THE PROTECTION OF GOD
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Introduction:
Introduction:
I want to welcome you again this morning.
First, to those joining us online, we are so thankful for our online technology that allows you to be a part of our church family today.
I also want to welcome those who may be joining us for the first time today. I hope your time with us today is encouraging and helpful, and I look forward to meeting you.
I would also say if you are new to our church today, it would be helpful for you to know that we practice a form of preaching called “Expository Preaching”.
What that means, is we believe the Bible is best taught by taking books of the Bible and then breaking them down from beginning to end, chapter by chapter, verse by verse. Our goal, to better understand not only what God’s Word says, but what it means in our lives today.
Over the past couple of years we’ve been doing that through the NT book of Acts. A book written by a First Century disciple named Luke who wrote it for a couple of reasons:
First, to give us a history of how the church started, who was there, and the circumstances that surrounded it.
Second, in a way, to give us a template on how to accomplish the mission that Jesus gave us to take the gospel to the entire world.
With that said, if you haven’t been with us I would encourage you to go online to http://www.mcf.life or to our Facebook page where you can watch previous messages leading up to today.
Today however we are picking back up at the end up chapter 23 as we rejoin the Apostle Paul in the city of Jerusalem.
You may recall that Paul’s visit to Jerusalem is a part of God’s plan to eventually take him to Rome where he will eventually stand before Caesar himself.
But unfortunately the journey towards Rome hasn’t been the most enjoyable for Paul.
Because as we’ve learned, upon entering Jerusalem Paul immediately faced persecution. Persecution that led to a city wide riot, his arrest by Roman soldiers, and a foiled assassination attempt on his life.
And the truth is, what was true for Paul will be true for anybody that puts their faith in Jesus. Because like it or not, when you commit your life to Jesus, there are going to be challenges that come with that decision. Jesus put it like this:
33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Jesus says, “Hey you just need to know that there are going to be difficult times when you follow me. Difficulties that may even cause you to question if it’s worth it. But don’t let those moments get you down, because regardless of what your circumstances say, I have overcome the world.”
In other words, when those difficult times come, Jesus says, “I will be with you”.
And we see this playing out in Paul’s life. Because despite the opposition Paul has faced in Jerusalem, God is with Paul and is protecting him as he faces these challenges.
Which brings us to our subject matter today. Because as we come back to Acts 23, Paul’s challenges are far from over. In fact, they will only intensify the closer Paul comes to accomplishing God’s plan and purpose in his life.
So, what are these challenges. Well, currently it started with a riot that led to his arrest, and then as we learned last time we met, it culminated as 40 assassins plotted to kill Paul.
And so, in order to set up where we are going this morning, I want to begin by asking you to consider a question. A question that’s going to help get us in the mind set we need to be in today. And the question is this:
Question - When facing a threat or dangerous situation, how many of you understand the importance of having the right kind of protection.
For example: If you were a soldier going into battle, you’d want to have the right kind of protection, right?
So, what kind of protection would you want?
Well, for one, you’d want the protection of other soldiers. Soldiers who are preferably heavily armed and that you know have your back. That’s true, right?
Not only that, but you’d want to make sure personally you have the right equipment. And in a soldiers case, that would be specific gear and probably some type of firearm.
In addition to that, it would be nice to have some kind of air support, like an apache helicopter or F-18 that is flying overhead and clearing a path ahead of you. That would be nice, right?
The fact is, if you’re a solider going into battle, you want to make sure you have the the right kind of protection..
Now, you may be thinking, “Ok, that’s great pastor, and I get what you’re saying. But let’s just be honest, I’m not a soldier going into battle. And the likelihood of that happening to me is pretty slim.”
Well, that’s probably true. In a physical sense a good portion of us in the room are probably not ever going to face that level of physical conflict or combat. At least we hope not.
However, there is a dangerous enemy and deadly battle you will face. A battle and enemy, that if you’re a Christian, is an absolute certainty.
