CANNIBALISM WITHIN THE FAMILY? WHERE SELDOM IS HEARD A ENCOURAGING WORD?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
*CANNIBALISM: ritual of eating human flesh.
TEXT:
Hebrews 12:12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; 13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. 14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
SOONER OR LATER ANGER AND REVENGE DRIVEN LIFE STYLES WILL BACKFIRE?
Recall: Captain Ahab, Moby Dick, QUEEQUAD (PE-QUAD)
DO WE REMEMBER THE BOOK BY HERMAN MELVILLE NAMED “MOBY DICK?” The main lesson is about anger and revenge. Captain Ahab was in an accident with a HUGE WHALE named MOBY DICK. Somehow Captain Ahab’s leg was twisted in the whaling rope. As Moby Dick escaped the ship, the rope cut the Captain’s leg off. He walked with a PEG-LEG the rest of his days. Captain Ahab was very bitter in anger and hatred. His whole life AHAB was so driven by revenge that he would spend his life searching the ocean for that mean WHALE, MOBY DICK. The book ends in a great tragedy. Ahab could not leave well enough along. After many searches they found MOBY DICK. The bitter revenge was still alive and well. At all cost the Captain would destroy old Moby. You know the story, MOBY DICK CRASHED THE SHIP INTO PIECES. Many of the men were eaten by sharks… but CAPTAIN AHAB DIES A TERRIBLE DEATH BECAUSE OF HIS BITTER, ANGRY, HATE FILLED LIFE? SOON OR LATER HATRED AND BITTERNESS WILL ALWAYS DESTROY.
MY STORY GOES MUCH DEEPER THAN MOBY AND AHAB. There is a secondary lesson we often miss. This lesson is about a loving and kind man on the ship. His name is QUEEQUEG… (PE-quad). QUEEQUAD was loved by all the ship’s crew. QUEEQUAD (PE-quad) was a good man and helped everyone on the ship. QUEEQUAD contracted this terrible disease with a high fever and the whole crew expected QUEEQUAD to die. His dying request was to call the ship’s carpenter to make him a COFFIN SHAPED LIKE A CANOE. So the carpenter measured QUEEQUAD and made the CANOE to the exact measurement for a coffin. To everyone’s surprise QUEEQUAD’s health returned and he returned to be a friend and helper to everyone on the ship. QUEEQUAD was as nice as mean Captain Ahad developed to be.
AS THE GREAT SHIP SANK, ALL OF A SUDDEN THE COFFIN CANOE BOUNCES TO THE TOP OF THE WATER AND THE KIND, SWEET LOVING MAN FOUND LIFE IN THE CANOE THAT WAS MEANT FOR HIS CORPSE. HE LIVES FOR A FEW DAYS IN THE CANOE. One day another ship comes to his rescue. What was meant for his death became a source of his rescue.
GOD LOVES TO GIVE… GOD WILL GIVE US THE VISION TO SEE ONE OF THE BEST GIFTS WE COULD SEEK IS THE GIFT OF ENCOURAGEMENT AND EDIFICATION. WE NEED TO PICK OUR FRIENDS BUT NOT PICK THEM TO PIECES. WE HAVE BEEN CALLED TO BUILD PEOPLE NOT TO RAZE THEM.
2 Corinthians 13:10 Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the power which the Lord hath given me to edification, and not to destruction.
The Lord wants to give us the understanding to strengthen others. Can we understand this STARTS AT HOME? We must not use our words to tear each other down.
• FEAR NOT…WHY DOES A BIRD SING? Birds don’t sing because they have all the answers. Birds sing because they know that God cares for them. They sing because they know God and they know the song. Matthew 10:29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
• YOU KNOW WHERE I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE? Home, home on the range, where the deer and the antelope play, where seldom is heard a discouraging word and the skies are not cloudy all day.
• SEVERAL AREAS THAT CAN HELP ENCOURAGE YOU. State your troubles and trials clearly and you have started to find the solution. The people that say it can’t be done are being passed by those doing it. Then you must have faith. Faith in God, and faith in yourself. You and God can handle anything.
• Can we accept there can be a creative use of conflict? Can we agree to disagree and still pull together? In the center of problems and heartaches we can find great opportunities.
• Sometimes we must slow down to smell the roses. But we must never stop. We must keep pressing on.
• Psalm 119:10 ( With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.
I love the light for it guides my foot steps. IF YOU HAVE NO SHADOW, YOU PROBABLY DON’T HAVE MUCH LIGHT. Yet I love the night because it reveals the moon and the stars. IF THERE IS A SHADOW, HONEY, THERE IS A LIGHT. JESUS IS WITH US.
Psalm 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
WE FACE A GREAT DANGER OF SELF-DESTRUCTIVE CANNIBALISM… DO WE BITE AND DEVOUR WITHIN OUR FAMILIES?
Galatians 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. 15 But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.
*** Cannibalism, the lack of edification and encouragement will always destroy a home or a church. Of the seven deadly sins anger and bitterness are possibly the most fun. To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past, to roll over your tongue, the prospect of bitter confrontation still to come, to savor to the last toothsome morsel your pain you are given and the pain you are giving back. IN MANY WAYS IT IS A FEAST FIT FOR A KING. THE CHIEF DRAW BACK IS WHAT YOU ARE WOLFING DOWN IS YOURSELF. THE SKELETON AT THE FEAST IS YOU! (Borrowed from F.Buechner)
Conclusion: 1 Corinthians 13:8 (A) Charity never faileth:
WE HAVE AN ASSURANCE, THERE IS A GUARANTEE THAT LOVE NEVER FAILS… We must develop a program where we teach it is our Christian duty to encourage and edify others daily!
1 Corinthians 10:23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
1 Corinthians 14:12 Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.
1 Corinthians 14:26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.
Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
One of the greatest lessons of understanding and building the family is to practice encouragement and edification of others on a regular basis.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Do you practice what you preach? How long has it been since you sent a THANK YOU CARD? How long since you called a friend from the past and encouraged them? How long has it been since you edified a person in your family?
Will you help me? Pass this on to others?
