LIFE CAN BE LIKE A GARBAGE TRUCK?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
I have several small candles. I have one match? How many candles can I light with one match? How many candles
can one candle light? LIGHT THE CANDLE THEN UNLIMITED HOW MANY CANDLES WILL BURN? Are we burning a negative flame and spreading the negative??
LIFE IS KIND OF LIKE A GARBAGE TRUCK?
WE WALK BY FAITH NOT BY SIGHT...
2 Corinthians 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
WE WALK BY FAITH, BUT LORD, I WANT TO FLY BY FAITH? AT LEAST RUN BY FAITH?
FAITH OFTEN MAKES PROGRESS BY SLOWER PACES THAN WE EXPECT? We tend to look at God as our personal SANTA CLAUS? Give me this? Give me that...!!! WE DEMAND IT!
Often in our daily routine we develop a bad habit of REACTING to all the negative garbage accumulating in people's personal garbage cans. PEOPLE ARE HURT, FRUSTRATED, DISAPPOINTED, FULL OF PAIN AND VERY ANGRY. One person's hurt and anger? CAN IGNITE THE FLAME OF MANY PEOPLE.
Seems hurt, angry people throw THEIR garbage on the truck? Later they throw more garbage on the truck --- UNTIL FINALLY THE GARBAGE TRUCK IS SO FULL THAT OTHER'S PERSONAL GARBAGE BLOWS OUT. After a while someone else's action cause HURT AND ANGER to many others.
We face a basic premise, Hurt people hurt people! Angry people anger people. This is an undeniable fact. FEAR SCREAMS LOUD AND CLEAR...
Garbage trucks need a place to dump their garbage --- There was a place in the mountains called GARBAGE HOLLOW. Many people to not want to pay the land fill to dump their garbage? So they would go to GARBAGE HOLLOW and empty their waste over the CREEK BANK. Heavy rain washed the garbage into the creek? The creek carried the garbage to the river? It made the river bed very ugly and dangerous. IT COST MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO CLEAN UP the area. People kept bringing their garbage until cameras caught the people red handed.
Are you spreading garbage at home? at work? Do you have bad attitudes that ARE CONTAGEOUS?
Hebrews 12:15 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 12:15 (NLT) Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.
Hebrews 12:15 (MSG) 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.
HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN ONE PERSON'S FRUSTRATION, DISAPPOINTMENTS, HURT AND ANGER INFEST? We must QUIT ACCEPTING OTHER PEOPLE'S GARBAGE!!!
HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE EFFECTED/AFFECTED BY THE 10 SPIES NEGATIVE MESSAGE?
CAN WE SOW CORRUPTION?
What kind of harvest does corruption reap?
CORRUPTION: rotten, tainted, decomposition, infection... dishonest, illegal, impaired,
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.
OFTEN OUR FAITH BECOMES LIKE LIGHTNING BUGS THAT DIMMLY GLOW A FEW SECONDS AND THEN ARE BACK IN THE DARK?
Luke 17:5 And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith. 6 And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.
Luke 17:5 (MSG) The apostles came up and said to the Master, "Give us more faith." 6 But the Master said, "You don't need more faith. There is no 'more' or 'less' in faith. If you have a bare kernel of faith, say the size of a poppy seed, you could say to this sycamore tree, 'Go jump in the lake,' and it would do it.
FAITH MUST LEARN TO WATCH ON THE LORD AND HIS PLAN...
FAITH IS NEVER FAITH UNTIL IT IS EXERCISED AND PUT INTO MOTION (ACTION)!
DO WE HAVE LIGHTNING BUG FAITH? weak, on and off again?
HOPE MUST BE LIKE THE NORTH STAR!!! A fixed star?
Jude 1:12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; 13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
WE DON'T NEED TO ACCEPT OTHER PEOPLE'S GARBAGE! WE DO NOT NEED TO CARRY OUR GARBAGE --- WE MUST DUMP THE LOAD...
THE TRIED SOUL CAN DEVELOP GRACE THAT MAY NOT BE DISCOVERED WITHOUT TRIALS.
A SOLDIER IS NEVER TRAINED IN A 5 STAR MOTEL WITH A FOOD BAR?
We must learn to swim through the waters?
Climb high mountains?
Carry heavy backpacks?
Trials can birth NEW PRAYER LIFE? Trials could teach us to STAND ON THE PROMISES AND WORD OF GOD...
