Pressing on Past the Obstacles of the JourneyAs we at St. Timothy M.B. Church find ourselves at another milestone of our ministries, we give great thanks to God and our LORD Jesus the Christ! Today we are also celebrating our 49th anniversary of this Church and the 1st anniversary of our current Pastor: Landis Fisher and his beautiful wife Hope, with whom they are celebrating their 7th year of marriage! Listen in as our Pastor teacher delivers a message of encouragement for this occasion which he has titled” Pressing on Past the Obstacles of the Journey”
Old Testament Scripture Reading: Numbers 11:1 – 6 (KJV)
Num 11:1 And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.
Num 11:2 And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the LORD, the fire was quenched.
Num 11:3 And he called the name of the place Taberah: because the fire of the LORD burnt among them.
Num 11:4 And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?
Num 11:5 We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick:
Num 11:6 But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.
New Testament Scripture Reading: Hebrews 12:1 – 7 (KJV)
Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Heb 12:3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
Heb 12:4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
Heb 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Heb 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
Transforming Power Statements:
1) God has set a course for our fellowship and has been building each of us to fulfill a certain mission as a part of His body in delivering His Gospel to the world and His actions toward each of us is operating in complete perfection; no matter how our adversaries (the world, the flesh and the devil) are working against us to thwart our course and stifle our development.
2) Just as we started in faith on “preparing for the journey”; let us even more continue on the path; fixing our eyes on Jesus; the Author and the finisher of our faith; who for the JOY that was set before Him; endured the cross, despising the shame; rather than having the tendency to allow the devil and our own flesh to thwart our missions.
3) There have always been obstacles to the progress of Salvation and there will be conflict within the camp as well along the way, in that the devil shall continually exert every effort to make it hard and it is his desire to discourage you and generate dissatisfaction, anxiety, doubt, and confusion, just to name a few of his effective devices, however, please know that weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but are mighty through God to the destruction of strongholds!
