PRECEDENT… TURN THE VOLUME UP? GOD DEMANDS EFFORT…
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
HAVE YOU EVER TALKED TO YOURSELF? THERE IS A PRECEDENT SET BY A LADY THAT FOR 12 YEARS HAD BEEN VERY SICK AND WEAK. SHE WAS AT THE END OF HER ROPE.
12 YEARS THIS LADY WAS UN-CLEAN. 12 years she was defiled. 12 years she had limited contact with people. 12 years she could not assemble with others. This lady established a precedence that still stands today.
Mark 5:25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, 26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, n 27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. 28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. 29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. 30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? 31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 32 And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. 33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. 34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.
*SETTING A PRECEDENT, PRECEDENCE… AN EARLIER ACTION THAT IS CONSIDERED IN SUBSEQUENT CIRCUMSTANCES.
An example to guide, setting a priority, to consider important, to establish a justification for a later one, CONSISTENT..
*DRED SCOTT vs SANDFORD was a 1857 landmark decision by the Supreme Court. The Court upheld the decision that BLACK PEOPLE WERE NOT MEANT TO BE CONSIDERED AMERICAN CITIZENS… they were considered like a dog or a horse. In 1868, 11 years later the precedent of the Dred Scott case was turned over. All people born in the USA are considered CITIZENS.
*ROE vs WADE set a precedent about abortion.
THE PRECEDENT OF EXCUSES…
Eve made the precedent of OFFERING EXCUSES. Offering excuses is an addictive behavior. SO WHAT IS SO BAD ABOUT OFFERING EXCUSES? Excuses are CONTAGIOUS? Excuses means there will be NO CHANGE. THERE WILL BE NO REPENTANCE AND LITTLE CHANGE. The trouble with excuses are your excuses ACCUSE YOU. Eve blamed the Devil. Adam blamed EVE… ADAM BLAMES GOD… THAT WOMAN YOU GAVE ME… The terrible gift of EXCUSES CAN CAUSE one to never acknowledge your problem and THUS REFUSE CORRECTION!
Luke 14:18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. 19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. 20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. 21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.
THREE BROAD CATEGORIES OF EXCUSES:
• MATERIALISM
• BUSINESS/PLEASURE
• RELATIONSHIPS
THE CHURCH IS IN GREAT NEED TO HAVE LEADERS THAT COME TO JESUS’S FEET AND STAY THERE.
We need something in the church. We need more MOVERS, SHAKERS AND IGNITERS. When I graduated from college my wife bought me a big ANT FARM. We ordered the ants from Uncle Milton’s Ant Farm. I did not read the directions. Have you ever tried to get ants to move from the tube they are in to climb into their new home? Very difficult? Read the directions? Put the tube of ants in the refrigerator for 15 minutes then pour them in.
How we loved the ANT FARM. For months they dug tunnels. They make a room to store their food. They make a room to bury their dead. They are hard workers. They had many tunnels and they moved the sand from here to there. One night we came home from church and my wife Linda flicked the side of the ant farm and all the tunnels caved in. Linda said she wanted to see what the ants would do?
The ants moved in unison to the top of the ant farm. I think they were saying earthquake. They all crawled into a ball for safety. They were holding on for dear life. Linda started to go to bed. I said you wanted to see what they would do? Now we are going to watch them. They stayed in the group probably 15 minutes. They were shaking in fear. Finally one ant started walking around. He was all by himself. He walked here and there. The other ants were just shaking in fear. After a long period of time the one ant walked over and picked up one grain of sand and carried it to the top. He looked around, nothing? He was the only one working. So he returned and picked up another grain of sand and he would walk pass the other ants carrying his burden alone.
On maybe his 15th load all by himself, he started shaking in excitement. He then carried more sand opening an inlet into the sand. We later read, the one working put off a very sweet scent as he walked by the other ants. After a few more loads one ant joined in the work. They would get two grains of sand and carry them to an area. After several loads the two working together seemed to calm the ball of ants. The sweet smell grew. A third ant joined in carrying the sand. Then the 4th ant. The next thing you knew all the ants were carrying sand. The mouth of a new tunnel was taking form.
We went to bed. By the next morning the ants had finished 3 new tunnels. In three days the rooms were back in a new formation.
THE REFORMATION OF THE TUNNELS AND ROOMS WERE ALL STARTED BY ONE ANT STARTING THE WORK. THAT ANT GOT EXCITED AND GAVE OFF A SWEET FRAGRANCE. The other ants watched. His excitement was contagious and eventually all the ants chimed in. UNDERSTAND ME--- NOTHING WOULD HAVE BEEN DONE WITHOUT THE IGNITOR, THE MOVER AND THE SHAKER.
SOMEONE HAS TO GET EXCITED TO BE A MOVER, SHAKER OR IGNITOR…
DO WE REALIZE THE PRECEDENCE THAT GOD DOES NOT DROP PIE OUT OF THE SKY…? THE PRECEDENT OF GOD REQUIRES US TO TAKE ACTION… WHAT YOU DO WILL EITHER HINDER YOUR MIRACLE OR WILL RELEASE YOUR MIRACLE?
PETER HAS A REAL PROBLEM… THE TAXES ARE DUE… SURELY JESUS WILL LOAN ME THE MONEY? No, Jesus tells Peter go fishing! Open the fishes mouth… the answer is more than PETER’S NEEDS… Jesus says: WHILE YOU ARE AT IT, PAY MINE.
NAAMAN: Sure we know leprosy will kill you. The Preacher refuses to come out and visit? GO DIP 7 TIMES. Naaman is angry.
HEY, WIDOW WOMAN? She knows thIs is the LAST SUPPER. The Preacher says: FEED ME FIRST.
Jesus spit in the dirt and made mud? Imagine the newspaper headlines. Spit and mud and then make a blind man walk and wash his face?
Lazarus, Jesus don’t you know HE STINKS BY NOW? JUST SHUT UP AND ROLL THE STONE AWAY.
COME WITH ME… JUST BECAUSE GOD MAY DELAY YOUR ANSWER DOES NOT MEAN HE DENIES YOUR PRAYERS.
Isaiah 40:29 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.
A Preacher was traveling from Texas to North Carolina. He was doubting himself and the heavy burden he carried. He was crying and he passed an 18 wheeler. He looked up and written on the left side of back of the trailer it said: GOD IS MOVING… He continued looking and on the right side of the trailer the doors said: HAVE PATIENCE!
CONCLUSION: GOD KNOWS HOW TO GET OUR ATTENTION… TURN THE VOLUME UP… Jesus may whisper? If you refuse to listen, the God of the second chance may SPEAK LOUDER. ZOLLIE SMITH TOLD A STORY THAT I WELL REMEMBER. There was art work in a museum in Europe. It was called “CHECK MATE”… The game is over, you lost. One of the world’s greatest Chess player was visiting and he studied the artwork for hours. Everyone knew of the fame of this world champ. He was greatly admired for his CHESS WISDOM. He was introduced as THE INTERNATIONAL WORLD CHAMPION. After standing hours studying this masterpiece called “CHECK MATE” (It is over you lost.) The world champ stepped up and declared there IS ONE MORE MOVE. THE KING HAD ONE MORE MOVE… COME ON, THE KING, MOVE THE KING… THE GAME WAS NOT LOST… MOVE THE KING… WHEN THE KING WAS MOVED THE GAME WAS NOT CHECK MATE, THE KING WON.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
WHAT PRECEDENT ARE YOU SETTING?
