Good Morning Trinity,
The weather is turning a little warmer so I know you must be having a great week. Praise the Lord, He is a real artist when it comes to designing beautiful weather. He practices up north and sends the finished product down here. OK, maybe that’s not biblical but He does know how to create a beautiful heaven and earth. Keep building up those community hours and bringing in visitors. I’m amazed at the ideas you all are coming up with to touch the heart of this community. Keep up the great work you’ve begun. Here is your scripture reading for the week.
Daniel 3: 1 – 30
This is a story that you have probably heard many times as a child. This along with the story of Daniel and the lion’s den are favorites that I remember from back in my childhood Sunday school classes. God shows up to save Daniel from the lions and miraculously saves Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego from a furnace that was heated up 7 times hotter than it was normally fired. Many times we look at these stories as children’s stories and we never look at the relevance they hold to our own lives.
I certainly hope that you never come face to face with a fiery furnace and a king with personal issues who wants to make an example of you. But if you really look at this story you’ll see that it has little to do with a fiery furnace and much to do about standing for what is right against the odds. It would have been so much easier if Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego had said let’s go ahead a bow to the king’s golden image. With all these other people here who will notice if we go along with the crowd? We can go back to being who we know we should be when this is all over. It’s a little indiscretion, who will be the wiser. It’s not like it’ll end up on Facebook or anything.
We can make jokes about the situations we end up in all day long. Truth is the situations are real and they need to be dealt with daily. We have a common misconception that God will keep us out of situations that might cause us to stray. Do you think Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were given a choice about showing up at the kings unveiling of his newly built image of gold? They couldn’t politely decline the offer when the king was insistent that they all attend. They had to put in an appearance just like everyone else.
The decision made by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego to stand as everyone else bowed was gutsy, especially when they knew the fate that awaited their nonconformance. They showed great faith in their Lord to deliver them from their troubles. But where would He show up to help them? Would He show up and make the king change his mind? Would He make the fires in the furnace go out? How about an all-out revolt of the people so the boys could slip away. None of these things were happening and now the furnace doors were opened and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were about to die.
God had a plan for the boys that they probably had never counted on. God didn’t remove the circumstances, He met them in the circumstances. Can you imagine the astonishment of the king when he looked into the furnace and saw 4 men standing when he had thrown in only 3.
Being a follower of Jesus Christ does not mean you never have trials, tribulations, and temptations. He doesn’t go before us clearing the way of road blocks. But some of the greatest victories you will ever know will come as you go through those tight spots with Jesus. To meet Him there in those difficult times, is to trust Him to bring you through.
God Bless,
Pastor Dave
70-700-7000
Announcements:
Wednesday – Remember there will be no afternoon or evening Bible Study – this week only. Bible Study will resume next Wednesday
Sunday – Sunday School 9am and Worship 10:15 – Bring a friend
We need volunteers to work in the Sound Booth on Sunday Mornings. The training is easy and it won’t take long to learn. If you’re interested please see or call Justin 813-788-2898
We need a volunteer to straighten hymnals and restock the pews. Takes 2 or 3 hrs. one day a week. If interested call the office 813-788-2898
