SPEAK TO THE DIVINE POSSIBILITIES:
#8 EVERY MIRACLE STARTS AS A PROBLEM!
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
We are studying Divine Possibilities:
1. Climb into God’s Envelope; 2. Accept the Mantle; 3. Starving at a feast; 4. Let God! 5. DYING IN A RUT! When an unforgiving preacher preaches
6. Rising above the Minimum; 7. Rising above the scars; 8. Every miracle starts with a problem! 9. Walking in Divine blessings;
10. Importunity/Determination
I DO THIS IN TWO PARTS!
Mark 9:23 Jesus said unto him: IF THOU CANST BELIEVE, all things are possible to him that believes.
24. And straight way the father of the child cried out, and said WITH TEARS, Lord, I believe; HELP THOU MINE UNBELIEF!
Psalms 68:1 Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered:
LET US START THIS LESSON ON DIVINE POSSIBILITIES WITH THIS QUESTION:
I WOULD BE A BETTER CHRISTIAN IF ________________________?
Then ask yourself: WHY DO I NOT DO THIS AND BECOME MORE LIKE JESUS?
I have faced great obstacles in bringing this series to you. Twice my computer erased everything I had written on that lesson, two lessons erased, but I just invested more time and did the lessons over again.
This has been one of the most powerful series I have taught.
We are building churches on man’s abilities, but our Father has bigger plans than this for His Church. The Father’s Church is glorious and without spot or wrinkle. Perhaps man’s eyes cannot see the Father’s Church with man’s natural vision.
I. HARDSHIPS OF LIFE ARE NOT SENT BY UNKIND DESTINY AND FATE TO CRUSH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. HARDSHIPS, STORMS, TRIALS, TEMPTATIONS ARE BUT TOOLS
GOD USES TO CHALLENGE AND OPEN OPPORTUNITIES TO ALLOW GOD TO ARISE.
A. IT IS HIGH TIME THE CHURCH ARISE AND SPEAK TO THE DIVINE POSSIBILITIES?
AS A BLOSSOM GOES BEFORE THE FRUIT, SO FAITH MUST GO BEFORE THE MIRACLE.
We would rather watch Larry King and talk about this one’s failures and shortcomings, and why things in the long past are affecting our launching out in the deeper things of God and hindering are arising to a greater level.
So what, the boy spent all that he had, and worked and lived in the Pig Pen!
God can use the Pig Pen to advance His servant and His kingdom.
B. I GUESS WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL EVEN THE BEST STUDENTS HAD ERASERS ON THEIR PENCILS.
C. Mark Twain once said: EVERY DOG SHOULD HAVE A FEW FLEAS, IT KEEPS HIS MIND OFF BEING A DOG!
II. THERE HAS TO BE MORE THAN THIS? WWZ OR ZWW ARE REAL CHURCH KILLERS.
Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.
We have two attitudes that can grow great danger within the church.
A. ZEAL WITHOUT WISDOM CAN KILL US DEADER THAN A DOOR NAIL!
WE HAVE THE DIVINEWARES WITHOUT THE DIVINE
POSSIBILITIES?
We are smarter today than ever before, we have classes, seminars, Men’s Conventions,Lady’s Aglow, VBS, Camps. We have meetings about meetings, and we are forsaking the Divine Presence that brings about the Divine Possibilities!
We have Gospel Concerts with gospel comedians making us laugh.
We have pretty dress alike dancers --- stepping in synchronized choreographed movements.
We have polished professional voices enhanced by the best technological equipment that makes the tenor voices higher and the bass voices lower.
We have pamphlets, books, charts, DVD’s and Videos.
Christian leaders are making fortunes selling their DIVINEWARES to modern Christianettes so they can go into the Kitchenette to smoke a cigarette?
We have Men’s Bibles, Lady’s Bibles, Teen Bibles, Children’s Bibles all gathering dust over there on the shelf?
B. THERE ARE SOME DEADLIER THINGS IN THE CHURCH THAN ZEAL WITHOUT WISDOM, WE HAVE WISDOM WITHOUT ZEAL.
I have a family that visited a church several hundred miles away from our town. They were so excited. The whole church service, singing included lasted less than 15 minutes.
