WHAT ARE YOU WRITING?
FAILURE BY PUNCTUATION?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
I. THIS IS THE DAY THAT THE LORD MADE AND GAVE TO US,
WHAT WE DO WITH THIS DAY COULD BE OUR GIFT TO THE LORD!
Psalm 118:24 This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
A. I have a book that a girl named Louise bought when I was teaching school. She ordered it from the Book of the Month Club. The title of the book is THE ANYTHING BOOK, it has a pretty pink cover.
Louise was so mad when she got the book, it is empty, not one word in the pages. I looked it up, and it was not a misprint or a no print, it was designed
to be blank. You make the book what you what it to be?
I bought the book from Louise and I have used it many times.
I will use the book for this message.
God’s gift to us was this day.
B. I TAKE MY JOURNAL FOR THIS YEAR, AND FLIP THROUGH THE PAGES.
I see where I have been to the rest home, where I have studied, or made a home visit.
II. YOUR LIFE IS A STORY LINE.
A. You are a pencil in the hand of the Lord.
You are writing your LIFE BOOK, one line, one page, one chapter at a time.
B. One of these days you will lay your pencil down and the final words will be the dash on your grave stone.
C. There will be recorded the day of your birth and the day of your death.
You did little the day you were born, and you do nothing the day after your death.
It is the dash between those two days that matter.
D. What are you writing?
What did you write today?
This month have you visited and loved someone in the rest home? Hospital?
How did you treat those that you love?
E. I think we should live so the Preacher can tell the truth at your funeral.
Often times Preachers have to dodge the bullet when they preach funerals.
F. Mommy, what have you written this week?
Daddy, what has your story line been?
G. Christian, if you were taken to court for your Christianity would there be enough evidence to prosecute you?
How much Bible did you read this week?
Have you prayed for the lost this week?
Are you faithful to church?
III. WHAT KIND OF CHURCH WOULD THIS CHURCH BE,
IF EVERY MEMBER WERE JUST LIKE ME?
A. I was near Danville, Kentucky playing music in the mid 1970’s, I walked into the cemetery around the church and read the tomb stones, it is a hobby of mine.
One tomb stone:
WAS IN GOOD HEALTH WHEN STRUCK BY A TREE
THREE DAYS LATER DEATH.
AS YOU ARE I ONCE WAS,
AS I AM YOU SOON WILL BE,
SO PREPARE TO MEET OUR MAKER.
B. Recently, I drove by a local Baptist church.
They have a little sign and limited space to post messages, so the sign read this message:
NEED FILL DIRT and a phone number ...
Well what does that mean? Did they need fill dirt, or did they have fill dirt to move? After many calls they changed the sign.
Now the sign says: WE NEED FILL DIRT
Adding one word made an unclear statement clear.
IV. IT IS AMAZING HOW IMPORTANT PROPER PUNCTUATION REALLY IS TO UNDERSTANDING.
A. Is it possible to have wisdom without understanding?
We need to have a great understanding of God’s word, His church, and the family.
B. There are several punctuation marks.
A system or arrangement of marks used in writing to separate or arrange words in a good
logical order.
1. ? --- a question mark. In Spanish, they have an upside question mark to start a question
so you know it is a question as you begin reading.
2. , --- a comma indicates a pause or division.
3. . ---period used at the end of a sentence or abbreviation used to indicate finality.
4. ! --- exclamation mark is used to show excitement, sharp vehement expression or to
give a command or order.
5. : colon is chiefly function between a major sentence and listed elements or clauses.
6. ; semi colon punctuation that directs attention that follows.
V. WHEN YOU ARE DOWN --- WATCH THE PUNCTUATION ---
WE KNOW THE PUNCTUATION CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE ON WHAT THE WORDS SAY.
A. When I taught school I used this illustration about punctuation.
A man was sent by a cow ranch owner to buy a prize bull to breed with his stock. This one bull had won state championships and was a rare blue blood
of prize stock.
The owner told the man you buy that bull and bring him back to the ranch.
The man got to the farm and saw the prize bull, sure enough, the bull was a rare show bull.
The man said I am here to buy this bull.
The owner said I am asking $100,000.00.
The man knew that was very high for the bull.
So he ran to the telegraph office and sent a message to his boss.
"THE OWNER WANTS $100,000 FOR THE BULL --- SHOULD I GO AHEAD AND BUY IT?
The farm hand waited in the telegraph office for the return telegram, and it came back:
no price too much
B. WHAT DID THE FARM HAND DO?
Was the message, NO or Yes?
NO! Price too much!
No price too much?
He sent another telegram for clarification.
C. LOOK AT THIS BIBLE PUNCTUATION?
Isaiah 59:19 So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood(,)
the Spirit of the Lord shall lift a standard against him.
D. NOTICE THE DIFFERENCE WHEN I MOVE THE COMMA ---
Isaiah 59:19 So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in(,) --- like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.
E. WHEN WE ARE DOWN, LIKE A FLOOD OUR GOD COMES IN AND HELPS US RAISE THE STANDARD.
F. IS IT THE ENEMY COMING IN LIKE A FLOOD?
OR IS IT GOD COMING IN LIKE A FLOOD AND LIFTING THE STANDARD? I THINK IT IS GOD COMING IN LIKE A FLOOD.
VI. FAILURE CAN BE SEEN AS FAILURE OR IT CAN BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY?
FAILURE LOOMS WHERE WE USE THE WRONG PUNCTUATION IN THE BIBLE.
