SO WHAT? STAYING HOME?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Years ago my little son loved the GENERAL LEE, the car from the Duke Boys TV show. Linda was gone to church and Wade, my son was playing and he wanted his General Lee. So he yelled and said: Dad, where is the General. I said: Right over there. He said: WHERE? Right over there. He could not see the car. I looked over at my son. He had both eyes closed and had his hands out trying to feel around and find the General Lee. I laughed.
Of course you cannot see with your eyes closed. He had to open his eyes to see.
TODAY WE UNDERSTAND THIS SAD TRUTH. People are so narrow minded they seem to focus on today. Many refuse to open their eyes to the consequences of their choices.
WHAT CAN THE CONSEQUENCES OF ONE DAY DO?
David was King. David learned to delegate authority. Joab was a great leader and very capable of handling the battle and allow David to stay at home for R&R, Rest and Relaxation. IT WAS TIME: WHAT TIME? IT WAS TIME WHEN KINGS GO FORTH INTO BATTLE.
SO WHAT? David has been faithful. His men loved and appreciated their King. So why isn’t it OK to stay home…?
2 Samuel 11:1 And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.
So what? David had always been faithful to lead his army to battle! So what is staying home going to hurt? IT APPEARS DAVID HAD GROWN LAZY AND TIRED. DAVID’S ATTITUDES HAD CHANGED. DAVID BECOMES SOFT IN HIS DUTIES AS KING. David loved the easy life of the PALACE and he was spoiled to THE GOOD THINGS he had earned?
DAVID HAS FALLEN FROM HIS DREAM. HE USED TO PRAY AND RELY ON GOD? NOT ONLY HAD DAVID’S EGO GROWN, HE WAS NOT DEPENDING ON GOD… HE BECAME SELF RELIANT. David had a massive, the best war machine of his day. He feel like he didn’t need God’s plan, WARRIOR DAVID knew how to battle?
David had lived a rough, hard life. He was a shepherd boy out in the fields with his Dad’s flock. That was difficult. He faced a bear and later a lion. David spent much of his first years running from the enemies and then he had to run from his friends and allies. The PALACE was so comfortable and easy.
He laid around in his bed. No doubt he ate rich food and GOT FAT. At least SPIRITUALLY FAT.
HOW DOES A MIGHTY WARRIOR SLOWLY, GRADUALLY SLIP FROM GOD’S MAN TO MORAL FAILURE. WE NEED TO STUDY AND LOOK AT: HOW ARE THE MIGHTY FALLEN?
1 Samuel 13:14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.
DAVID ASKS THE SAME QUESTION THREE TIMES IN ONE CHAPTER… HOW? WHY?
2 Samuel 1:19 The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen!
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!
WARNING! WARNING! DAVID’S FALL FROM MIGHTY KING TO A MORAL FAILURE MUST BE CONSIDERED… BECAUSE DAVID WAS NOT WHERE HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN, HE OPENED THE DOOR TO A DARK TIME.
2 Samuel 11:2 And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
GOD REVEALS THE SECRETS… THE PREACHER STUDIES FOR HIS SERMON: THOU ART THE MAN… DAVID TURNED FROM A MAN AFTER GOD’S HEART TO DESPISE THE WORD AND COMMANDMENTS OF GOD… DAVID KNEW BETTER! THE PAY DAY WILL BE VERY COSTLY.
2 Samuel 12:7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; 8 And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. 9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. 10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. 11 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. 12 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.
13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. 14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.
ONE OF THE GREATEST WARRIORS AND KINGS, FACES A GIANT HE CAN’T HANDLE. DAVID WOULD HAVE DIED IN BATTLE HAD HE NOT HAD A FRIEND TO STAND FOR HIM.
2 Samuel 21:16 And Ishbibenob, which was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with a new sword, thought to have slain David. 17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.
We seldom hear this story told because we refuse to acknowledge HOW THE MIGHTY ARE FAILLEN.
WILL WE ALLOW THE ENEMY TO SNEAK IN AND BLIND US?Pp
Matthew 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
BLINDNESS IS A VERY TERRIBLE CONDITION FOR A PERSON TO HAVE TO ACCEPT. THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE MUCH WORSE THAN BLIND EYES --- TODAY SEEMS TO BE A REDEFINING OF TRUTH AND A GRADUAL SPIRIT OF COMPROMISE.
2 Corinthians 3:14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
BLIND EYES, BLIND HEARTS, BLIND MINDS, DEAF EARS THAT REFUSE…
2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
2 Corinthians 4:4 (MSG) All they have eyes for is the fashionable god of darkness. They think he can give them what they want, and that they won't have to bother believing a Truth they can't see. They're stone-blind to the dayspring brightness of the Message that shines with Christ, who gives us the best picture of God we'll ever get.
HOW BLIND CAN WE BE? ROE V.WADE 1/22/1973
It is estimated there are 40 to 50 million abortions a year worldwide. That would average 125,000 abortions a day. PLANNED PARENT HOODREPORTS 2.5 MILLION VISITS A YEAR.
WE TOLERATE LATE TERM ABORTIONS UP TO THE DAY OF BIRTH, 23% ARE CLASSIFIED AS LATE TERM.
Luke 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
WE ARE CREATING FAMILIES WITHOUT GOD! PEOPLE VALUE THE CHURCH LESS THAN SPORTS! ---
THE FALLING AWAY… APOSTASY
2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
In the USA church membership is down sharply in the last 20 years.
In 1999 70 % of Americans claimed to be church members, Today only 50% claim church membership.
GALLUP SAYS THE % OF THOSE ATTENDING CHURCH IS AT AN ALL TIME LOW.
The is a growing trend for people to claim no religious affliliation to any church.
New studies show a shrinking number of Americans believe in the virgin birth. Around 50%
Christmas has become more materialism than religious.
MOSES, YOU ARE A GOOD MAN. DID YOU FORGET SMALL CHOICES CAN HAVE GREAT CONSEQUENCES? MOSES WAS ANGRY! HE MADE MINISTRY LOOK LIKE A CIRCUS?
THE SHOWING OF THE FLESH CAN COST MORE THAN YOU EXPECTED.
Numbers 20:8 Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink. 9 And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him. 10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? 11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. 12 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.
CONCLUSION: God’s gift to a family is the opportunity to make our free will choices. What are you creating today? Smiting the rock may seem nothing to you. Staying home may seem nothing to you, but the price can last and leave a trail of tears…
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
