BE AN ARM LIFTER?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
TEXT:
Hebrews 12:12 Wherefore lift up the HANDS WHICH HANG DOWN, and the feeble knees...
Jude 1:22 AND OF SOME HAVING COMPASSION AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE.
Proverbs 11:25 The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered.
1 Corinthians 16:15 I beseech you, brethren (ye know of the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia),
and THAT THEY HAVE ADDICTED THEMSELVES TO THE MINISTRY OF THE SAINTS.
Define:
ADDICT/ADDICTION
--- TO DEVOTE OR SURRENDER to something habitually or obsessively.
--- compulsive need for --- dependence on
My definition of ministry --- to see a need and to try to do something about it.
WHAT IS THE GOAL OF PLAYING FOOTBALL?
Well, of course, we would say winning. But there is a clearer point than winning, it is scoring points. We might score 6
points in a touchdown, three points in a field goal, two points in a safety, or one point in a point after the touch down.
WHAT IF I TOLD YOU OF A MAN THAT PLAYED FOOTBALL 23 YEARS, 15 YEARS IN THE NFL,
FOUR YEARS IN COLLEGE, AND FOUR YEARS IN HIGH SCHOOL AND HE NEVER SCORED A TOUCH DOWN
OR MADE A POINT?
He never even scored one point? THIS MAN WOULD HAVE TO BE A FAILURE WOULDN’T HE?
Well, let’s look at this? This man never made a touch down, but he played in 245 games in his career.
Why start a man that can’t score? He made 1,032 tackles, pretty impressive?
He blocked 86 passes. He made 19 fumble recoveries, but still no touch downs?
He made 3 interceptions, but no touchdowns?
While in a football game everything centers on the football and the goal line, but there is more to the game than that.
THE MAN’S NAME IS ED "TOO TALL" JONES!
Ed "Too Tall" Jones is in the Football Hall of Fame, the reason he never made a touch down was his position ---
Ed was an All Pro Defensive End, he played 15 years for the Dallas Cowboys. Ed was a TEAM PLAYER, he never
played to make touchdowns, he played to help his team win.Not everyone that plays football is there to make touchdowns.
TEAM
T-OGETHER
E- ACH
A- CCOMPLISHES
M- ORE
This reminds me of a Biblical team player: ---- HUR. There is a man mentioned twice in the Bible, his name was HUR!
Exodus 17:10 Hur went to the top of a hill with the man of God.
Verse 11 says that as long as the man of God lifted his hands the children of God would prevail.
Vs. 12 But Moses was human, his arms would tire and hang down, seems his arms would grow so heavy.
Hur had enough sense to be a team member, he rolled a rock over for the Preacher to sit on --- then Hur crawled up under
the Preacher’s arm pit and supported Him. We are talking on a hot day, in a long battle, without antiperspirant Deodorant,
or no powder. See, the team member had to see beyond the comfort zone. Where there is battle there is sweat. I think
therefore I am? I sweat so therefore there is work to advance the cross.
Hur could have ran down the hill and told everyone, hey our leader up there stinks. Hur could have given the report that the leader
was failing to do his job, and defeat might be a possibility,or a probability Hur could have taken a lot of negative positions, he
could have sided with the pouters, the doubters, the fault finders, HUR HAD TO MAKE A CHOICE! Hur did make a choice, HUR
PULLED UP UNDER THESWEATY ARM PITS OF A MAN. HUR knew he would never be a great leader, but he found a JOY in
serving in a supportive role.
HUR made the Preachers hands steady in an unsteady situation and an unsteady battle. What a sacrifice? HUR never made a
touchdown, but he did stand faithfully beneath the sweaty arms of a man.
Hur is mentioned again in the Bible, but he still never made a touchdown. Hur was again in a supportive role to help minister.
Few people want to see the human side of the man of God and continue the work of God. The price of rebellion and fault finding
is very costly. Listening to the negative can be deadly.
