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Hebrews 3:13 - Encouragement As A Weapon Against Sin.

Hebrews 3:13 - Encouragement As A Weapon Against Sin.

Hebrews 3:13 (CEV) You must encourage one another each day. And 
you must keep on while there is still a time that can be called 
"today." If you don't, then sin may fool some of you and make you 
stubborn.  

Hebrews 3:13 (NJB) Every day, as long as this today lasts, keep 
encouraging one another so that none of you is hardened by the lure of sin, 
 

Hebrews 3:13 (MSG) For as long as it's still God's Today, keep 
each other on your toes so sin doesn't slow down your reflexes.  

Our hearts turn away from the living God when we stubbornly 
refuse to believe him. If we persist in our unbelief, God will 
eventually leave us alone in our sin. But God can give us new hearts, new 
desires, and new spirits. To prevent having an unbelieving heart, stay in 
fellowship with other believers, talk daily about your mutual faith, be 
aware of the deceitfulness of sin (it attracts but also destroys), and 
encourage each other with love and concern. [Life Application SB] 

   John D. Rockefeller is known for his amazing success in 
business, but he had a greater reputation among those who knew him as an 
understanding man. He had a sincere appreciation for other people and was 
willing to accept failure if an honest attempt at success had been 
made. 
   When one of his partners, Edward T. Bedford, failed in a 
business venture, costing Rockefeller's company a million dollars, 
Rockefeller responded with a statement that has become a classic in business 
lore. He didn't criticize Bedford, because he knew he had done his 
best. He did go down to Bedford's office and say, "I think it is 
honorable that you were able to salvage 60 percent of the money you 
invested in the South American venture. That's not bad; in fact, it's 
splendid. We don't always do as well as that upstairs." 
   There's very little to be gained by making someone feel worse 
regarding something they already feel bad about! The gain lies in helping 
someone see the beneficial side of a failure, the positive lessons that 
can be learned from mistakes, and to instill hope for the future. 
Encourage another person today. You'll both feel, and do, better. [God's 
Little Devotional Bible re 2Co.10:8] 

The Power of Encouraging Words
   I doubt many people would argue about the power of the spoken 
word. 
   We don't need a master's in psychology to know that our 
hearts leap at the sound of affirming words. It's just how God wired 
us. Any co-worker with a new hairdo will agree. Any toddler who is 
potty training or husband who just closed the "big deal" will nod 
emphatically as well. We possess a tremendous ability to very simply "make 
someone's day" with heartfelt praise or to even alter the course of a life 
with the power of our words. 
   Oprah, Bill Gates, and Tiger Woods have all, at one point, 
attributed their early success to the empowering encouragement of someone 
else. Perhaps it was just a small phrase or statement, but one that 
was instrumental in building up or perhaps even just holding up hope 
and belief for a brief second. That can be all the time it takes to 
get someone to look at the mirror differently. 
   Conversely, it doesn't take that same graduate degree to know 
that the power of words can be unleashed as perhaps the most 
primitive of weapons. Most of us would agree that whoever penned that 
little ditty about "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words 
will never hurt me" was obviously never a fifth grader. Words can not 
only hurt, but they can leave shrapnel in the soul long after the 
explosion hits and the smoke clears. Next time you need a reminder about 
the power of the negative word, dust off the book of James. It's 
been said that the tongue is the strongest muscle in the body. I 
think the spirit would agree. 
   So... having taken a moment to consider the power and impact 
of both our life-giving, affirming words as well as the 
life-robbing, destructive power of the tongue... here's one more thought to 
chew on, (pardon the pun). What about the power of words never 
spoken? For me, I can look back on my life and count too many times when 
I'd wished I'd listened to my gut (and the Holy Spirit) and just had 
the courage to open my mouth and let my heart spill out, regardless 
of the awkward moment. You've heard the rather overused challenge 
to live each day as it if were your last... but there is real 
wisdom there. Why wait to say "I love you?" Why wait one more day to 
forgive? Or to ask for forgiveness? There is a reason that Paul, in 
Ephesians 4, encourages us not to let the sun go down on our anger. 
Perhaps because he knew, as a hunted and persecuted man, that a sunrise 
the next morning was not something to be assumed. He understood, 
better than anyone, the importance of keeping his accounts short. 
   Say it now. Go there. The tongue might be powerful, but so 
are clenched teeth and a firmly set jaw. And silence can speak 
volumes we never meant to say. Matthew 12:34 reminds us that what is in 
our hearts, will come spilling out of our mouths. If your heart is 
full today, or even broken, consider springing a leak and letting 
someone know. The relief and healing that may follow will make you a 
believer in the power of words, all over again. By Nichole Nordeman Dove 
Award-Winning Singer/Songwriter 
http://kathyhickey.blogspot.com/2006/07/i-love-you.html 

CLOSING THOUGHT

   "Good job." "Awesome work on that project." "Wow, you did 
just great on that." "We so appreciate your help." Isn't it a great 
encouragement to be thanked and appreciated for your hard work? Paul 
instructed believers to be encouragers of one another in the life of faith. 
The believers in Thessalonica had experienced persecution and 
sorrow, so Paul told them to encourage one another about the certainty 
of their future and the promise of eternal life through Jesus 
Christ. They ought also to "build each other up" in the faith.  
   Believers will never stop needing encouragement. Just as one 
believer receives encouragement, he or she at another time will be in a 
position to offer it. The mutual giving and receiving in the body of 
Christ keep the church strong against the forces that attack it. Look 
around. Who could use a word of encouragement from you today? [The One 
Year Bible for New Believers re 1Th. 5:11] 

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE:

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2004/20041227-0953.html

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT:

Importance of Choice: 
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video] 

Seeking God Made Real: http://vimeo.com/31489782

Musical Devotional On Christian Living: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcotY5K7T0c 

LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDY:

Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: http://www.liftingupjesus.net/

Amazing Facts Bible Studies: 
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx 

Discover Bible Studies: http://studies.itiswritten.com/discover/

LINKS FOR PROPHECY SEMINARS

Revelation Today Series by Pastor John Bradshaw: 
https://revelationtoday.com/other-streams/ 

Prophecies Decoded Sermon Series by Pastor Ron Clouzet: 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657