THE LESSON OF ONLY
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr.
Kyfingers@aol.com
TEXT:
KJV MATTHEW 6:22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is the darkness.
NAS Matthew 6:22 The lamp of the body is the eye, if therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.
23. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His ONLY Begotten SON, that whosoever believeth on Him,
should not perish but have everlasting life.
DEFINE ONLY:
---leanness --- limitation --- single --- alone --- nothing more --- united ---together ---
SOME WISE THOUGHTS ABOUT ONLY:
--- Could it be that the nature of desire is not to be satisfied? And that many men live ONLY for gratification? We must gain control of our desires.
--- A mouse and an ant never entrust its life to one hole ONLY.
--- Only the ignorant despise education?
--- Seems, man’s ONLY fault is he has no faults? He who knows ONLY his side, knows very little.
--- Martin Luther said: What can ONLY be taught by the rod and with blows will not lead to much good; they will not remain
corrected any longer than the rod is behind them.
--- Many think today the ONLY way to learn is to win and be pretty? This is much nonsense.
--- How shall the dead rise? This is not a question of philosophy. This is ONLY a question of faith, faith must not only believe, faith rises above possibilities.
--- Man seems to develop this nature, we praise ONLY to be praised. Seems, we learn ONLY to judge by success. It also seems to me that a fuss or a quarrel would not last long if the fault were found ONLY on one side.
--- Could many be carrying a chip on their shoulder, ONLY awaiting someone to knock it off? Have you found that people have something stuck in their inner most being that ONLY waits an opportunity of being provoked to bring it up?
--- Gossip and idleness are ONLY the refuge of weak minds.
--- Only good, brave, honest people know how to forgive, --- fools never forgive; it is not their nature.
--- The ONLY thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
--- I ONLY regret that I have but one life to give for my God.
--- The ONLY thing to fear is fear.
--- A sharp tongue is the ONLY edged tool that grows sharper with constant use.
--- Growth is the ONLY evidence of life.
--- The ONLY way to keep a friend is to be one.
--- The ONLY happiness in life is to love and be loved.
FOCUS ON WHAT YOU HAVE, ONLY IN YOUR HAND...
1. ONLY A ROD --- A ROD VERSES THE ROD
Moses what is that in your hand?
Well, it is ONLY a rod... a rod ... that is all, --- just a rod.
Exodus 4:2 And the Lord said unto him, WHAT IS THAT IN YOUR HAND? And he said, "A ROD!"
Notice it is called a rod, after God’s touch it is called THE ROD...
Exodus 4:20 --- and Moses took THE ROD of God in his hand.
2. ONLY A BOY --- ONLY A FEW FISH AND BISCUITS...
John 6:9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two SMALL fishes: BUT WHAT ARE THEY AMONG SO
MANY? Andrew had the answer, it was ONLY a little boy, he had 5 barley loaves, then the miracle starts to fall to pieces,
Andrew sees the two fishes are ONLY SMALL fishes ... then the ONLY SMALL --- deduces the opinion, to ONLY SMALL ...
What are they among so many ... the ONLY almost missed the miracles?
3. ONLY A LITTLE WIDOW, ONLY A POT OF OIL...
2 Kings 4:2 --- Elisha ask--- What is in your house? And she said, I don’t have anything in my house, save a pot of oil...
She ONLY had oil ... only a little bottle of oil...
2 Kings 4:3 Then the Preacher said, GO and borrow, and borrow not a few...
If she had borrowed ONLY a few vessels, she would have had a little miracle.
ONLY empty pots? No, ONLY an opportunity to release deliverance.
4. ONLY A POOR WIDOW, ONLY TWO MITES...
Mark 12:42 And there came a certain POOR widow, and she threw in two mites, --- 43. Jesus said, This poor widow
hath cast in MORE than all
Jesus sat watching the GIVING. The way we give becomes habitual. As all gave, one widow GAVE! She ONLY GAVE
TWO MITES, but her two mites touched the heart of God.
5. CAN I LIVE PERFECT?
A little boy approached his Grandfather and asked a serious question --- "Paw, can I live right for the rest of my life?"
