SUCCESS: BY CHANCE? PERSISTENCE!
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes)
Matthew 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
CHOICES? I WILL BE PART OF THE SOLUTION --- I MAKE THE CHOICE TO SUPPORT AND EDIFY OTHERS IN GOOD TIMES? IN BAD TIMES? SUCCESS WILL COME.
We often perceive that our deepest need as a human being is that of being loved. There is a deeper reality, we have a greater need: to be loving and to be kind. There is peace and joy in giving love. Many things in life seem to be by chance or by luck. This is not the truth. The truth is WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO --- YOUR CHOICES. Life is not just about the circumstances. A good life is about how will we handle the circumstances. LIFE IS ABOUT THE CHOICES YOU MAKE. There is a big difference between knowing God’s word and DOING GOD’S WORD. WE MUST DECLARING GOD’S WORD.
WILL WE FAIL? WILL WE WALK IN SUCCESS? WHO WILL STAND FOR THE TRUTH? WE HAVE A HOPELESS SITUATION… WE MUST RECOGNIZE WE HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM. THIS IS MORE THAN DRY BONES --- THESE ARE VERY DRY BONES… WE HAVE TO ASK: CAN THESE BONES LIVE AGAIN?
Ezekiel 37:1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, 2 And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.
GOD ASK A HARD TO ANSWER QUESTION. THE QUESTION MUST REACH BEYOND HEAD KNOWLEDGE SOLUTIONS. TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION WILL REQUIRE A MEASURE OF FAITH.
Ezekiel 37:3 And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.
The son of man COPS OUT: O, LORD GOD, THOU KNOWEST? The Preacher is not sure how to answer the question? If he looks at the facts: BONES? DRY BONES? VERY DRY BONES --- This problem is not scientifically possible. This is not logically possible. NO! NO WAY! Is this religiously possible? Is this historically possible?
EZEKIEL HAS A ROLE TO PLAY TO RELEASE THIS IMPOSSIBLE --- EZEKIEL HAS TO VERBALLY DECLARE A STATEMENT BY FAITH.
Ezekiel 37:4 Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.
WHY DO WE HAVE TO COME INTO THIS VALLEY OF VERY DRY BONES?
Ezekiel 37:6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
Ezekiel 37:13 And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, 14 And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.
WE HAVE THE CHOICE OF FIGHTING AND WAR OR TRUSTING GOD’S PLAN OF WALKING IN SUCCESS.
TIME AND EFFORT…ARE WE AFRAID OF FAILURE? Let us consider some PHOBIAS. Sure 30% fear spiders. It is known that 49% of people have a great fear they will die being consider a failure. The fear of failure. We desire to be successful. We must overcome the setbacks. FAILURE? SUCCESS?
2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.
Define FAILURE: lack of success, not reach the goal, living in fear, doomed,
DO YOU EVER FEEL LIKE A FAILURE? DO WE KNOW A FAILURE?
Have you ever hear of THOMAS EDISON? Edison’s teacher told him he could never succeed HE WAS TOO DUMB. Thomas’ mind would often wonder in day dreams. Discussion all the failures with the light bulb. I HAVE NOT FAILED, I JUST FOUND 10,000 THINGS THAT WON’T WORK.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN: mother died at 10. In 1816 Abe had to go to work to help support his family as they were kicked out of their home. He had no formal education. In 1831 he failed in his business. In 1832 he lost his job. He was not accepted into law school. In 1833 Lincoln borrowed money to start his own business. He went bankrupt. It took 17 years to pay off his debts. he lost the election. 1858 Lincoln lost senate bid. He lost every election he ran in… 1846 lost for House of Representatives. 1849 rejected as land officer, 1854, 1858--- lost 2 bids for US senate, in 1860 he won the office of President of USA.
Do you know what was written on ALBERT EINSTEIN’S school records? Someone wrote of Einstein’s record: MENTALLY SLOW.
We all know the name HENRY FORD? Ford’s first two automobile companies failed miserably.
We probably know the name DYSON? There was a man named SIR JAMES DYSON. He is known for VACUUM SWEEPERS. Records record he tried 5,126 different prototypes before he had success with his vacuum.
Few know the facts about THE KING, ELVIS PRESLEY. Elvis failed music classes. He was considered a misfit in social circles. He got a job as a truck driver. The man that Elvis considered as a manager said: YOU AIN’T GOING NO WHERE SON, GO BACK TO DRIVING A TRUCK. Was fired from the GRAND OLE OPRY. Some suggested to Elvis to go drive a truck.
I read the first book JOHN GRISHAM’S first book was rejected at least 28 times.
WALT DISNEY was fired from his newspaper job. His boss said: DISNEY LACKED IMAGINATION.
