A PARABLE OF PATHES

A PARABLE OF PATHES

 Scripture lesson. James 1:1-12

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,

3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

9 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position.

10 But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower.

11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.

12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

LESSON: A PARABLE OF PATHES

Two students came to their teacher and asked for guidance and growth in their spiritual life. The teacher said, ”Before you are two objects that need to be delivered to a point beyond the horizon. One item is a heavy stone the size of a laundry basket. The other item is a single downy feather. The feather is to be carried along a straight and level path with no hindrances. The stone will be carried along a curved and rocky path of hills and valleys. 

The first task was to walk on a smooth and easy path. This task required little effort or struggle, and the first student chose it without hesitation.

The first student quickly grabbed the feather and hurried along the straight path. 

The second task given by the teacher in the parable was to carry a heavy stone up a steep mountain. This task required physical strength, endurance, and determination. It was not an easy or comfortable task, but the second student shrugged and hoisted the rock upon his shoulder and started along the rocky road. 

After sometime the first student arrived at his destination. “I've won!” he exclaimed, “I've finished first.”

“And what did you learn on your journey?” asked the teacher. 

“It only reinforced what I already knew. The shortest distance is a straight line. Knowing that, I took my time and didn't even work up a sweat getting here well ahead of my competition.”

“So, in reality you learned nothing.” Replied the teacher. “Why did you assume it was a competition? I only ask that you complete the task.”

A great while later the second student arrived covered in bruises and scratches. 

“What have you learned on your journey?” asked the teacher. 

“I've learned that carrying the stone downhill is harder on my knees than carrying it up the hill. I learned that releasing the rock at the top of the hill will let gravity bring it down with no effort. I also learned that, if I ask politely for help, strangers may carry part of the load. I learned that resting in the valley can renew my strength. Also I found that the view from the top of the hill helps me find the best way ahead. I'm also stronger and more sure of my abilities for having completed this task.”

It is clear that the heavy stone represented the burdens and challenges given by God, while the smooth path represented the temptations and distractions of the world. With no challenges or struggles the first student had become lazy and complacent. The second student had grown stronger and wiser through his struggles, while The teacher's words revealed that choosing the hard tasks of God leads to growth and fulfillment, while choosing the easy tasks of the world ultimately leads to spiritual emptiness.

In our fast-paced and convenience-driven society, it's easy to fall into the trap of choosing the easy tasks over the hard ones. We are constantly bombarded with messages that tell us to take the path of least resistance, to seek instant gratification, and to avoid anything that requires hard work or sacrifice. However, the parable of the two tasks teaches us an important lesson about the value of choosing the hard tasks of God over the easy tasks of the world.

This parable holds a powerful message for all of us. It reminds us that although it may be tempting to choose the easy path in life, it is often not the most fulfilling or rewarding. The easy path may bring temporary pleasure or instant gratification, but it will not lead us to true fulfillment and purpose. In contrast, choosing the hard tasks of God may be difficult at first, but it will ultimately lead us towards growth and fulfillment.

In our spiritual journey, we are often faced with choices between what is easy and what is right. It may be easier to give in to our temptations, to take shortcuts, or to avoid difficult situations. However, by doing so, we are neglecting the potential growth and fulfillment that come from facing challenges and overcoming them. Just like the first disciple who struggled to carry the heavy stone up the mountain, we may face difficulties and obstacles on our path towards God. But it is through these challenges that we become stronger, wiser, and more resilient.

Why me, God? I've been faithful. I've been good. In Psalm 22 David cry's out to God.

1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
    so far from my cries of anguish?

2 My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
    by night, but I find no rest.[b]

Hundreds of years later Jesus repeats those words from the cross. So, when the task ahead seems too difficult or as though you are being punished, remember that God's plan is to strengthen you. In the book of Jeremiah the prophet reveals to the Hebrew people God's promise to them. 

Jeremiah 29:12-14a

“ 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord”

Though this promise was specifically given to the exiles in Babylon, I believe that when we call out to God and prayerfully seek Him, He will reply that he has plans for our good. 