We dismiss our church services for the Super Bowl, Christmas, the 4th of July.
Many churches are closing down their Sunday Schools, their Sunday evening, and their Wednesday night services to appease the people?
C. When I attended church at Middlesboro, Ky. I was a school teacher. There was a terrible gas shortage and gas doubled in price. I drove many miles to get to church.
One night a man stood and said, I move we dismiss church services to save on our buying gas, then he spoke to his motion.
I stood and addressed the body, I said, How can we afford to miss church?
I admen the motion, Let’s all take off work on Friday’s and use that gas to come to church? We all traveled further to work than we did to church.
D. How can we sit through church and go to sleep?
How can we sing the songs of glory with a frown on our faces?
How can we allow testimony time to go by and not testify?
How can we wish the sermon to soon end so we can get to the restaurants before the other churches?
We need the fire back in our hearts! We need some excitement about church!
We must state: THERE IS MORE THAN THIS!
III. A LAUGH A DAY MAY BE HEALTHY FOR YOU?
Early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
The way you drive you shouldn’t have to worry about cholesterol
If you ain’t makin’ waves, you ain’t kickin’ hard enough!
Mental backup in progress - Do Not Disturb!
When everything’s coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane.
If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.
I have a photographic memory, I just don’t have the film.
Why do psychics have to ask you for your name?
For Sale: Parachute. Only used once, never opened, small stain.
IV. WHERE IS JESUS?
WE BELIEVE THAT GOD AND HIS SON JESUS ARE OMNIPOTENT AND OMNIPRESENT!
A. TODAY MANY ARE SEARCHING FOR JESUS?
WHERE ARE YOU JESUS?
B. Jesus I cannot find you here?
There must be something wrong with here, because I cannot seem to find Him?
DO I NEED TO TRAVEL TO TEXAS TO FIND JESUS?
DON’T TURN LOOKING FOR JESUS INTO A CIRCUS OF THIS WORLD!
C. OMNIPOTENT: almighty, having virtually unlimited authority and influence and power.
D. OMNIPRESENT: present in all places at all times, to be found everywhere.
E. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GO TO MECCA in Saudi Arabia to find God.
You don’t have to go to the Vatican near Rome.
PILGRIMAGE: a journey to find God, or a shrine, or a sacred place.
A center of activity sought as a goal by people sharing a common interest.
Matthew 24:23 Then if any man shall say unto you:
LO, HERE IS CHRIST, OR THERE; BELIEVE IT NOT!
Mark 13: 21 And then if any man shall say unto you: LO, HERE IS CHRIST; OR LO, HE IS THERE; BELIEVE HIM NOT:
F. YOU CAN FIND JESUS IN YOUR PRAYER CLOSET? YOU CAN FIND JESUS IN YOUR CAR TRAVELING DOWN THE COUNTRY ROAD?
You might even find Jesus while you are washing your dishes?
Many Divine Possibilities are lost in the search for God.
G. THERE IS HIDDEN A VERY GREAT DANGER, IN THE THEORY OF CHASING DOWN
JESUS OVER THERE! Our God reigns and our God is every where!
V. HOW MANY TIMES HAD MOSES LOOKED THROUGH THE TENT’S SCREEN DOOR AND CRIED, FATHER THERE HAS TO BE MORE THAN THIS! DO YOU RECOGNIZE HOLY GROUND?
A. I heard a young man ask the old preacher a good question.
Is God in Africa? Is God in South America? Is God over there? Or is God here?
The old preacher surprised me with his answer.
The old man said: Neither, God is not over there! God is not here!
HERE IS IN GOD’S PRESENCE! THERE IS IN GOD’S PRESENCE! THE EAST IS IN GOD’S PRESENCE! THE WEST IS IN GOD’S PRESENCE!
THE QUESTION IS NOT WHERE IS GOD --- BECAUSE GOD IS EVERYWHERE, THE PLACE EXISTED BECAUSE OF GOD, NOT GOD IS RESTRICTED TO HERE OR THERE.
