Revealed By The Fire

REVEALED BY THE FIRE...

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

Thanks for Dr. Garry Brackett putting me on this trail of thought.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who

are the called according to his purpose.

THERE IS A BOLD TRUTH YOU MUST ACKNOWLEDGE:

YOU WILL NEVER CHANGE UNLESS YOU CHANGE YOUR THINKING PATTERN.

LIFE AND MINISTRY WILL EITHER MAKE YOU OR BREAK YOU.

Wishing does not make it so.

I. A SKUNK IS A SKUNK! WHY ARE WE SURPRISED WHEN A SKUNK RAISES A STINK?

DR. LAURA SAYS: IS THIS THE HILL ON WHICH I WANT TO DIE?

Did you hear about the SMART AND STRONG BULL DOG?

The Bulldog would go down the road and the SKUNK would come out to TORMENT him.

Day after day the BULL DOG would walk by the SKUNK. The SKUNK called the BULLDOG

every name in the book, The SKUNK was so mean to the BULL DOG.

One day the CAT made an OBSERVATION, and asked the BULL DOG, WHY DO YOU TAKE

THAT FROM THE SKUNK. DO YOU NOT KNOW YOU COULD BEAT UP THE SKUNK?

Of course, I know I CAN BEAT UP THE SKUNK.

THE BULL DOG GRINNED REAL BIG AND SAID: I KNOW I CAN NOT CHANGE THE SKUNK.

IT IS NOT WORTH THE STINK.

II. THE FIRE WILL TELL ---THE FIRE WILL REVEAL --- TIME WILL TELL...

ARE YOU GOLD, SILVER OR PRECIOUS STONES, OR ARE YOU WOOD, HAY, STUBBLE?

In the early 1970's, I worked at a music store in a large mall.

One day a man came in with a large diamond ring.

He explained to me, he broke up with his girlfriend and was in need of money. He offered

me this $1,500.00 ring for $75 cash.

I said, LET ME LOCK UP THE STORE AND WALK ACROSS

THE MALL TO THE JEWERLY SHOP and have the man verify this was a diamond.

The young man grabbed the ring and ran away. I MISSED THE DEAL?

REVEAL: to make something known, to show or prove, to show plainly or clearly,

to open up to full view,

PROBLEMS, OBSTACLES, SEASONS OF TESTINGS, SICKNESS AND TRIAL ARE NEUTRAL.

They are neither good nor bad. All these things will bring a REVELATION, and expose the real

inner you.

THE TROUBLES, TRIALS, PROBLEMS, SICKNESS WILL MAKE YOU OR BREAK YOU.

1 Corinthians 3:10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise

master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every

man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 11 For other foundation can no man lay than

that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold,

silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 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.

III. DOES THIS ROAD LEAD ME WHERE I DESIRE TO GO?

AM I WHERE I WANT TO? OR DO I KNOW I REALLY NEED TO CHANGE?

A U-TURN--- can be very dangerous to your self and to others.

To make a sudden U-Turn without slowing down and thinking about this, could hurt?

VINCE LOMBARDI ONCE STATED:

If you can accept losing, you can't win.

If you can walk, why not learn to run?

NO ONE IS EVER HURT.

HURT IS IN YOUR MIND...

MOHAMMED ALI once say:

I HATED EVERY MINUTE OF TRAINING,

BUT I SAID: "DON'T QUIT! SUFFER NOW AND LIVE THE REST OF YOUR LIFE

AS A CHAMPION...

JOHN CASH:

You build on failure and pain. Your pain and failure can be used as a STEPPING STONE.

CLOSE THE DOOR ON THE HURT AND THE PAST.

DON'T TRY TO FORGET THE MISTAKES, JUST DON'T DWELL ON THEM.

DO NOT LET HURT AND FAILURE HAVE YOUR ENERGY, OR ANY OF YOUR TIME,

NEVER GIVE PAIN, HURT OR THE PAST ANY SPACE.

IV. HOW DOES GOD HELP US CHANGE OUR THINKING PATTERNS?

THE SCHOOL OF SUFFERING AND PAIN BECOMES THE HIGHEST GRADUATE

SCHOOL OF LEARNING AND BECOMING MORE LIKE GOD.

MOSES ATTENDED SEVERAL DIFFERENT SCHOOLS --- EACH ONE TAUGHT HIM

DIFFERENTLY.

1. Moses attended THE SCHOOL OF MOMMA'S KNEE

2. Moses moved to PHAROAH'S PALACE and had the best FORMAL EDUCATION possible.

3. MOSES MOVED FROM THE PALACE TO THE DESERT:

MOSES WAS WORTHLESS AS A MAN OF GOD UNTIL HE MOVED INTO THE DORM

AT THE SCHOOL OF THE BACK SIDE OF THE DESERT---

V. WHY MUST WE LEAVE OUR COMFORT ZONE AND LIVE IN THE DORM OF

THE DESERT? I DO NOT WANT TO CHANGE... I LIKE HERE?

Jonah's comfort zone was the shade of the GOURD PLANT.