Cannibalism Within The Family?

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.