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How To Keep From
Drowning
Lets take a look at 1Tim. 6:3-12 (If any
man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the
words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is
according to godliness; ver.4 He is proud, knowing
nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words,
whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, ver.5
Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the
truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such
withdraw thyself. ver.6 But godliness with contentment is
great gain. ver.7 For we brought nothing into this world, and
it is certain we can carry nothing out. ver.8 And having food and
raiment let us be therewith content. ver.9 But they that will be
rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and
hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
ver.10 For the love of money is the root of all evil:
which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith,
and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. ver.11
But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow
after righteousness, godliness, faith, love,
patience, meekness. ver.12 Fight the good fight
of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art
also called, and hast professed a good profession before many
witnesses.)
Thank
God For His Word!
How
Does One Drown ?
Death by Drowning is a tragic and terrible thing. Most of us
have heard of the great tragedies that have clamed the lives of
many by DROWNING. The sinking of the Titanic in which hundreds
DROWNED. The disaster of the ferry that sank in the storm
crossing the Strait of Gibraltar that laid clamed to the lives of
many others which DROWNED. The refuges that where fleeing for
their lives from their war torn home lands, only to lose their
lives by DROWNING in a perilous sea. A few years ago this nation
listens in shock as a mother finally confesses to locking her two
children in a car then sending the car into a lake where they
DROWNED to death. A then there's the sad story of an unwatched
toddler that falls over into a commode and can't pull themselves
out and DROWNS.
All of these which I have just mentioned though different in
the circumstances that brought about the same death, (DROWNING)
had one element that was the same: IT WAS THE WATER THAT
CAUSED THE DEATH! And even at that, IT WASN'T UNTIL THE
WATER GOT INTO THEIR LUNGS THAT THEY DIED!
Their death was not just the result of them being in the water:
IT WAS THE WATER GETTING IN THEM THAT BROUGHT ABOUT THEIR
TRAGIC DEATH!
Friend of mine, Jesus made it clear that, IT'S NOT BEING IN
THE WORLD THAT WILL KILL YOU, IT'S WHEN THAT WORLD GETS IN
YOU! Shout Amen If You Know It To Be True.
We all know that people don't Drown just because they get in
water, or just because water is all around them. If this were the
case we would all have to quit taking showers and baths. But what
ever you do, don't quit showering and taking baths! Who'll give
me a big Amen on that? But when water, or any other thing gets
into the Lungs (A Place Where It Doesn't Belong) and takes over,
it cuts off the LIFE SOURCE; and THIS IS WHAT BRINGS ABOUT
DEATH!
The same is true when we allow Money, Cars, Houses, Land,
People, Families, etc.. (Things that if used right, and keep in
their rightful place, God can and will use to be a blessing to us.)
I want to deal more with this later. When we allow these things
to take over a place "OUR HEARTS" they don't belong,
then they cut off our SPIRITUAL LIFE SOURCE and DEATH
WILL BE THE RESULT!
God
Will Make It A Blessing
Have you ever noticed what a blessing things can be, WHEN
THEIR USED RIGHT? Water is not a evil and bad thing just
because some have Drowned in it. Food is not evil just because
some have choked to death on it. Water and Food are actually good
for us, and needed IF USED RIGHT! But it's not such a
blessing when your eating or getting a drink and it goes to THE
WRONG PLACE. I'd say that just about all of us have used the
expression: IT WENT DOWN THE WRONG PIPE! After we got over
our Choking and Gagging. Some words of wisdom, to take note of: CHOKING
IS USUALLY CAUSED BY TRYING TO SWALLOW A PIECE OF SOMETHING TO
BIG TO FIT DOWN THE HOLE THAT LEADS TO YOUR STOMACH! Or as
the old saying goes; BITING OFF MORE THEN YOU CAN CHEW, AND
THEN TRYING TO SWALLOW IT! What we need to realize is this: IF
THE FOOD AND WATER DOESN'T MAKE IT TO OUR STOMACHS, IT
WILL NOT BE THE BLESSING IT'S MEANT TO BE! Shout Amen Someone.
I feel that the Holy Ghost would have this generation know: YOU
DON'T HAVE TO HAVE AN OCEAN TO BATH IN! IF USED RIGHT,
A SMALLER AMOUNT OF WATER WILL DO THE SAME JOB. We must
understand that some peoples NEEDS are greater then others. A
family of 10 will most likely have NEED of more water then 1
person, or even a family of 3 or 4. But because this nation has
gotten so use to being WASTEFUL AND GREEDY, many have
become blinded to this.
There are those who really don't NEED more money, cars, houses,
land, things etc.. BUT MANY OF THEM WILL TELL YOU THEY NEED
MORE!
