CHEW THE CUD: DON’T FORGET HEAVEN! 1/3/18
LIVING FOR JESUS MOMENT BY MOMENT
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Psalm 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
IS IT POSSIBLE THAT WE CAN GET SO BUSY DOING OUR DAILY MENIAL CHORES AND FORGET GOD…?
Psalm 50:22 Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.
There was a young boy that had gone to Sunday School and to the church service and he felt a tug on his heart strings. When he arrived home his mother had dinner fixed and ready. They all gathered around the table to eat. The Grandfather saw the boy was thinking. So the grandfather said: Penny for your thoughts?
The boy said: Pa, I loved church today and I felt so happy while I was there. I am going to go back tonight. The Grandfather said: That is good grandson.
The boy said: Grandpa, I decide I was going to give my heart to Jesus and live my whole life for him. The Grandfather spoke up and said: Grandson that is an unreal expectation. There is no way you can live a perfect life for your whole
life time. It would be impossible.
As the grandmother was picking up the dishes the boy started thinking and made the comment to his wise old grandfather. Then Grandpa I want to live for Jesus for a year. The grandpa scratched his head and said: Grandson I do not want to discourage you, but it is impossible in this day and age to live a perfect Christian life for a whole year without letting the Lord down. It just isn’t possible.
The grandson was so disappointed as the family moved to gather around the pot-bellied stove. The boy was facing the fire and said: Pa, I do not want to go to the lake of fire. I will live for Jesus for a month. The old man shook his head and said: No way, it is impossible to live a Christian life for a month.
Then the grandfather knew what the boy would say and he jumped in and said: You cannot live a perfect Christian
for a week. The grandfather saw how disappointed the lad was. Then Grandpa put another log on the fire.
The lad was looking down and tears began to flow. The silence was deafening. The boy looked his pa in the eye and said: WELL, THEN CAN I LIVE A CHRISTIAN LIFE FOR A MOMENT? There was more silence and the old man smiled and said: WELL MAYBE, MAYBE YOU COULD LIVE AS A CHRISTIAN FOR A MOMENT?
The boy started jumping up and down and said to his skeptic grandfather: I KNOW WHAT I WILL DO, I WILL LIVE FOR JESUS MOMENT BY MOMENT …
DON’T FORGET HEAVEN!!!
OBSTACLES, NOTHING BUT OBSTACLES WILL BE OUR FOCUS, WHEN WE LOSE SIGHT OF THE GOAL? HAVE YOU EVER WATCHED A BASKETBALL GAME WHEN THE PLAYER SHOOTS THE BALL AND IT GOES DOWN THROUGH THE HOOP AND THEN REALIZES HE MADE A BASKET FOR THE OTHER TEAM?
James 1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
I HAVE NOTES HANGING AROUND MY OFFICE AND MY HOME: DON’T FORGET HEAVEN!!!
James 1:25 (MSG) But whoever catches a glimpse of the revealed counsel of God—the free life!—even out of the corner of his eye, and sticks with it, is no distracted scatterbrain but a man or woman of action. That person will find delight and affirmation in the action.
MIGHT WE ASK: HOW CAN ONE EVER FORGET THE GOAL?
CHEW THE CUD? HOW CAN THE FORGET GOD AND HEAVEN?
YARD SALE? I DON’T NEED THIS ANY MORE? WE WILL SALE THIS IN A YARD SALE? WE LIVE IN A THROW AWAY SOCIETY,
CASTAWAY? TO LOSE SIGHT OF THE GOAL MEANS TROUBLE AHEAD.
1 Corinthians 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
1 Corinthians 9:27 (MSG) I'm staying alert and in top condition. I'm not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.
CHEW ON THIS: HAVE WE EVER LOST SIGHT OF THE GOAL --- IF WE LOSE SIGHT OF THE GOAL, WE WILL FOCUS ON THE OBSTACLES.
RUMINATE: to carefully and deeply think about,
AS A COW CHEWS ON WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN SWALLOWED --- THE CUD
PLEASE DON’T TALK ABOUT THIS TO THE ENEMY BUT CONSIDER, RUMINATE---
In my first week of pastoring this old lady came up to me and said: BETTER MEN THEN YOU HAVE BEEN HERE TO PASTOR AND THEY FAILED!
Chew on that for a while? THREE TIMES DAVID REPEATS HIMSELF? Is he absent minded? Or is this something to CHEW ON?
2 Samuel 1:19 The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen! 20 Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.
2 Samuel 1:25 How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places.
2 Samuel 1:27 How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!
CHEW THE CUD? WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN A MAN LOOSES SIGHT OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF HIS CHOICES?