B. THE QUESTION MUST BE DO WE RECOGNIZE THE PRESENCE OF GOD --- HIS OMNIPRESENCE?
C. WHY NOW? WHY NOT 40 YEARS AGO? WHY NOT 30 YEARS AGO?
DIVINE POSSIBILITIES MOVE IN DIVINE TIMING!
MOSES HAD TO LEARN AND BE READY!
EGYPT AND PHARAOH HAD TO BE READY!
Exodus 3:4 And when the Lord saw that Moses turned aside to see, God called him out of the midst of the bush, and said, MOSES, MOSES. And Moses said, HERE AM I. 5 And God said, Draw not nigh hither: PUT OFF thy shoes from off thy feet, FOR THE PLACE WHEREON THOU STANDEST IS HOLY GROUND!
D. ONLY HE WHO SEES WILL RECOGNIZE HOLY GROUND!
ONLY WHEN HE SEES WILL HE TAKE OFF HIS SHOES.
EARTH IS CRAMMED WITH BURNING BUSHES ---- CAN’T YOU SEE?
E. TO RELEASE GOD’S POSSIBILITIES IN YOUR DAILY LIFE YOU WILL HAVE TO DISCIPLINE YOUR VISION TO SEE JESUS IN EVERY SITUATION?
F. ARE WE GOING TO LET GOD ARISE AND HIS ENEMIES BE SCATTERED, OR DO YOU HAVE TO WONDER AROUND THE DESERT ONE MORE TIME?
Acts 7:30 And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush.
31 When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came to him. 33 Then said the Lord to him: PUT OFF THY SHOES FROM THY FEET: FOR THE PLACE
WHERE THOU STANDEST IS HOLY GROUND.
VI. MANY DIVINE POSSIBILITIES WILL NEVER COME TO FRUITION BECAUSE WE CANNOT RECOGNIZE THIS IS HOLY GROUND!
WE WISH FOR ELSE WHERE TO BE?
A. The grass is greener?
The grass is greener because his water bill is higher!
The grass is greener over the septic tank!
B. Many of God’s Divine Possibilities will be missed because we FAIL TO IDENTIFY AND RECOGNIZE THIS IS HOLY GROUND!
C.. THE GROUND AROUND THAT BUSH WAS THE SAME AS IT WAS THE DAY BEFORE, THE RECOGNITION OF THE HOLY GROUND MADE THE DIFFERENCE!
D. WILL THE FIRE OF THE BUSH HAVE TO BURN YOU TO GET YOU TO SEE, IT IS TIME TO ARISE AND LET GOD????
E. YOU DETERMINE YOUR TIME AWAY FROM THE DIVINE POSSIBILITIES?
Numbers 14:34 AFTER THE NUMBER OF THE DAYS IN WHICH YE SEARCHED THE LAND.
EVEN FORTY DAYS, EACH DAY FOR A YEAR, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.
VII. WE CAN NOT PERMIT DIVINE POSSIBILITIES BECAUSE WE KNOW THE PEOPLE’S HUMANNESS. JESUS HAD BEEN DOING MIGHTY MIRACLES EVERYPLACE, AND THEN A PLACE THAT LIMITED THE DIVINE POSSIBILITIES.
Matthew 13:55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And his brethren, James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?
Matthew 13:57 AND THEY WERE OFFENDED IN JESUS, and Jesus said unto them, A PROPHET IS NOT WITHOUT HONOR, save in his own country, and in his own house.
Matthew 13:58 AND JESUS DID NOT MANY MIGHTY WORKS THERE BECAUSE OF THEIR UNBELIEF.
YOU MAY WIN THE ARGUMENT? AND LOOSE YOUR FRIEND?
VIII. FOR HE HAD GREAT POSSESSIONS AND HE NEVER KNEW HIS DIVINE POSSIBILITIES?
WHAT LACK I YET? WHAT CAN I DO TO RELEASE THE DIVINE POSSIBILITIES?
MATERIALISM CAN KILL DIVINE POSSIBILITIES?
A. THE MODEL OF MATERIALISM:
The theory that physical matter is the reason for existence.
The doctrine that only the highest values objects lie in material possessions.
The preoccupation that stresses things rather than intellect or spiritual things.
