Exhortations
Words of encouragement and rules in the Bible for us.
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Dictionary
- exhortation
make
urgent appeals.
To
give encouragement.
Encouragement - Dictionary
the act of making something more appealing or more likely to happen.
something that makes someone more determined, hopeful, or confident. something that makes someone more likely to do something.
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Encouragement
is essential for growth and survival in human life, it gives us strength,
endurance, and hope.
Throughout
the Bible there are exhortations which are encouragement and rules.
In
this day and age it’s important that we have an optimistic outlook with life
here on earth.
We
need encouragement from the Holy Spirit and each other as Christian brothers
and sisters.
When
we receive encouragement it strengthens us.
We
must shine and glow for Jesus, when we do it’s a great example to others.
As
Christians we need to receive and give encouragement to others.
How
blessed are we?
Romans 15;4-5
4 For everything that was written in former times was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and through encouragement of the scriptures we may have hope. 5 Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus.
Philippians 2;1-2
Be
Like Christ
2 Therefore if there is any encouragement
in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of
the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete
by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent
on one purpose.
Hebrews 6:18
so
that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we
who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take
hold of the hope set before us
Joshua 1;9
“Have
I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed,
for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Acts
15;30-32
30 So when they were sent away,
they went down to Antioch; and having gathered the congregation together, they
delivered the letter. 31 When they had read it, they rejoiced because
of its encouragement. 32 Judas and Silas, also being
prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brethren
with a lengthy message.
Proverbs 3;1-12
Exhortations to Seek Wisdom and Walk with the Lord
1 My child, do not forget my teaching,
but
let your heart keep my commandments,
2
for
they will provide a long and full life,
and
they will add well-being to you.
3
Do
not let truth and mercy leave you;
bind
them around your neck,
write
them on the tablet of your heart.
4
Then
you will find favor and good understanding,
in
the sight of God and people.
5
Trust
in the Lord with all your heart,
and
do not rely on your own understanding.
6
Acknowledge
him in all your ways,
and
he will make your paths straight.
7
Do
not be wise in your own estimation;
fear
the Lord and turn away from evil.
8
This
will bring healing to your body,
and
refreshment to your inner self.
9
Honor
the Lord from your wealth
and
from the first fruits of all your crops;
10
then
your barns will be filled completely,
and
your vats will overflow with new wine.
11
My
child, do not despise discipline from the Lord,
and
do not loathe his rebuke.
12
For
the Lord disciplines those he loves,
just
as a father disciplines the son in whom he delights.
1
Corinthians 1;25
For
the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is
stronger than human strength.
Colossians
3
Exhortations
to Seek the Things Above
1 Therefore, if you have been
raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at
the right hand of God. 2 Keep thinking about things above, not
things on the earth, 3 for you have died and your life is hidden
with Christ in God. 4 When Christ (who is your life) appears, then
you too will be revealed in glory with him. 5 So put to death
whatever in your nature belongs to the earth: sexual immorality, impurity,
shameful passion, evil desire, and greed which is idolatry. 6 Because
of these things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience. 7 You
also lived your lives in this way at one time, when you used to live among
them. 8 But now, put off all such things as anger, rage, malice,
slander, abusive language from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one
another since you have put off the old man with its practices 10 and
have been clothed with the new man that is being renewed in knowledge according
to the image of the one who created it. 11 Here there is neither
Greek nor Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or
free, but Christ is all and in all.
Exhortation
to Unity and Love
12 Therefore, as the elect of
God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy, kindness,
humility, gentleness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and
forgiving one another, if someone happens to have a complaint against anyone
else. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also forgive others. 14 And
to all these virtues add love, which is the perfect bond. 15 Let
the peace of Christ be in control in your heart (for you were in fact called as
one body to this peace), and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ
dwell in you richly, teaching and exhorting one another with all wisdom,
singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, all with grace in your hearts to
God. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name
of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Exhortation
to Households
18 Wives, submit to your
husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives
and do not be embittered against them. 20 Children, obey your
parents in everything, for this is pleasing in the Lord. 21 Fathers,
do not provoke your children, so they will not become disheartened. 22 Slaves,
obey your earthly masters in every respect, not only when they are watching—like
those who are strictly people-pleasers—but with a sincere heart, fearing the
Lord. 23 Whatever you are doing, work at it with enthusiasm, as to
the Lord and not for people, 24 because you know that you will
receive your inheritance from the Lord as the reward. Serve the Lord Christ. 25 For
the one who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there are no
exceptions.
Colossians
4
Exhortation to Pray
for the Success of Paul’s Mission
2 Be devoted to prayer, keeping
alert in it with thanksgiving. 3 At the same time pray for us too,
that God may open a door for the message so that we may proclaim the mystery of
Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may make it known
as I should. 5 Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders,
making the most of the opportunities. 6 Let your speech always be
gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer
everyone.
Personal Greetings
and Instructions
7 Tychicus, a dear brother,
faithful minister, and fellow slave in the Lord, will tell you all the news
about me. 8 I sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may
know how we are doing and that he may encourage your hearts. 9 I
sent him with Onesimus, the faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They
will tell you about everything here.
