THE BEST IS YET TO COME…
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
ARE WE THE LAUGHING STOCK OF DOOM AND FAILURE? CAN WE HONESTLY DECLARE: THE BEST IS YET TO COME? OR HAVE WE ALLOWED OUR HEARTS TO BECOME HARDENED TO THE POINT THAT LIFE IS QUE SERA, SERA --- WHAT WILL BE WILL BE… THE FURTURE IS NOT OURS TO SEE, QUE SERA, SERA?
Let us sing the anthem of the modern reality: Gloom, despair, agony on end? Deep dark depression, excessive misery? If it weren’t for bad luck, I’ve no luck at all? Gloom, despair and agony on me…
Our hopes and dreams have been dashed. It’s over, the fat lady has already sang her song and sat down. We are forever trapped? Nothing will ever change? There is nothing new under the sun?
John 2:1 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: 2 And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. 3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.
We are so embarrassed, the Governor has honored us with his presence at our wedding. Look at this big crowd? We never dreamed this big? Our little dream is dashed, there is no hope? WOW, we will be the laughing stock of the city?
THERE IS ONE POSITIVE POINT TO BE MADE IN ALL THIS MESS, AT LEAST WE INVITED JESUS TO COME… NOW, WE ARE HOPELESS IN FRONT OF THE GOVERNOR AND THE SON OF GOD…
THE BEST IS YET TO COME… THIS WEDDING WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBER AS THE BEST IS COMING…
EVEN THE GOVERNOR IS IMPRESSED.
Today may look really bad. The problems are beyond our abilities to fix.
I could eat a worm, crawl in a hole and die?
AIN’T NO WAY --- NO GOOD CAN COME OUT OF THIS?
THIS PROBLEM IS NOT FIXABLE, WE DON’T HAVE THE MONEY? THE STORE IS CLOSED?
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.
WAIT, JESUS IS HERE, LISTEN TO WHAT EVER HE HAS TO SAY: JUST DO IT?
John 2:5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
HOW WILL 150 GALLONS OF WATER FIX THIS MESS?
JUST DO IT --- MAYBE? MAYBE THE BEST IS YET TO COME?
John 2:8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. 9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, 10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. 11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
MY FRIEND, WHEN WE OBEY JESUS’ COMMANDS AND TRUST THE PLAN… THE BEST IS YET TO COME…
THE GOVERNOR IS IMPRESSED? WHY?
WHY THE BEST IS YET TO COME? WE OBEYED… EVERYONE KNOWS THE GOOD OF OUR WEDDING?
GRANDSONS, LET’S TALK ABOUT THIS, JESUS’ FIRST MIRACLE WAS AT OUR WEDDING IN CANA.
EXPLAIN TO ME THE DIFFERENCE IN BURYING AND PLANTING?
CAN WE HONESTLY SEE THE VALUE OF SEEDS? BEFORE THERE IS FRUIT, WE MUST FIND THE VALUE OF THE SEED.
John 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
I hold in my hand several seeds? I hold up an acorn? Who has the prophetic ability to project years down the road and tell me what could this acorn become?
Pig food? Deer food? Vs A MIGHTY OAK TREE? What will make the difference between pig food or a MIGHTY OAK?
Effort? Time? Patience? Care?
Do we have the ability to see that SICKLY OAKS FROM SICKLY ACORNS GROW? Can we see: ALL THE MIGHTY OAK IS? A NUT THAT STOOD ITS GROUND?
John 12:24 (MSG) "Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over.
DO NOT EAT THE SEED CORN! THE BEST IS YET TO COME!
There were 7 in my family. In the spring Dad would plow the place for the garden. This dirt became very important for the family. We would fertilize the ground, plant seeds, water the ground when needed. We spent many hours in the garden. The plants would grow. We would hoe and loosen the ground. A good gardener has to do more than love plants, you must hate the weeds. The weeds will limit the harvest if you allow them to grow?