Matthew 19: 16 And behold, one came and said unto Jesus, Good Master, WHAT THING SHALL I DO, that I may have eternal life? 20. The young man saith unto Jesus, All these things have I kept from my youth up:
WHAT LACK I YET?
Matthew 19:21 Jesus said unto him, If thou will be perfect, GO and SELL that thou hast, and give to the poor, and THOU SHALT HAVE TREASURE IN HEAVEN: AND COME AND FOLLOW ME.
Matthew 19:22 And when the young man heard that saying, HE WENT AWAY SORROWFUL: FOR HE HAD GREAT POSSESSIONS.
B. Things can never bring sustained happiness.
IX. SOME TIMES DIVINE POSSIBILITIES LOOK TOWARD A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE?
A. The Snail stops at the end of his little slime trail and watches the turtle fly by,
and the little snail says: WOW, is he fast or what?
B. The rabbit says: THAT AIN’T NOTHING WATCH ME?
The snail and the turtle stand back and watch the rabbit run out into the road and back?
C. The snail and the turtle are so amazed they ask to see the rabbit run again? Then all of a sudden a really fast car flies by and crushes the fast rabbit?
D. You might be on the Emmaus Road, Jesus might be walking beside you and you can’t see it?
X. MAY YOUR CAPACITY TO CONTAIN THE BLESSINGS HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH YOUR DININE POSSIBILITIES?
WITH WHAT DO YOU MEASURE MIGHT DETERMINE YOUR DIVINE POSSIBILITIES.
A. METE: to give out by measure to give appropriate portion.
B. Here I have several different sizes of bowls. I have a very small bowl with a small capacity, a little larger, and then a real large bowl. I discuss which bowl will hold more?
I discuss why? It is the capacity of the bowl that determines the ability to hold.
We are the same way at church.
Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2 For with what judgment ye judge: ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
Luke 6:38 Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give unto your bosom.
For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be given to you again.
XI. IF YOU DON’T LIKE WHAT YOU ARE GETTING YOU MUST CHANGE YOUR GIVING!
A. How insane is it to think you can stay the same, and God will change the whole world to suit you?
B. Your giving will determine the release of Divine Possibilities in your heart!
II Cor. 9:6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully. 7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so LET HIM GIVE; not grudgingly, nor of necessity: FOR GOD LOVES A CHEERFUL GIVER.
XII. WE THINK WE CAN SEE WHAT GOD WANTS TO DO? WE DO NOT SET THE DIVINE POSSIBILITIES BY VISIUAL MEANS!
SURELY THE LORD IS WITH THIS MAN?
I Samuel 16: 6 And it came to pass, when they were come, that Samuel LOOKED on Eliab, and said, SURELY THE LORD’S ANOINTED IS BEFORE HIM.
A. We can not look through the eyes of the flesh and say this is how God will do it.
B. We can not define God’s possibilities, else the possibilities will be limited by our thought patterns.
Eph. 3:20 Now unto him that IS ABLE TO DO exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or THINK, ACCORDING TO THE POWER THAT WORKETH IN US.
XIII. GOD’S DIVINE POSSIBILITIES ARE FAR BEYOND OUR LARGEST DREAMS!
NOW LET US CONSIDER THAT EVERY MIRACLE COMES WITH A PROBLEM.
A. We cannot legislate our problems away? We cannot reason our problems away?
B. Consider the problem of the cat vs the bird?
If you try to resolve that then you must address the bird vs. the worm?
Then what about the dog vs the cat? Legislation cannot bring our solutions?
C. Seems we have a problem with our color lines? We want to make black white, and white black, how about making everything GRAY?
D. The problem of the heart is the heart of the problem.
1. ABRAM HAD A SERIOUS PROBLEM? HE RELEASED DIVINE POSSIBILITIES AS ABRAHAM.
2. SARA laughed at God, me have a son. Sarah laughed with God as she held her own son.
3. Enoch walked with God, and his walk took him HOME WITH GOD.
4. JACOB HAD A PROBLEM HE WAS A SUBPLANTER, A CHEATER --- The miracle was change --- ISRAEL-PRINCE WITH GOD.
5. RUTH HAD A PROBLEM HER HUSBAND WAS DEAD? BOAZ THE KINSMAN REDEEMER, brought Ruth and Naomi the miracle.
6. DANIEL HAD SOME LYING MEAN FRIENDS? HOW ABOUT THE LIONS’ DEN?
DANIEL KNEW HOW TO PRAY. God knew his boy’s voice!