10 Aristarchus, my fellow
prisoner, sends you greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (about whom
you received instructions; if he comes to you, welcome him). 11 And
Jesus who is called Justus also sends greetings. In terms of Jewish converts,
these are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a
comfort to me. 12 Epaphras, who is one of you and a slave of Christ,
greets you. He is always struggling in prayer on your behalf, so that you may
stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. 13 For I can
testify that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and
Hierapolis. 14 Our dear friend Luke the physician and Demas greet
you. 15 Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters who are in
Laodicea and to Nympha and the church that meets in her house. 16 And
after you have read this letter, have it read to the church of Laodicea. In
turn, read the letter from Laodicea as well. 17 And tell Archippus,
“See to it that you complete the ministry you received in the Lord.”
18 I, Paul, write this greeting
by my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.
2
Thessalonians 3
Exhortations
3 Finally, pray for us,
brothers and sisters, that the Lord’s message may spread quickly and be honored
as in fact it was among you, 2 and that we may be delivered from
perverse and evil people. For not all have faith. 3 But the Lord is
faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. 4 And
we are confident about you in the Lord that you are both doing—and will do—what
we are commanding. 5 Now may the Lord direct your hearts toward the
love of God and the endurance of Christ.
Response to the Undisciplined
6 But we command you, brothers
and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from any
brother who lives an undisciplined life and not according to the tradition they
received from us. 7 For you know yourselves how you must imitate
us, because we did not behave without discipline among you, 8 and
we did not eat anyone’s food without paying. Instead, in toil and drudgery we
worked night and day in order not to burden any of you. 9 It was
not because we do not have that right, but to give ourselves as an example for
you to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we used to give
you this command: “If anyone is not willing to work, neither should he eat.” 11 For
we hear that some among you are living an undisciplined life, not doing their
own work but meddling in the work of others. 12 Now such people we
command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and so provide their
own food to eat. 13 But you, brothers and sisters, do not grow
weary in doing what is right. 14 But if anyone does not obey our
message through this letter, take note of him and do not associate closely with
him, so that he may be ashamed. 15 Yet do not regard him as an
enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
Conclusion
16 Now may the Lord of peace
himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with you all.
17 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand, which is how I
write in every letter. 18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be
with you all.
1
Timothy 4
Apostasy
4 But the Spirit explicitly
says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention
to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 by means of the
hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, 3 men
who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has
created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For
everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is
received with gratitude; 5 for it is sanctified by means of the
word of God and prayer.
A Good Minister’s
Discipline
6 In pointing out these things
to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly
nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have
been following. 7 But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit
only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of
godliness; 8 for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but
godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present
life and also for the life to come. 9 It is a
trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. 10 For it is for
this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who
is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.
11 Prescribe and teach these
things. 12 Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather
in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of
those who believe. 13 Until I come, give attention to the public
reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. 14 Do
not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through
prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. 15 Take
pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will
be evident to all. 16 Pay close attention to yourself and to your
teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will [g]ensure
salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.
Jeremiah
26;4-6
4 Tell them that the Lord says,
“You must obey me! You must live according to the way I have instructed you in
my laws. 5 You must pay attention to the exhortations
of my servants the prophets. I have sent them to you over and over again.
But you have not paid any attention to them. 6 If you do not obey me, then
I will do to this temple what I did to Shiloh. And I will make this city an
example to be used in curses by people from all the nations on the earth.’”
2
Corinthians 13;11-13
Final Exhortations
and Greetings
11 Finally, brothers and
sisters, rejoice, set things right, be encouraged, agree with one
another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. 12 Greet
one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you. 13 The
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the
Holy Spirit be with you all.
Ephesians
6;10-20
Exhortations for
Spiritual Warfare
10 Finally, be strengthened in
the Lord and in the strength of his power. 11 Clothe yourselves
with the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the schemes
of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,
but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this
darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. 13 For
this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand
your ground on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand. 14 Stand
firm therefore, by fastening the belt of truth around your waist, by putting on
the breastplate of righteousness, 15 by fitting your feet with the
preparation that comes from the good news of peace, 16 and in all
of this, by taking up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the
flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of
salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 With
every prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit, and to this end be
alert, with all perseverance and requests for all the saints. 19 Pray
for me also, that I may be given the message when I begin to speak—that I may
confidently make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am
an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may be able to speak boldly as I ought to
speak.
Romans
12
Consecration of the
Believer’s Life
12 Therefore I exhort you,
brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a
sacrifice—alive, holy, and pleasing to God—which is your reasonable service. 2 Do
not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of
your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God—what is
good and well-pleasing and perfect.
