WORDS of Encouragement ( no "topics" ) ;)

[Starr71]

Motives
PROVERBS 16:2 NLT
2 People may be pure in their own eyes, but the LORD examines their motives.


Motives are important to God.
God is interested in WHY we do things, not just in WHAT we do.

Why do you do what you do?

Is it to help others? To please God? Or do you live focused totally on yourself?

These questions are important to ask ourselves. As 1 Corinthians 11:31 says, "if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged."

However, we must use caution when trying to judge other people. We don't know their motives.

PROVERBS 21:2 LB
2 We can justify our every deed, but God looks at our motives.


We often justify ourselves, but judge others harshly. We may judge ourselves based on our good intentions, but we are only capable of judging others by their actions.
So, we must be very cautious about judging others in a condemning way.


1 CORINTHIANS 4:5 NIV
5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.


One main reason we are not qualified to judge others is because we don't know their thoughts, intentions, and motives. Only God does.

SAY THIS: Lord, please help me to be aware of my motives.

 

[Starr71]

Pride and Humility ​

PROVERBS 22:4 NKJ
4 By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life.
Humility is the opposite of pride.
Humility does not think it is better than anyone else. "I am what I am by the grace of God."

1 PETER 5:5 NKJ
5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

A humble person is one who follows God's instructions, instead of leaning to their own understanding.

Being a humble person does not mean being a loser. A humble person is one who has the proper relationship to God and grasps reality, which is: without God, we can do nothing.

Humility will cause a person to remember their need to pray.

humble person is one who prefers to suffer wrong rather than do wrong.
Pride will bring you low. Humility will cause God to exalt you.

LUKE 14:11 NKJ
11 "For whoever exalts himself will be abased, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
God cannot exalt proud people without it harming them.

JAMES 4:10 NKJ
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

1 PETER 5:6 NKJ
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,

SAY THIS: Lord, please help me to beware of pride.

 

[brinny]

You Are Worthy

Don’t see yourself as insignificant
Not worthy to come before God
Fearing the stains are too deep to clean
From the sins you’re guilty of
And don’t feel as though you’re not worthy
To dine at His table of grace
Nor even to gather the scraps that fall
Nor look into His loving face

But see yourself clothed in garments
Fit only to clothe a king
Eating as His honoured guest
And wearing His signet ring
For that is how God sees you
A worthy child indeed
A royal priesthood bearing His name
The moment you came to believe

For surely as Christ’s blood has washed you
You shall be whiter than snow
So don’t see yourself as someone unworthy
A tiny speck nobody knows
For that only belittles the value
Of Jesus Christ’s spilled blood
For it’s through His blood he’s cleansed you
And showed you how much He loved

He says ‘My child you are precious
More than you can comprehend
For nothing you’ve done could lessen my love
For I’d always call you my friend
My heart just longs for you to come
And bask in my embrace
My child I will always love you
And pour out my mercy and grace

So don’t feel afraid to draw near
Nor feel you have no worth
My son’s blood has purchased you
And has given you new birth
So come enjoy my presence
And let me hear you sing
The new song I have given you
For to me you are everything’

© By M.S.Lowndes
​

extraordinarily encouraging

 

[brinny]

What a truly wonderful promise our Lord gives us! His eyes are always on us as He
is always with us. There is nothing to great that He can't handle and nothing to small
that He doesn't see! God bless!

precious

 

[brinny]

simplicity, straight from God, along with quietness and stillness, are soothing and healing to one's soul

worth repeating...as a reminder to my sometimes restless soul....

 

[cynth]

Keep walking

 

[cynth]

 

[thriftyEvie]

this thread from page 1 to the last page is so encouraging to me. You have no idea. Thank you so much. I just love this thread!
Something encouraging to me that a close friend once told me when your going through hard times...
imagine Jesus reaching down from the sky and holding you, and letting Him takes our problems. I love this!

 

[cynth]

I really like this thread too.

 

[cynth]

I appreciate it and all the people who come to post here.
GOD BLESS EACH OF YOU and Thank you
It's great to have encouragement!

 

[Starr71]

If you remember Road Runner used to often run off the edge of a cliff. Wile E Coyote who was chasing him would chase him off the edge.

For a few minutes both of them would be standing on thin air, suspended by nothing, defying the laws of nature. Then, after a while, Wile E Coyote would look down. He would realize that he was standing on nothing and would fall and crash into the ground. Road Runner, who never looked down, would then turn around and run back onto the cliff: “BEEP! BEEP!”

Today’s life lesson from Road Runner is this: NEVER LOOK DOWN. As long as Road Runner never looks down he never falls.

As long as you never look down you will never fall. If you are going through difficult or impossible circumstances, don’t look at them. Walk by faith and not by sight. Walk by the Word and not by circumstances. Peter walked by faith on the water until he looked at the waves, then he started to sink.

You can walk on water. You can walk on air. You can walk in impossible situations if you keep your eyes on Jesus and His Word, and don’t look at your circumstances.

Be like Abraham: consider not your own body or your own circumstances, but give glory to God by walking in the light of His Word.