The garden became a LIFE LINE to our family. We would plant seeds and plants several times in the spring. This would cause the harvest to become ripe at different times. We would give the first fruits away. Then we would eat and live off the fresh fruit. Then we would harvest food all summer long. We would wash quart jars, pressure cook the quart jars of food to save the food for cold winter.
THERE WAS ONE THING DAD WOULD ALWAYS DO. DAD WOULD ALWAYS TAKE SOME OF THE BEST SEEDS FROM THE HARVEST AND DRY THEM AND PLACE THEM IN A JAR. DAD HAD A LINE HE WOULD SAY OFTEN. DON’T EAT THE SEED CORN. DON’T EAT THE SEED! This hickory cane corn seed, white half runner green bean seed, etc. WOULD BE SAVED FOR NEXT YEAR’S PLANTING. If we ate that seed, we would be in big trouble. That seed had to be maintained dry and
In a jar, that was next the seed for the family for next summer and next winter.
How can good seed reach its potential? WE CAN GROW BETTER FRUIT! IF WE
The seed must mature? At some point the seed must take a journey from the spot of safety and being dry to the point of hitting the ground? The seed may feel the heat of the sun? But to bear fruit the seed must be buried in the cold, damp mud? The seed appears to die. The old seed must think? What is this terrible thing I must endure.
MANY PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF SEED AND THE POTENTIAL VALUE OF THE HARVEST.
THE VALUE OF THE SEED NEEDS SOMEONE WITH VISION THAT CAN SEE THE NEED ENOUGH TO WORK BEFORE THERE CAN BE A HARVEST.
There was one such a man born in 1774 in Leominister, Massachusetts. His name was JOHN CHAPMAN. Today we do not recognize the name John Chapman but you may know his work. John felt called to carry the gospel as a traveling a preacher across the frontier of the USA. Today we know him as JOHNNY APPLESEED.
As Johnny would travel he loved nature and loved to carry the Gospel. As Johnny preached he gained a reputation about giving and planting apple seedlings. Johnny planted apple and pear trees where ever he traveled. He traveled several states including Canada, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Indiana.
John Chapman’s ministry knew that many could eat the apples from the trees he planted long after his death. There is a celebration of planting trees to this day in Massachusetts. JOHNNY LEARNED THE VALUE OF THE SEED OF THE CROSS AND OF FRUIT TREES. Apple pies come from someone’s efforts?
PREACHER HAM UNDERSTOOD THE VALUE OF THE SEED… THE BEST IS YET TO COME.
There was a preacher from Scottsville Kentucky, named Mordecia Ham. He was a minister that never tasted much success in the ministry. Mordecai Ham had a son named, Mordecai Folwer Ham Jr. Junior was ordained at Burton Memorial Baptist Church in Bowling Green, KY. Junior started preaching in 1901 and preached to 1961. Mordecia Jr. family had 8 generations of Baptist Preachers.
Mordecai Ham traveled to preach anywhere he could. HAM WAS PREACHING A REVIVAL IN CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA IN NOVEMBER 1934 WHEN A YOUNG MAN CAME TO THE ALTAR AND ACCEPTED JESUS CHRIST AS HIS PERSONAL SAVIOR.
YOU PROBABLY KNOW THE BEST SEED MORDECIA HAM PLANTED. THAT YOUNG MAN BECAME AN EVANGELIST --- YOU MIGHT HAPPEN TO KNOW THE SEED FROM THAT REVIVAL IN 1934 --- HIS NAME IS BILLY GRAHAM THE PASTOR TO THE PRESIDENTS AND A WORLD EVANGELIST.
Billy Graham IS A SEED OF AN UNKNOWN, NOT CONSIDERED SUCCESSFUL PREACHER… THE BEST IS YET TO COME…
HOW MANY SEED DID BILLY GRAHAM PLANT? How do we measure success?
SPIRITUAL SEED GROWS FROM OPPORTUNITY? WE DECIDE THE SUCCESS --- FROM HOW WE HANDLE TEMPTATION.
