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 ENCOURAGEMENT IS ENCOURAGING!!!

 by

 john roy bohlen   &   John 5:30

 Matt 5:22  "But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, 'Raca', shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, 'Thou fool', shall be in danger of hell fire."

 Matt 5:21  "Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, 'Thou shalt not kill'; and 'whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment':  22   but I say unto you, that every one who is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment'; and whosoever shall say to his brother, "Raca", shall be in danger of the council; and whosoever shall say, "Thou fool", shall be in danger of the hell of fire."  ASV

 Matt 5:21  "You have heard that the ancients were told, 'You shall not commit murder' and 'Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.' 22  But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever shall say to his brother, 'Raca,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever shall say, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell."  NAS

 Matt 5:21  " You have heard that the ancients were told, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER' and 'Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.'  22  But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell."  NASU

 NT:4469:  rhaka (rhak-ah'); of Aramaic origin [compare OT:7386]; O empty one, i.e. thou worthless (as a term of utter vilification):KJV - Raca:  (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright (c) 1994, Biblesoft and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

 NT:3474:  moros (mo-ros'); probably from the base of NT:3466; dull or stupid (as if shut up), i.e. heedless, (morally) blockhead, (apparently) absurd:  KJV - fool (-ish, -ishness). (The word 'moron' probably comes from this Greek word.)

(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright (c) 1994, Biblesoft and International Bible Translators, Inc.)

 Phil 4:8  "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."  KJV

Think on these things!:

true,

honest,

just,

pure,

lovely,

of good report;

virtue,

praise,.

EDIFY!

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

 Romans 15:2  "Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification."

 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 14:3  "But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort."

 1 Corinthians 14:5  "I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying."

 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, everyone of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying."

 2 Corinthians 10:8  "For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed:"

2 Corinthians 12:19  "Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you?  We speak before God in Christ: but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying."

 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."

 Ephesians 4:12  "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:"

 Ephesians 4:16  "From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love."

 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."

 1 Timothy 1:4  "Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do."

 The Lord wants to talk to us about the way we think toward ourselves and toward other people.  God wants us to treat each other with fervent love and with deep respect.

HUMOUR

 Most of humour is at our own expense or at the expense of others.  For example, ethnic jokes most often imply that the ethnic group about whom we are talking is inferior, is lacking, in intelligence, in dignity, in wisdom.   For years, I delighted in telling Scandinavian jokes.  My wife is Scandinavian.  In her presence, and, sometimes at her urging, I would tell these jokes, that would make her people look like uneducated, foolish, inferior people.  Sometimes she would laugh, too.  But, inside, she did not enjoy the implication that her people, her ancestors were an inferior people, being described as foolish, or ignorant, or clumsy, or uneducated, or inferior.  I have repented of telling any jokes that make others look bad.

 As a  Christian family, we had a rule when the children were still at home, that there would be no horseplay or humor that was not fun for everyone.

 It is amazing how much humour is at the expense of others, or, even at our own expense.   Often, even when the spouse is present, we can get a laugh, among otherwise civilized and loving people, by telling stories about our family members or even about our spouse.  Their snoring, their smells, their forgetfulness, their mistakes, "Ha Ha Ha!!"  People around the table chuckle and chortle, even the spouse is supposed to be smiling at their own weakness, but inside, the spouse is hurting, if only a little bit.  But, being the butt of somebody else's joke can hurt.  It doesn't seem to be something one can get over being hurt about, when made to appear foolish, or stupid, or weak, or inferior.  Please, let's stop saying things, even about ourselves, that do not edify.

TABLE  MANNERS

 It is amazing to hear table conversation in polite company.  Look at this:  The host spends an incredible amount of time, trouble, effort, energy and expense preparing a meal, just so things can be beautiful and pleasant.  But notice how often people will bring up subjects  that are not beautiful and which are not pleasant.  I was recently present at a family's table where lovely guests were present.  Every person seated at the table were mature, deeply committed Christians.  In the presence of the dear ones, following the prayer of blessing, the following subjects were discussed concerning the very people present who were trying to enjoy their meal in a safe and loving environment:  Farting, sickness, diarrhea, bowel movements, a wife's snoring, the bad taste of a sugar substitute others at the table were using, etc.  Belittling comments were made about others at the table, with the spoken justification that these negatives were ordained by God, and healthy for the person being ridiculed.

 Quite often, people bring up theological issues that produce argument, and, in an effort to win the argument, often imply ignorance or inferiority on the part of the person being argued with.

