REVIVAL: Encourage Yourself

19 July 2010

DAY 1: ENCOURAGE YOURSELF

Guest Speaker: Pastor Victor S. Lewis

Tonight was the first of three nights of revival at The Mount, and it was a great first night. Pastor Victor S. Lewis of the People's Missionary Baptist Church, brought a powerful and timely word on Encouraging Yourself.  Taken from Psalms 27:13-14, Pastor Lewis breaks down the conversation that David was having with himself.

He discusses how David began his thoughts on a high note, thanking and praising God for who he is and what he has done, and explaining the faith that he has in  God. Then, later in the text, he begins to admit the possibility of failure. This is something that we all have or will face on our life's journey. David was down because his enemies were surrounding him and being cruel. BUT, in the later part of this chapter, he acknowledges the power of his faith and admonishes himself to have fortitude. Those are the same attributes that we must have as Christians.

Pastor Lewis explained that we must:

Some may ask, what is fortitude? The dictionary defines fortitude as mental and emotional strength in facing difficulty, adversity, danger, or temptation courageously. So in our down and out moments in our lives, when we feel like we should probably give up, remember to draw from the faith that you have within, knowing that you can overcome your issues because of the strength that you have from God. In Pastor Lewis' lesson, he also noted that there is purpose in our pain. God doesn't put more on us that we can bare and he does everything for our good, even when it doesn't seem the best situation for us. We must do as David said in verse 14. We must WAIT on the Lord and be of good courage and he (Lord) will strengthen our hearts, WAIT, i say, on the Lord.