PRAY FOR BLESSINGS!
PUSH THE STONE AND GROW THE FAITH...
1/28/09, I write this letter to dear minister friends in the heat of heartbreak and disappointments in ministry.
To my Dear Co-laborers in the Lord:
Ellen and Brent: I have carried a heavy burden for the both of you.
I have been praying and seeking God’s face for you.
I. IF GOD --- THEN WE CAN...
A. This year I have prayed the prayer Moses gave Aaron to bless the people for my friends and fellow laborers in the harvest. The task before us is great.
Numbers 6:23 Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them, [24] The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: [25] The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
[26] The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
[27] And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.
B. I pray for several reasons. It is all I know to do, but prayer is enough. You are facing spiritual strongholds and the battles are not yours, they are God’s.
It is easy in the heat of the battle to question our skills and our talents and cry out:
O, God, I can not do this.
Then we limit and handcuff God’s work by seeing what we can not do instead of focusing on what God can do.
C. In my first pastorate an old lady came right up in my face and said:
BETTER PREACHERS THAN YOU HAVE TRIED HERE AND FAILED?
At first I thought: --- mean --- crazy old woman.
Then in the quietness of my study I thought: SHE IS RIGHT.
I can’t do this. Everything was against me...
Then the Holy Spirit spoke God’s word to me...
Romans 8:31 What shall we then say to these things?
If God be for us, who can be against us?
D. I PONDER DO I TRUST GOD? Do I trust in His word?
Do I trust in Deed? Reality?
Do I have a complete trust and confidence in God?
Where is the security I seek?
E. I have never seen what I have dreamed? It appears I have failed?
At times all I have is HOPE AGAINST HOPE?
Yet some of the great men of the Bible had to function beyond the realm
of the visible. We do not want to tread in the realm of faith?
Romans 4:18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the
father of many nations; according to that which was spoken,
So shall thy seed be.
Psalm 118:6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?
II. CAN MY HEART DECLARE... IF I DIE IN THIS WORK ---
IF I SEE NOTHING. I HAVE NO TO LITTLE VICTORY?
GOD IS STILL GOD... BUT IF NOT O, KING ... GOD IS STILL GOD...
A. CAN I LOOK INTO A FURANCE HEATED 7 TIMES HOTTER THAN THE
NORM AND DECLARE GOD CAN?
B. WHEN THESE 3 MEN FELL IN THE FURNACE THERE WAS A HEART
STOPPAGE...
The three boys did not know what God was going to do?
Is it well? Is it well with my soul even if the ship sinks?
Daniel 3:17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. [18] But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
[19] Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
[20] And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
[21] Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
[22] Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. [23] And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
[24] Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
C. I stand amazed that while the three boys were DOWN, God did a work...
God burned off the bondage ... Maybe we need to know that fiery trials
can burn up all things that bind?
D. I heard it was suggested the reason the 3 boys were walking around was they were trying to stay warm?
E. WHY? WHY? Why did the best boys in the nation have to go through
this fiery trial? You reckon God didn’t know the boys? Maybe God needed to PUSH the boys to reach to a higher level of FAITH?
III. DO WE KNOW OUR CLEAR PURPOSE AND CALL?
CAN THE CALL FADE IN THE MUNDANE DAILY MENIAL NOTHINGNESS?
Mark 11:22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
A. I heard a story of a weak, sickly man. The weak man decided to withdraw from society and die. The man owned a cabin far from any other people. He rocked on his porch and seemed to grow weaker by the day. He developed a serious cough and would often spit up blood.
B. One night the man had a dream. The dream was very clear. There
was a boulder by the edge of the porch, a huge boulder. His dream was very clear... He was to push that boulder 6 hours a day.
Jesus was the one that gave him the command, and three times in the dream Jesus spoke clearly, PUSH THE ROCK, PUSH THE ROCK EVERY DAY. PUSH THE ROCK WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH AND MIGHT.
C. The man was awakened by the spring’s golden sun rays coming into the window. He got out of bed with a clear order and purpose. He ate his breakfast, went out to the edge of the porch and started pushing. He pushed long and hard. Soon sweat popped out and ran down his face. Every day, rain or sun shine the man was faithful to spend the hours pushing against the huge boulder. Day after day, he obeyed
the command of His Lord and pushed the rock. He only stopped to rest for a brief period of time and to eat.
D. One day in the fall of the year the man was sitting on the edge of his porch. He looked at the huge rock that he had pushed on all spring and summer. Now the leaves were falling from the tree...
E. The man pondered in his heart... I wonder how many feet have I pushed
this stone? The man had not established a criteria to measure his success?
So the man measured the rock’s distance from the porch and several other
angles. He would push for several hours and then measure the rock. To the man’s heart break after two weeks of pushing the rock and measuring he had not moved the rock 1/1000th of an inch. The rock had not moved the many days that he had pushed against it.
F. The man decided not the push the rock any more. The dream had faded.
Maybe he did not question God. Maybe he questioned his ability to hear
from God? The man sat idle on the porch a few days. He prayed and prayed
and it seemed as if his prayers were in vain.
G. One day Jesus appeared on the porch with the man.
Jesus asked him some questions... ??? How are you feeling?