Moreover, choosing the hard tasks of God also means choosing to prioritize our spiritual well-being over temporary pleasures or worldly success. In a world that values material possessions, power, and status, it can be easy to get caught up in the pursuit of these things. However, they can never truly satisfy us or bring us lasting joy. Only by choosing the hard tasks of God can we cultivate a deeper understanding of our purpose and find fulfillment in our lives.

It's worth noting that choosing the hard tasks of God does not mean living a life of constant struggle and hardship. It means making conscious decisions to put God first and to prioritize our spiritual growth over worldly desires. It means being willing to step out of our comfort zone and face challenges with faith and determination.

So how do we choose the hard tasks of God in our daily lives? It starts with being mindful of our choices and intentions. We can ask ourselves if we are making decisions based on what is easy or what is right in the eyes of God. We can also seek guidance from God through prayer and reflection, trusting that He will guide us towards the path that leads to growth and fulfillment.

In conclusion, the parable of the two tasks reminds us that choosing the hard tasks of God may not always be easy or comfortable, but it will ultimately lead us towards a deeper sense of purpose and fulfillment. Let us learn from the first disciple's example and embrace the challenges that come with following God's plan for our lives. As we do so, we will become stronger, wiser, and more fulfilled individuals, living a life that aligns with God's purpose for us.

Amen. 

©2024 Thomas E Williams 

Memorial Day 2019

Message: “Memorial Day "

I intend this to be an interactive sermon so please join in. Feel free to sprinkle a few amens or Hallelujah, raise your hands during the hymns, or however the spirit moves you.

For most people, Memorial Day is just another flag waving holiday

like the 4th of July, Flag Day, and  Labor Day.

It marks the beginning of summer. Can i get a hallelujah?

It's the weekend of the Indy 500.

School's out. Many have mixed emotions about that, Right?

The pools open. Even if the weather is cold enough to turn your lips blue, we have to at least dip our toes in the pool.

It provides the first real chance for picnics, grilling, and of course an outing to Cutty’s. How about another hallelujah?

Memorial day hasn’t always been that way though.

Memorial Day grew out of the human need to remember where we have been. The needed to remember is why we save photos, letters, trophies, odd bits of ribbon, and a million other things.

What things are in your treasure collection?

We save the past to help us gain a better view of the where we've been. Only then can we figure out where we are going.

The cherished memories of a nation, a town, a church, a family, or an individual provide the values and dream that one generation passes on to the next.

Forgetting to share with the next generation means dropping the torch, as does failing tho learn from the party generations. We as a nation have often forgotten the lessons of the past and repeated the same mistakes once again. Amen?

One of the lessons we have failed to learn is the human cost of war. It is estimated that 1,255,500 US military personnel have died on active duty, including the 620,000 during the civil war..

This is Memorial Day weekend the time set aside to remember those who died during active military service.

Memorial Day unofficially  begun during the Civil War when some concerned women decided to decorate the graves of those who had bravely given their lives in that destructive civil conflict between the states.

I’m sure similar thoughts were on the mind of President Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1863 as he made his way to a Pennsylvania battlefield.

He feared that he might well be the very last President of the UNITED States of America.

He had good reason for that fear. The country teetered on the brink of self-destruction. It could easily have become un-united and only a confederation of allied but separate countries.

The ceremony that afternoon was to dedicate the site of a cemetery for the over 3,500 union soldiers killed at Gettysburg in the three-day battle the previous July. However the toll was much higher when the loss of Confederate soldiers is added in. Over forty thousand American soldiers died in or because of wounds suffered in that battle.

Though it is short, his speech that day is well remembered. He said,”

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.

We are met on a great battle-field of that war.

We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live.

It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground.

The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.

The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.

It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.

It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—

that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Lincoln's remarks provided the seedbed for what would become Memorial Day.

           Memorial day was set up to honor, as Lincoln said, those brave men who struggled and gave their last full measure of devotion t li. Over the years, many memorials have been erected to honor a person or persons who have died.

I have visited the memorials and cemeteries in and around Washington D.C. The row upon row of white crosses standing in military precision at the Arlington National Cemetery was an overwhelming sight.

At the Vietnam Memorial, as I was standing and reading the names of those killed, I suddenly noticed my reflection in the polished black marble. I have no words to discribe the flood of emotions that came over me. Though I was never in combat, I did serve in the army during that war.

What memorials have you visited? What was your reaction?

