ACCEPTING GOD’S LOVE TOKENS
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
I. SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS AND SPIRITUAL DEAFNESS HINDER PEOPLE.
A. Many years ago I taught school.
I loved teaching, and I loved the classroom.
I had been a student for 17 years, but being a teacher
taught me more than I ever learned as a student.
One great man said, To teach is to learn twice.
B. WE MUST HAVE THREE THINGS TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN GOD’S WORK:
1. LISTENING EARS!
2. SEEING EYES!
3. AN UNDERSTANDING HEART!
BLESSED ARE YOUR EYES FOR THEY SEE, AND YOUR EARS FOR THEY HEAR!
C. THERE ARE NONE AS BLIND AS THOSE THAT KEEP THEIR EYES SHUT?
We have families headed toward dysfunction and divorce because of closed eyes, and waxed gross ears.
We must understand that people come from many different backgrounds.
Where I come from does have an effect on where I am today.
II. TRYING TO BE SOMEONE OTHER THAN WHO YOU ARE IS A WASTE OF WHO YOU COULD BE!
A. Some people learn very easy, like a duck to water. Some learn easy and then they forget just as easy.
Some have trouble learning, they must really apply great effort to do what some can do with little effort.
Will we accept the challenge to learn and help others that come from many different directions learn?
B. I heard a story once about chicken egg that was put in a duck’s nest with the duck eggs. The duck eggs started hatching, and one egg seemed to have it’s own order.
Later all the eggs hatched out.
The Daddy duck had trouble claiming that one duck, for he saw that duck was much different, the Daddy Duck had trouble accepting that one as his.
The Momma Duck did not care how different that strange duck was, she loved it anyway. Many days the Mom and Dad duck talked about how strange their little
offspring was.
Seems the little chicken always felt different and acted different. Little chick tried to be like it’s other hatchlings, but chick was just different.
C. One day, the Momma Duck lead the little line of ducks down to the lake, one by one all the little ducks jumped into the water and started swimming.
The little chicken tried and tried to be like the ducks, but this water thing was much more than the chicken could do.
Now the other ducks still talk about that dumb duck that almost drowned, but that dumb duck was not a dumb duck, it was a dumb chicken.
D. The farmer passed by and saw the chick almost drown, and offered a hand and saved the chick. He took the chicken and placed it in the chicken lot.
Now the little chick felt this is more like it, I can be me and scratch in the dirt all I want.
E. The chicken had to see it was different from the ducks and accept that fact.
There are many basic differences in ducks and chickens.
They are just different. Different is OK.
Ducks and chickens may start in an egg, but their difference are OK.
F. Ducks must accept chickens are chickens.
Chickens must accept they are not ducks.
G. Today, we try to mix the world and the priorities of the world with the Word of God.
We are in this world, but we are not of this world.
If you act like the world, smell like the world, think like the world, you probably are the world.
We must not allow peer pressure and fleshly desires to dictate who we are!
H. I had 100 Rhode Island Red chickens and I got a little white chicken, and I put the new chicken in the hen house, the next day the little chicken was dead.
What a shame, differences are not bad.
I. Look how many different flowers there are?
Look in a pretty flower arrangement, there are different sizes and different colors,
but the variety makes the beauty.
J. We cannot become judgmental people! This is my pew becomes a great danger in the church.
Paul said,
Philippians 4:5 Let your moderation be made known to all men.
K. If I am a chicken and try to act like a duck, I will fail.
If I am a chicken and try to make ducks act like chickens I will be frustrated.
L. The person that tries to make a pig sing opera in a tuxedo, is headed for many days of heartache.
All you are going to do is frustrate the pig and anger yourself.
M. I guess, I am saying, I drive myself by my choices, poor choices have real bad consequences.
N. God change me, and may I quit trying to change everybody else, the frustration is a pain.
I do believe I can change me, by changing my giving?
Stay the same, or be what God desires?
III. THERE ARE MANY TOKENS OF PROMISE AND LOVE IN THE BIBLE!
LET US DEFINE TOKEN:
***OUTWARD SIGN OF EXPRESSION
*** Symbol, emblem ***Keepsake ***something given as a guarantee.
A. THERE IS A TOKEN OF THE RAINBOW.
GENESIS 9:12 GOD SAID, THIS IS THE TOKEN OF THE COVENANT, WHICH I MAKE BETWEEN ME AND YOU.
13 I will set a bow in the cloud, it shall be a token.
B. Circumcision on the eighth day is a token of a covenantal promise.
C. THE BLOOD APPLIED TO THE DOOR POST TO EXEMPT THE DEATH OF THE FIRST BORN WAS A TOKEN.
D. RAHAB’S SCARLET CORD WAS A BEAUTIFUL PROMISE TOKEN.
Joshua 2:9 --13
E. UNLEAVENED BREAD IN EVERY HOME FOR 7 DAYS WAS A TOKEN TO REMEMBER.
F. AARON’S ROD WAS A TOKEN AGAINST REBELLION!
Numbers 17:10
G. JUDAS’ KISS WAS A TOKEN.
Mark 14:44
F. JESUS’ BAPTISM IN WATER WAS A TOKEN OF OBEDIENCE
AND AS THE EXAMPLE FOR US TO FOLLOW!
