Blessed Sunday to you all!

Worship at Advent today was really awesome. Travis played the immovable rock to the kids during children’s church time. Pastor Joel said, “Travis is like God…” Travis loved that!

Exodus 32: 11 “But Moses begged the Lord, his God, and said, “Lord don’t let your anger destroy your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with Your great power and strength.” Vs. 14 “So the Lord changed His mind and did not destroy the people as He had said He might.”

Pastor Joel preached on this passage and God changing His mind. If you remember the story, Moses was on the mountain receiving the Ten Commandments from God. I don’t know how long Moses had been away from the new nation of Israel, but long enough for them to get themselves into trouble. Here the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had freed them from slavery in Egypt. They had seen phenomenal miracles of fire, cloud and water and perhaps they got bored or began to think that Moses had perished on the mountain, but they lost their focus and had Aaron create an idol of gold that they might worship and have with them. God was not pleased with this behavior and shared His disappointment and anger with Moses and even went so far as to call them “his” (Moses’) people.

And then Moses did something no one had ever done before. Moses petitioned God for another chance. Moses begged God in prayer to forgive this unruly new nation and to not destroy them as He had previously stated. God’s previous pattern was one of destroying the people who were corrupting themselves in disobedience and idolatry. Moses acted in an intercessory place between Israel and God. God listened and changed His mind. After Moses prayed this prayer God told him to go back to his people and dwell with them. God did not destroy Israel out of His love for His people through Moses. God dwelt with Moses and Moses dwelt with Israel. This began a pattern of forgiveness and grace delivered from the hand of God to His people through a chosen one.

The name given to Jesus by God was Emmanuel. Emmanuel means “God with us.” Once again God chose to dwell among His people through His own creation, this time His Son. Jesus continued the pattern of forgiveness and grace having been instructed by His Father and empowered by the Holy Spirit. When Jesus hung on the cross, the One who had dwelt with the people only perished in body, because the immovable object is the power and love of God through the ever present Holy Spirit.

God never abandons us or forsakes us because the Holy Spirit is continually present with us and will go before the Father if we only ask. This does not mean that our life circumstances will be any easier and “stuff” will still happen. What is does mean is that we are never alone for God is with us. (I love it when a plan comes together!)

Take joy in the journey. Count your blessings and say your prayers. Let us continue to pray for each other daily. Love you all, Bruce, Gaylene, Geni and Travis.

Gcapplenotes@aol.com

I am not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am moved only by what I believe and I believe God.