DUCT TAPE AND PLASTIC?
PLAYGROUND OR PRAYERGROUND? TOYS OR TOOLS?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
HISTORICALLY GOD IS TOUCHED BY PRAYER AND FASTING. GOD IS CALLING FOR HIS SPIRITUAL REMNANT
TO LEAVE THE PLAYGROUND AND MOVE TO THE PRAYGROUND.
TEXT:
Philippians 3:19 Whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame,
WHO MIND EARTHLY THINGS.
2 Timothy 3:2 For men shall be LOVERS of their own selves, 4: LOVERS of PLEASURES more than LOVERS of God!
John 6:60 Many therefore of His disciples, when they heard this, said THIS IS A HARD SAYING: WHO CAN
HEAR IT?
61. When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples MURMURED at it, He said unto them, DOTH THIS OFFEND YOU?
66. From that time many of His disciples WENT BACK, and WALKED NO MORE WITH HIM.
67. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, WILL YE ALSO GO AWAY?
How very sad these text verses are?
These people that found Jesus’ teaching hard and difficult, had been there in the good times.
Many of these walking away had eaten fish and bread. They had seen miracles! They had seen sick people healed.
They had seen the demonic delivered. They had heard the voice of the Son of God teach and deliver lessons of great wisdom. They walked with Jesus, they had talked with Jesus, but suddenly there come a season of testing, the easy is gone, the words and the road get hard, and the crowd splits, GONE, ... WHY leave Jesus?
They were looking for an easy down hill road with free cheese and miracle shows to please them.
TODAY WE WANT TO PLAY AT WORK, WORK AT PLAY,
There is a cry today for the pulpits to preach us happy, entertain us, tickle our funny bones,
Can you imagine John the Baptist or Elijah or Jeremiah preaching on today’s television ministries?
We have great spiritual clowns telling entertaining and amusing stories as people roll in the aisles.
Many churches are fastly becoming playgrounds with physical exercise equipment.
Play suggest to me, childish behavior...
I HEAR A CRY TODAY THAT SEEKS MORE AND MORE TOYS WHILE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HELL.
1 Cor. 13:11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child, but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, have itching ears;
4. And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
How wrong are we to teach: WHEN THE GOING GETS TUFF, THE TUFF GET GOING?
CLOWN:
a fool,--- a jester, --- a comedian in entertainment ---works in a circus to make people laugh.
--- a person who habitually plays the buffoon
TOY:
--- Play ground -- to act or deal with something lightly or without vigor or purpose.
--- To engage in flirtation. --- to amuse oneself
--- play
PLAY:
--- something for a child, --- amuse self, --- non-demanding, --- game, --- sport, --- pretend, --- make-believe --- recreational activity --- reaction of children --- absence of seriousness --- free and easy
--- to move aimlessly about, --- irregular or intermittent --- amusement mock --- deceive ---
--- to try and hide the truth --- performance to act --- very small or trivial.
Play with a cat, expect to be scratched?
One of today’s great themes might be: All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy?
ENTERTAINMENT:
--- LIGHT COMIC OR ADVENTURE --- Non work activities Play time, FUN...
FUN:
--- lack of earnestness --- enjoyment, playful, jest --- mood for making amusement.
AMUSEMENT:
---Pleasure diversion --- to entertain by light, playful, or pleasant manners -- to appeal to fun and humor ---
We have opossums in the area where we live.
We have an expression, we call it PLAYING POSSUM.
A possum will get scared, so he pretends that he is dead and lays very still.
Possum will run across the road, see a car and freeze and play dead. The next think you know the possum is
not playing, he is really dead, the car ran over him.
Party spirit --- the madness of many for the gain of a few.
A young man laughed as he spoke with me.
He said, I want to go to hell that is where all my friends will be.
WE SEE A SELLING OF ETERNITY TO BUY ANOTHER TOY!
TOOL:
--- device that aids in accomplishing a task --- equip --- machine --- to work or study --- to operate
--- used to accomplish a purpose
WORK:
--- labor, --- employment --- activity that exerts strength or faculties
--- sustained physical or mental effort to overcome obstacles and achieve an objective or results.
--- duty, --- function, --- assignment results of energy expended, effort, exertion, or exercised
--- preparation, development, completion
A sharp tongue is the only sharp edged tool that grows keener with constant use.
Man can accomplish very little without tools.
The more and the better the tools the greater the work.
Isaiah 66:8 --- For when Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.
Psalms 62:12 Thou renderest to every man according to his work.
Eccles. 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device,
nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
1 Cor 3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall
be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
HISTORICALLY GOD IS TOUCHED BY PRAYER AND FASTING.
GOD IS CALLING FOR HIS SPIRITUAL REMNANT TO LEAVE THE PLAYGROUND AND MOVE TO THE
PRAYER GROUND.
2 Chron. 20:14 IF my people, which are called by My Name, shall HUMBLE themselves, and PRAY, and SEEK My
Face, then will I Hear from heaven, and will FORGIVE their sin, and will HEAL their land.
WE ARE PLAYING SPIRITUAL GAMES! THIS IS A WAR! WE HAVE A DUTY TO GOD, OUR CHURCH, AND OUR
FAMILIES!
Matthew 7:21 How be it this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
Mark 9:29 And He said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.
