Sooner Or Later? Encourage...

SOONER OR LATER…

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

HOW WOULD WE ANSWER GOD IF HE SAID: WHAT DO YOU WANT? WE NEED THE MINISTRY OF UNDERSTANDING AND OF EDIFICATION AND ENCOURAGEMENT IN THE FAMILY AND IN THE CHURCH TODAY.

TEXT:

1 Kings 3:5 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.

1 Kings 3:9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?

SOONER OR LATER? DO YOU THINK WITH YOUR HEAD? OR WITH YOUR HEART? OR MAYBE BOTH? SOONER OR LATER WHAT EVER FOLLOWS THE WORDS “I AM______? WILL CATCH UP WITH YOU.

Matthew 12:34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

It's your heart, not the dictionary that gives meaning to your words.

Proverbs 23:7 (A) For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:

Recently I have asked people to communicate with me… I AM _________________________________?

The first answers go something like: I am a pretty good person. I am a child of God. I am blessed. Then we dig a little deeper: I am old. I am sick. I am angry. I am bitter. I am hurt.

LIFE HAS A MIRROR EFFECT! Perception is real. As Doctor Phil would say: NO MATTER HOW FLAT THE PANCAKE IS… THERE ARE ALWAYS TWO SIDES.

*PERCEPTION: How you see things, what you are aware of, your observation, mental image, sensation interpreted in the light of your experience, your discernment,

Sooner or later we must make the choice on: How will I chose to act/react?

I HAVE FOUND THREE TYPES OF PEOPLE SINCE I HAVE BEEN IN THE MINISTRY.

1. *COLD, DISTANT… THOSE THAT CAN NOT GIVE ENCOURAGEMENT OR EDIFICATION.

Matthew 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

Those people that have been so put down in life that they are SEEMINGLY unable to encourage or EDIFY OTHER PEOPLE. Life has STUNG THEM LIKE A BEE to the point that they CAN’T SAY I LOVE YOU. They can’t edify or encourage other people. They have become so negative that they think they are GOD CALLED HEAD SHRINKERS. This trap can become a DEATH TRAP and they STRAIGHT ARM every person away from them.

I HAD A STUDENT NAMED DANNY. He was a good looking young man. But he was far behind the rest of his class. I cried for Danny. I prayed God help me reach Danny. He was smart. One day when I was out in the hall way, I bragged on Danny. One of the older teachers in the school pulled me aside and whispered in my ear. DANNY IS A BASTARD, THEY DO NOT KNOW WHO HIS DADDY IS? He is so far behind. Why waste your time with him? I set a goal in the 180 days I had Danny, I would show Danny he was not JUNK. He was not second rated. Jesus loved him.

We have many people around us that have trouble with the cruel world and they have trouble sharing their pain and refuse to return love. THEY HONESTLY DON’T KNOW HOW? Don’t judge them --- accept them as they are, love them anyway. They are not rejecting you, they don’t know how to receive?

2. *HARD HEARTED: THOSE THAT REFUSE TO BE ENCOURAGED OR CAN’T ACCEPT ENCOURAGEMENT.

Romans 2:5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;

The second type of people are those that life has crushed to the point that the SEEMINGLY THEY CAN’T ACCEPT ENCOURAGEMENT OR EDIFICATION. You can brag and uplift them but they refuse to accept they are worthy. Many of these people come from alcoholic or abusive homes.

3. *THOSE THAT SEE ENCOURAGEMENT AND EDIFICATION AS A MINISTRY. This kind of personality knows that God has called them TO ENCOURAGE and to BE ENCOUAGED and EDIFY OTHERS.

Romans 14:19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.

WE NEED GOD’S UNDERSTANDING TO UNDERSTAND: “I AM…” CAN WE SEE OURSELVE IN THE LIGHT OF ETERNITY? WE NEED SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT TO DO AS SOLOMON REQUESTED FOR DIVINE UNDERSTANDING OF OTHER PEOPLE.

How would you classify yourself? Can you receive and give edification and encouragement? What do you say when others say KIND THINGS TO YOU? Many people tend to be rude and unkind.

WHY CAN’T GOD’S PEOPLE LOVE AND ACCEPT ALL THREE KINDS? There are so many HURTING people and so little understanding. ACCEPT OTHERS WHERE THEY ARE? THEN HELP THEM GROW AND MATURE TO BE MINISTERS FOR GOD. SOONER OR LATER?