SIN STARTS AS A SEED --- A DESIRE, THE DESIRE GIVES GROUND TO THOUGHT (THINKING PATTERNS), THINKING PATTERNS GIVE WAY TO WORDS AND FLIRTING WITH DANGER. FLIRTING AND WINKING AT SIN WILL START A DOWNWARD SPIRAL AND WHEN SIN IS FINISHED, IT BRINGS FORTH DEATH.
An old preacher friend of mine, Lorie Vannucci would often say: I CANNOT KEEP THE BIRDS FROM FLYING OVER MY HEAD, BUT I CAN KEEP THE BIRDS FROM BUILDING A NEST ON MY HEAD.
James 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. 16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
James 1:14 (MSG) The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us. We have no one to blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust. 15 Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer. 16 So, my very dear friends, don't get thrown off course.
Do we realize how desperately we need a FILTER in our daily living?
A friend of mine was having difficulty with kidney stones on a regular basis. The doctor suggested to the family to buy a good water filter and only drink the filtered water. Since the whole family is using only filtered water there have been no more kidney stones?
MAY I SUGGEST WE NEED MORE THAN A FILTER FOR OUR WATER! I WOULD LIKE US TO SEE THE VALUE OF A FILTER FOR OUR MINDS? A FILTER FOR OUR MOUTHS? A FILTER FOR OUR EMOTIONS? A FILTER FOR OUR FAMILIES? AND A FILTER ON OUR ELECTRONICS? (TV, telephone, computer, etc.)
We need to see the VALUE OF REMOVING NEGATIVITY, MEANNESS, UNKINDNESS AND ALL IMPURITIES THAT WOULD SLOWLY and GRADUALLY ACCUMULATE THE IMPURITIES IN OUR DAILY LIFE. Your mind is not a GARBAGE CAN! Why would we accept a GARBAGE CAN MENTALITY?
INCUBATOR? What is an incubator? A device to bring life, a place that aids development?
Is your mind and mouth an incubator for TROUBLE and TRIALS? Will we allow JUNK to accumulate and become HOARDERS? Have we allowed A PIG-PEN MENTALITY to thrive in our homes?
BEHAVIOR and ATTITUDES can be taught?
Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Galatians 6:5 (MSG) Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life. 6 Be very sure now, you who have been trained to a self-sufficient maturity, that you enter into a generous common life with those who have trained you, sharing all the good things that you have and experience.
7 Don't be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!— 8 harvests a crop of weeds. All he'll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God's Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.
ARE WE ALWAYS PULLING WEEDS? MAYBE WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT THE ROOTS?
WE CAN GROW BETTER FRUIT! IF WE PLANT BETTER SEED. AND TOIL HARDER… THE BEST IS YET TO COME…
LET US USE WISDOM TO FILTER AND CORRECT OUR ATTITUDES. THE LIFE COMES FROM THE SEEDS AND THE ROOTS…
MAY WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE BEST IS YET TO COME. WE WILL BE ROOTED AND GROUNDED IN LOVE.
Hebrews 12:12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; 13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. 14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 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;
DID THEY BURY JESUS? MAYBE THEY JUST PLANTED HIM…
JESUS JUST BORROWED A GRAVE FOR 3 DAYS… THANK YOU JOSEPH OF ARIMATHAEA
FOR PLANT THE SEED…
John 19:42 There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.
CONCLUSION: God has the tendancy to save the best for the last. Maybe the last time you looked the vat was dry? The best is yet to come. Maybe the last time you looked into the vat it was water? The best is yet to come? May it is Friday and they have killed the SON of God? The best is yet to come? Don’t die on the brink of the miracle? Don’t quit. Don’t give up. Don’t throw in the towel.
2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.
The third day is coming, the BEST IS YET TO COME. Are you expecting the worse? Hey, have you got the feeling everything is going to be ALRIGHT? Say it! Speak the word! Make a declaration of faith: THE BEST IS YET TO COME. We have survived the storm. We are blessed.
Ecclesiastes 7:8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
God help us thrive in the midst of the storm. This trial is a great opportunity to trust God and declare. The best is yet to come.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
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