is an urgent need of our day. "We live by encouragement and we die without it, SLOWLY, SADLY, and ANGRILY."

In His Amazing Grace

Pastor David Miklas