Verses and comments:
Jude 1:12 These are spots in your love in your feast of charity, when they feast with you, FEEDING
THEMSELVES WITHOUT FEAR: ( me, I generation, selfish, please me, make me happy, satisfy me)
clouds they are without water ... (Great promise and potential, but never do anything)
carried about of winds ... (NO ROOTS, no faithfulness, no fruits)
trees whose fruit withereth ... (useless, unproductive, dried up)
plucked up by the roots ... (no endurance, no future, no hope of betterment)
13. RAGING waves of the sea (sea is where storms brew, and divides the people;
ANGRY, MAD, AND BITTER)
FOAMING OUT THEIR SHAME ... ( no guilt, blame others, no shame, no repentance)
WANDERING STARS ...(AIMLESS, DRIFTERS, no fixed course of action, prone to stray,
you need a fixed star, like the North star for guidance, no commitment)
16. These are murmurers (tattletale, under your breath muttered grumble)
complainers ( express fault, grief, pain, discontent; to make accusation)
walking after THEIR OWN LUST ( NOT A TEAM PLAYER, SEEKING PLEASURE, UNBRIDLED (want to be free,
loose from restraint, not submitted) DESIRE, craving power, wish for different)
and having their mouths speaketh great, swelling words ( In my opinion more people will be in hell for the mouth
than sex organs.)
18. How THEY TOLD you there should be MOCKERS ( undermined the authority, treat with contempt, to ridicule)
in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
WANDERING STARS, GRASSHOPPER PROPHETS, UNFAITHFUL, UNDERMINING AUTHORITY attitudes,
abandoning loyalty will never build a better team.
I know many that want to lead, but they have never followed faithfully without complaining and back biting.
Look at how faithful Joshua was to follow Moses? Look at how faithful Elisha was to Elijah? To lead they had to
faithfully follow.
Today, many refuse to submit and follow, they slam leader after leader, and they ponder, why doesn’t something open
for me? Why not look in the mirror? You can never become a good leader without submission. I know many that have
been undercutting, undermining, and they wonder where is the power? They have worked against every leader they worked
under.They have never learned about Joshua, Joshua knew the human limitations of Moses, Joshua knew Moses’
shortnesses and weaknesses, yet he stayed at the feet of his God called leader.
Elisha knew Elijah! There was times
Elijah was not what he should be, but Elisha kept following the man of God. Elijah gave Elisha 4 opportunities to be
released from following, yet Elisha knew he had to stay and grow inspite of the human weaknesses.
Many times to build the team, we must sacrifice applause of us.
If you listen to your radio or watched the nightly news?
If you pay any attention to the NASDAQ reports? The S&P 500? The foreign markets?
Have you noticed how unstable this financial system is growing? Have you watched financial portfolios drop in value?
My Pharmacists was talking to me the other day, he was prepared to retire this year,
his personal portfolio had so dropped that he said he would have to work another 8 to 10 years? What is happening to
security? Have you heard how insecure the Social Security System is? The future looks bleak. The integrity of our system
has been compromised by greedy CEO’s? They are taking great bonuses in the multimillion dollar range, while the company
is going under. I recently read where one famous CEO took a 8.6 million dollar bonus for a good job, and the company is going
under Chapter 11? Where is the team effort? Paying the workers minimum wage and paying the CEO’s millions?
Where is honesty in reporting financial status for the health of the whole? Can the government make laws that will force
honesty and integrity? Where is personal accountability?
Can soundness ever grow without adherence to moral and ethical codes on a voluntarily, personal basis? Cheating in the
home? Cheating at school? Seems everyone has a hand out demanding what they deserve?
John Kennedy spoke as President, ASK NOT WHAT YOUR COUNTRY CAN DO FOR YOU, ASK WHAT YOU CAN DO
FOR YOUR COUNTRY?
I say, Quit asking what the church is doing for you, quit finding fault and murmuring, PRAY, fall on your knees and
seek the Will of the Father.
I was in college in the early 70’s. I was required to take an art appreciation class and a music appreciation class.
