Red Sea Victory

"In all things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us."
Romans 8:37

Can you imagine how Moses' life was impacted after crossing the Red Sea? Facing our red sea moment many times changes our lives in dramatic ways too.

It was November 5, 2017, when the shooter, Devin Kelley, entered the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs during a Sunday worship service and killed 26 people, including Pastor Frank’s 14-year-old daughter, Annabelle.

Pastor Frank and His church crossing this red sea was no easy doing. It was just just as miraculous as Moses and the children of Israel crossing of the Red Sea 3500 years ago. 

This church and all of it members chose victory over defeat, forgiveness over fear, and boldness over bitterness. Over the past 5 years this church has been a powerful beacon of light to its community. It has reflected the love of Christ through all their brokenness. Pastor Frank said, “The church survived the tragedy by choosing victory.”

Since that dreadful day, the church continues to receive letters that express how their actions and attitudes have touched people’s lives. One atheist who watched the church walk through this tragedy wrote, “I was an atheist, but because of the way you guys handled this situation, we chose Jesus as our Savior.” Another person wrote to the church saying, “Thank you for renewing my faith in church. The way you all loved each other and the community through your pain has changed my attitude about church.”

Five years later, pastor Frank has decided to retire from the church after serving for 20 years. In his final sermon to his congregation last week, he said, “We could have been validated by the world to choose hate and ugliness and play the victim card, or we could choose to say we are not victims, we are victors! We choose to put our faith in something greater than ourselves. I still don’t understand it all, but I know I can’t go back and change what’s already done, but I choose from this day forward to say, ‘Lord, You are in control.’ And God has taken that and made Sutherland Springs a lighthouse on a hill. Whether I’m here or not does not change the fact that God will never leave you or forsake you as you all serve Jesus Christ together in the days and years ahead.”

What a powerful example of God’s power working through His people!

I close with this thought. Moses is no longer on this earth, but the God of Moses is! The story of Moses is not just what God did for him; but it’s what God wants to do for you. It is not just about what God did in him, but what He wants to do in you. It is not just about what God did through him; it’s what God wants to do through you. The story of Moses is not just his story, but it’s our story too.

In your next red sea moment, let God lead you powerfully through the uncertainty, the unknown, the unfamiliar, and the uncomfortableness. Let His light shine through the darkness.

Corie Ten Boon, powerful woman who survived the horrors of Ravens Brook Concentration Camp during World War 2 said, “There is no pit so deep, that God's love is not deeper still.”

God bless you,

Pastor Dave

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