Henrik Ibsen said, "A thousand words will not leave so deep an impression as one deed."

One deed can be very important in revealing our character. Consistency of deeds is even more revealing.

As a sports fan, I have no problem agreeing with Miami Heat superstar center Shaquille O'Neal's nickname Superman. Shaq has proven for more than a decade, that he is indeed one of the best players ever to step onto a basketball court. There are many players who shine for a game or even for a season. Few players reach the sustained quality of game that Shaq has. Superman has been a quality force for a long, long time.

Another one of my favorite athletes is Andre Agassi. Agassi is credited with reinventing the sport of tennis along with reinventing himself periodically. At 34 years old, he has proven that he has the stamina and talent to challenge and even defeat the world's best players. Like Shaq, Agassi has had a long career filled with many years of quality results. Early in his career, her was nicknamed The Punisher for his ability to hammer a tennis ball and to punish his opponents by forcing them to run side to side. Both Shaq and Agassi earned their nicknames by their repeated actions.

The Bible tells us of a man who earned a nickname by his actions. There is something we can learn from him as well. His name was Joseph. He was sometimes called Barnabas. He was nicknamed The Encourager.

The Bible first mentions Barnabas in the book called Acts. We have to remember that the church then wasn't the safe place it is today. Christians were being persecuted, hunted, arrested and even executed for their religious beliefs.

This is where we first find Joseph from Cyprus, who was also called Barnabas. It wasn't easy being a Christian in those days. Things were tough. Things were tight. People were stressed. The Bible records that Barnabas owned a some land. He sold it, took all the money he made from tha sale and gave it to those who were in need so they could have enough food. People who were discouraged suddenly found encouragement in the actions of someone who acted to help others, even if it cost him something of his own. People started calling Barnabas The Encourager.

The book of Acts goes on to tell us about a man named Saul who was an enemy of the early Christians. Saul stood by and approved of the violent execution of a Christian named Stephen. Saul petitioned for the right to hunt down and arrest Christians. Saul's life changed when he became a Christian himself.

Unfortunately, everyone had heard of Saul's attacks on other believers. They were afraid of him. The people Saul had worked with to hunt Christians now wanted him dead. Saul had nowhere to go. It's at this time that the Bible tells us that The Encourager shows up. Barnabas appears on the scene, takes Saul under his protection and speaks for Saul, asking for everyone to accept the changed Saul instead of shunning him. Barnabas' life is a pattern of encouragement to those in need.

Later Saul changes his name to Paul and travels the known world telling people about God's love. Paul and Barnabas make an excellent team until Paul starts verbally slamming a young man named John Mark because John Mark had left one of their journeys before Paul thought he should have. Paul thinks young John Mark is a waste of time and refused to have anything to do with him. Paul passes harsh judgement on someone just as he was once judged by the other Christians before Barnabas stepped in. How soon some people forget.

Barnabas refuses to give up on young John Mark. When Paul takes a man named Silas in one direction, Barnabas takes the hurting and abandoned young John Mark in another.Barnabas, once more, proves why he is The Encourager.

In an interesting side note, in a letter called 2 Timothy, Paul writes Timothy and says "Everyone has left me. Only Luke has stayed. Please find John Mark and send him to me. He can be a great help to me." Paul certainly changed his tune about John Mark. Paul would go on to write for us about 2/3 of the New Testament.

John Mark is the one we credit with writing one of the first four books of our New Testament, The Gospel of Mark.

Would the early church, an outcast named Saul, or an unwanted young man named Timothy have accomplished so much without God sending them Barnabas, The Encourager?

This week, we will be known by our actions. Wouldn't it be wonderful if more of us were nickamed The Encourager? Let's look for opportunities to reach out to others who have needs, who are outcasts, or who have been abandoned by someone they trusted. Let's be like Barnabas and encourage them to accomplish all God has for them in His plan.