COMFORT is defined as 
"to encourage, help and strengthen"



QUESTION...
WHAT and WHO gives you the most COMFORT?


Be honest...
When the trials of life hit...where do you go?

Alcohol
Drugs
An Affair
Blame someone else
Increased activity/work
Hibernate 



MY ANSWER...
before I became a Christian the previous options namely INCREASED ACTIVITY...gave me temporary comfort


BUT NOW thanks to the Lord...

There are many good insights into that question... but 
my personal favorite  ANSWER is:
 
 COMFORT IS GAINED BY A GROWING FAITH IN CHRIST THROUGH...

The HOLY SPIRIT and GOD'S WORD 

1- The HOLY SPIRIT is our
COMFORTER

"But the Helper 
(Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor--Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you.

  Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. 
[Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.]"
John 14:26-27



2. GOD'S WORD says 
HE IS THE GOD OF ALL COMFORT

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort
, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God."
2 Corinthians 1:3-4


OUR CALLING 
via COMFORT:

1- Get Comforted OURSELVES 
by God through the Holy Spirit,  His Word, and through personal and corporate PRAYER

2- Comfort OTHERS 
with the Word who is the God of "ALL" Comfort... meditate on some verses of comfort day and night

An ESSENTIAL QUESTION for each of us to ANSWER:

HOW CAN WE COMFORT OTHERS WITH GOD'S COMFORT IF WE HAVE NOT PERSONALLY EXPERIENCED HIS COMFORT?

SAD INSIGHT:

Many Christians don't acknowledge The Holy Spirit
or use the Word of God to counsel and COMFORT themselves and others because they have personally relied on the world's insight into all of their personal trials


SOBERING witness CHALLENGE

If we don't rely upon The Holy Spirit or God's Word to 
COMFORT OURSELVES and OTHERS...
is it likely we wouldn't use them in our witnessing also...

A practical truth...

A GOOD SALESMAN MUST BELIEVE IN HIS PRODUCT!

A spiritual truth...

An effective witness must have a growing personal relationship with Jesus Christ
2 Peter 3:18
***HOW CAN THEY EFFECTIVELY TELL SOMEONE ABOUT SOMEONE THEY HARDLY KNOW?

 
 
LAST QUESTION:

IF I were to ask you based upon the COMFORT verses
above and how you have been personally comforted by God...

WOULD YOU TELL SOMEONE, IN LOVE, 
how 
you have been Comforted by God through your faith in Jesus Christ?



MY comfort TESTIMONY

As stated last week, YEARS AGO when we were losing everything I WENT TO A QUIET PLACE 
3x a week for more than a year for prayer and reliance upon God's insights and promises...eventually in His timing we were led to start WB more than 14 years ago

There have been hundreds of witness encounters based upon that difficult time in our life...by God's grace He has used that time of COMFORT, 
to bless and challenge thousands ( like the Holy Spirit is possibly doing with you right now)







Some actual varied "comfort" examples:


COMFORTED BY AN UNBELIEVER:

A JEWISH HOTEL EXECUTIVE.
..I knew well through our business dealings...we had a very good working relationship and sometimes talked about our faith in respect to our differences of belief. When he heard of my trials he said to me,
"I don't know of anyone who can, because of his faith and character, better handle your financial trials and be victorious..."
I was greatly comforted by his encouragement 

CHRISTIAN LEADER REFUSED GOD'S COMFORT:

A SUPER SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSMAN
...ran into some major financial challenges and was losing millions+. I know him to be a wonderful believer in Christ and is full of life. He wanted to pick my brain on how I was able to go through losing everything and still be a positive Christan leader...I shared with him my time on the Silver Comet Trail (see the chapter "Gold Refined by Fire" in IF WE ARE THE LIGHT, WHY IS AMERICA SO DARK?
) I very strongly encouraged him to do the same...I WILL NEVER FORGET HIS HONEST RESPONSE- he said " I DON'T HAVE TIME!" I boldly answered, "No time to be comforted by God?...SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH YOUR TIME MANAGEMENT!"
 

BUSINESSMAN DESPERATELY NEEDED COMFORT:

MAYORS PRAYER BREAKFAST IN PENNSYLVANIA
...often I encounter men and women going through major trials and desperately in need of COMFORT. After my presentation I will never forget a man coming up to speak with me who had gone through a major financial reversal. A t the end of our 10 minute conversation, I held his hand and prayed for him... after my prayer he would not let go and openly wept for at least 5 minutes...he prayed and claimed Jesus as His Savior.
 
*COMFORTING PEOPLE IS PART Of AN EFFECTIVE WITNESS EXPERIENCE AND ENCOUNTER.
Witness Breakthrough is accomplished  by love  and motivated John 3:16 witnessing




HIS APPEAL to YOU

BY GOD'S GRACE WE HAVE THE MESSAGE OF 
"COMFORT" THROUGH OUR LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST... 
and the POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT our Comforter...

People desperately need you and your Good News  of Jesus Christ message

Ted
John 14: 26-27
2 Corinthians 1: 3-4




witnessbreakthrough@gmail.com

P.S.

"COMFORT"  WAS NEEDED during the time of our
WONDERFUL 50th wedding celebration

As the pictures depict we had a very special time at our church on Sunday July 9th...however, the day before, on our actual wedding date July 8th, Trinda and I were both in the Emergency Room of our local hospital. (we were both checked out that day, after a few hours of tests and needing follow up- but the Sunday celebration was not affected)

OUR HOSPITAL STAY HAD A UNIQUE "comfort" TWIST TO IT

Trisha our older daughter, who has battled Type 1 DIABETES for
 30+  years...and has received "lots" of comfort from her family including Trinda, Tudi and me.. while we were in the ER...Trisha kept going back and forth from Trinda's room to my room every 15 to 30 minutes...COMFORTING US!!

As we were leaving...Trisha said 
"It was so weird being in the position of comforting both of you because I was so used to being comforted by my family"

Trisha lived out 2 Tim 2:3-4
"...with the comfort you have received from the Lord, comfort others".

We all have a lot of comforting to do...
self centered living will not cut it...comforting and living for others with the Gospel of Jesus is the very best bottom line

Trinda, Jeremiah, Tudi, Zoe, Ted, Joseph, Noah, Trisha, Mary Brennan and 
Emma Grace

Reverand Len Walker praying a blessing for Tudi (she is in her wedding dress) and Ted (my wedding tux was 10 sizes too small)
Ted and Trisha
Ted and Trinda