GIVE THANKS? MAYBE? WHAT DO I KNOW?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
HAVE YOU EVER FORGOT WHAT YOU KNOW? SPIRITUALLY, I THINK IT IS SO EASY TO FORGET WHAT YOU KNOW…
One day when I was young I ran out of gas. It was before the cell phone. I sat and wondered what am I going to do? I looked in my billfold and there was no money? I prayed God, you could send someone I know and they will see me and offer to help. There was a gas station in sight. I could borrow a few dollars? No one came. I prayed harder, still no one. Wow, I have never begged before. As I was praying for help, I thought God had let me down? Then after sometime, I remembered: Some years before, I hid a $20 bill in the horn area of my steering wheel. I had the answer all the time.
I had money and I forgot? I pulled the $20 out. Walked to the gas station, borrowed a can and walked back and poured it in the tank. I saved a little gas to pour in the carburetor and the car started right up. I sat several hours and I forgot I had the answer right in front of me. I forgot?
HAVE WE EVER FORGOT GOD HAS AN ANSWER BEFORE WE ASK? HAVE I EVER BEEN IN A STORM AND FORGOT JESUS
IS IN MY BOAT… FRET NOT… WE MUST CONSIDER: GOD HAS THIS COVERED…
What’s the first thing you know? Jed is a millionaire, the kinfolks say Jed move away from there, said California is the place…
Romans 8:28 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.
Thanksgiving while I am in a terrible storm? Maybe the tax bill, insurance? Maybe the doctor has told us bad news? The doctor told me I was overweight. I asked for a second opinion… He said well you asked, I will tell you: YOU ARE UGLY TOO. Maybe the family seems to be falling apart… you have cried until there are no more tears? Maybe you have watched CNN and the USA seems doomed… MY FRIEND HANG ON… HANG IN THERE… DON’T BE PUSHED OUT OF THE CHURCH. REFUSE TO RUN AWAY FROM THE ALTAR, COME HOME… WE KNOW ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER IS CONDITIONAL… IF WE LOVE GOD AND DO HIS WILL.
This storm, this problem never caught God off guard… God was not surprised when this negative obstacle came into your focus…
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Jeremiah 29:11 (MSG) I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.
PAUL HAS HIS PEN IN HIS HAND AND HE IS WRITING A GREAT LESSON ON SPIRITUAL GIFTS. I CORINTHIANS 12 IS SO POWERFUL. BUT RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS GREAT LESSON PAUL STOPS AND WRITES ONE OF THE GREATEST LESSONS ON LOVE, 1 CORINTHIANS 13. THEN PAUL FINISHES HIS LESSON HE IS WRITING ON THE GIFTS.
As Paul sandwiches the GREAT LESSON ON LOVE between the chapters on spiritual gifts. Paul was trying to tell us GOD’S PLAN OPERATES VIA LOVE. Spiritual gifts will always operate in an unhealthy manner unless they are baptized
in love.
Paul ends the LOVE CHAPTER IN A MOST UNUSUAL WAY. There is a powerful lesson to apply in these last 3 verses.
1 Corinthians 13:11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
PAUL’S LESSON ON LOVE ENDS WITH A LESSON ON VISION… HUMAN VISION CAN RARELY SEE OR UNDERSTAND IN THE REALM OF ETERNAL VALUES.
1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
1 Corinthians 13:12 (NIV) Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
1 Corinthians 13:12 (NLT) Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.
1 Corinthians 13:12 (MSG) We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!
MAYBE THIS COULD BE THE DAY…
THERE IS THIS STORY HIDDEN IN MARK ABOUT DISTORTED VISION…
Vision can take many forms. 1. Near sighted? 2. Far sighted? 3. Tunnel vision? 4. Blindness? Spiritual vision can take many forms. You never know what the day holds. There is a man that left home one day, he was blind.
He made his living begging for alms. This day will be different from any sightless day he has ever experienced. This blind man heard about this miracle worker named Jesus.
