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In Hebrews 12:26 we are told that God has said, ” YET ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT THE HEAVEN.”

There is all kinds of shaking going on around us all the time. There have been many earthquakes since then.  Kingdoms have fallen, as have stars from heaven.  People have their lives shaken frequently because of illness, job changes, relationship disruptions and so on and on.  Covid19 is just the latest disturbance.

So did God mean all of that?  Or was He talking about something entirely different?  I think He was doing both.  He knows that little things that go wrong can shake us up.  He knows that little things can grow into bigger things that really shake us up.  He knows that we can allow this shaking to completely derail us and send us spinning off into another world.

God also meant that there is only one thing on earth and in heaven that cannot be shaken. Him. His Kingdom is outside of time.  His Word is eternal and unchanging.  His desire is to share His Kingdom and Word with us so that we will never be shaken, no matter what comes.

He said this to prepare us for the ups and downs of life but also to remind us that he will be sending Jesus back to complete His tasks.  We need to be prepared for that and the best way to do that is to lean on God, study His word and build our relationship with Him so that we are part of HIS Kingdom. 

As people in His Kingdom, it won’t matter if our lives are shifted and shaken now.  We know that there is more. 

Pastor Ann is going to talk about what this shaking means and what we can do to get into God’s Kingdom this Sunday April 19, 2020.  Please join us at 10:55 for drive-in style service or at 11:15 on Facebook livestream. 

As we move through this very important time of the year, I want us to be sure that we think clearly, that we don’t just go through this week with our minds in neutral. So for the duration of this week, I intend to write daily to us all as a congregation and challenge us to think. 
It is interesting to see our current situation through the eyes of history. What can we learn from the Exodus that can be applied to our lives today? Although I’m sure that there are many other things that could be brought out, I think one of the most glaring parallels is related to the fact that Pharaoh was unwilling to acknowledge that there was anyone who had the authority to tell him what to do. In fact, if you remember some of the Egyptian history, you will remember that the pharaohs were considered gods by some and/or at least, the access to the gods by all. So when this man named Moses comes in and tells Pharaoh that another God said to let the Hebrews go so that they could travel 3 days out of town and worship, this was considered to be a slap in the face of the Pharaoh himself. How could any God have the audacity to consider Pharaoh so puny that he would have to bow before this God’s desire? And because of that arrogance, Jehovah God had to demonstrate to the Pharaoh that there was no other god that could even come close to Himself. He had already poured out plague after plague to convince the Pharaoh that there was one much more powerful than himself, but Pharaoh would have none of it. It was not until God had to levy the final plague, the death of the firstborn in every household, that Pharaoh was willing to concede that there was someone more powerful than he. And if you remember the story, you remember that it only took a short time for Pharaoh, after the death of his own firstborn son, to be sorry that he had let the Hebrew children go. Then he sent his army to race after them and bring them back. As a result, God had to wipe out the whole army to prove His point. There is no god like Jehovah!
This is a wonderful time to rejoice in our God, the One who provided our freedom from slavery to sin. But, as we get ready to remember Passover tomorrow evening, it is also a wonderful time for us to examine ourselves. Have we allowed the arrogance of the world to rub off onto us even as the coronavirus will rub onto us if we allow ourselves to get too close to it? The world proclaims that they can do whatever they want and that no one can tell them what they can or should do even as Pharaoh proclaimed. If we allow ourselves to be friends with the world who arrogantly defy Jehovah, we must not be amazed when we find ourselves defying Jehovah. 
Jesus prayed that the Father would protect us since we are in the world but not of the world (John 17:16). But He also said, “No man can serve two masters. For you will hate the one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other ” (Matt 6:24 NLT) and, “If you love me, obey my commandments (John 14:15 NLT). 

May God preserve you all and prepare your hearts for Passover!

Pastor Ann

We want to invite you to join us LIVE in the parking lot for Easter Service. We are doing a drive-in style service, which means everyone stays in their cars. Just roll a window down. We promise Pastor Ann will be loud enough for all y’all to hear. Please don’t let fear keep you from our God! If you are able to leave your home to go to the store, know that you will be less exposed Sunday morning than at HEB or Walmart. COME AND WORSHIP!

Foreshadowing is a writing technique that mystery writers frequently use.  It gives readers a hint of what is to come and possibly who will be involved.  What I find fascinating about this technique is that originally it didn’t apply to fiction. The bible is filled with prophesies and actual events that were designed to help people see Who was coming and how things would happen. 

The Old Testament is more than a history book.  It is more than a book of law.  It is the introduction to God’s perfect plan.  Throughout the Old Testament we are given glimpses of a King who is to come and a Kingdom that will last forever.  While Saul was still king, God turned His face from him and told Samuel to seek out a new king.  Samuel found David, who was the least of the least.  Yet God made a covenant with David, telling him that “your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.” 2 Samuel 7:16 (NASB)

When this happened, it was a hint to the people then, and to us, that David’s offspring would rule Israel and all God’s people forever.  Although traditional history tells us that didn’t happen according to earthly ways because we know that Rome conquered all that area, Jerusalem was torn down and the people dispersed over all the earth.  So, does this mean that God’s promise was broken?  NO!

David made a triumphal entry into Jerusalem when he returned the ark of the covenant.  He led the procession!  Centuries later, David’s direct descendent Jesus made a triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and He led the procession.

Jesus was welcomed by the people in Jerusalem and celebrated as their King!  While we all think we know the end of this story, we sometimes forget that God is faithful and He never breaks a promise. Jesus did die on the cross. 

But He rose again and now Jesus is fulfilling the covenant that God made with David, His kingdom is established forever.

Join us tomorrow morning, Sunday April 5, 2020 at 10:55 a.m.  We will be holding a live service in the parking lot at 964 W. Hwy 190 and we will be livestreaming on facebook.

Pastor Ann is going to dive deep into how Jesus fulfilled these shadow pictures and what it means for us today.