Encouragement Archives | Page 14 of 21

April 16, 2026

April 16, 2026

He Knows Your Needs

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) When I attended Key-Way-Tin Bible Institute in the early 1990s, I began to learn what it means to trust in the Lord for everything. To get a diploma, three years were required. I did not know how I was going to pay for the three years. I was out of high school and didn’t have a job. I gave my life to Jesus on January 14, 1994, and the Bible school staff graciously worked it out so that […]

April 14, 2026

April 14, 2026

An Undivided Heart

“I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.” Ezekiel 11:19- 20 (NIV) It is easy to allow habits to creep in and take up residence in our lives just as the Israelites did in Ezekiel 11. We can allow the world around us to sell us their idols. Our focus becomes our jobs, our […]

April 12, 2026

April 12, 2026

Be With Him

“And He goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would; and they came unto him. And He ordained twelve, that they should be with him.” Mark 3:13, 14a (KJV) Recently, a teenager had been attending our small church faithfully for two months, but he suddenly stopped. About a month later I saw him walking with a friend. I asked him why he stopped coming and he replied, “I have been very busy and don’t have the time.” His friend piped up, “He is always busy on Sundays.” My wife and I wondered what could keep a […]

April 11, 2026

April 11, 2026

Compassion One For Another

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 (KJV) A. God loves us. This is only one of the Scriptures that tells us that God loves us. Not just me. He loves all of us, the whole world. He loves not just the good people, but also the bad people. Drunks, alcoholics, drug addicts, murderers, thieves . . . all sinners are loved by God. God doesn’t love the sin, but He loves the person He created. Psalm 97:10 says, “Ye […]

April 10, 2026

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April 10, 2026

Ungratefulness—A Hard Pill to Swallow

“Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name” Psalm 140:13a (NKJV) There are few things more painful than doing someone a kindness and having them treat it with disdain. After working in secret for weeks, Margaret, a prize-winning bead crafter, has finally finished the intricately beaded vest for her daughter, Princess. She wraps it and places it beneath their Christmas tree. When the big day arrives, Margaret can hardly wait to see Princess’s eyes brighten when she sees the vest! But when her daughter unwraps the gift, she scowls and tosses it back into the box. She says, “Here, […]

April 8, 2026

Maskepetoon—Peacemaker

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27 (NIV) I’ve been intrigued by the story of a Rocky Mountain Cree of the mid-1800’s, a chief named Maskepetoon. Told by many, it has become a mix of myth, legend, and truth. However, all sources mark the man with the common denominator that follows the common thread of “Peacemaker.” Maskepetoon, a renowned warrior who came to faith in Jesus, found out that personal peace could only […]

April 7, 2026

April 7, 2026

Is Any Sick Among You?

“Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.” James 5:14-15 (KJV) I was about 12 when I got stricken with a very bad skin disease. I missed a few of months of school and was eventually bedridden as the disease progressed. In my little village in northern Ontario, medical facilities were […]

April 6, 2026

April 6, 2026

Faithful Servants

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19 (NIV) I will never forget my mom putting us five kids to bed early on a Saturday night because we were going to go to Sunday school the next day. My six-year-old thoughts were, “What!? Why? It was our day off from school.” A faithful man named Mr. Staley from the Oakridge Baptist Church in Vancouver had been visiting mom, explaining the Christian faith to her. He was obeying Jesus’s words from Matthew […]

April 5, 2026

April 5, 2026

Prayers Not Answered

“But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.” John 3:21 (NIV) A woman had prayed and prayed for her children to turn from their ways of addiction. She even asked the church for prayer that God would help her children stop and turn from their ways. It was for about seven years that she continued to pray, and it seemed nothing was happening. She slowly stopped coming to the church. We think she has given up on God […]