 One of the worst offenses is for invited guests to insult their host or hostess that has sacrificed greatly to prepare the meal, by implying that the food being eaten is unhealthy. 

 While there is a time and place to teach on body stewardship and on healthy eating habits, the dinner table is neither the time, nor the place.  People present at the table may voice the following kinds of things:

 "Sugar is bad.  White flour is bad.  Well water is bad.  Milk is bad.  Fat is bad.  Carbohydrates are bad.  Non-organic food is bad.  Salt is bad.  Fried food is bad.  Certain oil are bad.  Canned food is bad.  Dried food is bad.  Frozen food is bad.  Cooked food is bad.  Micro wave food is dangerous.  Meat is cancer causing.  Acid causing food is bad.  Decaffeinated coffee is bad.  Regular coffee is bad.  Commercially grown fruit and vegetables are bad.  Homogenized milk is bad.  2 % is bad.  Regular milk is bad.  All milk is bad.  You need to be taking vitamins, different vitamins, more vitamins, no vitamins.  You need to switch to my brand of vitamins, minerals, and supplements.  This diet is bad.  That diet is bad.  Every diet is bad.  Lack of exercise is bad.  Overweight is bad.   Insufficient chewing is bad.  Any water is bad.   Macrobiotic cooking is better.  Dessert is bad.  Eating fruit with other food is bad.  Eating meat and potatoes is bad.  Your food combining is bad.  The way you are eating is bad.  You are bad.  What you are eating is bad.  The food you have purchased, prepared, paid for, and served, is bad.  Thank you for inviting me to dine with you, but the food you have served me is unhealthy, uninviting, dangerous, and foolishly selected and served.  But, thank you, anyway.  And, by the way, is there any food in the house that could be described as being healthy???"

 "And, by the way, you are ugly, clumsy, ignorant, awkward, and inferior.  To sum it up, in order to make me myself appear to be more superior in my own eyes, I am going to say what I have been thinking all along:  'You are a fool!' "

THE KING'S GREATEST SECRET!

 The King's Greatest Secret! means that Christ took us with Him to the Cross, the Tomb, the Skies, to the Throne-Room of God, and that He, Jesus, is available to come and live His Life through us, speak His words through us, think His thoughts through us, etc.  This Secret tells us that the Heavenly Father God comes to live inside of us, that the Holy Spirit lives inside of us, and that Jesus is available to come and live through us.  This means that when we look into the mirror, that we should have this confidence, this awareness, this revelation, this mentality.  We are not to say or to imply that our brother, our sister, our friend, our child is a fool, is stupid, is a moron, is an idiot, or is dumb and dumber.  Nor are we to think of ourselves in that manner.  When we see our brother/sister, spouse, child or friend in Christ, we are to be terribly aware that Jesus is living there, and that it is being credited to our account, as being done to Christ, the way we treat and relate to each other, good or bad, positively or negatively. 

THE THRONE-ROOM MENTALITY

 The same results take place when we have the revelation awareness that we are presently, right now, seated on our Heavenly Father's lap, living within the circle of His long, strong loving arms, here, in the Secret Place of the Most High, under the Shadow of the Almighty, under His feathers, under His wings.  Psalm 16, and Psalm 91, Ephesians 1:20 & 21; Ephesians 2:4-6.  If we have this mentality, this way of Life, we will treat each other with respect, because, sitting across from us, as it were, on our Heavenly Father's other knee, sits our brother, and our sister.  Shall we dare to mistreat or accuse our brother or sister when we are all seated on Daddy's knee?

KINGDOM GLORY!

 The revelation concerning the present availability of God's glory tells us that "We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a MIRROR, the glory of the Lord, are being transformed - into the VERY SAME IMAGE!!!!"  2 Corinthians 3:18.  When we look into a mirror, we are NOT to see dysfunction, inferiority, inadequacy, spasticity, negativity.  We are to see the glory of God and be changed into the very Same Image of the risen glorified Christ Himself!!  And this is how we are to see our brother and sister, as well.  How are we to see the glorified Christ looking back at us when we look into the mirror?  Because of the King's Greatest Secret!  We are to have an on-going awareness that Christ is our very Life.  We are never to say that we are Christ, but we are to be firmly aware that Christ is available to live His Glorious Life out through us, unceasingly, increasingly, uninterrupted.  We are to live constantly with this awareness, that Christ is living inside our skin, and is living inside the skin of our brother and sister in Christ.

 Matt 25:40  "And the King shall answer and say unto them, 'Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.' "  KJV

 Let us think and be and live as those who are encouragers of others, as unto Christ!  Amen.

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