FILTER: DON’T PANIC… THE BEGINNINGS OF SORROWS
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes) (Two part lesson)
Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Proverbs 4:23 (NLT2) Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.
Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
WHAT IS OUR SPIRITUAL POTENTIAL? THERE ARE MANY OBSTACLES TO PROGRESS AND HEALTHY GROWTH. THERE GROWS A STUBBORN SPIRIT THAT IS SELF-FEEDING THAT HINDERS GROWTH AND STRONG FAMILIES. ZEAL AND EAGERNESS SEEM TO BE ABSENT NOW DAYS. WE TEND TO LIVE IN SHALLOW WATERS. JOY AND LIGHT ARE RARE. THERE SEEMS TO GROW A TENDENCY TO HAVE HARD HEARTS THAT HAVE BECOME VERY CALLOUS. WE NEED TO LIVE IN THE LIGHT.
Many are talking, few are listening. Dull hearing can come from several sources. 1. Having ear infections. 2. A buildup of earwax? 3. Loud sounds and noises can damage the ear drum. 4. Old age, the normal process of life. 5. Open ears but scarely hear. They just don’t want to be quiet and listen.
Matthew 13:15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
DO WE EVER LISTEN TO WHAT IS GOING ON AROUND US? HAVE WE HEARD SO MUCH WE JUST DON’T WANT TO HEAR ANY MORE? ALL THESE ARE THE BEGINNINGS OF SORROWS: WE NEED A FILTER TO REMOVE IMPURITIES.
Matthew 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
Matthew 24:5 (MSG) Many leaders are going to show up with forged identities, claiming, 'I am Christ, the Messiah.' They will deceive a lot of people. 6 When reports come in of wars and rumored wars, keep your head and don't panic. This is routine history; this is no sign of the end. 7 Nation will fight nation and ruler fight ruler, over and over. Famines and earthquakes will occur in various places. 8 This is nothing compared to what is coming. 9 "They are going to throw you to the wolves and kill you, everyone hating you because you carry my name. 10 And then, going from bad to worse, it will be dog-eat-dog, everyone at each other's throat, everyone hating each other. 11 "In the confusion, lying preachers will come forward and deceive a lot of people. 12 For many others, the overwhelming spread of evil will do them in—nothing left of their love but a mound of ashes.
JESUS WANTS US TO ENCOURAGE AND COMFORT US WITH: DON’T PANIC FOR WHAT YOU HEAR AND SEE… BE NOT TROUBLED…
*False teachers and false preachers DECEIVING MANY, to gain personal advantage by telling false/half-truths.
*PESTILENCE: (FATAL EPIDEMIC DISEASE)
*Deceive many, tribulations (little t, not Big T)
*WARS and rumors of wars: (nations against nations, kingdom against kingdom, Revelations---seals opened)
*FAMINES: (shortage, scarcity, judgment) (Toilet paper from a false panic)
*EARTHQUAKES: (sudden release of energy, shaking, waves from epee center)
*TSUNAMI: (destructive, overwhelming, deadly waves)
*CHRISTIANS WILL BE HATED: Dysfunctional, mislead, take advantage of.
*GO FROM BAD TO WORSE: (to be unpleasant, unsatisfactory)
*DOG EAT DOG: (at each other’s throats). Selfish, ruthless, difficult, to fall apart. People are willing to harm each other to advance, succeed.)
*INIQUITY SHALL ABOUND: (immoral, grossly unfair, corruption.)
THE BOOK OF JAMES WARNS US: THERE ARE THOSE THAT WILL NEVER LISTEN. THERE ARE THOSE THAT WILL DO THINGS THEIR OWN WAY REGARDLESS OF THE COST. THEN THERE ARE THOSE THAT WILL LISTEN AND TRY TO DO THEIR BEST TO PLEASE GOD. THERE ARE SO MANY RED FLAGS ABOUT SPIRITUAL SLUMBER…
We live in a day of APATHY: I DON’T CARE… Let the ignorant be ignorant still. Spiritual blindness and spiritual deafness: can become the dominant force. MANY REFUSE TO LISTEN AND SEE WHAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS TRYING TO WARN THE CHURCH. Preach us happy and itching ears…
CONSIDER THE BEGINNING OF SORROWS? BUT MOMMY: I WANT HER. SAMSON WAS GOD CALLED FROM BEFORE HIS BIRTH --- HE WOULD NOT LISTEN TO THE WARNING.
Judges 14:3 (NLT2) His father and mother objected. “Isn’t there even one woman in our tribe or among all the Israelites you could marry?” they asked. “Why must you go to the pagan Philistines to find a wife?” But Samson told his father, “Get her for me! She looks good to me.”
