THE ENCOURAGEMENT FACTOR

Greetings You All...Ya'll. How are you doing today. Has anyone told you what a blessing your are? If not...let me be the first. So many times we go through life...and the only thing that we hear is how we mess up...or how we will never amount to anything...or a constant barrage of negative talk. Some of it is strategic in nature...as people use their words to put us down...so they can feel a little better about their miserable existence. Others shoot off their mouths...unknowingly wounding tender spirits... and leaving impressions of their souls...that will last a lifetime.

Sticks and Stones may break my bones...but names/words can never hurt me. Nice sentiment...but not true. Shooting off our mouths and then taking it back is like pointing a 357 Magnum at someone...pulling the trigger...and trying to grab the bullet back after it penetrates the body. What would happen if we loaded our mouths with the Word of God...and words of encouragement...and shot off our mouths with blessings instead of curses. Paul's fellow saint...Barnabas was know as The Encourager.

The book that you see...was a gift from someone who has the gift of encouragement. It was from Bruce Coble...my pastor, my friend, my challenger, my mentor in the faith. NOTE: Every time when I mention the name Bruce...think Jill Coble also. They both are blessing in the Boyd family. They are both examples of what it means to be Christians...not perfect...but with all the warts...what it means to truly be followers of Jesus.

If we are going to blame anyone for my constant referral to the D. B. R.
Death, Burial, Resurrection...nothing more, nothing less...we are going to have to blame Bruce. Bruce drops in little nuggets in my life...that tend to stick with me. When I was the worship leader at a little church called New Life Chapel...Bruce would remind me...that, "Rodney, worship is critical." So when you see me worshipping on my guitar...a large part of what you see...is me pressing into God because of Bruce. I would watch Bruce in action as he would be a coverdish dinner at church. As I plowed my way up to the front of the line...as I sat down and ate...I would watch Bruce...wait until the end of the line...as he allowed.. yielded place in line to others first. Being a servant of God...was fleshed out to me. When we go to other countries like Peru, Africa, Mexico... I would try to imitate the Christ that I saw in Bruce...and would do things like wash the dishes for the people versus letting them wait on me hand and foot.


In Christianity...we tend to get excited about the latest wave of FADS OF THE FAITH. The next hot teacher...teaching new revelations...new fireworks...deep things of God...and new concepts of how a church should be structured and ran...until we run that concept into the ground and move onto the next big thang. Bruce encourages me to...pursue God with a passion...BUT...always, always, always, stay close to the CROSS. This is where the D.B.R. was birth in me. I always stay rooted in the work of the cross... the salvation, the deliverance, the forgiveness, the grace, the mercy, the place that established authority in my life over things in my life. "At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light...and the burden of my heart rolled away...it was their by faith I received my sight, and now I am happy all the day." (At The Cross: Issac Watts and Ralph Hudson)

Well...the nature of a mentor...and servant...is to NOT like the rambling accolades...that I have been heaping upon him. But I do this...to encourage you...to become a servant, become an encourager, to live your life like Jesus (to the best of our abilities with the help of the Holy Spirit.

You may think that only people like Bruce, Billy Graham, Mother Teresa...etc are able to do this...BUT the secret is... realizing that there was a reason for Jesus to come...and that is to help people like the ones I just mention...and me and you...and the rest of the world...BECAUSE..."As it is written, there is none righteous...no not one." (Romans 3:10). As John Fisher puts it..."I am just a beggar...telling another beggar where I found a piece of bread."

As Jesus puts it..."And as you go..preach, saying, the kingdom of God is at hand...heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons; FREELY you RECEIVED...FREELY give." (Matthew 10:7,8)

Well...we started off this Rambling talking about our mouths...so here are a few morsels to ruminate about:

"Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification, according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear." (Ephesians 4:29)

"Therefore encourage one another, and build up one another, just as you also are doing." (I Thessalonians 5:11)

"Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to STIMULATE one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together as is the habit of some, but ENCOURAGING one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24,25)

"If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintain the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do NOTHING form selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you REGARD ONE ANOTHER AS MORE IMPORTANT THAN HIMSELF; do not merely look out for your OWN PERSONAL INTERESTS, but ALSO for the INTERESTS OF OTHERS.

HAVE THIS ATTITUDE in yourselves which was ALSO IN CHRIST...who, although He existed in the form of God, DID NOT REGARD EQUALITY WITH GOD A THING TO BE GRASPED, but EMPTIED Himself...taking the form of a BONDSERVANT, and being mad in the likeness of men."
(Philippians 2:1-8)

If you want JOY in your life...the proper order of priority is:

J=Jesus
O=Others
Y=You

As the song says:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth
Will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace

Love and Encouraging Kisses
Rod "The First Will Be Last and The Last Will Be First" Boyd