The old man pondered and replied, " No, sonny, you can’t live a perfect life all those years!"
The little boy inquired, " Paw, can I live right for a decade?"
The old man quickly answered, "No, you could never live a righteous life for 10 years!"
The boy said, "Paw, I don’t mean to bother you, but could I live right for a year."
Paw spoke up, " Naw, you can’t be perfect for a year, no way."
The boy asked, " How about month? How about a week?"
The answers stayed the same from the old wise man, "NO!"
Finally, the lad said, "Grandpa, could a man live right for ONLY a moment?"
After serious thought, the Grandfather replied to the lad, " Only for a moment, maybe a moment?"
The little boy looked up to his Paw and replied, "THEN PAW, I SHALL LIVE MY LIFE MOMENT BY MOMENT!"
We can ONLY live one moment at a time.
6. ONLY A NEEDLE ... GOD ONLY A NEEDLE ...
Acts 9:36 There was a disciple named Tabitha, or Dorcas: this woman was FULL OF GOOD WORKS and almsdeeds
which she did.
I love the story of Dorcas, she is a personal hero of mine. Her ministry was a needle and thread. She ministered one
stitch at a time. Her work was not even noticed until after her death. Many of the coats that her friends were wearing
were a work of love from this woman’s hands. Dorcas was healed and raised from the dead, WHY? She had some more
stitches to sew! ONLY a needle brought about a miracle.
7. ONLY TO FIND NOTHING.... ???
Remember ESOP’s Fables? One was the goose that laid the eggs of gold. If you recall the owner of the goose was
not satisfied with one egg of gold every day. He wanted MORE, ONLY one egg a day was not enough. So one day,
the man decided to take the gold in his own hands. He killed the goose that laid the egg of gold. After killing the
goose the man opened the lifeless body ONLY TO FIND NOTHING.
As we search and search to please our 5 senses and be happy, we find the goose is dead. We should enjoy our
daily walk in this menial life.
8. ONLY HE WHO SEES WILL TAKE HIS SHOES OFF ...
Exodus 3:5 Moses learned he was walking on HOLY GROUND. When Moses recognized that God was with him,
that the ground on which he stood was holy, Moses took his shoes off. THINGS THAT ARE HOLY ARE ONLY REVEALED
TO PEOPLE THAT ARE HOLY. Every common bush is aflame with the GLORY of God.
9. THE FOOLISHNESS OF ONLY ONE MORE TIME ...
In Judges 16:28, we find a very foolish prayer. Samson prays the most serious prayer of his life. Samson’s sense
of failure has dictated the tone and words of this prayer. Strengthen me, I pray thee, ONLY this once, O God, ---
Samson could have lead his people many more years. Samson had learned much from his failures, but Samson
prayed foolishly when he asked --- ONLY this once --- his prayer should have been, God give me MANY more victories.
Don’t let your failures dictate the power of your request!
10. YOU DON’T HAVE TO STAY THE SAME, YOU CAN CHANGE, BUT ONLY IF YOU WANT TO...
Simon Peter changed. Peter was a loud mouth idiot at times, but he knew that people can change, and walking
with Jesus brought about a change. Peter never understood what Jesus was doing as he was washing the feet
of those that walked with Him. Peter put his foot in his mouth and said, Jesus, you will never wash my feet.
Jesus said to Peter, if I don’t wash your feet, then you will not have any part with me...
John 13:9 Simon Peter saith, unto Him, Lord, not my feet ONLY, but my hands and my head.
We need to submit to the cross and grow and develop. God has a plan for you, you might not understand the
significance of the menial task that God has entrusted into your daily routine, but you can change...
IF YOU WANT TO... It is insane to think you can keep doing the same old same old and get things different.
If you desire change, you must become an agent of change. If you want things different, then you must do things
differently. TRY HARDER! Give more.
11. FOCUS ON JESUS ONLY...
Someone ask my friend, Brother Vannucci, "Are you Jesus only?"
He replied, " No, but I am working on it!"
A few men had gathered upon a mountain for a time of prayer.
Seems like there is more said about prayer, than prayer offered.
