#2 THE SKELETON AT THE FEAST --- YOUR ATTITUDE DETERMINES YOUR ALTITUDE
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com part #2
WHY DO PEOPLE REFUSE TO SEE THAT THEIR ATTITUDES HAVE A GREAT IMPACT ON THEIR DAILY LIFE. It is all about the choices we make, the words we say and the deeds that we do... Our enemy wants to BLIND OUR EYES to the simple truth that our THINKING PATTERNS...
Mark 8:18 Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?
ALTITUDE: the height of something, elevation, what you are known for...success, rank
ATTITUDE: the way you think or feel about something, the way you think affects your behavior, the mental position, emotional state,
A bad ATTITUDE CAN MEAN: a negative or hostile state of mind, cool, cocky, defiant...mean, hurtful, not caring.
WE MUST LEARN TO IDENTIFY WHAT KIND OF ATTITUDE WE HAVE? FOR WHAT KIND OF ATTITUDE ARE YOU KNOWN?
1 Corinthians 4:12 (MSG) and we pick up odd jobs anywhere we can to eke out a living. When they call us names, we say, "God bless you." 13 When they spread rumors about us, we put in a good word for them. We're treated like garbage, potato peelings from the culture's kitchen. And it's not getting any better.
25 YEARS AGO I HEARD A PREACHER QUOTE F. BUECHNER AND I ASKED FOR HIS NOTES AND WROTE THESE WORDS IN THE FRONT OF ONE OF MY RETIRED BIBLES. THE LESSON WAS ABOUT ATTITUDES...
Galatians 5:15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
THE SKELETON AT THE FEAST!
OF THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS, ANGER IS POSSIBIBLY THE MOST FUN!
TO LICK YOUR WOUNDS, TO SMACK YOUR LIPS OVER GRIEVANCES LONG PAST!
TO ROLL OVER YOUR TONGUE THE PROSPECT OF BITTER CONFRONTATION STILL TO COME!
TO SAVOR TO THE LAST TOOTHSOME MORSEL THE PAIN YOU ARE GIVEN---
AND THE PAIN YOU ARE GOING TO GIVE BACK!
IN MANY WAYS THIS IS A FEAST FIT FOR THE KING!
THE CHIEF DRAWBACK IS WHAT YOU ARE WOLFING DOWN IS YOURSELF!
THE SKELETON AT THE FEAST IS YOU!
LET US REASON TOGETHER LIFE IS WON OR LOST IN THE BATTLE OF ATTITUDES...
TWO PEOPLE CAN FACE THE SAME TRAP:
1) STUMBLING BLOCK OF NEGATIVISM AND PESSIMISTIC FACTS THAT WILL BRING DOOM AND GLOOM...
OR 2) THEY WILL LEARN TO USE THIS PROBLEM AS A STEPPING STONE TO VICTORY...
REVILED? One person with accepting This REVILING ATTITUDE can develop a RAZOR BLADE TONGUE leaving everyone in the path HURT. Their VERBAL ABUSE will damage many. As they tend to speak against others in a critical, judgment, or insulting way...
Hebrews 12:12 (KJV) Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; 13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. 14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
Hebrews 12:12(MSG) So don't sit around on your hands! No more dragging your feet! 13 Clear the path for long-distance runners so no one will trip and fall, so no one will step in a hole and sprain an ankle. Help each other out. And run for it! 14 Work at getting along with each other and with God. Otherwise you'll never get so much as a glimpse of God. 15 Make sure no one gets left out of God's generosity. Keep a sharp eye out for weeds of bitter discontent. A thistle or two gone to seed can ruin a whole garden in no time.
BAD ATTITUDES RARELY EXPRESS THEMSELVES WHEN EVERYTHING IS GOING GOOD AND SMOOTH...WHAT DO WE DO WHEN PEOPLE REVILE US AND ARE MEAN? MANY PEOPLE SEEM TO LOVE TO CRITICIZE OTHER PEOPLE IN AN ANGRY WAY.
THIS BEHAVIOR OFTEN BECOMES HABITUAL AND PERSISTENT VERBAL ABUSE.
THIS ABUSIVE BEHAVIOR THREATENS THE PEACE AND BECOMES A DOMINATING FEATURE. Quick tempered, angry, bitter, quarrelsome, argument, never happy, always finding fault becomes a standard of life. It becomes very easy in anger to find fault with everything. One tends to BLAME every one for the MOOD THEY HAVE CHOSEN.
