CAPTIVATOR: SMALL? THE HOUR GLASS OF TIME? COMPARISON.
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
I HAVE A CLOCK AND A LARGE HOUR GLASS. Remember: There has been a soap opera or drama that has ran for 56 seasons, since 1965. This drama is set in the town of Salem in the Midwest. LIKE THE SANDS THROUGH THE HOUR GLASS, SO ARE THE DAYS OF OUR LIVES…
SMALL THINGS? AM I MY BROTHER’S KEEPER? WHAT ARE WE REALLY SAYING? MY BROTHER IS NOT MY PROBLEM…
Genesis 4:9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?
It may seem as a small issue but in God’s word it is a big issue.
1 John 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
AM I MY BROTHERS KEEPER? DO I HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES TO LOVE HARD TO LOVE PEOPLE…CAN WE UNDERSTAND CAIN WAS UPSET OVER A SMALL ISSUE, THE OFFERING? Small things can lead to harsh words, judgmental opinions and cruel physical and spiritual death.
SMALL THINGS? DO WE UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE IN A CLOCK AND A HOUR GLASS?
Ephesians 5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
There has been a soap opera or drama that has ran for 56 seasons, since 1965. This drama is set in the town of Salem in the Midwest. LIKE THE SANDS THROUGH THE HOUR GLASS, SO ARE THE DAYS OF OUR LIVES…
HOW CAN SMALL ISSUES CAUSE MOSES AND AARON TO LOSE THEIR FOCUS ON WHAT THE MAIN THING WAS? BY WATCHING AND LISTENING TO PEOPLE GRIPE AND COMPLAIN. THE MORE THE PEOPLE MURMURED THE MORE MOSES AND AARON LOST SIGHT OF THEIR GOAL --- this decision became very costly.
Numbers 20:2 And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. 3 And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD! 4 And why have ye brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?
Our families have struggles and demands. Then there are struggles and demands on the physical and spiritual sides at church. Pleasing people at best can be difficult. Let me illustrate this. What about the temperature at church? Some like it warmer. One man complained to me: ARE YOU TRYING TO FREEZE ME TO DEATH? He did not attend church for a month. I went to his house and bowed my knees and asked him to pray for me. I explained our church has concrete floors and in the winter no matter how we heat the building the floors stay cold. Then there are people that are hot and fanning themselves? Then we have people that are cold all the time in the summer and they complain.
My FOCUS is rather simple. We have several people that have COPD and lung issues. Warm air really bothers them. The only thing I know to do is place hand fans on the pew racks. We have small lap quilts that are laying around. We set the thermostat on 72* and some fan, some use the quilt. IT IS OK! DON’T MAKE THIS THE HILL TO DIE ON…?
I knew a preacher that in great anger went and threw the air conditioner breaker and said as long as I am here we will never use the air conditioner again. This over reaction on a small thing ended within a week. Do you think there was a better solution… the enemy GLOATS over small things.
WHAT IS OUR VALUE SYSTEM? IS THIS THE HILL TO DIE ON? COULD THIS BE TRIVIAL PURSUIT?
We must be very careful to use wisdom and control our moods and emotions. So many times we REACT to negativity. We must ACT BY FAITH. We must be very careful to not make mountains out of mole hills. Watch your step, allow the Holy Spirit to help us make this a great opportunity. In the dark days we are walking through can be seasons of stupidity.
Ephesians 5:15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
STUPIDITY IS USUALLY PRETTY STUPID. Small things? Use your head not your tiredness and weariness. Make the most out of negative situations… We walk in desperate times. Usually small things can lead us to the heart of God. Small things? A friend of mine stated from the pulpit you can’t vote for Bill Clinton and be a Christian. He rented a U-Haul that week. I can take you to a father and son that will not talk to each other and unfriended each other over the Trump-Biden election. Small thing? I can tell you about a church in a holy war over the COVID VACCINE. Small thing? Several on both sides will never attend church again? IN THE LIGHT OF ETERNITY THESE SMALL ISSUES HAVE CAUSED US TO LOSE SIGHT OF THE GOALS BEFORE US. Small things? Heaven or Hell? I SAY PREACH THE GOSSIP, NO PREACH THE GOSPEL AND LEAVE THIS HIGHLY OPINIONATED, ASSERTIVE AND DOGMATIC OPINIONS ALONE… The enemy is disrupting the unity and love of the church over issues that bring division.