This is a worship service so let us think for a moment of the memorials to Jesus the Christ.

           What memorials to Jesus Christ do we have? In a way, every cross and church building is a memorial to him. But the memorial that comes most readily to my mind is the communion meal where we are commanded to “Do this in remembrance of me.”

“Do this in remembrance of me.”

Remember the miracles that he did. What miracles do you remember?

Remember His lessons on how to live. What life lessons have you learned?

Remember His Descriptions of Heaven. Tell me what heaven is like

Remember His Promises. What promises have you claimed? “Where I am you will be also. I’ll be with you until the end of the age.  I’ll send a helper, the Holy Spirit

Remember His betrayal by the religious authorities. Do you remember the illegal night time “trial” with false witnesses?

Remember the betrayal by his closest friends. Who betrayed him? Judas, our course, but all of them betrayed him by abandoning him. And to keep us from becoming smug, we see reminded that "all people have sinned, they have fallen short of God's glory." (Romans 3:23)

Remember the humiliation of his beatings, the path through the streets with the weight of the cross, the mocking crown of thorns, the nails that pierced His flesh.

Remember the agonizing effort it took for him to speak His few words from the cross. Because of the cruel nature of the crucifixion most prisoners died of asphyxiation (couldn’t breathe). And yet, Christ pushed with his nail pierced feet and pulled with his nail pierced hands to raise himself enough to breathe out some important words, “

Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do

Today you will be with me in paradise

Behold your son: behold your mother

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

I thirst

It is finished

Father, into your hands I commit my spirit

Remember His triumph over the grave.

Remember His final words … the last commandment to His followers after the resurrection and just before he ascended into heaven.  “So wherever you go in the world, tell everyone the Good News

And always remember that He did all of it for YOU and me!

Let us now remember through Holy Communion by receiving the Bread and the Cup. Join me in the prayer of confession.

WHAT HAVE YOU GAINED?

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MUSINGS - March 2, 2019

WHAT HAVE YOU GAINED?

Matthew 16:24-26 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Those who want to come with me must say no to the things they want, pick up their crosses, and follow me. Those who want to save their lives will lose them. But those who lose their lives for me will find them. What good will it do for people to win the whole world and lose their lives? Or what will a person give in exchange for life?

Jesus's message to his disciples then and to us now is the sane. If any one of us wants to be his disciple, we must not do only what we ourselves want to do. We must be willing to let people hurt us and disgrace us. In Jesus's time on earth they humiliated criminals and made then carry a cross to the place where the criminals were executed. Though in this age and in most countries the criminals aren't brutalized before their exicution there is certainly humiliation through the trial and incarceration. That is what anyone who wants to be his disciple must be willing to do. We must do that, because those who try to save their lives by denying that they belong to Jesus when people want to kill them for believing in him will not live eternally, but those who are killed because of being his disciples will live with God eternally. Some people might get everything they desire in this world, but if they do not follow Jesus, they would really be gaining nothing because they would not get eternal life! So, really what would they have gained if they have not become his disciples? They will have lost their eternal life! There is absolutely nothing that people can give to God that would enable them to gain eternal life, it can not be purchased. Have you secured your life eternal buy following Jesus? This earthly life is but the tiniest portion of eternity. Your tomorrow is not guaranteed but you CAN have your forever life guaranteed by giving everything over to Jesus's control. He died so that you might live. Accept that free gift while you are still able.

Visit my daily devotions blog https://musingsdevotions.wordpress.com My sermons bloghttp://thomasewilliams.blogspot.com/?m=1 Random Thoughts/ https://thethomasewilliamsnewsletter.wordpress.com The blog that holds all of my blogshttps://rvingfulltimewithtomandella.wordpress.com All content (except quotations) ©2019 Thomas E. Willuams

THE TEACHING AFTER THE SERMON

THE TEACHING AFTER THE SERMON

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MUSINGS - March 05, 2019

THE TEACHING AFTER THE SERMON

Matthew 13:36-43
When Jesus had sent the people away, he went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, "Explain what the illustration of the weeds in the field means."

He answered, "The one who plants the good seeds is the Son of Man. The field is the world. The good seeds are those who belong to the kingdom. The weeds are those who belong to the evil one. The enemy who planted them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world. The workers are angels.

