Need a Little Encouragement?

Is. 35:3-4

From: Apostle Steve Allen

Hello Dear Friends,

 I remember someone asking me once, "How do you know when someone needs encouragement?"   My answer, "uh, I think the tell-tell sign is if they're breathing!"  Friends, everyone needs encouragement! The question is really what's the best way to give it?  Here are a few suggestions.

 1.  Remember, you can't give encouragement when you're talking about yourself!  Sometimes we try and give others perspective on their problems by telling them how bad ours are.  It doesn't help.

 2.  Tell people what they're doing right.  They usually already know what they're doing wrong and they feel bad about it.  Tell them what they do well.  Tell them something good about themselves.  Don't worry, they won't get big-headed about it.  God knows how to make sure that doesn't happen!  :)

 3.  Tell them what the future can be.  Remind them of what God can do, how He can transform any situation for His glory, how he can transform any person into the image of Christ, and how He can use anyone and anything to accomplish His purposes.

 4.  Tell them how it's all worked out before.  Tell them how a friend overcame a similar problem, or how someone dealt with the same adversity, or how someone's perseverance ultimately paid off.  Always give people hope.

 5.  Tell them you will help them.  You can't solve their problems for them.  You can't take the actions they need to take.  But, when they ask, you can gently and in love, help to show them the way.

 Remember the words of Isaiah,

 "Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble.
Say to those with an anxious heart, "take courage, fear
not.  Behold your God will come with vengeance;  the
recompense of God will come, and he will save you." (Isaiah 35:3-4) 

South Africa Update

Friends, it's been so long since I've given you an update, let me use this opportunity to fill you in a little.  I remember a funny little song I heard when I was a kid....it went something like this:

"Please don't send me to Africa;
I don't think I've got what it takes,
I'm just a man, I'm not Tarzan,
I don't like lions, gorillas, or snakes!"

Of course, I failed to catch the humor of the lyrics in my young age.  I understood enough to know the song was addressed to God, and I'm sure I wondered why grown-ups might say that sort of thing to Him.  Now that I'm old enough to recognize the irony in the lyrics, I find myself in Africa!  God is too funny. 

2009 has been an incredible year so far!  I began the year with a trip to Australia to be with my dear friend Ps. Peter Nicholes.  January was the 10 year graduation and induction of their Masters Commission.  They gave me the honor of being their keynote speaker and spending two wonderful weeks with their church experiencing a powerful move of God in their midst that they have called an "Open Heaven."  Interestingly, right before I left South Africa, we had made a prophetic declaration over our church for 2009 that this year would be the "Year of the Open Heaven."  So, this turned out to be no coincidence.  Ps. Peter made sure that I received a major download as they prayed and prophesied over me every chance they could get!  It was wonderful, healing, and life changing!

I returned home to a very excited church that was waiting for an impartation.  From that first service until now the heavens have opened over us in a way that has left us amazed at the glory and goodness of our God!  Under this "open heaven", the angels of God seem to be ascending and descending upon us in dreams, visions, healings, revelation, breakthroughs, and miracles!  The worship at times simply leaves us breathless and in awe.  It is hard to even describe. Ps. Dallas and Jody, and Patty and I mostly just stand aside and watch as the Holy Spirit takes over and touches lives.

It has been in this anointed climate that  we launched Nation Builders, our brand new discipleship school, with 13 very excited students!  It's shocking  to see the changes in lives and the open doors that God is giving us after only a few months.  After an incredible school assembly, the Nation Builders were asked to minister in the high school all day every Friday.  They take the classes for the teachers and share with the the young people about what God can do in their lives!  Now we've moved our regular Youth Meeting to the school with several hundred teenagers coming every Friday night!  Folks, I've been in quite a few outpourings of the Holy Spirit, but I've never seen anything like this!

In a few weeks, Ps. Peter and a team from Australia will be here to add another log on our already blazing fire.  We can't wait. 

On the Saturday before Fathers Day I've been asked to speak to a conference of 600 leaders from all across the Eastern Cape.  They have asked me to come and teach them about the Father/son order and how to father spiritual sons and daughters.  The man who has invited me says that this will be the first time his denomination has ever opened themselves to this message, and their excitement is very high.  It would be great if you remembered to pray for me.  I think I'll take my Nation Builders along to demonstrate the vision....now that will be fun!

It all makes me think about the last little stanza of that song I quoted earlier.  It goes,

"I'll serve you here in suburbia,
in my comfortably middle-class life,
but please don't send me way out in the bush,
where the natives are restless at night!"

 That makes me laugh, but it also just makes me want to say all over again, "Lord, you just go ahead and do whatever you want in my life....I'm totally fine with you being in charge!"  Dear friends, be encouraged, God knows exactly what he's doing in every one of our lives and you can be sure He's working everything out for His bigger purpose.  We love and miss you all.

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