THE ONION OR THE APPLE?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
I have an onion and a sweet apple in my hands as I begin.
In the 1929 ROSE BOWL, a man became known by a new name: WRONG WAY ROY RIEGELS
WRONG WAY was hit so hard in the football game, he recovered a fumble and he ran the wrong way with the football and scored a TD for the other team and thus LOST THE GAME. He was nominated for the Georgia Tech hall of fame for helping them win the 1929 Rose Bowl.
SOMETIMES LIFE HITS US SO HARD WE LOSE OF FOCUS OF THE GOAL.
NEWS YOU CAN USE IF YOU CHOSE? LIFE IS ABOUT FOCUS AND THINKING PATTERNS…
TEXT: Numbers 11:5 We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick:
How so can we forget God’s plan. Strange what we remember and forget in dark seasons and bad times?
Seems they forgot Pharaoh killing their sons? Seems they forgot making bricks and required to make their own provisions? Seems THEY FORGOT slavery? Seems they forgot GOD’S PLAN?
GOD HAS A PLAN AND PURPOSE JUST AS THE ENEMY HAS A PLAN AND PURPOSE.
Have you ever tried to reduce life to a NUTSHELL?
John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
NO PLAN? PLAN A, PLAN B, OR PLAN C?
Just as an insurance company has several different policies. They have a $10,000 policy, $100,000 policy and a million dollar policy. You can get the bare minimum or the best. Your choice, your money will decide your policy.
God has A PLAN.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
MOST PEOPLE KNOW THEY WILL GO THROUGH SEASONS.
SEASONS: INDEFINITE PERIOD OF TIME.
Everyone has a favorite season. Some like summer, swimming and gardens. Some like winter, cold, short days, long nights. Some have the attitude complaining is acceptable?
WHEN I WAS A CHILD, I SPOKE LIKE A CHILD… I ACTED LIKE A CHILD?
MANY OF SEEM TO STAY LIKE A CHILD?
THERE IS A CHOICE THAT I SHALL CALL THE PLAN OF ETERNAL BABYHOOD.
Babies raising babies? Parents complaining about their children’s attitudes REFUSE TO SEE THEIR CHILDISH BEHAVIOR’S CONSEQUENCES?
Several times lately I have seen children playing the role of adult while the child was more mature than the parent? SAD?
ONE TRAIT OF MATURITY IS RECOGNIZING SEASONS? DO WHAT IS EXPECTED DOING THE SEASON? QUIT COMPLAINING AND START APPLYING THE PROPER TOOLS TO ACCOMPLISH THE GOALS.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (MSG) There's an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth: 2 A right time for birth and another for death, A right time to plant and another to reap, 3 A right time to kill and another to heal, A right time to destroy and another to construct, 4 A right time to cry and another to laugh, A right time to lament and another to cheer, 5 A right time to make love and another to abstain, A right time to embrace and another to part, 6 A right time to search and another to count your losses, A right time to hold on and another to let go, 7 A right time to rip out and another to mend, A right time to shut up and another to speak up, 8 A right time to love and another to hate, A right time to wage war and another to make peace.
SOME HATE AND COMPLAIN NO MATTER WHAT SEASON. THEY SEEM TO HATE THEM ALL?
WHERE IS THE MATURITY TO RECOGNIZE AND PREPARE FOR THE SEASON?
WHAT IS THIS SEASON GIVING YOU?
We have long heard: IF LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS, MAKE LEMONAIDE. For we know the total of life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you react to what happens to you.
I SAY: IF LIFE GIVES YOU ONIONS, MAKE ONION-AIDE? APPLES-CIDER?
WE BECOME THE SUM TOTAL OF OUR WORDS AND ATTITUDES.
WE WILL REAP THE CONSEQUENCES OF OUR CHOICES.
Note the word is “and” and not “or:” Power powers are dormant in the door.
Proverbs 18:21 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.
WE MUST REMEMBER NO MATTER WHAT THE SEASON IS THAT WE ARE FACING, THAT SOMEDAY YOU WILL TIE YOUR SHOES AND THE UNDERTAKER WILL UNTIE THEM.
GENESIS 5- IS A ROLL CALL OF MEN AND THEIR STORY ALL ENDS THE SAME WAY.
Adam lived 930 years: AND HE DIED.
Seth lived 912 years: AND HE DIED.
Enos lived 815 years: AND HE DIED.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN LIVED 56 YEARS: AND HE DIED…In his rotunda it says: NOW HE BELONGS TO THE AGES.
YOU WILL HAVE THE SAME THREE WORDS THAT RICH AND POOR HAVE RECORDED: AND HE DIED.
OUR ATTITUDES AND WORDS MAY HAVE A DETERMINING FACTOR IN THE LENGTH OF THE SEASON? FEW LEARN THE ROLE OF THE TONGUE AND OUR ATTITUDES?
Be honest: DO YOU HAVE A GOOD ATTITUDE OR A BAD ONE?
Matthew 12:34 (KJV) O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
Matthew 12:34 (MSG) "You have minds like a snake pit! How do you suppose what you say is worth anything when you are so foul-minded? It's your heart, not the dictionary, that gives meaning to your words.
THESE WORDS AND THEY DIED WILL FOLLOW YOUR NAME.
SOMEDAY YOU WILL TIE YOUR SHOES AND THE UNDERTAKER WILL UNTIE THEM.
Luke 6:45 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.
Luke 6:45 (MSG) It's who you are, not what you say and do, that counts. Your true being brims over into true words and deeds.
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SEVERALTHINGS LIFE REMIND ME OF SOME POWERFUL LESSONS??
1 THE ONION: a pungent edible bulb, strong sharp taste.
The onion speaks of tears and heartache. We go through onion seasons?
