THE EROSION OF THE FOUNDATIONS VS TRUSTING GOD.
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (Take your time and do this in several parts.)
I give each person a small candle. Let us discuss what is the purpose of a candle? The candle is not at all about the candle. The candle is about the light. In dark nights the little light from a candle ILLUMINATES the way. .
The Pastor asked a question: WHAT DO YOU CALL A PERSON WHEN A PERSON KEEPS TALKING WHEN NO ONE IS INTERESTED AND NO ONE IS LISTENING? A young boy stood to his feet and said: “HE IS A PREACHER.”
WHAT WILL WE DO WHEN THE FOUNDATIONS ARE SHAKEN?
Psalm 11:1 In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain? 2 For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart. 3 If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?
What are we going to do when the foundations of the church and the godly society are going to be destroyed? We see the powers of darkness try to RAZE (to utterly destroy as a bulldozer knocking down.) This slow crumbling is eroding the trust and faith of many believers. We have two options know the Bible and trust it. Or we can live in worry and fear.
Chaos, the absence of trusting God and the lack of trusting other people, vs trusting the church and trusting God and his word will bring the either the rod of judgment, or the staff of comfort.
TEXT:
Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
JESUS IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD…
John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
On my first mission trip to Haiti on the first night of the “GREAT CONVENTION” there was a brief time of introduction to about 1,500 people. Each honored guest had a time of introduction. When it came my time I stood with the interpreter, I looked over the crowd and said something very simple. I said: I AM A CANDLE FOR THE LORD. I started to sit down. The interpreter said: WHAT? I said two more times I am a candle for the Lord, I GIVE MYSELF FOR THE LIGHT... He said: I DON’T UNDERSTAND YOU? I held up my left finger as a candle, my right hand as a flame moving around over my finger… He said, OH, I HAVE IT: YOU ARE A CANDLE FOR THE LORD AND YOU GIVE YOURSELF FOR THE LIGHT. He grabbed the microphone and screamed in Creole: THIS MAN IS A CANDLE FOR LORD AND HE GIVES HIMSELF FOR THE LIGHT.
When I would walk through the people I could hear them say something. I would ask the interpreter: “what are they saying?” He would tell me: THEY ARE SAYING HERE COMES THE CANDLE. The next several years I was introduced as the candle for the Lord. What a wonderful sermon. A TEACHER IS LIKE A CANDLE THAT CONSUMES ITSELF WHILE LIGHTING THE WAY FOR OTHERS TO SEE…
*THEY WILL ONLY SEE THE LIGHT OF HOPE. (AUTHOR UNKNOWN)
HIS LIGHT AM I TO SHINE WHERE HE SHALL SAY;
AND LAMPS ARE NOT FOR SUNNY ROOMS NOR FOR THE LIGHT OF DAY.
BUT FOR THE DARK PLACES OF THE EARTH,
WHERE SHAME AND WRONG AND CRIMES GIVE BIRTH.
OR FOR THE MILKY TWILIGHT GRAY,
WHERE WANDERING SHEEP HAVE GONE ASTRAY.
OR WHERE THE LAMP OF FAITH GROWS DIM
AND SOULS ARE GROPING AFTER HIM.
AND SOMETIMES A FLAME WE FIND,
CLEAR SHINING THROUGH THE LIGHT,
SO DARK WE CANNOT SEE THE LAMPS,
BUT ONLY SEE THE LIGHT.
SO MAY I SHINE HIS LOVE AND HIS FLAME
THAT MEN MIGHT GLORIFY HIS NAME.
A CANDLE LOSES NOTHING BY LIGHTING ANOTHER CANDLE.
A candle can symbolize light in the dark corners of life. The candle illuminates, a symbol of holy illumination of the spirit of truth and trust and faith. A shining candle represents the light of Christ. The light reveals hidden things and the motive and intentions of the heart. The power of God is not in the candle, the power is in the light of hope.
Romans 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
** LIGHT IS A SYMBOL OF HOLINESS, HOPE, GOODNESS, KNOWLEDGE, WISDOM, GRACE AND THE REVELATION OF GOD’S WORD AND TRUTH.
HAVE FAITH AND TRUST GOD? IS THAT A QUESTION OR AN EXCLAMATION? PRAYER AND PEACE. God is light and fear is not of God, TRUST…
2 Corinthians 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
Mark 11:22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. 23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
A TRUSTING PRAYER
Did you hear about the young preacher that graduated Bible School? He accepted a small country church to be the pastor. It was the only church that would have him. He was the only candidate that would go to the small church. So they were matched up pretty well. His first Sunday there as the new pastor was so excited to be their pastor. So the pastor had prepared a good sermon. The young man called on the head deacon to lead the prayer before his lesson.
The deacon came forward and stood before the altar and in a loud countrified voice the deacon started: Now heavenly Father we come humbly yet boldly before the throne of God. Father please hear my prayer. Now Lord, I hate lard. The young preacher peeked at his deacon. The preacher thought what mess am I in for? The old deacon went on to say: Now, Lord you know I am not too fond of buttermilk. Wow, where is he going with this thought the preacher? The old farmer said: Lord, flour is so dry and hard to swallow, I just ain’t too crazy about flour. But, Lord I know after you mix everything together and put it in the oven, I just love butter on my biscuits. Now sweet heavenly Father we have learned that life gets heavy and hard for seasons. Many trials and sufferings we just don’t understand what you are doing. But Lord we are learning that “THEY THAT WAIT UPON YOU SHALL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH.” Lord, teach us to wait to see what you are making. God, we trust you and you know what you are doing. God you know what you are making and it will be good after the mixing and the baking. Jesu,s what you are doing here will be much better than flaky biscuits. Amen.
TRUST NO MATTER WHAT YOU ARE GOING THROUGH… in the old testament trust is 134 times, trusted 29 times, trustedst 3 times, trustiest 6 times, trusteth 17 times, trusting 1 time, for a total of 191 times in the Old.
** GOD IS JEHOVAH-JIREH --- GOD THE PROVIDER.
** GOD JEHOVAH-RAPHA --- THE GOD THAT HEALS YOU.
** GOD IS JEHOVAH-SHALOM--- THE GOD THAT GIVES GREAT PEACE.
Jeremiah 17:7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. 8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.
TRUST UNDERSTANDS THERE IS AN ELEMENT OF WAITING PATIENTLY FOR GOD’S DIVINE TIMING.
Isaiah 40:28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. 29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
WHAT DOES OUR ENEMY GIVE: WORRY, FEAR, --- HE COMES TO STEAL, KILL AND DESTROY. GOD’S PLAN IS MUCH DIFFERENT GOD COMES TO GIVE LIFE ABUNDANTLY. GOD GIVES POWER, LOVE AND A SOUND MIND.
2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Psalm 37:4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. 6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
Mark 5:36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.
1 John 5:5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
CONCLUSION: We tend to be NEGATIVITY BIAS… CNN, FOX, ABC AND MSNBC are sowing fear in the hearts of many. We have to make the choice where is truth? The news channels or the Bible… that slander and deny the power of God’s word. When I am afraid where do I run?
Hebrews 2:13 And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.
Psalm 91:2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
LIFE IS FULL OF HEAVY, DIFFICULT HARD SEASONS… ARE WE REACHING BY FAITH TO GIVE HOPE TO OTHERS IN HARD TIMES
Psalm 119:165 Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.
God has the final words… not the political system, the medical establishments, the entertainment or sports industry. WHEN THE FOUNDATIONS SHAKE, WE DON’T HAVE TO…
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
TRUST THE WORD OF GOD, STAND STILL AND SEE GOD’S PLAN.
