Audio Length: 39:17

These days are trying times. Perilous times are not just ahead, they are here now. All the signs of Matthew 24:1-15 are all in place pointing to the rapture of the church age that’s about to take place at any moment. Such as, the Love of many shall wax cold.

We see in the streets of America gay pride marches, brutality, injustice, rioting, vandalism, and destruction of businesses and death of business owners. All because the love of many has waxed cold, has wax hardened the heart.

We also are witnessing iniquity running wild in the street today in America as well. Another word for iniquity is lawlessness.

Lawless people who are raising hell in the streets tonight, in hatred, discord and dissensions. Demanding to defund the police, so they can have their lawless ways, as if that is the answers to all their problems.

We also see wars and rumors of wars starting back in the 90’s with the Gulf war to 911. War in Iraq, wars in Afghanistan and Syria. All these wars have melted together, one war after another. America, Iran and Russia are the rumors of wars at this point.

A third of the world is in famine. A third of the world is dying of various pestilences such as aids, cancers, heart disease, dementia, and now the covid-19. Earthquakes are happening all over the world.

What Jesus Christ ministered about 2000 years ago, we are seeing it all come to pass very quickly this year. As Jesus Christ specifically ministered to His disciple on this very subject, He concludes by saying in

Luke 21:28, And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

A lot of people are confused and fearful, because many have no hope, because many have not Jesus Christ and His salvation; and don’t know what’s coming ahead.

All that we see coming to pass can be discouraging, even among Christians, but be of good cheer, Jesus Christ has overcome the world!

And if you have Jesus Christ as Lord of your Life and are risen with Him in the newness of life He gave us, than you too will overcome the world also. And that’s what this message is about, “Be Encouraged In A Discouraging World.”

The Holy Bible instructs Christians specifically, how to be encouraged in a discouraging world. And if you apply this word from God to your life today.

If you do what it instructs us today to do and not be hearers only, than you will be blessed and empowered to live in the power of God successfully, everyday of your life in Jesus Christ the Lord.

And it all starts by making these instruction a good habit to do, as a saying I recently heard, “if you make success a habit, you’ll make habit a good success.”

Opening Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-3 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses,

let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith;

Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

With what’s happening in the world all around us starts to weary you, think back, reflect back to the opposition Jesus Christ went through. And there, you will find strength and encouragement in Christ to endure to the end.

And if you hang on to God for dear life, you’ll one day soon enough, will sit in heavenly places with God at eternal rest, just as Jesus Christ received from all His labor

Keeping Our Eyes Always On Jesus Christ

You see, Jesus Christ endured such great oppositions. He is our greatest cloud of witnesses to learn from.

This is why He instructs us, “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved (Matthew 24:14).” Taken from the One who knows what He is talking about, because He experienced it all.

Endure is a very powerful statement here and is key to our daily success. “Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross.”

We are going to have to do the same as Jesus Christ did spiritually, meaning to deny ourselves as Jesus Christ denied Himself, take up the cross daily, endure the oppositions, hardships, the trials and tribulation of the world.

The flesh and the devil will also try to tempt us, at every degree and level to the end. These are the things we must endure to the end of the church age.

And Jesus Christ did it all with joy, seeing the rewards and rest up ahead and knowing His work will not be in vain and neither will ours for the Kingdom of God, as long as we remain in Jesus Christ and follow Him.

Enduring is being patient in ministry, patient in prayer and in tribulations, as was also written what we just read, “let us run with patience the race that is set before us,”

When we gave our hearts to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, God our Heavenly Father has set a race before us, His work. We are to run with that same endurance, run with that same patience to the very end as His messengers of the Gospel of salvation.

“Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith;” That is also key to good success, always keeping your eyes affixed onto Jesus Christ to the end.

For He is our source of all we need to finish our race on earth. Lest we sink like the Apostle Peter when he took his eyes off of Christ for just a second and affixed them on the storms surrounding (Matthew 14:22-33).

The Word of God

The Word of God, The Holy Bible encourages Christians. This is why we must take the time to read and study God’s word, not only for ministry, and to stay strong in the Lord and the power of His might.

But it is also to keep ourselves encouraged in a discouraging world. Meditating on His promises in all situations we will ever go through.

Reflecting on all Jesus Christ went through, taught and did. Because we will go through the same things He did. We need to learn from Christ how He endured with patience His race to the end and do the same like wise.

In order to endure, we got to stay encouraged. How can one stay encouraged when we see and hear all ill report come to pass hourly on a daily basis?

How do we stay encouraged when people refuse the word of truth, after knowing you live and preach right?

Not only do we keep our eyes on Christ, stay close to the Lord, while knowing our role in God, but also we need to take the time to, what I like to call: “nerding out” in the Holy Bible.

When I need encouragement, I’ll reflect on Christ’s teachings and examples or go to the Psalms and be encouraged. For the Holy Bible is our encouraging word,

Psalm 119:49-56 Remember the word unto Thy servant, upon which Thou hast caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction: for Thy word hath quickened me.

The proud have had me greatly in derision: yet have I not declined from Thy law. I remembered Thy judgments of old, O LORD; and have comforted myself.

Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake Thy law. Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage.

I have remembered Thy name, O LORD, in the night, and have kept Thy law. This I had, because I kept Thy precepts.

The Psalmist took comfort, stayed encourage in his afflictions because He knows God and His promises. Meditating on the truth of God’s word daily, encourages us in these distressing current events of today. “Nerding out” on the Holy Bible encourages.

How so? When we read, study, reflect and meditate on the Holy Bible, we are having fellowship with the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit is our comforter.

He leads and guides us into all truth no matter the circumstances in life. He has an encouraging word for you every day, we just need to stay in His Holy Bible and keep a listening ears for the Lord.

Staying In Prayer

Staying in prayer also keeps us encouraged in a discouraging world. It can also keep us from temptation as well.

Temptations arise to try to get us sidetracked, or sever our communion with God (if yielded to), which then becomes sin and sin brings shame, condemnation and discouragement.

So in essence, prayer can encourage us in a discouraging, sinful world as Jesus Christ revealed,

Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Communion: ‘The sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially when the exchange is on a spiritual level.’ In short, that’s having an intimate personal relationship with the Lord.

I don’t know about you, but when I feel downtrodden spiritually, and cast all my cares upon the Lord, a burden is lifted after prayer.

Prayer is a deep level of communication with God our Heavenly Father and He with us. It’s a reciprocal relationship.

God hears from us and we hear from God either in His Holy Bible, an audible voice, a whisper of His thoughts in prayer or in dreams and visions as Jesus Christ taught in,

John 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me:

And yes, prayer is also seeking God hands, Ephesians 6:18-20 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. 

Being men and women of prayer, with all prayer and supplication. Staying obedient to God keeps us sensitive in the Spirit. Being effective witnesses of Jesus Christ and watchmen of the earth keeps us encouraged. How?

Being an effective witness, and watchmen of the earth are people who stay close to the Lord, having daily communion with God.

Reading and study the Holy Bible, praying always with all prayers and supplication in the Spirit, and teaching people of the truth and warnings sinners to repent before it’s to late encourages us in a discouraging world.