THERE IS A TIME FOR US TO CLOSE THE BOOK AND TRUST GOD
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
We need to learn THE APPLAUSE OF MEN IS SO SHALLOW AND SO VAIN.
Applause is vanity? It fades so quickly.
We call Jesus' 7th entry into Jerusalem the TRIPUMPAL ENTRY.
They were applauding and cheering for him. HOSANA, GLORY, PRAISE...
They cut down branches and threw their coats before the borrowed donkey he
was riding as he came into the holy city.
SOON THE MOB, THE CROWD CHANGED THEIR CRY ---
CRUCIFY, CRUCIFY...
WE MUST CARRY THE TORCH AS FAR AS WE CAN---
PASS THE TORCH INTO THE HANDS OF OTHERS---
AND CLOSE THE BOOK AND TRUST GOD...
Luke 4:20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down.
And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
22 And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his
mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?
23 And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself:
whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.
24 And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.
25 But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven
was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;
26 But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman
that was a widow. 27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet;
and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.
28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon
their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.
30 But he passing through the midst of them went his way,
JESUS GAVE THE BOOK TO THE KEEPER OF THE BOOK,
AND HE SETS DOWN AND IN GREAT ANGER THE PEOPLE CAST HIM AWAY...
Every Jewish synagogue had a hand written copy of the written word.
A family was in charge of protecting and guarding this RARE TREASURE.
THERE WAS A CHAIR IN THE FRONT CENTER OF THE SANCTURARY
THAT NO ONE SAT IN... THIS CHAIR WAS RESERVED FOR WHEN THE
MESSIAH CAME--- HE WOULD SIT IN THE MESSIAH CHAIR---
JESUS READ ISAIAH AND SAT DOWN IN THE CHAIR---
HIS ACTIONS REVEALED HE WAS THE MESSIAH---
Luke 4:20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down.
And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
JESUS GAVE THE BOOK TO THE BOOK KEEPER AND TRUSTED THE FATHER...
DO YOUR BEST AND FORGET THE REST!
GOD DESIGNED US TO CLOSE THE BOOK DAILY.
YESTERDAY IS GONE...
TOMORROW MAY NEVER BE...
EACH DAY IS A NEW DAY --- A NEW OPPORUTNITY ---
Matthew 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take
thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
WE OFTEN FORGET TO CLOSE THE BOOK...
YOU CAN HANDLE LIFE --- ONE DAY AT A TIME---
1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man:
but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will
with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
CLOSE THE BOOK DAILY.
YESTERDAY WILL CRUSH THE JOY OF TODAY.
GOD HAS DESIGN US WITH A LOAD LIMIT...
Bridges have load limits.
THE DOT, Department of Transportation has WEIGH STATIONS...
A CARGO SHIP HAS DEPTH LINES...
The ship is not just about how much water the ship is in---
It is about how much WATER IS IN THE SHIP.
DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE GUY THAT WAS RE-ARRANGING THE CHAIRS
ON THE TITANIC AS IT SANK?
EVERY BOOK HAS HAPPY AND SAD CHAPTERS
CLOSE THE BOOK...
THERE ARE CHAPTERS OF VICTORY --- DEFEAT
Rain and sunshine, success and failure, BLAME?
CLOSE THE BOOK...
IT TAKES FAITH TO CLOSE THE BOOK ---
My Dad is an artist --- he told me once:
IT IS HARD TO QUIT ON A PICTURE...
2 Timothy 4:6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
REGRET CAN KILL JUST AS MUCH AS THE LACK OF REGRET CAN KILL.
ALL ASSIGNMENTS ARE NOT ALWAYS PERFECT.
SAUL/PAUL HAD TO LEARN TO CLOSE THE BOOK...
Saul was wrong and he was mean and cruel ---
He held the coats while STEPHEN WAS KILLED: CLOSE THE BOOK
Saul was blind 3 days: CLOSE THE BOOK
Paul was gloriously save, Christians feared him and avoided him...
CLOSE THE BOOK.
Paul was a BASKET CASE and going to be killed, CLOSE THE BOOK.
ELYMAS the sorcerer stops the Deputy, goes blind CLOSE THE BOOK
PAUL HAD A THORN IN THE FLESH
HE PRAYED 3 TIMES FOR IT'S REMOVAL... CLOSE THE BOOK.
JOHN MARK deserts Paul on a mission trip: CLOSE THE BOOK.
Barnabas want JOHN MARK to go on the next mission trip,
Paul refused: CLOSE THE BOOK.
Paul was in jail with SILAS: CLOSE THE BOOK.
The church never paid Paul, he had to make tents: CLOSE THE BOOK
They were superstitious at MARS HILL: CLOSE THE BOOK.
EUTYCHUS feel asleep and fell out the window: CLOSE THE BOOK.
SOMEONE GETS HIS GIRDLE
Acts 21:13 Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart?
for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of
the Lord Jesus.
CLOSE THE BOOK.
PEOPLE PROMISE TO NOT EAT OR DRINK UNTIL PAUL'S DEATH: CLOSE THE BOOK.
Paul was shipwrecked: CLOSE THE BOOK.
A poisonous snake bites him: CLOSE THE BOOK.
Demus quits him, ALEXANDER the coppersmith did great harm: CLOSE THE BOOK.
JOSEPH WAS THROWN IN THE HATED BY FAMILY, TO THE PIT, TO EGYPT,
TO SLAVERY, TO JAIL...
CLOSE THE BOOK...
Genesis 45:5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me
hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.
THE FIRST KING OF ISRAEL, SAUL NEVER CLOSED THE BOOKS...
He was disobedient, jealous, tries to kill David
DAVID DID GREAT SEXUAL SIN AND HAD AN INNOCENT WARRIOR KILLED---
DAVID CLOSES THE BOOK.
2 Samuel 12:22 And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I
said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?
23 But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall
go to him, but he shall not return to me.
JOB LEARNED TO CLOSE THE BOOK...
Job 1:21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I
return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the
name of the LORD. 22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.
Job 42:10 And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends:
also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.
CONCLUSION: WE MUST TRUST GOD WITH EVERY SITUATION---
WE MUST TRUST GOD AND CLOSE THE BOOK.
Romans 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who
can be against us?
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