Blessings,
Starr

 

[Starr71]

In one episode of Road Runner, the Wile E Coyote buys a bottle of earthquake pills. These earthquake pills are designed to cause an earthquake in the live of anyone who eats them.

Road Runner eats all the pills, because they are disguised as bird seed, and runs off. Wile E Coyote waits and waits, but there is no earthquake. He takes some of the pills himself as he is upset they are defective. Only then does he read the small print: CAUTION: Not Effective on Road Runners.

I want you to know that the devil has slipped things into your life, into your family, into your workplace, into your church. He wants earthquakes of depression and strife and envy to explode everywhere you go. But the devil has forgotten to read the small print: Not Effective on People Who Walk in Love.

If you walk in love, you can walk with anyone. Walking in love never has gone to the divorce court, walking in love has never split a church. You can be immune to the attacks of the enemy - immune to the lies he wants to feed you - by choosing to walk in love. You don't have to find the love - it is already in your heart because God poured it out there (Romans 5.5).

The next time the devil tempts you to have an earthquake in your life: to shout and scream and swear at someone, to cut someone out of your life, to run away from a place you know you should be in, remember the fine print.

Caution: Not Effective on Road Runners.

Blessings,
Starr

 

[Starr71]

One of the more common scenes in a Road Runner cartoon is when Wile E Coyote decides to trick the Road Runner into running into a boulder by painting a picture of a tunnel on the boulder.

The plan is that Road Runner will run into the boulder and knock himself out.

However, Road Runner - defying every single law of physics and nature - runs right into the picture of the tunnel and off into the distance. When Wile E Coyote then decides to chase Road Runner he splats himself into the boulder.

The application for our lives is simple: the devil often tries to trap us by painting a scenario that we want for our lives.

He may promote the idea of a promotion or a healing of our body. He may paint the picture of us moving forward in our destiny.

But then he puts this picture on a boulder. Something that stops us dead. He paints a picture of your healing but then the doctor says that you will die in 6 months. He paints a picture of your prosperity as the mortgage is another month in arrears. He paints a picture of you walking in love and holiness as you commit the same sin you vowed to be free from again.

The devil’s motive in this is to bring us to despair. For us to have deferred our hope in God’s plan which according to Proverbs will make the heart sick. Do this several times and the devil will knock hope and love out of our thinking and pick us off as if we had just run into a big boulder.

However, the solution is not to try and swerve or change course. The solution is to keep running. Keep working towards your vision, keep your faith, keep your love, keep running the race of Christianity.

There is nothing that can stop you: not even the laws of physics and nature. Just as surely as Jesus walked through walls to reach His disciples, you can walk through sickness into complete health, you can walk through poverty into complete wealth, you can walk through depression into joy and love, you can walk through the sin that binds you and walk into a holy and pure life of peace and love.

Beep! Beep!

Keep on running!

Blessings,
Starr

 

[Starr71]

Jesus Died For Sinners
ROMANS 5:6 NKJ
6 . . . Christ died for the ungodly.
Jesus Christ did not come to earth to help perfect people, but to help ungodly sinners.
ROMANS 5:8 NKJ
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Jesus already paid the price for the forgiveness of all sins through His death.
EPHESIANS 1:7 NKJ
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
The devil tries to make people think God does not love them because of their sins. But nothing could be further from the truth. God loves sinners! Jesus died to save sinners.

1 TIMOTHY 1:15 NKJ
15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
God is against sin because it is harmful to people, but He is not against sinners.
If God could not or would not help a sinner, then He would never help any human. The Bible tells the opposite story. We have all missed the mark of perfection so we all need a Savior. And we all have a Savior if we will but receive Him.
HEBREWS 9:26 NLT
26 If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice.
The sacrifice of Jesus was sufficient to deal with all sin. You have been forgiven. Accept that forgiveness. Turn away from going your own way and walk with God.

SAY THIS: Jesus died because He loved sinners, including me.

 

[Starr71]

Expect Favor


PSALM 5:12 NIV
12 For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

If Jesus is your Lord, then He is also your righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30, Romans 5:17). So, you are righteous in Christ and qualify for this blessing.

Favor is the blessing of God causing people to like you and treat you well.
Why expect favor?

Because God is your Father. He loves you. And He responds to faith. When you walk in faith you expect blessings.


PROVERBS 16:7 NIV
7 When a man's ways are pleasing to the LORD, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.

Some people always talk of how badly they are treated and how things always go wrong for them. Should we be surprised? After all, Jesus told us in Mark 11:23 that we would have what we say.


Why not begin to say that God surrounds your life with favor?

SAY THIS: I expect God's favor in my life.

 

[Starr71]

Do Not Worry


PHILIPPIANS 4:6 NLT
6 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

Worrying can't accomplish anything. So why do it?

MATTHEW 6:25-34 NKJ
25 "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
26 "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
27 "Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
28 "So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;
29 "and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 "Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'
32 "For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
34 "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.


LUKE 10:41-42 NKJ
41 And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.
42 "But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."

What did Mary choose that was better than worrying? Spending time with Jesus hearing His Word. You would do well to follow her example.

SAY THIS: I will trust in God and not worry.

 

[Starr71]

Good morning all, I thought I would share this.