THE SPIRIT OF GOD CLEARLY CALLS AMERICA TO HER KNEES!
WE MUST REVIVE THE LOST CALL TO PRAYER AND FASTING!
MAYFLOWER:
The day before the pilgrims were to step off the Mayflower in this new land of promise the Captain of the ship made an appeal.
They had been burdened and oppressed, and they were called to prayer and fast for guidance and protection.
THE REVIVALIST:
Luther, Calvin, Knox, Smith Wigglesworth, and others of their day, the great revivalist called for times of fasting.
JONATHAN EDWARDS:
One of the greatest modern sermons ever preached was read verbatim. The famous sermon was called,
"SINNERS IN THE HANDS OF AN ANGRY GOD!" Hundreds came to know God from this sermon.
Edwards fasted 21 hours before reading this sermon!
CIVIL WAR DEATH ABOUNDED.
During the Civil War the soldiers that died, on either side, were all USA men and women.
The nation was called to prayer and fasting.
CHARLES FINNEY:
The great preacher Charles Finney would halt any revival when the audience grew cold and indifferent, and he would
call for a season of fasting and prayer. Finney knew another society party would not bring revival.
THE GREAT DEPRESSION OF THE 1930’S:
There was a total economic failure in the USA. The banks were closed. Many great men could not face the collapse
and they committed suicide as an escape. There was a great call across this nation to repentance and prayer and fasting.
They knew another toy would not save this nation.
WORLD WAR 2 AND THE 1940’S:
Adolph Hitler --- German Nazi dictator, Benito Mussolini --- fascist dictator of Italy, Hirohito emperor of Japan were agents of the Demonic powers of this world. These oppressive forces band together to destroy the social system we had known.
Our soldiers were dying and many would never return home.
I am told that the church buildings were opened 24 hours a day, and at anytime you could hear prayers pouring toward the heavens on behalf of this nation.
I am told you could walk up country roads and hear Mothers praying for their sons.
WE NEED SOME MIGHTY TOOLS TO OVERCOME.
How foolish Americans can be. We have been told in the event of a terrorist atomic invasion put duct tape
and plastic over your windows. So, people are running to the stores buying duct tape and plastic sheets to protect their homes. Sure, duct tape will do it!
Our democracy is disintegrating before our eyes.
The health care system is broken and there seems to be no repair.
Humanism, homosexuality, and demonic activity are fighting for the children in our schools.
Materialism and push and shove is pouring into our schools and churches. Parents working and partying and
forgetting their parental duties.
The war on drugs is epidemic, and people are selling their souls for a fix.
Sexual Transmitted Diseases are killing more than any war. Every 14 seconds a child is made an orphan by aids.
D-I-V-O-R-C-E has become a norm right in the church. The family is facing destruction and the court systems
cannot slow it down.
The economy is in serious long term decline. Fortunes have been reduced to almost nothing. The stock markets are up and down with no rhyme or reason.
Korea and Iraq nears a nuclear bomb. 13 nations currently have atomic or nuclear bomb abilities. It is believed 12 more nations will have nuclear weapons within the next ten years.
Kids cannot pray at school and the Ten Commandments cannot be posted. Churches don’t post the ten commandments, and guns and violence seem to be loosed. Armed policemen patrol the hallways of our schools.
One study suggests that the average teen girls that are pregnant, are not pregnant by class mates...
these teenage girls on the average are pregnant by adult men. There are on the average over a million teenage pregnancies a year between the ages of 10 to 19. 27% of the girls pregnant between 10 and 14 years old are impregnated by adult men 20 to 24 years old, adult men. What time would you think these teenagers are having sex? Midnight to 3 AM?
No, from 3 PM until & 7 PM in the evening, while Mom and Dad are at work or shopping!
People are using their food stamps and welfare checks to gamble and play the lottery. There is a GET RICH MENTALITY thriving is America.
THERE IS A FALLING AWAY.
2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first ....
The great churches across the USA are reporting a decline in attendance and worship across this land.
UNFAITHFULNESS HAS BECOME A NORM.
Churches are closing their doors to Sunday Schools, Sunday night, and Wednesday services because the attendance is so poor that they cannot justify heating and cooling their buildings.
A man boldly declared to me, he did not have to attend church to be a Christian.
I agreed with the have to ... but I ponder why do Christians not value church attendance. Want to...?
What does the Bible say?
Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, AS THE MANNER OF SOME IS:
But exhorting one another: and so much more, as you see the day approaching. (The Second Coming of Jesus)
WE HAVE DRIFTED AWAY FROM OUR FOUNDATIONS, OUR PRIORITIES ARE TWISTED!
Matthew 17: 20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have
faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it
shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
21: Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
Luke 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
IS IT GOD’S WORD IS NOT WORKING?
OR COULD IT BE WE ARE NOT WORKING THE WORD OF GOD?
We must be seeking God for more than free fish and free bread? We need more than God’s promises!
We fast and pray because we want His Divine Presence!
Fasting and prayer
--- exposes sin, snares and God’s mysteries.
--- lessens the judgment of God.
--- empowers the weak.
--- releases healing and deliverance.
Prayer and fasting is not a toy, it is a tool. It is not a hunger strike. It is not a crowbar to force man’s way.
WILL YOU ACCECT THE MIGHTY TOOL OF PRAYER AND FASTING?
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