You might ask, “Pastor, what battle and enemy are you talking about?”
The battle and enemy I’m talking about is of a spiritual nature.
A battle that begins the moment you put your faith in Jesus. A spiritual battle that is waged against the forces of darkness. The Apostle Paul puts it like this:
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Paul says for the Christian, the battles not physical, its spiritual. A battle against Satan and his demonic forces that are present in the world we live in.
Now, some might say, “Oh come on pastor, I’m not sure I believe that. I mean how do you know with certainty that they are demonic forces at work in the world?”
Well, let me ask you this. When you look at what is happening in our culture and world today, how else do you explain it?
For example, how do you explain what we see happening with sexuality when it comes to homosexuality, lesbianism, and transgenderism?
I mean, what would cause a man to think he’s a woman or a woman to think she’s a man? Where do you think an idea like that comes from?
Or how do you explain the division we see playing out in our country? The unrest. The hate. The disdain that people have for one another. Who do you think is behind that?
How do you explain the desire for our culture to push God out of our schools, our universities, and out of all aspects of public service? Who do you think is driving that agenda?
Why are so many people struggling with mental health? Why is depression on the rise? Why do people struggle with anxiety? Why are suicides up 16%? What do you think the cause of that is?
How about this, why is the American church in decline? Why are 74% of our churches plateaued or dying? Why do 52% of people below the age of 25 have little to no trust in the church? Why do 30% of people below the age of 25 believe it’s not important to have a faith community? Why has church attendance dropped nearly 10% in the last 10 years?
What I’d like to suggest to you is that it all represents the influence of the demonic on our culture.
And hate to tell you this, but it’s not going away. In fact, it’s only going to intensify because the enemy has nothing to lose.
And not only that, if your like Paul, if you’re committed to leading people to Jesus and accomplishing God’s plan and purpose for your life, then you’re going to be right in the middle of the battle.
Which is why, more than ever, we need the protection of God in our lives. Because if we are going to fight this battle and overcome the forces of darkness, and if we’re going to stand a chance of leading this nation back to Jesus, then we need God’s help and we need His protection.
And so, as we come back to Acts 23 today, I have two goals:
Goal #1 - As we walk through our passage we are going to look at three ways the protection of God works as we look at how God protected Paul.
Goal #2 - After looking at how God’s protection worked in Paul’s life, we’re going to discover how we can be certain we have that kind of protection in our life. Sound good to everybody?
And so, with that as our basis, let’s pick back up where we left off last time as the assassination attempt against Paul is discovered. Picking backup in verse 23 Luke writes:
23 Then he called two of the centurions and said, “Get ready two hundred soldiers, with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go as far as Caesarea at the third hour of the night. 24 Also provide mounts for Paul to ride and bring him safely to Felix the governor.”
Luke says as the plot to assassinate Paul was uncovered, the Roman officer in charge of Paul put a security detail together that consisted of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen. That’ quite a protection detail, right?
Which leads us to the first way God’s protection works, and I would state it like this…When facing spiritual warfare:
God’s protection provides us with the protection we need to get us where God is taking us.
We see this in Paul’s case as the Roman officer not only protects Paul, but he provides Paul with the safety he needs to get to the city of Caesarea.
Which then leads to the question, “Why is it so important that Paul gets too Caesarea?”
It’s important for a couple of reasons:
First, it’s important because Caesarea was the city in that area and where the Roman governor Felix presided. A governor whose help Paul will need to escape from those who are trying to kill him.
Second, Caesarea will be the launching point to send Paul to Rome, which is where God is ultimately leading him.
And so in order to protect Paul and get Paul to where he needs to go, God provides the protection he needs to get there.
Now, you might be thinking, “Well that’s great for Paul pastor, but how does that apply to my life?”
The good news is it applies in the same way. Because just like God protected Paul in the midst of this spiritual attack, God will protect you as well He leads you to your destination point.