One day this blind man was ready for begging when he heard this noise and he enquired what was going on…? His LUCK (?) he heard this was JESUS COMING NEAR HIM. MAYBE, JUST MAYBE THIS BLIND MAN COULD GET THE ATTENTION OF THE MASTER? JESUS, I AM OVER HERE. JESUS, JESUS COULD YOU COME BY HERE? MAYBE JESUS WILL TOUCH ME…
Mark 8:23 And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. 24 And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. 25 After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.
Can you imagine the SHOCK OF THE CROWD when Jesus noticed the blind man? Jesus walked over to the blind man. Jesus told the blind man: LET US TAKE A WALK. I wonder how the blind man felt walking arm in arm with the SON OF GOD? For some reason they walked out of BETHSAIDA’S CITY LIMITS. Now they were out of town… I wonder what Jesus and the blind man talked about?
Then when the crowd got out of town, Jesus did the most unusual, non-religious action. JESUS SPIT ON THE BLIND MANS EYES… Do we know in the Middle East to spit in someone’s face is a terrible hurtful action? They will spit on Jesus on the way to the cross.
SOME TIMES TO REALLY SEE--- WE NEED A SECOND TOUCH OF A MIGHTY GOD… NEVER SETTLE FOR DISTORTED VISION…
The blind man was not offended, THE BLIND MAN FELT AND EXPECTED A MIRACLE IN THE MAKING. After spitting in the blind man’s eyes Jesus touched him and CAN YOU IMAGINE THE FEELING WHEN THE SON OF THE MOST HIGH LAID HANDS ON YOU! DO YOU FEEL ANY DIFFERENT? CAN YOU SEE?
Sure the blind man can see…MEN LOOK LIKE TREES… Blind man don’t accept distorted vision, this time Jesus touched him again… BUT JESUS SAID THIS TIME: FOCUS ON ME… LOOK AT ME…. LOOK JESUS RIGHT IN THE FACE… DON’T LOOK AT MEN… DON’T WATCH PEOPLE … LOOKING AT JESUS WILL CORRECT OUR VISION.
***TWO QUESTIONS: WHY GOD? OR WHAT GOD?
IS WHY GOD A GOOD QUESTION? WHAT DO I KNOW, WHY THESE THINGS HAPPEN? BUT GOD…
MAYBE QUIT ASKING WHY GOD, AND START ASKING WHAT GOD? WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO TELL ME…
There is a folklore story that illustrates how limited our vision can be… This man and his neighbor were discussing GOOD LUCK and BAD LUCK. For days they discussed the role of luck in life. The neighbor came over to visit and the poor man’s only horse had gotten out of the stall and was gone. The horse had run away. The farmer needed his horse. They cried and cried. His neighbor said: I AM SO SORRY, KARMA? YOU HAVE NO HORSE. The farmer said: WHAT DO I KNOW,
WHY THESE THINGS HAPPEN?
