TESTED GIVING? AN APPOINTED TIME --- DIVINE TIMING --- DUE SEASON
MIGHTY IS OUR GOD --- HE HAS EVERYTHING UNDER CONTROL ---
YOU CAN TRUST HIM AND HIS PLAN...
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
I. HAVE WE EVER GAVE SOMETHING WE HOLD DEAR?
GIVING ON PURPOSE?
A. Years ago I was sitting in front of Wal-Mart on a beautiful sunny day.
My wife was inside shopping and I was enjoying watching the hustle and bustle
of the Christmas season. I was sitting next to a Marines' box where people were to drop
off toys to give to the "poor kids."
A huge $70,000 Lincoln Continental pulled up to the big box, a little girl and boy jumped
out of the car and ran up to place their toys for kids in the box. The kids were so proud of
their giving. I noticed their gifts. The boy had a rusty Tonka truck with three wheels?
The girl had a doll baby. Her doll had a hair cut and most of the hair was gone.
The baby doll had permanent magic marker all over it's face and body.
They joyfully jumped back in the car and away they went.
I thought, wonder what they will get for Christmas?
I said in my heart: " THEY BETTER BE GLAD I AM NOT GOD!"
I would wrap the truck and the doll in beautiful paper and place it under their
tree in their fancy house.
Could you imagine what joy they would have had to receive what they gave?
B. Let me tell you another story.
We asked people at our mission church in the mountains to bring in a gift.
A little girl had this MISS BEASLEY doll, it was her favorite, most prized doll.
I watched Sara Rose, as tears ran down her face, come to the altar when no was looking and
she placed her most prized doll baby at Jesus' feet. As she walked away, she turned and
looked back and said: GOODBYE, MISS BEASLEY."
I saw her dad watching her in the back of the church, he was crying very hard.
As I think of this story 30 years later I have tears running down my face.
I had the pleasure of wrapping Miss Beasley and driving over the mountain on Christmas
day and going into the home of a large, very poor family. I watched the little girl that had
very little, open the present and hugged Miss Beasley. The little girl said, How did you
know? This is the doll I wanted. Both little girls are now grown and graduated from college.
They do not know the story in my heart. But God knows.
II. WE HAVE NEVER GIVEN A PERSON TO DEATH --- THEY WERE TAKEN...
THERE IS A LOVE LESSON THAT GOD GAVE --- HIS ONE AND ONLY SON.
A. Our Father, His Son --- Jesus and the Holy Spirit gather and over looked the wonderful
creation and GOD said: IT IS GOOD...
B. GOD HAD A PLAN --- God knew man would disappoint and break His heart.
C. GOD'S PLAN WAS TO BRUISE OUR ENEMY'S HEAD AND BRUISE HIS HEEL.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
III. COME LET US LOOK UNDER YOUR CHRISTMAS TREES...
THERE SEEMS TO BE A PRESENT FOR EVERY ONE?
NO WAIT: I DO NOT SEE A PRESENT UNDER THE TREE FOR JESUS CHRIST?
NOW, WHO'S BIRTHDAY IS THIS DECEMBER 25TH?
A. GIVING SURE SHOWS A LOT, IT IS NOT ABOUT THE GIFT?
BUT ABOUT THE GIVER?
Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken
together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that
ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
B. Are we teaching paganism and selfishness?
Christmas is about GIVING... LEAST WE FORGET THE REAL MEANING---
WE NEED TO CELEBRATE GOD'S GIFT AND GIVE TO THE CROSS...
C. Is there a meaningful, ON PURPOSE GIFT UNDER THE TREE TO THE FATHER... ???
IV. WHEN MY SONS WERE REALLY LITTLE, WE TOOK A CALENDAR AND WOULD
PUT AN X ON THE DAYS BETWEEN THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS?
25 MORE DAYS, 24, 20, 15, FINALLY WITH GREAT EXPECTATION THE DAY WOULD
COME...
A. I PONDER DID JESUS GET EXCITED ABOUT THE APPOINTED DAY IN HISTORY
THAT HE WOULD PACK HIS SUITCASE AND LEAVE HEAVEN'S GOLDEN STREETS
FOR DUSTY, DIRT ROADS?
B. Mary did you know? Mary your gift will BRING US TO AN APPOINTED DAY...
C. MARY AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS YOU WILL STAND ---
FOR THE APPOINTED DAY HAS COME... YOUR BABY JESUS...
KNOWS THE PLAN...
D. JESUS GAVE IT ALL ---All to Him I owe.
VI. OUR GOD HAS A PLAN --- GOD WORKS BY APPOINTMENTS ONLY ---
WE ACT SO PAGAN WHEN ONE WE LOVE GRADUATES TO HEAVEN...
BUT THE PLANNING OF GOD IS SO PERFECT... IN GOD WE MUST TRUST...
Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
A. God's plan is so perfect, you can know with exactness what time the sun will come up,
and what time it will go down. A PLAN NOT AN ACCIDENT.
B. God placed Abraham Lincoln for such a time as this...
His grave says: HE NOW BELONGS TO THE AGES...
VII. AM I GETTING ONE DAY CLOSER TO MY MIRACLE PROMISE?
IS THERE ANYTHING TOO HARD FOR THE LORD?
PROMISE, EXPECTATION --- AT THE APPOINTED TIME...
IT IS NOT TIME NOW? LAUGH IF YOU MUST?
BUT I WILL RETURN --- RETURN NOT TOO EARLY? RETURN NOT TOO LATE...
Genesis 18:14 Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee,
according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
A. God placed ABRAHAM and SARAH?
B. FAITH?
C. PATIENCE? Today? Tomorrow?
D. TRUSTING AN UN-LIMIITED GOD ---for an appointed time...
Our issue is not the PROMISE? but the TRUSTING OF THE TIMING?
VIII. FEW PEOPLE LEARN HOW TO TELL TIME?
GOD IS NEVER EARLY? NOR IS HE EVER LATE?
WILL WE FORGET AND NOT TRUST DIVINE TIMING...
A. WHY DO WE WRITE THINGS DOWN? APPOINTMENT REMINDERS?
Habakkuk 2:2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon
tables, that he may run that readeth it.
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it
tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
B. I WRITE TO REMIND ME, SOME DAYS MY NOTES WILL FALL INTO SOME ONE ELSES
HANDS... I HOPE THEY BURN THEIR HEARTS LIKE THEY HAVE BURNED MINE.
C. EXPECTATION? HOPE? CALM ASSURANCE?
IX. GOD IS PREPARING A PLACE FOR A PREPARED PEOPLE.
BUT GOD IS GETTING US READY FOR OUR MIRACLE?
A. DARK WAS THE PIT?
Darker was Joseph's trip to EGYPT?
The jail cell was very dark and depressing...
JOSEPH WAS FORGETTEN --- ONE DAY--- SUDDENLY
B. JOSEPH TODAY IS THE DAY THE DREAM COMES TRUE...
CLEAN UP --- THE HARVEST IS RIPE... SHAVE BOY---
GOD'S TIMING HAS RELEASED THE PLAN...
Genesis 41:14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the
dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.
C. 17 YEARS --- 3 MORE YEARS AND YOU WILL HUG YOUR DAD AGAIN...
DIVINE TIMING...
X. FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS: DARK, MEAN, EXTERMINATION OF GOD!
A. Darkness can never dim the light.
B. So a mean, cruel obstacle --- OUR GOD REIGNS...
ESTHER --- teach my friends about DIVINE TIMING?
Esther 4:14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and
deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed:
and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
XI. WE MAY BE ONE DAY CLOSER TO DELIVERANCE...
QUIT SEARCHING FOR NATURUAL, MAN-MADE HELP,
GOD HAS THIS ALL PLANNED OUT --- THE DAY OF THE LORD IS SOON COMING...
A. MAY BE TODAY I WILL FIND MY MIRACLE?
The brook has gone dry...
The birds quit bringing food...
GOD HAS A POOR WIDOW WOMAN... One more meal?
For such a time as this...
B. APPOINTMENT MADE?
A little LAD had his brown bag and a few fish FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS?
C. There was a LITTLE SLAVE GIRL, her whole life hinges on telling her Master's wife,
There is a GOD THAT CAN HEAL... Naaman's healing hinged on a little girl
The DIVINE TIMING...
CONCLUSION: THERE GROWS SOMETHING MORE PRECIOUS THAN GOLD.
NOW FAITH LEARNS A LESSON THAT BECOMES THE FOUNDATION OF HEALTHY
FAITH --- NOW FAITH KNOWS ABOUT DUE SEASON, DIVINE TIMING, APPOINTED TIMES...
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
1 Peter 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that
perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at
the appearing of Jesus Christ:
IF FAITH IS UNTRIED FAITH, IT MUST SURLY BE WEAKER FAITH...
IT IS IN THE TRIALS AND TESTING THAT FAITH IS RELEASED.
Faith never grows as much as when EVERYTHING IS AGAINST HER.
When the wind is howling, the waves roll, the boat is rocking
We will call this TRIED FAITH...Your weakness, God's strength
Faith and the trial of faith is more precious.
DUE SEASON FAITH --- GOD FAITH --- real faith --- faith, trial faith: ALL thrive during the raging storm
IN DUE SEASON FAITH ARISES AND CONQUERS ALL THE OBSTACLES AND NEW
OPPORTUNTIES ARISE.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Please help expand the reach of my little hands and pass my work on to others?