Someone may ask: Bro. Mike, don't you believe what the bible
says in Mal.3:10 ? (Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse,
that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith,
saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of
heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be
room enough to receive it.) I Sure Do. And When you stop ROBBING
GOD in your tithes and offerings then you'll start receiving
this kind of blessing from God. Now I want you to notice that
this kind of blessing is not for the WASTEFUL AND GREEDY;
because when God blesses like this it's not for us to HOARD and
STORE UP to ourselves! God POURS OUT this kind of blessing so
your NEEDS can be met, and you'll also have enough to MEET THE
NEEDS OF OTHERS!
God said: There shall not be room enough for you to receive it.
Someone said, I'll build BIGGER barns so I can keep it. That's
what the FOOLISH RICH MAN said too. God didn't bless you
that way for you to build YOURSELF bigger barns, if you've
received that kind of blessing; IT'S SO YOU CAN BUILD A BARN
FOR YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS THAT DON'T HAVE A BARN BUT REALLY
NEEDS ONE! Don't you get quiet on me, Shout Amen.
He's blessed you like that to help support the Preaching of
the Gospel Around The World. You see, using these things RIGHT,
is like the water and food making it's way to your stomach where
it can be a blessing to your body, and not having it get into
your lungs, or caught in your wind pipe where it will only be a
curse, and eventually cause death.
So we see that it's not having money, or any other material
thing that brings Spiritual Death, it's when these things Take
Over your HEART and there's no longer room for the Love of God,
Compassion, Caring, and Concern for others.
O what God would do through each one of us when we RESERVE
OUR HEARTS TO HIM ALONE.
What
If It Won't Submit?
Many of you I'm sure know the story of Abram and Sarai in the
book of Genesis. God had made Abram a promise to bless his seed,
and that through him all the nations of the world would be
blessed. What a promise.
The word of God let's us know in Gen.16:1-3 (Now Sarai Abram's
wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an
Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. ver.2 And Sarai said unto Abram,
Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee,
go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her.
And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. ver.3 And Sarai Abram's
wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten
years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram
to be his wife.) Friend, it is clear to see that they are
Lifting Up The Wrong One to try and bring about the promise of
God.
Notice, they have ELEVATED Hagar to place that she has no
business being. She's a Maid, a Bond - woman, she is not to be
ELEVATED to be the one that God will FULFILL HIS PROMISES THROUGH!
Money, Material Possessions, the Natural are the servants, and
THEY ARE NOT TO BE LIFTED UP AS THE THINGS IN WHICH GOD IS GOING
TO FULFILL HIS PROMISES THROUGH! I feel like shouting a little
bit. Glory.
Now that Hagar is LIFTED UP she no longer wants to obey Sarai.
She feels like and is acting like she's the Queen. But when Sarai
begins to deal hard with her she run's away.
Let's look at Gen.16:7-9 (And the angel of the LORD found her
by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the
way to Shur. ver.8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence
camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from
the face of my mistress Sarai. ver.9 And the angel of the LORD
said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself
under her hands.) Now it's clear to see what God wants Hagar
to do; SUBMIT, OBEY THAT WHICH IS OVER HER AND NOT TO BE THE
ONE GIVING OUT THE ORDERS!
Hagar returns and does good for awhile. She has a son by Abram
named Ishmael; and Abram loves him. Afterwards Sharai bears Abram
a son (The Son Of Promise) Isaac. The time comes to Honor Isaac
the Son Of Promise, but we read in Gen.21:8-14 (And the child
grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day
that Isaac was weaned. ver.9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the
Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking. ver.10
Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and
her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with
my son, even with Isaac. ver.11 And the thing was very grievous
in Abraham's sight because of his son. ver.12 And God said unto
Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad,
and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto
thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be
called. ver.13 And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a
nation, because he is thy seed. ver.14 And Abraham rose up early
in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave
it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and
sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness
of Beersheba.) IF IT WON'T SUBMIT, AND BE UNDER SUBJECTION TO THE
THINGS OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD; CAST IT OUT!
You'll notice that the Word of God not only says in Heb. 12:1
to lay aside every SIN, but also EVERY WEIGHT THAT DOES SO
EASILY BESET YOU! We can not afford to ELEVATE anything in our
lives up to the level of the Will of God. God's will for our
lives is to be LIFTED UP ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE! The Hagar's
are to remain as servants to help, and NEVER to be LIFTED UP out
of that place of SUBJECTION, and OBEDIENCE TO THE WILL OF GOD!
Troubles, Heartaches, Grief, and many times Death by Drowning
are the results of THINGS GETTING IN THE WRONG PLACE. But
if keep in the right place, God will use these things to bring a
blessing to our lives. Keep God's Will, Word, and Work
ELEVATED ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE IN YOUR LIFE, AND ALL THESE
OTHER THINGS GOD SAID WILL BE ADDED TO YOU!
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