Do Not Lose Heart
Do Not Lose Heart
What a difference a few words of encouragement can make in our lives and any life. Everyone from time to time gets discouraged; that is why God has given some the gift of encouragement to encourage others. To the Ephesians, “13 Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory”.
Paul was writing from prison – Ephesians 3: 1, “I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles— 2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you”. Here he is telling those free and not in prison not to lose heart. Perspective is everything. How are you seeing your current state? What lens are you wearing to see the things you are going through? If you do not see with the eyes of faith as we are urged to do you will have a distorted vision and your assessment of your self will be wrong. The just shall live by faith in God. Paul saw himself as a prisoner of Jesus for the sake of the Gentiles. Paul was only in prison for Christ’s sake and not because the Romans could hold him.
Paul is saying to the Ephesians, because of what God has done for you to reconcile you to Himself; my imprisonment is nothing compared to the glory of you being united with Christ. Your sins are forgiven forever. Our sins are forgiven forever in Christ Jesus. Hallelujah! God can now relate to us.
We have a modern day Paul in prison. American Pastor Saeed Abedini is imprisoned for 8 years in Iran for sharing his Christian faith. Listen to what he wrote from prison to encourage believers during this Easter:
"Sometimes we want to experience the Glory and resurrection with Jesus without experiencing death with Him. We do not realize that unless we pass through the path of death with Christ, we are not able to experience resurrection with Christ," Abedini wrote in a message shared by the American Center for Law and Justice, which represents his wife, Naghmeh, and two children in the U.S. He goes on to write:
"We want to have a good and successful marriage, career, education and family life (which are also God's desire and plan for our life). But we forget that in order to experience the Resurrection and Glory of Christ we first have to experience death with Christ and to die to ourselves and selfish desires…Let us resurrect our Dead faiths to living faiths by first dying to our selfish “resurrected” self and experiencing the cross of Jesus. Then we are able to experience the Glorious resurrection with Christ."
What a good example of encouragement. We continue to pray for strength for pastor Saeed until he is released. Next time, before you start complaining about your situation, remember pastor Saeed and pray for him and his family.
We lost hope this 4th of July and gave up too quickly while waiting. My family went to watch the fireworks display in Columbia Maryland as part of the American Independence Celebration. The firework was advertised as starting at 9:30PM. We waited with other hundreds of families but nothing was happening. People started leaving by 9:45 and we left about 9:55. While heading home, by 10:05 the fireworks started and we had left the point where we could watch it. We later learned that the time was changed and the word did not get out to everyone. We were disappointed especially the kids. Imagine what a word of encouragement (with the correct information) would have done for us if someone had just said, “wait for a little longer”. A word of encouragement makes all the difference especially when it is truth of the Word of God. Someone has encouraged us before and we are to encourage someone.
Paul will go on to pray for the Ephesians because that is the next best thing you can do for the discouraged:
13 Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,[c] 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
The first of Paul’s prayer is that the Ephesians be strengthened in their inner man/heart. Usually this is what we need most when we are facing discouragement. We need the strength to continue and to carry on and to stand. Are you there right now? May God grant you the strength by His Spirit to endure and persevere regardless of what you are going through. Jesus says to you and me, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33. Jesus is the real peace we need and not necessarily a changed situation. Do you have Jesus in your heart? Please talk to Him in prayer even right now.
Dear Father, please encourage us in this race you have called us to. We acknowledge that sometimes it is very difficult as humans to continue. But we thank you that you have always been there for us and have showed your faithfulness time and time again. Thank you Lord for if it had not been for you, the enemy Satan would have swallowed us alive. Help me to continue to trust your unfailing word of promises. Thank you for dying on the Cross for my sins and for reconciling me back to you. Help me to know without doubt your love for me and that your grace is sufficient for me. As you encourage me through my trials, help me to encourage others for your glory and honor. Amen.
Trust in the Lord today with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding and in all your ways acknowledge (thank Him) and He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6.
Be encouraged my brother/sister. Do not lose heart. Encourage another to faith in Christ. Amen.