Some of the elect men slept through the prayer meeting.
There had been a unique move of God.
Matthew 17:8 And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, SAVE JESUS ONLY...
Jesus promised if we would lift up ONLY HIS NAME that others would be drawn unto Him.
We see denominations, TV ministries, fancy churches, and power hungry personalities lifted.
We need to LIFT JESUS ONLY to the lost and dying humanity around us.
12. HEARERS ONLY ...
1 Timothy 5:13 And withal they learn to be idle, wandering from house to house, and NOT ONLY IDLE, but
tattlers and also busybodies, speaking things which THEY OUGHT NOT.
We have today a lose of fear of the tongue and idleness. The tongue can be full of deadly poison.
Where is honor and respect among the body?
James 1:22 Be ye doers of the Word, and not HEARERS ONLY ...
Lip service is cheap.
13. BE MADE WHOLE --- IF I CAN JUST, ONLY TOUCH JESUS .... IT WILL BE OK...
We have a great need within the heart of the church. We need to be made whole.
WHOLE, free of wound or injury; healed; free; healthy; sound --- mentally and emotionally; complete; entire.
The 10 lepers were healed, the thankful one was made whole.
Matthew 14:36 And besought Him that they MIGHT ONLY TOUCH the hem of His garment:
and as many as touched were made perfectly whole ...
We have polished programs and professional ministry but we must--- Only touch Jesus!
14. ONLY THE WORD OF GOD WILL DO THE WORK OF GOD.
We find many churches teaching modern books, not the Bible. We have seminars, tapes, booklets, computers.
We have TV’s on Super Bowl Sunday. We have movies and discussions, but we need a return to the basics
and a depth in the Word of God.
Psalms 107:20 He sent His Word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.
Note the s on destructions, plural
2 Timothy 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
Matthew 22:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, YE DO ERR, NOT KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES,
NOR THE POWER OF GOD.
How does the Bible define sin? To know to do good, and doeth it not is a sin. James 4:17.
We need a return in this nation to the Word of God.
1 Thes. 1:5 For our Gospel came not unto you in WORD ONLY, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost,
and in assurance...
15. I WILL SERVE THE LORD ONLY IF HE BLESSES ME WITH MATERIAL GOODS?
Acts 21:13 Then Paul answered, What mean you to weep and break my heart? For I am ready not to be
bound ONLY, but also to die at Jerusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus.
Romans 5:3 And not ONLY so, but we glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulations worketh patience.
Many want a rose Christianity without any thrones, troubles, and trials.
It is ludicrous to teach prosperity and gain is godliness.
1 Timothy 6:5 --- supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. 6 But godliness with
contentment is great gain.
16. BUT MY GIFT IS SO SMALL, IT IS ONLY LITTLE ...
Matthew 10:42 And whosoever shall give a drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water ONLY
in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.
Notice the verse says COLD WATER, cold water takes greater effort than just water.
It has to be fresh from the well.
I was holding a revival in Jeffersonville, KY. A poor, young man, every night placed a glass of ice cold water on the pulpit
for me to drink. On the third night, I noticed the glass was not clear, and in the glass was a Coke. I asked him about it
later. He said, Preacher the water never cost me anything, and I felt like no cost giving would not bring me much of a
blessing. Well, that young man sure learned a valuable lesson during that revival.
17. ONLY BAD CHOICES?
Genesis 6:5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every imagination of the
thoughts of his heart was ONLY evil continually. 6. And it repented the Lord that He had made man on the earth,
and it grieved Him at His Heart.
18. COULD YOU GIVE YOUR ONLY? Could you give your Promise back to God?
Occasionally God asks for a special sacrifice. Not everyone is asked to lay down their dream, their ONLY DREAM,
but if God asks, give your best to Him.
Gen. 22:16 And said, By myself have I sworn saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and HAST
NOT WITHHELD THY SON, THINE ONLY SON .... 17. I WILL BLESS THEE AND THY SEED....
I did this series as a three part lesson on ONLY.
If only you would tell someone else about this, you would double the reach of my voice.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
