STUB YOUR TOE? or THEY ALL?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr.
Kyfingers@aol.com
TEXT:
Luke 14:27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me,
cannot be my disciple.
28. For which of you intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first,
and counteth the cost, whether he hath sufficient to finish it?
29. Lest haply, after he hath laid a foundation, and is not able to finish it,
all that behold it, begin to mock him.
30. Saying this man began to build and was not able to FINISH IT.
2 Kings 13:19 And the man of God was wroth with Joash, and said,
THOU SHOULD HAVE ---
Luke 14:18 ...they all with one consent began to make excuse.
Dear friends, I ponder some deep stuff today?
I have been to two resthomes and played two one hour music programs.
My Dad taught me this discipline.
I love old people, for I am headed that way at 1440 minutes a day.
I get a lot of hugs and a few kisses.
The resthome is one of the purest forms of real ministry, ...
for most of them can give nothing in return?
Only one motive will keep you going to the resthome to minister ---
that is love. Resthome ministry is giving.
Some people stub their toe, and say it was the devil’s fault?
When to be perfectly honest, the devil had nothing to do with stubbing the toe.
Listen to me, before you jump conclusions.
Many times one stubbing the toe is a results of laziness.
If we would pick up our feet higher with a little more energy and enthusiasm,
we would clear more obstacles.
Many parents remove all obstacles from the path of the child,
instead of disciplining them to avoid the obstacles.
God is not that kind of Father, He will not always go before you and remove everything that you can stub your toe, God expects you to open your eyes,
see the obstacle and plot a way around.
While we discuss this stupidity of blaming the enemy for our lack of effort.
Why not look at REAL EFFORT?
We live in a day of instant coffee --- with no waiting,
instant mashed potatoes --- with no peeling,
instant ice tea --- with no hot water,
and 200 channels of nonsense on the TV,
and we grow a generation that feeling good and sleep become real goals.
We have no shame for laziness today. Everybody else is lazy?
When God’s people drift with every wind, and thoughtlessness is how we approach God’s work ? ? ? Disaster lies ahead. Slipshod?
Look up slip shod in the dictionary?
Shabby, careless, slovenly, performed without regard for care or thoroughness, little effort, of bad quality.
Ship shod suggest like wearing a loose pair of shoes, wearing blisters on your feet because you will not bend over and tie your shoes.
See there are consequences to slip shod behavior!
We need God’s people to arise and invest time and effort wisely.
We must exert power and hard work, God deserves better!
Why will men lie on their backs in the mud of life,
talking about the fall of man, and make little to no effort to get up?
Effort requires thinking, motivation, and sweat.
We think this is hard?
I think what a quart of oil may cost?
What about running the motor without oil?
What will that cost?
Could the love of money have a link to the impulse of effort?
What is in this for me?
Luke 14:27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me,
cannot be my disciple.
28. For which of you intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first,
and counteth the cost, whether he hath sufficient to finish it?
29. Lest haply, after he hath laid a foundation, and is not able to finish it,
all that behold it, begin to mock him.
30. Saying this man began to build and was not able to FINISH IT.
Before the builder buys a hammer, he sits down. He must count the cost!
What effort shall I invest in this?
Shall I build a cardboard house?
This is not a lazy sit down strike, this is pondering, this is mediation, this is seeking counsel, this is counting the cost, self-evaluation.
This is planning, goal setting, developing a system self evaluation and a way to measure our successes/failures.
How many leaders have no accountableness?
With no inspections the work will lessen in intensity?
How many husbands honestly evaluate how they are doing?
How many wife’s plan ways of bettering their relationships?
Ship shod families are very expensive?
We plan what we are going to cook more than plan God’s work?
When we thoughtlessly do God’s work, how can we honestly plan on God’s glory?
One cause of stubbed toes is: dim light sources.
Most of my serious toe-stubbing has been in the dark.
Dim light is it’s own curse?
But even if the dimness, we will blame -- whoever put the table there.
It is time we have some honest maturing in the house of God.
People blame the coldness and lack of spiritualness on the pastor,
when they were on the lake in a boat bought with tithe money?
Someone misses church for a month and then wants to fuss?
Unfaithful grasshopper prophets with no works and rotten fruit.
Some wonder where is the God of Elijah?
Not me, I wonder where are the Elijah’s of God?
Look at what a halfhearted King did in a half-heart way before the man of God.
This was a MAN OF GOD, Joash stood before, yet the palace spoiled the King.
The King wanted a great victory at no cost and little effort.
Read for yourself, 2 Kings 13.:14-19
Joash’s decision of halfhearted obedience cost him and the next generation and still cost to this day.
Elisha had a simple request for deliverance, movement of faith ---- hit the arrows.
Verse 18, King Joash is going to stub his toe.
He 1/2 hearted hit the arrows 3 times,
the old preacher saw the shallowness, and the contentment to be shallow,
and cried.
See, King Joash had no self-evaluation system.
2 Kings 13:19 And the man of God was wroth with Joash, and said,
THOU SHOULD HAVE ---
Never be satisfied in shallow waters.
Is God going to be heart broken because we put forth little effort?
Little effort, little results.
I know Sunday School teachers that offer little effort and expect greatness?
I know deacons that offer little effort and serve in titular offices, they have a title, but offer no effort?
How cruel was Jesus, the son of God, to put mud in a blind man’s eyes and then tell him to walk a long way, to a specific place?
Why could not someone carried water to this handicapped man?
Man has the great ability to agree on one thing....?
Luke 14:18 ...they all with one consent began to make excuse.
Why not allow the power of agreement to be in a positive light,
and we learn to pick of our feet and walk around obstacles?
Apathy and neglect is killing our society and hurting the church.
Study what a lack of effort can do?
Coach John Wooden (UCLA), said his dad often stated,
" MAKE EACH DAY A MASTERPIECE! GOD GIVES YOU A NEW, WHITE CANVASS EACH DAY, AND EACH DEED AND THOUGHT IS A BRUSHSTROKE OF ART. MAKE SURE YOU PAINT A MASTERPIECE."
A rich man hired his friend, he never needed the work done,
the rich man just had a friend that needed a job.
The rich man agreed to more than fare wages for each hour of labor.
The job was to chip the stone in the back of his property.
The man chipped the stone 8 hours, 40 hours, 120 hours.
The man went to his friend and said I QUIT, I have accomplished nothing.
I have worked 3 weeks on that massive stone, and it is still there.
The boss said, " I never gave you orders to chip that stone away. My orders were to chip away at the stone.
Look, as a result of your work you are stronger today than when you began."
THIS POOR MAN LOST HIS PURPOSE AND TASK.
I say, my friend, don’t quit chipping, do what you can, where you can, when you can.
We will do it --- ONE CHIP AT A TIME. JUST DON’T LOSE YOUR ENTHUSIASM, YOUR ZEAL, YOUR WANT TOOOOOO.
THE MAIN THING IS TO KEEP THE MAIN THING THE MAIN THING.
PICK UP YOUR FEET HIGH. There is a plan.
The happiness of man in life is related to, or the results of that man’s own efforts,
Happiness is more than a gift of God, or some spontaneous spiritual product,
if there is not happiness there is probably little effort! Your passions? Your anxieties?
Your achievements all depend on your efforts and how you apply yourself!
What could we accomplish if we just applied a little more effort?
His servant,
Wade Martin Hughes, Sr.
Kyfingers@aol.com
Please reward my effort, enlarge my hands and pass this on to someone else?