Because as a Christian there are two certainties you can count on.
Certainty #1 - God has a destination point for you.
Certainty #2 - The enemy is going to do everything he can to keep you from reaching that destination point.
Because the fact is, the enemy doesn’t want you to go where God wants you to go.
For example, He doesn’t want you to reach certain people for Jesus.
Because whether you realize it or not, there are certain individuals, friends, and family members that God wants to use you to lead to faith. And the enemy doesn’t want you to get to them.
Not only that, but he doesn’t want you to have spiritual influence in the world you live in. He doesn’t want you to be somebody people look too for answers, or look to for hope, or loot to for help. He doesn’t want you to be light in the midst of darkness.
In addition to that, he doesn’t want you to reach certain spiritual milestones in your life.
Men, he doesn’t want you to become the spiritual leader of your home.
Ladies, he doesn’t want you to become strong women of God who raise their children to know Jesus.
Students, he wants to keep you from discovering a relationship with God.
The fact is, the enemy wants to kill the work of God in you.
But the good news this morning is, if you want to reach God’s destination point and His plan for your life, God will provide you with the protection you need to get there.
I love how Moses explains it to the people of Israel in Deuteronomy 31:
8 It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
Moses says the Lord goes before you, that He is with you, that He will never forsake you, and that He will get you too where He wants you to go.
Now, you might be thinking, “Ok pastor, that’s great, but how does that work and what does it look like?”
This leads us to a second way God protects us. Because when facing spiritual battles...
God’s protection provides favor from unlikely sources.
As the protection detail is being put together and Paul is being prepared to be taken to Caesarea, look at what Luke says happens next:
25 And he wrote a letter to this effect:
Luke says after finding out there was an assassination plot on Paul’s life, along with providing a security detail to Caesarea, the Roman officer wrote a letter to be sent along with Paul.
So, what did the letter say? Let’s find out:
26 “Claudius Lysias, to his Excellency the governor Felix, greetings. 27 This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them when I came upon them with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen. 28 And desiring to know the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their council. 29 I found that he was being accused about questions of their law, but charged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment. 30 And when it was disclosed to me that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, ordering his accusers also to state before you what they have against him.”
What’s interesting about this letter is that it’s full of half truths, but half truths that are going to work to Paul’s advantage.
Let me show you what I’m talking about.
Notice first what the Roman officer says. In addressing Felix he says, “This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them when I came upon them with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen.” Acts 23:27
Now, the fact is, most of what the officer writes here is true. Paul was indeed seized by the Jews. And yes, they were about to kill him. And yes, had it not been for the Roman soldiers intervention, Paul would have probably been killed.
But what’s not true is the part about why this officer says he rescued Paul. T
The officer says it was because he discovered Paul was a Roman citizen. Which as we learned, was a big deal. Because if you were a Roman citizen you recieved special rights and privileges that others did not. One privilege being you couldn’t beaten or condemned without a formal trial.
But if you recall, that’s not how this went down. Because if we go back to Acts 22, when Paul was arrested, the Roman officer in charge had no idea Paul was a Roman citizen, and in fact had Paul strapped to a whipping post and was getting ready to beat him when Paul let it be known that he was a Roman citizen. Going back to Acts 22 Luke writes:
25 But when they had stretched him out for the whips, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?” 26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said to him, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.” 27 So the tribune came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” And he said, “Yes.” 28 The tribune answered, “I bought this citizenship for a large sum.” Paul said, “But I am a citizen by birth.” 29 So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately, and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him.
So, that’s what really happened. So, a great question would be, “Why is this Roman officer lying about what happened?”
He’s lying for a couple of reasons:
First, the fact is, he did break the law by mistreating Paul, who was a Roman citizen, and so he’s trying to cover it up.
Second, by implying that he’s the one who prevented Paul the Roman citizen from being killed, he’s trying to get in good graces with Felix, who is his superior.
