Established By Encouragement Series

One of the greatest heroes in Minnesota history was James Root of White Bear. He was the

engineer on the No. 4 Limited the day it pulled out of Duluth heading for St. Paul on Sept. 1, 1894.

Before that day ended he saved the lives of nearly 400 people. Unknown to him and his passengers

they were heading into one of the worse fires in history. It completely destroyed 6 Minnesota

villages killing 420 people, and it turned every thing to ashes over an area of 350 square miles.

As Root brought his train to Hinkley he saw masses of people running down the track toward

him. He stopped the train and jumped out of the cab. He soon learned that Hinkley was a furnace,

and that a tornado of flame was heading their way. He encouraged the 300 people of men, women,

and children to get on board. By the time they did the heat was already so intense that it shattered

the window of his cab and cut his forehead. He put the train in reverse and headed back to Skunk

Lake, a small station 4 miles North.

The heat was so intense that his fire man climbed into the water tank. He was alone and fighting

for his own survival. His hands were so burned he feared rubbing them lest he tare off the flesh.

The cars were all on fire and the glass was melting. It was torture for the passengers to breathe, but

Root kept the train moving and got it to the Skunk Lake bridge where there was a swamp with a few

feet of water. He and the passengers got into this swamp and watched the train be destroyed by the

flames. Had Root not been strong in his determination all 400 hundred would have perished.

Hero stories are almost always stories of strength where you see exhibited strength of body, mind

and will. All the heroes of the Bible were not as strong as Samson, but they were all strong in their

commitment to the God of Israel, who was called the Strength of Israel. Habakkuk ends his

prophecy with these words, "The Sovereign Lord is my strength." Over and over the Psalms refer to

God as the source of strength, and He is named Strength. Psa. 18:1, "I love you, O Lord, my strength."

Psa. 18:32, "It is God who arms me with strength."

Psa. 22:19, "David cries out to God O my Strength, come quickly to help me."

There are dozens of references to God as my strength and song. The joy of the Lord is my

strength, and the purpose of worship is to enter into the beauty of God's presence to be strengthened

by his strength. The saints are urged to seek God's strength and to be clothed with it. They are to

walk in His strength for a life of joy and victory. All of this becomes the background for our

understanding of Paul's concept of Christian worship and fellowship. He writes to the Romans here

in chapter 1 verse 11 that he longs to be with them to impart to them some spiritual gift, and why

does he feel this is important? He says the purpose of the gift is to make you strong.

Weak Christians are a great problem. Therefore, the greatest solution to this problem is to make

Christians strong. That is the point of the gifts of the Spirit. That is the point of worship and

Christian fellowship. Strong Christians are obedient Christians, and weak Christians are disobedient

Christians. The only the church can fulfill God's purpose in history is to help Christians be strong.

Paul is not so proud as to think that he does not need the strength that can come from them. In verse

12 he says that he wants to see them, not just to give strength but to receive it, and that they might be

mutually encouraged by each other's faith.

Here is the most powerful reason there is for Christians to get together. It is that they might

encourage and make each other stronger. Paul knows what anyone knows who tries to live in full

obedience to God. It is hard, and there is an ever present temptation to throw in the towel and take

the easy way out, and just drift along with the culture. Swimming against the stream and climbing

the mountain of the upward call leads to burn out and discouragement. We need to be renewed and

strengthened to keep going. We come together to hear the Word of God in order to charge our

batteries so that we can go away saying with Paul, "I can do all things through Christ who

strengthens me." We can then resist the devil; resist conformity to the world, and in spite of our