ABSENT WITHOUT LEAVE… AWOL… SUPPOSE
BY Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com Two part
HAVE WE EVER HEARD: A LINE DRAWN IN THE SAND? ARE YOU FOR US OR AGAINST US?
Matthew 12:30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
2 Timothy 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
SUPPOSE: assume without proof, possible, assume, to think it might be the truth, counterfeit…
There are two kinds of dogs… the second kind I watch out for. One kind of dog barks, growls and clearly defines you are in his space. The other kind of dog is what I call SNEAKY. He quietly sneaks up behind you and with no warning he attacks and bites.
AWOL was first used in 1891… Being absent without official leave… It is sad when a person leaves their POST OF DUTY… AWOL can be DESERTION, and have serious consequences. AWOL could lead to arrest and conviction.
It is failure to report for duty.
AWOL: absent without notice, without explanation or without permission. May be absent without the knowledge of authority. It is when a person fails to report for duty or responsibility…
ABSENT FROM WHERE ONE SHOULD BE…
*AWOL could take several forms: PHYSICAL, MENTAL, SPIRITUAL…
DAYDREAMING OR NOT PAYING ATTENTION COULD BE AWOL MENTALLY.
AT THE TIME KINGS GO TO BATTLE… DAVID FOUND THE LIFE AT THE PALACE SO EASY, HE WILL NOT GO…
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. 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. 3 And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
David knew better than to go AWOL… David knew what time it was… DAVID SENT A VERY CAPABLE REPLACEMENT… AS A MATTER OF FACT, JOAB WON… VICTORY… David was the eighth son of eight sons… David killed a bear and a lion. David killed GOLIATH.
David had seen SAUL’S FALL… HOW DO THE MIGHTY FALL? We can get so comfortable and excuse our behavior.
2 Samuel 1:19 The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen!
I can trust JOAB? WHAT ABOUT BATHSHEBA? URRIAH? SIN?
2 Samuel 12:10 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.
AWOL COST DEARLY…
EVER TRY TO RUN FROM THE PRESENCE OF GOD? JONAH GOES AWOL… HOW MUCH DOES A TICKET COST… I AM GOING TO RUN AWAY…
Jonah 1:3 But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SUPPOSE…
JESUS WAS NOT AWOL--- JESUS WAS LAUNCHING HIS DIVINE MINISTRY…
JUST IMAGINE THE JOURNEY THAT JOSEPH AND MARY HAD TAKEN… IMAAGINE THE PRAYER THAT JOSEPH AND MARY PRAYED: JESUS IS 12 YEARS OLD… THE PRAYER WOULD GO SOMETHING LIKE: HEAVENLY FATHER JOSEPH THOUGHT JESUS WAS WITH ME… I THOUGHT JESUS WAS WITH JOSEPH… WE ARE SO SORRY, WE HAVE LOST YOUR SON…
Jesus just seemed to quietly disappear. He was not hiding. Jesus never ran away. There was a huge crowd. Seems ASSUMPTION was at work… Jesus was never rebellious nor threatened to RUN-AWAY… That evening when Joseph and Mary were together they questioned: WHERE IS JESUS? 3 DAYS THEY BACK TRACKED THEIR STEPS LOOKING FOR GOD’S SON. They looked everywhere they thought Jesus could be… THEN THE PARENTS THOUGHT: LET US GO BACK TO THE TEMPLE…
Luke 2:41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. 43 And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. 44 But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. 45 And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. 46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.
47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. 48 And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. 49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business? 50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. 51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
JESUS’ REPLY WAS LOGICAL: WHY DID’T YOU KNOW WHERE I WOULD BE? JESUS WAS RIGHT WHERE HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN… AT HIS FATHER’S HOUSE… JESUS WAS GROWING NOT JUST IN STATUE BUT HE WAS GROWING IN WISDOM AND GRACE… JESUS WAS TESTING HIS WINGS! Jesus was physically growing, intellectually growing and most of all JESUS WAS GROWING SPIRITUALLY… While at church Jesus was learning and teaching about ministry… JESUS WAS GOD’S SON… HE DID NOT NEED HIS PARENTS PERMISSION TO STAY AT CHURCH…
PETER SAID, NO LORD… I WILL NEVER EVER GO AWOL… NOT ME. HOW BAD JESUS MUST HAVE FELT WATCHING HIS BEST STUDENTS WALK AWAY… SURE IT WAS PREDICTED BUT IT STILL HAD TO HURT AND BREAK JESUS’ HEART…
Matthew 26:56 But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.
WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH THE TOUGH QUIT… MANY LOVED THE FREE FISH AND THE BREAD… MANY LOVED THE CIRCUS ATMOSPHERE… IN THE GREATEST HOURS OF NEED THE CROWD FLEES…AWOL…WE MUST NEVER EVER GIVE UP…
John 6:60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. 67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? 68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
HOW SOON CAN A PERSON GO AWOL?
Galatians 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
LET US GO FROM 30,000 TO 22,000 TO 10,000 TO 300… TOO MANY? ANYONE THAT IS AFRAID--- GO HOME…
Judges 7:2 And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me.
3 Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com Watch on YouTube or Face Book.
Two part.
