“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)

Everything around us seems to be continuously changing! But, God remains the same! Always! And His Words never change!

Look at what the Bible says about God’s steadfastness.

“God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? Behold, I received a command to bless: he has blessed, and I cannot revoke it.” (Num. 23:19-20 ESV)

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:8 NLT)

“The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.” (Psalms33:11 ESV)

“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.” (2 Tim. 3:1 NIV)

When I was in Army basic training at Fort Lewis, we had one particular Drill Sergeant who liked to pour on the training exercises, such as; 10-mile hikes, in the noontime heat, wearing full combat gear! He would often describe each event in advance to us with all its scary details. And then, he would end his description by saying, “And this is not a threat, it's a promise!”

This training was hard!

But many of us were headed to Vietnam with itsextreme heat and dangerous combat situations, and we needed to be toughened up and ready for it! It was a matter of survival!

Jesus warns us about tough times coming in our future!

He wants us to be prepared for it! He said that in the last days, just before He returns, things are going to go from bad to worse to the extreme point that only God’s intervention will stop total destruction! He said, “For there will be greater anguish in those days than at any time since God created the world. And it will never be so great again. In fact, unless the Lord shortens that time of calamity, not a single person will survive. But for the sake of his chosen ones he has shortened those days.” (Mark 13:19-20 NLT)

Look what is said about how people will be like in the end times.

“People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power.” (2 Tim. 3:2-5 NIV)

Sound familiar?

We are living in a very different time than even a few short years ago! We are now calling good, bad and bad, good! Things are flipped upside down! We are accepting sexual deviancy as normal, and things like fidelity and celibacy until marriage as abnormal. Biblical marriage (between a man and a woman) is now redefined to include same-sex couples! There is public outrage over the death of a lion or gorilla, and yet 3,000 babies are aborted every day without hardly a word! “Political correctness” has become the way the world filters things. The Bible is no longer welcome in our learning institutions! Biblical truth is banished from open discussion.

Okay, all this sounds threatening and even scary! And it is! But, here’s what Jesus said we should do.

“And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic.” (Mark 13:7 NLT)

“When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." (Luke 21:28 NIV)

“Becareful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap.” (Luke 21:34 NIV)

“And everyone will hate you because you are my followers. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” (Mark 13:13 NLT)

And finally, remember this!

“Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 8:37-39 NKJV)

“When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.” (Rom. 1:12 NLT)

Learn to be an encourager!

Everybody needs encouragement from time to time! And one of the best ways to be encouraged is to be an encourager yourself! It's the principle of getting back what you give. “You reap what you sow!” (Gal. 6:7)

Whenever you get together with someone, use it as an opportunity to encourage them! And in doing so, you also will be encouraged in the process!

How to encourage

It's not complicated. To encourage, you give support, confidence, or hope to someone. Other synonyms for encourage are hearten, cheer, buoy up, uplift, inspire, motivate, spur on, stir, stir up, fire up, stimulate, invigorate, vitalize, revitalize, embolden, and fortify.

Do you need any of that? I know I do!

Here are some encouraging verses that you can use to encourage others.

“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 have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 ESV)

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:6-7 ESV)

“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” (Col. 3:15 ESV)

“Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you, LORD, are good.” (Psalms 25:7 NIV)

When I was a kid I remember my dad saying “too soon old, too late smart.” I didn't know what he meant way back then, but I think I do now. Time gives you lots of perspective!

 I got my mouth washed out with soap!

Dad used to have a group of men over to the house once in a while to play cards and I would listen to their conversations as I played under the kitchen table. I heard one of them tell a joke and they all burst into loud laughter. I didn't understand the meaning of the joke but remembered how to tell it. The next day at school, (1st grade), the teacher, Mrs. Latrell, had a show-and-tell time. She said we could share anything, even a funny story or a joke. I got up in front of the class and gleefully told the joke. As soon as I said the punchline the teacher screeched and immediately rushed me to the sink and washed my mouth out with soap. The funny thing is that I really didn't have a clue what it was that I had said wrong! It was only years later that I had remembered the incident, and the joke, and knew exactly why she had washed my mouth out.

I do cringe when I remember some of the mistakes of my youth!

There were so many of them! In retrospect I can't believe I was so clueless! But, I was! Of course, lots of water has since gone under the proverbial bridge, and much learning and maturity has made me into a different person.

I'm sure glad that God has promised to forgive and forget our past!

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9 NASB)

And, that's a very comforting promise indeed!

“In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.” (Proverbs 3:6 TLB)

Do you want what you do to be blessed and be the very best that it can for you? Do you want to be successful in your personal life, in your vocation, in your relationships, in your marriage? Then put God first in it!