EVEN THE STRONG ARE WEAK WHEN THEY SLEEP WITH THEIR HEAD LAYING IN THE LAP OF THE COMPROMISED PLEASURE OF THE WORLD. SAMSON OVER RODE HIS CONSCIENCE.
Judges 16:19 (NLT2) Delilah lulled Samson to sleep with his head in her lap, and then she called in a man to shave off the seven locks of his hair. In this way she began to bring him down, and his strength left him. 20 Then she cried out, “Samson! The Philistines have come to capture you!” When he woke up, he thought, “I will do as before and shake myself free.” But he didn’t realize the LORD had left him. 21 So the Philistines captured him and gouged out his eyes. They took him to Gaza, where he was bound with bronze chains and forced to grind grain in the prison.
Today many try to say DELILAH loved SAMSON. Her motivation was greed. Can you imagine how it felt as they GOUGED his eyes out? I ponder what did SAMSON THINK ABOUT while he laid in the barn at night?
THERE IS A SPIRIT OF GRADUALNESS,--- SAMSON DIDN’T EVEN RECOGNIZE THE LORD HAD LEFT HIM! HOW CAN THE MIGHTY FALL? FILTER? THIS IS BUT THE BEGINNING OF SORROWS.
THE BEGINNING OF SORROWS? COME LET US CONSIDER: HOW ARE THE MIGHTY FALLEN?
LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO ONE OF THE MIGHTIEST GENERALS AND BATTLE STRATEGIST OF ALL TIMES. HOW DID THE BEGINNING OF SORROW COME TO MIGHTY SISERA?
Sisera had over 900 iron chariots under his command not counting the footmen. Israel had zero. Sisera was more than a conqueror. On every side he was the victor. I don’t care how mighty you think you are --- THERE IS A GOD FACTOR. There was a lady prophetess named DEBORAH. Deborah said: BARAK, GOD WILL GIVE YOU A VICTORY IN ONE DAY… Doubt and fear filled BARAK WITH WE CAN’T BEAT SISERA. NO ONE CAN BEAT THE MIGHTY SISERA. Barak you are right, you will not claim the victory.
Judges 4:6 (NLT2) One day she sent for Barak son of Abinoam, who lived in Kedesh in the land of Naphtali. She said to him, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, commands you: Call out 10,000 warriors from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun at Mount Tabor. 7 And I will call out Sisera, commander of Jabin’s army, along with his chariots and warriors, to the Kishon River. There I will give you victory over him.”
THE MIGHTY HAND OF A MIGHTY GOD TROUBLED SISERA. Sisera had the fastest horse and chariot. Then God showed the world how strong THE GOD OF ISRAEL was. Sisera rode until he could not then he jumped out of the chariot and ran until he couldn’t run anymore. He was very tired weak.
Judges 4:15 (NLT2) When Barak attacked, the LORD threw Sisera and all his chariots and warriors into a panic. Sisera leaped down from his chariot and escaped on foot.
WANT TO HEAR THE BEGINING OF SORROWS?… REMEMBER SISERA COULD NOT BE DEFEATED? A LITTLE NOBODY WOMAN NAMED JAEL NAILED THE MIGHTY GENERAL TO THE FLOOR OF THE TENT… SEE MIGHTY GENERAL SISERA WAS EXHAUSTED AND TROUBLED. WHILE HE WAS SLEEPING --- ONE LITTLE WEAK WOMAN WAS USED BY GOD. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? A SPIRIT OF SLUMBER?
BARAK MISSED THE VICTORY THAT GOD PROMISED…
Judges 4:20 (NLT2) “Stand at the door of the tent,” he told her. “If anybody comes and asks you if there is anyone here, say no.” 21 But when Sisera fell asleep from exhaustion, Jael quietly crept up to him with a hammer and tent peg in her hand. Then she drove the tent peg through his temple and into the ground, and so he died.
MY FRIENDS, DON’T PANIC--- GOD IS IN CONTROL. It might seem like we are approaching a season of the beginning of sorrows. GOD IS IN CONTROL. Even mighty generals fall just as DEBORAH HAD SAID. It may seem like we are in the beginning of sorrows: MY GOD REIGNS. Never yield to the SPIRIT OF SLUMBER. God is in control.
MY DEAR FRIENDS BE PATIENT AND WAIT…LISTEN: THERE IS AN ISSUE OF DIVINE TIMING… IT MAY SEEM WE WALK IN A SEASON OF SORROWS… GOD HAS OUR BACK. TRUST THE PLAN AND BE PATIENT IN WAITING.
