Therefore encourage each other with these words, 1 Thessalonians 4:18.  What is encouragement?  How do we give it to each other?  What are we to be encouraged about?

Encourage — to INSPIRE, with COURAGE, SPIRIT or CONFIDENCE.  Courage – the quality of mind or spirit that enables someone to face danger, pain and difficulty without fear.  WOW!  You mean there is a way to inspire other people with courage so that they may not be fearful, AMEN.  This world is rife with fear and shadows.  The enemy seeks to lead my brothers and sisters in to captivity through fear, deception, in-forgiveness and sin.  The answer is the hope which comes from the Lord’s return for His church at the moment of rapture.  Self question— Am I inspiring courage in my fellow Christians?  Am I instilling confidence through the Lord’s Word to those who might otherwise fall prey to fear and false teaching?  Do I have my eyes on the workings of heaven or are they transfixed upon the fearful circumstances of this world?  We shall see, we shall see.

In my opinion, Christians who dwell upon the words of this passage and the preceding verses will receive hope and understanding unavailable to post tribulation believers.  For this speaks directly of the rapture, the removal of the church, escape from the “Great day of the Lord”.  I don’t know about anyone else but the great tribulation is definitely something that I want to miss.  I recommend the Chuck Missler studies on Revelation or the Rapture.  Also Tim LeHaye wrote an excellent study entitled; Revelation Unveiled for those seeking a deep understanding of the rapture, revelation, the Glorious Appearing, the Millennial Reign of Christ, the White Throne Judgment and Eternity.  If you don’t have a solid understanding of prophecy then you will be ill prepared to ENCOURAGE those around you.  Get ready, stay prepared, Keep your eyes expectantly to the Heavens, Jesus is coming, SOON.

http://youtu.be/vRm0NV88bbA  Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Christmas Greeting to Christians around the world 2011

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2010/10/19/world/1248069187877/ezekiel-s-tomb-in-iraq.html  Muslims worship Ezekiel’s Tomb south of Babylon in Iraq

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2011/01/02/arts/1248069440724/babylon-ancient-site-modern-problems.html  Babylon being rebuilt with our tax dollars and skills.