January 24, 2016
Stetson Memorial UMC
Fourth Sunday of
the New Year
All Scripture is
from the AMP Bible
Luke 4:14-21
Psalm 19
Habakkuk 4:17-19
Matthew 19:26; James 1:2-3;
2 Corinthians 4:16-17; Hebrews 4:16
“A Time of Trial. . . ”
Prayer for the
Spirit’s leading. . .
16 Therefore we do not become discouraged
[spiritless, disappointed, or afraid]. Though our outer self is [progressively]
wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day by day.
17 For our momentary, light distress [this passing trouble] is producing for us
an eternal weight of glory [a fullness] beyond all measure [surpassing all
comparisons, a transcendent splendor and an endless blessedness]!
(2 Corinthians 4:16-17Amplified Bible)
“The
deepest level of worship is praising God in-spite of the pain, thanking God
during trials, trusting Him when you are tempted to lose Hope and Loving Him
when He seems distant and far away. At my lowest, God is my hope. At my
darkest, God is my light. At my weakest, God is my strength. At my saddest, God
is my comforter.” Touching Lives May 13, 2014
A time of trial, there seems to be no way around
them. We are going through life and it is pretty good until that thing happens.
. . that monkey wrench in the works, that situation of event we didn’t sign up
for. We find ourselves in the midst of a time of trial. Now they may seem
senseless at the time but are they really?
2 Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers
and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials. 3 Be assured that the
testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to
spiritual maturity, and inner peace]. (James
1:2-3)
OK. . . let me recap this year, we have had
epiphanies, those moments when we really understand and get a glimpse of who
God is. We have visited the shore of the Jordan River and step into the water
with Jesus as remembered our own baptism. We have at by the never ending
bottomless well of God and drank deep of its life giving water. We came to
realize that there is no end to what God offers. There is no end of God’s love
for us. But now here is where it may get a little shaky. . . a time of trial.
As we look at the world around us we can see that
not only may we be going through a time of trial but the world in which we live
is certainly going through one. Joblessness is up. . . more homelessness. . . war.
. . people dying of starvation. . . not to mention natural disasters. . . just
to name a few. We can become dismayed and frightened because of these times in
our faith walk but be strong and courageous. . . I bring you good news. . .
From the Luke Scripture this morning we see our
hope and the good news that can and will make us courageous through our turn on
the trial road. It is a one word answer that shook the world to its knees and
changed the tide of trials. The word is “Jesus.” When He pronounced in the end
of this scripture “Today
this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing and in your presence”,
He changed everything! (Speak through the scripture through the Spirit. .
. )
How can this be. . . how can things change? How am
I going to fix what is going on in my life? I just can see no way out of this
mess I’m in, I don’t even know how I even got to this point in my pilgrimage. .
.
26 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With
people [as far as it depends on them] it is impossible, but with God all things
are possible.” (Matthew
19:26Amplified Bible)
We
don’t have to be discouraged because our moment of trial is producing eternal
things in our lives. Sure it is hard and tough. . . been there, done that, I
won one of the t-shirt franchises. . . but we have hope that in the end it
won’t be the end but the beginning of something new. And even more so. . . we
can come up next to those around us as they are in there “trial period” and
help them along. We can sit by them and just be because we know what it is like
to go through trials. . . maybe not the same as they are going through but a
trial anyway. We can be like the man in the story of the starfish. . . Tell the story with the starfish helper. . .
We
have hope. . . we have help. . . we have someone who has been there in our Risen
Lord and we have our fellow journey people as well who can walk a while with us
as we journey the often rocky road of trials. . .
17
Though the fig tree does not blossom
And there is no fruit on the vines,
Though the yield of the olive fails
And the fields produce no food,
Though the flock is cut off from the fold
And there are no cattle in the stalls,
18
Yet I will [choose to] rejoice in the Lord;
I will [choose to] shout in exultation in
the [victorious] God of my salvation!
19
The Lord God is my strength [my source of
courage, my invincible army];
He has made my feet [steady and sure] like
hinds’ feet
And makes me walk [forward with spiritual
confidence] on my high places [of challenge and responsibility]. (Habakkuk
4:17-19)
As it is written in the Scriptures:
16 Therefore let us [with privilege]
approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favor] with
confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures]
and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing,
coming just at the right moment]. (Hebrews 4:16)
AMEN.
. . Amen. . . and amen!
January 25, 2016
we see our hope
January 25, 2016
Set Free – 3
edited January 25, 2016
life - 2
edited January 25, 2016
sight
edited January 25, 2016
release – v2
January 25, 2016
release
January 25, 2016
Jesus freed us
January 24, 2016
We were captives
January 24, 2016
Freed by Jesus
edited January 25, 2016
a fly in the ointment
January 25, 2016
a monkey wrench
January 25, 2016
during our trials
January 25, 2016
when storms come
January 25, 2016
trust God – 2
January 25, 2016
thanking God - 4
January 25, 2016
in spite of the pain
January 25, 2016
praising God - 5
edited January 24, 2016
A Time of Trial – v2
January 24, 2016
A Time of Trial
January 24, 2016
Fourth Sunday of the New Year
Luke 4:14-21
Psalm 19
Habakkuk 4:17-19
Matthew 19:26
James 1:2-3
2 Corinthians 4:16-17
Hebrews 4:16
All scripture is from the Amplified Bible)
and sermon, “A Time of Trial. . .”
text:
video:
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
sermon
blog
meditation
blog
“God’s
Whisper” blog
Children’s
Message from Mystery Box
by
Pastor Ruth Foss
Stetson
Memorial United Methodist Church
January
24, 2016
All of my
poems and photographs are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002,
2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015,
2016. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com) for
usage. See all 40,810+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com
Poetry Where You Live.
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