MY 11TH MESSAGE
THERE IS A TERM THAT IS VERY COMMONLY USED AMONG PEOPLE. THE WORD “LOVE” MAY SOMETIMES BE SAID SINCERELY OR SOMETIMES MEANINGLESS. THE SAYING: “ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS” IS VERY POPULAR. IN AN IMMENSE WAY, IT’S TRUE. LET’S READ FROM LUKE CHAPTER 11 VERSES 5 THROUGH 13. IT STATES: “AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, WHICH OF YOU SHALL HAVE A FRIEND, AND SHALL GO UNTO HIM AT MIDNIGHT AND SAY UNTO HIM, FRIEND, LEND ME THREE LOAVES, FOR
A FRIEND OF MINE IS ABOUT TO COME AND I HAVE NOTHING TO GIVE HIM TO EAT? AND HE FROM WITHIN SHALL ANSWER AND SAY, DON’T TROUBLE ME: THE DOOR IS NOW SHUT, AND MY CHILDREN ARE WITH ME IN BED; I CANNOT RISE AND GIVE THEE.” THEN VERSE EIGHT SAYS: “I SAY UNTO YOU, THOUGH HE WILL NOT RISE AND GIVE HIM, BECAUSE HE IS HIS
FRIEND, YET BECAUSE OF HIS IMPORTUNITY HE WILL RISE AND GIVE HIM AS MANY AS HE NEEDETH. AND I SAY UNTO YOU, ASK, AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN TO YOU; SEEK, AND YE SHALL SHALL FIND; KNOCK, AND IT SHALL BE OPENED UNTO YOU.” NOW, LET’S READ VERSES 10 THROUGH 13: “FOR
EVERYONE THAT ASKS RECEIVETH; AND HE THAT SEEKS FINDS; AND TO HIM THAT KNOCKS, IT SHALL BE OPENED. IF A SON SHALL ASK FOR BREAD OF ANY OF YOU THAT IS A FATHER, WILL HE GIVE HIM A STONE? OR IF HE ASKS FOR A FISH, WILL HE GIVE HIM A FISH FOR A SERPENT? OR IF HE SHALL ASK FOR AN EGG, WILL HE OFFER HIM A SCORPION? IF YE
THEN, BEING EVIL, KNOW HOW TO GIVE GOOD GIFTS UNTO YOUR
CHILDREN: HOW MUCH MORE SHALL YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER GIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT TO THEM THAT ASK HIM?” NOW THINK ABOUT THIS: IF YOU WERE TO FIND YOURSELF IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU HAVE ONLY ONE GALLON OF MILK, ABOUT FIVE POUNDS OF MEAT, AND YOU DON’T GET PAID UNTIL TWO MORE WEEKS, AND A FRIEND COMES BY, WITH HIS SIX KIDS, A PREGNANT WIFE, AND ASKS, “WOULD YOU MIND HAVING US OVER FOR DINNER?” WHAT WOULD YOUR RESPONSE BE? OR, LET’S SAY YOU HAVE A CAR PAYMENT OF $350.00, YOU LIVE ALONE, YOU GET PAID EVERY TWO WEEKS AND YOUR NEXT PAYCHECK IS EXACTLY $350.00, AND YOU FIGURE THAT YOU HAVE TO LIVE ON PEANUT BUTTER, JELLY, BREAD, AND
WATER FOR THE NEXT WEEK BECAUSE YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO PAY YOUR CAR IF YOU BUY MORE FOOD. SUDDENLY, YOU RECEIVE A PHONE CALL AND YOUR BEST FRIEND SAYS HE IS IN A BIND AND HE URGENTLY NEEDS $50.00 BECAUSE HE HAS NO GAS, NO FOOD, AND NEEDS TO BUY TOILET PAPER. WOULD YOU SACRIFICE THE $50.00 AND FIND A WAY TO SETTLE IT... OR NOT? NOW, LET’S USE THE PARABLE. THIS PARABLE ILLUSTRATES SOMEONE. LET’S CALL HIM JASON. JASON’S MARRIED WITH CHILDREN. HE IS AT HOME ON A COLD WINTER NIGHT WITH HIS RED HEADED WIFE, MEG, HIS TWELVE CHILDREN, HEWEY, DEWEY, LOUIE, MARIO, LUIGI, JAN, PETER, CINDY, BOBBY, GREG, MARCIA, JASON JR., AND
JASON JR., JR. AND THEY’RE WARMLY TUCKED INTO THEIR FAMILY SIZED BED. HE WAS HAVING A HARD TIME SLEEPING BECAUSE FOR ONE, HE WAS COLD, AND SECONDLY, HIS 12 KIDS’ FEET WERE ALL OVER HIS FACE. HE FINALLY GOT WARM, SLEEPY, AND RIGHT WHEN HE STARTED TO FALL
