I AM FROM MISSOURI --- I WILL BELIEVE IT WHEN I SEE IT!
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
We have allow of people here from Missouri. In 1981 the Corvette plant moved from the crowded plant in St. Louis to Bowling Green, Kentucky. So many moved with GM here. One of my first sermons, I said: MANY ARE LIKE THOSE FROM MISSOURI, THEY WILL BELIEVE WHEN THEY SEE!
At the end of the sermon, someone stood up and said: NOW, HOW MANY HERE ARE FROM MISSOURI? Over half the crowd stood to their feet. Wow!
SOME TIME BACK, I FELT A SERIOUS QUESTION IN MY HEART?
This questions was so real and I pondered it for weeks.
THE QUESTION WAS SIMPLE: DO YOU REALLY TRUST THE LORD?
Well, the quick answer was: SURE!
But the question lingered and lingered in my heart. DO I REALLY TRUST GOD?
Is my trust conditional and limited?
After a few days I kind of felt like PETER? DO YOU LOVE ME?
Of course I love you, Jesus!
Then my journey took me to David's words...
Proverbs 3:5 (KJV) Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5 (MSG) Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own.
I have honestly evaluated my heart, my words, and behavior. Am I living the life style that reflects a complete reliance and dependency up God and His word?
DO I TRUST? DO I BELIEVE WHEN I SEE IT? WHEN I FEEL IT? WHEN LIFE IS WONDERFUL AND LOGICAL? AM I FROM MISSOURI? DO I REALLY SEE THESE OBSTACLES AND TROUBLES AS GOD ORDAINED OPPORTUNITIES? TRUST BEYOND SIGHT! ????
Today we often "NOT WITH OTHERS" We lack UNITY and purpose.
WE VALUE OTHER THINGS AS MORE IMPORTANT IN OUR PRIORITY SYSTEMS.
For some reason THOMAS felt it not necessary to ASSEMBLE HIMSELF AS OTHERS DO.
What does skipping church hurt?
John 20:24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
Thomas was not "WITH THEM" when Jesus came.
EXCEPT I SEE! EXCEPT I TOUCH! I WILL NOT BELIEVE...
Was Thomas from Missouri?
John 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
TODAY, WITH US--- MANY NOT WITH US... We seldom see: THE SEEK YE FIRST BEHAVIOR...
EXCEPT I SEE... EXCEPT I TOUCH... EXCEPT I THRUST MY HAND IN HIS SIDE...
IF I SEE I WILL BELIEVE... WELL, HONEY THAT IS NOT FAITH...
BLESSED ARE THEY THAT HAVE NOT SEEN AND YET BELIEVE. DO WE REALLY TRUST?
I have never SEEN JESUS! I have never touched him.
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
WE MUST REFUSE TO TRUST OUR OWN UNDERSTANDING AND 5 SENSES...
SEE! Feel, taste, smell, HEAR?
SHOW US? LET US MAKE THIS A THREE RING CIRCUS AND MAKE A SHOW...
WE MUST EVALUATE AND CORRECT WHAT IS HINDERING THE MOVE OF GOD...
ARE WE LOOKING FOR A VISIBLE SIGN? LET US FLEECE GOD? SHOW US LORD AND IT WILL SUFFICE US...
John 14:8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
WE CAN NOT TRUST GOD BECAUSE WE DO NOT BELIEVE HIM? NOR HIS WORDS...
John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? 10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.
WILL WE LEARN TO WALK BY FAITH? DO WE REALLY TRUST GOD? WHEN THE STORMS ARE RAGING HIGH? WHEN THE DOCTORS TELL US WHAT WE FEAR? CAN WE SEE BEYOND THE PILL BOTTLE?
2 Corinthians 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
WE DEMAND THE FATHER SHOW US AND EXPLAIN TO US EVERY DETAIL...
WE DEMAND VISIBLE FAITH, GOD'S WORDS SAYS: SEE THE INVISIBLE...
Mark 10:27 And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.
GOD SPECIALIZES IN TAKING THE INVISIBLE... THE SPOKE WORD CAN CHANGE ETERNITY...
GOD SAID: LET THERE BE LIGHT AND THE INVISIBLE COMES INTO THE VISUAL FIELD...
CAN A BLIND MAN DENY THAT THE MOON EXIST? JUST BECAUSE THE BLIND CAN NOT SEE THE MOON? HE CAN NOT FEEL THE MOON? BUT MY FRIEND, KNOW THIS --- WHILE THE BLIND MAN CAN NOT SEE THE MOON--- DOES NOT AT ALL KEEP THE MOON FROM SHINING?
HOW COULD PAUL CALL HIS LIFE A LIGHT AFFLICTION? He was hungry? stoned? beat? shipwrecked? Left for dead? PAUL HAD TO LEARN TO TEACH... A TEACHER CAN NOT TEACH UNTIL HE HAS LEARNED...
PAUL CAN SEE BEYOND THE TROUBLE! PAUL'S EYE SIGHT WAS OPENED TO SEE BEYOND THE THINGS THAT ARE NOT SEEN.
We are investing everything in the SEE-ABLE--- THAT WILL RUST, FADE AND BE DESTROYED...
2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
PAUL WAS CALLED TO OPEN PEOPLE'S EYES TO SEE BEYOND THE VISIBLE---
GOD TEACH ME TO SEE THE INVISIBLE REALM OF GOD POSSIBILITIES...
Acts 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
WILL WE ALLOW GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT TO OPEN THE EYES OF OUR HEART AND SEE THE INVISIBLE? Why waste eye-sight on just the visible?
ONE OF THE DIFFERENCES IN A MAN OF GOD AND A SERVANT IS THEIR VISUAL FIELD? THE SERVANT SEES THE ENEMY AND GROWS FEAR...
THE MAN OF GOD FOCUSES BEYOND THE PROBLEM AND SEES THE INVISIBLE...
Are you an expert and have a committee that identifies troubles, afflictions, trials UNTIL YOU HAVE GROWN LITTLE PROBLEMS INTO GIANTS?
This is our light affliction... we see beyond that that is seen?
GEHAZI, GEHAZI --- ELIJAH THEN ELISHA, SHOULD HAVE GROWN INTO GEHAZI...
GEHAZI WAS NEGATIVE AND TRAPPED IN THE NEGATIVITY OF POOR VISION...
THE KING FOUND ELISHA TO SEE THE INVISIBLE AND DEFEAT HIM...
THE KING SAYS KILL THATOLD MAN...
GEHAZI SAW THE ENEMY--- FEAR, WORRY--- WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?
2 Kings 6:14 Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about. 15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO... THE VISION BREEDS FEAR...
ELISHA HAD LEARNED, DON'T BELIEVE YOU EYES--- BELIEVE GOD'S PLAN...
HIS PRAYER WAS SIMPLE... OPEN THE EYES OF THE SERVANT TO SEE THE INVISIBLE...
2 Kings 6:16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
NOT ONLY DOES GOD WANT US TO HAVE VISION, GOD CAN CLOSE THE EYES OF THE ENEMY.
2 Kings 6:18 And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD, and said, Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.
CONCLUSION: Are we human beings that are having a spiritual experience? Or are we SPIRITUAL BEINGS HAVING a human experience? We must learn this walk is by faith. We cannot always believe our emotions, feelings. We must know the visual field can distort the spiritual reality. Angels are encamped around us.
Psalm 34:7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
We cannot always trust reasoning, logic, feelings and emotions. May we learn to see the visible. This pain can bring glory. May the temporal things yield to the eternal value system of God. God grant us the ability to see the invisible.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
