FACE THE STRONG MAN OF DARKNESS...
FRUSTRATION OF MY OWN MAKING VS THE EPIPHANY OF LIGHT
By Wade martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Text:
Romans 8:28 (KJV) 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.
Romans 8:28 (MSG) That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love
for God is worked into something good.
I. SEASONS ARE GOD'S DESIGNS AND HE PLANNED SEASONS INTO LIFE...AND
HE GUANTEES SEASON AS PART OF LIFE...
A. A HARD FACT WE MUST FACE AND IDENTIFY IS THAT LIFE IS A SERIES OF
SEASONS. We know there will be spring, summer, fall, winter...
Genesis 1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the
day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and
it was so.
16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to
rule the night: he made the stars also.
17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and
God saw that it was good.
B. GOD GIVES US A WRITTEN GUANTEE... OF SEASONS...
DO NOT BELIEVE OTHERWISE...
Genesis 8:22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and
summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
C. Life has more than hot and cold...
D. ONCE A MAN... TWICE A CHILD?
E. THERE ARE SEASONS OF DARKNESS AND FRUSTRATIONS...
THESE SEASON WILL COME FROM ALL SIDES...
BUT SOME OF THE MOST PAINFUL FRUSTRATIONS COME FROM WITHIN...
F. WE MUST LEARN TO NAVIGATE THROUGH DARK SEASONS...
II. DARKNESS TRIES TO SMOTHER LIFE...
LIGHT IS REQUIRED FOR REAL GROWTH...
COME LET US SEE THE LEADERS HEART...
SOMETIMES SPIRITUAL LEADERS HAVE TO WEAR A MASK OR A VEIL...
NOT BECAUSE THEY DESIRE THAT, IT IS PART OF LEADERSHIP...
A. THE CARNAL NATURE OF MAN LOVES DARKNESS...
Yet darkness is ANTI-GOD...
Evil hearts love darkness as they feel this will hide my wrong and sin...
John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness
rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should
be reproved.
21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they
are wrought in God.
B. Any green house is going to have to have a system of lighting to grow life.
Walk with me into a surgery room... When the surgeon starts his process he will need
great light. Surgery in darkness would be of great danger to the patient and the doctor.
III. PAUL LEARNED ABOUT THE THE ROLE LIGHT ---
IT TOOK BLINDNESS FOR PAUL TO SEE...
A. SAUL / PAUL WAS ZEALOUS IN IGNORNANCE...
Acts 9:3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him
a light from heaven:
B. ONE ENCOUNTER WITH THE LIGHT WILL FOREVER CHANGE YOU ATTITUDES, WORDS
AND ACTIONS...
IV. PAUL HAS EXPERIENCED THE DARKNESS, PAUL HAS A GREAT ENCOUNTER WITH THE
LIGHT... YOU CAN ONLY LEAD PEOPLE --- YOU CAN NOT MAKE OTHERS TO SEE...
A. You can only lead people as fast as they can go...
3 Tomatoes walking along the road, The little tomato fell far behind the other two tomatoes...
The One Tomato yelled back tomato behind: CATCH UP, CATCH UP...
B. Baby--- MILK STAGE, Adult MEAT STAGE...
1 Corinthians 3:2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to
bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
C. None of us have probably progress to the point that we should.
Our EMOTIONS WILL PLAY GAMES WITH THE SPIRIT MAN...
Fleshly desires will often hinder GROWTH... WITHIN THE FAMILY, CHURCH...
Hebrews 5:12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach
you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have
need of milk, and not of strong meat.
13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
D. OFTEN YOU HAVE TO LET GO OF THIS TO GET THAT...
1 Peter 2:1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and
all evil speakings,
2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
E. TO COME TO THE LIGHT
V. PAUL HAS EXPERIENCED THE DARKNESS, PAUL HAS A GREAT ENCOUNTER WITH
THE LIGHT... PAUL KNEW IN DEALING WITH PEOPLE THERE WERE LEVELS
TO OVERCOME...
A. ARE WE EARNESTLY SEEKING?
B. PAUL'S SEASONS WERE NOT ALWAYS EASILY UNDERSTOOD...
C. WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY?
2 Corinthians 11:23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more
abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a
day I have been in the deep;
26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen,
in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in
perils among false brethren;
27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often,
in cold and nakedness.
28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all
the churches.
D.WHY? WHY? WHY...
REMEMBER WHEN ONE ICE SKATER HAD HER BEST COMPETITOR LEG BROKEN...
THE LADY SCREAMED? WHY? WHY? WHY?
VI. TELL ME YOU HAVE IT TOUGH?
PAUL COMES TO THIS GREAT MOMENT...THE LIGHT BRINGS AN EPIPHANY
PAUL EXPERIENCES AN EPIPHANY SEVERAL TIMES...
2 CORINTHIANS REMOVE THE VEIL... PAUL TAKES OFF THE MASK...
IT IS A SEASON TO GROW...
A. EPIPHANY... a sudden manifestation or perception of great meaning...
To come to the point of illuminating realization... an opening of the mind by Divine Revaltion...
The shepherd watching the flock...
The Magi first manifestation of the KING...
B. Paul has another PERSONAL ENCOUNTER WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT...
Paul--- it is time for the MEAT OF THE WORD BY GOD'S SPIRIT...
C. 2 CORINTHIANS LIFTS THE GREAT VEIL OF THE COST OF LEADERSHIP...
PAUL OPENS HIS WINDOWS OF HIS HEART AND SHARES SOME VERY DEEP
SECRETS OF THE SPIRIT AND SOUL...
D. DO YOU WANT TO SEE AND SHARE MY HEART?
PAUL'S EPIPHANY IS TO SHARE HIS HUMANITY...
