Franklin United Methodist Church

P.U.S.H.

A man was sleeping one night in his cabin when suddenly his room
filled with light, and God appeared. The Lord told the man he had
work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his
cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to Push against the rock
with all his might…

So, this the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled
from  sunup to sundown, his shoulders set squarely against the cold,
massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all his might!

Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling
that is whole day had been spent in vain. Since the man was showing
discouragement, the adversary (Satan) decided to enter the picture
by placing thoughts into the weary mind: (He will do it every time)!

‘You have been pushing against that rock for a long time and it
hasn’t moved.’ Thus, he gave the man the impression that the task
was impossible and that he was a failure. These thoughts discouraged
and disheartened the man.

Satan said, ‘Why kill yourself over this? Just put in your time,
giving just the minimum effort; and that will be good enough.’
That’s what the weary man planned to do, but decided to make it a
matter of Prayer and to take his troubled thoughts to the Lord.

‘Lord,’ he said, ‘I have labored long and hard in Your Service ,
putting all my strength to do that which You have asked. Yet, after
all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a
millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?’

The Lord responded compassionately, ‘My friend, when I asked you to
serve Me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push
against the rock with all of your strength, which you have done.

Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your
task was to push. And now you come to Me with your strength spent, thinking
that you have failed..

But, is that really so? Look at yourself.. Your arms are strong and
muscled, your back shiny and brown; your hands are callused from constant
pressure, your legs have become massive and hard.

Through opposition you have grown much, and your abilities now
surpass that which you used to have. True, you haven’t moved the
rock. But your calling was to be Obedient and to push and to
exercise your Faith and trust in My Wisdom. That you have done. Now
I, my friend, will move the rock.’

At times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own
intellect to decipher what He Wants, when actually what God wants is
just simple obedience and faith in Him..

By all means, exercise the Faith that moves mountains, but know that
it is still God Who moves the Mountains.

When everything seems to go wrong…………………….. Just P.U.S.H.

When the job gets you down………………………………..Just P.U.S.H.

When people don’t do as you think they should…………..Just P.U.S.H.

When your money is ‘gone’ and the bills are due………..Just P.U.S.H..

When people just don’t understand you ………………….Just P.U.S.H..

P = Pray

U = Until

S = Something

H = Happens

Just Hold ON!!! P.U.S.H!

This is one of those church jokes that goes into the “oops” category.

Inscribed in stone over the great front doors of an old church being restored was:

“This is the Gate of Heaven.”

Just below it someone had placed a small cardboard sign that read:

“Use Other Entrance.”

We lift up our prayers for the Japanese during these difficult days ahead.   May God be with you.

The People of Franklin

3-8-11

As we approach Lent, take time for Prayer and ask God what His will for your life is.  Listen and have patience.  Let God work in your life.  Sometimes we must be broken down just to see, clearly, the path we should take.

Romans 12:1,2

1. Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
2. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

2-20-11

Mark 8:34-38

34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

Pastor Gerry has been on a roll!!  These last few weeks, he has delivered some of his best messages!!  Gerry discussed the meaning of ”take up your cross” and some of the mis-understandings as well.  He said that many people interpret it as ‘their burden to bare’.  Not so!  In Jesus’ time, it meant death.  For us though, what does it mean?  It means to deny ones self, which is not the same as self-denial.  Denying yourself of the worldly pleasures is surrendering to Christ!!  To surrender to Christ is to follow in His footsteps.

You have two choices to make:  Life’s comforts or to Follow Jesus.