« Back to Article Archives

Remain Encouraged

By Bobbie Jean Merck  

          “O, how fulfilled are those who know who they are and what they are to do because they will experience God in the depths of their being” (Matthew 5:8 BCJ).

          We are in the “set time” and I trust it remains until Jesus comes.  The five emphases that I am believing for in continuous and increasing manifestation are: The Glory; Faith; Overflow; Completeness; Fulfillment.  To experience this let us remain in continuous encouragement.  To do so we will necessarily need to focus on ten things.

          Number One is communion, fellowship, and partnership with the Holy Spirit.  For these are the alpha and omega and the launching pad for supernatural power and authority.

          Matthew 5:8 says, all of the above and more come from knowing “who you are and what you are to do.”  This issues forth in Paul’s final exhortation to the Ephesians and is our number two priority focus.

          “In conclusion, be strong in the Lord – be empowered through your union with Him; draw your strength from Him – that strength which His [boundless] might provides”  (Ephesians 6:10 Amplified).

          God’s strength and power are in Jesus Christ.  The hymn says, “…He is my strength from day to day, without Him I would fall….”  For me to have His strength manifested in me and through me I must keep a continuous personal relationship with Him.  His strength cannot be obtained any other way.  It must be me and Jesus Christ in relationship, fellowship, and communion all the time!   “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you”  (John 15:7).

          Legally we have been placed in Him if we are born again.  He has become the place of our habitation and the realm of our existence.  Because we are secured in Him, strength and power and might and we are in the same place; as a family lives in a home.

          Whatever they live in and all of its possessions become theirs.  They partake of these benefits.  To make our existence in Him a vital reality we open our hearts to Him and ask God to release His power, strength, and might into our lives.

          Number Three is found in Ephesians 5:1 Amplified.  “Therefore be imitators of God – copy Him and follow His example – as well-beloved children [imitate their father].  Think on it!  Whoever and whatever God is so are we to be and do.  What magnitude!  What glory as Jesus Christ in us (prevailing as Lord and Master) is our hope of Glory!  We are to imitate or copy or emulate, be followers, of God!  “Be ye therefore” literally means, “Be constantly in the process of  becoming….”

          It means to start and continue.  How long?  Until First John 3: 1- 3 is fulfilled.  “See how very much our heavenly Father loves us, for he allows us to be called his children, and we really are!  But the people who belong to this world don’t know God, so they don’t understand that we are his children.  Yes, dear friends, we are already God’s children, and we can’t even imagine what we will be like when Christ returns.  But we do know that when he comes we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.  And all who believe this will keep themselves pure, just as Christ is pure”  (NLT).  He’s coming soon!

           “Be constantly in the process of becoming….”  How?  By “being constantly renewed in our mind; having constantly the same aim, attitude and purpose as the Lord Jesus Christ.”  Consider Ephesians 4:23, 24 in the Heart of Paul (BCJ).

           “I urge you to stay closely related to the source of your being, permitting the Spirit to energize your mind.  Discover new ways of expressing your new, unique personhood in Christ, ways which are in harmony with who you really are.  This new behavior will demonstrate that you have a right relationship with yourself and with God and are becoming a whole person.”

          Think, talk, and act like God!  Live your life in the confidence of God.  If need be, make a decision and commit to changing your behavior.  Do things differently.

          Let us now concentrate on number four in advancing toward our goal of remaining encouraged.  This is of utmost importance.  Where should you go to remain encouraged or when discouragement comes your way?  Hebrews 10:23-25 has the answer.

          “Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.  Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds.  And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near” (NLT).

          We are to keep ourselves in fellowship with the Body, His Church.  If we don’t, the following strategies and traps will overtake and overcome us.  They are found in the definition of the word forsaking.  In the Greek, the root word for forsake also means out, down, behind; discouraged, defeated, depressed; one who feels left out, down, depressed, and far behind everyone else.

          When discouragement came upon you in the past, did you want to stay at home and be alone?  That is the opposite of what we are to do if we are to be in a continuous state of encouragement. As one prophecy said, “the devil will tempt you in the opposite of what works the good for you.  Therefore, we are to do the opposite of his attempts to overcome him and them.”  Yes, I have gone through all of the above.  Thank God for His goodness and mercy.