CAN WE LOSE SIGHT OF THE PROMISES OF GOD? ONE CHOICE CAN HAVE BIG CONSEQUENCES…
HOW MUCH IS A BOWL OF SOUP WORTH?
Do you know our attitudes can play games in our HEAD?
OUR FAITH AND OUR EMOTIONS CAN PLAY GAMES WITH OUR HEART?
ESAU WAS PLAYING GAMES WITH HIS EMOTIONS?
The enemy caught ESAU: TIRED, HUNGRY, ALONE,
Genesis 25:30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.
LET US MAKE A DEAL? I WILL TRADE YOU THE BIRTHRIGHT FOR A BOWL OF RED LENTIL SOUP?
WHY ESAU? WHY DID YOU PAY AND BUY A BOWL OF SOUP WORTH OVER A MILLION DOLLARS?
ESAU WAS CAUGHT UP IN THE EMOTIONS OF THE MOMENT ---HE SACRIFICE HIS INHERITANCE FOR TEMPORAL PLEASURE.
ESAU WAS CAUGHT UP IN LIVING IN THE MOMENT AND LOSSING SIGHT OF WHAT HIS CHOICE WOULD COST.
CHEW THE CUD ON ESAUS REASONING?
LET US CHEW THE CUD ON PITCHING YOUR TENT? THE ISSUE OF THE HEART IS THE HEART OF THE ISSUE… WHERE WILL WE PITCH OUR TENT? WILL WE REMEMBER THE COST OF THE EASY, WELL WATERED PLAINS? WANT TO DISCUSS INSTANT GRATIFACATION? CHOICES? CONSEQUENCES?
Lot was Abraham’s nephew. There are records Lot visited Abraham’s altars, but there is NO RECORD of Lot building one altar. ABRAHAM was having trouble with Lot. LOT SHOULD HAVE PREFERRED HIS ELDER AND YIELDED THE CHOICE TO UNCLE ABRAHAM? Lot’s greed and attitudes show?
Genesis 13:12 Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.
LOT AND HIS FAMILY HAD A CLEAR ORDER… DO NOT LOOK BACK… LET US CHEW THE CUD ON LOT’S FAMILY ISSUES?
Genesis 19:17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.
LET US CHEW THE CUD ON TAKING THE FAMILY TO THE LITTLE? LOT GO TO THE MOUNTAIN, NOW… I CAN’T, GOD KNOWS I CAN’T… LET ME SETTLE FOR ZOAR, THE LITTLE
Genesis 19:20 Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.
LOT’S WIFE HAD SOMETHING BACK THERE, THERE WAS SOME KIND OF LOVE THAT ATTACHED HER HEART, CHEW THE CUD ON: WHAT WAS BEHIND HER? DID SHE THINK ABOUT SALT?
Genesis 19:26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
CHEW THE CUD ON: WHY SHOULD I WANT TO LOOK BACK? I CAN’T DO IT? I HAVE TO HAVE WHAT I WANT RIGHT NOW! I HAVE TO LOOK BACK. THAT IS A STUPID RULE, I WILL NOT SUBMIT. THERE WAS A LOVE OF PLEASURE AND HAPPINESS BACK THERE?
Luke 17:32 Remember Lot's wife.
REMEMBER WHAT? LIVING FOR THE MOMENT… FOR PLEASURE, HAPPINESS AND LIVING ON SPIIRITUAL CREDIT WILL REQUIRE A SACRIFICE OF THE SEPERATION FROM PEOPLE AND FROM GOD.
1 Timothy 5:6 But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.
CHEW THE CUD ON THIS: LIVING FOR THE MOMENT? NEVER CONSIDERING THE COST?
HAVE WE EVER CONSIDERED WHAT OUR REGRETS WE WILL FACE?
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE ARE LONELY? TIRED? SEPERATED? FULL OF PRIDE? NOT KNOWING?
THERE ARE NO SADDER WORDS OF PEN OR TONGUE, THAN THE WORDS WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN!!!
CONCLUSION: LET US CHEW THE CUD ABOUT SAMSON’S HABITS? NOT JUST ONE TIME GETS HIM IN TROUBLE! CONTINUAL? HABITUAL OVER-RIDING? WE MUST THINK ABOUT WHAT WE THINK ABOUT? WE MUST DEVELOP LONG TERM PLANS, AND WAIT ON THE LORD’S PLAN AND PURPOSE… chew the cud on the sell out price of forgetting the benefits of God.
Psalm 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