The man said: WONDERFUL. Jesus asked about his eating?
The man’s appetite grew. Jesus reminded the man of his terrible cough and the blood. The man got to thinking his cough had been gone for months...?
H. Jesus asked the man, GO LOOK IN THE MIRROR!
The man cleared out in front of the mirror ...
The man stepped over in front of the mirror. He was once a weak, sickly man. Now he was strong, muscular and stood straight as an arrow.
The man was amazed.
I. Jesus said, I NEVER ASKED YOU TO MOVE THE ROCK, I ASKED YOU TO BE
FAITHFUL TO PUSH AGAINST THE ROCK. WHILE YOU PUSHED AGAINST THE OBSTACLE --- I CHANGED YOU. I STRETCHED YOU.
JESUS SAID: THE OBSTACLE MADE YOU A WELL STRONG MAN.
J. IT IS ALWAYS TOO SOON TO QUIT...
IV. GOD CAN SHOW HIMSELF STRONG... WILL WE LET HIM... ?
GOD CAN PULL YOU THROUGH --- IF YOU CAN STAND THE PULL...
Psalm 68:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm or Song of David. Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.
A. I say: If this does not kill you, it will make you stronger. God grows a man.
God grows a woman. God grows a family. God grows His church.
Could God give us an obstacle free course? Sure He could! But then what
would happen to our faith?
2 Chron. 16:9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.
B. I pray for you ---
PRAYER LAUNCHES FAITH INTO THE REALM OF GOD’S POSSIBILITIES?
I know at times you must feel all alone. When we feel alone, the enemy’s
giants seem to taunt and torture us with all the things we can’t do.
Yet we know God’s work is much more than doing what our hands can do.
C. WE SEE SHEPHERD BOYS? GOD SEES THE KING...
Why do we know DAVID? Sure David faced a lion and a bear to prepare him
for future battles? These small battles were but stepping stones...
God had a better idea... God had a plan...
In steps Goliath --- David’s training could not sustain him before Goliath?
David’s battle skills against a CHAMPION?
Never is the GOLIATH LESSON about David’s obstacle course training?
DAVID AND GOLIATH’S REAL LESSON IS --- GOD BROUGHT US HERE...
GOD CAN KEEP US HERE...
Thousands of the best trained soldiers of their day cried every night in
their tent. Goliath’s 40 days of negative messages burdened their spirit.
God used the available boy to do His work.
V. Some times God will knock all the VISIBALE MEANS OF SUPPORT
OUT FROM UNDER HIS MAN TO TEACH HIM...
A. Elijah is running from the threats of one of the meanest woman of the
Old Testament...
B. Jezebel said: BY THIS TIME TOMORROW I WILL STOP THE MESSAGE
AND THE MESSENGER... ???
JEZEBEL FORGOT GOD... ???
C. See, my friends, God has a BIRD... God spoke quietly to a group of birds: MY MAN IS HUNGRY... Quit crying ELIJAH, PUSH THE ROCK...
D. Just when Elijah gets comfortable, the creek goes dry.
The birds don’t come? Why?
E. IT BECOMES AN ISSUE OF TRUST...
Not just Elijah --- God had to stretch a little old widow woman?
Woman push the rock? --- BUT GOD???
F. I heard a great TV preacher say: Elijah prophesied his own brook
dry? This is not correct in my opinion... God had a plan to stretch
the faith of His man.
VI. THERE ARE TIMES TO PUSH THE STONE? THEN THERE ARE TIMES
THAT WE CAN’T PUSH THE STONE --- IN THAT EVENT GOD WILL HELP US
AND ROLL THE STONE AWAY FOR US...
A. We need the presence of the Holy Spirit.
I don’t know how to walk unless He is holding my hand.
Do we stand still? Do we stand up? I don’t know?
God has a plan --- do nothing until we hear from God...
Until then --- WAIT....
Mark 16:3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?
B. God did not need the stone moved, God knew Jesus was out of the
grave. Yet the people needed to see the EMPTY tomb.
C. God knew the women were not capable of moving the stone.
It was not about FAITH ... GOD KNEW... SO GOD SENT AN ANGEL IN
A TIME OF THEIR HUMAN WEAKNESS TO DO WHAT THEY COULD NOT...
This was not a lack of faith --- this was Divine Intervention...
D. God knows when to move the stone FOR US.
God knows when you should push the stone... trust ...
HAVE FAITH IN GOD... The church is His. We are His.
He will lead us. He will give us assurance and direction.
In His Time... Until then stay faithful and push the rock...
God is growing you...
DON’T QUIT
Unknown
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you are trudging seems all up hill,
When funds are low, and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When cares are pressing you down a bit,
REST IF YOU MUST,
BUT DON’T YOU QUIT.
Life is strange with its twists and turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many failure turns about,
When we might have won had we stuck it out;
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.
Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you are hardest hit,
It is when things seem worse,
THAT YOU MUST NOT QUIT!
Unknown
Ministry is full of heartaches and pain. Avoid bitterness and be quick
to forgive. Try again! Try again after that. Hold on! let go!
GOD CAN. Is 8 enough? Ask Noah?
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Pass this on to another... ???
