Mount of Olives Church

Exodus 14:6-7 “So he made ready his chariot and took his army with him, and took six hundred chosen chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them.” Pressured by the results of the plagues, Pharaoh finally agreed to give the Israelites their freedom. Then, he changed his mind. He was so serious that he pursued them with a mighty army, including hundreds of “select chariots.” The size and firepower of that force filled the Israelites with fear. They must have felt overwhelmed! Trapped, they had no other choice but to depend on God, who parted the Red Sea to provide a safe escape. We all know what it is like to feel overwhelmed, especially with a pandemic that has threatened the world, creating chaos in many of our lives. Like the Israelites, we may feel vulnerable, inadequate, and hopeless. It is easy to be discouraged or filled with despair. But these are moments to turn to God, cry out for His wisdom, stand on His Word, believe His promises, and trust Him ...

Dr. Robert Schuller used to say, “Tough times never last but tough people do.” There is a great deal of truth in this. Life is always going to be filled with pain and setbacks, but they do not define us. It is important for us to understand this world is a broken place and not a utopia. And since the world is a broken place, the tough times cannot last forever. Jesus has destroyed the toughest problem; death through His resurrection. This also means He will see us through whatever challenges we are facing this day. In other words, we are made strong or “tough” because of Jesus. Because of His victory, we can be resilient people. Here is how Moses and the Israelites sang about it: Exodus 15:2 ESV The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him. Pray with me: Heavenly Father, sometimes it feels like the tough times of life will never end. However, this is not true because of You. Make u...

Father’s Day Do you still need to find a gift for your father this Father’s Day? Here is one. Bob Perks tells the following story about going into a restaurant many years ago: When I first sat down, there were two men sitting together quietly. One man appeared to be in his thirties. He was dressed in some old work clothes and still wearing his baseball cap. The other man, I would guess, was about 80. He had the most incredible face. The lines and creases gave him character. His white hair was messy from wearing a stocking cap he held on top of the table. He wore one of those red plaid shirt jackets that you might see on a construction worker; heavy enough to keep you warm while you’re moving about, but not too bulky to limit your movement. But he didn’t look like he was going anywhere. Neither was this conversation. “Boy, I really worked up a hunger today, Pop. All that shoveling and sweeping the snow will do that,” the younger man said. “Yeah, this is somethin’,” replied the old man. ...