A professor at CCNY for a physiological psych class told his class
about bananas.� He said the expression 'going bananas' is
from the effects of bananas on the brain.� Read on:

�
Never, put your banana in the refrigerator !!!
This is interesting.��After reading this, you'll never look at a
banana in the same way again.� Bananas contain three
natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose
combined with fiber.
A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.
Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy
for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the
number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.
But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit.�It can also
help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and
conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression:�According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND
amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better
after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain
tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts
into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve
your mood and generally make you feel happier.
PMS:�Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains
regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.
Anemia:�High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of
hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.
Blood Pressure:�This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in
potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood
pressure. So much so, the�US�Food and Drug
Administration has just allowed the banana
industry to make official claims for the
fruit's ability to reduce the risk of
blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power:�200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school
( England ) were helped through their exams this year by eating
bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost
their brain power. Research has shown that the
potassium-packed fruit can assist learning
by making pupils more alert.
Constipation:�High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help
restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem
without resorting to laxatives.
Hangovers:�One of the quickest�ways of curing a hangover is to
make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana
calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up
depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and
re-hydrates your system.
Heartburn:�Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body,
so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana
for soothing relief.
Morning Sickness:�Snacking on bananas between meals helps
to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.
Mosquito bites:�Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try
rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many
people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling
and irritation.
Nerves:�Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the
nervous system.

Overweight�and at work? Studies at the�Institute�of�Psychology�in
Austria�found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like
chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients,
researchers found the most obese were more likely to
be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that,
to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to
control our blood sugar levels by snacking on
high carbohydrate foods every two hours
to keep levels steady.
Ulcers:�The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal
disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the
only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in
over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes
over-acidity and reduces irritation by
coating the lining of the stomach.
Temperature control:�Many other cultures see bananas as a
'cooling' fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional
temperature of expectant mothers. In�Thailand, for
example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure
their baby is born with a cool temperature.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD):�Bananas can help
SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood
enhancer tryptophan.
Smoking & Tobacco Use:�Bananas can also help people trying
to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the
potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body
recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.
Stress:�Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the
heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's
water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate
rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These
can be rebalanced with the help of a
high-potassium banana snack.
Strokes:�According to research in The New England Journal of
Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the
risk of death by strokes by as much as 40�percent.
Warts:�Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want
to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the
wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place
with a plaster or surgical tape!
So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare
it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate,
three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and
twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium
and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe its time to
change that well-known phrase so that we say, 'A banana a
day keeps the doctor away!'
PASS IT ON TO YOUR�FRIENDS
PS: Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time!
I will add one more�here; want a quick shine on our shoes?? Take
the INSIDE of the banana skin, and rub directly on the shoe ...
polish with dry cloth. Amazing fruit�!!!




Some people we know prefer "cucumbers!" lol

 

[Starr71]

If You Have A Need, Plant A Seed


LUKE 6:38 NKJ
38 "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."

The natural response to having a need is to focus on getting instead of giving. And to hang on tightly to what we have.

But God does not bless selfishness. He is a giver, and desires for us to become like Him. So, God's Word tells us to give.

(Some preachers may have tried to exploit these truths to enrich themselves, but that does not nullify God's promises.)

God is trying to raise us to a higher level of thinking, where we trust in His faithful provision, and express our faith by blessing others.


PROVERBS 11:24 NET
24 One person is generous and yet grows more wealthy, but another withholds more than he should and comes to poverty.

It requires faith to give when you don't have enough to meet your own needs. But remember that faith pleases God, and nothing is too hard for God.

Faith acts on God's Word. Fear hesitates.
To help us understand how giving can enrich us, instead of impoverishing us, Scripture pictures a farmer planting seed for a harvest.


2 CORINTHIANS 9:6,10 NLT
6 Remember this--a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.

10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.

Plant whatever seed God has given you, and God will give the increase through a harvest of blessing, and your needs will be met.


GALATIANS 6:7 CEV
7 You cannot fool God, so don't make a fool of yourself! You will harvest what you plant.

You are never without seed. Anything of value can be a seed. Your time is valuable, so if nothing else, you can give time to pray for others as a seed.


SAY THIS: Whenever I have a need, I will plant a seed.

 

[tsubasa]

 

[Starr71]

Leave Your Case With God


ROMANS 12:19 NLT
19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, "I will take revenge; I will pay them back," says the LORD.

When people do us wrong, not taking revenge is difficult. It seems natural to fight back when someone attacks us.

But the Bible tells us to let God judge them.

This is not saying you should never defend yourself, or what belongs to you. But do not seek revenge after you have been wronged. Instead, let God handle it.

People who try to take revenge, usually end up committing more injustice. Often a deadly cycle develops. Instead of taking revenge, God's Word tells us to bless our enemies.


PROVERBS 25:21 NKJ
21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;


MATTHEW 5:44 NKJ
44 "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
God is aware of every injustice. And God promises to right every wrong, eventually. God is a righteous judge, but all judgment is not instant, or even in this life.


1 PETER 2:21,23 NLT
21 For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.
23 He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.


SAY THIS: I will not take revenge but trust God to bring justice.