Involving God from the start of everything you do is how to have His blessing in everything you do! “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. (Prov. 16:3 NIV)

The truth is, you just can't go wrong putting God first in everything!

I believe it has to be the number one success principle found throughout the Bible. “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matt. 6:33 ESV)

In the beginning, God!

The first four words of the Bible are “In the beginning God.” It lets us know immediately who is at the heart of everything that exists! In everything you do, remember those four words, “In the beginning God,” and then put your trust in Him at the very beginning!

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jer. 17:7-8 NIV)

It was green, it was ugly, it was a blessing! 

“I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you . . . and you will be a blessing to others.” (Genesis 12:2 NLT)

Pay attention to God’s guidance and provision and look for ways He can bless you to bless others

A few years ago, my wife and I were living in a neighborhood with lots of young families. One day, my next door neighbor mentioned to us that a family down the street from us had just lost the use of their refrigerator which had just broken beyond repair. They had several young children and the man was between jobs. Not having a working refrigerator was a severe hardship for them.

As soon as I knew about their refrigerator problem, I prayed and asked God to help them get a replacement. I didn’t have money to help them so praying was all I could do for them at the time.

Later on that afternoon, I was running some errands that took me to a local berry farm. As I was waiting to speak to the owner, I overheard a young field worker tell him she wasn't feeling well and needed to go home. He told her he didn't have anyone available to take her. So, I spoke up and offered to take her home. She then got into my truck and I took her to her house located a few miles away. As soon as we arrived her mother came outside to greet us and thanked me. Then I noticed a refrigerator sitting on their front porch and asked why it was there. She told me they had just remodeled their kitchen and it was the wrong color so they purchased a new one. She said this one worked beautifully, but was forest green, and needed to be taken away. I told her about the family who needed one and she was very delighted to offer it. I backed my truck up to her porch and she helped me load it. I then drove to my neighbor’s house and they were not home. I found someone nearby to help me unload it in their driveway. Later, they got home and was thrilled to find it! It was a miracle they said! Not only was it the perfect size, but it was the perfect color! They always wanted a forest green one! It was the perfect color for their kitchen!

God will make you a blessing for others

God told Abraham, “I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others” (Genesis 12:2 NLT). This is the first law of blessing: it must flow outwardly.

God will bless you for blessing others

God blesses the person who helps other people. In fact, Jesus guarantees this blessing. He said, “I tell you the truth . . . no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life.” (Luke 18:29-30 NIV)

“For the word of God is livingand active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (Heb. 4:12 NIV)

The word of God is described in this passage as sharper than a "two-edged sword, and living and active.” The word living means “being alive, not dead” and the word active means, “doing things that require physical movement and energy.”

Powerful when mixed with faith!

I remember being told early on in my Christian life, “the Word of God does the work of God!” How true! The Word of God is very much alive and active, and when mixed with faith, it has the amazing ability to “move mountains” (Matt. 17:20). “Mountains” in your life could represent things that look too large or even impossible for you to do, but nothing is too big for the “living and active Word of God.”

“Ifyou abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (John 15:7 NASB)

Go ahead and do it

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22 NIV)

While attending a business seminar, the speaker kept saying “if you do this you will be successful,” and he gave many examples of people who had achieved much success following his tried and proven business methods.

I looked around the conference room and saw that there were lots of people present. I thought, “Wow, there soon will be lots of new millionaires when they get back home and start using this great information!”

After the seminar was completed I approached the speaker to thank him for his helpful presentation. I said, “I bet you feel great having helped so many people today become more successful.” He laughed and said, “If only they would actually do what I show them, but sadly, most of them won't! I see many of these same people repeatedly at my seminars, I tell them the same thing each time,  and nothing ever changes with them! They take mountains of notes, but never do the stuff!”

It boils down to this

It does you absolutely no good to know the right information, if you fail to put it to work! 

Even though this was a secular business presentation, I know a lot of Christians exactly like this. They keep “listening and learning” but never “doing.”

Look at today’s verse again, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22 NIV).

So, where is the promise?

Simple, whenever you find a warning or command in the Bible, think about what it says and then do the positive thing that it teaches. In this case, you can avoid being deceived by obeying the following command: “Do not merely listen to the word, do what it says.”

“In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” (Eph. 3:12 NIV)

This is a wonderful power-packed promise! Check it out a word or two at a time with defining scriptures addedto clarify each part.

In Him –  “… there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12b NIV)

and through faith in Him - “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”  (Rom. 10:9 NIV)

we may approach God – “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb. 4:16 NKJV)

with freedom – “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” (Rom. 8:1-2 NIV) “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36 ESV)

and confidence – “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” (1 John 5:14 NASB) “For the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.” (Prov. 3:26 ESV)