REMEMBER: THE BATTLE CRY? LOVE UNDER COMPULSION VS. LOVE NEVER FAILS…
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (Two part lesson.)
LET US CELEBRATE A NATIONAL DAY OF REMEMBRANCE… GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN…
John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:13 (NLT2) There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
John 15:13 (MSG) This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends.
HAVE WE EVER GOT SO BUSY THAT WE HAVE FORGOTTEN CERTAIN IMPORTANT THINGS?
First let me tell you the husband that forgets his anniversary should have to sleep out on the porch for two weeks. Today I have been married 51 years and I dated 2 years prior to that. I was teaching school and I came home and my wife seemed distant and pouting? I pondered what’s up? We went to bed and she was visibly upset. I asked what’s wrong? She replied today is our anniversary and you forgot it. I said: No, I didn’t and I jumped up got my billfold and gave her $20. I sang HAPPY ANNIVERSARY.
I am a slow learner! About a year later, Linda was not herself. We went to bed and she told me I forgot our anniversary again! No, not me! I jumped up and pulled out $20 and gave it to her. She was still angry? It worked last year? She said: I knew you would do that she said. Our anniversary was yesterday. Well I was busted. I have never forgot our anniversary again.
2 Timothy 2:8 Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: 9 Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.
DO YOU EVER HAVE TROUBLE REMEMBERING STUFF? SOMETIMES I FORGET WHAT I FORGOT?
I read sometime back a person does not lose their keys? Seems they don’t put them up in the right place. If you put them up in the same place every time, you will know where they are? Makes sense to me!
REMEMBER HOW IMPORTANT BATTLE CRIES CAN BE! DO YOU HAVE A BATTLE CRY?
Patrick Henry’s famous battle cry: GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH!
REMEMBER THE ALAMO became a BATTLE CRY over the bitterness of the MASSACRES of USA soldiers by the MEXICAN FORCES in San Antonio in 1836. There were only 2 white survivors Susanna Dickinson and her daughter Angelina.
REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR, December 7, 1941. F.D. ROOSEVELT said: a day WHICH WILL LIVE IN INFAMY. This was a saddened and deliberate attack by JAPAN. --- It was an imperative duty of the USA to remember. Pearl Harbor was the first attack on US Soil since Washington was burned in August 1814… PEARL HARBOR WAS A SNEAK ATTACK ON A SLEEPING NATION. 1941 REMEMBER PEARL
HARBOR began the USA’s involvement in World War 2.
REMEMBER: COME LET US REMEMBER ONE OF THE GREATEST BATTLE CRIES OF THE BIBLE… LOVE! LOVE NEVER FAILS…
The Bible has two great chapters on SPIRITUAL GIFTS… 1 CORINTIANS 12 THEN 1 CORINTIANS 14… These two chapters clearly discuss the rules for the usage of spiritual gifts. BUT PAUL’S PEN TAKES A REST AFTER CHAPTER 12 AND BEFORE CHAPTER 14… PAUL DESIRES US TO REMEMBER… THERE IS A CORRELATION OR A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP IN THE SPIRITUAL GIFTS AND LOVE…
1 Corinthians 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
PAUL WANTS US TO REMEMBER SPIRITUAL GIFTS WITHOUT LOVE EQUALS ZERO… There is a Mathematical Law: ANYTHING MULTIPLED BY ZERO WILL ALWAYS EQUAL ZERO… REMEMBER THIS LESSON.
WE NEED TO REMEMBER THE IMPORTANT ISSUES OF LIFE. THE MAIN THING IS TO REMEMBER TO KEEP THE MAIN THING THE MAIN THING. MEMORIAL DAY IS A DAY TO HONOR MAN AND WORSHIP A HOLY GOD. IT IS TO REMIND US TO GIVE THANKS .
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Remember SPIRITUAL PRIORITIES --- eternity TRUMPS TEMPORAL MATTERS… It is so easy to end up in a LIFE OF REGRETS and BITTER SORROW as I AM NOTHING.
We can be like a crazy hunting dog chasing for a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. We can chase popularity, peer pressure and define our own rules. Then we chase down rabbit trails of RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES THAT ARE VAIN AND EMPTY.
1 Corinthians 13:8 (A) Charity never faileth:
1 Corinthians 13:8(A) (NIV) Love never fails.
1 Corinthians 13:8 (NLT2) But love will last forever!
COME LET US REMEMBER ONE OF THE GREATEST BATTLE CRIES OF THE BIBLE… LOVE! LOVE NEVER FAILS… REMEMBER THE MEASURING STICK OF JESUS: BY THIS ALL MEN SHALL KNOW,
John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
John 13:35 (NLT2) Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
REMEMBER YOU WILL BE KNOWN BY YOUR LOVE AND KINDNESS. YOU CAN BUILD TRAPS THAT CAN HINDER YOUR LOVE OF MAN AND THEN YOUR LOVE OF GOD. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN MAD OR HURT AND REFUSED TO GIVE?
REMEMBER OFTEN GOD'S GREATEST GIFTS ARE GIVEN IN THE CRUCIBLE OF TIME. I am absolutely convinced that OUR WORDS and ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN OUR PREACHING! IF YOU HAVE TO USE WORDS TO PREACH THAT IS OK… BUT THE BEST LESSONS ARE TAUGHT BY OUR WALK NOT HOW YOU TALK.
Wycliffe Bible translators has a magazine called "IN OTHER WORDS." It told a story of a lady named Sadie Sieker. Sadie served missionary children as a house parent in the Philippines. Sadie loved to read and she had accumulated many books through the years. She gladly loaned her books to others to read. Sadie had a few books that she really loved and she refused to loan them to anyone. Sadie kept these books hid in a footlocker under her bed. She feared someone would borrow the books and not return it. So she kept the books locked safe in the footlocker.