Just as weeds are gathered and burned, so it will be at the end of time. The Son of Man will send his angels. They will gather everything in his kingdom that causes people to sin and everyone who does evil. The angels will throw them into a blazing furnace. People will cry and be in extreme pain there. Then the people who have God's approval will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom. Let the person who has ears listen!

The disciples didn't understand the illustration of weeds and wheat. They still were thinking on earthly terms rather than the spiritual realm. Jesus had already explained his previous story about the seed that was planted on various soils. Yet their eyes couldn't see nor their wars hear because the minds were closed tho the spirit.

How frustrating that must have been for Jesus that his closest followers still lacked understanding. How frustrating out must still be when so many have ears but can not hear.

Clean the wax from your spiritual ears. Put on your spiritual glasses and open your bibles. Pray for understanding, then read looking for what meaning it had for YOU. Ask, Who are you in the context of the story? Are you the farmer, the worker, the enemy, the good seed, or the bad seed? Now Ask yourself, How am I changed (or to change) by what I read?

I beg you, for the sake of your eternal life, read and study the bible, listen to and think about the sermons you hear. Search for understanding.

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All content (except quotations) ©2019 Thomas E. WilliamsTHE TEACHING AFTER THE SERMON

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MUSINGS - March 05, 2019

THE TEACHING AFTER THE SERMON

Matthew 13:36-43
When Jesus had sent the people away, he went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, "Explain what the illustration of the weeds in the field means."

He answered, "The one who plants the good seeds is the Son of Man. The field is the world. The good seeds are those who belong to the kingdom. The weeds are those who belong to the evil one. The enemy who planted them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world. The workers are angels.

Just as weeds are gathered and burned, so it will be at the end of time. The Son of Man will send his angels. They will gather everything in his kingdom that causes people to sin and everyone who does evil. The angels will throw them into a blazing furnace. People will cry and be in extreme pain there. Then the people who have God's approval will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom. Let the person who has ears listen!

The disciples didn't understand the illustration of weeds and wheat. They still were thinking on earthly terms rather than the spiritual realm. Jesus had already explained his previous story about the seed that was planted on various soils. Yet their eyes couldn't see nor their wars hear because the minds were closed tho the spirit.

How frustrating that must have been for Jesus that his closest followers still lacked understanding. How frustrating out must still be when so many have ears but can not hear.

Clean the wax from your spiritual ears. Put on your spiritual glasses and open your bibles. Pray for understanding, then read looking for what meaning it had for YOU. Ask, Who are you in the context of the story? Are you the farmer, the worker, the enemy, the good seed, or the bad seed? Now Ask yourself, How am I changed (or to change) by what I read?

I beg you, for the sake of your eternal life, read and study the bible, listen to and think about the sermons you hear. Search for understanding.

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WEEDS AND WHEAT

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MUSINGS - March 02, 2019
WEEDS AND WHEAT

Matthew 13:24-30

Jesus used another illustration. He said, "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who planted good seed in his field. But while people were asleep, his enemy planted weeds in the wheat field and went away. When the wheat came up and formed kernels, weeds appeared. "The owner's workers came to him and asked, 'Sir, didn't you plant good seed in your field? Where did the weeds come from?' "He told them, 'An enemy did this.' "His workers asked him, 'Do you want us to pull out the weeds?' "He replied, 'No. If you pull out the weeds, you may pull out the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. When the grain is cut, I will tell the workers to gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles to be burned. But I'll have them bring the wheat into my barn.'"

In Jesus's illustration he sharers that there will come a time of separation of the evil from the holy. That time has not yet come. There is time for God to miraculously change weeds into wheat, sinners into saved.

To be saved, the sinners must hear the good news that Jesus lived tho show the way and died to take away the sins of all humanity. Once saved, we have a duty to perform. We are not saved by works. But we are saved to work. Jesus commanded, "So wherever you go in the world, tell everyone the Good News. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. (Mark 16:15-16)

Romans 10:13-15 says, "Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." But how can people call on him if they have not believed in him? How can they believe in him if they have not heard his message? How can they hear if no one tells the Good News? How can people tell the Good News if no one sends them? As Scripture says, "How beautiful are the feet of the messengers who announce the Good News."