Conduct in Humility
3 For by the grace given to me
I say to every one of you not to think more highly of yourself than you ought
to think, but to think with sober discernment, as God has distributed to each
of you a measure of faith. 4 For just as in one body we have many
members, and not all the members serve the same function, 5 so we
who are many are one body in Christ, and individually we are members who belong
to one another. 6 And we have different gifts according to the
grace given to us. If the gift is prophecy, that individual must use it in
proportion to his faith. 7 If it is service, he must serve; if it
is teaching, he must teach; 8 if it is exhortation, he must exhort;
if it is contributing, he must do so with sincerity; if it is leadership, he
must do so with diligence; if it is showing mercy, he must do so with
cheerfulness.
Conduct in Love
9 Love must be without
hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil, cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted
to one another with mutual love, showing eagerness in honoring one another. 11 Do
not lag in zeal, be enthusiastic in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice
in hope, endure in suffering, persist in prayer. 13 Contribute to
the needs of the saints, pursue hospitality. 14 Bless those who
persecute you, bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who
rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one
another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly. Do not be conceited. 17 Do
not repay anyone evil for evil; consider what is good before all people. 18 If
possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all people. 19 Do
not avenge yourselves, dear friends, but give place to God’s wrath, for it is
written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” says
the Lord. 20 Rather, if your enemy is hungry, feed
him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing this you will be heaping
burning coals on his head. 21 Do not be overcome by evil,
but overcome evil with good
Hebrews
13
Final
Exhortations
13 Brotherly love must continue.
2 Do not neglect hospitality, because through it some have
entertained angels without knowing it. 3 Remember those in prison
as though you were in prison with them, and those ill-treated as though you too
felt their torment. 4 Marriage must be honored among all and the
marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge sexually immoral people and
adulterers. 5 Your conduct must be free from the love of money and
you must be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will
never leave you and I will never abandon you.” 6 So we can
say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, and I will not
be afraid. What can people do to me?” 7 Remember
your leaders, who spoke God’s message to you; reflect on the outcome of their
lives and imitate their faith. 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday
and today and forever!
9 Do not be carried away by all sorts of strange teachings. For it is good for
the heart to be strengthened by grace, not ritual meals, which have never
benefited those who participated in them. 10 We have an
altar that those who serve in the tabernacle have no right to eat from. 11 For
the bodies of those animals whose blood the high priest brings into the
sanctuary as an offering for sin are burned outside the camp. 12 Therefore,
to sanctify the people by his own blood, Jesus also suffered outside the camp. 13 We
must go out to him, then, outside the camp, bearing the abuse he experienced. 14 For
here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. 15 Through
him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the
fruit of our lips, acknowledging his name. 16 And do not neglect to
do good and to share what you have, for God is pleased with such sacrifices.
17 Obey your leaders and submit
to them, for they keep watch over your souls and will give an account for their
work. Let them do this with joy and not with complaints, for this would be no
advantage for you. 18 Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a
clear conscience and desire to conduct ourselves rightly in every respect. 19 I
especially ask you to pray that I may be restored to you very soon.
Benediction and Conclusion
20 Now may the God of peace who
by the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead the great
shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus, 21 equip you with every good
thing to do his will, working in us what is pleasing before him through Jesus
Christ, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
22 Now I urge you, brothers and
sisters, bear with my message of exhortation, for in fact I have
written to you briefly. 23 You should know that our brother Timothy
has been released. If he comes soon, he will be with me when I see you. 24 Greetings
to all your leaders and all the saints. Those from Italy send you greetings. 25 Grace
be with you all.
Deuteronomy
4;15-24
The
Nature of Israel’s God
15 Be very careful, then,
because you saw no form at the time the Lord spoke to you at Horeb from the
middle of the fire. 16 I say this so you will not corrupt
yourselves by making an image in the form of any kind of figure. This includes
the likeness of a human male or female, 17 any kind of land animal,
any bird that flies in the sky, 18 anything that crawls on the
ground, or any fish in the deep waters of the earth. 19 When you
look up to the sky and see the sun, moon, and stars—the whole heavenly
creation—you must not be seduced to worship and serve them, for the Lord your
God has assigned them to all the people of the world. 20 You,
however, the Lord has selected and brought from Egypt, that iron-smelting
furnace, to be his special people as you are today. 21 But the Lord
became angry with me because of you and vowed that I would never cross the
Jordan nor enter the good land that he is about to give you. 22 So
I must die here in this land; I will not cross the Jordan. But you are going
over and will possess that good land. 23 Be on guard so that you do
not forget the covenant of the Lord your God that he has made with you, and
that you do not make an image of any kind, just as he has forbidden you. 24 For
the Lord your God is a consuming fire; he is a jealous God.
2
Corinthians 7;4
I
have great confidence in you; I take great pride on your behalf. I am filled
with encouragement; I am overflowing with joy in the midst of all
our suffering.
Philippians
2;1-5
Christian
unity and Gods humility
1
Therefore,
if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort provided by love,
any fellowship in the Spirit, any affection or mercy, 2 complete my
joy and be of the same mind, by having the same love, being united in spirit,
and having one purpose. 3 Instead of being motivated by selfish
ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one
another as more important than yourself. 4 Each of you should be
concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others
as well. 5 You should have the same attitude toward one another
that Christ Jesus had.
timothy
skon
serving
others, guided by Jesus
2/3/18