To all who may be reading this, I have two words for you:

Be Encouraged.

No matter what your circumstances… be encouraged.
No matter what you hear in the news… be encouraged.
No matter what your past… be encouraged.
No matter what the world looks like… be encouraged.
No matter what you feel… be encouraged.

How, when we are living in days that seem to be growing darker and crazier, can we lift our heads and be encouraged? How can we possibly stay positive and keep it together when the world is becoming more negative and falling apart? How can we be hopeful in such an existence?

If you are a believer in Christ, you know the answer to these questions. We can be positive in the midst of crisis, hopeful when things appear dark, and joyful through uncertainty, only and all because of Jesus.

Our trust, our very hope, is in Jesus. John 15:5 reminds us: “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

This verse conveys so much truth. We are simply lost without Him. We have no true direction, hope, peace or joy without Him. Without Him, the world looks very hopeless and bleak indeed.

But, with Him we have true direction, we have hope, we have peace, we have joy. Most importantly, we are rescued, and we are saved. And with that comes a bright eternity… all because of Him!

I honestly don’t know how a person can go through this life apart from the Savior.

Yes, people can make strides, learn coping techniques, try to maintain a consistently positive outlook and attitude, but apart from Christ, it eventually all falls apart. Like the previous verse conveyed, apart from Him, we can do nothing.

The created has a Creator… God Almighty. He is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent. He is the author of life. He knows our beginning from our ending and every second in between. He is Abba, Father. We, His creation, were made to fellowship with Him. He desires a personal and close relationship with each of us.

Imagine: the Creator of all wants a personal and close relationship with YOU. Now, that’s definitely something to be encouraged about!

And, the reality is, we need Him. Actually, we desperately need Him.

He is the giver of life… our source of life. We can’t even take a breath unless He allows it.

We need His presence in our lives. We need His gift of salvation… a gift only He can give. We need His peace, joy, guidance, help, hope, promises, wisdom, forgiveness, and love.

I’m so thankful we don’t have to maneuver through this life on our own… aren’t you?

I’m so thankful we have our heavenly Father who is faithful and true to rely on… aren’t you?

I’m so appreciative that He loves and desires a close relationship. And I’m so incredibly happy that He provided rescue and redemption for all… aren’t you?

So, let this be an encouragement to you. If you are a believer, rejoice as you are loved and looked after. You do not walk alone in this life… you have a Father, the most incredible Father, walking beside you. A Father who has promised to never leave you or forsake you.

You have been lovingly designed and formed with incredible thought and detail. He knows your thoughts, your personality, your strengths, your struggles. He is aware of your needs, your heart’s desires, and your dreams. He knows more about you than you know about yourself.

He has specifically placed you in this life, on this earth, at this time. You will be fine because you are His.

You can look at the world around you, knowing in complete confidence that your Father is in complete control of the world He created. There is absolutely nothing that He doesn’t see or know… nothing. There is absolutely nothing that He can’t do… nothing!

This knowledge should bring comfort to your soul and peace to your heart every day of your life.

I love the beautiful verse found in Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

We can only truly live out this verse in our daily lives because of our connection to our heavenly Father. We can only truly live out that verse because of who God is.

Everything that God does is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, praiseworthy… everything!

I hope Philippians 4:8 will sink deep into your heart. I pray it resonates with you and reminds you that as you journey day to day, you can journey joyfully with peace in your heart because you journey with Him.

If you are reading this and have not asked Jesus to be the Lord and Savior of your life, do it today. I promise, it will be the greatest and most life-changing decision you will ever make… ever! Simply repent of your sins and accept His gift of salvation. Jesus loves you so much and wants you to rely on Him and accept Him into your heart so you can forever be with Him for all eternity.

Romans 10:9-10 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

No matter what life may bring, you can be encouraged that God is with you. You can trust Him in all things, at all times… always.

And as you go about your life, your encouragement will grow stronger when you take the time to spend time with Him. Start by making a grateful list, then spend time praising, praying, fasting, worshiping, and reading the Bible. Share the hope you have with others.

Encourage your heart and refresh your spirit. Take time to unplug from technologies, social media, etc., and plug into God instead. Grow close to Him and watch your encouragement grow.

James 4:8 speaks to this: “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.”

That’s good news, isn’t it?

As part of your encouragement call, I wanted to leave you with a couple of articles from the past. I pray they will be a source of comfort to you as you remember all you have because of all He gave and continually gives.

Never forget- He is the vine; you are the branch.

Be Encouraged!

Letter of Encouragement to All Believers

Heaven Bound

spate.holly@gmail.com

You are my portion forever
My King, my God
Worldly evil may last for a moment
But your power will override.

The world is quickly fading
A new heaven and earth is drawing near
Satan soon will be bound forever
And all eyes will be opened and see clear.

