WE MIGHT NEED A PIT STOP --- JOY IS OUR STRENGTH.
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
TEXT:
Nehemiah 8:10 (KJV) Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and
send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither
be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.
Nehemiah 8:10 (NLT) And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet
drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord.
Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”
John 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy
might be full.
John 15:11 (NLT) I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy
will overflow!
SOMETIMES LIFE KNOWS WE NEED A PIT STOP ---
LIFE MAY GIVE US WHAT WE NEED --- NOT WHAT WE WANT...
Did you hear about the KING that loved his people so much? This KING loved his family.
The King had the most beautiful palace, and to protect his family he had a huge MOTE
dug around the palace. He had many hungry ALLIGATORS and PIRANHAS placed in the
water. No one dared to try to cross the MOTE.
The King had one child, she was the most beautiful, smartest girl in his kingdom.
There was one problem his daughter had never married and there were no grandchildren
to be HEIR TO THE THRONE.
So the King called his wise advisors to a meeting and they discussed how to find a brave,
handsome young man to marry his daughter and become the next KING.
After the meeting they had a PLAN.
On the date the KING would set, all available bachelors would meet at the south side
of the palace and stand at the mote and listen to the King address the men.
The King made the announcement on how the new king would be chosen.
The young men watched the guards feed the piranhas and alligators at the morning
feeding. The young men looked down the 100 feet embankment and fear terrorized them.
At noon, the KING AND HIS DAUGHTER stood above the wall and the King announced
the contest to decide who would marry his daughter.
WHO EVER WAS THE FIRST TO DIVE DOWN THE 100 FEET ENBANKMENT AND SWIM
ACROSS THE MOTE WOULD BECOME THE NEXT KING...
All the young men discussed this and decided ANY MAN TO TRY THIS WOULD BE AN
ABSOLUTE FOOL. So the young men just stood there.
All of a sudden one young man jumped into the water and started splashing...
THE GATORS and PIRANHAS started in hot pursuit.
Everyone standing around the mote could not believe this young man's brave actions.
A piranha tried to take a bite out of him...
He set a new swimming record that day and finally crossed the mote until the King's guards
pulled him out of the water and wrapped him in a towel. The crowd cheered.
The young man would marry the beautiful young lady...
BUT IF YOU LISTENED REAL CLOSELY YOU MIGHT HEAR THE YOUNG MAN SAYING:
IF I KNEW WHO PUSHED ME INTO THAT MOTE I WOULD HAVE HIS HEAD CUT OFF...
THERE ARE TIMES LIFE'S PUSH AND SHOVE --- MAY BECOME A A PIT STOP ON
THE WAY TO THE PLAN OF GOD...
WE ARE SO THANKFUL LIFE AND THE CHURCH ARE MUCH MORE THAN RELIGION!
THOSE THAT FIND JESUS KNOW THAT FINDING GOD IS ABOUT RELATIONSHIP ---
A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP--- WITH THE SON OF THE ALMIGHTY GOD...
OUR GOAL AND PURPOSE MUST BE TO KNOW JESUS ---
TO KNOW THE PRESENCE OF JESUS IN A PERSONAL WAY...
Ephesians 3:19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be
filled with all the fulness of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above
all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
SUPER BLESSED OUR THE ONES THAT LEARN:
JOY IS THE RESULTS OF KNOWING JESUS AS A PERSONAL FRIEND AND
DEVELOP A LIFE LONG RELATIONSHIP...
2 Corinthians 3:6 (KJV) Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the
letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
2 Corinthians 3:6 (NLT) He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant
not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant,
the Spirit gives life.
WE HAVE FOCUSED ON THE FINISH LINE...
IMAGINE WITH ME WE ARE ARE A 500 MILE RACE...
WE ARE 2 MILES AHEAD OF THE SECOND PLACE CAR...
The race has been wild, the have been accidents, some have had blow outs, the race has been cruel.
We take OUR FINAL PIT STOP...
The team works and changes the tires and fills up our fuel tank...
They get us back on the track in 6 seconds...
All of a sudden, we notice we have 4 flat tires, the ride is rough?
We will try to make it back around, the car starts missing and dying,
one of the team members poured gallons of water into our fuel thank?
A FLAT TIRE IS LIKE A BAD ATTITUDE --- YOU CAN DO LITTLE UNTIL YOU CHANGE THE TIRE.
CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE ---
DO I NEED A PIT STOP?
WHAT IS STEALING MY JOY? THERE IS BITTER WATER --- GOD HAS A PLAN TO BRING
CHANGE... BUT THE REAL PROBLEM IS BITTERNESS AND ANGER IN THE HEART...
In anger and bitterness the people strike out the leadership and blame them.
Any leadership should know our needs --- we need water.
Exodus 15:23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they
were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. 24 And the people murmured against Moses,
saying, What shall we drink?
Trust the Lord's plan?
Have Faith in God?
Exoodus 15:25 And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which
when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute
and an ordinance, and there he proved them,
DO I NEED A PIT STOP? WHAT IS STEALING MY JOY? JOY? YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME?
DO YOU KNOW ABOUT IGNORANT PEOPLE?
We were so happy, remodeling the PREACHERS' SCHOOL...
Things are going well, until this ignorant, stupid student has a stupid idea...
He should know better than cook GOURD?
2 Kings 4:39 And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered
thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew
them not. 40 So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the
pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could
not eat thereof.
WE ARE SICK AND TIRED OF BEING SICK AND TIRED OF THIS STUPIDITY?
Don't worry, GOD HAS A PLAN --- TRUST HIM...
2 Kings 4:41 But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for
the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot.
MAY WE COME WITH EXPECTATION ---
WHO KNOWS THIS MIGHT BE THE YEAR, THIS MIGHT BE THE DAY...
OUR FAITH CAN GROW ACTIVE...
JOY IS A CHOICE --- MAY WE CLAIM DIVINE PROVISIONS...
FINALLY WE STEP INTO THE PROMISE...
WE HAVE CROSSED THE FLOODED JORDAN...
40 YEARS OF WEARINESS---
NO MORE LIVING TENTS ---
NO MORE FIERY SNAKES OF JUDGMENTS OF MURMURING & COMPLAINING...
Joshua 5:12 And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land;
neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan
that year.
TO BE WITH JESUS IN JOYFUL HOPE---
MAY WE EAT THE FRUIT OF JOY THIS YEAR...
WHY ALLOW SITUATIONS TO DICTATE OUR EMOTIONS --- CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE...
John 16:24 (KJV) Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that
your joy may be full.
Acts 2:28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with
thy countenance.
1 John 1:4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
Conclusion: LIFE IS ABOUT JOY...
MAY WE COME into the presence of God WITH GREAT EXPECTATION ---
WHO KNOWS THIS MIGHT BE THE YEAR, THIS MIGHT BE THE DAY... JOY CAN BE OURS...
OUR FAITH CAN GROW ACTIVE... we can find JOY where we our...
JOY IS A CHOICE --- MAY WE CLAIM DIVINE PROVISIONS...
FINALLY WE STEP INTO THE PROMISE... WE HAVE CROSSED THE FLOODED JORDAN...
40 YEARS OF WEARINESS---
NO MORE LIVING TENTS ---
NO MORE FIERY SNAKES OF JUDGMENTS OF MURMURING & COMPLAINING...
TO BE WITH JESUS IN JOYFUL HOPE---
MAY WE EAT THE FRUIT OF JOY THIS YEAR...
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
