An Encourager's Notebook
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The Precious Treasure
“Therefore, since God in His mercy has given us this new way, we never give up. We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to Himself together with you. All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory. That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.” (2 Corinthians 4:1, 7, 14-16; NLT)
The ministry of the New Covenant is a ministry of reflecting the light of the glory of God into a world of people who need hope, encouragement, and life. God receives glory as His light is reflected by those who believe in Jesus. Because this ministry is of God and for His glory, we never give up in proclaiming the Good News of salvation by grace through faith.
The struggle we have is that the Gospel, the wonderful treasure, is contained and proclaimed from a perishable house - the human body. All of us live in bodies that will eventually die and are in that process now. The precious treasure of the Gospel is proclaimed from the frailty of the human life and body in order that it becomes obvious to all that it is God at work, and not us.
The hope of the believer in Christ is that as God raised Jesus from the dead after his death on the cross, we too will be raised to life through Christ. Our hope is of eternal dimensions. Through the light we reflect of God in our lives, the more people will come to know Jesus as their own Savior. God’s grace will bring more and more people to Christ and in turn, God will receive more and more glory.
That truly is why, no matter the circumstances you are experiencing, God is at work in your life for His glory. That is why we do not give up. Our bodies may be dying, but our Spirits are being renewed day by day. To God be the glory.
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About the Book
In the midst of the trials of life, God miraculously uses those struggles to develop our endurance, to strengthen our character, and to give us hope. In this book, you will recognize the struggles of one man, Dennis Wood, and the journey of hope that grew within him - along with his zeal to share that message with everyone he met. As you delve into his personal story and witness his victory, may you too be encouraged.
About the Author
DENNIS WOOD was a beloved pastor for over 50 years as he encouraged church congregations in seven different states. He served on multiple mission trips to various locations including Argentina, Canada, China, Croatia, Thailand, and Wales, frequently served with Campers on Mission, and encouraged people wherever he went.
Even after his retirement, Dennis continued to preach from a pulpit whenever the opportunity arose, and he spoke at numerous conferences and seminars throughout the nation along with his wife, Sandy. Dennis also reached people worldwide as he authored weekly devotional messages entitled “The Encourager” which he sent via email and an internet blog site.
SANDRA WOOD is a great Bible teacher and writer as well. In addition to compiling the messages for this book, she has continued to send out “The Encourager” messages on a monthly basis since Dennis’ passing. She currently resides in Tempe, Arizona, near their three adult children, Roger, Mandy, and Susan, and five grandsons who are all so precious to her.
You can find Sandy on Facebook at “An Encourager’s Notebook” or on the web at www.anencouragersnotebook.com.