FEATHER TRIGGER
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com 2/5/2018
TEXT: Psalm 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:23 (MSG) Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I'm about; 24 See for yourself whether I've done anything wrong— then guide me on the road to eternal life.
*WHAT DO YOU WANT? DO YOU HAVE TO BE RIGHT? DO YOU HAVE TO CORRECT EVERYONE?
WIN THE ARGUMENT? LOSE A FRIEND? WHAT HAVE YOU GAINED?
*ARE YOU A NEGATIVE PERSON? You can only answer one of two ways? YES /// NO?
DO YOU HAVE TO BE RIGHT?
30 years ago I pastored in the mountains of eastern Kentucky. I loved my 8 ½ years, 1320 sermons at the mountain mission. Once a well-intended young man wanted to argue with me. He told me a woman that wore pants was going to hell. He told me he heard a TV preacher teach pants was a terrible sin. I told him, show that to me in the Bible. So he started reading the Bible to prove how ignorant I was. I was a sinner, he added a good sinner? Months later the young man came running up to me: HE COULD PROVE MY IGNORANCE, HE READ THE BIBLE AND MISSED THE WORDS OF LIFE. HE JUST HADTO BE RIGHT. HE COULD CARE LESS ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP AND PERSONAL TOUCH, HE DID NOT CARE WHO HE HURT, HE JUST HAD TO BE RIGHT.
He read: Exodus 28:42 And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach:
If you knew Biblical history, there was a problem going up the 8 steps to the altar. If the wind blew just right the priest might be exposed. So they made linen breeches, not britches… to correct the problem.
BRITCHES: pants, slacks, trousers.
BREECHES: short pants, under garment to cover the hips and the thighs.
Wow, was he disappointed when he found out that it was breeches not britches? He just wanted to argue. Might I add in the years that followed his wife wears pants, his daughters wear pants, his granddaughters where pants. What happened? In the crush TO BE RIGHT, MANY PEOPLE WERE HURT AND LEFT THE CHURCH?
DO WE UNDERSTAND LIFE IS FULL OF CYCLES? CYCLE REPEATED ACTION OR EVENTS…
I AM RIGHT? I DO NOT CARE WHAT YOU THINK?
Matthew 18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND?
I want to be nice, but everyone annoys me?
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.
CAN YOU SPIT FIRE? DO WE UNDERSTAND HOW DANGEROUS A HAIR TRIGGER CAN BE?
Luke 21:19 In your patience possess ye your souls.
Luke 21:19 (MSG) Staying with it—that's what is required. Stay with it to the end. You won't be sorry; you'll be saved.
I knew a man that purchased an expensive pistol. He knew a gun smith and he paid the gun smith to modify his pistol. His friend modified the trigger system of the pistol to have what is called a feather trigger, or a hair trigger. ( a hair trigger on a gun needs very little pressure to cause the gun to shoot.)
The young man was at a local drive in restaurant and he was showing his new pistol to all his friends. They heard a car backfire, and the men standing around saw him drop to the ground. Everyone laughed and told him to get up.
Soon massive amounts of blood covered the young man’s leg. The police and ambulance was called. The wound was serious. As he placed the “feather pistol in his pocket the pistol fired.” The bullet entered just below his hip and ran down the bone of his leg and exited his foot.
The wound was so serious that the young man was transported to the closest trauma center. He almost bled to death. The surgery lasted many hours and he was in the hospital nearly a month. The medical expenses were so high.
The young man could not return to a normal life style for almost a year.
When life returned to normal the family was so thankful. One day a friend asked him, HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? The young man started showing those gathered around him how it happened. He took the pistol and put it in his pocket, there was a loud bang and the young man fell to the ground and blood was freely flowing. The ambulance was called. There was emergency work at the local hospital and the long ride to a big city trauma center. The same doctors were called in. The surgery was massive and many hours to repair the damage the whole length of his leg and foot.
The doctors came out of the surgery room and talked to the family. The doctors talked honestly to the family. He is going to live and his leg has been saved. BUT WE DEMAND SOMEONE TO GET THAT PISTOL AND TAKE IT AWAY FROM THIS MAN! They said: HE IS GOING TO KILL SOMEONE AND MAYBE EVEN HIMSELF.