One morning a few days later… The old horse was back in the lot and with him was 20 NEW wild horses. The farmer just shut the gate and now he had 21 horses. His neighbor came over and saw the lot was full of new horses. So the neighbor says: WOW, YOU ARE SO LUCKY… LOOK AT ALL YOUR HORSES? The farmer said: WHAT DO I KNOW, WHY THESE THINGS HAPPEN? BUT GOD…
Once the horses tamed down a little the farmer decided to break some of the horses. The neighbor came over and watched as the farmer’s son climbed up on the horse and wow, the horse started jumping and running. The farmer’s son was thrown off the horse and the horse kicked the boy in the leg. Immediately they knew the boy’s leg was very severely broken. The neighbor said: I AM SO SORRY, BAD LUCK SEEMS TO BE YOUR LOT IN LIFE. LOOK AT THE PAIN YOUR SON IS SUFFERING. The farmer said: WHAT DO I KNOW, WHY THESE THINGS HAPPEN? BUT GOD…
The young boy was laid up many weeks and he could not help his dad with the horses or in the fields. The boy could not walk. They cried and cried. Late one night a gang knocked down the door of the house and rushed in and was going to imprison the son to do gang work and the son would become a hardened criminal. The gang leaders saw the boy’s swollen, bruised broken leg and they said we want nothing to do with that boy. The next day the neighbor came over and helped repair the door. The neighbor said: LOOK HOW LUCKY YOU ARE, YOU STILL HAVE YOUR SON? The farmer said: WHAT DO I KNOW, WHY THESE THINGS HAPPEN? BUT GOD…
WE SEE THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY? WE SEE THROUGH A FOG? WE SEE THROUGH A CLOUDY MIRROR? WE SEE THE TEMPORAL? WE SELDOM SEE THE ETERNAL…
***JOHN NASH sang a song: I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW… written by Kenneth Gamble
I can see clearly now, the rain is gone. I can see all the obstacles in my way.
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind. It’s gonna be a bright (bright) bright (bright) sunny day.
I think I can make it now, the pain is gone. All of the bad feelings have disappeared.
Here is a rainbow I have been praying for. It’s gonna be a bright (bright) bright (bright) sunny day.
Look around, there is nothing but blue skies, look straight ahead, nothing but blue skies.
I can see clearly now now, the rain is gone. I can see clearly all the obstacles in my way,
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind. It’s gonna be a bright (bright) bright (bright) sunny day.
DO WE UNDERSTAND PUNCTUATION IN THE BIBLE WAS NOT IN THE ORGINAL HEBREW BIBLE? ENGLISH SCHOLARS ADDED CHAPTERS, VERSE NUMBERS AND PUNCTUATION.
Punctuation can change the whole story, let me illustrate this. A Texas farmer sent one of his cowboys to buy at an auction the TEXAS PRIZE BULL. At the auction the price got higher and higher. The price got to $50,000.
The hired hand sent a telegram: The bull is going for $50,000; do you want me to buy it?
In seconds the reply returned with no punctuation.
*** No price to high
What must the hired hand do?
Is the message:
***No price to high.
***NO! Price to high! What would you do?
Well, the rest of the story was the man sent another telegram and asked his boss to clarify what he meant.
Teaching school we had an English lesson on the DANGLING COMA. STUDY THIS WITH ME…
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.
The coma here makes it sound like the enemy is coming in like a flood…MOVE THE DANGLING COMA OVER AND CHANGE THE WHOLE VERSES MEANING…
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.
Now, the enemy is coming in BUT LIKE A FLOOD THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD SHALL LIFT UP THE STANDARD…
Makes a lot of sense… The Holy God we serve flood waters will raise the standard.
EVERYTHING IS GOOD, IT IS REALLY GOOD… I ask the crowd to say: IT IS GOOD, IT IS VERY GOOD every time I point at them. Each time I point at the crowd, they say: THIS IS GOOD, THIS IS VERY GOOD!
The King had a wonderful kingdom and everyone really loved the King. But the King had an only son that was spoiled rotten and the most negative person any one knew. The son was very demanding and very unthankful for everything. The king’s son was so negative. The son would cry and demand his way. The King would try to teach his son, if you are going to grow up and be the next king you must change your attitude and be thankful for those that are serving you faithfully. Son, you must be more positive. The young son’s bad attitudes were known around the whole kingdom. One of the king’s advisors suggested: find a real poor boy from within the kingdom that is thankful and has good attitudes and has a positive personality, let him live in the palace with your spoiled son. Maybe the poor boy’s attitude of gratefulness will rub off on your son.
So the King started a search for a young boy that was thankful and had real good, positive attitudes. The King enquired of the parish pastor of a young lad with a positive attitudes. The pastor recommended this smart, good looking boy that’s dad had passed away and his mother was a house cleaner and did washing clothes for people. The pastor said the poor mother had raised her son in the fear of God and he was so loving and kind and was very positive even in a negative situation... He was the most thankful boy in the parish.