Lifting you high, I glorify
Your presence and all that you are
Our coming King, our everything
You bring freedom that satisfies.

Be still now heart,
Take flight now soul
For I honor the only One
Who can make a life whole.

The time’s almost here
I sense that it’s near
No earthly king will have a say
Concerning what will happen on that day.

It’s been set in stone
Recorded long ago
From the very beginning
God would be winning.

No powers below
No powers that be
Can overthrow the Creator
Of all humanity.

The glorious coming of His kingdom is near
May we all be equipped, may we all be prepared
So lift up your head and be of good cheer
We’re heaven bound, our home is not here.

-by Holly Spate

I pray the above poem has lifted your heart and encouraged you.

Just think… He has chosen each of us. He has chosen YOU to be a part of this unique time in history.

With that truth in mind, realize that the handwriting is on the wall.

Anyone paying attention can clearly see that the world is rapidly coming apart at the seams. The planned global chaos put into motion is knocking down the dominoes and affecting everything at an astonishing pace.

For those who believe in Christ, we know how the story ends… God wins! And when God wins, we win!

Soon, this world will be no more, and there will be a new heaven and a new earth. Our King of Kings, the One who should have always been exalted in this earth by all mankind, will be acknowledged as God Almighty, maker of heaven and earth by all.

Romans 14:11 says, “For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”

Philippians 2:9-11 states, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

The way the world is going and the pace at which all is happening should make us realize the rapture is nearer than we may think. Like the old hymn says, “Soon and very soon, we are going to see the King… Hallelujah, Hallelujah, we’re going to see the King!”

Imagine…

One day (maybe sooner than we can imagine) we will stand before our Savior and see Him face to face.

You will get to walk with Him, the very One who has walked beside you, created you, protected you, provided for you, saved you and forever loved you.

You will see the place He’s been preparing for you. A place so beautiful, so full of splendor that the human mind can’t comprehend. An awe-inspiring place only the Father could fashion and form… a place of perfection with everything perfectly in place.

1 Corinthians 2:9 says, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”

John 14:1-4 states, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.”

Matthew 25:34 is a beautiful invitation to all believers: “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

Just think…

One day you will be reunited with all believers who have gone before.

One day you will walk the streets of gold and get to know personally those you’ve read about and studied for years in the pages of scripture.

One day you will be given an incorruptible body, one that will last and live on forever.

1 Corinthians 15:50-55: “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”

Incredible!

One day, you, along with all your brothers and sisters in Christ, will be called up and will forever be with the Lord for all eternity!

Eternity…

A place of unimaginable peace, calm, and joy.

A place with no injustice, lawlessness, evil, stress or worry.

A place with no sin, no sickness, no sorrow, no death, no taxes, no government, no money, no time, no rushing, etc.

A place void of anything bad, harmful or hurtful.

A place filled with the light and goodness of the Father’s love.

Perfection… pure bliss… the most beautiful, unimaginable existence all prepared and waiting for our arrival… your arrival! All created by our Heavenly Father to enjoy forever.

And forever we will be with the Savior!

Although we each have so much to be thankful for here and now because of all God gives, how much more we have to be thankful for as we experience all He’s planned … a bright eternity yet to explore and a beautiful inheritance yet to enjoy.

There are a million reasons heaven will be so heavenly. There is nothing on this earth that can compare to what awaits us.

Everything ungodly that’s existing and present in this world will be absent in heaven. There will be only good, beauty, justice, righteousness, peace, joy and light… FOREVER!

Are you excited yet?!

With all the doom and gloom in the world and evil waxing worse, I hope and pray this reminder of good things to come brings encouragement, joy and peace. Our time on this earth is but a blip in light of eternity.

As you live out your life in this world, rejoice because you have the blessed hope. Christ died on the cross and rose again; His blood washes you clean of all sin… a gift He gave willingly with unconditional love. He paid a debt He did not owe because you owed a debt you could not pay. He saved and rescued you, and He’s coming back to take you to the place He’s prepared so you can be with Him for all eternity! Now, that’s not just good news; that’s the best news ever!

If you don’t know Him, cry out to Him today… ask Him into your heart and He will gladly, with open arms, receive you. Then, you too will be a joint heir and will spend eternity with the Savior!

I pray all these beautiful reminders will nudge each of us to continue sharing the hope we have with others, being obedient to God’s calling in our lives, and praying for the salvation of the lost.

2 Peter 3:9 states what a loving Savior we serve: “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

Jesus, our Savior, is returning! And when He does, He wants to find us ready and doing His will. Do all you can now to joyfully share Him with others.

Keep looking up and be of good cheer…. We’re Heaven Bound!

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

“And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son” (Revelation 21:1-7).

spate.holly@gmail.com