7. JOB lost his sons and daughters and all his materialism.
Job 42:10 And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, WHEN HE PRAYED FOR HIS FRIENDS, also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.
8. DAVID faced a giant named Goliath, and used Goliath’s sword to cut the giants head off.
One little boy, ONE BIG GIANT, ONE HUGE GOD.
9. David did not go to battle, and watched a lady take a bath, he allowed lust to go unchecked,he committed adultery, had an illegitimate son, had a man killed, visited the funeral home.
Acts 13:22 DAVID A MAN AFTER GOD’S OWN HEART!
God saw beyond the failures.
10. NAAMAN, a Syrian captain had a health problem with no cure?
He listened to a little girl, visited the preacher, and dipped 7 times. God the healer comes to Naaman.
11. NOAH HAD A PROBLEM IT WAS GOING TO RAIN? NOAH MEANS REST?
THIS BOAT PROJECT IS IMPOSSIBLE. God can handle this!12. HANNAH had a problem and a dysfunctional home, Hannah prayed and had Samuel, and Hannah had 5 kids, --- 3 sons and two daughters. Only God could see the miracle for Hannah.
13. WIDOW WOMAN --- husband is dead, no social security, and two sons?
The creditors are coming to sell my sons into slavery?
God has a miracle to overcome your problem, WHAT DO YOU HAVE?
A little pot of oil --- and a miracle.
14. We have a problem, Preacher this is a borrowed ax? The ax head is in the river? God has a miracle, swim over here ax head!
15. RAHAB made many poor choices, her last name is HARLOT, but the Scarlet cord saved the family. God saw her potential!
16. The Shunammite woman’s son is dead at HARVEST TIME!
IT SHALL BE WELL! II Kings 4.
17. Peter’s Mother in law was sick with a fever, and Jesus healed her and she got up and ministered to them.
18. Moses killed a man in anger. Moses hit the rock instead of speaking to it.
They say Moses never made the Promise Land, and they are very wrong,
Moses met Jesus right in the center of the Promise Land.
Only the Divine Possibilities saw the potential.
19. Jesus was at a wedding feast, and they ran out of wine. Mary said, WHATSOEVER HE SAYS TO YOU --- DO IT!
20. There were ten leprous men, you would have never heard of them if they had been well.
One of them was made whole! Only a miracle could help.
21. LAZARUS was Mary and Martha’s brother, HE WAS SICK.
The problem grew worse, Lazarus died, then the miracle --- He stinks by now ---
The miracle was released as Lazarus came out in a mummy suit!
22. Moses had a Red Sea in front of him and the Egyptian Army behind him. Only a miracle ... but it took a problem to release God.
23. Joseph was hated, thrown in the pit, sold to slavery, thrown in jail...
But God was there...
Genesis 39:1 And the Lord was WITH JOSEPH, and he was a prosperous man...
Genesis 39:2 And his Master saw that the Lord was with him...
Genesis 39:5 --- that the Lord blessed the Egyptians house, and over all that he had,
for Joseph’s sake; and the blessings of the Lord was upon all ...
Genesis 39: 21 And the Lord was WITH JOSEPH and showed him mercy ...
Genesis 39: 23 --- because the lord was WITH HIM, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper...
DIVINE MIRACLES AND DIVINE POSSIBILITIES ARE RELEASED IN GREAT PROBLEMS AND GREAT HEARTACHE.
Big mess? Big message!
Great tests? Great testimonies!
You have come here to this time and place to STAND ON HOLY GROUND, TO LET GOD ARISE, TO LET HIS ENEMIES BE SCATTERED!
THE DARKER THE NIGHT THE GREATER THE LIGHT!
ARISE O, GOD...
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
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This is part 8 of a 12 part series.
