An Arab sheik was getting along in years and he felt that it was time to name one of his sons his successor.  He had three sons, who were triplets.  He loved them all equally and did not know which of them to choose as a successor.  So he sent them off to a distant land and promised that the one who would come back with the most useful learning would get the birthright. The three went off to distant lands; attended universities and visited exotic places.

The first brother invented magic glasses with which he could see any place he wished to see on earth.  The second perfected a magic carpet on which he sat and zoomed to any part of the earth in five minutes. The third son invented a medicine that could cure any sickness. After some years the three came together for a birthday party and explained what they had found.  The first son looked through his magic glasses and saw his father dying.  The second invited the other two to hop onto his magic carpet and within five minutes they were at their father's side.  There the third son took out his magic medicine and cured his father at once.  Now the sheik was more confused than ever, since it took the work of all three of them to save his life ......

That is the story of the Christian Church, also known as the Body of Christ.  As Christ’s representatives on earth each of us need one another and one person is not more important or valuable than the other. (1 Corinthians 12:12-27)

At Encourage Church we recognise that God values us all equally and so we Encourage one another to be All we can be in life and in God.

If you are looking for a Church, have questions about faith, or need the love and support of Christians who truly care, particularly in these trying times, we invite you to contact us for a chat or prayer. You are important to both God and us.

There are many times where the lowest points in your life are actually launching pads to God’s greatest promotion in your life.  It was so for Joseph in the Bible!

Joseph had not been betrayed by his brothers; he would not have been sold as a slave.  If he had not been sold as a slave, he would not have been in Potiphar’s house.  If he was not in Potiphar’s house, he would not have been thrown into an Egyptian prison meant specifically for the king’s prisoners.  If he was not in that specific prison, he would not have interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh’s officers.  If he had not interpreted their dreams, he would not have been summoned to interpret Pharaoh’s dream two years later.  If he had not interpreted Pharaoh’s dream, Pharaoh would not have promoted Joseph to become his prime minister over the entire Egyptian empire!

God’s presence with Joseph and His unmerited favour caused Joseph to be promoted from the pit to the palace, from the dunghill to Capitol Hill, from the outhouse to the White House.  So, stop looking at your circumstances and stop allowing them to discourage you.  The same Lord, who was with Joseph, is with you right now.  And he knows that you often will need Encouragement.

So He has provided you with a Church family, a body of believers who represent Him to Encourage you, Exhort you, and Comfort you in your times of despair.

As the saying goes  . . .  Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face when circumstances get on top of you. Don’t close yourself off from people who care about you. Don’t stay in Isolation when times are tough.  That’s exactly what your enemy wants you to do  . . .  Don’t walk into his TRAP!

Instead humble yourself and reach out to God through other believers who may not be Perfect, but, whose intention is to help keep you close to God and want what is best for you, so that you can be all you can be in life and in God.

And remember  . . .  what your enemy means for your harm, God can turn around for your good.

Let us not neglect our church meetings, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near. - Hebrews 10:25 (TLB)

Computers operate via a series of coded instructions called programs.  Although few of us ever meet the originators responsible for these programs, we don’t delude ourselves thinking computers programmed themselves without an original programmer.

How do birds know how to build a nest?  How do bees know how to make honey?  How do beavers know how to dam a river?  How do spiders know how to design a web?  How can certain fish and birds migrate thousands of kilometres then return each year with satellite accuracy?  How do blind, miniscule, newly born kangaroos know how to wriggle their way from the birth canal all the way to the mother’s pouch to suckle milk?  There are so many inexplicable natural phenomena swept under the carpet with the word, ‘INSTINCT’.  Do we delude ourselves thinking everything in nature has programmed itself?

In fields such as engineering, academic minds continue to learn complex lessons from nature.  Shouldn’t we be asking where nature learnt these lessons, or will we casually say - given time they happen by themselves?   The Bible declares that in nature, everything is created by God.  Therefore, He is the Original Programmer who wrote the coded instructions we call instinct. (See Job 38:36)

Not only that. God our Creator is willing to share His wisdom with us!!

The Bible says that when we are born again we have the mind of Christ.

That means we are able to navigate through life with God’s perspective on every matter. And as we acknowledge Him as Our Creator, He will direct our paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says in the Living Bible: “. . .trust the Lord completely; don’t ever trust yourself. In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.”

God has a perspective on the Corona19 Pandemic.

If you would like to know more about having a relationship with God, The Creator of the Universe, we would be happy to show you how to do this.

Often, the reason we don’t have excellent relationships in life is because we have taken our loved ones for granted in pursuit of other things. 

We have forgotten what is important.  The Covid19 Isolation rules are beginning to expose this fact in many lives.

Mothers / Wives are often the prime example of Neglect.  Subtly, the things in our worlds intrude and Mums are taken for granted.

We understand the value of our wives when we first fall in love, and Mums when a baby comes along.  Yet as time passes, they are often taken for granted.  Bit by bit, Dads and Children, particularly when they grow up, become far too busy pursuing personal ambitions than desiring to be in the company of their Mothers who will always love and hold a special place for them in her heart.

A good ambition for life is to spend as much time as possible in the company of loved ones. 

Regarding God, if we say we love Him, we should naturally desire to spend as much time in His company as possible.  This does not mean we hang around a church 24/7.  God is omnipresent (everywhere simultaneously), so wherever we go – there He is.  We can include God in everything we think and do.  When we are excited about the wonder of life – we can praise Him.  When we are sad or worried – we can confide in Him.  When we are stressed or fearful – we can confidently hand our problems to Him. 

As we get to know God, our prayer life should lose its religious-ritual and become a long conversation with a Loved One that never ends.  This is the relationship our Heavenly Father wants with us. 

If we keep God as our first love, it will result in a better relationship with our Wives and Mums. We will start seeing them through God’s eyes.  We will have peace; we will be more caring, tolerant and interested in their lives and not just ours.

This Mother’s Day in particular, there is no excuse not to lavish our Mums with our love – even from a distance.

Why not let this time of Isolation from the many things that ‘used to’ be a great priority in our lives, be a time to think of creative ideas to give our Wives and Mums something they have missed out on in the past. . . . OUR TIME!

 With Social Media facetime etc. we could even check in with her more than once on her Special day!!