SAMUEL, God’s man was broken at the disappointment that SAUL refused to listen. This was just the beginning of sorrows brought on by disobedience and sparing the best of the best for his own personal gain. It will take many trials and hurts before SAMUEL’S WORDS IN A TIME OF SORROW WILL BEAR FRUIT. There grew a spirit of spiritual of slumber that came over the FALLEN KING. It was a very dark day… BUT GOD SHOWED HIMSELF STRONG --- AS A SPIRIT OF SLUMBER RESTED OVER KING SAUL’S SIN.
On several occasions in 1 Samuel 26, a spirit of slumber came over KING SAUL. DAVID HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DESTROY KING SAUL WHILE HE SLEPT. DAVID WAS AT THE CAVE OF
ADULLAM AND EN GEDI. DAVID WAS ON THE RUN FOR HIS LIFE FOR 10 PLUS YEARS. DAVID HAD GOD SPEAK TO HIM.
God allowed David to take 3 items:
1. DAVID CAPTURED SAUL’S SWORD--- WHICH REPRESENTS SAUL’S POWER AND WEAPON. SAUL WAS ASLEEP.
2. LATER DAVID CAPTURES SAUL’S CRUISE OF WATER: WATER REPRESENTS LIFE AND ONE’S ESSENTIALS --- SAUL WAS ASLEEP.
3. DAVID CUT A PIECE OF SAULS GARMENT OFF WHILE SAUL WHEN HIS GENERALS SHOULD HAVE BEEN AWAKE… IT WAS A SPIRITUAL SLUMBER. The piece of Saul’s garment would speak that the covering of protection on Saul was being passed to the new King David. God’s covering of protection would be passed on to a new King with a new attitude,
DON’T PANIC… THIS IS BUT A BEGINNING OF SORROWS… THERE IS SO MUCH CONFUSION TODAY BECAUSE THERE IS A REDEFINING OF WHAT TRUTH IS: IF IT FEELS GOOD--- THEN DO IT. AM I A MALE? FEMALE? SPIRITUAL--ETERNAL VALUES ARE BEING REPLACED BY POPULAR, MAJORITY RULES.
Matthew 16:25 (NLT2) If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds.
Society mocks the truth. They undermined the sanity of the Preacher. People made fun of Noah. Noah was mocked for warning people it was going to rain. By the way: WHAT IS RAIN?
Matthew 24:37 (NLT2) “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. 38 In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. 39 People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. 40 “Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left.
Psalm 27:4 (NLT2) The one thing I ask of the LORD— the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, delighting in the LORD’s perfections and meditating in his Temple.
Hebrews 10:25 (NLT2) And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
Hebrews 10:25 (MSG) not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.
There is a beginning of sorrows taking place in our families, the church and society. The Ten Commandments and the word of God has GREAT BENEFITS WHEN PRACTICED.
CONCLUSION: BEWARE OF THE SPIRIT OF A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING AND INSENSITIVITY…BEWARE A DULLNESS CAN CAUSE HARD HEARTS. FATHER OPEN THE EYES OF OUR HEART. WE WANT TO SEE YOU AND KNOW YOUR WORD. GUARD YOUR HEART.
Don’t panic: God is in control.
Jesus invites some of the spiritual elite to pray with him in the Garden of Gethsemane. The first time Jesus finds them asleep and wakes them up. The second time, Jesus finds them asleep. Jesus wakes them up. The third time Jesus says: SLEEP ON… HOW SAD TO HAVE THE JUDGMENT JUST SLEEP ON… THIS TIME JESUS HAD HEARD FROM HIS FATHER. EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE ALRIGHT.
COME WITH ME TO THE THRONE ROOM, DON’T PANIC. THIS IS BUT THE BEGINNING OF SORROWS… LIFT UP YOUR HEADS…
Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Matthew 26:41 (MSG) Stay alert; be in prayer so you don't wander into temptation without even knowing you're in danger. There is a part of you that is eager, ready for anything in God. But there's another part that's as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire."
WHEN YOU SEE THESE THINGS COME TO PASS--- LOOK UP, DON’T PANIC --- THIS IS BUT A BEGINNING OF SORROWS --- WE MUST ABSOLUTELY BELIEVE BY FAITH THAT GOD HAS BEEN WORKING BEHIND THE SCENCE FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD. THE PLAN AND PURPOSE OF GOD IS DEVELOPING RIGHT IN FRONT OF OUR EYES, EARS AND HEARTS.
TRUST KNOWS IT WILL ALL WORK OUT FOR THE BEST. Filter life through the WORD OF GOD. TRUST THE PLAN.
Luke 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
Luke 21:28 (MSG) When all this starts to happen, up on your feet. Stand tall with your heads high. Help is on the way!"
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes) (Two part lesson)
