Grace and fellowship

I think of how God uses our circumstances to give us more grace and mercy. In the Purpose Driven Life, we have been learning about fellowship and what that means. Encouragement was mentioned to build us up and keep us from deceitfulness and sin. I think encouragement is a hugh quality that we need in our daily lives. Many people are torn because they have been brought down by someone or something. Without encouragement, it is very hard to be lifted up.
Christ was despired, rejected by men, spit on, pierced for our sins...yet He encourages us to always pray and not give up. He told a parable regarding this in Luke 18:2-8. It tells about a woman who never gave up but kept persisting. Paul tells us in Romans 12: 9-16 to be devoted to each other in brotherly love. To honor one another above ourselves. Wow! How many people do you know that honor one another above themselves? It also goes onto to say be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer and to share with God's people in need. I wonder how many of us actually do this. To be joyful, no matter what comes our way. It has been a difficult week-I work in the education field and have been prevented from going to work because of a strike by teachers-I won't get into a debate about that because so many of you have so many views! It has been difficult because I have been restless with whether I should help picket-after three consecutive days we get $10.00 a day or do without any pay, whether it is logitically a right thing to do or not. I have worried, I have prayed. Needless to say, I didn't help to strike-I did not want to break the law and to eventually get $2.50 per day, it isn't worth it. You wonder what this has to do with encourgement. Well, I am encouraged through prayer from others and myself. I know that all things will work out to those who love the Lord. Romans 8:28 (Paraphrase of mine)
I was reading in Max Lacado's book; Grace For the Moment; He says this; To recognize God as Lord is to acknowledge that he is sovereign and surpreme in the universe. To accept him as Saviour is to accept his gift of salvation offered on the cross. To regard him as Father is to go a step further. Ideally, a father is the one in your life who provides and protects. This is exactly what God has done. He has provided for your needs (Matt. 6:25-34). He has protected you from harm (Ps. 139:5). He has adopted you (Eph. 1:5). And he has given you his name (1 John 3:1). God has proven himself as a faithful father., Now it falls to us to be trusting children. What better encouragement. God loves us and has redeemed us through Jesus Christ. Amen!
You may be decent, you may pay taxes, kiss your kids, abide by the law, sleep with a clean conscience, but apart from Christ, you aren't holy. So how can you go up to heaven? Simply believe. Accept the work already done, the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. If you are not a Christian or a believer in Christ, what better way to take hold of Him who gave His life for you! Stand before Him in His name, not yours. The cross was heavy, the blood was real, and the price was extravagant. It would have made us bankrupt, so He paid it all. It is simple, give your life to Christ. It wasn't an easy task for Christ to do. I like to remember it as "Grace"...for you and for me. We can grow in His love through fellowship with other believers by encouragement, love, honor, support. Will you trust Him today?