I AM RIGHT AND I WILL DESTROY ANY ONE DIFFERENT THAN ME. HAVE WE FORGOTTEN THE MILLSTONE PRINCIPLE?
Matthew 18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
If you take 50 red ants and a black ant and put them in a jar they will coexist. But if you shake the jar vigorously the red ants will kill the black ant. Somehow the ants become angry over their differences? Are we the same way?
I WILL CLASSIFY AND COMPARE… WILL YOU CONSIDER MY OPINION?… THE MASTER PUTS 3 DIFFERENT MEN TO BE IN CHARGE OF HIS GOODS. NOT KNOWN TO US IS WHY THE MASTER DIVIDED THE TALENTS OR MINAS THE WAY THAT HE DID? LET ME SHARE MY OPINION NOT TO WHY THE MASTER DID THIS BUT MY OPINION WHY THE ONE BURIED HIS TALENT OR MINA.
THE MASTER GAVE ONE MAN 5 TALENTS AND HE DOUBLED THEM TO 10… TO ONE MAN THE MASTER GAVE 2 TALENTS AND HE DOUBLED THEM. NICE! VERY NICE! BUT LET US THINK ABOUT THE 1 TALENT INDIVIDUAL… HE KNEW THE MASTER WAS HARD? SO THE 1 TALENT MAN BURIED OR HID HIS TALENT? WHY?
My opinion is easy the one talent man was happy until he found out he was at the bottom of the pole. The talents were given according to abilities. My neighbor got 5, THAT IS NOT FAIR? Why did he get 5? Wait a minute my other neighbor got 2 talents? Now that is not fair. Why did he get 5, he got 2 and I only got 1?
Matthew 25:24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
WHEN I SEE HOW SMALL I AM? THAT MUST BE FAVORITISM? THE MASTER LOVES THEM MORE THAN HE LOVES ME? Now I label this as my opinion, we don’t know… but when we see how small we are … that is one thing, coupled with they GOT SO MUCH MORE THAN ME. They are VIP’s and I am a no body… LET US BURY AND APPLY NO EFFORT. It is favoritism.
2 Corinthians 10:12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
WHAT YOU DO TO THE LEAST OF THESE?
Matthew 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
CONCLUSION: WHEN THE WORLD IS FUSSING AND COMPLAINING WE HAVE A CHOICE… WE CAN ALLOW ARGUMENTS AND FEAR TO DICTATE AND CAUSE US TO ISOLATE AND WITHDRAW… OR WE CAN TAKE THE HIGH ROAD OF LOVE AND BE A HOPE GIVER… GOD DESIRES OUR DAILY LIVES TO FLOW WITH JOY, PEACE, LOVE, TENDER MERCIES AND GREAT COMPASSION…
DO WE LOVE THE STINK? THE STINK --- THE CAPTIVATOR … We live in the country. There are 100’s of cattle all around us. We have flies all around us. We have horseflies, houseflies and anything in between. Last year a friend told us about THE CAPTIVATOR. There is a half-gallon jar you fill ¾ of the way with water. There is a little plastic bag of the stinkiest powder. It smells like 1,000 rotten animals. THE FLIES ARE ATTRACTED TO THE TERRIBLE ODOR. They crawl in the top and go through a little goose neck and they cannot get out. There are there 10,000 flies in there. The flies have maggots in there. They are trapped and die. The next generations die for the STINK? Don’t die here?
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