In other words, he’s trying to get a “that a boy” from Felix. Because like all Roman officers, this officer is looking for advancement opportunity. He’s looking for ways to get further in his career.
Now some might ask, “Ok, that makes sense. But what if Paul tells Felix the truth? What if Paul says, ‘The officer is lying. He had no idea I was a Roman citizen. In fact, he had me tied down and was getting ready to beat me.’”
Yeah, Paul could do that, but this Roman officer is banking on the idea that Paul won’t do that.
So, what makes him think Paul won’t rat him out?
He doesn’t think Paul will rat him out because in this letter he’s painting Paul in a good light and setting him up to win with Felix.
Let me show you want I mean. Because after claiming to rescue Paul, look at again at what he goes on to write:
28 And desiring to know the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their council. 29 I found that he was being accused about questions of their law, but charged with nothing deserving death or imprisonment.
The officer goes on to inform Felix that after some investigation, he’s found that Paul has done nothing wrong that deserves death or imprisonment. In other words, “Felix, we are dealing with an innocent man here.”
So, a good question would be, “If this officer believes Paul to be innocent, why send him on to Felix?”
He tells us why. Because he goes on to write:
30 And when it was disclosed to me that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once, ordering his accusers also to state before you what they have against him.”
Basically what the officer says here is, “Felix, the problem isn’t Paul. The problem is the Jewish officials who are trying to kill this Roman citizen who does’t deserve death or imprisonment, which is why I’m sending him to you Felix, so that this Roman citizen can be under your protection.”
Do you see what this Roman officer is doing? By making himself look good, he’s also setting Paul up to win. He’s giving Paul the advantage against his accusers. And in doing so he’s hoping Paul will keep his mouth shut concerning his earlier mistreatment of Paul.
So, does it work? Well, as we’re going to see next week, it does. Because when Paul does come before Felix, he keeps the Roman officer out of the discussion.
Which leads us to our application. Because in the same way that God protected Paul through this unlikely source of favor, God will do the same for you and I.
Now, you might say, “Ok pastor, so how does that work?”
Well, it could work in a number of ways. But I think the way it typically works is when our witness and behavior catch the attention of the ungoldy around us, which then leads to favor from unlikely sources.
Let me give you an example from my own experience.
In 1999 my wife and I moved to Springfield, MO so I could attend Bible college. And to be honest, looking back on it, it was a time when the enemy was working hard to stop us from reaching God’s destination point for us. And so, as a result, we had a lot of challenges.
One of the challenges was financial. And so to help with that I had taken a job throwing newspapers in the middle of the night so I could attend class during the day.
But unfortunately, the job didn’t pay as much as I would like and our budget was tight. So, I decided to talk to my supervisor about getting more papers to throw, which at the time I had 350. Unfortunately her response was, “Sorry Brad, you have as many papers as you’re ever going to throw because nobody has more than 350. Company policy.”
So, I left it that, and we tightened the belt even more.
A few months went by, and I got a message that due to a family tragedy my supervisor would be out of the office for awhile. And so feeling prompted to reach out to her, I sent her a message and said I didn’t know what was going on, but I would be praying for her.
A couple of days later she called me in tears and shared how her daughter had been killed in a car accident the week before. She wanted to let me know how much she appreciated me praying for her. And she also wanted me to know that she was taking an indefinite leave of absence from work, but that before going she was going to give me an additional paper route that would take me from 350-700 papers, which doubled my income overnight.
That my friends is favor from an unlikely source.
And I think if we all give it some thought, there have been moments in all of our lives where God protected us or helped us by giving us favor from an unlikely source.
