Red Sea Rules

Last Sunday night, around 20 people from FBC gathered in the Fireside room to pray for the future of our church.  We gave thanks to God for 63 years of ministry in the Beaverton community.  Several shared testimonies of how God has used our church to lead people to Jesus.  Things like a strong children's ministry, Adult Sunday School classes and serving the homeless were just a few of the things that were mentioned.  We concluded our time by asking for God to deliver us into a new season of influential ministry in our community.

As we concluded our prayer time, I shared some thoughts from a book titled, The Red Sea Rules by Robert J. Morgan.  In this book, Robert Morgan unpacks the miracle at the Red Sea, the story in Exodus 14 when the waters parted, allowing the children of Israel to escape the pursuing armies of Pharaoh.  Through this popular story of God's power and deliverance, Pastor Morgan shares 10 rules or 10 ways of handling difficult times and seasons of discouragement--times when we find ourselves caught between the devil and the deep Red Sea.  I thought I would take this edition of TAB to share these 10 rules with you and ask you to ponder these thoughts as we continue to pray for the future of FBC.

Red Sea Rules.
1.  Realize that God means for you to be where you are.  (Psalm 37:23-24)
2.  Be more concerned for God's glory than your relief.  (Exodus 14:3-4)
3.  Acknowledge your enemy, but keep your eyes on the Lord.  (Ephesians 6:13)
4.  Pray!  (Exodus 14:10)
5.  Stay calm and confident, and give God time to work.  (Exodus 14:13-14)
6.  When unsure, just take the next logical step by faith.  (Exodus 14:15)
7.  Envision God's enveloping presence.  (Psalm 139:1-18)
8.  Trust God to deliver in His own unique way.  (Exodus 14:21-22)
9.  View your current crises as a faith builder for the future.  (Romans 4:19-21)
10. Don't forget to praise Him.  (Exodus 15:1-2)

As you read these rules and as we continue to pray and trust God for the future of FBC, let's not forget that it was God who brought us to this point and the same God will lead us out.

Sunday, we will continue our study of Paul's letter to the church in Philippi.  We will conclude our focus on humility as we look at Philippians 2:5-11.

Finally, I was approached this week from an individual in our community, who just recently sold her home, purchased an RV and is now looking for a home for her and her RV.  She has contacted several RV parks but has not been able to find a place.  If any of you know of someone who has a place where she might be able to live in her RV, please let me know.

See you Sunday.

Pastor Doug