The Tree Church

Lancaster, OH 43130

When I was lost You were there.

Oh death, oh hell, you’re not my cross to bear.

Death was never gonna hold You. So it’s never gonna hold me.

 

God You are active and alive in our lives and in the lives of all who believe and place their trust in You.

I trust in who You say You are. I choose YOU!

No matter what. No matter what.

Not my will but Yours be done…Jesus could have left us in our sin but instead, in His obedience to His Father, He chose us. In pain and in immense suffering He chose us. For God so loved the world that He gave us Jesus to do what we could not do.

We all have an IT in our life. Circumstances in our life that can cause stress in our life. The Bible tells us we will have IT in our life simply because we live in a broken world. Christian or non Christian we share the curse on humanity that came with separation from our Creator. 

Christians have a valuable resource that God gives to believers. His peace which is beyond our understanding.

Step 1. Understand believe the power of God.

Put the IT is perspective. IT is greater than ME. But GOD is greater than IT. 

Step 2. We need to understand and believe God’s promises.

If you don’t know what you are agreeing to you are bound to fail. When it is broken we are devastated. God does not answer all of our requests out of His love for us. 

Romans 8:

26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

God knows us better than we know ourselves. Holy Spirit searches our fears, our hopes and our desires for our future. God works out all things for our good to those who trust in Him to guide our life. 

Those in a relationship with Him He will define what He will accomplish in us. God knew from the beginning of time who would accept Him. He will transform us in to the image of His Son. That is His promise. It includes 2 realities there will be discomfort in the process. He will expose our weakness and change us but always with His peace so that we will not be overwhelmed by the truth of our sin. Sometimes it comes with no…not now…not in the way  we asked.

It requires dying to ourself. 

We need to know deep within that He love us and He is for us. It keeps us moldable. If He cares for us who cares who is against us?

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? 

Jesus removed our charges against us. Condemnation is not from God. He gave the death and life of His only begotten Son so that we could live. In our tribulations we can conquer anything that comes against us. Nothing will separate us from Him!

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

He promises eternal life with Him.

When we come to understand in His power and believe His promises knowing that He loves us then we can experience true peace in our life. We trust God.

Daniel 3

7 So at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp, and lyre, in symphony with all kinds of music, all the people, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

But then there was Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego.

8 Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews. 9 They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! 10 You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the gold image; 11 and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 12 There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.” 13 Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?” 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. 20 And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 22 Therefore, because the king’s command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who 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 King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” 25 “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” 

Nebuchadnezzar Praises God.

We are perfected in our trials by holding fast to our Godly convictions  and trusting God no matter what. But if we are not lifted from our  earthly trials, regardless God will save us. In death or in life He saves those who place their total trust in Him. God came to save.

No matter what. No matter what.

28 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! 29 Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this.” The New King James Version

What should be our example as Christians is the way we handle the difficulties in our life.

Faith does not begin in the moment of crisis it begins with small steps of faith that build up our trust in Him who loves us. 

Lord give me a faith like Stephen

Acts 7

54 When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. 55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, 56 and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; 58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. The New King James Version