Encouragement Archives | Page 2 of 8

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 […]

April 4, 2026

April 4, 2026

Pride and its Consequences

“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18 (NKJV) It’s late afternoon. Jack, a bright all-around student, dribbles his basketball on his family’s driveway. He stops, aims at the net above the garage door, and shoots. A three pointer! There is no one to celebrate with him, so Jack whoops and dances around. A car pulls up. His friend, Dan, starts toward Jack. “Whatzup?” Jack asks in familiar slang as he continues to dribble the ball. “The debate team is meeting in a half hour. Can you come? We found out that Sohi College dropped […]

April 3, 2026

April 3, 2026

Gifts from Above

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17 (NIV) Often when we experience big tests, trusting God is not our first reaction. Then God speaks to our spirit and directs us to His Word. When more cancer was found in my system and I needed a second surgery, I was angry. Angry with the surgeon for not getting all the cancer the first time, angry that I was going back into surgery in two days and, yes, I think I was angry […]

April 2, 2026

April 2, 2026

Using Our Gifts

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10 (NIV) The early believers were learning how to uplift and encourage each other through the use of their individual gifts. Peter was writing to them to instruct them further in this area. This reminds me of a little girl who always wanted to help. Anything she could do for somebody, she would do it. Whether it was helping her mom with the housework, or looking after her brothers and sisters, she was always there. […]

April 1, 2026

April 1, 2026

Never Alone

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV) Nothing in this world can give us the confidence and security that we need. Only God the Father can. Only God can do this, as He is the one who can give us His presence for eternity, wherever we go and whatever we do. Therefore, I will not fear whatever comes. I will keep my eyes on Him. I know He will lead me […]

March 31, 2026

March 31, 2026

Resurrection Sunday

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.’” John 11:25 (NIV) A couple years back, about a week before Easter, a fellow musician shared with me this viewpoint on Easter Sunday. I’d like to pass it on to you. Read on . . . he said, “I don’t call it Easter Sunday anymore. I call it Resurrection Sunday. Why? Because every time I say that I’m telling whoever’s listening that Jesus is Risen—that He’s Alive!” Just by naming the day in that manner, he was […]