CORACLE: DRIFTING FROM MY PASSION?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes) Two part.
LET US LOOK AT A LITERARY DEVICE: QUESTIONS WOULD NORMALLY BE ASKED TO BE ANSWERED. PAUL ASK A RHETORICAL QUESTION (BRIDGE): NOT EXPECT AN ANSWER… BUT TO GET YOU TO THINK.
The Preacher makes a statement: YOU DID SHOW A LOT OF POTENTIAL, but Paul ask what is hindering you? Let us think about this:
Galatians 5:7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
PASSION? DO I LIVE IN A DAILY PASSION OF LIFE? THERE ARE TWO APPOINTMENTS SET. WHAT IS TOMORROW NEVER COMES?
Ecclesiastes 3:2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.
A broken heart can hurt more than broken ribs. LET ME TELL YOU A DEEP TRUTH ABOUT MAN’S UNDERSTANDING… (WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND MUCH.) ARE WE DROWNING IN HOPELESSNESS, DESPAIR AND FEAR? HAVE WE LOST OUR HEARTS IN PAIN, STORMS AND TRIALS? NO ONE CAN PULL YOU OUT OF THIS BUT YOU. IF YOU CAN’T FIX IT --- THEN WE MUST TRUST THE HOLY SPIRIT TO HELP.
There is a time to quit crying, but you can’t quit, we are near the end of our journeys. QUIT CRYING AND START PRAISING. God will close the wrong doors. God will open the right doors. Quit licking your wounds my friend. God is with you and he never sleeps. God has your back.
TRUE SPIRITUALITY IS NOT MEASURED BY HOW MANY GIFTS WH HAVE OR HOW MANY WE GIVE. God does not measure by our billfold or head. God measures us by our heart, how we forgive and HOW WE LOVE. DREAMS ABOVE FEAR
Luke 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
PASSION? WE NEED A SPIRIT OF GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION. WHAT IS OUR PURPOSE? DRIFTING?
Hebrews 2:1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. 2 For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; 3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; 4 God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?
*DRIFTING: to move with the current, no direction, not under your own power, no control, circumstances control, to drift apart or away from, distracted, lost of focus, disconnect,
ARE WE DRIFTING: THE MAIN THING IS TO KEEP THE MAIN THING THE MAIN THING!
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
WE NEED TO STAY FOCUSED AND STAY ON COURSE. Do we forget God’s word? Do we get so busy we forsake God’s plan.
ARISTOTLE is credited for saying: WE ARE WHAT WE REPEATEDLY DO. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.
MANY RELIGIOUS PEOPLE ALLOW THE EASY ROAD. LET US JUST FLOAT WHERE THE CURRENT TAKES US.
*CORACLE: small, rounded lightweight boat made of reeds covered with skins, Irish monks would set sail in CORACLES
With no sails or no oars --- they desired more of God so they would go on a pilgrimage. The monks would allow the wind and currents to take them where ever: RADICAL SURRENDER. We are all in a boat with no rudder, no oars and no sails. The monks would trust
*DRIFT: aimless, to lose interest, to lose affection or passion, to wander away, to lack in purpose, the tendency to go back to old behavior patterns, gradual, to be carried slowly, to move around with seemingly no fixed destination, to wander, no specific direction, move where ever the currect takes you, to be pushed not under own power, no plan-no purpose, TO GET INTO A SITUATION NOT PLANNED,
Hebrews 2:1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. 2 For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; 3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; 4 God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?
Hebrews 2:1 (NLT2) So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.
Hebrews 2:1-4 (MSG) It's crucial that we keep a firm grip on what we've heard so that we don't drift off.
BURN-OUT? BURN-UP? TIRED? WEARY?
Revelation 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
Revelation 2:4 (MSG) "But you walked away from your first love—why? What's going on with you, anyway? 5 Do you have any idea how far you've fallen? A Lucifer fall! "Turn back! Recover your dear early love. No time to waste, for I'm well on my way to removing your light from the golden circle.
DRIFTING USUALLY OCCURS FROM UNDERCURRENTS, RIP-TIDE.
*RIPTIDE: A FAST MOVING NARROW CHANNEL OF WATER THAT LEADS AWAY FROM THE SHORE.
DRIFTER? WHAT IS THE MAIN THING? THERE WAS A MAN THAT HAD IT ALL: BUT HE WAS A SPIRITUAL DRIFTER. HOW FAR CAN YOU DRIFT?
1 Kings 11:1 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; 2 Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. 3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. 4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father. 7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. 8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.
9 And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, 10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded.
SOLOMON LOST FOCUS IN ALL HIS BUSYNESS BUILDING. HE BUILT GOD’S HOUSE. HE BUILT HIS HOUSE… HE LOST HIS PRIORITIES. SEEMS IT IS VERY EASY TO WANDER ALL AROUND AND DRIFT FROM POINT A TO THE NEXT POINT WITH NO PLAN, NO PURPOSE AND NO SUBMISSION TO LEADERSHIP.
DRIFTING INTO IRRITATION? WHAT TRIGGERS MY ANGER?
There once was a MONK living in a Monastery. He felt like he needed some alone time to mediate and draw closer to God. So he gets in a boat and sails in a lake. He finally reaches the middle of the lake. He drops anchor and waits. He closes his eyes and says: LORD, I AM HERE, TEACH ME! Several hours go by as he sits with his eyes closed. There was complete silence. All of a sudden the monk feels another boat collide with his boat. He keeps his eyes closed and thinks of the nerve of another boat hitting his boat. The MONK’s anger grows and grows. The MONK STARTED TO YELL AND SCREAM. Finally he decides to open his eyes and see who had the audacity to hit his boat, Who would interfere with his meditation. To the MONKS surprise it was an empty boat just floating aimlessly across the lake.
Then the MONK realizes a deep sense of a real lesson. The MONK has learned it was not the untethered boat that made his so mad. The anger he was experiencing was “ANGER FROM WITHIN!” He learned that ANGER he faced was not caused by an EXTERNAL FORCE THAT PROVOKED HIM. The lesson was the anger came from within. The experience in the boat brought him to understand WHEN SOMETHING PROVOKED HIM, IT WAS NOT AN EXTERNAL FORCE IRRITATED HIM AND PPROVOKED HIM TO ANGER. It was just an empty boat THAT MADE HIM SO ANGRY. When other people angered him it was just an empty boat. The MONK learned: IT IS THE ANGER THAT WAS IN US ALL THE TIME. All that was needed to expose the anger and provoke him was an empty boat.
In all honesty, WE ALL HAVE ANGER WITHIN, ALL WE NEED IS AN EMPTY BOAT TO RELEASE AND PROVOKE OUR ANGER. All it takes is an empty boat to expose our weaknesses. Have you ever been that MONK?
(My words but: This story comes from: KNOW YOUR WORTH: STOP THINKING, START DOING)
CONCLUSION: DRIFTING TO FAR FROM THE SHORE. DRIFT? RIPTIDE? DRIFTING IN YOUR MARRIAGE? FAMILY? YOUR FINANCES? THE CHURCH? STAND WITH ME AND FIGHT. WE FIGHT NOT AGAINST THE FLESH… DANIEL PRAYED --- HIS ANSWER FACED A SPIRITUAL DELAY. Remember: THE BATTLE IS NOT YOURS. Be faithful to your post of duty.
Matthew 24:48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; 49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; 50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes)
