THE SKELETON AT THE FEAST…
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube Wade Hughes) I have an old SIFTER I use.
TEXT:
Proverbs 30:33 Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.
When we are riled by emotions we will see tempers grow and things will get out of hand. They can turn into mean hard words that breed trouble and fights. STRIFE BECOMES A TRAP THAT LEADS TO DESTRUCTION.
Many find dandelions as a nuisance and ugly mark in their yards. I had a friend decide he would cut the dandelions’ head off and kill them. So he walked over his yard and cut the yellow flowers off. A few days later seems the dandelions had grown even more. He soon discovered cutting the yellow tops of the flowers never killed them. He read to rid the yard of the yellow flowers you had to attack the roots. His research revealed dandelion roots can grow to 10 feet deep.
It took several sprayings of powerful weed killer to destroy the dandelions.
**WASTE: uselessly, to misuse, trash, throw away, no purpose, to grow weaker, to discard, no longer useful, to expend carelessly, no return, squander, useless consumption, little to no value of return.
THE ROOT? THE UNDERCURRENT? THE RIP TIDE?
There is an unseen danger to boaters and swimmers… it is called a RIPTIDE! A RIPTIDE is a strong current caused by the tidal wave or tidal flow. This turbulent water can carry one into deep waters away from the shore into dangerous waters… The best thing to do in a riptide is stay calm, it does not pull you under the water it pulls you away from the shore. Never try to fight the riptide it will just tire you out. ALERT THE LIFE GUARD ON DUTY!
Hebrews 12:12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; 13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. 14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
BEWARE STIRRING UP STRIFE CAN BE VERY COSTLY… WASTED TIME CAN BE DANGEROUS, SOME OPPORTUNITIES CAN NEVER BE RECALLED.
PERPETUAL BABYHOOD…I WAS AFRAID! I KNEW YOU WAS MEAN AND HARD … 5 TALENTS? 2 TALENTS? ONE TALENT?
We tend to BLAME OTHERS…. When I was little if I ran into the table, my mom would smack the table. Then she would say: Table why did you hurt my son? That made me feel good to know that the table was mean!
WHY DO THEY RECEIVE MORE THAN I DO? I knew you were hard! I knew my task was hard.
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.
26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
Matthew 25:30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
STRIFE KILLS THE ANOINTING OF GOD. WE MUST IDENTIFY THE ROOT CAUSE OF DISAGREEMENT AND RIPTIDES IN OUR DAILY WALK. THE WORK OF GOD IS ACCOMPLISHED IN AGREEMENT AND UNITY. COMPLAINING, FUSSING, NAGGING WILL ALWAYS BRING A DIVIDED HOUSE… A DIVIDED HOUSE WILL EVENTUALLY FALL. WE MUST AVOID STRIFE IN OUR HOMES AND CHURCHES…
James 4:1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
We become what we feed? Instead of feeding strife we must identify it and starve it into weakness.
2 Timothy 2:24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
God's servants must love and be kind. Never be argumentative, but let us be kind, gentle and be good listeners and a person that stays cool when in a RIPTIDE.
THERE IS A BATTLE, A WAR GOING ON … THE WAR IS IN YOUR HEART… THERE IS A TREASURE STORED IN YOUR HEART… WE MUST GUARD OUR HEARTS --- UNHEALTHY HEARTS CAN BRING HEART ATTACKS AND DEATH.
Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
We are always vulnerable to depression and stress. We must watch our steps, be on guard… PROTECT: Keep vigilant watch over your heart: that is where life starts.
MY DEAR FRIENDS WE MUST HAVE A SIFTER TO OUR HEARTS. WE NEED TO SIFT AND FILTER OUR THOUGHTS, THINKING PATTERNS, WORDS, OUR DESIRES AND MUST OF ALL OUR EMOTIONS…
***THE SKELETON AT THE FEAST IS YOU!
By F. Buechner
Of the seven deadly sins, ANGER is possibly the MOST FUN.
TO LICK YOUR WOUNDS THEN TO SMACK YOUR LIPS
OVER GRIEVANCES LONG PAST
TO ROLL OVER YOUR TONGUE THE PROSPECT
OF BITTER CONFRONTATION STILL TO COME.
TO SAVER TO THE LAST TOOTHSOME MORSEL OF PAIN
THAT YOU ARE GIVEN
AND THE PAIN YOU ARE GIVING BACK.
IS IN MANY WAYS A FEAST FIT FOR THE KING.
THE CHIEF DRAW BACK IS THAT
WHAT YOU ARE WOLFING DOWN IS YOURSELF.
THE SKELETON AT THE FEAST IS YOU.
THERE ARE 3 IMPORTANT WORDS WE MUST KNOW TO ROOT DEEP: GUARD YOUR HEART! HEAR ME GUARD YOUR HEART! LET ME REPEAT: GUARD YOUR HEART!
Galatians 5:15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
MANY MISUNDERSTAND SPIRITUAL INVESTMENTS… YOU CAN NEVER WASTE ETERNAL GIVING…
Mark 14:3 And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head. 4 And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? 5 For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.
6 And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me.
OFTEN WE MISIDENTIFY THE REAL PROBLEM? IDENTIFY THE ROOT OF THE SITUATION…THE SIN OF WASTE?
Ezekiel 16:47 Yet hast thou not walked after their ways, nor done after their abominations: but, as if that were a very little thing, thou wast corrupted more than they in all thy ways. 48 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters. 49 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
CONCLUSION: NEVER WASTE…GUARD YOUR HEART! Abraham refused strife with Lot. So must we!
John 6:12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes)
