PARALYSIS IN DAILY CHRISTIAN LIVING
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr.
Kyfingers@aol.com
TEXT:
Ephesians 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and HAVING DONE ALL, TO STAND...
James 1:22 But be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23. For if any be a hearer of the Word, and not a DOER, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass. 24. For he beholdeth himself, and goes his way, and straightway forgets what manner of man he was. 25. BUT WHOSO LOOKS INTO THE PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY, AND CONTINUES THEREIN, HE BEING NOT A FORGETFUL HEARER, BUT A DOER OF THE WORK, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
Define PARALYZE:
---to make powerless ---unnerve ---to bring to an end
---prevent, destroy ---to remove feeling or sensation
---numb ---desensitize ---to render incapable of any action
I have been pondering about PARALYSIS.
Perhaps the paralysis I am considering has to do with becoming powerless or ineffective spiritually?
Is your daily menial life a history of want and woe?
Are you eating the seed corn?
Have you an excuse to be idle?
We are so focused on the sensual and emotionalized the spirit of God, that we have distracted our attention from the real issues of the church and we have allowed our hearts and actions to be paralyzed.
Our enemy, in his last day battle front, is enjoying the camp of God, that has given way to DO NOTHING ATTITUDES!
Our enemy sneaks into the camp of God and tries to remove all feelings and sensations, to numb and desensitize our awareness of the eternal!
An immobilized church is worthless, and will see very little accomplished.
If our enemy cannot kill us, his second intention is to get us completely or partially to lose sight of the goal, our calling, our purpose; and to loss the Godly functions that should be ours!
We have the Holy Spirit indwelling in us, why should we be powerless and unable to move in God?
I feel sorry for people that are paralyzed. When I was teaching school, in 1978-79, a fifth grade boy, named Charles, in PE, stepped off the bleachers’ second step and was paralyzed.
Poor Christopher Reeves, went from Superman to paralyzed in one horse ride.
George Wallace, governor of Alabama, was running for president. In 1972, while campaigning in a shopping mall, Arthur Bremer shot George in the spinal cord. In 1985, Governor Wallace had surgery and was paralyzed the remainder of his days.
I knew a lady named Essie, she lay many years in the bed. I heard her doctor say early in her "sickness, ---
" Essie, if you do not get up and do something, you will become bedfast.
Essie lost all her will to live and spent many years laying in a resthome, unwilling to leave her room.
1. LIFE IS PARALYZED BY THE HELEVISION!
This poem’s source is unknown.
I was a member of THE YOUNG AND RESTLESS in THE GENERAL HOSPITAL in the city of DALLAS. I was waiting to see THE DOCTORS. They told me I was at THE EDGE OF NIGHT, my condition was very serious. Suddenly, I realized I had just ... ONE LIFE TO LIVE. I wanted to see ALL MY CHILDREN before I entered ... ANOTHER WORLD. In my SEARCH FOR TOMORROW, I was frustrated. I did not want to DIE NASTY. But as the WORLD TURNS something wonderful happened. THE GUIDING LIGHT appeared unto me. God changed my life, I accepted Jesus as my Savior. I have been born again. Now my wife and I are enjoying ... THE DAYS OF OUR LIFFE’s serving God.
I heard Rush say, BEING A COUCH POTATO IS MORE DANGEROUS TO YOUR HEALTH THAN SMOKING CIGARETTES.
Why has our nation become "couch potato" experts?
One reason would have to be the television, VCR’s, DVD’s, satellite dishes.
2. WHAT MANNER ARE YOU? DOERS ARE BLESSED!
James 1:22 But be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23. For if any be a hearer of the Word, and not a DOER, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass.
24. For he beholdeth himself, and goes his way, and straightway forgets what manner of man he was.
25. BUT WHOSO LOOKS INTO THE PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY, AND CONTINUES THEREIN, HE BEING NOT A FORGETFUL HEARER, BUT A DOER OF THE WORK, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
There are 4 kinds of people.
A. Those that will not listen, but always jumping up and doing.
B. Those that listen closely, but soon forget and do nothing.
C. Those that talk about everybody that tries, but they will do nothing.
D. Those that will listen, follow the instructions, and do whatever they can.
What kind of person are you?
Faith must be an action word.
To do nothing is a lack of trust and commitment.
3. PARALYZED WITH NOBODY TO HELP?
John 5:7 The impotent man said, Sir, I have nobody, I have no one help me ...
This is a sad case.
The man has little hope because, no one will help him.
What about the poor Christian that has isolated himself from the flock?
I know many that are waiting for a bolt of lightning to hit them in the head and then they will do something?
I know others waiting for a vision?
There was one poor sick man had some friends.