DOES HEZEKIAH FACE A PERIOD --- THE END OR A COMMA?
A. Poor Hezekiah appears to be facing THE END.
2 Kings 20:1 In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thine
house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.
B. GOD’S PUNCTUATION CAN DEPEND ON THE ATTITUDE OF THE INDIVIDUAL?
IS THIS FAILURE OR IS THIS OPPORTUNITY?
C. The Preacher delivers God’s message --- and it is clear!
D. WHAT WILL WE DO WITH GOD’S MESSAGE?
SHALL WE MAKE GOD’S MESSAGE A PERIOD, A QUESTION MARK OR WHAT?
2 Kings 20:2 Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord, saying,
3 I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight.
And Hezekiah wept sore.
E. GOD HAS MERCY, THE ATTITUDE TOWARD THE MESSAGE MAKES THE MESSAGE A COMMA NOT A PERIOD.
2 Kings 20:4 And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying,
5 Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord.
6 And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.
F. ON THE THIRD DAY HEZEKIAH WAS LIFTED TO HAVE 15 MORE YEARS.
THAT IS 180 MORE MONTHS ---
780 MORE WEEKS ---
5,475 MORE DAYS ---
15 MORE YEARS, OF MERCY AND GRACE ---
EXTENDED LIFE TO ACCOMPLISH MORE!
G. DO YOU HAVE A COMMA OR A PERIOD?
IT MAY DEPEND ON YOUR ACTIONS AND ATTITUDES!
VII. WE DON’T ADMIT WE ARE WRITING WITH OUR WORDS AND ACTIONS. PEOPLE DON’T PLAN TO FAIL, THEY FAIL TO PLAN, AND THUS FAILURE LOOMS AHEAD.
A. OUR ENEMY HAS A PLAN, A THREE FOLD PLAN:
1. STEAL
2. KILL
3. DESTROY
Luke 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
B. Every good coach has a game plan?
Every good General has a battle plan?
C. WHAT IS OUR PLAN?
D. WHAT IS YOUR PLAN?
E. EVEN DEAD FISH SWIM DOWN STREAM!
VIII. THERE ARE SEVERAL SAD DAYS IN THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH --- WHEN MORE IS LESS? ARE YOU WRITING WHAT YOU WANT READ?
A. INDIVIDUALS MAY HIDE THEIR SIN, WEIGHT AND WEAKNESSES, BUT TIME WILL TELL.
Joshua 7:1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the
children of Israel.
B. JERICHO WAS GOD’S PLAN, the people had sought after God.
Sometimes after a great victory we learn to depend on the flesh.
C. AI WAS THE PLAN OF THE FLESH, no one sought God’s plan. The role of the individual intensifies when we move in the arm of the flesh.
Joshua 7:3 And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few.
Joshua 7:20 And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done:
IX. WE TEACH AND BELIEVE IN A GOD CALLED LEADERSHIP.
WE ARE DOOMED AS INDIVIDUALS IF WE DO NOT SUBMIT TO WRITE WITH ETERNAL THOUGHTS.
A. I am not independent, NO MAN IS AN ISLAND TO HIMSELF!
B. IF A BANANA IS PULLED FROM THE BUNCH, IT IS GETTING READY TO BE SKINNED.
Ezekiel 34:5 And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.
6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or
seek after them.
7 Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord;
8 As I live, saith the Lord God, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd,
neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock;
C. I NEED THE SAFETY OF A GROUP!
YOU NEED THE SAFETY OF THE POWER AND WISDOM OF A GROUP!
D. Yes, where there is man there are imperfections, but there is great danger where Christians do not hold themselves accountable.
E. I gladly submit to the leadership over me --- wisdom and experience can team with understanding and do God’s work.
Judges 17:6 In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
Judges 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
F. TEAM --- T-ogehter E-ach A-ccomplishes M-ore.
X. THERE ARE SEVERAL HAPPY DAYS IN THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH --- WHEN LESS IS MORE? BECAUSE PEOPLE WROTE WISELY.
A. IT IS NOT THE SIZE OF THE DOG IN THE FIGHT,
IT IS THE SIZE OF THE FIGHT IN THE DOG.
Judges 7:12 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude.
Judges 7:21 And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled.
B. Gideon went from 30,000 to 300 and did God’s work.
C. ARE YOU STANDING IN YOUR PLACE?
D. CAN THE PASTOR COUNT ON YOU?
E. DO YOU VOLUNTEER FOR ACTIVE DUTY?
F. Some want to be WEEKEND WARRIORS?
XI. PUNCTUATION IN THE BIBLE MUST BRING SEVERAL MESSAGES:
A. NOTHING IS AS BAD AS IT FIRST APPEARS!
B. TROUBLE IS ONLY TEMPORARY, THIS TOO SHALL PASS!
C. THE GOOD NEWS IS THE BAD NEWS IS NOT THE TRUTH.
D. GOOD COMES OUT OF EVIL.
E. DON’T SPREAD OR LISTEN TO THE DOOM AND GLOOM MESSAGE.
F. LIFE IS A MIRROR!
G. WHAT HAPPENS IN YOU IS MUCH MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT HAPPENS
TO YOU!
H. LIFE’S CIRCUMSTANCES AND TRIALS DO NOT MAKE YOU GOOD OR BAD, THEY JUST SHOW WHICH YOU ARE.
I. Are you writing your story wisely and with understanding?
Isaiah 46:4 And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Help me? Pass this on to another?