But that’s just how God rolls. In fact, God can even use people who are against you to help you. I love how the writer of Proverbs puts it. Of this he says:
7 When a man’s ways please the Lord,
he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
We see this with Paul, because in a real sense, this Roman officer wasn’t Paul’s friend. But God used this Roman officer to bring peace and protection into Paul’s situation. We know this because Luke goes on to write:
31 So the soldiers, according to their instructions, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. 32 And on the next day they returned to the barracks, letting the horsemen go on with him. 33 When they had come to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul also before him. 34 On reading the letter, he asked what province he was from. And when he learned that he was from Cilicia, 35 he said, “I will give you a hearing when your accusers arrive.” And he commanded him to be guarded in Herod’s praetorium.
Luke says because of the favor the Roman officer showed Paul in this letter, not only did he arrive safely, but he was quickly brought before the governor where he would be guarded and taken care of until those who had accused him arrived.
And what God did for Paul, he can do for you as well. Because the fact is, when you are walking on God’s path for your life, despite what the enemy may throw at you, God can use anybody and any circumstance to provide favor and protection in order to get us where we need to go.
This leads us to one final way the protection of God is meant to work in our lives. Because when we face spiritual warfare...
God’s protection provides more opportunity to present the gospel.
For me this is one of the most important aspects of God’s protection that we need to understand. Because while God loves us and wants to protect us from physical harm or ill treatment, ultimately His protection is what allows us to continue to share the gospel.
We see this with Paul as one of the main purposes for going before Felix isn’t just to get himself out of trouble, but as we’re going to see next week, it’s to present the gospel. We know this because Luke writes:
35 he said, “I will give you a hearing when your accusers arrive.” And he commanded him to be guarded in Herod’s praetorium.
You see the hearing that Felix is referring to is Paul’s opportunity to state his case. And as you can imagine, Paul is going to use this opportunity to share his faith and tell people about Jesus.
And the fact is, we see this throughout the NT as believers, when they get in a pinch or they face persecution, aren’t so much crying out for deliverance as they are for the opportunity to share their faith.
For example, we saw this back in Acts 4 as Peter and John were brought before the Sanhedrin and were threatened to stop telling people about Jesus.
But what’s amazing, is instead of praying that God would protect them from harm, they prayed that God would embolden them to speak the truth with greater fervor. Here’s how Luke records their prayer in Acts 4:
29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness,
Notice, in the midst of threats and persecution, they didn’t pray for deliverance. They didn’t pray, “Oh God keep us out of jail. O God end the mask mandate. O God help us win the court case.”
No, instead, they prayed for more opportunity to share the gospel. And guess what, God granted them their request. Because Luke writes:
31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
And what’s amazing, is because they prayed that kind of prayer, God not only went before them, but he protected them when the Sanhedrin made good on their threat. Because in Acts 5 Luke writes:
17 But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy 18 they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20 “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.”
Luke says when the religous leaders had them arrested, God sent an Angel to set them free. Why? So they could get away? No. So they could once again continue to preach the gospel. And this time, it really worked to their advantage. Because Luke writes:
25 And someone came and told them, “Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.” 26 Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.
Luke says now it’s the persecutors who are the ones who are afraid.
And that’s what happens when we stand for truth. That’s what happens when even in the midst of persecution we stand for the gospel. In that moment we can rest assured that the protection of God is upon us.
And this is exactly what Paul is experiencing as the protection of God clears a path for him to move forward, provides him with unusual favor, and puts him in a place to further share the gospel. Which is exactly what God has called each of us to do. But the fact is, the only way we can do it is if the protection of God is upon us.
Because I’m telling you right now church, the only way we are going to overcome the attack that we see taking place in our culture is if God is with us!
Which leads us to our final question this morning. Because if we need the protection of God to accomplish His plan and purpose in our life, then a good question would be, “How do we get that kind of protection?”
As we close, I’d like to suggest two commitments you and I need to be willing to make if we want the protection of God in our lives.
HOW DO I GET GOD’S PROTECTION?
Commitment #1 - If we want the protection of God, we have to say YES to Jesus and NO to the world.