ASLEEP, SOMEONE COMES KNOCKING AT THE DOOR. THEN, TWO OF THE YOUNGEST KIDS START TO CRY, HIS WIFE KNOCKS HIM OFF THE BED ON TO THE FLOOR BECAUSE HE IS THE “MAN” OF THE HOUSE AND HE IS TO OPEN THE DOOR AT ODD HOURS OF THE NIGHT JUST IN CASE THE PERSON AT THE DOOR HAS A RIFFLE, OR A BAZOOKA OR, SOMETHING, AND AS HE SO VALIANTLY GETS UP TO GO TOWARDS THE DOOR, HE STEPS ON A BOTTLE CAP, BUT NOT JUST ANY BOTTLE CAP. A BOTTLE CAP THAT’S MADE OUT OF HARD ALUMINUM BECAUSE IT’S FROM A BROKEN BOTTLE THAT HE JUST STEPPED ON WITH THE OTHER FOOT THAT WAS FROM MEXICO. HE MAKES HIS WAY TOWARDS THE DOOR AND WITH EXCRUCIATING PAIN, HE OPENS THE DOOR AND SEES ROGER STANDING THERE ASKING, “YOU GOT ANY BREAD TO SPARE?” WOULD JASON SAY VERY POLITELY, “I NEED A BAND AID, EXCUSE ME,” AND SLAM THE DOOR
IN ROGER’S FACE OR WOULD HE SAY, “COME IN, ROGER, AND HELP YOURSELF WHILE I HEAL MY FOOT.” SEE, JASON WOULD BE THE ONE THAT WOULD HAVE THE LAST WORD BECAUSE IT’S HIS HOUSE, HIS BREAD, AND, WELL, HIS FOOT. HE COULD HAVE SAID, “IT IS 2 O’CLOCK IN THE MORNING. I’M COLD, YOU GOT THOSE TWO LITTLE BRATS CRYING BECAUSE OF YOUR BANGING ON THE DOOR, MY WIFE LOOKS FRIEKY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, I STEPPED ON A BOTTLE CAP, ONE OF MY FEET IS BLEEDING BECAUSE OF THE GLASS I STEPPED ON WITH THE OTHER FOOT, AND IT’S ALL BECAUSE YOU WANT SOME BREAD?!? GO HOME ROGER!” INSTEAD, HE CHOSE TO SAY, “SURE, TAKE AS MUCH AS YOU NEED, GOOD LOOKING!” THAT’S A FRIEND THAT LOVES AT ALL TIMES EVEN WHEN IT’S COLD, OR RAINY, OR 2 O’CLOCK IN THE MORNING. ANALYZE THIS: AT THAT TIME, JASON DIDN’T HAVE TO TELL ROGER HE
LOVED HIM AS A BROTHER IN CHRIST. INSTEAD, HE SHOWED IT. HOW? BY HELPING HIM IN TIME OF NEED. THE BIBLE SAYS TO ASK AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN UNTO YOU. IT’S IMPOSSIBLE FOR SOMEONE TO KNOW WHAT YOU WANT IF YOU DON’T TELL THEM OR ASK FOR IT. I USED TO WORK AS
A CLERK FOR A LOCAL BEAUTY SALON AND MY BOSS WAS ALWAYS
DOING THE “EYE THING”. SHE EXPECTED FOR ME TO KNOW WHAT SHE WANTED ME TO DO BY CALLING OUT MY NAME AND LOOKING AT SOMETHING. SHE WOULD BE LIKE, “GERMAIN!” AND LOOK AT THE CASH REGISTER. IN MY HEAD I WAS THINKING, “IT HAS NUMBERS, MONEY, IT’S PLUGGED IN. MAYBE SHE WANTS FOR ME TO KEEP ALL THE CASH IN IT, I
DON’T KNOW?” THEN SHE WOULD TELL ME, “WELL, THE LAST CLERK I HAD WOULD KNOW WHAT I WANTED JUST BY LOOKING AT HIM.” THEN, I WOULD REPLY, “BUT I’M NOT YOUR LAST CLERK, AM I?” THAT GOT ME IN TROUBLE. THEN, I GOT, NOT FIRED, BUT DISMISSED. I ASKED HER TO SPEAK TO ME WITH WORDS AND NOT BRAIN LANGUAGE, SO, SHE KINDLY
ASKED ME TO TAKE THE WEEK OFF. AFTER THE WEEK, SHE ASKED ME TO TAKE ANOTHER. THEN, I CRIED. IT WAS GOOD MONEY... WELL, MOVING DOWN, IN VERSE ELEVEN IT SAYS: “IF A SON ASKS FOR BREAD, WILL THE FATHER GIVE HIM A ROCK? IF HE ASKS YOU FOR A FISH, WOULD HE GIVE
HIM A SNAKE? IF HE ASKS YOU FOR AN EGG, WILL YOU GIVE HIM A SCORPION?” WELL, OF COURSE YOU WON’T GIVE YOUR SON ANYTHING THAT WILL HARM HIM, BUT YOU WILL GIVE HIM WHAT HE WANTS AS MUCH AS YOU CAN. IF WE, AS HUMANS, SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD, CARE FOR OUR OWN, DESIRE GOOD FOR THEM, TAKE JUST A MOMENT TO THINK HOW MUCH MORE GOOD OUR HEAVENLY FATHER WANTS FOR US. HE DESIRES TO BLESS US ABUNDANTLY, BUT IT’S JUST A MATTER OF ASKING. THERE WERE THREE POINTS THAT COULD BE BROUGHT OUT OF THIS TEXT: (1) A TRUE FRIEND STICKS CLOSER THAN A BROTHER, (2) ASK THE LORD AND YOU WILL RECEIVE, AND (3) LOVE ISN’T LOVE UNTIL YOU GIVE IT AWAY...
