Encouragement Archives | Page 20 of 21

January 20, 2026

January 20, 2026

Poverty or Plenty

“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” Philippians 4:11 (NIV) Have you ever been flat broke? There’ve been a few times I’ve been there, and it’s not a real enjoyable place to be. At the other end of that gamut is having more than enough, which is a whole lot more comfortable and easier to appreciate! The Apostle Paul, like most of us, didn’t have a whole lot of trouble dealing with the upper end of the “poverty to plenty” spectrum—that wouldn’t have been an issue. Writing […]

January 19, 2026

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January 19, 2026

Run the Race You Know You Can’t Win

“When I fall, I shall arise.” Micah 7:8b (KJV) It doesn’t take courage to run the race you know you will win. It takes courage to run the race you know you can’t win. When my daughter, Storm, was in school she joined the track team. She was small for her age and she had asthma. She would enter every event and she always came in last . . . and not just “last,” but sometimes minutes behind the winner. At times it was painful to watch her struggling to cross the finish line when every breath was an effort. […]

January 17, 2026

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January 17, 2026

Pontius Pilate Stands His Ground

“The chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, the Roman Governor, ‘Do not write, “The King of the Jews,” but, “He said I am the King of the Jews.” ’ Pilate answered, ‘What I have written, I have written.’ ” John 19:21-22 (NKJV) When asked, “Why do you believe in the white man’s God?” by those who reject Christianity, many if not most Native/Indigenous Christians may feel a level of discomfort. The long history of mistreatment of Native peoples by Euro-Americans on many levels speaks for itself, and many still feel the psychological lashes of that brutal and unfortunate […]

January 15, 2026

January 15, 2026

Never Saw It Coming

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV) When my father passed away in 2019, it was the first time in my parents’ 57 years of marriage that my mother would be alone. We had assured my father not to worry, that my four brothers and one sister and I would take care of her. We were all taught that in the first year we should let the grieving grieve. So, we let our mother do that and, like we promised […]

January 14, 2026

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January 14, 2026

The Message and the Method

“YOU WILL BE MY WITNESSES in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (NIV, caps my own) Time has a way of changing things—well, not everything, but some things. One of the things that sometimes needs to change is the way we do ministry. I remember back in the early 1980s, reading some of the writings of NEFC Founder, Tom Francis, and his successor, Joseph Jolly. There was a section in our NEFC objectives that said: “NEFC yearns to share the Gospel in every Native community in Canada.” My unspoken thought […]

January 12, 2026

January 12, 2026

Being an Example

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 (ESV) Our Ladies Bible study is really bolstering my faith and how I see myself as a born-again believer. I admit the enemy was gaining in holding me down. It has been difficult these past two years as I age, and physical problems persist. Yet I remember all that Jesus endured before His death on the cross and I say, “Why not me? Jesus, you went through so much more, […]

January 11, 2026

January 11, 2026

Clay Pots

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:6-9 (NIV) God called Gideon to save Israel from the Midianites. Gideon started with 32,000 men, but […]

January 8, 2026

Storms

“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of diffi culty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fi re of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” Isaiah 43:2 (NLT) I was watching a news report this morning about an earthquake in Asia. It wasn’t as bad as some earthquakes, but it got me thinking about the “storms” we all face in life. Everybody has their share of storms—storms of health, relationships, finances, employment (or lack thereof) . . . storms of scenarios […]

January 7, 2026

January 7, 2026

Living Out God’s Promises

“Honor thy father and mother; which is the fi rst commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.” Ephesians 6:2-3 (KJV) The Bible is full of God’s wonderful promises for us to obey and reap His blessings. Exodus 20:12 is another scripture that instructs us to honor our parents—with a similar promise. For the most part, it was natural for me to love and honor my parents. But there was a time in my life I struggled, as I wanted to go my own way. It began when I left […]