As we look at the children of Israel in the book of Exodus, how many times can and do we see ourselves. God had just done so many miracles, things that only He could have done. They had watched Him turn the Nile River into blood. They had witnessed God sending boils to cover all of the men and animals throughout the land. Then they saw the plague of locusts and darkness that culminated in the death of all of the first born of Egypt while all of God’s chosen people who were covered by the blood of the lamb did not see death. You would think that after all of that, that trust would not be an issue with these folks. However, our human nature is strong and how soon we forget God’s gracious provisions and protection when the going really gets tough.

Their thought was that this had to be a trick. All that separated them from their enemy was land and in front of them sat the Red Sea. They cried out, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” (14:11-12), but God in His incredibly gracious way, once again provided for His own. He opened a way where there was no way. He made a roadway in the wilderness and a path way through the sea. The pathway of life for the Lord’s people became a roadway of death for the Egyptians.

God had given His word through Moses and Aaron that they were going to a land that He had prepared for them. He had made a covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. He was not about to break His promise. However, circumstances were giving other signals. God has given us His word. He has promised to never leave us or forsake us. He promised to give us the peace that passes all understanding. In every circumstance He has promised to meet our every need! He has promised to not only hear, but to answer our prayers. We need but to exercise our faith and believe Him at His Word. He is worthy to be trusted, He has never failed, and that’s a reason to praise Him.



Pastor MJ

None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing--nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable--absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us. (Romans 8:37-39 – The Message)

When I read Romans chapter eight especially verses 31-39, I am almost breathless and am certainly at times speechless. There are so many times in life when we are faced with circumstances that in and of themselves would tend to destroy us. Left to ourselves our enemies could do everything from make us sad to actually take our lives, with that said, we must realize that our enemies are much more than other people who can cause us deep pain and suffering.

So much comfort is found in Paul’s words here. These are good words to begin every day with. As we walk out of the door in the morning and face a day that is totally unknown to us, we can walk out with confidence that no matter what happens we will be surrounded with the love of Jesus Christ. We can walk in assurance that everything is going to be alright because we serve a God who did something incredible to prove His love for us. “If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us?”(Vs. 32)
Wow! The obvious answer to that question is no! There is nothing that God would not do for His children. He spared no expense so that you and I could walk in a sweet assurance that whatever today or this next year brings that we are surrounded by and kept safe in His unquenchable love. That means that nothing, not even our enemies’ harshest condemnation or our own foolish ways can cause God to take His love away from us. It’s also an amazing truth to know that the One who died in our place, sticks up for us whenever blame is sent our way. “The One who died for us--who was raised to life for us!-is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us.” (vs. 34b)

Take a moment this morning and say, thank you and walk in the power and reality of His love for you today and as you enter this New Year.

How good He is!

Father God Sent His Son

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”
John 15:13

In the opening scene to the movie “Vertical Limit” viewers are treated to some of the most beautiful scenery and mind-blowing rock climbing feats that have ever been put on film. Rock climbers are a special breed of men and women who after years of training coupled with nerves of steel are able to “go where no man has ever gone before”. Moments after the movie begins you see a rock climbing team consisting of a father and his son and daughter. While climbing a very difficult mountain cliff, a series of events unfold, beginning with interference from other climbing teams mistakes which cause the family team to ultimately end up suspended in mid-air held in the rock by just a few clamps. The father, being the most experienced of the three, tries to keep his children calm and instructs them as to what they should do. When all else fails to work he explains to his son, who is in the middle, that the only hope for him and his sister to survive is to cut him loose and let him fall because the clamps would not hold that amount of weight much longer.

After a heart wrenching struggle and difficult obedience to his father’s love, mixed with his experience and convincing words, he cut him loose. The father fell to his death enabling the brother and sister survived.

In eternity, a conversation took place between a Father and Son. The Father told His Son that the only way to save you and me would be for Him to “cut Him loose” and come to the earth and die. With a heart wrenching decision that must have shook heaven and earth, Father God sent His Son, Jesus to this earth with the ultimate purpose being to be killed so that you and I could be saved.

Unlike the story in the film, God’s story of sacrificial love provides us with not only temporal life, but eternal life if we accept His free gift of salvation through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Let’s take a moment today, this week and meditate on how great the Father’s love must have been and is for us, that He would “cut the rope” on His only Son and sacrifice Him for you and me. Then pray for and take the opportunity to share this story of hope with someone who you know needs to know God’s plan of salvation. If you don’t tell them, who will?

Blessings,
Pastor MJ

They Will Never Hurt Me Again!

"Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,'

he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because

you begged me to.Shouldn't you have had mercy on your

fellow servant just as I had on you?'

In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured,

until he should pay back all he owed.

"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you

unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

Matthew 18:32-35 (NIV)

“They will never hurt me again! From now on, I have no expectations of them. With no expectations nothing they do will hurt me ever again!”

I’ll never forget saying those words. They were said after being hurt to the core of my being by someone that I trusted and I was full of anger, bitterness and had an unforgiving heart. They hadn’t asked for forgiveness and I wasn’t going to offer it. This went on for years until I realized that every day I woke up the situation that had hurt me so deeply kept creeping into my day and continued to bring me down. Every day that I chose not to forgive I was in bondage, in chains, enslaved by the one who had wronged me. I continued to justify my unforgiving heart because they had not confessed their sin and apologized to me. They had not sought my forgiveness so I rationalized that I didn’t have to offer it. The longer I thought like that, the heavier the chains became.

In a loving, gentle yet firm way, Father God had me read and re-read the passage above and after reading chapter 18 I continued to read into chapter 19 where it talks about divorce. All of a sudden I was struck with the placement of this passage. God doesn’t make mistakes and while talking to someone about their pending divorce I was convicted right in my tracks of my sin. I began to discuss my friend’s situation with them and said, “You know, this passage in chapter 19 is not there by mistake. If God can forgive you like he did the servant, how can you not forgive your spouse of what they’ve done to you? In comparison you’ve been forgiven of a much greater offense.” Then it hit me, I was doing the same thing. God then took me on a journey of all that He’d forgiven me of. Through the tears I repented and asked God’s forgiveness and then did one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done, I offered forgiveness to those who had hurt me. Not because it was easy, but because in light of what my Master has pardoned me from, how could I not. I saw myself as the ungrateful servant in chapter 18 and I didn’t want to face my Lord and have him say to me the words above.

Forgiveness should not be an option when we realize what we’ve been pardoned of. It pleases God by our obedience and it releases us once again be able to give and receive.

My friend, freedom for you today might come in the heart-felt phrase, “I forgive you.” May it be so, by the power and grace from the One who has said the same to you and me (many times).