Someone had heard about Jesus. Someone said, Let’s carry our sick friend to Jesus. They were willing to carry this man of palsy to Jesus.
Matthew9:1 Jesus saw their faith...
Does your faith show?
Who are you carrying IN FAITH TO THE LORD?
Mark 2:3-12
4 men came carrying a sick man to Jesus. When they got to where Jesus was it was hopeless, the crowd, and Jesus was behind closed doors.
These 4 men were not paralyzed by the obstacles. They tied the man to the bed, and pulled him onto the top of the house. The sick man had quiet a view being pulled up.
They had enough faith to break their hopelessness, they started hammering through the roof, the crowd inside felt the dust falling and pondered, WHAT IS HAPPENING?
I will tell you what was happening, someone decided to do something. Sure, the owner of the house was screaming?
Sure, there was those that would have been paralyzed to go home sick. But as that bed was being lowered into the crowd, there was a religious debate to be launched, they could be paralyzed in debate.
But Jesus saw their FAITH, the challenge was offered:
ARISE, get your bed? Tell a sick man to get up, and many will want to stay sick and draw their check?
IMMEDIATELY this man accepted the OFFER and he jumped up and got his bed, and left the religious debaters in the dust.
Will you become a carrier for Jesus.
This world is hurting, paralyzed ... who cares?
If you have no one, just do it!!!
4. THE ENEMY DECEIVES MANY.
The enemy lies, cheats, and twist the truth.
We need our works backed by our acts of FAITH.
Matthew 22:5 But THEY MADE LIGHT OF IT, (their works), and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise ...
You have a work to do!
Doing nothing hurts many people.
Check the oil in your car, might cost you $2.00 for a quart of oil.
Don’t check the oil, and you may pay $1500.00 for a new engine?
Procrastination will miss many opportunities
A spiritually paralyzed Christian is making light of God and of His Word!
Light is having little weight?
Carrying a small load?
No priorities or importance place upon one’s calling?
It appears many desire God’s revival with little to no effort?
Where is the sense of stability and faithfulness?
Are you one of those that untied and came with an EXCUSE?
5. PARALYZED WITH NO FEELINGS?
Many have been hurt and disappointed by others until they have no desire to continue.
Here, let me ride in the wagon?
Apathy and indifference, I don’t care?
Bitterness backfires and destroys the work of God!
God has limited use of numb Christians, would you were hot or cold?
6. PARALYZED IN MOTIONLESS DRIFTING?
There is a High Calling upon you and the church.
Your enemy knows, if you don’t use it, you will lose it.
The more you prayer the greater the effectualness you will have?
Many possum have ran across the road, and played dead until they were dead!
Better people than me have tried and failed?
I am going to fail?
I have failed before?
People will talk about me? They will talk about you anyway!
By faith start, God will honor your effort.
7. POWERLESSLY PARALYZED?
We live in a tired day?
We are exhausted?
Weakness and timidity rule?
Bored to death?
History calls China the SLEEPING GIANT, I say no!
If we are not careful sleeping saints will snore as the enemy uses gradualness and steal, kill, and destroy the family and the church.
You are not an orphan, depressed, and crying all the time?
Could complaining be a sin?
8. UNFAITHFULNESS BREEDS PARALYSIS!
1 Cor. 4:2.
Once we had an evangelist that played hooky from Sunday School to pray. He was so proud of himself.
I asked him what he had taught my church?
In my opinion, he should have not watched that late show, or crawled out of bed earlier, PRAYED and been in Sunday School.
We want to shake with the power of God, and be infested with the roaches of the world?
If you look like the world?
Smell like the world?
Act like the world?
You probably are the world!
Be faithful! God is faithful! So should you!
9. AMNESIA IS A COUSIN TO PARALYSIS.
Amnesia be a results of brain injury, shock, fatigue, repression, depression.
While we sleep the enemy comes and sows tares.
Many have selective overlooking to God’s Commands, they see what they want to see, and ignore anything not popular or favorable.
We must quit forgetting the duties and responsibilities before us.
Read Deut. 6:10 --12. 12. Says: Then beware LEST YOU FORGET THE LORD.
How could anyone forget the Lord?
The Prodigal forgot while partaking in riotous living?
The 5 foolish virgins were pure, the forgot to be prepared!
Judas walked with Jesus, he forgot Jesus’ basic truths?
Samson woke up blind and weak, he forgot where His power was,
ti was in God’s commands.
So, your work is so little?
So, noone sees what you are doing?
Few dreams and wishes come true by themselves.
All triumph is ---? A little TRY, with a lot of UMPH.
The Pastor is counting on you!
People never do nothing unless they can justify their nothing?
We better dig up those buried talents and get to work!
His servant,
Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Please, help enlarge my hands? Pass this on to others?
