ENCOURAGEMENT

Talking of the Holy Spirit and Spiritual Gifts……

As I have been spending time recording the ‘Meet the Holy Spirit’ sessions, God has put lots of helpful books and articles about the Holy Spirit in front of me. He has also been teaching me personally about who He is. I KNOW He is a COMFORTER through the comfort I have needed in recent weeks.

And then today I open my UCB Bible notes – ones I dip in and out of and never on the stated date – and there we are: a 3 part series on the gift of Encouragement (or Exhortation as some Bibles say).

So I thought I would share some of the notes with you as it may give you additional material for your current studies.

Romans 12 v 6,8: “we have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us……If (your gift) is to encourage, then give encouragement”.

Simples – if you have a gift, then use it!

The Greek word for ‘exhort’ is ‘parakalew’ which comes from 2 words

· One meaning ‘To call’

· And the other ‘alongside of’.

This is the root of the Greek word ‘paraclete’, which is the name given to the Holy Spirit.

The real ministry of the Holy Spirit is to exhort and encourage us in our walk with God. So you are never more in tune with His ministry than when you are encouraging/exhorting others.

An exhorter can:

· Turn a loser into a winner

· Turn a shirker into a worker

· Turn a pessimist into an optimist

· Renew courage, spirit and hope.

People who use the gift of exhortation have a ministry of affirmation and appreciation – and there is a distinction between the two.

We appreciate what a person does, but we affirm who a person is.

Appreciation comes and goes with accomplishments. But affirmation is constant because it is directed at a person’s individual worth.

An exhorter has the ability to uplift, inspire, motivate and make you feel better about yourself. The Bible tells us that Barnabas was an exhorter : read Acts 11 v 22-23.

To be continued…….