HOPELESS? THINGS ARE LOOKING UP! GIVE HOPE!
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Acts 27:22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship.
Acts 27:22 (MSG) But there's no need to dwell on that now. From now on, things are looking up! I can assure you that there'll not be a single drowning among us, although I can't say as much for the ship—the ship itself is doomed.
I WISH? REMEMBER KINDNESS?
I was walking at the mall one day. I love to watch people. A Mexican mom and her little girl watched as many kids were riding the MERRY-GO-ROUND. The little girl’s eyes sparkled as she watched the other kids ride. She was grinning ear to ear. She said: MOMMY CAN I RIDE THE MERRY-GO-ROUND?
The mom bowed her head and replied: I am so sorry honey we don’t have any money. No, you cannot ride. The little girl was still smiling and said: That’s OK momma. She leaned on the fence and enjoyed watching the others. I approached the Mother and said: IF JESUS PAID THE $2.00 TO RIDE, WOULD YOU ALLOW HER? I SLIPPED TWO ONE DOLLAR BILLS IN THE MOTHERS HAND AND STEPPED AWAY. The mom said something in Spanish as the girl prepared to ride.
The little girl ran up to me and said: THANK YOU JESUS FOR LETTING ME RIDE. She may never remember the MERRY-GO-ROUND ride. But I will forever have those sparkling dark brown eyes itched in my mind’s eye. She thought I was Jesus! COULD YOU BE JESUS TO SOMEONE TODAY?
THE PRICE OF REDEMPTION: :
Only the older crowd will remember how we would study JC Penny and Sears and Roebuck’s catalogs and wish and dream of things. Then there was S&H Green stamps and Tops Yellow Stamps given for the amount of your cash purchase. There were little stamps and big stamps. We would love to lick the stamps and glue them in the stamp book. The stamp companies had redemption centers and we would trade the books of stamps for goodies. We then had to pay taxes on the value.
My mother in law smoked RALEIGH (BELAIR) CIGARETTES. Each pack had a coupon and if you bought a carton there were 10 extra coupons. I hate to tell you but my mother in law got my son’s high chair that we used for years from redeeming B&W COUPONS.
The STAMPS or COUPONS were just part of the fun licking them and sticking them in the books. THE FUN PART OF COLLECTING WAS GETTING THE WISH BOOKS and dreaming what we might get.
THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT? DO WE SEE THE LITTLE PICTURE? DO WE FOCUS ON THE BIGGER PICTURE? CAN WE ACCEPT SUFFERING AND REJECTION? WILL WE ENDURE HARDSHIP AS A GOOD SOLDIER?
2 Timothy 2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
2 Timothy 2:3 (MSG) When the going gets rough, take it on the chin with the rest of us, the way Jesus did.
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DO WE EVER CONSIDER PERSEVERANCE? FRUSTRATION? CRUSHED?
WILL I KEEP ON KEEPING ON? AM I A BORN LOSER? IS THIS A STUMBLING BLOCK OR A STEPPING STONE? MY ATTITUDE WILL DETERMINE MY ALTITUDE! (source unknown)
• This man was born in 1809.
• In 1816 he was 7 years old… he was forced to work.
• In 1818 his mother passed away.
• In 1828 his sister died.
• In 1831 he opened a business and went bankrupt.
• In 1832 he stood in legislative elections--- HE LOST.
• In 1833 he borrowed money to open another business --- this ended in another bankruptcy.
• In 1835 he falls in love with a pretty woman and plans on marriage --- SHE DIES.
• In 1836 deep depression smothers him in emotional darkness. He is bed ridden 6 consecutive months.
• In 1836 he returns to public life and runs in legislative elections --- HE LOSES.
• In 1840 he ran as a n elector --- HE LOSES.
• In 1840 he met a woman and they fell in love, got engaged and married her.
• He and this lady would have 4 children --- 3 of them die.
• In 1843 he ran for congress --- HE LOST AGAIN.
• In 1850 his son dies.
• In 1856 he ran for Vice President --- HE LOST with less than 100 votes for him.
• In 1858 he ran for the Senate --- he LOST!
• BUT IN 1860 SOMETHING HAPPENED ABRAHAM LINCOLN WAS ELECTED AS PRESIDENT OF THE USA.
• HE was elected to 2 terms as President.
• THIS LOSER BECOME ONE OF THE MOST HONORED AND RESPECTED PRESIDENTS EVER.
• WHY HE NEVER QUIT! HE NEVER GAVE UP! HE PRESSED FORWARD…
FEAR TRIES TO CRUSH THE HOLY SPIRIT’S CALL… FEAR IS A TYPE OF DOUBT AND THE LACK OF FAITH.
Acts 27:17 Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven.
LET US GIVE NOTICE THE THIRD DAY IS COMING! GOOD ADVICE: TALK LESS AND DO MORE!
Acts 27:19 And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship.
ALL HOPE IS GONE! HOPELESS?
Acts 27:20 And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.
YOU CANNOT DRIVE SAFELY FOCUSED IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR… THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT GAVE HOPE PROPERLY ARE THOSE THAT HAVE HEARD AND RECEIVED THE GOOD NEWS… YOU CAN’T GIVE HOPE UNLESS YOU HAVE HEARD FROM HEAVEN.
Acts 27:22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship. 23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, 24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. 25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.
Acts 27:22 But there's no need to dwell on that now. From now on, things are looking up! I can assure you that there'll not be a single drowning among us, although I can't say as much for the ship—the ship itself is doomed.
23 "Last night God's angel stood at my side, an angel of this God I serve, 24 saying to me, 'Don't give up, Paul. You're going to stand before Caesar yet—and everyone sailing with you is also going to make it.'
25 So, dear friends, take heart. I believe God will do exactly what he told me.
EXCEPT YOU STAY WITH THE SHIP, THE OLD SHIP OF ZION, THERE IS LITTLE HOPE... GOD PROTECTS THOSE THAT STAY BY THE SHIP… GIVE HOPE! RECEIVE HOPE!
Acts 27:31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.
CONCLUSION: WHO GIVES HOPE? THE CAPTAIN OF THE SHIP? WISH YOU HAD LISTENED… BUT GOD STILL IS WITH US…
Acts 27:21 But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.
FEAR NOT PAUL… GOD HAS A CALL. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS IN THIS JOURNEY EVEN THOUGH IT LOOKS REALLY BAD… THE LORD WILL PROTECT AND PRESERVE THOSE THAT STAY WITH THE SHIP. BE OF GOOD CHEER! PAUL IS A PRISONER IN BONDS. WHILE TO THE EYES IT APPEARS TH PRISONER AND ALL ABOARD ARE DOOMED… PAUL THE PRISONER IS THE FREE MAN… PAUL HAS NOTHING TO DREAD AND NOTHING TO FEAR… THE NEARER WE GROW TO GOD’S AND HIS WORD… THE MORE WE TRUST HIS PLAN… PAUL LEARNED TO LIVE BY FAITH IN TRUSTING GOD’S PLAN EVEN IN DARK STORMS. ARE WE BOND BY MENTAL OR METAL CHAINS? PAUL’S HOPE IS CONTAGIOUS…
THE IS A TIE WE MUST EAT BY FAITH NO MATTER HOW YOU FEEL OR WHAT YOU SEE…
Acts 27:35 And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat. 36 Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat.
Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (Check us out on YouTube)