We see a great example of this in 2 Chronicles 17 as a king named Jehoshaphat becomes king of Judah. And like his father before Him, the hand and protection of God is on his life. Why? Here’s what the writer tells us:
3 The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the earlier ways of his father David. He did not seek the Baals,
the writer says God was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the ways of God and did not serve the Baals...
In other words, He said YES to God the God of the Bible and NO to the worlds version of God.
And the fact is, if we want God’s hand of protection on our life, we have to say YES to Jesus and NO to the world.
And what I mean by saying no to the world is not giving ourselves to the world and its ways. To not adopting its thinking. To not incorporating its philosophies into our lives.
And to be honest, I think a lot of Christians struggle with this. We struggle with wanting both Jesus and the world in our life.
But I’m going to tell you right now, the more you have of the world in your life, the less you have of Jesus. And at some point, one of them has going to win out because they can’t coincide together. Paul puts it like this in Galatians 5:
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Paul says it’s one or the other.
Now, some might ask, “Ok pastor, but when you say we need to say NO to the world, what exactly do we need to say No to?
I’m glad you asked, because Paul tells us:
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Paul says the ways of the world are obvious. All you have to do is turn on your television to see almost everyone of those works that Paul lists in full display.
And Paul says for those who do such things, for those who desire such things, you will not inherit the kingdom of God. In other words, God’s protection will not be upon you.
So, like Jehoshaphat, we have to say YES to Jesus and NO to the world.
Comittment #2 - If we want the protection of God, we have to be FULLY commited to following Jesus.
I’m going to tell you right now, and I say this in love, you can’t be fully committed to Jesus by just showing up for church on Sunday. If you want to be fully committed, you have to be 100% sold out to Jesus. We see this in the life of Jehoshaphat. Look at how the writer describes it:
6 His heart was courageous in the ways of the Lord. And furthermore, he took the high places and the Asherim out of Judah.
Notice what the writer says. He says his heart was “courageous” in the ways of the Lord. In other words, he was deeply committed, so much so, that he removed everything in the kingdom that didn’t represent God.
Let me ask you something, “Are you courageous in the ways of the Lord? Are you deeply committed to His ways, His desires, and His direction for your life?”
And if not, why not? What is keeping you from being deeply committed? What is holding you back from giving your life fully to Jesus?
You might ask, “Wow, pastor, you’re really getting personal here? Why are you so adamant about this?”
I’m adamant for two reasons:
#1 - I want you to experience everything God has for you. And I know the only way that’s going to happen is if you’re willing to give everything of you to God.
#2 - I know the only way we stand a chance in the culture we live in is you and I are fully committed to Jesus. Because I’m going to tell you right now, without Jesus, we don’t stand a chance against what we are facing and will face in the days to come.
Because the fact is, a republican president or a republican led congress and Senate isn’t going to change our culture. Folks, that’s not the answer. The answer is Jesus.
And so I’m adamant about this because I know without Jesus, we’re in trouble and nothing is going to get better, it’s only going to get worse. In fact, if the church doesn’t wake up to the reality of our need for more of Jesus, then get ready for more PRIDE propaganda. Get ready for more push for Transgender acceptance. Get ready to watch our country come undone morally at the scenes.
Church this is why we are praying on Saturday mornings. This is why we are having First Wednesday this week. Because without Jesus, we have no protection and no chance of overcoming the enemy. But with Him, we have nothing to worry about.
Again, we see this with Jehoshaphat as the Lord honors his commitment. The writer puts it like this:
10 And the fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were around Judah, and they made no war against Jehoshaphat.
Church, if we want the fear of God to fall on this country. If we want to see the enemy pushed back, then we have to get serious about Jesus. We have to stop playing church and start praying that God would go before us. That He would give us favor. That He would provide us with more and more and more opportunity to tell people about Jesus.
Why?
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
Church, that’s my prayer for MCF. That moving forward we would move forward under the protection of God. But for that to happen, we all have to be fully committed to Jesus and His ways.
Let’s Pray