What a difference a few words of encouragement can make in our lives and any life. Everyone from time to time gets discouraged; that is why God has given some the gift of encouragement to encourage others. To the Ephesians, “13 Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory”.
Paul was writing from prison – Ephesians 3: 1, “I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles— 2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you”. Here he is telling those free and not in prison not to lose heart. Perspective is everything. How are you seeing your current state? What lens are you wearing to see the things you are going through? If you do not see with the eyes of faith as we are urged to do you will have a distorted vision and your assessment of your self will be wrong. The just shall live by faith in God. Paul saw himself as a prisoner of Jesus for the sake of the Gentiles. Paul was only in prison for Christ’s sake and not because the Romans could hold him.
Paul is saying to the Ephesians, because of what God has done for you to reconcile you to Himself; my imprisonment is nothing compared to the glory of you being united with Christ. Your sins are forgiven forever. Our sins are forgiven forever in Christ Jesus. Hallelujah! God can now relate to us.
We have a modern day Paul in prison. American Pastor Saeed Abedini is imprisoned for 8 years in Iran for sharing his Christian faith. Listen to what he wrote from prison to encourage believers during this Easter:
"Sometimes we want to experience the Glory and resurrection with Jesus without experiencing death with Him. We do not realize that unless we pass through the path of death with Christ, we are not able to experience resurrection with Christ," Abedini wrote in a message shared by the American Center for Law and Justice, which represents his wife, Naghmeh, and two children in the U.S. He goes on to write:
"We want to have a good and successful marriage, career, education and family life (which are also God's desire and plan for our life). But we forget that in order to experience the Resurrection and Glory of Christ we first have to experience death with Christ and to die to ourselves and selfish desires…Let us resurrect our Dead faiths to living faiths by first dying to our selfish “resurrected” self and experiencing the cross of Jesus. Then we are able to experience the Glorious resurrection with Christ."
What a good example of encouragement. We continue to pray for strength for pastor Saeed until he is released. Next time, before you start complaining about your situation, remember pastor Saeed and pray for him and his family.
We lost hope this 4th of July and gave up too quickly while waiting. My family went to watch the fireworks display in Columbia Maryland as part of the American Independence Celebration. The firework was advertised as starting at 9:30PM. We waited with other hundreds of families but nothing was happening. People started leaving by 9:45 and we left about 9:55. While heading home, by 10:05 the fireworks started and we had left the point where we could watch it. We later learned that the time was changed and the word did not get out to everyone. We were disappointed especially the kids. Imagine what a word of encouragement (with the correct information) would have done for us if someone had just said, “wait for a little longer”. A word of encouragement makes all the difference especially when it is truth of the Word of God. Someone has encouraged us before and we are to encourage someone.
Paul will go on to pray for the Ephesians because that is the next best thing you can do for the discouraged:
13 Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,[c] 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
The first of Paul’s prayer is that the Ephesians be strengthened in their inner man/heart. Usually this is what we need most when we are facing discouragement. We need the strength to continue and to carry on and to stand. Are you there right now? May God grant you the strength by His Spirit to endure and persevere regardless of what you are going through. Jesus says to you and me, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33. Jesus is the real peace we need and not necessarily a changed situation. Do you have Jesus in your heart? Please talk to Him in prayer even right now.
Dear Father, please encourage us in this race you have called us to. We acknowledge that sometimes it is very difficult as humans to continue. But we thank you that you have always been there for us and have showed your faithfulness time and time again. Thank you Lord for if it had not been for you, the enemy Satan would have swallowed us alive. Help me to continue to trust your unfailing word of promises. Thank you for dying on the Cross for my sins and for reconciling me back to you. Help me to know without doubt your love for me and that your grace is sufficient for me. As you encourage me through my trials, help me to encourage others for your glory and honor. Amen.
Trust in the Lord today with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding and in all your ways acknowledge (thank Him) and He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6.
Be encouraged my brother/sister. Do not lose heart. Encourage another to faith in Christ. Amen.
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