STONE SOUP --- GIVE WHAT YOU HAVE?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
TYRONE: (Unknown)
There was a small boy in elementary school. He had trouble with his learning and his social skills. His teacher hated him and would often call him stupid and lazy. He was clumsy and always causing trouble. Tyrone’s teacher would fuss and put Tyrone down for his stupid words and behavior. His teacher often screamed: Tyrone you are good for nothing and you are driving me crazy. Tyrone, you will be in prison all your life, you are worthless and can never learn.
Tyrone would come home from school and cry. He would tell his mother I will not return to school, my teacher is mean to me. So one day the mom walked to school with Tyrone to see what was really going on with her son. The teacher said I will be very honest with you. Tyrone is stupid and very lazy. He is failing in every class. He can’t get along with the other kids. Tyrone is the dumbest boy I have ever taught.
The mom had Tyrone grab all his stuff and they left school in tears. She was hurt for how her son was treated. She moved to Cleveland, Ohio and never returned there.
25 years later the teacher had a serious heart condition. There was only one place in the world that could treat this condition. Yes, only in Cleveland, Ohio was there treatment to save this teacher’s life. So the teacher traveled to the heart Institute at the Cleveland Clinic for major life threatening heart surgery. No other clinic was doing this procedure. So the teacher traveled to Cleveland and the major surgery was very successful.
After her surgery she was on life support. She looked up into the doctor’s face to THANK HIM for saving her life. The teacher found out she could not talk because of the breathing tube. She was looking up into the doctor’s eyes and she suddenly turned very blue, she raised her hand to say something to the young doctor but she died before she could say anything to him.
The doctor was so surprised that the woman had died so suddenly. Then the doctor turned around to see Tyrone the new janitor in the clinic. Seems Tyrone unplugged the teacher’s life support machine to plug in his vacuum cleaner.
Seriously, did you think Tyrone became the heart surgeon and operated on his old mean teacher? If you thought that, you probability voted for Hillary Clinton in the last election? (Unknown)
GOD NEEDS YOU! GOD HAS A PLAN TO USE YOU AND WHAT EVER YOU HAVE?
There are always 3 things to consider: 1. Cost? 2. Worth? 3. Value? What is significant? What is important to you? What is important to God? If you were going to DIE in 15 minutes would you see more in the light of eternity?
Exodus 4:2 And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.
How much did Moses pay for his ROD or STAFF? What was the Worth of the rod? The worth might depend on if there was a snake coiled for attack? What was the value then?
Somewhere in Moses’ journey we find a CHANGE? Cost? Value? Worth? We cannot always see with our eyes, sometimes we must see with our heart? God open the eyes of my heart that I MIGHT SEE!
Exodus 17:9 And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.
THERE ARE MORE THAN EXTERNIAL CHANGES… Moses learned cost, value and worth in people. Moses had to learn the value of obedience and team work. The rod works better with HELP OF OTHERS.
Exodus 17:12 But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. THANK YOU AARON AND HUR.
JUST SAY: THE LORD HAS A NEED… THE 7TH ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM… CALLED THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY…
The was a God plan that Jesus would come into Jerusalem riding a donkey. The crowd was yelling Hosanna, Hosanna, Blessed is he who you comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest…
Mark 11:2 And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him. 3 And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither.
Just imagine how proud that donkey’s mother would have been. The first person to ever ride on her son was Jesus Christ the SON OF GOD. That donkey must have become famous at the stable… I am sure the donkey told his grandchildren about carrying the SON OF GOD TO THE TEMPLE.
I AM ALSO SURE THE DONKEY HEARD HOW SOON THE CRY OF THE PEOPLE CHANGED FROM HOSANNA TO CRUCIFY. But the borrowed DONKEY speaks to the PLAN OF GOD. THANK YOU DONKEY!
THERE WAS A MAN NAMED JOSEPH OF ARIMTHEA HAD A TOMB PREPARED FOR HE AND HIS WIFE…
THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A BORROWED GRAVE THAT WAS ONLY USED 3 DAY… JESUS JUST NEEDED THE GRAVE FOR 72 HOURS.
Mark 15:43 Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.
