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Let Us Encourage Other Christians
by Leonard Granger As we spend our earthly life serving our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ let us stay strong in the Lord by spreading the Gospel and helping new Christians grow in the Lord. Although God sent his Spirit to comfort and strengthen believers after Christ ascended to heaven, we still need the encouragement that comes from one another. This is called "fellowship". In Romans 14:7 we read, "For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself." In the Christian life we need one another and are called to love one another in Christ. The Lord brought a humble Christian man on the scene in the early church to play a vital role in the ministry of the Gospel. He was born in Cyprus, an island in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, and the Apostles called him "son of encouragement". He earned that title by building up the members of the struggling young church. His first act of following the Lord was to sell a field he owned and he put the money at the feet of the Apostles in Jerusalem. He was born into the Hebrew tribe of Levi, the group responsible for serving in the temple but he put his trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. His second act of faith is hardly noticed, yet it has had a lasting effect on Christianity even today. We read in the Bible where the Apostle Paul was preaching in Damascus and the Jews wanted to kill him but he managed to escape when friends lowered him in a basket from the city wall. Paul fled to Jerusalem but the Apostles were afraid to meet with him as before he was converted he persecuted the church of God by placing men and women in prison. But this man of God sought out Paul and heard his story and then introduced him to the disciples. After a time they accepted Paul and this man, a cousin of John Mark, went with Paul on his first missionary journey to Cyprus. This man I am speaking about is "Barnabas" who indirectly made possible Paul's missionary trips and he strengthened the early church. He also went with Mark so there were two missionary teams instead of one starting churches. Barnabas was an encourager and his faith held strong even in persecution. He encouraged the weaker disciples and was a great preacher of the Word. I was in Cyprus and lived in Greece when in the Air Force so the life of Barnabas living in that area was very interesting. We never know how our small acts of faith will be a benefit to other Christians. Just like Barnabas, we can all encourage others with acts of kindness and generosity done by faith for for the glory of God. Barnabas was a true servant of God who sought to support and strengthen others in the faith. What we do today may have a long lasting effect in the lives of others and the spreading the Gospel to the sinful world. Trust this week we take the time to attend the church of our choice and worship our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God Bless America No Copyright. Website TipTopWebsite.com/LensLines Christian Newspaper Writer in California [email protected] Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |