THE JOURNEY OF A DEAD FISH
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
ARE WE READY? DIFFICULT? PERILOUS TIMES ARE COMING?
WHAT ARE WE READY FOR...?
DO WE RELEAS THE WAR FARE WE ARE FACING?
JESUS SETS THE BOYS DOWN AT THE MOUNT OF OLIVES OVER LOOKING THE
TEMPLE... AND SOMEONE ASKS THE QUESTION OF JESUS?
WHEN SHALL THESE THINGS COME TO PASS?
JESUS STARTS THIS IMPORTANT LESSON AND GIVES US AN IMPORTANT WARNING...
Matthew 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved:
but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
Matthew 24:22 (MSG) If these days of trouble were left to run their course, nobody would
make it. But on account of God's chosen people, the trouble will be cut short.
ANY AUTHOR KNOWS THE POWER OF REPETITION... SAY IT AGAIN
Mark 13:20 (MSG) If he let the days of trouble run their course, nobody would make it.
But because of God's chosen people, those he personally chose, he has already intervened.
MY DEAR FRIENDS, GET READY FOR THE WAR...
DEVELOP A WARRIOR ATTITUDE... EXPECT DIFFICULT DAYS...
Joel 3:9-10 (KJV) Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men,
let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: 10 Beat your plowshares into swords, and
your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.
Joel 3:9-10 (MSG) Announce this to the godless nations: Prepare for battle! Soldiers at attention!
Present arms! Advance! 10 Turn your shovels into swords, turn your hoes into spears. Let the weak
one throw out his chest and say, "I'm tough, I'm a fighter."
CAN WE COME TO THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE JOURNEY OF A DEAD FISH?
WE ARE IN THE VALLEY OF CHOICES...
Please give me a little imagination and come and stand with me on the bridge. The river's
current is swiftly flowing. In Kentucky many of our rivers have KENTUCKY DUCKS flowing
down stream. Do you know what a Kentucky Duck is? A Kentucky duck is a plastic milk jug.
Watch there goes one flowing by.
Pretend with me a little longer? There swims by a dead fish.
The dead fish is swimming with the current. In a few hours the dead fish will be several miles
down the river.
Now pretend with me... For the next generation of fish the adults will have to swim upstream.
Their battle is against the current. They can not allow the current to control their journey.
For new, healthy next generation fish to thrive the long upstream, against the current battle
the healthy fish wants the next generation to know the fresh waters up stream to give a
healthy change of survival.
Are you like a dead fish swimming down stream? No plans? no purpose?
What will be will be?
Every sport I know has a goal? Cross the goal line? Shoot the ball through the rim?
But somehow we at satisfied to aimlesslessly drift where ever the tide may take us?
Do we have a clearly defined goal?
Why were we born?
Can you state your goal to me?
If you have a goal, do you have a plan to reach that goal?
Do I believe? Do I have a dream?
Do I have the will to set my face toward the goal and overcome the obstacles?
CAN I CHANGE? AM I FOREVER TRAPPED?
ARE YOU JUST AIMLESSLY FLOWING, QUE SERA, SERA...
Joel 3:13 Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full,
the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. 14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision:
for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
ON THE VERGE? HOW DID I GET HERE IN THIS VALLEY OF DECISION?
YOU DESERVE WHAT YOU TOLERATE...
WE BECOME A PRODUCT OF OUR WORDS? OUR ATTITUDES? DEEDS?
COME WITH ME TO THE POINT OF HONEST EVALUATION...
Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that
shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption;
but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who
are of the household of faith.
WE ARE A PRODUCT OF OUR DECISIONS...
WHAT WE PRODUCE COME OUT OF THE VALLEY OF DECISIONS...
The family was created by God before the church.
Weak families, weak churches, weak society.
I KNOW OF MANY FAMILIES ON THE VERGE OF A DIVORCE AFTER YEARS OF MARRIAGE.
I think the pastor's and leaders families are under great attack.
We must focus on choices and attitudes that are undermining God's will.
Home is where each lives for the other and all live for the Lord.
How long since you have ask the question: HOW COULD I HELP YOU?
SELF EVATION DETERMINES:
1. WHERE AM I?
2. HOW DID I GET HERE?
3. AM I WHERE I WANT TO BE?
4. HOW CAN I CHANGE THIS SITUATION?
Don't tell me you are a FIG TREE, when you have thorns and thistles?
James 3:11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? 12 Can the
fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield
salt water and fresh.
SCARS ARE A TESIMONY OF SURVIVAL --- THIS DOES NOT HAVE TO CRIPPLE ME...
THIS CAN BE A TEPPING STONE OR WE CAN DIE ON THIS STUBBLING BLOCK...
The past can paralyze the focus of future possible.
Bury the past or it will bury you!
Don't cry over scars, wear them as a badge of survival... TRY AGAIN... AND AGAIN...
BITTERNESS ALWAYS BACKFIRES...
THE MOUTH OF A FAMILY CAN KILL THE FAMILY OR THE MOUTH CAN OVERCOME
ALL OBSTACLES... THIS PROBLEM COULD BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY...
Luke 6:45 (KJV) A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is
good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for
of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
Proverbs 18:21 (KJV) Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love
it shall eat the fruit thereof.
Proverbs 18:21 (MSG) Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit—you choose.
I ponder how much God would hear our prayers if we quit complaining and speaking the
negative and came together in the unity of the spirit and prayed and praised God.
Daniel lived in a dark day? His friends hated him? His co-workers plotted against him?
The government was evil and the laws were anti God, BUT DANIEL KEPT ON PRAYING.
We tend to lose all focus when all we discuss is the negative.
Let God arise, His enemies be scatter. God can...
If my people --- complain and rehash the negative...
David saw how the giant's power grew because the people listened 40 days to the negative
giant's message. Send all hate mail to the knee mail?
I have seen several say how the USA is so bad they hated it... I have been to many other nations
and kissed the ground when I came home. If you don't like the USA move to Haiti?
Do we realize the power of anger, bitterness and strife?
These attitudes will blow out the power of the light of your candle...
In total darkness you may see the light, but rarely do you see the lamp or the candle.
The light is not about you?
Anger, wrath, disappointments, hurt, long term pain, unforgiveness tends to even blow out
God's light and you loose the creative ability of your mind and the love of your heart.
A habit starts as an invisible thread that with each stitch re-enforces it's grip until the habit
rules the spirit. If you will alter your attitudes you can alter your life. To achieve what you
have never accomplished you may have to do what you have never done before.
A turtle does not go very far without pushing his head out of his shell. Are you going to
stay here?
Jesus did not died for us to come to church, He died for us to become the church.
CONCLUSION: WE CAN NOT AFFORD TO LOOK BACK OR STOP...
I often ponder DANGEROUS DECISIONS... I have made some dangerous decisions and I have
paid my fair share of stupid taxes
Luke 17:32 (MSG) Remember what happened to Lot's wife!
WE MUST COME TO THE POINT AND LEARN LIFE IS WAR...
THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO WIN AND HEAR WELL DONE...
There is only one way to stop the enemy: REFUSE TO BE HINDERED --- REFUSE TO STOP.
Victory comes by not is stopping!!
Don't stop going to church. Don't stop praying.
Don't stop reading my Bible. Don't stop tithing and giving.
Don't stop giving to missions. Don't stop loving mean people.
Don't stop forgiving. Don't stop being kind.
Don't stop helping the hurting. Don't stop edifying and encouraging.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
