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Message from Bishop
February 2001
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
Matthew 28:18-20 (NAS)
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Are you a Comforter or a Condemner?
Generally, people do not like to see other people suffer.
We feel compassion for those who suffer and want to help ease the pain. We
want to offer words of help and encouragement but often go too far. We see
people's pain but truly do not feel that pain. We offer answers to
questions that may not have answers. We try to explain what the Lord is
doing in someone's life but we really do not know what He is doing. We try
to be a Comforter but actually become a Condemner.
What is the difference between the Comforter and the Condemner?
The Condemner starts out with the motivation of being a Comforter. They
listen to the plight of the sufferer and may give words of encouragement.
But then the Comforter turns into the Condemner by trying to spiritually explain
to the sufferer why he is in his plight based on the Condemner's worldly
knowledge. Usually the Condemner offers the sufferer an explanation that
the sufferer brought this all on himself by some sinful action. The
Condemner also becomes the Judge.
To see this in action, read the Book of Job. Job suffered
greatly at Satan's hand not because of anything sinful he did but as a trial
allowed by God. In the midst of his suffering, Job did have some
Comforters:
Now when Job's three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, they came each one from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and
comfort him. And when they lifted up their eyes at a distance, and did not recognize him, they raised their voices and wept. And each of them tore his robe, and they threw dust over their heads toward the sky.
Then they sat down on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights with no one speaking a word to him, for they
saw that {his} pain was very great.
Job 2:11-13 (NAS)
Job's three friends started out as
Comforters. However, they quickly became Condemners as they opened their
mouths:
Eliphaz in Chapter 4
Bildad in Chapter 8 and
Zophar in Chapter 11.
They had all the answers of why Job
was suffering and no one was correct.
Again, what is the difference between a Comforter and a
Condemner? In Romans 8:1, the Apostle Paul tells us about a Christians as
comforters:
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
Romans 8:1 (NKJ)
How do you become a Comforter and
not a Condemner?
1. Do not talk for the sake of
talking.
2. Do not summarize by giving pet answers
3. Do not accuse or criticize
4. Put yourself in the other person's place
5. Offer help and encouragement
I invite you to send us your comments,
inquires and prayer requests.
You can contact us at 713-645-1474 or write
to us at:
Houston Christian United People's Center
149 Winkler Drive
Houston, Texas 77087
or
click on the following links to the following forms:
Comments and Inquires
Prayer Requests
If you are in the Houston area, the doors to
The CUP are open to you. You may click on the following links for our
worship schedules and directions to The CUP
Worship Schedule
Directions to The CUP
Thank you for visiting our
Website. God Bless You.
Bishop Vernice Seriale, Sr.
Founder and Senior Pastor
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