Thank you Joseph you will always be remembered.
YOU MAY NEVER KNOW THE BEAUTY OF YOUR GIFT? THERE WAS A LADY THAT GAVE THE BEST THING SHE EVER OWNED… IT WAS EXPENSIVE…MARY CRIED, SHE WASHED JESUS FEET, SHE DRIED HIS FEET… BUT SOMETHING HAPPENED TO MARY AND SHE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME… AS MARY BROKE OPEN HER ALABASTER BOX IT WAS A LOVE GIVE…
Mark 14:8 She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.
Matthew 26:12 For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. 13 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.
Mary never knew that day as some put her down… MARY’S GIFT WAS A FOREVER MEMORIAL. THANK YOU MARY!
EVER HEAR THE ENEMY SAY: YOUR GIFT WILL NOT MATTER. YOU CAN NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE…
I always dreamed of someday making a difference to someone.
Jude 1:22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:
Mark 12:42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. 43 And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: 44 For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.
UNTIL YOU GIVE THEM? BRING THEM HERE TO ME… GOD HAD A PLAN WHEN THE YOUNG BOY’S MOM PACKED HIS LUNCH… ONE OF THE DISCIPLES ASKED: BUT WHAT ARE THEY AMONG SO MANY… BRING THEM HITHER TO ME … JESUS BLESSES THE BISCUITS AND MINNOWS… THEY ARE JUST A BOY’S LUNCH UNTIL HE GIVES THEM…
Matthew 14:15 And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals. 16 But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat. 17 And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. 18 He said, Bring them hither to me. 19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. 20 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.
There grows a miracle when YOU GIVE! Thank you boy!
LET US MAKE STONE SOUP? STONE SOUP?
Matthew 14:18 He said, Bring them hither to me.
There is an age old story. Let me remind you. The whole village was in a drought and famine was all around. People were dying for the lack of food. The local Preacher had been praying many hours. The Preacher talked to the community, but no one had any food. There was no food in the camp. Late one night the Preacher was walking the floor seeking God’s wisdom. God spoke to the old Preacher. He had no food for days. God spoke clearly: GET UP AND GATHER WOOD TO THE COURT YARD IN THE CENTER OF THE VILLAGE! How will that help us, God? God said: DO WHAT I SAID! So the old Preacher started gathering firewood and several from the community pitched in and piled a large stack of wood in the center of town.
The next night God spoke again to the old Preacher and told him, get the largest iron pot and take it to the pile of fire wood. How is that going to help us he asked God? The next morning several carried the huge pot and set in on the fire wood. The Preacher heard God say: TAKE SOME ROCKS AND PUT THEM INTO THE HUGE COOKING POT. Then carry water and pour the water over the rocks and fill up the pot. Several boys, then men helped fill the pot with rocks with water and the Preacher built a fire under the pot of Rocks. By faith “ROCK SOUP?”
The Preacher got a paddle and started stirring the Rock Soup. About that time an old lady left, when she returned she had about 10 big potatoes. She cut them up and put them in with the rocks. A lady whispered to her child and he ran home and brought back a bag of carrots. She cut them up and dropped them into the pot.
A man started crying and ran home and returned with some beautiful onions. People started bringing flour, barely, peas, beans and the next thing the village knew there was a huge pot of delicious soup.
The Preacher told everyone to grab a bowl and they knelt down and had a long prayer… when each one gave what they had there was plenty for all. The people were laughing and dancing and praising God. The miracle was ROCK SOUP? After the meal the community gathered and prayed. They asked the God that helped make the miracle Rock Soup to bring rain. The community bowed and confessed and repented. God saw them repent of selfishness and heard their prayer. A wind started blowing and the Preacher said Get Home. I HEAR THE ABUNDANCE OF RAIN. THANK YOU PREACHER.
CONCLUSION: WHAT REALLY MATTERS? LET US PONDER: RAHAB? HANNAH? ABIGAIL? SARAH? ANDREW? BARNABAS? YOU DO WHAT YOU CAN--- GOD CAN DO THE REST. God needs what’s in your hand!
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Help me, please? Pass my lesson on to others…