G. ANOINTING OIL IS A TOKEN OF GOD’S PRESENCE!
IV. WE HAVE A PROMISE! WE ARE THE BETROTHED!
THE GROOM HAS THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB ALMOST READY.
THE CHURCH IS HIS BRIDE. WE ARE ENGAGED, AND OUR LOVE, JESUS CHRIST IS COMING TO GET US.
A. The last time Jesus was here He rode into town on a donkey.
The crowds mocked Him, doubted Him, laughed at Him,
and was mean to the Messiah, the Savior.
They spit upon Him, they beat His back, and hung Him to the old rugged cross.
B. BUT THINGS WILL BE DIFFERENT WHEN JESUS COMES BACK FOR US! JESUS WILL BE ON A WHITE HORSE, WITH A BOW IN HIS HAND, AND A CROWN GIVEN HIM BYTHE FATHER. JESUS WILL COME CONQUERING AND TO CONQUER. Rev. 6:2
C. All believers are engaged, we are betrothed.
Our Love, Jesus, has bound Himself and pledged His Hand in marriage.
Once a man told me he was a member of the church in heaven.
I told him the church is not in heaven! The church is on earth.
Jesus is coming back to receive the church unto Himself.
D. In 1968 I moved to Springfield, Illinois.
My Dad had accepted the pastorate of the Church of God on Tenth Street.
I met a girl named Linda McDowell.
I was bashful and timid, but I loved her.
In early 1970, I went to Kay Jewelers and I purchased a diamond ring for my girlfriend. I asked her to marry me.
I remember her showing all all friends her ring.
The ring was more than gold and diamond, it was my promise.
The ring was a token of my love.
V. THE RING IS A GREAT TOKEN OF LOVE!
A. Ring is mentioned in 5 books of the Bible.
Several of the books list the rings that held the curtain in place in the Temple.
B. Finger rings are mentioned in three different places.
C. THE RING IN THE BIBLE WAS A SYMBOL OF AUTHORITY.
RING:
*** A CIRCULAR BAND FOR HOLDING OR CONNECTING
*** A circlet of precious metal worn on a finger
***an encircling arrangement
D. A RING IS ENDLESS, THERE IS NO BEGINNING AND NO END.
E. A RING IS USUALLY MADE OUT OF PRECIOUS METALS.
GOLD RINGS ARE A SYMBOL OF ENDLESS LOVE. It will not tarnish.
GOLD IS THE MOST PRECIOUS, MOST ENDURING METAL KNOWN TO MAN.
IN HEAVEN THE STREETS ARE PAVED WITH GOLD. NO MORE POT HOLES?
F. A RING IS A SYMBOL OF LOVE.
RINGS ARE OFTEN GIVE AS A TOKEN, THEY REPRESENT MORE THAN THE RING, THEY ARE A STATEMENT OF LOVE OR AUTHORITY.
VI. LET US LOOK AT THE WORD RING IN THE BIBLE.
A. 13 LONG YEARS OF SUFFERING, AND THEN COMES THE RING!
THE RING OF AUTHORITY COMES WITH FAITHFULNESS.
Joseph’s family was dysfunctional and they could not speak to him peacefully.
The journey of 7 hurtful steps downward will all change, when the ring is put on Joseph’s finger!
Genesis 41:42 AND PHARAOH TOOK OFF HIS RING FROM HIS HAND,AND PUT IT UPON JOSEPH’S HAND, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain around his neck.
B. IT IS A SAD DAY WHEN THE RING FALLS INTO THE WRONG HANDS.
Haman hated God and God’s people, he vowed to destroy them and thus stop the Promised Seed of Jesus.
Esther 3:10 And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it to Haman, the Jew’s enemy.
Haman built a gallows to destroy Mordecai, but the gallows would see Haman and all of his sons die because of his hatred!
C. GOD GETS THE RING BACK FOR HIS PEOPLE!
Esther 8:2 And the King took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.
D. I LOST MY RING? BUT I WILL RETURN AS A SERVANT!
Luke 15:22 But the Father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him, and put a RING ON HIS HAND, and shoes on his feet.
E. The word circle is used only one time in the KJV of the Bible.
Isaiah 40:22 It is HE that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretched out the heavens
as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell.
F. Accept the love tokens from God, and pass them on to others!
HAPPY MOMENTS PRAISE GOD.
JOYFUL MOMENTS SING UNTO GOD.
DIFFICULT MOMENTS SEEK GOD.
UNSURE MOMENTS STUDY THE WORD OF GOD.
QUIET MOMENTS WORSHIP GOD.
PAINFUL MOMENTS TRUST GOD.
EVERY MOMENT THANK GOD.
G. EVERY MORNING YOU MAKE YOUR CHOICES?
We decide to take a shower or skip it?
We decide what clothes we will wear today?
We make a choice to brush our teeth or skip it?
We will make the choice to smile and have joy or to complain and fuss?
More important than the clothes you wear, you will make a choice ---
WHAT KIND OF MOOD WILL I WALK IN TODAY?
WHAT YOU CALL ADVERSITY, STORMS AND TRIALS GOD CALLS
OPPORTUNITY. JESUS HAS A RING OF HIS LOVE TO GIVE ALL
THAT WILL BE BETROTHED TO HIM!
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Could you join my team and pass this on to others?