STEPHEN SPIELBURG was rejected 3 times from film school.
STEPHEN KING HAS WRITTEN OVER 80 BOOKS. His book CARRIE was rejected 30 times. He threw the book away. His wife saved it from the garbage can.
GREEN EGGS AND HAM? THE CAT AND THE HAT. THEODOR SEUSS was rejected many times.
Perhaps the greatest NBA player was cut from his high school basketball team. MICHAEL JORDAN. He won 6 NBA titles.
He said: I have missed over 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost 300 games. On 26 occasions I was trusted to take the game winning shot and I missed it. I have failed over and over again in my life. I have failed, that’s why I succeed.
DO YOU WANT TO HEAR ABOUT A BASKET CASE?
Let us look at a man experience in failure. 1. At 14 dropped out of school. 2. He got a job working on a farm. The work was hard labor. He hated the farm work. 3. He lied about his age and at 16 he joined the ARMY. He could stand the basic training and he got out. 4. He got a job as a BLACKSMITH. The work was heavy and the heat was oppressive. He got mad and walked out. 5. At 18 he had an illegitimate child as he got his girlfriend pregnant. In his day this was a disgrace. 6. He married the girl. 7. He got a little apartment his family moved into. 8. He got fired from his job. 9. He came home to find his wife and child had moved out. She sold what she could and gave all the furniture away. 10. His wife took the child and returned to live with her mother. 11. He got a super job with the rail road. The work was hard, he walked away and quit. 12. He got financial assistance and went to college. He was not cut out to study. He quit college. 12. He tried selling insurance, he hated that. 13. He got a job selling tires that did not last long. 14. He got a job at a gas station. They did not last very long. 15. He went bankrupt. 15. At 65, for the first time of his life he had a monthly check, he started drawing a social security check: a big $105.00 a month.
At 65 everyone would call this failure, a BASKET CASE. He rent a little place along 25 in Corbin, Kentucky. He started a little restaurant. He experience with spices and started frying chicken. He found a “secret recipe of 11 spices and herbs.
One day a big black limousine pulled in front of the BASKET CASE’S BUSINESS. The man and his wife went in to eat. A chance meeting. The man was a multi-millionaire and his wife had been Miss America. JOHN Y. BROWN and PHYLLIS GEORGE loved the chicken. Later John Y. Brown becomes governor of Kentucky. The millionaire said: THIS IS SO GOOD, I WILL MAKE A DEAL WITH YOU. I WILL PUT UP THE MONEY AND BACK THIS. They called the stuff: KFC: COLONEL HARLAN SANDERS. When I crossed into Canada, the first thing I saw was Colonel Sanders KFC. In Haiti there was a KFC. In Israel there were KFC’s across the nation. Colonel Sanders went to church and accepted Jesus as his Savior. The pastor had prayed for a miracle. In one offering the Colonel dropped a check for a million dollars. In 1974 at my college graduation the poor man made a huge donation that made the local news. THE BASKET CASE became a millionaire and his face is known around the world. It is written The Colonel’s ideas were rejected by over 1,OOO to find a partner.
Conclusion: We believe that God’s plan is redemption and restoration. GOD FORGIVES, LET HIM. David is a man after God’s own heart, but he failed. Peter denied Jesus,, failure? No, we must be HOPE GIVERS. We must walk in God’s purpose. There is a problem known as FAILURE TO THRIVE. We must quit beating ourselves up. Great men in the Bible failed. Moses, David, Peter, etc. GOD IS BIGGER THAN OUR FAILURES. It is not how many times we fall! IT IS HOW MANY TIMES DO WE GET UP.
ONE THING FOUND IN ALL SUCCESS IS PERSISTENCE. TIME AND CHANCE LUCK HAPPEN TO ALL --- A SCAR MEANS WE SURVIVED. Self discipline, attitude, mindset, adapt, change and willingness to work… will help us to overcome. BE A LEARNER.
OVERCOME REJECTION. GET UP! TRY AGAIN! REDIRECT YOUR ATTITUDES. COMFORT SELDOM BRINGS CHANGE.
THERE IS A STORY ABOUT FROGS: A man was eating frog legs at a Catfish House. He over heard the owner complain that they were having trouble getting frog legs to cook. The man said: I have thousands of frogs in my pond. I could provide you 100 pair of frog legs a week. The owner agreed to purchase the frog legs from him each Friday. There are so many of the noisy things in his pond. So on Friday the man brought 4 frog legs. He said all I could find was two frogs. I thought there was thousands of frogs because of all the noise they made. Turns out there was just two frogs making all that noise. The moral of the story is just because you hear a little of negativity does not mean there is a crowd out there.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes)