PAUL WAS FRAIL, HE HAD HUMAN DESIRES, HE WAS HURT...
HE COULD HAVE GROWN BITTER...
1. Paul had great battles with LONELINESS
2. Paul had battles not just WITHOUT but WITHIN...
3. Paul was often MISUNDERSTOOD and his WORDS WERE TWISTED...
Paul was hated my religious leaders and by popular opinion.
4. Paul knew how to ABOUND and how to be ABASED...
5. Paul had seasons of TEARS and he knew DRY TIMES...
6. Paul knew what JAIL CELLS looked and smelled like...
7. Paul was BEAT 5 TIMES... (5 x's 39 = 195 stripes)
8. Paul probably hated water... He was shipwrecked 5 x's.
9. Paul was often HUNGRY...
10. Paul had many SLEEPLESS NIGHTS... and then hard days...
11. Paul was AFFLICTED, he knew PAIN before PAIN PILLS...
The highest graduate school of SUFFERING...
12. Beside this Paul had some kind of THORN OF THE FLESH...
The man of prayer authority had a BIG THORN, I am sure others wondered WHY?
E. NOW TELL ME HOW BAD YOU HAVE IT?
F. PAUL HAS THIS EPIPHANY, IT IS TIME TO TAKE THE MASK OFF AND LET YOU
SEE MY HEART... AND SEE GOD HAS A PLAN THROUGH IT ALL...
KJV
2 Corinthians 1:8 (KJV) For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which
came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that
we despaired even of life:
9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but
in God which raiseth the dead:
10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet
deliver us;
11 Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means
of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.
NIV
2 Corinthians 1:8 (NIV) We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships
we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to
endure, so that we despaired even of life.
9 Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely
on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.
10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set
our hope that he will continue to deliver us,
11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious
favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.
NLT
2 Corinthians 1:8-11 (NLT) We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about
the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond
our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it.
9 In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to
rely only on God, who raises the dead.
10 And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our
confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.
11 And you are helping us by praying for us. Then many people will give thanks because God
has graciously answered so many prayers for our safety
MSG
2 Corinthians 1:8 (MSG) We don't want you in the dark, friends, about how hard it was when
all this came down on us in Asia province. It was so bad we didn't think we were going to make it.
9 We felt like we'd been sent to death row, that it was all over for us. As it turned out, it was
the best thing that could have happened. Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get
out of it, we were forced to trust God totally—not a bad idea since he's the God who raises
the dead!
10 And he did it, rescued us from certain doom. And he'll do it again, rescuing us as many times
as we need rescuing.
11 You and your prayers are part of the rescue operation—I don't want you in the dark about that
either. I can see your faces even now, lifted in praise for God's deliverance of us, a rescue in which
your prayers played such a crucial part.
VII. PAUL MY DEAR BROTHER --- THANKS FOR THE ASSURANCE THAT GOD KNOWS
WHAT HE IS DOING AND THAT GOD HAS A PLAN AND LEADS US THROUGH THE
DARKEST DAYS INTO THE GREAT LIGHT.
A. Times were SO BAD...
There were times 'I DID NOT THINK WE WERE GOING TO MAKE IT..."
B. We had a DEATH ROW EXPERIENCE... Hope? Hope?
C. WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS BAD... TURNED OUT TO OPEN DOORS OF MINISTRY,
WELL, MY CHILD THE WORSE THING THAT HAPPENED TURNED OUT TO BE THE BEST
THING THAT COULD EVER HAPPEN...
D. WE LEARNED TO TRUST AND RELY ON GOD... NOT OURSELVES...
Not things, not gimmicks, not people, we learned to trust THE UNSEEN HANDS.
E. GOD FORCE US TO TRUST HIM COMPLETELY... THIS IS A TEACHING TOOL...
CRUSHED AND OVERWHELMED
F. GOD GAVE ME A TEAM OF PRAYERS AND SUPPORTERS... OPERATION RESCUE...
G. NOW WE PRAISE GOD... WORSHIP...
VIII. PAUL'S EPIPHANY IS VERY CLEAR... GOD'S PURPOSE IS NOT ALWAYS VISIBLE
TO MAN'S EMOTIONS... REAL WORSHIP IS NOT ALWAYS A CONCERT...
Romans 8:28 (KJV) 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.
Romans 8:28 (MSG) That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love
for God is worked into something good.
A. ALWAYS CELEBRATE VICTORIES...
B. LEARN TO LOVE AND ENJOY THE JOURNEY...
C. WE MUST LEARN TO NAVIGATE THROUGH DARK SEASONS...
2 Corinthians 1:10 (KJV) Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom
we trust that he will yet deliver us;
2 Corinthians 1:10 (MSG)
2Co 1:10 And he did it, rescued us from certain doom. And he'll do it again, rescuing us as many
times as we need rescuing.
D. HIS HOPE, HIS CROSS, HIS SUFFERING... OUR VICTORIES...
PAUL HAD MANY PEOPLE HOLDING HIS ROPE AND PRAYER ACCOMPLISHED
EVEN WHAT WE CAN NOT SEE... OR FEEL...
CONCLUSION...
Ezekiel 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will
take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall
keep my judgments, and do them.
Lamentations 3:22 It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his
compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
24 The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
COME TO THIS EPIPHANY WITH ME...
GOD HAS BEEN FAITHFUL TO ALL GENERATIONS...
GOD IS OUR HOPE, PEACE AND REST.
GOD CAN HANDLE TODAY...
IF THERE IS A TOMORROW, GOD CAN HANDLE IT...
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Help me? Enlarge my hands? Pass my work on? Tell another?