The King sent for the mother and talked to her about his problem and how he would like her son to live in the palace and to go to the royal school and become a friend to his son. The mother saw what a great opportunity for her son. She agreed. Her son was moved to his own room in the palace. The King walked him around to show him his new home.
When the young man stepped into the palace he looked around and said: THIS IS GOOD, THIS IS VERY GOOD! The king took the boy in to meet the royal teacher, the boy said: THIS IS GOOD, THIS IS VERY GOOD!
The boy met the King’s son and he said: THIS IS GOOD, THIS IS VERY GOOD! They got up for school the next morning and the king’s son pouted and threw a fit. The new boy said: THIS IS GOOD, THIS IS VERY GOOD! That night when they did their homework the king’s son complained. The boy said: THIS IS GOOD, THIS IS VERY GOOD! The two boys were best friends. They grew to love each other like brothers. The king’s son was so negative. But the poor boy seemed to always say: THIS IS GOOD, THIS IS VERY GOOD! At meal time the prince complained, the boy would say: THIS IS GOOD, THIS IS VERY GOOD! The new boy became like a son to the king and he would often tell the king how wonderful it was to live in the palace. He said: THIS IS GOOD, THIS IS VERY GOOD! The boys grew and grew. They learned and became strong men.
The prince was learning to be a warrior. They were training with the sword, the shield, and the bow and arrow. The king’s son was so negative, but the friend said: THIS IS GOOD, THIS IS VERY GOOD!
One day they were out in the field shooting their arrows at targets and the prince caught his thumb in the bow string and he cut his right thumb off. Blood was going everywhere. His special friend said: THIS IS GOOD, THIS IS VERY GOOD! The prince was now 30 years old and this rubbed him the wrong way. The prince had his friend thrown into prison for saying: THIS IS GOOD, THIS IS VERY GOOD! He had all that positive stuff he could stand. The prince said I never want to hear it said: THIS IS GOOD, THIS IS VERY GOOD!
One night the Kings army was out in the field training and they got lost and could not find their way … so the men camped out. During the night the cannibals attacked the camp and captured the King’s son. In the morning the cannibals filled up a big pot with water and built a fire. When the water started boiling they untied the king’s son and started to the pot. The cannibals saw that his right thumb was cut off. They were very superstitious and they let the prince go free. They would have nothing to do with dismembered people.
The prince ran back to his troops and grabbed a horse. He was so thankful that his thumb had been cut off, he now knew to say: THIS IS GOOD, THIS IS VERY GOOD! He rushed to the prison and had his friend set free. He said my friend I have learned it is true, he said: THIS IS GOOD, THIS IS VERY GOOD! I am thankful for everything in life. My thumb being cut off was a miracle. He said I am so sorry for putting you in prison.
His best friend said: THIS IS GOOD, THIS IS VERY GOOD! The King’s son said how could it be good that you was in prison? The man said: NO, THIS IS GOOD, THIS IS VERY GOOD! IF I HAD BEEN WITH YOU THEY WOULD HAVE BOILED AND EATEN ME…
Both men requested a visit with the KING. The son said dad, I HAVE LEARNED THE LESSON OF LIFE, ALL THINGS WORK TO THE GOOD… I said: DAD, THIS IS GOOD, THIS IS VERY GOOD!
The king thanked his servant and said: I CAN DIE IN PEACE NOW THAT YOU HAVE TAUGHT MY SON THE ATTITUDE: THIS IS GOOD, THIS IS VERY GOOD! YOU WILL BE MY SON’S TOP AD VISOR.
Conclusion: The question is not WHY, LORD… THE QUESTION MIGHT BE WHAT LORD? WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO TELL ME ABOUT THANKFULNESS? DO I HAVE A THANKFUL HEART.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com.