AVOID FEATHER TRIGGERS.
Luke 21:19 (NIV) By standing firm you will gain life.
Luke 21:19 (NASB) "By your endurance you will gain your lives.”
Dependency: IT IS MUCH EASIER TO DRINK WATER FROM OTHER’S WELLS, THAN IT IS TO DIG YOUR OWN WELL?
There can grow great danger when you become totally dependent on the kindness of a friend and never put forth any effort and INVEST LITTLE TO FAMILY GROWTH?
Proverbs 5:15 Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.
Proverbs 5:15 (MSG) Do you know the saying, "Drink from your own rain barrel, draw water from your own spring-fed well"?
LET US TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT WHAT WE CALL “THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS.
THESE MAY BE CALLED THE CAPITAL VICES, OR CARDINAL SINS…
James 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
1. PRIDE
2. GREED
3. LUST
4. GLUTTONY Sin is birthed as a seed, desire of sex, power, money, selfishness, wrongful priorities, etc.
5. ENVY
6. WRATH
7. SLOTHFULNESS
All human habits and vices can fall directly into one of these 7 classifications of moral sin.
Hear my heart as I warn all sin is contagious and one sin leads to more sin.
Today we tend to excuse sin as a mistake or a sickness, but God has rules and laws that are more than suggestions, they are commandments.
Many years ago I had a dream. Yes, sometimes I eat pizza before I go to bed.
The dream was clear and I still remember this dream vividly.
There was a huge table filled with all kinds of wonderful food. I could see a hand reaching to the table with a fork, spoon and knife. The person was speed eating, cramming the food down. When the picture opened where I could see the person eating I was so amazed. The picture was clear, the person gobbling down the food was just bones, nothing but bones. No skin, no flesh, no muscles? Wow, each bite he seemed to be devouring others and himself.
Later that day I was reading my Bible when a verse became so real, rama word, to me. As we DEVELOP A NEGATIVE NORM.
Galatians 5:15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
Galatians 5:15 (MSG) If you bite and ravage each other, watch out—in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then?
OF THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS, ANGER IS POSSIBLY THE MOST FUN.
TO LICK YOUR WOUNDS, TO SMACK YOUR LIPS OVER THE 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 GIVING BACK…
IN MANY WAYS IT IS A FEAST FIT FOR THE KING…
THE CHIEF DRAW BACK IS THAT WHAT YOU ARE WOLFING DOWN IS YOURSELF.
THE SKELETON AT THE FEAST IS YOU! F. Buechner
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF PEOPLE IN HUMANITY:
1. Those that are angry, bitter, hurt that are trapped in NEGATIVE THINKING PATTERNS, that are specialist in sharp tongues and dull minds?
2. Those that invite the Holy Spirit to search them and correct their negativity and realize they will reap what they sow. They desire to quit biting and devouring one another and thus devouring themselves. They realize the NEED TO CHANGE AND THAT CHANGE IS POSSIBLE.
CONCLUSION: We have two dogs inside of us. One dog is mean and cruel and barks and bites and has developed a NEGATIVE PERSPECTIVE IN LIFE AND NOT ONLY DOES HE FEEL HE IS BOUND BY THE CHAINS OF THE PAST. He feels hopeless, gloom and despair.
Then there is a good, loving, forgiving, God fearing dog. He loves people and has a KIND SPIRIT.
Ephesians 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
TWO DOGS? DOES THE MEAN DOG RULE? DOES THE GOOD DOG THRIVE? It all depends on which dog you feed. Feed the bad dog and he is stronger and beats up the good dog. Feed the good dog, feed on God’s word. Feed on faithfulness. Feed on giving. Soon the bad dog fades in weakness and his bark grows weaker and weaker.
What kind of trigger do you have? Do you spit fire? Sow soft words, they are easier to eat.
Proverbs 23:7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
COME WITH ME TO THE FOOT OF THE CROSS. WE WALK BY FAITH NOT BY SIGHT. COME LET US CHANGE OUR WORDS, CHANGE OUR THINKING PATTERNS --- YOU ARE NOT THE PROBLEM… THERE IS A SOLUTION. GOLIATH MAY SEEM BIG, BUT GOD IS BIGGER.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Be honest with God? ARE YOU A NEGATIVE PERSON?