If you haven't heard that Jesus has paid the price to set you free from your sin, then listen: Through the grace of God you are free from the debt of sin. You must only accept it, believe it, and act on It. Go and sin no more.

If you have heard, have accepted, have believed, then duo your duty and share the good news. That's the only way that weeds can become wheat.

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GET OFF THAT ROCK!

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MUSINGS - March 01, 2019

GET OFF THAT ROCK!

Matthew 13:1-23
That same day Jesus left the house and sat down by the Sea of Galilee. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat. He sat in the boat while the entire crowd stood on the shore. Then he used stories as illustrations to tell them many things. He said, "Listen! A farmer went to plant seed. Some seeds were planted along the road, and birds came and devoured them. Other seeds were planted on rocky ground, where there was little soil. The plants sprouted quickly because the soil wasn't deep. But when the sun came up, they were scorched. They withered because their roots weren't deep enough. Other seeds were planted among thornbushes, and the thornbushes grew up and choked them. But other seeds were planted on good ground and produced grain. They produced one hundred, sixty, or thirty times as much as was planted. Let the person who has ears listen!" The disciples asked him, "Why do you use stories as illustrations when you speak to people?" Jesus answered, "Knowledge about the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you. But it has not been given to the crowd. Those who understand these mysteries will be given more knowledge, and they will excel in understanding them. However, some people don't understand these mysteries. Even what they understand will be taken away from them. This is why I speak to them this way. They see, but they're blind. They hear, but they don't listen. They don't even try to understand. So they make Isaiah's prophecy come true: 'You will hear clearly but never understand. You will see clearly but never comprehend. These people have become close-minded and hard of hearing. They have shut their eyes so that their eyes never see. Their ears never hear. Their minds never understand. And they never return to me for healing!' "Blessed are your eyes because they see and your ears because they hear. I can guarantee this truth: Many prophets and many of God's people longed to see what you see but didn't see it, to hear what you hear but didn't hear it. "Listen to what the story about the farmer means. Someone hears the word about the kingdom but doesn't understand it. The evil one comes at once and snatches away what was planted in him. This is what the seed planted along the road illustrates. The seed planted on rocky ground is the person who hears the word and accepts it at once with joy. Since he doesn't have any root, he lasts only a little while. When suffering or persecution comes along because of the word, he immediately falls from faith. The seed planted among thornbushes is another person who hears the word. But the worries of life and the deceitful pleasures of riches choke the word so that it can't produce anything. But the seed planted on good ground is the person who hears and understands the word. This type produces crops. They produce one hundred, sixty, or thirty times as much as was planted."

There is no interpretation needed here. Jesus himself explained the parable.

Unlike seeds, if you are on rocky ground, you can move to good soil. On the end times you will not greet by with the excuse, "I heard, but I was on a rock and couldn't grow. It's not my fault!"

Don't be like Those people who have become close-minded and hard of hearing. Who have shut their eyes so that their eyes never see. Whose ears never hear and minds that never understand. Get off that rock!

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CLOSER THAN FAMILY

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MUSINGS - February 26, 2019

CLOSER THAN FAMILY

Matthew 12:46-50

While Jesus was still talking to the crowds, his mother and brothers were standing outside. They wanted to talk to him. Someone told him, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside. They want to talk to you." He replied to the man speaking to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" Pointing with his hand at his disciples, he said, "Look, here are my mother and my brothers. Whoever does what my Father in heaven wants is my brother and sister and mother."

Throughout this chapter Jesus had been responding to the Pharisees. Now, however, he is talking to the crowd. And while he was still talking, still teaching, still preaching he was interrupted with news that his mother and brothers wanted to talk to him.

I have some trouble imaging what that interruption would be like, to be in the middle of delivering a sermon and be told that my family wanted to talk to me. Can you imagine this happening in your church, with your pastor being interrupted by family members who have cone to visit? How disrespectful that was to Jesus and the to the crowd! It would be as if what his family had to say was more important than his teachings.

Jesus made use of the interruption as he turned it into a teaching moment. "Whoever does what my Father in heaven wants is my brother and sister and mother."

Who is your family? Are they the ones who share the same DNA? Or are they those who share the same beliefs, hopes, and convictions? Are these closer than family?

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