The onion has a strong smell and taste?
The onion has layers, the outside is tough, each layer gets softer.
The onion can bring tears, pain and burning eyes
The onion speaks of irritation of the sense. THE STING OF LIFE.
Genesis 45:7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.
THE APPLE: for years an old man brought 4 apples to church every Sunday.
Two apples for the Sunday School teacher and his wife, two apples for the Preacher and His WIFE.
APPLES REMIND ME OF his CHRISTIAN LOVE.
When Louie was beyond going to the store, he made Jimmy and Doris go weekly and buy 4 apples
To give away.
LESSON: LIFE IS TOO FEW DAYS AND WAY TOO MANY TROUBLES TO STAY TRAPPED IN NEGATIVITY.
Job 14:1 (KJV) Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.
Life has a tendency to BREAK us and CAUSE US TO LOSE SIGHT OF THE GOAL.
WHEN LIFE HITS US SO HARD WE LOSE SIGHT OF OUR GOAL WE MUST SEE THE DIVINE TIMING: NO ONE CAN OPEN THE BUD WITHOUT DAMAGING IT. ONLY GOD CAN UNFOLD A ROSE. Life speaks of the BEAUTY that soon fades and the BROKENESS and THORNS of daily life.
THE IS ANOTHER REAL LESSON THAT FEW EVER LEARN… THE LESSON OF UNDERSTANDING…
THE OLD GENERATION WALKED THE PATH THAT ALL PEOPLE WALK AND THEY DIED.
There was a young man GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY FROM GOD TO HAVE ANYTHING HE DESIRED.
He could have asked for a Corvette? Fancy house? Millions of bucks?
HE ASK GOD: GIVE ME UNDERSTANDING AND WISDOM… God was so pleased with HIS ANSWER that God gave him EVERYTHING A PERSON COULD DREAM OF…
GOD WILL YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND THE JOURNEY AND STRANGE TWISTS OF LIFE?LET US TALK ABOUT change in a lifetime.
One of the worst DROUGHTS in USA history, called the DUST BOWL.
WE HAD AN EXPRESSION OF LOVE AT CHURCH: PEOPLE WILL BE PEOPLE AND WE MUST TRY TO UNDERSTAND PEOPLE AND THEIR SEASONS..
I often defend others in their season.
I SAY ALL we can do is this: TO TRY AND UNDERSTAND THE STORY OF LIFE.
WE MUST TRY TO SEE PEOPLE’S CIRCUMSTANCES AND HELP THEM DO WELL IN LIFE CONSIDERING THHE TWISTED JOURNEY WE FACE.
GOD MEASURES THE HEART MORE THAN THE HEAD AND WORDS.
DO YOU LOVE YOUR FAMILY AND LOVE THE CHURCH AND YOUR PASTOR.
THE LESSON OF DO OVER? THE LAST LIFE LESSON I WILL SPEAK OF THAT YOU YOUNG PEOPLE WILL NOT UNDERSTAND FOR MANY YEARS IS THAT OF REGRET.
Someday you will be an OLD PERSON SITTIING ALONE FOR HOUR AFTER HOUR. You will lose interest in TV, music, news and life. You will sit by the window and look out at the world and your mind will remember many things. You will think of Grandparents, you will remember your parents,
You will remember JESUS and THE CHURCH?
BUT YOU WILL SPEND MANY HOURS IN DEEP REGRET, THINGS THAT YOU WISH YOU
COULD RECALL AND WISH YOU COULD HAVE A DO OVER. THERE WAS A YOUNG MAN DYING AND HE HAD A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY IN HIS DEATH. HE WAS DYING ON A CROSS AND THERE WAS JESUS CHRIST HANGING NEXT TO HIM. AS THE CRIMINAL WAS DYING HE HAD MANY REGRETS AS HIS BLOOD RAN DOWN HIS ARMS.
Luke 23:42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
The CRIMINAL HAD MADE MANY MISTAKES AND WAS A TERRIBLE SINNER.
This criminal was WAS WORTHY OF DEATH and many witnessed against him.
THE CRIMINAL HAD A DO OVER…
LORD, REMEMBER ME? PLEASE LORD, REMEMBER ME?
JESUS NEVER THREW UP HIS ONIONS OR HIS APPLES? THE PAST IS GONE.
JESUS NEVER SAID: BAD BOY. WHAT A BAD BOY YOU HAVE BEEN.
JESUS SAID: TODAY MY SON, TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.
LET ALL REMEMBER YOUR UGLY PAST AND WONDER WHY WE ARE IN THIS SEASON?
LIFE IS ABOUT ONIONS AND APPLES.
WHAT WILL I DO IN THIS SEASON OF ONIONS?
NEVER FORGET IF WE COME TO JESUS AND ASK HIM TO FORGIVE US WE CAN HAVE A “DO OVER.”
LIFE HAS GIVEN ME MANY ONIONS, BUT I MUST REMEMBER THERE IS A PLAN AND PURPOSE AND SOMEDAY WE WILL BE TOGETHER.
TOGETHER FOREVER.
I FIND GREAT COMFORT THAT JESUS HAS NEVER THROWN AWAY THE CLAY. THAT JESUS LOVES ME. I AM FOREVER FORGIVEN.
NOW THE QUESTION IS CLEAR: THE ONION OR THE APPLE?
THE WHOLE WALK OF A CHRISTIAN LIFE BOILS DOWN TO FORGIVENESS.
WILL YOU FORGIVE? WILL YOU ACCEPT THE CROSS AS A SEASON?
His servant, WADE MARTIN HUGHES, SR. Kyfingers@aol.com
