GOD WANTS YOU TO ENCOURAGE SOMEONE! 

This MMM is dedicated to two of my Christian brothers who have encouraged me in recent years.  Frank Stretar is a man who I have known for close to 30 years and Glenn Repple is a man who I have known for 5 years.  They are both wonderful men who try to live each day in honor of the Lord they love and serve, Jesus Christ.  Frank became a close friend thru our involvement with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Glenn thru the National Association of Christian Financial Consultants.  But it was not the organizations or the activities emanating from those organizations that made the difference for me.

Frank and I were attending a Bible study together along with our spouses for many years and one night as we were talking about all the wonderful things God was doing thru our missions program, known as Teams to the Nations, we both talked about how wonderful it would be to spend time on a sports mission trip.  I had gone thru the mental gymnastics of a mission trip before and after a few years of experiencing 5 star hotels on my trips with Merrill Lynch, and also even 2 star hotels on my own buck, I couldn't picture myself bunking out in an orphanage, or a youth hostel, or maybe even in a remote African village.  It was my pleasure to write the checks for helping with many of those trips hoping God would never tap me on the shoulder and say, "GO!".   But here was Frank, one of my closest brothers in the Lord looking me right in the eye and saying, "We have to go".  From that encouragement, I did go and we still support many others who respond to God's call to go but the first trip for many of us is the hardest.  I will be leaving soon on my fifth overseas mission trip, this time to the Ukraine and Russia to see if we can help with an agricultural project in both of those countries.  The point is, I may not have gone on any trip without the encouragement that I received from Frank!

Everyday, Glenn Repple posts a wonderful spiritual thought for the day for all of the Financial Advisors who are members of his Broker Dealer firm known as GA Repple and Associates.  Every day he challenges people to read the Bible thru in a year.  I read those words every day since starting to receive his MMM but it wasn't until Glenn told me about how significant this has been in his life that I was moved to do something about it.  Suddenly the idea of reading the Bible thru in a year seemed like such a good idea that his encouragement to me prompted me to do it!  I have read much of the Bible since growing up in a strong Bible centered church, but I couldn't say I had read the Bible all the way the way thru.  I rationalized that this idea was a gimmick and many people had done this, with little effect on their life.  I further rationalized that this would detract from my other daily devotions.  Unlike my irrational excuses,  I am learning so much that I didn't know about the Old and New Testament.  I am now connecting many things about Judah and Israel that I didn't understand before.  The relationships of how God presented his plans for His people thru Moses and His chosen people continue to speak to each of us.  It is my turn to challenge you to consider reading the Bible thru in a year and you can start right now.

I don't know if you need a word of encouragement to go on that mission trip you have thought about or to accept the challenge of reading the Bible thru in the next 12 months.  My challenge to you today is to think about the people in your life that God is calling on you to provide encouragement.  Your words and actions may cause them to write a MMM somewhere down the road.  Don't hold back, tell them whatever the Lord lays on your heart to share with them!  

Psalm 20:4-6  "May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.  We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God.  May the Lord grant all your requests."   Encourage others as the Psalmist encourages you. 

Sent August 6, 2007

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