This REVILING ATTITUDE can develop a RAZOR BLADE TONGUE leaving everyone in the path HURT, REVILE: VERBAL ABUSE. To speak against someone in a critical, judgment, or insulting way...
Let us discuss what happens when heat and pressure is applied to: 1) BUTTER; 2) AN EGG; 3) A TEA BAG?
Is it not amazing heat melts one, hardens the other, and brings out the flavor of the other. All the same heat?
THERE IS WHAT WE CALL THE GOLDEN RUL: THAT MAKES ATTITUDES IN GOOD TIMES AND BAD TIMES IMPORTANT...
Matthew 7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
Matthew 7:12 (MSG) "Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God's Law and Prophets and this is what you get.
DO WE REALLY BELIEVE OUR ATTITUDES ARE IMPORTANT? DO WE BELIEVE WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND?
Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
When God bless you, you words, your deeds and your faith He bestows a GIFT sometimes TEMPORAL, sometimes SPIRITUAL. These gifts flow when we have the RIGHT ATTITUDES flowing from our hearts.
While often we consider God's blessing with the right attitude we come knowing we should bless God.
WE MUST ALSO LEARN THE ATTITUDE OF BLESSING OTHERS.
DO WE UNDERSTAND DIVINE LAWS? Galatians 5:5-9 (KJV)
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.
THE TEST OF ATTITUDES ARE REVEALED BY FACING OPPOSITION AND OBSTACLES!
Your attitudes will be tested by facing ADVERSITY. The lions' den will test you, not just the lions put the friends plotting behind Daniel's back.
The furnace 7 times hotter --- THERE IS A LESSON HERE--- those that threw them into the furnace were roasted. The only thing that burned was the ROPES THAT BOUND them. It has been suggested they might have been walking around was to stay warm.
AHAB and JEZEBEL had a BAD ATTITUDE TO THE PREACHER AND TO HIS MESSAGE...
1 Kings 21:20 And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD.
400 Preacher carry the message the King Ahab and Jehoshaphat wanted to hear: SURE, GO!
1 Kings 22:8 And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.
WHY WOULD SOMEONE HAVE SUCH A BAD ATTITUDE TOWARD THE PREACHER?
THE BIBLE HAS MANY LESSONS ABOUT BAD ATTITUDES TO THE PREACHERS...
A BAD ATTITUDE WILL STOP THE MIRACLE... TOUCH NOT THE ANOINTED...
2 Kings 5:11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.
DO WE HAVE THE ATTITUDE OF BLESSING THOSE THAT REVILE US?
THE MAN SAID: I DO NOT GET MAD --- I GET EVEN.
I CAN ONLY RECALL THE ATTITUDE OF BLESSING ONCE THAT GOD GAVE TO MAN TO BLESS MEN WITH...
Numbers 6:22 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 23 Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, 24 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: 25 The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: 26 The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. 27 And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.
LET US REASON TOGETHER LIFE IS WON OR LOST IN THE BATTLE OF ATTITUDES...
TWO PEOPLE CAN FACE THE SAME TRAP: 1) STUMBLING BLOCK OF NEGATIVISM AND PESSIMISTIC FACTS THAT WILL BRING DOOM AND GLOOM...
OR 2) THEY WILL LEARN TO USE THIS PROBLEM AS A STEPPING STONE TO VICTORY...
REVILED? One person with accepting This REVILING ATTITUDE can develop a RAZOR BLADE TONGUE leaving everyone in the path HURT. Their VERBAL ABUSE will damage many. As they tend to speak against others in a critical, judgment, or insulting way...
Hebrews 12:12 (KJV) Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; 13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. 14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
Hebrews 12:12(MSG) So don't sit around on your hands! No more dragging your feet! 13 Clear the path for long-distance runners so no one will trip and fall, so no one will step in a hole and sprain an ankle. Help each other out. And run for it! 14 Work at getting along with each other and with God. Otherwise you'll never get so much as a glimpse of God. 15 Make sure no one gets left out of God's generosity. Keep a sharp eye out for weeds of bitter discontent. A thistle or two gone to seed can ruin a whole garden in no time.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
This is part #2
