New Life Church An Oasis of Love
with Pastor Marti and Jessica McGrail
Move Forward (4/24/2011) Move Forward When Jesus was on His way to be crucified, He was made to carry His own cross. But, He had been so beaten down and so mistreated that He couldn't carry it the whole way. He fell down under the weight of His cross. When I think about it, I think that God could have strengthened Him to finish the journey. God could have given Him a ''second wind'' so He wouldn't have fallen down and looked so weak and defeated. But I believe God was sending this message: you don't have to be strong 100% of the time. It's okay to fall down. It's okay to have a doubt. It's okay to say, ''God, I can't take this anymore.'' Sometimes the cross we're carrying can get heavy. We think, ''I can't raise this child. I can't stay in this marriage. I can't deal with this legal situation another day.'' Those accusing voices will come and try to convince you that if you've ever had a doubt, if you've ever gotten discouraged, if you've ever fallen, then God just isn't going to do anything for you. ''Look at you—you're weak! You're on the ground! You're letting life get the best of you.'' No, always remember, even Jesus couldn't carry the weight of His own cross. But do you know what happened next? When He fell down, God didn't leave Him there. God didn't say, ''Too bad, Jesus, You should have had more faith. I told You not to doubt Me.'' No, God immediately sent another man across His path by the name of Simon. Simon picked up the cross and carried it for Jesus. Here's the point: when you're down, when you have doubts, when you're discouraged, God will always send somebody to help you back up, somebody to encourage you, somebody to tell you that you're going to make it. It's okay to have doubts, just don't stay there. It's okay to be disappointed. Just realize that disappointment is not the end. It's a new beginning. God still has something great in your future. I love what it says in Proverbs 24:16, ''Though a righteous man falls seven times, he gets back up!'' When all was said and done, Jesus got back up! He had the ultimate victory over death and hell when He rose from the dead! And because He rose again, you can rise again, too. As a believer, the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in you and will empower you to get back up and move forward in total victory! We invite you to come to New Life, bring a guest and celebrate the resurrection of our precious Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ next Sunday. Jessica and I love you and pray for you every single day. Thank you so much for your faithfulness to this ministry. |