           Not one of these ten points of success is more important than the other nine.  I shout “hallelujah and amen” as each one is meditated and acted upon.  Consider this major point (number five) of concentration, faith, and action: Speak and pray only what Jesus can administrate, execute, and carry out on your behalf.  He is the High Priest of our confession, and from God come only good and perfect gifts.

          God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit can only hear and answer our prayers and conversation that are in perfect agreement with His Word and will.  Jesus Christ is our High Priest only over faith-filled, positive, Truth words.  For example, First Peter 2:24 says, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”  When you say that (and not how you feel or how sick you are), He administers healing!  Trust him to do it.

          I believe more and stronger every day that our tongue is the power source that God can use. 

We should imitate Jesus. “Jesus cut him short. "Be silent! Come out of the man.  At that, the evil

spirit screamed and threw the man into a convulsion, but then he left him”  (Mark 1:25-26

NLT).  We should use our tongue for life and all that pertains to life.

          Number Six: God has given you supernatural help.  Depend and call upon the Holy Spirit for HELP!  Romans 8:26 tells us the Holy Spirit helps us.  One of His seven titles in John 16:7 (noted in the Amplified Bible) is the Helper.  The question is, do we depend on and call on him?  If we do He puts a rescue operation into motion and action for us.  Let us be as a child in this.

          Devin, John and Tracey’s grandson (and my great-grandson), is the best example of this that I know.  Papa John lets him play with the toolbox with his supervision.  One day (at 14 months of age) Devin managed to open the toolbox unsupervised.  Tracey discovered this and promptly began to set the situation in right order.  Devin was sitting on the floor, grasping tightly to a tool and with hands and arms raised and held out he was screaming over and over, “Papa John, help!”

          Isn’t that scene filled with revelations of faith in and dependence on the Holy Spirit?  Do we cry out, “Help!  Holy Spirit!  Help!”  and hold our arms and hands out to receive?  If we remain “childlike” in our faith, confidence, and trust in God, we enter in.  Into what?  All the promises that are ‘yes and amen’, ours in Christ Jesus.

          God wants us to stay encouraged and succeed.  “I command you — be strong and

courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you  

wherever you go”  (Joshua 1:9 NLT).

          He has also given His angels to be our supernatural help and encouragement.  But remember, angels hearken to the voice of His Word!  If Jesus’ sheep will only hear His voice and not another voice, will not God’s angels do likewise?  Consider these:

    “and the angel who has kept me from all harm...”  (Genesis 48:16 NLT).

          “For the angel of the LORD guards all who fear him, and he rescues them”  (Psalm

          34:7 NLT).   

          “Before Jacob was born, he struggled with his brother; when he became a man, he

even fought with God. Yes, he wrestled with the angel and won. He wept and pleaded for

a blessing from him. There at Bethel he met God face to face, and God spoke to him —

the LORD God Almighty, the LORD is his name!  So now, come back to your God! Act

on the principles of  love and justice, and always live in confident dependence on your

God”  (Hosea 12:3-6 NLT).

          I trust you are not skipping the scriptures and hurrying to read what I have written.  But read, study, and meditate all scriptures in this teaching.  They make you wise and faith comes!

           “How wonderful to be wise, to be able to analyze and interpret things. Wisdom lights

up a person's face, softening its hardness”  (Ecclesiastes 8:1 NLT).

          Jesus had angels who ministered to Him.  In Luke 22:43 they strengthened Him.  Strengthened means they imparted strength and empowered and filled Him with heartiness, and gave Him renewed vitality.  They ministered to Him enabling Him to victoriously face the most difficult hour of His life.  How much more do we need supernatural help! 

          “Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. They give us hope

and encouragement as we wait patiently for God's promises”  (Romans 15:4 NLT).

          Pray daily for believers to be encouraged!

          Encourage someone everyday!

          You remain encouraged!

          “And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To

enjoy your work and accept your lot in life — that is indeed a gift from God. People who

do this rarely look with sorrow on the past, for God has given them reasons for joy” 

(Ecclesiastes 5:19,20 NLT).

HOME PAGE     ABOUT     CONTACT US     INTERCESSORS' CORNER     ITINERARY     PRAYER FOCUS

OVERFLOW SIGN-UP     PRODUCTS     24-7 PRAY USA SIGN-UP

Return to Top of Page