Passwords…

There are so many passwords in my life, I have to keep a list… But… what happens when it is an emergency and there is no time to look at the list (which probably also has a password)? Is it one of those times when you try 3 times and you are… “locked out”?

Is God like this? Some churches (&/or people in a church) would tell you “Yes, strike three you are out.” If you do not know the right password… the right code… the right order of entry… the right network… you are heading to hell!

As an encourager or the one to be encouraged, are you under pressure to SAY… DO… PRAY the right words, letters, promises to get your/others needs met? Do we need to spend critical time trying to figure out how to make heaven listen? Are we LOST if we don’t find the legally correct way?

I don’t believe so…

Acts 4:12 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

There is only ONE password we have to remember when we are calling heaven… Jesus… Yeshua… either (same person) will unleash the power of God.

Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

I learned this quite by accident/training. Not that I hadn’t read this in my Bible, but the use of it was fuzzy because, though I didn’t have a perfect life, I didn’t have a life that had left me breathless with anguish either. You may be asking how that qualifies me as an encourager and I can only say ???. But I am a chameleon… I can “be” who I need to be in group settings and I “take on” the colors of those around me. Apart from those two qualities, I have the Holy Spirit who has gifted me, put His seal upon me and is training me up in the way I should go. I don’t know why but people call upon me for encouragement… go figure!

My friend, a student of Scripture for many years (I say that only to point out that I was a babe in comparison) called me in tears… devastated that her marriage was in ashes, that it would be months until the courts would sort out a settlement that would provide for her and her children, and even worse… she could not pray! Nothing would come. There were so many things needing asked for, so many things needing to be declared, so many things needing to be grieved!

Though she was close to hyperventilating, she was able to talk to ME about EVERYTHING… but… and then she said it… “All I can say in prayer is, ‘Jesus!’.”

And I said… by the power and insight of the Holy Spirit… “Well, isn’t that enough?” She stopped… I stopped… and then the power of God became clear and distinct and bright and holy… and we said together… “JESUS!”

No, her marriage wasn’t healed nor all her problems miraculously taken away. But when we said, “Come Lord come”, He came! He ministered! He ruled!

Philippians 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

Jesus… Yeshua… is our password! When you don’t know what to pray… pray Jesus! When the times and trials overwhelm… pray Jesus! When you need a victory over our enemy in this world… pray Jesus!

Heaven will open up and… and Jesus, Himself…  “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”… will come to you.

it doesn’t get any better than that! PASSWORD PROTECTED… not “from” getting in – but from NOT getting in.

And… from my experience… the more you know Him, the more you will think of Him as your FIRST CALL… and that my friends makes the job of encourager a slam dunk!

When He is first my job (yoke) is easy!

When I am the one needing encouragement… well… let’s just say I know who wins in the end! The password to our shared victory… Jesus… Yeshua… my Lord and my God!

When He is here my job (burden) is light!

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB  version of the Bible