Category: Weekly Word of Encouragement

“I am with you always, to the very end of the age” Matt. 28:20 (NIV). Before Jesus ascended to heaven he promised to be with his disciples always. The gift of the Spirit, which is the Spirit of Jesus, fulfilled this promise; now, Jesus is with you always. This is a priceless gift that the Old Testament believers could not imagine. In the Old Testament, God (Yahweh) only dwelt in the innermost room of the temple, the holy of holies. The temple, and especially the holy of holies, was the center of the ancient Jewish nation. Nothing was more precious to devout Jews than the presence of Yahweh in their temple. It was better to be at the temple than anywhere else on earth because the presence of God was there. Now his Spirit makes his home inside you, and you can “be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18 ESV). Continue Reading →

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ Matt. 25:34-36 (NIV) God has an inheritance in Christ waiting for us. Jesus described this time by explaining that God will reward us for faithfulness to Jesus’ teachings. He will bring a glorious gift for us when he returns. We will finally receive our inheritance, which is to live in God’s pure kingdom for eternity. We will no longer have to live in a time Continue Reading →

“Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’” Matt. 25:23 (NIV). This is a tremendously encouraging promise because God is promising to reward all our efforts at following and loving him by letting us share in his happiness. We will participate in the goodness of God and taste God himself. We will find our ultimate happiness in God. This is a fulfillment of the kingdom of God that he wants to give to his people. We only have part of the kingdom now but then we will experience the whole kingdom of God. All our sacrifices, all our holiness, all our faithfulness will be more than rewarded with blissful happiness in God. This is why the Apostle Paul prays, “that you may know what is the hope to which Continue Reading →

“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave.” Matt. 20:26-27 (NIV). This may not seem like an encouragement at first but it is a tremendous encouragement. Jesus promises that servants will be great in his kingdom. This promise encourages us because it sets us free from status-seeking in this world. Status in this world doesn’t count for anything in the New Creation to come, which lasts for eternity. Being a servant and learning how to bless others is what matters in this age because this will be invaluable, eternal fruit. This is another feature of God’s upside-down kingdom. You can be the weakest, smallest, least-educated and most neglected person in your community, but if you adopt a servant’s heart then you will be greater than everyone in your community who does not have a servant’s heart. Only Continue Reading →