One night in the stillness and quietness of her room she heard a gnawing sound and she began searching her room. Finally she pinpointed the sound was coming from under her bed. She pulled the treasure box of her favorite books out and unlocked it. Wow, was she surprised... THERE WERE 10 MILLION TERMITES AND A PILE OF DUST.
All the books that she keep hidden away and refused to loan were JUST DUST. WHAT SHE GAVE AWAY AND LOANED OUT WERE STILL GOOD. WHAT SHE HOARDED WAS ALL LOST TO THE TERMITES....
REMEMBER PEOPLE ARE WATCHING YOU… REMEMBER: REMINDER, MEMORY, KEEPSAKE: HOW EASY IS IT TO TALK ABOUT LOVE, HOPE, GRACE, FORGIVENESS, AND NOT PRACTICE IT.
Matthew 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
LOVE GIVES… As a little boy I fell in love with a senior on the school bus. She saved me a seat and was kind to me. I loved her. I remembered her kindness. I put a penny in the bubble gum machine until I got a ring and I gave it her. The ring was a symbol of my feelings. It was an outward sign that expresses an internal feeling. She wore it until her finger turned blue. I wanted to give her something to show my love.
REMEMBER YOU CAN GIVE AND NOT LOVE… BUT YOU CAN NEVER LOVE WITHOUT GIVING!
GIVING IS LOVE. GIVING IS LIVING. REAL LOVE HAS PURPOSED GIVING.
2 Corinthians 9:6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:6 (MSG) Remember: A stingy planter gets a stingy crop; a lavish planter gets a lavish crop. 7 I want each of you to take plenty of time to think it over, and make up your own mind what you will give. That will protect you against sob stories and arm-twisting. God loves it when the giver delights in the giving.
8 God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you're ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done.
REMEMBER THERE ARE TWO ATTITUDES THAT CAN BECOME A REALITY…
SOME PEOPLE GIVE LEFTOVERS and they give the best that they can.
REMEMBER GIVING TELLS: REMEMBER LOVE LOVES TO GIVE--- REMEMBER LOVE GIVES THE BEST…SOME PEOPLE GIVE LESS THAN THEIR BEST... OTHERS GIVE OF THEIR LEFT OVERS...
CAIN GAVE OF HIS FRUIT. ABEL GAVE HIS FIRSTLING. CAIN'S COUNTENANCE WAS FALLEN.
Genesis 4:6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
CAIN NEVER UNDERSTOOD THAT LOVE GIVES THE BEST. Remember CAIN’S LOVE revealed a bad attitude and a lack of weighing the consequences of his poor choices.
REMEMBER ONE OF THESE DAYS YOU WILL GIVE THE LAST GIFT YOU WILL EVER GIVE. One of these days YOU WILL GIVE YOU LAST LOVE and you will lay down in a grave where sod will be your cover. .
Will you be ashamed of THE LOVE YOU HAVE GIVEN? REGRET, REGRETS AT THE END OF THE ROAD?
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth
in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
THE KING JAMES VERSION HAS RECORDED 25 WORDS... 113 letters in these 25 words.
FOR is a preposition. So: For God so loved the world is a prepositional phrase... This phrase tells us how much God loves us... The subject (a person, place or thing) of this verse is "HE."
He is a pronoun referring to GOD. The predicate or verb of this sentence is "GAVE." If we reduced this verse to the essentials it is easy: "HE GAVE." What did God give?
REMEMBER GOD GAVE THE BEST THAT HE HAD --- HIS LOVE WAS CLEAR...
GOD GAVE HIS ONLY SON... WHAT IS THE DEMONSTRATION OF GOD'S LOVE? THE OLD RUGGED CROSS... THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SUFFERING... Jesus gave the GIFT OF FORGIVENESS... Jesus said: FATHER FORGIVE THEM, THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING... Jesus looked down from the cross and saw them gambling for his clothes? How sad?
REMEMBER:THE BIBLE IS FULL OF GIVERS...
Love: Abel gave his FIRSTLING... Love: Noah gave blisters building the ARK… Love: MOSES gave his rod… Love: Miriam gave a dance and a song. Love: Widow gave her TWO MITES… Love: Mary broke open her ALABASTER BOX and poured it on Jesus’ feet. Love: Dorcas /// Tabitha gave her needle and made coats.
CONCLUSION: REMEMBER, ASK YOURSELF: WHAT ARE YOU GIVING? HOW IS YOUR MEMORY DOING?
To your enemies --- GIVE FORGIVENESS.
To a friend --- give the gift of LISTENING --- sharing your hearts.
To a child --- give a godly example of faithfulness.
To your family --- kindness, respect and a love of the church.
GIVE LOVE? GIVE TEARS? PRAYERS? THE BIBLE? GIVE OF YOURSELF?
The question is not what love would give if you had ten million dollars? The question is what would you do if you only had one dollar?
17 OF THE 36 PARABLES OF JESUS HAD TO DO WITH GIVING, PROPERTY OR STEWARDSHIP. ARE YOU REALLY GIVING YOUR BEST TO YOUR FAMILY AND TO YOUR CHURCH? What kind of church would your church be, if every member were just like me? WHAT DO YOU DO? WHAT DO YOU NEGLECT?
REMEMBER RELUCTANT AND UNDER COMPULSION GIVING AND FAITHFULESSNESS REVEALS A PROBLEM OF THE HEART!
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (Two part lesson.)
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