HOW DO YOU KEEP YOUR GARDEN?
Weeds thrive? We grow very tired of pulling weeds?
JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN RUN FAST WILL NEVER GUARANTEE VICTORY...
There were 2 very capable soldiers, CUSHI and AHIMAAZ...
AHIMAAZ want to do something big, so he kept asking ''LET ME! LET ME, RUN!"
Cushi was given the orders: TAKE THE MESSAGE TO THE KING!
Ahimaaz said: PLEASE, LET ME RUN TO THE KING!
Ahimaaz could really run fast IN THE PLAIN, level, flat land?
2 Samuel 18:23 But howsoever, said he, let me run. And he said unto him, Run. Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and overran Cushi.
Ahimaaz was much faster, but he was not dependable.
Ahimaaz gets to the KING, BUT HE HAS NO MESSAGE, HIS RUNNING WAS KIND OF LIKE THE GARBAGE TRUCK ---
CUSHI comes to the King, he was slow and did not get to the King first? Did he fail?
NO CUSHI, HAD THE MESSAGE...
Seems we have faster and faster cars? Our jets are so fast! We have automatic washers and dryers? We have dishwashers? Air Conditioning? Climate control? Huge color TV's with satellite and many channels? We have fast computers with SLOWER BRAINS?
Just because you are running fast does not mean God's message is with you!
THE GARBAGE HAS ACCUMULATED??? 18 MILES OF GARBAGE?
THERE IS A DAY THAT THE PREACHER RUNS FASTER THAN THE CHARIOTS!
THE NATION IS IN DEEP TROUBLE, THE GARBAGE TRUCK IS FULL ---
SEEMS MOST OF THE CROWD HATE THE PREACHER AND HATE HIS MESSAGE...
THE PEOPLE ARE UNFAITHFUL--- THE TENSION IS SO GREAT...
There is great sin in the nation... The Queen Jezebel is all about pleasure. The King Ahab blames the Preacher for the consequences of the choices of Israel.
CHOICES HAVE CONSEQUENCES: GOOD VS. BAD === WE MUST CHOOSE WISELY IN THE LIGHT OF FAITH AND ETERNITY...
FAITH PROCLAIMS, WE HAVE BEEN IN A TERRIBLE DROUGHT, THE CONSEQUENCES OF SIN HAVE BEEN EXPENSIVE... THE GARBAGE TRUCK IS FULL, THE WHOLE NATION AND ALL THE KING'S MEN CAN PUT HUMPTY DUMPTY BACK TOGETHER AGAIN... BUT FAITH CAN...
Sin costs more than you want to pay. Sin takes you farther than you had planned on staying. Sin will keep you longer than you had planned on staying...
1 Kings 18:41 (And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.
Faith announces GOD'S MERCY AND GRACE! I HEAR THE ABUNDANCE OF RAIN... This is more than the ear? No one else could hear but God's man.
THERE IS A TIME WHEN PRAYER, ONLY PRAYER CAN CHANGE OUR SITUATION. THE THE KING WONDERED, CAN GOD? THE PREACHER KNEW ONLY GOD CAN...
1 Kings 18:42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,
NOW, GO AND LOOK? FAITH? I HEARD IT, NOW I BY FAITH WILL SEE IT...
FIRST VISUAL FIELD TEST? FAILURE?
SECOND, THIRD, FOURTH, FIFTH, SIXTH, SEVENTH
1 Kings 18:43 And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times. 44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not. 45 And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.
46 And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
CONCLUSION: To carry others garbage will bring corruption and disease. ELIJAH HAD CARRIED MANY YEARS OF GARBAGE. Elijah had been depressed, knocked down and lived in fear for his life. BUT HE HEARD THE ABUNDANCE OF RAIN... When there was no clouds, the Preacher still declared "THE RAIN IS COMING." By faith the Preacher left years of garbage behind as he ran 18 miles and was sitting on his porch when the rain came. By faith, quit listening to the garbage truck of life. It is time we EXPECT GREATER... THERE IS A GREATER THAN AMONG US TODAY! Refuse to accept garbage or any less than GOD'S PLAN!
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Many years ago, I went through town and found the garbage can that had the most stink. I asked the owner could I borrow it. I used it and took the lid and fanned the smell? That lesson was remembered by those there.
