---THE POWER OF ENCOURAGEMENT ~~

"The whole
assembly became
silent as they
listened to Barnabas
and Paul telling
about the signs and
wonders God had done."
--(Acts 15:12)--

---LIKE A CHILD learning to paint, Paul didn't have much credibility early on in his ministry, but Barnabas affirmed his calling. It was through Barnabas' encouragement that the church accepted Saul as a fellow believer (Acts 9:27). Barnabas would also encourage the fledgling church of Antioch, helping it to become one of the most influential in the book of Acts (11:22-13). And it was through Barnabas's encouragement, as well as Paul's, that the Jerusalem church embraced the Gentile believers as Christians (15:10). So, in many ways, the story of the early church is really a story of encouragement.

The same should apply to our own lives. We might think encouragement is merely saying something nice to someone. But if we think that way, we fail to recognize the lasting power it possesses. It's one of the means by which God shapes our individual lives as well as the life of the Church.

Let's thank Jehovah G-D for the moments we receive encouragement and strive to pass it along to others. ~~

"Lord Jesus, thank you for working in and through us and other believers, as we encourage our brothers and sisters in the faith, to know Who You truly are, the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last. Yes, LORD, You are Above All! In Christ Alone, amen"

ODB/PC --"Above All" / Michael W Smith ~<https://youtu.be/rIOL_M-q92k>
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