I learned a great lesson in the Music Appreciation Class. I was in the Music Library listening to some great classics
in music. I was looking for a recording and I ran across this album, the name of the album caught my attention:
it said: THE UNASHAMED ACCOMPANIMENT. As I was sitting there I began reading the unknown man’s words. Seems,
he was a great pianist, and had won world events with his talent. But when he played the piano his name was never on
the marquee, the name on the marquee said, LUCIANO PAVAROTTI.
We all know PAVATOTTI, the great Italian tenor singer. He has sang for Kings, Queens, Presidents, the Metropolitan Opera
in New York and all around the world, this man played the piano for others. The man called himself the UNASHAMED
ACCOMPANIMENT, seems his job was to play the piano for Pavarotti. While the man’s talent was great and he could have
been known as a great soloist, he chose to yield his talent to support and backup many famous singers.
I don’t even remember his name? But his record album so impressed me. This great man knew the role of being a
team member.
God calls on some people to offer their LOVE as a sacrifice to the Cross.
Abraham had a DREAM. 20 long and painful years Abraham had just a PROMISE,
then one day the PROMISE became a reality. Then one day the God that gave the PROMISE and the PROVISION would
see fit to test Abraham’s trust --- will he be willing to lay down his dream?
Genesis 22:7-8 finds that Abraham had learned to trust, and Abraham speaks by COMPLETE FAITH ---
THAT GOD WILL PROVIDE THE LAMB! See, Abraham had learned to be a team player, and trust not only the PROMISE
but the PROVISION. Will you give the DREAM for the TEAM?
Let me ask a question?
I need you to think ... WHO HAS MADE A DIFFERENCE IN MY LIFE?
Ponder with me ... who has made a difference?
Now let me ask you a few questions... Were they rich? Did they own the biggest house? Were they politically
powerful? Did they have great educational degrees? Were they beautiful to the eyes?
THE PEOPLE THAT MADE A DIFFERENCE IN MY LIFE WERE NOT STARS,
they were not rich, they were not greatly educated, and they did not have great ecclesiastical success sheets.
They were kind and tender, compassion driven individuals. Most of the people that made a difference in my life never
heard a lot of applause nor did they receive a lot of recognition. They were just faithful to their post of duty.
There can be a difference in words, what is spoken; what is perceived?
The difference between almost the right word and the right word is really a large matter --- it’s the difference between
the lightning bug and lightning? What is the difference between I am sorry, and I am sorry I got caught? Not much?
A whole lot?
Some make a difference when others are watching? BUT TURN YOUR BACK AND THE DIFFERENCE IS GONE.
Gal. 4:18 But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.
Worry will never make a big difference. Worry never empties tomorrow of sorrow ... it empties today of JOY.
I recently read a survey of 400 women, it ask them what they would love to hear their husband say? Guess?
1. I love you.
2. I am proud of you....
How many kids and friends would love to hear, I love you ... I am proud of you...
Hebrews 12:12 Wherefore lift up the HANDS WHICH HANG DOWN, and the feeble knees...
There is a New Testament ministry that could make the difference, it is lifting hands, maybe the hands are dirty?
Maybe the arm pits stink? Maybe the leader is not exactly where he should be? But maybe if I lifted his hands,
God would honor the both of us?
Are you making a difference? Are you a good example? Are you faithfully doing all you could with great LOVE and
COMPASSION? Will you reach way down? Will you reach to the weak? Will you be kind? Will you bite your tongue
and just listen?
God ask: WHO WILL GO FOR ME?
Who will make a difference? The person that needs your love the most, probably deserves it least.
Would you invest some love anyway? Would you build a bridge to help bring unity?
I can’t stand this, I am going to quit? It is always to soon to quit. Try again!
Try again! Be a lifter of the arms! The Lord promised you reap what you sow. If you will lift the arms of others,
God will lift your arms.
Proverbs 11:25 The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered.
Help me, teach this lesson to others?
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
