THE BATTLE OF BEING COLD (WITHOUT-- WITHIN)...
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Revelation 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert
cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue
thee out of my mouth.
Revelation 3:15 (NLT) “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold.
I wish that you were one or the other! 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither
hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!
INTRODUCTION: ZWW VS WWZ?
I was a young man just starting out in the ministry.
There was this wonder old preacher that I loved to listen to on the radio.
His name was C.M. Ward and he was the speaker for REVIVAL TIME on the
radio. REVIVAL TIME was the Assemblies of God's official broadcast.
C.M. Ward spoke 25 years on this program and travel the world speaking.
I had the privilege of hear Brother Ward speak and have dinner with him several
times.
One conversation really became a thought to ponder?
I was very young and was invited by Lorie Vannucci to sit at the table with
them. As they had fellowship, I listened to their wisdom.
The older preachers were discussing where the church world had been and where
they thought the church world was headed.
C.M. WARD opened the discussion with a line he called: WWZ vs ZWW...
Then Brother Ward was speaking near tears... He went on to explain...
WWZ was WISDOM WITHOUT ZEAL...
He stated this could be a terrible ENEMY and problem with established, long term
ministry.
THEN HE DISCUSSED ZWW --- Zeal without wisdom ---
C.M. went on to discuss the terrible ENEMY of young people and ignorant people
of how THEY HAD GREAT ZEAL WITH LITTLE KNOWLEDGE AND NO REAL LIFE
EXPERIENCE and lose their BALANCE and MODERATION.
C.M. WARD THEN OPENED THE DISCUSSION WHICH IS THE MOST
DANGEROUS ENEMY OF THE CHURCH TODAY... Some at the table spoke
quickly of ZWW, and provided much discussion of words, teachings, and practice
of ministers with very little knowledge of the BALANCED WORD OF GOD...
Their teaching were based on emotions and feelings and SIGNS and WONDERS...
So the discussion was about the dangerous situation that ZWW posed to the cross.
Then the discussion CHANGED: WWZ could be very dangerous and let the
PENTECOSTAL FIRE compromise and weaken. The discussion was very powerful.
The older men at the table finally concluded: BOTH ZWW and WWZ was alive
and well in the church. ALL CONCLUDED ZWW and WWZ were enemies of each
other, and that all was a real enemy to a HEALTHY BALANCED MINDSET.
WE NEED TODAY WISDOM AND ZEAL...
WE STAND ON A PROMISE THAT IS CLEAR...
Matthew 12:20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench,
till he send forth judgment unto victory.
We have a promise:
HE WILL NOT BREAK A BRUISED REED, NOR QUENCH THE SMOKING FLAX...
A reed is weak, helpless and insignificant...
YOU CAN NEVER MAKE A MUSICAL INSTRUTMENT OUT OF A BRUISED REED?
A REED IS WEAK, A BRUISED REED IS THE WEAKEST OF THE WEAKEST...
A SMOKING FLAX CAN NEVER GIVE OFF LIGHT...
YOU CAN NOT WARM YOUR HOUSE WITH SMOKING FLAX...
JESUS HAS A STANDING INVITATION TO THE WEAK...
GOD HAS A PLAN --- FAN THE FLAME OF GOD --- THE ALL CONSUMING FLAME
IGNITE AND SPREAD...
One little candle started the CHICAGO FIRE THAT BURNED MANY ACRES OF LAND.
Exodus 13:21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them
the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:
Revelation 2:18 And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the
Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;
FAN THE FLAME
THE FLAME OF FIRE IS A CHOSEN SIGN OF THE HOLINESS OF GOD...
THE INTENSE, ALL COMSUMING OPERATION OF GOD AGAINS SIN AND LAZINESS.
THERE IS NO WORK FROM THE GRAVE.
WHAT EVER YOU PLAN ON DOING DO TO YOUR BEST ABILITY...
YEARS AGO I HAD A FRIEND THAT SOLD RAINBOW VACCUUM CLEANERS.
I went to his house, he opened the closet door and a KIRBY FELL OUT...
He said: I sell Rainbows, but I would not own one.
A few months later, HE QUIT
Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no
work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
Colossians 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
In PILGRAMS PROGRESS John Bunyan wrote of a MAN THAT WAS ALWAYS LOOKING
DOWN, AND RIGHT OVER HIS HEAD WAS A ROYAL DIADEM.
He seemed to be happy raking straw in the barn? Never noticing the DIADEM
WHERE ARE WE SETTING OUR AFFECTIONS... OUR PRIORITIES?
Colossians 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
ZEAL
EXCITEMENT
ENTHUSIAM
If you are on the way to heaven shouldn't your face know and show it?
HOW DO FIRES GO OUT?
WHY DO FIRES GO OUT?
Proverbs 26:20 Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer,
the strife ceaseth.
THE COLD WITHIN
By James Patrick Kinney, 1960
Six humans trapped by happenstance
In dark and bitter cold
Each one possessed a stick of wood,
Or so the story's told.
Their dying fire in need of logs,
The first woman held hers back.
For on the faces around the fire,
She noticed one was black.
The next man looking cross the way,
Saw one not of his church,
And couldn't bring himself to give
The fire his stick of birch.
The third one sat in tattered clothes,
He gave his coat a hitch.
Why should his log be put to use,
To warm the idle rich?
The rich man just sat back and thought
Of the wealth he had in store.
And how to keep what he had earned
From the lazy, shiftless poor.
The black man's face bespoke revenge
As the fire passed from sight,
For all he saw in his stick of wood
Was a chance to spite the white.
The last man of this forlorn group
Did naught except for gain
Giving only to those who gave
Was how he played the game.
The logs held tight in death's still hands
Was proof of human sin.
They didn't die from the cold without,
They died from ---THE COLD WITHIN.
Psalm 69:9 For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that
reproached thee are fallen upon me.
CONCLUSION: ARE WE FANNING THE CONSUMING POWER OF LOVE IN OUR
FAMILIES, WORK PLACE AND CHURCH?
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
